101 
THE FLOEIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ July, 
the spring of 1877, which so weakened many 
of the bulbs that they had not vigour enough 
to produce flowers at all true to character; and 
in part, to the violent winds and drenching 
rains of the present spring, which spoilt many 
flowers that had promised well, the heavy 
drops of rain which fell on the canvas screens 
being forced through in the form of a fine 
spray, which, falling on the dowers, produced 
blemishes fatal to their chance on the exhi¬ 
bition-table. 
The leading dowers of the show were un¬ 
questionably Dr. Hardy and Sir Joseph Paxton, 
darned bizarres, the colour and markings of the 
former being especially noticeable. Talisman 
byblcemen, both feathered and darned, was in 
dne character; and so was Adonis, darned 
byblcemen, which was exceedingly dne in shape. 
The following list represents the best of the 
dowers produced:— 
Flamed Roses : Annie McGregor, very fine ; Lady 
Sefton, Mabel, and Triomphe Royale. 
Feathered Roses: Nancy Gibson (Hepworth), 
very fine; Modesty, Charmer, Industry, Mrs. Lea, 
and Heroine. 
Feathered Byblcemens : Bessie, Adonis, Mrs. 
Cooper, Martin’s 101, and Mrs. Pickerell. 
Flamed Byblcemens: Adonis, Talisman, Friar 
Tuck, Salvator Rosa, and Constancy. 
Feathered Bizarres ; John Morris, very strong in 
colour ; Masterpiece, and Demosthenes. 
Flamed Bizarres : Sir J. Paxton, Dr. Hardy, and 
Ajax. 
Breeders: These were, on the whole, very fine, 
especially Mrs. Barlow, Olivia, and Annie McGregor, 
in the rose section. 
The dowers shown in the leading classes are 
mentioned below; the blue ribbon of the 
show, the Silver Cup for the best twelve dis¬ 
similar Tulips, two feathered and two darned 
in each class, being won by Mr. William Whit¬ 
taker, of Salford :— 
12 Tulips, two feathered and two flamed in each 
class.—1st, Mr. W. Whittaker, with Talisman and 
Adonis, flamed, and Bessie and Adonis, feathered 
byblcemens; Ajax and Sir J. Paxton,flamed, and John 
Morris and Masterpiece, feathered bizarres; Mabel 
and Lady Sefton, flamed, and Hepworth’s Nancy 
Gibson and Mrs. Lea, feathered roses. 2nd, Mr. 
David Barber, Staunton-le-Dale. 3rd, Mr. T. Mellor, 
Ashton-under-Lyne. 
6 Tulips, one feathered and one flamed in each 
class.—1st, Mr. Thomas Haynes, Leamington, with 
Sir J. Paxton, both feathered and flamed, bizarre; 
Mrs. Pickerell, feathered, and Talisman, flamed 
bybloemens; Heroine, feathered, and Circe, flamed 
roses. 2nd, Mr. Whittaker. 3rd, Mr. James Thur¬ 
ston, Wolverhampton. 
Breeder Tulips. —The breeder flowers are 
always attractive and interesting objects at a Tulip 
show. For 6 : 1st, Mr. Whittaker, with W. Wilson 
and Sir J. Paxton, bizarres; Helen Fawcet and 
Delicata, byblcemens ; Mabel and Sarah Jane, roses. 
2nd, Mr. Thomas Mellor, with Sterer’s Seedlings, 
bizarres ; and Rebecca and Norval, seedling byblce- 
mens; Olivia and Mabel, roses. 3rd, Mr. Joshua 
Hague. For 3, one of each section: 1st, Mr. 
Whittaker, with Sir J. Paxton, bizarre ; Mabel, rose ; 
and Delicata, byblcemen. In the class for single 
blooms of breeders many promising flowers were 
shown. 
Premier Flowers. —The premier flamed Tulip 
was Sir J. Paxton, bizarre, shown by Mr. T. Haynes ; 
the best feathered Tulip, Mrs. Pickerell byblcemen, 
also from Mr. Haynes ; and the best breeder Tulip, 
Helen Fawcet bybloemen, from Mr. W. Whittaker. 
We fully endorse the following observa¬ 
tions on Tulip shows in general, from a corre¬ 
spondent of the Gardeners' Chronicle , who 
writes :—“ Notwithstanding that the Tulip 
growers get an immense deal of enjoyment out 
of their annual show, we can yet express a great 
desire to see some improvement from an artistic 
point of view. There is a great want of uni¬ 
formity in the shape and size of the stands, and 
in their arrangement. The general public 
cares but little for Tulips, but they do care 
for and like a little artistic effect. Then, again, 
it is not an attractive sight to see several 
hundred blooms arranged in ginger-beer and 
other bottles, of varying patterns. These last 
are all huddled up together, in such a manner 
that anything like decorative effect is altogether 
lost. An improvement is very desirable, and 
if only some flowering and foliaged plants 
could be introduced among the stands, in order 
to break up their monotony of appearance, a 
good beginning would be made.” Nothing 
could answer this purpose better than the 
small Palms now grown by thousands all over 
the country, and such as Mr. Turner lately 
used with such admirable effect in the staging 
of his unique collection of Pelargoniums.—M. 
OUTDOOR CULTURE OF FIGS. 
T is surprising that the culture of the Fig 
in the open air is not more general than 
it is. When grown against a wall, the 
fruit ripens well in most parts of the country, 
and after the trees attain a good size and get 
into a bearing state, no crop is more certain, if 
the wood be well protected during the winter 
months and until all danger from frost is over. 
Its culture is very simple. The Fig will 
grow in any ordinary garden soil, but does best 
in one that is neither too wet nor too dry. If 
the soil be too wet, it is apt to make coarse, 
gross shoots, and if too dry, to drop its fruit 
before it is ripe. The principal thing to be 
