66 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  25,  1900. 
fifty  years;  at  one  time  at  the  height  of  prosperity,  then  in  the 
depths  of  adversity,  followed  by  another  slow  rise  to  the  position  it 
now  occupies — a  position  creditable  to  everyone  connected  with  it, 
and  one  holding  out  possibilities  of  further  advancement  in  the  cause 
of  gardening.  Other  leading  lights  among  societies  in  the  provinces 
have  risen  Iron  small  beginnings,  and  now  hold  positions  of  wraith 
and  influence.  We  admire  the  energies  of  the  gardeners  at 
Shrewsbury,  Edinburgh,  York,  and  many  ,  other  places  where  high- 
clafs  shows  are  now  held  under  the  auspices  of  important  societies. 
Popular  flowers,  too,  have  their  own  bands  of  brotherhood,  so  to 
speak,  such  as  the  Eose,  Dahlia,  Carnation,  and  Chrys  nthemum.  Thi  _ 
latter  is  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  horticultural  world.  We  know  how 
the  National  Society  has  developed  from  the  infant  gathering  of  a  few 
Chrysanthemum  lovers,  and  like  Mushrooms,  similar  bodies  affiliated 
or  independent  have  sprung  into  existence,  not  only  in  large  towns 
but  in  country  villages,  and  one  and  all  are  illustrative  o  the 
fascinating  powers  of  the  autumn  queen. 
In  scores  of  country  villages  there  are  healthy  gardening  societies, 
supported  partially  or  wholly  by  amateurs,  and  it  is  to  the  good  work 
done  by  many  of  these  that  I  would  particularly  draw  the  reader’s 
attention.  The  most  prosperous  societies  are  invariably  those  having 
the  financial  support  of  local  gentry,  and  the  horticultural  assistance 
of  their  gardeners;  but  these  are  not  indispensable,  and  it  reflects 
great  credit  on  the  working  men  members  of  those  bodies  which  are 
practicslly  self-supporting.  There  are  numerous  places  in  the  country 
having  a  kind  of  horticultural  society  which  holds  an  annual  summer 
show,  but  after  it  is  over  the  whole  thing  is  forgotten  till  the  time 
again  rolls  round.  In  such  cases,  what  should  be  the  chief  aim  of  a 
gardening  society — viz.,  mutual  improvement — is  missed,  and  the 
best  work  is  done  where  periodical  meeting  nights  are  in  vogue, 
particularly  through  the  winter,  for  the  discussion  of  matters  apper¬ 
taining  to  gardening. 
There  are  some  people  who  say  that  it  is  only  a  mercenary  spirit 
which  prompts  exhibitors  to  compete.  Let  it  be  said  to  the  credit  of 
many  societies  that  their  members  are  not  imbued  with  such  feelings, 
but  grow  and  exhibit  their  produce  mainly  for  credit  and  honour.  I 
know  more  than  one  society  that  guarantees  no  prize  money  at  all, 
and  yet  it  always  has  good  shows.  It  is  fully  understood  amongst 
the  members  that  points  will  be  given  to  those  occupying  first, 
second,  and  third  places  in  each  class,  but  whether  these  points 
1  ©present  any  money  value  depends  entirely  on  the  receipts.  On  one 
or  twm  occasions,  through  bad  weather  and  other  causes,  the  receipts 
have  been  swallowed  up  by  the  expenses,  and  the  exhibitors  had  to 
be  contented  with  their  points.  They  might  have  been  disappointed, 
but  the  entries  for  the  next  show  were  just  as  numerous.  This  proves 
that  it  is  not  with  the  sole  idea  of  gain  that  gardeners  become 
members  of  societies  and  exhibit  their  productions ;  there  is  a  deep 
love  for  the  occupation  at  the  root  of  it  all. 
Among  other  benefits  resulting  from  the  existence  of  a  flourishing 
village  horticultural  society  is  the  all-round  improvement  in  the 
gardening.  I  could  point  to  villages,  possessing  no  society  with  its 
stimulating  effects,  where  cottage  and  amateur  gardening  is  at  a  very 
low  ebb.  The  gardens  are  cultivated  in  a  way,  and  there  are  the 
periodical  sowings  and  plantings,  but  they  are  carried  out  in  an  old  rule  of 
thumb  sort  of  method,  with  no  ambition  to  produce  anything  above 
the  commonplace.  A  combination  of  gardeners  changes  all  this,  and 
it  is  characteristic  of  the  best  of  gardeners  that  they  are  the  men  who 
are  always  anxious  to  learn  more.  They  are  not  content  with  the  old 
rule  of  thumb  methods,  but  become  alive  to  the  advantages  of  growing 
the  best  varieties,  of  using  suitable  fertilisers,  and  adopting  means  of 
fighting  the  foes  which  hitherto  had  been  allowed  to  increase  un¬ 
checked.  An  interest  is  awakened  in  gardening  such  as  was  never 
known  before,  and  the  horny-handed  members  of  the  village  society 
find  out  that  by  adopting  the  best  methods  of  cultivating  their  cottage 
gardens  and  allotments  they  not  only  obtain  produce  fit  for  the  show 
board,  but  they  are  doubly  rewarded  by  the  weight  and  quality  of  the 
vegetables  for  the  supply  of  the  household. 
In  addition  to  the  annual  summer  show  and  the  monthly  reunions, 
there  is  the  social  side — the  meeting  of  the  professional  gardener  with 
the  labourer,  who  is  also  a  gardener,  and  the  well-to-do  amateur  who 
gardens  lor  a  hobby,  each  and  all  imbued  with  a  kindred  spirit. 
Pleasing  sketches  might  be  drawn  of  such  gatherings  in  the  club 
room  of  the  village,  and  no  lover  of  gardening  could  take  part  in 
one  without  realising  that  horticulture  ow'es  much  of  its  prominence  to 
gardening  societies.— G.  H,  H. 
OnoNTOonossuii  cbispom  Daphne. 
The  Odontoglossums  that  were  honoured  by  particular  recognition 
by  the  Orchid  Committee  of  the  Koyal  Horticultural  Society  during 
the  second  half  of  last  year  were  not  particu'arly  numerous  ;  they, 
however,  made  up  for  sparsity  of  numbers  by  excellence  of  quality. 
Amongst  those  selected  for  the  award  of  merit  was  Odontoglossum 
crispum  Daphne  (fig.  13))  which  was  exhibited  at  the  Diill  Hall  by 
Mr.  W.  Stevens,  gardener  to  W.  Thompson,  Esq.,  Walton  .Grange, 
Stone,  Staffs.  This  was  an  exceptionally  beautiful  variety,' and  was 
quite  distinct  from  any  of  its  relatives.  Ihe  sepals  were  pure  white,^ 
Fig.  13. — Odontoglossum  crispum  Daphne. 
but  the  ground  colour  was  almost  <  bscnied  by  an  immense  pale  violet 
patch;  the  petals  were  paper  wtiite,  with  sparse  spots  of  a  similar 
colour  to  those  on  the  sepals.  The  fimbriated  lip  was  white  with  a 
prominent  brown  patch,  while  the  throat  was  yellow. 
L.BL1AS  AT  EOSEEIELD. 
It  is  perfectly  safe  for  anyone  to  make  the  assertion  that  we  are 
living  in  an  age  of  specialism,  and  the  genius  who  could  turn  his  hand 
to  anything  and  do  it  thoroughly  is  becoming  conspicuous  by  his 
absence.  In  the  arts  and  sciences,  the  professions  and  trades,  we  find 
individuals  take  up  a  definite  line  and  follow  it  until  their  knowledge 
of  it  is  practically  unique.  As  it  is  in  our  daily  vocations,  so  it  is  in 
our  hobbies,  and  in  no  direction  is  specialism  more  rife  than  in  the 
ranks  of  our  amateur  Orchid  enthusiasts.  There  are  general  cultivators 
of  course,  but  broadly  speaking  every  grower  has  his  particular  pet, 
which  he  studies  until  he  has  its  requirements  to  a  nicety.  Among 
the  true  Orchid  specialists  is  Mr.  de  Barri  Crawshay,  of  Rosefield, 
Sevenoaks,  whose  forte  was  at  the  outset  Odontoglossums  especially  of 
the  crispum  section,  but  who  some  years  ago  added  Laelia  anceps  to 
his  stocR.  A  few  Cattleyas  are  grown  with  one  or  two  other  Orchids, 
but  they  are  minors  in  the  estimation  of  Mr.  Crawshay,  and  from 
]>ersonal  observation  I  should  say  they  will  eventually  be  ousted 
entirely.  _ _ 
While  having  these  facts  in  mind  it  must  not  be  thought  that  this 
gentleman  has  no  knowledge  of  or  capability  of  appreciation  for  other 
Orchids  as  well  as  for  flowers  and  fruits.  As  a  matter  of  fact  he  is  a 
leal  horticulturist  whose  particular  partialities  find  vent  in  two 
channels  about  with  which  he  makes  it  his  concern  to  know  all  there 
is  worth  knowing.  It  is  not  the  time  of  the  year  for  one  to  dilate 
upon  the  beauties  of  Odontoglossum  crispum  from  a  floral  point  of 
view,  but  one  must  admire  the  stout  substance  in  the  leaves  and  the 
pseudo-bulbs,  and  the  rude  glow  of  health  in  which  they  are  clothed. 
These  flowers  have  been  spoken  of  in  these  pages  in  past  day  s,  and 
will  be  again,  no  doubt,  if  their  owntr  maintain  or  improve  the 
present  high  status  of  the  collection.  For  the  time,  then,  let  us  leave 
