46 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ .July 17, 1890. 
brilliant colours, from the richest crimsons and brightest scarlets, 
through all the gradations of rose and pink to white on the one 
hand, or through orange, buff, salmon, yellow, and cream to white 
on the other. The simple but finely proportioned forms of the 
single varieties afford pleasure to some admirers, while the more 
solid and imposing double varieties equally satisfy others. Then, 
too, out of doors Tuberous Begonias have been tried as bed and 
border plants from the south of England to far up into Scotland, and 
good results have been secured in the majority of cases, varying 
slightly with soil and situation. They have not and will not 
entirely supersede Zonal Pelargoniums for bedding, but they have 
been found to be a valuable addition, and in some seasons a useful 
substitute. 
Much of the greater favour extended to Tuberous Begonias is 
due to the improvement effected by careful crossing and selection, 
and Messrs. J. Laing & Sons of Forest Hill have had so large 
a share in this work that they may fairly claim a considerable 
portion of the credit. At the Stanstead Park Nurseries during a 
number of years close attention has been paid to these plants, and 
the results accomplished form a portion of the floricultural history 
of the past decade. Mr. John Laing never rests satisfied with 
moderate successes, and so he has pushed on his Begonia improve¬ 
ment until they have reached their present astonishing stage. The 
houses at the nursery named now contain an assemblage of single 
and double varieties that may be said to furnish a il blaze of 
colour,” softened by the more delicate hues into a brilliantly 
beautiful floral display. The varieties are innumerable. Many are 
seedlings flowering for the first time, and not yet honoured with a 
title. Others are established favourites of recent years, some 
already having quite a formidable record of certificates awarded 
by judges and committees. All are good, for inferior seedlings are 
not tolerated, and numbers that a few years ago would have been 
prized as additions to the lists are now cast aside as useless. 
Then outside there are twenty-three long beds, each with eight 
rows of seedling plants, and not far short of 1000 in every row. 
These are arranged in colours, two beds of each,and it is astonishing 
how true the plants are coming. In another week or two, with fine 
weather, these beds will show what can be done with the Tuberous 
Begonia out of doors, even in such a season as the present one. 
Altogether something like 200,000 seedlings are grown this year, all 
of which are raised early in January, and yet we find sturdy speci¬ 
mens bearing substantial flowers, clean, pure and bright.—-H. H. M. 
THE RAINS AND THE ROSES. 
We have showers every day, but the Roses, in some places later than 
usual, look wonderfully well. As a rule little wood has been made ; 
the root action must have been ample. The foliage is broad and clean, 
and the blooms, if in some cases rather small, are brilliant in colour 
and beautiful in finish. White Roses have not gummed or stuck. 
Souvenir de Malmaison is superb, so also Merveille de Lyon, Gloire 
Lyonnaise, Madame Lacharme, Perle des Jardins. Jeanne d’Arc has 
not been happy, but as I said, on the -whole Roses have done and are 
doing well, Teas included.—A. M. B., Mid-Lincoln. 
ROSE SHOWS. 
IPSWICH.— July 8th. 
Ipswich possesses an ideal site for a Rose Show in the beautiful 
private grounds of Christchurch Park, which are always available for 
this and similar purposes. Many a good show has been held in a 
meadow from which a crop of hay has been taken, but it is often 
terribly wet under foot in such places ; and a really fine park, with a 
large extent of short grass, grand old trees, ornamental water, &c., 
situated quite in the midst of a large town, is admirably suited to all the 
requirements of a flower show and summer fete ; and if it does rain, as 
it unhappily did on this occasion, and generally does, the people of the 
town live so close at hand that half an hour’s sun soon brings a throng 
to the gates. 
Roses were in most cases, as might be expected, below the average 
standard of excellence. In the open classes Mr. B. R. Cant of Colchester 
was first for thirty-six, having Mrs. John Laing, A. K. Williams, and 
S. M. Rodocanachi among his best. Messrs. Prior of Colchester were 
second, some way behind, and no other exhibitor was forthcoming. For 
twelve trebles Mr. Cant was first again, Rev. A. Foster-Mel liar of 
Sproughton being second, with much larger flowers, but coarse, rough, 
and too crowded, showing, however, fine triplets of Duchesse de Morny 
and Le Havre. Messrs. Prior again occupied the third place. For 
twelve Teas (open) Rev. H. T. Frere of Burston Rectory, Diss, was first, 
having a fair specimen of The Bride ; Mr. Cant second, and Messrs. Prior 
third. In the class for amateurs there were only two who showed thirty- 
six, and Rev. A. Foster-Melliar took the lead with a really fine stand, in 
which it would have been difficult to find a bad bloom. They were 
large, fresh, and of good substance, among the best being Prince Arthur, 
Marie Baumann, and A. K. Williams. Rev. H. A. Berners of Harkstead 
was second with smaller specimens. There were only three stands in 
the class for twenty-four, Rev. Frere leading, showing Prince Arthur and 
Lady Helen Stewart well. Mr. Powell of Drinkstone Park was second, 
and Rev. F. Page Roberts of Scole a good third. Five stands of twelve 
were exhibited, Rev. A. Foster-Melliar being placed first, having Prince 
Arthur fine again, as it has been everywhere lately, and a smooth and 
even Madame Eugene Verdier. Mr. Berners was second, and Rev. Page 
Roberts third. There was a good competition in the class for twelve 
Teas among the clerical Tea Rose fanciers. Rev. Page Roberts waa first, 
having a good example (for the season) of Madame de Watteville ; Rev. 
Foster-Melliar second, with a stout young Francisca Kruger in the 
corner, and Rev. H. Berners third, having Comtesse de Nadaillac and 
Catherine Mermet in good condition. For six Roses of one sort Rev. 
Foster-Melliar was first with Ulrich Brunner, large but rather rough ; 
Mr. Powell second with Camille Bernardin, and Rev. Berners third with 
Her Majesty, very fine but quite unopened buds. Madame Gabriel 
Luizet, Souvenir d’un Ami, and Ulrich Brunner were also shown in 
unnoticed stands. In the class for six Roses Mr. Or pen of Colchester 
was first, Mr. J. E. Ransom second, and Mr. E. R. Turner third. For 
six Teas Mr. Orpen was first with pretty good samples, and Rev. H. Gall 
of Hitchin third. 
A new Rose, Miss Rosa Roberts, was shown by Miss Roberts, Rose 
Hill, Ipswich. The colour is not attractive, being a dull mottled pink, 
and the blooms were small and badly shown, but one or two of them 
seemed to have some shape and substance, and if cultivated in a superior 
manner it might prove worthy of propagation. 
The evening turned out fine, and some thousands paid for admission 
at the gates, rejoicing the heart of Rev. H. Berners, the Hon. Secretary. 
DISS.— July 9th. 
This plucky and flourishing little Society held its Rose Show on the 
Lawn, bv kind permission of F. Taylor, Esq., M.P. The situation is 
very handy, and well within the limits of the town, but it had been a 
hay field, the grass was long, and, as there was a good deal of rain, the 
ground was very wet and locomotion between the tents unpleasant. 
Roses were naturally below the average, but most of the' usual exhi¬ 
bitors turned up and made a creditable display. There were only two 
competitors in the open class for thirty-six Roses—Mr. B. R. Cant, of 
Colchester, and Rev. A. Foster-Melliar, of Sproughton. The Judges had 
some difficulty in coming to a decision, and called for further assistance, 
the result being that the amateur was awarded the first prize. 
A. K. Williams was the best bloom in his stand, while Mr. Cant, who 
followed very closely, had fine specimens of Benoit Comte and Mrs. 
John Laing. For the amateur classes Rev. Foster-Melliar was firsf 
for twenty-four, a very fine bloom of Le Havre gaining him the 
silver medal for best H.P. Rev. H. T. Frere was second and Rev. 
F. Page Roberts third. Rev. A. Foster-Melliar was again first in 
twelves, having fine specimens of Marie Baumann and A. K. 
Williams, Rev. Page Roberts second, and Mr. Frere third, with 
Horace Vernet and A. K. Williams in good condition. In the local 
class for twelve Rev. H. T. Farquharson of Gissing was first, Mr. W. 
Burrows second, and Mr. A. Bobley third. Liberal prizes were offered 
in the c’ass for twelve Teas, Mr. Page Roberts taking the first prize, 
having a small but beautiful sample of The Bride, Rev. A. Foster-Melliar 
second, and Rev. Frere third. Tho silver medal for the best Tea was 
awarded to Francisca Krugc r in Rev. A. Foster-Melliar's box, the same 
bloom having already been shown at Ipswich. He thus twice within a 
week took the medal with a Tea Rose bloom which had already been 
exhibited at a previous show. In the class for six Roses, for those em¬ 
ploying no regular gardener, Mr. C. S. Alger was first, Mr. W. Bunn of 
Harleston second, and Mr. Burrows third. 
A handsome prize of £3 was offered in the open class for thirty-six 
bunches of hardy perennials. Messrs. G. Paul & Son of Cheshunt had 
no difficulty in winning this, and their stand excited great admiration, 
but there was one little gem in the front row which drew exclamations 
of delight from all. This was a small bunch of Calochorti, or Califor¬ 
nian Tulips, and one of these, venustus, was a most lovely flower, a 
small pure white vase or cup of most elegant shape, with a sort of 
peacock’s-feather eye of all sorts of colours most harmoniously blended, 
at the base of each petal, forming the cup of the flower. This charming 
genus does not seem to be well known, but a good many will not forget 
tfce bloom they saw at Diss. Indeed, one enthusiastic gentleman said 
he must have it, for he could not live without it. 
The rain came down pitilessly in the afternoon, making terrible 
weather for cutting thirty-six three days in succession, and the number 
of visitors was small, causing some anxiety to the excellent Hon. Secre¬ 
tary, Rev. Page Roberts, who is sure to make a thing go off well if it is 
to be done. 
WOODBRIDGE.— July 10th. 
In no place in East Anglia is the Horticultural Society more 
enthusiastically supported by the people than in the small town of 
Wood'bridge. All places of business are closed at an early hour, and the 
triumphal arches and general display of bunting, together with tlie 
