October 3, 1908. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
641 
Dahlias at Regent's Park. 
Open Classes. 
The annual exhibition of the London 
Dahlia Union was held al the Royal 
Botanic Society’s Gardens, Regents 
Park, London, on the 10th and nth 
September. Fine weather favoured the 
show, which was held in the conserva¬ 
tory and the corridor on the east side of 
the gardens. There was a very repre¬ 
sentative display of Dahlias of all 
classes, and the blooms seemed to have 
partlv recovered from the storms of the 
previous weeks. 
The first class was for a dinner table 
decoration of cut Dahlias, and here the 
lead was taken by Mr. M. V. Seale, 
Sevenoaks, who showed the scarlet- 
edged decorative Dahlia Mars, set up 
with grasses, berries and autumn foli¬ 
age in silver stands. Miss E. B. Sell 
took the second place, using Pompon 
and! single Dahlias with appropriate 
foliage. Messrs. J. Cheal and Sons, 
Crawley, Sussex, came in third with 
various Dahlias, Asparagus and Smi- 
lax. The fourth prize was taken by 
F. G. Oliver,. Esq., 97, Tollmgton 
Park, London, N. 
Mr. Charles Turner, Slough, took 
the lead with three vases of Cactus 
Dahlias - set up with autumn foliage. 
.Messrs. J. Cheal and Sons followed, 
and Mr. M. V. Seale came in third. 
The leading prize for Pompon Cactus 
Dahlias was taken . by Messrs. J. 
Burrell and Co., Cambridge, with such 
varieties, as Minima, Tom-Tit, Tena, 
Butterfly, Alwine, and Argus. Messrs. 
]. Cheal and Sons were a good second, 
and Mr. M. V. Seale took the third 
place. 
The best twenty-four 'shew Dahlias 
were shown by Mr. S. Mortimer, Row- 
ledge, Farnham, Surrey, showing 
Queen of the Belgians, T. W. Gridle- 
stone, William Powell, Pleasance, Mrs. 
Saunders, W. H. Williams, Tom Jones, 
Shirley Hibberd, Mrs. Gladstone, etc. 
The other prizes were taken by Mr. C. 
Turner, Mr. J. Walker Thame, Oxon., 
and Messrs. Keynes, Williams and Co., 
Salisbury, in this order. 
The prizes for twelve show Dahlias 
were taken by Mr. J. R. Tranter, Hen¬ 
ley-on-Thames, by Messrs. J. Cheal 
and Sons, and Mr. M. V. Seale, in this 
order. 
Cactus Dahlias were a good feature 
of the show, and the lead for twelve 
varieties was taken by Messrs. J. Stred- 
wick and Son, Silverhill Park, St. 
Leonards. The varieties employed 
were H. Peerman, J. B. Riding, Rev. 
T. W. Jamieson, C. E. Wilkins, Even¬ 
ing Star, Mrs. Alfred Dyer, Satisfac¬ 
tion and Diadem, all of which were very 
choice. Messrs. J. Burrell and Co., 
and Messrs. J. Cheal and Sons took 
the remainder of the prizes in this order 
with good exhibits. 
The best twenty-four Cactus Da 1 lia^ 
on boards v'-ie shown by Messrs. J. 
Burrell ana Co., which were large 
blooms and wonderfully fresh. Other 
prizes in the order named were taken 
by Messrs. James Stredwdck and Son, 
Keynes,j Williams and Co., and Mr. 
John Walker. 
Mr. M. V. Seale had the best twelve 
Cactus Dahlias on boards, followed by 
Mr. S. Mortimer, Messrs. J. Cheal and 
Sons, and Mr. Charles Turner. 
Messrs. Keynes, Williams and Co. 
had the best six blooms of one variety, 
showing Glory of Wilts, a huge yellow 
flower. Mr. S. Mortimer was second 
with William Marshall, also a yellow. 
Pompon Dahlias were well repre¬ 
sented, and the lead was taken by 
Messrs. J. Burrell and Co., with such 
varieties as Bacchus, Emily Hopper, 
Tommy Keith, Midget, Gannymede, 
Nerissa, Violet and Girlie. Other good 
exhibits were shown by Mr. M. Y. Seale, 
Mr. C. Turner, and Mr. J. Walker, 
who were successful in this order of 
merit. 
Single Dahlias, as usual, were highly 
attractive and beautifully set up. The 
leading prize for twelve varieties was 
taken by Messrs. J. Cheal and Sons, 
who had such lovely varieties as 
Eclipse, Brilliant, Columbine, Leslie 
Seale, Flora, Darkness, Victoria, Miss 
Morland, Betty, Snowdrop, Serita, and 
Princess of Wales. The Rev. S. 
Spencer Pearce, .Coombe Vicarage, 
Woodstock, was a good second. The 
Rev. A. Bridge, Worth Rectory, Craw¬ 
ley, Sussex, took the third place, and 
Mr. J. Walker was fourth. 
Amateurs, 
The Hobbies Challenge Cup, for nine 
varieties of Cactus Dahlias in bunches 
of three, was taken by Mr. W. E. 
Peters, The Hospice, Baldslow, St. 
Leonards. This cup he has now won 
■outright, and is successfully striving 
for another cup offered at this show. 
He had some of the best Cactus Dahlias 
in commerce. The second prize was 
taken • by Mr. W. Lockver (gardener to 
the Rev. G. Twenty man), Greenhill 
Park, New Barnet. The third prize 
was secured by the Rev. A. Bridge. 
The best six varieties of any white or 
pink Cactus Dahlia was shown by E. 
Mawley, Esq., V.M.H., Rosebank, 
Berkhamsted, showing Mrs. V". H. 
Raby. Mr. - H. Brown, Havelock Road, 
Luton, Beds., was a good second, and 
Mr. E. C. Barton came in third. 
The best six varieties of Cactus 
Dahlias was shown by H. Jackson, 
Esq., The Leys, Woburn Sands, Beds. 
The Rev. A. Bridge had the best four 
Cactus Dahlias in triplets on boards. 
Mr. W. E. Peters was again to the 
fore for twelve Cactus Dahlia blooms 
on boards. 
Mr. John Hicks, 90, Bensham Manor 
Road, Thornton Heath, took the lead 
for six blooms, distinct, on boards. 
E. Mawley, Esq., had the best vase 
of twelve blooms of Cactus Dahlias 
arranged with foliage, showing Dr. G. 
G. Gray. 
Mr. S. H. Cooper, Chippenham, had 
the best twelve show Dahlias. 
Mr. G. Davidson, Elm Lodge, 8, 
Quadrant Road, Thornton Heath, had 
the best six show Dahlias. 
The Dean Memorial Medal, for six 
varieties of Pompon Dahlias of six 
blooms each, was secured by Mr. H. 
Brown, showing such beautiful varieties 
as the Queen of W hites, Darkest of 
All, Phoebe, Nellie Broomhead, 
Jessica, and Distinction. He was iol- 
iowed by! Air. A. Brown, Frederick 
Street, Luton, and by Mr. S. H. 
Cooper. 
AIiscellaneous. 
An extensive group of Dahlias was 
exhibited by Hobbies, Ltd., Dereham, 
Norfolk. Some of the finebt Paeony- 
flowered Dahlias were Germania, Paul 
Kruger, and Baron de Grancy. They 
also had a fine lot of Cactus Dahlias. 
(Large Gold Medal). 
Alessrs. Uobbie and Co., Rothesay, 
N.B., had an extensive and choice col¬ 
lection of Cactus Dahlias, including 
Lusitania and Dreadnought, both new 
varieties; also C. E. Wilkins, Gazelle, 
Premier, H. Peerman, and other choice 
varieties. They also staged Pompon, 
single and Paeony-flowered Dahlias. 
(Large Gold Aledal). 
Mr. J. T. West, Tower Hill, Brent¬ 
wood, set up a nice group of Cactus 
Dahlias, including Nellie Riding (1909J, 
Flora, Hilda, etc. (Gold! Medal). 
Alessrs." S. Spooner and Sons, Houns¬ 
low, had a collection of Apples, Plums, 
and' Strawberry - Raspberry. (Gold 
Aledal). 
Alessrs. J. Burrell and Co. had a 
group of Gladioli and Roses. 
Herrn Warnaar and Co., and Gt. van 
Wavern and Kruijff, Sassenheim, Hol¬ 
land, ' had a collection of Paeony- 
flowered Dahlias, both cut and in pots. 
(Silver-gilt Aledal). 
-4-M-- 
The Lavender Seller’s Street Cry. 
The most, elaborate extant London 
street cry is that of the Lavender sellers. 
The song and the tune with their melan¬ 
choly rhythm is almost as old as any 
song in the English tongue. It is as 
follows :— 
Will you buy, Lady, buy, 
My sweet blooming Lav — ender. 
There are sixteen blue bran — ches a 
penny. 
You will buy it once, you will buy it 
twice, 
It makes your clothes smell very nice. 
It will scent your pocket handkerchiefs, 
And it will scent your clothes as well. 
Now is your time, and do not delay; 
Come and buy your Lavender, 
All fresh cut from Alitcham every day. 
Automatic Walnut Gatherer. 
In California they are using an ingeni¬ 
ous Walnut gathering machine. Two 
men are required to operate the machine, 
which is said to do the work of one hun¬ 
dred pickers and packers. The machine 
consists of a two-cylinder gasoline engine 
which is hung between 4 ft. wheels, close 
to the ground. The truck which the en¬ 
gine propels carries the nut-picking ap¬ 
paratus. There is an exhaust-blower 
working as a suction pump at the front 
which sucks up the Walnuts from the 
ground. The nuts, leaves, and twigs thus 
sucked up are dumped into a tank, and 
the blower separates the debris and bad 
nuts from the good ones, and blows the 
waste material out on the ground behind 
the machine, the mils passing to the 
huller. They are then sent through a 
tube to the sacks. 
