380 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 8, 1800, 
with the larger grower. Certainly, I desire in nothing to handicap 
the larger for the benefit of the smaller ; I seek, as throughout our 
exhibitions, to establish the nearest practical approach to equality by 
compelling the exhibitor to select, not contribute, in gross. Your 
suggestions to limit the number the exhibitor may produce in each class 
—which had previously reached me from more than one quarter, and 
which, I think, should be adopted—goes a long way towards meeting 
the difficulty, and will, I think, be most beneficial in practice. As 
regards the colours you do not touch upon the extension of the classes 
already adopted by the National, or quite sympathise with me possibly 
in my estimate of the effect such extensions may have. Practically I 
do not think a difficulty would be found to attend a competition of 
mixed colours. But if it be strongly urged the competition should 
not be of all colours and hues of colours let us at least try to find some 
solid ground for division, and separate only by primary colours, say of 
red and its hues, rose-pink, salmon, salmon-pink, and salmon-scarlet; 
purple and its hues to lilac. This would give us two divisions, including 
every colour at present developed in the white ground Picotee, and all, 
I think, likely to be developed. Be that as it may, it would give us 
a sure starting point at once, which the present system does not. 1 
regret our divergence of views as to the seifs and fancies. But 1 
cannot consent to look upon these sections as our “ failures.” Inter¬ 
preting our laws in the strictest possible sense, I hold they are well 
within our lines, so I think to exclude would be a sin of the gravest 
magnitude. Granting we are specialists, and our shows should be 
special, could we illustrate the life of the Carnation without these 
sections ? Could I, because I thought there was more variety, more 
brilliance, more power in the bizarre, be justified in rejecting the less 
gifted self or the motley, whilst these latter for certain purposes of 
grouping or decorative effect beyond dispute excel the former ? Per¬ 
sonally of course I might, and no man, whatever he might think of my 
caprice, could rightly impose his law upon me. But in my character as 
chief servant to the Carnation and Picotee Union, what then? We 
have four hundred supporters at this time—to be five hundred surely 
before the year is out. Fifty of our friends come into line with you 
and I. Seven times fifty admire the Carnation, and seek its use from 
a slightly different standpoint. Can we ignore their requirements? 
Ah, no. Because we are virtuous we are not to fo-bid the innocent 
“cakes and ale”—veritable enjoyments to friends with tastes and 
requirements slightly varying from ours. Again repeating my hope you 
will be with us on August 5th. and cordially reciprocating all your 
kindly thought.— E. S. Dodwell. 
Events of the Week. —The Crystal Palace summer Show will be 
held on Saturday, May 10th ; the Eoyal Horticultural Society’s Fruit, 
Floral, and Orchid Committees will meet on Tuesday, May 13th, at the 
Drill Hall, James Street, Westminster ; the usual monthly Dinner and 
Conversazione of the Horticultural Club will also take place on Tuesday, 
at G P.M., in the Hotel Windsor. The subject for discussion will be 
“ Common Sense and Common Non-sense in the Naming of Plants,” to 
be opened by Mr. Shirley Hibberd The Royal Botanic Society’s first 
summer Show of the year will be held on Wednesday, May 11th, in the 
Regent’s Park Gardens. 
- The bather in the South has been seasonable. The rain 
that has fallen on several days has proved most acceptable in hastening 
the growth of Peas and other vegetables. Gooseberries are swelling 
rapidly, and some of the earliest are already in the market. 
- The Weather in the North.—A pril 28th-5th May. Cn 
the morning of the 28th ult. 1!° of frost was registered. Since then the 
temperature day and night has been high, only three times under 10° ; 
last night’s min., 19°. With few dull intervals the days have been 
bright and warm, coldish easterly winds making some of the evenings 
unpleasant. Vegetation has made a great advance during the week, 
and the country looks beautiful. Promise of abundant Hawthorn 
"blossom in contrast to last year.—B. D. 
-New Zealand International Exhibition, 1890.—The 
following first class awards have been made to Messrs. Sutton & Sons, 
Reading, at the above Exhibition Agricultural products, models of 
vegetables from Nature; models of agricultural roots from Nature, and 
a collective exhibit, special first class awards in this class being also ad¬ 
judged to Messrs. Hurst k Sons, London, and Messrs. Arthur Yates and 
Co., Manchester. 
- The Shropshire Horticultural Society.—T he annual 
great Exhibition of this Society will take place in the Quarry Grounds, 
Shrewsbury in August next, when about £400 is offered in prizes. 
From the balance-sheet of last year we extract the following items :— 
Receipts—Subscriptions, £416 16s. 6d.; taken at gates, £1206 Ifs.; 
tickets sold by Messrs. Adnict and Naunton, Hon. Secs., £525 ; from 
other .sources, £179 7s. 6d.; the total income of the Society for the year, 
£2480. Enormous expenses attend the outdoor entertainments, which, 
in conjunction with the splendid display of plants and flowers, and 
fruit and vegetables especially, bring the visitors from far as well as 
the surrounding districts. 
- Climbing Niphetos Rose. —Will any rosarians oblige by 
giving their experience of the growth of the Rose sent out as Climbing 
Niphetos ?—M. 
- Gardening Appointment.— Mr. George Maycock, for the 
last three years general foreman at St. Anne’s Gardens, Clontarf, 
Dublin, has been engaged as gardener to E. J. Walker, Esq., Lead- 
works House, Chester. 
- Change of Address. —Mr. G. Shrewsbury has removed from 
122, Moorgate Street, E.C., to larger and more convenient premises at 
36, Grays Inn Road (Holborn end), W.C., where all communications 
should now be addressed. 
-Caterpillars and Paris Green.—I am much interested 
in this subject, and am making inquiries amongst Kent fruit growers, 
about which I hope to report you shortly, but the east winds a 
fortnight ago killed hereabout (Gravesend) thousands of juvenile cater- 
pillars.—J. R. S. C. 
- The past month here has been noted for the small amount of 
RAINFALL, total amount for the whole month only being 0'77, greatest 
amount in twenty-four hours on the 16th being 0'20, minimum amount 
in twenty-four hours on the 7th being 0 03, being the driest month since 
the spring of 1888. Amount registered during April, 1889, being 2’16 ; 
much in excess of past month. The month began with very sharp frost, 
and nearly every night more or less frost has been registered.— 
E. Wallis, The Gardens, Hamels Park, Bnntingford, Herts. 
- Hints on Vegetable and Fruit Farming, — Under the 
above title Mr. Charles Whitehead has compressed much information 
in a manual of forty-two well printed pages. The matter originally 
appeared in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society, and the 
Council of the Society have decided to republish it in the present cheap 
and handy form. It is revised so as to bring the facts and statistics to 
a late date. Most kinds of useful vegetables and hardy fruits are 
concisely treated, though many details of culture are of necessity 
omitted, as are some crops usually grown in market gardens ; and it is 
a little singular that the most profitable of all is overlooked—Mush¬ 
rooms. On the whole it may be described as a useful epitome of the 
culture of the crops that are included in its pages. The manual is 
published by Mr. John Murray, Albemarle Street, London. 
- Death of Mr. James Cheetham.—T he death of this old 
florist took place quite recently at ■ Rochdale at an advanced age, and 
after a long floricultural career. James Cheetham’s name will long be 
associated with Lancashire Hero Auricula, although he was not the 
raiser of it. It appeared first in 1846, raised by old Robin Lancashire, 
and in all probability originally named Lancashire’s Hero. When first 
shown at Rochdale in 1846 it was placed second to a flower inferior to 
it in character. Grimes’ Privateer. The Rev. F. D. Horner, in one of 
his pleasant papers on the Auricula, records that old Robin had then 
eight or ten plants of his magnificent grey, and in his great grief that 
it should be placed second to Privateer, hastily sold all for a trifling 
amount. Then repenting, he offered a great deal more to get them back, 
but could not have them. From their first purchaser they passed to 
Mr. James Cheetham, by whom it was eventually put into commerce. 
“ But it is truly Lancashire’s Hero, and no name but that of Robin 
Lancashire should be associated with this flower.” Like many other 
light-mealed grey edges it has the power of blooming in a green edged 
form, and that generally occurs either on a truss from a young plant, or 
one formed very early on an old one. At the recent Exhibition of 
Auriculas at the Royal Aquarium, Hero was well shown in its green 
edged character, but whether grey or green, it is always a striking 
and valuable flower. Latterly James Cheetham cultivated Tulips, 
Auriculas, and a few other florists’ flowers, and I think I am coirect in 
stating that for a time he had chaige of the fine collection in the 
possession of Mr. C. M. Royds of Rochdale.—R. D. 
