196 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 27, 1897. 
question that will have to be taken into 
consideration. The principal of these is 
that societies will have to exercise the same 
control over the vases as at present they do 
over the size and other details of exhibition 
boards. The vases must, in fact, be of 
uniform size and design so as to put the 
flowers all on the same footing, and give 
judges and exhibitors alike equal chance of 
doing justice to their respective duties. At 
this phase of the question, societies have 
not had time to determine upon the best 
form of vases, but tor competitive purposes 
they must be uniform, and sufficiently 
heavy at the bottom to stand firmly and 
avoid accidents. So long as the flowers 
are upright and equally balanced, there is 
no danger of their toppling over; but on 
the second or third days of an exhibition, 
the flowers of various sorts begin to lean in 
different directions, and the slighest acci¬ 
dent is liable to upset them. To avoid a 
dead uniformity at exhibitions, those who 
set up exhibits not for competition, should 
be allowed to use vases of various sizes and 
of ornamental design as at present, to give 
variety and interest to the whole dispjay. 
In the class for twelve vases of Chrys¬ 
anthemums cut with long stems there was 
a considerable amount of variety in the 
methods of arrangement adopted by ex¬ 
hibitors. The most significant fact in 
connection with this class was that the 
leading award was won by an amateur, 
although gardeners were also allowed to, and 
did, compete. The winner grew and staged 
his own flowers, and by the meritorious 
character of his exhibit secured the Gold 
Victorian Medal of the association, of which 
he felt very proud. Nor was he the only 
amateur who weighed himself in the scales 
against the professional gardeners, and beat 
them too. This is a point that might be 
noted by those who have hitherto given 
most or ali of the credit to the professional 
element. The amateur growers also showed 
well in the classes for trained plants, being 
in some cases successful, though at Edin¬ 
burgh, as at London, one gardener takes 
the lion's share of the leading prizes for 
this class of exhibit. The trained plants 
were numerous and some of them were 
creditable specimens for this northern lati¬ 
tude and its shorter season of growth. 
The groups of Chrysanthemums, foliage 
and other flowering plants fell short of what 
we have seen at Edinburgh, though it must 
be admitted that no special nor great 
encouragement had been given them. The 
fact that the Waverley Market has to be 
partly cleared on some of the mornings of 
the week for the sake of the market 
gardeners also militates against the staging 
of fine groups, the arrangement of which 
would have to be destroyed on the evenings 
before the market, and the whole group 
have to be reconstructed the following day 
before the admission of the public. There 
were two classes for small tables of plants, 
but the lack of space prevented their being 
staged in positions where they would be 
seen to the best advantage. The lack of 
space even in the roomy Waverley Market 
prevented the placing of these tables down 
the centre of the building. They had in 
fact to be placed under the shadow of the 
overhanging gallery. The large Tree 
Ferns and Palms down the centre of the 
area on former occasions were also lacking 
for want of space. The visitors varied in 
numbers from 8,040 during the first day to 
15,000 on the third day, and during the 
three days the number of visitors was cal¬ 
culated at 35,000, and the receipts at the 
gates as £ 1 , 000 . This accounts for the 
lack of space, and is a suitable answer to 
those who complain of the expenses of 
bringing the band of the Grenadier Guards 
to Edinburgh. 
Another feature of this show we cannot 
overlook was the grand exhibit of dried 
grasses, living flowers, and plants, got 
together by Mr. M. Todd, the president 
of the association, on behalf of the Royal 
Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. All these 
things were on sale, besides which there 
was a piano, valued at ^”45, and other 
prizes to be drawn for by tickets, the pro¬ 
ceeds to be devoted to the same charitable 
purpose This was a pet scheme conceived 
and carried out by the president himself. 
The whole of the surplus proceeds of the 
show is also to be devoted to charitable 
purposes, including sums in favour of the 
Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund and the 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution. 
We missed a considerable number of im 
por!ant exhibits in the non-competitive 
class, which we expected to witness at 
Edinburgh, and which were entirely 
crowded out for want of space. This says 
much for the liberal spirit of the Edinburgh 
nurserymen, who were pleased to forego 
their accustomed privileges of staging their 
exhibits—and that, too, at their own local 
show—in favour of exhibitors from a dis¬ 
tance, some of whom came from the south of 
the Tweed and Cheviots. 
Autumn Strawberries—Strawberries (not Alpine 
varieties) have been gathered daring the last fort¬ 
night from plants growing in the open at Kings- 
bridge. 
Mr. Donald Chisholm, outside foreman in Glasgow 
Botanic Gardens, foremerly head gardener to Capt. 
S. F. Charles, Lancashire Fusiliers, Wardie House, 
Edinburgh, has been appointed head gardener to 
Lady Belhaven, Udston, Hamilton, N.B. 
A Competent Gardener.—A man wanted as a com¬ 
petent gardener. The situation is well adapted for 
a retired pensioner from Her Majesty’s Navy. 
Where does the practical part come in, eh ? I 
noticed this advertisement, recently, in one of your 
contemporaries.— Rusticus. 
Cold Weather must soon, in the natural course of 
the seasons, make its appearance. The autumn has 
so far been exceptionally mild, witness the untimely 
flowering of so many hardy plants, but there must 
be an end to this soon. Hence we should do well to 
make all preparations for " winter's stern embrace." 
The value of Anthracite coal becomes more than 
ever manifest year by year, and its superiority over 
coke for heating purposes more evident. Moreover, 
it is more cleanly to use, and in addition to the 
lightening of labour is far more durable than coke. 
We notice that our friend, Mr. William H. Essery, 
of Swansea,is again offering Anthracite in three sizes, 
ready for burning in boilers of various sizes. The 
prices quoted are for Anthacite delivered in Mr. 
Essery's own trucks at the nearest railway station. 
Mr. Robert Henderson, Botanical Gardens, Glas¬ 
gow, has been appointed head gardener of the 
King Williamstown Botanical Gardens, Cape Colony. 
Mr. Henderson has undergone a course of 3 years’ 
training in the inside department of the Glasgow 
Botanical Gardens under the well directed superinten¬ 
dence of Mr.Dewar.the curator,and has held previous¬ 
ly several important charges, which well fit him for 
the responsible undertaking that he is now about to 
take up in South Africa. Previous to his entry into 
the Glasgow Botanical Gardens, Mr. Henderson 
was general foreman in the celebrated gardens of 
Beil, East Lothian. He is the son of John Hender¬ 
son, Riddlesworth Hall, Norfolk, late manager to the 
once well known firm of Ireland and Thompson, 
Edinburgh. Mr. Henderson sails for his new desti¬ 
nation on the 24th of this month.— Gamma. 
Uckfield and District.—A Chrysanthemum show 
was held in the Town Hall at Uckfield, Sussex, on 
Tuesday, the 18th inst., the proceeds being devoted 
to the assistance of the local charities. All the ex¬ 
hibits were non-competitive. Cut blooms were 
shown in good condition, and several gardeners in 
the neighbourhood contributed groups of Chrysan¬ 
themums and miscellaneous plants. One end of the 
hall was occupied with a very fine display of Chry¬ 
santhemums, set up with Ferns and Palms,which was 
contributed by Mr. Norman Davis, of The Vineries, 
Framfield. Mr. H. Prinsep, gardener to the 
Hon. Viscountess Portman, illustrated the quality of 
the fruit and vegetables he grows at Buxted Park, 
by sending a collection of each. Both fruit and 
vegetables were excellent. 
Novemb .r Gardens.—A contributor to The Morning 
Post states that in his garden there are blooming at 
the present time—Roses, Chrysanthemums, Trito- 
mas, Heliotropes, Dahlias, Lemon-scented Verbena, 
Tobacco plants, Salpiglossis, Sweet Peas, 
Mignonette, and Violets, while the autumn foliage is 
still beautiful. November is exceedingly kind to 
both him and his garden. 
East End Flower Show.—The People's Palace and 
East London Horticultural Society's fourth annual 
Chrysanthemum show was opened in Queen’s Hall, 
Mile End Road, on the nth inst. There were forty- 
six classes and about four hundred and twenty 
entries. Mr. C. E. Shea presided at the opening 
ceremony, and said the show was better than it had 
ever been before. During the afternoon Mr. J. H. 
Witty delivered a lecture on " how to grow Chry¬ 
santhemums," which found a very attentive audience. 
The very last of old Cremorne.—Under this heading 
one of our daily contemporaries discusses the sale of 
Mr. W. J Bull’s Ashbumham Road Nursery, in 
King's Road, Chelsea. The article states that this 
nursery is the last remnant of what was once 
Cremorne. This, however, is erroneous, for the 
Ashburnham Park Nursery of Messrs. J. W. Wim- 
sett & Son, which is hard by, is another remnant of 
London’s old pleasure garden ; in fact there is even 
now to be seen in this establishment part of the 
identical rockery belonging to the gardens of 
Cremorne. As Messrs. Wimsett & Son have no 
intention of selling any portion of the site occupied 
by their nurseries, at least part of this famous old 
haunt of the beau monde will be preserved from the 
encroaches of the brick and mortar fiend. 
Crippled Children’s Christmas —We have received 
the following appeal from Alderman Treloar, and in 
view of the near approach of Christmas present 
the same to our readers :— 
Sir, —By a vote of the Court of Common Council 
to-day, the Corporation of the City of London has, 
for the fourth time, granted the use of the Guildhall 
for the Christmas entertainment to Ragged School 
children, which it has been my privilege annually to 
promote. The guests are drawn from all the poorest 
parts of the metropolis. I am sure that the sight of 
their radiant faces at the well-spread board under 
the eye of those genial giants—Gog and Magog- 
must have repaid the kind-hearted donors of this 
joyful feast. I have every confidence that the 
generous public will once more assist as liberally as 
heretofore, but this year I ask for your co-operation 
to make a special and wider appeal. 
There are over 5,000 little crippled children 
passing a montonous existence in crowded courts and 
alleys in this great city. Many of them are stretched 
on beds of suffering and are prisoners from year’s 
end to year's end. Others are quite unable to parti¬ 
cipate in the pleasures offered to the more robust. 
Realising how sad was the lot of these afflicted 
little ones, last year the surplus of the funds en¬ 
trusted to me for the Children’s Banquet at the 
Guildhall was spent in providing 1,000 Christmas 
hampers for crippled children. There was not the 
smallest difficulty in distributing them to the more 
deserving cases ; for every cripple is registered and 
visited systematically by the Ragged School Union. 
But in making the selections it gave great pain 
to be obliged to refuse four out of every five appli¬ 
cants Why should not all the 5,000 homes be 
brightened and made happy for one day at least in 
the year ? 
It rests simply with sympathetic people to provide 
the means. The Cripples’ Christmas Hamper may 
be large or small according to the measure of support 
I may receive. Last year it contained a 2lb. meat 
pie, a plum pudding, a substantial cake, a packet of 
tea, and a parcel of sweets. And, judging from the 
pathetic letters of thanks, these unaccustomed 
dainties—the mere elements of Christmas fare—gave 
untold satisfaction. That is why I want to dis¬ 
appoint no child-cripple this year out of the 5,000, 
and that is the reason why I would earnestly ask 
for contributions, large or small, to be sent to the 
Little Cripples’ Christmas Fund, care of Alderman 
Treloar, Ludgate Hill, EC.—I am, Sir, your 
obedient Servant, W. P. Treloar. 
Ludgate Hill, Nov. 18th. 
