444 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Korember 16, 1893. 
_ The Apple Crop in the cider districts of the west is exceed¬ 
ingly abundant this year. The orchards of Herefordshire, says a daily 
contemporary, have been heavily laden with fruit, and in Somersetshire 
cider Apples are so plentiful that the farmers in many cases are giving 
them to stock instead of grinding them for cider. The Mid-Somerset 
Temperance Village Mission, objecting to cider, held a conference lately, 
in which speeches were delivered and letters read showing the value of 
Apples for stock, and discouraging the manufacture of cider. A gentle¬ 
man writes: “ Our worst Apples are given to the cows, who are more 
eager for them than for meal or cake.” A lady made the following 
statement: “ We give our Apples to the cows every day, about 12 lbs. to 
each cow, and find it increases the butter and improves the condition of 
the cows. The very small Apples we shall boil for the pigs.” She 
declared that Apples suit young pigs better than any roots that can be 
mentioned. One informant states that Apples at 28s. a ton—the present 
price—were much cheaper as food for milch cows and other kinds of 
stock than Mangels at 12s. a ton. 
-Girdlino Branches to Promote Fruitfulness. —It has 
long been known that if a ring of bark be taken from a branch it 
will cause that branch to prematurely bear fruit. But that branch 
usually dies soon. The ring may not be taken completely around, 
that is to say, a connection between the bark above the ringed 
portion and below the ringed portion remains. In this case, the part 
above the girdled portion does not die, but is brought into fruitfulness, 
which continues for several years. This, says “ Meehan’s Monthly,” 
has only been employed as a matter of curiosity, as it is usually con¬ 
sidered that the quality of the fruit is impaired by this procedure. 
Certainly in Grapes, the fru’t produced after girdling is not nearly as 
sweet or in any way as much appreciated, with the single exception 
of size, as in cases where the girdling process has not been attempted; 
but in the Orange culture in Florida, it is stated that this girdling is 
becoming a part of general practice, and perhaps this may account for 
the enormously large increase of sour instead of sweet Oranges, which 
is being poured into markets from that State. 
- Improvement of the Carnation. —For many years when 
Carnations were grown simply for their beauty as cut flowers, little 
attention was given to any other point except to their fragrance, tints 
and colour, or size of bloom. When they were cut for florists’ purposes, 
artificial stems had to be given to each flower. This made it very 
troublesome to florists, and besides prevented the general use of the 
Carnation in boutoni^res, because for want of stems there was no 
opportunity to put articles retaining moisture around the stalks by 
which withering could be prevented ; they were soon, therefore, useless. 
American florists, however, have turned their attention to developing 
Carnations which produce flowers singly on long stems, and yet will 
stool up so as to give bushy, stocky plants, producing these long-stalked 
flowers in the greatest abundance. So successful has the improvement 
of the Carnation been in this way, that no one ever thinks now of 
buying Carnations except with stalks often 5 or 6 inches in length. It 
is interesting to note that this particular kind of improvement does not 
eeem to have been appreciated by improvers in the Old World, as the 
popular Carnation for florists’ work is still one which was raised in 
France nearly twenty years ago, known as Souvenir de la Malmaison. 
This produces one enormous flower, oftentimes IJ inch in diameter at 
the top of the stalk, with numerous short-stalked buds along the main 
stem. No florist here could make his salt out of the cultivation of such 
a Carnation. Little instances, says “ Meehans’ Monthly,” like these 
show the immense advance made by American florists in certain lines of 
improvement over the progress which the same thing has made in the 
Old World. 
PRIZES AT THE GARDENING AND FORESTRY 
EXHIBITION. 
I WAS pleased to see this matter noticed on page 419 of the Journal 
of Horticulture. I fear that ” Exhibitor ” will require a considerable 
amount of patience before he can get those in authority at Earl’s Court 
to do what is just and what should have been done long ago. They not 
only refuse to pay, but add insult to injury by refusing to answer 
letters respecting payment of piizes ; and when, after much pressure, 
a reply is obtained it is evasive, prolonging the exhibitor’s agony, and 
adding to expenses. I was heartily glad to see “ Exhibitor’s” letter, and 
1 trust that its publication and these notes will assist those who have 
given much time at considerable cost in endeavouring to make the 
exhibitions attractive and won the prizes that were offered. 
I would suggest that the exhibitors meet together as soon as possible 
and subscribe to take a test case into Court, and compel payment of 
e prize money. This will be an easy matter for a number, whereas 
one person could ill afford it. I will gladly contribute my share towards 
the object in view, and in future I would beg those interested in horti¬ 
culture to give Earl’s Court exhibitions a wide berth. Though we were 
misled by the respected names of Messrs. Milner and Turner as manag¬ 
ing this section, we shall in future know that the syndicate are 
unworthy of support. Last year they failed to give the charities con¬ 
nected with horticulture the donation promised with such a loud flourish 
of trumpets, and undoubtedly that promise led gardeners and others to 
exhibit the more cheerfully, in the assurance that institutions estab¬ 
lished for the support of the aged and orphans would be in some measure 
assisted. 
If any exhibitors have been paid the prize money to which they are 
justly entitled, it would be well if they would state the fact. I know 
several gardeners who have received no prize money after spending, to 
them, considerable amounts in the necessary expenses connected with 
exhibiting.—A nother Exhibitor. 
Chrysanthemum Shows. 
The following Chrysanthemum shows, which have been advertised 
in our columns, remain to be held during the current month :— 
Nov. 16th, 17th, and 18tb.—Edinburgh, York. 
„ 17th and 18th.—Bolton, Sheffield. 
„ 24th and 25th.—Bccles and Patricroft. 
Reports op Chrysanthemum Shows. 
We are very much obliged to our friends who favour with reports 
of Chrysanthemum shows in the provinces, but those which come to 
hand so late that they cannot be published till a fortnight after date 
have perforce to be put aside for more recent matter. 
Exhibitors’ Cards. 
Will you kindly allow me space in your valuable paper to make a 
suggestion now the Chrysanthemum exhibitions are prevalent ? I think 
it would be better both for judges and exhibitors alike if the cards with 
names and addresses on were not placed till after the judging, but each 
exhibitor could have a private mark to avoid any mistake. It would, I 
think, save the judges from being accused of partiality in any points, 
and would also satisfy exhibitors as to the justice of the awards.— 
Observer. 
National Chrysanthemum Society, 
A meeting of the General Committee of the National Chrys¬ 
anthemum Society will be held on Monday evening, November 20th, at 
Anderton’s Hotel, Fleet Street, E.C., and at the termination of the 
regular business Mr. Charles E. Shea, The Elms, Foots Cray, Kent, will 
read a paper on “Judging Chrysanthemums.” The annual dinner will 
take place at the same place on Thursday, November 30th, when the 
President, Sir Edwin Saunders, will occupy the chair. 
The N.C.S. and Its Certificates. 
I AM glad to see the Floral Committee are exercising a tight hand 
in respect to the awarding of certificates. The standard of merit is now' 
a high one, and unless a variety is really good and distinct it is passed 
over. This is how it should be, and the certificates will be much more 
valuable. I cannot help thinking the Floral Committee should adjudi¬ 
cate on the blooms in a place where something like fair daylight can be 
obtained. I believe one or two really good varieties were passed over 
because the light was insufficient to distinguish the colours. 
Whilst writing of certificates, I think it would be a good plan to 
follow out the system adopted by the R.H.S.—viz., that the names of the 
members of the Floral Committee present be published, and also that 
the list of varieti s certificated should be published in the schedule or 
report, with the date of the award and the number of votes each variety 
obtained.— A Mummer. 
A Fracas at the Aquarium Show. 
At the recent Exhibition of the National Chrysanthemum Society I, 
with some scores of other persons, witnessed a most unseemly and 
unpleasant scene. It appears two Fellows of the N.C.S. — aye, 
and members of its Floral Committee — were in competition in a 
certain class. A wins first, B second. The award upset B con¬ 
siderably. He shouted and made a great disturbance—not for a short 
time, but for hours, ultimately tearing his prize card in pieces. It was 
certainly a very bad example for any exhibitor to make, especially one 
in the position of B. If every man who thought he was going to 
get the prize and did not get it acted in such a manner, what melees 
our exhibitions would be I 
I never heard anyone complain of the awards but this particular 
member, and for his sake I think it would be well for the Society to 
adopt the rule in existence among provincial Societies—viz., “ Any 
person finding fault with the decision of the Judges in any other way 
than by a written protest, or otherwise creating a disturbance in the 
place of exhibition, shall forfeit the amount of his prizes for the day.” 
—A, B. C. 
