THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, June 22, 18o8. 
! men liad tliree lives instead of one, tney would find 
I out improvements in the art of placing different 
‘ tribes of plants after each other at these shows. What 
; one might call a natural eye system, but not a botanical 
natural system. 
In the far-off end, or north nave, stood the Orchids, 
Rerns, Lycopods, Ditchers, scarlet Geraniums, Achi- 
menes ; Cockscombs, which were out of the common 
mn; Balsams, which were execrable; Achimenes, 
which were scarcely out enough ; and Gloxinias, which, 
some how or other, are not good exhibition subjects, 
however well they may be grown and blossomed. 
For twenty Orchids, amateur s class, Mr. Gedney 
was first, Mr. Keele second, and Mr. Wooly third. 
For twelve Orchids, Mr. Carson was first, Mr. Clark 
second, M. Morris third, and Mr. Rhodes fourth. 
For sixes, Mr. Green was first ; Mr. Docls second, 
with the best Orchids he showed this season. 
In the nursery class, no one dared to face the 
Messrs. Jackson, of Kingston, who are at the top of 
the tree here. Among their fifteen plants were such 
things as— Lceliapurpurata, Phalcenopsis grandijlora , 
Cattleya Mossice and M. superb a or grandijlora, 
Aerides crispum, Saccolabium guttatum splendens, 
Cattleya TVagenerii (a large white with a yellow inside), 
Odontoglossum Piscatorei (a little gem of a thing), 
Aerides Lindleyana, Anguloa Clowesii, and so forth. 
Mr. Gedney had Cattleya superb a (with eight blooms), 
Cattleya lobata, Odontoglossum citrosmum, Dendrobium 
tortilis, and Lcelia purpurata. Mr. Keele had the 
largest JBrassia verrucosa major that was ever shown; 
but among all the rest of the names, or kinds, there is no 
need of more gossip,—more than to say, that air plants 
can stand a hot summer better than most plants, but 
that Ferns stand better than all the rest, for they were 
as fresh and shining as when the fawns are dropped, 
and hid amongst them on the Grampian range, and 
that, all the world do not know, happens just about 
this time of the year. 
There were seven or eight collections of twelve 
Ferns, and Mr. Baillie (gardener to W. C. Carbonell, 
Escp, Harrow Road), had the first prize. Mr. Lavey 
was the first for British Ferns. A fourth prize was all 
I could see for Lycopods. 
Heaths. —Mr. Peed was first and third, with col¬ 
lections of ten; and Mr. Rhodes was second. Mr. 
Laybank was first, with six Heaths ; and Mr. Phipps 
(gardener to Earl Carnarvon), had a first prize, for 
twelve of the best dwarf Cockscombs we ever had so 
early. 
Bedding Geraniums. —There were two lots of scarlet, and 
two or three of variegated Geraniums, but nothing new, or 
what has not been noticed already this season. I was on the 
balance for the last half dozen years,—but swaying deeper and 
deeper to the right hand side each year,—till the 16th of June, 
1858, when the scales came down plump to the flower-bed, 
and showed, most conclusively, that all the Societies, all the 
Judges, and all the gardeners, myself among the number, have 
been, and are, wrong entirely, and altogether, about the way of 
exhibiting scarlet and all bedding Geraniums before the public. 
But the reasons must stand over, till the press of matter on 
our hands can be reduced to a comfortable pitch. 
Fruit. —The fruit has been uniformly good at all the Shows 
this season. There was a large and very good show of it 
here, and the only hitch I noticed the whole day was among 
the Melons. One of our great gardeners put, or entered, a 
White-fleshed Melon in the class for Green-fleshed, and the 
Judges gave him one of the best prizes for it. The said gar¬ 
dener, and the Judges aforesaid, were not, perhaps, to blame,— 
the fault must surely have been in the schedule; but if I was 
an exhibitor of a good Green-flesh Melon, which is entirely of 
a distinct race from the whites, yellows, and scarlets, I would 
i insist on the letter of the law before the Lord High Chancellor, 
sooner than give up the point. There were thirty-three Melons, 
I Vines in pots, fourteen Pine Apples, fifteen dishes of Peaches 
and Nectarines, Cherries and Grapes in great abundance, and 
eleven dishes of Strawberries. Mr. Bailey, of Shardeloes, took 
another first prize with his large Providence Pine, which is 
over nine pounds, and has seen its best days. Another Mr. 
Baily, namely, Mr. Young, gardener to C. Baily, Esq., M.P. 
for some place in the south-west of England, took the first 
prize for the best-looking Queen which has been seen by the 
reporter this season;—pity the weight was not given. Mr. 
Williams, Castle Gardens, Whitehaven, and Mr. Burn,Penrhyn 
Castle, took each a second prize for Queens; and the third 
prize went to Mr. Smith, gardener to A. Anderson, Esq., 
Norwood. For the best single Pine, Mr. Turnbull, Blen¬ 
heim, took the first prize ; and Mr. Davies took a first prize in 
single Pines. For a collection of three dishes of Grapes, and 
three bunches in each dish, there was a spirited race among 
the dukes, his Grace of Sutherland winning fairly by a head 
and neck, and his other Grace of Marlborough fast up to his 
shoulder-blade ; Mr. Fleming rode for the winner, and Mr. 
Burn for the second best. Mr. Fleming had three Chasselas 
Musque m the centre, three Black Hamburghs on one side, 
and three of his new Black Trentham Grape on the other. 
Mr. Burn made the same disposition,—three Muscats of 
Alexandria in the middle, St. Peter's and Black Hamburgh , to 
match each other, on either side; and Mr. Tegg was third in 
the race, good luck to him for the spirited attempt. Also, an 
extra prize for another bold attempt on the part of Mr. 
Smith, Discard Hall, Cheshire. His were one black dish 
and two white ones— Jo sling's St. Albans being one of the 
names—the same as Chasselas Musque. I think Mr. Frost, 
Preston Hall, started in this race, and some others; but the 
crowds pressed so heavily that I could not catch their tether. 
Mr. Fleming took the first prize with his Trentham Melon : 
I stuck my knife in it and found it exquisitely flavoured. 
Mr. Tegg was second ; and Mr. Jack, Beckenham, third, 
for first-rate Melons. For the best Persian Melon, Mr. 
Davies, of Hammersmith, took the first prize, who also 
took a first in single Pines. The second best Persian from 
Mr. Meredith, Vine Cottage, somewhere near Liverpool. 
Then a run for the best single dish of Black Grapes, and Mr. 
Fleming first again, with three splendid bunches of Black 
Hamburghs. Mr. Frost was second, and Mr. Smith, Liscard 
Hall, third, for single dishes of White Grapes. Mr. Page, Mr. 
Frost, and Mr. Anderson, took the prizes in that order; and 
Mr. Henderson, Orton Hall, had a first prize for a dish of 
Black. Also, Mr. Jack, gardener to J. Caird, Esq., Becken¬ 
ham, a splendid dish of Black Hamburghs , which would have 
been next to Mr. Fleming’s, were it not that the bloom got hurt. 
For the best dish of White Muscats , Mr. Turnbull was in 
again first; second, Mr. Chambers, gardener to H. Fowler, 
Esq., Woodford. His berries were enormous, but small 
bunches. The third prize to Mr. Emery, gardener to — Moss, 
Esq., Cliadwell Heath. For twelve pounds of Grapes, Mr. 
Frogley, market-gardener, Hoddesden, and Mr. Anderson, 
Lambeth, took the best prizes; and Mr. Henderson, the 
third. Mr. Fleming was first in Peaches, Nectarines, and 
White Cherries. Mr. Millar second in Peaches. Mr. Allen 
second in Nectarines; Mr. Henderson, ditto; and Mr. Hill 
third. A prize for Figs to Mr. Gunt, gardener to Sir S. M. 
Sevant, Bart., Ardgowan, Scotland. D. Beaton. 
SO VIE NOTES ON BUSH FRUITS, AND 
THEIR SUMMER PRUNING. 
From all appearances, the present is likely to be 
a most prolific summer, with the subjects of the fol¬ 
lowing remarks. And, since the comfort of thousands 
depends in some degree on success in these matters, 
I think they as well deserve to be represented in the 
pages of the Cottage Gardener as our more costly 
fruits. But let any one, who loses sight of these usefuls, 
take fully into consideration the singular economy in 
their habits of growth, as well as the extensive 
uses to which they are applied. Only suppose for a 
moment, that there had been no bushes,—as Goose¬ 
berries, Raspberries, &c.,—but that all these had to 
be gathered from large trees,—such as Apples and 
Pears. Here would be trouble and expense,—which 
