658 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
June 18, 1892. 
A NEW USE FOR BAMBOO. 
A new application of the stems of the larger-growing 
species of Bamboo has recently been adopted in 
China for the manufacture of small trays and orna¬ 
mental articles for export to Europe. It is known in 
China as Bamboo sheeting, and it is said to be 
carried on at present only to a limited extent at 
Wenchow, where, notwithstanding that it is quite a 
new trade, about ten firms are now engaged in it. 
The process adopted is as follows :—A length of 
Bamboo is cut off, and then pared with an axe till it 
is of the thickness required. It is next planed with 
a spokeshave, and the thin cylinder so obtained is 
slit up, so that, on being opened out, it forms a sheet. 
A number of these cylinders, placed one inside the 
other, are immersed in boiling water for a few 
minutes, to render them flexible, and they are then 
unrolled and flattened out, by being subjected to 
pressute under heavy stones. These sheets are 
sometimes used for making fretwork and carved 
screens, fans, &c. ; and the small, pale, straw- 
coloured pin-trays for toilet tables, which appeared 
in the London shops last season, are apparently 
made from this specially prepared Bamboo. It 
seems to adapt itself extremely well for moulding 
into many forms, and might be made available in 
this country for various kinds of veneering. The 
Bamboo now appears to be the Dendrocalamus 
latiflorus, and specimens of the sheeting, and articles 
made from it, may be seen in Museum No. 2 of the 
Royal Gardens, Kew . —Society of A i ts Journal. 
_ , ♦ r _ 
FLORICULTURE. 
The National Tulip Show. 
The Tulip grower becomes accustomed to all kinds 
of weather on the occasion of the annual shows, and 
he is therefore surprised at nothing. Essentially a 
philosopher, he adapts himself to any vicissitudes, 
however startling their contrasts. The flower he 
cultivates with so much loving care is pregnant with 
surprises, and so the cultivator becomes accustomed 
to the arbitrary decrees of fate, and whether under 
burning skies, drenching hailstorms, or amid cold so 
intense that his finger tips are frozen, he stages his 
flowers, and with stoic calmness patiently awaits his 
fate. Last year the annual show was held at Old 
T rafford under circumstances of a depressing character 
—a puzzling season, and cold dull weather affected 
the show-; this year, under a tropical heat and in a 
Whitsun week almost unrivalled for the brilliant 
splendour of the weather, he staged his flowers in a 
temperature of something like go° with a sense that 
anything like garment was a superfluity; and an 
inward drought that could not be satisfied. 
No better place for a Tulip show could be selected 
than the annexe in the Botanical Gardens at Old 
Trafford when the weather is pleasantly cool; 
but on the Sth inst. the sun shone out with unusual 
fierceness from an unclouded sky, and the glare, 
increased by the glass in the roof, fell upon the 
Tulips, and ere they were judged not a few were 
lamentably out of it. The unexpected advent of 
tropical summer heat some weeks before it was 
anticipated upset all calculations ; flowers in perfect 
condition on the morning of the day took on a blase 
appearance before noon, and went down before the 
pressure of the high temperature like ninepins. 
Many a confident expectation withered like the 
Tulips, as the chariots of the sun reached the 
meridian ; growers ruled out of the competition by 
the rude interference of the elements, with com¬ 
mendable resignation to the inevitable, sat in the 
shade and partook of cooling drinks. 
Tears ran down their manly foreheads, but their 
eyes were dry and showed no traces of sorrow— 
physical endurance demanded that the throat be kept 
constantly moist. Who wonders that at one period of 
time, while the judicial work w-as being carried on, 
the judges were missing 1 They had become so 
shrunken by exposure to the heat that no one was 
able to witness the departure of their wasted forms. 
It was said they had melted away to nothingness, 
and such a catastrophe seemed more than possible. 
At last they w'ere found at the foot of the Eddy- 
stone lighthouse cooling themselves in the spray 
thrown up by the storm-tossed waves of the ocean. 
Eventually they finished their heroic task, perspiring 
martyrs to a noble cause. 
The show fell behind the anticipations formed of 
it a month ago, but was much better, regard being 
had to the exhausting conditions of the weather, 
than was expected a week previously. Those were 
the fortunate exhibitors whose flowers were late. 
The hero of the day was Mr. James W. Bentley, of 
Stakehill, the hon. secretary of the Society. He 
was the floral Caesar of the occasion. He-staged, he 
surveyed, and he conquered. The son of a worthy 
Tulip grower dead and gone—the nephew of the 
president, Mr. Samuel Barlow—Mr. Bentley has, by 
devotion to his pet flower and the unceasing 
attention he has given to his beds, deservedly won 
his way to the proud position he took on this 
occasion. Out of five competitors he took the cup 
for 12 dissimilar Tulips, two feathered and two 
flamed in each class; with flowers, that though in 
a few instances weakened by stress of weather, were 
yet worthy of the cup awarded them. 
Of feathered bizarres Mr. Bentley had John Mills 
and Sir Joseph Paxton; flamed, Sir J. Paxton and 
Dr. Hardy; feathered roses, Mabel and Alice; 
flamed, Annie McGregor and Aglaia; feathered 
byblcemens, ’King of the Universe and Violet 
Amiable; flamed, Talisman and Perfection. From 
this stand the premier feathered and flamed flowers 
were afterwards selected ; the former was byblcemen 
King of the Universe, a beautiful bloom raised by 
W. Dymock, of Stockport; and the flamed bizarre, 
Dr. Hardy, very richly coloured. Mr. James 
Knowles, Stalybridge, whose position on the hill¬ 
side is one of the coldest and latest in Lancashire, 
was second ; also with some good blooms which ran 
those of Mr. Bentley somewhat close. Mr. Knowles 
had of feathered bizarres, Sir J. Paxton and Robert 
Guest, the latter very fine in colour ; flamed bizarres, 
Sir J. Paxton and Prince of Wales ; feathered roses, 
Julia Farnese and Modesty ; flamed roses, Lady C. 
Gordon and Queen of England ; feathered bybloe- 
mens, Adonis and Mrs. Hepworth ; flamed byblce¬ 
mens, Talisman and Adonis. Third, Mr. Samuel 
Barlow, J.P., Stakehill House, Castleton. 
W T ith six flowers Mr. Bentley took the first prizes 
also, having feathered bizarres, William Wilson and 
flamed, Sir J. Paxton; feathered roses. Heroine; 
flamed, Annie McGregor; feathered byblcemen, 
King of the Universe ; and flamed, Talisman. Mr. 
Knowles again came second with feathered bizarre, 
Lord F._ Cavendish ; and flamed, Dr. Hardy; 
roses, Modesty, flamed, Triomphe Royale ; feathered 
byblcemen, Mrs. Hepworth ; and flamed, Adonis. 
Mr. J. Knowles was first with three feathered 
Tulips, having bizarre Sir J. Paxton ; rose, Lizzie, 
and byblcemen, King of the Universe. Second, Mr. 
Bentley with bizarre Garibaldi, rose, Mrs. Collier, 
and byblcemen, Agnes. With three flamed flowers 
Mr. Bentley was again first, with bizarre Sir J. 
Paxton, rose, Mabel, and byblcemen, Talisman. 
Second, Mr. C. W. Needham, Royton, with bizarre 
Sir J. Paxton, rose, Aglaia, and bvbloemen, Duchess 
of Sutherland. It is scarcely necessary to go into 
particulars of the minor classes, as the foregoing 
afford an idea of the leading flowers staged on this 
occasion. 
The Breeder Tulips were as usual very attractive. 
Mr. James Bentley was placed ist with six breeders, 
two of each class, having of bizarres, Sir J. Paxton 
and Sulphur ; roses, Annie McGregor, as usual very 
bright, and Miss Burdett Coutts ; byblcemens, Glory 
of Stakehill and Talisman. Mr. Samuel Barlowwas 
2nd, with bizarres, Sir J. Paxton and Sulphur; 
roses, Annie McGregor and Miss Burdett Coutts; 
and byblcemens, David Jackson and Hepworth Seed¬ 
ling. With three breeders, Mr. James Bentley was 
ist, with bizarre, Sir J. Paxton ; rose, Annie McGre¬ 
gor; and byblcemen, William Parkinson. 2nd, Mr. 
W. Mellor, Wakefield, with bizarre, Sir J. Paxton; 
rose, Thomas Parker; bybloemen, Queen of May. 
3rd, Mr. Samuel Barlow, with bizarre, Sir J. Paxton ; 
rose, Miss Burdett Coutts; and bybloemen, Nim¬ 
bus. The premier feathered flower wasdoybloemen, 
King of the Universe; and the premier flamed, Dr. 
Hardy, both shown by Mr. J. W. Bentley in his first 
prize pan of twelve flowers ; and it is not usual for 
both to be found in one stand. 
The premier bizarre breeder was Richard Yates, 
shown by Mr. Bentley, and awarded the ist prize in 
the class for bizarre breeders. It will thus be seen 
Mr. Bentley exhibited the three premier flowers.— 
R. D. 
The Butley Tulip Show. 
On Thursday, two days after, Wednesday having 
intervened as a day of preparation both for 
individuals and flowers, was held for the sixty- 
seventh consecutive year, in the Orange Tree Inn, at 
Butley, a village near to Macclesfield, the above show, 
and, though the bloom had suffered severely, yet a 
very commendable display took place. Formerly- a 
number of small growers lived at Butley, but 
they are now reduced to one or two, and by 
reason of the competition in the classes being thrown 
open, some of the leading competitors at Old Trafford 
brought blooms, and added materially to the interest 
of the gathering, and the early train from Manchester 
and Stockport brought a Tulip-loving contingent, 
while other growers drove to this pleasant Cheshire 
village. 
If one would see a Tulip show conducted upon 
the old traditional lines, they should visit the Butley 
Exhibition, where they would see much to interest 
and gratify. The schedule is published in the form 
of a handbill ; it sets forth that any person bringing 
flow-ers to this meeting can be put upon his oath if 
required, to show- they are his own property and 
blooming. Growers are requested to send the names 
of the flowers they intend to exhibit to the secretary 
three days before the show, that the flowers will be 
judged before dinner, and that non-subscribers are 
admitted to the show on payment of silver at the 
doors. 
Considerable interest attached to this show because 
Air. Samuel Barlow, J.P., Stakehill House, being the 
president for this year, had generously presented a 
handsome silver cup, value ten guineas, for the best 
pan of six flowers, one feathered and one flamed in 
each class. The vice president is Mr. W. Kitchen, of 
Marple, who was born in the house, and whose 
family were proprietors of the Orange Tree Inn from 
the commencement of the show down to last year, 
when the then landlady and treasurer to the show. 
Miss Kitchen, his sister, died. That position is now- 
occupied by Miss Brown, the present occupier, and a 
relative of the Kitchen family. 
The flowers were staged forjudging in a long room 
used for club and other purposes, and when ready 
only the judges and stewards were allowed to remain 
in it. In another room were assembled the secretary 
and his assistants, and the exhibitors. As soon as 
the award was made in one class, the flowers all 
staged in ginger beer bottles with wooden tubes in 
their necks were placed upon a tray and carried by 
the stewards to the secretary, who recorded the 
names of the winners as well as the winning flowers 
in a book, and placed the prize cards upon the bottles. 
They were then carried back by the stewards and 
placed in due order upon a sloping stage of nine 
narrow shelves at one end of the room, the prize 
flowers in the middle, and the others flanking them 
on either side; this went on until the record was 
complete. 
There were four competitors for the cup, which 
was awarded to Mr. James W. Bentley, the nephew 
of the president, and hon. secretary to the Royal 
National Tulip Society. Of bizarres he had 
feathered, Lord F. Cavendish; flamed, Sir J. 
Paxton ; roses, leathered, Alice; flamed, Annie 
McGregor ; byblcemens, feathered, King of the Uni¬ 
verse ; flamed, Queen of May. Mr. James Knowles, 
Stalybridge, came next in point of merit, with finely- 
marked flowers, but a little too young and therefore 
not sufficiently expanded. He had of bizarres, 
feathered, Lord Lilford ; flamed, Dr. Hardy ; by¬ 
blcemens, feathered, Queen of May; flamed, Beauty 
of Litchurch; roses, feathered, Lizzie Dymock ; 
flamed, Mr. Bright. Mr. W. Kitchen came next, 
and Mr. Samuel Barlow, whose flowers had suffered 
from the great heat, was 4th. As only the cup was 
awarded in this class, the other stands were broken 
up and the flowers placed in the various classes for 
single blooms. 
The awards in these classes ran as follows; 
Feathered bizarres: Mr. James Knowles ist and 5th, 
with Lord Lilford, 4th with Sir J. Paxton, and 6th 
withTypho; 2nd, Mr. "W. Kitchen, with Sulphur; 
3rd, Mr. J. W. Bentley, with Lord F. Cavendish. 
Byblcemens, feathered : ist, Mr. W. Kitchen, with 
Violet Amiable ; 2nd, Mr. Knowles, with Mrs. Hep¬ 
worth, and 4th with Violet Amiable; 3rd, Mr. J. 
W. Bentley, with Violet Amiable, and 6th with 
Queen of May; 5th, Mr. W. Kitchen, with Lord 
Denman. Roses, feathered: ist and 2nd, Mr. 
Knowles, with Lizzie Dymock, 4th with Heroine, 
and 5th with Annie McGregor; 3rd, Mr. J. W. 
Bentley, with Mabel, and 6th with Julia Farnese. 
