HORTICULTURAL NOTES By J. Gebben.

Otago Witness, Issue 2758, 23 January 1907, Page 10

HORTICULTURAL NOTES By J. Gebben.

TE3IUKA FLOWER SHOW. On Thursday, 10th inst., the Tomuka Floral and Horticultural Society held its, eighteenth annual exhibition of fruit, flowers, and vegetables, and considering the unfavourable season the display was a good one. In pot plants there was practically only one exhibitor, Captain Holwell, who as usual staged a number of choice plants, including fuchsias, begonbs, pelargoniums, ferns, and a host of others. There was a good show of cut flowers, the roses being the only weak point. These wore not nearly so good as is usually seen at this show. Mr Watson took first and second prizes for 18 and 12 in both classes, and Mr F. Saunders took the prize for tho champion rose with c bloom of Baroness Rothschild. The tea or nojsette roses wero in better condition than the hybrid perpetuals. Mrs A. C. Watson and Mr J. Harrison secured the awards in this section. The most attractive feature in the cut-flower section was the collection of sweet peas. A collection of 36 varieties, neatly and correctly named and put up m bunches by the Rev. Mr Stiiicon, was the best exhibit of sweet peas I have seen, and Mr Abbott, one of tho judges, declared it to be far in advance of any exhibit at the show in the Ohristchurch Exhibition Building's the day previous, where tho sweetpea exhibits were a revelation to the A.ustraliun -visitors present. Panties were better shown this year than formerly, the show and fancy varieties being nearer to the btandard requited. Mrs A. O. Watson secured first and second awards for these. Very fine strains of dianthus f.vere staged, Mr Alf. Hope taking first prize, also securing awards for double and single petunias. Swcetwilliam, pVlox Drummondii, lilies, and pelargoniums were well represented, and the collections of annuals shown by T. H. Goy and A. Hope were mucb admired Tho sweet pea awards were: — Collection of 12 varieties — Rev. J. Stinson 1 an 1 2. T. H. Goy 3. Collection sweet peas — Captain Holwell 1, J. Wallace 2, D. H. Edffar 3. In the competition oppn to children Miss M. Goy obtained first, with Willie M'Millan second and Miss C. Grant third lor swe-et peas. For collection of nasturtiums there were five entries. J. Wallace winning first and Miss A. Roulston second. The first section was of tho very highest class, and was the admiration of all and a surprise to many. The jutlgps wr? unanimous in their verdict that they l i.id never seen small fruit* of better j quality in a.ll their experience. The black, red, aiid white currants, gooseberries, and cherries were superb. The 12 heaviest g-oosebcriies weighed 15Aoz, and were crown by Mr W. H. Scott. The second heaviest grown by Mr G. Husband, weighed x2oz The vegetable section was fanly gooil. although not so repreeentathp as u^ual. Potatoes wore in abundance aid reiflarkd^ly finp. Half a dozen collections of vegetables were (shown, and these werv good. The globe and long beets were well shaped, and finer carrots, onions, and shallots are seldom to be Sf-en. Bouquets. flo-«.vl d<;?ign«;, and opergnes were tastefully arranned, and these attracted a deal of attention, but what I suppose is leckoncd th« princin :1 featuie of tlm class was the table decorations. anJ these, no doubt, added to tho attractiveness of the show. There were seven entucs. The first prize wa>> awarded to Misa E. Cutton, the predomins^insf tinr boinsr mauve, the blooms userl being .Scabious Caucaeica, sweet peas, and gypsophila Ml«s C. Beri came second, tl'o flowrj Vised being phylox &nd gypsophila, the tints being pink. Miss A. C. Watson, placed third, used sweet peas, picotees, and maiden-ha^r fern. In tho young ladies' class Miss I. Beri was awarded first, the flowers used being poppies and gypsophila. Miss R. Twomey was awarded second, sweet pea«, geranium, and gypsophila being the flowers used. CARNATIONS. Tills has been one of the worst seasons experienced by carnation growers for a long time, those planted during- spring having suffered considerably. Autumnplanted and onp-year-old, e e tabb»hed plants hate done fairly well. These who purchased and planted during spring, with the expectation of getting a few good blooms, have been doomed to disappointment. A3 a T ule the best blooms are obtained from plants that have been 12 months established. In. the collection of Mr Cousins (&! Clair nuiserie*) is a plant of Childe Harold, which, has been in a toot for two yeasa, and has produced nMr.Yvllo'us bloogw,

while strqng, healthy, young plants of the same variety have produced! very inferior flowers. I think it a pity that a carnation show is not held in Dvnedin at this season, j when carnations ar© at their best. Carnations are a popular flower, and their popularity is on the. inererse. Carnation shows are beiri^ held in many towns of the Commonwealth, and I hope to see ere long something of the sort in New Zealand. Mr Cousins has bloomed 150 of the newest English andj American varieties this season, and has 200 which he lately imported from England growing for blooming during winter. Great strides have been made with these flowers during the past two years, especially in the yellow-ground picotees. Child© Harold and Pilgrim are possibly the two best varieties ever raised! The blooms are very large. Other good varieties which have produced exhibition blooms are Gretchen, Annot Lyle, Carracia, Alcimous, Mrs Heriot, Lucy Glitters. Mazarin, May Queen, and Lady St. Oswald. These are all yellow ground, with medium and heavy edg-es. The Malmaison carnations are past their best. These have monster blooms, but all I have seen produce such a number of ragged flowers that I have not yet taken a fancy to the clasa. The self carnations are a greatly admired class, especially by the ladies. A few of the most striking are:— Lady Hermione, salmon pink ; Agnes Sorrell, dark maroon ; Duko of Norfolk, scarlet ; Midas, apricot ; Benbow, buff. The be3t whites are — Much the Miller, Hildegard, and Trojan, and the best of the yellow selfs are Lord Piunkot, Cecilia, Daffcdile, Goliath, and Seymour Corkran. In the fancy carnations the blending of colour in some of the varieties is very beautiful and is hard to describe. The English nurserymen are going m largely for this class at present. A few of the best are Professor Cooper, Dido, Queen Bes6, Nelly Maguire, Perseus, Diaz, and Clio. The shading in the majority of these is vory hard to describe. The colour is either apricot or yellow-striped and marked with rose, lavender 4 and crimson in various shades, presenting a most uncommon combination of colours. Tlip 200 plants lately imported are American varieties. These will flower in due time, when I may give a few notes on thvir cintaLility for winter flowering. In the Australian colonies the American varieties aiP highly prized, and justly so, I think.