January 2, ISOa ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
7 
performance at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, and tickets could be 
had-admitting the holder to a morning or evening performance on any 
day between the 3rd and 14th of February inclusive. A cheque was 
drawn for the quarter’s allowances to the children eujoying the benefit 
of the Fund, amounting to £61 15s. A vote of thanks to the Chairman 
closed the proceedings. 
A Review op the Past Season. 
Taken as a whole the past season must be classed as one of the best 
of recent years. When we consider the number of exhibitions that have 
been held in such a short space of time it indicates how the interest 
is increasing in the cultivation of this popular flower, and we hear of 
increased financial successes, a sign that the public appreciate the efforts 
of societies and exhibitors. 
I do not remember a season for the last ten years where there was 
so much keen competition for the prizes offered in various parts of the 
country. During the latter part of the season, say from the 12th of 
November until the end, it cannot be said that the incurved blooms 
staged were quite up to that high standard of excellence which we would 
like to see. There are two reasons to which I attribute this defect. In 
the first place, and perhaps it is the more serious of the two, the great 
loss of fine blooms, notably in the Queen family, through an early 
flowering season, and by what is known and feared amongst growers as 
“damping.” Unfortunately, many cultivators were so situated that 
the late date of some important exhibitions was quite unsuited for the 
stage of their flowers, which was unavoidable after it was known that 
an early season was likely to ensue. I know of several northern exhi¬ 
bitors who were quite put out of the running by the early season and 
late dates of the exhibitions, who would otherwise have been strong 
had the shows been held but one week earlier. Under those circum¬ 
stances such growers were placed at a disadvantage. At the same time 
this cannot be advanced as an excuse for non-success. More credit 
certainly is due to the cultivator who timed his plants in such a manner 
that he was enabled to hold his own in competitions where he entered. 
I have thought for the last two or three years that northern societies 
fixed the dates of their exhibitions one week too late, and I am more 
than ever convinced of this after the present year’s experience. In this 
I am speaking with the concurrence of officials of some northern sho» s. 
I know that circumstances work against wishes in some instances, such 
as being unable to obtain the regular place of exhibition at given dates; 
but where such diflSculty does not exist I think societies would gain by 
trying a date one week earlier. So often do we hear the remark from 
exhibitors, “ If it had only been last week, I had such blooms of 
so-and-so Cfluoting their names); but, alas ! they are gone.” Every 
year the seasons seem to be earlier and earlier, that a few years since 
to talk of an exhibition in October would have been considered absurd, 
but now capital ones are held during that month. Indeed, at the first 
show I attended this year there were blooms of some sorts better than 
I have seen all the season through. 
The second reason which I consider caused a defect in the stands of 
incurved blooms is that owing to there being so many shows at about 
the same date sufficient time is not given to the preparation of the 
blooms requisite to present them in the best condition. Exhibitors 
are naturally anxious to secure as many honours as possible in a short 
space, but I think many will agree with me that the blooms suffer some¬ 
what on this account. In conversation with a first prize winner at a 
large northern exhibition I said, “ If your blooms were a little better 
finished they would be improved.” The answer was, “ We had not 
time to spend with them properly. There was another stand of blooms 
to be prepared for so-and-so, and we could not do it.” 
The blooms in the incurved section at the northern shows did not 
present such neatness and finish as those staged at the southern shows, 
which, owing to being so much earlier, gave the southern exhibitors an 
advantage in point of freshness of considerable value in the c.ase of 
incurved blooms. Blooms, although large, yet rough in character, 
many with defective centres, do not present that pleasing appearance 
and quality as do medium-sized, better formed, and consequently 
smoother specimens ; it is these latter which find most favour both with 
the public and judges alike. At the early shows the incurved gave 
great promise, but the sudden attack of damping which made itself felt 
after November 8th prevented the early promise of an exceptionally 
good season being fulfilled. 
The Japanese section did not suffer in the same proportion through 
the same cause. They have been well shown all through the season, 
being large, well coloured, and generally well staged. In some few 
instances the reverse has been the case. The blooms have been placed 
much too low on the stands, which is a great mistake ; the blooms lose 
so much in appearance, as they do not then exhibit their full size or 
form. Such standard varieties .as Boule d’Or, Avalanche, Ralph Brockle- 
bank, Criterion, Jeanne D^laux, and Mdme. Laing have maintained 
their position. Edwin. Molyneux and Mdme. C. Audiguier have been i 
seen in nearly all the leading stands, though perhaps of not quite such 
good quality. The slight falling off in the case of the former I attribute 
mainly to the early season and the late dates of the shows. 
During the early part of the season the “Queens” were shown in 
capital condition, being large, well built, good in colour, and neatly 
staged, but later on, owing to the prevalence of damp, which causes 
serious injury to the florets, especially the lower part of the flowers, 
they were somewhat rough and in some instances very stale on the ex¬ 
hibition table. Princess of Wales and its sports, especially the newer 
ones, have come out remarkably well, maintaining their position as 
flowers of the first order of merit. Anemone flowers, especially the 
large show section, have been well and numerously staged, not that 
large size has been the main point; the fulness of the centre or disc, 
the chief point in Anemone flowers, has been remarkably well developed. 
The same praise cannot be bestowed on the Japanese Anemone section, 
the majority of the blooms exhibited lacked what the show kinds pre¬ 
dominated in—full centres. A poor object indeed is a Japanese 
Anemone bloom with little or no centre, the thinness of the ray 
florets in some cases seems to aggravate the appearance of thin-centred 
flowers. The one variety above all others which three or four years 
since was looked upon as being the ideal Japanese Anemone, is now the 
most defective in this respect ; I allude to Fabian de Mediana. Can it 
be possible that the constitution of this variety in wearing out, the stock 
needing a rest and a restitution of its strength by planting out in the 
open for a season or two ? Perhaps this is the reason why so many 
badly coloured blooms are nowadays to be seen. With a few exceptions 
tbe blooms belonging to the reflexed section have not been exhibited 
in quite such good form as they were two or three years since. Althoug’n 
they have been even in size, fairly good in quality, they have not been 
well developed, thus lacking size and depth of petal, the latter a great 
point in a reflexed flower. One improvement in the staging of this 
section I am pleased to see is the gradual withdrawal of varieties which 
cannot be strictly classed as reflexed flowers of the correct type ; for 
instance, Magdeleine Tezier, Garibaldi, and the like, which have a 
habit of incurving the tips of their florets instead of imbricating them, as 
in the case of such true examples as Cloth of Gold and King of 
Crimsons. 
In the north of England and Scotland, too, it is surprising what 
little interest is taken amongst cultivators in these three last mentioned 
sections. The incurved and Japanese families appear to absorb nearly 
their whole attention, although I noticed an improvement in the reflexed 
and show Anemone classes at Liverpool as compared with last year 
even. At York and Edinburgh they were especially poorly represented. 
I presume it is merely a want of interest in these sections on the part 
of the growers which prevents their being seen in better condition. 
Perhaps I ought to except Hull in my complaint, as there were at 
that Show one or two good stands of Anemone blooms, the winner in 
this class being noted for this section, which points more strongly than 
ever to the fact of want of interest being the true cause of defective 
blooms. 
Pompons or Pompon Anemone varieties receive but scant attention 
in tbe north, which is a pity, as they add variety to an exhibition. 
Even the first prize stand at Hull fell short of what is to be seen 
at metropolitan exhibitions, not that I regard size as the standpoint 
of quality in a Pompon, I look upon form characteristic of the 
variety, avoiding all advances to coarseness, as in that manner I 
think the true Pompon is spoilt; full, close petalled blooms are what 
I like to see, which was the case of many of those in the stand in 
question. The only fault I could find in that was a lack of evenness. 
I did not see a stand of blooms worthy of the name, nearly all were 
badly staged, being cut with much too short a stem to each, rendering 
them short of foliage, which is just what is needed to give them a good 
appearance. In some cases they were placed in threes hard down on 
the stands, which gave the blooms a cramped appearance. There 
appears to be a lack of variety also, of which there is no necessity, as 
there is abundance of material in that direction. It is only the want 
of interest to be more keenly displayed I am sure, and then we should 
see these classes as well represented in the north of England as they are 
in the south. 
It will be seen that my whole remarks apply to the cut blooms 
simply for the reason that a much greater interest is taken in this 
part of Chrysanthemum culture than any other, the remainder I 
hope to discuss in another issue. 
Dates of Shows. 
I notice that there is an evident disposition amongst societies to lose 
no time in fixing the dates of their exhibitions for 1890. 1 am pleased 
to see this, as it shows a wish to avoid clashing with each other where 
such clashing of dates would interfere with the success of those con¬ 
cerned. It does seem a pity that societies, or their responsible officials, 
should not endeavour to steer clear of each other wherever it may be 
practicable. I am well aware that circumstances leave little choice 
sometimes, such as the inability to secure their recognised place of ex¬ 
hibition for a desired date. I note that the two most important societies 
in and near London, the National and Kingston, are both fixed for the 
same dates. As far as I have been able to judge during the last h.alf 
dozen years it matters little whether the dates be the same or not, 
because both Si cieties have ample supporters for insuring fine ex¬ 
hibitions. Societies have their own affairs to consider, independently 
of others, but where arrangements can be made amicably with each 
other it is well such should be done. Where the dates can be given 
