December 4, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD- 
221 
as to keep them much shorter than formerly, and it 
has been proved beyond question that equally good 
flowers can be produced by such plants. He failed to 
see much beauty in a plant that one has to mount a 
step ladder to enable him to examine the flowers 
thereof. It is a matter of surprise to many people that 
the early-flowering varieties are not more extensively 
grown for the decoration of the out-door garden during 
the autumn months. There is an orange-yellow variety 
which begins to flower early in August, continues for 
three months to be one of the brightest ornaments of 
the garden, and is invaluable for cutting purposes. In 
addition to the passages given above, which are of 
general interest, Mr. Neild gave the meeting many 
valuable practical hints as to the cultivation and proper 
management of this particular plant. 
The President, Messrs. Lunt, Bennett, J. S. Butter- 
worth, W. B. Upjohn (secretary), and Williams took 
part in the brief discussion which followed. 
Royal Horticultural Society of Aber¬ 
deen : Annual Meeting.— The annual meeting 
of this society was held in the Music Hall, Aberdeen, 
on Saturday evening, the 27th ult. ; there was a large 
attendance of members. Councillor Lyon, chairman 
of the acting directors, presided. The secretary, Mr. 
A. M. Byres, C. A., Aberdeen, read the minutes of the last 
annual meeting, which were approved. The directors’ 
report and statement of accounts were then read, as 
follows:—“ In submitting the annual report for 1886, 
your directors desire to express the grateful thanks of 
the society to Her Majesty the Queen for the handsome 
prize which Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to 
continue this year. The best thanks of the society are 
due to the Right Hon. the Earl of Aberdeen ; Sir 
William Cunliffe Brooks, Bart, M.P. ; Sir Francis 
Grant, Bart., of Monymusk ; J. H. Bott, Esq., Sutton 
Hall, York ; the Town Council of Aberdeen, Lord- 
Provost Henderson, ex-Lord-Provost Matthews and 
others, for their contributions to the prize list. The 
society held two exhibitions during the year in the 
Music Hall, Aberdeen ; and while the exhibits were 
fully up to the average of former years, both as regards ex¬ 
cellence of quality and number of entries, your directors 
regret that the public did not attend in such large 
numbers as the nature of the exhibitions warranted. The 
total income for the past year amounted to £360 Is. 7 d., 
and the expenditure to £333 17s. 3d., leaving a surplus 
of £26 4s. id. to be deducted from the adverse balance of 
£41 16s. brought forward from last year, thus reducing 
it to £15 11s. 8 d., which sum, the directors are hopeful, 
will be wiped off next year.” In proposing their 
adoption, the chairman reviewed the work of the society 
for the past year, and congratulated the members on 
the financial success which had attended the same, not¬ 
withstanding the somewhat meagre attendance of the 
public at the autumn exhibition. After referring to 
the general depression, which had affected similar 
institutions, he touched on the many advantages to be 
derived from supporting such a society, and concluded 
by expressing a hope, that by another year the society 
would be entirely free from debt. The motion was 
seconded and unanimously agreed to. The chairman 
intimated, that Lord-Provost Henderson (Aberdeen), 
had kindly consented to become hon. president of the 
society. Shoremaster Sutherland, in eulogistic terms, 
proposed the re-election of the directors, which was 
seconded by ex-Baillie Gordon, and agreed to. On the 
motion of the chairman, a cordial vote of thanks was 
accorded to the secretary for his energetic labours 
during the past year ; and on the motion of sergeant- 
instructor William Fraser, a like compliment was paid 
to the chairman, who suitably replied. A letter was 
then read from Sir Francis W. Grant, Bart., of Mony¬ 
musk, intimating the presentation of a silver cup, value 
£5, for the best table of plants for next year’s show. 
The secretary was instructed to convey to the donor 
the best thanks of the society. The members supped 
together in the Douglas Hotel, Aberdeen, yesterday 
evening (Friday, 3rd inst.), this being a revival of an 
old custom in the society. 
--- 
CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOWS. 
Birmingham. — Nov. 2Wiand2Uh.— The twenty - 
sixth annual exhibition of this society was held on the 
above dates in the Town Hall, Birmingham, and ex¬ 
cellent as the exhibitions have been in previous years, 
this bears away the palm as undoubtedly the best ever 
held. The great difficulty the committee had to fight 
against was where to display the exhibits, and it must 
be freely confessed that the resources of the great hall 
and galleries were severely taxed, and another year 
further room must be found This is practicable, and 
will be attended to, giving more extended accommodation 
to exhibitors, greater facilities for judging and much 
greater space for visitors. The attendance has been 
unusually large, inconveniently so, and the very large 
number of exhibits gave the judges a very heavy 
amount of work until late in the afternoon, and it will 
become a question with the committee as to the aug¬ 
menting the number of judges another year if the 
exhibition continues to grow as it has done. 
Chrysanthemums in pots have always been done well 
at Birmingham, and this year they fully reached the 
usual standard, although one of the principal exhibitors 
spoiled some of his finest plants from over-feeding, and 
other growers had to mourn the loss of fine plants of 
Queen of England and others from damping, for the 
Birmingham district suffered from a prolonged period of 
damp dull weather. For nine large-flowering, in pots, 
Mr. Brasiere, gardener to the Mayor of Birmingham, 
was first; and Mr. W. H. Dyer, gardener to Mrs. 
Marigold, second. For six plants and three plants 
respectively, Mr. J. Crook, gardener to W. Millward, 
Esq., was first ; and Mr. Cooper, gardener to the Right 
Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, M.P., second in each class. 
The pompons were better than usual, Mr. Brasier being 
first for six, and Mr. Dyer first for three. Some very 
pretty standards and pyramids were also shown. 
The cut bloom section of the exhibition was most 
satisfactory in every way, excepting, probably, to the 
non-successful competitors ; for a large number of 
stands failed to score in the competition, over 1,500 
blooms being staged for this purpose. 
In the class for twenty-four incurved and twenty- 
four Japanese, distinct, the first prize, £10, was well 
won by Mr. Parker, gardener to J. Corbett, Esq., M.P., 
Droitwieh, with—Back row : Grand Turc, Triomphe 
de la Rue des Chalets, Belle Paule, Meg Merrilies, 
Baron de Prailly, Fair Maid of Guernsey, Japonicus, 
Mdme. C. Audiguier and Thunberg. Second row : 
M. Astorg, Boule d’Or, Flamme de Punch, Soleil 
Levant, Jeanne Delaux, Mrs. John Laing, Criterion 
and J. H. Laing. Front row : Agrements de la Nature, 
Grand Turc, M. Delaux, Comte de Germiny, Grandi- 
fiora, Duchess of Albany, Peter the Great and Rosea 
superba. Incurved, back row: Jeanne d’Are, Queen 
of England, John Salter, Lord Alcester, Empress of 
India, Emily Dale, Princess of Wales and Lord Wol- 
seley. Second row: Prince Alfred, Mrs. Shipman, 
White Venus, Princess Teck, Golden Empress, Pink 
Venus, Jardin des Plantes and Mrs. Heale. Front 
row: Mabel Ward, Novelty, Barbara, Miss M. Morgan, 
Nil Desperandum, Bronze Jardin des Plantes, Eve and 
Princess Beatrice. Other excellent lots took the 
remaining prizes. 
In the class for twelve incurved and twelve Japanese, 
Mr. A. Barker, gardener to Lord Hindlip, staged a 
very fine lot. Back row : A. Salter, Golden Empress, 
Queen of England, Emily Dale, Fair Maid of Guernsey, 
Triomphe de la Rue des Chalets, M. Brunet and 
Golden Dragon. Second row : .Jeanne d’Arc, Princess 
of Wales, John Salter, Jardin des Plantes, M. Ardund, 
Thunberg, Japonicus and Meg Merrilies. Front row : 
Barbara, Princess Teck, Empress of India, Cherub, 
Belle Paule, Comte de Germiny, Balmoreau and Julie 
Delaux. Mr. J. Corbett, M. P. took the second prize 
with a very fine lot. 
In the class for eighteen incurved blooms, Mr. W. 
Comfort, gardener to G. A. Everett, Esq., Knowle, was 
first with Queen of England, Jeanne d’Arc,. Princess of 
Wales, Golden Empress, Alfred Salter, Lord Alcester, 
Rev. J. Dix, Jardin des Plantes, Prince Alfred, Pink 
Venus, Princess Teck, Cherub, Mrs. Heale, Bendigo, 
Nil Desperandum, Eve, Lady Slade and White Venus. 
In the class for twelve Anemone-flowered, Lord 
Hindlip was first with Fabias de Mediana, Madame 
Cabrol, Lady Margaut, Souvenir d’Ardums, Fleur de 
Marie, Gluck, Georges Sand, Acquisition and Madame 
Clos. In this class there is a great want of refinement, 
old Fleur de Marie standing out prominently for form 
and quality. In the class for twelve Japanese Chry¬ 
santhemums, Lord Hindlip was first with a fine lot, 
viz^: Fair Maid of Guernsey, Triomphe de la Rue des 
Chalets, Golden Dragon, M. Brant, Japonicus, Belle 
Paule, Sarnia, Criterion, Thunberg, Jean Delaux, 
Comte de Germiny and M. Astorg ; the second prize 
lot—an excellent one—was staged by Mr. Corbett’s 
gardener. I n the class for six incurved and six Japanese 
grown in Birmingham, Mr. Brasiere, gardener to the 
mayor, was placed first with a good lot ; and J. Baus, 
Esq., second. All the Chrysanthemum cut-flower classes 
were very fully filled and the competition very close. 
Primulas are always a marked feature of the Bir¬ 
mingham winter and spring exhibitions, and on this 
occasion they were in good form and plentiful. Mr. 
T. B. Thomson, nurseryman and seedsman, Birming¬ 
ham, took all the first prizes in the open class ; and 
Messrs. Pope & Son, King’s Norton Nurseries, all the 
second prizes. The last-named firm exhibited a truly 
fine new variety, “ Lady Randolph Churchill,” a great 
improvement on Princess Louise ; only a single plant 
was staged, or it would have received a Certificate. In 
the gentlemen’s gardeners’ classes for Primulas there was 
great competition. For nine miscellaneous plants, the 
mayor took the first prize with a fine lot of Crotons, 
Palms and other plants, including a fine Cycas involuta. 
Phis exhibitor also took the first prize for a very 
fine specimen Japanese Chrysanthemum, “Bouquet 
Fait.” Mr. Cooper’s first prize lot of twelve zonal 
Pelargoniums, although not large, were well flowered. 
Three excellent groups of naturally-grown groups of 
Chrysanthemums were set up, none of the plants being 
very large, generally with two to three or four shoots 
with very fine blooms ; some were only single stems, 
and, in some instances, struck as late as June, and with 
fine exhibition flowers on them. Mr. Horton, gardener 
to Richard Chamberlain, Esq., M. P., was first ; Mr. 
J. Was trail, gardener to J. II. Less, Esq., second ; and 
Mr. W. H. Dyer, third. Naturally grown plants, in 36- 
in. and 24-in. pots, fit for general greenhouse and indoor 
decoration, deserve encouragement by our Chrysan¬ 
themum societies, and late-struck plants accomplish 
this. Some excellent bouquets were staged, both in 
the nurserymen and amateurs’ classes. 
There was a veiy large display of Apples and Pears 
especially. Three collections were staged in com¬ 
petition ; Mr. Gilman, gardener to the Earl of Shrews¬ 
bury and Talbot, first with a good Queen Pine, Hero of 
Lockinge Melon, two bunches of Muscat of Alexandria, 
two bunches of Black Alicante, and Apples and Pears. 
Second, J. Corbett, Esq. ; third, Mr. Banister, gardener 
to N. N. V. Ames, Esq., M.P., Bristol. For three 
bunches of black Grapes, first, W. Bassano, Esq.,J.P., 
with handsome, good sized, perfectly finished Black Ali¬ 
cante ; second, Mr. A. J. Pass, Moseley, with smaller 
but well finished Alicante ; third, J. Corbett, Esq., M. P.; 
an extra prize to Mr. Comfort for three fine bunches 
of Gros Guillaume. Two bunches of White Grapes, 
first, Mr. Gillman ; second, Mr. Comfort. For single 
bunch of White Grapes, first, Mr. Gillman with fine 
Muscat of Alexandria. For single bunch of black, 
first, Mr. A. J. Pass for an enormous bunch of well- 
done black Alicante. Mr. Pass deserves much credit, 
as it is his first attempt at growing and exhibiting, and 
has only one small Vinery. It would require more 
space than we can afford to give such a full report as 
the Apple and Pear department of the show demands. 
The fruit generally was good, and in many cases very 
fine. 
Messrs. G. Bunyard & Co., of Maidstone, sent fully 
100 dishes, size, quality and colour being prominent. 
^ ery highly coloured Mother Apple (this variety was 
freely exhibited, and is a foremost table Apple), Old 
Kirke’s, Lord Nelson, in fine character ; Tower of 
Glamis, Golden Spire, Schoolmaster, Red Hawthornden, 
Rosemary Russett, Loddington, extra fine ; Beauty of 
Kent, Queen Caroline, very handsome ; Lady Hinckes, 
all conspicuously fine. ^ Also Pears, Beurre Diel, Duchess 
d’Angouleme, Beurre Clairgeau and Glout Morceau, 
grand examples. Mr. John Watkins, of the Pomona 
Farm, Hereford, sent also nearly 100 varieties, in 
which size and colour prevailed, and we especially 
noticed the old Costar and Red Costar, Duchess of 
Oldenburgh, in fine character ; Yorkshire Beauty, a 
very fine Apple ; New Hawthornden, extra fine ; very 
fine Autumn Pearmain, Fair Maid of Wilts, Hereford¬ 
shire Beefing, and a fine tall conical-shaped Apple 
named Taylor’s Colonel. Mr. Watkins grows 500 sorts 
of Apples, and his group contained many old familiar 
sorts. 
Messrs. Richard Smith & Son, of Worcester, sent 
also, not for competition, a very fine collection of 
Apples and Pears ; and in this group were extremely 
fine Mother Apples, excellent Ribstons, and leading 
kinds for which this firm is famous. 
In the competing classes for Apples and Pears, there 
was sharp fighting and numerous entries, the winning 
classes being remarkably good, especially in Pears. 
The local nurserymen came out ' well, Messrs. 
Pope & Son contributing a large group of superbly- 
done zonal Pelargoniums, all with grand trusses of 
flowers, and was awarded a Certificate for Le Bruat, a 
very fine_ semi-double. Mr. Hans Niemand set up a 
most artistically-arranged group of plants, in which 
there was a background of Palms, Poinsettias and 
Arums, with a carpet of small-growing fine-foliage 
plants and flowers, forming a pattern from which 
beautiful Crotons, &c., sprung ; it was a charming bit 
of work. A Certificate was also awarded to this firm 
for their new variegated-foliaged I’oinsettia, a fine 
thing. Mr. R. H. Vertigans contributed a group of 
plants and two fine wreaths. Mr. T. B. Thomson set 
up a beautiful group of Crotons, Palms and other plants, 
and sent a very fine Maltese cross of white flowers.’ 
Messrs. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, set up one of their 
telling groups of cut zonals and Chrysanthemums, and 
Certificates were awarded to M. Freeman, Helianthus 
and Catherine Wheel. A Certificate was also awarded 
to Mr. Thos. Winkworth for cut blooms of his new 
Chrysanthemum, Ralph Brocklebank. 
Banbury. — Nov. 2ith.~ The first show of the 
Banbury Chrysanthemum, Winter Flower and Fruit 
Society took place in the Exchange Hall, and was, for 
an inaugural effort, a remarkable success. The ex¬ 
hibits were so numerous, that it was with difficulty 
that the committee could find space for the whole of 
them. The hall presented a very pretty and attractive 
