14 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ J naary B. 
obstacles arising from “ peculiarities ” or “ leanings,” but, on the con¬ 
trary, complete unanimity in acting on recognised principles. Individual 
fancies appear to be in another direction. 
As I understand the whole subject of classification is to be considered 
by the Committee of the National Chrysanthemum Society, the varieties 
admissible in a possible new class will no doubt be officially indicated ; 
were 1 to enumerate them the individual peculiarity theory would 
perhaps be trotted out again, for though it only amounts to a phantom, 
yet phantoms have sometimes a disturbing influence. 
Besides, it is not the duty of judges to make laws, but to understand 
those that are provided for their guidance, and to obey them ; and when 
the law is not clear it is the rule to give the benefit of any doubt that 
arises to an exhibitor, instead of disqualifying his exhibit, and to judge 
the blooms on their merits, according to the standard of the type they 
are staged to represent. Dr. Sharp and Cloth of Gold, which “ T. W.” 
mentions, are reflexed Chinese Chrysanthemums, with no Japanese blood 
in them. The best blooms score the highest, those that are very small 
and much quilled on the one hand, and overblown and dingy on the 
other, being estimated accordingly.—A JUDGE. 
PRINCESS BLANCHE. 
Late Chrysanthemums can be classed in two sections ; any notes of 
certain varieties being seen or exhibited in bloom at this season of the 
year cannot be taken as a guarantee that such varieties are naturally 
late bloomers, for many of the earliest ones, like varieties of early Peas, 
can be made to produce the best late crops for succession. There are 
those that should naturally bloom in November, but from some cause— 
such as damage to the first buds by winds, frosts, or insects, or being 
intentionally disbudded, a secondary growth is caused which is growing 
on when the earlier buds would have been in flower, and which conse¬ 
quently retards the blooming beyond the natural season. Late propa¬ 
gation or weak cultivation will have the same efiect in prolonging the 
flowering season. There are others that may now be properly termed 
midseason varieties, but which in the ordinary way are called late 
blooming varieties—viz.. Princess Teck, and what may now be termed 
the Teck section. Hero of Stoke Newington, Mrs. Norman Davis, Lord 
Eversley, and Chas. Gibson, also Ethel, and Mr. J. H. Jones, Lady 
Carey, Lady Slade, Angelina, Pelican, and also Ceres, the latter being 
the latest, but neither of these is so late as one or two others 
that have been recently introduced. We have now one or two naturally 
midwinter varieties, one of which. Princess Blanche, is the object of 
this note. To anyone requiring white flowers at Christmas or in the 
new year—and there are few who do not—this variety is especially 
valuable, and cannot be too widely cultivated to fill up the gap generally 
felt between the two seasons. For using in combination with Poin- 
settias, Euphorbia jacquiniaeflora, and other gay midwinter flowers for 
table or room decoration, they would be very effective. It is a variety 
of 1886 of the Japanese section ; it has a very dwarf robust habit, with 
bright glossy foliage ; the flowers are pure ivory white, measuring from 
4 to 6 inches in diameter, florets glossy and of great substance, outer 
ones broad, pointed at tips and somewhat recurving ; the centre ones are 
narrower which slightly twist and curl with age, giving them a true 
Japanese character. 
In reference to Mr. W. J. Murphy's inquiry, page 668, I consider 
Lady Matheson cannot be classed in any other section but Japanese, 
although it no doubt has much incurved blood in it. It is a mid¬ 
season variety with flowers of a creamy white shading to primrose in 
the centre, florets semi-tubulated, slightly incurving at the tips. The 
other variety mentioned I am not acquainted with.—C. Orchaed. 
RIVAL CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOWS. 
I OBSERVE that my friend Mr. Woodcock is unwilling to admit 
that the Chrysanthemum Exhibition annually held by the Sheffield and 
Hallamshire Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society is a representa¬ 
tive one in any sense, and when I stated that “ there ought only to be 
one representative exhibition,” he agrees to it as an abstract proposition 
only. The fact that such shows have been held annually for ten con¬ 
secutive years, and for seven years without a rival, and that they have 
been considered by the public at large as the Sheffield Chrysanthemum 
Shows, gives them “ the right of priority” and the right—up to the time 
of the establishment of the Sheffield and West Riding Chrysanthemum 
Society three years ago—of being considered as representative of 
Sheffield as a town ; and the fact that there are some gardeners C™y- 
self included), amateurs, and others who do not see their way to sub¬ 
scribe to the rules of that Society and so avail themselves of its privi¬ 
leges, does not deprive them of those rights ; neither does the possibility 
of there being numerous better Chrysanthemum plants and flowers in 
the neighbourhood than are to be seen at those shows ; but I should 
like to know where there is a flower show of any kind that contains 
within itself all the best examples of garden produce within the dis¬ 
trict ? and supposing there ever was such a phenomenon, where is the 
non-exhibitor at such to be found that would admit it 1 Would he not 
declare that he “ had better stuff than that at home 1" But after all, 
what does it signify which is “ The Original Pie Shop 1” The public 
will flock most to that shop which provides the best pies and best ac¬ 
commodation, and as there is not sufficient custom in Sheffield to keep 
two such ‘‘ Pie Shops,” the proprietors of one of them will sooner or later 
have to “ file a petition.” 
Inasmuch as the Sheffield and West Riding Chrysanthemum Society 
manage their exhibitions in a broader and more generous spirit, I 
think they are undoubtedly most worthy of the support of the 
public, and I believe they will continue to have that support ; but I 
regret very much that stumblingblocks to the union of the two Societies 
should have been made out of such unsubstantial things as “ repre¬ 
sentation ” and “ priority however, the sooner they are kicked out of 
the way the better. Mr. Woodcock and I are in unison as to the de- 
sirability of the amalgamation of the two Societies. He says nine-tenths 
of their members are desirous of such union, and I am informed that 
many members of the other Society are also willing for the two Societies 
to join ; that being so, what obstacle prevents the union ? Probably it 
is the question of the individuality of the two Societies. I would sug¬ 
gest—but I do it in fear and trembling, and my friends who know me 
best will fully appreciate my extreme nervousness—that the Sheffield 
and West Riding Chrysanthemum Society omit the words “ West 
Riding” from their title, for Sheffield requires no “ handle ” or anything^ 
else to its name, and call it simply “ The Sheffield Chrysanthemum 
Soci-ty and that the Sheffield and Hallamshire gardeners merge the- 
Chrysanthemum Exhibition they have annually held in connection with 
their Mutual Improvement Society into this one distinctive Sheffield 
Chrysanthemum Show. This would be a graceful act on their part,, 
and one that would redound to the credit and benefit of their Society. 
It would be a good thing for a deputation from each Society to meet 
and discuss the position of affairs in a friendly spirit and arrive at an 
amalgamation if possible.—J. Udale, Elford. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM AMY FURZE. 
I AM very glatl your correspondent “ T. W.” has called the attention 
of your readers to the anomalous position of Amy Furze. “ A Judge,” 
on page 546, says the more it displays its Japanese origin the more it 
weakens a reflexed stand. An experienced Judge on the same page- 
says, though out of place in such stands, blooms are judged on their merits 
when in them ; if so, where do they weaken a reflexed stand 7 Again, 
he says as they develope their character, they become spreading 
Japanese, and lose points as reflexed flowers. Who is to tell the turning 
point of a reflexed flower into a Japanese 7 I quite agree with “ A 
Judge” that it should be confirmed as one thing or the other—not a re¬ 
flexed flower one day and a Japanese the next ; that seems to me to be 
a most questionable position. I think a flower should be classed as 
what it is when fully expanded. If you did that I think Amy F’urze 
would be a Japanese. I do not know if either of the two Judges officiated 
at the Liverpool Show, where a stand of six reflexed blooms was passed 
over without a prize—a stand, in my opinion, and in the opinion of 
many others, that was the best in the Show. Amy Furze was supposed to- 
be the fault in that stand. Was it judged on its merits in that ca.se ? 
Perhaps “ Another Judge ” can give us his opinion,—T. H. 
MRS. C. CAREY SPORT, 
I SEND you a sport from Mrs. C. Carey. It is now, I think, eight 
years ago since I sent that variety out. I have never hearti of it varying 
in colour before.—H. Canned l. 
[This is a very remarkable “ sport,” much larger than the blooms of 
the (white) variety accompanying it, and, unlike them, has not twisting 
and incurving florets. The bloom is as large as an average B -lie Paule, 
and not very dissimilar in colour from some dark forms of that 
variety.] _ 
PROFESSIONAL GARDENERS’ FRIENDLY BENEFIT 
SOCIETY. 
The members of the Professional Gardeners’ Friendly Benefit 
Society held their annual dinner on Wednesday evening, the 28th of 
December, at the “ Green Dragon Hotel,” Guildford Street, Leeds. 
Mr. James Inman, the President of the Society, occupied the chair at 
the after-dinner proceedings, and Mr.William Grix (the Vice-President^ 
the vice chair. Among the gentlemen present were Alderman Scarr (the. 
Mayor), Mr. Joseph Bradley, Meanwood ; Mr. Henry Hick, Manchester ;. 
Mr. Robert Leatherstone, Mr. John Sunley, Milford Junction; Mr. 
J. R. Beckwith, Mr. Joseph Smith, Mr. George Hemming, Mr. J. W. 
Frankland, Mr. William Green, Mr. J. F. Ryder, Mr. William Sunley, 
Secretary ; and Mr. Thos. Jamieson, Treasurer. Letters of apology 
were received from Mr. Henry Oxley, and Mr. W. L. Jackson, M.P. The 
last-named gentleman expressed the hope that the Society, which had. 
now arrived at manhood, would have a great future of usefulness. The 
Chairman, in the course of his remarks, attributed the success of the 
Society to the support accorded to it by its honorary members ; also the 
praiseworthy endeavours of the Society’s offic rs, one and all, in the. 
furtherance of its interests—especially Mr. Sunley, the Society’s inde¬ 
fatigable Secretary, who for the whole of the twenty-one years the 
Society had been in existence, had made the Soeiety’s interest his study, 
and as a mark of appreciation a testimonial was being raised for him. 
The Secretary (Mr. Wm. Sunley) read the report of the Committee, 
which stated that the progress of the Society during the twenty-one 
years of its existence was a subject of satisfaction and congratulation to 
the members. The income for the past year had been .UliJO 17s. Id., 
and the expenditure £92 19s. lid., leaving a balance in hand of 
.£37 17s. 2d. The total amount now placed to the credit of the Society 
was £86.6 9s., or an average of £7 8s. 9d. each financial member. There 
were now twenty honorary and 117 financial members—numbers which 
gave promise of the future prosperity and stability of the Society. la 
repljnng to the toast of the Mayor and Corporation, Alderman Scarr 
said that if he were not Mayor of Leeds he should tell them that he was 
a land reformer. He believed the time was fast approaching when the 
