10 
[ January 5,1883. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
liavo bad some ex])erience in the work of the florist both in private 
ganleiis and iu business, and have also been called upon to judge occa¬ 
sionally, and consequently know somewhat of the diversity of opinions 
in matters of taste. I have also found there are some persons in this, as 
in other matters, greatly deficient in the faculty of judgment, being as 
erratic in their opinions and inconsistent iu their decisions as possible ; 
but a man who has had practical experience in the work is the one least 
likely to err, as he has somewhat of a standard by which to gauge the 
merits of those he sees. Few people in a general way can assign any 
reason whj' they prefer this or that bouquet, buttonhole or decoration, 
and it is because they have no clear ideas which is more desirable—con¬ 
trast or harmony, boldness or lightness, numerous colours or a few tints. 
Eacli style in competent hands has its own special attractions, and the 
difficulty arises when excellent representatives of each are comjjcting 
together, as the minor details of composition have then to be carefully 
weighed.— Gardener. 
When I first brought this suljject forward I did so thinking that if 
the practice of making and exhibiting bouquets in the loose manner in 
which 1 had seen them was at all general at horticultural shows the dis¬ 
cussion of the subject in this Journal would tend greatly to ])ut a stop 
to it, and give rise to some rules being observed at shows which would 
place all intended exhibitors on an equality. I was glad to see the sub¬ 
ject so ably taken up by other correspondents, but sorry to see reference 
made to individual exhibits. Such references will not serve any goal 
jnirpose in this discussion, which we yet hope will be brought to a satis¬ 
factory conclusion. As regards the size of a bouquet, I think that from 
10 to 18 inches would be a size suitable to most exhibitors, then they 
could use such flowers as they choose in its construction. Good taste in 
the arrangement of the flowers ought to have more weight with judges 
than the rarity of the flowers. Rules set down by committees should 
not be infringed by either exhibitors or judges, and then the balance of 
goal feeling will be maintained by alt concerned. The first bad 
example should be rejected at once ; the trouble of doing so would be 
much loss than trying to rectify errors afterwards, for if one bad 
example is allowed to pass more will follow. If a standard set of rules 
does not meet with the approval of all committees of flower shows then 
I think the least they can do is to frame a few simple rules themselves, 
and see that they are thoroughly adhered to.—G. Garner, Amherwood 
Gardens, Hants. 
“Amateur Florist ” seems to think me inconsistent in my re¬ 
marks, but I fail to see why. I did not excuse myself, or I should not 
have confessed the practice of inserting Ferns at the shows ; neither did 
I commence it till I found no notice was taken of it by iudges or com¬ 
mittees. No one, however, would be more pleased than myself to see it 
stopped, and the only way in my opinion is to have judges who are 
thoroughly acquainted with the work, and let them carry out strictly 
the rules in the schedtde. I am sorry “ Amateur Florist ” thinks me 
severe on Mr. Chard. I did not intend it to mean exactly as it reads, 
and if I say I wrote an amendment to appear in this week’s paper, but 
thought it better to wait, he will acquit me of any hostile intentions. It 
should have read thus :—Had I been the judge I would have withheld 
the first prize, as neither of the exhibits was worth the handsome prize 
offered, and this without casting any reflection on Mr. Chard's work, as 
I distinctly stated Mr. Chard had other exhibits to see to, consequently 
he had not time to finish this particular exhibit in his usual manner, in 
other words he was careless. I think I can claim as great acquaintance 
with Mr. Chard as “ Amateur Florist,” and I shall yield to no one in my 
respect for him ; and more than this, he, as well as others, including 
myself, made sure of his being placed first, and one of my objects in ex- 
j)laining it so minutely was to call into question the peculiar judging. 
As to the list of prizes which both Messrs. Perkins and Chard can 
show, may I be allowed to ask at what expense have they been gained ? 
One reason why I cannot show such lists is - first, I have not time to 
attend all the shows, and another is both have better facilities for 
obtaining costly flowers than I have, as witness two remarks, one is Mr. 
Chard’s own, where he says he took no showy Cattleyas in his Ixmquets ; 
and another is one I heard in front of almost, if not quite, the last 
bouquet Mr. Perkins showed this season, and it was this : “ The flowers 
in that bouquet are worth double the prize money.” This brings us back 
to costly bouquets, and suggests a class for bouquets. Orchids excluded, 
that would put most exhibitors on a more equal footing, and give those 
a chance who do not grow Orchids. I do not mean to shut out Orchid 
bouquets from the shows, as we know they are too valuable to be 
ignored, but the remark often heard at shows is, “ Who can stand any 
chance against such a bouquet as that ?” But if the committee cannot 
afford two classes by all means leave it open, as goal bouquets and table 
decorations at a show are a great attraction to nearly all visitors, and 
greater still to your humble servant - A Learner. 
NEW PLANTS OF 1887. 
The continual demand for novelties and the efforts of nurserymen 
and seedsmen to meet this by a proportionate supply afford some of the 
best indications that the interest in horticulture is far from decreasing. 
Tear by year the records of novelties in the plant world assume con¬ 
siderable proportions, and the lists of certificated plants show in a re¬ 
markable manner how large a number of these are really meritorious 
additions to those already in cultivation. These, too, include not only 
hard}'- plants and florists’ flowers that are within the reach of all classes, 
but also choice stove plants and Orchids of great value. There arc thus 
some to suit the tastes and pockets of all, and this again is a sign that 
the love of horticulture extends almost equally throughout the various 
ranks of society. The dweller in towns who takes so much pleasure in 
his Carnations and Picotees, Auriculas or Chrysanthemums, is just as 
eager for novelties amongst his especial favourites as the clergyman, the 
wealthy merchant, or the nobleman with their Hoses, Ferns, or Orchids, 
and great specimen plants which win so many honours at exhibitions. 
All are constantly watching for new additions to their collections, and 
the various trade firms, it must be admitted, do their utmost to satisfy 
them in this respect. 
During the past half century enormous numbers of plants have been 
introduced, from tropical regions generally, and from the southern 
hemisphere. Distinguished patrons of horticulture p'^rhaps first set the 
example of despatching collectors to various districts that had been but 
little explored. The London Horticultural Society took the matter in 
hand, and through their eollectors, Douglas, Fortune, and others, added 
greatly to the number and variety of garden occupants. Realising the 
commercial importance of thus iiitralucing plants, the work lyas speedily 
greatly extended by nurserymen, who with much enterprise engaged 
collectors to search the most promising countries for plant treasures. So 
rapidly did this system extend that one firm is said to have had as many 
as twelve collectors in their employ at one time. The result of this was 
that new imported plants became very numerous every season, and com¬ 
manded in most cases large prices, especially with those that were slo-w 
of increase. Most of the leading types of plants have been much 
extended, and to some extent temporarily exhausted. It was found 
that the “ finds ” of sterling value became less frequent, and the 
expenses continued as great, so that gradually there has been a falling 
off in the number of special trade collectors, and many firms now rely 
mainly upon foreign friends or correspondents for the additions to their 
stock from abroad. 
It cannot be supposed that all the plants worthy of cultivation 
have been discovered or introduced, for in Central America, Africa, New 
Guinea, and elsewhere there must be abundant scope for botanical 
research. This is proved to some extent by the numbers of Orchids that 
are annually sent to this country, and it would seem that collectors of 
these plants must neglect all others, or they might obtain many novelties 
when exploring such regions. Occasionally a visitor to a new district 
brings some striking species or unfamiliar tyte, as in the case of those 
imported from Socotra a few years sinee which awakened much interest, 
and one of these. Begonia socotrana, has been constituted the progenitor 
of an important group of Begonias. During the present year an expe¬ 
dition to the Island of Fernando Noronha was undertaken under the 
auspices of the Royal Society, and as the island had never been fully 
explored by naturalists it was thought the results would be very satis¬ 
factory. Fernando Noronha is a few degrees south of the equator, and 
about 200 miles from the Brazilian coast, a situation that might be 
expected to yield a vegetation of exceptional interest. From a botanical 
and zoological point of view the expedition was suecessful, but it was 
found that the majority of the types were either identical with those of 
Brazil, or very nearly so, and it is doubtful if gardens will be enriched 
by many novelties from that source. 
The difference between the numbers of imported and home-raised 
novelties is this year very apparent in the lists of certificated plants, 
and the advance of the latter shows that hybridisers and others h.ave 
been exceptionally busy. The Floral Committee of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society constitutes the principal certificate-awarding body in 
the kingdom, and to it are submitted the majority of the new plants, 
either introduced or home-raised. The Judges at the Royal Botanic 
Society’s Shows perform a similar function, but as there are only four 
shows in the spring and summer months, their duties are necessarily 
much more restricted. The Floral Committee of the National Chrysan¬ 
themum Society deals with the Chrysanthemums, and then elsewhere 
the judges at provincial shows also award certificates. It would be 
much more advanta eous, how- ver, if judges at shows generally would 
only give commendations, and leave the certificating to the central 
bodies of experts. 
During the past year the R.H.S. Floral Committee has awarded 19-1 
certificates, ami 139 of these were for hybrids or varieties of popular 
plants raised in gardens or nurseries, leaving only fifty-seven as intro¬ 
ductions, of which thirty-nine ara Orchids. The Royal Botanic Society 
has awarded eighty-two certificates, of which sixty-two were garden 
varieties and hybrids, the remaining twenty being introductions, com¬ 
prising thirteen Orchids. About ten plants received certificates from 
both Societies, so that the total number of distinct plants certificated 
would be 266. At Regent’s Park the average number of certificates per 
meeting is twenty, there being four shows in the season, while at South 
Kensington with twenty meetings the average is not quite ten eaeh. 
This would seem to indicate that such awards are granted more freely 
at the former than the latter, and at South Kensington that nearly 800 
new, or presumably new, plants were submitted during the season. The 
National Chrysanthemum Society’s certificates will be referred to 
separately, so that they need not be included here. 
ORCHIDS. 
Amongst imported plants Orchids still maintain their precedencr, 
and the fact that the number of certificated Orchids is one-fifth of the 
total is a pretty good indication of their popularity. For several years 
