1'11'E COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, September 13, 1859. 
148 
Palace for breaking the ice. Every other department 
of the art has not gone on in the same ratio, it is true, 
but that is because they happened to be so much in 
advance at the time. 
What is called the cottagers’ and amateurs’ classes, 
were now a-head of what the first-prize gardeners could 
show on the first occasion ; and the fruit was never seen, 
at this season of the year, in such high state of perfection, 
in such quantities, or in such number of kinds, and to 
make sure of a good harvest-home dessert. 
I began my notes on the fruit, which stood on double 
stages, across in front of the Handel orchestra, and on 
two double tables extending across to the opposite, or 
each side orchestra. 
The chief novelty in the fruit way was the competition I 
for Mr. Yeitch’s prize for the best Golden Hamburgh 
Grape. There -were but two competitors, and they were 
neck and neck. One had his berries a little riper, and 
carried the day; but the ripest berry was only three- 
parts ripe — not at all fit for table where Lord Palmer- J 
ston dined the week before the Show. Nevertheless, the 
Golden Hamburgh is unquestionably now the very best 
plain white Grape in cultivation. The Cottage Gai;- i 
pener was the first authority to assert the fact — a fact 
which I entirely overlooked till reminded of it that very 
day by Mr. Busby, the lucky raiser of it; and he insists 
on sending me a young Vine of it, to inarch on my ex- I 
perimental black Grape out of doors ; while our mutual 
friend and fellow labourer, who raised the Boicood 
Muscat, “ will not believe one word ” about my growing 
and ripening such Grapes out of doors. He says. I J 
have “ got some trick in it,” which will put the British 
Bornological Society to the expense of sending down a 
commission to get out the trick, and teach it to all who 
happen to be in the same degree ol latitude and farther 
south. 
Collections of six kinds of fruit in eight dishes, and 
collections of eight kinds in ten dishes, stood first on the 
stages. The first prize for the eight dishes was won by 
Mr. Dawson, gardener to Earl Cowper, Panshanger, 
Herts. His dishes would stand thus Two Pines, two 
Grapes (Black and White), one Peach and Nectarine, 
one Fig and Pear. The second prize was to Mr. Bailey, I 
gardener to J. J. Drake, Esq., Amerskam; and there j 
was but a very slight difference in the merits of the | 
collections. These would, or should, bo placed thus | 
One Pine and Melon, two Grapes, Peach and Nectarine, 
Figs and Pears. The third prize went to Mr. Eckford, j 
gardener to Lord Badnor, Highworth, Wilts, who had a 
line Cayenne Pine, very fine Peaches and Nectarines, j 
In this class stood collections from Mr. Holder, Eaton j 
College; Mr. Sage, Gopsall Hall, Atherstone; Mr. 
Rodgers, gardener to B. Gurdon, Esq., M.P., Litton 
Hall, Norfolk; Mr. Peed, the well-known exhibitor from 
.T. Treadwell, Esq., Norwood; Mr. Ingram, gardener to 
J. J. Blandy, Esq.; Mr. Babbitt, gardener to Lord St. 
John, Melchbourue, Beds: the kinds being Pines, Melons, 
Peaches and Nectarines, Figs, Pears, and Plums. 
In the class of eight kinds of fruit in ten dishes Mr. 
Frost, gardener to E. L. Betts. Esq., Maidstone, was first. 
He had a Queen Pine, two Grapes, Peaches and Necta- { 
rines, a Melon, two Plums (dishes), Pears, and Cherries. 
The IcTcworth Imperatrice Plum (not Hickworth) and 
Coes Golden Drop were very fine. Mr. Page, gardener 
to W. Leaf, Esq., Streatham, was second with two Pines, 
two Grapes, two Melons, Peaches and Nectarines, Plums 
and Figs, and the best arranged there for effect. Mr. 
Kaile, gardener to Lord Lovelace, was next with a Pine, 
two Grapes, two Peaches, one Nectarine and Plum, and 
one Pear. All the numbers refer to so many dishes of 
each. In tins class stood Mr. Park, gardener to G, H. 
Vernon, Esq., East Bedford. 
Then followed baskets of 12 lbs. each of Black Grapes 
and White Muscats. The first prize for Muscats went to 
Mr. Solomon, Peckham Bye, market-gardener. They 
were splendid. The second prize (Black Ilamburghs) to 
Mr. Kay, market-gardener, Finchley; and the third 
prize to Messrs. Sparry and Campbell, of Brighton ; also 
a third prize to Mr. Harrison, of Oatland’s Park, Wey- 
bridge. 
In the competition for the largest bunches of Grapes 
were threo competitors, two with Bar bar ossa and one 
with Nice. These were only about one-half ripe, and 
went without their reward ; one of the Barbarossa 
bunches was marked 41, lbs. 
There were five pots of Black Ilamburghs, and one of 
them (No. lfi) from Mr. Burnell, gardener to H. F. 
AVilliams, Esq., Lower Norwood. 
The first prize for a set of three Pines went to Mr. 
Dawson aforesaid. The first for one best Pine to Mr. ; 
Bailey, gardener to J. Drake, Esq., Shardeloes ; it was j 
5 lbs. The second to Mr. Page aforesaid; and the third 
to Mr. Davies, Hammersmith, whose Pine was 41 lbs. 
There were three large and seven smaller pots of 
Orange trees, in health and in abundance of fruit, from 
Mr. Walters, gardener to A. J. Moore, Esq., Sydenham, \ 
which ended the first double stand. 
On the corner of the first long table stood the Golden j 
Hamburgh Grapes for Mr. Veitch’s prize, which went to 
Mr. Scott, gardener to Lord Sherbourn, North Leach. ! 
The next best was from Mr. Kay, market-gardener, of !: 
Finchley ; and there was another dish of the same Grape [; 
further on from Mr. Scott aforesaid. 
The next was a competition for two dishes of Black 
Grapes—one different kind in each dish; they were 
principally Hamburghs and Black Prince. Mr. Hill, 
the usual champion from Keele Hall, was first here; his 
Black Princes were the three finest examples of that 
Grape that have been exhibited in my time ; his Ham- 
burghs were not so extraordinary. Mr. Frost was second 
with Hamburgh and Barbarossa, well coloured ; and Mr. 
Kay was third; and an extra to Mr. Sage, of Gopsall 
Hall. There were several others with very handsome 
Black Grapes. 
For Muscats Mr. Drewett, of Denbies, near Dorking, 
took the lead in "Willis's Booms, and has kept it still; 
he was first with as finely and evenly-set Cannon Hall 
Muscats as ever the Black Prince was seen to be. The 
Cannon Hall is the best one to travel of all the Grapes, 
and will grow and set as evenly as the Hamburgh under 
the highest skill, but not otherwise. It will henceforth 
be the key Grape to tell a Vine-border, and declare the ; 
highest skill in Grape-growing. Mr. Frost was second 
with noble Muscats ; and Mr. Little, gardener to A. 
Darby, Esq., near Slough, was the third; and equal to 
him was Mr. Smith, gardener to H. Littledale, Esq., 
Liscard Hall, Cheshire. There were also pot-Vine Muscats 
from Mr. Snow; Mr. Miller, gardener to Sir W. Smith ; 
and Mr. M‘Pherson, from Badbourne Hall, Derby, who 
also exhibited two large pots of Black Grapes, one of 
which was the Itichmond Hill Hamburgh. 
Then came Peaches and Nectarines. First, a dish of 
each ; then two dishes of each. First prize to Mr. Little, 
for Elruge Nectarine and Walhcrton Admirable Peach. 
Second, to Mr. Dawson, who did not name his dishes; 1 
and third, to Mr. Eckford, Murrey Nectarines, and lioyal \ 
Georges. Also, an extra, to Mr. AVortloy, gardener to 
Mrs. Maubert, Norwood, for fine Noblesse Peaches, and 
Elruge Nectarines. In the two-and-two dishes of Peach ; 
and Nectarine, the first went to Mr. Hazell, gardener to 
Mrs. Tidswell, Denmark Hill. His were noble-looking 
Admirable and Noblesse Peaches, Newington and Elruge 
Nectarines. Second, to Mr. Turner, gardener to James 
Hill, Esq., Streatham, Violette Hdtive and Murrey Nec¬ 
tarines ; Bellegarde and Grosse Mignonne Peaches ; and 
third, to Mr. Little, for Pitmaston Orange and Oldacrc’s 
Black Nectarine (?) Late Galandc (?) and Walhcrton 
Admirable Peaches. Also, an extra prize, to Mr. Kaile, 
for very good Barrington and Noblesse Peaches ; Violette 
Hdtive and Elruge Nectarines. And also an extra prize 
