22 
Julv  14,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  aND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
MONTBRETIA  CROCOSMiEFLORA  PLENA. 
The  double  form  of  Montbretia  crocosniEeflora,  of  which  “F.  J.  R.” 
seeks  information,  was  shown  by  Sir  Trevor  Lawrence,  Bart.,  some  five 
years  ago,  and  received  a  first-class  certificate  from  the  Royal  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society.  It  was  originally  procured  from  the  Continent,  but  no 
particulars  of  its  origin  were  forthcoming.  It  is,  of  course,  totally 
distinct  from  any  of  the  others,  and  is  very  attractive,  as  may  be  seen  in 
the  woodcut  (fig.  4).  Strictly  speaking  the  form  is  semi-double,  but  the 
Bowers  are  well  filled,  and  in  colour  they  are  bright  orange  yellow.  This 
promises  to  be  a  valuable  addition  to  a  useful  class  of  plants.  None  of 
the  Montbretias  at  present  receives  the  attention  it  deserves.  M.  Pottsi, 
M.  crocosmseflora,  and  others  are  exceedingly  useful  from  their  free- 
flowering  nature,  their  distinct  colours,  their  long  period  of  beauty,  and 
their  ease  of  culture. 
The  Newtoyvnaeds  Roses. 
Youe  reporter  has  unintentionally  made  the  inference  that  Messrs. 
Dickson  &  Sons,  Newtownards,  set  up  a  box  of  Roses  at  the  Crystal 
Palace  Show  for  a  prize  they  had  given,  and  won  it.  As  stated  in  the 
Journal  of  Horticulture  two  years  ago,  the  “Dickson”  cups  and  prizes 
were  given  by  Mr.  Charles  J.  Grahame  in  1896  for  amateurs  and  pro¬ 
fessionals.  Mr.  Lindsell  won  his  outright  last  year,  and  the  professionals’ 
cup  has  been  won  by  Mr.  F.  Cant  (1896),  Messrs.  Harkness  (1897),  and 
this  year  by  Messrs.  Dicksons.  There  is  no  good  reason  why  they 
should  not  show  for  it,  as  I  am  under  the  impression  that  it  was  given  as 
a  mark  of  interest  iu  the  Newtownards  productions,  which  were  felt  by 
the  donor  of  the  cup  to  be  worthy  of  honour,  and  surely  the  raisers  of  these 
Roses  were  entitled  to  win  it  if  they  could.  The  contest  this  year  was  a  very 
close  one,  there  having  been,  I  am  told,  only  one  point  between  Messrs. 
Dickson  and  Mr.  Frank  Cant,  who  would  have  won  the  cup  outright  if  he 
had  been  successful  this  time.— Amateue  Obseeyee. 
|_We  are  much  obliged  by  this  correction  of  a  momentary  misappre¬ 
hension.  As  the  cup  is  offered  for  the  best  blooms,  whoever  may  grow 
and  stage  the  best  is  obviously  entitled  to  win  it.  But  why  could  it  not 
be  called  the  “  Grahame  cup  ?”  It  could  not  have  a  better  or  more 
appropriate  name.] 
An  Appeeciation. 
I  notice  from  your  excellent  report  of  the  Crystal  Palace  Rose 
Show,  the  Dickson  cup,”  for  twelve  distinct  Roses  sent  out  by  Messrs. 
Dickson,  was  won  by  that  firm  with  Mrs.  Sharman  Crawford,  Helen 
Keller,  Mrs.  W.  J.  Grant,  Tom  Wood,  Robert  Duncan,  Jeanie  Dickson, 
Countess  of  Caledon,  Marchioness  of  Dufferin,  Killarney,  Ards  Rover, 
Muriel  Grahame,  and  Daisy.  This,  as  you  notice,  is  an  almost  unique 
distinction,  and  I  will  be  obliged  if  you  allow  me  to  note,  as  a  limited 
grower  in  the  South  of  Ireland,  that  here  we  are  as  proud  of  the  great 
successes  of  Messrs.  Dickson  as  pedigree  seedling  Rose  raisers  as  their 
more  immediate  friends  in  the  North  of  Ireland. — W.  J.  Muephy, 
Clonmel. 
Schedule  Difficulties. 
It  is  said  that  one  of  the  most  difficult  things  to  write  is  a  resolution, 
and  there  is  much  truth  in  the  saying,  and  few  resolutions  pass  without 
some  tinkering  in  the  process.  Nor  is  this  to  be  wondered  at,  when  the 
combined  intelligence  of  our  Houses  of  Parliament  so  often  pass  Acts 
which  a  coach  and  horses  can  run  through.  Hence  it  is  not  surprising 
that  schedules  without  flaws  are  scarce.  Now,  let  me  take  the  National 
this  year.  I  do  not  know  whether  the  note  as  to  garden  varieties  and 
the  exclusion  of  all  H.P.’s — which,  by-the-byq  I,  in  common  with  others 
that  I  know,  and  whose  opinions  are  of  value  — is  a  mistake,  as  losing  the 
sight  of  many  old  friends — is  a  new  regulation  ;  it  matters  not,  but  in  the 
nurserymen’s  section,  and  also  in  the  amateur  section,  when  the  classes 
for  garden  or  decorative  Roses  are  reached,  this  resolution  is  printed  in 
full.  At  the  end  comes  the  local  portion,  in  which  the  prizes  were  offered 
by  the  Bath  Floral  Fete  Committee  ;  here  there  is  also  a  class  for  garden 
Roses,  but  in  this  case  the  class  is  not  preceded  by  the  regulation  as 
to  H.P.’s. 
Do  not  let  me  be  supposed  as  grumbling.  The  fine  day — which  of 
late  years  has  not  blessed  Bath  exhibitions — doubtless  put  us  all  in  good 
temper,  and  the  judges  were  lenient  in  the  extreme  as  to  disqualifications. 
They  were  tender-hearted  as  chickens,  and  having  staged  in  this  class  I 
judged  myself  as  running  close,  if  not  winning  the  second  position,  in  it. 
Well,  I  had  staged  Boule  de  Neige,  and  soon  after,  meeting  one  of  the 
judges,  he  told  me  it  had  been  a  question  of  disqualification,  but  in  the 
genial  and  merciful  feelings  which  — as  I  have  said — prevailed,  they  had 
given  me  third  prize.  My  reply  was,  that  I  had  consulted  the  National 
catalogue,  and  found  Boule  de  Neige  was  a  “  garden  ”  Rose,  and  had 
staged  it.  “Oh!”  he  replied,  “all  H.P.’s  are  excluded.”  Now,  does 
this  regulation,  which  is  twice  printed  in  the  National  portion  of  the 
schedule,  govern  the  “garden  ”  class  in  the  local  division  of  the  show  [ 
and,  if  so,  should  it  not  have  preceded  this  class  as  it  did  the  two  others? 
The  fact  is  this.  Having  certainly  only  about  two  dozen  Roses 
approaching  bloom,  I  gave  up  all  thought  of  exhibiting  in  the  National 
classes,  and  confined  my  attention  wholly  to  the  local  portion,  so  that  I 
never  saw  this  regulation,  which  had  I  noticed,  I  should  still  have 
considered  did  not  apply.  Am  I  wrong  ? 
Some  years  ago,  when  the  single  Dah’ia  craze  started,  I  remember 
writing  that  it  was  necessary  to  settle  how  many  petals  that  flower  should 
have.  Setting  aside  the  composite  class,  I  fancy,  possibly  erroneously, 
that  single  flowers  have  a  definite  number  of  petals,  and  in  judging  the 
classes  for  single  Roses,  the  question  cropped  up  how  many  the  Rose 
ihotild  have.  I  certainly  should  say  five,  and  that  single  (?)  Roses  with 
eight  or  ten  petals  are  semi-double.  Now,  that  classes  have  been  opened 
by  the  National  for  “  single  ”  Roses,  it  seems  to  me  that  this  point 
-hould  be  decided,  and  the  Dog  Rose  must  surely  be  taken  as  our  rule. 
Here,  again,  the  geniality  of  the  nidges  was  the  smoothing  over  of  the 
difficulty,  and  the  prizes  were  awarded.  Had  the  competition  been 
everer  possibly  more  might  have  been  heard  of  this. 
Some  of  our  botanical  friends  maintain  that  we  gardeners  are  thwarting 
Nature  by  doubling  flowers,  and  they  are  very  indignant  with  us  ;  but 
surely  Nature  herself  invites  us  to  improve  (what  anathem  s  wrathful 
botanists  will  heap  on  me  !)  her  forms  by  giving  us  a  single  flower,  a 
stamen  or  two  of  which  shall  be  half  petal,  half  stamen.  This  certainly 
may  be  allowed  to  pass  ;  but  when  you  see  a  Rose  with  eight  or  ten  petals 
is  it  not  semi-double  ? — Y.  B.  A.  Z. 
Kentish  Roses. 
In  his  comments  on  the  recent  exhibition  at  Canterbury,  the  Journal 
reporter  refers  to  the  fact  that  there  was  a  certain  amount  of  spare  tabling, 
and  that  several  of  the  blooms  were  somewhat  deficient  in  quality.  He 
rightly  makes  allowances  for  unfavourable  circumstances,  and  he  would 
perhaps  have  gone  even  farther  in  this  direction  had  he  had  an  opportunity 
of  seeing  the  conditions  under  which  some  Kentish  rosarians  have  to  carry 
on  their  work.  A  very  remarkable  case  in  point  is  that  of  the  Rev.  II.  B. 
Biron,  of  Lympne.  After  several  journeys  along  the  ridge  whereon  the 
vicarage  is  perched,  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  if  there  is  a  windier 
place  in  Britain  it  ought  to  be  placarded,  so  that  any  person  with  a  wish 
to  control  his  own  movements  may  keep  away  from  it.  Once  I  crossed 
the  ridge  into  Hythe  during  the  winds  of  March,  and  I  can  only  say  that 
the  average  gale  is  a  gentle  zephyr  compared  with  the  chill  blasts  which 
were  whistling  round  Lympne  Castle. 
It  is  simply  amazing  that  any  man  can  grow  show  Roses  in  such  a 
place.  The  bleakness  and  exposure  are  something  to  remember.  What 
can  be  done  in  providing  shelter  has  been  done.  Without  it,  nothing 
short  of  attaching  heavy  weights  to  each  plant  would  prevent  the  whole 
collection  from  being  whisked  away  and  flung  into  Dungeness  Bay. 
Comparative  calm  (which  at  any  other  place  would  be  considered  half  a 
gale)  prevailed  on  my  last  visit,  and  although  I  did  not  find  the  reverend 
rosarian  at  home,  I  saw  a  heap  of  show  boxes  on  the  drive,  and  a  charming 
display  of  Roses  in  the  garden,  both  evidences  of  his  persevering  hand. 
I  hope  they  are  there  still,  but  I  should  never  be  surprised  to  hear  that 
the  whole  place  has  been  blown  over  to  Demerara. — W.  P.  Weight. 
ROSE  SHOWS. 
DISS. — July  5th. 
A  DECIDEDLY  noteworthy  feature  at  this  show  is  the  arrangement  of  the 
staging  in  the  centre  of  the  Rose  tent.  Two  parallel  planks,  raised  5  or 
6  inches  by  cross-pieces  of  wood  at  intervals,  run  down  the  centre  of  the 
staging,  so  as  to  form  a  ledge  or  shelf  behind  each  row  of  boxes.  When 
the  stands  are  ready,  they  are  propped  up  behind  upon  these  ledges,  instead 
of  upon  blocks  or  flower  pots.  The  advantages  of  this  system  are  :  — 
Exhibitors  are  not  obliged  to  bring  blocks  with  them  ;  it  is  very  easy  to 
arrange  a  long  line  of  boxes  at  exactly  the  same  angle  ;  when  a  long  line 
of  boxes  all  finally  arranged  has  to  be  shifted  at  the  last  moment,  the 
boxes  can  be  simply  slid  along  (a  great  advantage  this)  ;  and,  also,  all 
stands  can  be  moved  back  a  few  inches  from  the  edge  of  the  staging,  to 
the  comfort  of  the  spectators,  who  are  not  pushed  too  near  to  be  able  to 
see,  and  of  the  Roses,  which  are  not  rubbed  against  and  destroyed  by 
elbows. 
In  the  open  class  for  thirty-six  Messrs.  Frank  Cant  &  Co.  were  first, 
a  splendid  Mrs.  John  Laing  being  noteworthy  in  quite  a  good  stand. 
Mr.  B.  R.  Cant  was  second  with  smaller  blooms  ;  and  Messrs.  Prior  and 
Son  third.  Marchioness  of  Dufferin  was  noticeably  bad  in  all  three 
stands.  Mr.  Orpen  retained  possession  of  the  cup  for  twenty-four  by  a 
single  point.  His  best  Roses  were  Souvenir  d’Elise  (which  was  the  best 
amateur  Tea)  and  La  France.  The  Rev.  A.  Foster-Melliar  was  second, 
having  good  samples  of  Marquis  Litta  (best  “  other  than  T.  or  N.”', 
Madame  Cusin,  Dr.  Sewell,  and  Viscountess  Folkestone. 
For  twelve  Teas  (amateurs)  Mr.  Orpen  was  first  with  a  level  stand,  but 
nothing  remarkable.  Rev.  F.  Page  Roberts  second  with  fine  specimens 
of  Comtesse  de  Nadaillac,  Catherine  Mermet,  Ernest  Metz,  and  Cleopatra  ; 
but  a  front  row  of  buttonholes  only.  It  is  true  they  would  be  worth  a 
point  apiece  if  Euclid’s  definition  of  a  point,  as  “  that  which  hath  no 
parts  and  no  magnitude,”  were  adhered  to.  Mr.  Foster-Melliar  was 
third,  with  good  specimens  of  Cleopatra  and  Madame  Cusin. 
The  local  classes  were  fairly  filled,  and  the  display  of  herbaceous 
plants  was  good,  though  not  large.  Dinner  tables  and  decorations  were 
easy  to  judge,  Mrs.  Orpen  s  skill  being  invincible.  A  class  for  rare  wild 
flowers,  which  in  past  years  used  to  excite  much  interest,  as  two  good 
