572 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 20,1894. 
the nataral graces of that beaatifnl spot, but also from the brilliant 
attendance which was to be found there. I have often been told that 
our shows are not easily surpassed as regards the pleasing appearance it 
has when it is held there. In the year 1847 mention is made that the 
declaration of the Crimean War was on the 22nd May, and this was the 
same day as the spring show. This, of course, affected the takings of 
that exhibition, and another thing of note was that at the June 
exhibition in that year the total amount taken at the doors realised the 
small sum of £4, owing to the inclement weather. 
The Koyal Agricultural Society patronised Exeter in 1850, and the 
Devon and Exeter Society held the summer show on two of the days it 
was here, and evidently made a very good thing out of it, as over £622 were 
taken in gate money alone. The show was held on the lawn fronting Mount 
Badford House, by the kind permission of the Kev. C. R. Roper. In 
the year 1852, having some £380 to the good, another line was taken in 
conjunction with one of the shows, and that was an exhibition for 
poultry, and which seemed to have had considerable success. These 
shows were afterwards kept for many years. 
One of the striking events in the whole of its history was that of the 
spring show in 1855 being held on the same day as was appointed for 
the “ peace rejoicings ” after the Crimean War, this being the 26th May. 
The Committee tried their utmost to help the commemoration of 
that memorable day, and readily met the civil authorities by lowering 
their prices to induce the people to visit the show. This privilege 
seems to have been greatly appreciated, and a large number attended. 
It is a most curious coincidence that this Society should have held shows 
on the day of declaration of war, as I have mentioned before, and again 
on the day of declaration of peace rejoicings. 
Of some of Mr. Gray’s valuable services I have spoken of before, 
but I think it will be interesting to know of the only two life members 
now living he is one, and I gather from a report Mr. Gray was elected 
as such in 1859 for the assistance he had then rendered for a period of 
nearly twenty years. Mr. Gray was appointed Assistant Secretary in 
1838, Mr. John Dunstan being the Hon. Sec. ; the latter resigned in 
1841, and Mr. Gray was appointed in his stead. I think I am right in 
saying that Mr. Gray has done more for this organisation than anyone 
who has had connection with it, and I am confident I shall not be 
doing an injustice to the many others who have given so much valuable 
assistance in the years that have past in saying this; and while speaking 
on this topic I feel I must also add the well-known name of the late 
Rev. John Huyshe. One cannot go through the papers such as I have 
done without seeing the great interest he took in all gardening circles, 
and of the value he was to this Society for a very long period. There is 
a long list of other gentlemen who have rendered inestimable services at 
various times. 
It would seem that in 1860 the members of this Society were in the 
same position as we are just now as regards the summer show, lack of 
support in the attendance, and they then decided to give a ball and 
concert in connection therewith, which was done, and very successfully, 
as the takings for the two days and for the ball and concert amounted 
to the splendid sum of £500. I am afraid it would be an impossibility 
to do such a thing now with the great number of attractions and amuse¬ 
ments of this class, but one cannot help feeling in a Society like ours, 
with such a long record, that history very often repeats itself, and what 
we suffer now is but a repetition of that in time past. Exhibitions of 
poultry, dogs, cats, and rabbits were also held at this period. In 1874 
the Society had a display of fireworks. The exhibition and fireworks 
were held at Mr. Follett’s premises, which is, I believe, now the Polstoe 
Park Estate, and no less a sum than £90 was taken for the fireworks alone. 
With respect to the prizes awarded in the early years of the Society 
it was customary to give only first prizes, and 1 observe in 1829 the 
highest prize awarded was £2 23., and this was offered for the best Pine 
Apple. I hardly know if a Pine Apple was of great merit at that time 
to be so singled out. I observe amongst some novelties were classes for 
wine, made from Grapes grown in the open ; for the best specimen of 
wine, made from any other fruit or vegetable of English growth ; also 
for Devonshire cider, and no doubt these classes proved interesting. In 
regard to collections of stove and greenhouse plants the prizes, I am 
afraid, would be considered rather inadequate now, as the first prize 
would be 1 guinea. For collections of vegetables of twenty sorts the prize 
was £1. I am speaking of some fifty years back, when these things had 
not attained the height of perfection as at present. I was interested to 
find that at the Committee meetings it was usual to award prizes to any¬ 
thing of merit grown by the usual exhibitors, and for years this rule was 
kept up, and a number of prizes would seem to have been awarded. 
As the Society progressed prizes were of a considerable higher value, 
and at the July show, 1850, this being the date of the Royal Agricultural 
Show, over £50 were offered for groups of plants alone, the Society being 
at that time very well off, having over £300 in hand. I see some who 
are prizetakers now are the same as those who exhibited at the first 
show. In the first records I have seen I notice the names of Sir 
T. D. Acland, Bart., Messrs. C. G. Sclater, J. Gidley, Lucombe & Co., 
Sir S. H. Northcote, Mr. Veitch, Divett, Lord Rolle, Sir L. V. Palk, 
Lord Clifford, J. Milford, Mr. Kekewich, Sir J. Kennaway, and many 
others too numerous to mention ; and we all know that not a few of 
these names are still to be found as our warm supporters. 
Nurserymen of Exeter have always been well-known men in the 
country, and we have always been well treated by them with good displays, 
and notably among them I noticed mentioned Messrs. Veitch, Sclater, 
Pince & Co., afterwards Lucombe, Pince & Co., and the reports have 
spoken of them in the highest terms as regards the collections exhibited. 
In the year 1878 the Society was at a very low ebb in financial’ 
matters, and at a general meeting in that year the sum of £140 then 
standing to their credit on deposit had to be withdrawn to discharge 
their liabilities. This sum was the amount of the life subscriptions 
given by those who had become life members. I notice, according to the 
present rules life members are donors of ten guineas and upwards, but 
it would seem that there has not been any appointed for many 
years. In July. 1878, the Society lost the valuable services of Mr. Gray 
in his capacity of Hon. Sec., of which he had been for a period of forty 
years, and I believe I am correct in saying he is the oldest member of 
the Society now living as I gather ; but I am pleased to say at the 
present day he still takes a deep interest in our welfare. Upon Mr. 
Spray’s resignation Mr. C. B Sanders was appointed Hon. Sec. In 1879 
Mr. T. M. Snow was appointed Hon. Treasurer in lieu of the Rev. John 
Huyshe, resigned. In 1879 the Bath and West of England Agricultural 
Society came to Exeter, and a show was held at Mount Radford House 
in the same week, but was not a success ; it was kept open for two days, 
but the weather was very unfavourable, which no doubt accounted for 
its non-success. 
In 1883 the dissatisfaction which seems to have been brewing for a 
long time against the manner of conducting the Society came to a 
climax. Prior to this year no one was allowed to be a subscriber unless 
he paid a guinea, and gardeners were not permitted on the Committee, 
and the gardeners seemed to have felt that they were not treated in the 
manner as they should be by the Society, and there appeared to have 
been a lack of sympathy towards them. Steps were taken to form 
another Society, but fortunately this was not carried out, as these 
threats seemed to have forced the hands of the Society, and a reorgani¬ 
sation of it was made upon the more broader basis as it now stands, and 
which I feel sure has never been regretted, as there is no doubt the 
gardening members of the Committee are some of its most valued 
members. Mr. C. B. Sanders resigned in 1883, and Mr. C. J. K. Roberts 
was elected Hon. Sec. 
I will now here give a r^sum4 of the various Chrysanthemum shows 
held under the Society’s auspices, and I hope to prove that this exhibi¬ 
tion was started earlier than many persons think. The first Chrysan¬ 
themum show was that held on November 19th, 1850, a period of 
forty-four years ago. It was held at the Royal Public Rooms and com¬ 
bined with it Apples and Pears, aimilar to what is now held. There 
were only thirteen classes ail told, of which seven were for Chrysanthe¬ 
mums. This innovation did not seem to fake, as the admission money was 
only £3 lls„ I believe the lowest record taking for us. Another was held in 
1854 and again in 1856, when the latter was even on a smaller scale, 
there being only eleven classes, five of which being for Chrysanthemums, 
but not being patronised sufficiently it was then decided to repeat the 
same only every third or fourth year. Another was held in 1859 on 
somewhat of a larger scale, and again in 1860, but from the latter date to 
18711 have no record to show that any was held. From 1871 to 1881 none 
was certainly held, but in that year (^1881) it was again started, and I 
presume I am right in saying that this one was the real forerunner of our 
present autumn exhibitions. It was repeated in 1882, and then discon¬ 
tinued until 1884, when an exhibition was held for Apples and Pears, 
but 1 cannot find any mention of Chrysanthemums ; this was an extra 
show held by some of the gardenersVho usually exhibited, and was given 
without prizes. Thanks to their energy and good feeling about £13 were 
added to the funds, which were at that time very low. 
The spring show in 1884 was held on two of the days on which the 
Devon County Agricultural Association visited Exeter, and it was held 
in a field at the top of Tiverton Road, facing the show, but resulted in a 
loss, a contrast to some of the successes which had favoured us when 
combined with the visits of such societies. 
In the year 1885 the Society kept their autumn exhibition open for 
two days, but unfortunately the purpose for which it was intended was 
not attained, as the receipts on the second day did not even meet the 
expenses. The first evening fSte held under the auspices of the Society, 
and which has been kept up ever since, was held in 1886, and proved a 
great success, over £85 being taken at the f@te alone. I am sorry to say 
we do not realise that sum now. 
In 1887 Mr. Roberts resigned his office as Hon. Secretary, with much 
regret by the members, as he had proved himself a most valuable oflScer 
to them, and through his endeavours the Society had been put on a 
different position from what it was when he took office. Mr. Gann, the 
present Secretary, was appointed on his resignation. Through the 
kindness of Mr. Hope, one of the Secretaries, I find there was another 
Society started in 1847, called “ The Exeter Florists’ Society,” and 
exhibitions were held once a year exclusively for certain florists’ plants. 
I have been unable to obtain any information as to the success it 
attained, nor can I say why it was promoted, nor how long it lived. 
I now purpose speaking briefly upon its development or growth, or 
rather, I should say, upon its present position, as I feel I have not the 
experience to criticise the various shows held for any period with 
authority. Many exhibitors have told me that for quality we are 
surpassed by very few. I have also been told that it is only in the 
numbers of groups and specimen plants we fall off with that of larger 
societies. I suppose it is incumbent for me to say something on our 
future course as regards the summer shows, though I can say but very 
little, as it is hardly within my province to pass any opinion. There is 
an opinion that a change is good, and that we should revert to a Rose 
show next year. Whether it will be held or not I cannot say, but no 
doubt we shall shortly know. It meets with favour with many people, 
and if combined with other things will be acceptable. 
