720 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
July 11, 1891. 
various kinds of fruits to be discussed at the conference 
on the second day. Most of the classes were open to 
amateurs only. 
A Silver-gilt Flora Medal was awarded toO. T. Hodges, 
Esq., Lachine, Chislehurst, foreighteenbunchesof hardy 
perennials, amongst which were Spiraea Aruncus, 
Latkyrus Drummondi, Sidalcea Candida, Astrantia 
Biebersteini, Lilium croceum, several Campanulas and 
others. Mr. G. H. Sage, gr. to Lord Huntingtower, 
Ham House, Richmond, was second, showing Clematis 
recta, Delphiniums, Campanula persicifolia coronaria 
and others. A Silver Flora Medal was awarded to W. 
Marshall, Esq. (gardener, Mr. Pratt), Auchinraith, 
Bexley, for the best exhibit of twelve bunches. 
Amongst them were Thalietrum glaucum, Spiraea 
Aruncus, Campanula Van Houttei, C. urticifolia flore 
pleno, &c. The second prize in this class went to E. 
M. Nelson, Esq. (gardener, Mr. E. Chadwick), Hanger 
Hill House, Ealing, who showed some useful and showy 
kinds. A Bronze Flora Medal was awarded to Miss R. 
Debenham, St. Peter’s, St. Albans, for eight bunches 
of hardy perennials, including Delphiniums, Alstroe- 
merias, Thalietrum glaucum, Campanulas, and others. 
A Silver Kelway Medal was awarded to Mr. T. H. 
Crasp, The Gardens, Canford Manor, Wimborne, for a 
stand of Gaillardias. 
The Silver Banksian Medal offered for six dishes of 
Strawberries was awarded to Mr. G. H. Sage, who had 
Sir Joseph Paxton, Keen’s Seedling and James Veitch 
amongst other varieties. Mr. IV. Palmer, The Gardens, 
Thames Ditton House, Thames Ditton, was second in 
this class, but first for six dishes of green Gooseberries, 
and two dishes of ripe Gooseberries. Mr. J. Gilbert, 
Rectory Merrow, Guildford, was second in the class for 
six dishes. The Bronze Banksian Medal for four dishes 
of Strawberries went to E. M. Nelson, Esq., who 
showed British Queen, Noble, Vicomtesse Hericart de 
Thury, and Sir Joseph Paxton. He also received the 
first prize for one dish of Strawberries, and was first for 
three dishes of Peas. 
The miscellaneous exhibits brought up for the in¬ 
spection of the various committees were numerous, and 
some of them extensive. Hardy cut flowers and fruit 
were by far the most abundant, Orchids not being very 
strongly represented. A Silver-gilt Flora Medal was 
awarded to Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill, for 
an extensive collection of hardy cut flowers, repre¬ 
senting many species. Prominent in the exhibits were 
Delphiniums, Liliums, Canterbury Bells, Gaillardias, 
Iceland Poppies, Pinks, Veronicas, Lathyrus grandi- 
florus, Lychnis chalcedonica, Brodieea coccinea, and 
others. All these flowers were done up in bunches 
and inserted in tubes containing water, and those again 
were inserted in pots. A similar award was made to 
Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt, for a large group 
occupying part of the central stage of the long tent. 
Here again the more conspicuous subjects were herba¬ 
ceous Pteonies, Delphiniums, Spiraeas, Iceland and other 
Poppies, English Iiises, Bellflowers, Liliums, Clematis 
integrifolia, Thalictrums, &c. A Silver Flora Medal 
was awarded to Mr. T. S. Ware, Tottenham, for a 
similar but smaller collection of the choice herbaceous 
plants now in flower. Amongst others were some 
choice Liliums, Lathyrus grandiflorus, Veronicas, 
Delphiniums, the scarlet Lychnis, Iceland Poppies, a 
beautiful white Pink named Her Majesty, and others. 
Messrs. Kelway & Sons, Langport, Somerset, received 
a similar award for an extensive collection of cut 
flowers, which occupied one of the side stagings 
of the same tent. The exhibit consisted of a small 
group of various herbaceous plants at one end, several 
varieties of Iris Ksempferi, a large collection of Delphi¬ 
niums in many beautiful, varieties, and a group of 
Gaillardias, the strain of which was commended. A 
Silver Banksian Medal was awarded to Messrs. Barr & 
Son, Covent Garden, for hardy cut flowers, including 
some fine stems of Senecio macrophyllus, Delphiniums, 
Hemerocallis fulva, Liliums, Centaureas, double Poten- 
tillas, Iceland Poppies, Stenactis speciosa, Herb 
Willows, and various other showy subjects. A fairly 
extensive collection of herbaceous perennials and 
annuals in a cut state was brought up from the Royal 
Gardens, Kew. Many plants were here represented, 
which were not to be seen in the collections above 
named. Many of them, however, were both ornamental 
and suitable for culture in private collections. Some 
of these were Eremostachys laciniata, Perezia multiflora, 
like a blue Thistle, Cyananthus lobatus, Asperula 
Athoa, Houstouia purpurea, Layia heterotricha, Poly¬ 
gonum sphcerostachyum, some fine samples of Funkia 
Sieboldiana, Cosmos bipinnatus and many others. The 
above half-dozen exhibits occupied the whole of one tent. 
The large tent or marquee on the lawn was occupied 
with numerous miscellaneous exhibits of flowers, fruit 
and vegetables, including the groups or collections 
entered in competition for the prizes and medals. A 
Silver Flora Medal was awarded to Messrs. J. Veitch & 
Sons, Chelsea, for a collection of hardy cut flowers, 
including Delphiniums, hybrid Potentillas in variety, 
Umbilicus Semenovii, Ostrowskya nngnifica, Gerbera 
Jamesoni, and Gaillardias. The hose-in-hose and cup- 
and-saucer races of the Canterbury Bells were very 
conspicuous, and commented upon by visitors. The 
same may be said of the Escallonias, Philadelphus 
microphyllus, and the fine forms of Andromeda 
speciosa with large, white, hell-shaped flowers, produced 
in great abundance and resembling giant Lilies of the 
Valley. Mr. C. Turner, Slough, exhibited a stand of 
seedling Delphiniums, many of which were semi-double, 
and several varieties of laced Pinks, including such fine 
kinds as Boiard, Princess Louise, Minerva and the 
Rector. Some fine varieties of the Ten-week Stock, 
including Princess Alice and Mauve Beauty ; also Pinks, 
Canterbury Bells, Chrysanthemum segetum and C. 
Sibthorpii were shown by Mr. R. Dean, Bedfont. 
Duchess of Albany and White Pearl Godetias, as well 
as a basket of Cabbage Lettuce named Holborn 
Favourite, were shown by Messrs. J. Carter & Co., 
High Holborn. Some large bunches of different 
varieties of Azalea viscosa were staged by Mr. Anthony 
Waterer, Knap Hill, Woking. Mr. B. Ladman, 
Shirley Nurseries, Southampton, showed a new border 
Pink, named Charles, some other semi-double varieties, 
the double crimson Sweet William, and a small group 
of a Rose named Reine Blanche, as well as Rosa Mundi, 
usually but incorrectly termed York and Lancaster. 
A beautiful but liliputian variety of the Blue Corn 
Bottle was shown by Mr. H. Herbst, Kew Road, 
Richmond. Mr. T. Laxton, Bedford, had a group of 
Pinks, seedlings from Mrs. Sinkins. Stanley and 
Marchioness of Salisbury were smaller, with fewer 
petals than Mrs. Sinkins, also pure white and more 
suitable for cut flowers than the last named kind. A 
fine double yellow Begonia was shown by Messrs. 
II. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, Kent. A beautiful 
collection of Alstrcemerias, varieties of A. pulchella, 
was exhibited by Mr. W. C. Leach, gardener to 
the Duke of Northumberland, Albury Park, Guild¬ 
ford. The ground colour of the flowers was yellow, 
pink, flesh or red, and two of the segments in every 
case were striped with crimson. They elicited much 
attention from visitors. Odontoglossum cordatum 
sulphureum and a well-flowered piece of Angrseeum 
caudatum were shown by F. Wigan, Esq. (grower, Mr. 
W. H. Young), Clare Lawn, East Sheen. Some varie¬ 
ties of Cattleya Mossi® and C. Gaskelliana and Lselia 
xanthina were exhibited by Messrs. Seeger & Tropp, 
East Dulwich. Aerides maculosum, Prewett’s var., in 
fine condition, was exhibited by Mr. J. Prewett, Swiss 
Nursery, Hammersmith. Cypripedium Brownii was 
shown by Messrs. Pitcher & Manda, Hextable, Swanley. 
Some large bunches of Orchis maculata, as grown in the 
kitchen garden for the sake of cut flowers, were staged 
by Mr. A. Harding, gardener to The Dowager March¬ 
ioness of Huntly, Orton Hall, Peterborough, and 
savoured somewhat of a novelty in the cut-flower way. 
Besides the collections of fruit in competition for 
prizes, there were numerous exhibits brought up for 
the inspection of the Fruit Committee. A Silver 
Banksian Medal was awarded to Mr. T. Coomber, The 
Hendre Gardens, Monmouth, for eight fine fruits of the 
Queen Pineapple. A Bronze Banksian Medal was 
awarded to Mr. John Watkins, Pomona Nurseries, 
Withington, Hereford, for a collection of highly- 
coloured Apples in fine condition, notwithstanding the 
age of the fruits, which were, of course, grown last year. 
He also showed numerous varieties of Strawberries. 
Mr. W. C. Leach exhibited two boxes of Strawberries 
and a box of Peaches. A bunch of Bananas weigh¬ 
ing thirty pounds, and of the variety named Lady’s 
Finger, was shown by Mr. J. Fitt, gardener to Earl 
Cowper, The Gardens, Panshanger, Hertford. A large 
collection of Strawberry plants fruiting in pots and 
baskets wasshown by Messrs. Paul&Son, Cheshunt, who 
had also some fruit of the same as well as Gooseberries in 
punnets. Some Strawberries were shown by Mr. J. 
Collis, Bollo Lane, Acton. A collection of some sixty 
sorts of Strawberries was shown from the society’s 
gardens at Chiswick. Some Alicante Grapes grown last 
year and cut from the vine in January last were shown 
by Mr. J. W. Church, The Vineyards, Braconash. 
Five Melons of great size were brought up by Mr. G. F. 
Pontin, Stanley Vineries, Woking. A well-ripened 
and flavoured fruit of Sutton’s Triumph Melon was 
shown by Mr. W. Palmer. A seedling Melon came 
from Mr. G. Gamer, The Gardens, Amberwood, Christ¬ 
church. Mr. R. Gilbert, Burghley Gardens, Stamford, 
showed a fine-looking Strawberry named the Chief 
Secretary. Some Apples came from Mr. F. H. Smith, 
Castle Grove House, Chobham. Mr. Will Taylor, 
Hampton, showed British Queen, Grove End Scarlet 
and other Strawberries. 
The Conference. 
On the afternoon of the opening day of the exhibition, 
a Conference on Hardy Summer-flowering Perennial 
Plants was held in the large marquee upon the lawn. 
Mr. W. Marshall, F.R.H.S., occupied the chair and 
gave an opening address, after which a paper prepared 
by Mr. W. Robinson, F.L.S., and entitled “Some 
Results from Wild Gardening,” was, in the absence of 
that gentleman, read by the secretary, the Rev. W. 
Wilks. The paper dealt with the effect of masses of 
various hardy and common subjects planted out in 
suitable positions in a semi-wild state. The Rev. H. 
Ewbank, M.A., F.R.H.S., followed with a paper 
entitled, “ On some of the Summer Flowers of my 
Garden. ” He commenced by saying that he did not go 
in for planting for effect because his garden was too 
small to permit of it. The species of Eremurus from the 
Himalayas and Caucasus were largely commented upon. 
On arriving home on one occasion, said the reader, the 
first thing that caught his eye was a flowering plant of 
E. robustus, 12 ft. high. Till then he had no idea what 
the species of Eremurus were capable of doing, and he 
came to the conclusion that the Eremuri should be 
much more largely planted than they were at present. 
Irises he considered the “Ne Plus Ultra ’ for garden 
decoration, mentioning amongst others I. pallida, I. 
aurea, I. ochroleuca, and others. He also detailed a 
plan by which he protected the zhizomes of certain 
kinds in winter by means of pieces of glass, which gave 
perfectly satisfactory results. I. Ksempferi liked sun¬ 
shine and moisture. Lilium giganteum delighted in 
shade. What are known as garden Roses he grew, but 
not the hybrid perpetuals. The Rev. W. Wilks then 
read a paper on “The Picturesque of Hardy Summer 
Perennial Plants,” and which had been prepared 
by Miss Jekyll, F.R.H.S. It was explained 
that the title of the paper practically meant 
the making of pictures with living flowers. To 
do this, two things were necessary for success, namely, 
an intimate acquaintance with the plants themselves, 
and secondly, a thorough knowledge of their require¬ 
ments or wants. An essential feature of a garden was 
a well-arranged mixed border, using such tall subjects 
as Oriental Poppies, (Enotheras, Delphiniums, Lilies, 
Sunflowers, Tritomas, Thalictrums, Dahlias, &c., with 
dwarfer subjects, such as Broad-leaved Saxifrages, 
Pinks, Pansie=, &c., in intermediate or well-chosen 
positions. They should be planted in bold groups, in 
a carefully arranged sequence of colours. To break 
monotony, such things as CEnothera Lamarckiana and 
Verbascum Phlomoides should be employed. Walls 
were suitable places for certain subjects. Labels, the 
writer said, should be abolished in ornamental gardens. 
The Rev. W. Wilks, Rev. H. Ewbank, Dr. Masters, 
Mr. Geo. Paul and Miss Jekyll took part in the dis¬ 
cussion which followed the reading of the paper. 
Birmingham Botanical Society.—The annual 
meeting of the Birmingham Botanical and Horticultural 
Society was held on the 30th ult., at the Botanical 
Gardens, Edgbaston. The Mayor (Alderman Clayton) 
presided. The fifty-ninth annual report stated that 
the number of members last year was 922, as compared 
with 919 in 1889. The total receipts from subscriptions 
and shares last year were £949, as compared with £926 
in 1889. The admission of non-subscribers during the 
year ende’d April 30 last numbered 49,874, as compared 
with 3S,507 in the previous twelve months ; and those 
of members and their friends to 41,694, as compared 
with 36,927. The committee considered the increase 
in receipts at the gates very gratifying, but pointed out 
that this item must necessarily vary with the state of 
the weather, and the two most important holidays— 
Whitsuntide and August—were both exceptionally fine 
in 1S90. The general accounts showed an excess of 
income over expenditure of £S 9s. 0 d. ; the total incorns 
being £1,842 11s. 2d., and the total expenditure 
.£1,834 2s. 2d. Among the donations to the society 
special attention was drawn to the very fine specimen 
of Trichomanes radicans (Killarney Fern), presented 
during the year by Mr. Justice Wills. 
Scottish Pansy Societies.—The annual show of the 
Waverley Pansy Society was held in the Public Hall, 
Galashiels, on Saturday, the 27ch ult. The exhibition 
