October 17, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
00 
SHOW. 
The Royal Horticultural Society of Southampton. 
/CHRYSANTHEMUM and FRUIT SHOW, 
VJ TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY, November 3rd and 4th, 
1SS5. £150 in PRIZES. 
Schedules and Entry Forms may be obtained of the under¬ 
signed. Entries close on October ‘27th. 
C. S. FUIDGE, Secretary. 
54, York Street, The Avenue. 
The Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution. 
■\TOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that an 
1\ addition will be made to the Pension List of this In¬ 
stitution in January next. All persons desirous of becoming 
Candidates are requested to send in their applications to the 
Committee on or before the 4th November next, after which day 
they will not be received. Preference will be given in accordance 
with Rule 6, to those applicants (or their Widows) who have 
been fifteen clear years on the books of the Institution. 
By order. 
E. R. CUTLER, Sec. 
20, Spring Gardens, London, 5th October, 1SS5. 
Printed forms of application can be obtained from the Secretary. 
CONTENTS. 
PAGE 
Amateurs’ Garden, the- 103 
American Blight. 107 
Bedding Plants, Hardy .. 107 
Begonias, Tuberous . 100 
Botanical Mare’s-nests_ 105 
Cauliflower. Eclipse. 10(1 
Chou de Gilbert. 107 
Dendrobiumlongicomevar. 10S 
Ferns, Basket ( illustrated) 104 
Ferns, Gold and Silver.... 101 
Gardeners’ Calendar- 10S 
Grape, Duke of Buccleueh. 106 
International Horticultural 
Exhibition, the proposed 100 
International Potato Show 99 
Lancashire Market Garden 102 
Lilies, Potting home-grown 107 
Masdevallia nycterina .... 10S 
Melon, Penrhyn Seedling.. 107 
PAGE 
Microloma or Wax Climber 106 
National Chrysanthemum 
Society . 110 
Orchid Notesand Gleanings 10S 
Pampas Grass (illustrated). 101 
Peach Trees, root pruning 107 
Pear Conference, the. 99 
Pears for Villa Gardens .. 100 
Pears, Notes on. 104 
Pelargonium, Ivy-leaved, 
Alice Crousse. 99 
Royal Hort. Society. 109 
Scottish Gardening . 102 
Spergula, the golden. 107 
Strawberries in October .. 106 
Tree and Shrub planting .. 102 
Vandas winter treatment of 10S 
Zygopetalum Mackayi ma- 
cranthum. 10S 
“ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man.” —Bacon. 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1885. 
The International Potato Show. — There 
seems now to be some good reason why a com¬ 
paratively new departure should be taken with 
the International Potato Show, but most cer¬ 
tainly not for the reason that the promoters are 
disappointed. So far from that being the case, 
it seems to us that they rather have every reason 
for congratulation, for the late show displayed 
Potatos in a form never previously seen. It 
would seem as if it were impossible that Mr. 
Hughes’ grand samples, for instance, could ever 
be excelled; and yet, ten years hence, leading 
exhibitors then may say, as we say now, “ during 
the past decade the improvement has been re¬ 
markable.” Mr. Hughes’ twenty-four kinds in 
the premier class, gave an average and very 
even weight of eight ounces, showing fairly 
large samples, in Avliich more perfection of form 
was found than has ever before been seen allied 
to such good size. That fact alone indicates 
that both cultivation and production of improved 
kinds keep pace with each other. 
But any new departure, if such be taken, 
whilst not enforced by questions of utility as 
far as the tuber itself is concerned, yet may, in 
the end, have some practical bearing in that 
direction. At present it seems probable that 
the venue of the exhibition will, for one year at 
least, be changed from the Crystal Palace to 
that of the more attractive locale of South 
Kensington. Most certainly the Potato Show 
Committee have no reason to find fault with 
the Crystal Palace management in any way, for 
that has always most cheerfully and effectively 
rendered all possible assistance. But whilst 
the Palace remains as it was several years since, 
and the attendance of visitors seems to decline, 
it is found that at South Kensington there are 
special encouragements for the holding of the 
Potato Show there next year, because the vast 
space now utilised by the “ Inventions ” Exhi¬ 
bition will be occupied by produce of all kinds 
from our great colonial possessions, and the 
“ Colonies ” of next summer, if we may thus 
early coin what will doubtless be the abbreviated 
designation of the exhibition, will most certainly 
attract myriads of people, not only from our own 
country districts, but also from the wide world 
over ; and it may prove as much for the benefit 
of these people as it has proved beneficial to us, 
that they, too, should become familiar with the 
grand kinds of garden Potatos this country now 
possesses. Of this we are certain, that what¬ 
ever our inferiority in some productions, both 
natural and human, yet in the matter of Potatos 
we are inferior to none, and a long way ahead 
of all other countries and peoples. We think, 
therefore, it will be good for continentals and 
colonists alike, that they should become familiar 
with our Potato products ; and that we shall be 
pleased to hear that the suggestion with respect 
to the change of locale for the show is to be 
adopted. Yery certainly, if but regarded in a 
more limited sense, the change should be very 
beneficial to the Potato trade, for the show will 
be seen at South Kensington by some twenty 
times more people than it is seen by elsewhere. 
Then there is something natural in the rap¬ 
prochement thus shown towards the horticultural 
centre of the kingdom—the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society—which has exhibited no incon¬ 
siderable good feeling of late towards the 
International Potato Committee in kindly per¬ 
mitting that Committee to conduct its seedling 
trials in the Chiswick Gardens. These annual 
trials have proved to be some of the most 
valuable work of the Committee, for it has 
enabled a thorough testing of all new, or as- 
sumedly new, kinds to be conducted in a way 
that would probably be impossible elsewhere, 
and certainly under conditions which ensure 
confidence in the justice of the awards made. 
So important has that feature of the Inter¬ 
national Potato Committee’s work beenregarded, 
that we learn of an important suggestion which 
has been made in relation to it, which, if carried 
out, would, whilst serving to establish one 
united authoritative tribunal in these matters, 
also very materially help to bring about that 
cordial alliance between the International Potato 
Committee and the Royal Horticultural Society, 
to which we have referred. 
The proposal is, that for the purpose of 
certificating new kinds of Potatos, the Inter¬ 
national Seedling Committee should unite in 
that object with a specially appointed Sub¬ 
committee selected from the Fruit Committee 
of the Royal Horticultural Society; that there 
should be but one annual trial of seedlings 
conducted by Mr. Barron for this body; and 
that certificates to Potatos should be given by 
this joint-Committee only. An united Com¬ 
mittee of, say, twelve persons would suffice. 
At present there is some considerable trouble 
given to exhibitors of seedlings in inviting them 
to send samples of their seedlings to the Potato 
Show, although it is already certain beforehand 
that, having failed to obtain the required 
number of marks at Chiswick, they cannot 
obtain any award at the International Potato 
Show. Henceforth it will be desirable to have 
samples exhibited of those kinds only, which, 
have received certificates, and as far as 
possible these samples should be selected from 
the Chiswick trials. 
Lest there should be the slightest tinge of 
suspicion as to partiality, or other sentiment, on 
the part of members of the Committee we would 
suggest that the seedlings should be grown and 
tested under numbers only, and that not a 
name should be made known to anyone until 
after the awards have been made. In making 
this suggestion we do not for a moment assume 
that any such partiality is shown, we simply 
desire to see all such feeling rendered impossible. 
We have so many splendid kinds of Potatos in 
commerce that it is absolutely needful that some 
very high ground should be taken by the 
Seedling Committee, and awards made to kinds 
only which display very superior qualities. 
Probably more mistakes have been made by the 
Fruit Committee than by the International 
Committee. It is hoped that the appointment 
of a joint-Committee might henceforth render 
any such mistakes impossible 
-->3r<—- 
GARDENING MISCELLANY. 
Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Institution. —The date 
of the next annual festival of this institution has been 
fixed for Friday, July 2nd, 1886. 
The Pear Conference at Chiswick v.-hich commences 
on Wednesday next, there can be no doubt now will 
be an unqualified success, the number of entries received 
being already very large. We may remind members of 
the general Committee that a meeting will be held on 
the opening day at one p. m. 
Registered Telegraph Addresses. —To the short list 
published in our last, the following may now be added : 
New Plant & Bulb Co., Colchester, “Wallace, Col¬ 
chester ” ; Mr. Thomas W. Robinson, Dennis Park 
Iron Works, Stourbridge, “Alpha, Brettell Lane” ; 
Messrs. James Cocker & Sons, Sunnypark Nursery, 
Aberdeen, “Cocker, Aberdeen”; Mr. R. Gilbert, 
Burghley Park, Stamford, “Gilbert, Stamford”; 
Messrs. H. M. Pollett & Co., Horticultural Printers, 
Fann Street, Aldersgate Street, “Horticultural, London.” 
Death of Madame Van Hu He. —The many personal 
friends in this country and abroad of M. H. J. Van 
Hulle, the learned and courteous Professor in the State 
School of Horticulture, and Honorary Inspector of the 
public gardens and promenades of Ghent, will learn with 
regret of the great loss he has sustained in the death of 
his amiable wife. The sad event took place on the 
10 inst. 
The Edinburgh Apple and Pear Congress. —We are 
pleased to hear that the Apple and Pear Congress which 
is to be held in the Waverley Market, in conjunction 
with the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society’s 
Chrysanthemum show on November 25th and 26tli, 
promises to be of an extensive and useful character. 
The conference will, we understand, he continued 
beyond the dates named in the aquarium and galleries 
of the market, which have been placed at the disposal 
of the council by the city authorities. 
Chrysanthemum Lady Selborne, —This lovely pure 
white sport from the favourite James Salter, which is 
so distinct in the plaited arrangement of its petals, is 
now finely in bloom in Mr. Turner’s nursery, at Slough, 
where a large stock of it has been raised this season. 
It is certainly one of the loveliest and earliest of white 
Chrysanthemums, very free to grow, and of great value 
either for decoration or as cut flowers. 
New Plants Certificated at Ghent,—At a meeting 
of the Belgium Chamhre Syndicale des Horticulteurs 
held on Monday last, certificates of merit were awarded 
to Mr. Jules Heye-Leysen, for Cypripedium Fairieanum; 
to Messrs. Vervaet & Co., for Dendrobium species de 
Bermanie ; and to Mr. Desmet Duvivier, for Eucharis 
Sanderiana. Coruparettia maeroplecton from Messrs. 
Yervaet & Co. ; Cypripedium Arthurianum from Mr. 
Edward Pynaert ; and Cattleya superba splendens from 
Mr. Desmet Duvivier received honourable mention as 
novelties ; and specimens of Cocos Blumenaui from Mr. 
Spae-Van der Meulin ; and Tillandsia musaiea from Mr. 
Bernard Spae, received a like award for their good 
cultivation. 
Chrysanthemums at Swanley —We learn from Mr. 
Cannell, wbo does nothing by halves, that bis stock of 
flowering specimens number this season oxer 5,000, and 
that when in bloom they will fill five large houses. 
Ivy-leaf Pelargonium, Alice Crousse—This lovely 
double-flowered variety with its large trusses of violet- 
tinted magenta blossoms, and for which Mr. W. Bealby 
of Roehampton received a first-class certificate at the 
last meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, reminds 
us of the general excellence of the whole of the double- 
