March 14, 1895. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
233 
Decorative Chrtsanthemums. 
W. H. Lees, H. J. Jones, and D. B. Crane. Mr. J. W. Moorman moved 
that a hearty vote of thanks be accorded to Mr. Payne for his services 
as Editor of the “ Chrysanthemum Year Book,” and to all the contri¬ 
butors to that work. Mr. Crane thought that something more 
substantial should be done in the case of the Editor, and after some 
discussion it was resolved that the matter be dealt with at a future 
date. Upon the motion of Mr. Bevan it was resolved that the Secretary 
should in future receive the sum of £75 per annum for clerical assistance 
instead of £60. Two Societies were admitted in aflBiliation, and several 
new members were elected. 
In my remarks on decorative Chrysanthemums (page 120) there is 
a mistake, which I think needs correction. It reads : “ I never pinch 
or stop them, but thin the growths, &c.” What I intended to have said 
is, I never pinch, stop, or thin the growths, but let them grow as they 
will, &c. I do not think by thinning the growths one could secure the 
same results as by the system I adopt, and would recommend others to 
try it.—J. Lyne. 
Primrose Hill Chrysanthemum Society. 
The annual meeting of this Society was recently held. Mr. B. 
Gleadhill, President, occupied his official position. There was a good 
attendance of members. The report and balance-sheet were read, and 
showed that the Society was in a most flourishing condition. There had 
been a large increase of members, honorary members being more than 
double the previous year. The President generously supplemented his 
usual munificence by additional special prizes. Votes of thanks were 
accorded to the President and retiring officers. The election of officers 
for the new year resulted as follows :—President, Mr. B. Gleadhill ; 
Vice-Presidents, Dr. Forbes, Mr. A. T. Bescoby, Mr, A. M. Wilson, 
Mr. H. Dearden, and Mr. H. Broomhead, F.R H.S. Committee— 
Messrs. W. Tissington, R. Allen, J. Carnell, A. Medley, T. Fletcher, 
J. Lidster, S. Hurst, W. Halliwell, and T. Beaumont. Chairman, Mr. T. 
Howe. Judges, Mr. B. Glossop, Sheffield, and Mr. J. Woodfield, Birley 
Carr. Honorary Treasurer, Mr. C. Drabble, Walkley Bank Road. 
Secretary, Mr. J. Roberts, in the place of Mr. P. Hallam (resigned). 
Reference was made to the loss sustained by the Society by the deaths 
of Messrs. S Furness and C. Burgon. Members of the Sheffield 
Chrysanthemum Society and other local societies were present. 
National Chrysanthemum Society. 
The General Committee of this Society held a meeting at Anderton’s 
Hotel on Monday last, when the newly elected Vice-Chairman, Mr. T. W. 
Sanders, presided. After the minutes of the previous meeting had been 
read and confirmed, a letter from Sir Edwin Saunders was read, ex¬ 
pressing his thanks at having once more been elected as President of 
the Society. 
It was moved that an illuminated address on vellum be presented to 
Mr. R. Ballantine on his retirement from the office of Chairman for his 
valuable services to the Society since the year 1879, and in appreciation 
of the high esteem in which he is held by the Society. The report of 
Schedule Sub-committee was then presented, and special prizes were 
recommended for acceptance from the following donors—Mr. J. Wills, 
Mr. W. Wells, Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, Messrs. Sutton & Sons, 
and Mr. W. J. Godfrey. 
The Chrysanthemum catalogue recently compiled and published by 
Mr. O. de Meulenaere of Ghent was then submitted to the meeting as a 
valuable addition to the literature of the flower. The compiler, who is 
a foreign member of the N.C.S,, was awarded a silver medal for his 
work. 
The Secretary announced that the total number of members now on 
the books was 704, made up as follows :—Seventy-nine Fellows, 698 
ordinary members, and twenty-seven foreign members. Altogether there 
are now 114 societies affiliated to the National. 
One-third of the Floral Committee retiring by rotation, but being 
eligible for re-election, resulted in a change of membership, the follow¬ 
ing gentlemen being appointed—Mr. G. S. Addison, Mr. D. B. Crane, 
Mr. W. H. Lees, Mr. C. E. Shea, Mr. J. W. Moorman, and Mr. J. 
(Temple) Wright. Mr. George Gordon was elected Chairman of the 
Floral Committee in the place of Mr. W. H. Fowler, who is much 
occupied this year with work of a local nature. 
The following dates were fixed for the meetings of the General 
Committee during the ensuing season—26th August, 30th September, 
28th October, 18th November, 9th December, 1895, and 20th January, 
1896. The Floral Committee will meet on the 3rd and 25th September, 
the 8th, 23rd, and 30th October, the 11th, 20th, and 27th November, 
and the 3rd and 11th December. 
With regard to the celebration of the Society’s Jubilee in 1896, it 
was recommended by the sub-Committee, who have had the considera¬ 
tion of the matter, that a four-days show be held with competition on 
the first and third days; that a Jubilee medal from a special design 
be struck, and that a banquet and Conference be also held. Amongst 
other items in the schedule will be a class for Japanese cut blooms, 
with a first prize of £20 and a gold Jubilee medal ; second prize, £15 
and a silver-gilt medal ; third prize, £10 and a silver medal ; and a 
fourth prize of £5 and a bronze medal. A similar class with the same 
prizes for incurved is also to be included. A class for single-flowered 
Chrysanthemums, another for Colonial exhibits, and one for varieties 
in cultivation when the Society was first established, are also to be 
provided in the Jubilee schedule. 
Ti e Catalogue Revision Committee was then elected, the following 
gentlemen being appointed to serve :—Messrs. Harman Payne, A. Taylor, 
The Chrysanthemum Year Book. 
So Mr. A. Dean (page 212) is displeased because the Committee of the 
N.C.S. has not condescended to thank him for his work in connection 
with this publication, and he suggests that the Editor should be paid for 
his services. A friend in America has favoured me with a copy of the 
“American Florist,” from which I cull the following comments on the 
publication in question The Year Book published by the N.C.S. of 
England has recently come to us for review. It is a paper-bound volume 
of eighty-eight pages, exclusive of advertisements. The American 
Chrysanthemum literature offered by this book is certainly open to 
criticism. We find a list of synonymous Chrysanthemums in America 
by Mr. T. H. Spaulding (in which, by the way, the very familiar 
Wanamaker is mis-spelt), in which we find ‘ Ostrich Plume ’ given as 
a synonym of Mrs. Alpheus Hardy. It should be borne in mind that 
although Mrs. Hardy was widely advertised as the ‘ Oitrich Plume 
Chrysanthemum,’ the title was never arrogated solely by that one 
variety ; it was used as a descriptive term for all the hairy form, and is 
still so used. For this reason we think it an error to give ‘ Ostrich 
Plume ’ as a synonym when it is merely an adjective. 
“ Mr. Spaulding gives Robert Bottomley as the proper name of. Lady 
Trevor Lawrence as the synonym, which should be reversed. In the 
case of President Spaulding, given as correct name, synonym Charles 
Sharman, it will be found that Charlie Sharman, President Spaulding, 
and Gladiator are all synonyms of the variety W. M. Singerley. Mr. 
Spaulding gives Francis A. Spaulding as correct name, J. S. Dibben 
and Mattie C. Stewart as synonyms; but M. de Meulenaere entertains a 
contrary belief, as he gives Mattie C. Stewart and ‘Mrs. F. Spaulding’ 
as synonyms of J. S. Dibben. We do not find Francis A. Spaulding in 
any list of Chrysanthemums to which we have access, there being but 
six or seven varieties bearing this family name in our authorities, so 
evidently Francis A. got away. 
“ Mr. Michall Barker of Cornell University gives some notes on 
American varieties and methods of culture, but few of our most striking 
novelties are mentioned. . . . ‘ A list of twenty-five Chrysanthemum 
portraits with the papers in which they appeared is given ; being 
restricted to this number of varieties it gives but a small impression of 
the many illustrated, particularly in America. It seems to us it would 
have been preferable to omit them altogether rat’ner than to have given 
such an imperfect list.’ ”— Fairplay. 
PRIMULAS AT PERRY HILL. 
Probably nowhere within the metropolitan area can a finer collec¬ 
tion of Chinese Primulas be found than at the Perry Hill Nurseries. It 
is here that the celebrated Holborn varieties have been and, it is hoped, 
will continue to be raised. For a great number of years Messrs. 
J. Carter & Co. have been experimenting, and hybridising with 
indefatigable zeal and exceptional success to improve tne existing 
strains, not of Primulas alone, but also of many other florists’ flowers. 
In this work perhaps none but themselves know to what extent they 
have been assisted by their able manager, Mr. Waters. In proof, if such 
is needed, of this assertion, growers have but to cast back their thoughts 
to the Holborn Primulas of a decade ago, and then to look at those of 
to-day. It will readily be seen that they have improved in all 
respects. The plants are of a sturdier habit of growth, and carry the 
flowers on stouter footstalks in bold trusses well above the leafage. 
Look again, and it will be seen that the individual pips are purer in 
colour, firmer in texture, larger in size, and more shapely in contour. 
The range of colouration is also very much wider. 
Looking at these one would think that the acme of perfection had 
been reached, but still the work is being carried on with uadiminished 
ardour' and sanguine hopes of still further improvements. Let ug 
hope that such will be realised, for any appreciable advance in the 
quality of these most popular winter flowering plants would be hailed 
with nothing but pleasure. To those who have been and are working so 
assiduously, the thanks and gratitude of all plant lovers are due, and 
will, we doubt not, be readily accorded. 
Anyone visiting these nurseries will most likely be struck by the 
comparatively small size of the plants, for all are grown in 5-iach pots. 
The object for which the plants are grown, however, must be borne in 
mind. They are not raised for show purposes nor for decoration, but 
simply and solely for the production of seeds, and for this purpose all 
growers will know that young healthy stock is the chief desideratum. 
Old plants that have flowered profusely do not, as a rule, set their seeds 
so freely as plants in a younger state. The seeds from which the pre¬ 
sent plants were raised were sown at the end of July, and are (sturdy, 
vigorous specimens, than which none better could be desired. Evidently 
the right methods of culture are thoroughly understood, and advantage 
taken of any detail, however apparently small, that may tend towards 
success. 
