590 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
July 22, 1905. 
GREAT SUMER SHOW 
Of the Royal Horticultural Society at Chelsea. 
The first summer show under the auspices 
of the Royal Horticultural Society in the 
grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, was 
held on the 11th, 12th, and 13th inst. It was 
in every respect a splendid summer exhibition, 
showing a great amount of variety of flowers, 
fruits, and vegetables now in season. The 
weather was splendid, though rather oppres¬ 
sively warm at times in the tents, of which 
there were four large ones independently of 
those set apart for sundries and for the con¬ 
venience of the various committees. The 
judges, committees and others of the Royal 
Horticultural Society were invited by the 
Council to luncheon, and this took place in a 
tent provided for the occasion. Sir George 
White, of Ladysmith fame, who has a close 
connection with the Royal Hospital at Chel¬ 
sea, honoured the society with his presence 
and made a brilliant speech. 
The show itself was in every respect a fine 
one, but the space at our command forbids 
anything but a brief allusion to the splendid 
array of exhibits. Hardy herbaceous and 
alpine plants in endless variety of form and 
colour made up a large number of the ex¬ 
hibits. Principal amongst the exhibitors in 
this class of flowers were Messrs. R. Wallace 
and Co., G. Paul and Son, William Cutbush 
and Son, G. Bunyard and Co., M. Prichard, 
Amos Perry, B. Ladliams, George Jackman 
and Son, J. Cheal and Sons, T. S. Ware, Ltd., 
John Forbes, and others. We cannot give a 
tithe of the fine things, including Lilies, 
Phloxes, Delphiniums, and others that were 
shown, ’ but they certainly contributed to 
make a fine show. An Award of Merit was 
-- 
OUR PRIZE COMPETITIONS. 
ESSAY COMPETITION 
Prizes. — (1) Two Guineas ; (2) One Guinea. 
Open to all Readers. 
The above Prizes will be given for the best 
essays on 
“What I would, do with a Villa 
Garden, in the production of flowers, 
fruits, and vegetables.” 
The garden may be of any shape, providing the 
area is approximately 3,000 square feet. Give a 
rough plan of the garden, indicating which is the 
north by an arrow; show the position of the 
various crops ; if it is decided to have a lawn and 
flower-beds, their position with regard to the 
dwelling-house should be shown. Walks, flower- 
borders, fruit-trees or bushes, and vegetable 
quarters should be so disposed as to give the 
finest effect from the house and be in harmony 
with the surroundings. State if the garden is 
enclosed with a brick wall, open or closed fencing. 
The skill and taste displayed by the competitor 
in his arrangements will have great weight in the 
adjudication of the prizes. The expenditure in 
first stocking the garden -with seeds, plants, trees, 
bushes, and fertilisers should be stated, and the 
annual cost afterwards. The essay should be 
about 1,000 words, and must be sent in on or 
before July 31st next. Mark envelopes in the 
left-hand comer “ Garden Competition.” 
given to Thalictrum Delavayii, shown by 
Messrs. R. Wallace and Co., and another went 
to Mr. Amos Perry for Betonica spicata 
robusta. 
Roses were shown in great abundance, in¬ 
cluding rambler Roses in a variety of form, as 
well as H. P., H. T., T., and other sections. 
\ ery fine in this respect were the exhibits of 
Messrs. V illiam Paul and Son, Messrs. G. 
Paul and Son, Messrs. William Cutbush and 
Son, Hobbies, Ltd., Messrs. W. and J. Brown, 
and Messrs. G. and A. Clark, whose exhibits 
were partly formed of Roses. 
Orchids were splendidly represented by 
Jeremiah Column, Esq., Messrs. Charlesworth 
and Co., Sander and Sons, Fred. Wigan, Esq., 
Messrs. H. Low and Co., and others, who had 
smaller exhibits of the popular aristocratic 
Orchids. 
Two of the largest exhibits consisted of 
Ferns in a remarkable variety of species. The 
finer of the two large exhibits was shown by 
Mr. H. B. May, and included about 175 
species and varieties of the more popular and 
finer forms. Messrs. J. Hill and Son also had 
a splendid exhibit of Ferns. 
Sweet Peas in a wealth of variety were 
shown by Messrs. H. J. Jones, Charles W. 
Breadmore, G. Stark and Son, Gilbert and 
Son, R. H. Bath, Ltd., G. and A. Clark, 
J. Cheal and Sons, W. J. Unwin (whose ex¬ 
hibit was gracefully set up with Sweet Pea 
foliage), H. Canned and Sons, and others. 
Tuberous Begonias were shown in splendid 
form, and we could but admire the handsome 
double varieties staged by Messrs. Blackmore 
and Langdon and by Messrs. T. S. Ware, Ltd. 
Other exhibitors, whose groups were partly 
made up of tuberous Begonias, were Messrs. 
H. J. Jones, John Laing and Sons, and others. 
Carnations were shown in considerable 
quantities, a fine collection of choice varieties 
being shown by Mr. James Douglas, who had 
a new variety, Miss Willmott. with smooth 
soft scarlet petals of great breadth and beauty 
(Award of Merit). Other exhibitors of Carna¬ 
tions were Lady Harmsworth, who had a large 
group of Malmaisons ; Messrs. Hugh Low and 
Co.. Hobbies, Ltd., Messrs. William Cutbush 
and Son (who had a really splendid group of 
Malmaisons); also John Peed and Son, A. F. 
Dutton (whose Carnations were set up with 
long arching stems), and by E. Wagg, Esq., 
who had a splendid lot of the yellow Carnation 
Cecilia and some Malmaisons which were only 
half the height of the yellow ones. 
The best Caladiums were shown by Messrs. 
John Laing and Sons, though Messrs. J. Peed 
and Son also had a large and fine group of 
these noble foliage plants. The latter also 
had a group of Gloxinias, as had Mr. A. L. 
Gwillim. 
A large group of fine foliage plants, such as 
Ferns, Palms, Crotons, etc., was set up by 
Messrs. William Bull and Sons. A fine exhibit 
of fruit trees in pots was shown by Messrs. 
George Bunyard and Co., Ltd., including 
Cherries. Peaches, Pears and Plums loaded 
with fruit. They also had gathered fruits, in¬ 
cluding some of last year’s Apples. 
Messrs. James Carter and Co. had an ex¬ 
tensive collection of garden Peas, including 
such varieties as Model Telegraph, Duke of 
Albany, Duke of York, and Carter’s Quite 
Content, with pods 5in. long. They also had 
a group of pigmy trees. 
Several fine groups of hardy trees and 
shrubs, including tree Ivies, Oaks, Euony- 
mus, etc., were exhibited in the open air 
upon the grass by Mr. L. R. Russel, Mr. 
David Russell, and Messrs. Fromow and Sons 
RAISING 
ALPINE PLANTS 
FRO/A SEED. 
HINTS FOR AMATEURS. 
To obtain sufficient alpine plants to make 
a fairly good collection and furnish a decent 
rockery is rather expensive, and that we 
believe is one reason why so many amateurs' 
rockeries are tenanted only by the commonest 
of subjects, and frequently wear a very un¬ 
lovely appearance. It' is quite possible, never¬ 
theless, for any true lover of alpines, who is 
prepared—as every true lover is—to take some 
pains with his favourites, to obtain quite a 
nice stock of even choice things at a trifling 
cost by means of seeds, which for the most- 
part are very easy to raise. 
At the time this note is penned (early July) 
many of the earlier flowering alpines are fast 
ripening seed, and if the seed is sown soon 
as ripe it geitminates, generally speaking, 
rapidly and freely, and the young plants will 
attain a good size by the latter end of autumn, 
when they may be planted to become well- 
established by next flowering season. Those 
who are fortunate enough to count among 
their friends some who possess collections of 
aljiines, can probably obtain a pinch of seed 
direct from growing plants, but failing that 
good fortune, supplies of new seed may be 
obtained very cheaply from nurserymen. 
Among the easiest plants to raise in this way 
is the lovely little Saponaria ocymoides, and 
a few good patches of this brighten up a 
rockery to a very marked degree. Androsace 
coronopifolia is another little gem that may 
be raised with the greatest ease, and its pro¬ 
fusion of elegant flowers of pearly whiteness 
will add much to the beauty of the rockery. 
Both of these may be sown during July or 
August in their permanent positions on the 
rockery, a bit of wire-netting over them serv¬ 
ing to protect from injury or disturbance. 
Sedum glaucum may be sown in the same 
way, dropping the seed in the crevices 
between the stones and watering in. This 
little Sedum is wonderfully pretty with its 
silvery gjrey rosettes and golden yellow 
flowers, and in common with the previously- 
named subjects will, when once established, 
propagate itself by means of self-sown seeds. 
One might make a list of great length of 
such things as may be easily raised from seed, 
for most of the Campanulas, Primulas, Heu- 
cheras, Erinus, Cheiranthus, etc., come within 
this category, and the most that needs be 
done is to sow in a pot or pan; of turfy soil 
and attend to watering during dry weather. 
By obtaining two or three fresh things each 
season a grand collection may be worked up 
without any perceptible drain upon the 
pocket, and when more of a thing is raised 
than is required it affords the opportunity to 
enjoy the great pleasure of giving to others, 
or of exchanging for other desirable plants. 
Thus is the love of flowers and the delight of 
gardening developed and extended. 
Heather Beet.. 
Fadeless Flowers. —Now that so much is 
being heard about the fadeless flower turned 
out by the famous hybridiser Burbank, it is 
interesting to note that there are many beau¬ 
tiful “ fadeless ” flowers — in other words, 
“everlasting.” A few are Athanasia, Acroc- 
linium (hardy annuals), globe Amaranthus, 
Rhodanthe, Waitzias (half-hardy annuals), 
Am niobium, Antennaria, Edelweiss, “ Swiss 
bridal everlasting ” (hardy perennials). 
