116 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 23, 1886. 
for the toothsome; while Cabbages, too, in 
great variety, turning in now, at Christmas, or 
at the close of the winter. Specially good 
are the tender, Eosette Coleworts, and for 
variety the Kales in the frosty season are 
delicious. Really, of the Brassicas alone we 
find a wealth of varied and delicious winter- 
vegetables. Then there are breadths of Turnips 
in rapid succession, and yet so arranged as to 
give pullings nearly all the rvinter. Carrots, 
Parsnips and Beet are all admirable winter 
roots, and the autumn-sown Onions prove of 
the greatest value in making mixed salads, in 
which cooked Beet with well-blanched hardy 
Endives and Lettuces figure so prominently. 
Look, again, at Celery—what a prominent 
feature is not this in any good garden 1 We 
could not have this pleasing salad in summer, 
and if we had should hardly enjoy it; but 
under the winter sky it becomes so sweet and 
crisp that it is well worth submitting to some of 
the trials of hard seasons, that we may be 
enabled to enjoy the rich flavour of well- 
blanched Celery. Breadths of Endive and 
hardy Lettuce are provocative of dainty snacks 
of lobster salad, with accompaniments of ham 
and fowl, in the one case; or, perhaps, in a 
humbler fashion, helps to the enjoyment of cold 
ham or of cheese. We may not, in this rough 
resume of the contents of a good vegetable 
garden during the winter, omit mention of such 
a useful product as Spinach, a vegetable if little 
esteemed during the summer when more tempt¬ 
ing kinds are plentiful, is far too good to be 
ignored in the winter. 
It is not only that this wealth of hardy 
products renders gardening in the winter pro¬ 
fitable, it makes it also enjoyable. A garden 
devoid of all green vegetables in the winter 
is little better than a desert. Those who 
need vegetable luxuries may find in their 
gardens, making no display, but still there in 
useful form, such roots as Sea Kale, Asparagus 
and Rhubarb. These are resting, but, still, 
awaiting only the warmth needful to promote 
growth and development. Lift these roots and 
place them into gentle heat, such as the sun 
will give to the open ground in the spring, and 
they will soon give a wealth of good things— 
food for gourmands whose palates need some¬ 
thing more refined than Brassicas. But for 
winter, we should not realise to the full the 
value and usefulness of one half of our garden 
vegetables. 
-- 
Mr. Stevens, of Trentham, died on Wednesday 
last, see p. 126. 
The young gardeners at Chiswick have established a 
Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Association, with 
Mr. A. F. Barron as president; Mr. John Fraser, Kew, 
as chairman ; and Mr. John Barry as secretary. 
Mr. R. Welles, for the last two years foreman at 
Balrath Burry, Kells, has been appointed gardener to 
W. G. Ashby, Esq ,Tlie Highlands, Burgess Hill, Sussex. 
A Severe storm passed over High Wycombe on 
Tuesday night, during which the hailstones literally 
cut the leaves of Strawberry and other plants into pieces. 
The Chrysanthemum Shows in the Temple Gardens 
and Finsbury Park, were opened early in the week, but 
will not he at their best for another week or ten days. 
We hear that the Finsbury Park Show promises to be 
unusually fine. 
To-morrow, Sunday, M. Ed. Pyxaert, of Ghent, is 
to be presented with a? splendid work of art in bronze, 
and an album of portraits of his friends, to commemo¬ 
rate the termination of his twenty-five years’ service as 
Professor of the State School of Horticulture at Ghent. 
Me. Thomas Bradshaw, lately at Charlville, Tulla- 
more, has been appointed gardener at Hillsboro’ Castle, 
County Down, Ireland. 
At the meeting of the Belgian Chamber or Hor¬ 
ticulture, held in Ghent on the 15th inst., Certificates 
of Merit were awarded to Messrs. Vervaet & Co., for 
Odontoglossum crispum var. de Pacho ; and to Messrs. 
Desbois & Co., for Richardia aethiopica fol. var. 
Me. E. Molyxeux, Swanmore Park Gardens, Bishop’s 
Waltham, v r ho during the last few years has taken 
most of the leading prizes for Chrysanthemums in the 
South of England, has in the press an illustrated book 
on the subject, which is expected to he ready for publi¬ 
cation about November 1st. 
At a meeting of the Council of the Scottish Horti¬ 
cultural Association, held in 5, St. Andrew Square, 
Edinburgh, on Tuesday night, Mr. Alexander Milne, 
president, in the chair, it was definitely arranged to 
hold a great Chrysanthemum show in Dowell’s Rooms, 
George Street, on Tuesday and Wednesday, 7th and 3th 
December. 
We understand that Messrs. Sutton & Sons, 
Reading, have been awarded a Gold Medal for their ex¬ 
tensive exhibits of seeds, grasses, &c., at the Liverpool 
International Exhibition of Shipping and Commerce. 
This makes the second Gold Medal which the Messrs. 
Sutton have been awarded at Liverpool this year ; the 
first one being for the magnificent display of Horti¬ 
cultural produce—seeds and grasses in growth—made 
by them at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Great 
Provincial Show. 
The Lewisham and District Floral Society 
announce their Chrysanthemum Show for Friday and 
Saturday, November 12th and 13th, at the Ladywell 
Public Baths, Lewisham, and judging from the success 
of their summer show we anticipate a capital exhibition. 
The society, which is chiefly composed of amateurs, 
was only formed last year, and has already a roll of 
about 200 members. The schedule contains classes«for 
amateur members, and open classes for nurserymen and 
gentlemen’s gardeners. In the open class a prize of £o 
is offered for forty eight blooms (twenty-four Japanese 
and twenty-four incurved) ; altogether they offer seven 
silver and eight bronze medals of the National Chrysan¬ 
themum Society, together with certificates and a good 
list of money prizes. It is only fair to say, the success 
of this young society is mainly owing to their enthu¬ 
siastic hon. secretary, Mr. Henry Drake, of 64, Limes 
Grove, Lewisham. 
At the usual fortnightly meeting of the Maidstone 
Gardeners’ Society, held on the 14tli inst., there 
was a fairly good attendance of members, and a rather 
more that average display upon the tables. After a 
general discussion on the subjects exhibited, Mr. Archer 
started a debate on Aster culture, in which Messrs. 
Godden, Elbourn, Carr, Robinson, Pettit, Loveland, 
and Town, joined ; the greatest divergence of opinion 
being about the time and manner of sowing the seed, 
and the advisability of disbudding for exhibition 
purposes. The committee announced that after giving 
the matter their most careful consideration they were 
unanimously of opinion that Wednesday was a better day 
upon w-hich to meet than Thursday, and they strongly 
recommended a return to the Wednesday evening 
meetings. This recommendation was adopted, and, con¬ 
sequently, the next meeting will be held on Wednesday 
next, when the subject of Bouvardia cultivation will be 
introduced. Commencing with the first meeting in 
January next, a series of monthly shows v\ ill be held, 
on much the same lines as the fortnightly exhibitions 
of the past session, but the details are not yet settled. 
--- 
JUDGING CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
I thank “A. D.” for draw-ing attention to my 
omission of reference to “distinctness” as an essential 
quality in a stand of any number of varieties ; I thought 
I had referred to that matter, as it was in my mind at 
the time of writing, and I meant doing so. I can 
scarcely agree with the suggestion that sub-varieties 
should be excluded from stands of any number, but 
this is a matter for the consideration of the committees 
of Chrysanthemum shows, and judges ought not to 
consider this unless the schedules specifically state that 
no sub-varieties can be admitted, or only a certain 
number of sub-varieties. When two stands are equal 
in every other respect, then the stand containing the 
most distinct colours should he placed first ; but I do 
not think that distinctness of colour, or rather, the 
greatest diversity of colour should be allowed too much 
weight, although I know some judges lay great stress 
upon that. An absence of colouring does not neces¬ 
sarily imply an absence of beauty ; nor can violent 
contrasts compare with a harmonious blending of 
colours and tints ; the one is too frequently the outcome 
of vulgarity, whilst the other is a true index of refine¬ 
ment, and, as such, ought to be encouraged, but not 
to the disparagement of distinct colours in general or 
of any colour in particular. 
1 have said that I could scarcely agree with the 
suggestion of “A D.” in regard to sports or sub- 
varieties, and my reason is because many of our most 
beautiful Chrysanthemums would be excluded. I do 
not think, either, his objections to “sports” in par¬ 
ticular rests upon a sound basis ; for if once we admit 
the principle of ineligibility on account of proneness or 
liability to revert to parent forms, where shall we be 
able to stop ? “Sports” are not the only variations 
that are liable to revert. The desirability, or other¬ 
wise, of forming classes for botanically distinct varieties 
is a legitimate subject for discussion, and I hope 
“A. D.” will favour us with his views more fully. 
Where two flowers of the same kind are exhibited in a 
stand that ought to contain distinct sorts, such stand 
would be rightly disqualified—in saying this I am con¬ 
sidering “sports” like Golden Empress, George Glenny, 
and Golden Queen of England as distinct varieties ; 
but in the case quoted at p. 91 the varieties were 
distinct in the sense desired by “A. D.” 
I am sorry “ A.D.” underrates the statement about 
colour-blindness. It is an affliction far more wide¬ 
spread than he appears to think, and very likely more 
than is commonly believed ; but, comparatively few of 
those so afflicted are disposed to admit it, even when 
their defect is very palpable ; and “A D.” himself 
shows that my remarks are not quite groundless, by 
asking exhibitors to present more “absolute distinct¬ 
ness” of colours, owing to it being “very hard, indeed, 
to distinguish one flower from another.” 
I submit, with all respect to “A. D.,” that to an 
experienced man with fairly good eyesight, and with 
the advantage of a good light, it is not very difficult to 
distinguish the varying shades of the different colours 
when placed in juxtaposition, as they are in the case of 
Chrysanthemums on exhibition stands, even the degrees 
of whiteness being very distinguishable between some 
varieties. For example, who would confound the 
almost “ dead” white of Mrs. Rundle with the creamy 
white of Eve, or the pearly whiteness of Venus with 
the nearly opaque whiteness of Mrs. Heale ? Then, 
again, who would take the nearly triangular-formed 
petal of White Globe for the broad strap-shaped petal 
of Empress of India? and each variety varies in texture 
and transparency of petal. 
If we take the pink-coloured Chrysanthemums, we 
have still greater distinctness in shades. Taking 
Princess of Teck as the palest, and which may correctly 
be termed blush-white, it is a “far cry ” to the delicate 
pink of Queen of England, and quite a contrast when 
compared with the deep rosy pink of Alfred Salter ; 
then we have decidedly different pinks in Hero of Stoke 
Newington and Lady Harding, and in Empress Eugenie 
and Novelty. 
There is as great diversity amongst the yellow Chry¬ 
santhemums, from the rich Indian yellow of Mr. 
Bunn, the golden yellow of Jardin des Plantes, the 
dull deep yellow of Mrs. Dixon, and the lighter yellow 
of Golden Beverley; through the shades of Primrose- 
yellow of Golden Empress, Golden Queen of England, 
and George Glenny, to the pale straw or creamy white 
of Lord Alcester. We have the same distinctness of 
shades through the bronzes, reds, crimsons and purples, 
and if exhibitors take care not to set up varieties that 
are synonymous, there ought not to be any blunders 
committed by those whose duty it is to make the 
awards ; but considerable mischief has been done by 
unscrupulous people sending out old varieties under 
new names, thereby causing great confusion and many 
heart-burnings. At one time there was scarcely a list 
of Chrysanthemums extant but what had several 
varieties under twice as manj T different names ; and 
judges in times past being aware of this state of things, 
have exercised a wise toleration and forbearance in the 
matter of disqualifying stands that they had reason to 
think contained duplicates, but which, in perhaps all 
cases, were set up iu good faith as distinct varieties by 
the exhibitors. The National Chrysanthemum Society 
is doing a good work in trying to check and eradicate 
the evil, and I am sure all lovers of the Chrysanthemum 
will heartily co-operate with them. 
Committees of Chrysanthemum Societies, and for 
that matter all kindred societies, should exercise great 
care in drafting their schedules, especially the classes ; 
the terms relating thereto being so distinctly specified, 
that it shall be almost impossible for strangers to in- 
