THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, May 17, 1859. 91 
as many of Pears, some Oranges, Citrons, Pigs, Litchee 
Ground-nuts ( Arachis hypogcea ), Lapucia Nuts from 
Mexico, but I forget tbeir patronymic; Cocoa-nut, with 
a slice of the shell cut out to let us see the kernel; and 
a new and most beautiful way of dishing a Shaddock for 
the dessert by Mr. Webber, of Covent Garden. Every 
man in Parliament, and all the country-party, who have 
not seen this new dish, must go to Mr. Webber and learn 
the move. All the rind is peeled off a monstrously large 
West Indian Citron ; and the “ flesh ” is held together by 
ribs and a thin film, through which the inside of the Citron 
shines again. It is set on a flat dish, with its own peel 
under it, and a little peel on the top, and some other 
fancies. The whole looking like a small wedding-cake, 
or something that way. 
Among the fruits were some fine bunches of Black 
Hamburgh Grapes from Mr. Hill, Keele Hall, and Mr. 
Prost, of Preston Hall, the latter of whom wa3 the suc¬ 
cessful competitor. The basket of Sir Charles Napier 
Strawberries from Mr. Smith, of Richmond, was uni¬ 
versally admired, and was by far the best exhibition in 
that class. 
To set off the dessert, Mr. Ivison sent twelve heads of 
most magnificent blooms of the large Rhododendron 
metropolitanum, from the large conservatory at Sion 
House. Another good hit. One whorl of the top leaves 
to each truss in a glass of water, set among fruit-dishes, 
had a happy and novel effect. Por all this I shall give 
the first place to the winners of prizes for fruit, before 
we examine the plants in detail 
The best Collection of Fruit. —First, Messrs. Webber and Co., Covent 
Garden. 
Pine Apples (large sorts, not Providence). —First, Mr. Joseph Gillham, 
Isleworth. Second, Mr. Davies, gardener to J. Dixon, Esq. Third, Mr. 
R. Turnbull, gardener to the Duke of Malborough, Blenheim. 
Pine Apples ( Queens , single specimens).—First, Mr. Page, gardener to 
W, Leaf, Esq., Park Ilill, Streatham. Second, R. Crawshay, Esq., Cy- 
farthfa Castle, for Moscow. Third, Mr. Jos. Gillham, Isleworth. 
Grapes (Black, three bunches, in baskets).—First, Mr. Frost, gardener 
to L. Bett, Esq., Maidstone. Second, Mr. Hill, gardener to It. Sncyd, 
Esq., Keele Hall. Third, Mr. Tillyard, Heekfield. 
Grapes (White, three bunches, in baskets).—First, Mr. Chalmers, gar¬ 
dener to Lord Southampton. Second, Mr. Tillyard. 
Cherries (in single dishes).—First, Mr.Edward Shuter, gardener to the 
Earl of W r ilton. Second, Mr. John Fleming, gardener to the Duke of 
Sutherland, Clevedon. Third, Mr. G. M‘Bey, gardener to It. Ellison, Esq. 
Strawberries (two dishes, distinct sorts).—First, Mr. F. W.Park, gar¬ 
dener to G. II. Vernon, Esq., Grove Hall, Retford. Second, Mr. John 
Clark, gardener to the Earl of Darnley. Third, Mr. Robert Turnbull, 
Blenheim. 
Strawberries (single dishes of British Queen). —No entries. 
Strawberries (single dishes, not British Queen). —First, Mr. R. Smith, 
market-gardener, Twickenham, for Sir C. Napier; very fine. Second, 
Mr. F. W. Park, Grove Hall, Retford. Third, Mr. Ivison, Sion House. 
Miscellaneous. —First, Mr. Sparkes, gardenerto C.It. Collins, Esq., Hele 
Lodge, Collumpton, for three Melons. First-class certificate, Mr. Monro, 
Colney Gardens, Barnet, for a seedling Cucumber ; Mr. Ivison, for Straw¬ 
berries in pots; Mr. F. W. Park, for Beurrc Ranee Pear; Mr. John 
Fleming, Clevedon, for Figs; Mr. Fryer, gardener to R, Crawshay, Esq., 
for Tom Thumb Peas. 
The plants from tbe Messrs. Praser consisted of flower¬ 
ing, rare, and fine-leaved kinds. In front, across tbe curve 
of tbe balf-moon, stood a row of dwarf, busby Azaleas 
—tbe tallest in tbe centre, and tbe rest falling in gradation 
to cacb end, or corners, or borns of tbe balf-moon. 
Among tbem was a kind—tbe wbitc Azalea Indica 
—wbicb was never before exhibited at tbe Horticultural 
Society. It is remarkably sweet, and scented tbe whole 
front of that part; it is a white and primrose. Behind 
this row was another of standard Azaleas, tbe tallest, also, 
in tbe centre; and, behind these, all sorts wore placed in 
match pairs from tbe centre—all but one large yellow 
Cytisus, which stood too much to tbe right, as there was 
not a match for it. Viburnum plicatum, low, spreading, 
and one sheet of snowball, Guelder-Rose-like blooms. 
What a charming plant when done well! It is one of 
Fortune’s plants from China. Lomatia silaifolia , a fine, 
Pern-leaved-like plant. Thyrsacanthus rutilans, in good 
bloom. A large white columnar Crinum of tbe Asiaticum 
section, with two flower-scapes. Eugenia JJgni in fine 
bloom. Fancy Begonias, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Palms, 
Perns, and many fine-leaved plants. Tbe two flank plants 
at tbe two corners of this group were from Mr. Gaines j 
one of them — Leptospermum bullatum, seven to eight 
feet high and three feet through—was one mass of white 
bloom, looking, at a distance, like some Eriostemon; tbe 
other was a yellow Rhododendron. 
Tbe Roses from Mr. Lane were tbe next, and stood 
thus in single file •— Jules JHargottin, red, and Souvenir 
d'un Ami, white, but now a perfect blush, for tbe centre ; 
Paul Perr as on tbe left, and Duchess of Sutherland to 
tbe right of tbe centre, to match; and, at tbe extreme ends, 
Trimnphe de Paris on tbe left, and Baron Prevost on the 
right, to match—a most admirable way of placing tbe 
colours. Tbe plants were immense bushes, and loaded 
with tbe finest Roses. 
On tbe left of these was a collection of rare plants from 
tbe Messrs. Fraser:—tbe yellow Sempervirens lineolare; 
Muschia Wollastoni, tbe Echinus-looking canrpanulatc 
plant; Gastrolobium Beakianum, a close, strong grower, 
with yellow and brown Pea-blossoms—a fine thing for a 
specimen; as also are the Semperviren3 and Bimclea 
spcctahilis rosea. Ou tbe right of the Roses were two 
newish Bendrobiums, and a collection of Orchids from 
Mr. Wooley—tbe only practical man who exhibited air 
plants. His new Dendrobiums were a stout bulbed kind, 
with violet and cream-coloured blooms, very handsome ; 
tbe other Dendrobium tubiflorum—& lady-like plant, very 
slender long stalks, or woody bulbs, and most gracefully 
set with rich crimson and whitish-lilac blooms, somewhat 
after tbe nobile fashion. His collection of orchids con¬ 
sisted of Arpophyllum giganteum, Gongora truncata, 
Cattleya Skinneri and intermedia, a large Dendrobium 
nobile, Epidendrum rhyncospermum, Oncidium Pkelepoi- 
anum, new to me—tbe plant is like sphacelatum in growth, 
with upright spikes of yellow blossoms ; tbe spike branch¬ 
ing right and left, from top to bottom— Vanda tricolor, 
and an Aerides. 
Then Mr. Gaines’ Hippeastrums, six very good kinds. 
In front of all these was a collection of novelties from the 
Wellington Road Nursery; two fine golden-leaved Tom 
Th umb Geraniums, Novelty, Tricolor, St. Cloud and Silver 
Chain, all dwarf variegated Geraniums, with beautiful 
markings ; several plants of ALaranta faciata, a beautiful 
dwarf with broad leaves, broadly banded with white; 
Salvia argentea, a hoary white-leaved kind, with Cam- 
panula-like upright spikes of bloom, not opened ; Aucuba 
Himalaica, a most beautiful new evergreen ; two or three 
Caladium argyrites, tbe fairy-silvered little plant wbicb 
Her Majesty'admired so much last year in Mr. Low’s 
novelties; Liar ant a regalis ; Caladium Chausinii; ALa- 
ranta pulchella, a miniature of zebrina; Campylobotry 
argyroneura, an exceedingly pretty thing, a dwarf purple, 
with a metallic leaf deeply rubbed across tbe blade, and 
several fancy Begonias. 
Mr. Yeitc'b occupied tbe whole of one side of tbe Hall 
with a magnificent display of prime plants and novelties. 
Among tbem were -— Theophrasta imperialis, Ropala 
Jonglii, Aralia Sieboldi, Theophrasta macrophylla, and 
Cyanophyllum magnificum, all with tbe most splendid 
leaves ever seen iu cultivation. Then a variegated Hibis¬ 
cus rosea sinensis, Philesia buxifolia, an immense bush ; 
Clianthus Dampieri, a dwarf variegated Potbos under a 
bell-glass, an additional gem to tbe variegated plants. 
Fancy Begonias, fine Orchids, and no end of better-known 
kinds. 
On the opposite side Mr. Standisb bad Lomatia Bid- 
villii, a fine-leaved Aralia-looking plant; six kinds of 
Ilippeasters; Gardenia citriodora, a beautiful upright- 
growing plant with bunches of white bloom; Grevillea 
Drummondi, a strong grower; and Myosotis nobilis, tbe 
now Forget-me-not, from New Caledonia, or some of 
these far-off islands to the east of New Zealand. 
The next collection was from the Pine Apple Place 
