14G 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER 
August  25  .89b. 
obtained  by  Messrs.  ,T.  H.  Russell,  E.  Cooper,  J.  Fry,  G.  Wheeler, 
W.  Stephens,  R.  Marshall,  J.  White,  A.  Reason,  W.  Heal,  and  G.  Moyce. 
The  Niton  Horticultural  Society  held  its  fourth  annual  exhibition  on 
Thursday  last.  The  exhibits  numbered  nearly  400,  and  quite  maintained 
their  usual  standard  ot  excellence.  Mr.  W.  Cotton  secured  the  I.W. 
Horticultural  Improvement  Association’s  certificate  for  cultural  merit  with 
an  excellent  collection  of  Begonias.  Mr.  Godfrey  Baring,  J.P.,  D.L.,  O.C., 
Chairman  of  the  I.W.  County  Council,  and  Mrs.  Baring  visited  the  Show 
during  the  afternoon.  The  principal  prizewinners  were  Messrs.  C.  Long, 
S.  Squibb,  G.  Rashley,  R.  Norris,  H.  Hardy,  J.  Squibb,  A.  Salter, 
G.  Dyer,  W.  Cotton,  J.  Niblett,  ,T.  Rashley,  G.  W.  Creoth,  W.  Hayles, 
G.  Hayles,  H.  Jacob,  F.  Niblett,  F.  King,  H.  Hawkins,  and  R.  Hayles. 
The  success  of  this  Society  is  largely  due  to  the  energetic  Hon  Secretary, 
Mr.  G.  W.  Creeth,  and  the  indefatigable  Chairman,  the  Rev.  ,T.  Bateman, 
who  with  a  strong  working  Committee  give  every  encouragement  to  the 
villagers  to  cultivate  high-class  produce. — S.  H. 
NATIONAL  CARNATION  and  PICOTEE  SOCIETY 
(NORTHERN  SECTION).— August  13th. 
The  annual  exhibition  of  the  above  Society  was  held  at  the  Botanical 
Gardens,  Manchester,  on  Saturday,  August  13th.  Notwithstanding  the 
somewhat  unfavourable  season  there  was  a  good  variety  of  bloom 
exhibited,  although  growers  from  the  northern  counties  were  not  so 
well  represented  as  usual,  the  bulk  of  the  prizes  going  to  the  Midland 
growers.  Some  capital  blooms  were  shown,  the  strongest  sections  being 
bizarres,  flakes,  and  Picotees,  while  there  was  also  a  creditable  collection 
of  self  colours  nnd  yellow-grounds.  Amongst  the  names  of  exhibitors 
those  of  such  well  known  growers  as  Mr.  T.  Lord,  Todmorden  :  Mr.  R. 
Sydenham,  Birmingham ;  Messrs.  Thomson  &  Co.,  Birmingham  ;  Mr.  A.  R. 
Brown,  Birmingham;  Mr.  A.  W.  Jones,  Birmingham;  and  Mr.  C.  F. 
Thurstan,  Wolverhampton,  were  promint  nt.  The  arrangements  for  the 
Show  were  carried  out  by  a  Committee,  of  which  Mr.  T.  Lord  was 
Secretary,  and  during  the  afternoon  anti  evening  there  was  a  large  ut'en- 
flance  of  the  public.  The  following  were  the  principal  prizewinners  : — '{ 
Twelve  Carnations,  bizarres  and  flakes,  all  dissimilar. — First,  Mr.  R. 
Sydenham  with  Geo.  Melville,  Wm.  Skirving,  seedlings  (2),  Master  Fred, 
Rob  Roy,  J.  S.  Hedderley,  Gordon  Lewis,  John  Worraald,  Geo.  Rudd, 
Seedling,  and  Mrs.  Rowan.  Second,  Mr.  T.  Lord  with  Bruce  Eindlaj-, 
Robt.  Houlgrave,  Arline,  Thaddeus,  George.  Mrs.  T.  Lord,  Dan  Godfrey, 
Robt.  Lord,  Mrs.  Shaw,  Magpie,  J.  S.  Hedderley,  and  Mrs.  May. 
Twelve  Picotees.  white  grounds,  all  dissimilar. — First,  Mr.  T.  Lord, 
with  seedlings  (4),  Favourite,  Thos.  William,  Mrs.  Rodgers,  Lena, 
John  Smith,  Brunette.  Mrs.  Gorton,  and  Mrs.  Sharp.  Second,  Mr.  R 
Sydenham.  Six  Carnations,  bizarres  and  flakes,  dissimilar.— First,  Mr. 
F.  W.  Goodfellow,  Walsall,  with  Thaddeus,  Chas.  Henwood,  Martin 
Rowan,  Sportsman,  Robt.  Houlgrave,  and  Ed.  Rowan.  Second,  Mr.  A.  R. 
Brown.  Six  Picotees,  white  grounds,  dissimilar. — First,  Mr.  F.  W. 
Goodfellow,  with  Ganymede,  Little  Phil,  Esther,  Mrs.  Gorton,  Thos. 
William,  and  Brunette.  Second,  Mr.  C.  Head,  Hebden  Bridge. 
Twelve  seifs  only. — First,  Mr.  C.  F  Thurstan  with  Duke  of  Orleans, 
Seagull,  Miss  A  Campbell  (2),  Sweetbriar,  Mrs.  E.  Hambro  (2),  Exile  (2), 
Mrs.  Jas.  Douglas,  and  Emir.  Second,  Mr.  A.  W.  Jones  with  Britannia  (2), 
Seagull  (2),  Mrs.  J.  Douglas,  Mrs.  McRae,  Germania  (2),  Mrs  Colby 
Sharpin  (2),  Lady  Hendley,  and  Gilda.  Six  seifs  only. — First,  Mr.  C. 
Head  with  EGle  (2),  Miss  A.  Campbell,  Nabob,  Niphetos,  nnd  Mancunian. 
Second,  Mr.  A.  R.  Brown. 
Twelve  Fancy  or  yellow-ground  Carnations  and  Picotees.  — First,  Mr 
A.  W.  Jones,  Birmingham,  with  Voltaire  (2),  The  Gift  (2),  Monarch, 
Sport,  The  Wish,  Eldorado  (2),  Geo.  Cruickshank,  Wanderer,  and  May 
Queen.  Second,  Messrs.  Thomson  &  Co.,  Birmingham,  with  Voltaire  (2), 
Mr.  Nigel,  Golden  Eagle,  Monarch,  Yellowharomer,  Perseus,  The  Gift, 
Mrs.  Douglas,  Xerxes.  May  Queen,  and  Ladas.  Six  Fancy  or  yellow- 
ground  Carnations  and  Picotees. — First,  Mr.  0.  F.  Thurstan  with  The 
Gift,  Voltaire,  Golden  Eagle,  Mr.  Nigel,  Eldorado  and  Yellow-hammer. 
Second,  Mr.  H.  G.  Owen. 
Single  blooms,  scarlet  bizarres. — First,  Mr.  R.  Sydenham  with  Robt. 
Lord  ;  second,  Mr.  T.  Lord  with  Robt.  Houlgrave.  Crimson  bizarres. — 
First,  Mr.  T.  Lord  with  Bruce  Findlay  ;  second,  Mr.  R.  Sydenham  with 
Master  Fred.  Pink  and  purple  bizarres.— First,  Mr.  R.  Sydenham  with 
Sarah  Payne  ;  second,  Mr.  T.  Lord  with  Wm.  Skirving.  Scarlet  flakes. — 
First,  Mr.  W.  Pemberton  with  Sportsman  ;  second,  Mr.  T.  Lord  with 
Sportsman.  Rose  flakes. — First,  Messrs.  Thomson  &  Co.  with  Mrs. 
Rowan  ;  second,  Mr.  T.  Lord  with  Mrs.  T.  Lord.  Purple  flakes. — First, 
Mr.  R.  Sydenham  with  Gordon  Lewis  ;  second,  Messrs.  Thomson  &  Co. 
with  Gordon  Lewis. 
Heavy  Red  Picotees. — First,  Mr.  T.  Lord  with  Brunette  ;  second,  Mr. 
A.  R.  Brown  with  Ganymede.  Light  Red  Picotees.  -  First,  Mr.  T.  Lord 
with  Thos.  William  ;  second,  Mr  F.  W.  Goodfellow  with  Thos.  William. 
Heavy  Purple  Picotees. — First,  Mr.  A.  R.  Brown  with  Mrs.  Openshaw  ; 
second,  Mr.  R.  Sydenham  with  Mrs.  Openshaw.  Light  Purple  Picotee. — 
First  and  second,  Mr.  A.  W.  Jones  with  Somerhill.  Heavy  Rose,  Scarlet, 
or  Salmon  Picotees. — First,  Mr.  C.  F.  Thurstan  with  Lady  Louisa  ;  second, 
Mr.  R.  Sydenham  with  Mrs.  Payne.  Light  Rose,  Scarlet  or  Salmon 
Picotees. — First  and  second  Mr.  T.  Lord  with  Favourite. 
The  premier  prize  for  the  best  Carnation  in  the  whole  exhibition  was 
won  by  Mr.  T.  Lord  with  Mrs.  Alay,  rose  flake  ;  and  the  premier  prize 
for  the  best  Picotee  was  won  by  Mr.  F.  W.  Goodfellow  with  Mrs. 
Gordon. 
Weather  in  London. — Once  more  we  have  been  making  heat 
records  in  London,  the  thermometer  on  Monday  reaching  89°  in  the  shade 
and  129°  in  the  sun,  which  is  the  hottest  for  the  year  so  far.  At  midday 
on  Tuesday  the  temperature  was  nearly  80  in  the  shade.  On  Thursday, 
Frida}’,  and  Saturday  of  last  week  it  was  very  warm,  as  was  it  on  Sunday, 
when  there  was  a  slight  thunderstorm  with  rain  in  the  evening.  On 
Wednesday,  at  the  time  of  going  to  press,  it  was  brighter  but  decidedly 
cooler. 
-  Blacks  in  Potatoes. — This  year  I  have  been  in  time  to  find 
an  olive  coloured  grub  in  the  Potatoes  affected  with  blacks,  the  pest 
eating  its  way  to  a  considerable  depth,  sometimes  to  the  middle  o 
the  tuber,  and  then,  turning  about  or  backing  out,  passes  into  the  soil 
to  pupate.  The  grub  appears  black  to  the  unaided  eye,  and  when  full  grown 
about  half  an  inch  in  length.  It  causes  blackness  in  the  tuber,  and  gives 
the  flesh  near  a  very  unpleasant  flavour,  if  not  rendering  it  unwholesome. 
The  grub  appears  a  species  of  the  genus  Panorpa,  or  scorpion  fly,  but  I  have 
not  been  successful  in  rearing  this  ;  indeed,  the  grubs  are  difficult  to  ge 
out,  and  even  to  detect  when  in,  so  that  many  have  their  heads  cut  off  or 
their  tails.  Perhaps  some  correspondent  may  throw  light  on  the  subject 
as  the  matter  is  serious,  quite  a  quarter  of  the  tubers  being  affected. — 
Experimentalist. 
-  Onion  Classes. — Every  show  where  it  has  long  been  the  rule 
to  have  classes  for  autumn-sown  and  spring-sown  Onions  helps  to 
emphasise  the  need  there  is  for  a  third  class — viz.,  for  winter  raised  bulbs 
It  is  so  very  evident  that  these  bulbs  do  not  come  into  either  of  the  forme 
categories.  It  is  specially  hard  on  those  exhibitors  who  read  the  schedule 
as  written,  and  in  the  spring  class  show  only  bulbs  raised  from  seed  sown 
outdoors  in  the  spring,  to  have  glass-raised  bulbs  put  into  competition 
with  them.  Equally  it  would  be  wrong  to  exclude  such  bulbs  from  com¬ 
petition  because  they  do  not  comply  with  the  conditions  of  either  autumn 
or  spring-sown  classes.  They  are  usually  so  fine  and  often  rich  triumphs 
of  cultivation  that  they  merit  all  encouragement.  I  should  like  to  see 
Shrewsbury,  where  there  is  such  great  competition  in  both  established 
classes,  setting  an  example  in  this  respect,  and  at  the  same  time  relieving 
the  judges  of  a  difficulty. — A.  D. 
-  Riviera  Flowers. — I  notice  in  your  issue  of  August  18th, 
under  the  above  heading,  that  “  Carnations  continue  to  be  planted  in 
large  numbers.”  It  is  to  be  sincerely  hoped  if  this  is  the  case  that  the 
planters  will  take  the  trouble  to  propagate  better  strains  of  Carnations 
than  are  now  in  vogue  at  Bordighera.  My  daughter  has  spent  two 
winters  lately  at  Bordighera,  and  at  my  particular  request  searched 
everywhere  to  try  and  find  anything  new,  or  of  exceptional  merit, 
without  result.  What  are  grown  are  of  that  papery,  crinkled  leaf,  with 
a  saw  edge,  which  nobody  that  grows  Carnations  would  look  at  in  this 
country.  It  is  a  pity  that  with  such  climatic  advantages  somebody  there 
does  not  take  the  trouble  to  import  and  grow  really  good  Carnations,  as  I 
see  no  reason  why  we  should  not  then  have  them  all  the  year  round  in 
quantity,  such  as  we  have  now  being  grown  under  glass,  and  which,  taken  as 
a  whole,  are  far  inferior  to  plants  flowered  in  the  open  air  under  proper 
cultivation. — H.  W.  WEGUELIN,  St.  Mary  Church ,  Torquay. 
-  The  Decline  of  the  Pelargonium.  —  I  have  read  with 
some  interest  the  paper  on  this  subject,  which  interest  would  have  been 
considerably  increased  if  I  had  been  quite  sure  about  what  the  writer 
meant.  He  seems  to  use  the  terms  Pelargonium  and  Geranium  as 
convertible  ;  but  I  think,  generally  speaking,  Geranium  is  a  term  applied 
to  those  of  the  Zonal  section,  which  I  have  never  heard  called  Pelar¬ 
goniums,  this  latter  name  being  applied  to  those  grand  greenhouse 
flowers  of  which  Mr.  Charles  Turner  of  Slough,  and  Mr.  Bailey  of 
Shardeloes,  used  to  be  the  greit  exponents  ;  but  these  were  never  used 
for  bedding  purposes.  Again,  what  does  the  writer  mean  by  Fancy ? 
This  was  a  term  originally  applied  to  a  particular  section  of  the  greenhouse 
Pelargoniums  with  smaller  flowers  than  those  of  the  Show  section,  more 
difficult  to  manage  than  those  varieties,  requiring  more  heat,  and  being 
more  liable  to  damp.  They  cannot,  therefore,  be,  I  imagine,  varieties  to 
which  your  correspondent  alludes,  and  it  is  a  great  pity,  I  think,  that 
neither  those  nor  the  Show  Pelargoniums  are  as  much  cultivated  as  they 
used  to  be. — D.,  Deal. 
