226 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
r September 6, 1888. 
Excelsior Tomato, and International Kidney Potato, all in excellent 
condition. Mr. C. Bowers followed closely, and Mr. A. Philpott, gar¬ 
dener to W. Parson, Esq., Sherborne, was third. Mr. Copp was first for 
Celery, having very fine Grove White, and Mr. M. Paul ley second. Mr. 
Pragnell was first and Mr. Wilkins second for spring-sown Onions, 
both have very fine bulbs of the White Spanish type. Mr. Lloyd was 
first for Tripolis, and Mr. Crossman second. Mr. Copp was first in the 
class for round Potatoes, staging a fine dish of Sutton’s Satisfaction ; 
Mr. Pragnell was second with Reading Russet. With kidneys, Mr. C. 
Bowers was first, and Mr. Gillingham second. Mr. Runnacles was well 
first for a brace of Cucumbers, staging Tender and True in good con¬ 
dition ; Mr. G. Garraway, Bath, was second. Messrs. C. Bowers, Garra- 
way, J. Harris, gardener to M. Williams, Esq., and J. Nation were also 
successful in the single dish classes. Several non-competitive displays 
of plants and cut flowers were made, which materially added to the 
attractiveness of the Exhibition. Messrs. R. Veitch & Co., Exeter, had 
a good bank of plants and stands of Carnations, Roses, Begonias, 
Gladioli, Asters, herbaceous plants, and Dahlias. Among the latter, 
King of the Cactus, Mrs. Hawkins, Picta formosissima. Zulu, Germania 
nova, and W. Pearce were the most attractive. Mr. Scott, Yeovil, also 
had a good variety of Roses, Dahlias, Begonias, and other cut flowers. 
A fine lot of Dahlias, including Pompon, single, fancy, and show 
varieties, were staged by Messrs. Keynes, Williams & Co., Salisbury. A 
jgtand of Amphion, Panthea, Pelican, Asia, Empress of India, Juarezi, 
Mrs. Tait, and Mrs. Hawkins, all classed as Cactus Dahlias, was most 
attractive. Messrs. Kelway & Son, Langport, arranged several fine 
stands of Gladioli, and also had a capital display of Gaillardias and other 
hardy flowers. From Mr. B. R. Davis, Yeovil, came several stands of 
Dahlias in variety, and a remarkably fine display of Tuberous Begonia 
blooms. These were arranged in bouquets, vases, and stands, and came 
in for a good share of attention. Among the varieties shown and prin¬ 
cipally raised by Mr. Davis, the best were Eucharis, a good single white ; 
Gardenia, a fine double white ; Picotee, Miss Hayward, T. Baines, Davis’ 
Camellia-flowered ; Ella L. Davis, National, Mauvette, Lord R. 
Churchill, Severn King, and J. E. Davis, all first-class doubles. 
HARPENDEN. 
The Harpenden Horticultural Society held the tenth annual Show 
-on the 29th ult., in most unfavourable weather, and, to add to the diffi¬ 
culties, the hurricane that passed over the district on the previous night 
completely demolished one of the tents, and it was only by the active 
exertions of several of the Committee, who spent the greater part of the 
night on the show ground, that the large tent in which the open classes 
and gardeners’ exhibits are staged was saved. However, in spite of the 
■difficulties and disasters, from a purely horticultural point of view it 
was a great success, the entries being the largest the Society has ever 
received, in many cases the exhibits being better than those of former 
years, in the open classes we missed the grand flowering plants so suc¬ 
cessfully exhibited by Mr. Underwood, the gardener at High Firs, Har¬ 
penden. Owing to the death of this exhibitor’s employer the Society 
has lost a firm supporter. In the plant classes Mr. Nutting, gardener to 
■J. B. Maple, Esq., M.P., Childwickbury, St. Albany, was the most suc¬ 
cessful exhibitor, taking first in the class for six stove and greenhouse 
plants in bloom. Mr. Task, gardener to P. Bosanquet, Esq., Pondfield, 
Little Berhampstead, second. In the class for six foliage, Mr. Nutting first, 
Mr. Task second, and Mr. Emptage, gardener to T. S. Hill, Esq., Hawks- 
wick, St. Albans, third. For six Ferns, Mr. Emptage was first, Mr. 
Nutting second,.Mr. Pepper, Tewin Water, Welwyn, third. For a group 
arranged for effect Mr. Nutting was a good first with an exceedingly 
pretty arrangement; Mr. Emptage second with a more massive style, 
and Mr. Task third. Twelve table plants, Mr. Nutting first; Mr. Brown, 
Moat Mount, Mill Hill, second. Zonal Pelargoniums were well shown, 
the prizetakers being Mr. Sibley, Harpenden, Mr. Littlechild, Highfields, 
•St. Albans, and R. Mather, Esq., Harpenden. Mr. Sibley and Mr. Smith, 
Harpenden, were successful with Begonias. Fuchsias and Coleuses were 
well shown. Herbaceous cut flowers were a feature of the Show, Mr. 
Henshaw staging a grand lot. The same exhibitor was also to the fore 
with Pompon Dahlias. Roses were grand, the honours going to Messrs. 
Paul and Son, Cheshunt, Rev. W. H. Jackson, Stagsden, and the Rev. 
F. II. Gall, Hitcliin. Stove and greenhouse cut flowers were good, 
Mr. Brown staging an ideal collection. . 
In the fruit classes Mr. Brown was first for eight dishes, Mr. Nutting 
■second, and Mr. Tilbury, Lamer Park, third. For black Grapes Mr. 
Brown was a good first, staging grand Black Hamburghs. In the class 
for white Grapes Mr. Nutting was first, showing bunches of Muscat of 
Alexandria. Mr. Nutting was also first for Peaches with a grand dish 
of Princess of Wales, the six fruits weighing 3 lbs. 2 ozs. In the 
vegetable classes Mr. Pepper was very successful, being first for a col¬ 
lection of nine varieties, and fkst for six varieties; Mr. Faint, Marden 
Hall, Hertford, being a close second. Mr. Pepper was also first for 
Carter’s collection of vegetables. As is usual at Harpenden the 
amateurs and cottagers came out very strong, and made an exceedingly 
fine exhibit of vegetables, cut flowers, and plants. 
The prizes for table decorations were not keenly contested, there 
being but two entries. Mrs. Sell, Luton, was first with a very pretty 
light arrangement; Miss Maple, a young lady of twelve years of age, 
followed very closely, the chief fault in her table being that it was 
rather too heavy. Bouquets, stands, wreaths, and buttonholes were well 
shown. Amongst the non-competing exhibits Messrs. W. Paul & Son 
•certainly carried off the palm with a choice assortment of Roses, Dahlias, 
herbaceous flowers and foliage. In this exhibit was a very tasteful 
arrangement of Lapagerias which reflected great credit upon the designer. 
Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt, also staged some fine Roses. Mr. Ware 
put up a magnificent assortment of herbaceous flowers ; Messrs. Cutbush 
a choice collection of Roses ; and Mr. Merrit, gardener to Lord Dacre, 
Kimpton Hoo, Welwyn, staged some fine Potatoes and six splendid 
bunches of Madresfield Court Grapes ; Mr. Nutting had some handsome 
Palms 12 feet high, which greatly added to the general effect in the large 
tent; Mrs. Josling, St. Albans, sent some fine agricultural roots, and a 
group came from Sir J. B. Lawes, Rothampsted. 
SANDY AND DISTRICT. 
The twentieth annual Exhibition of this Society was held on Friday 
last in the grounds of Sandy Place, and probably no society established 
on similar lines and so conservatively conducted up to the very verge of 
its majority without courting extraneous attractions, has achieved such 
continued and increasing success and popularity, this favourite annual 
gathering having become not only the chief horticultural trysting 
ground for a large portion of the four counties of Beds, Hunts, Cambs, 
and Herts, but vieing in popularity as a general holiday for the district 
with the fete of St. Lubbock. The Show on Friday, which in addition 
to horticultural produce combined poultry, farm produce, bees, &c., was 
an all-round success, the one weak point perhaps being the limited 
and sparse display of fruit, which generally showed deficiency iu quality 
and colour, owing to the unfavourable season. 
In the open class for ten stove and greenhouse plants in flower there 
was good competition. Mr. Jas. Cypher of the Exotic Nurseries, Chel¬ 
tenham, taking the lead with large and well flowered specimens, in¬ 
cluding grand plants of Bougainvillea glabra and Phcenocoma prolifera 
Barnesi, fine Ericas Irbyana, Thompsoni,and Marnockiana; Clerodendron 
Balfourianum, Statice profusa, Allamanda nobilis, and Ixoras Pilgrimi 
and Fraseri. Mr. W. Finch, gardener to J. Marriott, Esq., Coventry, 
was placed second with fully flowered and regular plants, all in fine 
condition, but somewhat-smaller, his specimens of Dipladenia amabilis, 
Erica Aitoniana turgida, Allamanda nobilis, and Lapageria rosea com¬ 
manding good attention. The third prize was secured by Mr. W. 
Rabbitt, gardener to General Pearson, C.B., The Hasells, Sandy, who 
staged some highly creditable and but slightly inferior plants ; and Mr. 
G. Redman, gardener to J. H. Goodgames, Esq., Eynesbury, Hunts, was 
allotted deservedly the fourth place with smaller but healthy and well 
flowered specimens. For twelve Zonal Pelargoniums in the open class 
Mr. Redman was first, having well flowered plants of Hettie, President 
Thiers, Niphetos, Dr. Orton, Mrs. Wright, Le Cygne, and Henry Jacoby ; 
Mr. Rabbitt fallowing as second with bright coloured sorts, including 
Madame Titiens, Dr. Orton, Royalty, and Queen of the Belgians, all very 
good. Some good Ferns and plants were also shown in the amateurs 
division, Mr. G. Claydon, gardener to J. II. Astell, Esq., Woodbury Hall, 
Hunts, taking first place for Ferns. Fuchsias from Mr. Rabbitt and 
Coleus from the same exhibitor were especially noticeable. 
Cut flowers were very largely shown. For forty-eight Roses in the 
open class, not less than twenty-four varieties, Messrs. J. & W. H. Burch 
of Peterborough had the best stand, their flowers being very bright and 
clean, that good old Rose Duchesse de Morny, with Star of Waltham, 
The Bride, Comtesse de Serenye, Alphonse Soupert, Horace Vernet, Lady 
Sheffield, and Emile Ilausberg being amongst their best. Messrs. Paul 
and Son, Old Nurseries, Cheshunt, were a good second, showing Victor 
Hugo, Mrs. John Laing, Madame I. Pereire, Mrs. Geo. Dickson, and 
Countess of Oxford in good form ; Messrs. Burrell & Co., Howe House 
Nurseries, Cambridge, being third, Horace Vernet and Catherine 
Mermet being noticeable. 
For twenty-four Roses open to amateurs, not less than twenty-four 
varieties, Mr. C. Lindsell, Hitchin, was first with a creditable stand of 
autumn blossoms, which included two fine flowers of Mrs. John Laing, a 
promising autumn Rose ; Merveille de Lyon, A. K. Williams, Catherine 
Mermet, "Marie Verdier, Horace Vernet, and Duke of Connaught being 
also good, Mr. P. Meyer, Orwell taking second place. In the open class 
for twenty-four spikes of Gladiolus, Messrs. Burrell & Co. had a very fine 
stand, chiefly their own seedlings, in the raising of which they bid fair 
to eclipse some of the great continental growers. Nobilis, a large well- 
formed flower, carmine rose coloured with white lines, a,nd a splendid 
spike, will probably take first rank amongst English raised varieties. 
Dorothy, another fine seedling, colour salmon rose with white throat 
and blotches, was also striking. Vivid, Memnon, Shakespeare, Irene, 
and Matador were also good amongst the older varieties. Messrs. 
Burrell were awarded first honours for this stand. 
Dahlias for the season were fairly well shown, the veteran Mr. H. 
Glasscock, of Bishop’s Stortford, although strongly armed, had to suc¬ 
cumb to a slightly superior stand from Messrs. Heath & Son, Chelten¬ 
ham, who were placed first for twenty-four blooms, Mr. Gladstone, 
Mrs. Dodd, and Eclipse being amongst their best blooms, Mrs., Theo¬ 
bald and Mrs. G. Rawlings being noticeable also in Mr. Glasscock’s box. 
Mr. Glasscock was placed first for six fancies in the amateurs’ class with 
some good blooms, and Mr. P. Meyer second. For twelve Dahlias in 
the same class, Mr. Joseph Arnold, of Leighton Buzzard, showed some 
very fine blooms, and secured first place. Asters, with the exception 
of a remarkably fine stand of “ The Comet” (Haage and Schmidt, 1887), 
a very striking and distinctly white-striped rose flower like a large 
reflexed Chrysanthemum, and to which a first-class certificate wa8 
awarded, were not remarkable. The best twelve Truffaut's coming from 
Mr. W. Bourne, Cambridge, the same exhibitor also leading with fine 
African Marigolds and a good stand of hardy cut flowers. 
A well set up display of flowers, chiefly consisting of bouquet and 
