448 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
\ May 20, 1890. 
ashes, but the dislike is overcome when necessity presses. The only 
disadvantage the traps have is that of their entailing trouble and atten¬ 
tion so as to keep them in order.—G. Abbey. 
THE EDIBLE STACHYS. 
I DO not know whether “ D., Deal,” is an Hibernian or not, but a 
paragraph in his communication on page 424 apparently belongs to the 
tread-on-the-tails-of-my-coat order, and he would perhaps be dis¬ 
appointed if no one accepted the invitation. His graceful epithet, 
“ very ridiculous,” was, no doubt, intended to apply to something I 
said in a short article on the Stacbys a few months ago, but your 
correspondent has missed the mark he intended to hie, and hit one he 
intended to miss—himself. 
A fanciful name was certainly applied to the queer-looking tubers 
at a family dinner, and I thought there could at least be no impropriety 
in recording it; but that name was not “ winter whitebait,” and I shall 
be very much surprised if this name can be found in any other article 
than that in which it is described as ” very ridiculous.” “ D., Deal,’' 
then condemns a creation of his own—accidentally, it is true, but 
condemns it all the same—when he intended to condemn another. He 
is, of course, at liberty to correct his mistake, reproduce what I really 
did say, and condemn it if it pleases him, to his heart’s content. It 
will be naturally supposed he had some good or useful object in view 
in his intention to stigmatise a harmless expression, but I cannot at 
present see so clearly as is desirable where the goodness comes in, or 
the usefulness either. Perhaps he will have the courtesy to explain. 
I do not at present say anything about the “ queer-looking roots,” 
beyond observing that several persons like them, and speak favourably 
of them ■, and I should not like to suggest that “ D., Deal" gives us no 
information in his article, for he does tell us definitely (1) That M. de 
Vilmorin is his friend ; (2) That all Parisians are not courteous ; (.?) 
That the Japanese Radish has disappeared ; (4) That he does not like 
the Stachys ; (6) That the name he has given it is “ very ridiculous ; ” 
and (^6) That he was once disgusted with sprats.—A City Man. 
GARDENERS’ ORPHAN FUND FLORAL FETE. 
Fob a third time the standholders of Covent Garden put their best 
eflEorts forward for the benefit of the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund on the 
evening of Wednesday, 21st inst. Finely cultivated market plants were 
arranged on the stands of the wholesale flower market in artistic com¬ 
binations, each standholder seeming to have done his best to produce a 
display of flowers of the greatest beauty. The white-flowered 
Marguerite, so popular in France, formed the chief item on the stands, 
and veritable avalanches of these plants bearing flowers of large size 
met the eye on all sides ; banks of Fuchsias and brilliant show Pelar¬ 
goniums, at times in combination ; grand lots of Hydrangeas, both 
hortensis and paniculata ; Erica Cavendishiana, and also that known in 
the market as “floribunda alba,” were among the more conspicuous 
plants. It may be of some interest to state the approximate number of 
plants displayed. There are 300 stands, which it is calculated hold in 
the aggregate about 126,000 plants. What a feast of flowers—and 
flowers as they are known to the public, too, such as are bought at the 
str^t doors and in the florists’ shops, not the display of rare exotics 
such as we see at the ordinary flower shows—which appeal more to 
those specially educated to know them. 
The fete was opened at 7.30 by the Lady Mayoress, who was received 
by Messrs. Bourne, Stutfield, Ass bee, Barron (the Honorary Secretary), 
and several mernbers of the Committee, and conducted round the 
market, after having been presented with an elegant bouquet of Orchids 
by JHss Violet Barron. With the Lady Mayoress was the Lord Mayor, 
Sir Henry Isaacs, who was accompanied in the inspection of the 
flowers by the President of the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund, Sir Julian 
Oold^id, and Lady Goldsmid. In the absence of the Chairman, 
Mr. G. Deal, whose serious illness was much regretted, Mr. Assbee, 
the market superintendent, addressed a few words to the Lord Mayor 
and Lady Isaacs, explaining that the flowers they saw around them 
were just the ordinary trade productions, better arranged than usual. 
Ihe Lord Mayor then thanked the members of the Committee for their 
reception of Lady Isaacs and himself, and expressed his gratification at 
the mght around him, remarking that the fete appealed not only to the 
eye but to the heart, since it was a beautiful means to a still more 
beautiful end—namely, the a'leviation of human misery. The Lady 
^ well chosen words, declared the fe^e open. 
Ihe band of the Royal Horse Guards (Blues), under Mr. Charles 
uodfrey, R.A.M., performed a se'ection of music, and visitors were fairly 
numerous, and we fully believe that the fund will derive substantial 
benefit from the venture. Let us hope so, and in doing so thank once 
again the market standholders for their kindness in so ably aiding the 
Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. 
ROYAL BOTANICAL AND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
OF MANCHESTER. 
Great Whitsun Exhibition. 
Accompanied by brilliant summer weather the twenty-fourth 
Exhibition of the new series, established by the above Society in 1867, 
opened at the Botanical Gardens, Old Trafford, on the 23rd inst., and 
proved one of the most attractive held by the Society. All the avail¬ 
able space at the command of Mr. Findlay was filled ; and, as nsnaP, 
the arrangements were perfect, and very conducive to the convenience 
of exhibitors and visitors. The spacious exhibition house contained the 
choicer examples—Orchids,stove and greenhouse and foliaged plants,&c., 
while in the annexe were seen collections of Roses, Ferns, Pelargoniums,, 
hardy plants, &c., and on tables in the centre of the building, the fruit— 
a remarkably good display. These exhibits were flanked by large groups 
of hardy Rhododendrons, &c. Further on—in the concert hall—were 
the Pansies and Violets in pots, the alpine plants, cut Roses, and many 
miscellaneous collections. It was an exhibition in which there were 
very few weak points, and some exceptionally strong. The groups of 
Orchids and other plants arranged for eliect were surprisingly beautiful; 
the art of the floral decorator was seen displayed to the very best 
advantage. Ten large groups occupied a eonsiderable space, and they 
formed a splendid exhibition in themselves. In the amateurs’ division- 
there were five competitors, and the leading prize went to Mr. Blair, 
gardener to the Duke of Sutherland, Trentham, for one so artistically 
arranged and so perfect in its details as to defy description. Elegant 
Palms and other plants formed an appropriate background. Along the 
centre were delightful mounds of Orchids, each surmounted by an 
appropriate Palm, and the front margin was made up of dot plants, 
comprising Orchids, Masdevallia rosea and Cypripedium bellatulum 
being especially conspicuous. Mr. Gragg, gardener to Heine, Esq., 
Fallowfield, was a remarkably good second, the main features of 
arrangement being the same, but it was made very rich and striking 
by a free use of lovely Orchids. The third prize went to Mr. McIntyre, 
gardener to Mrs. J. Gurney Pease, Woodside, Darlington ; and extra 
prizes were awarded to Mr. R. Elphinstone, gardener to C. M. Royds, 
Esq., Rochdale, and Mr. J. Currey, gardener to Col. Pepper, Salisbury. 
In the nurserymen’s class, Mr. J. Cypher, nurseryman, Cheltenham, had 
a very fine and striking group, the Orchids being valuable and highly 
effective, and Mr. J. Robson, nurseryman, Altrincham, being second, 
these two being the only competitors. 
In the amateurs’ class for a miscellaneous collection of plants to 
fill a space of 200 feet, Mr. G. Wilkes, gardener to S. Baer.in, Esq., 
Didsbury, was first with one of those superb arrangements of Ferns, 
Palm.s, Crotons, Dracaenas, and flowering he is in the habit of staging at 
this Show. Mr. W. Elkin, gardener to Mrs. Thomas Agnew, Eccles, 
being second, and Miss Lord, Ashton-on.Mersey, third. In the nursery¬ 
men’s class Messrs. R. P. Ker & Sons, nurserymen, Liverpool, had a 
very fine group indeed, the leading feature being some of their 
grandly grown and coloured Crotons, combined with Dracaenas, Ferns, 
Palms, and flowering plants; Mr. A. J. A. Bruce, Edge Lane Nursery, 
Chorlton-cum-Hardy, being a good second. 
Some very line Orchids were shown. It was thought specimen 
Orchids was not so numerous as usual, but there was the presence of 
delightful collections of choice forms from some of the leading im¬ 
porters and nurserymen. In the class for twehe specimens Mr^ 
Whillans, gardener to the Duke of Marlborough, Blenheim, was first 
with very fine examples of Laelia purpurata with fourteen flower stems, 
Cattlej a Skinneri, finely coloured ; C. Mossiaj, C. Mendeli, very fine p 
Dendrobium thyrsiflorum, D. Falconer!, and D. Deari, Cypripedium 
barbatum, C. selligerum majus, very fine ; C. caudatum wi h nearly 
fifty fine flowers, and C. laevigatum, and the bright coloured Epiden- 
drum vitellinum. Mr. Blair was second, his leading specimens being 
Odontoglossum Alexandra;, 0. Pescatorei, a very fine piece of the 
Trentham variety of Coelogyne cristata, Cattleya Mossife, C. Mendeli, 
three excellent varieties of La;lia purpurata, Miltonia vexillaria, and 
Dendrobium vexillarium. Third, Mrs. Hodgkinson, High Lawn, Bowdon. 
Mr. Blair bad the best six, showing very fine examples of Oncidium 
ampliatum majus, Cattleya intermedia, C. Mossise, Lmlia purpurata, 
Cypripedium caudatum, and Dendrobium Deari. Second, Mr. A. John¬ 
son, gardener to Thomas Slatter, Esq., Whitefields, Manchester, with 
Odontoglossum crispum, 0. Rossi majus, 0. Peseatorei, Liulia grandis, 
L. purpurata, and Dendrobium thyrsiflorum. Third, Mr. Hodgkinson^ 
In the class for ten Orchids, hona fide specimens, Mr. Cragg was- 
first with .some excellent plants, consisting of Dendrobium Dalhousi- 
anum, D. nobile, D. thyrsiflorum, Vanda teres, Cattleya Skinneri, C. 
Skinneri alba, Phaltenopsis amabilis, Lmlia purpurata, L. purpurata 
alba, and Calanthe veratrifolia. Second, Mr. Blair, whose leading plants, 
were C. Skinneri, C. Mossim, Ccelogyne cristata, and Lmlia purpurata. 
There w’as no competition in the classes for ten Cattleyas or three 
Vandas. 
Stove and greenhouse plants were represented by eight good speei- 
mens from Mr. Nicholas, gardener to the Earl of Zetland, Upleathamy 
who had a fine piece of Boronia elatior, Franciscea calycina major, 
Anthurium Schertzerianum, A. Andreanum, Dracophyllum gracile, 
Erica depressa, Aphelexis macrantha purpurea, and Darwinia tulipifera. 
Mr. S. Baerlin was second with some fairly good specimens, and CoL 
Pepper third. Mr. J. Cypher had the best ten plants in the nursery¬ 
men’s class. Mr. J. F. Mould, Pewsey, Wilts, wms second. The best 
specimen stove plant was a fine Anthurium Schertzerianum from Lord 
Zetland, Jlr. Blair winning second with the same. The best greenhouse 
plant was Darwinia fuchsioides from Col. Pepper ; Lord Zetland second 
with Aphelexis rosea. Azaleas fell much below their usual mark, and 
six specimens from Mr. Thomas Agnew were awarded a second prize. 
Greenhouse Ericas in the amateurs’ class were poor. In the class fo.c 
nurserymen Mr. Cypher was first with neat specimens, his best plants 
being ventricosa hirsuta, v. rosea, v. coccinea, and tricolor Wilsoni. 
Mr. J. F. Mould was awarded a second prize. 
