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GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



December io, 1898. 



each competitor, as is done in a special class at Carshalton. But with Trinidad stations will at present remain independent, and it is proposed 

 reference to this question it is suggested in the code that " whilst the establish a new station at Tobago, which will be under the control of Trinidad ° 



Chrysanthemums in Vases : A Suggestlon.-In reading your report 



of the speeches made after the N.C.S. dinner last week I note with pleasure 

 (writes Mr. E. Molyneux) the liberal offer from Mr. H. J. Jones of £25 as first 

 prize for cut blooms staged in vases. This is a stride in the right direction, for in 

 no other way can the large cut blooms be arranged so well as with long stems, and 

 accompanied by their own foliage. There is one point, though, I would like to 



system of point-judging cannot be too strongly recommended in all close 

 contests, the system of point-values requires consideration, and should 

 not be adopted too hastily," and with this suggestion we fully agree. 

 Briefly stated, point-value is the system whereby, instead of a 

 definite sum being offered in the schedule for the first prize, 

 a lesser sum for the second prize, and so on, a lump sum is allotted 



to the class, and divided into one, two, three, or more prizes, draw attention to, viz., the number of blooms in a vase— five. This is too many 



as stated in the schedule, in proportion to the number of points for the P ur P ose ' be f use eacl * bloom and a11 P ortions of the bloom staged cculd 



obtained by the respective competitors. As sometimes only one point, Scarcely * arranged 50 " to .? e 1 readil y ins Pected. With five blooms in one vase 



or even half a point, divides the collections, it appears from a superficial on f "J* have an exce P ,onall J yase This increases the expense of either the 



view of the case that there should be a considerable difference in the !S *& htter s duty t0 ,. pr ° vide , vases ' 50 as to 



value of the awards. The adoption of point-value awards would remove 



obtain uniformity, and place all exhibitors on an equality so far as possible. 

 Apart from this, if five blooms are to be shown in cne vase, the vases should 



this inequality, but it is doubtful whether the change would promote com- h l arranged on a table s0 that the blooms can be seen from aU ^ ag fiye blooms 



petition. We are not of the opinion that it would, for by reducing the are certainly too many to be examined or seen properly on a side table or staging, 



value of the first prizes, as it inevitably does, there would be less Present-day blooms are of such huge dimensions that crowding them will be fatal 



encouragement for the most successful cultivators to take part, and of to the effect desired. Then, again, the difficulties of exhibitors would be materially 



necessity it is the finest produce that is required at public exhibitions, An increased if five blooms, rather than three, of one variety were to be shown, and 



example of the manner in which the sum of £$ would with four prizes thus the competition would be limited ; but perhaps Mr. Jones has not in his mind 



be distributed under the system is given. By the system now in the idea of any fixed number. A combination of colours in one vase seldom, if 



vogue the sum would be divided as follows : £2 first, £1 10s. second, ^1 ever i has the effect produced by blooms of one kind, except perhaps in the hands 



third, and 10s. fourth ; whilst under the point system the same amount, *? f a limited few who know well how to blend colours. It is not, however, I 



presuming the prizetakers have obtained 86, 78, 65, and 62 marks, would ima g ine > f ™ the limited few that Mr. Jones desires to cater ; and in his desire to 



be distributed in the following sums of £1 gs. 8d., £1 6s. Sd., £1 2S. 8d., create a re P^entative class at the leading shows he will excuse my commit. 



and £1 is. 2d. Under the latter system there is less difference between 



Grape Classes at the Shrewsbury Fete invariably attract a fine con 



the first and fourth prizes than between the first and second under the peti ! ion ' 80 that there is a lar e e and first-rate exhibition annually at this enter 

 ordinary system, but as each point above a certain average is of much P" sln C ^wn It seems however, that the committee of the Shropshire 



greater value than one below it, the exhibitors of collections relatively low 



Horticultural Society intends to beat its best by offering ^"ioo in cash prizes in 



• .1 , , A . _ , . r . rpi • • one class for six varieties of grapes, two bunches of each, at the fete to be held in the 



in the scale obtain too large a proportion of the prize money. This lsa^ « t , « ▼ 1 , , . -r • * 



. • , . . . A , £ . . . , t , . Ouarry on August 23 and 24, 1899. It may be that this specification may be 



serious objection to point value : but it is much less than the objection \. \ . & .? , . /. ... .,, & • 



% . J trV- - . J , altered in the meantime, but it is pretty certain the committee will offer £100 in 



onlthe ground of the immense amount of additional labour imposed a class for grapes to be competed for on the above dates, when the society cele- 



upon the ijudges. Were it to be adopted in making all the awards in brates its tW enty.fifth birthday. We unde 



100 



an exhibition, the staff of judges would have to be enormously increased 

 to admit of the prizes being awarded within a reasonable time. 



£1$; fifth prize, £10. 



- A Big Seed List from Kew.— Even in these days of big seed lists and 



The National Chrysanthemum Society of France is evidently catalogues the " List of Seeds of Hardy Herbaceous Plants and of Trees and 



more progressive than the English national society, and probably more than the Shrubs" just issued by the Kew authorities as an appcLdix to the Kew Bulletin 



friends of the latter would wish it to be. At a recent meeting of the Executive will come as a surprise to many. The seeds listed have, for the most part, 



Committee of the French society the question was discussed of charging a fee for ripened at Kew during 1898, and one can imagine the large amount of labour 

 each new variety submitted to the Floral Committee. 



Rozain 



^ 9 involved in the work of gathering, labelling, packeting,iand cataloguing the seeds 



the proposal to charge one franc for each new variety entered for a certificate, representing some six hundred and thirty-eight genera of hardy herbaceous, annual, 



_ J * 1 1 a « « m ■* 1 1 * 4 " _ _ _ tC .-v w* . I 



pointed 



finances of the society, and that as the certificates were of considerable commercial 

 value to the raisers it was only reasonable that they should bear a rhare of the cost 



and perennial plants, and some one hundred and thirty- five genera of trees and 

 shrubs, or about three thousand five hundred species. These seeds are not sold 



to the general public, but are available for exchange ^ith colonial, Indian, and 



of the meetings. Moreover, he thought that the imposition of a small fee would foreign botanic gardens, as well as with regular correspondents of Kew. No 



have the effect of reducing the large number of varieties now submitted for the application, except from remote colonial possessions, can be entertained after the 



consideration of the committee. In the result it was unanimously decided that 1 en( * of March next. 



charge of one franc should be made. It was also resolved at the same meeting An Enemy of the Tea Plant.— At the meeting of the R.H.S. Scientific 



that one-half of the sum realized from entry fees should be distributed amongst the Committee Mr. Michael gave an interesting account of a new species cf Acarus, 



members of the committee at the close of the season proportionate to the distances sent b y Mr. E. E. Green, Hon. Gov. Entom. of Eton, Tundaluoya, Ceylon. They 



travelled in attending the meetings, for the purpose of recouping some portion of were forwarded in tubes filled with sterilised air, a plan which Mr. Green had 



the expenditure in railway travelling. The resolutions passed by the French * J 

 National Chrysanthemum Society may not commend themselves to the horti- 

 culturists of the United Kingdom ; but possibly some of those who take an active 

 part in the work of the various metropolitan societies and reside some distance 

 from London will be of the opinion that something might be said in their favour. 



Goiders' Hill.— Those who have taken an interest in the purchase of the 

 Golders' Hill estate and its transference to the care of the London County Council 

 as an enlargement of Hampstead Heath will remember that the old house and 

 flower garden remains enclosed as yet and is not open to the public. The L.C.C 



found very useful for preserving fleshy insects in their natural form and colours. 

 He also forwarded specimens of young ^tea leaves attacked by the mite, which 

 causes considerable damage and loss of crop on the tea estates in Ceylon. Mr. 

 Green writes as follows : " Some years ago I gave a description and figures of this 

 mite in a little pamphlet on * Insect Pests of the Tea Plant.' For purpose of 

 registration I gave it the provisional name of Acarus translucens, but I find tin 

 this name is already occupied by a different mite, described by Nietner in his 

 * Enemies of the Coffee Tree 3 ; therefore the insect is still nameless. I should be 

 glad to have it properly identified. It is curious in laying two different kinds cf 



— - w gaiucu remains enciosea as yet ana is not open 10 iuc puunt. mc 1^.^.^. - * * ,1 a Kpanti 



was asked at its recent meeting to decide whether or not the house and garden ' on « ' orm b «"g quite smooth, and another form rather larger and beaut. 



should or should not be let to private individuals. Mr. Shaw Lefevre suggested 

 it should be let for ^600 a year, but was met with general disapproval ; his con- 

 tention was that if the house were used for public purposes it would cost the 

 Council ^300 or £400 a year. To accept his proposal would, therefore, mean a 



000 



quite sufficient to pay the interest on the amount contributed by the Council 

 towards the purchase of the whole estate. Mr. Burns objected to the Council's 

 converting such a fine old house into a sort of modern lodging-house for prosperous 



There were at least half-a-doien 



The Earl of 



journalists or South African millionaires. Who 

 give £600 



millionaires who would gladly pay ^ooo a year for this place 

 Meath considered that as £15,000 had been contributed by private persons towards 

 the purchase of the estate, on the distinct understanding that the whole of the 

 thirty-six acres were to be thrown open to the public, they had no right to 

 break faith with these benefactors. Subsequently the recommendation of the 

 Parks and Open Spaces' Committee, that the house and garden be not let for 

 private use, but only as a refreshment house, reading-rooms, or other public 

 purpose, was adopted. 



West Indian Botanical Stations —We are informed that Dr. Morris, 



control ' rf5? f 0f „ the . B ° tanical Department for the Lesser Antilles, will have the 

 control of the following stations: Barbadoes, Grenada, St- Vincent, St. Lucia, 



Dominica, Montserrat, Antigua, and St. Kitts. The Jamaica, Demerara, and 



fully beaded. The latter is the most usual, and I have watched the emergence < 

 the mite from this egg. I have only recently noticed the smooth eggs. The 

 immature insects are veiy sluggish, the mature ones decidedly active. They 

 attack the young leaves only. As each bud unfolds they move up on to it, 

 deserting the older leaves, which, however, are permanently injured. The attack 



parts a brown scaly character to the leaf cuticle, which persists 

 throughout its life. When the unopened leaf bud is attacked the punctures are 



" ~ This forms a permanent 



* _ . a , ODg mmmmmm _ J* expanded leaf." M f - 



Michael observed thai the mite was cne cf the Tarsonomi, a group only we > 

 known, but proving to be great dest rovers of vegetaticn-*^.. box trees at Iun 



of the mite i 



concentrated upon the groove and the infolded edges 



scar. aDnearinw UV* 



proving to be great destroyers of vegetatic 

 were all destroyed in one season. Professor Canastrini cf Padua 

 the mite bored between th* . n M»rmf«a of the leaf. Another specus attacks m 



discovered th 



but they ar 



sugar canes of Barbadoes, but does not appear to be so injurious, though fre _ 

 canes swaimed with the Tarsonomi. Few species are know n as yet, 

 veiy destructive. They are extremely minute, and have consequently escape 

 detection until the last few years. the 

 Rev. W. Wilks, secretary of the Royal Horticultural Society, will open U* 

 discussion that is to follow the monthly dinner of the Horticultural Club 



Hotel Windsor on Tuesday, December 13, and his subject is to be bi 

 iri . Th . s fc a subject well worthy of dbcussioo, 



Si« 



Flowers, Fruit, and Vegetables. 



and it is hoped that 



a 



large number of members present. 



