August 29, 190$. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
739 
SOCIETIES. 
SHROPSHIRE HORTICULTURAL. 
August I9th and 20th. 
The twenty-ninth exhibition of the above society was held, as 
usual, in the beautifully laid-out pleasure grounds named The 
Quarry. Although the weather was not very promising the day 
before the show, yet the opening day broke up fine, and re¬ 
mained good throughout the same, so that the attendance was 
again very large. The exhibition itself showed no falling away, 
but, on the other hand, is still increasing in magnitude, and 
required nine tents to hold the exhibits, being at least two 
more than was necessary last year. Two of the largest tents 
were lighted with electricity, to enable the exhibitors to put up 
the large groups, on which a great amount of labour has to be 
expended in order to get the precise arrangement desired by 
the exhibitor. The exhibits were of a very varied character, 
including Grapes and other fruit (the indoor fruit being very 
fine), plants, flowers, and vegetables. The last named were 
really a very strong feature of the exhibition. Miscellaneous 
exhibits were also numerous, and formed a decided feature of 
the exhibition, and occupied a deal of space. 
A tremendous downpour of rain greatly marred the second 
day of the show. 
The arrangements were admirably carried out, as usual, by 
Messrs. Adnitt and Naunton, honorary secretaries, who strove 
to make themselves both agreeable and useful to the exhibitors, 
judges, and others connected with the show. 
Plants. 
The large groups of miscellaneous plants, to occupy a space 
not exceeding 300 square feet, occupied a considerable amount 
of space, and attracted much attention from the visitors. They 
were really works of art, as is usually the case at Shrewsbury. 
The amount of material in these groups and the time that they 
occupy in arrangement require a great amount of attraction, 
in order to make the exhibitors spend the time necessary for 
building them up on the complicated and nicely-arranged plan 
necessary to gain the winning place at Shrewsbury. The lead¬ 
ing place on this occasion was taken by Mr. W. Finch (Coventry) 
with a very well balanced arrangement. He was followed hy 
Messrs. J. Cypher and Sons, Cheltenham, and the third award 
went to Mr. W. Yause, Leamington. 
In the class for 15 stove and greenhouse plants Messrs. J. 
Cypher and Sons led the way. They had splendid plants of 
Erica mamockiana, Allamanda nobilis, Codiaeum Warreni, 
Bougainvillea Cypheri, Statice intermedia, and other plants. 
In this case they were followed by Mr. W. Yause and Mr. W. 
Finch, in the order named. 
The class for six stove plants brought T. S. Timmis, Esq. (gar¬ 
dener, Mr. B. Cromwell), Clevely, Allerton, Liverpool, to the 
front. He had well-flowered plants of Stephanotis*Tloribunda, 
Ixora Duffi, I. Williamsi, Statice profusa, and Lapageria rosea ; 
Messrs. J. Cypher and Sons came in second in this case. 
A class was devoted to groups of foliage plants, and in this 
case the leading award went to Messrs. J. Cypher and Sons ; 
the second prize was taken by W. T. E. Cox, Esq. (gardener, 
Mr. G. Thompson), Spondon Hall, Derby ; the third prize went 
to the Earl of Carnarvon (gardener, Mr. J. Read), Bretby Park, 
Burton. Lord Harlech (gardener, Mr. T. Lambert), Brogyntyn, 
Oswestry, took the leading place for a collection of six stove 
and greenhouse subjects, showing some fine plants, including a 
large specimen of Clerodendron fallax. 
The leading award for a group of tuberous Begonias was taken 
by Fred. Davis, Esq. (gardener, Mr. Pershore), Woolas Hill, 
who even beat Messrs. Blackmore and Langdon, Twerton Hill 
Nurseries, Bath, and, judging from this, it may be calculated 
that this class of plants is undergoing a great improvement 
indeed ; the third prize was taken by Messrs. B R. Davis and 
Son, Yeovil. 
T. S. Timmis, Esq., had the best Caladiums in the show. 
He also had the best four exotic species of Ferns and the best 
12 plants suitable for table decoration, his specimens in this 
latter case being very nicely grown and well coloured. 
Lord Harlech took the leading place for 30 flowering and 
foliage plants grown in small pots. 
Cut Flowers. 
Hardy herbaceous plants made a bold and striking feature in 
one of the tents, especially in the class for the large collection, 
in which the winners stood very close to each other, and cost 
the judges a considerable amount of trouble to adjudicate. 
Messrs. Harkness and Sons, Bedale, Yorks, took the leading 
place with splendid bunches of Gladioli, Lilies, and other hardy 
plants ; Mr. M. Pritchard, Christchurch, Hants, was a very 
close second with showy and well-arranged bunches, and he had 
a fine bunch of Crinum Powellii, a hybrid that is not yet so 
common as it might be ; the third place was taken by Messrs. 
G. Gibson and Co., Leeming Bar, Bedale. We are pleased to 
see hardy Lilies allowed to take their place with other her¬ 
baceous plants. 
In a smaller class, for 24 bunches of hardy herbaceous plants, 
Miss Humberston (gardener, Mr. R. Wakefield), Newton Hall, 
Chester, took the leading award, beating Messrs. G. Gibson 
and Co. Miss Humberston also had the best 12 bunches. 
Dahlias were shown in great abundance, the Cactus varieties 
attracting the most attention. The leading award for a group 
to occupy a space with 10g ft. frontage was taken by Messrs. 
W. B. Rowe and Son, Worcester. They had fine bunches of 
Mrs. Mawley, Maid of Honour, and Harry Laing, but we think 
they were overdone with Gypsophila and other side decorations 
of that sort; the second award went to Mr. S. Mortimer, Row- 
ledge, Farnham, Surrey, who used Dahlia foliage only ; Messrs. 
Keynes, Williams and Co., Salisbury, came in third. 
In ttie class for Dahlias of any kind the premier honours 
were secured by Air. William Treseder, Cardiff, who had a 
splendid arrangement of Cactus Dahlias, decorative varieties 
and single sorts, set up in various floral devices. Messrs. 
Keynes, Williams and Co., Salisbury, took the second place in 
this class, and Alessrs. Jones and Sons, Shrewsbury, came in 
third. 
Sweet Peas filled the whole of one tent with an overflow into 
another, and were a most pleasing feature of the exhibition. 
In the class for 18 varieties (prizes offered by Mr. H. Eckford) 
the lead was taken by Hugh Aldersey, Esq. (gardener, Air. J. 
Chisholm), Aldersey Hall, Chester. Mr. T. Jones, Ruabon, 
took the second place, and Air. Hall, Knott on Hall, Ellesmere, 
came in third, all the exhibitors showing well. 
For 12 varieties of Sweet Peas (prizes offered by Mr. Robert 
Sydenham) the lead was taken by Air. W. Shropshire, Market 
Drayton, who was followed by the Rev. J. Duncombe and 
Hugh Aldersey, Esq., in this ordei'. The competition in this 
class was very keen, owing to the great number of entries. 
For six vases of Sweet Peas (prizes offered by Messrs. Jones 
and Sons) the lead was taken by Mr. T. Jones, Ruabon. 
In another class for 12 varieties the lead was taken by Hugh 
Aldersey, Esq., Mr. W. Shropshire being second, and E. Aimes, 
Esq. (gardener, Air. S. Marshall), Fairholme, Surrey, third. 
In the class for 24 Roses the lead was taken by Messrs. R. 
Harkness and Co., Hitchin, who had tine blooms of Bessie 
Brown, Mrs. J. Laing, Paul Neyron, Her Alajesty, and white 
Maman Cochet. The second award was taken by Messrs. D. 
and W. Croll, Dundee, who had some fine blooms. Messrs. 
Perkins and Son, Coventry, came in third. 
Mr. S. J. Simon, Market Drayton, had the best 12 blooms for 
the county of Salop. 
The best table of Carnations was staged by Air. A. F. Dutton, 
Bexley Heath, Kent. The second award was secured by Alessrs. 
AI. Campbell and Son, High Blantyre, N.B., and AY. A. AVatts, 
Esq., Bronwylla, St. Asaph, came in third. 
Fruit. 
Great interest was centred in the class for a dessert table de¬ 
corated with plants and fine foliage. Fifteen dishes of fruit 
were asked for, and the kinds from which the selection might 
be made were given in the schedule. The leading award was 
won by the Earl of Harrington (gardener, Air. J. H. Goodacre), 
Elvaston Castle, Derby, with 118g points. He had splendid 
examples of Muscat of Alexandria, Aladresfield Court, and 
Cannon Hall Muscat Grapes ; also Marguerite Marillat and Dr. 
Jules Guyot Pears, Ribston Pippin and AVashington Apples, 
Belle Garde and Princess of Wales Peaches, Brown Turkey. 
Figs, and Elruge and Pineapple Nectarines. G. Farquhar, Esq. 
(gardener, Air. G. Mullins), Eastnor Castle, Ledbury, took the 
second award with 107 points, showing some tine Cherries, 
Peaches, Apricots, and Grapes. The third award went to the 
Hon. Airs. Aleynell Ingram (gardener, Air. R. Dawes), Temple 
Newsam, Leeds, with 97 points. 
In the class for a collection of 16 dishes of fruit not fewer 
than 12 kinds, not more than two varieties of a kind, the lead¬ 
ing honours again fell to Air. J. H. Goodacre, who had very 
tine bunches of Aladresfield Court, Duke of Buccleuch, Aluscat 
of Alexandria, and Black Hamburgh. His best bunches, 
perhaps, were Aladresfield Court. He also had some fine dishes 
