Novembei 5, 1898 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
157 
tiDg everything that the gardener has done during 
the day. If it happens that they are able to find 
their way into the greenhouse, the havoc caused 
assumes such proportions that even the most even- 
tempered man has his equanimity disturbed on 
being brought face to face with the unforseen result. 
I shall never forget my first visit, some time ago, to 
an amateur Chrysanthemum society. Our meeting 
was held in a room belonging to a local hotel, and 
after the president had declared the meeting closed 
the committee abandoned its official duties, drinks 
were circulated, cigars and pipes brought out, and 
the conversation became general. 
Within a few minutes someone happened to speak 
of "cats.” That was enough, for everyone present 
had something to say upon the annoyances that he 
had suffered from these animals, and the vengeance 
that he had taken upon them in consequence. 
In my innocence I then looked upon Chrysanthe¬ 
mum growers as particularly cruel specimens of the 
human race, but as I gained horticultural experience 
I was obliged to confess that that profession had no 
such uncompromising enemy as the obdurate crimi¬ 
nal called the London cat. 
On an average I found the glass in the roof of 
my greenhouse broken about once a week, the pots 
overturned, the plants broken, and their unhappy 
flowers strewn all about. If I happened to leave 
partly open at night a cold frame containing some 
hundreds of young plants, I was sure to find many 
of them spoiled when I rose in the morning. 
The most provoking part of the business, however, 
was that if by chance one happens to discover the 
owner of the animal who has done the mischief, 
and makes complaint, he will be sure to be told that 
the owner never lets his cat out of a night. 
One of my friends was, some years ago, the 
possessor of a cat which was really a terrible crea¬ 
ture. This tom (for such it was) never lost an 
opportunity of inviting its friends and acquaintances 
to visit its master's garden. One night a dispute 
arose between host and visitors, and a series of 
scrimmages followed. Next day, when my friend 
looked round his garden to see the results of the 
previous evening's diversions, his rage knew no 
bounds. 
The animal never ceased, however, to give free 
course, in one way or another, to its perverse 
instincts and rapidly became a terror to the neigh¬ 
bourhood. It robbed the neighbours of their 
pigeons and hunted their chickens. One day a little 
boy came in tears to say that the cat had just killed 
a little pet rabbit that he was amusing himself 
by bringing up. In short, without exaggeration, a 
whole series of heinous crimes could be laid to the 
charge of this one cat. 
As my friend did not wish any longer to put up 
with an animal that made his life a misery he 
decided to put an end to its exploits and its life to¬ 
gether. He rose early one morning, and, providing 
himself with a piece of cord hung the offender to the 
branch of a tree. Thinking that he had thus got rid 
of his trouble he returned tranquilly to his room. 
But he little knew the occult powers of his tom cat, 
for it found a way to get free, breaking the cord by 
its struggles, and without turning a hair coolly 
walked into the sitting-room, where, to his great sur¬ 
prise, my friend found him a little later on, 
luxuriously lying on the rug near the fire, fast asleep, 
as if nothing had happened. 
Continuing in his determination my friend next 
took steps to poison the animal. He laid about some 
pieces of poisoned meat, which, with a disinterested¬ 
ness worthy of a bettter cause, pussy left untouched 
for his neighbouring friends. 
It is difficult to believe everything that a gardener 
says about cats, but it is said that the first dark night 
afterwards the cat was given to a boatman who 
rowed out to the middle of the river in his boat and 
threw the animal into the water with a brick tied to 
its neck. Neither the man nor the boat were ever 
heard of again, but the cat came back. 
My friend, discouraged, did not make any further 
attempts. But one day a travelling German band 
stopped in the street to play the usual tunes, such as 
Die Wacht am Rhein , and other classical airs of the 
" Vaterland.” At the sound of the music pussy 
came to see what was going on, and when the band 
had left the cat was found stretched out in the middle 
of the road, dead, killed (its owner affirmed positively 
that it was so) by the sounds of the music from 
beyond the Rhine. 
Although my friend was a truthful man I can 
scarcely believe this story, and I attribute the death 
of the animal, which all previous efforts had not 
been able to kill, to a passing vehicle which ran over 
it. 
It is quite possible that some readers of the Nord 
Horticole have never heard of the cat which com¬ 
mitted suicide. Here is the story :— 
Some time ago in a horticultural establishment 
that made the culture of the Chrysanthemum a 
specialty, and which is managed by an Englishman 
well known amongst French amateurs, a wicked cat 
had contracted the habit of having a look round at 
various times. 
The gardeners, on seeing it, set to work to frighten 
it by throwing at it pieces of broken pots, stones, 
sticks and an occasional half-brick—in a word any 
projectile which came readily to hand. All this did 
not prevent pussy from returning, for she appeared 
to bear a charmed life, like the old heroes who did 
great deeds in battle, of whom we read. Day after 
day passed and many were the threats uttered by 
the young gardeners in their wrath that the life of 
that cat should pay the forfeit for her innumerable 
offences. 
One day it became evident to even the most 
casual observer that pussy was about to become a 
mother, and the event was not long in coming off, for 
to the general surprise pussy was discovered one fine 
day comfortably ensconced under the bench of a 
greenhouse, in company with six or seven kittens. 
For some time her interesting condition attracted 
the benevolent attentions of the gardeners, for they 
looked after her carefully and brought her milk to 
drink. Unfortunately for her, however, it was 
hardly possible to forget her evil doings, or to accord 
her pardon. Therefore, in order to keep her safely 
a piece of twine was tied carefully round her neck, 
and the other end passed round a stick fastened to 
the wall, although her wants were still looked after. 
One fine day the fastening of the stick to the wall 
gave way, and just when they did not dream of 
watching her pussy ran nimbly across the nursery 
dragging after her the string with the piece of wood 
at the end. The gardeners at last perceiving her 
flight attempted to capture her anew, but remember¬ 
ing her former wicked ways she scampered across 
the open ground and in the direction of a wooden 
fence forming the boundary of the nursery. She 
made a desperate attempt to spring over it, and 
succeeded, but unfortunately for her the piece of 
wood dragging at the end of the string caught in a 
chink in the fence, and the poor victim, despite her 
struggles and desperate efforts to get free hung 
suspended. By the time that the gardeners came 
up death had accomplished its work, and pussy by 
her own act had abandoned the little orphans, which 
were only able to mourn their loss. So when any¬ 
one speaks about cats at that nursery the first ques¬ 
tion which rises to the lips is—Did you ever hear 
tell of the cat that committed suicide ?— From the 
French, by C. Harman Payne in "Nord Horticole,” July, 
1898. 
-- 
SOCIETIES. 
EXMOUTH CHRYSANTHEMUM.— October 27 th 
and 28 th. 
The thirteenth exhibition in connection with the 
above society took place on the above days, and was 
in every respect an unqualified success. The cut 
blooms were of great size, and if some few were 
rather lax and loose in appearance, others were of 
unusual dimensions. 
For circular groups 8 ft. in diameter, quality of 
blooms to be considered, two competitors only 
entered, the first prize falling to General Rocke, 
Exmouth (gardener, Mr. Pennel), with plants of great 
vigour and blooms of large size. The foliage on these 
was of good colour and perfectly free from rust. Pride 
of Madford, Australian Gold, Phoebus, Chenon de 
Leche, and Madame Gustave Henry were finely 
developed flowers. The second prize fell to Mrs. 
Greswell (gardener, Mr. Kingscote). The blooms on 
the group were not up to those in the first prize lot. 
For semi-circular groups Col. Lloyd, Littleham 
(gardener, Mr. Hitchcock), was first with a nice 
group, the second falling to Dr. Hodgson (gardener, 
Mr. Gooding), and the third to A. F. Terrel Shapland, 
Esq., Witheycombe (gardener, Mr. J. Langdon). 
For thirty-six Japanese cut blooms in not less than 
twenty-four varieties the competition was keen, the 
first prize falling to H. Hammond-Spencer, Esq , 
Teignmouth (gardener, Mr. G. Foster). Here were 
large blooms of Australie, Lady Byron, Werther, 
Edith Tabor, Pride of Exmouth, Lady Ridgeway, 
Phoebus, Mrs. Mease, and Chenon de Leche; the 
second fell to the Rev. G. Lyon (gardener, Mr. J. 
Styles), Mrs. Mease, Phoebus, Australie, Australian 
Gold, Madame Gustave Henry, and Melano being 
among his best. G. Yurneaux, Esq., was third with 
a good lot. 
H. Hammond-Spencer, Esq., was first for twelve 
Japanese, his Charles Davies and Madame Gustave 
Henry being fine and well developed ; the second fell 
to the Rev. G. Lyon, and the third to G. Yurneaux. 
The Rev. G. Lyon was first for twelve incurves, in 
which were some flowers of good form, notably 
Globe d'Or, Jeanne d'Arc, Violet Tomlin and Baron 
Hirsch. H. Hammond-Spencer, Esq., was second, 
having excellent blooms of Topaze, Orientale, Baron 
Hirsch, Brookleigh Gem, Major Bonnaffin. 
For eighteen Japanese, R. Gibbons, Esq. (gardener, 
Mr. A May), was first, the Rev. H. Clark 
(gardener, Mr. R. Pike), being second. R. Gibbon, 
Esq , was first with six blooms of Col. B. Smith ; 
and Rev. H. Clark was second, with Australian Gold, 
for blooms of any variety, not white. For six white 
blooms the Rev. H. Clark was first with three 
blooms of Mme. Carnot and three of Marquis de 
Paris. For nine vases of Japanese blooms, three 
blooms of one colour in each, H. Hammond- 
Spencer, Esq., was first with very fine flowers. The 
Rev. G. Lyon, Teignmouth, came in second. 
With an epergne Mr. R. Pearce was first; and 
Mr. W. H. Gooding, second. For a basket of cut 
blooms with foliage, Mrs. Hodgson was first with a 
very pretty basket. Miss Apthorpe was second. With 
a vase of Chrysanthemum blooms and autumn 
foliage, Mrs. Baker was well to the front; Miss 
Urquhart coming in second. The dinner table 
decoration, confined to ladies, brought out four com¬ 
petitors, the first prize being taken by Miss E. W. 
Urquhart, with a very light arrangement; the second 
prize fell to Mrs. Baker with one that was very 
effective and much admired. 
A very fine lot of plants, cut blooms, etc., was 
shown by Mr. W. J. Godfrey, Exmouth, in which 
were blooms of many of the newest Chrysanthe¬ 
mums, choice Carnations, as well as plants of 
Begonia Gloire de Lorraine full of flower. 
A large group of plants was staged by Mr. J. 
Mayne, gardener to the Hon. Mark Rolle, Bicton, in 
which were plants full of flowers of Salvia Pitcherii, 
S. Bethelii and S. splendens, besides Cypripedium 
harrisianum and Sedenii, with many blooms on 
them. From the same exhibitor came a collection 
of fruit, including Lady Downes and Black Alicante 
Grapes, Queen Pines, Sutton’s Scarlet Melon, and 
many Apples and Pears, Peasgood’s Nonsuch being 
the largest in the show. 
There was a good number of dishes of Apples and 
Pears. Among the former were Mrs F. Stevenson, 
A. F. Terrel Shapland, Rev. H. Clark, J. Gordon, 
Esq., Mr. H. Law and Mrs. Close being the winners, 
and amongst Pears, H. Clark, Esq., R. Gibbons, Esq., 
and Mrs. Pinckney. Mrs. Greswell’s Grapes were 
very good. The first prize for black Alicantes was 
taken by the Rev.H.Clark with three bunches of large 
size and splendid colour. Mr. Matthews was second. 
For three bunches of Muscats, J. Gordon, Esq., 
was first; his bunches were rather straggling, but of 
splendid colour. The Rev. H. Clark was second. 
For three bunches of any other colour, Rev. H. 
Clark was first with Lady Downes, Miss Pinckney 
being second. 
Some good vegetables were entered, the first prize 
for a collection being taken by A. F. Terrell Shap¬ 
land, Esq., in whose collection were Leeks, Carrots, 
Celery, Onions and Tomatos of very good size. 
Miss Pinckney was second. She also had some fine 
Carrots, Onions, Celery, &c. The hall was beauti¬ 
fully decorated, and a numerous company attended. 
NATIONAL CHRYSANTHEMUM .—October 2,1st. 
There was a great deal of excellent material 
brought before the floral committee of the National 
Chrysanthemum Society, held at the Royal 
Aquarium on Monday last, the 31st ult. Although 
the committee was in a critical mood, and not likely 
to pass anything but what was really first-class, 
there were no fewer than twelve certificates given, 
for which see another column. 
