JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
Maf 10,1394. 
m 
YO 0 B correspondent, Mr. H. Dunkin (page 340) draws attention to 
a cultural detail of very great importance in pointing out the advantages 
to be derived from placing the young plants of the Chrysanthemum in 
the open at the earliest moment practicable. My experience is that 
plants so treated gain a strength and hardiness of constitution which 
give to them an initial advantage for which no after treatment can 
supply a substitute. Of course no hard and fast date can be fixed, for 
seasons vary so very much. 
The past winter proving so very mild, both in performance and 
promise, most of my plants were out of doors by the second week in 
March ; but necessarily very substantial provision had to be made to 
give adequate protection in the event of frost. The result is that the 
plants are stronger and more “ stocky ” than I remember ever to have 
seen them before. I strongly recommend your readers to bear in mind 
the advice given.by Mr. Dunkin.— Chables E. Shea. 
National Chbysanthemum Society—Pbesentation. 
A SPECIAL general meeting of the members of this Society was held 
at Anderton’s Hotel, Fleet Street, on Monday last, when Sir Edwin 
Saunders occupied the chair. 
The Chairman, after a few introductory remarks concerning the 
reason for which the meeting was called, reminded those present of the 
able assistance that the late Vice-Chairman, Mr. E. C. Jukes, had ren¬ 
dered during his lengthy connection with the Society, extending over 
a period long prior to its assumption of the title of a National Society. 
He thought all present would testify to the kindly bearing, the ripe 
experience, and sound judgment which had distinguished that gentle¬ 
man's management, and much as they would deplore his retirement 
they would feel some consolation that those qualities would be trans¬ 
ferred to another and larger sphere of usefulness. It was pleasant to 
know his resignation was not caused through failing faculties or declin¬ 
ing health, nor through any diflBculty or disagreement with his colleagues. 
These the Chairman felt were great sources of consolation, for Mr. Jukes 
would still remain a member of the Society, feel an nndiminished 
interest in its proceedings and in its successes, and contribute as hereto¬ 
fore to the shows. He would hope, too, that occasionally he would 
favour them with his presence. He felt Mr. Jukes could not be allowed 
to retire without some recognition for the valuable services he had 
rendered, and that it should take some permanent form which would 
remind him from time to time of the pleasant hours he had passed in 
the Society. It was also thought that this should not be the act of the 
Committee alone, but that of the Society, and hence this special meeting 
■of the members had been called that they might concur in the presen¬ 
tation in the most hearty manner. Sir Edwin then handed the testi¬ 
monial, a handsome illuminated work in vellum, to Mr. Jukes, which 
was as follows :— 
“The National Chrysanthemum Society.—At the annual general 
meeting, held on February 19th, 1894, it was unanimously resolved that the 
best thanks of the members of the National Chrysanthemum Society 
be accorded to Edward C. Jukes, Esq., on his retirement from the office 
of Vice-Chairman of the General Committee, for the invaluable services 
which he has so long rendered to the Society as one of its principal 
Executive Officers. 
“ Edwin Sahndebs, President. 
“Joseph E. Stabling, Treasurer. 
“ R. Ballantine, Chairman. 
“ B. Wynne, Vice-Chairman. 
“ Eichaed Dean, tecretary. 
“ C. Haeman Payne, Foreign Corresponding Secretary." 
Mr. Ballantine then spoke a few words of tribute to Mr. Jukes’ 
many services, and expressed regret that local work of another character 
demanded his attention. 
In an eloquent reply Mr. Jukes thanked the members very heartily 
for the kind words spoken which had been so enthusiastically received. 
He had spent many happy hours among them, made many friends and 
hoped no enemies. He attached great value to the honour of being elected 
their Vice-Chairman year after year. Mr. Jukes then traced the work 
of the Society from the time it became a National Society, and especially 
alluded to the way in which the late Mr. W. Holmes had laboured to 
advance its interests, and he felt that Mr. Holmes’ deep interest and 
consequent labours for the N.C.S. had done much to hasten his 
premature end. Another member, the late Mr. Saunderson, had also 
contributed to build up the Society to its present high standing. But if 
they had bad losses, he was thankful to think there were still good men 
and true to step into the ranks and do excellent work, and he felt the 
Society, no matter what it had been in the past, had a more successful 
future in store. He assured them he had not lost interest in the 
Society, and would always take the same keen interest in it, he would 
still exhibit, and trusted with a like success as heretofore, but that did 
not rest alone with him. If ever he was tempted to forget his connec¬ 
tion with the Society, the beautiful testimonial just received would 
prevent such forgetfulness, and he would be proud to hand it down to 
his children. 
Canons op Judging. 
At this juncture Sir Edwin Saunders retired from the chair, having 
another appointment, and Mr- Jukes occupied his place. In intro¬ 
ducing Mr. Molyneux as the opener of the discussion on Mr. Shea’s 
paper he referred to the most salient points, and the discussion, which 
was a very lengthy one, thereupon ensued. Mr. Molyneux agreed in 
the main with the suggestions made by Mr. Shea, but thought another 
attribnte—form—should be added. For simplicity Mr. Molyneux would 
group diameter, depth, and solidity together, allowing IJ point for the 
first two, and one point for the last, or 4 points in all ; then form, finish 
and freshness 2 points, breadth of petal and colour 2 points, making a 
total of 8 points. He thought the discussion should be laid before a 
small committee of experts to elaborate details, for he was quite in 
harmony with what Mr. Shea had said if we can devise simplicity in the 
carrying out of his proposals. 
Among numerous other members who addressed the meeting were 
Mr. H. J. Jones, Mr. Waterer, Mr. Ritchings, Mr. G, Gordon, Mr. Hicks, 
Mr. B. Beckett, Mr. Crane, Mr. Moorman, Mr. Bevan, and Mr. Hamill. 
Mr. Shea repli^. 
It was finally resolved upon the motion of Mr. Harman Payne, that 
the matter be referred to a sub-committee with the view of giving 
practical effect to Mr. Shea’s paper. 
The meeting was largely attended, there being many persons present 
who act in the capacity of judges, and votes of thanks to Mr. Molyneux 
and Mr. Shea brought the meeting to a close at a rather later hour than 
usual. 
AUSTRALIAN GRAPES. 
With the increase of facilities for cheaply exporting fresh fruit in 
sound condition from Australia to the Mother Country, Grapes from 
New South Wales may become as common as those from southern 
Europe in the British market. Only those who have visited the colony 
during the Grape season can form anything like an adequate idea of 
the abundance, luscious character, and cheapness of the fruit. Imagine 
the finest Muscatel Grapes retailed in a British fruiterer’s shop at 3d. 
per lb., or rich Malaga Grapes hawked about the streets at Id. per lb. 
Yet this is what many Sydney residents are familiar with. The greater 
portion of New South Wales is essentially a Grape growing country, the 
Vine being cultivated therein with as much ease as the Gooseberry bush 
in the English home counties, bearing large crops of succulent fruit, 
equal in size, appearance, and flavour to the finest Grapes produced in 
southern Europe. 
The Vine was introduced into New South Wales in the early days of 
colonisation, but its systematic cultivation, principally for wine making 
purposes, dates from 1828, when an enterprising colonist, Mr. Busby, 
returned from Europe with a large collection of Vine cuttings from the 
most celebrated vineyards of France, Spain, the Rhine valley, and other 
parts of Continental Europe, and planted on his estate at Kirkton, in 
the Hunter River district, a vineyard which afterwards became the 
nursery of the principal vineyards of the colony. Subsequently the 
Vine was planted in the Murray valley and in other districts, and was 
found to flourish so luxuriantly that the manufacture of wine received 
considerable attention, developing, after numerous vicissitudes, into its 
present extensive proportions. In April, 1893, the area under Vine 
cultivation in New South JVales was 6367 acres, of which 2211 acres were 
devoted to table Grapes, the product during the year 1892-93 being 
being 13,251,840 lbs., an average of about 13,440 lbs. per acre. The 
table Grapes are grown principally in the neighbourhood of Sydney, 
especially in districts of Ryde, Parramatta, and other portions of Central 
Cumberland. 
In addition to the area mentioned there are 1907 acres not yet in 
bearing condition. Should the demand for table Grapes increase, the 
area under cultivation can be indefinitely extended, and the product 
increased by millions of pounds, thereby enabling them to be exported 
in considerable quantities at remunerative prices to both growers and 
retailers. Should steam communication between Manchester and Sydney 
become successfully established, the myriad populations of the great 
Lancashire industrial centres will enjoy the luxury of the finest qualities 
of Grapes from the Antipodes at almost nominal prices. This is no idle 
dream, but one of the possibilities of the near future. Of Grape culti¬ 
vation for wine making purposes a good deal may be said, but it would 
occupy too much space. 
Whether grown for table use or wine making, the Grapes are obtained 
almost exclusively from staked Vines, cut down every year to within a 
couple of feet from the ground, and planted in rows, the Vines being 
equidistant from each other. Trellised Vines—as, indeed, is trellised 
fruit of every description—are comparatively rare, and used principally 
for ornamental purposes. The scene during the vintage season, although 
not .so picturesque as in France or Italy, is extremely interesting, all 
the available labour, including that of women and children, being called 
into active requisition. The Australian vineyards have suffered less, 
proportionately, from the ravages of the phylloxera than have those of 
Southern Europe, a result of the vigilance displayed by the various 
colonial Governments whenever the disease makes its appearance ; hence 
