Ntveaifcer 29, 1891. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
493 
flora and Calanthe Veitchi, The flower is creamy white tinted rose, 
the margin of the lip being crimped (first-class certificate). 
Primula capitata Loxwood var. (C. J. Lucas).—This is a very fine 
variety of P. capitata. The flower is a rich dark blue (first-class 
certificate). 
Peinwardtia tetragyne (Sir T. Lawrence). — The bright yellow 
flowers of this favourite plant are very showy at this period of the year 
(award of merit). 
Ruellia macrantha (Sir Trevor Lawrence).—This is an old stove 
plant, but is seldom seen in gardens. The flowers are bright rosy pink, 
and are freely borne (award of merit). 
The Principles op Judging- at Flowee Shows. 
The essay on the above subject read by Mr. J. Douglas at the 
afternoon meeting at the Drill Hall proved very interesting, and 
created some little discussion, though not so much as the importance 
of the subject might have led people to suppose. 
In opening, the essayist remarked what a very difficult subject he 
had found it to deal with in a clear and lucid manner. To put his 
methods into practice was one thing, while to write it down was quite 
another. In his opinion the wording of schedules had a very important 
effect on the work of judges, and he thought that officials could not be 
too explicit in the framing of their rules to exhibitors, and as an instance 
of what he wished to emphasise he mentioned a case of disqualification 
at a Chrysanthemum show that is just now occupying the minds of 
many people in the horticultural world. In this case the rule used the 
word “ requested,” whereas no question could have arisen had “must” 
been substituted. He then proceeded to mention the confusion with 
which the words species, kinds, varieties, and sorts were used, and which 
often caused a great amount of trouble to the judges and misunderstand¬ 
ing among the exhibitors. The more clearly and decidedly a schedule 
was worded the better for all concerned, and the more likely were the 
judges to finish their work at the short time that was usually at their 
disposal. 
The essayist then made brief reference to those products that were 
sometimes shown as fruits and sometimes as vegetables, while the 
Tomato could be and was staged as both. The folly of judging fruits 
by their appearance entirely was here dwelt upon, though competent 
judges with a thorough knowledge of varieties were able from this to 
form an opinion as to their merits ; but where the competition was 
close it was always advisable to taste the produce before passing a final 
verdict. He thought that too much weight was given to size and 
appearance, and not enough to flavour, for he said no one would want a 
fruit that possessed size and a beautiful skin when its flesh was poor or 
even bad in flavour. As a particular example of this Melons were 
mentioned. Vegetables then took the attention of the essayist, and 
here he denounced coarseness in favour of neatness and good 
appearance. 
Referring to flowers, Mr. Douglas said that the absurdity of judging 
fruits by their appearance was only equal to that of judging flowers by 
their smell, though he thought that the latter attribute should be 
accorded more weight than was the case at present. He considered 
fragrance in a Rose or a Carnation a great point, but it must be 
accompanied by other good points, such as substance of petal and form 
of flower. With reference to Chrysanthemums, some knowledge of 
varieties should be brought to bear in the judging, attention being 
given to those that were hard and those that were easy to grow. Then 
as to the attributes that should be possessed by these flowers, he should 
say depth, form, colour, size, and freshness were the most important; 
and of these very great consideration should be given to the latter. 
Then the arrangement of colours had in close competition to be borne 
in mind, as also had the cleanliness or otherwise of the trays or boards 
that were being used. 
After many years’ experience both as an exhibitor and as a judge, 
he had come to the conclusion that the point method of judging was 
the one likely to give the most general satisfaction. In conclusion 
Mr. Douglas trusted that his paper would cause some discussion, as by 
this means the best points were the most likely to be brought out. 
The discussion was, however, brief but of great interest, Messrs. A, 
Dean, G, Gordon, and Sir J. Arbuthnot, Bart., taking part. A vote of 
thanks to Mr. Douglas and Mr. C. E. Shea for presiding, closed the 
meeting. 
GRAPE GROWING IN KENT—AN INQUIRY. 
It is an undisputed fact that uniform success does not always follow 
a successful grower of Grapes, when from various reasons he is trans¬ 
ferred from one garden to another in an adjoining, or, perhaps, distant 
county. The structure, its position and aspect, and the soil, which is 
perhaps the more important item, vary so considerably, that often a 
man is robbed of his reputation through circumstances over which he 
has no possible control. That this is so I have on more than one occa¬ 
sion had demonstrative evidence to prove, and no doubt numerous 
readers of the Journal of Horticulture have had similar experience. 
Among a small party of gardeners attending the late Crystal Palace 
Fruit Show, the subject of Grape growing was discussed, and it brought 
forth the somewhat remarkable assertion from one of the leading 
Kentish gardeners, that his county was one from which first-class 
Grapes was somewhat of a rarity. It would be interesting if some 
information could be furnished bearing on the subject under notice. 
It appeared as being the more remarkable because of the superior 
claims Kent has in fruit culture generally, and a remark made by one 
of the company that ought to be qualified to know, was to the effect 
that one particular Kentish garden possessed some of the finest soil in 
England, and yet had no fame for Grapes. I had the pleasure of 
inspecting the vineries under the charge of one of the beat all-round 
gardeners in that county, but as it was so late in the year there was no 
evidence beyond the state of the Vines to prove to what perfection 
Grapes were produced in their best season. Late Grapes were not in 
evidence, but the Vines everywhere had the appearance of being equal 
to the production of the best quality fruit. That Clackmannanshire and 
Middlesex are counties favourable to Grape growing, visitors to the 
great Fruit Show had ample demonstration, and Wiltshire, Gloucester¬ 
shire and Worcestershire are other counties from which excellent Grape* 
have been shown, but the information more particularly needed is 
whether Kent, iis a county, is unfavourable for the cultivation of the 
best exhibition Grapes ; if not, what are the reasons ? There is no doubt 
that the nature of the soil has the greatest influence for good or other¬ 
wise ; no chemical or other manures can be made a substitute for a natural 
soil. The constitution of soils vary even within the extent of a garden 
or field, and the same may be said of counties and districts. I might 
point out that the inquiry is not intended to reflect in any sense on the 
qualifications of the Kentish growers, but simply to substantiate or 
otherwise the statement made without solicitation.—W. S. 
FLORAL NOTES FROM THE WEST COAST OF 
ROSS-SHIRE. 
It would not, I think, be possible to find two consecutive season? 
more utterly unlike each other than the seasons of 1893 and 1891; each 
had their respective merits, and, on the whole, I should say that 1891 
has beaten 1893 as a flower year, but I fancy the latter has to thank the 
former a great deal for having by its abnormally hot spring and summer 
so ripened and prepared certain plants as to enable them to make a 
supreme effort this year, and, consequently, to do what some of them 
never did here before—namely, to bring forth their flowers and fruit to 
perfection. 
As an example of this, I will first take the Phormiums. Five or six 
years ago Messrs. Ant. Roozen & Son sent me plants, asking me to 
experiment with them, and try whether or not they would prove hardy 
here, under the influence of the Gulf Stream. Amongst others were the 
Phormiums, or New Zealand Flaxes, which are so ornamental for the 
conservatory and for the garden or shrubbery, where the climate will 
allow of their standing outside. I had six varieties, some gold and some 
silver striped, and others with purple or green foliage. They and 
Eulalias, Liberties, Yuccas, Bamboos, and Lilium giganteum throve 
amazingly ; but the Phormiums, though they grew in bulk year by year, 
showed no signs of blooming till this last May, when two of them sud¬ 
denly began to throw up flower spikes. On referring to the books, they 
told me the flowers would only be cream-coloured, whereas I had 
pictured them to myself as scarlet. The matter was, however, so far 
compromised by their turning out of a dull crimson, and most striking 
they looked with their handsome Aloe-like leaves below and their 9-feet 
high flower stems, smothered with blossoms, waving about in the breeze. 
I showed them later on, when full of ripe seed, to a friend who had 
spent most of his life in New Zealand, and he said my Phormiums 
looked just about as big and as happy as if they had never been removed 
from the land of the Maori, Perhaps I may be wrong in flattering 
myself that no other Phormiums have ever bloomed quite as far north as 
mine, as I am well aware that they are as nothing in comparison to the 
giants which are to be found somewhat further south, at Loch Hourn^ 
Head, where I hear my friend Mr, Birkbeck had one clump with 
fourteen spikes on it this year. All this blooming of Phormiums I put 
down to the intense heat of 1893. And so it was with the common 
Hydrangeas ; they hardly flowered with me in 1893, but their wood 
having been so well ripened, they bloomed far and away better this year 
that 1 ever saw Hydrangeas bloom in Scotland, with the exception of a 
few I once came across on the west side of Mull—some of the heads 
were as large and very nearly as blue as if they had grown on the shores 
of Como or Maggiore. 
Another effect of the heat of 1893 was the wonderful way it ripened 
seeds of every kind ; and if we had only taken the trouble to collect 
them we might have been quite independent of the foreign seed farms 
of Germany. I daresay my readers will hardly credit me when I say 
that we had blue Lobelias and Heliotropes coming up broadcast in our 
borders this season ; and as to Dahlia, Tigridia, Alonsoas, and Schizanthus 
seedlings, they came up like weeds 1 To show what a perfect success 
the seedling Dahlias were, I may mention that though one row of them 
faced a border containing a treble row of the very best named varieties, 
it would be hard to say which were the best, those grown from the 
home-saved seed, or those grown from bought tubers. I strongly advise 
everyone to go in for raising Dahlias from seed. 
Once more, I must tell of the effect of the heat of 1893. For the 
last three or four years I have been trying to grow the American 
Bramble “Wilson Junior” in my garden, but it was such a failure' 
that early last spring I ordered my gardener to consign them to the 
rubbish heap, but he very prudently took time to consider, and soon 
thereafter we noticed that they were going to blossom profusely, and. 
the blooms seemed extraordinary large and healthy looking. The next 
thing they did was to set, and in good time to ripen, and they made 
I us open our eyes quite as wide as did the Phormiums. Their fruit was 
