THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, September 18, 1860. 
377 
bricata, and a huge mass of the Chinese Coltsfoot, Farfugimn 
grande, and smaller plants of the Begonia argentea of Loudon, 
and the pretty mottled and spotted Pavetta. Mr. Blaclcmore 
also took the running in Lycopods and Perns ; among which 
were large plants of Microlepis polypodoides, Adiantum formo- 
sum, Phlebodium aureum, Gymnogramma Martensii, Nephro- 
lepis exaltata, Gonophlebium saliculatum, with weeping hanging 
fronds six feet in length ; neat plants of Darea diversifolia, 
Asplenium pramorsum, Platycerium alcicorne,° Adiantum cunea- 
tum, and the slender weeping Asplenium Jlaccidnm. 
Of Asters, a great quantity were exhibited in all the divisions ; 
but though many were fine, they failed, owing to the wet weather, 
to reach the same excellence as they generally did last season. 
Hollyhocks were shown in excellent condition in spikes, as they 
only ought to be shown, by Messrs. "Wood & Ingram, followed 
by Mr. J. Perkins, of Northampton. The latter gentleman also 
exhibited a fine collection of twenty-four varieties of Yerbenas, 
taking all the honours. The flowers were in excellent condition 
—speaking almost, by their appearance of glass covering, and 
some of them, perhaps, rather large in bloom for general bedding 
purposes in such seasons as the present. I mention some of the 
best for the benefit of our readers who may not have seen them. 
Felix Roland , a pretty rosy pink ; Adonis , lilac, with pink eye ; 
Lord Flgin, very dark, with white eye ; Saturn, dark crimson ; 
Kemo Kimo, pink blotched, and with crimson centre ; Ariosto, 
well-known puce; La Trovatore, crimson red, and fine white 
eye; Crimson Perfection, fine large white eye; Stradella, light 
purple, with large white eye; Kenilworth, red-crimson, with 
white centre; Inimitable, fine rich purple; Conspicua, red, 
with white centre ; Mrs. Judd, a large fine pink, with crearny- 
yellcwish centre; Ajax, a dull red or scarlet; Lady Collin Shep¬ 
herd, splendid crimson, with large white centre; and Pretty 
Polly, hardly worthy of such a poetical name. 
In addition to the Roses exhibited in the gardeners’ division 
by Messrs. Thorneycroft, Stevens, and Gardener, fine collections 
were shown by Messrs. Lane and Mr. Kemberley, Stoke N ursery, 
Coventry. In the first gentleman’s collection were superb spe¬ 
cimens of Souvenir de la Reine d’ Angleterre, Neplietos, Gene¬ 
ral Jacqueminot, Louis Peronny, Narcisse, Prince Imperial, 
Malmaison, Devoniensis, Gloire de Dijon, Comte de Nanteuil, 
Lord Raglan, &c. ; and large separate boxes of the beautiful 
dark crimson Lord Raglan, General Jacqueminot, Geant des 
Batailles, and many other kinds. 
Considering the very peculiar season, the Dahlias, perhaps, 
constituted the greatest triumph of floricultural skill. I know 
that many as well as myself have found, in the case of the tall 
kinds, instead of massive banks of bloom as heretofore, the plants 
even could not be got to grow regularly and healthy. To look 
at the Dahlias at Towcester, instead of a 30th of August in 1860, 
we could easily have brought ourselves to believe that wo saw- 
them in the middle of September, 1859. Even cottagers turned 
them out respectably. Of course, amateurs led by Messrs. Cross, 
Blencowe, Ridge, Treen, and Douglas, were better; and the 
gardeners were not behind, led by Messrs. Atkins, Thorneycroft, 
Watts, and Gardener. The chief interest, however, seemed 
centered in the division open to all comers ; and here the flowers 
exhibited by Mr. Burberry, Messrs. Wood & Ingram, and Mr. 
Thorneycroft were excellent. The lead in all the divisions, 
however, was taken by Mr. Kemberley, of Coventry, who was 
first in thirty-six varieties ; first in twenty-four seifs ; and first 
in twenty-four fancies. In the seven dozen flowers thus exhibi¬ 
ted by that gentleman, there were few flowers below the standard 
as respects size, and many were very large. All were fresh, with¬ 
out a decayed petal at their base, without a petal out of place, 
the centres all well up, and not a single eye visible. The names 
were written lightly, opposite the rows, in pencil; but the crowds 
after the opening prevented all possibility of taking them. If 
Mr. Kemberley were togive a list and colours, even of the thirty- 
six, and his mode of management this season, as respects soil, 
time of planting, size of plants, when turned out and future 
treatment, he would confer an obligation on many lovers of the 
Dahlia. I happen to know some who have been so unfortunate 
this season, that, had they been at Towcester, they would have 
run as much risk of being turned into a Dahlia as the foolish 
boy who grew into a flower from falling in love with his own 
face in that true looking-glass, a pool of water. 
I must compress my recollections of the collection of six plants 
exhibited by gardeners, in which Mr. Jones, of Whittlebury, took 
the lead, followed by Mr. Gardener, of Courlean Hall, and 
Messrs. Newman, Biaekmore, and Wells ; the latter gentleman 
taking the lead with single specimens with a fine plant of the 
beautiful Pleris argyrea, introduced by Mr. Yeitch two or three 
years ago. Among the collections were fine plants of Begonia 
maculata, argentea splendida, Lazuli; Caladiums of kinds; 
Clerodendrona ; Cissus discolor and Coleus Blumei —the two 
latter in fine condition from Mr. Newman, and also from others. 
Mr. Gardener took the running with single specimens of Fuchsias, 
with a graceful plant of Rose of Castille, having dark purple 
corolla and light sepals. Ho also took the lead in collections of 
Fuchsias, the plants being distinguished not so much for size as 
massive blooming, and no training or staking perceptible. The 
six were, Dr. Bindley, Venus de Medici, Tristram Shandy, 
Souvenir de Chisividc, Fngland’s Glory, and Solferino, a magni¬ 
ficent flower with the habit and colour of Wonderftd, but almost 
double the size. 
In Fruit, perhaps the chief interest was concentrated on the 
collection of sixes in the open division. Here Mr. Chalmers, 
gardener to Sir Robert Peel, took the lead with a fine swelled 
j Jamaica Pine, good coloured black Grapes, white Nice ditto, 
Figs, and good Peaches and Nectarines. Mr. Newman was 
second with a Queen Pine, white Nice Grapes, fine Hamburgh 
ditto, a beautiful Melon, and Peaches and Nectarines. Mr. 
Jones, of Whittlebury, was third with Reine Muscat Grapes, 
black ditto, like Blade Prince finely coloured, Apricots, Melons, 
and Green Gage Plums well ripened. 
For collections of Fruit Trees in pots, Mr. Lane took the lead, 
and Messrs. Ingram & Wood followed with smaller neat plants. 
The trees exhibited by Mr. Lane were chiefly Plums, and on 
several I counted about sixty fruit, and just so far from being 
ripe that- all the fruit stuck securely. Besides these, the same 
firm sent from two to three dozen of pots smothered with fruit 
in small compass, consisting chiefly of Plums, but with a sprink¬ 
ling of Apples, Pears, and Peaches. Mr. Perry, of Banbury, 
also sent a large collection of fruit trees in pots, merely for ex¬ 
hibition, which, in addition to Plums, &c., had many fine 
specimens of Pears, Apples, and Peaches, &c. 
In the gardeners’ division of fruit, Mr. Newman took the lead 
with a fine Jamaica Pine, followed by Mr. Chalmers with a nice 
! Trinidad, and Mr. Jones with a Queen. Good Muscat Grapes 
were shown by Mr. Jones, of Whittlebury, and Messrs. Watt 
and Archer. Fine bunches of White Frontignan were shown by 
Mr. Archer, and other whites by Messrs. Newman, Stevens, and 
1 Gardener. Mr. Chalmers took the lead with Blade Hamburghs ; 
\ Mr. Jones was second, and Mr. Newman third, with fine sped- 
| mens, especially of the Dutch Hanibuvgli. In other blacks Mi*. 
Newman was first with fine fruit of Blade Prince, and Mr. 
Stevens was second. In Melons, Mr. Y att was first, Mr. 
Chalmers second, and Mr. Newman third. In collections of 
sixes, Mr. Newman was first, Mr. Gardener second, and Mr. 
Gibson third. For four ditto, Mr. Stevens took all the running. 
It is specified in the schedule that these six dishes should be 
hardy fruit. In one of the collections was a dish of Peaches, 
! that if not much forced bore unmistakeable evidence that they 
had come from under glass. I accidentally heard a discussion 
as to whether the Peaches ought to have been there whether, 
indeed, their presence did not disqualify the collection. True, 
the Peach tree is hardy with us in general seasons, though the 
trees are anything but thriving with us this year ; but the idea 
of specifying hardy fruits would seem to imply fruits ripened 
by the natural climate. All other dishes in the competition 
seemed so ripened. We should hardly consider a Peach ripened 
j under glass in May and June a hardy fruit, dhe Strawberry in 
March and April could hardly be called a hardy iruit then. 
What say Editors and coadjutors ? the matter is important 
enough for a free ventilation. In the present case I do not 
believe there was the slightest wish to break the rule. 
Upon the wonderful display of vegetables, such a sight as I 
have never yet seen out of Northamptonshire, and which to the 
utilitarian constituted the grand feature of the Exhibition, I dare 
not enter. Gardeners, amateurs, cottagers, and under-gardeners 
seemed to contend, not merely with each other respectively, but 
class against class as to the quality of their productions. If a 
spice of regret or of pity stole over me, it was in consideration of 
the fate of the Judges forced to try to settle conflicting claims of 
competitors whose articles were about as much alike as 1 eas taken 
from the same pod. There were garden Beans broad and long 
enough to make rails to sit upon ; Scarlet R unners and Dwaif 
Kidney Beans fresh and crisp enough to suit any artiste of the 
kitchen ; Peas beautiful and to suit all palates, Jeyes' Conqueror 
still maintaining the lead for its fine green colour, and rich, sweet, 
