HORTICULTURE ABROAD.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 6, 10 February 1909, Page 40

HORTICULTURE ABROAD.

At a meeting of the Horticultural Society of New South Wales. Mr. A. Yates, vice-president, who had just returned from a visit to England, gave a very interesting account of the many line things he had seen at Home, and the method of showing, etc. lie said he arrived just in time for t.’ie second day of the Temple Show, and which no doubt is the finest show held. The exhibits were simply amazing, especially the trade exhibits. Ihe centre of the show was composed mostly of orchids, while the sides were taken up with stove and other plants. The trade exhibits were there for sale as well as for show, each exhibitor having his own salesman. Major Ha'.ford’s exhibit of orchids was something marvellous at the Ghent quinquennial show, winning the Veitchian Cup. and in which Miltonias were very much in evidence, although not much grown here. The American carnations were excellent blooms, four inches across, and four feet high, grown in pots. In Tuberous Begonias he had seen nothing to equal those at Home. The Shrewsbury Show was also an excellent one. Kerr’s Hip-

peastrums were very fine. Polyantha and Wichuriana rosea were also a noticeable feature, and also a fine display of Alpine plants, which we do not see much of out here. Barr’s collection of Japanese dwarfed trees were very good, though, personally, hr could not appreciate them himself. At the Holland House Show, held July 17th, were also some excellent exhibits, while at the Wolverhampton .Show the New Spencer Hybrid Sweet Peas were very fine. He had riot Been anything to equal them anywhere. At the .Shrewsbury Show there were six or eight large marquees, in which fruits of many varieties, grown in pots, were shown. Vegetables, stove plants, roses, dahlias, and sweet peas were all very noticeable, and for one to give minute details of everything seen would be too voluminous. He visited Kew Gardens, ■but for beauty he claimed Sydney Botanic Gardens much the best. He admitted that everything -was kept in excellent order, and that the specimen trees were really handsome. He also visited Major Halford’s place at Tetworth, and it is wonderful the quantity of orchids grown there. A visit to Sanders and Co. was a pleasing one, and while there they had something like 7000 seedling orchids coming along, and any of those that only turned out ordinary were sent to America, where there was always a ready market at prices something like 21 dollars each. On his return journey he visited the Ceylon Botanic Garden, which was the finest he had seen, and quite a change from the general run of them.