76 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 26, 1893, 
National Chrysanthemum Society. 
We are requested by the Secretary to announce that the annual 
general meeting of the above will take place at Anderton’s Hotel, Fleet 
Street, E.C., on Monday, February 20th, at 7 P.M., due notice of which 
will be sent to the members. 
Kingston Chrysanthemum Society. 
At a recent meeting of the Committee of this Society it was resolved 
to recuscitate the former premier bloom classes, these having for the past 
few years dropped out of the schedule, offers of special prizes having 
been made for the best Japanese and best incurved flowers. Also, it was 
resolved to purchase and offer a further challenge vase, the present one 
being limited in competition, to the three winners, Messrs. Beckett, 
Carpenter, and Mease ; that will give the considerable attraction of two 
challenge vases being competed for next November. In compliance 
with the urgent request of a number of local gardeners it has also been 
decided to establish several cut flower classes restricted to the parish of 
Kingston. 
Chrysanthemum Show Boxes. 
I DO not think “ Sadoc’s ” (page 55) proposition with respect to the 
increase of the size of Chrysanthemum flower stands will meet with 
general acceptance. If exhibitors are allowed to have boxes for Japanese 
flowers up to any size they like, though not beyond what is prescribed 
in the schedule, there will be chaos. It has already been so conclusively 
shown that there is no need whatever for the increase in size of the stands 
that it is almost certain in a year or two we shall hear no more about it. 
We have, during the past Chrysanthemum season, got back in our tastes 
more towards the flowers of form, substance, depth, and quality, and 
now care less for the huge, coarse flowers. The revulsion will soon lead 
to the expulsion of coarse flowers from stands, and the more refined, 
deep blooms will need no larger stands.—D. 
Decline in Incurved Blooms. 
I think it will be conceded by those able to judge that the incurved 
Chrysanthemum is declining in popularity, not only as an exhibi¬ 
tion flower, but for decorative purposes also. There are two main reasons 
for this—first, the increase in variety of form and colour of the Japanese 
section, and their greater adaptability to decorative uses; secondly, it 
is thought, and with good reason, that the blooms are not so high in 
quality as they were two or three years since The reasons for this are 
not far to seek. Exhibitors have increased beyond the supply of able 
cultivators. Many persons are exhibitors now who have not had any 
practical training in the art of culture. Too many of the cultural 
details are left to young men who have not had much experience in the 
matter ; hence the decline in the quality of incurved Chrysanthemums. 
There are plenty of places where 1000 plants for the production of 
large show blooms are put into the hands of a youth to cultivate. He 
may be an excellent attendant, but when the crucial time arrives for 
him to prepare the blooms for show he is deprived of the opportunity to 
display his knowledge, or even to learn how to dress a bloom. What 
are known as professional dressers are called in just a day or so before 
the show to dress the blooms. These men cannot do justice to the 
flowers for obvious reasons, and the person who has borne all the labour 
of the season in cultivating the plants is not allowed to see the opera¬ 
tion, which would enable him to become a proficient cultivator. In 
this way the standard of the blooms falls below what it was when the 
exhibitor combined the cultivator as well. Professional dressers are, 
in my opinion, detrimental to the desired standard of incurved Chrys¬ 
anthemums. 
English Kaised Varieties. 
It is pleasing to note what an impetus has of late been given to the 
raising of varieties at home. When we can have such sterling varieties 
as W. Seward, James Shrimpton, Princess May, Beauty of Exmouth, 
Mr. C. Blick, and many others in one season, it makes one think if we 
cannot absolutely do without the aid of foreigners in this direction, we 
are not so dependent upon them as we were. With the introduction of 
English raised varieties I think there is not likely to be so much con¬ 
fusion as at present exists in some others. Cultivators will not need to 
burden themselves with so many varieties on trial before they can secure 
the deserving sorts. 
It is an interesting phase of Chrysanthemum culture, too, especially 
when the hybridising part is carried out on some safe line as to which 
are the most desirable sorts to select as seed bearers and so on. What is 
wanted are varieties having good blooms on comparatively dwarf 
plants. These we are in a fair way now to obtain. With such forms as 
Avalanche, Mrs. Falconer Jameson, and Mdlle. Marie Hoste as types of 
habit, and Cullingfordi, Edwin Molyneux, and Sunflower to give the 
requisite colouring, we may in the near future look for all that is 
desirable in new varieties. 
Hirsute Varieties. 
The catalogues to hand contain an increased number of varieties 
representing this section. But why do the raisers of new varieties 
consider it necessary to append such long names as “L’Enfant des 
Deux Mondes ? ” Why not say White Louis Boehmer ? One catalogue 
contains an English raised seedling, ruby crimson in colour, which 
should give a Slip to this section. Since the advent of Mrs. A. Hardy it 
cannot be said that any variety added has been a success. This one still 
remains by far the best, only it is so seldom seen in really first-rate 
condition. —Sadoc, 
Chrysanthemum Louis Boehmer. 
This variety proves to be well adapted for striking in July to give 
dwarf plants for decorative purposes. Mr. Gilbert of Burghley had 
some very good plants of it at Christmas which had been treated in this 
manner. These were also remarkable for the almost total absence of 
the usual hairs, causing the flowers to look like one of the ordinary 
varieties.— W. H. Divers, Ketton Hall Gardens, Stamford. 
Lord Canning—Stakes. 
I enclose blooms of the white Chrysanthemum Lord Canning, 
which I consider are good for the time of the year. They are grown on the 
“ let alone ” principle, I mean not cultivated specially for large blooms. 
What is your opinion of the stakes sent herewith ? They are an idea of 
my neighbour, and I believe he is going to send them out as “ Brooke’s 
Patent.” Either for pot plants or border use I find them good, being 
strong and tidy. They are made in various sizes.—W. J. Godfrey, 
Exmouth. 
[The pure white reflexed Japanese blooms, from 4 inches to 5 inches 
in diameter, equal in attractiveness any we have seen in January, and 
excel most. The stakes of galvanised iron are light, neat, and practically 
imperishable, while the attachment towards the base is calculated to 
render them more firm in the soil than small galvanised wire supports 
generally are. Experience, however, is requisite for testing the practical 
value of the new stakes.] 
Chrysanthemums for Late Flowering. 
I enclose two blooms of W. G. Drover. What do you think of the 
variety as a late bloomer ? I find it most useful, as it stands well when 
cut; it is also effective for decoration in the conservatory, not liable to 
damp. Robert Bottomley is also another most useful variety for late 
work. R. C, Kingston is distinct and telling so late in the season ; Leon 
Frache, Ralph Brocklebank, and Boule de Neige I find good, and 
should be grown by all those who have to fill the oft returning basket 
for room and table decorations. Is the bloom of Ada Spaulding true ? 
—T. Weaver. 
[The blooms of W. G. Drover are 7 inches in diameter, and distinctly 
effective. Somewhat smaller but equally good is the specimen of R. C. 
Kingston, deep rosy purple, and the pearly white Robert Bottomley is 
attractive. We presume you have no difficulty in ” filling the basket,” 
or so many could not have been spared. The blooms named Ada 
Spaulding are not in character, and the plant may or may not be 
correctly named. They are not typical examples of the variety.] 
Increased Size of Stands. 
I FEAR “ Sadoc ” in last week’s issue (page 55) fails to grasp the real 
pith of the case. The difficulty lies not so much in “defective judgment 
owing to the blooms not having space to show themselves,” because if all 
stands were of a uniform size, all exhibitors would compete on the same 
lines, and judging would go on without a hitch. Owing to the blooms 
being packed so closed together on the board, it is a matter of impossi¬ 
bility for the judges to test their solidity without doing damage. This 
is one of the reasons of small boards being so decried by exhibitors. What 
we need is a larger board, and an absolute rule as to size and height 
regarding it. 
As regards “ legislating for the few to the detriment of the mass,” 
the question naturally arises. Where is all the interest centred in an 
exhibition ? Is it in the first three stands, or is it in the mass ? Why 
should large flowers be squeezed on a board far too small for them 
because those behind cannot completely cover the same amount of 
space ? Surely this is not a good “ object lesson.” “ Smart ” exhibitors 
are chary of using a larger board because of the known antipathy of 
judges generally to green lines of board showing between the flowers. 
Nor is it a matter for wonder that slight mistakes should occur with 
their consequent unsatisfactory results to exhibitors when we consider 
to what a fine point keen competition has brought us, and when we see 
before us two stands of which the flowers differ but little in quality, 
though materially in general effect. The closer packed of the two looks 
grand as a whole, not a green patch visible, and as even as art can 
make them appear, the fact of being close together tending to hide any 
slight imperfections and irregularities in size that may exist. This is 
not the case with that where, owing to the blooms having, we will 
suppose, another inch of space, each one stands almost free of its neigh¬ 
bour, and, should there be a weak point, it would be instantly apparent 
to every eye ; and in any case the stand would exhibit more irregulari¬ 
ties in size, for it is impossible to get a dozen blooms the same width 
and depth. Now to which stand is the prize to be awarded ? To that 
which is most pleasing to the eye ? or will the judges overcome their 
prejudice and reward the intrepid exhibitor for daring to display the 
slight faults already alluded to ? 
I should like to add here that judges, in my opinion, are prejudiced 
only when the two styles are seen in opposition, for I believe 90 per 
cent, of growers are in favour of reform. So far as I can see, the only 
weighty objection to be urged against it is the amount of space at 
