518 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Decen.ber 11, 1890. 
hurst, Esq. (gardener, Mr. Bremmell) ; third, Mrs. Foster, Moor Park, 
Ludlow (eardener, Mr. Haggart) ; extra, the Duke of Sutherland) 
Trentham (gardener, Mr. Bla : r). For twenty-four incurved blooms— 
First, Colonel Wingfield ; second, Mr. Greatrix, Mytton Hall (gardener, 
Mr. Townsend) ; third, Mrs. Foster. In the classes for twelve incurved 
and twelve Japanese the same exhibitors w r ere also successful. The 
amateurs showed very well in all classes provided for them. Certifi¬ 
cates of merit were awarded to Messrs. Jones & Sons, Pritchard & Sons, 
Mr. Eckford, and Mr. Myers ; Mr. Murrell of Shrewsbury, Messrs. Smith 
of Worcester, and Mr. Harrison of Millington’s Hospital. Fruit was 
not first class this season, but fair collections were shown from 
Attingham, Lord Berwick's (Mr. Pearson) ; from Acton Regnald, Sir 
Vincent Corbet, Bart. (Mr. Hawkesford) ; from Berwick, J. Watson, 
Esq., M.P. (Mr. Gant) ; and Colonel W.ngfield of Onslow. Specimen 
plants were but poorly represented, growers in the county not knowing 
of the Show in time. The Show was well attended by the public, and we 
hope to see it continued another year. — G. W. 
EXHIBITION SCHEDULES. 
In the course of your remarks in the Journal of the 4th inst. on the 
question of disqualifying exhibitors of groups after the public have been 
admitted in cases where an exhibitor has, to adopt your own mild term, 
“ peculiarities ” in his group, you suggest a proviso that “ if anything 
i i contravention of the stipulations is discovered before the close of the 
Show the prizes will be withheld. Now, in the rules of a certain well- 
known Society I find the following:—“Any person exhibiting flowers 
or plants belonging to another and entering them as his or her own, or 
exercising any artifice to deceive the Judges, or otherwise attempting to 
gain prizes by unfair means, shall forfeit all claims to such prizes as 
may have been awarded to him or her, and the Committee reserve to 
themselves the power to refuse future entries from such exhibitor.” 
This seems to meet the point you raise exactly, and you will observe 
that it says “ shall ” forfeit, not “ may ” forfeit, so that even the Com¬ 
mittee cannot condone a wilfully wrong act. 
It would certainly be absurd to suppose that Judges are to dive into 
groups to discover they know not what, something on the principle of 
“turn round three times, catch whom you can.” Not only would ex¬ 
hibitors object, but also the public, who would not care to pay for 
admission to see the wrecks after the storm. 
On one point in your article I must disagree with you. You say such 
a proviso as you suggest should only apply to groups, but what about 
flowers neatly “ grafted” on to specimen plants, or nice compact centres 
deftly placed in large loose blooms? Would a Judge undertake the respon¬ 
sibility of discovering these “ peculiarities? ” I trow not. The symptoms 
of a wasting decline would probably not be apparent until the second 
day, and the adjudicator would certainly not be able when judging to 
discover with that pencil point of his whether every bloom was without 
guile. 
Many a Society has been brought to the dust by allowing laxity in 
the observance of their rules, especially as regards honesty in exhibiting, 
for if Committees are not strict on this point it is unjust to those 
exhibitors who do show fairly, who thereupon get disgusted and cease 
showing at all.—A lter Ego. 
[There is a good deal of force in the remarks of our correspondent, 
and we do not in the least object to his slight disagreement with one of 
our propositions. Notwithstanding the stringency of general rules it is 
quite customary to insert special conditions or provisos to certain clauses, 
if only for guarding against the possibility of the stipulations in the 
rules being overlooked, and we think the practice good. In respect to 
judging blooms we think in the first place a sufficient number of Judges 
should be provided, and sufficient time allowed them for a critical 
examination of the whole of the exhibits, and then they should be 
expected to discover faults of whatever kind, and if they overlook any 
of a flagrant nature these Judges should be superseded another year. 
We think the practices suggested by our correspondent are about 
obsolete, and, at least in the case of cut blooms, are discoverable at the 
time the awards are made. We are convinced that in nine cases out of 
ten when mistakes are made they are the result of Judges having to 
“ rush through ” several classes in order that the work can be completed 
by the appointed time for the public admittance. If, as is usual, a 
stipulated time is announced for the entering of protests in the classes 
in question sufficient provision is made to practically ensure justice being 
done without relieving Judges of the responsibility that we are of opinion 
should rightly attach to them. Our remarks applied to exhibitions 
generally, and were not confined, except where stated, to any particular 
show.] 
GARDENERS’ ORPHAN FUND. 
A SPECIAL general meeting was held on Tuesday evening last, at the 
Cannon Street Hotel, London, for the purpose of making some slight 
yet important alterations in the rules. William Marshall, E-q., Chair¬ 
man of the Executive Committee, was called on to preside. The agenda 
piper, he said, contained four resolutions, three of which he should ask 
Messrs. B. Wynne, J. Wright, and R. Dean to propose, one being reserved 
for himself. 
The resolution moved by Mr. Wynne, and seconded by Mr. J. Wills, 
w r as as follows :—“ That in the opinion of this meeting it is desirable, 
in the best interests of the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund, that the date of 
commencement of the financial year should be altered from July 1st to 
January 1st, and that the annual general meeting should be held in 
February instead of July.” 
Mr. Wynne explained that this was simply a reversion to first 
principles, a return to the original proposition of the Committee, but at 
an important general meeting was departed from on the motion of the 
late Mr. Shirley Hibberd, for reasons which appeared forcible at the 
time ; and although the Committee was doubtful about the wisdom of 
the change, did not feel justified in causing the least dissension, there¬ 
fore acquiesced. It caused much confusion and involved a large 
amount of secretarial work, which on the score of economy and good 
management it was desirable to avoid. 
Mr. Wright next moved and Mr. Roupell seconded, “ That in order 
to carry the previous resolution into effect the following alteration in 
the rules be and are hereby made : -1, In Rule 3, last line, substitute 
“31st of December ” for “ 30th of June.” 2, In Rule 9, fourth line, 
substitute “ December ” for “ June.” 3, In Rule 10, second line, substi¬ 
tute “ February ” for “ July.” 
Mr. Wright sail that as all knew there was truth in the axiom, 
“ Great results from little causes sprinv,” therefore he hoped and 
believed that great and good results would follow the small alteration of 
the four words indicated, in the rules. This was necessary for setting the 
machinery in motion, that would work more smoothly by the change ; 
and the time was opportune for making this change, since all the 
unsuccessful candicates at the last election were now placed upon the 
Fund, which now supports thirty-seven children, at an annual outlay 
of £481. 
Mr, R. Dean then moved, and Mr. Walker seconded, “That the sum 
of £554 13s., the amount required to enable the Committee to grant the 
benefits of the Fund to the seven unsuccessful candidates at the last elec¬ 
tion, as a memorial to the late Mr. George Deal, having been collected 
and received by the Treasurer, this Meeting endorses the action of the 
Executive Committee in placing on the Fund Alfred Henry Budd, 
Winifred Jones, Sidney Alfred Offer, Arthur Henry Rowland, Mary 
Grieve, Evan Evans Kinch, Francis Thomas Pragnell, as and from 
the 1st of January next.” 
Mr. Dean remarked that in no other way could the memory of their 
late Chairman be so appropriately perpetuated as in the form suggested. 
The tribute was a substantial one, and provides means of livelihood to 
seven children, and he was sure that a dissentient voice would not be 
heard against the resolution which he had pleasure in moving. 
The Chairman next moved, and Mr. Assbee seconded, “ That the 
hearty thanks of this meeting be accorded to the subscribers to the 
‘ George Deal Memorial Fund,” and especially to Mr. N. N. Sherwood 
and Mr. H. J. Veitcb, through whose generosity a worthy memorial of 
the late Chairman of the Committee has been raised, and applied in a 
manner tint he, in life, would have most approved of.” 
It was quite unnecessary, he said, for him to say anything in favour of 
what he now placed before the meeting with great pleasure, and the 
undoubted approval of all present. 
All the resolutions were passed unanimously, and the meeting closed 
with a vote of thanks to the Chairman, proposed by Mr. A. F. Barron. 
TREE AND SHRUB GROUPS. 
Good work, correct practice, leading to successful combina¬ 
tions, and results entirely satisfactory, depends very much upon 
the study of faults and the full recognition of their cause. A 
faultless clump is a pleasant sight throughout the year. In the 
full glory of summer foliage it is of course at its best, but it has 
also special attractions at other seasons ; of spring greenery, of 
autumnal leaf tints, of form in winter, when each tree invites in¬ 
spection and comparison with the others. Nor is the clump devoid 
of colour then, for the rich greenery and warmth of evergreens is 
there, and there i9 also much beauty in the varied subdued tones 
of the bark of deciduous growth. 
To obtain all this the trees must be well chosen and well placed, 
sufficiently far apart for full development ; that is why the plant¬ 
ing of permanent trees first and the temporary trees afterwards is 
advised. In the hancs of an expert the position of each tree 
wou’d be first of all marked upon a plan, and then the planting of 
the whole of the trees may be done together with certainty and 
despatch. In the hands of a tyro the work often becomes very 
costly from the wasteful use of valuable trees. An instance of 
this well known to me may be mentioned, where some miles of 
belts and many clumps have been planted so thickly with choice 
deciduous and evergreen trees in an uniform manner throughout, 
that thousands of valuable young trees will have to be sacrificed 
eventually, simply because there was no well considered plan at the 
outset. The planting was done by the owner of the estate, who 
was fond of and who knew trees fairly well, but who was quite 
ignorant of tasteful arrangement, and therefore had plenty of the 
choicest trees planted everywhere. With subsequent attention to 
thinning the result may prove tolerably satisfactory, but it would 
have been much more so, and far less costly, had the work been 
