Jane 27, 18i9. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
517 
A carpenter, too ill to work at his trade, commenced growing 
Mushrooms, and has long since ceased working, with his hands at 
least, and his portrait may be seen in the last edition of my work 
on that esculent ; but he had no glass. 
A greengrocer's son took a small cottage for the sake of a 
tumbledown greenhouse attached. This he repaired, and obtained 
some large old Fuchsias. These pushed hundreds of growths, 
which he too.k off and rooted, selling the young plants tied up in 
moss for a penny each at the gates of Woolwich arsenal. That 
greengrocer’s son, who had trained himself as a cultivator, has now 
twenty acres of land covered with glass, and laughs at foreign com¬ 
petition in either fruit or flowers. And well he may, for in one 
year he sold 80 tons of Tomatoes at 5d. a pound ; or considerably 
more than £3000 for one crop. There is no telling to what a small 
garden and a “bit of glass” may lead. With rough boards on edge, 
enclosing well grown Strawberry plants and glazed sashes, which he 
made for protecting them, a gardener realises from £100 to £150 a 
year by having full crops of ripe fruit a fortnight or so before they 
ripen in the open, thus reaping a splendid return for his enterprise. 
Another friend of mine and a man of note in the gardening world 
does not despise the simplest aids to early growth. He affixes 
boards together with battens, forming what may be termed bottom¬ 
less troughs, a foot or so wide, sliding glass in along the top, and 
these he places over Lettuces, Radishes, early Potatoes, Violets, or 
anything he can help forward, well knowing from experience that 
if he gains ten days or a fortnight with his produce he gains at the 
least 100 per cent, more profit on it than if he waited till every¬ 
body could compete with him. 
These few examples show what has been done, is being done, 
and may be accomplished by others. It does not follow that all 
who attempt to woo fortune in that way will win, any more than 
all who practise cricket at Nottingham will win the distinction that 
ha,s been attained by several whose names are famous ; but none 
will be the worse for trying to excel in garden culture. It appeals 
to all, to men and to women of every rank and class, from the 
brawny gladiator to the gentle child. I have had pleasure in 
awarding prizes to children for growing plants in the London 
slums, and believe I was helping them to look beyond and above 
their dismal surroundings ; and I have shared in making an 
ex-pugilistic champion happy in according him first honours for 
Chrysanthemums. 
Gardening, no matter on how small a scale, is health-giving, 
wholesome, mind-elevating employment, and the greater the 
number who can engage in.it the greater the sum of human 
happiness, for homes cannot be what they ought when deprived of 
what is so beautiful and good—the produce of the garden. 
If I can help in a small way to that end I shall be thankful, 
for— 
“ To study culture, and with careful toil 
To ’meliorate and tame the stubborn soil ; 
To give dissimilar yet fruitful lands 
The grain, the herb, the plant that each demands ; 
To cherish Nature in a humble state, 
And share the joys your bounty may create ; 
To watch the matchless working of the Power 
That shuts within its seed the future flower. 
These, these are arts pursued without a crime, 
That leave no stain upon the wings of Time.” 
CHRYSANTHEMUM STOW SCHEDULES FOR 1889. 
At the present time when societies specially or mainly formed for 
the encouragement of the culture of Chrysanthemums are so numerous, 
it becomes a question which can present the most attractive list of 
prizes to obtain the best competition ar.d the most attractive exhibition. 
Well-managed societies take the lead in this respect, as in catering for 
the public they do not lose sight of the exhibitors, knowing full well 
that without them it is of no use to tempt the public. To the Birming¬ 
ham Chrysanthemum Society is due the credit of offering the largest 
cash prizes yet given, which I noticed a short time since in the Journal, 
and let us hope the result of the step taken will be better shows than 
those which have hitherto been held, and that is saying a good deal. 
To the Hull Chrysanthemum Society, in connection with the pro¬ 
vincial Show of the National Chrysanthemum Society, falls the credit of 
issuing an excellent schedule of prizes for this year, perhaps the most 
valuable prizes yet offered by any society. So varied are the classes and 
so substantial are the prizes to be competed for, that it would be most 
regretable were a splendid exhibition not secured. This Society has been 
noted for its representative displays of the Queen of Autumn, and it is 
an established fact that the public have been pleased with the treat 
afforded them in years past, as the balance sheet testifies. It falls 
only to a few societies to be able to say that they had to think of 
closing the doors during the exhibition because they had too many 
people in the Show. This, I believe, was seriously considered at the 
last exhibition held in Hull. With additional attractions offered the 
Committee have excellent reasons to expect the highest patronage for 
the next Show. That the Show will be confined almost exclusively to 
northern and midland county growers admits of no doubt, as the dates— 
November 21st and 22nd—practically settle this question ; so late is it 
for southern growers that they cannot be expected to test their strength 
and skill with their brethren of the north. 
An error in the numbering of the classes I should like to point out 
at this early stage, as it may save some confusion at the time for receiv¬ 
ing entries. From class 1 to class 18 inclusive of both the N.C.S. 
schedule and that of the Hull Society are supposed to correspond, but in 
the schedule sent out by the N.C.S. the class for twelve blooms of sweet 
scented Chrysanthemums is omitted, and in its place (class 13 of the Hull 
schedule) is a class for six blooms of Japanese, Mrs. Falconer Jameson ; 
therefore the class for sweet-scented blooms is omitted altogether from 
the N.C.S. list. This mistake confuses the remaining five classes also of 
course. The last class (18) in the N.C.S. schedule gives six button¬ 
hole bouquets, whereas in the Hull schedule the same class is lettered 
twenty-three. If exhibitors are made aware of these slight mistakes in 
the numbering of the classes no confusion need arise, and they can 
easily write the articles of each class on their entry forms, as many 
societies request they should be so written for fear of confusion. The 
remedy is then plain enough, but where exhibitors send their entries in 
by number only some mistakes in staging might take place. I note the 
N.C.S. have a separate column for the contents of each class, as well 
as the class number on their entry form, thus providing for a contingency 
of the kind named, but the Hull Society have not, simply going by the 
class number. 
The principal class is for forty-eight blooms, half to be incurved, 
and the remainder Japanese, but it is not compulsory on the part of 
exhibitors to stage distinct varieties ; duplicates are allowed to the 
extent of twelve blooms in the forty-eight, which renders the class 
so much easier to fill by competitors, as it is often found in staging 
them all distinct that it is “ the last straw which breaks the camel’s 
back.” For this class the handsome prize of a challenge cup, value 
fifteen guineas, and £15 in cash is offered for the first, with prizes of 
£10, £5, and £2 for the remainder. Prizes of the value indicated in 
this class ought to produce splendid competition, as independent of the 
cup the cash prize is sufficient in itself to tempt exhibitors. The second 
prize is equal to that offered by some societies for the first prize for the 
same number of blooms, but under conditions much more difficult to 
comply with, and which has always evoked grand competition. 
Class 2 is one which should create much competition. It is an easy 
one to fill, twenty-four blooms only being asked for, and of these not 
more than eighteen need be distinct, half to be incurved, and the rest 
Japanese. Fancy a first prize amounting in all to £11 os. for twenty- 
four blooms only 1 In no case are competitors debarred from com¬ 
peting in all classes. The same liberal prizes are provided in all other 
classes for cut blooms. _ 
What maybe termed novelty classes are also provided, as, for instance, 
special encouragement is afforded to the Rundle class, a type of in¬ 
curved blooms which is being fast elbowed out of existence by larger 
kinds. With a view to test the conscientiousness of those persons who 
lament so loudly the fear of these small-flowered varieties disappearing 
from the exhibition table, a class is made for them, to be shown in 
bunches of three blooms each. The Society are to be commended for 
offering prizes for fragrant varieties. At present the bulk of sorts have 
an odour which is decidedly objectionable ; the offering of prizes is a 
step in the right direction in obtaining others possessing a more agree¬ 
able scent. __ 
Special encouragement is given to a class of blooms concerning which 
there is a fear of their becoming lost to favour. I allude to large 
Anemones, of which we may take Gluck as a type. The depreciation 
in public favour is owing to the increase of the newer and much 
showier race, Japanese Anemones, which are fast gaining popularity 
with the public. The prim-looking favourites of many years since have 
special attractions set apart for them in the schedule, but I must say 
the conditions which accompany the prize are not calculated to improve 
the competition. The ordinary (or I might say extraordinary) schedule 
conditions are bad enough, but when other serious fetters are placed 
upon this class I consider the chances of obtaining strong competition 
are very much narrowed. Mr. E. C. Jukes offers a silver cup, value five 
guineas, for twelve blooms in not less than nine varieties, with the 
special clause added that if there be less than six exhibitors the cup 
