46S 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
June  2  l'■9S. 
liHODODEXDRON  SMIRNOWI. 
Among  dwarf  habited  species  this  stands  out  conspicuously  both  on 
account  of  its  large  distinct  foliage  and  big  flowers.  It^is  a  nafiVe  of  the 
Caucasus,  and  at  present  is  little  known  in  this  country.  Several  plants 
are  to  be  seen  at  Kew,  the  largest  being  about  IJ  foot  in  heio-ht,  by  the 
r„™drf,er;erstc*‘ 
wh?ch  L’“fhr1  ^  covered  when  young  with  a  soft  white  felt, 
«  G.  mature  disappears  from  the  upper  surface,  but 
remains  on  the  under  side  during  the  whole  life  of  the  leaf.  The  flowers 
are  rosy  lilac,  3  inches  across,  and  produced  in  loose  trusses  •  the  petals 
broad,  with  crimped  or  undulated  margins.  ’  * 
Several  hybrids  have  been  raised  at  Kew  by  crossing  this  with  o-arden 
of  large-floiered  planfs  with 
flower  varieties.  The  first  of  the  Kew  hybrids  is  now  in 
flower,  and  hopes  are  entertained  that  the  new  race  will  shortly  be  an 
thrSinowl  ^  f ‘I””'®”  iolermediate  in  colour  while 
tn^  bmirnowi  habit  and  foliage  is  retained.— D, 
HORTICULTURAL  SHOWS. 
MANCHESTER  WHITSUNTIDE  SHOW, 
to  be  regretted  that  the  great  London  show  at  the  Temple 
sSnS  the  Manchester  Show,  for  if  this  were  not  the  case  we 
should  imagine  that  the  latter  would  probably  rank  as  the  finest  exhibi- 
t  on  ever  seen,  and  the  thanks  of  the  Mancunians  are  due  to  the  trade  for 
OrchT  bteS°!,  ff  brought  together.  Not  that  the  Manchester 
quitetp  to  date  for  their  collections  are 
quite  up  to  da,te  in  all  the  best  known  varieties  ;  but  such  meetinirs  as 
these  help  to  bring  out  the  very  latest,  and  here  the  trade  certainlf  are 
seen  to  the  best  possible  advantage.  As  usual,  Orchids  we^rSn  strong 
orce  ,  in  fact,  the  exhibition  house  was  one  great  display  sufllcient  to 
wir  connoisseurs  for  ma//hou?s  n^? 
were  the  Manchester  amateurs  slow  to  avail  themselves  of  the  opportunity 
p  eLw  and  tL  d'  f  '’J’  ‘h'  nnd  TenlS 
present,  and  the  display  was  of  such  excellence  as  to  satisfy  the  most 
J’cad  of  the  wonderful  Temple  Sh^ow  anTto 
Fk  exhibition  also,  we  may  well  content  ourselves  with  the 
ytSrin/a  V  '“P”  Mii  bounds,  and  that  elch 
Messrs.  Sander  &  Co.,  St.  Albans,  although  not  so  largely  represented 
as  in  former  years  were  well  to  the  fore  with  new  and^rlrr  planL 
flowe^rs^h''i^^'“^‘'?  E-'"®  admired,  the  handsome  rosy  cSrason 
flowers  being  in  striking  contrast  to  the  bright  green  foliao-e  Anthuriums 
were  large  of  spathe  and  well  flowered.  A  giant  plant  o1  Sjra™ 
Somt  “""sUcuous,  while  new  Palms  were  attentively  noticod 
the  vis’itorsl^  he  best  fudged  by  the  crowded  state  of 
buyers  but  one  whinb  ?' ^  ^  ^  I”’*"®  ‘be  fortunate 
Sans  ever  Wn  «bow,  or  that  has 
^  orz.oru„£Lr^'ra 
EMcLnr  an?  5rf  «holce  torn.,  »a  fcua.ss 
nu  *  1  ’  other  well  known  varieties  predominatino"  Tho 
hZ"  .y^'T-L-Sr. 
of  £ids'a?d  ^  Son  had  a  bright  miscellaneous  collection 
wifh  f  r  ^  bo'venng  plants,  including  Boronias,  Kalosanthes  Ericas 
with  foliage  plants  to  complete  a  capital  table  MesSrSer^’ 
and  Sibray,  Sheffield,  showed  a  well  cultivated  eolWMnn^ 
CotBn  banked  with  Orchids.  Mr.  A  J  KeelW 
choiceZriitieTbring  „oti™,“b!e.*’“‘  “f  Oroliids,  man^ 
threa  com- 
most  of  it  the  reeiiG^^^  ‘^beltenham,  having  a  good  position,  made  the 
S  of  he  Lst  M  T  ®T  "u the  Orchids 
tvne? nf  J^bn  Robson,  Altrincham.  wL  placed  second  the 
of  the  ^  purpurata  being  splendid,  as  were,  indeedf  almost  the  whole 
^“^teurs  E.  Ashworth,  Esq.,  Harefield 
b.sq..  Vine  House.  Haslingden,  the  Cattlefa  MossimlielngVihe  Ses?.  ’ 
collection  of  Cattleyas  and  Lrnlias  in  bloom 
JdmKehl  ’  ^®'^I  Whitefield,  winning  with  one  of  hTs" 
iana  P“’'P“‘‘ata  Statteriana,  Lmlia  elegans  Statter- 
r  r®®  ®“P®‘’ba  and  Reineckiana  being  grand,  as  was 
w?n  to  Dn7"  ®  "  w®®'«  ’""^ty.  Thf  second  prTe 
Tnd  rich^Sm?n  “"a?’  Sheffield,  with  an  extensive 
well  known  foi  S;  Thompson  of  Stone  and  Mr.  F.  Hardy,  both  so 
glossum  dasi  tber!  'vere  sadly  missed  from  the  Odonto- 
bloom  ATr  L?  ii?°i5  specimen  Orchids  iu 
Skinnerf  allt  ^Odo^  an  exceptionally  good  exhibit  of  Cattleya 
others  Mr  Vuylstekeanum,  Lycaste  Skinneri,  and 
of  his  grand  Pimeleas,  Ericas,  Aphelexis,  and  Clerodendron  and  in  the 
amateur  class  by  Mr.  Wilkes,  gardener  to  Miss  Lord,  Ashton-on-Mersey 
fine^Anflf  ®  '^cn^^crful  specimen  Dendrobium  fimbriatum  oculatum.^a 
fine  Anthunum  Scherzerianum.  and  Allamanda  grandiflora.  Mr.  Wilkes 
also  won  with  single  specimens.  Mr.  McIntyre,  gardener  to  Mrs  G 
fxSF^ns‘.°^‘°”’  fine-foliaged  plants  and  ten 
tha^^wTlhF^?°'^°K^•^*'®^F®‘^  ®‘®P^  o°®  “Ot  but  feel 
lA  16^1^  h  ‘^^.^''hibition  house  300  feet  in  length,  and  the  annexe  400  feet 
m  length  all  covered  in  with  glass,  there  could  be  no  finer  place  in 
Englan^d  to  hold  an  exhibition.  If  there  were  one  attraction  greater  than 
Sni  of  herbaceous  Calceolarias  staged  b^  Messrs 
Sutton  Sons,  Reading.  In  it  one  could  find  every  conceivable  shade  of 
lar^r*  diarf  and  the  flowers 
The  p  ^‘‘hout  a  d^oubt  one  of  the  finest  collections  ever  staged 
?rndf„!  ’  ‘00;  came  in  for  their  meed  of  praise;  Sutton’s  Seedling 
Productive,  and  Empress  of  India  showed  the  advance  this  firm  is  makinFi^ 
dh  A^v  STvi  Chbran  &  Sons,  Altrincham,  had  an  excellent 
fiisplay.  Ihe  Violas  were  charming,  Calceolarias  very  special  whilst 
Sr  TeS'  D^k'^^’'^  op  ‘o  the  well-knoin  Oldfield  firm’s 
style.  Messrs.  Dickson’s,  Ltd.,  Chester,  staged  a  pretty  and  interesting 
of  some  two  dozen  bunches  of  cut  herbaceous  flowers,  fifty  poS 
of  Violas  and  Pansies,  and  it  was  pleasant  to  note  this  firm  taking^  an 
increasing  interest  in  pot  Auriculas.  The  Japanese  Maples  w^re  of  tSe 
finest,  and  were  much  admired.  Messrs.  R.  Smith  &  Sou,  Worcester 
potr'^  visitors  by  their  superb  Clematis  in 
deputation  Afr  |  wT"  ‘be  firm’s 
eputation.  xMr.  J.  \\  aterer  s  Rhododendrons,  planted  out  and  in  nots 
were  worthy  of  all  admiration.  Mr.  Wilkes  ’wSn  with  CalceoladasO 
wonhv”M’tSn®'^'  ^‘■0"^°- Esq.,  Roses  in  pots  were  capital,  and  thoroughly 
,?c  f®  awarded  Alessrs.  W.  &  J,  Birkenhead’s  hardy  Ferns 
weie  so  beautiful  as  to  make  one  wonder  why  their  cultivation  is  not 
dloRcr°^*^^  ^  c®'  tainly  put  to  the  blush  many  of  tho 
The  groups  of  plants  were  up  to  the  usual  Manchester  standard 
Aigb„,ih.'““z,£,,nzrb; 
w.f*  ir  •  Y'  arrangement  was  light  and  faultless,  their 
autiful  foliage  plant.s,  chiefly  Crotons,  being  most  telling.  Mr.  A.  J  A 
^.b?c^ton-cum-Med)ock,  was  little  behind,  the  flowering  plan4‘ 
s™'' •>» "i>b .  ch„ic,£vk?f 
Carnations.  Mr.  Wilkes  again  proved  his  ability  in  the  local  group  of 
00  Ret,  and  was  second  to  Mr.  McIntyre  in  the  200  feet,  th^e  latter 
winning  the  first  prize  with  a  superb  group.  The  second  prize  in  the 
100  feet  was  Rken  by  Mrs.  Jno.  Fielden,  Dobroyd  Castle.  W  H 
and  AHs^Sai?  Pelargoniums; 
Range,  with  twelve  Gloxinia.s.  Table  plants 
were  effective,  but  bou(|uets  were  poor.  * 
numerous  first-class  certificates  and  awards  of  merit 
awarded  to  Messrs.  Sander  &  Co.,  St.  Albans  for 
?nd  r®U  P  ’  E'sher  Son  &  Sibray,  Ltd.,  for  Cro’tons 
and  Orchids  ;  Sutton  &  Sons,  Reading,  for  Calceolarias  ;  J  Veitch  and 
Sons,  Chelsea,  for  their  Lmlio-Cattlefa,  mentioned  elsewhere  Ind  Sir 
Trevor  Lawrence  for  Cypripedium  Olenus,  a  grand  dark  spotted  variety 
very  much  admired.  Silver  medals  were  awarded  to  Messrs  Charles’ 
wor  h  &  Co.,  Heaton,  Bradford  ;  J.  Cowan  &  Co  Liverpool  and  A  f 
r  tjI  ’  ^  nreester,  for  Clematis  ;  J.  W^aterer  Bagshor 
for  Rhododendrons  ;  and  A.  J.  A.  Bruce  for  Carnations.  ’  ^  ^  ’ 
tu  ^bomas  Stattei^  EU”..  Chairman  of  the  Council,  occupying  the  chair  in 
u®  absence  of  the  Earl  of  Derby,  spoke  of  the  hopeful  state  of  the  Society 
He  emphasised  the  importance  of  the  Press  in  helping  forward  the  g^od 
work  of  all  such  societies  by  trying  to  get  the  public  to  attend  ^and 
mentioned  the  interesting  fact  that  thi  large  amount  of  money  gW^n  R 
Tre®®  ®  ^  ^®®"  heartily  by  members  of  the  Council  ®To  Sir 
Trevor  Lawrence,  Barb,  he,  m  the  name  of  all  present,  gave  a  heartv 
ev,®  f  n™®  on  his  first  visit  to  Manchester  that  day,  and  expressed  the  hone 
hat  he  might  oftener  come  amongst  them.  Sir  Trevor,  ]rre,dy  thanSd 
all  present  for  their  sincere  welcome.  He  was  greatlv  snmrwoH 
knowledge  being  brought  to  bear  in  the  pursuit  of  gardening  bej  fving 
that  the  scientific  gardener  will  be  the  one  preferred  to  fhm  hV  in 
o  fh„„b  The  b..V  S..,e  of  .he  wZS„‘„^?“,”bVZs™  ' 
SLT  Fkn  by  saying  how  delighted  he  had  been  with  the 
g  a  d  show  and  his  first  visit  to  Manchester,  and  promising  to  be  amongst 
them  again  in  the  near  future.  Professor  Leo  Grindon  proposed  thTS 
Mr  P  ^KKi®‘^’  ‘b®  Judges,  Mr.  Owen  ThomL  aS 
Mr.  Gribble  responding.  Mr.  P.  Weathers,  the’curator,  appe^s  o  be 
