450 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 19, 1885. 
To look well the} should always be raised above the other plants, 
especially towards the centre or back. Grevillea robusta is another most 
useful plant. Aralia Yeitchii and other choice varieties are most effective 
in any size and in any part of the group. Small plants towards the front 
make a good relief to Palms. Acalypha musaica from 1 to 3 feet high, 
on single stems, grown with Crotons, are very useful; but these must by 
no means become dry, or the leaves blister and fall. Acacia affinis and 
others of similar growth may be found a place, especially in large 
groups. Pandanus Veitchii, well coloured, in, say, 4 to 6-inch pots, give 
a great relief. Numerous other foliage plants may be used with advan¬ 
tage, yet those I have mentioned are hardly to be dispensed with in go id 
competition. I have not mentioned Caladiums or Coleuses, each of which 
are telling, and C. argyrites in quantity renders a fine finish in the front 
line.— Lathyrus. 
(To be continued.) 
JUDGES AND THEIR WORK. 
I HAVE read with regret the letter of your correspondent, “ J. L. B.” 
in your issue of the 22nd October last upon the above subject, which it is 
quite patent refers to this town. I have been connected for many years 
with floral societies in Leicester. The remarks of “ J. L. B.” are 
absolutely untrue, and even if correct are a direct insult to the gentlemen 
referred to. “ J. L. B.” says, “ There are hut few examples worth going 
to see, as many of the best exhibitors do not show now.” My experience 
is that the exhibitors of both vegetables and flowers at the shows in 
Leicester are equal and in many cases superior to other shows, and that 
the best exhibitors have not decreased, which has been proved only this 
week by both the quantity and excellence of the exhibits and the large 
attendance of the public at our annual Chrysanthemum Show. 
The gentlemen referred to in “ J. L. B.’s ” letter are acknowledged to 
be thoroughly practical and experienced gardeners, as proved hy the 
positions they hold, and also the excellent condition in which both the 
cemetery, public park, and the clergyman’s rosery are kept and also ad¬ 
mired by thousands. The superintendent of the cemetery has not acted as 
judge for two years. From the tone of “ J. L. B.’s” letter he has 
evidently been a disappointed exhibitor ; but if so, and he resorts to such a 
meanness as to endeavour to ridicule the decisions of the gentlemen 
mentioned, why the sooner he ceases to become an exhibitor the better, as 
such men are not worthy to be connected with flower shows.—L. Y. 
Heathcote, Secretary of the Leicester Chrysanthemum Society. 
[Our correspondent did not name Leicester, but simply mentioned “ a 
Midland town.”] 
VENUS'S EARLY DWARF CABBAGE. 
I AM always glad to recognise any new or old varieties of vegetables 
when they come to the front if they are of sterling merit, but when any 
old variety is about to be distributed under a new name I think it is time 
to speak out. As we make vegetable-growiDg a specialty here, and early 
Cabbages one of our fancies, having grown most varieties I am not without 
considerable experience on the matter. 
I see an article in your issue of November 12th from Mr. Oliver, 
Eslington Park, in reference to a Cabbage that is in the possession of 
Mr. Venus, Allerburn House, Alnwick, and I also observe it is to be 
offered to the public shortly as a new variety under the above name in 
the advertising columns of the Journal of Horticulture. Now before it is 
sent out I would advise Mr. Oliver and Mr. Venus to make sure whether 
it is not a good old sort named Cook’s Early, which has been grown in 
this locality for the last thirty years. As I understand, it was selected from 
Cook’s Early. I myself feel certain it is nothing else than Cook’s Early, 
which I have grown for years, and I believe I am the possessor of a 
better selection of Cook’s than Mr. Venus, which is now in the hands of 
a first-class seedsman, and has been sold by them as Cook’s Early for the 
last year at the usual retail price for Cabbage seed, it being one of the 
four varieties I exhibited at the meeting of the Fruit Committee in London 
on the 10th February last, and for which I received a vote of thanks. I 
herewith send you a few for your inspection, and I may say that I never 
had a single plant that bolted, when all other varieties have done so more 
or less. 
The variety in question was sent out hy Mr. Cook, who was gardener 
thirty years ago to Mr. Collingwood, Dissington Hall, Newcastle-on-Tyne, 
and I believe he sold the stock to Mr. Dewar, seedsman, Newcastle-on- 
Tyne, and has remained ever since almost a local Cabbage. 
I am growing eighteen varieties this year, and intend sending a col¬ 
lection next spring to the Committee in London, and would suggest that 
Mr, Venus also send some of his for inspection, as I think it would be to 
the interest of the public to know before it is distributed whether it is a 
new or old variety.— David Inglis, Homick, Lesbury, Northumberland. 
[Under whatever name this Cabbage may be grown we can testify 
from the specimens we have received that it is a variety of great excel¬ 
lence.] 
CHESTERFIELD ROSES. 
The ancient town of Chesterfield boasts, amongst other attractions, of 
a church with a remarkable twisted spire. To a large number of 
travellers in this district probably the crooked spire is the only symbol by 
which they remember the town. The Derbyshire farmer is interested in 
its good market, and the rosarian and florist in the good Roses that are 
grown and sent out, both plants for stocking the rosery, &c., and cut 
blooms for the exhibition table. 
Having received an invitation from Mr. R. W. Proctor to inspect his 
nursery I took an early opportunity to run over and see, more particu¬ 
larly his stock of Roses, which I found to be an exceedingly good one. 
The soil in that portion of the nursery devoted to Rose cultivation is rich, 
felt slightly springy to the tread, and rests upon a bed of clay. I 
noticed a little hair, lime, and spent bark, indicative of the refuse of the 
tannery, peeping out of the soil in places. The elasticity of the soil may 
be due to the particles of ha'r, which is doubtless beneficial in strong or 
clayey soils. The Roses are planted in rows, and have a south-western 
aspect partially screened from the north winds. They are young plants 
full of strength, some of this season’s growths being over 7 feet long, 
many about 5 and 6 feet, of strong firm wood. There were not many 
blooms open, but fine hard buds were plentiful. All the best varieties are 
grown, and with one or two exceptions are budded low down on the Briar 
stock, and when transplanted the base of the new growth would be below 
the surface of the ground, the result doubtless of causing many varieties 
to emit roots of their own from the base of the young shoot. Mr. Proctor 
has taken many first prizes for cut Roses at Sheffield, Handsworth, and 
most other local exhibi’ions. In passing through the nursery I noticed 
several beds of fine seedling Carnations containing many good varieties. 
There were also beds of healthy double Pyrethrums, which are somewhat 
of a specialty here, but at this time of the year the most attractive 
beds were made up of Anemone japonica, alba and rubra, both very 
floriferous. These plants are very terviceable for cut blooms at a time 
when the outside beds are getting very bare and forlorn, and are not, I 
think, seen in the open border as often as they should. In most large 
towns, particularly on Saturday nights, large numbers of bouquets and 
buttonhole flowers are sold, but in my ramble through the town ana 
marketplace I saw very few flowers for sale, and concluded that their 
absence indicated a lack of interest in the working population for floral 
decorations. Chesterfield can boast of a few good florists who are success¬ 
ful cultivators. Let us hope that their example may be the means of 
stimulating in the inhabitants a love for that delightful occupation, 
floriculture.—J. H. S. 
MR. E. MOLYNEUX. 
We consider this a fitting opportunity to present to the public, and 
more particularly the great body of Chrysanthemum growers, a portrait 
of one who has achieved such remarkable success in the culture of these 
flowers. 
Mr. Molyneux was born near Helmsley, Yorkshire, his father at that 
time being gamekeeper to the Earl of Feversham, Duncombe Park, but 
the subject of this sketch evidently inherits some of the floral tastes of 
his grandfather, who lived for over forty years as gamekeeper at Nuneham 
Park, Oxford, where he was an ardent cultivator of florists’ flowers, and 
was a successful exhibitor at many London and local shows, notably 
Oxford, where he frequently contended against the late Mr. C. Turner of 
Slough, and not always came off second beBt. Dahlias were his principal 
hobby, and he was the raiser of the “ Nuneham Park ” Onion. 
We believe that Mr. E. Molyneux was never employed in a garden 
where Chrysanthemums were grown, except in the ordinary decorative way, 
neither has he had anyone to “coach” him; but seeing the splendid flowers 
produced by the Liverpool growers, and being impressed with their 
excellence, he was animated with a desire to equal them, and well he 
has succeeded, as his record will show, in winning such a large number 
of prizes in the best competition. This should be very encouraging to 
other young growers who desire to emulate him. He is a close observer 
of all small details in connection with the growth of the Chrysanthemum 
never over-estimating his own produce. He ha9 received most valuable 
assistance from his brother, Mr. N. Molyneux, and from the young men 
employed under him, without which, he desires us to say, it would have 
been most difficult to achieve what he has done. He considers that by 
acting kindly, yet firmly, to those under him, he has contributed to his 
success. He receives much encouragement from his employer, W. H, 
Myers, Esq., who is a thorough enthusiast in all matters connected with 
the garden, which is admirably managed in every department, fruit and 
vegetables being produced in first-rate condition. 
We presume that Mr. Molyneux, now having achieved his object in 
the challenge cup competition, will, in a series of articles, detail his 
practice for the benefit of others, as his experiments must now be about 
completed. 
The following is the record of prizes won by Mr. Molyneux, and 
speaks for itself.—1880, Southampton, four firsts. 1881, Richmond, two 
first, one second ; Southampton, two firsts and two seconds ; Kingston, 
one first and one third. 1882, Southampton, five firsts ; Kingston, five 
firsts, including the champion cup, and one second. 1883, Southampton, 
six firsts; Kingston, seven firsts, including the champion cup; Win- 
