November 5,1891! ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
38S 
of the Journal readers that this coveted trophy was last year won by 
Mr. C. Beckett, gardener to W. Bryant, Esq., who will no doubt do his 
be3t to repeat the feat this year. Ample scope is given to cultivators, as 
handsome prizes are offered for twenty-four, twelve, and six blooms in 
both the incurved and Japanese sections. 
In point of money value the Birmingham Chrysanthemum Society 
carry off the palm in the amount offered in one class. Prizes of £20, 
£15, £10, £5, £3, and £2, is allotted for forty-eight cut blooms, all to 
be distinct, evenly dividing the incurved and Japanese sections. Similar 
prizes induced no less than eighteen entries to be made last year, out of 
which there was but one absentee, and I should not be surprised if even 
that number is exceeded this season. Other good prizes are available 
also to the competitor who is sufficiently strong for the dual competi¬ 
tion. November 11th and 12th are the dates chosen. 
The Liverpool meeting is arranged for the 17th and 18th November, 
and should secure a large entry. The prize list is not only compre¬ 
hensive but of considerable value. In the leading class £10 10s. is 
offered as first prize for four dozen blooms in not les3 than thirty-six 
varieties, and to this prize is added a silver cup. For twelve incurved, 
twelve Japanese, and the same number of reflexed, the latter in not less 
than six varieties, the handsome sum of 10 guineas, with the addition 
of a silver challenge vase, is offered for first honour, suitable rewards 
also for second and succeeding prizes. This is an easy class, and should 
secure large patronage. Numerous other substantial prizes are offered 
in an altogether excellent schedule. 
On the day following the opening of the Liverpool Exhibition that, 
at Hull commences, and if it is this year as well supported both by 
exhibitors and the public as in the past it will be in all respects worthy 
of its great reputation in the Chrysanthemum world. Incurved and 
Japanese blooms have classes set apart for them separately. Not more 
than twenty-four of each are required in any class. In that for the 
first named but eighteen need be distinct; duplicates in six instances 
are allowed. Surely these easy conditions, and the fact of £10 being 
offered as first prize, ought to bring out a strong competition. Two 
dozen Japanese are quoted—the same amount offered, the only distinc¬ 
tion is that they must be distinct varieties. Classes of this kind 
generally secure more entries than where the two sections are combined, 
although it is perhaps more difficult for the exhibitors themselves, it 
being considered a harder feat to accomplish to win two first prizes in 
separate classes than to win one under the combination system. Other 
good prizes are offered in the open classes, but space forbids of their 
being detailed. Ten classes are provided for amateur cultivators of cut 
blooms. In the open classes for plants, whether it be for groups or 
specimens, ample provision is made to secure keen competition. No less 
a sum than £27 is offered for first honour in Class 30 of the schedule, 
which reads as follows :—“ A group of Chrysanthemums interspersed 
with foliage plants arranged for effect in a space of 100 square feet.” 
If this liberality does not secure the desired aim it is useless to cater for 
exhibits. Table decorations—the only flowers employed being Chrys¬ 
anthemums. with other greenery, epergnes, &c., confined to ladies—have 
always been a strong feature at this Show, and should continue so if the 
amounts offered in prizes are an inducement to the fair sex. During 
the last two years the autumn exhibitions of the Scottish Association in 
Edinburgh have been so uniformly good that a notice of this sort would 
not be complete without a reference to this Society’s schedule, which 
contains no less than thirty classes. The principal class is confined 
exclusively to Japanese blooms—forty-eight in thirty-six varieties; prizes 
ranging from £20 to £2 are offered. A challenge cup and £5 is 
temptingly displayed for the benefit of Scotch gardeners only—twenty- 
four incurved in not less than eighteen kinds, special varieties, six 
blooms of each—receive much encouragement, as well as branches 
staged as grown from decorative varieties. November 19th and two 
following days are chosen.—M. 
Chrysanthemum Louis Boehmer. 
I shall be pleased to learn through the Journal if Louis Boehmer 
behaves with other growers as it does with me. Each of my plants (I 
have only three) has been flagging for some time—say three weeks ; in 
fact, from the time the crown bud was taken it is confined to the three 
leaves attached to the crown, but sometimes only one leaf will flag, 
other days two, but rarely all three at the same time. The buds are 
swelling freely, and I find the last to set are swelling fastest. My first 
bud was taken on the 20th of September, others on the last days of 
September. Perhaps I should add that the latest buds were terminals 
in the place of crown buds. These plants are watered and fed the 
same as the others, and the only plant that has a tendency to flag is 
Boule d’Or, but then it affects the whole of the foliage. Some plants 
like Golden Dragon have always the appearance of wanting water, 
but the leaf seems half withered at times. 
Like “ Y. B. A. Z.” (page 311) numbers of what I supposed would be 
crown buds were terminals. The Queecs nearly always are, the only 
exception being A. Salter, but this bud in opening very coarse, and what 
I call scaly, a green calyx being mixed up with the florets. I am 
inclined to think that when the crown takes the form of a terminal it 
makes a good clean flower.— Thistle. 
Japanese Chrysanthemum Viviand Morel. 
This variety is coming so good this year that it is likely to be much 
sought after, being I think the flower of the season. It is a pity there 
is already one in existence of the same name, although there is not much 
danger of there being much confusion,'as no doubt the other has almost 
dropped out of cultivation, but it is worth making a note of. On page 55 
of the National Society’s Catalogue of 1888 it will be found described. I well 
remember it, a white reflexed Japanese with a greenish tip to the florets 
on first coming out, useful only as a decorative variety, but it is not 
more than two years ago I saw it in a collection.—C. Orchard. 
Yellow Sport from Mdlle. Lacroix. 
Upon a visit to the nursery of Mr. H. J. Jones, at Lewisham, on 
October the 28th, I discovered he was in possession of the long-expected 
yellow sport of that beautiful Chrysanthemum Mdlle. Lacroix. This is 
very valuable to all growers, because that variety is not only good for 
exhibition, but for all decorative purposes and cut flowers.' Grown in 
small pots or large pots, fed well or poorly, it does its work with power 
to bloom every bud it forms. This sport is very interesting. As is well 
known, Mdlle. Lacroix sported pink in several places a year or two 
back, and not as many do from white to yellow first, sometimes a pale 
yellow, as this is then throwing a darker shade, as in the case of the 
Madame De3granges varieties. It seems as if in time we shall discover 
some law as to the evolution of these sports. Mr. Francis Gal ton said in 
1885 before the British Association, “ The appearance of each new 
natural peculiarity was a faltering step in the upward journey of 
evolution, over which in outward appearance the whole living world 
was blindly blundering and stumbling,” but it is by carefully watching 
and selecting that we should cease to blunder so much, and conserve 
many variations in living things now lost for want of intelligent watchers 
and recorders. Now Mdlle. Lacroix was on the list of M. Lemoine 
of Nancy, France, for the first time in 1882, and was probably raised 
in 1881, so that it has taken nine years to give a yellow sport. The 
first record I can find as to Madame Desgranges was on an old list 
at Mr. Ware’s Nursery at Tottenham, London, where it appears to have 
come in 1878, as it was on their list of 1879, with only the notice, 
“ Creamy white flowers, large petals, broad.” Now let us suppose that 
it was raised in 1877. In 1885 Mr. Wermig of Woking, Surrey, was 
selling a yellow sport of this, and as he had a large stock then must 
have had the sport in 1882 or 1883, and upon this occasion I found in 
1884 there were sports into yellow of it in six or seven different places ; 
so that it seems in six or seven years from seed, if sufficient quantity is 
grown, that a sport is likely to occur. Perhaps someone else will throw 
any light they can on this that will help us to build up a theory of the 
law of sports.—W. Piercy. 
Chrysanthemums around Havant. 
I had previously read a good deal in the Journal about the Chrys¬ 
anthemums which are grown in the neighbourhood of Havant, but time 
would not admit of an extended tour amongst them. Mr. Agate, 
gardener to R. Rawson, Esq., is a large grower, having a thoroughly 
representative collection of about 800 plants of the large flowering 
varieties, 200 Pompons, singles and fimbriated varieties, as well as about 
six dozen seedlings from the best American source. Sown in March 
last these plants look remarkably well, having generally a splendid 
habit of growth, their height ranging from 1 foot to 3 feet 6 inches, 
many of them having very stout leathery foliage, quite of the style of 
Mrs. Falconer Jameson. Plants of this habit with good blooms are to 
be encouraged ; the time was too early to see hardly any of them in 
flower. One deserved notice, a pure white reflexed Japanese of good 
form, the plant not being more than 1 foot high. The Queens” range 
from 5 to 6 feet high with promising buds ; in fact, the whole collection 
is characterised by this, the wood having a ripened appearance, the foliage 
all that could be desired in developing future blossoms. The Japanese 
vary in height from 2 feet 6 inches to 8 feet, indeed Mrs. Marion 
Thrower beats Madame C. Audiguier in this, having run up to 12 feet. 
Of new kinds the following were promising :—Beauty of Castle Hill, 
Archiviste Blanchard, Yiviand Morel, very promising variety of the 
Audiguier type of flower, the growth not more than 3 feet 6 inches high, 
the growth blush mauve ; R. C. Kingston, dark purple violet rose ; 
Eugbnie Giat, purple, with silver reverse. Of others rather better 
known W. H. Lincoln, Bouquet de Dame, Kioto, Lilian Bird, Coronet, 
Louis Boehmer, and Mrs. A. Hardy, the last named was carrying a 
magnificent bloom. 
Emsworth House is the residence of Captain Boyd, is noted for the 
local successes which blooms from this place has gained for Mr, 
Woodfine, who grows about 300 plants for large blooms. This year the 
frost of Whit-Sunday injured the points of the plants which were 
outside and unprotected at that time. Thinking they would not make 
due progress after being so badly checked, all were cut down to within a 
foot of the pot; the consequence is excellent dwarf plants, very suitable 
for “ grouping,” being well clothed with very fine dark green foliage 
and promising blooms for the purpose. Alfred Lyne, Princess Beatrice, 
Emperor of China, Princess of Wales, A. H. Neve, Jeanne Marty, and 
M. Pankouke were especially promising of extra fine blooms. 
At The Oaks, Emsworth, Mr. Gerald Smith takes much interest in 
the growth of the Chrysanthemums cultivated here so well by Mr. 
Payne, who, it may be remembered, carried off the Veitch Memorial 
medal last year given at the N.C.S. Centennial Exhibition for the best 
stand of Japanese blooms staged without the orthodox cup and tube, 
and with several inches of stem attached. About 400 plants are grown 
for large blooms ; with but few exceptions belong to the incurved and 
Japanese sections. The plants are well grown, not too stout, but just 
that amount of strength and good foliage which betokens blooms of 
good quality. The incurved are especially clean and bright. The 
Queen family is well represented by well-built blooms of Lord A c:ster, 
