2 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 8, 18 9. 
ing whether liis plant is really distinct enough to merit special 
recognition, and a committee’s decision gives him material assist¬ 
ance respecting the desirability of extending his stock or not. 
There are yet other instances in which either from carelessness or 
too great an eagerness to outrace rival firms in the production of 
novelties very little attempt is made at selection, and nearly all 
seedlings obtained are sent into the market. Of late years this has 
been chiefly confined to some continental growers, and has been 
more especially noticeable in the many valueless Chrysanthemums 
sent out from France with high recommendations. In all these 
cases a committee can perform the work of selection much more 
readily than a few possibly interested persons ; and while the 
award of a certificate by an authorised body undoubtedly gives a 
considerable impetus to the sale of a plant of real garden value, it 
should also serve as a safeguard to purchasers. A committee can 
deal with a matter of this kind much better than judges at shows, 
and there are very few horticultural exhibitions where the certifi¬ 
cates awarded possess any approach to the value of those bestowed 
by the Floral Committees of the Royal Horticultural and National 
Chrysanthemum Societies. The one exception to this is the Royal 
Botanic Society of London, where the certificates are awarded by 
the Judges, and they are apparently greatly appreciated, as 
numbers of novelties are exhibited at the four annual Shows. 
It has sometimes been said that the value of a certificate is 
imaginary, but if this statement necessitated a refutation it is 
afforded by the number of nurserymen and seedsmen who every 
year submit their plants to the Committees named. For instance, 
at the meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society last year no less 
than thirty-two distinct firms were awarded certificates, and the ex¬ 
hibitors fairly represented the whole of Great Britain. Altogether, 
and including the Royal Botanic and National Chrysanthemum 
Societies, not less than fifty nurserymen have exhibited novelties 
for certificates. The value of these awards is also proved by the 
fact that those who secure the certificates never omit to announce 
their success widely in catalogues or advertisements, simply because 
they find the public, both amateurs and specialists, will purchase a 
plant that has received some kind of official recognition. 
Much responsibility consequently rests upon those to whom 
this is deputed, and it is surprising, considering how large a number 
of plants pass under notice every year, that mistakes and complaints 
are not more numerous. That some of the latter have been at 
times well founded there is no doubt, but the mistakes that 
have been brought to my knowledge appear to have chiefly 
resulted from the system adopted rather than from errors of 
judgment. In a well selected committee there should be a good 
proportion qualified to express an opinion upon any plant submitted, 
and it seems unfair that the votes of three or four persons should 
be considered sufficient to warrant the award of a certificate. I 
have seen a plant obtain a certificate when only three voted for it 
and two against, while another one in favour of which twelve voted 
and thirteen against would lose it. An opinion in which many 
agree is that there should be at least some fair proportion of a 
committee (say one-third) in favour of a certificate before it be 
granted, and the number of votes for or against should be recorded. 
In the case of the National Chrysanthemum Society this would be 
more conveniently effected than in the Royal Horticultural Society; 
tint in the latter, if no fixed proportion of votes can be adopted, 
recording the numbers would still be some indication to the general 
public, and save the committee from the entire responsibility of 
occasional slips. The opinions of specialists is of the greatest 
importance in questions of this kind, but if a plant is so exceed¬ 
ingly rare or so unattractive that only three or four horticulturists 
out of tliiity or forty can express an opinion in its favour, it is 
not likely to be of much garden or commercial value. Some 
maintain that certificates should be awarded more freely as an 
encouragement to trade, but if this is carried to an extreme it 
would have the opposite effect from what is intended, as the 
awards would be much lessened in value. The greater discrimina¬ 
tive care exercised the higher rank the plants selected for honours 
should take. 
In commencing some brief notes on the best of the new plants 
of the past year it may be interesting to give a few statistics of the 
relative numbers of different classes. From 1859 to 1888 the 
Moral Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society has awarded 
•over 6000 certificates, giving an average of about 200 annually. 
During 1888, 219 plants were found worthy of awards, a total of 
nineteen above the average, so that it does not appear there is any 
falling off in the efforts to provide the public with novelties. The 
kind of demand existing is also shown by the fact that out of the 
total named no less than 200 were flowering plants, leaving only 
nineteen as foliage plants, including Ferns. A few years ago 
foliage plants were much more numerous amongst the novelties, 
now it is evident flowering plants are most in request. Taking 
large classes, like florists’ flowers, we find that ninety-six were 
certificated ; then follow the Orchids, forty-four ; and hardy plants, 
exclusive of those regarded as florists’ flowers, thirty-five. Noting 
some of the leading genera we find that the Royal Horticultural 
Society has honoured six Amaryllises, eleven Begonias (nearly all 
Tuberous varieties), six Cinerarias, five Carnations, six Chrysanthe¬ 
mums, twenty Dahlias, ei^ht Gladiolus, eight Pmonies, six Roses, 
seven Rhododendrons (mostly of the greenhouse hybrid type), 
and three Pyrethrums. The Royal Botanic Society awarded 
102 certificates last year at their four shows—namely, sixty-four 
floral and thirty-eight botanical, this distinction being made between 
plants of garden origin and introductions. Of this total eighty- 
seven were flowering plants, fifteen foliage plants, thirteen Orchids, 
forty-eight florists’ flowers, and fifteen hardy plants. Perhaps 
nearly one-fourth of these were the same as those which have been 
recognised by the Royal Horticultural Society, so that the 321 
certificates awarded by the two Societies do not represent distinct 
plants, but probably about 300. 
The National Chrysanthemum Society has awarded forty-six 
certificates from September to December, 1888, twenty-seven of 
which were for Chrysanthemums—namely, Incurved, five ; Japanese, 
sixteen ; Japanese Anemone, three ; Japanese Reflexed, one ; and 
Pompons, two. The remaining nineteen comprised ten Dahlias 
(at the September Show) and nine miscellaneous plants. The 
total for the three Societies is thus 372, and it is interesting to 
observe that of that number no les3 than 287 were for plants of 
garden origin, leaving only eighty-five to be regarded as new intro¬ 
ductions from other countries. 
It has already been mentioned that a large proportion of these 
novelties were shown by nurserymen ; in fact at the R.H.S. 
meetings, out of 224, 187 were contributed by the trade, and at 
the R.B.S. shows, of 102, ninety-six were also from nurserymen. 
It is surprising how few amateurs exhibit novelties for these 
honorary awards, for throughout the year at the Drill Hall 
only sixteen have succeeded in winning the recognition they desired, 
and Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., stands at the head of these with 
seven ; at the Regent’s Park gatherings the number of amateurs is 
still smaller. 
It has often been remarked that plants of exceptional merit are 
occasionally shown that seem to require something more than the 
ordinary recognition of a first-class certificate. If the numbers of 
the votes were recorded it would give some indication of a plant’s 
superior qualities, but in addition to this why should not very 
remarkable new plants be distinguished by the award of a silver 
medal ? The exhibitor of a new introduction that gives promise 
of becoming a garden plant of real value and usefulness should be 
at least as well worthy of this honour as he who contributes a 
group of market or ordinary conservatory plants. When also 
exceptionally well-grown specimens of any plant that is difficult to 
cultivate are exhibited, why not accompany the cultural com¬ 
mendation with a medal ? Some of the best plant cultivators have 
frequently expressed a desire for something of a more tangible 
character than the card-board certificates, and a little judicious 
liberality in this respect, with some restriction in other directions, 
would encourage the exhibiting of both novelties and well-grown 
specimens.—L. Castle. 
(To be continued.) 
NOTES ON GRAPES. 
The exception that Mr. G. Hilton takes to some of my state¬ 
ments in a previous article under this heading may appear, to a 
casual observer, well founded; nevertheless, I am convinced that 
there are many readers of the Journal who will agree with the 
correctness of my assertion that “Black Hamburgh will colour 
quite as well in dull as in bright seasons—that is, if their general 
treatment is good, and the Vines in a healthy condition.” Unfor¬ 
tunately there are plenty of Black Hamburghs in this country that 
never colour well, but I have yet to learn that they are worse in 
that respect during a season like the past than in a bright one, 
always provided the borders are well made and get proper attention 
in regard to water at the roots, and the regulation of air and 
atmospheric moisture ; and common sense should suggest that their 
treatment in these important matters should be widely different 
during so exceptional a season as the one we have recently passed 
through than in an ordinary one. There may be exceptions to this 
rule, but I believe it will hold good in the majority of cases. I am 
strongly of opinion that we must look to other causes than that of 
the weather to find out why we see so many “ red ” Hamburghs in 
the market, and unless I am very wide of the mark, over-watering 
during the long spell of wet sunless weather we experienced during 
the summer months has to answer for the non-colouring of many 
Grapes. It may be argued that during wet seasons Grapes in 
outside borders colour better than in brighter ones. Granted; and 
