626 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
june 4, 1892. 
be injured by hail, and by water settling in the cups 
formed by the leaves and then freezing. Mr. Dean 
resumed his seat admist applause: and he was 
awarded a hearty vote of thanks. In response, Mr. 
Dean said that he should be pleased at some future 
time to give an address on the Auricula, of which he 
made a speciality He added with much gratifica¬ 
tion that, after many years' labour, he had this year 
succeeded in raising a pure white double Auricula, 
which he believed was likely to be the only one in 
Europe, as all his endeavours to procure one from 
abroad had failed, and no one appeared to have 
knowledge of it. 
HARDY PLANTS AT 
DIDSBURY. 
The Manchester field naturalists had recently 
again the pleasure of a couple of hours in the rich 
and beautiful garden at Brockhurst, Didsbury, to 
which the kind courtesy of Mr. Brockbank allows 
them access. Brockhurst has long been famed for 
its botanical treasures, these including various Alpine 
curiosities, in addition to man}- of the choicest of the 
pretty " old-fashioned ” things—so called by the un¬ 
gracious and the ungrateful—which were cherished 
by the fathers of local floriculture, John Horsefield, 
the handloom weaver of Besses-o’-th'-Barn, and 
others whose names will never die while there are 
Daffodils to enrich the spring. Brockhurst is now 
the refuge of many plants for which we should 
probably inquire elsewhere near Manchester in vain. 
Mr. Brockbank maintains the ancient reputation of 
South Lancashire in regard to its love of the dainty 
and the deserving, and this in the spirit of the old 
Greek sculptors, who worked upon their marble out 
of simple devotedness to the purely beautiful. So 
that with the man who looks upon plants intelli¬ 
gently, a visit to his lovely garden counts always as 
one of the privileges of the season. The adjacent 
dell, with its sheltering trees, its winding walks, 
Ferns, Primroses, and Bluebells, adds equally to the 
attractions, and from these we turn to well-stocked 
conservatories. Fortunately the evening was bright, 
and sunset long deferred. Among the company, 
numbering about thirty, was Professor Weiss, the 
newly-appointed botanist to the Owens College. 
The scientific teaching on this occasion, advantage 
being taken of the numerous exotics right and left, 
was devoted chiefly to the Ranunculaceae — that ex¬ 
tensive and beautiful botanical family, some of the 
members of which reckon with the earliest play¬ 
things of childhood, while others are the pride of the 
florist, or famous in classical literature. How 
curious are nature’s iiiterminglings ! A few of the 
race are of immemorial celebrity as medicines and 
poisons ; only one, on the other hand, supplies an 
article available for human food, though the wood- 
pigeons are glad of the tubers of the Ficaria. No 
family of plants is more instructive to the student of 
structure : the leaves presenting, in the different 
species, every possible outline between the linear 
and the most elaborately divided. The inflorescence 
is also much diversified : the colours of the flowers 
are such as give pause to the most skilful of painters ; 
their odours, when present, are sweet and inviting, as 
in the Virgin's Bower; maDy of them are versed in 
the fine art of manufacturing honey, and of preserv¬ 
ing it in ingeniously formed X T ectarines. Mark, 
again, how curious and suggestive their relationships. 
The A'igella extends a friendly hand towards the 
Poppies. Ihey can be independent enough when 
they please. Modest, without the drawback of 
bashfulness, how beautiful, nevertheless, their efforts 
to emulate the Water-lilies (as the little folk of 
the home-circle play at royalty) ; this in the golden- 
hearted snow-cups of the placid river. That some of 
the family are aquatic indicates again how wide i s 
the range of habitat among the Ranunculaceae. 
Meadow and pasture, the cornfield, the woodland, 
ditchbank, the mountainside, where the eagles go, 
even the edge of the glacier, all supply their 
particular examples. 
Specially illustrated on the evening in question 
was the wonderful way in which the outer portions 
of the flower can be transformed, often to the great 
perplexity of the beginner in botany. The typical 
idea is set forth in its best manner in the common 
Buttercup. W hen we look at the Marsh Marigold, 
the Anemone, Thalictrum, the Pasque Flower, the 
Clematis, and many besides, no petals are developed, 
and in compensation the sepals are glorified In the 
inestimable Christmas Rose and the other Hellebores 
the calyx is again glorified, while the petals are 
played forth in the shape of tiny honeycups. The 
Globe-flowers, the Larkspurs, and the Aconites 
exhibit other curious phenonema, till at last we are 
left with the question, Then how can we -always be 
sure that our plant is Ranunculaceous ? The answer 
is soon given. All the parts of the flower are in 
maturity, absolutely free, except in the oneexception, 
the Nigella, which, as said above, in its capsule 
touches the Poppies. — Manchester City Mens. 
-—*- - 
VALERIANA ROTUNDIFOLIA. 
The common Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is a 
tall growing plant more familiar to the botanist and 
others along the sides of ditches, in marshes, and 
wet places than in gardens, and generally grows to a 
height of 3 ft., but its lovely congener above named 
is a rarer plant, and certainly a very pretty subject 
for garden culture. The young and unexpanded buds 
are of a bright red, but when fully expanded the 
flowers are white tinted with pink, and though small 
individually are very pretty when produced in um¬ 
bellate cymes on stems only 3 in. to 8 in. high. The 
radical leaves are roundly-ovate and undivided, but 
the stems bear one or two deeply pinnatifid leaves 
somewhat after the style of our native species, V. 
dioica. The latter grows rather coarse however 
under cultivation, attaining a height of one or two 
feet, although in a wild state it does not exceed the 
height given for V. rotundifolia. A somewhat damp 
position on the rockery is the best place for it. 
_ _ 
INTERNATIONAL 
HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITION. 
The great summer flower show at Earl’s Court took 
place on the 27th and 28th ult. under very favour¬ 
able auspices as to weather, and a large concourse of 
people was drawn together, especially in the after¬ 
noon and evening of both days. The long list of prizes 
brought together large collections of plants from 
various parts of the country. It is rather to be 
regretted that they could not have been arranged in 
one large and spacious building where they would 
have been far more effective than in different rooms 
and quarters all over the grounds. This same 
means, however, served to distribute the people, 
otherwise the crowd would have been immense in 
any one building The greater number of the com ¬ 
petitive groups were arranged in two large halls in 
the south-west corner of the grounds, and those who 
wished to see an exhibition somewhat after the olden 
style would have found it here. 
The first award for twelve stove and greenhouse 
plants went to Mr. J. Cypher, Queen's Road 
Nursery, Cheltenham, who had some well-flowered 
specimens of Erica Cavendishiana, Pimelea specta- 
bilis, Erica Bothwellianaalba, etc Mr. J. H. Mould, 
Pewsey, Wilts, was second with smaller but 
splendidly-flowered specimens of Tremandra ver- 
ticillata, Phscnocoma prolifera Barnesi, and Dar- 
winia macrostegia. Mr J. Currey, West End, 
Wilton Road, Salisbury, was third. In the ama¬ 
teurs’ class for six stove and greenhouse plants, Air. 
Wm. Chapman, gardener to J. Spode, Esq., Hawkes- 
yard Park, Rugeley, Staffs, received a Silver Medal 
in addition to the first prize for excellence of merit. 
His specimens of Tremandra ericsefolia, Statice pro- 
fusa, Ixora Williamsi, and I. Dixiana were in grand 
condition. Mr. Wm. Finch, gardener to Jas. 
Marriott, Esq., Queen’s Road, Coventry, was second. 
Air Chas. Turner, Slough, had a prize for twenty 
Roses in 10-in. pots. Alessrs. Paul A Son, Cheshunt, 
were first for 30 Roses in any size pots. Air. 
D. Phillips, gardener to R. W. Alann, Esq., Langley 
Broom, Slough, had no opposition in the three 
classes for fancy, show, and zonal Pelargoniums 
which were very floriferous and received first 
prizes. In the nurserymen’s class for eight green¬ 
house Azaleas, Mr. C. Turner had by far the largest 
and finest specimens in Roi de Hollande, Airs. 
Turner, Etendard de Flandres, etc. Air. J. H. 
Alould was second with smaller but well-flowered 
plants, and Air. H. James, Castle Nursery, Norwood, 
was third. Air. A. Offer, gardener to John Warren, 
Esq., Handcross Park, Crawley, took the first prize 
in the amateurs’ class with floriferous specimens. 
Air. J. Cypher took the first award for ten exotic 
Orchids, and Air. H. James was second. The first 
prize for new Orchids was taken by Alessrs. F. 
Sander & Co., St. Albans, with Grammatophyllum 
Aleasuresianrfm. Epidendrum Godseffianum, etc. ; 
Air. J Cypher was second here Air. F. Hooper, 
AVidcombe Hill, Bath, took thefirst prizes for twentv 
pots of Pansies and as many A'iolas, which were 
dwarf and well flowered. Air. T S. AVare, Totten¬ 
ham, had by far the finest — indeed a noble collec¬ 
tion of hardy herbaceous, bulbous, and Alpine 
plants, showing Lilies, Spiraeas, Saxifragas,Primulas, 
Cypripedium Calceolus, C. pubescens, C. arietinum, 
etc. Alessrs. Paul A Son were second with a much 
smaller collection. In the nurserymen's classes fer 
Gloxinias, single and double Begonias, Alessrs. J. 
Laing & Sons took the first prizes in each case. 
Amongst the double Begonias, Alfred Rothschild. 
Lady Brooke, and Laing’s Rosebud were very fine. 
Alessrs. AA ills & Segar, Onslow Crescent, South 
Kensington, showed all their old supremaev 
as floral artists in the arranging of nine Palms. 
The effect they produced may be understood 
from the fact that the graceful Rhaphis humilis 
was 12 ft. high, Areca Baueri about 20 ft., and others 
such as Latania borbonica. Pritchardia pacifica, and 
Kentia Belmoreana were of similarly magnificent 
proportions. They were set up in front with smaller 
undulating groups of Dractena Lindeni, Caladiums, 
variegated Pineapple, Nidulariums, and edged with 
Selaginella, in front of which a border of cut grass did 
duty for turf, and was very effective. This furnishing 
greatly enhanced the effect of the magnificent Palms 
Air. Jas. Cypher ,vas second, with a huge specimen 
of Latania borbonica and some other subjects, but 
he had no dressing whatever. Air. Albert Offer had 
the best fine-foliaged plants in the amateurs' class, 
Croton angustifolius, Cycas circinalis, and C. revo- 
luta being his best specimens. The last plant had a 
head of 125 fronds, which took two years to get to 
that perfection. Air. J. Ford, gardener to Sir C. 
Piggott, Bart., AA exham Park. Slough, was second 
Air. A. Offer was again first for six Palms, showing 
Kentia Canterburyana, Latania borbonica, and L. 
Commersoni with red petioles. Alessrs. E. D. 
Shuttleworth & Co., 236, Peckham Rye, took the first 
prizefor ten Crotons in the nurserymen’s class. Air. A. 
Offer was again first for six Crotons, having huge 
specimens of C. AVarreni and C. Prince of AVales : 
Mr. J. Ford was second. Alessrs. J. Laing A Sons 
took the leading award for twelve Dracaenas, and 
Alessrs. J. Peed & Sons, Roupell Park Nursery, Nor¬ 
wood Road, were second. For six Dracaenas, Air. 
A. Offer took the first award, and Air. AA'm. Howe, 
gardener to Henry Tate, Esq., Park Hill, Streatham, 
was second. 
Alessrs. J. Peed A Sons had the finest Caladiums 
in medium sized but well coloured specimens ; 
Alessrs. Laing & Son's plants were larger but not so 
well coloured. In the amateurs’ class for Caladiums, 
Air. Joseph Day, gardener to AA'. S. Glover, Esq., 
Casino House, Herne Hill, S.E., had the best lot 
The six stove or greenhouse Ferns shown by Air. A 
Offer were admirable examples of culture, Davallia 
polyantha and D. Mooreana being of great size, 
taking the first prize; Air. J. Ford came in second 
with good specimens of Nephrolepis acuta, Adian- 
tum, and Alicrolepis hirta cristata. Alessrs B. S. 
AVilliams A Son, Holloway, took the first prize for 
twelve Amaryllis; a very attractive and pleasing 
kind was Airs. AA . Lee with rose flowers and a white 
band along the centre of the segments This exhibit 
was arranged in the m .in building. Air. T. S. AA’are 
had the first award for hard}- deciduous shrubs in 
flower. 
Ihe class for new plants of any description except 
Orchids, and introduced since 188S, was certainly a 
feature of the exhibition. Alessrs. F. Sander A Co. 
took the leading award, showing some fine specimens 
of Alaranta Sanderiana, Leopoldinia Laucheana, 
Anthurium albanensi, A. Lawrencite, Cocos 
Pynasrti, Oreopanax Sanderiana, and Ltracaena 
Sanderiana, all of which are stove plants of great 
beauty and merit. Alessrs. J. and Lucien Linden, 
L’Horticulture Internationale, Leopold Park, 
Brussels, Belgium, were awarded the second prize 
for a smaller but very interesting exhibit, including 
Tradescantia superba, Heliconiaspectabilis, Dichori- 
sandra angustifolia, D. Alusaica gigantea, and others, 
but were subsequently disqualified on the ground 
that they were not being exhibited for the first time; 
they had in fact been to the Temple Show the pre¬ 
vious two days ! Cut flowers in the classes were 
not very largely represented, but Air. Geo. Alount. 
the Rose Nursery, Canterbury, took a first prize 
for eighteen Tea-scented Roses, and another for 
twelve blooms of hybrid perpetuals. 
