212 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 3, 
J. Bratton, Esq., Yeovil, was third ; and Mr. C. Perkins, gardener to C. H. 
Hambro, Esq., Milton Abbey, fourth. Several good stands of Black Ham¬ 
burgh Grapes were shown, the first going to Mr. W. Iggulden, gardener to 
the Earl of Cork, Frome, for medium size, compact, and well-finished 
bunches; and Mr. Pulman was second. The last named was first with 
Muscat of Alexandria, and Mr. J. Lloyd second, both having well-finished 
examples. In the class for any other black variety, Mr. Crossman was first 
with Black Alicante in good condition, and Mr. Davidson, gardener to Lord 
Wolverton, Iwerne, was second with the same sort very well finished, only 
somewhat overthinned. Mr. Davidson was first in the corresponding class 
for white varieties, having Buckland Sweetwater large in bunch and berry 
and beautifully coloured, and Mr. Crossman was second with good examples 
of Waltham Cross. Mr. Pulman had the best Peaches, Dymond in good 
condition,, and Mr. Iggulden was second with good Bellegarde. With 
Nectarines Mr. G. Daley was first with Pitmaston Orange, and Mr. Lloyd 
second with Lord Napier, both having good dishes. Melons were staged in 
g ood numbers, but the quality was very deficient in most of them. Mr. 
. Chedzoy was first with Webb’s Woodfield, a handsome variety with deep 
green melting flesh, and Mr. C. Perkins was second with Golden Ball. Mr. 
Brooks took a first prize for a good Smooth Cayenne Pine Apple, and Mr. 
Iggulden was second. 
For a collection of twelve sorts of vegetables Mr. Wilkins was first, his 
collection including fine Autumn Giant Cauliflowers, Snowdrop Potatoes, 
and White Celery. Mr. G. H. Copp was a good second. With eight varieties 
Mr. A. Philpott, gardener to J. Parsons, Esq., Sherborne, was first, and 
Mr. J. A. Witherington second; both have generally good lots of vegetables. 
Mr. G. W. Copp was the principal prizewinner in the classes for single 
dishes. The amateurs also had a fine lot of fruit and vegetables. 
Cut flowers were a grand display, consisting of Boses, Dahlias, Asters, 
and Gladioli, and were shown in fine condition. Mr. S. P. Budd of Bath, 
Messrs. Keynes & Williams of Salisbury, and Mr. J. Nation of Staplegrove, 
tiking prizes in the respective classes for the two former; Mr. J. Harris 
and Mr. Iggulden for stands of cut flowers in bunches ; and Mr. M. Coombe, 
Marston House Gardens, and Mrs. N. Harriman, Chard, for epergnes. In 
the class for ladies only Mrs. N. Harriman was first for bouquets. 
Messrs. Lucomb <fe Pince’s exhibits, not for competition, attracted great 
attention, notably their group of plants at the entrance of the flower tent, 
containing some well-grown specimens of Dipladenia Brearleyana, Alla- 
manda nobilis, and also a group of choice Orchids and other interesting 
plants. 
Mr. G. F. Stokes is the Secretary, and he, with the great assistance 
of Mr. W. G. Pragnell and other members of the Committee, arranged 
everything most satisfactorily. 
READING SHOW.— August 27th. 
The Forbury Gardens, Reading, together with the adjoining Abbey 
Ruins, is a most interesting resort both for the townsfolk and visitors. For 
many years also the garden has been very tastefully planted and kept, 
rendering it very bright and cheerful during the summer months, and this 
year its appearance is fully equal to the best of previous seasons, a fact 
which is highly creditable to the skill of Mr. G. Phippen, who has succeeded 
his father in the management. A better position could not be chosen for the 
Show than the Abbey Ruins, and it is pleasing to be able to record that in 
number and quality of exhibits, especially in the fruit and vegetable depart¬ 
ments, the Show was all that could be desired. 
The plants were not so numerous as usual, but there were sufficient to 
furnish the tent, the large groups and the Fuchsias adding considerably to 
the effect. Mr. Parham, gardener to H. J. Simonds, Esq., Caversham, was 
the chief prizetaker in all the leading classes, and showed some remarkably 
good plants. Mr. James of Lower Norwood, Mr. Sumner, gardener to J. H. 
Millard, Esq., and Mr. Mould secured the other chief prizes in these classes. 
Cut flowers were capitally represented, but the collection of Dahlias from 
Messrs. J. Cheal & Sons, Crawley, Sussex, were exceedingly fine and well 
merited the numerous honours they gained. 
Fruit was very well shown, and in this respect the Exhibition was one of 
the best held at Reading for some time. Grapes were especially good, the 
Black _ Hamburghs being finely coloured ; well-formed bunches in nearly 
every instance, but the leading exhibitors in the class—Mr. Ashby, gardener 
to W. Fanning, Esq., Whitchurch ; Mr. Turton, gardener to J. Hargreaves, 
Esq., Maiden Erleigh; and Mr. Cakebread, gardener to Sir P. Rose, Penn 
—contributed admirable examples of this useful Grape. In the any other 
black variety class, Mr. Ashby was again the premier exhibitor with mag¬ 
nificent bunches of Madresfield Court, that attracted the admiration of all 
who saw them. They were large, of fine symmetrical shape, and the berries 
were clothed with a dense handsome bloom. Muscat of Alexandria was 
not quite so satisfactory amongst the white Grapes, but in the other variety 
class Mr. Kneller, gardener to W. S. Portal, Esq., Malshanger Park, was 
awarded first honours for grand bunches and berries of Buckland Sweet¬ 
water, beautifully ripened. Peaches were handsome, mostly very large, but 
the prizes went to the best-coloured fruits of Violette Hative, Grosse Mig- 
nonne, and Bellegarde, from Messrs. Bowerman, Ashby, and Pound, who 
were the successful exhibitors amongst twenty-one who entered. There 
were fifteen dishes of Nectarines, Mr. Balchin, gardener to B. Simonds, Esq., 
Reading, leading with Elruge. Mr. Howe was second with Pine Apple, and 
Mr. Osborn, gardener to the Rev. H. Golding Palmer, Sonning, was third 
with Pitmaston Orange, all very fine fruits. The collections of fruit included 
some good dishes of Plums, Apricots, Peaches, and Nectarines, but the 
Grapes were weak in most cases. Mr. Howe, gardener to Sir R. Sutton, 
Bart., Benham Park, was an easy first, followed by Mr. Goodman, gardener 
to C. Hammersley, Eeq., Bourne End, and Mr. King, Devizes Castle Gardens. 
Figs, Plums, Apricots, and Apples were all strongly shown, and several of 
the exhibitors already named took the leading honours. 
Messrs. Sutton & Sons’ prizes for a brace of Melons brought about twenty 
competitors, and the Judges had much difficulty in awarding the prizes. 
Ultimately, however, Mr. Howe was placed first with handsome fruits of 
Hero of Lockinge; Mr. Ross was Becond with General Gordon, a green-flesh 
seedling from Semper Fidelis and Nowton Court; Mr. Turton was third with 
Hero of Lockinge, and Mr. Howe fourth with Benham Beauty. Messrs. 
Carter & Co.’s prizes for Melon Blenheim Orange were won by Messrs. 
Lockie, Howe, and Balchin with good fruits. 
Vegetables were of praiseworthy quality in all the classes, and the com- 
etition was very keen. Messrs. Sutton’s prizes for six kinds of vegetables 
rought eighteen exhibitors, the prizes being secured by Mr. Richards, 
gardener to Earl Normanton, Somerley Park, Ringwood, Hants, Mr. Lye, 
Mr. Kneller, and several others whose names we did not obtain. Messrs. 
Webb’s prizes for six kinds of vegetables brought fifteen competitors, Mr. 
Bowerman, gardener to C. A. Bovill, Esq., Hackwood Park, Mr. Eliott, Mr. 
Lye, and Mr. Lockie securing the prizes. Messrs. Sutton also provided a 
class for nine varieties of Potatoes, in which there were nine entries, Mr. 
Ilott, gardener to Major Allfrey, Mr. Eliott, gardener to J. Hibbert, Esq., 
Braywick, Mr. Ross, and Mr. Lye being the successful exhibitors in that 
order. 
EVOLUTION AND CHANCELLOR PEAS. 
Having grown thirty-three different sorts of Peas in my garden this 
year, and seeing on page 154 Mr. T. Record gives an account of the late 
bearing qualities of that very good Pea G. F. Wilson, I wish to direct 
attention to Evolution as a late bearing variety. I sowed the seed on the 
12th of February ; the first gathering of Peas was made on the 20th of 
June, and the last dish I have gathered was on the 17th August, and the 
Peas are still hearing fine young pods, of which I enclose you one. Evo¬ 
lution is the longest bearing Pea that I have ever grown, I think its name 
ought to have been Everlasting. 
I also see, page 158, that Messrs. Webb Sc Sons have sent you a sample 
of their new Pea Chancellor, and you are not able to give an account of 
its quality through the pods being too old, Messrs. Webb kindly sent me 
some of the Chancellor seed to grow, and I have had several cookings 
from the plants. They are very sweet and an excellent green colour when 
cooked. This variety is a robust grower and a large cropper, the pods 
coming nearly all in pairs.— Henry Marriott, Prospect House, Skirbeck, 
Boston. 
[The specimen of Evolution received is remarkably fine, the growths 
vigorous, and as fresh as in June, bearing a half-grown pod, with others 
just set and flowers expanding.] 
LONDON’S LESSER OPEN SPACES—THEIR TREES AND 
PLANTS.—No. 3. 
Such a reproduction of a part of the City tenanted by the Londoners 
of bygone times as we see in the International Exhibition of Kensington, 
is rendered comparatively easy owing to the existence of some houses of 
old London and abundant drawings of others that have vanished ; but 
what can produce for us a garden exactly representing one of those in 
which the wealthy citizens took delight when, after the Wars of the Roses, 
a taste for flowers began to be developed in England ? If a Tudor 
philanthropist, for instance, could have secured to London in perpetuity 
the open space called Goodman’s Fields as it was in the sixteenth 
century, how interesting it would have been to look upon, and what a boon 
to the inhabitants of Whitechapel. But Goodman’s Fields, though the 
central portion is marked as an open space on maps of thirty years since, 
is now covered with streets of small dull tenements. There is nothing to 
remind us of Goodman, whose farm this was in the days of Stow, before 
the citizens rented the fields to turn them into garden plots, and both 
flowers and trees are scarce hereabouts. Only Prescot Street, formerly, so 
it is said, Peascod Street, is suggestive of some early cultivator of a 
vegetable chiefly grown in convent gardens during the Middle Ages until 
the Flemings brought Peas into general demand. 
Very few are the by-passers who think of the Minories and its 
neighbourhood as once the demesne of the Nuns of St. Clare, nor has Royal 
Mint Street any of the aroma of the fragrant herb that at one time con¬ 
ferred upon it the name of Rosemary Lane. It does not appear, however, 
that Rosemary, so much esteemed by our ancestors, was grown there, but 
only vended along this lane with other herbs. Though now a locality of 
noisy trades and busy factories, varied with railway lines and depots, it 
is possible to find about this part of eastern London open places, where 
plants and flowers, if seemingly straitened for air, do tolerably well 
under the circumstances of their life. In the unsavoury Royal Mint 
Street itself, originally Rosemary Lane, is a largish space, formerly an 
outlying churchyard of Aldgate, which belongs to the Metropolitan Board 
of Works, and at present lies barren and unpromising, yet which, by a 
moderate outlay of money and suitable management, might be made to 
yield both foliage and flowers. The honourable Board hoped, it seems, to 
utilise the ground by letting it upon building leases, but a recent Act 
prohibits, fortunately, any further erection of houses upon disused church¬ 
yards. Let us hope, then, that what is now verily a “ a place of potsherds ” 
may ere long become a pleasant garden, where Borne corner might be 
allotted suitably to the historic Rosemary. 
Proceeding from the above into Cable Street, which continues the line 
of road, we reach the old churchyard of St. George’s in the East, one 
affording a good example of what may be done within London limits to 
make an open space look always green and cheery. About nine years ago 
an arrangement was carried out by the local authorities, and the greater 
part of the burial ground, with that also of a Wesleyan chapel at its rear, 
were laid out as a flower garden for the public benefit. There is a care¬ 
taker beside the gardener and his assistants. The extent is probably two 
acres. The ground might be supposed to be larger, perhaps owing to the 
mode of arrangement, most of the shrubs being massed along the sides, so 
that the view is only interrupted by an occasional tree that has been 
left amongst the glass plots and flower beds. In a dry hot July we could 
scarcely expect to find trees and shrubs of London growth devoid of a 
tint of brown, but on our visit here we thought the foliage looked com- 
