August 27, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
823 
The flowers are small individually but pretty in the 
mass. The petals are white, but the anthers are 
purple and tend to give the flowers a pinkish hue. 
Altogether it may be described as a pretty subject 
for border work, for which it might be preferred to 
A. japonica ; but it will never displace the latter for 
forcing. 
- ~t— - 
FLOWER SHOW AT 
ABERDEEN. 
The annual floral fete of the Royal Horticultural 
Society of Aberdeen was held in the Central Park, 
on the i8th, igth, and 20th inst. Hitherto the show 
of the society has been confined to a horticultural 
display, the discoursing of music by a military band 
of distinction and an exhibition of fireworks in the 
evening. On this occasion, however, in addition to 
the attractions mentioned, the programme of events 
included a military tournament. Unfortunately the 
weather on the opening day was far from 
propitious; indeed the gates were closed 
early in the evening so heavy was the down¬ 
pour of rain. On Friday and Saturday, however, the 
weather-clerk made ample amends for his short¬ 
coming on Thursday. It has to be admitted at once 
that the resolution of the acting directors of the 
society to have military sports in connection with the 
fete in no way detracted from the excellence of the 
flower show. On the contrary, in several of its 
departments, it was the finest held under the 
auspices of the society for some years. 
In the professional gardeners’ section the display 
of plants in pots could not have been excelled. In 
the collection of best grown plants, arranged on a 
table 15 ft. by 8 ft., that forwarded by Mr. Alex. 
Grigor, gardener to Mr. A. O. Gill, of Fairfield, was 
worthily awarded the first place, and besides securing 
the premier prize, the collection also took, in 
addition, Her Majesty the Queen’s special 
prize — a silver salad bowl, valued at twelve 
guineas. Second honours fell to Mr. James 
Strachan, gardener to Mr. John Fyfe, of Beechgrove 
who also exhibited a meritorious collection. Mr. G 
McHardy, gardener to Dean of Guild Macdonald," 
was the first for the six best stove or greenhouse 
plants, Mr. Alex. Grigor being a good second. Ferns 
were an excellent display, more especially the exotics, 
and in this class, Mr. Gill led. Of Fuchsias there 
was but a fair show, but the assortment of Pelargo. 
niums was of a high order, the double and single 
zonals and the tricolors being particularly notice¬ 
able. A really magnificent display of plants for 
dinner table decoration was forward. For size and 
colour, the show of Begonias would be hard to beat. 
Mr. John Hay, Polmuir Road, Aberdeen, carried off 
first honours with a grand specimen. Cockscombs 
were well coloured, and of great substance. Orchids 
looked really well. 
In the amateur department the show of plants in 
pots was an extremely creditable one, and came out 
well in comparison with the professionals. An 
immense amount of pains must have been taken by 
the competitors in order to get their plants into 
condition, and when it is stated that many of the 
men had only frames in which to grow them the 
display was all the more creditable. 
Considering the backward nature of the season the 
show of cut flowers was a splendid one. In the 
professional section Mr. Andrew Reid, gardener to 
Mr. Baird, of Durris, was awarded first prize for a 
splendid collection, arranged for effect on a side table 
8 ft. by 3| ft., and he also gained with the same 
collection, the Messrs. Doulton & Co's (London) 
prize, a handsome vase. The collection shown by 
Mr. Robert Kiloh, gardener to Mr. R. Gillies, of 
M oodlands, was composed of finer greenhouse 
flowers than the first prize collection, but the effect 
was wanting, and it only took second place. The 
show of Roses was one of the best ever seen in 
Aberdeen, Mr. D. Macdonald, from demount 
Nursery, was first for the best twenty-four blooms. 
The premier honours for best 12 went to Mr. Reid, 
gardener to Mr. Baird, of Urie. Considering the 
dull weather there was a very fair lot of Tea Roses 
forward, and the Pelargonium blooms were a 
specially fine show. Phloxes and Stocks have seldom 
been seen in better condition, and competition in 
these classes was keen. Pansies were numerous and 
splendid, but Dahlias were but a poor show owing to 
the lateness of the season. The nurserymen and 
florists staged a large and fine assortment of cut 
flowers. The Messrs. Croll, Dundee, with a splendid 
collection, secured premier honours for the best 36 
Rose blooms. The same firm were also winners in 
the Tea Rose competition with magnificent speci¬ 
mens. The unfortunate rupture between the acting 
directors of the society and the Messrs. Cocker, 
Aberdeen, the well-known rosarians, precluded that 
firm from competing. Dahlias seemed to be favourites 
with the nurserymen and florists. The cut flowers 
entered by the amateurs and working classes were 
most satisfactory. There was quite a host of 
competitors in the wild flower bouquet competition, 
open to boys and girls under sixteen years of age. 
Perhaps the outstanding feature in the fete was 
the magnificent display of fruit. The judges gave it 
as their opinion that never before had they seen a 
better. The number of entries exceeded those of last 
year, and the competition was close. In the pro¬ 
fessional section Mr. A. Howie, gardener to Rev. J. 
S. Gemmel, of Drumtochty Castle, was placed first 
for his collection of nine dishes, distinct. Mr. Howie 
also carried off a silver medal for the best collection of 
fruit. Grapes were in abundance, Mr. Reid, Durris, 
securing the principal prizes, although the other com¬ 
petitors run him close. Melons, Tomatos, Peaches, 
and Pears, formed good classes, the specimens being 
large and well flavoured. Strawberries, Goose 
berries, and Black Currants were shown in great 
numbers. The amateur and working class sections 
contained creditable displays of fruit. 
In all departments the vegetables looked well, and 
the show on the whole ftas a fine one. For the best 
collection, arranged in a box 4 ft. by 3 ft. outside 
measurement, and comprising ten distinct varieties, 
there were six competitors, Mr. Middleton, gardener 
to Sir Arthur Grant, Bart., of Monymusk, taking the 
lead with an excellent collection. Mr. G. Milne, 
gardener to Lady Gordon Cathcart, took the second 
place. For a similar collection, open to market 
gardeners only, Mr. W. Anderson, Lower Cornhill, 
received the chief prize. 
In the miscellaneous class there were a large 
number of plants, etc., on exhibition. Mr. Joseph 
Dalgarno, Whitehall, Aberdeen, showed a lovely 
collection of herbaceous plants and Ferns. Messrs. 
W. Smith & Son, Aberdeen, and Messrs. Ben Reid 
& Co., Aberdeen, exhibited magnificent collections 
of plants and cut flowers. Mr. John Forbes, 
Buccleuch Nurseries, Hawick, also exhibited largely, 
and was awarded a Silver Medal for his collection of 
cut flowers, and a First-class Certificate for his 
Carnation Meteor. 
Thanks to the indefatigable exertions of the 
courteous and obliging secretary, Mr. A. M. Byres, 
C.A., Aberdeen, everything passed off most success¬ 
fully. Large numbers of people visited the show, 
especially on Saturday, when the special trains took 
in thousands of spectators from all quarters of 
Aberdeenshire and the north. 
--i-.- 
Gardening Miscellany. 
LARGE HOLLIES 
In reply to your query in last week’s issue, as to 
whether there are any Hollies of larger dimensions 
than that at the residence of Mr. Colman in Surrey, 
I may say that we have here a Holly tree measuring 
118 inches in circumference at 3 ft. from the ground, 
and which is about 70 ft. in height. We have several 
others ranging from 65 inches round to 108 inches 
in the kitchen garden, and a silver Queen measuring 
68 inches round at 6 ft. from the ground. I would 
be glad to know if any of your readers can inform me 
of a tree measuring more than the one I first men¬ 
tioned ,—John Carmichael, The Gardens, Touch House, 
Stirling. 
MEALY BUG ON A TACSONIA 
Much has appeared at various times in your columns 
concerning Mealy Bug. I have in the conservatory 
under my care a Tacsonia Exoniensis which is 
simply covered with it. We have gone over it time 
after time with a small brush and insecticide, after¬ 
wards thoroughly syringing with a strong solution of 
oft soap, and on some occasions mixed with paraffin, 
but in a very short time we find it just as bad as 
ever. I suggested cutting it out and having the place 
painted, but this would grieve my employer, as the 
climber is such a favourite of hers. Would some 
reader suggest how we can thoroughly get rid of the 
pest.— A Constant Reader. 
COLEUS AS EXHIBITION PLANTS. 
It has been generally remarked that the Coleus has 
rapidly declined as an exhibition plant. There is no 
doubt it is so, for those in the habit of attending 
flower shows note with regret that the plants now 
seen generally are small, drawn, dull-coloured, and 
attenuated foliage. More’s the pity, because I think 
that in the matter of effective ornamental foliaged 
plants the Coleus when good varieties are well 
grown and presented .n their best form—bold and 
luxuriant in growth and finely coloured—they rank 
next to tne Crotons for vividness of leaf colouration. 
At the 1 rowbridge Flower Show, a few days ago, 
Mr. H. Matthews, gardener to W. R. Brown, Esq., 
Trowbridge, staged half-a-dozen plants of medium 
size, but very striking in appearance. The varieties 
were Butterfly, Mrs. C. Simpson, Beckwith's Gem, 
Mrs. Sheriff, Mr. C. Hart, and Lady Dacre. Not 
only are these fine exhibition varieties, but they are 
also good decorative sorts, and, as such, are well 
worthy of being cultivated. The form of Mr. 
Matthews' plants was that of a fine, bushy growth ; 
much better than the sharply-trained pyramidal or 
flat specimens one is sometimes—I think too fre¬ 
quently—accustomed to see.— R. D. 
POLYGONUM CAPITATUM. 
Occasionally we see this grown upon the rockery, 
where it looks pretty enough, but as a rule it is not 
long lived. It ripens seeds, however, and these drop 
about and come up spontaneously in the following 
spring or summer. The pink flowers are aggregated 
in little round heads, hence the specific name. The 
leaves are also pretty in having a /^-shaped, bronzy- 
purple blotch on the middle, like several other well- 
known species, but of a different shape. The plant 
is seen to best advantage however as a greenhouse 
plant, and particularly when grown in pots or baskets 
and suspended from the roof, so that the naturally 
trailing stems are allowed free play to develop. It is 
used in this way in the nursery of Messrs. J. Laing 
& Sons, Forest Hill, with very striking effect. Some 
are suspended in baskets, and others grown in small 
pots and stood along the edges of the stages in the 
Begonia houses, where the slender stems attain a 
length of 2 ft. or 3 ft., and hang down very grace¬ 
fully. I he spotting of the leaves is best brought out 
where the plants are near the glass. 
THE PYRENEAN ROSE. 
The single flowers of this wilding are pretty, and 
they are followed by fruits that are as pretty as they 
are curious. Usually the fruits of Roses are globose, 
oval, or some similar shape, but in the present in¬ 
stance they are oblong and narrowed a little below 
the calyx, of a bright red or scarlet colour, and more 
resembling the fruit of a Capsicum than a Rose. The 
plant grows about a foot high or thereabout, and is 
the Rosa pyrenaica of botanists. There are several 
of the Roses that well deserve to be cultivated for 
the sake of their fruits, and the Pyrenean species is 
is one of them. 
DIANTHUS SUPERBUS. 
h lorists have a great aversion to fringed or saw- 
edged forms of both Carnations and Pinks, so that 
they would doubtless look upon D. superbus as a 
hopelessly incorrigible plant utterly beyond their 
powers to deal with. Almost the whole lamina of 
the petals is cut into shreds or fringes ; but notwith¬ 
standing this the plant is very pretty during the 
month of August when covered with its lilac-purple 
fringed blooms. The leaves are short and green, 
while the stems rise to a height of 12 in. or iS in. 
The plant may be grown upon the rockery or in the 
ordinary herbaceous border, but wherever planted it 
should enjoy an open exposure not overhung by 
trees, nor shaded in any way. 
PALIURUS AUSTRALIS. 
The foliage of this shrub is highly ornamental apart 
from the flowers and apart from the interest attach¬ 
ing to it as one of the species of Paliurus popularly 
known as Christ’s Thorn. The leaves are broadly 
ovate and arranged in a double file along the sides 
of short lateral twigs in such a way that the shoots 
appear like pinnate leaves The flowers are small 
individually, but very freely produced in the axillary 
clusters of a bright yellow. The branches moreover 
are spiny as in the case of P. aculeatus. The shelter 
