August 23, 1888. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
175 
generally “ make tracks ” before the ladies come in. It is cowardly, no 
■doubt; but then, I am of that very sensitive nature that a lady’s adverse 
criticism crushes me. However, it is no laughing matter, and there is 
this knotty question to be decided—The fashions in these things change, 
and are we to decide as to which is the best table according to the pre¬ 
vailing fashion, or the best according to our ideas of what the true 
canons of taste are ! Now, on this occasion there were tables arranged 
according to the present fashion, with satin down the centre, and flowers 
arranged in low receptacles on it; and others, like that of Mr. Cleave, 
arranged with the three upright stands in the centre of the table, most 
elegantly and gracefully arranged. I have no doubt the lady who put 
up the former was " down upon ” the Judges pretty hard, and it is a moot 
point. If judgment is to be according to fashion this no doubt would be 
correct; but I rather incline to the view that we have nothing to do 
with fashion, but with what we consider to be good taste; although I 
am perfectly aware no judgment will alter fashion, and that you might 
as well expect ladies nowadays to wear pork pies instead of the lofty 
towers they place upon their heads now, as to alter what they have 
graciously pleased to decree shall be the fashion. There were some very 
handsome bouquets exhibited, and although one might very well take 
exception to their size, yet here again fashion carries the day, and 
perhaps had there been any moderate sized ones exhibited they would 
have been plaeed before these huge and unwieldy things. Some pretty 
stands of wild flowers were also shown. 
I can say nothing as to the fruit and vegetables, for I had not even 
time to go into the tents where they were exhibited ; but I have no 
doubt other correspondents will supply this. I have attempted to give 
a general view of the floral departments, but to have done this as it de¬ 
served would have required a much larger space than you can afford to 
give.—D., Deal. 
Fkuit. —A better collection was staged than anticipated, the only 
appreciable falling off being in the hardy fruit classes. Mr. H. W. 
Ward, gardener to the Earl of Radnor, Longford Castle, was first for a 
collection of ten dishes, having good stands of fairly well coloured 
Madresfield Court and Buckland Sweetwater Grapes, a fine Smooth 
Cayenne Pine Apple, Scarlet Invincible Melon, Exquisite Peaches, Pine 
Apple Nectarines, Black Tartarian Cherries, Negro Largo Figs, Moor¬ 
park Apricots, and Jargonelle Pears, all of good size and well ripened. 
Mr. Iggulden, gardener to the Earl of Cork, staged a collection similar 
to that he had at Weston-super-Mare two days previously, and it was 
questionable if he received justice at the hands of the Judges. Mr. 
W. Pratt, gardener to the Marquis of Bath, Longleat, was third, the 
Grapes in this collection being very fine. Mr. W. Daffurn, gardener to 
Donald Cox, Esq., was placed first for four dishes of fruit, these con¬ 
sisting of fairly good Madresfield Court Grapes, Blenheim Orange 
Melon, Noblesse Peaches, Elruge Nectarine. Mr. Pratt was second, and 
ought to have been first. The third prize went to Mr. Crossman, gardener 
to J. Brutton, Esq., for a creditable lot, and another very pretty lot 
was left out in an unaccountable manner. The class for Black Ham¬ 
burgh Grapes was a fairly good one. Mr. Pratt was well first with 
bunches and berries of good size and colour. Mr. Iggulden was second 
with large and rather overripe bunches, and Mr. G. Cooper, gardener to 
G. L. Collard, Esq., third' with fine compact bunches. In the class for 
Muscat of Alexandria Mr. Ward was first, his bunches being well 
coloured but stale. Mr. Pratt was second with much finer bunches, 
which, however, were not well coloured, and Mr. J. Lloyd, gardener to 
Vincent Stuckey, Esq., a good third, the first prize in the class for 
for any variety of black Grapes, Mr. W. Daffurn was placed first for 
Madresfield Court, large but not well finished, Mr. Ward being second 
with Gros Maroc beautifully finished, the third prize going to Mr. 
J. H. 'Virgo for loose examples of Madresfield Court. The strongest 
competition was with any white variety of Grapes, the first prize 
going to Mr. J. Webber, gardener G. F. Zuttrell, Esq., who had large 
but rather green Buckland Sweetwater. The second prize was awarded 
to Mr. J. Lloycl for perfect Foster’s Seedling, which ought certainly to 
have been .first. Mr. Cooper was third with fine but scarcely ripe 
bunches of Foster's Seedling. Melons were not largely shown, but the 
quality of the winning fruit was decidedly good. Mr. Crossman was 
first with a fine fruit, Hero of Lockinge, Mr. Ward second with the same 
variety, and Mr. Iggulden third with Golden Gem scarcely ripe. Mr. 
Iggulden was placed first for a highly coloured dish of Sea Eagle 
Peaches, Mr. Daffurn being second with a handsome dish oE Grosse 
Mignonne. The last named was first with a handsome dish of Elruge 
Nectarine, and Mr. Crossman second with the same variety. The best 
Apricots were staged by Mr. R. Huxtable, gardener to F. W. Newton, 
Esq. ; Mr. E. Bradbeer being a good second. Mr. C. Lucas had the 
finest dish of Pears, staging good Jargonelle, and Mr. Daffurn was 
■second with the same variety. Plums were fairly plentiful and good, 
and Cherries were very fine. Apples were plentiful, the culinary 
varieties being very fine. Other hardy fruits were loss numerous, but 
the quality was good. 
A remarkably fine number of vegetables were shown both by pro¬ 
fessional gardeners and cottagers. Messrs. Webb & Sons offered prizes 
for six varieties, and with these Mr. G. Garraway was first, Stourbridge 
Marrow Peas being very good. Mr. H. Moore was a good second, and 
Mr. T. Tilley, gardener, to Mrs. Cotgrave, third. In another similar 
class the prizes were provided by Messrs. Sutton & Sons, and in this 
instance Mr. T. Tilley was first, Sulham Prize Celery, Sutton’s Seedling 
Potato being especially good in this collection. Mr. G. Ricks was second 
and Mr. H. Moore third. The competition in both classes was keen. 
The Society offered good prizes for ten varieties of vegetables, and with 
these Mr. T. Evry, Bath, was first, among these being very fine Webb’s 
Chancellor Peas, Trophy Tomatoes, Duke of Albany Peas, Wright’s 
Grove White Celery, and Snowball Turnips. Mr. J. Webber was a very 
good second, Sutton’s Seedling Potato, Telephone Peas, Hackwood Park 
Potatoes being very good in this collection. Potatoes as usual were very 
plentiful and good. The best six varieties were shown by Mr. H. W. 
Ward, who had very handsome dishes of Schoolmaster, International 
Kidney, Prizetaker, Blanchard, Woodstock Kidney, and Vicar of Lale- 
ham. Mr. J. H. Virgo was second. Mr. Webber was first for a round 
variety, and Mr. Ward second, both having Reading Russet good. In 
the class for kidney varieties Mr. Webber was first for a grand dish of 
Sutton’s Seedling, and Mr. Virgo second with the same variety. A 
variety of other vegetables were also largely and well shown in the 
various classes provided for them. Cucumbers as a rule were too large. 
Mr. Webber was first with a fine brace of Carter’s Model and Mr. Cross¬ 
man second. Ten good dishes of Tomatoes were shown, Mr. W. Iggulden 
taking the fiist prize for Carter’s Perfection, large and handsome, the 
second prize going to Mr. J. Lloyd for Hackwood Park in good condi¬ 
tion. Mr. W. J. Durk, gardener to H. J. Penny, Esq., was first for a 
basket of salad, Mr. Ricks being second. The last-named was first for 
a collection of Gourds. 
MAIDENHEAD. 
In somewhat gloomy but fortunately dry weather the Maidenhead 
Horticultural Society held its annual Show on Thursday last in the 
grounds of Ray Lodge, kindly lent for the occasion. It proved a decided 
success. Specimen plants, groups for effect, and also fruit and vegetables 
were well shown. Several groups of plants and extensive collections of 
cut flowers contributed, not for competition, helped in a large measure 
to make a most successful exhibition. Specimen plants.—For six stove 
and greenhouse plants, half to be in flower, three exhibitors entered, the 
first prize going to Mr. J. F. Mould, nurseryman, Pevsey, Wilts ; second 
to Mr. Aitken, gardener to Mrs. Meeking, Richings Park, Slough ; and 
third Mr. Thomas Manley, gardener to F. H. Holmes, Esq., West Hill 
House, Henley. Mr. Mould’s best plants were Kentia Fosteriana, 
Cycas revoluta, and Allamanda Hendersoni, while Mr. Aitken had good 
Kentia australis, Croton Johannis, and Rondeletia speciosa. Mr. T. 
Lockie, gardener to G. O. Fitzgerald, Esq., Oakley Court, Windsor, had 
the best eighteen fine-foliage plants in 8-inch pots, excellent half speci¬ 
mens. Conspicuous were Crotons Weismanni and Queen Victoria, 
Kentia Fosteriana, Bambusa variegata, and Asparagus plumosus. Mr. 
Griffiths, gardener to Col. Harvey, Springfield, Taplow, was second with 
smaller plants. For six stove and greenhouse Ferns Mr. Aitken was 
first with some good plants, especially so were Gymnogramma peruvi- 
anum argyrophyllum, Pte is scaberula, and Goniophlebium subauricu- 
latum; second Mr. T. Manley ; third Mr. Hughes, gardener to H. F. de 
I’aravicini, Esq., Heathfield, Bracknell. Several exhibitors competed in 
the class for a single specimen stove or greenhouse plant in flower, and 
here Mr. J. Hanch, gardener to J. P. Weatherby, Esq., Mel worth Lodge, 
Cookham, was first with a large and well flowered Eucharis amazonica, 
Mr. Aitken second, and Mr. Griffiths third. For a single foliage plant 
Mr. Aitken was first with a large Croton Queen Victoria, second Mr. 
Lockie, third Mr. Hughes. Mr. Lockie was first for six table plants, 
consisting of Pandanus Veitehi, Dracasna superba, Cocos Weddelliana, 
Geonoma gracilis, Croton Laingi, and Aralia Vpitchi, a very good selec¬ 
tion. Second Mr. Waite, gardener to Col. the Hon. W. Talbot, Glen- 
hurst, Esher. Third Mr. Aitken. .Six Fuchsias were shown in fair con¬ 
dition by Mr. Hopkins, gardener to J. W. Burrows, Esq., The Elms, 
Cookham. The other exhibits were very poor. 
Mr. Goodman, gardener to C. Hammersley, Esq., Abney House, 
Bourne End, contributed the best six Tuberous Begonias, large, well- 
bloomed plants of old varieties. Mr. Hopkins a good second. For six 
Zonal Pelargoniums Mr. Aitken was first with some fine plants, 3 to 
4 feet in diameter, and well flowered, Queen of the Whites, Dr. Qrton, 
and F. V. Raspail among the best. Coleuses were staged in quantity, 
the best plants coming from Mr. Paxton, gardener to the Hon. C. S. 
Irby, Hitcham Grange, Taplow ; second, Mr. Hopkins ; third, Mr. G. 
Squelch, Boyne Hill. 
Groups for effect formed one o£ the leading features of the Show, 
and were much admired, especially so the first prize group contributed 
by Mr. Aitken. The plants were required to fill a space of 12 feet by 
10 feet, on low staging. Mr. Aitken had for his central plant a handsome 
Cocos Weddelliana, the groundwork composed of Maidenhair Ferns with 
a mixture of nice Gloxinias. The groundwork was raised in the centre, 
covering the Cocos pot. Springing out of the groundwork he had. 
highly coloured Crotons and Dracaenas, Tuberoses, Gladiolus, Francoa 
ramosa, Eulalia latifolia var., Ilyacinthus candicans, &c., and well 
finished at the sides with drooping Panicum, Ferns, and Caladium 
argyrites, the whole forming a beautiful and well-arranged group. Mr. 
G. Hiatt, florist, Slough, was second, also with well-arranged plants, but 
wanting in finish at the sides. Third, Mr. R. Owen, nurseryman, 
Castle Hill, Maidenhead. The smaller groups, G feet by 5 feet, were 
poor, and too much packed by all the exhibitors. Mr. Hughes was first, 
Mr. Griffiths second, Mr. Mould third. 
Cut flowers were staged in quantity, Mr. Walker, nurseryman, 
Thame, had the best twelve Roses, all very good. Mr. Hughes second. 
Mr. Walker was also first for twelve Dahli as and the same number of 
Asters. Mr. Broughton obtained a first pr ize for a bridal bouquet, Mr. 
Hiatt being second. In a ladies’ competition for three vases of flowers 
arranged for the table, Mrs. Spencer was first with a very pretty arrange¬ 
ment, and Mrs. King second. 
Fruit .—In the leading class, that for six dishes, Mr. Aitken was first 
