December 4, 1897. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
213 
National Chrysanthemum Society.— We understand 
that the Annual Outing for Members of this Society, 
in i8gS, is arranged, and that Ipswich and its 
neighbourhood are to be the rendezvous. 
The shape of Mushrooms.— Willie: "It’s always 
in damp places where Mushrooms grow, isn’t it, 
papa?” Papa: "Yes, my boy.” "Is that the 
reason they look like umbrellas, papa ? ” 
Jubilee of M. P J. de Pannemaeker.— This professor 
of design and the painting of flowers at the School 
of Horticulture of the State of Ghent, on the occasion 
of the 25th anniversary of his entry into the pro¬ 
fessorship, was awarded the Civic Medal of the 
first-class by the Government. The royal command 
bears the date 6th September, 1897. The colleagues, 
friends and co-workers of M. de Pannemaeker enter¬ 
tained him to a banquet on the 7th October. 
» , r 
Instruction for Apprentice Gardeners —Our con¬ 
temporary Bulletin d' Arboriculture, de Floriculture, &-c. 
says that the Royal Agricultural and Botanical 
Society of Ghent announced its intention of opening 
at the Casino, Ghent, on the 8th inst., a public and 
gratuitous course of instruction for apprentice 
gardeners after work hours. It is intended for the 
sons of workmen who have not the means to attend 
the School of Horticulture. When will that excel¬ 
lent example be followedJn Britain ? 
Storing Apples. —A dry room should be selected in 
which to store the Apples. After the fruit has been 
gathered for a week or ten days there will be con¬ 
siderable sweating, and at the expiration of that time 
the fruit should be rubbed dry with a cloth, or fail¬ 
ing that turned once or twice. The windows of the 
room may be kept open by day when the atmosphere 
is dry outside, even until frost threatens. Then if 
nearly a foot of clean dry wheaten straw is spread 
over the Apples it will keep the frost out. News¬ 
papers also answer this purpose well. 
Sidmouth Chrysanthemum and Fruit Show— The 
ninth annual exhibition of the Sidmouth and District 
Horticultural Society was held recently at the Manor 
Concert Hall, Sidmouth. The number of entries 
(upwards of 200) compared very favourably with 
those held on previous occasions, and the quality 
was first-rate. The j udges were :—Messrs. J. Mayne, 
Bicton ; Underdown, Escot, Ottery St. Mary ; 
Pragnell, Sherborne Castle ; and J Reynolds, Sid- 
bury Manor. The premier award for the group of 
Chrysanthemums fell to Mr. Cross, who was followed 
in order of mention by the Rev. W. Vickers, and 
Mr. Earland. In another class for a group of similar 
material the Rev. H. Clement led. Mr. Cross had 
the best twelve cut Japanese Chrysanthemums, 
grown by the aid of Ichthemic Guano, the prize 
being given by the Ichthemic Guano Co. of Ipswich. 
Mr. Cross also won for six mixed, twelve cut blooms, 
three of a kind, for the best bloom in the show. Mr. 
R. Carnell was another successful exhibitor. Mr. T. 
Dingwall had the best six table plants. Miss F. 
Street won for table decorations The prizes for the 
collection of twelve kinds of vegetables were awarded 
to Messrs. G. Cox, W. H. Underdown, and R. Ash¬ 
ton, in order of mention. One of the features of the 
show was the large and effective exhibit of decorative 
plants made by Mr. H. Berwick, of the Fortfield 
Nurseries. 
--j.- 
PEOPLE WE HAVE MET. 
Mr. Alexander Haggart. 
A new and worthy addition to our gallery of notable 
horticulturists is Mr. Alex. Haggart, of The Gardens, 
Moor Park,Ludlow,the winner of the Diamond Jubilee 
Gold Medal and £50 cash prize of the Scottish Horti¬ 
cultural Association, besides the trophy prize ; and 
I have had the pleasure of an interview with him. 
Mr. Haggart received me most cordially, and in 
reply to my inquiries as to his early days I learned 
that he was born in the year 1854, in Forfarshire. 
"Will you give me a short outline of your start 
in life, Mr. Haggart ? ” 
“ I was at the age of sixteen apprenticed to Mr. 
James Mitchell, gardener to the Earl of Dalhousie, 
at Panmure, and to his able tuition I attribute most 
of my ultimate success. I was there about four 
years, after which I went to Auchinleck House, 
Ayrshire, the county seat of Lady Boswell, under 
Mr. Watson, where I spent two years as foreman of 
the glass.” 
*‘ And where did you move to next, Mr. Haggart.” 
“ My rext move was to Tarvit, Cupar-Fife, the 
residence of Capt. Rigg, under Mr. Williamson, 
whom I found to be a good master, and a clever 
gardener. I spent but one year here, and I may say 
that I learnt many useful things connected with 
horticulture. After that I went to Buchanan Castle, 
the seat of the Duke of Montrose, under Mr. Crosbie, 
Mr. Alexander Haggart. 
who is still there, although seventeen years have 
passed since I left the Castle. After being there for 
one year, and gaining a useful knowledge of culture 
under glass, I again moved, and this time I pitched 
my tent for good.” 
" Will you give me an idea of how you first started 
growing for exhibition, and what induced you to do 
so ? ” 
" With pleasure. I had read many articles on 
’Mum growing by Mr. E. Molyneux, and was 
tempted to show a few at Shrewsbury, afterwards at 
Birmingham ; but the best growers in Liverpool 
kept me in check, and although I exhibited for 
many years at Birmingham Mr. Parker always 
proved best man with the exception of once, when 
I wasplaced before him for eighteen Japs. 
" But even then, Mr. Haggart, you did not des¬ 
pair ? ” 
“No. In November, 1895, I visited the Royal 
Aquarium show for the first time, and was much 
struck with the wonderful specimens of skill then 
exhibited. I thought I had as good blooms at home, 
and entered for the December show, and was suc¬ 
cessful with twenty-four, twelve, and six Japs. ; 
second for incurved, aDd received a First-class Cer¬ 
tificate for a new variety, Mrs. C. E. Shea.” 
" This, naturally, stimulated you, and induced you 
to enter the lists for a greater honour ? ” 
“Yes. In the next year I entered for the Great 
Jublilee Prize for sixty blooms, in which there were 
twelve entries, mine being placed third.” 
“ Unfortunately for me the show was a week too 
early for my blooms, and bearing this in mind I had 
them early this year, but the weather interfered and 
we were again late ; but, fortunately,the greatest prize 
ever offered by any Chrysanthemum society was 
late, and I entered for the two big classes at 
Edinburgh, with the result that is already 
known.” 
" To what do you attribute your success, Mr. 
Haggart ” ? 
“ Well, to a determination never to give in, and 
to an observant look out for new ideas in the course 
of my wanderings.” 
" Have you encountered many difficulties in the 
way of exhibiting ? ” 
“The difficulty I have had has chiefly been with 
my employers, whose rule when engaging has been 
to bar exhibiting ; but my present employer, the 
Hon. Lucius O’Brien, son of Lord Inchquin, of 
County Clare, very kindly withdrew the rule. 
Beyond this I have encountered few difficulties, my 
entry into the list of competitors being welcomed by 
most of the leading lights of the horticultural world, 
and I have found that little, if any, cold water is 
thrown over a new competitor in this particular 
branch, as is too frequently the case with others.” 
Mr. Haggart, it may be mentioned, is a non- 
smoker, an abstainer, and, what is strange for a 
Scot, takes no snuff. I am sure that his entry in the 
already large list of competitors for honours in the 
Chrysanthemum growing world will be cordially 
welcomed by my many readers. Mr. Haggart is a 
typical man of his race, and to my many Scotch 
readers this short description of his life will be 
especially welcome. I hope to have the pleasure of 
again seeing Mr. Haggart at some of the larger 
shows, and trust that he will continue to be as 
successful as heretofore. He has certainly taught 
some of the other cracks a lesson.— Gyp. 
10ur photo is from a picture specially taken for 
The Gardening World on the day of the award 
at Edinburgh by Messrs. Horsburgh & Son, Edin¬ 
burgh and London.— Ed.] 
-- 
FLORAL DECORATIONS AT LAMBTON 
CASTLE. 
During the visit of the Prince of Wales to Lambton 
Castle, Fence Houses, last week, the floral decorations 
were carried out in a most elaborate manner. The 
large, magnificent entrance hall, 100 ft. long by 45 
ft. wide, and 60 ft. high, is weil worthy of record. 
Gigantic and stately Palms, Kentias 30 ft. high, and 
other fine foliage plants, intermingled with Chrysan¬ 
themums, Poinsettias, Violets, Roman Hyacinths, 
and Azalea mollis, were beautifully arranged with 
telling effect. Over 150 glasses were used during the 
four nights of H.R.H. visit for table decorations. 
Each night a complete change of flowers and 
arrangements were made by Mr. James Hunter, the 
gardeDer-in-chief, who was congratulated upon the 
beautiful arrangements by many of the distinguished 
guests. 
One night hundreds of sprays of Lily of the Valley, 
combined with dozens of flowers of the old Cypripe- 
dium insigne, were employed. On another occasion 
the table was decorated with Roman Hyacinths and 
Violets, and on the third night with Poinsettia pul- 
cherrima, Lily of the Valley, and Roman Hyacinths. 
On the fourth night a complete change was made. 
The whole of the tables were decorated with Chry¬ 
santhemums, which produced a grand display. 
Fruit, one may be sure by the reputation Lambton 
has, was everything that could be desired. Great 
credit is due to Mr. J. Hunter for the various pro¬ 
ducts of the garden he used on this occasion. 
— A.O. 
=- m*m - 
NATIONAL CHRYSANTHEMUM 
SOCIETY. 
The annual dinner of this society was held on Wed¬ 
nesday evening, 24th November, at Anderton's Hotel, 
Fleet Street, London. The excellent menu supplied by 
Mr. Clemow, and the delightful chairmanship of Mr. 
T. W. Sanders, combined with the tasteful floral 
decorations of Miss Dean, and the musical arrange¬ 
ments of Mr. H. Myers constituted a very pleasant 
evening to a full gathering. 
In proposing a toast, “ The Glorious Chrysanthe¬ 
mum and its Devotees,” the chairman said, “ for 
1,000 years the Easterns have worshipped the Chry¬ 
santhemum. Its cultivation unites all brotherhood, 
as the flower is second to none. The Rose is beauti¬ 
ful because it blooms in the summer sunshine and 
light, but the 'Mum sends out all its glory and beauty 
during the times of cold and murky atmosphere. 
The influence it has exerted in western countries and 
here has made horticulture more inviting to hun¬ 
dreds of thousands of persons. Even in the East of 
London the results of ’Mum culture are surprising by 
reason of the grand masses of blooms produced. The 
suburban amateurs also make grand displays, whilst 
the nurserymen and professional gardeners, who are 
to be congratulated upon their spirit of enterprise, 
are striving to make the flower even more popular.” 
Mr. Sanders claimed that the N. C. S. was the 
cause of all this enthusiasm, and gave the statistics 
