200 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 24, 1894. 
A CHRYSANTHEMUM 
JUDGE IN THE WEST. 
A modern writer has said “ Think not that baffled 
endeavours bear no fruit because they do not bear 
the particular fruits you sought and sighed for. 
It is the philosophy contained in the foregoing 
sentence which consoles me under a baffled attempt 
to reach the Plymouth Chrysanthemum Show, on 
the 12th inst. It was nobody’s fault; the clerk of 
the National Weather had decreed rain, and it did 
rain, and that is how my endeavour to reach the 
far west was rendered abortive. 
Curious and unusual experiences—grave and gay 
—occasionally fall to the lot of flower show judges, 
and as one who commenced the work of judging 
very nearly forty years ago, ample opportunity has 
been afforded me of sometimes seeing the contrary 
side of things. 
What had ruffled the serenity of the Clerk of the 
Weather I cannot say, butontaking the 1.15 p.m.ex¬ 
press at Paddington for Plymouth on the above date, it 
rained as if a deluge like that in the days of Noah 
had set in, and the wind came in angry gusts from 
the west, bringing up heavy murky masses of clouds, 
laden with moisture. On the way there were 
indications that the water was out, and rapidly 
accumulating at West Drayton, Twyford, Maiden¬ 
head, and Reading; at Goring the poet’s Silvery 
Thames was a rushing torrent of mud-tinted water ; 
Didcot Junction was much flooded, and the low- 
lying, grazing lands between Didcot and Swindon 
were miniature seas, joining each other at various 
points and extending for miles. And still the 
Heavens poured down sheets of water without inter¬ 
mission. Despite a strong head wind the train 
was only twelve minutes late reaching Swindon— 
the railway station literally a sheet of water. This 
was the first stop. The next stoppage was Bath, 
but it appeared a little ominous that the train pulled 
up at Chippenham, passengers anxiously asking why, 
and getting no satisfactory response. But it was soon 
seen that something was wrong, for instead of proceed¬ 
ing by the main line to Bath, the train was diverted 
on to the Weymouth branch with the intention of 
reaching Bath via Trowbridge and Bradford-on-Avon. 
This at once suggested a stoppage on the main line, 
and the enquiry was hazarded—is the Box tunnel 
flooded, and therefore impassable ? Before reach¬ 
ing Melksham the train had passed over rails almost 
hidden from view by the accumulating water, and 
when a mile or so below this station was reached, 
the train came to a stop, and the reason was not far 
to seek, for a powerful torrent of water was rushing 
over the line, covering it for some distance ; a bridge 
spanning a river over which the train had to pass 
was hidden from view, and the driver of the train 
properly hesitated to advance. The head guard 
took his way back to Melksham to seek advice, and 
in the course of an hour and a half he returned, 
literally drenched, with instructions for the train to 
back to Melksham. This was eventually ac¬ 
complished, the engine was reversed at this station, 
and the train taken back to Chippenham, three 
hours late. On reaching there it was discovered that 
the line had been flooded at Corsham earlier in the 
day, and it had been deemed expedient to attempt to 
reach Bath by the Weymouth line, with what 
results I have already stated. At Chippenham the 
Refreshment room and Telegraph office were in¬ 
vaded and the lady passengers, especially those who 
were going below Bath became anxious as to the 
probabilities of reaching their various destinations. 
It was now six o’clock, and save for the moonlight, 
would have been very dark. I think the two hours 
waiting at Melksham, with the uncertainty as to any¬ 
thing like progress—with the fierce wind howling 
about the train, and the rain beating furiously 
against the windows, was as dismal a time as I have 
passed for many a day, though every one sought 
to make the best of it. It was a particularly anxious 
time for mothers who had young children with 
them, and who did not know but that the rapidly 
rising floods might have barred the return to 
Chippenham. 
It was at last resolved to risk the main line, and 
when Corsham was reached it was found the flood 
had subsided, though as far as could be seen in the 
darkness there was a considerable depth of water 
still on the line. Bath and Bristol were reached, it 
being now about eight o'clock ; and from the latter 
place there was a run to Taunton, passing through a 
great deal of water, especially at Creech, two miles 
east of Taunton, where the water was up to the 
axles of the wheels. At Taunton we overtook the 
three p.m. express from Paddington, which had 
passed down during the delay at Melksham, and 
after a rather long wait, the train was sent on to 
Exeter, but with gloomy forebodings as to the possi¬ 
bility of getting there, for it was reported a bridge 
had given way before the resistless energy of the 
flood. Soon after leaving Bristol the weather 
improved, and the moon shone out between heavy 
masses of watery clouds, and by the time Taunton 
was reached, the sky was pretty clear and the moon¬ 
light brilliant. By somewhat slow degrees the train 
reached Hele, twelve miles or so this side of Exeter, 
and it was doomed to proceed no further that night, 
for the line was reported impassable a short distance 
east of Exeter. Here at midnight the train stood 
for an hour or more ; the keeper of a small inn near 
the station was knocked up, and such provisions and 
drinks as could be supplied were in great request. 
Eventually, the train was backed to Taunton, reach¬ 
ing there between one and two in the morning, and 
the occupants of two or three other trains were 
landed also. Earlier arrivals had secured all the 
available hotel accommodation, and there was 
nothing to do but remain in the waiting-rooms. The 
refreshment room was fortunately open, and kindly- 
disposed porters made good fires in the waiting- 
rooms. I discovered that something like six hours 
of sitting upright in a hard chair is not conducive to 
personal comfort, but there was no appeal from the 
wooden bed. Happy were they who had ulsters and 
rugs, for the morning was very cold. I also made 
the discovery that tired men can sleep in the most 
uncomfortable and extraordinary positions when 
there is no choice. To me, it was a night of watching, 
I can scarcely say I slept, but the truest philosophy 
was exercised in making the best of it. The first- 
class waiting-rooms were given up to the women and 
children ; some spent the night in the carriages. 
How gladly the breaking of the day, bringing with it 
a fine morning, was welcomed ! I have enjoyed a 
cup of tea on many occasions, but never before as I 
did at seven o’clock that bright November morning 
of the 13th. I am sure that station-master, guards, 
porters, and the keepers of refreshment bars, did 
everything in their power to make the belated 
passengers comfortable, and everyone was good- 
humoured and agreeable. Finding at eight o’clock 
there was as much chance of getting to Plymouth 
that morning as to Jericho ; I determined to return 
to London by the first train. The guard of an early 
train reported that the water was very deep at 
Creech, and as the flood was rising, expressed a 
doubt whether a train could get through it. But it 
was determined to send on the train from Taunton 
Londonwards, though more than a half-hour late ; 
and by way of preparing for eventualities a second 
engine was attached. Just before reaching Creech, 
railway sleepers were handed up to the engines, 
and then an attempt was made to pass through the 
water. In a cutting was a flood extending perhaps 
500 hundred yards, full steam was put on, and 
the passengers watched with considerable interest 
the attempt; at its deepest part it was level with 
the floor of the carriages, and the depth of water 
produced a powerfully resisting body to the passage 
of the train ; eventually it got through, but at the 
expense of both fires. Now the sleepers came into 
use; a body of labourers broke them up, some 
fetching others for the same purpose ; oil and paraffin 
cans were forthcoming, and in this way, after some 
delay, the fire re-lighted, steam replenished, and the 
train reached Bristol in safety, leaving behind it in 
its progress, on either side of the line, thousands of 
acres under water. Bath presented to view a sorry 
spectacle ; many of the streets near the station, where 
the poor reside, were flooded up to the sills of the 
lower windows of their houses; the inhabitants 
being driven to the upper rooms. From here to 
London, water was everywhere to be seen, the out¬ 
skirts of Chippenham being much flooded. I found 
myself back in London soon after two p.m. on the 
13th, having, practically, spent twenty-four hours on 
the railway, and nearly eighteen of them in railway 
carriages. 
The fruits of experience gathered on the occasion 
of this memorable but abortive journey to a 
Chrysanthemum show is a deepening of the convic¬ 
tion I have long held, that he is wisest who in the 
face of calamities which cannot be helped, makes the 
best of them; and by consideration for others, 
lightens the load of anxiety natural under circum¬ 
stances of an unlooked for and inconvenient character. 
R. Dean. 
-*3.- 
BIRMINGHAM CHRYSANTHEMUM 
SHOW. 
The thirty-fourth annual exhibition of this Society 
took place on November 14th and 15th, and was a 
most successful exhibition, seventy-one exhibitors 
having entered, besides numerous honorary exhibits 
The classes for specimen plants were well filled i 
Lady Martineau, Mrs. Marigold, and G. Cadbury, 
Esq , being the chief winners. The specimens were 
very fine, and probably at no other exhibition could 
so fine a lot be seen. Six grand groups of Chrysan¬ 
themums and other plants were staged for the 
five prizes commencing with £10 —and six finer 
groups are not often seen at any exhibition; and 
here Mr. W. H. Dyer, gardener to Mrs. Marigold ( 
was first. In the smaller class for groups five 
prettily arranged lots were staged. 
The cut flower section is always strongly filled 
here, and the six prizes in each class for twenty-four 
incurved, as well as for twenty-four Japanese, with a 
first prize of £10 in each instance, brought out a 
number of exhibits and strong competition. For 
twenty-four incurved : First, Lad) Dowager Hind- 
lip ; second, E. Loder, Esq., Weldon. There were 
eight exhibitors, and twelve exhibits in the class for 
twenty-four Japanese: First, E. Loder, Esq.; 
second, Mr. Austin, gardener to the Earl of Dudley. 
All the other classes were also well filled. For a 
long number of years Birmingham has been famous 
for its Chinese Primulas, and it is now quite twenty 
years since that those famous and unbeaten varieties, 
Princess Louise and Marquis of Lome were raised, 
followed by the Queen, Emperor, and others, and 
these grand varieties were strongly in evidence at 
the recent exhibition. Messrs. Thomson & Co., of 
the Sparkhill Nurseries, where these varieties were 
raised in the time of the late Mr. Tomkins’s 
proprietorship by Mr. Rose, who is now the 
Primula grower at Messrs. Pope & Sons, King’s 
Norton Nurseries, was well first with grand plants 
in the four classes for singles, Fern leaved, and 
doubles ; and Messrs. Pope & Sons, second ; and 
the gentlemen gardeners’ classes were also well filled. 
Mr. W. Earp, gardener to the Rt. Hon. Joseph 
Chamberlain, M.P. .staged a very fine lot of Cyclamens, 
and William Brown, Esq. (gardener, Mr. J. Palmer), a 
fine lot of Orchids. Excellent Bouquets were staged 
and a good lot of table plants. 
A very fine display of Grapes were staged, there being 
eight exhibits of six bunches. Mr. Bannerman, gar¬ 
dener toLordBagot,wasist; second,Mr.Elphinstone, 
The Gardens, Shipley Hall, near Derby. F'or three 
bunches of black Grapes (eighteen exhibits),first, Mr. 
Elphinstone, second, Mr. J. Bates, gardener to J. T. 
Harris, Esq., Stone. The other classes for Grapes 
were also well filled as also were the classes for 
Apples and Pears. 
The very extensive display of fine vegetables in 
response to the special prizes offered by Messrs 
Thomson & Co , Messrs. Webb & Sons, Mr. R. 
Sydenham and Mr. J. Hughes, was a surprise to 
all. The entries were very heavy in all the classes, 
and the vegetables generally so very fine. In addition 
Messrs. Thomson & Co., had a fine honorary dis¬ 
play. Messrs. Charlesworth & Co., Bradford, and 
Messrs. Heath & Son, Cheltenham, had excellent 
exhibits of Orchids, and Messrs. Perkins & Sons, 
Coventry, and Messrs. Thomson & Co., very fine 
displays of Floral Artistic Work. 
The weather was continuously wet all the first day, 
still there was a large attendance, and early in the 
morning of the second day nearly 1,500 school chil¬ 
dren were admitted free. 
-- 4 -- 
BEGONIA GLOIRE DE 
LORRAINE. 
Great improvements are still being effected amongst 
the shrubby winter-flowering type of Begonias. 
Varieties are being obtained which give a larger 
production of flowers with the same amount or even 
less trouble, and these in time will Daturally take 
the place of the older ones in hot-houses, where a 
display has to be kept up during the winter months. 
The variety under notice is dwarf and very moderate 
in growth, but blossoms abundantly. The smaller 
shoots assume a spreading or drooping habit, and 
the obliquely cordate or sub-peltate, light green 
leaves form a pleasing background to the rosy-pink 
flowers, which are of medium size, but produced in 
such quantity as to render the plant quite gay. The 
accompanying illustration will give an idea of the 
general character of the plant to those who have not 
seen it. The best effect is produced when a batch 
of plants is grown together and introduced to the 
conservatory in groups. 
