JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
236 
- It has been decided by the Chambre Syndicale of Belgian 
Horticulturists to organise at[Gkent an international meeting 
of horticulturists on the occasion of the quinquennial Exhi¬ 
bition which’ opens on April 15th. This meeting has for object 
to offer to the horticulturists of all nations an occasion to discuss 
mutually a few of the intricate questions connected with the 
development of their industry and the extension of their com¬ 
mercial relations. Two [main points are already inscribed as 
business of [the day—one bearing upon the state the horticultural 
trade is placed in by the Berne Phylloxera Convention ; the other 
of the necessity that common action of all horticulturists of the 
different countries should be taken, with a view to obtain the 
protection and advantages the horticultural industry has a lawful 
right to. Entertainments and excursions will be organised to the 
different horticultural centres of Belgium at the occasion of this 
meeting. A[reduction of 50 per cent, is allowed on the Belgian 
state railway lines, and steps are being taken to have the same 
favour allowed from foreign ones. A Congress member ticket will 
be addressed to[each adherent to enable him to partake of all ad¬ 
vantages connected with his adhesion. No special imposition is 
claimed of the [Congress adherents, but only persons connected 
with horticulture.by their interests or their known sympathies for 
horticulture are invited. All who desire to join in this Congress 
can obtain the requisite forms from M. Edm. de Potter, Secretary, 
Chambre Syndicale des Horticulteurs, Ghent, Belgium. 
BRISTOL SPRING SHOW. 
March 14th and 15th. 
The thirteenth annual spring Exhibition of the Bristol Chrysan¬ 
themum and Spring Show Society, held as usual in the Victoria 
Booms, Clifton, was in every respect most successful. It is true the 
extremely cold weather prevailing had the effect of keeping away 
many large and valuable plants, and from the same cause the attrac¬ 
tive groups usually exhibited by the Messrs. Maule & Son were 
absent; yet the large plants exhibited well filled all the centres of 
the tables, and formed admirable backgrounds to the long and wide 
bands of Hyacinths and other bulbous plants. 
Hyacinths were shown in extraordinary numbers, of good average 
quality, and were the great attraction of the meeting. Many most 
creditable examples were staged ; and this is all the more noteworthy, 
seeing that Hyacinths are much complained of this year, owing, it is 
presumed, to imperfect ripening of the bulbs. There was, however, 
nothing apparent of this in the premier prize collection of eighteen 
Hyacinths and twelve Tulips staged by Mr. G. Marsh, gardener to 
M. Dunlop, Esq., as these would have been difficult to surpass at any 
time, so exceptionally fine were they. In addition to the special 
prize of three guineas offered by the Treasurer, W. Derham, Esq,, the 
Knightian silver medal of the Boyal Horticultural Society was also 
awarded to Mr. Marsh, this being offered for the best twelve Hya¬ 
cinths in any class. These consisted of Leonidas, Prince of Wales, 
Czar Peter, Pieneman, Madame Van der Hoop, King of the Blues, 
L’lnnocence, Princess Mary of Cambridge, Lord Derby, L’Or d’Aus- 
tralie, Mont Blanc, and Gigantea ; while the best pots of Tulips, 
equally as well grown, were of White Pottebakker, Keyser’s Kroon, 
Proserpine, Yellow Pottebakker, and Yellow Tournesol. Mr. G. 
Howe, gardener to L. Pry, Esq., was an excellent second, the spikes 
of Hyacinths Charles Dickens, Lord Derby, King of the Blues, 
Blondin, Pabiola, and Mont Blanc being most noteworthy, and his 
Tulips were generally fairly good. The third prize went to Mr. W. 
Pox, gardener to Mrs. Hurle, for an even and good collection. Two 
others also staged meritorious collections. Mr. Marsh also staged 
the first-prize group in the well-filled class for twelve Hyacinths, 
distinct, these including good examples of Jenny Deans, Grandeur 
5, Merveille, Lina, and Macaulay. Mr. G. Webley followed closely 
with spikes remarkably sturdy, the bells being well developed. His 
best were Lord Derby, Pieneman, Baron von Tuyll, Leonidas, and 
Ida. Mr. E. S. Cole, gardener to W. Pethick, Esq., was awarded the 
third prize for a very slightly inferior group, and an extra prize was 
deservedly awarded to Mr. G. Howe. 
Mr. G. Webley took the first of the special prizes offered by the 
Messrs. Garaway & Co. for twelve single Hyacinths in four colours, 
the exhibitor’s examples of King of the Blues, Sir II. Havelock, Von 
Schiller, Czar Peter, Grandeur h Merveille, and La Grandeur being 
remarkable for the stoutness of spike and correspondingly good 
foliage. Mr. C. Taggett followed with very similar varieties well 
grown, while Mr. Marsh was awarded the third prize for good exj- 
amples. The first of the prizes offered by J. D. Weston, Esq., for 
twelve Hyacinths in pairs of six distinct varieties was awarded to 
Mr. C. Taggett for slightly drawn but otherwise excellent pairs of 
King of the Blues, Madame Van der Hoop, La Grandeur, Lord Ma¬ 
[ March 22, 1883. 
d 
caulay, Baron von Tuyll, and Plorence Nightingale. The secon f 
prize was awarded to Mr. G. Howe, and the third to Mr. F. Perry 
gardener to H. C. Miles, Esq., both well deserving the awards. The 
best six Hyacinths, distinct, were staged by Mr. E. S. Cole, he having 
Queen of the Hyacinths, Czar Peter, Mont Blanc, and C. Dickens in 
good condition. Mr. G. Milliner, gardener to Miss Richardson, and 
Mr. W. Lintern, gardener to W. Butler, Esq., took the remaining 
prizes in the order named, these and several others staging creditably. 
The prizes offered by Mr. E. J. Burgess for twelve Hyacinths in not 
less than six varieties brought together an excellent class. Mr. W. 
Dobson was first with massive spikes, but pips small, the best being 
Ida, King of the Blues, Alba superbissima, and Mont Blanc. Mr. 
Marsh was a good second ; and Mr. W. Bye, gardener to J. Derham, 
Esq., took the third prize for a neat brightly coloured group. 
With four pots of single Tulips in a large class Mr. G. Milliner, 
gardener to Miss Bichardson, took first honours, his examples of 
White Pottebakker, Vermilion Brillant, Keyser’s Kroon, and Proser¬ 
pine being even and good in form and colour. Mr. Webley was 
placed second, his collection including good pots of Chrysolora and 
White Pottebakker. Mr. J. Goddard, gardener to R. H. Symes, Esq., 
was placed third for a very dwarf even lot. In the corresponding 
class for double Tulips Mr. C. Taggett took the lead with well-grown 
examples of Bex Rubrorum, Imperator Rubrorum, and Bed and Yellow 
Tournesol. Mr. Marsh and Mr. W. Fox took the remaining prizes in 
the order named, and these two exhibitors were respectively first and 
second with six pots of Polyanthus Narcissus. 
A silver cup of the value of four guineas was offered for the best 
group of plants in bloom, exclusive of Orchids, and this was easily 
won by Mr. W. Bye, who staged a highly creditable collection, com¬ 
prising Azaleas of all sizes, a large Rhynchospermum jasminoides, 
Imantophyllum miniatum, Bouvardias, Pimelea spectabilis, Deutzias, 
Spiraeas, and bulbous-rooted plants. Mr. P. Perry followed with a more 
flatly arranged yet showy group, in which Rhododendrons, Belgian 
and Indian Azaleas figured largely ; he was also the only exhibitor 
of a bank of plants in which Orchids were admitted, and was awarded 
the first prize and Knightian bronze medal of the Royal Horticultural 
Society. Of these the most conspicuous were Cypripedium villosum, 
C. Boxalli, C. barbatum, Odontoglossum Alexandra, Cattleya deli- 
cata, C. Trianse, Dendrobium nobile, Lycaste Skinneri, Lselia harpo- 
phylla, and Masdevallia Lindeni, the latter being remarkably good. 
The best specimen Orchid, a Dendrobium nobile, measuring from 3 to 
4 feet in diameter, and crowded with blooms, was staged by Mr. E. 
Miller, gardener to P. Tagart, Esq. ; the next best, a large pan of 
Ccelogyne cristata, equally flowered, being staged by Mr. P. Perry. 
The third prize was awarded to Mr. J. H. Stevens, gardener to S. Bud- 
gett, Esq. Prizes were offered by A. Baker, Esq., for six Ferns, Mr. 
Bannister, gardener to H. H. V. Ames, Esq., securing the first for fine 
healthy specimens of Adiantum farleyense, A. formosum, Gymno- 
grammas, and Blechnum corcovadense, while Mr. H. K. Ward followed 
very closely with somewhat similar varieties. The latter exhibitor 
reversed the position in the class for four fine-foliaged plants, as he 
secured the premier award for medium-sized but healthy and highly 
coloured specimens of Croton Weismanni, Anthurium crystallinum, 
Ananassa sativa variegata, and Maranta zebrina ; Mr. Bannister w T as 
a good second. The best six ornamental-foliaged plants, which in¬ 
cluded large specimens of Croton interruptum, Latania borbonica, 
and Pandanus Veitchii were shown by Mr. Rye, Air. S. Budgett taking 
the second prize for a creditable group. Special prizes were offered 
by P. H. Vaughan, Esq., for a single specimen stove or greenhouse 
plant in flower, and the first of these was secured by Mr. G. Howe 
with a grandly bloomed Imantophyllum miniatum, the second prize 
going to Mr. Perry for a very good Genetyllis tulipifera. Porced 
hardy hardwooded plants were fairly well shown, the best being 
by Mr. O’Brien, gardener to Mrs. King ; the second prize going to 
Mr. W. Pox ; and Mr. O’Brien was also successful with Rhododen¬ 
drons. Large Azaleas were well shown by Messrs. C. Taggett and 
E. S. Cole, who took the principal prizes. Numbers of beautifully 
flowered Azaleas, suitable for table decoration, were shown, the best 
pair by Mr. Bright. Table plants and small Perns are always well 
shown at Bristol, and include neat well-coloured Dracaenas, Pandanus 
Veitchii, Aralias, Crotons, and Adiantum cuneatum, A. gracillimum, 
A. farleyense, Lomaria gibba, and other Ferns. In these classes the 
most successful exhibitors were Mr. Loosemore, gardener to W. 
Cooper, Esq., Mr. E. Miller, Mr. Bannister, Mr. S. Budgett, and Mr. 
Prideaux. 
Cinerarias were shown unusually well, and better plants than 
Mr. P. Edwards’s, gardener to J. Lysaght, Esq., the premier exhi¬ 
bitor, would be difficult to find. The heads of large well-formed 
blooms averaged 15 inches in diameter, and those staged by Mr. N. 
Hockey, gardener to H. Mordan, Esq., and Mr. M. Cole, gardener to 
R. B. Cater, Esq., were only slightly inferior. Chinese Primulas, 
again, both double and single-flowering, were very fine, the first and 
second prizes for the former being taken respectively by Mr. G. Howe 
and Mr. Rye ; and with the singles Messrs. W. Lintern and H. K. 
Ward were deservedly successful. Lilies of the Valley were remark¬ 
ably well shown by Messrs. Howe and G. Shelton, gardener to 
W.' K. Wait, Esq.; Marie Louise Violets by Messrs. Pethick and 
H. K. Ward ; Cyclamens by Messrs. Howe and W. Rye ; and Tricolor 
Geraniums by Mr. C. Taggett. 
Hand and button-hole bouquets and vases of cut flowers are in¬ 
variably well represented at these shows, and were very attractive 
i 
