Novamba 27,1873. 



JOUBNAIi OF HOETICULTOKE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



417 



Now I pass into Sussex, and to that little town on its coast, 

 Seaford — so iioiet, so open to the pure breezes from sea and 

 down, that no wonder it was chosen for the site of tho Con- 

 valescent Home. 



As usual, I wandered about intent on visits to the village 

 churchyards around, and by happy chance I reached that of 

 Blatchiugton, the most beautiful God's-acre I ever visited — a 

 pattern which every authority iu a Christian parish should 

 emulate ; and I earnestly repeated — 



" May I when death s-ball seal my doom, 

 And 1 beneath the grass-green sod shall lie, 

 Best on throughout tho sabbath of the tomb, 

 Gamer'd thus fitly for tho bliss on high." 



I deprecate planting the churchyard with dark-foUaged ever- 

 greens, as if its gateway should bear the inscription, " All 

 hope abandon, ye who enter here." And I vituperate in no 

 meastired language those who pasture sheep on the churchyard 

 grass, and those who so neglect the enclosure that the verso h 

 justified^ 



" All buried here seem to oblivion hurl'd, 

 For Docks and Nettles hide them from the world.'* 



Contrast all such with tho churchyard of Elatchington, and 

 well pleased am I to pay this tribute to its rector, the Rev. 

 B. N. Dennis, for his great taste and care iu making it sug- 

 gestive of hope to the survivors and of happiness to the dead. 

 Long before I reached the churchyard the perfume of the 

 Clematis was perceptible in which the church porch is em- 

 bowered, for to term it covered would give too faint an idea of 

 its profusion. The churchyard is level — a grass plat, smoothly 

 mown and unpatchedly green as a lawn. No elevations mark 

 the graves, but each is enclosed by a low stone border, and 

 each of those enclosures is planted with choice flowers. There 

 were blooming Fuchsias, Geraniums, Antirrhinums, Roses, 

 Evening Primroses, Carnations, Lobelias, and many other 

 garden plants, all well arranged and cultured. The waUs are 

 covered with Ivy and other evergreens, and borders beneath 

 the walls were rich with flowering plants. The day following 

 that of my visit was Sunday, and was to be one of thanksgiving 

 for the harvest. Most appropriately and tastefully was the 

 church decorated. Garlands of flowers were round each lamp ; 

 the pulpit was panelled with ears of Wheat and bossed with 

 flowers ; the font had wreaths of mingled flowers and fruits 

 around its base and margin, and on the water within floated 

 white Water LUies amid their leaves. Over tho communion 

 table were three miniature sheaves of corn, and beneath them 

 the words, " I am tho Bread of Life." 



More than once I returned to that churchyard, and each 

 time came from it bettered. Nor was any jarring feeUng 

 induced in my way back through the village, for each cottage 

 is neat. There are no broken window-panes plugged with a 

 -clout, but most of tho windows looked cheery with potted 

 plants, and the cottage gardens were well stocked — all bearing 

 testimony that tho rector's care is not restricted to the 

 dead.— G. 



MORE XOTES ON ROSES FOR EXHIBITION- 

 NOMENCLATURE OP ROSES. 



The present election of and discussions about Roses being 

 ■■amongst the most interesting papers in The Jooiinai, of 

 HoBTicuLTORE, may I be permitted to introduce to notice 

 another phase of the question of exhibiting ? I am at many 

 shows in this neighbourhood a far from unsuccessful exhibitor, 

 *nd in this capacity endorse very thoroughly every syllable of 

 Mr. Farren and Mr. Cheales as to the roguery of unscru- 

 pulous exhibitors, and the injury thereby to those who have 

 consciences. I officiate also as judge at the shows of others of 

 my neighbours, and have, therefore, some opportunity of 

 seeing the relations between committees and exhibitors; but as 

 secretary of the very considerable show iu my own town, 

 .onmbering some of the principal exhibitors in the kingdom, I 

 -should like to suggest that exhibitors are themselves sometimes, 

 failing in their duties. 



First. Exhibitors very often do not make their complaints 

 of unfairness with sufficient promptitude, nor to the proper 

 •juthorities. If a society wishes to act honourably it ought to 

 -pay its prizes speedily, and without causing the prizewinners 

 unnecessary trouble in applications and delay. Exhibitors 

 inowing of foul play onght to make their complaints to the 

 proper officials, and within the time specified in tho schedules, 

 in preference to talking ex cathedra when too late to rectify. 

 In my own society any complaint wotUd certainly be bottomed, 



but I must admit that many committees often prefer that 

 things should run smoothly rather than fairly. 



Second. Exhibitors usually make their entries at random, 



and fulfil them at ,^well,I won't say what. Many societies 



are faulty in this matter by requiring an unreasonable length 

 of entry ; but even where, as here, only three days are required 

 for entry (with proper interest on the part of officials this is 

 enough to regulate the space required), many, whom a sudden 

 storm, absence of expected sun, furious rain, or violent wind 

 renders unable to show-up, never think of expending a halt- 

 penny in a postcard, or a shilling (if it come to the last 

 push) in a telegram, to enable the officials to properly ap- 

 portion space so as to be free of overcrowding or gaps. I leax. 

 even Mr. Farren must plead mea culpa in this. 



A press of engagements prevented me " putting in " to the 

 " Election of Boses " again this year, but my votes would 

 only have substantially increased the majority of the winners. 

 A suggestion I made last year, and which Mr. Hiuton kindly 

 introuaoed, does not yet appear to have had any practical 

 effect — viz., the absurd mode of christening Boses after various 

 members of the same famUy, and with various names that 

 an average gardener or a weather-worn tally will reduce to 

 one and the same. Are our dictionaries so worn-out, or our 

 brains so impoverished, that we cannot find distinctive names 

 for distinct varieties ? 



Mr. Cheales is quite right iu saddling upon committees the 

 onus of making provision for the physical wants of exhibitors. 

 I can only say that while committees generally have a good 

 feed on the ground, they ought to welcome exhibitors. I know 

 we do. — Geo. F. Baerell, Spaldiny. 



SOUTH ESSEX CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCIETY. 



This Society's Exhibition was held in the Town Hall, Strat- 

 ford. There was an excellent display of plants as well as of cut 

 flowers, and the quality of both was far above the average ; in- 

 deed, this was admitted to have been the best exhibition of 

 Chrysanthemums held in the neighbourhood of Loudon iu the 

 present year. 



Pompon varieties came first in the schedule, and in both the 

 open classes Mr. J. Douglas, gardener to F. Whitbouru, Esq., of 

 Loxford HaU, had the best plants ; they were large, well-trained 

 specimens, and covered with bloom. Mr. D. Donald, gardener 

 to J. G. Barclay, Esq., of Leytou, and Mr. Forsyth, of Stoka 

 Newingtou, also staged good plants. For plants of the largo- 

 flowered section, Mr. Donald took the highest position with the 

 beat-flowered specimens we have seen this year. Mr. Simmonds, 

 gardener to Alderman Finnis, Wanstead, and Mr. Douglas also 

 showed good specimens. Four very good standards, finely 

 flowered, were sent from the nurseries of Mr. J. Rainbow, Lou- 

 don Road, Clapton. 



No less than fifty stands of cut blooms were staged, but there 

 were very few new varieties amongst either section of them ; 

 the old sorts are staged year after year. As the Messrs. Salter, 

 of Hammersmith, have been forced to give up the trade in new 

 introductions, it would surely pay someone else to take it up. 

 It is certain that no good incurved sorts have been introduced 

 since then- collection has beeu dispersed, except as sports from 

 old sorts. White Venus is a notable example of this, and Golden 

 Mrs. Bundle, exhibited recently, will, if constant, be a standard 

 sort. 



Messrs. Veitcb, of Chelsea, exhibited incurved and Japanese 

 varieties ; their stand of Japanese was the best we have yufc 

 seen, and contained fine varieties. Boseum punetatum, The 

 Tycoon, Bismarck, Erecta superba, Fair Maid of Guernsey, 

 Elaine, and Bob Boy were notable examples. 



Collections of fruit were sent by Messrs. Douglas and Donald, 

 the former had the best collection ; it contained good Grapes, 

 Pines, Tangierine Oranges, and twenty sorts of Apples and 

 Pears. Mr. B. W. Waites fiUed-in the recesses with handsome 

 gpecimeus of fine-fohaged plants, and hardy and exotic Ferns. 



KEW GARDENS.— No. 5. 



HaVisg made the tour of the grounds and the conserva- 

 tories, it only remains for us to direct attention to the Museums 

 of Economic Botany, of which thoro are three. To use the 

 words of Professor Oliver's " Handbook:" — 



" We learn from them the sources of the innumerable products 

 of the vegetable kingdom for our use and convenience, whether 

 as articles of food, of construction and application of the arts, 

 of medicine, or curiosity. They suggest new channels for our 

 industry ; they show us the variety iu form and structure pre- 

 sented by plants, and are a means of direct iustructiou in most 

 important branches of useful knowledge. We see from them 

 the particular points upon which further iaionaatiou is needed, 



