56 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
Jinitry 17, 1895. 
Hudson, with Mr. Balderson as Treasurer, and A. Dean as Secretary, 
was appointed to make certain preliminary inquiries and arrangements, 
and report later to a meeting of the General Committee. 
The first step staken was to issue 100 copies of a circular inviting 
co-operation; These were sent out to well known seed trade houses, 
nurserymen, amateurs, gardeners, market gardeners and others. In 
response came about seventy replies, all favourable, some promising 
pecuniary support. The Committee felt that this result justified 
farther procedure, and the next step taken was to seek an interview 
with the General Manager of the Crystal Palace with respect to the 
universal desire expressed that the show might be held there. The 
interview was accorded, but the result was disappointing. The 
General Manager could not give any encouragement to the proposal, as 
an African exhibition is expected to occupy the usual available space 
art the Palace next summer and autumn. 
Baffled in that direction the Committee empowered Messrs. R. Dean 
and B. Wynne to interview the General Manager and Directors of the 
Royal Westminster Aquarium, and these eventually agreed to furnish all 
the space possible, including tabling, also publication, for the proposed 
show, and give a donation of £10 towards expenses ; the show to last 
three days, and to be held during the second week in September next—a 
very suitable and acceptable time. These proposals the Provisional 
Committee agreed to accept, subject to the approval of the General 
Committee, and also to the determination being arrived at to hold the 
Show. The Royal Aquarium does not offer the illimitable space of the 
Crystal Palace, but it is at least far more accessible, and is exceedingly 
central. Still farther, of all horticultural exhibitions held in or about 
London, those held at the Royal Aquarium always receive the fullest 
mention in the general press, a matter of some importance to those 
taking part in the exhibition. 
On the strength of this arrangement the Committee agreed not only 
to convene this meeting, for the privilege of holding which the 
Committee desire to offer the General Manager of the Royal Aquarium 
grateful thanks ; but also to rough draft a suitable schedule of classes 
and prizes. This was accordingly prepared, revised by the Committee, 
and placed in Mr. H. M. Pellet’s hands to print. That gentleman, 
through his manager, kindly undertook to furnish a dozen slip copies of 
the same when set up, for distribution, amongst some of the leading 
seed firms favourable to the exhibition, with the request that they 
would kindly consent to give the prizes in one or more classes. 
It was hoped that in this very practical way it would eventually be 
possible to ascertain to what extent the seed trade might be depended 
upon to furnish that financial help without which the exhibition would 
become impracticable. The results, so far, may be briefly stated. 
Messrs. Sutton & Sons, of Reading, declined on the ground that their 
promise of help was practically conditional on the show being held at 
the Crystal Palace. Mr, C. Pidler, of Reading, replied by offering all 
the prizes in Classes 4, £7 lOs. ; 16, £3 17s. ; 19, £3 17s.—a total of 
£15 Is., a most generous offer that merits warmest thanks. Messrs. 
Hurst & Sons declined to give prizes on the ground that, as a wholesale 
house, they would not be justified in occupying ground properly belong¬ 
ing to the retail trade. Messrs. Carter, Page, & Co., London Wall, have 
promised prizes. Messrs. Harrison & Sons, Leicester, have promised all 
the prizes in Class 18—£3 17s. Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, of Forest Hill, 
were the first seed firm to hail with approbation the proposed show and 
promise assistance, Messrs. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, are giving the 
matter consideration, and will no doubt provide prizes if the exhibition 
is otherwise well supported. Messrs. W. Johnson & Sons, Boston, have 
kindly offered 2 guineas, to be given in prizes as the Committee may 
determine, and if cash runs short would be willing to increase that sum. 
Messrs. Jas, Carter & Co. have written to say that their principal is 
at present from home through ill health, but they hope to offer some 
prizes. Messrs. Dobbie & Sons have written to intimate that their 
southern representative (Mr. Fyfe) would attend the meeting. The 
schedule as drafted contains a sum of about £160 in prizes. 
It is computed that to meet expenditure incidental to the publication 
of schedules, entry cards, postage, stationery, advertisements in gardening 
papers, certain exhibition expenses, Judges’ lunch, &c., that a sum of at 
least £50 will be needed beyond the actual sum required for nrizes. 
To meet this there is the sum of £10 offered by the Aquarium Company,’ 
and about £10 already promised in smaller amounts by various 
members of the General Committee. Practically altogether to meet an 
expenditure of at least £200, the amount promised is roughly £40 ; it 
is therefore for the meeting to determine how far it may be advisable to 
proceed, or otherwise. The Committee think that it should be practi¬ 
cable to raise another £20 to £25 by obtaining advertisements for the 
schedule, by payment of entrance fees by exhibitors, and by letting 
certain spaces on the ground floor for tabling to seed houses desirous of 
making displays of produce. It need hardly be said that the most 
generous donors of prizes would be entitled to the first consideration in 
such case. 
These are the chief results of the efforts that have been put forth 
by the Provisional Committee. It now remains for the meeting to 
determine whether the proposed exhibition shall be proceeded with. 
^ t schedule of classes as printed must be 
adopted, an Executive Committee of a representative character elected 
to carry out the project to a successful issue, and there must be so large 
a number of prizes guaranteed as to render the work of the Executive 
comparatively easy,— Alexander Dean, Sec.pro tern. 
[Mr. A. Dean announced that about another £12 had been received 
towards the prizes and general funds, bringing the amount to £52, Mr. ‘ 
Dean at the same time tendering his resignation, which, after much dis¬ 
cussion, was accepted with regret. Mr. E. Molyneux, Swanmore Park 
Gardens, Bishop’s Waltham, consented to act as Secretary until another 
meeting of the Committee had been held, and in the meantime undertook 
to take all possible steps to secure the balance of the amount needed to 
make the show a success, and it was decided that when Mr. Molyneux 
had done his utmost in the matter he should call a meeting if possible 
on the same day as a Drill Hall show was being held. The meeting 
then, after passing a vote of thanks to Mr. H. Briscoe Ironsides for 
presiding, was adjourned.] 
SEASONABLE WORK. 
When the ground is hard with frost, and the atmosphere is free from 
mist, is pure and bracing, there are few vocations that are more 
productive of enjoyment than is gardening. Very pleasant indeed, if 
protected by rough clothing and leather gloves, is it to be amongst the 
trees and thin out branches ; work that always requires to be done 
early where practicable, but which, all the same, is very unpleasant 
work when the trees are wet and slimy and the ground is soft and 
saturated. When the ground is hard then it is very enjoyable. To 
perform all the thinning, then the faggoting and clearing away may 
be somewhat laborious and rough work, but then it is in frosty weather 
so exhilirating and enjoyable. The appetite earned by such labour 
amply repays for the roughness of the work, and when there has been 
collected a good store of all sorts of vegetable refuse that has become 
half decomposed, what exceedingly healthful pleasure is there found in 
taking advantage of the hard frost to wheel this refuse on to the ground 
and spread it about beneath the trees and bushes, that later it may be 
forked in. 
There are some gardens in which animal manure is so abundant that 
little thought is taken with regard to vegetable accumulationsi That is, 
however, an unfrequent condition of things, and generally vegetable 
refuse that will decay is collected and stored—weeds, trimmings, 
refuse, anything—and if this be treated with sewage, also when turned 
occasionally on the approach of winter, well dressed with soot, it is 
surprising what a valuable manurial compound is provided, and how 
specially useful it is to dig about fruit trees and bushes. 
It is surprising also how much vegetable matter may be accumulated 
in this way during a year, and how useful it becomes for dressing in the 
winter. It is not in every garden where decayed tree leaves are too 
numerous, but even these do not furnish the same variety of plant food 
that is found when something of everything is accumulated and utilised, 
—An Old Hand. 
APPEAL COURTS versus JUDGES. 
I NOTE what “C. K., Gargannoch,'' says (page 34) on his court of 
appeal. Oh, dear I a generation ago I suggested this in your pages in 
the matter of poultry, and got properly laughed at for the suggestion. 
All the same, I still believe it would save many untoward affairs. It is 
agreed, I imagine, by all that a glaring mistake on the part of judges 
greatly lessens the 6olat of an exhibition. Unless an exhibitor has a 
very great command over himself he is apt, and perhaps not unnaturally, 
to use rather strong language, not, as Rev. A. Cheales observes, quite 
ecclesiastical. It would be a good thing all round to avoid these. Such 
errors, for instance, as “ C. K.” notes at the Royal Caledonian Horti¬ 
cultural show. I suppose that the very best judges do occasionally 
make glaring errors that a tyro would detect. They are not always in 
the same condition for work, and there is also a possibility of error 
which has nothing whatever to do with the judging. Who cannot see 
that it is quite possible that the judge, who is putting down the numbers 
of the exhibitors, may be a little distrait at the moment and put down a 
wrong one ? Should there be no such exhibitor’s number in the class 
the secretary detects the error, but should there be such a number, then 
that number and the exhibitor marked by it becomes the prizewinner. 
Now, if before a card were delivered to the attendant satellite in waiting 
for the judge’s awards it were first given to another judge ready in 
waiting, such errors might be set straight, and as he would glance over 
the awards at the same time any glaring error would cause him to call 
the appointed judges aside, and ask whether such decision was their 
intention. I do not think it would be wise to allow exhibitors in such 
appeal, say, to “claim ’’ first prize. Let them, after depositing a fixed 
amount, ask to have the class rejudged by another judge, who, if dis¬ 
agreeing with the awards, should then confer with the original judges. 
Something of this kind of appeal is now permitted in most rifle com¬ 
petitions on payment of a deposit, which is forfeited if no error has been 
made ; but I still recollect, and sometimes smart over the memory, of 
hitting the target, which was seen to hit by a telescope, but the marker 
marked not, and being registered a miss I lost £15.— Shooter. 
The request for the appointment of courts of appeal from the 
decision of judges is doubtless based on the famous declaration, “ I 
appeal from Phillip drunk to Phillip sober,” the inference being that 
when judges give awards not to the liking of certain exhibitors they 
are drunk with bias, whilst the reserve court of judges must of necessity 
be composed of impartial men. Does not that strike us as being too 
ridiculous ? There are many of us who have had very wide experience 
in judging who have heard very little indeed of these whines and com¬ 
plaints on the one hand, or of the dreadfully immoral nature of some 
