558 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
f December 20, 1888. 
The proceedings closed with a vote of thanks to the Chairman for pre¬ 
siding, and to the Horticultural Club for the use of the room for the 
meeting. 
THE NATIONAL CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCIETY’S 
DINNER 
The large dining hall at Anderton’s Hotel, Fleet Street, was crowded 
on the occasion of the above dinner on Thursday night last. The 
proceedings were most agreeable throughout, and evidently enjoyed by 
the company. The dinner was to have commenced at six o’clock, but 
time enough elapsed after that hour to take note of the Chrysanthemum 
lovers assembled, and, let it be asked en passant, Does it not speak 
volumes for the popularity of the President that he should have received 
so hearty a reception after keeping a gathering of hungry men waiting 
half an hour for their dinner ? 
The prominent officials of the Society, Messrs. Ballantine, Holmes, 
and Starling, all good men and true, were there, of course. So was Mr. 
Harman Payne, the foreign corresponding Secretary, who is working 
well for the Society, and is a pleasant table companion withal ; Mr. 
George Gordon, whose capital speech will be referred to later ; the Rev. 
W. Wilks, Secretary of the Royal Horticultural Society; Sir Lewis 
Pelly, Bart., M.P.; Mr. W. G. Head ; Mr. E. Jukes, a popular member: Mr. 
Stev.ens of Putney ; Mr. Herbst, Mr. Ironsides; Mr. Needs, West Kent 
Society ; Mr. Blake, Mr. Lynes, Mr. Addison, Mr. John Laing, Mr. 
J. H. Laing, Mr. B. Wynne, Mr. A. F. Barron ; three respected represen¬ 
tatives of the house of Veitch in Messrs. T. Manning, J. Davidson, and 
Swift; Mr. Richard Dean, and many other “ familiar faces,” whose 
names could not be obtained—not by any means an unrepresentative 
assembly, but the list of absentees was wofully long. Mr. H. J. Yeitch 
was not there, important business claiming his presence elsewhere, and 
Dr. Hogg had been called to the country, both sending letters of regret. 
Mr. J. Wright, of this Journal, was not well enough to attend. Mr. 
Lewis Castle’s face was missed through a domestic bereavement ; so was 
the athletic form of Mr. Edwin Molyneux, who, be it known, can wield 
the bat and ball as well as grow fine Chrysanthemums. Mr. Gibson 
was looked in vain for, and Mr. Laing, sen.. Mr. Cannell, Mr. Davis, Mr. 
Jones, and many others well known in the Chrysanthemum world were 
conspicuous by their absence. 
The dinner 1 Let it suffice to say, in the accepted phraseology, that 
it was “done justice to.’’ Grace before meat was said by Mr. Wilks, 
and sung after meat by the quartette of vocalists—Misses Mary Belval, 
and Ethel Winn, Messrs. John Bartlett and Franklin Clive, who were 
engaged to entertain the proceedings with song. 
After the usual loyal and patriotic toasts the Chairman rose to 
propose that of “ Success to the National Chrysanthemum Society,” and 
gave a resume of the Society’s operations during the past year. He 
would first refer to the winter Show held early in the present year at 
the Royal Aquarium. At the time the Exhibition was held the weather 
was extremely bad, but nevertheless the show was a great success and 
a complete surprise to them. The exhibits were everything that could 
be desired, and special mention ought to be made of a stand of six 
Japanese blooms staged by Messrs. Drover, which were of phenomenal 
quality, and thoroughly deserved the special certificate awarded to them. 
Later on the Society determined on the preparation of a Catalogue of 
Chrysanthemums, and aid was invited from men all over the country, 
the work of arrangement being entrusted to a Committee consisting of 
Messrs. Castle, Gordon, and Payne. They had done their work well, and 
the Society had awarded each a silver medal in recognition of his services. 
(Applause.) It had been decided that the gentlemen named should 
form a permanent Catalogue Committee with a view to the further im¬ 
provement of the Catalogue. After commenting on the appointment 
of Mr. Payne, foreign corresponding Secretary, the Chairman referred 
to the Society’s September Show this year. This, he said, was note¬ 
worthy for the fine quality of the exhibits, and in every respect worthy 
of the Society. Coming to the great November Show, he thought that 
the exhibits, which reached the extraordinary number of 501, were of 
the highest order. He would add that the Society now had upwards of 
COO members, and forty affiliated Societies, but the subscription was 
very low, and without some extraneous aid they would not be able to 
prepare such a schedule as they had arranged. In the course of his 
speech, which was much applauded, the Chairman referred to a humorous 
report of the dinner of last year that appeared in the Journal of Horti - 
culture, and hoped the “ chiel who was among them taking notes” on 
that occasion was present on this to give them another “gem.” 
Mr. Ironsides proposed “ The Patrons, Fellows, and Guests,” remarking 
that these gentlemen gave very substantial help, and that their num¬ 
bers ought to be largely increased. He coupled with the toast the 
names of Sir Lewis Pelly, Bart, M.P., and the Rev. W. Wilks. Both 
responded in humorous terms, the former reminding his hearers that the 
Chrysanthemum had been chosen by the Emperor of China as his crest 
before all other flowers. Mr. Wilks, responding for the Fellows, said 
he did not see many present. They had been described as the mainstay 
of the Society, but he should like to see that mainstay bigger. The 
reverend gentleman, ingeniously misunderstanding the proposer of the 
toast, then went on to say that they had also been described as orna¬ 
mental. He thought he had at times been useful, perhaps when others 
had not appreciated it, but he had never considered himself ornamental 
(Laughter). Tastes, however, differed, some preferred the incurved 
bloom, some the ragged Japanese. (Much laughter). 
A presentation of medals having taken place—Messrs. Bradbury, 
Cannell, Davis & Jones, Fincham, Ironsides, Sullivan, Yeitch, &c., being 
among the recipients —Mr. Holmes read over a list of those to whom 
prize money had been or would shortly be paid, the total sum being 
stated to approach £250. He was followed by Mr. Jukes, who proposed 
the toast of the “ President, Vice-President, and Treasurer ” in eloquent 
terms. Mr. Sanderson, the speaker thought, was essentially the right 
man in the right place. As an exhibitor of incurved blooms the Pre¬ 
sident was very hard to beat, and few indeed could compare with him. 
Mr. Ballantine, the Vice-President, too, did a considerable amount of 
work for the Society in a very quiet way, and was of great help to 
the Secretary in the fulfilment of his onerous duties. As for the Trea¬ 
surer (Mr. Starling), he had taken the reserve fund under his special care. 
It was his pet child, and though not large he was assiduous in pressing 
its claims. The Society, remarked Mr. Jukes in conclusion, was mest 
ably served by its officers. 
The President, in responding, deprecated the contribution of such 
important services to the Society as those attributed to him, but if he 
had not done much good he had at all events done his best to encourage 
the young. Messrs. Ballantine and Starling also responded in suitable 
terms, the latter remarking that although the financial position of the 
Society was all that could be desired, he would like to see the reserve 
fund larger. It now amounted to £80 ; he would like to leave it with 
£500 or £1000. 
Mr. Herbst proposed the health'of the Hon. Secretary, Mr. Holmes, who, 
he said, had by his administrative talent, energy, and force of character 
made the Society the most substantial in the kingdom. The interest in 
the Chrysanthemum had now spread all over the world. Valuable as- 
was the work rendered to any society by its Committee, the Secretary 
was after all its life and soul. He (Mr. Herbst) would, however, like to 
make one suggestion. The race of Chrysanthemums had been improved 
in one direction, but in another there had been no improvement at all. 
He referred to the plants in cottage and villa gardens. One saw there- 
the same miserable little plants grown years ago. The Society had 
catered for the rich, let it now do something to improve the Chrysanthe¬ 
mums in poor men’s gardens. 
Mr. Holmes, on rising to respond, was very warmly received. This- 
was, he said, the eleventh year in which he had responded to the toast 
of his health as Hon. Secretary. During that period great changes had 
taken place, and he had watched the progress of the Society year by 
year with pride, satisfaction, and pleasure. When the books were first 
handed to him it numbered fifty-five members, and had an income of 
less than £75 a year. Now, he was proud to say, the members numbered 
633, and the income during 1888 would amount to nearly £1000. 
(Cheers.) Each year new features in the work of the Society had been 
introduced and new successes achieved, and the present year had been one: 
of the most eventful of all. The great Show at the Aquarium could, in 
spite of prophecies to the contrary, of the trying season, of the terrible 
frost early in October which decimated many collections, and of the 
Chrysanthemum societies which held shows in all parts, be claimed as a 
grand exhibition, second to none ever held at the Aquarium or anywhere 
in the kingdom. Then there was the Catalogue, which had already been, 
referred to, and the attempt to hold a provincial show. In reference to- 
the latter, he must be careful of the terms he used, for opinions appeared 
to vary as to its success. For his part he repeated his opinion that 
it was a great success save in the want of competition in the open 
classes. He believed that in this Exhibition they had started a phase of 
work which must be persevered in year by year. The Conference, more¬ 
over, that was held at the same time was, it was the unanimous opinion,, 
a success, and was, he thought, the most practical assembly of Chrysan¬ 
themum growers ever held. He hoped that the Exhibition would 
resolve itself into as important an affair as the November show, and con¬ 
cluded, amidst hearty cheers, by saying that he had no doubt of the 
future. 
Mr. George Gordon, in responding for the Committees, attributed tie. 
success of their operations to the great interest which every member took 
in the work in progress. The Floral Committee had received great 
credit, but much also was due to the General Committee, by which the 
former was appointed. They did not, he said, take into consideration if 
one member could grow a Pumpkin half an ounce heavier than another, 
nor study his geographical position, but simply considered his suitability 
for performing the duties that would be assigned to him. He (Mr. 
Gordon) came into contact with large numbers of Chrysanthemum 
growers, but he had never heard the judgment of the Committee in the 
award of certificates called into question. The Catalogue, he thought, 
would prove of immense benefit to the Chrysanthemum world. Mr. 
Payne bad already sent copies to America, Australia, Belgium, France, 
and Turkey, and would shortly be despatching a package to Japan. He 
would like to impress on other societies the great advisability of taking 
this Catalogue as the basis of their classification of varieties. He believed 
it would be of great advantage to exhibitors if such were the case. 
Numbers of varieties were easily separable into their respective classes, 
but with others it was difficult to decide whether they belonged to the 
