July 10, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
35 
Bunyard & Co., Ashford, fourth. In the class for twelve Hybrid 
Perpetuals and twelve Teas Mr. Frank Cant was again first; his blooms 
were Mrs. John Laing, Madame de Watteville, Etienne Levet, Innocente 
Pirola, Francois Michelon, Souvenir d’Elise Vardon, Ulrich Brunner, 
Marie Finger, Souvenir d’un Ami, Madame Cusin, Prince Arthur, 
Catherine Mermet, Victor Hugo, Souvenir de S. A. Prince, Camille de 
Rohan, Niphetos, Pride of Reigate, Francisca Kruger, Gloire de Bourg la 
Reine, Edith Brownlow, Duke of Teck, Rubens, Gdn^ral Jacqueminot, 
and Marie Van Iloutte. Mr. George Mount was second. In twelve Teas 
Mr. Frank Cant was again first with Madame de Watteville, Jules 
Finger, Niphetos, Madame Cusin, Innocente Pirola, Marie Van Houtte, 
Souvenir d’Elise, Comtesse de Nadaillac, Catherine Mermet, and Edith 
Brownlow. Mr. George Mount was second. 
In the stand for a vase or epergne of Roses Mrs. H. B. Biron was 
first with a very beautifully arranged stand, in which her well known 
taste was conspicuous, and also in a very exquisite shoulder knot. There 
were also some very pretty arrangements of buttonhole bouquets. 
The weather was again unpropitious ; it had interfered with many 
exhibitors, amongst others with the indefatigable Secretary, the Rev. 
H. B. Biron. Anyone who knows his garden on a cliff can quite under¬ 
stand what effect a S.W. gale, combined with torrents of rain, such as 
we had on Monday, must have had upon it, and consequently he was 
completely prevented from exhibiting any of his flowers. The uncer¬ 
tainties of our climate are indeed very perplexing and disappointing to 
those who depend upon it, and certainly Rose growers are as much so 
as most people. We had hoped for a favourable time, but alas 1 it seems 
as if we were again to experience the misery of disappointed hopes. 
The wonder is that any Roses are exhibited, but the friends of the Rose 
at Canterbury are not easily discouraged, and the excellence of their 
Exhibition will encourage them to go forward.—D., Deal. 
ELTHAM. 
Although within only eight miles of the General Post Office 
Eltham is comparatively unknown, yet is it a place not only of deep 
interest, but of Old World character, and although there have been built 
a large number of villas, yet somehow or other it has not been very 
popular, and the old street still smacks of the olden time, and many 
nurseries crowd around the Palace, now called Eltham Court. Here 
our kings held courts and parliaments, here were entertained kings from 
far off Armenia ; in the parks that surrounded it they hunted, and they 
have left in the grand banqueting hall a remnant of its former great¬ 
ness, for no more beautiful specimen of perpendicular domestic archi¬ 
tecture can be found anywhere. Eltham, too, has its modern associations. 
Here Vandyke lived ; here, too, died Doggett the comedian, the founder 
of “ the coat and badge ” rowed for by the Thames watermen ; here 
Mr. Blenkiron had his celebrated stud of horses, and here at his sale 
Blair Athol fetched 13,000 guineas ; and last, but not least, here died 
William Sherard the botanist, the author of “ Hortus Elthamensis,” 
and the founder of the professorship of botany at Oxford. 
In the ground attached to Eltham Court, as the palace is now called, 
the residence of that very earnest and energetic member of the 
National Rose Society (Mr. Bloxam) which has often benefited by his 
counsels, was held the annual Rose Show on Saturday last, and I think 
all concerned in it may be heartily congratulated on the great 
improvement which has taken place in the quality and extent of the 
flowers exhibited. Time was when a friend used to say of it, “ Mrs.- 
first and the rest nowhere,” so great was the difference between her 
stand and the others shown. It is not so now. The competition was 
very keen, and the second and third stands contained very beautiful 
flowers. In the class for eighteens Mrs. Fuller, Bexley Vicarage, was 
first also with fine blooms of Capt. Christy, Etienne Levet, Pride of 
Waltham, Heinrich Schultheis, Louis Van Houtte in fine bloom, which 
ran Franqois Michelon very hard for the silver medal; Mrs. John Laing, 
Baroness Rothschild, Abel Carriere, Marshal Niel, Duke of Edinburgh, 
a finely coloured bloom ; Ulrich Brunner, Marie Finger, Her Majesty, 
Xavier Olibo, Marie Verdier, Gabriel Luizet, Magna Charta, A. K. 
Williams, and Merveille de Lyon. Mr. Shea was second and Mr. R. 
Bloxam third. In the class for twelves Mr. Shea was first. Mr. A. Biron 
second, and Mr. A. Harris third. Mr. Shea’s blooms were White Baroness, 
Queen of Queens, Her Majesty, Baroness Rothschild, Marie Finger, 
Comtesse d’Oxford, Marquise de Castellane, Marie Cointet, Prince 
Arthur, Captain Christy, Duke of Edinburgh and Duchess of Vallam- 
brosa. In the class for four trebles Mr. Fuller was first, La France, 
Baroness Rothschild, Louis Van Houtte and Heinrich Schultheis. In 
the class for sixes Mr. Bryan was first and Mr. Shea second. The blooms 
in the first box were Captain Christy, Charles Lefebvre, Duke of 
Edinburgh, La France, Madame Isaac Pereire and Merveille de Lyon. 
In Teas Mr. Bloxam was first with America, Anna Ollivier, Madame 
Lambard, Hon. Edith Gifford, Caroline Kuster and Madame Villermoz. 
For six of any one sort Mrs. Fuller was first with clear, bright blooms 
of Gabriel Luizet. 
Turning now to the other side of the tent where were staged the 
nurserymen’s and open stands, there needed not much forecasting to 
say, when such growers as Mr. B. R. Cant, Mr. Frank Cant, and Messrs. 
Paul & Son, entered the lists, and very fine flowers were staged by these 
celebrated growers. Mr. Frank Cant was first in twenty-fours with La 
France, Merveille de Lyor, Pierre Notting, Ulrich Brunner, splendid in 
colour ; Her Majesty, Dupuy Jamain, Lady Mary Fitzwilliam, Duke of 
Teck, brilliant in colour; Souvenir d’Elise Vardon, Star of Waltham, 
Gabriel Luizet, Duke of Wellington, Niphetos, Dr. Sewell, Mrs. John 
Laing, Etienne Levet, Madame Cusin, Mons. E. Y. Teas, Catherine Mermet, 
Pride of Reigate, Comtesse de Nadaillac, Annie Laxton, Pride of Waltham, 
and A. K. Williams. Mr. B. R. Cant was second with a stand which ran 
the first very close. His blooms were Victor Hugo, Lady Mary Fitz¬ 
william, Louis Van Houtte, Mrs. John Laing, Gabriel Luizet, Ulrich 
Brunner, La France, Charles Lefebvre, Baroness Rothschild, Franqois 
Michelon, Merveille de Lyon, Comtesse d’Oxford, Prince Arthur, Duke 
of Edinburgh, Magna Charta, Boieldieu, Marie Finger, Marie Verdier, Dr. 
Andry, Alfred Colomb, and Heinrich Schultheis. 
In the class for twelve Mr. Frank Cant was again first with Etienne 
Levet, Marie Baumann, Duke of Wellington, Captain Christy, Cathe¬ 
rine Mermet, Duke of Teck, Ulrich Brunner, Duke of Edinburgh, 
Boieldieu, Gabriel Luizet, E. Y. Teas, and Marie Van Houtte. Messrs. 
Geo. Bunyard & Co. of Maidstone were second with excellent blooms of 
Horace Vernet, Ulrich Brunner, Her Majesty, Madame Eugene Verdier, 
Marie Rady, Marquise de Castellane, Baroness Rothschild, Madame 
Victor Verdier, La France, Souvenir d’Elise, and Magna Charta. In 
twelve Teas Mr. Frank Cant was again first with Innocente Pirola, 
Souvenir d’Elise, Souvenir d’un Ami, Hon. Edith Gifford, Princess of 
Wales, Jean Ducher, Catherine Mermet, Marie Van Houtte, Madame de 
Watteville, Niphetos, Madame Cusin, and The Bride. Mr. B. R. Cant 
second with Niphetos, Comtesse de Nadaillac, The Bride, Catherine 
Mermet, Devoniensis, Madame Cusin, Rubens, Marie Van Houtte, 
Caroline Kuster, Souvenir d’un Ami, Innocente Pirola, and Souvenir 
d’Elise. The prize given by Mr. Geo. Prince for twelve Teas was won 
by the Rev. F. H. Gall, Madame Hoste, Princess of Wales, Madame 
Thdrese Levet, Comtesse de Nadaillac, Madame Van Houtte, Madame 
Lambard, Souvenir d’un Ami, Anna Ollivier, Marshal Niel, Niphetos, 
and Hon. Edith Gifford. 
The whole Exhibition was a most excellent one. The cottagers’ 
productions were most creditable ; specimens of bread-making, needle¬ 
work, and other useful things were exhibited in considerable quantities, 
while the table decorations showed a vast improvement. They were 
simple and elegant instead of being coarse and crowded. The bouquets 
and other arrangements of flowers were in excellent taste. The only 
thing wrong was the weather, which was showery and unpleasant; but 
all. connected with the Exhibition may be congratulated on the evident 
advance that has been made.—D., Deal. 
HITCHIN. 
The grounds of the Priory were once more thrown open to the 
Hitchin Rose Society for their annual Exhibition, and a more fitting 
place, with its beautiful surroundings, quite close upon the old-fashioned 
county town, which, in spite of railroads, gas, and all other modern 
appliances of civilisation, still retains its quaint and picturesque 
character, could not possibly be. In former days Hitchin was noted 
both for its manufactures and its coachings. These have both departed, 
but reminders of them still exist. The “ Star,” with its grand old-fashioned 
garden and bowling green, where in former days the fathers of the town 
used to assemble, smoke their churchwardens, and drink their gin, is in 
itself worth a visit, while there are houses and gardens in the town 
which are alike admirable and suggestive of refined taste, and one 
may add of quiet lives, and I have never met anyone who visited 
the town for the first time who is not charmed with its old time 
character. 
The Hitchin Rose Society has now been twelve years in existence, 
and owes its present position in great part to the energetic labours 
and enthusiasm of the Rev. F. H. Gall, who regards it with all the 
affection of a parent and the love of a rosarian. He had anticipated a 
very large Show this year, as growers from all parts had promised to 
attend, but alas 1 for all such hopes, the stormy rainy weather of the 
past week had dashed them, and although a good and effective exhi¬ 
bition was held, the number of exhibits fell far short of his expectations, 
but the quality of many of the stands was excellent, and in some cases 
could not easily be surpassed. 
In class 1, for thirty-six distinct, nurserymen, Messrs. Paul and 
Son were first with Ulrich Brunner, La France, Duke of Edinburgh, 
Alba Rosea, Mrs. John Laing, Etienne Levet, Her Majesty, Merveille de- 
Lyon, Prince Camille de Rohan, Pride of Waltham, Prosper Laugier, 
Marie Verdier, Abel Carriere, Lady Mary Fitzwilliam, Louis Van 
Houtte, Madame Geo. Schwartz, Sultan of Zanzibar, Marie Van 
Houtte, Xavier Olibc, Countess of Pembroke, Madame Victor Verdier, 
Queen of Queens, Mrs. Charles Wood, Princess Beatrice, Maurice Ber- 
nardin, Violette Bouyer, Francois Michelon, Captain Christy, Grandeur 
of Cheshunt, Heinrich Schultheis, Duchessede Morny, Ollivier Delhomme, 
Souvenir de S. A. Prince, Lady Helen Stewart, Marie Finger, Alphonse 
Soupert, The Bride, Prince Arthur, and Madame Prosper Laugier. In 
this stand there were some very remarkable flowers. Messrs. Burrell & Co. 
were a good second, Messrs. Burch & Co. third, and Mr. John House 
fourth. In class 3, for twenty-four distinct, Mr. E. B. Lindsell was 
a long way ahead with a box in which there was not an imperfect 
flower, and blooms of many of the varieties were such as one does not 
often see, more in the matter of colour and substance than in size, a 
quality which I think is beginning to take its proper place in the 
estimation of Rose lovers as quite secondary to the others. The flowers 
were A. K. Williams, La France, Louis Van Houtte, Ulrich Brunner. 
La France, Duke of Edinburgh, Alba Rosea, Marquise de Castellane, 
Lady Mary Fitzwilliam, Charles Lefebvre (a beautifully coloured 
flower), Baroness Rothschild, Ulrich Brunner, Prince of Wales, Princess 
of Wales, Marie Baumann, Abel Carriere, Souvenir d’Elise Vardon, 
Prince Arthur, Gabriel Luizet, Rosieriste Jacobs, Mrs. John Laing, Dr. 
Andry, Duchesse de Morny, Earl of Dufferin, Prince Camille de Rohan, 
