October  3,  1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
327 
are  rare,  for  though  error  may  not  be  uncommon  the  desire  to  do 
justice  is  common  amongst  those  who  undertake  the  arduous 
duties. 
Setting  aside  for  once  and  for  all  any  imputative  suggestions  of 
the  baser  kind,  the  fact  remains  that  prejudice  reigns  supreme  and 
practically  uncontrolled.  Each  man’s  ideal  is  founded  on  varying 
experience.  A  certain  bias  has  been  gradually  warped  to  colour, 
size  or  form,  and  the  stronger  the  man  is  in  the  courage  of  his 
convictions  so  much  the  more  difficult  is  it  for  him  to  avoid 
partiality.  In  vegetable  judging,  for  instance,  the  dual  question 
arises  as  to  what  are  the  points  of  excellence  generally  looked  for 
on  the  exhibition  table,  and  what  are  those  which  should  be 
accredited  to  the  exhibit  taking  the  premier  position.  Is  it  not 
the  case  that  in  catering  for  the  exhibition  table  we  are  apt  to  lose 
sight  of  the  dining-room  mahogany  ?  From  observation  extending 
over  some  years,  and  places  of  various  degrees,  I  draw  the  con¬ 
clusion  that  giant  varieties  of  various  species  do  not  find  favour 
with  either  connoisseur  or  cook  ;  and  he  would,  I  think,  be  a  bold 
man  as  a  gardener  who  leaves  the  cook  out  of  his  calculations. 
The  Cauliflowers,  as  taking  rather  an  important  place  in  the 
menu,  will  serve  as  a  case  in  point.  Now,  we  may  take  it  that  a 
stand  of  vegetables  comprises  so  many  dishes — one  of  each  kind, 
and  that  on  the  exhibition  table  our  dish  of  Cauliflowers  is  made 
up  of  some  half-dozen  fine  heads  of,  say,  Veitch’s  Autumn  Giant. 
A  grand  dish,  no  doubt,  for  the  village  club  dinner  or  the  servants’ 
hall ;  but  what  of  the  dining-room,  representing  a  higher  court  of 
judgment?  Here,  of  course,  no  cook  would  think  of  dishing  up 
half  a  dozen  Giants  (unless  in  their  infancy),  nor  would  I  insinuate 
that  any  reader  need  be  told  so.  No,  he  (or  she)  takes  one,  or  half 
of  one,  and  sends  up  the  dish  of  Cauliflower  (not  flowers)  in  a 
heterogenous  mass — mash  I  might  say — and  what  is  the  verdict  ? 
Oh,  “  We  like  the  little  Cauliflowers  dished  up  entire,  with  just  a 
little  of  the  green  around  them,  as  they  grow.”  And  this  is  the 
ideal  dish  of  Cauliflowers  (not  flower),  neat  little  heads  as  perfect 
in  form  and  colour  as  when  growing  in  the  garden. 
Obviously,  one  need  not  go  far  to  find  other  examples  of  the 
vegetable  department  in  which  sharp  inharmonious  lines  are  drawn 
in  growing  for  show  and  for  use.  Yet  this  digression,  which  is 
drawing  me  from  the  fundamental  question,  need  go  no  farther 
beyond  saying  that  concordance  should  exist  in  growing  for  exhi¬ 
bition  and  growing  for  use.  If  it  is  not  so,  then  the  main  object 
of  competition  is  lost  sight  of,  and  so  the  principle  may  be  carried 
tentatively  to  other  classes  of  a  schedule. 
The  question  is  the  ideal,  for  an  ideal  we  must  have,  mentally, 
whether  it  is  attained  or  not.  And  should  this  ideal  any  longer 
exist  in  its  multiform  character,  which  it  must  do  under  existing 
conditions  ?  If  so,  it  must  be  allowed  that  not  only  shall  we  see 
controversial  criticism  carried  on  indefinitely,  but  the  cause,  if  per¬ 
mitted  to  remain,  will  intensify  the  feeling  as  competition  grows 
keener.  Not  alone  in  a  few  phases  of  exhibiting  do  we  require  a 
clearly  defined  standard  of  excellence,  but  probably  there  is  not 
one  class  of  the  many  in  which  exhibitors  compete  that  is  not 
amenable  to  being  brought  under  fixed  rules. 
To  say  that  this  cannot  he  done  would,  to  my  mind,  be  casting 
a  slight  on  the  giant  intellects  who  lead  the  van  in  the  march  of 
horticulture,  and  to  say  that  such  would  not  be  hailed  as  a  boon  by 
those  acting  in  a  judicial  capacity,  as  well  as  giving  confidence  to 
exhibitors,  would  be  an  admission  that  the  present  order  of  things 
is  perfection,  of  which  we  have  copious  evidence  that  such  is  not 
the  case. 
Admitting  the  need  of  a  clear  understanding  between  all  parties 
concerned  with  the  abolition  of  haphazard  work  pertaining  to 
judging,  there  should,  beyond  the  labour  entailed,  be  but  little 
difficulty  in  settling  matters  on  a  satisfactory  basis.  For  instance, 
let  a  given  number  of  expert  vegetable  growers,  and  not  only 
growers,  but  consumers,  give  their  opinion  on  the  points  of  ex¬ 
cellence  each  dish  of  vegetables  should  consist  of,  some  dozen  of 
the  leading  Grape  growers,  Begonia  growers,  and  so  on,  and  from 
this  combined  wisdom  shall  he  extracted  the  standard — the  law, 
fixed  and  unalterable  till  such  time  as  new  requirements  arise.  If 
we  do  not  by  this  or  a  similar  method  arrive  m  the  first  instance 
at  perfection,  it  will,  at  least,  be  the  best  obtainable,  and  from  the 
chaos  of  many  opinions,  as  at  present,  will  spring  the  blessing  of 
order. 
Given  the  law,  we  need  not,  I  think,  be  fearful  that  our  judges 
will  be  reduced  to  mere  machines.  This  is  not  the  case  with  those 
who  administer  the  law  of  the  land.  Rather  will  it  be  found  that 
our  judges  on  matters  horticultural,  armed  with  the  law,  will 
exercise  their  mental  abilities  in  the  due  administration  of  it,  and 
find  sufficient  elasticity  within  its  scope  to  display  their  legal 
acumen.  The  evil  exists  ;  the  remedy  is  clear,  and  but  a  few  yeais 
more  or  less  will  have  passed  ere  the  old  order  of  things  will  have 
given  place  to  the  new.  Such,  at  least,  I  venture  to  predict,  and 
will  even  look  farther  to  that  time  when  our  judges  will  be  paid — 
paid  a  salary  sufficient  for  them  to  devote  their  whole  time  and 
ability  to  so  important  a  matter,  for  there  are  manv  straws  flying 
at  present  which  show  which  way  the  wind  blows. — Invicta. 
Battersea  Park. 
The  Chrysanthemum  show  will  be  open  to  the  public  in  the  frame 
ground,  Battersea  Park,  near  the  Albert  Bridge  entrance,  on  and  after 
the  5th  October,  between  the  hours  of  10  a.m.  and  dusk. 
Chrysanthemums. 
Will  any  reader  of  the  Journal  inform  me  (if  this  present  heat  con¬ 
tinues)  whether  it  is  a  good  plan  to  syringe  Chrysanthemums  morning 
and  evening?  For  myself  I  find  it  most  beneficial  to  crown  buds,  but 
quite  the  reverse  with  terminals,  as  it  induces  rapid  second  growth, 
which  I  am  afraid  will  not  have  time  to  ripen,  especially  if  dull  damp 
weather  sets  in  before  the  plants  commence  blooming.  M.  Th^ibse 
Rey  is  very  much  given  to  this,  and  I  much  doubt  if  we  shall  see  any 
blooms  this  season  equal  to  what  we  have  seen  of  this  variety.  In 
accordance  with  Mr.  Molyneux’s  theory,  that  extra  fine  blooms  cannot 
be  produced  unless  the  wood  is  thoroughly  ripened  by  full  exposure  to  the 
sun  all  day,  we  may,  owing  to  the  present  phenomenal  weather,  expect 
one  of  the  finest  Chrysanthemum  seasons  on  record,  although  for  my 
own  part  I  still  believe  in  the  good  old  saying  “  Mt  modis  in  rebus." — ■ 
F.  C.  Barker. 
Portsmouth.  , 
It  seems  absurd  to  think  that  a  town  like  Portsmouth  should 
not  have  a  Chrysanthemum  show.  There  is  one  of  the  finest  halls 
in  England,  and  one  of  the  most  popular  Secretaries  in  Mr.  F.  Power. 
Visiting  Southsea  a  few  days  I  wended  my  way  to  the  residence  of 
H.  Edgecombe,  Esq.  The  gardener  (Mr.  Adams),  who  was  a  successful 
prizetaker  at  the  late  Portsmouth  shows,  is  not  now  growing  for 
exhibition.  There  were  300  well-grown  bush  plants  for  decoration 
of  all  the  best  and  most  useful  varieties.  Walking  to  the  Victoria 
Park,  Mr.  Hatch,  the  Superintendent,  has  made  a  name  as  a  prize- 
taker  in  groups — incurved  and  single  varieties.  I  find  he  is  not  growing 
for  exhibition  this  year,  but  has  300  plants  on  the  cut-down  plan. 
Taking  them  altogether,  the  plants  give  promise  of  fine  bloom,  and 
superior  to  many  found  in  places  with  more  convenience. — A  Lover 
OP  Southsea. 
Chrysanthemums  at  Fareham. 
The  time  is  now  fast  coming  when  growers  will  be  anxious  as  to 
their  success  at  the  forthcoming  shows,  and  they  are  also  interested  in 
the  work  of  others.  Having  the  opportunity  of  a  cheap  excursion  to 
Portsmouth  I  took  advantage  of  it  for  a  visit  to  Fareham.  A  walk  of 
about  ten  minutes  brought  me  to  the  place  of  business  of  Messrs.  W.  &  G. 
Drover.  Though  they  have  given  up  exhibiting  Chrysanthemums  for 
prizes,  I  found  600  plants,  mostly  in  9  and  10-inch  pots,  staked  and  tied 
to  strained  wires.  The  plants  were  in  the  best  of  health,  with  stems  as 
stout  as  walking  sticks  and  short  jointed.  The  buds  appeared  to  be 
showing  and  giving  promise  of  fine  bloom.  Most  noticeable  were  Lady 
Randolph,  Hairy  Wonder,  Pallanza,  Duchess  of  York,  Mrs.  C.  E.  Shea, 
Mrs.  W.  H.  Lees,  Miss  Goschen,  Mrs.  H.  T.  Drewett,  Miss  Dulcie 
Schroeter,  Miss  Bronna  Foster, Wilfred  Marshall,  Viscountess  Hambledon, 
A.  H.  Fewkes,  Rose  Wynne,  and  Lily  Love.  The  following  Japanese  were 
showing  fine  sound  buds  : — Col.  W.  B.  Smith,  Commander  Blussett, 
M.  E.  Rey,  Good  Gracious,  W.  H.  Lincoln,  International,  C.  Childs, 
Madame  Isaac,  Mrs.  Nlsbet,  and  Mr.  B.  Fletcher.  The  incurved,  with  which 
this  firm  has  made  its  name,  include  whole  rows  of  the  Queen  family, 
Tecks  and  Princess,  J.  Agate,  C,  H.  Curtis,  Globe  d’Or,  Baron  Hirsch, 
Robert  Cannell,  Robert  Petfield,  Sir  Titus,  Camille  Flammarion,  Lucy 
Kendall,  Asia,  and  D.  B.  Crane.  A  collar  2  inches  deep,  made  of  zinc, 
is  fitted  inside  the  rim  of  the  pots  of  the  incurved,  which  gives  addi¬ 
tional  space  for  top-dressing.  I  noticel  the  little  white  roots  coming  up 
through  the  surface,  as  if  in  expectancy  of  their  evening  meal. — 
Burton-on-Trbnt. 
National  Chrysanthemum  Society. 
A  MEETING  of  the  Floral  Committee  was  held  on  the  25th  September 
at  the  Royal  Aquarium.  Mr.  T.  Bevan  occupied  the  chair,  and  the  only 
exhibit  of  importance  was  a  collection  of  twenty-four  cut  blooms  sent 
by  Mr.  Jones  of  Lewisham,  who  was  awarded  a  vote  of  thanks  for  his 
flowers.  A  first-class  certificate  was  awarded  to  Miss  Alice  Love,  a  very 
pure  white  Japanese  with  curly  intermingling  florets  of  medium  width, 
very  long,  and  ribbed  or  veined  on  the  outer  surface. 
Some  clusters  of  an  excellent  early  flowering  decorative  Japanese 
called  Mdlle.  Marie  Masse,  were  exhibited  by  Mr.  D.  B.  Crane.  It  is  a 
bright,  free  flowering  variety  of  a  clear  rosy  pink  and  a  golden  centre. 
Among  other  varieties  well  shown  were  Noces  d’Or.  a  large  yellow 
Japanese  ;  President  Armand,  Ed  a  Prass,  and  M.  Aug.  Lacoivier. 
A  MEETING  of  the  General  Committee  of  this  Society  was  held  on 
Monday  evening  last  at  Anderton’s  Hotel,  Fleet  Street,  Mr.  B.  Wynne 
