November 7, 1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
165 
BATTERSEA PARK. 
Some 2,000 plants of all sections are grown at 
Battersea Park. They are accommodated through 
their flowering stage in a large roomy Palm house, 
125 ft. in length by 25 ft. in width. This house was 
opened to the public on Saturday, October 17th, and 
will continue open until about the end of November, 
a period of six weeks. Some improvement has been 
effected this year in the matter of staging. Instead 
of the sloping bank system, which has been followed 
in former years, advantage has been taken of the 
different heights of the plants to so arrange them 
that they present an undulating outline instead of a 
flat regular surface as hitherto. 
Numbers of bush plants grown on without dis¬ 
budding, and allowed to bloom as they like, have 
been loosely slung to the eaves of the house, and the 
long graceful trusses of flowers allowed to assume a 
sub-pendant position. It will be remembered that 
this system was adopted with conspicuous success 
last year. Such well-known varieties as Margot, 
Golden Madame Martha, Source d’Or, Elsie, and 
James Salter lend themselves very well to this work, 
and are now a blaze of bloom, whilst the Christines 
are promising well for a later display. A new 
feature is a number of pompon varieties on the left 
hand side from the entrance door that have been 
trained over to form a hedge, as it were, with a 
convex outline. These plants, however, look too 
stiff to be really graceful, although they will 
probably improve as their flower buds expand. 
The show on the whole is well up to the standard 
of former years, and when we consider the low lying 
position of the park, all the more praise is due to 
Mr. Coppin and his capable grower Mr. Wheeler for 
the manner in which they have surmounted natural 
difficulties and presented such a brave show to the 
public. 
The Japanese section is decidedly the strongest, 
although it must not be supposed that the incurved 
section is neglected. On the contrary we noted 
some excellent blooms of Mr. Geo. Glenny, still one 
of the best medium-sized yellow varieties in culti¬ 
vation. Mr. Bunn, and Baron Hirsch were also 
represented by some good blooms. Queen of 
England, and its golden form were promising well, 
and will be better for a few days longer. The same 
might also be said for Golden Empress of India. 
Mons. Wm. Holmes was bearing large flowers of 
wonderful brilliancy of colour. The bronzy-orange 
of Gloire du Rocher was also conspicuous. Another 
week or two will see some excellent specimens of 
John Shrimpton, with its rich crimson hue that is so 
telling amongst a mixed collection. William Tricker, 
although a somewhat ragged bloom, is invaluable for 
October work, and this year it has done exceptionally 
well. For showiness nothing can beat the yellows, for 
come dull weather or fine they are always gay. 
Several good plants of Sunflower were on view, 
rather early for this celebrated variety, it is true, but 
in fine condition. Miss Watson is a lovely yellow 
flower with long narrow florets. It is rather tall in 
habit and very distinct in character, so much so, 
indeed, that one could easily distinguish it dotted 
about the house. Miss Dorothy Shea, another 
standard variety had not yet come to its full beauty, 
but had the makings of a first class flower. Than 
President Borel there was no more effective subject 
in the whole house. It had, if anything, exceeded 
its reputation, and the rich rosy cerise of its florets, 
with their old gold reverse, sparkled gaily in the 
transient beams of a Battersea October sun. Some 
superb samples of Lady Byron, a comparatively new 
white variety, were remarkable for their size, depth 
and purity. Miss Annie Hartshorn is an incurved 
Japanese form of medium height, great merit 
and purity. Viviand Morel must not be forgotten, 
although it was rather late. Its relative Chas. 
Davis will be good in another week. Edouard 
Audiguier, one of the very best dark varieties we 
have, was in fine condition. Madame Edouard 
Rey, Mons. Tarin, Mons. Freeman, and Col. W. B. 
Smith, are other varieties that have done wonder¬ 
fully well. 
The popular hairy flowers were not wanting. The 
white and chaste Louis Boehmer, with its 
marvellously beautiful arrangement of hairs or thorns 
was much in evidence, and Hairy Wonder, 
still the best of its colour, was evidently trying to 
keep up its reputation. 
The most commendable point about the Battersea 
collection is the brilliancy of the colour of which the 
blooms are possessed. To this may be added as an 
additional merit perfect cleanliness of growth and 
habit. 
JUBILEE CELEBRATION 
OK 
THE NATIONAL CHRYSANTHEMUM 
SOCIETY. 
Both the ground floor and the two galleries of the 
Royal Aquarium were fully occupied, and even 
crowded in places, at the exhibition which opened on 
the 3rd inst. and continued over next day. The 
arrangements in many instances were quite different 
from any which have previously been made by the 
society, and the effect was really splendid. 
The Gold Jubilee Medal offered by the president, 
Sir Edwin Saunders brought out five beautiful 
groups, arranged in a circle 12 ft. in diameter. Mr. 
H. J. Jones, Ryecroft Nursery, Hither Green, 
Lewisham, was decidedly first and carried off the 
coveted honour with a most graceful and tasteful 
arrangement, and blooms of immense size, all beauti¬ 
fully lightened with Cocos weddeliana, Crotons, and 
Maidenhair Ferns. Mr. W. Howe, gardener to 
Henry Tate, Esq., Park Hill, Streatham, had a 
beautiful arrangement much in the same style and 
took the second prize. Mr. W. Wells, Earlswood 
Nurseries, Redhill, Surrey, took the third place with 
an admirable group. Mr. T. S. Ware, Hale Farm 
Nurseries, Tottenham, came in fourth with a good 
group, but lacked a few more Palms. 
Mr. D. Donald, gardener to J. G. Barclay, Esq., 
Knoth Green, Leyton, took the Jubilee Gold Medal 
for nine trained specimens, which were of huge size 
and splendidly flowered. John Shrimpton, Viviand 
Morel, Elaine, and Charles Davis were some of his 
best specimens. Mr. J. Brooke, gardener to W. 
Reynolds, Esq , J.P., The Grove, Highgate, was a 
very good second indeed. Mr. W. Davey, gardener 
to C. H. Paine, Esq., Cedar Lodge, Stamford Hill, 
was third with smaller specimens. 
The first prize, a Silver Gilt Jubilee Medal, was 
rightly awarded to Mr. D. Donald, for six trained 
specimen pompon Chrysanthemums ; Wm. Kennedy, 
Wm. Westlake, and Soeur Melaine were some of his 
best. Mr. J. Brooke was again second; Mr. G. H. 
Cooper, Sydenham Road, Croydon, was third. 
There were thirteen entries for the sixty Japanese 
blooms, and the leading award—a Gold Jubilee 
Medal and £15— was taken by Mr. W. Mease, 
gardener to Alfred Tate, Esq., Downside, Leather- 
head. He had magnificent blooms of Mme. Carnot, 
International, Mrs. J. Shrimpton, Mutual Friend, 
Mrs. Chas. Blick, Mme. Ad. Chatin, Modesto, Edith 
Tabor, Western King, Violetta, Niveus, Lord 
Brooke, E. Molyneux, H L. Sunderbrucb, Hairy 
Wonder, Mrs. C. H. Payne, M. Gruyer, Phoebus, 
Miss Dorothy Shea, Mrs. W. H. Lees, Florence 
Davis, A. H. Wood, President Borel, Robert Owen, 
Chrysanthemum Philadelphia (See p. 151). 
