38 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 14, 1992. 
HITCHIN.— July 6th. 
In the pleasant grounds attached to the Hitchin Grammar School 
this Society held its annual Exhibition, and it was in all respects 
an admirable Show. The Society has widely extended its scope from 
the days when I remember it at its beginnings, when all was comprised 
in one small tent not very well filled. Now several tents were well 
filled by various exhibits in the varied branches of horticulture, and 
anyone going through the tents could see at a glance that there must be 
a good deal of horticultural zeal in Hitchin and its neighbourhood. 
Roses, indeed, formed the piece de resistance, but they were flanked by 
many a dainty dish. One tent was filled by an admirable collection of 
table and other decorations, in which much taste and skill were dis¬ 
played ; another was filled with a capital collection of fruit and 
vegetables, and with cottagers’ productions. These are sure always to 
attract considerable attention, and were here well deserving of it. I 
only notice these matters in passing, for of course I have specially to do 
with the Rose. There had been some rain the evening before, and 
fears were entertained as to whether Hitchin would follow its too 
general course of having a wet day ; but the morning broke fine, the sun 
came out brilliantly, and the Roses where they had been protected 
from the rain of the night before were all the better for it, and as there 
was a cool breeze the flowers stood uncommonly well throughout the 
day ; indeed, so far this has been a characteristic of the season. 
As Mr. Lindsell was at home his Roses were expected to be in fine 
condition, and so undoubtedly, they were ; but withal I do not think 
that they were equal to the stand of forty-eight which he exhibited 
at Earl’s Court the day before. This stand I regard as the very best 
box of Roses I ever remember to have seen. There used to linger in 
my memory a box of thirty-six I once saw exhibited by Mr. Jowitt in 
his palmiest days at Birkenhead as the finest box I ever saw, 
but I must now give it the second place and give the place 
of honour to this box. There were flowers in it one cannot 
get out of one’s mind, especially a bloom of Horace Vernet. 
I remember a triplet of this flower I once saw exhibited by Mr. 
Pemberton at Farningham as grand specimens of this fine but difficult 
flower, but this flower was a beat on them. So grand was the box 
that the authorities adjudged it a gold medal for the best exhibit of the 
day, not merely of Roses but of everything shown, whether fruit, flowers, 
-decorations, or anything else in this varied and beautiful Exhibition. I 
bave wandered away from my subject, but as I shall not have the 
opportunity of commenting on this Show I wished to give my estimate 
of its excellence. 
I now revert to the Roses at Hitchin, and had perhaps better take 
them in the order in which they occur in the schedule, taking the 
nurserymen first. Although the class for forty-eight was open, yet only 
the trade competed in it, and four excellent stands were staged, Messrs. 
Paul & Son exhibiting the best box of blooms they have shown this 
season, and Mr. Burrell running a close second, while Messrs. Buich and 
Son and Merryweather ran very close for the third, so close that the 
Judges awarded an extra prize to the stand shown by the latter firm. 
Messrs. Paul’s box contained Her Majesty (grand flower), Earl of 
Dufferin, Mardchal Niel, Eclair, Maurice Bernardin, Mrs. John Laing, 
Lady Mary Fitzwilliam, Camille Bernardin, Comte Raimbaud (blight 
and fresh), Mrs. Paul (very excellent and distinct), Duke of Edinburgh 
(very fine and bright in colour), Marie Rady, Catherine Mermet, 
Comtesse d’Oxford, Jean Ducher, Mrs. Geo. Schwartz, A. K. Williams 
(a grand bloom, fine form and colour), Ella Gordon, Jeannie Dickson 
(very pretty), Mrs. Charles Wood (very fine), Souvenir d’un Ami, 
Henri L6d6chaux, Madame Gabriel Luizet, Countess Rosebery, Vicom- 
tesse Folkestone, Pride of Waltham, Senateur Yaisse, Baroness Roth¬ 
schild, Dr. Andry, La France, Etienne Levet, Merveille de Lyon, 
E. Y. Teas, Perle des Jardins, Black Prince, Capt. Christy,Horace Vernet, 
The Bride, Boieldieu, Madame Hoste, Alfred Colomb, M. de St. Amande, 
Duke of Connaught, Comtesse de Nadaillac, and Grandeur of Cheshunt. 
Messrs. Burrell & Co. were second, Messrs. Burch & Son third, and 
Messrs. Merryweather & Sons fourth. In Mr. Burrell’s stand were 
fine blooms of Duches3 of Bedford, Horace Vernet, Ernest Metz, and 
Reynolds Hole. 
In the class for amateurs, twenty-four distinct varieties, Mr. Lindsell 
was easily first, Mr. Gurney Fowler a good second, and Rev. W. H. 
Jackson third. Mr. Lindsell’s flowers were the following—Grand 
Mogul (extra fine bloom of this variety), Mrs. John Laing, Earl of 
Dufferin, Her Majesty, Horace Vernet (very fine), Madame G. Luizet, 
Ulrich Brunner, Lady Mary Fitzwilliam, Madame Cusin, Prince Arthur, 
Caroline Kuster, Dr. Sewell, Dupuy Jamain (grand), Duke of Teck, 
La France, Louis Van Houtte, Duchess of Bedford, Comtesse de 
Nadaillac, A. K. Williams, Duchesse de Morny, Reynolds Hole, Etoile 
de Lyon, Le Havre, Madame E. Verdier. In the class for twelve Teas 
Mr. Lindsell was first again with a very beautiful stand indeed, consist¬ 
ing of Princess of Wales, Cornelia Koch, Madame Cusin, Souvenir 
d’Elise, Anna Ollivier, Catherine Mermet, Innocente Pirola, Jean 
Ducher, Comtesse de Nadaillac, The Bride, Caroline Kuster, and Madame 
Margottin. Rev. W. H. Jackson was second, and H. V. Machin, Esq , 
third. 
In the class for twelve distinct varieties, Mr. Jas. Parker, Oakfield, 
Hitchin, was first. His flowers were Her Majesty, A. K. Williams, 
Fran<jois Michelon, C. Darwin, Charles Lefebvre, Madame G. Luizet, 
Alfred Colomb, Madame E. Verdier, Marie Verdier, Due de Rohan, 
Duchesse of Vallombrosa, Rossieriste Jacobs. Mr. G. Moules of Hitchin 
was second, having a grand Merveille de Lyon, which took the silver 
medal of the National Rose Society for the best H.P. in the amateurs’ 
classes. Lord Hardwick (gardener, Mr. Burgess), was third, and Miss 
Bailey, Denton, fourth. 
In the class for nine distinct varieties Mr. C. Kingsley, Little 
Wymondham, was first with a box containing Fisher Holmes, Charles 
Darwin, Prosper Laugier, A. K. Williams, Marie Rady, Duchess of 
Bedford, Mdme. G. Luizet, Reynolds Hole, Duke of Wellington. Mr. 
A. Times was second, Mr. A. Albow third, and Mr. A. Ransom fourth. 
In the class for six distinct varieties Mr. G. Moules was first with box 
containing A. K. Williams, Francisca Kruger, Ulrich Brunner, The 
Bride, Duke of Edinburgh, Souvenir d’un Ami. Miss A. M. Lucas was 
second, Mr. W. Ransom third, and Mr. Savage fourth. In the class for 
six Teas Mr. J. Parker was first with Comtesse de Nadaillac, Mdme. 
Cusin, Marie Van Houtte, Etoile de Lyon, Catherine Mermet, Mdme. de 
Watteville. Mr. G. Moules was second, and Colonel Fyler third. In 
six H,P.’s of one Mr. J. Gurney Fowler was first with a good stand of 
Charles Lefebvre ; Mr. W. H. Jackson second, and Miss Bailey Denton 
third, both showing Mdme. G. Luizet. In six Teas of one kind Mr. 
E. B. Lindsell was first with Catherine Mermet, Mrs. Times second 
with Marcchal Niel, and Rev. W. H. Jackson third with C. Kuster. In 
the class for six, open only to those who had not taken a prize, Mr. 
H. Hunt was first, Mr. R. H. Baker second, and Mr. W. Hill third. 
1 have already spoken of the herbaceous plants at this Show. 
Noticeable amongst them was a beautiful collection from Messrs. Burrell 
and Co., Cambridge. Mr. J. H. Tuke had also a good collection from 
his beautiful garden. Messrs. Burrell’s group was most admirably set 
up, the contrasts between the different colours being very effective, and 
altogether it was a very striking exhibit.—D., Deal. 
N 0 E W I C H.—J u L Y 7 th. 
[From a Correspondent .] 
There was an unfortunate clashing on Thursday, the 7th July> 
affecting very seriously the classes for Roses. How it came to pass that 
the executives of the Norwich and Woodbridge Societies failed to come 
to some amicable arrangement whereby the two Shows might have been 
held on different days I am at a loss to conceive. The consequence was 
that the Roses at Norwich were very weak in numbers, although of 
quite an average quality. The Show was held in Earlham Park, 
distance from Norwich nearly three miles. This park is admirably 
suited for horticultural shows, yet it is rather hard on amateurs and 
nurserymen to have the annoyance of a long road journey after a very 
long railway one. A gsle of wind made things unpleasant, especially as 
it lifted a large marquee and blew it clean over. The exhibits, chiefly 
fruit, were transferred to the Rose and cut flower tent, which, being in 
a more sheltered position, withstood the hurricane. 
The nurserymen were poorly represented—in fact, Mr. B. R. Cant 
“ walked over,” no other nurseryman turning up. This was unfortunate, 
for there were four or five nurserymen who entered in the class for 
forty-eights, the first prize being given by the Mayor of Norwich 
(H. Reeve, Esq.) ; however, the prize was well earned. Mr. Cant had 
excellent examples of Her Majesty, Duchesse de Morny (lovely, remind¬ 
ing one of the Mornys of Mr. Jowitt nine years ago), Etienne Levet, 
Augustine Guinnoisseau, Eclair, F. Michelon, Marquise de Castellane 
(not now so often seen as it should be), Victor Hugo (grand), Earl of 
Dufferin, Jeannie Dickson, Comte de Raimbaud (very good), Thos. Mills 
(excellent), Innocente Pirola, Mrs. J. Laing, G. Piganeau, A. K. Williams, 
and Lady M. Fitzwilliam. For eighteen distinct varieties, three trusses 
of each, Mr. Benjamin Cant was, of course, again the only exhibitor ; 
but he quite upheld the standard of the year, though this standard is not, 
in my opinion, a very high one. 
In the amateurs’ class for thirty-six distinct single blooms, the Rev. 
J. H. Pemberton, of Havering-atte-Bower, was first, though many were 
of opinion, myself amongst them, that Mr. Foster Melliar should have 
been adjudged the first prize. Both stands were excellent, and Mr. 
Pemberton probably won by “ patience in staging,” for at three o’clock 
in the afternoon he was quite out of it, whereas Mr. F. Melliar’s stand 
had perceptibly improved. Mr. Pemberton had grand blooms of 
Annie Laxton. Exposition de Brie, Ethel Brownlow, Marie Baumann, 
Beauty of Waltham, Dr. Andry, and Duke of Teck. 
In the second prize stand, Mr. F. Melliar not only won the medal 
for the best H.P. (A. Colomb) but had grand specimens of A. K. 
Williams, Caroline Kuster, Her Majesty, Ed. Harve, Marie Baumann 
(excellent), and Horace Vernet, which bloom, methinks, the excellent 
rosarian of Sproughton Rectory thought should have had the medal, but 
even judges who are not amateurs are fallible. There was a good com¬ 
petition for the twenty-fours, but nothing special as to quality. 
And now for the Teas. The Rector of Harkstead was easily first for 
twelve singles. How Mr. Berners manages to “ score ” as he does in this 
class astonishes me. He manages to beat thoroughly many who grow 
twice or thrice the number of plants that can be found in the Harkstead 
Rectory gardens. His gardener, too (Mr. G. Jordan), is to be thoroughly 
congratulated, for he has worked hard and well. I do not mean to say 
that Mr. Berners has any particular credit in being ahead of the 
champions of Sproughton and Scole, for the disasters of the past winters 
have probably been more severely felt by Mr. Foster Melliar and Mr. 
Page Roberts than by the Harkstead Rector. Still, Harkstead is a 
miracle in Teas. Whether it is the water administered by a particular 
Jordan I know not! However, I am digressing, and must come to the 
point as to the names of Mr. Berners’ best Teas. Here they are :— 
Marfichal Niel, Souvenir d’Elise, Madame de Watteville (silver medal, 
grand), Madame Hoste (if anything grander), Princess of Wales, Ernest 
Metz (very good), Innocente Pirola, Comtesse de Nadaillac, The Bride, 
