■292 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  7,  1904. 
the  president’s  silver  medal  (X.D.S.)  as  the  best  bunch  of  bloom 
in  the  professional  classes  for  bnnehes.  2.  Florence  M.  Stred- 
wick,  white  flower,  very  deep;  back  petals  reflex,  centi'e  ones 
incurved,  making  (piite  a  globular  bloom,  of  very  fair  size; 
fine,  as  seen  on  several  occasions  last  autumn.  3.  H.  W. 
iSillem,  purplish  crimson ;  veiy  large  flower  and  finest  petals. 
4.  Pearl,  lovely  rich  pink,  with  lighter  tips  to  petals,  and  of 
heantifnl  form.  o.  Sirius,  Fancy  Cactus  of  biilliant  colour, 
yellow  ground  sti  iiied.  speckled,  and  splashed  with  scarlet  ; 
petals  narrow  throughout  entire  length  ;  strong  flower  stems, 
(i.  Mrs.  .1.  W.  Wilkinson,  very  large  flower,  and  of  a  colour  long 
wanted  in  Cactus  Dahlias — deep  I'osy  pink;  a  fine,  taiing 
flower. 
At  the  next  committee  meeting,  that  of  the  National  Dahlia 
Society  held  at  ^lancbester,  five  vaiieties  were  lionoui'ed. 
including  two  of  the  Fancy  Cactus  section.  These  were ; — 
Comet,  with  a  beautiful  delicate  piidt  ground,  thickly  striped 
and  speckled  with  crimson,  petals  evenly  incurved,  and  the 
flower  boasts  an  exceptionally  erect  stem  ;  and  Hereward,  pure 
white  ground,  with  crimson  stripes,  and  of  good  foiun.  The 
stems  are  strong.  This  might  be  descril)ed  as  an  improved 
“  Alpha.”  Other  ^Manchester  certificates  weie  :  —  Mary,  a  pom- 
pon-Cactus  of  a  deep  pink  colour  and  pretty  foiun,  likely  to 
])rove  an  addition  to  the  section  ;  Rainbow,  possessing  a  chaiun- 
ing  tint  of  light  jiink,  with  the  very  narrowest  of  petals,  though 
not  numerous;  George  Gordon,  a  large  flower  of  the  finest 
incurved  Cactus  form,  and  in  colour  yellow  in  the  centre,  with 
the  oldei'  petals  shading  to  orange.  It  has  a  strong  stem. 
At  the  next  meeting,  that  held  at  the  Drill  Hall  on  Sep¬ 
tember  I-),  the  committees  of  the  R.H.S.  and  X.D.S.  amal¬ 
gamated,  and  certificated  Dainty,  a  yellow  vaiiety,  shaded  pink 
auid  tipped  with  orange  ;  a  jiretty  comihnation  of  colours,  the 
flower  being  of  good  form  and  size.  Also  Sweet  NeH,  pink  at 
the  upper  portion  of  the  petals,  lighter  at  the  base,  with  slightly 
incurving  florets;  a  pretty  colour  and  good  form. 
At  the  last  sliow,  that  of  the  fyondon  Dahlia  Union,  several 
varieties  not  before  certified  Avere  then  honoured,  Avhile  other 
varieties  repeated  their  pievious  successes.  The  new  arrivals 
AA'ere  Violetta,  with  very  large  floAvers  of  reflex  form,  and  long 
petals ;  the  colour,  as  its  name  implies,  is  very  distinct. 
Premier,  crimson-scarlet,  with  the  very  finest  petals,  very 
numerous  and  incurved,  forming  I'efined  floAvers.  Lauretta,  a 
beautifully-coloured  variety,  yelloAV-edged,.  tioped  and  shaded 
with  rosy  red,  aa  Inch  gives  the  floAA'er  a  burnished  appearance  ; 
it  has  an  incurved  form.  iMrs.  Colin  Campbell  is  yelloAv,  slightly 
shaded,  and  posse.sses  very  long,  narroAV,  incurved  florets, 
forming  large  floAvers  ;  and  very  fine  as  shown.  Ella  Kraemar 
furnishes  the  loveliest  pink,  aa  ith  a  lighter  shade  at  the  base  ;  the 
petals  are  even,  incurving,  and  pointed,  the  blooms  being  of  fine 
size. 
A.s  usual,  the  Cactus  section  gained  the  lion’s  share  of  the 
certificates,  but  some  good  things  Avere  added  in  the  other 
sections,  doubles  being  lepresented  by  Rioodhound,  colour  red, 
an;l  of  most  approved  form  and  large.  The  liest  pompons  Avere 
Edina,  yellow,  slightly  reddish  at  tips  of  petals,  small  and 
Aound  ;  Queen  of  M  hites,  pure  Avhite,  of  ideal  form,  being  per¬ 
fectly  round  and  of  small  size  ;  San  Toy,  aa  bite,  edged  and  tipped 
c.annine.  distinct  and  pretty  ;  Sih'ia,  ])inkish-AA diite,  rosy  tips, 
neat  and  round.  One  or  tAAO  notable  additions  to  the  singles 
must  be  recorded,  certificates  beiAig  awarded  to  Darkness,  of 
maroon  colour,  and  having  a  most  approved  form  ;  a  fine 
p.ddition.  Princess  of  Wales,  pink,  similai'  in  colour  to  the  old 
Cactus  Amriety.  Rosebank  Scarlet,  a  l  ich  nov^elty,  aa  ith  fine 
form.  Bessie,  deep  red  eye,  with  broAA’uish  orange  tips  ;  novd 
amd  distinct. 
A])pended  are  giyen  the  names  of  the  vaiious  floAvers,  .Aitn 
those  of  their  raisei’s  ;  — 
Mrs.  H.  L.  BrousBon  bJ.  StredAvick 
naif  Son). 
Florence  M.  Stredwick  (Stredwick). 
H.  W.  Sillem  (H.  Sboesmitb). 
Pearl  (.Stredwick). 
Sirius  (Stredwick). 
Mrs.  J.  W.  Wilkin, son  (.Stredwick). 
Mary  (W.  Tre.9eder), 
Comet  (StredAvick). 
Herew.ard  (StredAvick). 
Violetta  (J.  Burrell  &  Co.). 
(teorgre  Gordon  (StredAvick). 
Premier  (.7.  Burrell  &  Co.). 
EainboAv  (Stredwick). 
New  Asten,  Miss  Kate  Lock. 
This  Aster  oiiginated  from  the  Branching  and  Washington 
Astei’s.  The  floAvei’s,  Avhich  resemble  the  Truffaut  in  form, 
nieasnre  from  five  to  seven  inches  across,  Avith  stems  3(i  to  39in 
long  on  fine  rolrnst  plants,  about  fifteen  blooms  on  very  .sfiff 
stems  to  each  plant.  d  he  floAA  ei's  can  be  easily  and  artistically 
ananged  Avben  cut.  This  Astei-  aa  ill  take  a  pi  oniinent  place  in 
the  market  tor  cut  blooms  as  soon  as  it  is  Iretter  knoAvn. 
The  Mawket  Gandeneps’  Act. 
A  Bill  has  been  introduced  to  make  clear  -‘What  Avas 
oidginally  intended”  by  the  ^Market  Gardeners’  Act  of  1895 — 
that  tenants  shotdd  be  compensated  for  unexhausted  improve¬ 
ments.  The  decision  of  the  Court  of  Appeal  in  a  case  in  1901 
rendered  this  neci'ssary. 
Mp.  Findlay  and  his  Potatoes. 
At  the  last  Birmingham  fat  .stock  sIioav,  Farmer  Atkimson,  of 
Weston  St.  Mary.  Spalding.  Ifincs.,  bargained  with  Mr.  Findlay_, 
of  Mairsland,  to  deliA’er  to  him  141b  of  Eldorado  Potatoes  at  one 
guinea  per  lb.  Subseciuently  Eldoradoes  Avent  up  considerably 
in  price,  and  a  higher  figure  Avas  demanded.  In  the  Cupar 
Sheriff’s  Court,  .Mr.  Findlay  has  been  held  to  his  bargain,  not- 
Avithstanding  his  contention  that  he  had  only  45cwt.  of  thi.s 
partic;ilar  variety,  for  Avliich  £100  per  tuber  Avas  uoav  being 
given. 
Midland  DafTodi!  Society’s  Show. 
The  committee  of  this  society  have  decided,  on  account  of 
the  lateness  of  the  season,  to  postpone  the  exhibition  until 
Tuesday  and  Wednesday,  April  2(3  and  27— that  is,  instead  of 
Thursday  and  Friday,  April  21  and  22;  and,  again,  it  Avid  not 
in  any  Avay  clash  Avith  the  other  shoAvs  Avhich  are  being  held  on 
the  21st  and  22nd,  viz.,  AAisbech,  IpsAvich.  XorAvich,  and  Col¬ 
chester.  The  Rev.  G.  H.  Engleheart  Avill  exhibit  as  usual  a 
set  of  neAA'  seedlings,  AAliich  are  generally  one  of  the  leading 
features  of  the  shoAv.  — H.  Smith,  Tenby  Street,  Birmingham. 
Fpuit  and  Sugap  in  the  West  Indies. 
The  groAvth  in  the  Amine  of  the  fruit  annually  exported  from 
the  West  Indies  is  proportionately  far  more  rapid  than  the 
decline  in  the  Amine  of  the  exports  of  sugar  therefrom.  The 
recent  return  shoAAung  the  value  of  the  exports  of  sugar  and 
fruit  from  the  West  Indies  to  the  United  Kingdom,  Canada,  the 
United  States,  and  other  foreign  countries  in  the  years  1899- 
1900  and  1902-1903  gives  figures  Avhich  go  far  to  justify  such  an 
assumption.  Thus,  the  exports  of  sugar  to  the  United  Kingdom 
in  the  former  year  AAere  valued  at  £019,642,  in  the  latter  at 
£434.48(3,  a  decline  of  £185,156 ;  to  the  United  States, 
£2,0(37.015  and  £1,482,033,  a  decline  of  £585,582;  Avhile  to 
Canada  the  value  rose  from  £51,312  to  £173,008,  an  increase  of 
£121,(390.  Fruit  exports  to  the  United  Kingdom  lose  from 
£45. OF)  to  £142.008,  an  increase  of  £96,3(32;  to  the  United 
States  from  £81(),999  to  £1,186,501,  an  increase  of  £309,502; 
and  to  Canada  from  £(3,991  to  £28,639,  an  increa.se  of  £21,648. 
Summed  up,  these  items  shoAv  that  the  exports  of  .sugar  to  the 
three  countries  dropped  from  £2,738,509  to  £2,089,527,  a  decline 
of  £019.042;  those  of  fruit  rose  from  £809,036  to  £1,357,148, 
an  increase  of  £187,512. 
Mapket  Floweps  fop  Eastep. 
White  floAvei's  of  English  groAvth  are  first  favourites  in  the 
trade  at  Easter.  The  chit'f  of  these  is  Ivilium  longiflorum.  It  is 
forced  in  large  (piantities  by  country  cultiAmtors.  It  is  noAV 
making  fiom  18s.  to  72s.  per  dozen  bunches.  Yet  competition 
for  choice  sjiecimens  is  keen.  The  city  retail  florist  ahvays  gives 
it  the  most  conspicuous  position  in  the  shop  AvindoAv  at  Easter. 
The  floAvering  plants  are  sold  also  in  pots.  They  are  excellent 
for  decoration.  They  cost  from  12s.  to  24s.  a  dozen  pots  aa  IioIc- 
sale.  Lilium  lancifolinm  is  a  cheaper  form  of  Easter  Lily,  but  it 
is  a  good  second  to  longiflorum.  The  Calla  is  an,  old  Easter 
faA’ourite.  It.  is  to  be  seen  on  shoAv  in  every  floAver  shop  at  the 
present  time,  and  is  cheap.  Possibly  more  of  these  floAvers  are 
groAvn  for  sah»  at  Easter  than  any  other  kind  that  could  be 
mentioned.  White  Lily  of  the  Valley,  especially  the  large 
belled  kinds,  such  as  Excelsior,  are  making  fancy  prices.  These 
run  from  15s.  to  18s.  a  dozen  small  bunches,  Avjth  only  tAvelve 
sprays  to  the  bunch.  One  large  distributor  in  Hertfordsliire 
forces  over'  1,750,000  croAvns  each  year.  The  Ifiiy  of  the  \  alley 
is  not  so  popular  at  this  season  as  the  giant  Liliums,  but  the 
buttonhole  florists  use  it  largely  for  the  holiday  folk,  hence,  its 
high  value. 
Dainty  (Hobbies,  Ltd.). 
.Sweet  Nell  (Hobbies,  Ltd.). 
Lauretta  (Burrell). 
Ella  Kraemar  (Streilwick). 
Mrs.  Colin  Campbell  (W.  Baxter). 
Edina  (Clias.  Turner). 
Queen  of  Whites  (Turner). 
San  Tov  (Turner). 
Silvia  (Turner). 
Darkness  (.1.  Cheal  £  Sons). 
Princess  of  Wales  (Cheal). 
Rosebank  Scarlet  (Edward  ilaAvley). 
Bessie  (Seale). 
Bloodhound  <  Mortimer). 
