Cannell & Sons’ Complete Seed Guide. 
BEST GARDEN PRODUCTIONS EVER SEEN IN KENT FOR THE 
CHAMPIONSHIP WON BY MILTON FROM RODMERSHAM. 
ALL ADMITTED THE EIGHT EXHIBITS MADE A MAGNIFICENT DISPLAY. 
The institution of the 
Kent chain pious li ip belt 
competition by J\lr. Cnn- 
nell, the head of the 
well-known firm of 
Messrs. Cannell & Sons, 
of Swanley, has done an 
immense amount of good 
for horticulture in the 
county. A few years ago 
it would have been deemed 
an impossibility for vege- 
tables to be grown to 
their present size. But, 
while weight is a consid- 
eration in the cultivation 
of vegetables, quality is 
also another important 
factor. Indeed, quality 
ranks before quantity. 
While vegetables have 
increased in bulk, how- 
ever, quality has also 
Mr. chopping. 
taken an upward tendency ,"so that it would seem to be impossible 
to improve upon the present standard that has been attained. 
So successful has the competition in vegetables become that fruit 
and flowers are now introduced, and these new features have 
added to the beauty of the competition. 
The struggle for possession of the county chanqiionship this 
year took place at the annual exhibition of the llodmersham 
Amateur and. Cottage Gardeners’ Association, which was held in 
a large booth in Eodmersham Park, near Sittingbourne, on 
25th and 26th August last. This pretty spot was placed at 
the disposal of the Rodmersham Society by R. Mercer, Esq., C.C. 
It was here that the competition for the Kent championship belt 
took ])lace two yeai’s ago, after the honour had been won by 
Rodmer.sham from Milton in the previous year. Two years since 
the Miltonians came to Rodmersham, and wrested "the champion- 
.ship from their neighbours. Kast year the fight took place at 
Milton, and here Rodmer.sham once more turned the tables on the 
Miltonians, and for the past twelve months the coveted belt has 
found a resting place at Rodmersham. Now the contest for the 
title of the champions of Kent has again taken place at Rodmer- 
sham, and, by a singular coincidence, the chamjjionship has gone 
to Milton for the third time. To outsiders it may possibly seem 
to be extraordinary that, for the past four years, this annual 
championship competition has resolved itself into a duel between 
Milton and Rodmersham. The explanation of this is not far to 
seek. Ever since the championship was brought into this district 
from Eynsford, by Milton, Rodnicr,sham and Milton have .smgled 
themselves out from among other competitors as veritable giants 
in the horticultural world, with the result that, if Milton has not 
been successful, then the championship has gone to Rodmersham. 
So the belt has alternated between the two. Meanwhile other 
societies in the county do their best to sto]) this “ little game, as 
it has been not inaptly termed, but so far they have been 
powerless to prevent it. They can only view the fight froin alar 
with hungering eyes upt'n that coveted piece of gold-bedizened 
silk, and sigh for thedav -when it shall bi=i the^y turn to wear it. 
( 
As we pointed out last year, this is, in the main, the result of the 
championship competition. Now that Rodmersham and Milton 
have glided into the championship groove, and have tasted the 
sweets of success, they are very tough customers to displace. In 
other w ords it means that at Milton and Rodmersham the science 
of horticulture has been raised to such a pitch of excellence, that 
these parishes can breathe defiance to the county. At the present 
time they look in vain for their conquerors. The day, no doubt, 
will come when the horticultural championship of Kent will be 
taken to some other part of the county ; and in the interests of 
horticulture generally it will be a good thing when this happens ; 
but, until that time arrives, Milton and Rodmersham are content 
to rest upon their laurels, and to do their best to retain the 
championship in this neighbourhood. 
There were eleven entries for the competition this year, viz., 
Rynsford, Strood, Ash, Penshurst, Charing, Ightbam, Milton, 
Linton, Milsted, Westgate, and Rodmersham (the holders). At 
the last minute Charing, Ightham, and Eynsford withdrew, 
leaving eight stern and determined competitors to enter the list. 
Local horticulturists are fairly familiar with the conditions of the 
competition, but, for form’s sake, it would be as well to state 
what the conditions are. The competition is open to all amateur 
and cottage garden associations in Kent. It consists of ten 
varieties of vegetables (cauliflowers, beetroot, kidney potatoes, 
round potatoes, jnarrows, tomatoes, onions, carrots, runner beans, 
and turnips), six dishes of fruit (two dishes each of apples, pears, 
and plums), and a stand of annuals, or other outdoor flowers, 
arranged for effect. The exhibits were staged down one side of 
the booth, and were quite an exhibition in themselves. 
Considering the trying nature of the summer it would not have 
been surprising to have observed a falling oH in quality. But 
last years high .standard was not only maintained, but in one or 
two instances was improved upon. In some of the stands of flowers 
there was a lighter and more graceful arrangement of the flowers, 
while some of the vegetables were, if anything, a little larger. 
And yet the quality was of the very highest. What we shall see 
in a few years’ time it would be difficult to say; but after the 
great improvement effected in the past half-dozen years we must 
be prepared for anything. Rodmersham had a slight advantage 
over Milton for arrangement of flower.s, the floral section of the 
Rodmersham collection being very handsome. It may be added 
that the Rodmersham flowers were arranged by Mrs. Uixon and 
Miss Thomas, while Miss Prentis performed a similar office for 
Milton. The vegetables .shown by these societies were little 
short of ]>erfcction, and a similar remark applies to the Penshurst 
vegetables. Ash and Linton being close on the heels of Penshurst. 
'fhe iudges were painstaking to a degree in their work, and a 
considerable time was occupied in comparing the merits of the 
respective exhibits. In the end the awards were placed as 
follows: -1st, £‘d and the Kent championship belt, Milton, with 
a total of 76 points out of a possible 84 ; 2nd, £2, Rodmersham, 
73 points; 3rd, XI, Penshurst, 7U points. Ash, with 65| 
points, and Linton, with 6U points, were each highly 
commended. The result was received with extreme satisfaction 
by the Miltonians, who were congratulated upon having regained 
the honour which they won on the same spot two years ago. 
Rodmersham had made a truly gallant fight, and it was hard for 
any one but an expert to tell where the superiority existed, but 
Milton gained their advantage in the fruit. The difference 
161 ) 
