160 
THE GARDENING WORLD. November 14, 1891. 
The little shows are not to be despised 
because small. So far from that being the 
case, they rather prove to be admirable 
nurseries for the development of talent of 
the highest order. We have no fear that 
there will be, for a long time hence, any 
falling off in cultural enthusiasm or skill. 
Still it is well to find all these modest 
Chrysanthemum shows being so well sup¬ 
ported, as they serve to feed the larger ones 
with exhibitors from time to time. The 
season has not been, on the whole, one of 
the best, but none the less there have been 
seen many grand blooms, whilst the aver¬ 
age of quality shows that there has been 
no retrogression. 
f HRYSANTHEMUM COMPETITIVE GROUPS.- 
Everybody familiar with the Chrysan¬ 
themum shows now being held fully under¬ 
stand the meaning of Chrysanthemum 
groups, as seen at exhibitions. \\ e make 
no apology for further referring to matters 
of this nature, as just now the air is full of 
all that relates to “the Golden Flower.” 
These groups are, without doubt, in plants, 
the strong feature at many of the exhibi¬ 
tions, and, as a rule, constitute very striking 
and effective displays. They have the 
merit also which cut flowers do not possess 
—of being still retained for the beautifying 
of their owners’ gardens, long after the 
show is over, if duly cared for. 
But we specially refer to these groups 
because it so commonly happens that the 
wording of the schedule relating to them is 
somewhat contradictory, and not unfre- 
quently land judges in a dilemma. Only 
last week we found at one show that the 
judges had awarded the prizes in a group 
class on the ground of the quality of the 
blooms. Later on, their attention being 
drawn to the wording of the schedule, 
which specially stipulated “for effect,” 
their original judgment had to be com¬ 
pletely reversed, as the group thus placed 
was decidedly the most effectively arranged 
one. In a second case, the judges were a 
long time oscillating between “quality” 
and “ effect,” as both terms were specially 
used in the schedule ; for whilst one group, 
largely composed of Japanese varieties, 
was singularly effective, another one had 
most incurved blooms, and the best quality. 
Clearly it is unfair to place judges in this 
kind of difficulty. Either quality in the 
blooms or the plants should be specifically 
required, or else effective arrangement—- 
not both. We prefer the latter condition, 
as so many groups come under our notice 
in which, whilst the blooms may be of fine 
quality, the arrangement is deplorable and 
ungainly. We do not, for one moment, 
assume that should the requirement of 
quality of bloom be removed, that it would 
lead to the presentation of inferior flowers, 
but it would give the competitors a much 
freer hand. 
TThe London Parks Superintendent. 
^ —The London County Council have 
at length decided to appoint a Parks Super¬ 
intendent at what most people will regard 
as a large salary, but which is really not 
an extravagant one when we consider the 
duties of the position as compared with 
those of the Assistant Director at Kew, 
for instance, to whom a similar salary is 
paid. There is something curious, how¬ 
ever, in the fact that the advertisement in¬ 
viting candidates appears only in one 
gardening paper, and that one perhaps 
not the most widely read. We sincerely 
hope it is not suggestive of jobbery at 
head-quarters, but the circumstance does 
suggest that even the ways of that demo¬ 
cratic body, the London County Council, 
may be past finding out. 
There may be good reasons for making 
this appointment, but so far they have not 
been made very potent. We naturally 
have some sympathy with the present 
park superintendents who do their work 
so well, notwithstanding the difficulties 
they labour under in having so many 
masters, and some of them so difficult to 
get on with, and we fear they can hardly 
view with equanimity the appointment 
over them of some person who, whatever 
his social position may be, may be totally 
unfitted to control men as good as himself. 
The desired qualifications for the office are 
such as can only be gained in a lifetime, 
and yet the candidates must be under 50 
years of age. We shall look with exceed¬ 
ing interest to the ultimate selection. The 
occupant should be a man of great force of 
character, of good address and education, 
a gentleman in conduct and appearance, 
and have knowledge and capacity of con¬ 
trol of a high order. He should also 
possess great tact and firmness, for these 
are qualities which will be largely required 
in the conduct of his office. In reality^, he 
will be the buffer between the Park Super¬ 
intendents and the Parks and Open Spaces 
Committee, and the man who can best 
manage both will be the man who will 
longest hold the post. 
A few men could be named who are 
eminently fitted for the position, but they 
are all past the specified age. In garden¬ 
ing, in fact, no man seems to have reached 
to full capacity until he is 60 at least. 
Happily, the conditions laid down by the 
Council exclude naval and military officers, 
and, indeed, all but very few. There may 
be a number of applicants, on the principle 
that something may be picked up in due 
time if looked for, but it will not be a 
matter for surprise if even the final selec¬ 
tion should be found to fall very far short 
of our requirements for such a distinguished 
position. 
J£ruit Culture in Ireland. —We have 
been favoured with a copj' of an inter¬ 
esting little brochure which has been printed 
for private circulation by Mr. W. H. Hall, 
of Six Mile Bottom, Newmarket, the present 
High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire, and 
whose earnest efforts to promote a revival 
of Irish industries, and especially of fruit 
and vegetable culture, on improved me¬ 
thods, are well known. Ireland is the great 
difficulty of statesmen and philanthropists. 
What she most needs in relation to her in¬ 
dustries is that the people should first have 
ample liberty to create their own prosperity, 
and secondly, that they should, both through 
the establishment of popular institutions 
and from outside the kingdom, receive all 
possible help. 
Mr. Hall seems to have realised this need 
fully, and, being unable to furnish the free 
institutions, which of themselves promote 
self-help and self-reliance, has done his 
best by offering to supply parcels of one 
dozen fruit trees in response to applications 
made through schoolmasters, postmasters, 
and station agents in eight union areas. 
No less than 150 applications appear to 
have been made in 1889, and 117 persons 
received the grants. In August of last 
year Mr. Hall, accompanied by Mr. T. F. 
Rivers, of Sawbridgeworth, made a tour of 
inspection through those parts of Ireland 
where the various gift trees had been 
planted, taking part also, on the way, in 
some hardy fruit conferences, which seem 
to have been well attended, and which 
doubtless resulted in the creation of addi¬ 
tional interest, in the subject. 
Generally the gift trees, especially at the 
station agents, were found doing very well, 
and seemed to be highly appreciated. Of 
course the good thus done is but as a drop 
in the ocean, but Mr. Hall merits all praise 
for his good nature and earnest unselfish 
efforts to better the condition of the Irish 
peasantry. We cannot follow the writer 
through some of his reflections on the small 
holding system, but learn with pleasure 
that Ireland seems climatically to be well 
adapted for fruit culture. 
Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. —We are much pleased 
to hear that Alderman Sir James Whitehead, Bart., 
has kindly accepted the invitation of the Executive 
Committee to preside at the annual dinner in Feb¬ 
ruary next. 
Mr. R. Savage, late gardener at Moone, has been 
engaged as gardener and steward to Mrs. Cobbe, 
Newbridge House, Donabate, Co. Dublin. 
The Bolton Chrysanthemum Show takes place on 
Friday and Saturday next, November 20th and 21st., 
and not on the days inadvertently stated in our last 
issue. 
Mr. George Garney, late foreman at Londesborough 
Park, Market Weighton, and formerly at Basing 
Park, Alton, has been engaged as gardener to Mrs. 
Powell, at Maesgwynne, Whitland, Carmarthenshire. 
The York Gala.—It has been decided that the 
grand Floral Fete annually held at York shall take 
place next year on June 15th, 16th, and 17th. 
Mr. James Dryden, who for some years has been 
general foreman to Mr. Inglis, at Howick Gardens, 
Lesbury, has been engaged as gardener to Major 
Browne, Doxford Hall, Chathill, Northumberland. 
The Leek Orchid Growers held a conversazione on 
the 5th inst., over which a local amateur, Thomas 
Hale, Esq., presided, and who, in opening the pro¬ 
ceedings, gave an interesting account of how he 
became an Orchid grower. Mr. McNab, the repre¬ 
sentative of the Liverpool Horticultural Company 
(John Cowan), Limited, delivered an address on 
" Orchids and Orchid Growers,” which was listened 
to with much attention ; after which Mr. Eyre was 
called upon for his experiences. Mr. Eyre said his 
enthusiasm had burnt brightly for upwards of thirty 
years, each year becoming more and more intense. 
Mr. Gillman and Mr. Walker also gave addresses, 
and a musical programme, admirably carried out, 
brought a pleasant and enjoyable evening to a close. 
Peeling Gladiolus Bulblets.— Named varieties of 
Gladiolus bulblets are increased true to kind from 
bulblets only and not from seeds ; division of the 
large corms, too, according to their eyes, is some¬ 
times practised, but so seldom that we need not now 
refer to it. Well, says Mr. Falconer, in The American 
Florist, have you ever wondered why it is that 
these hard bulblets make such irregular and little 
growth for the first year after planting ? The 
truth is, their coating is too hard, tough, and tight. 
Our large Gladiolus growers peel their bulblets before 
planting them 1 This may appear incredible to many, 
but it is nevertheless a fact and the employees of 
these large nurseries not only peel bulblets by the 
dozen in winter, but also bring them home, and they 
and their families peel them at night by contract, 
thereby adding to their income. Peeled bulblets 
grow as much in one year as unpeeled ones grow in 
two years, and every one of them grows, which is 
not the case with unpeeled ones. Were it not for 
this system of peeling the bulblets to induce quick 
growth, hence quick multiplication, our florists could 
never get up stock enough of the choice popular kinds 
to supply the demand. 
Potato Experiments in Ireland. —LordPowerscourt 
has communicated to the Times the results of some 
experiments in determining the varieties of Potatos 
most profitable to grow and least subject to disease 
in Ireland. The Potatos were grown in a field at 
Powerscourt, Co. Wicklow; all the drills were 
exactly alike, namely, 97ft. Sin. long and 30 in. wide; 
farm-yard dung was applied at the rate of twenty 
tons per acre. Robertson's Victory yielded the 
greatest weight—1321b. Soz. of marketable Potatos, 
2olb. Soz. of small, and only 2lb. of diseased tubers ; 
Scotch Champion, a total weight of iqSlb., with 
4lb. diseased; Farmer, 1421b., of which i2lb. 40Z. 
were diseased. Imperators were seventh on the 
list, with 51b. 4OZ. of diseased in a crop of 1251b. 
4OZ. ; Bruce, ilb. Soz. bad to nglb. Soz. good; 
American Early Rose, gib. Soz. bad to ioolb. of 
good; Magnum Bonum, g 61 b. 40Z. large tubers, 
