MARCH 26, 1898. 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



03 



EXH 



AND M 



POYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, March 22. 



" we have to record a first-rate show at the Drill Hall, for the meeting 

 ONCE again we have to r all the 0CC upied. The R.H S 



waS a , Ver yil sL haVe to seriously consider the advisability of renting a larger hall 



^T^^^^^^ Novelties were not very plent ' 



f firnumber of interesting plants on view. 



Floral Committee. 



n ««* of considerable size were arranged all round the hall and along the 

 Mes ' SoS r«es, amaiyllis, ferns, hyacinths, and clivias were the 

 ^t^n^bitto on view ; but of these the" roses were the most admired, 



m ecial^ blooms sta S ed ^ Mr - G ' Mount ' and thC fine SpeC1 " 



Messrs. J. Laing and Sons, Forest Hill, 

 ond consisted of bouquets, sprays, chaplets, and other floral arrangements of a 

 SSiSdSS merit; orchids and roses were largely used, the white Coelogyne 

 r fJa being finely represented. Mr. G. Mount, Canterbury, staged a grand lot 

 rfS«btooSs. sweet, fragrant, full and brilliant; Captain Hay ward, Catherine 

 Mermet and Mrs. W. J. Grant, and Mrs. J. Laing were especially beautiful. 

 Kne ten dozen splendid flowers were staged by Mr. Mount, many on tall stems, 

 ond the exhibit was greatly admired, both for the earliness of the roses and the 

 Cultural ability displayed by Mr. Mount. Messrs. J. James and Son, Farnham 

 Royal showed a fine group of their splendid strain of cinerarias ; the plants were 

 remarkably dwarf, and each had immense flowers showing a charming variety ot 

 colours Some of the blooms must have measured nearly five inches across. 

 From Messrs. W. Cutbush and Son, Highgate, came a display of the yellow 

 Richardea Elliotiana, acacias, Souvenir de la Malmaison carnations, and other 

 flowering and foliage plants, including a number of well-grown examples of 

 Thyrsacanthus rutilans. Mr. W. Rumsey had a large display of ro^es, staging in 

 the aggregate some fourteen dozen blooms of good quality ; the principal 

 varieties on view were Souvenir d'un Ami, Marechal Niel in quantity, Niphetos, 

 Beauty of Waltham, Innocente Pirola, and the new h. p. Mrs. W. Rumsey. 



Mr. A. Chapman, gardener to Captain Holford, Westonbirt, Tetbury, staged 

 a really grand lot of amaryllis or hippeastrums, the plants were strong, and bore 

 stout spikes of large and brilliant blooms of fine shape. A goodly number were 

 named, and these compare very favourably with any previously seen at the Drill 

 Hall. The arrangement of the groups was also good. Tulips in great variety 

 came from Messrs. R. and G. Cuthbert, Southgate : this was a big exhibit, and 

 all the leading early sorts were represented ; the Pottebackers, the Keizer's Kroon, 

 Ophir d'Or, Joost Van Vondel, and Toreador were especially attractive and 

 noteworthy. Mr. H. B. May, Edmonton, once again showed clematis in small pots, 

 handsomely flowered, and eminently suited for conservatory decoration. These 

 were arranged with ferns and palms, but the place occupied by the group was not 

 a good one as regards light ; Henreyi, Lord Lonsdale, Lord Neville, Albert Victor, 

 and Fair Rosamond were conspicuous varieties. Daffodils in pots from Mr. T. S. 

 Ware made up a telling exhibit, and were fronted with erythroniums, fritillarias, 

 muscaris, trilliums, early primulas, saxifragas, and other early spring flowers. 

 Bunches of the earlier daffodils were also arranged. Messrs. J. Laing and Sons, 

 Forest Hill, put up a large exhibit of flowering and foliage plants ; clivias, strepto- 

 carpus, azaleas, Leea amabilis, Richardia Elliotiana, caladiums, and crotons were 

 the most conspicuous and interesting plants. Messrs. J. Hill and Son, Lower 

 Edmonton, put up a fine lot of ferns, mostly popular varieties and species — 

 adiantums, aspleniums, nephrolepis, &c. ; both small and large specimens were 

 staged, and the whole display proved a most refreshing contrast to the brilliant 

 groups around. 



A wonderfully interesting group of clivias came from Messrs. J. Veitch and 

 Sons, Chelsea ; these were remarkable for the size and boldness of the trusses and 

 the brilliant colour of their large and substantial flowers. Several of the varieties 

 gained awards of merit, one in particular, which had flowers of quite a yellow colour, 

 was very beautiful ; Optima has huge orange flowers. The group was effective in 

 the extreme. The Messrs. Veitch also staged Clematis Marcel Moser, and C. 

 Nelly Moser, two handsome striped forms, also baskets of Shortia galacifolia and 

 flowering trees of Pyrus floribunda atrosanguinea. A batch of the brilliant winter 

 scarlet carnations was staged by Messrs. H. Low and Co., Clapton. Hippeastrums 

 and clivias in variety came from Messrs. B. S. Williams and Son, Holloway, and 

 the same firm showed a splendid lot of varieties of Azalea mollis. Messrs. Barr and 

 Sons' contribution to the show consisting of a first-rate exhibit of narcissi, all cut 

 blooms ; Madame Plemp, Empress, Obvaliaris, Weardale Perfection, the New 

 Victoria, Mrs. Walter Ware, Captain Nelson, Madame de Graaff, and Glory of 

 Leiden were all the very best varieties, and staged among a large collection of 

 early-flowering forms ; a few blooms of Anemone fulgens further lengthened the 

 exhibit. Messrs. Paul and Son, Cheshunt, exhibited large pans of Megasea 

 Stracheyi, Primula denticulata, Anemone Pulsatilla, Hepatica tricolor, &c, all 

 being in full flower. Mr. J. Heath, gardener to J. Watts, Esq., Newmarket, 

 staged a batch of wallflower, a form that may prove useful for bedding. Cinerarias 

 of good quality came from Mr. J. R. Box, Croydon, and drew many expressions 

 of admiration from the visitors by reason of their beauty of form and colour. 



Messrs. W. Paul and Sons, Waltham Cross, have not for a long time been 

 public exhibitors of hyacinths, and it was quite a treat to see a firm that formerly 

 nude a great name for these bulbous plants once again before the public with a 

 splendid collection of some two hundred specimens in a large number of varieties. 

 Sterling Beauty, yellow ; Pelissier, scarlet ; Princess Amalie, white ; Vurbaak, 

 Lady Derby, pink ; Kins of the Blacks, very deep in colour : Peineman, 



~- -v^vo, an new vttncuts ; i^iiLijaiiucsa wtw in 1111c uuuuuiuii, turn icprc- 



sented by two large groups; other new sorts were Auguste Riviore, Sylph, 

 ^ouvemr de Madame Eugene Verdier, and Charlotte Guillemot. The Jartoo 

 fibre Company made an exhibit of plants grown in the fibre, and some of the 

 plants were arnwn J« rriace ™t„ s how the way roots take to this new medium. 



Llue ; and Princess Mary of Cambridge, light blue, were a few remarkable for the 

 length and breadth of their spikes. Messrs. W. Paul and Son also showed a fine 



tank of roses, all new varieties: Enchantress was in fine condition, and repre- 

 sented v - *— - ■ • . «. ? ~ r - 



s 



1 



s were grown in glass pots to sfi 

 *ne St George's Nursery Company, Hanwell, staged a splendidly-grown group 

 cyclamen, representing a high-class strain. 



Orchid Committee. 



. t is a kng time since there were so few orchids at a Drill Hall meeting as on 



is occasion. There were several good novelties, however, and these excited no 

 *mall interest. & 



Lod^J" n V# i ^" Whit e, orchid grower to Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., Bur ford 

 varir r * ln S» br °ught up a few neat little plants of Epidendrum Endresi, E. 

 £ w HT barcochilus Hattmanni, and Masdevallia Pourbaixi. Messrs. Hugh 

 a han^ V Clapton, were the only large exhibitors of orchids, and they staged 



some lot of odontoglossums and dendrobiums, with several beautiful forms 



of Cattleya Mendeli, some cypripediums and lselias. Plalsenopsis Stuartiana var. 

 punctatissima was also shown, and is a distinct form of a fine orchid. 



Mr. H. T. Pitt, Stamford Hill, gained a cultural commendation for a plant of 

 Odontoglossum excellens Rosslyn var., a beautiful orchid, with ten large flowers 

 on the spike. Mr. J. T. Gabriel, Streatham Hill, sent a good form of Cattleya 

 Trianse. Mr. Ballantine, gardener to Baron Schroder, The Dell, Egham, ex- 

 hibited Odontoglossum crispum Princess Christian, a handsome form, with crimson 

 markings on a pure white ground. Mr. Wise, gardener to Dr. F. Hills, Croydon, 

 sent a flowering specimen of Odontoglossum coronarium. Mr. E. Ashworth, 

 Harefield Hall, Wilmslow, sent a fine white form of Dendrobium nobile, named 

 D. n. Ashworthiana, and also a hybrid odontoglossum in the way of O. Rossi and 

 O. aspersum, named D. hybridum Ashworthianum. Mr. Standing, gardener to 

 Miss Ford, Worthing, sent Cymbidium Lowianum and a three-flowered spike of 

 C. eburneum. 



Frau Ida Brandt sent a form of Oncidium cuculatum Phalaenopsis, remark- 

 able for its rich purple markings. Messrs. B. S. Williams and Son, Holloway, 

 were accorded a vote of thanks for a small collection of orchids, in which 

 ccelogynes, dendrobiums, and cypripediums predominated. Mr. T. Rcchford, 

 Broxbourne, sent a pretty brown spotted odontoglossum, named provisionally 

 O. Rochfordianum. Odontoglossum crispum roseum was shown finely by Mr. J. 

 Drew, gardener to J. B. Brookes, Esq., Finstall Park, Bromsgrove. 



Fruit and Vegetable Committee. 



Extremely few exhibits came before this body, so that their labours were few. 

 In fact, Mr. G. Wythes, gardener to Earl Percy, Syon House, Brentford, was the 

 only exhibitor apart from the competitions. Mr. Wythes won a cultural commen- 

 dation for half a-dozen punnets of Royal Sovereign ; fine fruits and well coloured. 



Mr. J. C. Tallack showed the best-flavoured apple in Lamb Abbey Pearmain ; 

 Mr. Herrin, Dropmore, second, with Sturmer Pippin. For pears, Mr. Ross, 

 Welford Park Gardens, was awarded a second* 



Medals. 



Stiver- $ilt Flora Medals were awarded to Messrs. W. Paul and Sons, for roses 

 and hyacinths ; to Mr. G. Mount, Canterbury, for roses ; to Captain Holford, for 

 amaryllis ; to Messrs. J. James and Son, for cinerarias, and to the St. George's 

 Nursery Company for cyclamen. 



Silver Flora Medals were awarded to Mr. W. Rumsey, for roses ; to Messrs. 

 J. Veitch and Sons, for clivias ; and to Mr. H. B. May for clematis. 



Silver Banksian Medals were awarded Messrs. J. Laing and Sons for clivias, 

 wreaths, &c. ; to Messrs. Hill and Son, for ferns ; and to Messrs. Hugh Low and 

 Co. for orchids. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM 



March 21. 



The adjourned annual meeting of this society was held at Anderton's Hotel, 

 Fleet Street, on the above date. The hour for commencing should have been six 

 o'clock, and by that hour a large number of members had gathered, but could not 

 obtain admittance until twenty minutes later, owing to the lengthy deliberations 

 of the committee. After the notice of the meeting had been read, the meeting was 

 resumed with Mr. T. W. Sanders in the chair. 



Mr. B. Wynne opened the proceedings by drawing attention to a remark made 

 by Mr. Gordon when discussing the finance of the society, wherein he stated in 

 effect that medals had been voted to certain officers of the society at a time when 

 the society could not afford it. As the recipient of one of the medals Mr. Wynne 

 felt rather hurt at the remark, and he asserted that he had had no idea of the 

 society's position when the medals were presented. Any pleasure he might have 

 had in possessing the medal had now been entirely discounted, and he begged to 

 return the medal, for which he had no further use. In reply, Mr. Gordon said 

 that the set of medals, in which Mr. Wynne's was included, were paid for in a pre- 

 vious year to that they had been discussing, and so they had no power to deal 

 with them ; he, however, did not have the J ubilee medals in his mind when dis- 

 cussing finances, but rather the presentation of gold medals and costly illuminated 

 addresses on a more recent occasion. He hoped that Mr. Wynne would retain the 

 medal, for with it went the best wishes of the society. The explanation was 

 received with applause, and Mr. Wynne was loudly applauded upon again 

 resuming possession. The minutes of previous business were then accepted with 

 a slight emendation. Mr. Fife proposed the adjournment of the meeting for 

 twenty-four hours, because the chairman was the chairman of the Executive 

 Committee, whose methods of management they were come together to discuss. 

 If the meeting, however, would promise to assist the chair, and if it believed in 

 the impartiality of the chairman, then he would withdraw his motion. The motion 

 was withdrawn, and the chairman proceeded by formally moving the adoption of 

 the revised financial statement. This was seconded, and then Mr. Cholmeley 

 asked why there were no signatures of the auditors to the new statement of 

 accounts ; the reason of a small difference in the reserve fund, allowing for the 

 withdrawal of a certain sum ; and whether it was true the treasurer had not re- 

 ceived or disbursed the society's moneys, and if so, whether there was any need 

 to elect a treasurer in future. Mr. Pearse asked why bill posting appeared on both 

 sides of the accounts. The Chairman, as an answer to Mr. Cholmeley, read a 

 letter from the auditors, in which they stated that having once audited the accounts 

 and found them correct, and in accordance with vouchers produced, they had per 

 formed their duties, and so did not feel at liberty to attach their names to a further 

 ?Sment%nd one not made by them. They further asserted that at the audit 

 t£ S3 no knowledge of any liabilities of the society and they had not been 

 Lsked I to value the society's assets. Messrs. Cutbush and Stubbs, both of whom 

 were nresent. held to the statements made in their letter. 



^^D^ Stowed with M explanation by the item of show expenses pre- 

 viously objected to, and stated that he had always endeavoured to reduce such 

 IxXses as a careful examination of the accounts would show. These figures 

 W alreadv appeared in our columns. Mr. Moorman objected to references to 

 ^mitod? ofESgaoe.it, and said so far as he could see the show expenses 

 werr?i02 He considered that the business of the society had not been properly 

 conducted ! balances to the good had been shown, whereas, at the same time, the 

 sodetv was really considerably in debt. The medal and printing accounts were 

 00 large, and he thought tenders for these should be asked for. He strongly 

 objected to selling the ground [ floor space at ^the Aquarium for miscellaneous 

 exhibits, and placing the real exhibits of the N.C.S. in the dark galleries. The 

 annual dinner account he thought far too high, and strongly opposed the presen- 

 tation of tickets for that function to the daily press. Mr. Dean said Mr. Moor- 

 man's assertion as to show expenses was a reckless one, for £50 of the sum was 

 for postaee and telegrams, chiefly incurred in sending out the schedules, medals, 

 and certificates to affiliated societies, replies to entries, && ; these expenses could 

 not justly be lumped with the other show expenses. Mr. Moorman s reply was 

 that " Petty cash— stamps, telegrams, &c", appeared in the accounts, and he 

 naturally inferred that petty cash was the largest item of the £50 15s. iod., and 

 so ought to go as show expenses. 



