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TilU COTTAG111 GARDENLIi AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, 15, Jh.'X 
'vuh first with Azaleas, in collections of eight plants ; 
and Mr. Green first in sixes. Mr. Jverv had a firzt- 
ouo only on Llio (op slago; thoreforc, tho key plant 
nn 1 h(. noeossimly bo llio eontro plant of' tho throe in 
iVont. Now, mark ino ! this in really worth studying. 
There are only two ways ol* matching plants, or heels, 
or anything else, on each side of a centre plant, or 
centre anything : the one is, to have tho right and loft 
plants of exactly the same size ; the other, to have 
them of tho same size and of the same tint of colour. 
Usually the florists givo their idea of variety by 
setting I heir (lowers the one colour against the other. 
Ladies, who are artists,never do that; they make variety 
by harmony, not by contrast. Mr. Turner, of Slough, 
is reckoned to bo one of tho very host of the florists ; 
but he never fails to adopt the ladies’ way of setting 
plants, or colours, when lie has a chance; and the 
chance of the circular tent was perfect for the purpose. 
Here is how he put them. First, Sanspareil, Die best 
of all the spotted flowers. in tho centre of the front 
stage, next the eye of the spectator. On one side of 
Sanspareil stood Hose-Celestial, and Agnes to match 
it on tho other side. They were a double match, in 
size and in colour. On the second stage stood two 
plants, quite different from the three in front, but as 
near in looks as possible ; they were Governor- 
General and Saracen, two of the best scarlets; and 
the one plant on the top shelf was Carlos, a very large 
plant,— Carlos being in the style of the two match 
plants right and left of Sanspareil. The picture was 
harmoniously complete, and a “ painter’s eye ” would 
never weary at looking on it. 
The Messrs. Fraser made the same attempt, but 
their collection of six wanted one kind to match. Lucy 
was their middle or key plant, in front, and Lord 
Raglan and Saracen, two scarlets, matched on each 
side of the centre ; but their next two, Optimum and 
Topsy, did not quite agree in tint; and Carlos, fi ve feet 
through, at the back, being more in the way of Lucy, 
than in the way of Lucy’s sides. Match plants was a 
second hitch, but it was a bold attempt at getting out 
of the tight-laced stays of the florist, of which stays 
there were several pairs round this tent; and the best 
of them was in Mr. Dobson’s sixes. His centre front 
was Eclipse ; on one side lie put Rose-leaf, which is 
a red, and opposite, he placed Gem of the West, a good 
white kind,—the two match plants being diametrically 
opposed in colour. The next two were the same, 
but “ crossing ” with the front ones ; thus, Governor- 
General, a scarlet, over the white ; and Evelyne, a 
white, over Rose-leaf; and Emperor at the back. The 
way Mr. Turner and most of lady painters w'ould place 
Mr. Dobson’s plants would be thus :— Eclipse, or 
Emperor, the key plant; Evelyne and Gem of the West 
on each side of it ; then Rose-leaf and Governor- 
Generalt he next two ; and Empjeror, or Eclipse, at the 
back. Mr. Turner was first, Mr. Dobson second, and 
the Messrs. Fraser third. Mr. Nye, gardener to 
E. Foster, Esq., was first in the amateur class ; Mr. 
Higgins, gardener to E. Beck, Esq., second ; and, I 
think, Mr. Holder, third 
' > <m,, 
class certificate for his new seedling Azalea, 
which 1 said, from Regent Street, was the best of his 
cut blooms. Gem belongs to the dwarf kinds, with 
small leaves, and the flowers are florist shape, and in 
colour near to Stanley ana, one of the stoutest Rowers 
ol’ tho older Azah as. 
Cut Roses, I'armies, and Ranuriculuses, in the old 
style. Odds and ends included Herberts Uealei and 
Japwmea, both in fruit, from Mr. Htanc 
Rhododendron, called Perfection, with a blush flower, 
from Mr. Standirh ; Spiro,a iCcevesiarui, double as 
Chamqmille, from Mr. Standishj a streaked inside 
Fuchsia, from Mr. Smith, Hornsey Road; also, a 
variegated-lilac Verbena, called Striata perfeela. 
The best seedling Pelargoniums in Mr. Tumor’s lot 
were Ariel, TAg hiving, Glo'umorm, Leacock, Osiris, 
and Excelsior. M r. Turner had the first, and Mr. 
eond prize for spotted Ge 
which Conspieua, which is the nearest to Sanspareil, 
and Spoiled (Jem, were the two best. One, called 
Osiris Odder, is a streaked kind, in the colour of 
Mnaene Duval, which is a new tint; and another, 
called Pesc at ore, is an out of the way colour and style 
of bloom. 
There was a beautiful new Clematis, with deep, 
wavy flowers; a variety of Florida, called AtrovuAaeea■; 
and a plant of Rhododendron Maddeni, from Messrs. 
Henderson, Fine Apple Place. A Mirbeliaflorihunda 
appeared in Mr. Cutbush’s large collection, which was 
not shown before at Chiswick. 
In the fancies, Mr. Turner was first, Messrs. Fraser j Clement, Oakhill; Smith, St. Margaret, Isleworth; 
second, and Mr. Gains third ; and a collection from Frost, gardener to G. Betts, Es j.; Mould, gardener 
Mr. Ilodson, Hampstead, had the first in the amateur to P. Rose, Esq., Wycomb; and Hill, the great 
class. These fancies were very evenly matched ; but Grape grower of Keele Hall. All the lots were really 
some which were in another tent, and placed alongside i good. Mr. Fleming, of Trentham, had a first-class 
of the spotted kinds, were drowned, as far as effect was prize for four pots of his new Black Trentham Grape, 
concerned. To make the best of Geraniums, the three which he is selling now as fast as he can get it packed. 
great sections of them should never be exhibited side 
by side, a 3 at the Crystal Palace, and as used to be the 
case at Chiswick. 
The collections of stove and greenhouse plants were 
all good. For a collection of ten of them, in bloom, 
Mr. Dods was first; and also first in twenties, in or 
out of bloom. Mr. Cutbush, of Barnet, was second in 
twenties, and the Messrs. Jackson third. Mr. Carson 
It is after the Black Prince in the shape of the berry ; 
and, having tasted it, I can pronounce it to be a most 
delicious Grape. There were two or three dishes of 
Apples; as many Pears, OraDges, Lemons; six dishes of 
Figs, one of Cape Goo.sebery, and one of Rose Apple. 
The Rose Apples {Janibosa vulgaris), which were green, 
and like young Pomegranates in shape, came from 
Mr. Ive3on, gardener to the Duke of ZS'orthumber- 
glomerata, Funkia undulata and alho-marginala, and 
others. Most of them would make rows, here and 
there, in the ribbon style of planting. 
Rohes were fine indeed. Mr. Lame first; Mr. Paul, 
and Messrs. Fraser next; and Mr. Francis third. 
Each had a circular clump, and put dwarf plants round 
the outside to hide the large pots, which had a good 
effect. Madeline (a white hybrid China), and Duke of 
Cambridge fa damask), both in Mr. Paul’s collection, 
were the greatest strangers. Mr. Ivery, who had the 
first prize for eight, had Pauline Plantierior a centre, 
a most beautiful plant, and a Coupe d’ Hebe, in Mr. 
Lane’s collection, was the most perfect beauty he ever 
brought out. 
Here, Mr. Glendenning exhibited a clump of the 
new Larch, from the north of China, with a gor¬ 
geous edging of specimen plants of Farfugium 
grande. 
Fkuit. — The prize cards were not placed to the 
winning lots when I “took the fruit.” "For an extra 
prize, which was offered by Mr. Dilke, for a basket of 
Black Hamburgh Grapes, there were eight compe¬ 
titors :—Mr. Ingram, gardener to Mr. Blandy; Mr. 
Enston, gardener to Sir J. Duckworth, Bart.; Messrs. 
