HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

Otago Witness, Issue 3525, 4 October 1921, Page 9

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

ANNUAL SPRING SHOW. The annual spring show of the Dunedin Horticultural Society, which was opened ill the Art Gallery Hail on Friday, is unUuuutediy one oi tne finest exmbitiGiis. oi spring powers ever seen in Dunedin, and both from the point of view ot the display itself and the irnerest demonstrated by a huge attendance of the public during bot.ii tlie ailernoon and evening it promises to be one oi the most suceessiu,. uturmiy the exhibition is dominated by the daffodil, the gouden-ero.Yned queen of the garden at this time of the year, and these flowers are pit sent in all tueir glory aiu.l infinite, endieos variety. The entire.-, too, are very much in excess of those received last year and in many of the classes they must constitute a record in the history ol the society. 'i ire snow itself is a reflex of the mild season which has been experienced, the exceptional weather conditions being reflected both in tile quality of the flowers themselves and in the extensive range of varieties to be seen in the hall, ’ilie absence of high winds and frizzling nor’-westers hag resulted in a wonder! ul display ol ■ large, clean blooms ol good colour, and most remarkable of all tiie early and late I varieties ol daffodils are to be seen in the I finest condition. As a matter of fact several : | of the stands are representative of all see- j j lions of tiie daffodils--a very unusual eir- I j cumstanee for the Dunedin show. In its \ I general arrangement the display, both in ! I the main hall and in the oil colour room j is strikingly effective, especially at night, | | and the manner in which many of the exi hibits around the walls are placed in tiers j sets off the blooms to the best advantage ! and enables them to be admired with ease. | In the Open Championship competition i for narcissi the first prize went to Mr T. 1 11. Clark, whose blooms were remarkable | for their size, substance, and colour, and | whose exhibit was a most creditable one i all round. His premier bloom was a trum- ; pet (White Emperor) and other fine , varieties in the collection were Queen of | the West (trumpet), Queen of Hearts (J3arrii), Finespun and White Nectorine (in- | comp.), Empire (Giant White Leedsii), and | Dr Barnett (a yellow incomp, from a locally ; raised seedling). Mr G. H. Brownlee I (Sawyer’s Bay) was second, his exhibit comS prising a seedling called Otaku (a bii colour trumpet seedling which was i awarded a premier certificate), a nice Beacon, Dorothy and I’relty Girl, the two last* n 11 >;" 1 1 also being reodlinas. Mr Ai Millar <Morning-tun) occupied third place. In the ; Ama.iciir Championship, Airs Sutherland (Lawrence) scored heavily with an exhibition of outstanding merit which gained 1 the first award. On this stand the premier : loom v as 1,1 ns bearer ( n White Inromp.), .nd oilier sijiking varieties were Scarlet : Gem, ft:'mlci, I'k-lii.se, Great Worley and j Vesta. Mr Jus. Nelson was second with

nice Cleopatra White Slave and Red Jeacon. me Hart Trophy for 18 distinct arietiea of narcissi to be selected front a perilled list was won by Mrs A. Nicbol for he third time and this coveted cap now beomes her property outright. Mrs Ntchol taged a most meritorious display, some ot he more notable blooms being Evangeline, Lucifer, White Queen, Monarch, King Ufred, and White Lady. The second place vas. filled by Mr R. M’Garrigle, with an'ther nice selection. The first prize in the open class for 24 arieties of narcissi was awarded to Air XI. Trevena, who showed a number of very triking blooms, including Lord Roberts, -ord Kitchener, Empire, and Croesus. Mr f. Hornby, of Anderson’s Bay, filled second 'lace with a collection which must have un the winner very close, and which conained fine examples of Felspar, Bedouin, nd The Fawn. Air J. Fleming won the eetion for bulbs of n limited value, his eduction including some nice lb's. Cornelia, •nd Lucifer varieties. In the class for 12 ■arieties of narcissi, Mr Hamel was again o the fore, his collection including two outfa nclmg blooms in Lowdham Beauty and lernardino. The single vase sections for •mateurs were very largely patronised, and ompetition was very keen. ills departnent proved quite a successful feature of he show, and was a pleasing evidence of ihat small growers may achieve by care nd patience. The school exhibits also (traded large entries, and afforded evilence of the increased interest which the ’oung folks take in horticulture. The seedlings are undoubtedly one of the nos* interesting- features of the show. A pecial competition is provided for locally■aised seedlings, and the whole of the exlibits were shown in splendid condition, md were well tip to the standard of the mported varieties, thus afford : ng conclusive ividence of the improvement which has aken place of recent years. On many of he competitive stands it was also noticedale that seedlings were displacing many if the high-priced imported varieties, thus bowing that local horticulturists are leavnng how to grow their own blooms from eed. This assertion finds emphatic verificaion in the exhibition cvf blooms staged by sir A. Hart, of Lawrence, the whole of the •arieties included in which were seedlings •aised at Weat-herstones, and as a whole institute a most instructive and distinctive iisplav. Among the outstanding blooms in his unique collection are the Trumpets, den Hart and Torn Walker, the latter being he boldest flower in the show, and also Height. a Barrii, considered to be the finest icedling yet. raised in Lawrence. Another ine bloom is a yellow Incomp., which is Derfect in colour, size, and Axturo, and .hero is also a splendid bi-colour Incomp ike a refined Great, Warloy. A beautiful ledcup resembles Croesus, but is much more •dense in colouring, and in every way a finer flower. There are also several very arge Leedsii, and undoubtedly the loveliest thing in the show is an immense long trumpet Leedsii, with a sweet apricot tinge veil down the cup. which has been named Lady Fenwick. ’There are many other fine varieties representative cf all sections of daffodils. The classes for cut flowers other than narcissi attracted good entries and brought to light some very interesting varieties of lowering shrubs, notably the Erica, Melanthera, Boronia, and Felicia, included in Mr E. 0. Reilly’s exhibit, Mr Gill showed a nice lot of hyacinths in the amateur section, and Mr W. J. Lory, of Roslyn. also placed some very fine specimens of these flowers on exhibition. Messrs Lothbridge and Conttsrdso put forward some very pleasing tulips although it is rather early in the season for these flowers. Mr 11.. Fountain was very successful with his polyanthus primroses, showing some very choice samples, notably those in the orange shades. Several displays which are made for exhibition purposes only are worthy of special mention. Mr A. O. Broad, for instance, has staged a wonderful coflection of pansies all of which, with one exception, have been raised from his own seed. There are in all 72 pansies, each of them different, and many of them call for Ihe highest admiration. Messrs Moncricff and Stewart occupy the opposite corner with an exhibit of many of th- finest varieties of daffodils, backed ur> very tasfeinllv with palms and foliage plants. Mr J. Fleming, of Morning ion, * has (bate, u no. ;i bis ye gel a 1)'o garden for n mo- exhibit of Jock*, onions, ami { u)- -: ij- s. a of w ben are sound, firm, and well- if,. .n. bhv . ) (V ,-f r ,l from th ■ VYinwr Ho-lms wale a fine display in ihe <■<■: - r cf iff • ball. The waff-g- i i buir r , i N Idl'd with the exhibits m the deor.rutivo section, which presents a si viking ; a-t t 0 (he nr.-dominate e of the daffodil in ib-. main hall. Much tasteful work is to he scan here,. and nothing is more- tasteful and pleasing to the eye than a basket of pmk geraniums shown by Miss Molly Hudson, j here is _also quite a revival :n the competitions for decorated tables, no fewer than 10 of these being disposed about the hall. Yellow jonquils, maidenhair fern, ami native birch figured prominently in each of the winning displays, and some very choice flower? were also included in two beautiful shower bouquets.