JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 7, 1882. ] 
533 
ferous plants. Amongst cut blooms Mr. Garret, Hindley House, 
Stocksfield-on-Tyne, sent a superb collection of Zonal Pelargoniums. 
There was a stand of Primulas from Messrs. Cannell & Son, Swanley, 
Kent, and some Mignonette trained pyramidal shape from South 
Shields and Westoe Cemetery. 
CHESTERFIELD CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCIETY. 
November 28tii and 29th. 
The above Society held their first annual Show last week in the 
assembly room over the Market Hall, a room admirably adapted 
for the purpose; and although it was considered late by several 
exhibitors, owing to the Committee not wishing to clash with any 
other shows in the immediate neighbourhood, it was pronounced to 
be by competent judges and growers the best show in the district. 
T. P. Wood, Esq., well known for his liberality, accords the Society 
his patronage as President. The Vice-Presidents include several of 
the leading gentlemen in the town. The arrangements were carried 
out under the superintendence of Mr. J. Hall (Hon. Secretary) and an 
influential Committee, of which the most prominent are Messrs. 
W. M. Hewitt, W. Slack, C. Auckland, and R. W. Proctor, and 
several of the leading gardeners in the neighbourhood, including 
Mr. J. H. Clements of Whittington. 
There were no money prizes, but in lieu of them first, second, and 
third-class certificates of excellence were awarded. The President 
paid for the use of the rooms ; Mr. Eastwood, one of the Committee, 
lent boards for tables, Ac. ; Mr. J. K. Swallow lent cloth for covering 
the same ; and after the expenses, which cannot amount to much, are 
paid, the proceeds will be handed over to the Chesterfield and North 
Derbyshire hospital. 
The plants, which included large-flowering varieties, Japanese, and 
Pompons, were not quite so good as we like to see. Although well 
bloomed, the majority of them were too high on long naked stems. 
One collection, how'ever, exhibitors in future might advantageously 
imitate. This was six large-flowered plants staged by Mr. R. W. 
Proctor, and deservedly placed first in a strong class—the plants 
from 3 to 4 feet high, with beautiful fresh green foliage down to 
the rim of the pots, and every flower almost fit for a stand in the cut 
bloom class. 
Cut blooms were the chief feature of the Exhibition. Mr. Tree, 
gardener to J. R. Swallow, Esq., was deservedly first for twenty-four 
large-flowering varieties, as was Mr. 7. H. Clements. The Judges 
considered them equal, but all the local florists considered Mr. Tree 
the winner, as did most of the leading gardeners. The blooms shown 
by Mr. Tree were neat, clean, fresh, and well put up, and one old 
florist remarked that they might have all come out of one mould, so 
neatly were they incurved. Among the best flowers of Mr. Tree’s 
were White Beverley, Beauty, Mrs. Dixon, Jardin des Plantes, 
Yellow Beverley, George Glenny, Mrs. G. Bundle, Empress of India, 
Lady Slade, Golden Empress of India, and Golden Queen of England. 
The best blooms in Mr. Clements’ stand were Virgin Queen, splendid, 
and Prince Alfred, good ; several of the others bad centres. This exhi¬ 
bitor and several others made a great mistake in setting their blooms 
down too low. For eighteen blooms, large-flowered varieties, Mr. 
R. W. Proctor was an easy first, his best flowers being Golden Em¬ 
press of India, Red Dragon, Empress of India, George Glenny, Lady 
Slade, Lord Derby, and Prince Alfred. Second, Mr. J. Marsden, made 
the same mistake mentioned above, and some blooms looked dull. 
Twelve large-flowering varieties, Messrs. Hall and Auckland had some 
very neat blooms. We also noticed an excellent stand of Japanese 
. and incurved exhibited not for competition by T. P. Wood, Esq., and 
a stand from Mr. Gosling quite equal to anything in the classes for 
cut blooms. 
In the class for six Primulas the competition was very keen, Mr. 
R. W. Proctor ultimately winning, being very closely pressed by Mr. 
Frith, gardener to J. P. Jackson, Esq., J.P.. Stubbin Edge ; third prize 
going to Mr. Reynolds, gardener to W. G. Turbitt, Esq., Ogston Hall. 
In the class for three Primulas Mi - . Parker, gardener to Mr. C. Mark¬ 
ham, Tapton House, took the lead. 
There was a grand display of Grapes and stove plants, kindly 
lent by the following gentlemen :—His Grace the Duke of Devonshire, 
Messrs. A. Barnes, M.P., Ashgate ; H. A. Fowler, Whittington ; J. B. 
Barrow, Ringwood Hall ; W. B. Smith Milnes, Dunston Hall ; F. 
Swanwick, Whittington ; J. Britt, Chesterfield ; Fletcher & Son, 
Chesterfield ; R. W. Proctor, Chesterfield, who also lent a good collec¬ 
tion of evergreens for the staircase. Mr. C. Shentall, fruiterer, had 
a very good table of fruit. Mr. Ewing, Sheffield Botanic Gardens, 
and Mr. Stephens, gardener to Sir John Brown, Sheffield, were the 
Judges. 
THE COMET. 
A writer in the Times some years ago (the Times cruelly printed 
the letter) stated that the name was derived from the word “ comma,” 
“because a comma is a dot and a tail.” I cannot hope to make any 
equally erudite addition to useful knowledge, but yet I desire to 
call attention to what is being said of the late comet, which it seems 
before long may present some phenomena which will have very 
practical interest for a horticultural journal. It is stated, on appa¬ 
rent y good authority, that the brilliant visitor alluded to was none 
other than the comet of 1688, which came hack in 1843. This, if 
true, is a very startling and perhaps formidable statement. That 
comet’s period of revolution was thus given as of 175 years, instead 
of which we had it back in 1880, its period having been diminished 
to thirty-seven years. This is attributed to the sun’s attraction 
(through a too near approach) having availed to suck it in towards 
it. And now the 1880 comet is back in two years instead of thirty- 
seven ! At this rate, we are told, a very few months more must see 
it with a spiral motion dashing into the sun ! 
Some little time ago the general idea was that a comet falling 
into the sun—through the mass of matter cast in, besides the heat 
generated by impact—would cause an outburst of igneous force 
possibly sufficient to destroy all life on the earth’s surface, if not to 
bring about the general conflagration. Of late Mr. Proctor and 
oth* rs console us by the idea that a comet had so very little solid 
substance that the effect on the solar central furnace is hardly likely 
to be great. We will hope that is so. But if the next year really 
is to bring such phenomena, and even a slight increase of heat be 
produced, we may have reason to he deeply thankful for the 6 or 
7 inches of rain in October, which were registered all over the 
country. 
A pleasing and scrupulously veracious American writer has de¬ 
scribed a spell of heat in which ducks were roasted and fell fit for 
the table in flying from pond to pond. Pei haps we need hardly 
anticipate this. Still, various questions may arise as to show fixtures 
in prospect of such a decidedly “ early season,” and it will not be 
amiss if the subject be ventilated beforehand.—A. C. 
wtCi 
WORK.™*™ WEEK. ^3 
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HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
The unusually wet weather this autumn has not been favourable 
to the ripening of the wood of fruit trees, but as the leaves have now 
nearly all fallen, planting should be proceeded with as the weather 
permits. It is a mistake to defer operations of this kind any longer 
than can possibly be avoided, as, although the trees are apparently 
dormant through the winter, there is a certain activity going on 
which causes the wounds to heal or callus, even if fresh fibres are 
not actually formed. This gives autumn-planted trees a considerable 
advantage over those planted later, the latter not having time to form 
fibres before the rapidly swelling buds are making demands insuffi¬ 
ciently supplied, and the consequence is they will break weakly. 
Although it is important that planting be done early, it is undesirable 
to carry on transplantation whilst the ground is wet and unfavourable 
for working, or when frost prevails, as during frost much injury is 
done to the roots by the vessels being ruptured through an undue 
expansion of the moisture they contain. To avoid the roots becom¬ 
ing frozen after planting, a good mulching of partially decayed 
littery manure will serve the double purpose of keeping out the frost 
and assisting to keep the heat in, also maintaining the soil about the 
roots more uniformly moist. 
In planting the choicer description of stone fruits, such as Peaches, 
Nectarines, although it may not be necessary to entirely form new 
borders, it is always advisable that old borders should be deeply 
stirred ; but if trenching be resorted to, the subsoil must not be 
brought to the surface. Stirring the hard under stratum or subsoil 
will admit of percolation of water through the soil readily and the 
passage of air, and with drains to carry off superfluous water there 
will be no fear of the trees thriving satisfactorily. A few barrowfuls 
of fresh turfy loam to plant the trees in will afford a good rooting 
medium for them, and give them a better start than compost 
rich in decaying material. Calcareous matter is absolutely essential 
to the cultivation of stone fruits, and soils deficient in this should 
have some old mortar rubbish or chalk mixed with it. 
Pears, Apples, and especially bush fruits, are greatly assisted in 
their growth by being planted in richer material; but even in their 
case it is necessary not to afford manure in such proportion as will 
induce a gross sappy growth, but what manure is employed should 
be thoroughly decomposed, well mixed with the soil, and not brought 
into direct contact with the roots. In planting standard trees, where 
time will not permit trenching to be done for these at once, it will be 
