Noyember 1, 1894, 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
413 
pretty generally granted. The same causes operated very markedly in 
the case of some exhibitors, the principal of whom were unable to put 
in an appearance at the early shows. I noticed amongst other things in 
visiting the places of exhibition on the morning of the shows how very 
much the pernicious practice of dressing Eoses has increased. I say 
pernicious because I think it is much of a par with the painting of the 
Lily and the dyeing of the Carnation, and because I believe that nothing 
will so militate against our exhibitions as the knowledge that this 
practice becomes general. We are all aware how much it has had to do 
with other florist flowers ; perhaps in no case is it so thoroughly practised 
and BO completely recognised as in that of the Carnation and Picotee 
the Chrysanthemum and Dahlia are also brought under its influence. I 
have known a box of twenty-four Chrysanthemum occupying the 
exhibitor nearly twelve hours to prepare them for the show, at least so 
he told me, and others to whom I mentioned it told me most likely that 
it was so, while with regard to the Carnation I have known a loose 
looking flower so manipulated in a short time as to become a regular 
and symmetrically arranged one. I do not think, however, as some seem 
to imagine, that this has led to the introduction and greater popularity 
of the border Carnation and Japanese Chrysanthemum. Where the 
former are exhibited just as much dressing takes place as in the older 
florist favourites, and the same may be said of the Japanese Chrys¬ 
anthemum. The popularity of either is not influenced by these considera¬ 
tions, but by the development of the tastes for decoration both in the 
garden and in our dwellings, for both of these purposes these classes are 
better adapted. Still with all this, when I see exhibitors in some nook 
or corner quietly manipulating their Eoses I feel that they are dealing a 
blow at the further development of our favourite flower. It is true that 
the N.E.S. has set its face against over-dressing, but I am persuaded 
that this is not enough. It must I think condemn all dressing if 
sufBcient check is to be put to the practice. I noticed, too, in how 
many instances flowers are brought to the place of exhibition with a 
piece of bass tied round. I will not put this in the same category, for 
in truth it seems to keep the flowers in better condition when brought 
to the show place than in the old way, sometimes it is true the exhibitor 
forgets to snip it in one or two of his Eoses, and has to be recalled to 
bis stand. 
The increasing interest in the cultivation of Tea Eoses shows itself 
more and more each year. I think I have seen them in better condition 
in other years, although some magnificent blooms were staged. One is 
not likely soon to forget the grand Cleopatra exhibited by the Eev. F. E. 
Burnside at Windsor, a fitting companion to the Madame Cusin of the 
Eev. Foster Melliar of last year ; but everywhere the value of this class 
is being recognised, and it is only to be hoped that growers will not fall 
into the extreme of excluding H.P.’s from their gardens. A quarter full 
of Tea Eoses does not form a striking or brilliant object in the garden, 
as it lacks the colour that is requisite for such a purpose. 
A great deal of ill-considered babble has been talked about garden 
Eoses, and our sympathies have been enlisted on behalf of what people 
call “ the dear old garden Eoses ; ” but I do not think that the stand of the 
old Gallicas, and others, exhibited at the Crystal Palace will be likely to 
induce any grower to discard his H.P.’s for them ; and in truth stands 
of garden Eoses are mostly composed of some of the smaller Teas, 
Noisettes and dwarf Polyanthas, and some few of the single Eoses. 
Doubtless when the Hybrid Sweet Briars of Lord Penzance, which are 
to be distributed this autumn by Messrs. Keynes, Williams & Co. come 
to be more generally grown they will make a pleasing addition to our 
list. 
Of new Eoses there is not very much to record. But one gold medal 
was awarded by the N.E.S. which richly deserved the honour. It is one 
of the series of beautiful flowers which has been added to our collections 
by Messrs. Dickson & Son of Newtownards who have gained more 
medals than have been awarded to any of our raisers of seedling Eoses. 
The Clio of Messrs. William Paul & Son and Charles Gater, of Messrs. 
Paul & Son, are Eoses which will probably make their mark in the 
future. Of the foreign Eoses of last autumn absolutely nothing has 
been seen ; English nurserymen have been so bitten in times past that 
they are now more chary of listening to the high sounding phrases of 
the French raisers. Indeed this year has notably shown how difficult it 
is to introduce anything. I will not say that can excel but equal 
the introductions of bygone years ; when we see the medal for the best 
Eose in the show going to such old established favourites as Marie 
Baumann, Duchesse de Morny, Souvenir d’Blise, and The Bride only a 
sport from that old Eose Catherine Mermet, it is manifest that these 
still hold their ground as Eoses most difficult to beat. A new Eose may 
for a time enjoy a certain amount of popularity, but then gradually it 
sinks back into its proper position. When two years ago Gustave 
Piganeau was carried forward with such a rush I ventured to dissent 
from the general verdict then given, and said that its colour was against 
it, size being its chief recommendation ; we hear very little of the 
encomiums which were lavished on it when it was first exhibited. 
Our enjoyment of Eoses in our own gardens has been diverse from 
that of last year. Then the excessive heat and drought brought them out 
early and very soon sent them out of flower; but this was some¬ 
what compensated for by the autumnal blooming. Flowers were pro¬ 
duced both in Hybrid Perpetuala and in Teas in large numbers and 
were excellent in quality ; whereas this season the dull weather in June 
and July prolonged the Eose season proper to a greater length than 
usual, but at least, as far as I am concerned, autumnal blooming has been 
comparatively a failure. A rainfall of nearly 4 inches in September falling 
on more than half of the days in the month, Hybrid Perpetuals and the 
more full kinds of Teas, such as Souvenir d’Elise Vardon and Jean 
Ducher, had but a poor time of it. Of course there were a number of 
Teas which were fairly good, and but for them September would have 
been a roseless month. I am speaking, of course, of only a small 
collection, for where large numbers are grown there will always be 
flowers of more or less good quality to be had. Such then is my ex¬ 
perience of the Eose season of 1894, and we have been so often sorely 
disappointed that were it not that “ hope springs eternal in the human 
breast ” one might be tempted to ask whether we shall ever again have 
a good Eose season.—D., Deal. 
SECTIONAL VENTILATORS. 
I AM sending you the particulars of a sectional ventilator for green¬ 
houses, forcing houses, and other glass structures. It is constructed for 
attachment to the hot-water pipes, and can be fixed in a few seconds. 
By its use a constant circulation of air can be maintained at all seasons, 
night and day, of the same temperature as the house. 
It was designed principally for use in early Tomato houses and 
vineries, but will prove of equal value in all structures heated by hot- 
water pipes where it is desirable to insure a circulation of air without 
reducing the temperature. The ventilators are made of stout zinc. I 
am quite aware that ventilating with heated air is not a new idea, but 
I do not know of any system that provides a cheap and easy means of 
applying it to all kinds of glass structures. One of the chief recom¬ 
mendations of the present system is that it can be applied without any 
FIG. 3. 
iiippiiipiltii 
FIG. 64.— SECTIONAL VENTILATOES. 
alterations save the removal of a brick in the outside wall, through which 
the cold air passes to the ventilator, and in this aperture fig. 3 is fixed, one 
end coming flush or thereabouts with the outside wall, the other end 
passing through an aperture at the back of the ventilator. The following 
are the references to the woodcut (fig. 64) :—1, Ventilator, front view 
when fixed ; 2, ventilator, back view ; 3, attachment between wall and 
ventilator. The front is of perforated zinc ; full size of ventilator 18 by 
6 inches. The back, through which the cold air passes, has an aperture 
9 by 2| inches ; into this 3 passes from the wall, in which it is 
fixed.—F. D. Woolf, Southampton, 
CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOWS. 
HEETFOED.— October 25th and 26th. 
One of the first Chrysanthemum exhibitions held in the provinces 
this year took place on the above dates in the Corn Exchange, Hertford, 
under the auspices of the Hertford Horticultural Mutual Improvement 
Society. The show was opened by the Countess Cowper, and was 
well attended. As regards the exhibits these were, on the whole, of 
a superior character, the Japanese blooms being particularly good. As 
may be expected, the season is yet early for incurved flowers, which 
doubtless accounted for these not being so extensively shown. Those 
staged, however, were quite up to the average in merit, and were 
creditable to the respective growers. The groups, too, were very good, 
and miscellaneous autumn-flowering plants _ were well represented. 
Fruit formed a special feature of the exhibition, as did vegetables, the 
latter being splendidly represented. The arrangements were admirably 
carried out by Mr. Jason Fears, the honorary secretary, who was assisted 
by an efficient Committee. 
The leading class was for a group of Chrysanthemums in pots, to be 
arranged in a semicircle of 9 by 9 feet, quality of bloom and general 
effect to be the principal features. There were three groups staged, and 
these were noteworthy for the fine blooms and healthy appearance of 
