1880 . ] 
HARDY BUSH FRUITS. 
141 
Class G. Single blooms in classes.— Red, heavy- 
edged : 1st and 6th, Mr. Jon. Booth, with J. B. 
Bryant and Brunette. 2nd, 3rd, and 5th, Mr. John 
Beswick, with Lord Valentia. 4th, Mr. G. Rudd, 
with Master Norman.— Red, light-edged : 1st, Mr. 
Ben. Simonite, with Seedling. 2nd and 5th, Mr. 
Robert Lord, with Clara. 3rd, Mr. John Beswick, 
with Violet Douglas. • 4th and 6th, Mr. T. Mellor, 
with Violet Douglas.— Purple, heavy-edged : 1st, Mr. 
Jon. Booth, with Zerlina. 2nd, Mr. Jas. Chadwick, 
with Alliance. 3rd, Mr. B. Simonite, with Zerlina. 
4th, Mr. B. Simonite, with Mrs. Niven. 5th and 
6th, Mr. J. Chadwick, with Miss Chadwick.— Purple, 
light-edged: 1st, Mr. T. Mellor, with Ann Lord. 2nd, 
Mr. John Beswick, with Minnie. 3rd, Mr. R. Gorton, 
with Minnie. 4th, Mr. Jon. Booth, with Minnie. 
5th, Mr. John Beswick, with Minnie. 6th, Mr. B. 
Simonite, with Mary.— Rose, heavy-edged: 1st, 2nd, 
3rd, and 4th, Mr. Robert Lord, with Miss Horner. 
5th, Mr. John Beswick, with Miss Horner. 6th, Mr. 
Wm. Slack, with Mrs. Payne.— Rose, light-edged : 1st, 
2nd, 4th, and 5th, Mr. Robert Lord, with Miss Wood. 
3rd, Mr. John Beswick, with Miss Wood. 6th, Mr. 
Jon. Booth, with Mrs. Allcroft. 
The Premier Picotee selected from the whole ex¬ 
hibition, was Miss Horner, exhibited by Mr. R. Lord. 
Novelties. 
The exhibitions of the Society, both North and 
South, are influencing in a large degree the cultiva¬ 
tion of these flowers. This is manifest in the 
number of good seedlings being brought for¬ 
ward, which is correspondingly great. In the 
South, the Rev. Mr. Fellowes and Dr. Abercrombie 
have long been at work; and in the North, Mr. 
Hewitt, Mr. Simonite, and Mr. Gorton respectively 
have originated varieties of the highest character 
and greatest merit. Mr. Gorton, in his stand of 
twelve dissimilar Carnations, which took the 1st 
place, had four seedling Rose Flakes and three 
Crimson or Pink and Purple Bizarres respec¬ 
tively, remarkable for high character, quality, 
and beauty of development. One only was named 
—William Skirving— after the late father of Mrs. 
Gorton, a gentleman so long and honourably asso¬ 
ciated with floriculture, and is worthy of the re¬ 
spected name it bears. Each of the others, as may 
be imagined from the position obtained, in the face 
of severe competition, was of the highest order of 
merit. 
Mr. Simonite brought forward three Scarlet 
Bizarres, one, in the style of Curzon, especially 
promising. Were Mr. Simonite’s flowers not sub¬ 
ject to the deteriorating influence of a Sheffield 
atmosphere, he must have reaped, long ere this, a 
modest competency from the sale of the fine 
varieties his skill and unconquerable patience have 
successively raised ; but, unhappily, again and again 
fine varieties have succumbed to these baleful in¬ 
fluences, and thus his reward has been snatched 
from his hand, and a wide circle of his floral brethren 
have lost a never-ending gratification. We counsel 
Mr. Simonite in the future, so soon as he has origin¬ 
ated a fine variety, to place the whole stock in hands 
and places where the destructive atmosphere of 
Sheffield has no power. 
Mr. W. M. Hewitt, of Chesterfield, brought two 
seedlings, Master Fred, a Crimson Bizarre, more 
highly coloured than any C.B. we have hitherto 
seen, and of the highest excellence in every property. 
This was selected as the premier Carnation of the 
exhibition, and deserved the honour, though it had 
very worthy competitors. As will be seen in the 
list of awards, the three blooms shown obtained 1st, 
2nd, and 3rd places in the class for single specimens, 
where only Mr. Hewitt could exhibit. E. S. Dodwell, 
another variety from the same raiser, is also of 
great excellence, something of the stylo of J. D. 
Hextall, though quite dissimilar, and worthy a place 
alongside that grand old variety. 
Various other good and promising new flowers 
were produced, but the above were the most re¬ 
markable. 
Picotees relatively scarcely sustained the great 
excellence of the Carnations, but this is to be taken 
as relative only, and because the excellence of the 
Carnations was so marked. Seedlings also were less 
numerous. In Mr. Gorton’s stand in Class D we 
noticed a very pure light-edged purple of a distinct 
character, which we thought highly of, and for 
which we predict a high place even in this richly 
provided class. Mr. Sharp, from Birmingham, had 
several flowers very promising in character, but more 
development was needed before any confident opinion 
on their merits could be pronounced. 
Miscellaneous. 
Special Prizes. 12 seifs or fancies, including 
yellow r grounds.—For these prizes five competitors 
appeared. R. Gorton, Esq., was placed 1st, and 
Samuel Barlow, Esq, 2nd, each having flowers of 
great merit. 
From tlie fact that the Society (Northern 
division) attaches no names to non-winning 
stands, we can give none of the other com¬ 
petitors. This is a practice which, in the in¬ 
terests of exhibitors and public alike, we 
recommend the Society speedily to correct. 
The exhibition was materially aided by 
contributions of cut-flowers, Eoses, Gladioli, 
Orchids, Lilies, Ericas, Ixoras, &c., from the 
leading nurserymen of the district, and was 
admirably relieved by a copious use of Ferns 
and foliage plants, tastefully disposed by the 
Curator, Mr. Findlav.—E. S. D. 
HABDY BUSH FEUITS. 
WING to the great scarcity of Tree 
Fruits this year, we naturally turn our 
attention to and think more of our hardy 
prolific Bush Fruits ,—Gooseberries, Currants, 
Easpberries, and Strawberries. In most years, 
these are never failing crops, and, moreover, 
they are easily propagated, raised, and culti¬ 
vated. The soil that is not suitable for Straw¬ 
berries may be so for Currants, and so on 
with the others. Black Currants, for instance, 
will thrive well in very heavy soil on north 
and east aspects, and I have seen excellent 
crops of Gooseberries on poor gravelly soils, 
especially of the Yellow Sulphur, which is a 
variety not half enough grown, and which in 
many gardens is never seen. The fact is, no 
variety will beat it for usefulness, as it bears 
great crops of yellow luscious fruit; and if re¬ 
newed every ten or a dozen years, which all 
bush fruits should be, especially Gooseberries 
and Currants, it amply repays the cultivator. 
Where any extent of bush-fruit cultivation 
