THE 



GARDENERS 



MAGAZINE. 



SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1898. 



UGBY CHRYSANTHEMUM EXHIBITION, WEDNESDAY and 



THURSDAY, November 15TH and i6th, 1899. 

 8, Barby Road. William Bryant, Secretary. 



HORTICULTURAL CORRESPONDENCE CLASSES.— For PROS- 

 PECTUS and LIST of PRIZES apply T. H. Smith, 18, Somerville Road, Small 

 Heath, Birmingham. First Examination Paper ready November 5. Join early for the whole 



course. 



HORTICULTURAL SHOW ADVERTISEMENTS are inserted in this 

 column at One Shilling per line, the minimum charge being Five Shillings. Advertise- 

 ment Office, 148 and 149, Aldersgate Street, London, E.C. 



NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS. 



Owing to continued increase in circulation, the " Gardeners' Magazine " 



of development. The similarity of appearance of the blooms of the 

 varieties in question when cut and placed in the exhibition stand gave 

 rise to considerable discussion at many of the shows and not a little 

 vexation. In some cases disqualification followed when two varieties 

 closely resembling each other were included in a stand in which distinct 

 varieties were required, to the annoyance of the exhibitor ; and in other 

 cases, where the judges gave the exhibitor the benefit of any doubt they 

 may have had, there was much discussion among the other competitors. 

 In some instances blooms of the same variety were shown under two 

 distinct names, this probably being done through exhibitors attaching 

 more importance to the names on the labels than to their own judg- 

 ment. With a view to protect as far as possible exhibitors 



now goes to press on Wednesday. No advertisement can be guaranteed from the risk of disqualification, and to remove a cause of vexatious dis- 

 insertion, or altered, unless received before Four p.m. on that day. 



Notes of the Week. 



THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE SWEET PEA. 



cussions at exhibitions, the executive of the National Chrysanthemum 

 Society appointed a special committee to deal with the question, and as 

 the result of their labours they, following the lead of the National Rose 

 Society, prepared a list in which certain varieties were bracketed 

 together as being too much alike to be shown in the same stand. This 

 list was adopted, and printed in the society's last annual report, with a 

 stipulation that competitive collections should be shown in accordance 



THE possibilities of the sweet pea in regard to its productive powers therewith. With one exception, and that was a mere inadvertence, the 



are much greater than are generally supposed. An experiment was made ru i e was observed by the whole of the exhibitors, with advantage to 



last season by way of arriving at some conclusion as to the number of themselves and the judges. Much has been said and written in reference 



seeds a few individuals would produce ; five seeds of Blanche Burpee to whether the list of too much alike varieties was binding upon affiliated 



produced the astonishing number of two thousand three hundred and societies or not ; but there has really been no ground for discussing this 



fifty-three seeds, and this after a dozen bunches of sprays of bloom had point. The rules of the National Chrysanthemum Society prescribe that 



been gathered from the plants. This heavy seed production means in classes in which the society's medals are offered by affiliated societies 



bounteous crops of bloom, and an experiment made by putting individual the nomenclature and classification shall be in accordance with the 



seeds into the ground, a yard apart, resulted in the plants each producing society's catalogue and any subsequent report, but they impose no other 



from four hundred to five hundred sprays of blossom. When a raiser restriction. The majority of those who have taken part in this dis- 



has a particularly fine variety, of which he wishes to obtain a quick and cussion appear to be unacquainted with the rules of the parent society 



large increase, he will place an individual plant where it can branch relating to the affiliated bodies, and consequently are unaware of the fact 



freely, and then the cultivator sees displayed a capacity for expansion that the annual report, as well as the catalogue, is included in them. It 



that is positively startling. Anyone interested in this fragrant flower would be an advantage were the list of too much alike varieties to be 



can experiment for himself, and he can scarcely fail to be surprised at the adopted by the affiliated societies, and we are pleased to learn that at the 



results. The fact is our ordinary methods of sowing our culinary as well meeting of the General Committee of the National Chrysanthemum 



as our sweet peas admit of great improvement. The seeds are sown Society held on Monday it was resolved to send a copy to each affiliated 



thickly in drills, and the result is often practically starved plants. The society, and invite it to make it compulsory in ail classes. 



force of growth in the individuals is fettered^by lack of adequate root 



room and food ; the very nature of the plant craves expansion, but, like 

 a prisoner whose feet are chained to the ground, the area of action is 

 restricted. If anyone desires a further illustration of the possibilities in 



IMPORTS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 



The returns issued by the Board of Trade for November are on the 



sweet peas, let him sow five seeds of one variety, in a pot, about the end whole satisfactory, both exports and imports showing moderate increases 



of February, raise the seedling plants in a cold frame, and keep them on the month. With the exception of lemons, the whole of the fruits 



dwarf and sturdy, and as they come on place twigs among them to specified in the returns show substantial increases, as also do the imports 



keep them from clinging one to the other, and then plant them out as of onions and unenumerated vegetables. The imports of apples 



undivided clumps four feet apart, digging a hole eighteen inches in depth, amounted to 811,788 bushels, of the value of £250,500, against 783,3°° 



placing in it a good spadeful [of rich manure, putting some good soil bushels, of the value of £232,251, or an increase in quantity of 28,488 



over this, and then plant, disturbing the roots as little as possible, in a bushels, and in value of £17,249. Grapes were received inconsiderably 



good open, sunny position. Plants so treated should be in bloom by the larger quantities, the total imports being 199,47° bushels, against 122,341 



middle of J 



been treated in this way, and at 



July 



bushels last year, or an increase of 77,129 bushels. The values of the 

 grapes imported were £95>345 and £57,3 82 respectively, or an increase 



bloom could have been gathered. Good cultivation is necessary, in so of £37,963. Nuts shew an enormous increase, and a considerable pro- 

 far as it is shown in attention to watering, and preventing any stray portion of this is probably due to the increased importation of cobnuts, 

 shoots from falling aside, and directing their upward growth as much which are now being largely grown in France, and coming into compe- 

 as possible. When these services are rendered, every seed may be tition with the produce of the Kentish plantations. The value of the 

 calculated upon to produce a plant that will yield, on a rough average, imports of nuts during the month is £157,188, against £89,294 in Novem- 

 two hundred sprays of blossoms. This is the result, not merely of ber, 1897. Pears were imported in larger quantities than in the corre- 

 growing, but of actually cultivating the plants. It is now becoming sponding month of last year, the quantities being 47>°92 bushels and 

 difficult to make a small selection of sweet peas, so numerous are the 46,674 bushels respectively, and the values £23,275 and £i9>°72, the 

 varieties for in addition to those constantly being raised in our own latter indicating a material increase in the price per bushel. The imports 



country, America sends several novelties every season. 



TOO MUCH ALIKE CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 



of plums in November continue to increase. This year they amounted to 

 1,194 bushels, of the value of £414 ; in 1897 to 884 bushels, of the value 

 of £3,500 ; and in 1896 to 15 bushels, of the value of £30. The imports 

 of unenumerated fruits also continue to increase, and last month they 



The discussion of the question of too much alike chrysanthemums, amounted to 108,804 bushels, if the value of £5°,i°7, against 63,670 



which originated shortly after the November exhibition of the National bushels, of the value of £32,617. Potatos, on the other hand, show a 



Chrysanthemum Society, continues to drag itself along, and the chief point material decrease, for we received 23.323^ cwt. only last month, against 

 of interest connected with the discussion is the proof it gives of the possi- 



45,028 bushels in the corresponding month of last year ; the greatest drop 

 bility of writing and speaking much upon a subject without throwing any in the case of any one country was in the supplies from Germany, these 

 light upon it. The question is in reality a very simple one and might be amounting to 19,207 cwt, against 225,898 cwt. last year. The value of 



readily understood by anyone conversant with chrysanthemums who is 



last month's supplies was £23,323, against £145,028 in November, 1897 ; 



prepared to inform himself of the facts of the case. During the past few but our bill for the year's imports will be a heavy one, for it already 

 years several varieties, chiefly belonging to the incurved section, have amounts to £1,899,941. Onions were received in larger quantities than 



been 



in the two preceding years, the total imports having been 665,631 



each other as to render it difficult to distinguish them at certain stages bushels, of the value of £80,608, or an increase in quantity of 180, 101 



