September 10, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
19 
SUTTON’S 
DUTCH 
AT MODERATE PEIGES. 
SUTTON’S HYACINTHS. 
“The Hyacinths from Messrs. Sutton have been most 
beautiful, the best flowers Mrs. Ashby ever had."—Mrs. 
ASHBY, Staines. 
SUTTON’S NARCISSI. 
“The bulbs, consisting of choice named Hyacinths, 
Narcissi, etc., have turned out very satisfactory, Hya¬ 
cinths especially so, and my employer is very pleased 
with the colours.” — Mr. A. HABBITS, Gardener to 
G. F. Appach , Esq., Camden Lodge. 
SUTTON’S TULIPS. 
“At the Spring Show of the Preston and Fulwood 
Floral and Horticultural Society, I obtained First Prizes 
in all the Tulip classes with bulbs from your firm.—Mr. 
J. B. DIXON, Preston. 
SUTTON’S CROCUSES. 
“The 4,000 Yellow Crocuses received from you have 
turned out quite a success on our lawn where we planted 
them. They were simply splendid when in full flower, 
and the individual blooms were very fine.”—Mr. A. 
HABBITTS, Gardener to G. F. Appach, Esq., Camden 
Lodge. — ' - -———-— — 
FOR FULL PARTICULARS SEE 
SUTTON'S BULB CATALOGUE, 
Beautifully illustrated with a handsome coloured plate 
and numerous engravings, and containing full 
cultural instructions. 
Gratis and post free to intending purchasers of Bulbs. 
SUTTON’S BULBS 
GENUINE ONLY DIRECT FROM READING. 
B. 
BULB M 
In Two Parts, Illustrated. 
This very comprehensive catalogue of every HAPvDY 
and FOBCXNGr BULB in cultivation is now ready, 
and may be had gratuitously and postage free upon 
application. A large space is devoted to 
DAFFODILS AND NARCISSUS, 
The Collection comprising every known variety of 
merit, my stock being, probably, the largest in the 
world, ranging from the popular old garden varieties 
to the newest and rarest forms. 
LILIES. 
Since the establishment of my business, these have 
been leading specialities with me. The portion of the 
Catalogue allotted to them will be found brimful of 
interest; many pages are devoted to this family alone, 
and include several new and well-executed engravings. 
IRIS, 
In endless variety ; these are grown on a very extensive 
scale at Tottenham, comprising the Japanese, Siberian, 
German, English, Spanish, and other sections. 
DUTCH AND FORGING BULBS, 
Including HYACINTHS, TULIPS, CEQGUS, 
LILY OF THE VALLEY, HOMAN HYA¬ 
CINTHS, SPIRiEAS, &c., at competitive prices. 
Copies of this Catatogue may be had GRATIS and 
POST FREE upon application. 
THOMAS S. WARE, 
Halm Farm Nurseries, 
TOTTENHAM, LONDON. 
WEBBS’ 
EARLY FORCING 
BULBS. 
For prices and full particulars see 
WEBBS' BULB CATALOGUE, 
BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED. 
Price 6<L, Post Free, or Gratis to intending Purchasers. 
Seedsmen by Royal Warrants to H. M. the Queen and 
H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. 
WORDSLEY, STOURBRIDGE. 
R oyal jubilee exhibition, 
Manchester. 
A GRAND EXHIBITION of FRUITS and FLOWERS will 
be held on SEPTEMBER 16th and 17th. For Schedules, apply 
to the undersigned. BRUCE FINDLAY. 
Royal Botanical Gardens, Manchester. 
National Chrysanthemum Society, Royal 
Aquarium, Westminster. 
E arly chrysanthemums, dah¬ 
lias AND GLADIOLI EXHIBITION, September 
14th and 15th. 
Schedules free on application to Mr. WILLIAM HOLMES, 
Frarapton Park Nurseries, Hackney. 
The Floral Committee will meet Sept. 14th, Oct. 12th and 26tli, 
Nov. 9th and 23rd, and Dec. 7th. Medals are offered for com¬ 
petition at each meeting for New Chrysanthemums. See 
Schedule. 
Nest Week’s Engagements. 
Monday, Sept. 12th.—Trade Sale at Dyson’s Lane Nursery, 
Edmonton, by Protheroe & Morris. 
Tuesday, Sept, 13th.—Meeting of Fruit and Floral Committees 
of the Royal Horticultural Society at 11 a.m. Special Trade 
Sale of Dutch Bulbs at Stevens’ Rooms. Trade Sale at 
Mailer’s Nursery, Lee, by Protheroe & Morris. 
Wednesday, Sept. 14th.—National Chrysanthemum Society’s 
Autumn Show at the Aquarium, Westminster (2 days). 
Brighton Flower Show (2 days). Special Sale of Orchids in 
Flower, and Indian Azaleas at Stevens' Rooms. Trade Sale 
at Fraser’s Nursery, Lea Bridge, by Protheroe & Morris. 
Thursday, Sept. 15th.—Sale of Imported Orchids at Stevens’ 
Rooms. Trade Sale at Brunswick Nursery, Tottenham, by 
Protheroe & Morris; and of Dutch Bulbs, at the Rooms, 
Clieapside. 
Friday, Sept. 16th.—Fruit and Flower Show at the Royal 
Jubilee Exhibition, Manchester. Trade Sale at Gregory & 
Evans’ Nursery, Sidcnp, by Protheroe & Morris. 
Saturday-, Sept. 17th.—Trade Sale at the Woodlands Nursery, 
Lewisham, by Protheroe & Morris. 
CONTENTS. 
PAGE 
PAGE 
Adiantums, notes on. 
21 
Hampton Court. 
20 
Airthery Castle . 
23 
Lilium speciosum vars. 
21 
Alder, the Cut-leaved _ 
26 
Orchid Notes . 
27 
Amateurs’ Garden, the.... 
23 
Plants, Hardy, for Sub- 
Asters at Chiswick . 
24 
tropical Garden. 
22 
Blackberries, American .. 
26 
Plumbago capensis . 
26 
Chrysanthemum, tlie .... 
20 
Scottish Horticultural 
Chrysanthemums in Aug.. 
26 
Association . 
23 
Clerodendron fragrans .... 
26 
Torenia Fournieri . 
26 
Cornelian Cherry, variegtd. 
27 
Trade Exhibition Prizes .. 
19 
Corn Salad . 
23 
Vine Growing at Harvey 
Evergreen Oak . 
26 
Lodge. 
25 
Gardeners’ Calendar. 
27 
Water for Nothing. 
24 
“ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man.”— Bacon. 
^SdrbmimlhirSi), 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1887. 
Trade Exhibition Prizes. — Amongst the 
developments of tlie seed trade especially, 
although at times nurserymen have adopted 
the same method of procedure, that of 
offering considerable sums of money yearly in 
the form of special prizes for various garden 
products at flower shows almost everywhere 
is, perhaps, one of the most costly and the 
most unsatisfactory. Ho one can doubt but 
that purely business motives are at the bottom 
of these gifts; that they are, in fact, intended to 
call attention to the wares of the donors, and as . 
such some reward, in the shape of extended 
popularity, as well as extended trading, is 
looked for. The extent to which this system 
of prize-giving has grown may be easily 
ascertained by referring to the lists of some 
of the leading seed firms, which show that 
really enormous sums are thus annually dis¬ 
bursed—we venture to think, indeed, that it is 
thrown away—in this direction. When origi¬ 
nally established, there could be no doubt 
but that, even amongst our leading gardeners, 
these special prizes were regarded with favour; 
but now that they are flung about — literally, 
like coppers in a crowd,—the honour once 
felt in winning these prizes has fallen to a low 
ebb indeed. 
Almost invariably now ive see these special 
prizes competed for by certain exhibitors, who 
may be termed professional, because it does 
seem to he their special vocation to put in an 
appearance at every possible show where spoil 
is to be found, and to carry away all they can 
get of it. It is by no means improbable, 
indeed it is most likely, that this very fact is 
in itself tending to bring about a clean sweep 
of the v'hole system. Apart from the heavy 
drain tlie system must have upon the resources 
of trade firms, and none have a shilling now 
to uselessly throw away, these houses have 
begun to see that their prizes have almost 
universally become the prey of the professional 
exhibitor ; whilst the ordinary gardener, whom 
it was originally intended to encourage, respect¬ 
fully holds aloof. In such case it is evident 
that prizes, which it was hoped would popu¬ 
larise certain firms, or their trade articles, in 
diverse localities, as well as nationally, now 
entirely fail in their object; indeed, they have 
become worse than useless, for many are in 
the end immorally appropriated, so that a 
complete revision of this system of prize-giving 
is inevitable, is as certain as that it is desir¬ 
able. 
The especial evil—which of itself has helped 
to give the death-blow to these special prizes— 
is that, commonly, when two diverse trade 
firms offer prizes at the same time and place, it 
will he found that samples of the very same 
exhibits, arranged almost in juxtaposition, are 
found, in the one case as Smith’s Excelsior or 
Hero, and in the other as Brown’s Perfection 
or Champion. It needs a considerable strain 
on the conscience to admit such a practice to 
be fair and honest; indeed, it seems rather 
to be very dishonest and fraudulent. Still 
farther, it is just possible that of the things 
shown and named, they are neither Smith’s 
or Brown’s, but really are Jones’s, if Jones can 
honestly claim them to have been originally 
distributed by him 
In any case, we see constantly such evidence 
of dishonesty as this arising from the practice 
of giving special prizes by seed firms, and 
whilst to the donor the result is exceedingly 
disappointing, to tlie gardening profession it is 
demoralising. In the case of competitions for 
prizes for products of any kind offered by 
societies or other public bodies, and which 
every gardener may honourably aspire to win, 
there is no inducement to name exhibits other 
than accurately, or, at least, as accurately as 
the exhibitor--with some limited knowledge 
of their origin—well can. Societies’ prizes 
also, in the winning, place the competitors 
under no obligation to the donors. However, 
we believe that whatever arguments may be 
used or suggestions offered in the matter, the 
most effective motive for some considerable 
alteration in the present profuse disposal of 
these trade prizes, will be found in the now 
acknowledged fact that firms have become 
alive to the entire failure of the system, and 
that it is an encumbrance rather than in any 
way helpful. The recognition of this fact, if 
now but partial, will soon become general; 
and it only needs a good lead to enable 
humbler imitators to cast off a burden which 
cannot much longer he endured. 
