154 
THE FLOEIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[October, 
examples of Golden Champion and Duke of 
Buccleuck were staged. Singular to state, 
the leading Grape, Black Hamburgh, ap¬ 
peared under the worst conditions, scarcely a 
good bunch of this variety being staged. Mr. 
Roberts, Charleville, Ireland, exhibited the 
largest bunch—-a Barbarossa weighing over 
20 lbs. ; and six wonderful examples of Pot 
Vines from Messrs. Lane & Son of Berk- 
hamsted—Black Hamburghs and Foster’s 
White Seedling, each carrying about two dozen 
fine handsome bunches—excited the greatest 
admiration. 
Pine Apples were very poorly represented. 
Some attention was directed to two fruits 
growing in a pot, the one a Smooth Cayenne, 
the other a Prickly, stated to have originated 
from one root. Some exceedingly fine Peaches 
were shown, the prizes being awarded to very 
excellent examples of Princess of Wales. 
Apples and other hardy fruits were not ex¬ 
hibited to any extent in competition, the 
fruit crop in the North having been almost a 
blank. The favourite Apples seemed to be 
Lord Suftield and Stirling Castle. To com¬ 
pensate for this, however, the large collection 
of 150 varieties exhibited by Messrs. Veitch 
& Sons of Chelsea, and by the Royal Hor¬ 
ticultural Society from Chiswick, &c., more 
than made amends. These, from their correct 
nomenclature and fine appearance, proved ex¬ 
tremely interesting to the visitors. 
Plants, taking into consideration the late¬ 
ness of the season, were fairly well repre¬ 
sented, most of the leading nurserymen 
making special exhibits. Mr. B. S. Williams, 
of Holloway, represented the London trade by 
a very large assortment of New Plants, such as 
we are accustomed to see from this great 
establishment. A very interesting group of 
Nepenthes, Sarracenias, and other interesting 
plants of that nature, came from Mr. Sadler, of 
the Edinburgh Royal Botanic Gardens. Messrs. 
Ireland & Thomson were probably the largest 
exhibitors, and secured many prizes for a 
truly fine, well-grown, clean, and healthy lot of 
plants as were ever seen. Messrs. Dickson & 
Co. had a very large and well-arranged group 
of plants, as had Messrs. Methven & Sons. 
The Lawson Seed Co., and Messrs Little & 
Ballantyne of Carlisle, also exhibited some very 
fine and interesting groups of Conifer®, the 
former being specially well arranged on the 
ground. Stove and Greenhouse plants were 
a splendid class—the collection of ten coming 
from Mr. E. H. Letts, gardener to Lord 
Zetland, Yorkshire, being perfect marvels of 
high cultivation; seldom have finer plants 
been seen at any exhibition. Crotons were 
unusually strong, the specimens large and 
remarkably well grown and coloured, the best 
examples coming from Mr. Scott, gardener to 
Lord Elphinstone, Carberry Towers, and Mr. 
G. Atkinson. Dracaenas were likewise well 
shown and well grown. Ferns were a great 
feature, great numbers being staged, some of 
them remarkably fine specimens. The collec¬ 
tion of six exotic species from Mr. Anderson, 
gardener to P. Neill Fraser, Esq., included 
an example of Goniophlebium sub-auriculatum 
hanging from the roof, with 200 fronds 8 to 
12 feet in length, also Lygodium scandens, 
trained as a pyramid, from 6 to 8 feet high. 
Mr. Lyell, gardener to Sir A. Hope, exhibited 
some very fine masses of British Ferns. 
Smaller examples but fully more interesting, 
came from Mr. Anderson, Pilrig Model 
Nurseries. The Orchids were wonderfully well 
shown for the time of year ; a single specimen 
plant of Renanthera coccinea, from Mr. D. 
Paton, gardener to Mrs. Tait, Galston, was 
perhaps the finest plant of the kind ever seen, 
having three growths from 4 to 5 feet high, and 
bearing four spikes of its beautiful red flowers. 
Table plants were well shown, and in consider¬ 
able numbers. New pla nts were, on the contrary, 
somewhat scarce, nothing very special attract¬ 
ing our attention. Messrs. Dickson & Co. 
had some new and distinct forms of Coleuses. 
Messrs. Robertson exhibited a new Begonia 
from India, with palmate leaves, prettily 
spotted, named Begonia Listeri, after the col¬ 
lector, Mr. Lister, which may prove valuable. 
Vallotas were specially well shown ; and two 
plants of Fuchsia procumbem, trained as small 
standards, were extremely pretty. 
Cut Flowers were shown in large quantities. 
Gladioli and Roses from Messrs. Dickson, 
Newtownards, Belfast, were especially good. 
Yellow and striped Marigolds, from Messrs. 
Dobbie & Son, of Paisley, were remarkably 
fine, and attracted much attention. Dahlias 
and Hollyhocks were well shown, the single 
varieties excepted. 
