300 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. : September so, isso. 
have spoken with have, 1 hope they will make their opinions 
known. It is no pleasure to have to condemn, and I should 
be very glad if my judgment were proved to be incorrect ; but 
it was only the other day I w;is accosted by the head of a very 
well known London firm, who asked my opinion. When I 
gave it he said, “ It exactly accords with my own ; and I am 
very thankful that I have sold very few of them, for I know 
what my customers will say." 
It is very gratifying to observe the increased love of the 
Rose. Notwithstanding the terrible discouragements of the 
last two years, and how largely our National Rose Society is 
contributing to this good work, each year sees some new 
exhibitors coming forward, not only amongst the smaller 
growers, but amongst those who are destined to carry off some 
of the highest honours 'hat the Rose confers ; but it may not 
be amiss to sound one little note of warning, and that is the 
possibility of the valuable prizes which are now offered leading- 
exhibitors to be carried away by the desire of obtaining them 
rather than of what may be to the interests of the Rose and 
its extended culture. If, for instance, in the matter of dates 
to be fixed for exhibitions, each grower considers only what 
is most likely to be the condition of his own Roses and not 
how it may suit the general mass of exhibitors; or if where 
classes are made and evidently only intended for smaller 
growers, a large grower, finding that he is unable successfully 
to compete in his usual place, enters amongst the classes from 
which it was intended to exclude him, I am afraid the Society 
will be shipwrecked. I have never known any Society that 
can stand against such influences as these, i have known 
many a successful one come to grief because self-interest came 
in to destroy like a cankerworm its fair promise, and it is in 
consequence of this that I would lift up my warning voice. 
In so doing I have at least one claim to be heard. I am no 
exhibitor myself, and therefore I have no cause to complain 
of any injury done to me. I desire only to see the Rose and 
the Rose Societies now established throughout the kingdoms 
prospering, although I can well understand how the feelings of 
an exhibitor may be lacerated. It was a quiet piece of sarcasm 
uttered by a small exhibitor when he saw himself defeated in 
one of the smaller classes by a large grower—“ I think, sir, we 
ought to make a class for three blooms to admit Mr.-." 
On the whole, then, there is much to encourage Rose-growers. 
We have not yet seen what a thoroughly good show of the 
National ought to be; for although that at St. James’s Hall 
was grand, there was no space sufficiently large to show the 
blooms, and since then we have not had a really good Rose 
season. Let us hope that a good time may be coming, and 
that Rose growers and Rose exhibitors may equally with the 
farmer look forward to next season with brightening hopes 
and expectations.—D., Deal 
DEATH OF MR. ARTHUR VEITCH. 
It is with extreme regret, which will be shared by a wide circle 
of friends in this and other countries, that we have to announce 
the somewhat sudden death of this estimable gentleman, which 
occurred at his residence in Chelsea on Saturday last the 25th inst. 
The deceased became a partner in the great firm of Messrs. James 
Yeitch & Sons on the death of his brother Mr. John Gould Yeitch, 
and he was most assiduous in sharing the conduct of the business 
under the directions of the active senior partner and present 
proprietor, Mr. Harry J. Yeitch. Mr. Arthur Veitch, during a short 
and unblemished life, has left a vacancy which will not be easily 
filled in the district in which he resided. He was not only diligent 
in business, but laboured with extraordinary zeal in promoting 
the moral and spiritual welfare of the inhabitants of a populous 
suburb of the metropolis, his whole spare time having been 
devoted to the spread of religion among the masses. Yisiting the 
sick, comforting the aged, seeking out those who were in need of 
aid and consolation, constituted, apart from his business duties, the 
life work of this truly good and philanthropic man. The amount 
of good that he has done in this respect none can know ; but all 
who knew him will grant most readily that he was ever willing 
to devote himself, at whatever apparent personal inconvenience, to 
the welfare of others. He was a devoted husband, an affectionate 
parent, a trusted friend, and a kind employer ; and it is not too 
much to say that thousands will mourn his loss and cherish his 
memory. He had only been confined to his room about a fort¬ 
night when he was called to his reward. He was only thirty-six 
years of age, and leases a widow and five children, who will have 
hosts of sympathisers in their great bereavement. When the 
majority of our readers peruse these lines the remains of the 
deceased gentleman will have been deposited in the Brompton 
Cemetery, the time fixed for the funeral being 10.30 on our day 
of publication—Thursday morning. 
THE GREAT POTATO SHOW. 
No one who has not seen one of the International Potato Shows 
can form a conception of its appearance, and the Show of last 
week was stated on authority to have been the ‘-finest of the kind 
that has ever been seen in England.” The number of dishes was 
extraordinary, and the size and appearance of the tubers mar¬ 
vellous ; there were whites, and purples, and pinks, and roses, and 
salmons, and reds ; rounds and ovals, and flats and kidneys, all 
“ artistically ” disposed on a length of apparently nearly three- 
quarters of a mile of tabling. 
The Show evidenced great activity on the part of the direc¬ 
torate, great enterprise on the part of the nursery and seed trades, 
great labour and cultural skill on the part of the cultivators and 
exhibitors, and great competence on the part of those who arranged 
the collections so orderly and systematically. When a committee 
can gain friends sufficient to contribute prizes of the aggregate 
value of £il0 in fifty-two classes, while its own share is only 
£5 5s. in six classes, when new members are charged entrance fees 
varying from 5s. to 2s., and the Crystal Palace Company probably 
grants a subsidy to the funds, that organisation ought to be ex¬ 
tremely prosperous. The Show appears to be really a gigantic 
trade affair, and was certainly “ billed ” well by those who had 
invested in it, for with the exception of some half a dozen gentle¬ 
men the whole of the extra prizes named were given by Potato 
vendors. 
The weight of the produce exhibited could not have been less 
than 20 tons, and it is a question if there were more than one ton 
of tubers possessing the requisite high quality for a well-appointed 
table. The varieties esteemed for their cooking qualities were 
conspicuous by their absence. There was a thin sprinkling of the 
Ashtop varieties, perhaps half a dozen dishes of Victorias, and 
less of York Regents. The round Potato of the Show, a tuber of 
good appearance and cooking quality, was undoubtedly School¬ 
master, while among kidneys Magnum Bonum was in large force 
and fine form. The Scotch Champions alluded to in your report 
perhaps carried off the palm for ugliness, and judging by appear¬ 
ances there is not much wonder that Mr. Luckhurst has discarded 
the variety, especially as he can ensure an ample supply of Vic¬ 
torias ; had he decided otherwise under the circumstances I for 
one think he would not have exercised sound judgment. Wood- 
stock Kidney was in fine condition, and International Kidney very 
large, some with other varieties on Messrs. Webbs’ stands being 
of enormous size. Of the new varieties Wormleighton’s Kidney 
was distinct and promising ; it is white faintly tinted with rose, 
and regularly sprinkled with dark dots. It was stated to have 
been raised by Mr. -J. Wormleighton of Guilsborough, Northamp¬ 
ton, by crossing the Belgian Kidney with Early Rose. Of the 
new rounds the Lord Mayor is a large and rather deep-eyed 
tuber, and not to my mind by any means equal to Mr. Ross’s 
variety Dux—a smart round tuber of the Victoria type. Red 
Defiance, raised by Mr. Millen, Hamstead Park, Newbury, and 
staged by Messrs. C. Lee & Son, was very good of its kind. Mr. 
Bresee, a long red kidney, was splendid, while the red round 
Vicar of Lalebam is popular as an exhibition tuber ; and Mr. 
Fenn’s Sulhampstead Kidney, red, and Mr. Lye’s Wiltshire 
Snowflake, flatfish round, had many admirers. I cannot, however, 
particularise every variety of note, and it will be convenient to 
myself and possibly to your readers to name those varieties in 
the different sections that were shown in the greatest numbers 
and best condition. They are as follows :— 
White Kidneys. —International, Myatt’s Prolific, Jackson’s Im¬ 
proved, Woodstock Kidney, Covent Garden Perfection, Yorkshire 
Hero, Snowflake, Edgcott Seedling, and Pride of America. 
Coloured Kidneys. —Mr. Bresee, Trophy, Superior, Red Defiance, 
Red Ashleaf, Salmon Kidney, Garibaldi, Wonderful, Beauty of 
Hebron, and American Purple Kidney. 
