70 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 25, 1889. 
manure, with wood ashes and sand. The pots were only about half 
filled with soil, thus leaving plenty of space for top-dressing. The 
plants if well managed show the first bunch of flowers just above the 
pot, thus producing fruit from the bottom of the plant. No more 
water is given than is needed, and the atmosphere is kept as dry as 
possible consistently with the growth of the plant. 
“ The flowers were fertilised every day with a camel-hair brush. 
This is a great help in setting the fruit, especially early in the season 
when it is not possible to ventilate very freely. After the first bunch 
of fruit is set the plants were top-dressed, using a richer soil, also a 
sprinkling of Thomson’s manure, which suits them admirably. Future 
top-dressings were applied as required, using the same soil as before. 
No liquid manure was used. All side shoots were taken off as soon as 
they appeared, the single stem system being the best, especially for 
pot culture. It is important that as much air as possible be given, 
as it keeps the plants sturdy and helps to set the fruit, and care must be 
taken in watering, as plants in pots must not be allowed to suffer, 
though it is quite a mistake to suppose that the Tomato requires so 
much water as is generally supposed.” 
The plant when sketched was about 4 feet high, and was bearing 
fifty good fruits, but the whole of them, for obvious reasons, are not 
shown. 
GLOUCESTERSHIRE ROSE SOCIETY. 
Will you allow me to correct an error of an otherwise friendly 
critic upon the Gloucester Rose Show in your paper of last week ? He 
describes us as belonging to one point only of the compass of the county, 
and not, as we wish to be, the Gloucestershire Rose Society. It is also 
only true to say that the Society was inaugurated under the auspices of 
a few ladies, whose names are now in the list of President and 
Patronesses. The Society bids fair to be strong in the best influences, 
which every true lover of the Rose would desire. We could scarcely 
wish for greater success than that which has been achieved for us. 
If you are able to publish this note I shall be grateful for the record of 
our thanks to those through whom only this success was possible to us. 
—Thomas Holbbow, Eon. Sec. 
CHRISTLETON— July 11th. 
This Show, originally fixed for July 23rd, was held in the Rectory 
Field at Christleton, two miles from Chester, on the date named. The 
day was brilliantly fine, a large company came to see the Roses, and 
everything passed off most successfully. In point of quality the Show 
fell rather below its usual high mark owing to the retirement of Mr. 
T. B. Hall, whose Roses have always been a great feature here, and the 
absence of the large growers at other shows held on the same day. 
Still the general average was very good, and it would be difficult to 
name a more pleasant Show, whether looked at from an exhibitor’s or a 
visitor’s standpoint. It is thoroughly well managed, the schedule care¬ 
fully and liberally drawn up to suit all classes of Rose-growers, and it is 
held amid very beautiful surroundings. 
Nurserymen were not largely represented, only Messrs. Harkness of 
Brdaleand Messrs. Dickson of Chester putting in an appearance, and 
they stood thus in the prize list for thirty-six varieties and twelve 
triplets. Messrs. Harkness showed fine fresh blooms of Ulrich Brunner, 
Her Majesty (both fine), Marie Yerdier, Reine du Midi, Fisher Holmes, 
Madame C. Crapelet, Marie Rady, Francois Michelon, A. K. Williams, 
Merveille de Lyon, Etienne Levet (very good), C. Darwin, Baronne 
de Rothschild, Prince Arthur, Marie Finger, Alfred Colomb, Violette 
Bouyer, Alphonse Soupert (good), Countess of Rosebery, H. Yernet 
(fine), Souvenir d’Elise, Rosieriste Jacobs (good), Catherine Mermet, 
Heinrich Schultheis, Ella Gordon, La France, General Jacqueminot, 
Princess Beatrice, Due de Rohan, Mrs, J. LaiDg, Charles Lefebvre, 
Madame Eugene Verdier, Antoine Ducher, Silver Queen, Lord Macaulav’ 
Lady M. Fitzwilliam (all these excellent). Their triplets were Queen of 
Q ieens, Marie Baumann, Francois Michelon, Ulrich Brunner, Mons. E. 
Y. Teas, Merveille de Lyon, Horace Vernet, La France, Alfred Colomb', 
Mr. G. Dickson, Heinrich Schultheis, Baronne de Rothschild, and 
D ipuy Jamain. 
In the amateur classes Rev. L. Garnett of Christleton Rectory was 
unopposed in the principal class for thirty-six varieties, showing a 
very fair box, in which the best blooms were Comtesse d’Oxford, 
Marie Baumann, Her Majesty, Marquise de Castellane, Marie Verdier’ 
Violette Bouyer, Comtesse de Camondo, Merveille de Lyon, and Clara 
Cochet. 
In the class for twenty-four varieties Mr. C. J. Dry of Rowton was 
first with Marquise de Castellane, Marie Baumann (good), Louis Van 
Houtte (good), Capitaine Christy, A. K. Williams, La France, Etienne 
Levet, Baronne de Rothschild, Ulrich Brunner, Alfred Colomb (good), 
Merveille de Lyon, Marie Rady, Gabriel Luizet, Countess of Rosebery, 
Lady Mary Fitzwilliam, Xavier Olibo, Dupuy Jamain, Duchesse de- 
Valombrosa, Franqois Michelon, Marguerite de St. Amand, Lord Macau¬ 
lay, Souvenir d’un Ami (good), Fisher Holmes, and Mary Bennett. 
Mr. J. G. Churton of Neston was second ; Mr. T. Raffles Bulley, Liscard, 
third. 
The competition in the twelves was very keen, six or seven boxes 
being all of a heap, and all very meritorious. The Misses Squarry, 
Higher Bebington, were placed first with good blooms of Ulrich 
Brunner, Captain Christy, Le Havre, Prince Arthur, Etienne Levet, 
Baronne de Rothschild, Mrs. J. Laing, Xavier Olibo, Dupuy Jamain, 
Duke of Wellington. Mr. T. W. Crowther of Oxton, Birkenhead, was 
second ; Lieut.-Coh Standish Hore of St. Asaph third ; and Mr. W. E. 
Hall of Higher Bebington fourth. In sixes also there was a close fight, 
won finally by Lieut.-Col. Standish Hore with Marie Verdier, Madame 
L. Delaplace, Marie Baumann, Comtesse de Nadaillac, Caroline Kuster, 
Le Havre ; the Misses Squarry second ; and Mr. D. Walford third. 
Mr. Desborough Walford of Spital, Birkenhead, easily won the first 
prize for six blooms of La France (a very good box). Rev. L. Garnett 
second. For six blooms of any other light or red Rose (not La France) 
Rev. L. Garnett was first with good examples of Alfred Colomb. 
Dr. Bell of New Brighton second with Mrs. J. Laing. Rev. L. Gar¬ 
nett also had the best box of white Roses (Merveille de Lyon) Mr, 
T. Tatham of Wilmslow being second wi'h the same variety. 
In the Tea or Noisette class, Rev. L. Garnett was again in front 
with a good box of twelve as fo’lows—Hon. E. Gifford, Souvenir 
d’Elise, J. Ducher, Madame H. Jamain, Comtesse de Nadaillac, Inno- 
cente Pirola, Madame Cusin, Comtesse Panissa, Bouquet d’Or, Francisca 
Kruger, The Bride, and Souvenir d’un Ami. Mr. C. J. Day was second. 
Lieut.-Col. Standish Hore had a walk over for six, and Rev. L. Garnett 
for four triplets. 
Hardy herbaceous flowers have always been a special feature at 
the Christleton Show', and this year prizes were offered to nurserymen 
for not less than twenty-four varieties. Messrs. Dickson won first 
prize with a good stand, conspicuous among their flowers being Cam¬ 
panula persicifolia alba fl.-pl., Gladiolus The Bride, and Gladiolus 
delieatissimus (certainly most delicate and charming), also a new 
hybrid of Lychnis coronarius, raised by Mr. A. O. Walker, late of the 
Lead Works, Chester. This is called by Messrs. Dickson, who hold 
the stock, Agrostemma hybrida Walkeri, and is certainly a most showy 
plant, a great improvement on its parents. Messrs. Harkness had a- 
very telling exhibit, showing fine masses of Coreopsis lanceolata, Cam¬ 
panula carpatica alba, Papaver nudicaule (all three colours), Eryngium 
giganteum and amethystinum (both very fine), but they lacked the 
variety of Messrs. Dickson’s stand, and had to put up with second 
place. 
Among the amateurs Rev. L. Garnett took first place with thirty- 
six varieties, chief among them being a fine flower of Iris Kasmpferi, 
with excellent examples of Gaillardia grandiflora, Scabiosa caucasica, 
Gladiolus ramosus Queen Victoria, Chrysanthemum maximum, 
Gladiolus The Bride, Bahia lanata, and Platycodon grandiflorum album. 
Mr. R. L. Garnett, Wyrside, Lancaster, was a good second. In his- 
stand were fine specimens of Delphinium Rayon de Soleil, Chrysanthe¬ 
mum maximum, Gentiana septemfida, and Lilium chalcedonicum. 
Mr. Townsend Mee was first with twenty-four varieties, a fine showy 
stand, in which Lathyrus Sibthorpi attracted much attention from 
experts. Mr. D. Large of Christleton was second ; Mr. D. Walford of 
Spital third. In the class for twelve varieties, Mr. J. Wynne of Waver- 
ton was first, Mr. J. Major of Waverton second, and Mr. Combes of 
Christleton third. 
NEW BRIGHTON.— July 13th. 
This Show, as I have before explained, is of a peculiar, yea, I may 
say a unique one, for while at some shows Roses are sold as at Wirrat 
for the benefit of some charity, this has that solely for its object. A kind- 
hearted and benevolent doctor, who has a pretty villa residence at this- 
favourite and rapidly rising place on the Cheshire shore of the Mersey* 
has organised this exclusively for the benefit of some of the local 
charities, Children’s Hospital, Cottage Hospital, and such like, and all 
the profits of them are devoted to that purpose, and it must have grieved 
the kind heart of Mr. Bell to have held it on such a day as Saturday, 
the 13th, when an incessantly wet day must have marred all his hopes 
and prevented his having the pleasure of handing over a substantial 
balance to “his children,” as he calls the inmates of the Children’s 
Hospital, but such things will and do happen in our fickle climate, 
while it was especially trying in this year when we have had 30 much- 
delightful and enjoyable weather. 
Despite, however, this unfortunate contretemps, there was a very 
fine Show, at which some admirable flowers were staged, and here, too, 
one had the opportunity of seeing Mr. Dickson of the Newtownards 
firm, whose name is now a household one amongst rosarians as the 
raiser of those grand flowers Earl of Dufferin, Miss Ethel Brownlow, 
and others, which will soon become known to English Rose growers. 
Here, too, the Messrs. Harkness of Yorkshire brought their fine flowers. 
Messrs. Cranston showed in the style which reminds us.of former days; 
and although the grand Roses of Mr. T. B. Hall were wanting, Mr. 
Grant came out with his magnificent blooms, while the local amateurs 
such as Mr. Desborough Walford, the Misses Squarry, and others, 
showed that they have learned a good deal by the exhibits which they 
have from year to year seen, and seldom have I seen so few indifferent 
