210 
JOURNAL OF' HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 8, 1887. 
Smith's Mrs. Smith .—Fine medium-sized flower. Pip circular, flat ; 
colour blue black, often darker than Oxonian ; indeed, it is not in 
character when otherwise ; paste far better than Oxonian’s but insuffi¬ 
cient in breadth ; eye lemon with low anthers. Of a curious compact 
habit of growth and late flowering in consequence. Foliage narrow, 
thickly veined, dry looking. 
Spalding's Blackbird .—A fine thing, bold and good, and an excellent 
trusser. Pip not flat but wavy, large ; colour dark maroon ; paste round, 
but insufficient; eye orange, anthers too projecting. Foliage long, 
narrow, abundant, light green, smooth. 
Spalding's Bessie Bell .—A good thing, very like Blackbird, but dis¬ 
tinguishable from it by the eye, which is of lighter yellow. The colour 
is the same dark shade of maroon, and the pip is of the same shape, 
somewhat smaller, and flattens better. The foliage differs, being broader, 
shorter, and not so abundant. 
(Concluded.) 
MEETING OF THE FLORAL COMMITTEE AT 
CHISWICK.— September 1st, 1887. 
Present :—George F. Wilson in the chair; Major Bendy, John Dominy, 
W. Holmes, John Fraser, W. Goldring, H. Herbst, R. Dean, James Hudson, 
A. Perry, S. Hibberd. 
The collection of Asters grown in the gardens was examined. These 
had been received from Messrs. Carter it Co.; Benary, Erfurt; Vilmorin, Paris; 
and T. Laxton, Bedford. Although the season being so hot and dry has not 
been very favourable for Asters, those planted in the Gardens have done ex¬ 
tremely well, the flowers being large and good, although somewhat battered 
by the late rough and boisterous weather. 
Messrs. Carter & Co. sent twenty-five varieties, the following being 
considered worthy of marks :— 
Chrysanthemum Flowered Asters .—Height 12 inches. 
Copper coloured 
Crimson 
White 
Light blue 
Dwarf French rose 
„ „ light blue 
„ „ blueandwhite 
„ „ carmine * * * „ 
Pceony Flowered Asters .—Height 2 feet, flowers incurved. 
* * * 
* * * 
* * * 
* * * 
* * * 
* * * 
♦ * * 
English seed. 
Continental seed, 
a 
» 
English seed. 
Continental seed. 
* * * 
* * * 
* * * 
English seed. 
Rose * * * 
Dark blood red * * * 
Rose with white * * 
Pyramidal. —Light blue 
„ Purplish crimson 
„ Fiery Bcarlet 
Messrs. Benary, Erfurt, sent nineteen varieties, the following being 
awarded marks :— 
Victoria Asters. —Height 12 to 18 inches, Chrysanthemum flowered, very 
large and double. 
Rose and white * * * 
Dark blue and white * * * 
Crimson * * * 
Mignon .—Height 12 to 18 inches, resembling in habit and form of flowers 
the Victoria, but somewhat smaller. 
„ Pure white * * * 
Messrs. Vilmorin, Andrieux & Co., Paris, sent twenty-four varieties, the 
following being considered worthy of the following marks :— 
Crown Asters. —Height 12 to 18 inches, small Chrysanthemum flowered, 
the centre or crown white. 
„ Mixed. 
„ Half dwarf multiflore mixed. 
» „ „ light yellow. 
Chrysanthemum flowered, those flowered, height 12 inches, flowers large, 
double, fine. * * 
Imbricated mixed (Victoria) height 12 to 18 inches, large, Chrysan¬ 
themum, fl. 
„ Pompon mixed. 
Pyramidal Bouquet rose. —Height 2 feet, compact, very floriferous, 
Pompon flowered, rosy lilac, very pretty. * * * 
Pyramulals dwarf mixed .—Height 12 to 18 inches, compact, very flori¬ 
ferous, Pompon flowered, pretty. * * * 
Harlequin .—Pompon flowered, some of the petals streaked with white. 
Pyramidal Purple.—Purple and white * * * height 18 inches. 
„ Red.—Red and white * * * „ 18 inches. 
Half dwarf.—Red and white * * * ,, 6 inches. 
Lilliput (China) mixed, small Pompon flowered, partly quilled, colours 
very bright, and exceedingly pretty. * * * 
HORTICULTURAL SHOWS. 
CRYSTAL PALACE.— September 2nd and £rd. 
It is questionable if two such shows have been held together, equalling 
in magnitude and merit the great Fruit Show, for which provision was 
made by the directors of the Crystal Palace, and the National Dahlia Show. 
The produce was effectively arranged, and appeared practically to occupy 
the whole of the area in the splendid transept of the large building, and 
was admired by a large number of appreciative visitors. Dahlias were 
staged in greater numbers than we have previously seen, and many of the 
blooms were characterised by much of the refinement that prevailed in the 
old Dahlia days of thirty years ago, and for which mere size, with its 
almost inevitable coarseness, can never compensate, while the fruit gene- 
rably was admirably represented; indeed a better agregate display has never 
been Btaged in “ The Palace,” and the directors, with their garden super¬ 
intendent, Mr. W. G. Head, are to be congratulated accordingly. 
THE FRUIT SHOW. 
Some new exhibitors entered the competitive lists and acquitted them, 
selves well, while others, whose names are familiar, by no m;ans went 
empty away, yet some “ old Palace winners ” were not in the fray. All 
the table space appeared to be occupied, and there was a marked absence 
of inferior produce that is not infrequently too prominent at the leading 
shows. 
Collections. —These of themselves constituted an exhibition of ncr 
insignificant kind. In the three classes of twenty, twelve, and eight dishes, 
upwards of £60 were offered in prizes. In the first mentioned class four 
varieties of Grapes were allowed, two bunches of black and two of white; 
two Pines, two Melons, and two dishes each of Peaches, Nectarines, and 
Plums, the remainder distinct. Mr. H. W. Ward, gardener to the Earl of 
Radnor, Longford Castle, Salisbury, secured the premier position with 
splendid fruit excellently arranged. The dishes comprised grand solid 
bunches of Muscat of Alexandria, Alnwick Seedling, Foster’s Seedling, 
and Gros Maroc Grapes, this latter having wonderfully fine berries; good 
Pines; very large and handsome Melons ; superior Figs, Peaches, and 
Nectarines, and good Oranges, Apricots, Plums, and Currants; this 
was a collection of commanding excellence and worthy of the £12 
prize. Mr. J. H. Goodacre, gardener to the Earl of Harrington, Elvastors 
Castle, was the second prizewinner, with heavy bunches of Madresfield 
Court, Black Hamburgh, Muscat of Alexandria, and Foster’s Seedling 
Grapes, large Pines, fine Peaches, Nectarines, Cherries and Plums, and a 
dish of Tnomphe de Saissons Strawberry. Mr. W. Pratt, gardener to the 
Marquis of Bath, Longleat, Warminster, was third, his Grapes large, but 
some of the other dishes comparatively light, yet far from being inferior. 
Another good collection was staged. In the class of twelve dishes Mr. Pratt 
secured the foremost place with splendid Muscat and Black Hamburgh 
Grapes, good Pines, Melons, Peaches, Nectarines, Figs, Plums, Apricots, and 
Apples; Mr. Goodacre was an excellent second; and Mr. W. F. Smith, 
Neville Court Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, third, with very good fruit. 
Mr. S. Pullman, gardener to R. B. Sheridan, Esq., Frampton Court, 
Dorchester, w r on the chief prize in the eight dish class with very fine 
examples of Grapes, a capital Pine, Melons, Peaches, Nectarines, Pears, 
Plums, Bananas, Apricots, Figs, and Filberts; Mr. C. J. Goldsmith, gardener 
to Mrs. C. A. Hoare, Beckenham, was second, with excellent Grapes, and 
other fruit well finished and staged; the third prize falling to Mr. 
J. Bolton, CoombeBank, Sevenoaks, with very good dishes throughout. 
Grapes. —These were far above the average, some of the classes 
remarkably fine, and judging them was no easy task, especially where Bize 
was in conflict with quality. In one or two instances the decisions did nob 
meet with unanimous approval, and in cases of doubt the expressions of 
good cultivators indicate that it is easier to err in giving the verdict in 
favour of size rather than quality. 
Only one collection of twenty bunches in ten varieties was staged— 
namely, by Mr. H. W. Ward, and in recording the award some mistake seems 
to have been made, for the card placed on the exhibits proclaimed, to the 
surprise of not a few gardeners, that the third prize only was adjudged, bub 
in the official list of awards printed in the Palace we find, “ First Mr. Ward, 
second and third no competition.” If Mr. Ward receives £8 offered as the 
first prize he may consider himself lucky, but at the same time the merit 
of the collection was underestimated on the card. The varieties were 
Alnwick Seeding, Madresfield Court, Foster’s Seedling, Mrs. Pince, Muscat 
of Alexandria, Gros Maroc, Trebbiano, Alicante, Buckland Sweetwater, 
and Lady Downe’s. In these sensational classes, in which few can enter, 
the produce is never so good as in the smaller classes, and though Mr. 
Ward’s Grapes were above the average, and, considering the number, highly 
creditable, yet no one could pretend to say the £18 provided in the twenty- 
bunch class brought out anything like Buch fine Grapes as the £9 (in three 
prizes) did in the class for two bunches each of five varieties. Here Mr. J. 
Harvey, gardener to J. Watson, Esq., Myskins, Ticehurst, was the chief 
winner with good Gros Colmans and Muscats, splendid Black Hamburghs, 
enormous berried Gros Marocs, and unusually large Lady Downe’s. Mr. 
A. Smith, gardener to W. H. Sewell, Esq., Loughton, Essex, was an 
excellent second with very fine Alicantes and Gros Colmans, excellent 
bunches of Muscat Hamburgh, fairly good Madresfield Court, and rather 
weak Muscats. Mr. W. Pratt was third, his Gros Marocs being splendid, 
but a “falling-off” in the other varieties. 
There was good competition with three bunches of Blick Hamburghs, 
Mr. J. Bury, Tewkesbury Lodge, Forest Hill, being undoubtedly first with 
large, full, well-shaped bunches of fine berries. Mr. T. Osman, gardener 
L. J. Baker, Esq., Chertsey, was fortunate in the second award with large, 
loose “ sprawling ” bunches of small, yet well coloured, berries. Mr. C. 
Warden, third, with smaller bunches but much larger berries, though in one- 
bunch a trifle deficient in colour. Mr. R. Gray, gardener to Earl Stanhope, 
Chevening, Sevenoaks, well won the first position with Muscats, his 
bunches weighing about 4 lbs. ; they were beautifully shaped, and the 
berries large, uniform in size, and well finished. Mr. George Duncan, gar¬ 
dener to C. J. Lucas, Esq., Wamham Court, Horsham, was placed second 
with very large, handsome, and well filled bunches, weighing probably 
6 to 7 lbs., but the berries, though good, certainly lacked finish, and the 
majority of cul'ivators present preferred the smaller (3 lb.) bunches, 
with their good and well ripened berries of Mr. Pratt that were 
accorded the third prize. In the Gros Maroc class the prizes went re¬ 
spectively to Mr. J. Harvey, Mr. J. Wells, Windsor Forest, Bucks, and J. 
Timms, gardener to Mr. Parrott, New Barnet. In no Grape has such an 
advance been made in size of berry. The bunches were in no instance 
large, but the berries remarkably fine and well finished throughout. Mr. 
J. H. Goodacre was the premier exhibitor of Madresfield Court, his bunches 
being large and full, berries of great size and regular. Second, Mr. W. Jupp, 
gardener to J. Boulton, Esq., Eastbourne, with medium size bunches and grand 
berries. Third,Mr. J. F. Jordan, gardener to B.Foster, Esq., Witley, Surrey, 
with well finished fruit. The Alicante class was splendidly filled by eleven 
exhibitors. The first prize was well won by Mr. J. Harvey with perfectly 
shaped full 4 lb. bunches of uniformly sized and admirably finished berries. 
Mr. C. Griffin, Coombe Bank, Kingston-on-Thames, second, with heavy 
bunches, but insufficiently thinned ; and Mr. Osman third, with smaller 
bunches but larger yet not equally coloured berries. In the class for white 
Grapes, Muscat of Alexandria excluded, Mr. F. Hicks, gardener to John Hoi- 
