64 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
Jaly ID, 1894. 
Pembroke is a beautiful variety, with large blossoms of a charming 
pnnk shade, and Marchioness of Salisbury is an excellent yellow. Those 
who prefer large deep crimson blooms will find tliem in Duke of 
Wellington ; and Britannia is a peculiar but attractive golden bronze. 
There are many more kinds of equal merit, as may be seen by visiting 
the afore-mentioned nurseries.—C. 
THE NATIONAL PINK SOCIETY (MIDLAND SECTION). 
The fourth annual exhibition of the Society was held in connection 
with the great Wolverhampton Floral F§te on July 10th, 11th, and 
12th, and in the opinion of such well-known growers as Mr. John Ball, 
Mr. Joseph Lakin, Mr. James Thurstan and others was the finest 
exhibition of Pinks they had ever seen. There were some very fine 
flowers staged, and it was a surprise to many persons who have 
experienced a disappointment in the absence of “ lacing,” so apparent in 
flowers this season, at all events in the Midlands. 
In the class for twelve blooms of laced Pinks, distinct, there were 
three stands staged. First, Mr. A. B. Brown, florist, Handsworth, 
Birmingham, with an excellent stand of Princess Louise, very flne; 
Minerva, also flne; Bessie (Fellowes), a eood bloom ; Captain Kennedy, 
very bright in colour; Ernest, Lustre, Harry Hooper, Brown’s Bertha, 
Arthur Brown, extra fine; Emmeline, Amy, and Empress of India. 
Second, Mr. C. F. Thurstan, Wolverhampton, with an excellent stand of 
Robert Houl grave. Modesty, Princess May, a grand variety, excellent 
quality; Duke of York, Brown’s Amy, a fine bloom; Mrs. Kichards 
(seedling). Dr. Braide, a seedling, very promising flower; John 
Dorrington, Empress of India, Boiard, and two seedlings. Third, 
Messrs. Thomson & Co., Birmingham, with a fine bloom of Boiard, The 
Eector, Minerva, Mrs. Dark, Ada Louise, John Ball, Mrs. F. Hooper, 
Duke of York, Amy, Godfrey, Bertram, and Empress of India. 
In the class for twelve blooms, of not less than six varieties, there 
were six exhibits. First, Mr. A. K. Brown, with Boiard, Minerva, 
Bessie, Amy, Princess Louise, a beautiful bloom ; Arthur Brown, a fine 
flower with broad petal and well laced ; Empress of India, and Godfrey. 
Second, Mr. C. F. Thurstan, Wolverhampton, with Duke of York, 
Modesty, John Dorrington, Robert Houlgrave, Princess May, Dr. Braide, 
Boiard, and seedlings. Third, Mr. R. Sydenham, Birmingham, with a 
very fine bloom of Ne Plus Ultra, Duke of York. Amy, Boiard, Minerva, 
Rector, James Thurstan, Mrs, Dark, and Harry Hooper. Fourth, Messrs. 
Thomson, Fifth, Mr. J. Jester, West Bromwich. 
With six blooms of laced Pinks, distinct, there were five exhibits. 
First, Mr. C. F. Thurstan, with Robert Houlgrave, Duke of York, 
Dr. Braide, Princess May, Amy, and another. Second, Mr. A. R. Brown, 
with William Paul, Arthur Brown, Godfrey, Ernest, Bessie, and Princess 
Louise. Third, Mr. Sydenham. Fourth, Messrs. Thomson. Fifth, 
Mr. M. Campbell, Blantyre. In the class for six blooms, not less than 
three varieties, there were six exhibits. First, Mr., C. F. Thurstan, 
with Robert Houlgrave, Amy, a fine bloom ; Modesty, and two seedlings. 
Second, Mr. A. R. Brown, with Princess Louise, Arthur Brown (2), 
The Rector, Bertha, and Minerva. Third, Mr. Sydenham, with Ne Plus 
Ultra, Boiard, The Rector, and James Thurstan. Fourth, Messrs. 
Thomson. Fifth, Mr. Jester. 
For single blooms, red laced, the awards were made as follows :— 
First and third, Mr. C. F. Thurstan, with Robert Houlgrave. Second 
and fifth, Mr. Sydenham, with Ne Plus Ultra. Fourth, Mr. A. R. Brown, 
with Minerva. Purple laced.—First and second, Mr. A. R. Brown, with 
Arthur Brown. Third and fourth, Mr. C. F. Thurstan, with Princess 
May ; and fifth with Minerva. 
For six bunches of border Pinks. First, Mr. C. H. Herbert, Spark- 
hill Nurseries, Birmingham, with Bertram, Amy, Boiard, Edward 
Ladhams, and Lord Lyons, bright rosy pink. Second, Mr. Campbell, 
Blantyre, who had in his stand Snowflake, a very pretty white. For a 
bouquet of Pink blooms Mr. C. H. Herbert was also first. 
The premier laced Pink of the exhibition was Mr. James Thurstan’s 
grand seedling Robert Houlgrave, a massive flower of fine build, bold 
and rich in its lacing and with a superb broad petal, and a first-class 
certificate was awarded to it also. This is a distinct flower, and will 
be most popular. 
Certificates were awarded also for a variety named Arthur Brown, 
a seedling raised by Mr. George Chaundy, jun., Oxford, the stock being 
in the hands of Mr. A. R. Brown, Birmingham, and was shown by 
him. It is a regularly purple laced flower, with a very fine broad, 
smooth petal ; also for Princess May, another grand seedling of Mr. 
Thurstan’s, a refined flower exquisitely laced with light purple. 
Amongst other newer kinds. Dr. Braide, another of Mr. Thurstan's 
seedlings, is very pure in the white, with small well formed petals, and 
a charming chaste flower with almost a wire red edge. John Dorrington 
was rough and faulty. Duke of York (Thurstan) as shown throughout, 
although a large showy flower is not equal to Boiard, which is so very 
fine this year in the Midlands. Ne Plus Ultra is a bold flower of 
good size, with plenty of petals. James Thurstan, as shown, was poor 
in quality. William Paul, a pale purple laced flower, and a good 
exhibition variety. Princess Louise (Fellowes), shown so well by 
Mr. Brown, is a beautiful and very refined flower with good smooth 
petals, and exquisitely laced purple, thoroughly beating The Rector 
by its side. Modesty, a fine older variety, and usually seen in good 
condition, showed coarseness and unequal lacing generally, and it was 
so with other flowers. Still it was an excellent show of Pinks, and Mr, 
Thurstan’s fine seedlings, Robert Houlgrave, Princess May, and Dr. 
Braide, and Chaundy’s Arthur Brown, are four wonderful varieties, which 
will make 1894 a red letter year amongst Pink growers. 
Mr. C, H. Herbert arranged, not for competition, some fine border 
Pinks, and I will allude further to these and other border varieties as 
seen at Birmingham in a future issue of the Journal. The Judges were 
Mr. John Ball of the Slough Nurseries, and Mr. Joseph Lakin, Oxford. 
—W. Dean._ 
BAPTISIA EXALTATA. 
Whilst visiting gardens where hardy flowers are extensively grown 
one occasionally meets with an old favourite that is comparatively 
unknown to many modern establishments. Such a plant is Baptisia 
exaltata, depicted in the illustration (fig. 11). Although of easy 
culture this plant is by no means common, its appearance in gardens 
FIG. 11.—BAPTISIA EXALTATA. 
being the exception rather than the rule. It succeeds well in the open 
air, and when planted in clumps at the back of a border its bright blue 
flowers are very effective. 
ROSE AND HORTICULTURAL SHOWS. 
NORTH LONSDALE.— JULY llTH. 
This annual exhibition was held in the Drill Hall, Diversion, and 
both as regards entries and quality of blooms must be termed a success. 
Messrs. Alex. Dickson & Sons, Newtownards, Co. Down, staged no 
fewer than 384 blooms, and succeeded in winning the silver cup for 
the best collection of Roses, including H.P., Teas, and others, ^ This 
stand contained a splendid selection, noteworthy being Merveille de 
Lyon, Ulrich Brunner, and 100 blooms of La France ; a truly grand 
stand, Dicksons, Limited, Chester, had a choice stand also for a second 
position, winning the N.E.S. silver medal. Mr. Jas. Crombie, Barrow, 
was third, gaining the N.R.S. bronze medal. For the best^ seedling 
Rose, Messrs, Alex. Dickson & Sons were flrst with Marchioness of 
