July 28, 1887, ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
67 
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COMING EVENTS 
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S uthampton and Liverpool Shows (two dajs). 
8th Sunday after Trinity. 
Bank Holiday. 
THE EDINBURGH SHOW OF THE NATIONAL 
ROSE SOCIETY. 
Ills Exhibition deserves, I think, a little notice 
beyond the ample report that you have already 
given of it, as there were about it some fea¬ 
tures of peculiar interest. It was the first 
Show that the Society has ever held beyond 
the border, and was calculated to bring out 
both the successes and the failures of Rose¬ 
growing north of the Tweed ; and as one who 
lias had a fair acquaintance with Rose showing and grow- 
ing in Scotland I may claim to some little knowledge on 
the subject. ° 
It was the first time that the Society has in its fullest 
sense proved itself national, for all parts of the kingdom 
were represented. Ireland was represented by the Dick¬ 
sons and others, Wales by Col. Hore, Scotland of course 
largely, while some of our best growers from the north 
and south of England entered the lists. Of course the 
Exhibition was not what it might have been had we expe¬ 
rienced a different season, but the drought and intense 
heat had proved utterly fatal to many small growers and 
seriously interfered with the quality of the blooms. Thus 
it happened that there were many blanks, and that the 
stands generally were not of that superior quality one 
would have desired to show our Scotch friends. Still, 
I think that they were not a little astonished at the dis¬ 
play brought before them, especially amongst the Teas, 
which are but little grown in Scotland, the climate bein^ 
doubtless against them in many parts, although I do no*t 
see why in the south-western districts, such as Ayrshire, 
Wigtonshire, and Dumfriesshire, they should not be well 
grown. My anticipations with regard to the Scotch Roses 
were exactly fulfilled. I knew that if they had a chance 
such growers as Smith of Stranraer, Cocker of Aberdeen 
and others would show Roses that would be creditable 
to any exhibitor, but I doubted much of the Scotch ama¬ 
teur element. In truth amateurs such as we have in 
England hardly if at all exist in Scotland. You mmht 
search the whole country through and you would not find 
anywhere such growers as Messrs. Whitwell, Hall, Pem- 
beiton, Grant, Budd, Wakeley, and others one might name 
glowers, that is, who cultivate from eight hundred to 
two or three thousand Roses, and who make it their 
special hobby. A Scotch private grower thinks that if 
he has a couple of hundred plants he is doing very well. 
Now and then one meets with a private gentleman whose 
gardener takes some interest in Roses and perhaps induces 
Ins employer to increase his stock, but such growers as 
I have named above are an unknown race in Scotland. 
I remember once at a Scotch show a gentleman whose 
No. 370.—You XV., Third Series. 
gardener was successful (as he generally is) in carrying 
off the prize, being so delighted as to say, turning to’ hi” 
cara sposa, “ \\ e must have some more Roses : I think, 
my dear, we had better give an order to Mr.-for 
two dozen ! and I have no doubt he had a consider¬ 
able argument with his conscience as to whether he ought 
to have been so extravagant; and thus it was that the 
Scotch Roses as a rule were “puir bodies,” and that 
their setting up was, save in a few instances, bad as bad 
could be. I know truth is. unpalatable at times, but 
there is no use in shutting their ears and refusing to accept 
things because they are unpalatable. This opinion has 
been expressed by other writers, and I must say that 
until some such amateurs arise we cannot look hopefully 
for the future of Rose growing and showing in Scotland. 
So long as a grower thinks that with a hundred or two 
of plants he is going to enter the lists successfully in 
large classes he will be disappointed. Then, again, how 
absurd it is in these days still to permit foliage to be 
added, and to actually not only not insist vigorously on 
naming, but to offer a prize (not at Edinburgh) for a 
stand of Roses, with this proviso “ need not be named.” 
As to difficulties of climate being a bar to the cultivation 
of the Rose in Scotland, I can hardly think that those 
who have such examples as the nurserymen I have named, 
above there is anything in the statement. In some jffaces 
it would be impossible, as it is in some places in England, 
but that there are districts in which both climate and 
soil would equal anything in England I am quite con¬ 
vinced. I have received a bundle of Roses at Christ¬ 
mas, Hybrids and Teas cut from the open from Forres, 
which beat anything I had in my own garden. I have 
written of this at some length, for the observation was 
frequently made to me at the Show, “ How is it the , 
Scotch growers show so indifferently ?” 
But if we have thus to criticise the productions of our 
Scotch friends, what shall we say to their reception of us 
as members of the National? It was the unanimous 
opinion of all of us, Sassenachs though we were, that never 
have we experienced greater courtesy or been the recipients 
of greater hospitality than at the northern capital. The 
extreme courtesy with which we were treated, and the 
excellence of the arrangements made for exhibitors, were 
beyond all praise. The falling out of so many exhibitors 
owing to the weather tried these qualities very much, but 
did not overstrain them ; and all who attended the Exhi¬ 
bition, I am sure, left Edinburgh with pleasant memories 
of Scotch hospitality and kindness. 
Amongst the most noticeable features of the Exhi¬ 
bition was the remarkable success of the Yorkshire firm 
—Messrs. Harkness & Son. Not only did they carry off 
the very handsome Jubilee Challenge Trophy valued at 
fifty guineas, but also the first prize of a valuable piece 
of plate for seventy-two blooms. They have thus secured the 
two trophies north and south, and have established them¬ 
selves as the champion growers of the year. Without at 
all lessening the credit due to them for what are the 
results of careful cultivation, I suppose the cooler weather 
of the north has told greatly in their favour. This would 
more especially hold good with the southern Show, where 
they were enabled to compete successfully against the 
most experienced Rose-growers in England. They have 
a wonderful record of success this year, which I rather 
fancy they will keep up to the close of the season. It is 
a matter of congratulation to a very ardent and thoroughly 
popular rosarian, Mr. T. B. Hall, that he secured the 
challenge trophy for amateurs, for one would have, in- 
No. 2026.—Yoi. LXXYII., CYd Series. 
