August 21, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
803 
NEW CLEMATIS, 
“BEAUTY OF WORCESTER.” 
T3ICHAED SMITH & Co. are now book- 
ing orders for this charming novelty for delivery 
in September. For description and figure see Garden¬ 
ing World, July 3rd. Price, 5s. each. 
Special quotation to the Trade on application. 
Jotin’s ISfurseries, WORCESTER, 
NARCISSUS, “SIR WATKIN.” 
The largest stock of this (the best) Narciss grown, also 
all other varieties worthy of cultivation. 
PRICED CATALOGUE POST FREE ON APPLICATION. 
James iiei'iis & @ @ s® ®» 
“NEWTON” NURSERIES, CHESTER. 
DUTCH BULBS CHEAP. 
FRENCH BULBS CHEAP. 
ENGLISH BULBS CHEAP. 
SEE OUR WHOLESALE CATALOGUE OF BULBS, 
FREE ON APPLICATION, 
Containing List of all the best varieties of HYACINTHS, 
TULIPS, CROCUS, LILIUMS, DAFFODILS, IRIS, SNOW¬ 
DROPS, &c. _ 
WATKINS 8b SIMPSON, 
SEED AND BULB MERCHANTS, 
CONTENTS. 
PAGE 
Aberdare Horticultural .. 814 
Amateurs’ Garden. 807 
Cattleya granulosa asper- 
ata . 810 
Chrysanthemum Culture.. 804 
Chrysanthemums and Ear¬ 
wigs . 810 
Cottagers’ Flower Show .. S04 
Dasylirion serratifolia .... 810 
Gardeners’ Calendar. 811 
Glenhurst, Esher . 808 
Heatherbank and Oakwood 806 
Fair Lawn, Lytham. 807 
Flowers at Reading . 805 
Flower pots, improved., .. 804 
PAGE 
Flower Show Affinities.... 803 
Fuchsia, a large. S10 
Hastings Horticultural .. 812 
Heating by Hot-water_S04 
Liliums, notes on . 805 
London Gardening. 808 
Obituary . 814 
Orchid Notes . S10 
Peas, notes on. 810 
Plants going blind. 810 
Scottish Gardening . 807 
Shropshire Horticultural.. 811 
Taunton Deane Hort.813 
Tobacco Cultivation. 804 
Weston-Super-Mare Hort.. 812 
P Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man.” —Bacon. 
SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 1886. 
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DANIELS-BRO? NORWICH 
KENT: The Garden of England. 
Fruit Trees for the Million! 
GEORGE BUNYARD & GO ’S 
New (Copyright) Illustrated and Descriptive 
CATALOGUE 
Flower Show Affinities. —How far the com¬ 
mittee of management of a horticultural society 
may, with all proper regard to the undoubted 
respect due to horticulture, depart from the 
specific objects and purposes of their association 
and its floral exhibitions in associating these 
with certain elements of amusement, in no way 
pertaining to horticulture, is a topic that has 
often been discussed fn the past, and is likely 
to be discussed till flower shows are no more. 
Without doubt the genuine gardener, no matter 
what section of horticulture he may most 
practice in, or admire, has little soul for the trivi¬ 
alities and tomfooleries which to so many others 
are the only sources of enjoyment. When 
gardening is loved it begets love, and, even 
more, it begets higher thoughts and aspirations 
in the human mind. Naturally such votaries 
of horticulture as these see with sadness, if not 
with disgust, flower shows converted into rowdy 
fetes, and the pure delights of gardening levelled 
down to the associations of Punch and Judy 
and music hall absurdities. 
OF 
PETTIT TREES, 
Which contains “ a mine of useful informa¬ 
tion,” and specially written Articles for 
VILLA GARDENERS. 
May be had post free for six stamps from 
The Old Nurseries, MAIDSTONE. 
FLOWER SHOWS. 
R 
OYAL HOETICHLTHEAL SOCIETY, 
SOUTH KENSINGTON, S.W. 
NOTICE !—COMMITTEE MEETINGS, Fruit and Floral, at 11 
a.m., in the Conservatory, on Tuesday next, August 24th. 
COTTAGERS' AND ARTIZANS’ SHOW OF FRUIT AND 
VEGETABLES. 
N.B.—Open to Fellows at Twelve o’clock, and the Public at 
One o’clock. 
/OEYSTAL PALACE ANNUAL FEUIT 
KJ EXHIBITION AND GRAND NATIONAL DAHLIA 
SHOW, September 3rd and 4th. Schedules on application to 
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GRAND FLOWER and FRUIT SHOW, THURSDAY, 
FRIDAY, and SATURDAY, September 9, 10, 11. Schedules 
now ready, which may he had of 
Winter Gardens, Blackpool. 
Mr. BINNS, Manager. 
National Chrysanthemum Society, Eoyal 
Aquarium, Westminster, 
G EAND EXHIBITION of Dahlias, Gladioli, 
Early Chrysanthemums, &c., Thursday aud Friday, 
September 9th and 10th. Schedules free on application to 
WILLI AM HOLMES, Hon. Sec., Frampton Park Nurseries, 
Hackney. 
Revised official Chrysanthemum Catalogue, now ready, 6d*per copy. 
It is true that we find associations of this 
sort w r ith flower shows far from common at 
present, and for so much we are thankful. Still 
we cannot ignore the signs of the times, or be 
oblivious of the fact that while there are 
numbers of societies holding flower shows only, 
or in association as they certainly always should 
he with high-class music, and depending on 
these attractions only to draw crowds within 
their gates, have the greatest difficulty in 
making both ends meet, while the few who 
have introduced the objectionable features we 
deplore are in a flourishing financial condition. 
Eegret it as we may, flower shows pure and 
simple do not draw as they used to do, especi¬ 
ally in large towns, and many a committee recog¬ 
nises the fact, much as they may personally 
dislike it, that other attractions must be pro¬ 
vided if the gate has to be depended upon to 
furnish the sinews of war. 
But what should those attractions he 1 Of 
course committees have the fullest liberty to do 
as they like in this matter. Some are content 
to provide indifferent music, others show more 
appreciation for quality and furnish music of 
the best description, and this seems to be always 
a safe card to play. A Guard’s band is an im¬ 
mense attraction everywhere—stay, perhaps we 
ought not to include Liverpool, where one 
recently played a whole afternoon to empty 
chairs ! hut that was an exception to prove 
the rule. Other committees have given their 
patrons some vocal music, and, if good of its 
kind, always with excellent results. Glees, 
part-songs, and choruses rendered by a good 
choir in the open air, and especially on calm 
summer evenings, allied to good instrumental 
music, certainly present associations of which 
no horticulturists could he ashamed, whilst 
they are essentially elevating and productive of 
the highest enjoyment. Others again have 
permitted dancing, and here they have not 
erred either, because we have always found 
dancing by a mixed company of people in 
public to be conducted with entire propriety. 
Not less proper has been the association of some 
athletic sports with flower shows, as these, if 
well conducted, afford pleasure to all who care 
for the physical welfare of the young. 
Formerly, the most pronounced forms of 
athletic sports were found in ring-fights, single¬ 
stick combats, climbing greasy poles, and other 
rough-and-tumble proceedings neither healthful 
nor edifying. These things have generally 
given place to a taste for athletic contests of a 
higher and far more pleasing order, and these 
sports are here and there not improperly en¬ 
grafted upon flower shows ; but from pastimes 
of this kind to wretched buffoonery is a long 
drop, and the conversion of a flower show into 
a great speculative fete, in which many of the 
old elements of Cremorne and Greenwich Hill 
are found conjoined, is something calculated to 
invite sharp and caustic criticism. 
There seems a curious lack of consistency in 
claiming refining influences for flower shows with 
which are associated “ popular amusements.” 
In one case especially, which lately came under 
our notice, a judge, in responding to a toast, 
praised flower shows for this reason, and yet 
at this same exhibition, two days later, there 
were found all the associations which cluster 
round vulgar entertainments, serving to attract 
over 20,000 people, very few of which number, 
it is feared, found in the flower show counter¬ 
acting influences, but rather sought for and 
found more congenial forms of amusement. We 
might imagine that a society which invoked the 
patronage of royalty would not be anxious to 
attract the patronage of the rowdy. Still more 
when it vaunts that it has a roll of 1,200, 
members, we may well ask are there not some 
among its patrons to whom this sort of thing is 
distasteful 1 Nay, it is grossly inconsistent to 
have scruples, as some have, against exhibiting 
at a certain metropolitan place of popular resort, 
and yet sanction or favour competition at such 
a gathering as this upon which we are com¬ 
menting. 
Besides, there is danger in bringing together 
at a flower show very large numbers of the ’Arry 
class, and those who do this cannot too soon 
realise the risks they run. In the recent in¬ 
stance the crowd was so large and boisterous 
that it surged round the platforms upon which 
the amusements were proceeding, and brought 
them to an early end. What would he the 
result to the Society if such a mass of somewhat 
roug-h elements were to turn their attention to 
the contents of the tents and produce a panic 1 
Surely such a thing is possible, especially should 
20,000 people, some fete day, find a heavy rain¬ 
fall driving them to shelter. We sympathise 
heartily with those flower show committees who, 
from force of circumstances, may he compelled, 
as it were, ere long to strengthen their pro¬ 
gramme by the introduction of extraneous 
features of attraction; but we would impress 
upon them at the same time that real, honest, 
and satisfying enjoyment can and ought to he 
found apart from “ niggers ”—always detestable 
shams—•“ knock-’em-jiowns,” “ Aunt Sally,” and 
music-hall comiques (in name only). Good 
music, good singing, good sports, and similar 
enjoyments may always be furnished, and yet 
the horticultural element never find loss or 
degradation in the associations. 
