November 2, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
135 
We find that only thirty-six fruits out of the 600 in 
the collection were from trees under glass. This has 
been a grand season for Apples ; the warmth of May 
and June gave them a start, the wet July gave size, 
while the grand, sunny autumn has given finish to the 
fruit, and being a short crop they are larger than usual. 
Many of the examples staged by us were from open 
standards in orchards. We shall be glad to see a class 
for open air examples by themselves, but we would 
remind you that such restrictions are arbitrary, otherwise 
where is the distinction to cease ? Pears on walls, from 
pyramids, standards, or from orchard house, all give 
quite distinct examples ; Peaches from walls, from 
orchard house and from flat-trained trees under glass— 
all these want separating. We think, now the culture 
of fruit has advanced so rapidly under the able guidance 
of the horticultural press, and from all that has been 
written upon the subject, that it would be a retrograde 
movement to draw the line too straight, as vegetables 
must be restricted too. October is too late for orchard- 
house Apples and Pears ; the Dahlia show time would 
about fit them .—George Bunyard & Co., Maidstone. 
-- 
FLOWER SHOW NOTES. 
Your recent reference to a silly action, brought by a 
thin-skinned exhibitor against a judge (see p. 115), has 
brought to my mind some errors which are frequently 
found in schedules, and which mystify the judges as 
well as the exhibitors. Although rules are laid down 
by the committee, some of them are never, or rarely, 
adhered to, and judges have frequently to interpret 
them, as well as the terms of the schedule, from their 
own point of view. 
“Everything must be ready for the judges by eleven 
o’clock, at which time the tent will be cleared of 
exhibitors.” This is invariably one of the rules, and 
yet how rarely is it carried into force, especially in the 
smaller provincial shows. At the Shrewsbury August 
show, one of the largest in the kingdom, where good 
management prevails, and there is a well-organised 
staff, everything was ready for the judges by half-past 
ten o’clock, the time stated in the schedule, to which 
a rider was added to the effect that all exhibitors not 
ready by that time would not be allowed to compete. 
This rule was carried out; then why not generally so 1 
Some exhibitors make a point of arriving late in order to 
see what other exhibitors set up in the classes they intend 
staging in, so as to see whether they stand a better 
chance of winning. But make the rule absolute, then 
any exhibitor not ready, say by eleven o’clock—when, 
as at Shrewsbury, a bell should be rung as a clearance 
signal—should be disqualified from exhibiting in such 
classes in which he has not properly set up his entries, 
and this prohibition should extend to the exhibits not 
having their proper numbers or cards. Carry that rule 
out, and prompt staging would soon be the result. 
Judges are very frequently not allowed proper time 
to fully examine the merits of the exhibits. Some 
judges pride themselves on their rapid judging, as it 
would be a waste of time to linger over such ; but 
when there is very close competition, in justice to 
the exhibitors, time and care should be taken in 
accurately forming a decision. Then, it is a very great 
mistake to open a show so early as is often done. Two 
o’clock is quite soon enough, as a rule, for all purposes, 
and this gives the officials time to fill up the prize 
cards, put finishing touches upon the exhibition, and 
have the arrangements perfected. Another thing to be 
impressed upon committees is to keep away from the 
judges every person, even though members of the 
committee. The superintendent of the staging should 
always be at hand to point out anything necessary to 
the judges, or to answer any inquiries from them, but 
not to keep with the judges—as is very often done — 
and indirectly, if not directly, try sometimes to in¬ 
fluence their decision. Members of the committee and 
other officials would act wisely in steering clear of the 
judges, for there are often busybodies who go to the 
exhibitors who may be their friends, and repeat obser¬ 
vations the judges may have made. The opinions 
expressed by the judges are confidential observations 
between themselves, and not intended for repetition. 
The officials also, whose duty it is to fill up the prize 
cards, are sometimes in too much of a hurry to do so, 
and grasp a first-prize card in order to fill it up before 
the judges have finished the class. I invariably insist 
upon the clerks keeping some two or three classes 
behind us, for this reason—that there are times when 
decisions have to be altered, because the staging has 
not been correctly done, and objects which ought to 
have been staged in their respective classes are found 
a little further on. In many provincial shows, when 
competent “stagers” are not available, confusion of this 
kind exists. Then again, it is a great mistake to hurry 
the judges. I have for several years judged at very 
large provincial shows where the entries are very 
heavy, and we rarely commence our work before 
twelve o’clock, and the public are admitted at one 
o’clock, and the two sets of judges have each quite 
400 or more exhibits to go through. Why, it is 
working at railway speed to get through them by one 
o’clock, and it is never done, so we have to toil on 
surrounded by a crowd of exhibitors and others. It 
ought not to be so, and committees should avoid such 
mismanagement. 
Then, as to schedules, how indefinite many of them 
are ! It would be well if all committees would submit 
the draft of their schedules, before printing them, to 
some expert in flower show management and judging, 
in order to correct their inaccuracies, and make all 
clear to exhibitors and judges. Great absurdities often 
crop up when judges are looking over the schedules and 
instructions. Last August I was a judge at a flower 
show, when the schedule distinctly stated that the 
judges would disqualify in every instance where the 
productions were not accurately named, and had this 
been done two-thirds of the exhibits would have been 
disqualified. The same schedule specified twelve 
French Marigolds, distinct varieties, six African Mari¬ 
golds, distinct varieties, and other difficult problems 
for cottagers and others to solve.— D. S. E. 
-- 
ffOTES ON IgRUITS. 
Pear, Comte de Lamy. 
In size and appearance this Pear has little to re- 
c mimend it, being small, roundly top-shaped, 
short and stumpy. The skin is of a dull greenish 
yellow, and marked all over with dull russety specks. 
The flavour is, however, delicious, rich, buttery and 
melting, and in this way makes ample amends for its 
diminutive size and unattractiveness. On some soils 
it is said to be worthless, but, as a rule, the tree does 
well in the southern counties, either as a pyramid or 
standard. It fruits very regularly in the gardens of 
the Royal Horticultural Society at Chiswick, where its 
quality is sufficient recommendation to prevent its 
being weeded out and discarded. The fruit is in season 
during October and November, and although there i3 
generally a glut of Pears at that time, it proves so 
agreeable to the palate of most people that it is selected 
in preference to many. 
Pear, Marie Louise d’Uccle. 
The fruit of this variety is obovate and rather short for 
its great thickness, but when well grown, and not too 
thickly placed on vigorous trees, it attains such 
dimensions as almost to entitle it to first rank for size. 
It ripens about the middle of October, and keeps in 
good condition for some weeks. At that time it 
assumes a fine russety cinnamon, almost a deep brownish 
yellow, and looks quite handsome. The flesh is closely 
grained, melting, buttery and juicy, but seems to vary 
somewhat according to the soil on which it is grown, 
and although some find it agreeable and richly 
flavoured, there are others who dissent from this view. 
The tree, however, bears very abundantly. 
Reinette Van Mons Apple. 
The fruit of this variety is rather below the medium 
size. It is about 2£ ins. wide, and very much flattened, 
with five obscure ridges, terminating in little elevations 
around the somewhat basin-shaped eye. The skin has 
a thin coating of russet all over it, with a roughish 
feel, and is of a greenish-yellow tint in the shade. 
The yellowish flesh is crisp, sweet, and highly flavoured, 
with an abundance of juice. It is said to be in season 
from December to May ; but although somewhat hard 
is perfectly usable in October for dessert purposes, and 
may be regarded as an Apple of first-class quality. 
Pear, Paradise d’Automne. 
"While by no means an attractive Pear, this is certainly 
one of the best flavoured now in season. The fruit is 
of medium size, long, pyriform, rather narrow pro¬ 
portionately, and suddenly contracted above the stalk. 
The surface is almost uniformly russety when the 
fruit has been thoroughly exposed while growing, 
otherwise the russet thins out in places, showing a 
pale lemon-coloured skin. The flesh is pale yellowish 
white, melting, and delicious from September to the 
end of this month. The trees of this variety at 
Chiswick bore fairly well, and the fruit is greatly 
esteemed by those who are connoisseurs of Pears. 
OTES FROM ^GOTLAND. 
-*i*- 
Plowar Garden Notes.—To speak of the “last 
Rose of summer” thus late in the season would be a 
misnomer, but all the same, the show of bloom on the 
hybrid perpetuals until very recently has been ex¬ 
ceptionally good for the second crop of the year. Not 
since 1881 have we luen able to get so much cut bloom 
from them up to the middle of October. The late 
rains seem to benefit the plants immensely on our 
light soil, judging from the heavy crop of buds that 
made their appearance at the beginning of September, 
and which, in the absence of severe frost, may add to 
the cut-flower supply for some time to come. Regard¬ 
ing bedding plants, we note that the occupants of one 
particular section of a border was unscathed by the 
severe frost that visited this part of the country on the 
morning of the 22nd of September. It was planted 
with seedling Verbenas, scarlet herbaceous Lobelias, 
and tuberous Begonias. My experience as to the 
respective merits of one and two-years’ seedlings 
coincides with that of Mr. Kipling, who has at 
different times given us valuable information on raising 
these now popular bedding plants. The difference 
with regard to inflorescence in the two sets of plants I 
had under trial was very marked, the seedlings of last 
year producing by far the larger crop.— Ayrshire. 
East Lothian Sfcooks.—I do not remember 
having seen an equally fine show of bloom in October 
on the stocks as we now look upon daily. Since the 
soil became thoroughly moistened they have rapidly 
developed their fine huge spikes of flowers, and are 
now even more effective than they have been at any 
time during the past season. As a rule I have never 
had su;h a lengthened display of blooms on these 
stocks from spring as from autumn-sown seed. 
Seedlings now appearing are pricked off into boxes 
in February, from whence they are planted out in the 
beginning of May. Tnese, in ordinary seasous, shortly 
afterwards begin flowering, and continue till destroyed 
by severe frost. I have, however, seen them in the 
Island of Islay, Argyleshire, during a succession of 
mild winters, assume the character of perennials, 
growing and flowering well year after year.— Ayrshire. 
Late Dahlias in Ayrshire. —Last season, 1888, 
I noticed that some odd plants of single and Cactus 
Dahlias, planted in an exceptionally well-sheltered 
position, escaped the first autumn frost anl continued 
flowering for a considerable time afterwards. I thereupon 
decided to have the whole of the border planted with 
Dahlias this year. Bofore being planted out at the end 
of May many of the plants were showing bloom in the 
pots, which I consider an advantage in cold seasons 
and backward districts. These began flowering early 
in June, have continued doing so up to this date, 28th 
of October, and have every appearance of being able to 
develop their blooms for some time to come if severe 
frost does not set iu. A plantation in another part of 
the gardens, some 50 yards off, was destroyed on the 
-morning of the 22nd of September.— Ayrshire. [Our 
correspondent has favoured us with a sample of his 
flowers, and very bright and fresh they are.—E d.] 
Wintarinof Dahlias Outside. —Last year we 
left a number of Dahlia tubers in the ground and they 
passed through the winter in safety. In spring the 
border was dug and the tubers turned out fresh and 
plump, and only here and there was there one missing. 
Most of them were taken out and used for propagating 
purposes, but a dozen or so were left to see what they 
would turn out. They started away strongly, and 
whilst those we planted beside them were suffering from 
drought they kept growing apace, and came early into 
bloom, and now they stand amongst their neighbours 
like giants. I am inclined to believe with your corre¬ 
spondent, Mr. Potts (p. 123), that Dahlias might with 
a little care be wintered in safety in the ground. A 
thin covering of leaves, with some rough stable litter 
thrown over them to keep them from being blown 
about would, to a great extent, keep out the frost, and 
could be dug down in spring. In localities where the 
soil is not too heavy, and where the rainfall is not ex¬ 
cessive I quite believe Dahlias would be comparatively 
safe with the above protection ; and what a boon it 
would be in spring to the overwrought gardener to be 
saved the toil and trouble of propagating a large 
quantity of Dahlias by cuttiugs. Perhaps others who 
have had some experience of Dahlias will give their 
opinion in your columns. It may not be always suc¬ 
cessful, but, at any rate, it is well worth a trial.— 
Ar but vis, Perthshire. 
