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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
January 4,1894. 
Natiokal Cheybanthemum Society. 
We are requested by the Hon. Secretary to state that, owing to severe 
illness, the Treasurer of the National Chrysanthemum Society is unable 
to sign the cheques for the payment of the prize money awarded at the 
December Show, and some delay in forwarding the same within the 
specified time is therefore unavoidable. 
Canteebuey Cheysanthemum Show. 
We have been asked to announce that the Canterbury Chrysanthemum 
Show will take place on November 14th and 15th, at the Foresters’ 
Hall. 
iNCtJBVED Japanese Cheysanthemums. 
Me. E. Beckett on page 661, last volume of the Journal of 
Horticulture^ states that “ he cannot understand ‘ Beginner ’ (p. 497) 
accusing the winner of a first prize at the Reading Chrysanthemum 
Show exhibiting unfairly.” He will see, however, on the same page 
that I had made a slight error. Perhaps as the matter is under discussion 
he will kindly state why the stand containing L6on Frache and Mdlle. 
Marie Hoste was not disqualified ?— Beginnee. 
Cheysanthemum Ameeica. 
In speaking of this single flowered variety “W. S.,” page 579 last 
volume, says, “ That such a beautiful sort should have escaped attention 
80 long is a matter of surprise and regret.” I presume he is thinking of 
himself only, as the numerous qualities possessed by this charming 
variety have long been known to cultivators of this type of the Chrys¬ 
anthemum. For years I have appreciated this variety, and advised 
others to grow it for flowering at Christmas. Perhaps " W. S.” has only 
just “taken up” the cultivation of these charming members of the 
Chrysanthemum family ; if this be so I am glad he has found out their 
value.—E. M. 
.Cheysanthemums Mes. L. C. Madeieiand Mes. Jeeome Jones. 
I enclose a bloom each of Mrs. L. C. Madeira (incurved), and 
Mrs. Jerome Jones (Japanese incurved), two of the best of these 
classes I know of for Christmas decoration. Both are very dwarf in 
habit and free in blooming, the former carrying six and the latter 
twelve blooms each. These will make grand exhibition varieties, but 
must be stopped in March to make them breik sufficiently early for the 
November shows. Mrs. Jerome Jones is a first favourite in America, 
I hope to see it shown in England next season. The colour is a glisten¬ 
ing marble white when taken on the earlier bud, and has very broad 
stiff florets.—W. Wells. 
[The flowers sent were fresh and of a fair size. Mrs. L. C. Madeira 
ia a blight orange yellow, and a useful addition to the incurved 
varieties. Mrs. Jerome Jones will doubtless also become a popular 
yariety]. 
Judging at Edinbuegh. 
I HAVE just read Mr. Eushton’s letter on page 578, last volume ot 
She Journal of Uorticultvre. Regarding the appointing of an “ expert,” 
allow me to say I had nothing whatever to do with the appointing, and 
never have dreamt of doing such a thing. I was made aware that an 
expert had been asked to point the stands, and saw his figures when he 
had done so. The expert states, according to your editorial note, that 
“ be was desired, but not officially appointed, to examine the collection 
and I am perfectly certain that be was not “desired ” by any member of 
the Committee, either officially or privately. Mr. Rushton, in his 
accusation, declared that “the Secretary afterwards told the protestors 
that the Committee acknowledged the misjudgment.” This I still most 
.emphatically deny ; and I told Mr. Rushton frequently that I declined 
to express an opinion officially, or take any other steps than those I 
had taken.— Robeet Laied, Sec, 
[Some of our readers have suggested that the “ expert’s ” view would 
be interesting.] 
I AM sure there are few exhibitors who will fail to sympathise with 
Mr. Rushton. He states the case so clearly (p. 578) that I cannot see 
how he could be blamed for lodging a protest against the award of the 
oflflcials. As a rule I deprecate protests on these said grounds, but there 
are circumstances which alter the conditions ; as for instance, when an 
exhibitor and others see flagrant acts committed, how can he be expected 
to remain silent ? I should have thought that the Judges would have 
before this had something to say relative to the justness of their award. 
Aa a rule competent men never decline to discuss the accuracy of a 
verdict when approached in a proper manner. I thought also the 
Committee had power to ask these officials how they arrived at their 
verdict, but it seems the Judges bold absolute sway in the Edinburgh 
case, right or wrong. This state of affairs does not appear to me to be 
quite as it ought to be, neither in the interests of exhibitors or the Show 
itself. I for one will consider that a blunder really was made in the 
absence of a denial from the Judges themselves. Silence is condemning 
ia this particular case certainly. 
I am not in favour of upsetting the verdict of Judges twenty-fou 
hours after it is given. IE such a practice became anything like common 
there are numerous instances where it would entail dissatisfaction. If 
such a practice were followed protests without number would be made. 
If the Judges of the Japanese blooms at the November Show of the 
National Chrysanthemum Society were condemned in the same way, I 
think they would have troubled little about the protest. I allude to 
the second prize in the 48 class. The blooms in this particular stand 
“ fell away ” very decidedly on the second and third days of the 
Exhibition, as compared with those in the two stands placed third and 
fourth in the same class. Although the award was freely commented 
upon at the time, I do not say that the Judges made a mistake. I only 
make allusion to this particular case to show the fallacy of basing an 
allegation upon the appearance and condition of certain blooms upon 
the second or third day of a show instead of the first.—A n Exhibitoe. 
DECORATIVE BRITISH FERNS. 
The Polypodiums. 
Although the number of species of Polypodiumin the world is very 
large, embracing plants of considerable range of size and form. The 
family is one of the more easily distinguishable when in fructification, 
the spore masses which are found upon the frond backs being invariably 
round or oval, and quite destitute of anyco' er, while all other genera 
with uncovered spores have them either in lines along the veins, in 
masses evenly spread of the surface, or forming terminal panicles as on 
Osmunda and Anemia. No better example of this typical fructification 
could be afforded than our own common Polypody (P. vulgare) upon 
the frond backs of which the rich golden heaps of spore capsules are 
often so conspicuous as to constitute it a veritable golden Fern. 
Our native species of this tribe are few, and belong to two very 
distinct sections. P. vulgare, the most cosmopolitan among them, 
having plain pinnate or once-divided fronds of dark green cblour, and 
stout texture springing from a creeping rootstock often as thick as one’s 
little finger. These fronds are evergreen, persisting well into the second 
season, when they drop off at a joint like the deciduous leaves of trees. 
The spore heaps, too, as we have seen, are large and conspicuous, and of 
a bright golden colour. The other members of the genus—viz., the 
Oak Fern (P. dryopteris), the Beech Fern (P. phegopteris), and the 
Limestone Polypody (P. ca’careum), are all on the contrary quite 
oppositely characterised, the fronds being twice-divided, of light green 
colour and delicate texture, springing from a very slender creeping 
rootstock. The fronds are perfectly deciduous, dying down early in the 
autumn, and are adherent to the roots until completely decayed. 
The spore heaps are numerous, but small and dot- ike, uncovered and 
of a dull brown colour. We therefore see that they are only linked by 
two characters out of many, but they are essential, viz., the uncovered, 
dot-like heaps of spores and a creeping rootstock. Curiously enough, 
though the former feature is the unique distinguishing one of the genus, 
others of widely divergent type having similar creeping rootstocks, it is 
the latter which gives the generic name of Polypodium, i.e., many¬ 
footed, in allusion to the foot-like appearance of the growing root tips. This 
anomaly is seen at once when we consider that the so-called Haresfoot 
and Squirrels-foot Ferns (Davallias) belong to another genus altogether. 
In this case, as in hosts of others, we have to deal with a legacy of 
anomalous names handed down to us from less enlightened days, and 
all we can do is to regard them merely as symbols, since the innumerable 
attempts to improve matters have landed us in a very Slough of Despond 
of synonyms. It will be seen that in the above lists we ignore one 
so-called Polypodium, viz., P. alpestris, which is a misnomer altogether. 
In our opinion it is an undoubted Athyrium, possessing all the general 
characters of that family, plus occasional rudimentary spore covers, 
which no true Polypody ever bears. It also has no creeping rootstock, 
being built up a la shuttlecock, and, finally it is well-known fact that 
several plumose Athyria bear spores equally destitute of cover, so that 
to be consistent, they too should be ranked as Polypods. 
As a decorative Fern the normal form of the common Polypody is fre¬ 
quently hawked about the streets in baskets made up with moss, and if 
skilfully so treated and not allowed to get dry, it forms very pretty hanging 
plants, the creeping rootstocks pushing their way out in all directions. In 
its native habitats we find it occupying very diverse positions, thriving 
alike in the forks of old trees, pushing its way through the moss on 
their trunks, and forming dense masses in the leaf mould accumulated 
among their gnarled roots. In many parts of the country it absolutely 
lines the hedge-banks for miles by the roadsides; again, be it observed, 
revelling in the loose leafy debris which accumulates in such places. It 
is also peculiarly a wall and roof Fern, delighting in loose open rubble in 
sheltered positions, or existing in a dwarf state in the merest crevices in 
rough walls and stone dykes. Loose leaf mould and plenty of drainage 
characterise the habitats of freest growth and teach a lesson to the 
intending cultivator. The rootstocks keep very near the surface and 
must not therefore be deeper buried when planting. When thoroughly 
at home in S' me shady hedgebank the fronds attain a length of 
18 inches, or even more, and have a very graceful appearance. 
So much for the common form, but keeping to our theme of 
“ Decorative Ferns,” it is to the varieties that we must turn to find 
what this plant of simple plan is capable of doing when Nature’s 
fanciful fingers have been busied with it. Under her freakish touch it 
has assumed all sorts of beautiful and curious forms, some of the best of 
which have been discovered in the Lake district, no less than thirty-five 
distinct varieties figuring in “The Ferns of the Lake District,” edited 
