844 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 21, 1883. 
^egard for his favourite flowers. In 1870 he went as curate in charge 
of Kirkby Malzeard, a small country village about four or five miles 
from Ripon, and there I visited him for the first time in 1876. At 
that time a choice collection of Auriculas had been formed, also the 
choicest kinds of Tulips, Ranunculuses, Carnations, and other florists’ 
flowers; the quaint and curious productions of Nature being there 
also ; tubs and home-made tanks of various kinds being filled with 
water plants, a source of never-failing pleasure and instruction to 
their owner. He could trnly say of his numerous garden treasures— 
“ My never-failing friends are they. 
With whom I converse night and day.” 
The Auricula was the favourite flower; this could easily be seen. 
They had the best position in the garden, and the first place in the heart 
of the owner. All the finest varieties had been obtained. Mr. Camp¬ 
bell had raised Lord of Lome and Duke of Argyle. Prince of Greens 
(Trail) was also in the collection, and another fine flower, William Light- 
body, was superior to Lord Clyde of the same colour. Freedom (Booth), 
Colonel Taylor (Leigh), and Champion (Page) were the best green edges. 
George Lightbody (Headley) and Lancashire Hero (Lancashire) were 
the best grey edged flowers. In white edges I noted Smiling Beauty 
(Heap) and John Simonite (Walker) as far and away the best, but room 
was also found for Miss Arkley (McDonald), Earl Grosvenor (Lee), and 
even Ann Smith (Smith). In seifs, besides those named above, Pizarro 
(Campbell) was placed by Mr. Horner highest on the list. There were 
600 named plants, and at least 2000 seedlings, but not many had flowered. 
Those that had done so were in many instances, as Mr. Horner expressed 
it, “ amusing in their absurdity ” their vagaries were remarkable. The 
fine white edged Smiling Beauty gave crimson and maroon seifs good for 
nothing. The pretty little quaker-like Ashworth’s Regular gave fringed 
seifs like Sim’s Vulcan. Even the poor green edged thing Highland 
Laddie was pressed in as a seed bearer, and produced goggle eyed dark 
seifs ; but a good start was made, a few good things were found amongst 
the two thousand, and the work went on apace. 
In the year 1881 I was again at Kirkby Malzeard, and could com¬ 
pare the plants I saw in that year with those in 1876, and what a 
change ! Seedlings raised in the garden had ousted nearly all the old 
favourites of long ago. The only two really thought to be worth keep¬ 
ing were Lancashire Hero and George Lightbody. Heroine, a grand 
dark self, had been raised and went at once to the top of the list. The 
lovely blue self Sapphire was also plentiful. The green, grey, and 
white edged classes had also been improved, but the best of them have 
been annually exhibited in London at the national shows, and duly 
recorded in the Joxirnal of Horticulture, when the first prize collections 
have been described. Now a larger and wider field has been opened, 
and at Lowfields, Burton-in-Lonsdale, thousands of seedling Auriculas 
are yet raised and proved year after year ; and as we have recently read 
in the pages of the Journal of Horticulture Orchids have been added to 
the attractions of the florists’ garden. In the culture of these I may 
say that Mr. Horner is ably seconded by Mrs. Horner ; but indeed if the 
truth may be told the lady is first here, and it really ought to read that 
Mrs. Horner is ably seconded by her husband. There are no elaborately 
planned and expensively built houses, nor highly trained cultivators to 
attend to the wants of the occupants, but the results obtained would be 
creditable in the best conducted establishments. 
The Auriculas and Tulips are not forgotten. Some remarkable 
varieties of the Tulips have been raised from seeds. Some, yet in the 
breeder state, are remarkable for form, purity, and brilliancy of colour ; 
others in the rectified state are bound to take a high position when 
compared with the best yet produced. Seedling Orchids'are also being 
produced in this quiet country garden, and those who find time hang 
heavy on their hands in the country would do well to remember that 
“ the garden is the purest of human pleasures,” and that time in the 
country may always be pleasantly and profitably occupied by the rear¬ 
ing of fruits, flowers, or vegetables. It is certainly the healthiest of 
all occupations. The lover of gardening is brought face to face with 
Nature, so to speak, and rightly interpreted the student of Nature 
must be made happier and better in his daily life. The many admirers 
of our friend, and who are also readers of the Journal, will be pleased 
to see his portrait, and all of us sincerely hope that both Mr. and Mrs. 
Horner may long be spared to continue the work so well begun, and 
that the garden at Lowfields may ever continue to be as it is now— 
an illustration of how much may be done by a moderate outlay well 
applied ; but the greatest good such a garden can accomplish would be 
as an object lesson to country gentlemen and ladies with spare hours 
at their disposal. It shows them a good way of redeeming the time. 
and also, which is of infinite importance to us as true-born Britons, 
those who engage in such work are aiding to an extent not measurable 
at present in raising the position of our common country amongst the 
nations of the world.— J. Douglas. 
NATIONAL AURICULA AND PRIMULA SOCIETY, 
April 22rd. 
Though it cannot be said that Auriculas extend rapidly in popular 
favour, or that the number of exhibitors increases in proportion to 
other show flowers, yet all admirers of the florists’ types admit that the 
flowers possess a delicacy and refinement of beauty scarcely surpassed 
in others. The fine distinction between the show varieties render a 
close study necessary to appreciate them, and the “ properties,” from a 
florist’s point of view, are not so apparent at first glance as in the case 
of many other flowers seen at exhibitions, consequently they do nob 
appeal to the public with the same force as Roses or Chrysanthemums, or 
even Carnations. Still Auriculas have some qualities that all can un¬ 
derstand, and these are perhaps more notably developed in the seifs and 
Alpines, in which rich shades of colour are supported in their claims for 
attention by a delightful fragrance, a primrose perfume, concentrated 
and enriched. As garden plants the Alpine Auriculas will always share 
with the Primroses and Polyanthuses a deserved popularity for being' 
easily grown, and amongst the earliest occupants of borders they are 
useful in no ordinary degree. 
The Auricula Society did well when they amended their title so 
as to include Primulas, and though only a very small portion of the 
schedule is devoted to these charming plants, there is every probability 
that it will be found necessary to inerease the encouragement provided 
for them. So many early flowering Primulas of much beauty are now 
grown, and becoming greater favourites every year, that a few more 
classes devoted to them would be likely to induce fresh exhibitors to 
enter. 
The Society’s Show of this year was held, in conjunction with the 
Royal Horticultural Society’s Committee meetings, in the Drill Hall, 
James Street, Westminster, on Tuesday last, but the Hall is not one of 
the best places for a Show of this character, the deficiency of light being 
a serious defect where such minute characters have to be observed. 
With this exception there was little occasion to complain, for the plants 
were arranged upon the tables in the centre and at the side of the hall, 
and thus admitted of a ready inspection by the visitors ; but there 
appeared to be some delay and confusion with the prize cards, and the 
winners in some classes could not be recorded with accuracy, therefore 
are omitted. In numbers the exhibition was probably the best yet held, 
I as there were 139 entries. The quality was also generally satisfactory, 
j though there were examples of roughness in some collections. Turning 
to the schedule, we will take the elasses in the order of arrangement 
there, briefly noting the names of the successful competitors and of the- 
best varieties shown. 
Show Auriculas. 
Nine classes were appropriated to these, with six prizes in each, and 
the entries constituted a large portion of the Exhibition. All the lead¬ 
ing green, grey, and white-edged varieties were there, together with 
the seifs and some seedlings, and they were examined and criticised by 
the experts with all the enthusiasm that florists can bring to bear upon 
their hobbies. 
The leading class was that for twelve distinct varieties, which 
invariably affords the chief interest, and on this occasion there were 
four exhibitors, the premier award being secured by the Rev. F. D, 
Horner with strong plants of the following varieties :—Favourite, eight 
pips ; Snowdrift, six pips ; Laura, eight pips ; Simonite’s F. D. Horner, 
eight pips, a grand plant, the premier Auricula ; Melainie, eight pips ; 
Woodhead’s Rachel, eight pips ; Atalanta, four pips; Magpie, eight 
pips ; Monarch, five pips ; Desdemona, five pips ; Iris, eight pips ; and 
Headly’s George Lightbody, five pips; all the others being Mr. Horner’s 
own seedlings. The second prize was taken by Mr. T. E. Henwood, 
Hamilton Road, Reading, who had good plants. Woodhead’s George 
Rudd had eleven pips, and some of the others were also large. Mr. J. 
Douglas, Great Gearies Gardens, Ilford, was third with an admirable 
colleetion ; and Mr. A. J. Sanders, gardener to Viscountess Chewton, 
Bookham Lodge, Cobham, Surrey, was fourth. 
With six varieties several competitors entered, and the prizes were 
adjudged as follows :—First to Mr. T. G. Henwood for Headly’s George 
Lightbody, Mellor’s Reliance, Woodhead’s Mrs. Dodwell, Horner’s 
Heroine, Barlow’s Mrs. Potts, and Simonite’s F. D. Horner. Messrs. 
Douglas, Horner, and Sanders were second, third, and fourth in the 
order named. 
Four varieties were shown by ten exhibitors, Messrs. C. Phillips,. 
Reading; G. M. Wheelwright, Reading ; W. Badcock, Reading; C. 
Walker, Reading ; and P. J. Worsley, Clifton, in the order named ; and 
two varieties by Messrs. Phillips, Wheelwright, G. Barlow, Manchester ; 
Walker, Badcock, and J. Worsley. 
The single specimens constitute a large class, and at the Show under 
notice about fifty plants were entered, but there is always much diffi¬ 
culty in placing the whole of the twenty-four prizewinning plants in 
their correct order, and we can only give the names of the varieties. 
The names of the exhibitors were not obtainable. 
Green-edged. —First, Horner’s Emerald; second, Leigh’s Colonel 
Taylor ; third, Lancashire Hero; fourth, Horner’s Monarch; fifth, 
