174 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 23> I 88 S 1 
should not be larger than necessary for the plants to fit in, and 
abundance of drainage should be provided. 
CEREUS GRANDIFLORUS MAYNARDI. 
“ This magnificent hybrid is unfortunately now rather scarce, 
yet its beauty and distinctness entitle it to prominent atten¬ 
tion. In 1837 Mr. H. Kenny, gardener to Yiscount Maynard, 
Easton Lodge, D unmow, Essex, crossed C. speciosissimus with 
pollen from C. grandiflorus, and, the fertilisation proving successful, 
seeds were obtained which produced the plant under notice. This 
combined the characters of the parents in a striking manner, the 
habit of growth and form of the flowers of C. grandiflorus, with 
the addition of the rich colour of C. speciosissimus, rendering it 
invaluable. The flowers are 9 to 11 inches in diameter, and 7 to 
9 inches long, the petals more cupped than in the ordinary G. 
grandiflorus ; they are rich red with a tinge of orange, and 
usually last for two or three days, opening every evening. At its 
original home, Easton Lodge, now the residence of Lord and Lady 
Brooke, the plant had been quite lost, until recently, by the gene¬ 
rosity of Mr. Major of Croydon, a specimen was furnished to the 
gardener, Mr. H. Lister.”—( Castle's “ Cactaceous Hants."') 
HORTICULTURAL SHOWS. 
TAUNTON HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY’S SHOW.-Aug. 16th. 
When a provincial Society expends on a single day’s exhibition 
between £500 and £600, out of which more than £250 is allotted for 
prizes, and when its leading prize amounts to the handsome sum of £20, 
it may be fairly classed as one of the principal societies in the kingdom : 
and it is no wonder that it attracts to it some of our foremost men. 
Such is the Taunton Deane Society, which has now for years held its 
annual Exhibition—unlike we poor creatures in this part of England, 
where a society of the most moderate dimensions can hardly be kept 
together, and where, when a show is held, even those who have sub¬ 
scribed do not use their tickets. The whole countryside is astir for the 
Taunton Show, the neighbouring gentry make a point of coming, the 
town is gaily decorated with flags, villagers troop in from all around, the 
streets are densely crowded, the most tempting delicacies are displayed 
on all sides, whelks and periwinkles, sour Apples, and hard Pears stop 
the gangway—and, in fact, all, gentle and simple, regaid it as the great 
day of the year. The arrangements are all excellent, a first rate band 
is always engaged, a grand display of fireworks takes place at night, and 
when the weather is favourable a financial success is assured. The last 
two years have been unfavourable financially, but this year there was an 
increase all round. 
One went to Taunton this year with some misgiving. The season was 
a late one, and as when I left home there was not a Gladiolus in bloom 
in my garden, and other flowers were late, I felt that there must, unless 
the climate of the West of England were very much milder, be a falling 
off in this respect; while I feared that the death of Mr. Cleave of 
Grediton would remove one of the largest exhibitors and deprive the 
Show of the fine plants grown by his able gardener, Mr. Lock. The 
former fear was realised, as will be seen when I come to note the cut 
flowers ; the latter happily was not so. Mr. Cleave’s nephew, I believe, 
has succeeded him, and intends to keep up the well-known fame of his 
garden. As is now the case at Taunton the arrangements of the Show 
were all that could be desired, and everything was done to make it 
agreeable to all concerned—exhibitors, Judges and visitors. The Com¬ 
mittee worked with a will, and the indefatigable Secretaries were 
ubiquitous. 
Stove and Greenhouse Plants.— These form a grand feature at 
the Taunton Show, and when such giants in plant culture as Mr. James 
Cypher o'f Cheltenham and Mr. Lock put forth their powers we may be 
quite sure that a fine display will be made. There are other exhibitors, 
but these are the giants. In the open class Mr. Cypher came first with 
a magnificent twelve. In these, of course, were some well known plants, 
which year after year seem to increase in size and in wealth of bloom, 
just caught to tte very day that they are required. Kalosanthes 
coccinea, one of the best bloomed plants of the plant known in our 
younger days as Crassula coccinea, Ixora Pilgrimi, Erica Thompsoni, 
Clerodendron Balfourianum, Allamanda grandiflora, Statice profusa, 
Phoenocoma prolifera Barnesi, Bougainvillea glabra, Erica Irbyana, 
Erica Marnockiana, and Erica ampullacea Barnesi. In Mr. Cleave’s 
collection (which in no case had names attached to them) were Alla¬ 
manda Hendersoni, Bougainvillea glabra, Stephanotis floribunda, 
Phcenoeoma prolifera, Clerodendron Balfourianum, Statice Horsfiekli. 
In the class for six stove and greenhouse plants the same exhibitors 
occupied the same positions. Mr. Cypher had smaller plants than those 
in the twelve class, but beautifully bloomed examples of Statice profusa, 
Allamanda nobilis, Bougainvillea glabra, Erica ferruginea superba, 
Clerodendron Balfourianum, and Erica aemula. In the class for foliage 
plants the order was reversed, Mr. Cleave taking first with grand speci¬ 
mens of Kentia australis, Kentia Fosteriana, Cycas circinalis, Ence- 
phalartos villosa, Croton Warreni, Croton Williamsi, Croton Johannis, and 
Dasylirion. Mr. Cypher was second with Kentia Canterburyana, 
Latania borbonica, Kentia australis, Cycas revoluta, Croton Thomsoni, 
and Croton angustifolius. Orchids are always strongly shown at Taun¬ 
ton, and all Orchid growers know that it is about the dead season for 
them. Mr. Cypher had a good four, consisting of C’attleya Gaskelliana, 
’Saccolabium Blumei, Cypripedium Stonei, and Cattleya crispa superba. 
In the amateurs’ division Mr. W. B. Cleave swept all before him, 
but as his plants were not named I am unable to give them ; they, how¬ 
ever, were mostly reproductions of those exhibited in the open class. 
Mrs. Pearce exhibited well, and her free-flowering plants were good 
examples of superior cultivation. Indeed I do not think that I have- 
ever seen a plant of Lapageria rosea so well done as that exhibited in 
this case. It was small as compared with many others I have seem 
exhibited, but it was one mass of flower, and the flowers were large and 
highly coloured. Her other plants were Erica obbata, Clerodendron) 
Balfourianum, and Allamanda nobilis. John Marshall, Esq., of Belmont, 
was a good second, but his plants were not fully in flower ; there were- 
beautiful plants of the Peristeria elata, Clerodendron Balfourianum,. 
Allamanda grandiflora, and an Ixora. The class which has been lately 
instituted for a group of plants staged for effect brought some interesting 
collections together, but I do not think that there was anything very 
suggestive in them. 
Pelargoniums are always a strong feature in the Taunton Show, 
indeed somewhat too strong, for as far as I know it is the only p'ace 
where the Golden and Silver Tricolors are assigned a place. These 
classes have been considerably reduced. Nosegays used to be a separate 
class, and Gold and Silver Tricolors had each a class, but now the 
Nosegays are placed with the Zonals, and the two classes of tricolors- 
brought together, as a prelude let us hope to their disestablishment. As- 
usual Mr. Godding carried off the first honours in the open division, 
while Mr. Heliard did the same in the amateurs’ division. Mr. Godding’s 
flowers comprised in the Zonal and Nosegay class, Indian Yellow, Henri 
Jacoby, Lizzie Early, Pioneer, White Clipper, Lord Gifford, and Bonfire r 
while Mr. Hellard’s first prize in the amateurs’ division consisted of 
beautifully bloomed plants of Matilda, Meteor, Lotus, Lady Sheffield, 
Laura Stratton, and Louisa Smith. His doubles were also fine plants j. 
they were Mr. Buckler, Wonderful, Henri Brunner, and Marie Lemoine. 
Some good plants of Lilies were exhibited by W. Newton, Esq., 
Barton Grange. Mr. Drummond obtained first prize for Odontoglossum 
Harryanum. Mr. Godding’s Begonias were very fine, indeed it would 
hardly be possible to conceive better flowered plants : they were Torey 
Laing, orange ; Beauty of St. Albans, red ; The Queen, white ; Won¬ 
derful, semi-double ; Lady Mary, scarlet ; Leviathan, red ; and Flori¬ 
bunda. Fuchsias were hardly as good as usual; the same may be said 
of Cockscombs, Petunias, Balsams, <fcc. 
Cut Flowers. —It was here, as might undoubtedly be expected, that 
the effects of the season, its backwardness and coldness, would be most 
evident. I have always looked forward to seeing a grand stage of Mr. 
Kelway’s Gladioli, but I met a friend the day before who told me that 
he had been over his grounds and that on all his twenty acres there was 
hardly a flower to be seen. Dahlias I know, too, must be very late, and 
I feared other cut flowers would be dirty and indifferent in character, 
and so it was. There was, with the exception of Mr. Kelway’s stand, not 
a Gladiolus in the Show worth looking at, while, instead of the long bank 
which Mr. Kelway is in the habit of putting up, there was but a small 
stand of twenty-four, but, of course, these were worth lingering over. 
Amongst them were three, to which certificates were awarded—viz., 
Orbit, a brilliant scarlet flower with white centre ; Faust, surely wrongly 
named, a delicate soft pink ; and Regalia, a crimson pink with white- 
centre ; these were all fine flowers and formed a handsome spike, the 
first named being a particularly brilliant flower. Certificates were also- 
awarded to Messrs. R. Veitch & Son for some yellow ground Carnations 
exhibited in their fine group—Dorothy, Annie Chambers, Annie Douglas, 
and Alina. Dahlias were very inferior, both in quality and quantity. 
One missed the fine collection of Dahlia blooms from Keynes, Williams 
and Co. of Salisbury. Asters were exhibited in better condition than 1 
had anticipated, but 1 was somewhat disappointed that Roses were not 
more largely shown, for in the open division there were but two exhibitors. 
Dr. Budd and Messrs. Cooling & Son, and in the amateurs’ division Dr. 
Bucld and Mr. Hobbs of Bristol. One missed Messrs. Keynes, Mattock, 
and others who are wont to exhibit here, and I suppose that the very 
unpleasant season must have been the cause of their non-appearance. Dr. 
Budd fully sustained his reputation as a first-rate rosarian, and amongst 
his blooms were to be found fine blossoms of Duchess of Bedford, 
Frangois Michelon, Ulrich Brunner, Alfred Dumesnil, Marquise de 
Castellane, Jean Ducher, Comtesse d’Oxford, Alfred Colomb, Mons. 
Noman, Jean Liabaud, Alba rosea, Abel Carriere, Madame Charles- 
Crapelet, Hon. Edith Gifford, Madame Gabriel Luizet, Marie Yerdier, 
Innocente Pirola, Comtesse de Nadaillac, Louis Corb : e, Dinge Conard, 
Comtesse de Serenye, Rubens, Souvenir d’Elise, Baroness Rothschild. 
Messrs. Cooling had also fine stands, in which were good examples of 
A. K. Williams, Alfred Colomb, Baroness Rothschild, and many other 
well known varieties. There were some excellent boxes of cut blooms of 
Pelargoniums exhibited by Mr. Collard and Mr. Wellard, and as these 
were grown under glass they were not influenced by the weather as the 
other cut flowers were, nor would it do to pass by without notice the 
beautiful box of cut blooms of stove and greenhouse plants exhibited by 
John Marshall, Esq., of Belmont, they were very fresh and brilliant in 
colour. 
Table Decorations. —These have always been much encouraged 
at Taunton, and on this occasion four tables arranged for dinner were 
set up. The judging of these is a most difficult matter, and if not a 
thorny subject is a very “ pinny ” one, for shoals of ladies are quite 
ready to do anything to the Judges, whose decisions are always the sub¬ 
ject of the most contemptuous remarks. When I have to judge these I 
