Horticultural and Floral Fete at Shrewsbury

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIII, Issue 15, 13 October 1909, Page 40

Horticultural and Floral Fete at Shrewsbury

A GORGEOUS DISPLAY

By

H. BRETT

HEN visiting the National ff I Sweet Pea Society’s Show in July I was urged by Mr. Robert Sydenham, the sweet pea and bulb specialist, to attend the Shropshire Floral Festival at Shrewsbury, where I should witness probably the best flower show in the world. I gladly responded to the invitation, and on the 16th inst. left London by a train which landed me in Birmingham after a quick run of under two hours. Spending the day with some friends there, 1 started on the following afternoon for Shrewsbury. Arriving at six o’clock on the evening of the 18th I started in company with Air. Sydenham for the show grounds, and upon arrival found most of the competitors already hard at work arranging their stands. I was introduced to the hon. energetic and courteous secretary, Mr. Naughton, who, pleased to welcome a New Zealander, escorted me through the several marquees—there were no less than twelve of immense dimensions for exhibits alone. All the marquees were lighted with electricity so that exhibitors could work during the night. I was in the tents again at seven o’clock on the morning of the show, when I witnessed a magnificent display of flowers, fruit, and vegetable.-:—a display such as I am never likely to see again. I was introduced to many notable horticulturists, and they assured me that the Shrewsbury Show this year was unrivalled in any part of Great Britain. At 9.30 'a.m. some thirty judges were admitted to the tents and their work having been completed the show was opened to the members, who pav an annual fee of £1 1/ for two exhibitions during the year. The public were also admitted at 12 o’clock upon payment of 2/6, and in less than an hour the whole of the huge marquees were crowded. This year there were over 3000 entries, of which over 1000 exhibits were made by cottagers. This

to me was one of the most interesting features of the show’, as the exhibits compared favourably (especially the vegetables) with those shown in the open classes. The Society has done good work in encouraging the cultivation of cottage gardens, and I should like to see the matter taken up more vigorously by the societies in New Zealand. The cottagers’ section at Shrewsbury this year was a horticultural show in Pself. The prize money distributed reached the handsome sum of £I2OO and the total receipts from the gates alone for the two days was £2688! I should mention that on the second day (people’s day) the charge for admission is one shilling to the grounds and show. No less than 80,000 passed through the gates on the second day—crowds coming in by excursion trains at very low fares from all parts of England, Scotland and Wales. Through the courtesy of the secretary I was permitted to go through the tents before the members and general public were admitted. This enabled me to have a clear view of all the stands and to make some notes. The taste with which the flowers, miscellaneous plants, fruit, etc., were arranged made the spectacle a positive delight to the eye. A veritable feast of colour was provided by flowers of all varieties, the sweet peas, begonias, and dahlias being most conspicuous. Large groups of foliage plants with their beautiful tints were also very attractive; and the large flower pots containing fruit trees loaded with the finest of peaches, nectarines, pears, apples, and grapes (all of course raised under glass) were choice and tempting. I may mention that the fruit and vegetables are enclosed with strong iron stands and wire netting, otherwise. with the immense crowd, they would probably disappear in the crush.

SWEET PEAS. f The whole opace of one immense marquee was devoted to the display of rweet peas. Nearly all those who competed at the National Sweet Pea Show were again present and made a magnificent show, but the blooms staged were not equal to those described in my previous article when I gave a list of all the best varieties. Most experts agree that the only new pea of merit shown this year is Charles Faster, brought out by Bolton. This is a distinct variety of the Spencer type; a pale salmon pink standard and a lilac pink wing. It is a beautiful bloom, but the one which I think is the best of all sweet peas should it remain true is Syrus Lee, introduced last season by Mr. Robert Sydenham. Hugh Aldersey, Esq., of Chester, exhibited several new varieties not for competition, but many were similar to those already on the market. Tortoiseshell, a pale Henry Eckford Spencer, is a very fine bloom, and if it remains true, should become very popular when placed in the hands of seedsmen. Topaz is also a beautiful bloom, but is very similar to Paradise (Ivory. The other blooms which attracted attention were Moonstone, strongly resembling Mrs. Chas. Foster; Ruby, similar to St. George, but more of a self; Pearl, a pure white Spencer, but very like to Etta Dyke, which is acknowledged the best white in existence.

BEGONIAS AND DAHLIAS. I was almost spellbound when I came in view of the begonias and dahlias. I have seen some very fine begonias grown by nurserymen in Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland, but I had never realised that such immense blooms could be grown as I witnessed at this show. Several were six inches across. The bulb producing blooms are retailed at from 12/ to 30/ each. The stand of Messrs. Blackmore and Langdon, over 60 feet in length, constituted a glorious spectacle. The great firms in England between them presented a display of dahlias which for colour and general beauty was not surpassed by anything in the show. The decorative and Paeone dahlias have become very popular. Some varieties exhibited by Messrs. Dobbie and Son were as large as a dessert plate. There was also a grand display of quilled and cactus dahlias. Several marquees were gorgeously decorated with other beautiful blooms, including carnations, orchids, roses, delphinium, penstemons, geraniums, pansies, violets, rudbeckia, chrysanthemums, perennial phloxes, coriopes, helianthus, tritimos, hollyhocks, etc. If I had space I could white columns on this marvellous show. As it is, I cannot close without a few remarks on some of the vegetables exhibited. To those who take a pride in their kitchen gardens, the exhibition was of the utmost value. It showed what could be done and gave them a criterion whereby to judge of their home-grown produce. To others the tomatoes, firm cauliflowers, huge onions, fine sticks of celery, large peas, beans and splendid leeks were a revelation of the horticulturist’s art. To give my readers an idea of what can be done tn culinary peas, I measured, several -pods of “Quite Content” from 6J to 7 inches in length. The best onion exhibited was “Ailsa Craig.” They were staged in groups of twelve, and the first prize was won with twelve onions averaging 15 inches round, and each weighing 14 to Ijlbs in weight. The parsnips were 30 inches in length, as straight as a Bart, and the leeks 15 inches in length {(the white part only) and 6 inches round. It is only fair to add that the leeks, celery, and parsnips referred to were all grown in pipes. The leading prizes for vegetables were secured by the Marquis of Northampton,. Earl of Latham, Sir F. G. Hesketh, Lord HorJech, Earl Spencer; Lady Duckworth, Duke of Portland, Lord Trevor, and others. The show was visited by most of the experts in Great Britain and some from across the Channel. When I left the grounds at three o’clock the beautiful quarry where the show is held was packed with a vast multitude of people drawn from all parts of the country who Stood enraptured at the sight before them. Two of the best military bands obtainable were playing outside the tents, and some half dozen very large tea tents were swarmed with visitors.

Aster Sinensis. This is a novelty of great merit (colour, electric white). It is without doubt the most beautiful and most original of asters. Height about 20 inches. Its blooms are from 44 to 54 inches diameter,

with long, tubulated and divergent petals. Each vigorous plant bears ten to twelve blooms, holding perfectly well together around the centre stem.

THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. NARCISSUS COMMITTEE. The Horticultural Society of New South Wales has appointed a Narcissus Committee, with power to give awards to new varieties, and to encourage a popular interest in narcissi in general. There are now hybridists at work in New Zealand, Victoria, and New South Wales, who have produced some very fine varieties, and to encourage this class of work it is necessary for some official recognition to be taken of merit when produced, to place an imprimatur on worthy productions. It is hoped that the lead of New South Wales will be followed by the leading horticultural societies in other States, appointing Narcissus Committees, with rules similar to those adopted in Sydney. The first meeting was held in Sydney on June 30th, when Mr. A. Yates was elected chairman. The committee resolved to award certificates, F.C.C. and A.M., to seedlings produced and flowered in Australasia, if deemed worthy of the honour. New varieties produced elsewhere have the Royal Horticultural Society, London, to go to for certificates. If local societies in Australia gave awards to British raised-seedlings, it would be like gilding the sovereign. At least- three blooms of each new variety for which a certificate is sought must- be submitted to the committee. This rule ensures the establishment of a variety. A seedling may give a fine flower the first year it blooms, but the next year the flower may degenerate. By a majority vote, the committee will decide whether the varieties submitted to it are worthy of certificates, and if so which shall be granted. A self yellow trumpet seedling was submitted by Mr. Hawes. The variety Blooms early. At the June meeting for the past three years, a pot of it has been exhibited. It is a free bloomer, and by its colour and form suggests descent from Androcles. The blooms submitted to the committee were grown in the open, but as on the date of staging Androcles was an bloom at Exeter. N.S.W;. and Mr. IJradley had seven- different trumpets in bloom, the committee was of opinion that a certificate could not Ire awarded then for earliness, and suggested that blooms from the. open should Tie submitted at the first meeting to be held early in June next, with a view to test its earliness and relative value, with older varieties that may he in bloom at the same time. Mr. H. IT B. Bradley submitted a glorious Tazetta- seedling obtained by crossing Gloriosa with the pollen of John Bull. Mr. Bradley, in accordance ■with the adopted rule, left the room while his variety was under discussion. T 1 ie committee was unanimous in voting an award of merit. Some growers said it was the finest variety they had ever

seen. Each head of bloom staged averaged 16 flowers. The variety has a large white perianth of good substance, and an orange cup as deep in colour as fioleil d’Or, with a trace of deeper colouring on the edge, suggesting a strain of Poeticus blood. Mr. Selkirk exhibited Paper white in bloom, grown in moss fibre, charcoal, and shell grit. He also staged blooms of the pretty Tazetta, Chinese Sacred. Or Joss Lily. Several varieties of Tazetta were staged by Mr. Holloway. By-the-by, Tazetta is easier than Polyanthus Narcissus, it is correct, and is not such a mouthful. Can we not get it adopted in general use, and let it replace the misused term, Jonquil?