JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
122 
[ August 5, 1880. 
of new varieties of decided novelty and sterling merit. Remem¬ 
bering Mr. Laxton’s success as a hybridiser of Peas, Roses, and 
Strawberries, and noting also the condition of the garden and the 
work in hand, there is no reason why the undertaking should not 
prove a success. To all outward appearance the prospect is good, 
and certainly there were some profitable crops in the garden at 
the time of my visit. For instance, early Potatoes, a fine yield, 
were being dug and packed for market; this crop alone would be 
lucrative, but in addition a valuable second crop will be taken 
from the same ground. Scarlet Runners had been sown at in¬ 
tervals of about IS inches between the rows of Potatoes, the plants 
to be grown in bush form by occasionally pinching the stems. 
They were flowering freely before the middle of July, and are 
sure to be profitable. Several varieties of Potatoes are being 
tried, one that promises to be very useful for “double cropping” 
being the American Beauty of Hebron, which is much dwarfer 
than the Early Rose and is earlier, while it otherwise much 
resembles that variety. It was too early for any estimate being 
taken of the varieties generally, but not too early for seeing that 
the disease had slightly affected a few of the plants; but as the 
affected haulm is removed immediately the much-dreaded 
symptoms are seen no material loss is anticipated. 
Of Strawberries there is a great collection in short rows for 
purposes of comparison, all the new and most of the best old 
English and continental varieties being represented. Hybridising 
and seedling-raising is also going on. One rather remarkable 
cross had been effected—namely, between the fine variety Dr. 
Hogg and the common wild Strawberry of the woods—the 
former the seed-bearing parent. The variety selected as the 
result of this cross has the form of leaf of Dr. Hogg with its dark 
green colour, and the slender proliferous creeping runners of the 
wild Strawberry. The fruit is intermediate between the two, 
being nearly an inch in diameter, round, resembling in shape 
Trollope’s Victoria, red, and with a curious blending of the flavours 
of the two parents. This variety is not considered “good enough” 
to be increased and distributed, and will only be employed for 
crossing purposes. Seedlings were being raised in pots. It is not 
likely that much earlier varieties than those now in commerce 
can be produced, but a good Strawberry decidedly later than our 
present varieties would be an acquisition ; or one of a continuous 
bearing character, and the raising of these ought not to be an 
impossibility. 
Peas are a feature of the Garden, Mr. Laxton pursuing the work 
of crossing with diligence, and the work of selecting a very few 
from a great number of varieties is no easy task, and can only be 
done with advantage by those having a wide knowledge of all the 
existing varieties. The temptation to retain too many must be 
great, since so many are good, but only those undoubtedly distinct 
are kept for trial a second time. There are Peas of almost all at¬ 
tained heights, sizes, and colours, from the diminutive Minimum 
only a few inches high with a mass of pods, to such imposing 
forms as Superlative Improved, Telephone, and others which 
cannot be named ; but the Pea of the Garden is John Bull that is 
fully referred to on another page. There are Peas with black pods 
and white pods, and mottled pods, and, of course, all shades of 
green; in fact to the casual visitor the collection is a little 
bewildering. The pedigrees of all the varieties and their qua¬ 
lities are carefully and accurately recorded, and everything is done 
in a systematic manner and with a clearly defined object. Beans 
are receiving similar attention and also other vegetables, of which 
probably something will be heard by-and-by. 
Roses, as may be expected, continue to be crossed and raised. 
There are thousands of seedlings, not a few of which are flower¬ 
ing, from seed only sown in the spring of the present year. Im¬ 
mediately a bud can be had from a variety of promise it is 
inserted in a stock for fully testing its merits. And here special 
knowledge is again requisite, for Roses that are only semi-double 
at first often prove eventually to be grand varieties, while those that 
are double at first frequently become so close and firm after¬ 
wards that they do not expand freely. Mr. Laxton has already 
raised more Roses of sterling merit than any other raiser, and 
further successes may with much confidence be expected to follow 
the efforts of this skilled and careful operator and indefatigable 
worker. 
Omitting much that is worthy of mention in the “ Experi¬ 
mental,” it may be remarked that the Garden is just what its name 
implies. No mere fancies are indulged in for making a show. It 
is not a garden of beauty but of utility, and it is not a public but 
a private garden. —J. Weight. 
Primeoses and Cowslips. —A lady from Jersey tells me that 
there are plenty of Primroses in the island but no Cowslips, and 
that if Cowslips are taken over to Jersey they soon change to 
Polyanthuses— i.c., the flowers become larger and assume a pinkish 
hue. This agrees very nearly with the statement of the Devon¬ 
shire people, that Cowslips if taken there soon change to Prim¬ 
roses.— Amateur, Cirencester. 
TWO SCOTCH ROSE SHOWS. 
Again it has given me great pleasure to attend the rosy gatherings 
of the Galloway and West of Scotland Rosarian Society’s Shows, for 
although minor affairs in comparison with many of those which I 
have the happiness of being present at, yet in one respect—viz., 
hearty love for the Rose, they will yield to none ; and although, as 
in all other things of a similar character, one has to notice changes 
and losses, yet it is a pleasure to meet friends again and to find 
heartiness in love of the Rose not diminishing but increasing. In one 
respect the Exhibition this year differed from others previously held 
—none of the English nurserymen were present. Messrs. Dickson and 
Co. of Newtownards, and Mr. Dickson of Belmont near Belfast, how¬ 
ever, were present in force and worthily maintained their reputation. 
There has been a marked difference between Scotland and England 
on the point of weather this year, for while we have had a season in 
which Roses have been behindhand in point of time and characterised 
by incessant thunderstorms and deluges of rain, in Scotland they 
were more forward than were in the south-east of England. The 
hay was all in, Roses were past their best, and the rivers quite low ; 
in fact in some places watering Roses had to be resorted to. First in 
order was 
THE GALLOWAY ROSE SHOW. 
This, which has been hitherto held at Newton Stewart, was this 
year held at Stranraer, the extreme point of the peninsula which forms 
that portion (consisting of Wigtonshire and Kirkcudbrightshire) of 
Scotland known under the name of Galloway, Newton Stewart being 
about the centre and Castle Douglas the inland extreme of it. The 
change did not seem to be a happy one, for although the day chosen 
for the Show was that on which the Galloway Agricultural Society 
held theirs, there were fewer attendants than at Newton Stewart, and 
certainly fewer Roses ; and I do not think, although Stranraer is a 
thriving place, that it will soon again have a Rose Show. 
Messrs. Dickson & Son of Newtownards were first in the open class 
with a very fine stand, in which were the following—Dupuy Jamain, 
Marie Rady, Marie Verdier, apparently a good Rose of a peculiar 
shade of colour ; Baroness Rothschild, Mrs. Laxton, Madame Bernet, 
Dr. Sewell, Eugenie Verdier, and Louis Dol'd, a promising new Rose. 
Mr. Smith was second with a good stand, in which the most notice¬ 
able were Thomas Methven, Gaston Leveque, apparently a good new 
Rose; Ferdinand de Lesseps, Baron Haussmann, Leon Renault, Le 
Havre. Mr. Smith was also first in the twenty-four class confined to 
local growers ; in this stand were fine blooms of Mons. E. Y. Teas, 
Penelope Mayo, Sophie Fropot, and others. In the class for twenty- 
fours, confined to amateurs and gentlemen’s gardeners, Mr. J. 
Richardson of Tondraghee Gardens was first. In his stand, besides 
other well-known favourites, were good blooms of Mdlle. Gabrielle 
Luizet, Francois Louvat, Madame Nachury,and Baronne de Rothschild, 
Cheshunt Hybrid, Boieldieu, Comtesse de Paris, very bright; and 
Comtesse de Serenye, clean and good. In the class for twelves Mr. 
P. Lennox was first, A. Colomb, La France, Dr. Andry, were the best 
blooms ; and Mr. McMunro was first in the class for amateurs only. 
He had good blooms of Madame Charles Wood, Etienne Levet, 
Marechal Niel, and Marie Rady. The other classes do not call for 
any particular comment. Cottagers were poorly represented, and the 
bouquets were indifferent, except one, which consisted of seventy-five 
distinct varieties of herbaceous plants. 
It was indeed a strange experience for me to revisit a place in 
which fifty years ago I had spent some very unhappy months as a 
half-starved schoolboy, and where I had not been since ; still more to 
revisit, as I did the following day as the guest of my good friend 
Provost Stuart, Brodick Bay and Lamlash in the island of Arran— 
places I used in those long-past days, when many a time I was thank¬ 
ful enough after a stormy cruise to find myself in shelter. And how 
retentive memory is of those early days ! As we steamed into Brodick 
I could without difficulty call to mind the Castle, and the road to 
Kilmichael, where blackcock and grouse used to abound, and where 
my good father used Col. Fullerton’s property, bringing home many 
a weighty bag. And now 1 Well, if the times have not changed, 
which assuredly they have, we at any rate have done so. 
THE WEST OF SCOTLAND ROSARIAN SOCIETY'S SHOW 
Was held in the grounds of The Hermitage at Helensburgh, and was 
remarkable for the large number of amateur exhibitors and the general 
good character of the blooms, although, as I have said, in some 
instances the season was past. Notably was *this the case with 
Major Denniston’s flowers, which had won high honours at Edin¬ 
burgh, and which last year occupied so conspicuous a place, but 
were now over. Messrs. Dickson & Son of Newtownards were first 
in the open class for nurserymen, tbeir stand comprising amongst 
others good blooms of Etienne Levet, Capitaine Christy, Annie Wood, 
Charles Lefebvre, and Mrs. Laxton. Messrs. Hugh Dickson of Bel¬ 
mont, Belfast, was first in the class for thirty-six with a fine stand 
consisting with others of the following—Marquis of Salisbury, Charles 
Lefebvre, Barthelemy Joubert, and Horace Vernet. Amongst ama¬ 
teurs Thomas Watson, Esq., of Row (gardener, Harry Lester), was 
