July 27 . 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
3l9 
interesting, and one very good indeed, but as an evidence 
that such devices should not bo so confined, they were 
put second and third, and a little frame of a harp was 
put tirst over them. I understood, during the afternoon, 
that the same skeleton, similary arranged, but, of course, 
with other tlowcrs, had been conqueror at another show 
a week or ten days previously. Now, the most of the 
flowers were very common. The system of tirrange 
ment was what pleased every one. You may form some 
idea of it, when I mention, that the long leg of the harp 
consisted entirely of Buttercups (where is the colour 
that will beat it), Nemophila insignis, and a purplish- 
crimson Cineraria , with a whiteish eye, resembling old 
King'. These three things, in single blooms, followed 
each other, not in horizontal rows, but in corkscrew 
fashion. As might be expected, the harp was the handi¬ 
work of a young lady. 
Contrary to custom, Mr Gardener this time walked the 
course with good plantsof Gloxinias, the most prominent 
of which, for beauty and novelty, was Marian Van 
Houttc, 1 think, a pinkish-red (lower, with a beautiful 
white throat, and Duke of Wellington , a very large red 
flower, showing itself well up above the foliage. 
However much these objects obtained and deserved 
notice, the distinguishing features of the show were 
Fuchsias, Achimenes, and cut Roses. 
The Fuchsias were not so line as they appeared at 
the deluge at Blisworth last year, and were neither so 
largo, nor so densely bloomed, as they appeared at the 
Regent’s Park the previous day. They would, however, 
constitute striking ornaments in any greenhouse. So 
far as I recollect, the tables were turned this year. Mr. 
Gardener’s large plants were second last year; and Mr. 
Mackie’s large plants wero second this year ; compact¬ 
ness, freshness, and quality of bloom, being found most 
on the younger plants. The first stand were nicely 
arranged in colour, a dark and a light appearing re¬ 
spectively. The sorts were, Grand Sultan, Duchess of 
Lancaster, Diadem, Nonsuch, Kossuth, Matildiana, Pearl 
of England, England’s Glory, and Bank’s Glory, &c. 
There was no decline in Achimenes. These were truly 
spleildid. Mr. Appleby has been visiting shows; and 
first-rate places for a number of weeks, and 1 asked 
him if he had encountered their equal, and he answered, 
Nowhere. 1 put a fair sized umbrella across some of them, 
but it did not take in the diameter of the head, showing all 
over a deuso mass of blossom. Our readers are, of course, 
aware that a great number of scaly tubers are placed in 
such a pot. This must ever be the case when such 
masses are to be produced. I saw a nice little group of 
Achimenes at the Regent’s Park the previous day ; and 
though it would have required three or four of such 
specimens squeezed together to make a Northampton 
specimen, still there was an ease and elegance about 
those little plants from which even the Northamptoniaus 
might take a hint. The most of the Northampton 
plants were trained quite symmetrically, like a Turner’s 
fancy Geranium, making some two-thirds of a ball; 
but several of these plants at Regent’s Park were bloom¬ 
ing right down to the ground, or the bottom of the pot, 
and the shoots being thinner, there was more light and 
shade in the individual plant, and the flowers were seen 
on the shoots for a considerable part of their length, 
instead of being congregated chiefly in dense masses at 
their points. There is an old adage, that “ a fool may 
pick a Haw in a wise man’s work;” i have grown this 
tribe tolerably at several times, but I never came up to 
the Northampton standar-d; and if I might venture 
on a hint even to them, it would be a little more 
ease and carelessness in the lower shoots, so that the 
bloom may be nearly as low as the bottom of the pot, 
and less thickness and compactness of shoots, so 
that flowers, and light, and shade, may be obtained in 
looking through the plauts. There will thus be liberty 
and ease, iustead of an approach to the regular lumpy- 
hoadeduess, which soon loses its charm. I may just men¬ 
tion, in confirmation, that I' watched some groups of 
ladies hovering over these plants, and it struck me they 
lingered longest and expressed most admiration opposite 
those that were thinnish, in opposition to those thickset. 
As they were, the specimens were, indeed, grand. With 
single specimens, Mr. Gardener and Mr. Mackie were 
both deservedly first; the former with Margaretta, the 
latter with Longijiora major. Of the collection of six, 
Mr. Mackie’s wero a little injured in coming, and that 
alone gave a little advantage to his rival. Mr. Gardener’s 
group consisted ot Longijiora. major, Margaretta, Kleii, 
Lipmanii, Longijiora alba, Longijiora. The following are 
the kinds in Mr. Mackie’s collection. Patens major, 
Margaretta, Longijiora major, llirsuta, Longijiora alba, 
Tugicellana. 
Many cau bring cut blooms of Roses who cannot I 
bring them, or grow them, in pots; and the general ! 
mass was inferior to none I had seen for the season, 
which is saying something after coming from the quan¬ 
tities at Regent’s Park the day before. This, however, 
has not generally been a good season for Roses. One 
of the great Rose-growers, at loa.st his factotum in that 
department, told me, that ho had no choice, for he could 
collect no more than one or two above the specified 
number. Every encouragement was given at Northamp¬ 
ton to private growers, as there was close competition 
in 18’s, 12's, 8’s, and J’s. If it had not been contrary 
to the rules, one grower (Captain Maunsell) would have 
cleared off the whole of the first prizes. His Roses, 
consisting chiefly of first-rate oldish kinds, for size, sym 
metry, and perfection, wore the first I had seen for the 
season. These Roses formed a topic of discussion at the 
dinner table, everybody admitting their beauty and 
superiority, but differing as to the modes tho worthy 
Captain employed to obtain such beautiful specimens, 
some attributing it to soil, mellow loam, drainings from 
a dunghill, thinning the Rose buds, &c., but some one 
or other had tried each or other of these modes, and 
found them ineffectual to produce such beauties. I did 
not have tho pleasure of an introduction to the Captain, 
or I might have stolen the secret; but if this meets his 
eye, with the want of selfishness common to all true 
florists, he may be able to enlighten some of us pmeti¬ 
cals as to the cause of his great success. 
Had space permitted, I should have had plenty to say 
of the up-and-downs of this exhibition in past years; 
the secure hold it seems now to betaking; tho grumb¬ 
ling of gentlemen that they saw the same things over 
again, a complaint by no means confined to North¬ 
ampton, but which their gardeners can pretty well tell 
them how to remedy ; the good fortune of the Society, 
in getting such a good, working honorary Secretary as 
Mr. McQuiro ; the attendance of many of the influential 
gentlemen of tho town at the dinner-table; the good 
feeling prevalent there; the eloquent address of Mr. 
Mackie, giving practical proof that a man is often most 
truly great when he is not superbly victorious; the 
forcible remarks of Mr. Appleby, on the beauty and | 
benefits of rivalry and emulation, when associated with j 
the courtesies of life, the sweet influences of private ; 
friendship, and the freedom from heart-burning jealousies 
that so much distinguished the competitors that day, and 1 
may add, at all times since I have known them; the 
great number of visitors that attended; the necessity ! 
for gentlemen never finding fault with their gardeners 
not competing successfully to their mind, unless they j 
furnish them with means, and full opportunities for 
doing so, as demonstrated in some articles last season;— 
but the Editor, or his Mercury, is knocking at my elbow, 
and I must desist, hoping that this institution will shed 
a beneficent influence on the increasing town and 
neighbourhood. R. Fish. 
