June S, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
447 
tend to that result—utilising the manure allowed to decompose any and 
everywhere but on or in the ground, to form encumbrances on highway, 
to clog ditches, stopping drains for want of scouring, it will not be 
altogether unprofitable. If it causes users of artificials to consider what 
is most suitable to apply in order to attain the best result in crop, much 
will have been effected towards the gardener and farmer competing with 
importers. Anyway, it cannot fail to effect some good, for there is no 
fear of any cultivator erring in applying farmyard manure whether it 
be for its “ silica or its silica-dissolving acids.” It is better to do so 
than do nothing, or what is as bad or worse, than to use artificials, 
which are, in Mr. Gilmour’s phraseology, “ patent exhausters or even 
to wait ‘‘until science gives us artificials, by means of which we can 
reap a double harvest or something like it every year.” Is it not the 
do-nothing and the waiting that is the cause of the depression—looking 
on whilst the workers of other lands carry off the “ plums?” 
Permit me to say that I have no intention of returning to the subject. 
Mr. Gilmour is thanked for his courtesy and benefit which ever result 
from an exchange of views.— G. Abbey. 
MANCHESTER SHOW. 
May 27th. 
The Council of the Manchester Royal Botanical Society took a new 
d partnre this year in holding their annual and famous Whit-week Exhibi¬ 
tion on ground close t > the Botanic Gardens—whe. e it has been held for so 
many years, and gained g'eater popularity l’. an any otter exhibition in tbe 
kingdom. Perhaps no other Society bas had the courage to offer such 
1 beral prizes as has been done at Manchester, or it may be that tho finan¬ 
cial supporters of other Societies have not been so numerous or liberal. It 
was said that the Exhibition would be a failure because the Counc 1 had not 
off red their usual liberal prizes, but the Exhibition was not inferior to any 
of its predecessors, either as regards the number and quality of the exhibits 
•or tbe vast number of admirers that flocked to see them. In very many 
respects the Exhibition was even more beautiful than those we have been in 
the habit of seeing in the large exhibition house and tents in the Botanic 
■Gardens. Instead of large “ made up” specimen Orchids there were thou- 
■eands of small and moderate-s ; zed plants in grand health and profusely 
flowered. They were shown to i very advantage by being arranged from the 
fiont ent ance of a house fully 500 feet long and about 22 feet wide, built 
and glazed by Mr. Sam D ards, on his dry patent system, for the occasion, 
and heated wih one of his Champion Coil boilers. This structure was 
divided into three compartments, and suited admirably the requiiements of 
the Exhibition, for the structure alone was imposing, but the view from the 
entrance was beautiful in the extreme. Tbe remainder of the Exhibition was 
arranged in three large tents, so that visitors entering could go round the 
Exhibition and out at the front entrance again. No schedule of prizes was 
offered, but first, second, and third Que-n’s Jubilee med. Is. The first we 
understand are gold and the second silver. 
The Orchids were the grand feature of the Exhibi’ion. For a collection 
of Orchids two competitors entered. Messrs. Sander & Co., St. Albans, 
gained tbe first medal, and the Liverpool Horticu’tural Compai y (John 
Cowan), Garston, the second. Those from St. Albans were arranged in a 
tasteful manner on the left side of the entrance, with a few Palms in the 
background, and Adiantum cuneatum for a margin in front. This collec¬ 
tion reached 27 yards down ths house, and was about 2 ya ds wide. It com¬ 
prised many plants (f Lmlia purpurata, some vtry fine forms; Cattleyas 
Mendeli, magnificent varieties ; the same may be said of C. Mossi® and C. 
Skinmri. . Dendrobiums, such as Jamesianum. and Masdevallias—Bull’s 
Blood, Veitchiana, and other brght forms be ngconspicuous, while the stiff¬ 
ness of the Cittleyas and oth‘ rs of a similar natu r e were relieved by 
numerous graceful panicles of Onci hums and other suitable Orchids for the 
occasion. Cattle.'a Schroeder® was conspicuous, and also that marvellous 
Msxitlaria Sanderiana, wi’h two of its large peculiarly coloured flowers. 
OJontogloasum Alexandras was an important feature in this collection, 
there being bundr ds of stout spikes, wi'h 1 irge round flowers 3 or 4 inches 
across, some beautifully spotted and others de“p'y shaded with rose. Hybrids 
were represented by some hundre is of p’ants beautifully spotted ; 0. Ruck- 
er.anum was numerous, and one very large effective variety with a branched 
spike had no less thaujthirty-five flo vers. Suspended from tbe roof along 
the e it rr length of this collection was no less thin sixty-eight spikes of 
Olont 'glossum citrosmum and its rose coloured form. The Girston collec¬ 
tion was al-o praiseworthy. It contained grand plants of Lmlia purpurata, 
3 feet through and profusely flowered, and a large and varie 1 collection of 
differ nt species and varieths Many of the plants were dwarf and compact, 
and ther fore did pot possess that light picturesque effectiveness that 
■characterised the St. Albans collection 
For a c>ll»ct on of Cattleyas O. E. Wrig’ey, Esq , Bury, gained the first- 
class medal, followed by A. J. A. Bruie, Charlton, who staged a neat col¬ 
lection with a groundwork of Ferns, for which the second medal wjs 
awarded. Tbe Bury collect’on was staged on each side of the house 
atrongst a grtundwork of Adiantum cuneatum, and contained no less than 
1400 blooms. They were allCattleya Mossi®, and comprised some splendid 
varieties, but in spite of th : s they hid a flat, heavy app“aranc\ If they 
had been reli ved with a few arching spikes of OncidiumsorOdontoglossuma 
the collection would have been far more effective. As a collection of 
■Cattleyas, however, they well deserved the award made them, for the plants 
were in splendid health, and in the majority of cases they carried large, bold 
flowers. 
Joseph Broome, E-q., Didsbury. contributed a very imposing collection 
of Orchids associated with Ferns, Eiicas, Azaleas, Palms, and Dracmnas, for 
■which a first class medal was awarded. Notic- a ole in tb s collection was 
"Vanda teres 4 feet high and 3 feet through, carrying no l*>ss than one 
hundred flowers and buds. A form of Odontoglossum vexillarium was a’so 
very handsome, with a pirticulirly l’ght lip. nearly white with the upper 
T-ort on of the flower of a ra'her dark shade of c lour. Well grown and 
nowered Cattleyas in variety, C. Mosdffi predominating, Lielias, and Aerid -g 
form d the principal features of this group. M< ss's. Heaih <ii Sons, Chelten¬ 
ham, received the same award for a very similar group of Orchids, com¬ 
prising Odontoglossum Alexandra;, Cattleya Mossi®, L®lias, Cypripedinms, 
C. concolor being consp’cnous ; Palms formed the background, the ground¬ 
work being of Ferns and the front edge of Panicum variegatum. A first- 
class medal was also awarded to the Duke of Devonshire for a grand group 
of Odontoglossum vexil'arium, which had a very delicate effect missed 
together in quantity. A second class medal was granted to John Heywood, 
Esq., Stretford, for a collect'on of Orchids, amouget them being Cattleya 
Moss’® with thirteen tine flowers ; C. Mendeli with four flowers ; Lmlia 
purpurata, fourteen flowers ; Dendrobium Falconeri, a grand plant on a 
round trellis 2 feet through and full of bloom ; Dendrobium thyrsiflorum, 
with fourteen spikes ; and Cattleya Skinneri, with fourteen spikes, bearing 
seven and e'ght flowers each. 
Opposite the St. Albans collection of Orchids the large contribution of 
Tuberous Begonias by Messrs. John Laing & Co., Forest Hill, was one of the 
most striking features of the Exhibition. For this collection a first-class 
medal was awarded. The Begonias were arranged so as to slope from the 
back to the front ; rising out of them gracefully was Cocos Weddtlliana and 
a few choice Caladiums, whi e the front was tdged with Adiantum cuneatum 
and Isol-pis gracilis. Some care must have been requ’site in bringing the 
B gonias such a dis ance. for they were p-rfectly fresh. Amongst the 
Begonias were the following, for which first-class certificates were awarded. 
Mrs. Petch. single light shaded rose, a fin ly formed flower 3 inches across ; 
M. Hardy, large dark bronze foliage and light shaded rose flowers of fair 
size ; as a foliage variety this poi-se.-sed flowers of a much larger size than is 
generally the case ; Lillie, a very fine double rose coloured form with a centre 
several shades lighter. Another doubl; form named Alba rosea was perhaps 
the most wonderful double variety ever raised or exhibited ; it was of beau¬ 
tiful form, compact, and of a bright rose colour, wh’le the centre was nearlv 
pure whit®. Princess of Wahs, single bright scarlet, had flowers of good 
shap’, fully 6 inches across and of very good substance. Althmaflora, 
double, dark rose colour, very large and fine, .with the guard petals very 
prominent. Alba magua was a very distinct double white, pure in colour 
and splendidly shap d. This variety will doubtless have a future before it 
for wiring for bouquet purposes, for which it is admirably suited, for it has 
the exact appearance of a double Azalea. A first-class cert fi -ate was also 
awarded to Pteris cre'ica albo lineata Mayi and Aza’e.a Souvenir de 
F. Vervaene, which was shown with the collection of Begonia”. 
Mr. B. S.Williams, Upper Ho loway, London, staged ac 1 ection cf choice 
ptove and greenhouse flowering and fol'age plants, with Orchids freely 
intermixed, for which a first-class medal was deservedly awarde 1. The 
collection throughout was in the same style as those so frequently seen from 
Holloway, and contained none but the best and choicest plants in the various 
sections. The collection as a whole was bright and imposing, and contained 
a number of the newest Aza’eas in cultivation. Amaryllis, and choice forms 
of Imantophyllums were a feature, and stood out boldly iu tbe gronp. Such 
Orchids as L®La purpurata, Dendrobium Dalhousianum, Cattleya Mossi®, 
Odontoglossum vexillaiium. O. Pescatorei, O. Alexandi®, Maedeva l as and 
Cypripediums were in this collection in grand form. The Palms, which 
formed tbe background, were beautifully relieved with such plan'B as Lilium 
Harrisi and H)drangea paniculata grandiflora. Tbe following received first- 
class certificates Pteris cretica a bo lineata Mayi, a light crested form of 
the old va'iety; Adiantum schizophs Hum, Azalea p®oni®flora, Davallia 
tenuifolia Yeitchi, and the new fumigating instrument, Thauatophore. 
Messrs. CutbuBh it Sons, Highgate, London, staged a very fine group of 
miscellaneous plants. Ericas of various sorts formed the leading feature. 
Azaleas wert very noteworthy; aho a quantity of plants of the pretty 
Leptosp-uunum bullatum, Azalea mollis, Oranges, Ferns, and a great variety 
of hardwooded greenhouse plants. A basket of the now seldom seen 
Leschenaultia biloba m°jor was much admired ; it is a prettv blue, and 
should be grown in ev ry garden. This collection was awarded a second- 
class medal, and well deserved a first. 
Messrs R. P. Ker ifc Sons, Aigburth, was granted tbe same award for a 
beautiful rol ection of Azaleas, small plants in from 5 to 7-inch pot», but 
most prtfusely flowered, a Lw of the most striking being Souvenir de 
Frantjoise Verva'ne, Madame Yander Cruys en, Roi d’Holland, Elise 
Leiber, Madame Au.u te Yau Geert, and Theoiore Reime-s. These were 
tastefully associated with moderate-size 1 Tree Ftrns, Palms, andDracmnas. 
The same firm also staged a fine collection of Calceolarias. 
C. Moseley, Esq., Rnsholme, was honoured with a second class medal for 
collection of Azaleas, comprising good plants of Due de Nassau, Princess 
Alice, and Magnifica. Dendrobium nobile 3 feet through was also fine, being 
full of bloom. Erica eximia superba wa9 also very good, and the same re¬ 
mark may be made of D.val ii Mooreara, and Yucca filamentosa variegata, 
a plant well grown in the neighbourhood of Manchester Joseph Broome, 
Esq., secured a second class medal for a capital group of Sarracenias and 
Nepenthes associated with Ferns. 
S. Schloss, Esq., Bowdon, was awarded a first-cla 5 s medal for a large 
group of stove and greenhouse flowering and foliage plants. Some fine 
plants were incluled of B susa’nvillea glabra, 4 feet through, and profusely 
flowered ; Clerodendron Balfourianum was equally as large and fine ; Azalea 
Iveryana was well bloomed,and Anthurium Schertzerianum was really grand, 
being fully 4 Let through, and crowded with its rich scarlet s-p ithes. 
Eucharis araazonica, 5 feet through.was a’so very fine,-and the s ime remark 
may be made of Rhododendron Gibsoni. Gleichenia rupestris glaucescen*, 
7 feet through, was in grand condition; Anthurium cryatallinum was te- 
markably well gr >wn ; large plants of Latania borbonic t, Cibotium regal”, 
amongst others were staged. A first-class certificate was granted to a seed¬ 
ling Anthurium Schertzerianum named Schloss’s variety, with large, very 
deep coloured spatbes. 
For a group of plants arranged for effect S Baerlein, Esq., Didsbury was 
awarded a first class medal for the mest tasteful arrang-ment we have seen 
for a long time. The centre was a raised mound nearly 4 feet high of 
Adiantum cun-atum, out of which rose a well furnished Palm, Phoenix 
rupicola. Amongst the Fern were spikes of Gladioli and single Margu. rites. 
Two large plants of Dracmna L'ndei i was il'ghtly raised opposite each 
other lengthwav of the tent, wt ile in the opposite direction were two 
Crotons. The Fern, which formed the entire groundwork, was slightly 
raised about these p’ants, and towards the edge, being th‘ lowest round the 
centre mound. The low or centre portion of tbe groundwork was dotted with 
a vari* gated Grass and the remainder with Hydrangeas, Rhodanthes, one 
