THE GARDENING WORLD 
July If, 1886. 
726 
A BOSE SHOW IN KENT. 
The Cray Valley and Sidcup Horticultural Society 
held their annual show in Frognal Park, Earl Sydney’s, 
near Sidcup, on the 10th inst. It is a society which 
has been established for some years, but for the last 
year or two has been under new management. The horn 
secretary is Mr. J. A. Doyle, of Sidcup, and several of 
the leading amateurs in the neighbourhood take a great 
interest in the work of the society, and are active on 
the show day. Roses are a leading feature, and it was 
as one of the judges of these flowers I was invited on 
the above occasion. Sidcup lies in the middle of a 
large fruit growing district, where Strawberries espe¬ 
cially are largely grown, and the soil being a stiffish 
loam, Roses do well in it. Many villa residences line 
the road between the station and Frognal Park, and in 
the front gardens Roses grow and flower freely, and 
make a great display. Roses abound on every hand, 
many old fashioned varieties grow on walls and against 
pillars, even the smalleskcottages have their Roses just 
now in the fullest bloom. 
Some excellent prizes were offered for Roses, open to 
all comers, and it was remarkable to notice what an 
extensive competition they brought. In the class for 
forty-eight varieties, single trusses, there were eight 
competitors, including Paul of Cheshunt, the two Cants 
from Colchester, Keynes & Co., Salisbury, Rumsey of 
Waltham Cross, Bunyard of Maidstone, &c.; but despite 
the trade being in such strong array, the first prize went 
to Mr. T. W. Girdlestone, of Sunningdale, with a 
superb lot of blooms, large, fresh, varied, and grandly 
coloured, comprising Crown Prince, Victor Verdier, 
Jean Ducher, Reynolds Hole, Marie Finger, Charles 
Lefebvre, Madame Emma Hall, Abel Carriere, Comte 
Rainbaud, Baroness Rothschild, Dr. Sewell, Souvenir 
de Madame Alfred Vy, Mons. Homan, Prince Arthur, 
Madame George Schwartz, Marie Baumann, Merveille 
de Lyon, Duke of Teck, Marquise de Castellane, Star 
of Waltham, Pride of Waltham, Madame a Dumesnil, 
DuckessedeVallombrosa, Horace Vernet, Etoile d’Lyon, 
Henri Ledechaux, Madame Bravy, Jean Lamy, Souve¬ 
nir d’Elise Vardon, Thomas Mills, Caroline Kuster, 
Etienne Levet, Mons. E. Y. Teas, Catherine Mermet, 
Francois Michelon, Innocente Pirola, General Jacque¬ 
minot, A. K. Williams, Constantine Tretisekoff, Lord 
Macaulay, &c. Mr. B. R. Cant, nurseryman, Colches¬ 
ter, was second with a very fine lot of flowers, compris¬ 
ing Comtesse d’Oxford, Earl of Pembroke, Louis Van 
Houtte, Reynolds Hole, Merveille de Lyon, Jules Chre¬ 
tien, Queen of Queens, Charles Lefebvre, A. K. Williams, 
Souvenir d’Elise, Marie Baumann, Etienne Levet, 
Ulrich Brunner, Abel Carriere, Marechal Kiel, Jean 
Soupert, Madame C. Wood, Marquise de Castellane, 
Madame C. Joigneaux, Camille de Bernardin, &c. The 
awarding of the third prize gave the judges some trouble, 
my colleague inclined to a stand shown by Mr. W. 
Rumsey, Waltham Cross, I decidedly favoured one 
from Messrs. Paul & Son, with the result that a third 
person was called in who decided against me ; Mr. 
Rumsey was placed third, and an extra prize was awarded 
to Messrs. Paul & Son. A good lot of flowers from Mr 
F. Cant, of Colchester, were disqualified through con¬ 
taining two blooms of Madame de Watteville. 
The class for twenty-four varieties, single blooms, 
brought ten competitors, and Mr. B. R. Cant was placed 
first, with very fine fresh flowers of Horace Vernet, 
Marquise de Castellane, Duchesse de Morny, Comte 
d’Oxford, Alfred Colomb, Le Havre, Madame de 
Watteville, Marechal Kiel, Madame Eugenie Verdier, 
A. K. Williams, Ulrich Brunner, Xavier Olibo, and 
Souvenir d’Elise ; second, R. E. West, Esq., Reigate ; 
third, Mr. T. W. Girdlestone. Then there was a class 
for twelve Tea or Hoisette Roses, five competitors 
staged, the first going to Mr. B. R. Cant, who had 
very fine blooms of Catherine Mermet, Souvenir d’Elise, 
Comte de Hadaillac, Marechal Kiel, Souvenir d’Un 
Ami, Etoile de Lyon, Madame de Watteville, Innocente 
Pirola, Marie Van Houtte, Souvenir de Paul Heron, 
Moire, and Madame Bravy. Second, Mr. F. Cant, 
who had Souvenir d’Elise, Jean Ducher, Madame Bravy, 
LaBoule d’Or, &c. Third, Messrs. Geo.Bunyard & Co., 
Maidstone. 
Then there was a class for twelve varieties of Teas 
and Hoisettes, and five collections competed, Mr. B. R. 
Cant being placed first with superb blooms of Catherine 
Mermet, Souvenir d’Elise, Comtesse de Hadaillac, 
Marechal Hiel, Souvenir d’un Ami, Etoile de Lyon, 
Madame de Watteville, Innocente Pirola, Marie Van 
Houtte, Souvenir de Paul Heron, Moire, and Madame 
Bravy. Mr. F. Cant came second with a very fine lot, 
his bloom of Madame Bravy being the very best I ever 
saw, Souvenir d'Elise, Jean Ducher, and La Bouie d’Or 
were also most striking. Third, Messrs. Geo. Bunyard 
& Co., Maidstone. Then followed a class for six 
blooms of any one variety, ill - . T. W. Girdlestone 
leading the way with a half-dozen Marie Baumann of 
splendid quality ; Mr. B. R. Cant coming second with 
Ulrich Brunner ; and Mr. F. Cant third with Marechal 
Hiel. Several half-dozens were staged, and they made 
quite a little show in themselves. In all the four fore¬ 
going classes, the competition was so good that the 
judges regretted they could not award some extra 
prizes, the funds of the society being low. 
Then there were several classes for amateurs, and I 
must bear testimony to the fact, that not only were 
the flowers produced in good quantities, but they were 
highly creditable to the exhibitors ; and especially those 
shown by Mrs. Fuller, of Bexley, and Mr. G. T. Ougley, 
of Eltham. Unfortunately time did not admit of my 
taking notes of the leading flowers shown in the 
amateurs’ classes, for I had to take an early train to 
Bexley ; but I can record that the best twenty-four 
blooms came from Mrs. Fuller, Bexley, Mr. G. T. 
Ougley being second ; and the same positions were 
held in the class for twelve 'varieties. In that for six 
Tea-scented Roses the order was reversed. Then there 
was a class for six Roses, in which Mr. E. A. Lock¬ 
hart, of Sidcup, was first, and Mr. S. Hodkinson, also 
of Sidcup, second. 
Special prizes were offered by some of the trade 
growers of Roses, who are in the habit of competing 
at Sidcup. Messrs. Geo. Bunyard & Co., Maidstone, 
offered prizes for twenty-four Roses, to consist of twelve 
Teas and twelve hybrid perpetuals, and Mr. G. T. 
Ougley was first. Mr. B. R. Cant, for eighteen varieties 
of Roses, Mrs. Fuller being first, and Mr. R. T. West, 
Reigate, second. Mr. W. Rumsey, for twelve Roses, 
when Mr. G. T. Ougley was first. 
In regard to the general departments of the show, 
there were classes for groups arranged for effect—stove 
and greenhouse plants, Ferns, [cut flowers, fruit and 
vegetables, and there were not wanting indications of 
progress in the cultivation of the same. Clearly the 
Cray valley and Sidcup represent growing districts, 
not only in regard to population, but also in reference 
to horticultural enterprise. 
Groups of plants from the trade were a striking fea¬ 
ture. Messrs. T. Rivers & Son sent from Sawbridge- 
wortli a fine collection of fruiting trees in pots— 
Peaches, Vines, Hectarines, Cherries, Plums, &c. Mr. 
B. S. Williams, of Holloway, had a charming collec¬ 
tion of choice plants, that filled the centre stage of one 
of the tents. Messrs. J. Laing & Co., Stanstead Park 
Hurseries, Forest Hill, furnished a pretty group, in¬ 
cluding some of their famed Begonias. Messrs. James 
Carter & Co., Holborn and the Crystal Palace, had a 
pretty group also, in it were some Stocks in pots, in 
variety. These were all highly commended. Mr. T. 
Crasp, gardener to Earl Sydney, Frognal, was awarded 
the silver medal of the society for a collection of 
plants, including some well-grown and fruited pot 
vines.— E. D. 
-- 
THE ONION IN LITERATURE. 
At the Hovember meeting of the Summit County 
(Ohio) Horticultural Society, Mrs. Claypole gave an 
interesting address on the Onion, from which we, 
Gardeners' Monthly, make the following extract 
“ It is plain by this time that our visitant is possessed 
with the idea that there must have been a first Onion 
behind all those of which he ’hears, and that he will 
give us no rest until we can put it before him and 
say, ‘ Behold, here is the native plant which by wise 
cultivation has [developed these handsome bulbs which 
you see. ’ Be the search for this first Onion then long 
or short, it seems that we must undertake it. Let us 
take the first step in the inquiry. Shall we find this 
native plant, this Allium cepa, this parent of all culti¬ 
vated Onions on this continent ? Ho ; it has been 
sought for, but America is not rich in species of Allium, 
and Allium cepa is nowhere to be found. Cortez, when 
relating incidents of his brilliant conquests in Mexico, 
is reported by Humboldt to have said that he saw 
Onions in the market-place of the ancient Tenochtitlan, 
and that the Mexicans called these Onions Xonacatl; 
but careful inquiry shows that the name of Xonacatl 
does not apply to our cultivated species of Allium. In 
the seventeenth century only .one single Allium was 
reported from Jamaica, and that was our species— 
Allium cepa—and it was in the garden with other vege¬ 
tables from Europe. Acosta, in his Natural History 
of the Indies, says expressly that the Onions of Peru 
were brought from Europe. To Europe, then, we must 
go on the track of the first Onion. Any European will 
tell us that Onions have always been cultivated there. 
But aware that our visitor Will inquire into that ‘always, ’ 
we will see if we can find out what it means, so far as 
England is concerned. 
“Shakespeare mentions the Onion. In the ‘Mid¬ 
summer Hight’s Dream,’ Bottom, a weaver, giving final 
directions to Quince, the carpenter, Flute, the bellows 
mender, Snout, the tinker, and Starveling, the tailor— 
all humble folks, who are about to present a play 
before the Duke and his party, after telling them to go 
home and attend to this, that and the other, says :— 
“ ‘And most dear actors eat no Onions nor Garlic, 
for we are to utter sweet breath ; and I do not doubt 
but to hear them say it is a sweet comedy.’ 
“When Helena, at the close of ‘All’s Well that 
Ends Well,’ finds at the same time her husband and 
her mother, the old Lord Lafen exclaims :— 
“ ‘Mine eyes smell Onions ; I shall weep anon, 
Good Tom Drum, lend me a handkercher ; so ; 
I thank thee ; wait on me home, I’ll make sport with 
thee.’ 
“ In the introduction to the ‘ Taming of the Shrew,’ 
the lord, sending instruction to his page to enact the 
part of wife to the old drunkard whom they are about 
to befool, say :—- 
“ ‘ Bid him shed tears, 
And if the boy have not a woman’s gift 
To rain a shower of commanded tears, 
An Onion will do well for such a shift. ’ 
“ Enobarbus, comforting Anthony on the death of 
his wife, Fulvia, says :— 
“ ‘ The tears live in an Onion that shall water this 
sorrow. ’ 
“And later the same Enobarbus exclaims, on an 
occasion when he deems it well to turn the current of 
pathetic thoughts— 
“ ‘Look, they weep, and I—am Onion-eyed.’ 
“How, I think it must be conceded that the joke 
connecting a mere show of grief with the use of an 
Onion is old and well worn— requiescat in pace. But let 
us remember that at the time when the Potato was a 
new-comer into Europe, the Onion and its properties were 
so widely known, and so familiar to all, that Shake¬ 
speare could rely on the word to bring—even to the 
dull brains in the pit—a vivid picture of tears without 
woe. 
“Shall we find our first Onion in England? Ho, 
its name tells us that it is no native. Onion is merely 
the English way of pronouncing the French ‘ Oignon,’ 
and by the French, at some time or other, the bulb was 
brought into England. 
“ Chaucer, writing five hundred years ago, mentions 
the Onion as a well-known domestic vegetable. 
Another three hundred years takes us back to the 
Horman Conquest, aud I think we may take another 
two hundred and say that a thousand years ago the 
Onion was making its way into England. A thousand 
years sweeps away the history of England, and leaves 
a small island torn with the strife of its recent Saxon 
conquerors and harassed with sea pirates, Alfred 
striving to bring unity from discord, and the dreaded 
Danes or Red Shanks seizing more and more of the 
fertile land. An island almost unknown to the nations 
on the Continent who have enough to do to hold their 
own from each other and foreign foes, but who, never¬ 
theless, not unmindful of seed time and harvest, gather 
in annual crops of the juicy bulb we call the Onion. 
“Another thousand years and Britain is an island 
lying far, far away from civilization. Vague rumours 
of a land beyond the sea there may be, but vagueness 
lends terror and makes the island the home of monsters 
and ogres. And Europe ? Misery untold. Wherever 
nature has been kind war has laid waste. Rome is 
pushing her conquest on the Rhone, and hordes of 
hungry Teutons are pouring into Gaul from the north¬ 
east, while as many Cimbrians are making their way 
into the south through the passes of the Alps. Italy 
itself is threatened, and fear of foreign invasion arrests 
for the moment the strife of parties at home. Aud yet 
somewhere in Italy someone is finding leisure to 
cultivate the Onion, and many varieties are grown for 
