88 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
t July 29, 1880. 
benas representing more than 150 varieties, very bright and rich in 
colour. 
The grounds were illuminated with Messrs. Siemens’ electric light, 
which proved on this occasion exceptionally brilliant and steady, and 
upwards of eight thousand coloured lamps, which were arranged 
spirally up the stems of trees, in festoons from tree to tree, among the 
branches, and around the fountains, considerable taste being displayed 
in the arrangement. Coloured fires were employed at intervals, but 
owing to the stillness of the air the smoke somewhat marred the effect. 
In the conservatory the Kensington Amateur Choral Society sang an 
admirable selection of part songs, and on the terrace the bands of the 
Royal Horse Guards and Life Guards contributed greatly to the 
pleasure of the visitors. Under the superintendence of the Secretary 
and members of the Council, Mr. Barron the Superintendent, and 
Mr. Dick the Assistant Secretary, carried out the arrangements 
with great efficiency ; indeed in every respect this was probably the 
most successful meeting of the kind ever held by the Society. 
GARDENIAS. 
Plants that have flowered late should be pruned, but not too 
closely unless they are overgrown, when they may be cut well 
back, otherwise the mere removal of irregularities of growth is all 
that is required. The plants should be thoroughly cleaned from 
mealy bug and scale, as the growth being old will admit of an 
insecticide being applied at a greater strength than when the 
shoots are young and soft. A solution of nicotine soap, 6 ozs. 
to the gallon of water, will destroy both mealy bug and scale, 
either by dipping the plants or syringing them with the solution 
at a temperature of 100° to 120°. To be effectual, however, it 
must be thoroughly done, as partial cleansing only leaves stock to 
breed, and gives the impression that plants cannot be cleansed of 
mealy bug when once they are affected. The plants should be 
encouraged to make growth by plenty of heat and a moist atmo¬ 
sphere, and when fairly growing should be repotted, merely 
loosening the sides of the ball and removing any loose soil. 
Young stock that it is desired to advance quickly should be 
moved into larger pots, and encouraged at the warmest end of the 
stove by syringing every evening. Gardenia florida intermedia is 
by far the largest and freest-flowered of the family, and should 
be grown in quantity.—G. P. 
WIRRAL ROSE SHOW. 
Will it not surprise the readers of the Journal to hear that the 
best Bose Show of the year has been that held by a young Society 
only two years old, and in a place concerning which the exclamation 
will be in nine cases out of ten—“ Wirral 1 Wirral! Never heard of 
such a place 1 ” Not so extensive as that at the Crystal Palace, but 
certainly as large as that of the National Rose Society at Manchester, 
and in the quality of the exhibits exceeding it. As the reporter for 
the Journal was taking notes I shall content myself with a few 
general observations. 
Wirral is the name of the hundred in which Birkenhead is situated, 
and the Show was held in the archery ground in Birkenhead Park, 
and in a tent were staged some of the finest stands I have seen this 
year. When I say that Messrs. Cranston, Paul & Son, Davison, 
Prince, tfcc., exhibited amongst the growers for sale, and Messrs. Jowitt 
and Hawtrey amongst amateurs, it will be readily conceded that 
the materials for a fine exhibition were not wanting. But how, it 
will be asked, could such growers be induced to go to so new a Society 
and so far off ? Simply this : Birkenhead possesses a considerable 
number of Rose-growers, who are also by no means timid men; 
and believing that what is to be done at all should be done well, they 
agreed that twenty of them should put down five guineas apiece as 
a guarantee fund, and, thus securing themselves against possible loss, 
should offer such prizes as would induce growers from a distance ; 
and having, moreover, a Secretary whose energy belonged to no 
limited liability, but is untiring, they have attained the proud pre¬ 
eminence of holding the best Exhibition of the year, with the one 
exception of the National. There was but one element of disappoint¬ 
ment—the weather, which has proved so treacherous this year and 
has so defied all forecasts ; it was as bad as could be, and 1 fear the 
guarantors will have to suffer ■ but as one of them said, “We shall 
cheerfully pay up our five guineas and come up again.” With such 
a spirit amongst them it needs no seer to predict a successful time for 
the Wirral Rose Society. 
Although Mr. Cranston was, as he everywhere has been this year, 
facile princeps, yet I should be inclined to give the palm to the box 
of thirty-six exhibited by Mr. Jowitt, for this was as near perfection 
as possible. I question very much if he could have picked out such 
a thirty-six out of his stand of forty-eight with which he won the cup 
at the Crystal Palace. Some of the blooms, such as A. K. Williams, 
Beauty of Waltham, Marie Rady, and Charles Lefebvre, were in¬ 
expressibly grand. Your reporter will have noticed, I have no doubt, 
most of the fine blooms, but I cannot pass by the magnificent twelve 
Marie Radysof Mr. Cranston, or the very nearly equally grand twelve 
of Marie Baumann of Messrs. F. and A. Dickson & Sons, Chester. I 
have never seen such a stand of Marie Rady, and it nearly equalled 
the splendid twelve Alfred Colombs of Mr. Jowitt shown at Manches¬ 
ter. Amongst local exhibitors Mr. T. B. Hail of Lant Grove, Rock 
Ferry, had by far the finest collection, winning the first prize for 
twenty-four blooms, and the National Rose Society’s silver medal. I 
was not surprised at the excellence of the blooms when I saw the 
splendid growth of his plants. I must add personally it was a visit of 
great enjoyment. I went to Wirral as a stranger, but was received 
with the utmost cordiality and kindness, especially by the President, 
Mr. Hall, and that I look forward with much pleasure to a renewal 
of an acquaintance so happily begun.—D., Deal. 
This, the second Show of the Wirral Rose Society, was held on the 
24th inst. in Birkenhead Park. Last year the Society held their 
Exhibition at Bebington, and offered about £30 in prizes. This year 
they offered a schedule of fifteen classes and gave £105 in prizes. 
This undoubtedly proved the finest Rose Show of the year, with the 
exception, perhaps, of the Crystal Palace, but, unfortunately, the 
weather was most unpropitious. The few days of good weather 
previous to the Show told considerably upon the blooms, and they 
were exhibited on the whole in much better condition than those 
shown at Manchester the previous week ; they were indeed of first- 
class quality both as regards size, freshness, and colour ; and light 
Roses, especially Hybrid Perpetuals, were shown in greater numbers 
and better condition than we have before seen this season. Messrs. 
Cranston & Co., Hereford, staged a very fine box of their new Rose 
Mrs. Jowitt; the colour was very bright and the foliage healthy, 
clean, and large, not a trace of spot or mildew to be found upon it. 
The same firm exhibited a magnificent box of Mdlle. Marie Rady ; and 
Messrs. James Dickson & Sons, Newton Nurseries, Chester, a fresh 
and fine stand of Marie Baumann, which the leading rosarians con¬ 
sidered had not been shown in such condition this season. 
Nurserymen’s Classes. —For twenty-two varieties, distinct, single 
trusses, first, Messrs. Cranston & Co., Hereford, with beautiful 
flowers, and much ahead of any others in this class. Amongst their 
most noteworthy blooms were Abel Carriere, Marie Baumann, La 
Duchesse de Moray, very fine ; Duke of Wellington, Madame Victor 
Verdier, Emilie Hausburg, Due de Rohan, Mrs. Laxton, full and very 
fine ; Dr. Andry, Fisher Holmes, Souvenir de Mons. Paul Neyron, 
Edouard Pynaert, Reynolds Hole, Dupuy Jamain, Etienne Levet, 
Jean Liabaud, Mdlle. Eugenie Verdier, Exposition de Brie, Catherine 
Mermet, Mary Pochin, A. K. Williams, Louis Van Houtte, and La 
France. Second, Messrs. Paul & Sons, Old Nurseries, Cheshunt, with 
good blooms among others of Mrs. Baker, Senateur Vaisse, Edouard 
Dufour, John Stuart Mill, Souvenir d’Elise Vardon, Lord Beaconsfield, 
Louis Van Houtte, Annie Wood, Miss Poole, Xavier Olibo, Antoine 
Ducher, Duke of Edinburgh, and Marquis of Salisbury. Third, 
G. Prince, Oxford, with Marcelin Roda, Catherine Mermet, Due de 
Montpensier, Duchesse de Vallombrosa, Perle des Jardins, Annie 
Wood, Capitaine Christy, Horace Vernet, and Duke of Edinburgh as 
the leading flowers. Messrs. Francis and Arthur Dickson & Sons 
were the other exhibitors and staged excellent blooms. 
In the class for thirty-six varieties, three blooms of each, there were 
six entries, and the competition was very close. First, Messrs. Cran¬ 
ston & Co. with Mrs. Jowitt, very fine ; Alfred Colomb, Le Havre, 
Charles Lefebvre, Elie Morel, La France, Capitaine Christy, Baronne 
de Rothschild, Senateur Vaisse, Niphetos, Sir Garnet Wolseley, and 
Catherine Mermet. Second, Messrs. Davison & Co., Hereford, with 
good blooms of the following—Charles Wood, Beauty of Waltham, 
John Stuart Mill, Mdlle. Marie Rady, Alfred Colomb, Sultan of 
Zanzibar, and Marguerite Brassac. Equal thirds, Messrs. Paul and 
Sons and G. Prince, Oxford ; the former having good blooms of Prince 
Arthur, Camille Bernardin, Due de Rohan, La France, Capitaine 
Christy, A. K. Williams, Sdnateur Vaisse, and Louis Van Houtte ; the 
latter having Perle des Jardins, Annie Wood, La France, Souvenir de 
Mons. Paul Neyron, Etienne Levet, and Mons. E. Y. Teas in superior 
condition. 
In the open class for thirty-six varieties, single blooms, first, T. 
Jowitt, Esq., Old Weir, Hereford, with magnificent blooms, including 
Alfred Colomb, Mons. Noman, Duke of Wellington, Lord Herbert, 
Beauty of Waltham, Mdlle. Marie Rady, La France, Ferdinand de 
Lesseps, Charles Lefebvre, and Horace Vernet in such condition as 
is rarely seen. Second, Mr. Griffiths, Hereford, with good blooms 
of Fisher Holmes, Beauty of Waltham, Alfred Colomb, SirG. Wolseley, 
Marie Baumann, Mrs. Laxton, La France, and Comtesse de Serenye. 
Third. Messrs. James Dickson & Sons, Chester ; John Hopper, Xavier 
Olibo,'Beauty of Waltham, Mons. E. Y. Teas, being extremely fine. 
In the class for twelve blooms of any one Hybrid Perpetual Rose, 
first, Cranston & Co., with Mdlle. Marie Rady above alluded to. 
Second, James Dickson & Sons with Marie Baumann. Third, G. 
Prince with Alfred Colomb. Extra prize, T. Jowitt, Esq., with John 
Stuart Mill. All the stands were splendid. 
Amateurs’ Classes. —Thirty-six varieties, single blooms. First, 
T. Jowitt, Esq., with a magnificent stand. The bloom of A. K. 
Williams was undoubtedly the best in the Show ; Mdlle. Marie Rady, 
Sir G. Wolseley, Franpois Michelon, Louis Van Houtte, La Duchesse 
de Moray, Comtesse de Serenye, Marie Baumann, Madame C. Cra- 
pelet were also in grand condition. Second, G. P. Hawtrey, Esq., 
who staged among others splendid blooms of La France, Duke of 
Edinburgh, Mdlle. Marie Rady. Marie Baumann, Therese Levet, and 
Marguerite Brassac. Third, G. H. Berrington, Esq.; Louis Van 
