366 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDNER. 
[ November 14, 1878. 
question remain as they are, readers will form their own con- 
clusion.—A STAFFORDSHIRE GROWER. 
“CO.” SAYS (see page 352) it is ‘utterly incorrect’’ that I 
dressed certain Hyacinth spikes, but he says he “saw me 
lifting up the bells.’ Well, then, lifting up the bells is dress- 
ing Hyacinths. They must not only be lifted up but they must 
be evenly distributed over the spike, and they must be placed 
in such a position that they cannot fall down again. It takes 
longer to dress a spike of Hyacinths in that way than it does 
to dress two or three Carnation flowers, including placing them 
on the cards. As to whether the dressing improved the flowers 
in question, that is another thing. ‘“C.” says it did not—that 
it rather spoiled their appearance. With the other exhibitors 
I believe that dressing Hyacinths improves them for exhibition, 
just as it improves Carnations for the same purpose. It is 
five or six years since this case occurred, and I had nearly 
forgotten this fact until “D., Deal,’ asked the question, 
Whether, if one man dressed a stand of flowers and another 
grew them, who should be awarded the prize?” Now I submit 
“D., Deal,” should be able to answer that question, as they 
were his flowers that I dressed in the same way that I had 
previously dressed my own, and which also gained the first 
prize in a higher class on the same day. As to the question 
whether it is right for one exhibitor to help another there will 
always be difference of opinion. I have seen an exhibitor so 
hard pressed for time that, if he had not had some extraneous 
aid, his plants and flowers would have been left in confusion 
on the stage; and this, not because the exhibitor tried to do 
too much, but because you can seldom stage your plants or 
flowers when you are ready to do it. For my own part I do 
not care whom my opponents have to help them to stage their 
flowers, because the better they are staged so much more will 
the credit of this redound to the exhibitors as a body. It is 
also a fact that the system of florists aiding one another serves 
to promote that “utter abandon of good fellowship ” alluded 
to by “A. G. 8.” last week, and that letters such as have 
recently been written serve only to engender discord. Inumber 
amongst my most intimate friends all the principal growers of 
florists’ flowers north and south. They are at one with me as 
a grower and an exhibitor. I value the approbation of those 
men, and care not for critics who write for no useful purpose 
under anonymous signatures.—J. DOUGLAS. 
[The question of one grower dressing the flowers of another 
opens a new phase in exhibiting and affords a fair subject for 
discussion. Such discussion can and ought to be conducted 
without acerbity. We haye eliminated some remarks from the 
communications of both of our correspondents that did not 
bear immediately on the subject at issue, and which (we believe 
unintentionally) were calculated to cause pain and to provoke 
unpleasant replies.—EDs. J. or H.] 
CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOWS. 
LAMBETH, PUTNEY, AND STOKE NEWINGTON. 
LaMBETH.—Our notes on Chrysanthemum meetings commence 
with the Borough of Lambeth Chrysanthemum Society’s Show. 
which was held on the 11th inst. This Society has not a long 
list of vice-presidents, patrons, &c., but is governed by men who, 
while following their daily avocations in the mill, factory, or 
workshop, possess that enthusiasm to grow their flowers in their 
spare hours in the midst of dingy courts and small backyards, 
hemmed-in on every side by bricks and mortar, and where the 
atmosphere is as thick and gloomy as in any part of our great 
metropolis. The plants and flowers are exhibited in a manner 
that is almost incredible, considering that the conditions are 
that “all plants and blooms shown for competition must be 
grown within a radius of one mile from the Elephant and Castle, 
Newington ”—* That all blooms shown at this Society’s exhibi- 
tions be shown as grown, and any exhibitor staging blooms with 
the flowers dressed artificially shall be disqualified from competi- 
tion in all classes he may be exhibiting in.” Such, then, are the 
conditions which this little band of workers have framed to guide 
them. The schedule of thirty-seven classes is so admirably 
arranged that we commend it to societies as a pattern; in fact, 
the whole working and management of this Society may be held 
out as a model worthy of imitation by societies of much larger 
pretentions. Every section of the Chrysanthemum is here en- 
couraged by prizes similar to the following example: Twenty- 
four incurved blooms, distinct varieties, twelve ditto,.six ditto ; 
twelve of one variety, and six of one variety; also specimens, 
standards, pyramids, dwarfs, incurved, Anemone, reflexed, Ja- 
panese, and Anemone Pompons, are all encouraged in a similar 
the boxes are of one pattern and size, the labels are neat and 
written in one handwriting, and the cards indicating the prize- 
winners are neatly arranged at the back of the boxes with little 
clips to keep the cards erect. If the description of the class to 
which the prize is awarded was written under the prize ticket it 
would give additional interest to those exhibitors who are not. 
familiar with the classes, otherwise the arrangements are almost. 
faultless. 
Mr. Summers has not only proved himself a gentleman of ad- 
mirable organisation, but is a capital grower of both Japanese 
and incurved flowers; and in his collections there were many 
grand blooms, particularly among the Japanese. A bloom of 
Madame Godillot was the finest bloom in the whole Show, and 
acknowledged by many practical growers to be as fine a bloom as 
has ever been shown of that fine variety. Other good blooms in 
his collection were Gloire de Toulouse, Peter the Great, The 
Cossack, Fair Maid of Guernsey, Hero of Magdala, and Blanche 
of Castile. Although this collection was awarded the first prize 
Mr. Summers waived his claim in favour of Mr. Crisp, as his new 
residence is just outside the stipulated radius. In Mr. Crisp’s. 
collection Dr. Masters, Red Dragon, and Fair Maid of Guernsey 
were very good. Mr. Clark was second, and Mr. Addison third, 
all showing well. For six blooms Mr. Addison and Mr. Best 
shared the honours between them. The first prize for the best. 
stand of six blooms of one variety was awarded to Mr. Best for 
Elaine, the second prize to Mr. Clarke for Fair Maid of Guernsey, 
and the third to Mr. Addison for James Salter. For twenty-four 
incurved varieties Mr. Wilsher secured the first prize and Mr. 
Best the second ; and for twelve blooms, distinct, there were nine 
collections staged, Mr. Addison being placed first, Mr. Wilsher 
second, and Mr. Ball third. For six blooms, distinct, there were 
fifteen collections ; Mr. Ball was placed first, Mr. Addison second, 
and Mr. Fill third. Mr. Ball was placed first for six blooms of 
one variety—Mrs, Dixon, Mr. Addison second with an old variety 
named Bella Donna, and Mr. Wilsher third with Gloria Mundi- 
Messrs. Fill and Crisp exhibited large-flowering Anemones, and 
the prizes were awarded in the order named. 
Standards and pyramids were very neatly grown and trained by 
Messrs. Wilsher, Fill, and Clark, who obtained the lion’s share 
of the prizes, and to whom great praise is due for the masterly 
manner in which the plants were grown, especially the ten plants. 
trained by Mr. Fill, who was awarded three first prizes for them, 
and also obtained three other first prizes for cut blooms of Ane- 
mone Pompons. 
Bouquets of Chrysanthemums were admirably arranged, espe- 
cially the one to which the first prize was awarded, small buds. 
being tastefully introduced between the flowers. 
This was altogether a most attractive Show, and we congratu- 
late the Hon. Secretary and his Committee on their well-won 
success. 
PuTnEy.—During the spring of the present year a meeting 
was convened under the presidency of Baron Pollock, when the 
Putney, Fulham, and Wandsworth Chrysanthemum Society was 
formed, with the object of “ stimulating the culture of fruits and 
flowers, and especially Chrysanthemums.” An influential list of 
patrons was secured, a practical committee formed, and subscrip- 
tions collected, the latter being sufficient to cover the expenses of 
a show without depending on door money (a wise provision): The 
first Show was fixed for and duly held on the 12th inst. in the 
new Assembly Rooms, Putney. The schedule contained fourteen 
classes for Chrysanthemums, five for stove and greenhouse plants,. 
and seven for fruit. The room was quite filled with the com- 
peting collections, which were generally of excellent quality so- 
far as regards plants and flowers, but the fruit department was. 
somewhat weak. 
In the class for a collection of Chrysanthemums arzanged for 
effect Mr. Harding, gardener to T. D. Galpin, Esq., Bristol House, 
Putney Heath, easily won the premier prize with vigorous plants 
carrying fine blooms. Mr, Andsell, gardener to G. Reid, Esq., 
Coombe Villa, was a good second ; and Mr. Kendall, gardener to 
D. B. Chapman, Esq., Devonshire House, Roehampton, third for 
plants in which white stakes were fully too prominent. Mr. 
Pithers, gardener to C. F. Williams, Esq., Munster House, 
Fulham, was first in the large-flowered single specimen class with 
Mrs. G. Rundle—a half globe 43 feet across, and having about. 
150 blooms. Mr. Whittaker, gardener to S. Williams, Hsq., was 
second with a smaller but admirably grown plant of Mrs. 
Dixon. Mr. Whittaker was first for six and four Pompons, and 
for a single specimen, with plants 2 to 3 feet across and excel- 
lently grown, also for four large-flowering plants in this class, 
Mr. Harding being second. Mr. Pithers was a good second for 
six Pompons. 
Cut blooms were remarkably good—large and well finished, 
and had received little or no dressing. Mr. Harding was placed 
first for twenty-four incurved with a smart and excellent collection. 
Mr. Holmes, gardener to G. M. Story, Esq., who was second, was 
only a few points behind. Mr. Handley was third, his blooms 
being a little irregular in size, and an extra prize was awarded to 
Mr. Whittaker. The class for twelve blooms gave the Judges much 
manner. Uniformity and neatness exist throughout the Show— | trouble, and it was only by careful point-judging that the relative 
