196 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 30, 1889. 
results, but the area of interest is, indeed, 
generally a limited one. In the matter of 
reporting shows, competition no doubt compels 
the enforcement of the dry details found in re¬ 
ports upon our readers, more than would other¬ 
wise be the case, but the close of the season, and 
especially of the Chrysanthemum season, must 
come as a relief to all who prefer sound practical 
horticultural intelligence or information to 
monotonous show reports. Without doubt it 
would be a great gain to journalists and readers 
of the gardening papers if the latter would be 
content with the mention of a few of the most 
salient features of the exhibitions, as in that 
way could be solved the problem how to give 
publicity to the doings at twenty shows, while 
under present arrangements it is possible only 
to find space for seven or eight. 
The undoubted compensating element found 
in so many similar reports is the evidence they 
present of the activity of horticulturists 
generally, and of Chrysanthemum growers in 
particular. How satisfactory would it be could 
some of this abundant energy be applied in the 
promotion of exhibitions of our numerous and 
beautiful spring flowers ! 
ut-Door Chrysanthemums. —The past season 
should have been the means of helping to 
popularise Chrysanthemums as out-door flowers. 
Perhaps it will be said that the season has been 
exceptionally favourable. That may have 
been the case, because, although we have had 
a somewhat foggy month of November, it 
has, all the same, heen free from frost, 
heavy heating rains, and wind storms. It is 
certain that out-door Chrysanthemums have 
been very fresh and beautiful, especially the 
smaller-flowered forms ; indeed, many of the 
old Pompons and medium-sized reflexed forms 
not favoured for either pot culture or for 
exhibition, have bloomed so abundantly that 
they have brought house-grown flowers in the 
market to grief, the price during the month for 
good house-grown samples having been so low 
as to be simply ridiculous. 
Because the Chrysanthemum is so compara¬ 
tively hardy and needs so little care and 
attention out of doors, there is thus every 
encouragement given to the planting. 'Why, 
with early varieties, got forward early and 
planted out in April, we get bloom in our 
borders literally from the first of August, and 
if need he, even earlier, until the end of 
November, and sometimes even later than that. 
Surely, with a season of bloom four months in 
duration, a liberal planting of Chrysanthemums 
of various kinds out of doors is amply repaid. 
A fine late bloom may be got on plants grown 
in the open ground during the summer 
in stiff cool soil, so that the buds be not too 
early. These if lifted and blocked in thickly 
beneath a south wall, and if protected 
materially from north and east winds, and 
white frosts, will give bloom for a couple of 
weeks longer than will be found on plants 
in the open ground. Wiry, it would not 
be much trouble to erect a temporary form 
of shelter over plants so placed, and thus 
preserve the flowers from rough rains and 
winds, or sharp frosts, to a late period. 
cneral Floral Offerings. —There is too 
much reason to believe that a reaction in 
relation to the use of flowers at funerals is 
setting in, which may presently lead to their 
disuse altogether on these melancholy oc¬ 
casions, unless some little regard for ordinary 
proprieties be shown in connection with their 
use by relations and friends of deceased persons. 
The command, “no flowers,” advertised with 
death announcements, so often met with now, 
evidences a growing objection to their employ¬ 
ment, and it is an objection which is finding 
support in all directions. Doubtless, flower 
growers for sale have found in the wreath and 
cross funereal emblems excellent methods for 
disposing profitably of their products, but 
neither fashion nor sentiment will stand upon 
ceremony with that section of florists. 
Sentiment enterslargelyinto true horticulture, 
and fashion is materially amenable to its in¬ 
fluences ; but the mere culture of flowers in 
myriads for the sole purpose of converting 
them into hard cash is hardly to be classed 
with pure horticulture, and commands little 
sympathy should it be unfortunate. Just of 
late, through the prevailing fashion of florally 
decorating feasts as well as funerals, floral 
traders have had a very good time of it. 
Perhaps some other line may be struck out for 
the disposal of their flowers than for funeral 
decorations, which may compensate for what is 
evidently a growing dislike to the wreath 
association, wdien, as is commonly the case, too 
sympathetic friends and relations forward to 
the bereaved families some twenty, thirty, or 
even more of those floral designs. 
As tokens of grief or of respect, it is not a 
matter for surprise that this enormous bulk of 
white flowers should be regarded as a white 
elephant, and breed sentiments of dislike, if 
not of disgust. Their destination is exposure 
to the elements on the grave or tomb, and in 
twenty-four hours they have become a mass of 
decay, perhaps an excellent demonstration of 
the declaration that we come up as a flower and 
are cut down, but it is hardly the prettiest 
method of illustrating the Divine intimation. 
cotch Potato Rates. —Northern growers 
of Potatos are striving to obtain from the 
chief railway companies more liberal rates for 
the transit of Potatos to the south. They have 
informed the railway authorities that northern 
Potatos are of splendid quality this season, and 
therefore we in the metropolis may as cheer¬ 
fully invite the railway managers and directors 
concerned to show a liberal spirit towards 
these northern men for the sake of securing 
for our own consumption such capital samples. 
London, perhaps, is the greatest market in the 
■world, but it is, all the same, perhaps one of 
the best supplied. 
The prevailing market prices of Potatos are 
wonderfully low, because the crop for the 
passing year has been so great; indeed, they 
have rarely been lower. When, as is already 
the case, thousands of tons of good tubers 
are purchaseable in our chief Potato 
markets at prices ranging, according to 
sort or sample, from 40 s. to 75s. per ton, 
it is obvious that unless the through rates 
for carriage from the north be very low 
there can be but a poor return for con¬ 
signors of Potatos, let the samples be ever 
so good. Really, there is so much of labour 
involved in the preparation of the soil—the 
planting, cleaning, earthing, lifting, storing, or 
marketing a ton of Potatos—that it seems 
impossible, at the low prices quoted, that any¬ 
thing remains to cover rent, rates, and other 
charges incidental to their production, much 
less furnishing profit. 
It is very obvious that we have been having 
this year so admirable a season for Potatos 
that the crop would seem to be far 
in excess of our ordinary requirements. But 
for the fact that we only use the esculent 
as daily food, and as we never seem to tire of 
them, there might be found a disastrous glut. 
Would that good Potatos -were much more 
largely consumed as food! They are cheap, 
and they are now good, and certainly deserve 
better appreciation than even now is awarded. 
-- 
The National Chrysanthemum Society's Annual 
Dinner will take place at Anderton’s Hotel, Fleet 
Street, on Thursday, December 19th. The President, 
Lord Brooke, M.P., will be the chairman of the day. 
The late Mr. Marnock.—The body of the late Mr. 
Robert Marnock was cremated at Woking on the 19th 
inst., and the ashes buried in his wife's grave at 
Kensal Green on the 21st. The grave is close 
to that of J. C. LoudoD, and nearly opposite to that 
of Tom Hood. 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution.—A 
concert was given at the Leasgill Athenaeum, near 
Milnthorpe, Westmoreland, on the 4th inst., in aid of 
the funds of this institution. It was under the 
management of Mr. Robinson, gardener to Miss Wood, 
Heversham, Milnthorpe, and a clear sum of £7 7s. 
has been forwarded to the secretary as a result. 
The Fraser and Hall Memorial.—During the 
present week Mr. Horsman has received the following 
amounts :—Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, £5 ; H. 
Marks, Esq., £2 2s. ; J. Percy Leven, Esq., £2 ; Mr. 
F. Boggis, 2s. 6d. ; Dr. Matthew, 10s. ; Mr. Carlton, 
2s. 6 l. A meeting of the committee has been called 
for Friday, the 29 th, the result of which we shall 
announce in our next. 
Gardening Engagements.—Mr. C. Fletcher, lately 
foreman at Temple Newsam, as gardener to C. G. 
Milnes Gaskell, Esq., Thornes House, Wakefield. 
Mr. J. Wasley, late foreman to Mr. Comber, at The 
Hendre, Monmouth, as gardener to C. Lethbridge, 
Esq., Sherfield Manor, Basingstoke. Mr. G. Osborne, 
for seventeen years gardener at Southgate House, X., 
as gardener to C. Rogers, Esq., Braudfold, Gondhurst. 
The first fall of Snow in the Lake District occurred on 
Tuesday morning. A snowstorm also broke over North 
Wales, and lasted for some time. The mountain 
ranges of Snowdon, Cader Idris, and Plinlimmon were 
capped with snow for many miles. Severe wintry 
weather has set in over the north of Scotland, and 
coming so unexpectedly after recent exceptionally mild 
weather, it has caused considerable inconvenience. The 
sudden change in the temperature was also felt in the 
metropolis on Tuesday and Wednesday, and there were 
slight falls of snow on both days. 
Dutch Horticulturists in Council.—From the 
secretary of the Dutch Horticultural Society, we learn, 
rather late in the day, that at a meeting held in 
Amsterdam on October 23rd, First Class Certificates 
were awarded to Mr. J. C. de Lange, of Rotterdam, for 
a Dracaena indivisa and a D. Veitchii, “ with many- 
coloured leaves ” ; to the Botanical Garden of Leyden, 
for Trevesia Burckii, an Araliaceous plant introduced 
from Sumatra, “with leaves of a form till these days 
unknown, but still very remarkable ” ; to the Zoological 
Botanical Gardens of Hague, for varieties of Anthurium 
Ferrierense, named J. H. Kottman and H. Witte ; 
and to Mr. A. M. C. Jongkindt Coninck, of Dedems- 
vaart, for Cupressus Lawsouiana versicolor. 
The Tree Tomato.—Some fruits of this Tomato, 
Cyphomandra betacea, were sent by Mr. H. J. Goemans, 
Ivew, to the last meeting of the Dutch Horticultural 
Society, Amstersdam, with a suggestion that it was a 
novelty which might become of great commercial im¬ 
portance. The Vegetable Committee of the society 
did not consider the plant suitable for the climate of 
Holland, because it does not bear fruit until the second 
year, it will not stand the winter frosts, and in flavour 
does not surpass the common Tomato. We should 
think not ! 
National Chrysanthemum Society's Provincial 
Show at Hull.—The number of entries received for 
this exhibition, which was held last week, was nearly 
2,500, being some 600 in excess of the Hull Chrysan¬ 
themum Show in 18S8 ; and the number of visitors 
during the two days was over 10,000, including 600 
charity children and their teachers, admitted free on 
the morning of the second day. There is no doubt 
but that the second Provincial Show of the National 
Chrysanthemum Society has considerably augmented 
its prestige, and extended its sphere of usefulness. If 
we might venture to make a suggestion, we would say 
let the N.C.S. make a journey westward in 1890. In 
the region below Exeter there is ample need for an 
extension of—if not a revival in—the culture of the 
Chrysanthemum, and it should be one of the aims of 
the central society to give an impetus to the culture 
of this favourite flower in districts where such au 
impulse is necessary. 
The Paris Universal Exhibition of 18S9.—A report 
of the greenhouses and horticultural sundries at the 
Paris Exhibition has been drawn up by M. Charles 
Joly, vice-president of the National Horticultural 
Society of France, and, issued in the form of a pamphlet, 
he speaks of plans of gardens and the garden library, and 
says that the French library, judging from the amount of 
horticultural literature it contains, has no occasion to 
envy that of other countries. Other articles, in the 
little pamphlet now published, treat of pumps and 
apparatus for watering, garden pottery, artificial fruits, 
cutlery, horticultural ironmongery, shading, cases for 
