478 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 26, 1885. 
honours of the amateurs’ section very creditably upheld by Mr. J. Pickford, 
whose good plants and perseverance in exhibiting may both be taken as 
excellent examples by his neighbours. Fruit was not very plentiful, only 
one collection being staged by Mr. Watson. Grapes were fairly good from 
Mr. T. Colborne, Sir H. M. Jackson, and Mr. Fothergill. Apples and Pears 
were uncommonly fine from Mr. G. J. Jones, Mr. E. J. Grice, Mr. T. 
Colborne, and Sir H. M. Jackson. 
Vegetables were numerous and excellent. In the main collection Mr. 
C. T. Wallis and Mr. D. Whitehouse were successful with fine clean 
samples. Mr. Octavius Morgan, Newport, exhibited a most interesting 
collection of cut Chrysanthemums, good blooms beautifully embellished 
with their foliage. 
HULL. —November 19th and 20th. 
When it is considered that the Hull Chrysanthemum Society has only 
been established about fourteen months and has held two Shows, the first 
being attended by about 4000 persons, and resulting in a balance on the 
credit side of the ledger of nearly £80, and that the second Show just held 
included some of the beat competition of the year, and the leading class the 
finest we have seen at any show in any year, the success achieved must be 
reguarded as phenomenal. It must be understood our remarks as to the 
quality of the Show are confined to the open cut bloom classes. Many 
excellent blooms were staged throughout, but the stands were uot sufficiently 
numerous to occupy the great length of tabling in the enormous space under 
the roof of the Artillery Barracks, and the plants in an adjoining annex 
were relatively inferior. These constituted the weak points of the Show, 
hut the groups of plants arranged for effect were very imposing. As to what 
may be termed the decorative section of the Show—dessert table compe¬ 
tition, bouquets, floral ornaments, <fcc., we can only say it was so attrac¬ 
tive that the room was so densely packed with visitors that we were 
positively “ crowded out.” The op.-ning ceremony by the ex-Mayor and his 
attendants indicated the great public interest that manifested in the event, 
and with a continuance of public support, with such a practical and energetic 
Chairman as Mr. Bohn, such indefatigable Secretaries as Messrs. Jameson 
and Hawksworth, and the first-rate Committee, the Society cannot fail to 
occupy a very high position in the Chrysanthemum world. 
Cut Blooms. —For these a challenge vase and a challenge cup were 
provided, the vase in the open class, the cup in a class for amateurs ; and 
the money prizes in the former were of such value as to enable even the third 
prizewinner to defray all his travelling expenses, and the fourth to have 
little to lose. The conditions were also such that enables a majority of 
skilful growers to arrange superior stands. 
The Hull challenge vase, value 15 guineas, is offered by the Chairman of 
the Society, George Bohn, Esq., a splendid contribution, the money prize 
being £10 in addition. The vase has to be won twice consecutively, 
or. three times altogether, to be finally claimed by the owner of the winning 
flowers, the money prizes going to his gardener who grows them. This 
equitable arrangement is the same as in the great cup class at Kingston-on- 
Thames. But in the Surrey contest forty-eight distinct varieties have to 
be staged, whereas at Hull thirty-six varieties suffice in the class of forty- 
eight blooms—namely twenty-four incurved in not less than eighteen 
varieties, and the same as regards Japanese. The advantage of this is, that 
no exhibitor can stage forty-eight varieties so fine as he can that number of 
blooms in thirty-six varieties, because be is enabled to duplicate twelve of 
his best if he wishes, and, consequently, exclude an equal number of inferior 
flowers. There are growers too, able to stage thiity-six varieties creditably 
who could not make up presentable stands in forty-eight varieties. The 
strength of a chain is oDly equal to the weakest link, and the weakness in 
stands of twenty-four varieties of Chrysanthemums is always found in the 
last half-dozen blooms; the less the number of varieties, therefore, in a class 
the stronger the stands must be. This is why the great class at Hull was so 
weighty. There were five competitors—Mr. Lindsay, gardener to Sir T. 
Edwardes Moss, Bart., Otterspool, Liverpool (first) ; Mr. W. Mease, 
gardener to C. W. Neumann, Esq., Wyncote, Liverpool (second); Mr. Green, 
gardener to J. Wool wright, Esq., Mossley Hill, Liverpool (third) ; Mr. J. B. 
Morton, Mowden Bridge, Darlington (fourth); and Mr. Mitchell, gardener 
to W. J. Warrenpr, Esq., (misprinted “ Waverer,” in the Lincoln report last 
week) Bracebridge, Lincoln. The vase thu9 remains at Otterspool till next 
November, when Mr. Lindsay will, all being well, no doubt strive for it 
again, and a few others will strive to prevent him. There is the chance of 
his flowers not being quite so good next year as this, the chance of those of 
Messrs. Mease or Green being a little better, and so the scale may be turned, 
and there is also another chance—of someone else defeating the trio. 
Mr. Lindsay has come to the front at a bound, and won magnificently, that 
term applying to the blooms and not to the distance between him and 
Mr. Mease, who also staged magnificent flowers, but some of the incurved 
evidently required another week for their full development, or, in a word, 
Mr. Lindsay’s were “ in ” to the day, and Mr. Mease’s were not. That appears 
to about represent the difference between their incurved, the Japanese being 
very nearly as close as they could be, the Otterspool blooms only leading by 
two points out of a possible 144. 
Mr. Lindsay’s winning stands were furnished as follows, reading each 
row from left to right—Incurved : back row—Queen of England, Lord 
Alcester, Empress of India, Alfred Salter, Golden Empress, Empress of India, 
Golden Empress, Queen of England; second row—Jeanne d’Arc, John 
Salter, Mr. Bunn, Emily Dale, Bronze Jardin des Plantes, Prince Alfred, 
Jeanne d’Arc, John Salter; front row—Refulgence, Mrs. Heale,Sir Stafford 
Carey, White Beverley, Princess Beatrice, White Globe, Lord Wolseley, 
and Mr. Bunn. Japanese—Madame C. Audiguier, Fair Maid of Guernsey, 
Criterion, Mons. Tarin, Bonle d’Or, Madame C. Audiguier, Fair Maid 
of Guernsey, Japonaise; second row—Comte de Germiny, John Laing, 
Boule d’Or, Margaret Marrouch, Elaine, Criterion, R. Ballantine, Peter the 
Great,; front row—Mdlle. Lacroix, Thunberg, LaNymphe, Soliel Levant, 
F. A. Davis (J. Delaux), Thunberg, Mons. Desbrieux, and Sarnia. The 
incurved blooms were generally vt ry large, also firm and symmetrical, and 
though a few were defective in some point or other the twenty-four secured 
115 points of merit out of a possible 144, or an average of 4$ points to each 
bloom, and this good average was a little more than maintained throughout 
the Japanese stand. As above intimated, Mr. MeaBO ran his rival very 
closely indeed with these, his blooms of Belle Paule, Criterion, Boule d’Or 
and Meg Merrilees, being grand examples of high culture, while his incurved 
blooms of the Queen type, also Jeanne d’Arc, were of similar large dimen¬ 
sions and good quality. Mr. Green’s stand contained many handsome 
flowers, inciuding the premier incurved bloom in the Show—a fresh and 
beautiful example of Empress of India. We have certainly never seen a 
collection equal to this placed third at an exhibition before, and such 
flowers would have been easily first at some other shows where liberal prizes 
were offered. Mr. Morton also exhibited very well indeed, but both he and 
Mr. Mitchell were overweighted, and the Lincoln blooms had, moreover, lost 
their freshness. 
The first three exhibitors named held the same relative positions in 
the next class of twenty-four blooms, twelve incurved and the same number 
of Japanese in not less than nine varieties of each, the first prize being 
£5. The stands were extremely fine throughout, and the competion close. In 
Mr. Mease’s the premier Japanese bloom of the Show was found, a beautiful 
example of Belle Paule being selected in preference to a bloom of the same 
variety in his forty eight, because of its smoother and broader florets, 
though the other was a little deeper in colour. There was no alteration in 
the winners in the excellent class of twelve blooms of Japanese. In the 
class for twelve incurved blooms, distinct, there was great competition, the 
prizes falling to Mr. Mease, Mr. Green, and Mr. Usher, gardener to C. H. 
Johnson, Esq., Thorgumbald Hall. Three very even and good stands 
of large Anemone-flowered varieties were exhibited by Mr. Morton, Mr. 
Bulmer, gardener to D. Wilson, Esq., and Mr. Mitchell, who were 
awarded the prizes in the order named, there being little to choose 
between the merits of the collections. Very rich stands of reflexcd varieties 
were staged—twelve blooms in not less than six varieties, Mr, Morton 
securing the foremost place with two flowers each of Cullingfordi, King of 
the Crimsons and Chevalier Domage, and one each of Mrs. Forsyth, Sir 
E. Landseer, and Jewess. Mr. Bugg, Lincoln, and Mr. Usher followed 
closely in the same class. Mr. Mease staged the best six blooms of 
any variety—wonderfully well-coloured examples of Bouquet Fait, Mr. 
Mitchell following with Elaine. The competition in the above classes was 
open to all. 
Four classes were provided for exhibitors in Lincolnshire residing 
within twenty miles of Hull or anywhere within the East Riding of York¬ 
shire. In the first of these, for twenty-four blooms, half incurved and half 
Japanese, in not less than six varieties of each, the first prize, given by 
Mi - . E. P. Dixon, was well won by F. W. Jameson, Esq., with extremely fresh 
incurved examples, but not.'quite developed, and good Japanese, Mr. Bulmer 
being second with rather small but neat, solid flowers, and Mr. Leadbetter, 
gardener to Arthur Wilson, Esq., Tranby Croft, third with much larger 
but loose blooms. E. Harland, Esq., Cottingham, secured the first position 
in the class for twelve incurved blooms, very closely followed by C. H. 
Johnson and F. W. Jameson, Esq. In the corresponding Japanese class 
Mr. Bulmer, Mr. F. W. Jameson, and Mr. Brownsho, Beverley, were the 
prizetakers : and in the mixed class Mr. J. Tall, Cottingham, Mr. Bulmer, 
and Mr. J. W. Jameson, the former staging among others one of the finest 
Elaines of the year. 
Several prizes were offered for amateurs, or persons who do not employ 
a gardener, but we can only note that the first prize in the two classes for 
twelve incurved and twelve Japanese blooms was won by E. Goddard, Esq., 
with highly creditable examples, and the more so since the owner had only 
fifteen incurved blooms altogether, and one of them was spoiled by an 
accident. A challenge cup has never been won under such conditions 
before. It has, however, to be won twice consecutively, or three times 
altogether, to be permanently retained. It is given by the Hull Amateur 
Floral and Horticultural Society. 
Plants. —We can only say as regards what are known as “specimen” 
plants that those exhibited were with few exceptions very far below the 
average standard of merit, the best — and some of them were healthy 
and well flowered—being exhibited by Messrs. Wood, Bulmer, Raby, 
and Tall. All the best were trained without twisting the stems, the few 
where dwarfing was attempted being tied down too closely and too late. 
The bending should be done at the lower part of the. stems, so that the 
twisting is obscured by the foliage above— i.e., of the shoots bearing the 
blooms ; tying down tbe stems just under the flowers being a great mistake 
almost invariably made by the inexperienced—hence this hint. 
Far more commendable and decidedly effective were groups of Chrys¬ 
anthemums interspersed with foliage plants arranged for effect in aspace of 
100 square feet. In addition to the first prize of £5, a framed oil painting 
of Chrysanthemums of the same value was offered to the winner by Mr. 
J. F. Norton, artist. Hull. There were five competitors, and right well did 
they contribute. The premier position was secured by Mr. H. Bulmer for 
a very bright and effective arrangement, chiefly of Chrysanthemums of 
excellent quality both as regards blooms and foliage, and the colours welt 
associated. They were relieved with light touches of slender Palms and 
Dracaenas up to a central plant of Cocos Weddelliana next the wall, and 
9 or 10 feet above the floor. The semicircular group was finished with 
Crotons, Dracaenas, and other dwarf ornamental plants margined with 
Panicums and Ferns. The effect was rich, yet not devoid of elegance by the 
admirable balance of the whole, and an absence of extreme packing and 
overcrowding. The second prize group of Mr. Graham, gardener to George 
Lawson, Esq., Newland Grove, Hull, was also of considerable merit, and, 
in fact, very nearly equal to the other. Mr. G. Cottam, Anlaby Gardens, 
was awarded the third prize with a smooth showy arrangement, but rather 
heavy towards the edge ; and Mr. Howell, gardener to Lieut.-Col. Saner, 
the fourth for a mass of flowers rising to 10 or 12 feet high, and a few Pa'ms 
interspersed. Another group was too “sticky” and formal, the remaining 
one free and elegant but somewhat lacking in diversity. The several 
groups contributed powerfully to the general effect, were of the right kind 
for the building, and it is a question worthy of consideration as to whether 
smaller groups should not be encouraged as well. 
An extensive and excellent miscellaneous collection of plants was admir¬ 
ably arranged by Mr. E. P. Dixon, not for competition, and Messrs. Martin 
and Son had a very attractive display. Admirable collections of fruit were 
contributed by Messrs. James Dickson & Sons, Chester, and Messrs. 
Richard Smith & Co., Worcester ; and Messrs. Cannell’s stands of single 
Cbrysanthemnms and Zonal Pelargoniums were greatly admired by the 
great concourse of visitors, of whom nearly 7000 attended the Show. 
