48 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Jnly 20, 1871. 



sbould result chiefly from the general Btimulus given by the 

 Bociety to gardening and flower-buying. 



The judges, especially of cottage specimens, mnst be entirely 

 raised above the reach of suspicion ; and that not only by per- 

 sonal character, but by such regulations as make partiality 

 impossible, or altogether unlikely. The object sought to be 

 gained by village societies is not so much the absolute excel- 

 lence of specimens, as a relative and growing improvement in 

 the quantity and quality of food raised by cottagers, and in the 

 beauty and variety of their flowers, and the tastefulness of their 

 nosegays. There should, therefore, be some means provided 

 for rewarding evident efforts at improvement, even where the 

 actual quality of the Bpecimens will not allow them to be com- 

 pared with those of members who have tried longer, or with 

 more tact and ability, and which deserve and receive prizes for 

 their intrinsic excellence. 



The subscriptions of cottagers should be small ; both because 

 their income is very scanty, and in order that the unsuccessful 

 should not feel the loss of their subscription very material. 

 Tet some subsciiption should be required, lest the feeling of 

 independence and self-respect, that jewel of English character, 

 should be injured by the prizes being felt to be alms. 



A large number of small prizes is more efficacious than 

 a few of larger amount ; for a small sum of money can thus 

 be spread iufluentially over a larger number of persons, and 

 be morie to encourage improvement among a larger variety of 

 piodace. 



A part of each year's regular subfcriptions should be laid 

 aside as a fund, which, with the aid of occasional donations, 

 may gradually enable the Society to provide an ample stock of 

 materials for the shows. Fourteen dozen of plates and dishes, 

 with the Pytchley Society's name printed on them at the 

 potteries, cost £3 9s. A set of stages, consisting of long, green- 

 painted shelves, and benches and frames, fittirg into each 

 other, and forming, when piled up, several platforms, com- 

 modious, and yet easily removed, cost f 9 15s. Chain fes- 

 toons, crowns, loyal devices and letters, the Society's name, 

 arches, ornaments, &o. (nearly all of iron), for decorating with 

 flowers ; frames to hold nosegavs, and cases to preserve choice 

 blossoms in water, were accumulated from time to time. The 

 expense of these, and of printing, for the use of members, re- 

 peated editions of the rules, circulars, handbills, prize cards, 

 Sea., has been, in all, almost £30. Had it been necessary, the 

 efScieney of the Society, though not its attractiveness, might 

 have been preserved at even a smaller outlay. 



The specimen tickets used are pieces of pasteboard, IJ inch 

 square, on each side of which is printed a number in large 

 figures ; and the piize cards are similar pieces, about 3 inches 

 square, with the words "first prize," or "second prize," or 

 " extra prize," &e., printed on each side. As there are three 

 classes of members, and competition must be avoided between 

 specimens belonging to difierent classes, there are tickets and 

 prize cards of three colours : some of white pasteboard, ap- 

 propriated to the ordinary members; some of red, for cottagers, 

 and some of green, for children; each class of tickets being 

 urther distinguished by having a different series of numbers — 

 VIZ., Mos. 1 lo 49; Nus. 50 to 99, and Nos. 100 to 149. The 

 tickets are in parcels of twenty-five, each ticket of a parcel 

 bearing the same figures. 



The show-book is a quire of foolscap paper, stitched into a 

 pasteboard cover, and renewed every year. It is so ruled on 

 each page as to have one column for the number, one for the 

 exhibitor's name, one for the kind of specimen brought, and 

 one where the prizes are afterwards entered opposite the 

 successful specimens. The whole of a member's specimens 

 are entered consecutively in the same place, under his number 

 for that show ; and his number depends on the order in which 

 he happens to arrive in the morning among the exhibitors. 

 Separate pages are kept for the white, red, or green ticketed 

 specimens. 



lujnjt-iiintely after school on the evening of the day before a 

 show, the Stages are raised, and the festoons, devices, arches, 

 &c., aecortitea with flowers, and fixed in their places. The 

 show day, is, of course, a holiday to the scholars. In the 

 morning after the show day, the stages, &c., are removed and 

 stowed away, and the room is ready again for school at its 

 usual hour. 



On the show day, after all the specimens have been brought 

 in and registered in the show book, they are arranged on the 

 stages ; specimens of the same sort and class being placed side 

 by side, and each bearing a ticket with its owner's number and 

 colour. When this is completed, the show book ia removed, 



I and the judges are admitted and left entirely by themselves, 

 ignorant of who are the owners of any of the specimens. 

 Comparing each specimen wiih those only which bear the same 

 coloured ticket, the judge sfSxes a prize card of the same colour 

 to the best and second best of the sort ; and finally examines 

 the variety of specimens bearing the same number, to re- 

 ward with some extra prize (if possible) evident efforts to 

 do well, where the specimens have not attained sufficient excel- 

 lence to deserve the prize competed for. After the judging 

 is over, the secretary brings the show book ; the prizes are 

 entered, by means of the number, in the proper column op- 

 posite the specimen ; and the judges learn, for the first time, 

 who have gained the prizes. The doors are then opened to- 

 visitors. 



The prizes given are small, that they may be numerous ; and' 

 the largest are adjudged lo those articles whi:h are most useful 

 and most troublesome to rear. The highest prize for specimens- 

 is Is., the lowest Sd. ; but those for allotments and gardens are 

 from 4s. to 2s. 



It would greatly increase the efficiency of such a village- 

 society, could it be made to bear upon larger and better gardens 

 as strongly as it does upon cottage gardening. This would be 

 the result of its funds being sufSciently ample to allow a higher 

 scale of prizes among the wbire ticket specimens than among 

 the others ; and to remove the necessity which many of the 

 ordinary members kindly feel and act upon, of returning 

 their prizes.. It is also evident that if the cottage members 

 in a parish are very numerous, the prizes must be few, un- 

 less the cottage subscriptions are higher than 6d., which,, 

 however, might have a discouraging effect in founding a new 

 society. 



ExPENDiTUKE. — The outlay for each show consists of the 

 prizes paid ; and the necessary allowances and trifling ex- 

 penses for those who give their time to preparing the show- 

 room, managing the laborious part of the show, and clearings 

 the room after. The greater the number of specimens, the 

 more prizes must be given, and the more hands will be re- 

 quired to do the necessary work. The amount of allowance 

 and expenses has ranged from 2s. in the autumn show of 1837, 

 to lis. Gd. in the autumn show of 1848. The sum which can 

 be devoted in prizes depends upon the general funds of the- 

 year, and the money received at the door on the show-day. 

 Sometimes an unexpected donation, not wanted that year for 

 the purchase of stock, has allowed a large sum to be given in 

 prizes ; or, on the other hand, a call for printing or other extra- 

 outlay, has reduced the sum to be divided below the average. 

 In the spring show of 1837, sixteen prizes to ordinary members 

 cost 2s. 3d., and seven to cottagers aad children cost 4s. 9d. ; in 

 the spring show of 1848, twentj -five prizes to ordinary members 

 cost 10s. 3d ; eighiy to cottagers cost £1 19s 3d. ; and twenty- 

 nine to children cost 9s. In the summer shows the number 

 and amount have Vieen on the whole a trifle less. In the 

 autumn show of 1837, the ordinary members received thirty- 

 four prizes, costing 13s. ; the cottagers and children twenty, 

 costing 15s, dd. In that of 1848, the ordinary members re- 

 ceived forty prizfs, costing £1 Os. 5d ; the coitagers eighty-four, 

 costing £3 8s- (including £1 for six prizes among the allot- 

 ments and gardens), and the children thirty-one, costing 9s- 3d. 

 The whole yearly ou'lay for prizes and show expenses in 1837 

 (ihree shows), was £2 7s. 6d.; and in 1841 (three shows), 

 £6 13s. 6(2. ; in 1846 ('wo show.-), it was £7 16s. Id. ; and in 

 1848 (two shows), £8 19s. Id. The sums expended in pur- 

 chase of stock, itc , were made to depend on the funds ; the 

 amount so employed in 1837, was £2 5s. lid. ; in 1839, was 

 £10 lis. Id. ; in 1842, was 3s. 6d. ; and iu 1846, was £10 10s. 6d. 

 Rules of the Pytchlet Hobticultural Sooiett. 



1. Objects and Funds. — To euconrage useful and ornamental gar- 

 dening, good cnltare of cottage allotments, and the keeping of bees; 

 by giving prizes for horticultural eii'orts made and specimens raised in 

 the parish. It is supported by the subscriptions of members, the 

 donations of friends, and the money received at the doors for ad- 

 mission on show days. 



2. The Society. — It consists of snch inhabitants of tike parish as 

 subscribe to its funds and agree to be bound by its rales ; and is 

 managed by a committee of three or four members, along with the 

 clergyman (being a subscriber). A .general meeting may be held in' 

 the fiiU of the year, for accounts or other business, should the majority 

 of adult members -wish. 



3. The Memeeks. — Any inhabitant of the parish may become a 

 member ; but persons not living in the parish cannot be members. 

 Members who disregard the rules, annoy their fellow members, refuse 

 to abide by the judges' decision, or act unfairly in regard of specimens 

 or otherwise, may be expelled from the Society by the coiamittee. 



