402 



JOUBNAL OF HOKTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ November 21, 1872. 



and about the third of an inch in their greatest diameter.] [The 

 ripe seed is pale blue. 



Banksian Mabkow. — This is evidently a form of the Scimitar, 

 but with a less curved pod, and partaking a good deal of the 

 character of an Imperial. The plant grows to the same height 

 as both of these, and the pods come into use also at the same 

 time. Though a good sort it is not materially distinct, and does 

 not possess any superior merit. 



Blue Scesiitak (Blue Sabre; Scimitar; Beck's Eclipse). — This 

 well-known variety is now less grown in gardens than it was at one 

 period before the new Marrows were introduced. It is, however, 

 very valuable, particularly to a market gardener or farmer who 

 supplies the markets with green pods, and it is now much more 

 extensively grown for that purpose 

 than for private use. But even for 

 that purpose it is surpassed by the 

 Champion of England, which is al- 

 most, if not quite as productive, and 

 a more richly flavoured Pea. There 

 are many of the large field growers 

 about London and in Kent who sup- 

 ply the London markets, and who 

 now grow the Champion of England 

 in preference to the Scimitar. 



The Scimitar is a strong and sturdy 

 grower, attaining the height of 2A or 

 3 feet, generally with a single, but 

 sometimes with a branching stem. 



The foliage and pods are of a dark 



green colour, and the plants produce 



on an average from twelve to eighteen 



pods on each. The pods are from 



3 to 3-£ inches long, four-eighths of 



an inch broad, very much curved and 



flattened. They are generally pro- 

 duced in pairs, but are frequently 



single, and contain on an average from 



nine to ten peas in each. The ripe 



seed is green. It is very prolific, and 



is without doubt one of the best va- 

 rieties for culture on a large scale ; 



but it is one which is very liable to 



degenerate, and demands very careful 



attention to preserve a pure stock. 

 Supplantee. — This is appropriately 



named, for it is a large, handsome, 



and very prolific Pea, and will take 



the place of many others of this class 



which have hitherto held a prominent 



place. It is a cross obtained by Mr. 



Laxton between Veitch's Perfection 



and Little Gem. 



The plant is very robust and vigor- 

 ous, 3 feet high, with deep green foli- 

 age like that of "Woodford Marrow. 



The stem is branching, producing 



from fourteen to sixteen pods, which 



are in pairs, very large, broad scimi- 

 tar-shaped, of a deep green colour, 



and containing from seven to eight 



very large peas, which are also of a 



deep green colour. The dry seed 



is very large, bluish green, flatfish, 

 round, and sometimes indented. 



Sown on the 23rd of February, the 

 first blooms appeared on the 26th of 



May, and the plant was in full flower on the 30th. Slats appeared 

 June 2nd, and on the 1st of July the crop was ready for use. 



This received a first-class certificate from the Eoyal Horti- 

 cultural Society. — H. 



Supp"an l .er. 



SOUTH ESSEX CHRYSANTHEMUM" SOCIETY. 



This Society cannot boast of the antiquity of that at Stoke 

 rJewington, but it is not quite a new Society, as it was insti- 

 tuted in 1859, and the fourteenth annual Exhibition was held 

 in the Artillery Hall, Stratford, on November 16th and 18th. 

 Having visited the principal Chrysanthemum shows in the 

 neighbourhood of London for some years past, we are in a 

 position to say that the specimen plants exhibited here are not 

 surpassed, and seldom equalled, by those at any of the other 

 shows, and this year there is no falling-off as regards quality. 

 In the two classes of dwarf-trained Pompons, Mr. J. Douglas, 

 gardener to E. Whitbourn, Esq., Loxford Hall, was first with 

 admirable specimens. In standards, Mr. Hulbert, gardener to 

 G. Scott, Esq., Stratford Green, was first with nicely trained 

 specimens. In dwarf-trained plants of the large-flowered sec- 

 tion the merits of the plants were so evenly divided, that the 

 Judges ultimately awarded equal first prizes to Mr. Simmonds 

 gardener to Alderman Finnis, Wanstead, and Mr. J. Douglas! 



The best standards came from Mr. Whitbread, gardener to 

 F. Sewell, Esq. The best varieties for specimens are Mrs. G. 

 Bundle, Beaute du Nord, Eve, Prince of Wales, Venus, Lady 

 Harding, Little Pet, Beethoven, and Golden Trilby (Forsyth). 

 Mr. J. Douglas had the best six Japanese. This is a class that 

 should be represented at all the Chrysanthemum exhibitions, 

 but they ought to be exhibited as cut blooms. 



For twenty- four incurved blooms (open class) Mi-. Douglas was 

 first, the prizes for twelve and six going to Mr. Brown, gardener 

 to W. "Weston, Esq., Abbey Wood, Kent. In the amateurs' 

 class for twelve and six, E. Saunders, Esq., Paul's Wharf, City, 

 carried off the highest awards. In large-flowered Anemones, 

 and in bunches of Anemone Pompons, the premier prizes fell 

 to Mr. Douglas. A distinctive and highly interesting feature of 

 this Exhibition is the prizes offered for decorative plants for the 

 dinner-table, the plants to be grown in 6-inch pots. Mr. Sim- 

 monds had the test lot; it contained handsome Palms and 

 Dracaenas. A very choice collection of Ferns, Lycopods, and 

 fine-foliaged plants was sent for exhibition by Mr. B. W. Waites, 

 nurseryman, West Ham, and as they were effectively arranged 

 amongst the Chrysanthemums, they had a charming effect. 

 Mr. Shipman showed a cinnamon-coloured sport of Lady 

 Harding ; it is a nicely incurved flower. Mr. Scarlet, gardener, 

 Ham House, TJpton Park, received a first prize for twenty 

 dishes of excellent Pears and Apples. 



This Society is very prosperous ; it is very liberaUy supported 

 by the gentry in the district. We hope it may long prosper, and 

 continue to encourage the growth of this grand winter flower. 



ELECTION OF ROSES. 



Allow me to make a few remarks which may, perhaps, tend 

 better to bring out the desired expression of public opinion on 

 this head, and enhance the value of the decision that may be 

 ultimately arrived at. 



In the first place, it is obvious that the value of any such 

 decision depends upon these two things — viz. , the qualification 

 of the electors, and the grounds upon which their votes are 

 given. Now, in your impression of the 31st ult., Mr. Hinton 

 states the questions he proposes to ask, as well as the persons 

 whom he wishes to vote. In the former I think he is too 

 vague and general, and in the latter too liberal. For example : 

 I am very doubtful about the value of the opinion of " the 

 more modest Bose-grower," in which category I place myself; 

 for although I may have my ideas and, mayhap, my whims 

 about good Boses, I really should not feel myself qualified to 

 act as judge between stands of Boses exhibited by the Messrs. 

 Paul, Cranston, Turner, and others ; and therefore think that 

 the election proposed should be confined to those who are, 

 unless the so doing would throw it into the hands of pro- 

 fessional nurserymen, who might possibly be influenced by the 

 auri sacra fames. In the second place, to enhance the value 

 of any decision that may be given, it is before all things 

 necessary that we clearly understand the grounds upon which 

 each vote is given. 



Mr. Hinton's questions as they now stand entirely ignore 

 this point, and in my humble judgment are far too vague and 

 general, if not impossible, to answer. Thus in question 1, he 

 asks, " Bestricted to one Bose for all purposes, which would 

 you select ? " This is obviously so difficult to answer that he 

 himself confesses it is not at all improbable that a regular 

 outsider may beat the first twelve favourites in a canter ! But 

 if so, ad bono ? Surely the lucky winner will be amongst the 

 best fifty, and belong to the man, if such there be, who pos- 

 sesses but one solitary tree, as a reward for his sagacity and 

 choice ! 



Again, in question 3 we are invited to " name what we con- 

 sider the best fifty Boses in cultivation, and to underline out 

 of this fifty those we consider the best twelve." Here we are 

 necessarily driven to searching comparisons, and the first ques- 

 tion that immediately arises is, "Best" for what? Best for 

 exhibition , or best for ordinary garden decoration ? which I take 

 to be two widely different things that ought to be definitely 

 referred to in every answer. Or, again, " best "in what re- 

 spect — for colour, form, or size ? How are we to compare 

 things totally different in qualities like these ? It is impossible 

 to do so, and any decision apart from such considerations 

 clearly expressed in the answers given, must be in the highest 

 degree unsatisfactory and of but little value. 



By way of amendment to the questions proposed, I would 

 suggest that each of these points be put in a tabulated form 

 before every voter, and a definite answer to each be given by 

 each elector. I would further take colour as the chief standard 

 of comparison, and request each voter to name the best three 

 Boses of each of the following fifteen gardener's colours — viz., 



