224 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
December 8, 1888. 
is a very important one, especially in the 
metropolis. In other large towns the local 
authorities seem to have realised their 
responsibilities and have provided markets 
where needed. London has generally been 
without any popular municipal authority, for 
the dying and corrupt Board of Works is 
unworthy of such designation, hence London 
is very badly provided with public markets. 
Possibly the great railway companies would 
do a good thing for themselves and the 
public if each one would establish at, or 
adjacent to their great metropolitan goods 
stations, well-protected public markets, at 
which grower and consumer might be brought 
into immediate contact; whilst it would be 
equally advantageous did the new London 
County Council, when formed, also establish 
municipal markets in the most populous 
portions of the vast area of houses and pe'ople 
over which it will shortly reign. 
The Royal Horticultural Society. —The 
meeting of this Society on Tuesday next will 
be the last of the year held in the Drill Hall, 
James’ Street, and in view of important 
changes about to take place in the composition 
of the Council, and also of the Pruit and 
Floral Committees, should be a gathering of 
great interest to all who yet have hopes of the 
old society’s complete rejuvenescence. With 
reference to the changes ip the Council, we 
understand that Dr. Hogg, Mr. G. F. Wilson, 
Mr. Harry Yeitch, Mr. Thiselton Dyer, Prof. 
Michael Foster, and Sir Edmond Loder have 
signified their wish to retire ; and as the 
FelloAvs now really have some control over 
the elections of members of Council and 
officers, prompt action should be taken to 
secure the nomination of the best men that 
can be got to fill the vacancies. There is no 
doubt whatever that the labours of the 
governing body this year have been very 
heavy, and they have been beset with many 
difficulties which are being gradually over¬ 
come. There is, however, much more work 
of a reforming character to be accomplished 
ere the society can be considered as worthy 
of general support on the ground of its 
public utility, and we sincerely hope that 
only those Fellows will be nominated for 
election whose sympathies are known to be 
in harmony with a bold progressive policy, 
who enjoy the confidence of their fellow 
horticulturists, and wlio have the ability and 
the leisure to help in pushing forward those 
measures of reform and re-organisation that 
have been so long needed. 
-- 
Kingston and Surbiton Chrysanthemum Society.— 
AVe learn from Mr. AYoodgate, the honorary secretary 
of this society, that the dates fixed for next year’s 
exhibition are the 12th and 13th of November. 
Tiie Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution.— 
A legacy of £50 has been bequeathed to this institution 
by the late Mrs. Sarah Cameron. Mrs. Cameron was 
the widow of Mr. George Cameron, who for many years 
was the respected gardener to the Duke of Richmond 
at Goodwood Park, near Chichester. He was a life 
member of the institution, and died in 1870. 
Gardening Engagements.—Mr. Chas. Theaker, late 
foreman at Bedford Hill House, Balham, as gardener 
to AY. H. Willats, Esq., Denton Court, near Canterbury. 
Mr. James Smart, late fruit foreman at Welbeck Abbey, 
Notts, as gardener to Sir Ralph Payne Gallwey, 
Thirkleby Park, Thirsk, Yorks. 
The Liverpool Horticultural Association. — 
“ Justice ” writes : “A grand feature of this society’s 
show, held on the 20 th ult., was a basket of excellent 
Grapes, well put together, to which the judges 
awarded an extra prize. This decision, however, the 
committee have reversed, granting a Cultural Certificate 
in lieu of the prize-money, though both awards would 
not have been too much for such an exhibit.” 
The Garden Annual. — Gardeners, nurserymen, 
seedsmen, and others who, for private or commercial 
purposes, require a trade directory, may be seasonably 
reminded that the Garden Annual for 1889 has, with 
commendable promptitude, just been published. Its 
lists of gardeners, private places, and traders have been 
revised up to a late date, and appears to have been 
corrected as perfectly as such lists can be corrected, for 
it is impossible to get information of all the changes 
that take place during the year. The editor, Mr. 
Flood, has, however, done his best, and done it well. 
Market Violets.—The autumn seems to have been 
one of the best known for years for the production of 
Violet flowers. Owing to the moist nature of the 
summer season, the plants at no time lost foliage, 
thrip and spider were absent, and the autumn crowns 
exceptionally strong. The early October frosts gave the 
flowers a momentary check, but they soon recovered 
from that, and since then the plants have been 
blooming in great profusion. It is found that breadths 
dibbled out early in the winter give the strongest 
crowns for autumn blooming, hence planting now takes 
place both in autumn and spring, as soon as the 
blooming is over. 
Outdoor Chrysanthemums.—The loss of first flowers 
which resulted so largely on outdoor Chrysanthemums 
after the October frosts, has had the effect of develop¬ 
ing side-shoots, which show a tendency to flower 
profusely if weather permits. Big clumps of growth 
thus covered with buds would doubtless pay for the 
trouble involved if lifted with balls of soil, placed in 
shallow baskets or tubs, and then run into a greenhouse 
or conservatory in which there is some gentle warmth. 
Such plants will thus furnish a wealth of flowers, and 
prove to be valuable aids in the rendering of cut flowers 
at Christmas. Even outdoors, if mild weather con¬ 
tinues, they may bloom freely. 
Insufficient Boiler Power.— “AY. B. G.” writes:— 
“A correspondent, some weeks ago, mentioned the case 
of a garden assistant finding, on going to his fire one 
morning during severe weather, that the fire-bars had 
melted and fallen to the bottom of the ash-pit, the 
disaster being attributed to the use of anthracite coal ; 
but, as you well remarked, a collapse of the same nature 
has been known to occur with other kinds of fuel. As 
a matter of fact, accidents of this character are not new 
in gardens, and when they do happen it often proves 
the excellence of the fuel and the inefficiency of the 
heating apparatus. It would be a great boon to the 
gardening community if many of the heating apparatuses 
in the country were served in the same way, provided 
that they were replaced with others sufficiently powerful 
to meet the calls that are made upon them. For a man 
to have to stay up half the night stoking away with a 
puny boiler and a deficiency of piping is what no one 
should be called upon to do. ” 
Gardeners’ Orphan Fund.—At the usual monthly 
meeting of the committee, held on the 30th ult., the 
secretary announced the receipt of £2, collected by 
Mr. Bates at the flower show held at Twickenham ; 
£3 6s., collected by Mr. Bishop at the Teddington show; 
£1 11s. 4f d., collected by Mr. Cummins at Croydon ; 
£1 10s. 6 d., collected at the Bradford show, and sent 
by Mr. R. Scott, Manningham ; £1 Is., from the 
committee of the Bexley Chrysanthemum show, per 
favour of Mr. AVooderson, Bexley ; and £3, from 
Mr. Garnet, St. John’s, AVakefield, as a contribution 
from the Yorkshire Association of Horticulturists. 
Mr. Clayton, Grimston Park, has also informed the 
secretary that the York Gala Committee had decided 
to contribute £5 to the fund ; and a letter was also 
read from Mr. 0. Thomas, Chatsworth, with reference 
to the highly successful concert held on November 14th 
in aid of the fund. The committee greatly appreciated 
the valuable services rendered by the local secretaries, 
and accorded a hearty vote of thanks to the gentlemen 
whose names are mentioned above. As evidencing the 
growing interest in the fund, we may add that the first 
supply of collecting boxes has been exhausted, but 
Mr. Barron will soon be in a position to meet further 
demands. AVe may also add that a gentleman residing 
at Haverstock Hill, having no children of his own, is 
so pleased with the efforts that are being made on 
behalf of the orphans of gardeners, that he has offered to 
take and provide for one or two little girls, an offer 
we need scarcely say the committee were much pleased 
to receive. Since the meeting of the committee we 
have heard that Mr. O. Thomas has forwarded a cheque 
for £31, as the result of the concert at Chesterfield, 
and very great credit is due to that gentleman and his 
fellow gardeners, members of the committee—viz., 
Messrs. AY. H. Horabin, AY. R. Bloxham, H. Smale, 
AY. E. Jenkinson, J. Fletcher, J. J. Nelson, G. Parkes, 
S. Polkingborne, AAL Leighton, J. Turguy, aud 
J. Hutton, who worked so energetically with Mr. 
Thomas to achieve such a splendid result. 
COUNTRY HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETIES. 
The season is now approaching when the issuing of 
schedules for 1889 will take place ; and my object in 
saying a few words now, is to urge upon committees to 
have clearly defined what is to be done. Alany 
schedules are very loosely worded, and exhibitors 
have often to use their own discretion as to how they 
will exhibit, and judges are given trouble which ought 
not to fall upon them. If schedules, before being 
printed, were submitted to a practical judge of long 
standing, many errors would be corrected which would 
benefit exhibitors and judges. 
Another trouble, to judges especially, is the late 
hour at which they can commence’ their labours, owing 
to the lateness of the arrangements of the show, and 
the early hour at which the public are admitted. 
Judges have to hurry on their work much faster than 
they should, and are desired to make haste so as not to 
keep luncheon waiting. All exhibitions of any preten¬ 
sions, and it is astonishing the extent of many scarcely 
heard of by people away from their respective localities, 
should have ample time allowed for the judges to 
thoroughly inspect things—for I do not believe Jn 
.hasty judging, which many think clever—and to see 
if the schedule is distinctly adhered to, and its 
conditions complied with. At some exhibitions the 
judges do not get to work until half-past eleven to 
twelve o’clock, and the public are admitted at one 
o’clock, before the work is half finished and the prize 
cards filled up. No admissions should be allowed until 
two o’clock, so that the judges may complete their 
work free from the interruption of visitors and 
anxious exhibitors, who crowd around them. 
I have had over thirty years’ experience of judging, 
and I must confess that, as a rule, the schedule notice, 
that “none but the officials engaged will be allowed to 
be in the exhibition during the judging,” is somewhat 
of a dead letter. Committeemen who are not “stagers,” 
by virtue of their bit of ribbon or rosette, or some other 
decoration, get into the exhibition and round about the 
judges. Even the “stagers” themselves do so, and I 
think, on reflection, they must admit that it is indis¬ 
creet conduct in doing so. A “stager’s ” duty is to be 
at hand to explain the position of exhibits to the 
judges, but otherwise to keep away from them. The 
judges’ attention should in no way be diverted from the 
work before them. Everybody else should keep away 
from them, and when their work is not completed by 
the time the public are admitted, the portion of the 
exhibition not judged should be kept private to the 
judges until their work is done. 
There is also one thing which exhibitors should do. 
AAffien entries are made beforehand with an uncertainty 
as to filling the classes, notice ought, as a matter even 
of common courtesy, to be given to the secretary, on the 
morning of the day before the exhibition, of their 
inability to fill classes entered for, and when they fail 
to do so, a fine should be inflicted, to be deducted 
from any prize-money they may win. Secretaries and 
managers of shows could fill a volume with complaints 
on this score, and it is a thoughtless act on the part of 
exhibitors not to give notice. AYhen spaces are set 
apart for exhibits entered, and they fail to fill on the 
morning of the show, much unnecessary work is thrown 
upon those who arrange the exhibition.—Z>., Solihull. 
-- 
SOMETHING ABOUT VEGE¬ 
TABLES. 
At the meeting of the Manchester Horticultural 
Improvement Society, held on the 2Sth ult., vegetables 
formed the subject of an address delivered by Mr. 
R. Mackellar, Abney Hall Gardens, Cheadle. The 
president, Mr. Bruce Findlay, in introducing Mr. 
Mackellar, said that the subject was a most important 
one, and it was a fitting thing that that society should 
do all in its power to increase and improve the supply. 
He had no doubt that the people of England would be 
a healthier and, therefore, a happier people if they 
partook of less animal and more of vegetable food. 
The orthodox view was that the kitchen garden should 
be put out of sight, but there was, to his mind, neither 
sense nor reason in this. In the gardens of the old 
Greeks the A r iolet and the Lily grew beside the Onion 
and the Leek, and he thought people might gather a 
useful lesson from this. He for one protested against 
the practice of separating the kitchen garden from the 
other, and placing it at a distance as though they had 
no connection. His notion was that they should work 
together, the one affording beauty and the other useful¬ 
ness ; for it was the truest poetry of life when beauty 
