74 § 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Chrysanthemums 
AT THE 
CRYSTAL PALACE. 
Autumn Show of the N.C.S. . . 
The great autumn competition and fete 
of- the National Chrysanthemum Society 
was held at the Crystal Palace, Syden¬ 
ham Hill, on the 6th, 7th, and 8th inst. 
The principal features of the competition 
were the classes for the Holmes Memorial 
Challenge Cups, for 12 vases of specimen 
blooms of Japanese Chrysanthemums, the 
class for the president’s prizes for 24 
Japanese blooms, and the floral decora¬ 
tion of Chrysanthemums for a dinner 
table, there being 18 entries for this latter 
competition. The best Chrysanthemum 
groups were those staged not for competi¬ 
tion, because larger and more novelty in 
their construction was introduced. 
Fruits and flowers, not for competition, 
were plentiful, but the Roses and Dahlias 
cut from tEe open were a surprise for No¬ 
vember. 
Medals were offered for a group of cut 
Chrysanthemums, with the addition of 
appropriate foliage, on an area of 300 sq. 
ft., and a Dean Memorial Gold Medal 
was ' awarded to Mr. Norman Davis, 
Framfield, Sussex, who had a very' bold 
and effective group consisting of large 
blooms set up arranged with autumn- 
tinted .foliage on a Palm in the centre 
and on bamboo stands round the sides. 
The intervening spaces were filled with 
smaller stands and vases, the groundwork 
being of Ferns with Crotons at intervals 
amongst them. 
For a group occupying 200 sq. ft. of 
space, and from which the trade was ex¬ 
cluded, the leading prize was awarded to 
Mr. W. Howe, gardener to Lady Tate, 
Park Hill, Streatham Common. It was 
a massive group with a Palm in the 
centre. 
In the great class for 12 vases of 
Japanese varieties, three blooms of each, 
the leading award was taken by Mr. G. 
Hall, Melchet Court Gardens, Rornsey, 
Hants, who had massive blooms of A. T. 
Miller, J. H. Silsbury, F. S. Vallis, W. 
A. Ethrington, Edith Smith, R. Vallis, 
Bessie Godfrey, Mme. P. Radaelli, Mrs. 
W. Knox, Mrs. Vallis. Maud Jefferies, 
and Mme. Rivol. These made a grand 
display. The second prize was taken by 
Mr. W. Iggulden, Lock's Hill Nurseries, 
Frome, Somerset, with blooms that were 
scarcely inferior in size, though a few of 
them were slightly past their best. Mr. 
W. Mease, gardener to A. Tate, Esq., 
Downside, Leatherhead, came in third 
with some very handsome blooms. 
For 12 vases of incurved blooms, the 
leading award was won by Mr. W. Higgs, 
gardener to J. B. Hankev, Esq., Fetcham 
Park, Leatherhead. As "in the big class, 
the blooms were arranged with long stems 
with their foliage. The varieties shown 
were J. Agate, Hanwell Glory, Lady 
Isabel, Chas. H. Curtis, Nellie Southam, 
Buttercup, Mrs. Barnard Hankey, Miss 
E. Holding, Frank Trestian, Topaze 
Orientale, Mrs. G. Denyer, and Embleme 
Poitevine. The second award went to 
Mr. G. J. Hunt, gardener to Pantia Ralli, 
Esq., Ashtead Park, Epsom, whose 
blooms in some cases were not fully’de¬ 
veloped. 
The first prize for one Japanese variety, 
5 blooms in a vase, was taken by Mr. A. 
Jefferies, gardener to John Balfour, Esq., 
Moor Hall, Harlow, Essex, showing Mrs. 
A. T. Miller. The same variety took the 
second and third prizes in this class. 
For 5 blooms of a yellow Jap, Mr. A. 
Jefferies again lead the way with F. S. 
Vallis, the blooms being of enormous 
size. Bessie Godfrey was the winning 
variety for the second and third place. 
Mr. G. Mileham, gardener to A. T. 
Miller, Esq., Emlyn House, Leatherhead, 
took the lead for a vase of any Japanese 
variety, except white or yellow, showing 
W. Beadle in grand form. The variety 
in the second and third prize vase was 
Reginald Vallis. 
In Class 40 for 5 Japanese blooms, the 
lead was taken .by Mr. J. A. Humphries, 
gardener to J. L. Burgess, Esq., Maisey 
Hampton, near Fairford. 
The Dulwich Chrysanthemum and 
Horticultural Society was awarded the 
first prize in the competition of Chrysan¬ 
themum and Horticultural Societies. 
The Holmes Memorial Challenge Cups, 
as usual, brought out some grand ex¬ 
hibits. The cup for 36 incurved blooms 
was secured by Mr. W. Higgs, who had 
grand blooms of Mrs. G. Denyer, G. F. 
Evans, Buttercup, H. Hearn, Godfrey’s 
Eclipse, Daisy Southam, Embleme Poite¬ 
vine, Pantia Ralli, Mrs. F. Judson, Lady 
Isabel, Triomphe de Montbrun, W. J. 
Higgs, Mme. Ferlat, Frank Hammond, 
and others. Mr. G. J. Hunt took the 
second prize with somewhat smaller 
blooms in fresh condition. Mr. W. 
Mease was a good third, Mrs. F. Denyer 
and Buttercup being grand blooms. 
The Holmes Memorial Cup for 48 
Japanese blooms, distinct, was secured by 
Mr. A. Jefferies, gardener to John Bal¬ 
four, Esq., who had splendid blooms of 
F. S. Vallis, President Loubet, J. H. Sils¬ 
bury', Chrvsanthemiste Montigny, Alger¬ 
non Davis, Dorothy Oliver, Mme. L. 
Rousseau, Mme. G. Rivol, Magnificent, 
Mary Inglis, Mrs. G. Mileham, Marquise 
Venosta, Lady Henderson, Duchess of 
Sutherland, Reginald Vallis, Bessie God¬ 
frey, Mrs. W. Knox, Mons. Paul Watine, 
Mrs. A. LI. Lee, Lady Mary Conyers, 
Mme. M. de Mons, Mrs. A. T. Miller, 
and Mrs. Barkley. The second award 
was taken by Mr. G. Hall, wljo had many 
very fine blooms indeed. Mr. T. Steven¬ 
son, gardener to E. G. Mocatta, Esq., 
Woburn Place, Addlestone, Surrey, took 
the third place with a grand exhibit, 
amongst which was an enormous bloom of 
Ladv Talbot, the largest bloom in the 
show. 
The first prize in the class for Mr. W. 
Wells’s novelties was secured by Mr. Nor¬ 
man Davis, who had them arranged 
amongst Ferns. Mr. G. Mileham was a 
good second. 
The five valuable prizes offered by the 
president, Charles E. Shea, Esq., for 24 
Japanese blooms brought strong competi¬ 
tion. The leading award was secured by 
Mr. A. Jefferies, who had magnificent 
blooms of Reginald Vallis, President 
Loubet, Mme. G. Rivol, Bessie Godfrey, 
Marquise Venosta, Mrs. A. T. Miller, F. 
S. Vallis, and others. Indeed, there was 
November 23, 1907. 
not a weak bloom in his stand. Mr. G. 
Hall took the second place; Mr. W. Higgs 
came in third; Mr. W. Iggulden was 
fourth; and Mr. W. Blackwood, with a 
very good exhibit indeed, took the fifth 
position. 
Mr. T. Stevenson took the lead for 12 
Japanese blooms in the class where prizes 
were offered by the Ichthemic Guano Co. 
Here again he had a monstrous bloom of 
Lady Talbot and another of F. S. Vallis. 
Mr. G. Hall, Mr. W. Iggulden, and Mr. 
W. Mease took the remaining prizes. 
Single Chrysanthemum classes and 
floral decorations brought numerous ex¬ 
hibits. For 12 vases of single Chrysan¬ 
themums the lead was taken by Mr. C. 
Brown, gardener to R. D. Cleasby, Esq., 
Langley House, Abbots Langley. His 
prettiest varieties were Mrs. E. Roberts, 
Edith Pagram, B. E. Pagram, and 
F. W. Smith. Mr. W. C. Pagram, 
gardener to J. Courtenay, Esq., J-P., 
The Whim, Weybridge, was second, 
showing such beautiful sorts as Mary An¬ 
derson, Annie Holden, Duchess of York, 
Mrs. Watford, Beauty of Weybridge, and 
Edith Pagram. 
The prizes for a vase of single Chrysan¬ 
themums, with any foliage for decorative 
effect, brought a large number of com¬ 
petitors. The first prize was taken by 
Mr. T. Stevenson, who had sprays of 
Mary Anderson and Annie Holden set up 
with autumn-tinted sprays of Spiraea 
prunifolia and bracken. Mr. W. C. 
Pagram took the second place with large 
flowering singles with a great variety of 
foliage and fruits of the Chinese Lantern. 
For 2 vases of Pompons, set up with 
appropriate foliage, the lead was taken 
by Mr. A. Robertson, gardener to F. J. 
Yarrow, Esq., 18, Abbey Road, St. John's 
Wood, N.W. Bronze, yellow, white, and 
pink Pompons were used, together with 
autumn-tinted leaves of scarlet Oak, 
grasses, etc. Mrs. Conn, Peak Hill 
Lodge, Sydenham, took the second place 
with tall vases of white and yellow Pom¬ 
pons. 
In the class for a dinner table decora¬ 
tion there were no less than 18 entries, 
making competition both keen and inter¬ 
esting. The first prize table was that of 
Mrs. E. Robinson, Norhyrst, Park Hill, 
Carshalton. Her stands were light and 
graceful, being filled with light orange 
and yellow Chrysanthemums, Asparagus 
plumosus, grasses, etc. Miss B. Saunders, 
13, Victoria Cottages, Highgate, N., was 
second, employing the same two varieties 
of Chrysanthemum. Mrs. H. L. Sell, 
Kempton Villa, Luton, came in third with 
orange and yellow single Chrysanthe¬ 
mums. , ; 
In the amateur’s class for a decorative 
display of Chrysanthemums the lead was 
taken "by Mrs. H. L. Sell, using yellow 
orange and white Chrysanthemums, 
Asparagus, and autumn-tinted foliage 
both on the table and in the stands. 
A large number of prizes for vegetables 
were offered by Mr. Robert Sydenham, 
and the competitors made up a fine dis¬ 
play. The collections of eight varieties 
of vegetables were quite a feature of the 
show, for the Onions, Leeks, Celery, 
Potatos, Cauliflowers, Carrots, Parsnips, 
etc., were excellent and set up in splendid 
exhibition form. He also offered prizes 
in 12 other classes for vegetables, and 
here also the competing vegetables were 
excellent. 
