July 24, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
delirium on a warm July day when they were passing some of our 
market gardens in Kent. In this order there is only a single 
genus, and the thrips is. but too familiar to every gardener, though 
in common talk the final “ s ” of the name is usually dropped. 
Possessed of four wings, none of the species seem to fly, but they 
run swiftly, and also leap by a jerk of the tail. A thrips has no 
jaws, it feeds itself on the juices of plants by the aid of a short 
sucker, feasting upon petals, and also upon leaves. These insects 
not. merely disfigure, they frequently kill both flowers and leaves. 
This is partly from the effect of an exudation they throw off 
more poisonous to plants than the “ honeydew ” of the aphis 
tribe. It is a blackish sticky fluid, deposited in minute drops 
certainly, but from the quantity of it capable of clogging the 
pores and so stopping the vital action. Thrips cerealium, the 
species so troublesome in cornfields, is believed to have attached 
to its sucking apparatus tiny lancets, by which it cuts up the tissues 
of cereal flowers ; this point, however, is not clear. 
The most abundant species is T. adonidum (I am afraid no 
gardener thinks it an Adonis), which, small as it is, finds space to 
display the tints of black, white, red, and yellow. It, like the rest, 
passes through a larval condition, and the wings are developed 
gradually. When the thrips occurs in a house there is not much 
difficulty in exterminating it by fumigation ; out of doors, owing to 
the wandering habits of the bulk, few precautions can be taken 
against them. Their vitality is remarkable, far exceeding that of 
a host of insects much'larger and apparently much stronger.— 
Entomologist. 
ALFRED COLOMB AND BENOiT COMTE. 
I see that the N.R.S. have coupled together for the future Jean 
Soupert and Great Mogul. This is as it should be. But I see that they 
have adopted the same course with Alfred Colomb and Benoit Comte. 
I cannot see the propriety of this, as these Roses seem to me unques¬ 
tionably distinct, not only in growth and leaf, which are properly not 
taken into consideration, but in flower. Benoit Comte is rarely symme¬ 
trical in outline, but disfigured for the most part by a pinch in the side, 
and scarcely opens in its full expansion without showing an eye. 
Sometimes it does not show these defects, and is then an excellent 
Rose, but surely the colour is distinct and much brighter, and more 
nearly approaching to scarlet than that of Alfred Colomb ; in fact, I do 
not overstate the case when I say that I can distinguish the difference 
10 yards off. I hope it is not too late for the decision to be reconsidered. 
I would have sent flowers for comparison, but the terrible rains have 
beaten every flower into pulp.— Duckwing. 
NATIONAL ROSE SOCIETY, BIRMINGHAM.— July 17th. 
Although the reporting of this Exhibition will fall into other hands 
I could not let it pass away without wr'ting a few short notes on what I 
believe (having seen them all) to have been the mo9t successful provincial 
Show that the Society has evtr held. Rose growing has increased to a 
wonderful degree since the early days of the Siciety, while a number of 
new and valuable Roses have been added to our gardens, and the strides 
that the cultivation of the Tea Rose his made is marvellous. In former 
days a few stands were all that were to be seen, while now they form 
quile an exhibition by themselves. 
The Number op Flowers Shown. —I am not quite certain about 
the exact quantiiy, but I know that the entries amounted to nearly 400, 
and owing to the two previous fine days, which were favourable to the 
opening of the R >ses, there were much fewer withdrawals than usual. Bad 
weather acts mo t injuriou ly in this respec 1 ', especially amengst those 
who are depen 1 ant on compara’ively few plauts for their flrwers. Wet 
and cold weather tells rmst injuiiously. Even where flowers are pro¬ 
tected it often happens that in cold weather a bloom makes no progress 
whatever, and when at last it does open it comes deformed or queer. 
A large grower can pull off the bad without aoy qualms of conscience. 
Not so tho small amateur, who sees perhaps the hope cf the flock 
gone, so that the two fine days were a great help to exhib tors, just as 
the wet days before the Show at the Crystal Palace caused an unusual 
number of withdrawals. 
The Quality op the Blooms.—O f this there could be no doubt. 
It had baen said that it was a Hybrid Perpetual year, that it was too 
wet and cold for Teas, but Teas were ihown in remarkable cleanliness 
and beauty, the stands of Messrs. Burnside, Page Roberts, Foster- 
Melliar, and others amongst the amateurs, and those of Mestr . Prince, 
Harkness, &c., amongst nurserymen, consisting of flowers most beauti¬ 
fully developt d. Another matter which tended to the excellence of the 
flowers was that now, almost for the first time this season, maiden 
blooms were thrown in any quantity ; the season had been so backward. 
63 
After all that they bad not been in fl rwer, but now was their turn, and 
some of the beautiful flowers in Mr. Pemberton’s stand were evidences 
that at last he was able t) show in his usual form. Amongsl the fl »wers 
shown in great beauty were Victor Hugo, Susanne Marie Rodocanacbi, 
Her Mejesty, Marie Verdier, Earl of Duffbrin, Sir Riwland Hill, Midame- 
Charles Crapelet, Countess of Rosebery, and Duchess of Bedford, while 
amoDgst Teas a beautiful trip’et of Miss Ethel Brownlow, and same grand* 
blooms of Innocente P.rola in the amateurs’ stand were very conspicnous- 
indeeb There was hardly a good variety that was not well represented 
at this fine Show. 
Special Prizes,—A s will be seen by the report, the challenge trophies 
remain in th s possession of last year’s victor 1 , Messrs. Harkness & Sons of 
Bedale, and Rev. Joseph H. Pemberton. The stand of the former was 
of very great excellence, and contained amongst others some v ry beautiful 
T a". Since the withdrawal of Mr. T. B. Hall and Mr. E. R. WbitweT 
from the field of contest, there are as yet no northern growers who even 
venture to enter the lists. It is a fact much to be regretted, as these 
northern exhibits added much to the interest; and while one does Dot 
grudge Mr. Pemberton his well deserved victory, yet considering that 
this is called the Northern Exhibition, one would have liked to have seem 
some good northerner carrying it off ; as that was not the case, it has- 
fallen into very worthy hands. He was run very close by Mr. Lindsel)- 
the champion of the year, but he has fought so we!l and so hard that it 
was hardly to be expe ted he would “ come up to the last round ” qu’te 
as fresh as before. Mr. Girdlestone secured an easy victory in winning 
Lord Calthorpe’s 10-guinea cup for Moss Roses, for he was the odIj" 
exhibitor. When L -rd Calthorpe intima'ed his intention of giving this’ 
prize remonstrances were made to him that on the 17th of July it was 
well-nigh impossible to obtain M iss Roses, and that the exhibits must of 
necessity be few and not at all worthy of the prize. However, all' 
remonstrances were of no use ; but it has fallen out as one expected. 
The winning stand was a very nice one, but the winner would be the first ■ 
to acknowledge that it was nothing to what he could have shown a 
forln’ght before. 
The National Rose Society’s gold medal was awa r ded with acclama¬ 
tion to the new seedling Rose of Messrs. Alex. Dickson & Sons of New- 
townard 1 , the beautiful wh te M ugaret Dickson. It is a flower of vtry 
great excellence, well formed, plenty of stuff as the saying is, with well 
formed deep petals and the most wonderful fol age ; the leaves are thick 
and almost leathery in substance, so that it is not likely to suffer from- 
mildew. It is a cross b.tveen Lady Mary Filz william and Merveille de 
Lyon, and will in the opinion of many rosamns “ put the latter’s nose 
out of joint.” I may add that, be lutiful as were the three Roses exhi- 
b'ted, they were not to be compared in s'ze to those on which I have 
already commented at Wirral. Thus three gold medals have ibis year 
been awarded for Mrs. Paul, Salamander, and Margaret Dickson, a 
circumstance which has never befne occurred in the history of the 
National. 
It only remains to be said that no better or more convenient place 
could be selected for a Rose show, that the courtesy and intelligent 
interest of Mr. Latham made everything pleasant for the exhibitors, and 
that the coolness of the day contributed to keep the flowers fresh up to 
the last. The Society is much indebted to the CommUtee and their able 
ani indefatigable Secretary, Mr. Hugh Nettlefoli, for a most pleasant 
and successful meeting.—D., Deal. 
A wonderful display of good blooms, a very large attendance of 
leading exhibitors, fine weather, and a beautiful home for the Rose Show- 
in the well kept Botanical Gardens, pleased everyone on Thursday last, 
and it was generally acknowledged to be the best provincial Exhibition 
the Society has held. The arrangements made by Mr. Latham and his 
assistants met with general approval, and there was an excellent attend¬ 
ance. Roses generally were of good quality, and stood well till the close 
of the Exhibition. 
In the nurserymen’s jubilee class for thirty-six blooms, single trusses, 
the trophy and £3 (thirteen competitors), Messrs. Harkness & Sons, 
Bedale, were first with superb blooms of the following :—Back row : 
Ulrich Brunner, Duchesse de Morny, Camille Bernardin, Mrs. J. Laing, 
Barthelemy Joubert, Niphetos, Marie Baumann, Captain Christy, 
Etienne Levet, Madame E. Verdier, Countess of Oxford, Lady Mary 
Fitzwilliam. Second row : Madame Gabriel Luizet, Charles Lefebvre, 
Souvenir d’Elise, General Jacqueminot, La France, Alfred Colomb, Her 
Majesty, Marie Rady, Innocente Pirola, Horace Yernet, Catherine 
Mermet, J. Stuart Mill. Front row : —Star of Waltham, Madame C. 
Kuster, A. K. Williams, Comtesse de Nadaillac, Duke of Connaught, 
Madame Cusin, Le Havre, The Bride, E. Y. Teas, Princess of Wales, 
Madame Haussmann, and Merveille de Lyon. Second, the Cranstorv 
Nursery Company, Hereford. Third, Messrs. A. Dickson & Sons., 
Newtownards, Belfast. Fourth, Mr. Frank Cant, Colchester. 
In class 1, seventy-two blooms, distinct (five exhibitors), Messrs. 
Harkness & Sons again took the first prize with very fine blooms. Back 
row: Franpois Lacharme, Lady Mary Fitzwilliam, Marie Van Houtte,- 
The Bride, Gdndral Jacqueminot, Madame Henry Pereire, A. K. Williams, 
Her Majesty, Ulrich Brunner, Captain Christy, Marie BaumanD, Benoit 
Comte, Heinrich Schultheis, Exposition de Brie, Mrs. John Laing, 
Madame Alphonse Lavallde, Madame Eugene Verdier, Madame A. Sou- 
pert, Baroness Rothschild, Alfred Dumesnil, La France, Lady Sheffield, 
Paul Neron. Second row: Madame Montet, Barthelemy Joubert,.. 
Devoniensis, Alfred Colomb, Pride of Waltham, E. Y. Teas, Innocente- 
Pirola, Charles Lefebvre, Hippolyte JamaiD, Fisher Holmes, C. Mermet,, 
