December  12,  1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  EORTIGULTULE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
557 
National  Chrysanthemum  Society. 
A  MEETING  of  the  Greneral  Committee  was  held  on  Monday  last  at 
Anderton’s  Hotel,  Fleet  Street,  Mr.  B,  Wynne  occupying  the  chair. 
Most  of  the  business  was  of  a  purely  formal  character,  and  after  several 
matters  of  routine  had  been  disposed  of  the  Secretary  announced  that 
the  prize  money  awarded  at  the  recent  December  show  amounted  to 
£51  48.  6d.,  which  was  somewhat  more  than  that  awarded  at  the  same 
show  in  1894.  The  medals  given  for  miscellaneous  exhibits  on  the 
recommendation  of  the  Arbitration  Committee  were  confirmed.  A 
resolution  was  then  submitted  from  the  Jubilee  Sub-Committee  to  the 
following  effect,  that  in  future  in  all  classes  in  which  Japanese  Chrys¬ 
anthemums  are  required  to  be  shown  on  boards,  the  boards  for  twelve 
cut  blooms  be  28  inches  by  21,  3^  inches  in  front  and  7  inches  in  height 
at  the  back,  the  holes  to  be  7  inches  apart  from  centre  to  centre. 
The  annual  general  meeting  will  be  held  on  Monday,  February  24th, 
and  the  following  are  the  dates  fixed  for  the  1896  shows — viz., 
September  9th,  10th,  and  11th  ;  October  6th,  7th,  and  8th  ;  Nov.  3rd, 
4th,  5th,  and  6th;  and  December  Ist,  2nd,  and  3rd.  New  members 
were  elected  bringing  the  total  up  to  153  for  the  year,  and  the  following 
societies  admitted  in  affiliation — St.  Botolph  (Colchester)  Amateur 
Chrysanthemum  Society,  Newton  Abbot,  and  the  East  of  Fife 
Chrysanthemum  Society. 
N.C.S.  Rules  and  Awards. 
I  ENCLOSE  a  letter  which  I  think  should  have  been  more  properly 
addressed  to  the  Journal.  You  are  at  liberty  to  make  any  use  of  it  you 
wish.  I  feel  sure  it  would  afford  plenty  of  amusement  to  the  readers  of 
your  paper,  especially  to  those  who  are  personally  acquainted  with 
the  writer  of  it,  as  it  is  somewhat  a  surprise  for  the  present 
Secretary  of  the  N.C.S.  to  ask  for  advice  or  suggestions,  even 
ironically.  Amusingly  enough,  although  you  will  note  he  says  that  I 
lost  the  silver  medal  in  question  by  one  vote,  I  am  still  assured  that 
I  gained  the  award  by  votes. — H.  Briscoe-Ironside. 
“  Some  time  ago  I  carried  a  resolution  in  a  meeting  of  the  Com¬ 
mittee  that  the  Floral  Committee  be  instructed  to  revise  their  rules 
of  procedure  with  a  view  to  the  introduction  of  some  amendments,  and 
as  this  meeting  will  take  place  on  Wednesday  next,  I  shall  be  glad  to 
have  any  suggestions  from  you,  as  I  see  by  a  communication  from  you 
in  to-day’s  Jomnal  of  Horticulture  you  think  them  open  to  some 
amendments.  Let  me  have  them  by  Monday  morning  if  you  can. 
“  I  may  state  that  it  was  proposed  a  small  silver  medal  be  awarded 
to  your  exhibits  on  the  occasion  to  which  you  refer,  and  it  was  lost  by 
one  vote.  I  presume  the  proposer  and  seconder  did  not  think  it 
expedient  to  propose  a  vote  of  thanks  in  the  face  of  the  opposition  to 
the  medal  ;  at  least,  none  was  proposed.  I  very  much  regret  I  have 
no  brass  farthing  to  send  you,  but  you  are  welcome  to  a  bran  new  copper 
one  if  you  think  that  will  be  a  proper  estimate  of  the  value  of  your 
collection,  which  failed  (to  my  regret)  to  secure  a  small  silver  medal. — 
R.  Dean,  Secretary.'’' 
[As  the  letter  referred  to  is  founded  on  remarks  which  appear  on 
page  532  last  week,  we  print  it  on  its  merits,  and  not  as  in  any  sense 
implying  that  we  regard  it  as  a  reflection  on  the  writer.  The  matter 
does  not  affect  us  in  the  least,  and  our  only  comment  is  that  the 
Secretary  of  the  N.C.S.  ought  to  know  whether  the  medal  was 
awarded  or  not.l 
The  N.C.S.  Expenses. 
Since  the  matter  of  “  dinners  ”  has  cropped  up  through  the  “  polite  ” 
reply  of  the  Secretary,  I  would  like  to  take  advantage  of  the  occurrence 
to  ask  what  has  often  being  commented  on  by  many  exhibitors  at  the 
N.C.S.’s  exhibitions.  I  am  a  frequent  competitor  at  these  exhibi¬ 
tions,  and  yet  I  cannot  find  any  exhibitor  who  has  been  asked  to 
partake  of  a  sip  or  bite  at  the  expense  of  the  Society.  It  is  the 
principle  ”  that  I  objsct  to,  for  if  we  turn  to  the  last  year’s  balance- 
sheet  we  find  the  following  items  of  expenditure: — “Judges,  Floral 
Committee  and  staff  for  luncheons,  £23  49.,”  in  addition  to  the  Judges’ 
fees  of  £16  16s  ;  “  expenses  of  annual  dinners,  £17.”  Now  this  cannot 
be  for  gratuitous  assistance,  for  these  are  charged  for  under  the 
following  heading,  viz.,  “  Sundry  expenses,  including  labour  and 
assistance  at  shows,  £36  13s.  lid.  ;  donation  to  Royal  Aquarium 
employes,  £2  25. ;  clerical  assistance,  £51.”  And  then  we  have  items 
of — “  Stamps,  telegrams,  &c.,  £36  2s.  4d.  ;  printing,  £65  183.  6d.  ; 
stationery,  £20  88.  lid.  ;  commission,  £1  138.  6d.  Apparently  some 
persons  are  well  looked  after  by  the  Society,  but  it  is  not — An 
Exhibitor. 
Select  New  Chrysanthemums. 
Japanese  Varieties. — The  number  of  meritorious  additions  to 
this  section  is  greatly  in  excess  of  any  previous  year.  A  decided  im¬ 
provement,  too,  is  manifest  in  the  type  of  the  most  approved  varieties. 
Instead  of  favouring  the  coarse,  irregular  petalled  varieties  there  is  a 
tendency  amongst  raisers  to  obtain  florets  of  medium  width  and  of  a 
semi-drooping  character,  thus  adding  grace  to  the  blooms  without  being 
in  any  way  interfered  with  by  the  extremely  large  size  of  the  blooms. 
Madame  Carnot. — Foremost  amongst  Japanese  Chrysanthemums 
stands  this  variety,  raised  and  sent  out  by  Calvat  in  the  early  part  of 
1894  ;  and  I  briefly  referred  to  it  when  dealing  with  the  same  subject 
last  year.  Another  season’s  trial  has  proved  the  confidence  placed  in 
this  Chrysanthemum  as  being  not  misplaced.  Fully  developed  blooms 
measure  9  inches  in  diameter  and  6  inches  in  depth.  In  spite  of  this 
large  size  it  cannot  be  said  that  there  is  even  a  semblance  of  coarseness 
in  the  flowers.  The  florets  are  narrow,  drooping,  and  pleasing  in  the 
way  in  which  they  intermingle  with  each  other.  Not  only  is  it  the 
finest  white  flowered  Chrysanthemum  in  existence,  but  it  is  doubtful  if 
it  is  not  the  finest  of  any  colour. 
Edith  Tabor. — This  comes  next  in  point  of  merit.  There  is  a 
grace  and  richness  of  character  about  the  florets  and  their  colour  that 
cannot  be  overlooked.  It  may  be  simply  described  as  a  yellow  Puritan, 
as  it  combines  much  of  the  character  of  that  variety  in  the  form  of  petal 
and  bloom.  The  petals  are  long,  broad,  and  quite  drooping  in  character, 
curling  upwards  at  the  tip.  The  colour  is  most  pleasing — lemon  yellow 
heavily  suffused  with  gold.  This  fine  variety  was  raised  by  Mr.  Notcutt, 
Ipswich,  from  a  28.  6d.  packet  of  seed  purchased  from  Mr.  H.  J.  Jones, 
and  sown  in  March,  1894.  In  height  it  grows  from  5  to  6  feet,  and 
produces  blooms  quite  easily. 
Phcebus  — Although  yellow  flowered  varieties  are  numerous  this 
season  this  is  one  that  cannot  be  overlooked,  as  it  is  doubtful  if  there  is 
a  better  in  existence  at  the  present  time.  The  blooms  are  strongly  built, 
having  long,  broad,  flatly  recurving  florets.  The  colour  is  distinctly 
pleasing,  being  a  clear  yellow.  All  growers  should  add  this  to  their 
collection,  as  well-developed  blooms  measure  8  inches  in  diameter  and 
6  deep. 
Pallanza  I  referred  to  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  (page  437) 
as  an  improved  Sunflower.  The  growth  is  similar,  but  bloom  production 
is  easier,  while  the  colour  is  a  shade  richer  in  its  yellow. 
Reine  d’Angleterre. — A  huge  flower  with  long  flat  reflexing 
florets  of  a  rosy  mauve  hue  with  silver  reverse.  This  is  just  the  colour 
for  brightening  up  the  back  row  in  a  stand.  All  intending  exhibitors 
should  make  a  note  of  this. 
Mutual  Friend. — Although  white  flowered  varieties  are  numerous 
in  the  Japanese  section,  this  stands  out  so  prominently  that  it  cannot  be 
omitted.  Well-developed  blooms  are  extremely  large,  with  broad  fiat 
florets.  Some  catalogues  describe  it  as  being  white,  tinted  lilac.  I  have 
seen  none  of  the  latter  colour  in  it  as  yet. 
Mrs.  H.  Weeks. — One  of  the  finest  white  flowered  sorts  that  has 
been  seen  for  a  long  time.  The  broad  drooping  florets  incurve  at  the 
tips,  making  a  massive  globular  bloom.  It  is  one  of  the  best  of  new 
varieties,  and  should  be  added  to  every  collection  of  note. 
Dorothy  Seward. — After  the  Charles  Shrimpton  style  of  flower, 
though  the  florets  of  this  are  somewhat  narrower.  The  colour  is 
pleasing — chestnut,  shaded  crimson.  It  is  an  exceptionally  well-built 
bloom,  fully  8^  inches  in  diameter.  In  height  it  grows  from  4  to 
5  feet. 
Mrs.  John  Shrimpton. — A  massive  bloom,  wdth  flat  florets.  The 
colour— old  gold,  shaded  with  crimson  and  bronze  —  is  decidedly 
pleasing. 
John  Seward. — Like  the  two  foregoing  this  is  a  seedling  raised  by 
Mr.  Seward.  The  long  narrow  petals  are  twisted  and  curled  at  the 
tips.  In  colour  it  is  pure  yellow,  and  like  those  named  is  a  decided 
acquisition. 
Miss  Rita  Schrceter. — Although  this  seedling  was  raised  some 
two  years  since,  it  has  not  justified  itself  until  this  season.  Now  it  may 
fairly  rank  amongst  the  best.  It  is  best  described  as  a  glorified  Belle 
Paule.  The  tinged  white  florets  are  edged  deeply  with  purple,  rendering 
it  most  attractive.  The  drooping  character,  too,  of  the  thick  fleshy 
petals  adds  considerably  to  its  beauty, 
Mons.  Chenon  de  Leche. — One  of  Calvat’s  present-year  intro¬ 
ductions,  this  variety  has  been  but  sparsely  seen  this  season. 
Sufficient,  however,  is  known  of  it  to  warrant  its  taking  a  hish  position 
amongst  leading  Japanese  varieties.  The  long  reflexing  florets  curl 
inwardly  at  the  sides  and  a  little  at  the  tip  of  each.  The  colour  is 
somewhat  difficult  to  describe.  The  base  of  the  florets  is  buff,  the  tips 
yellow,  the  centre  of  the  bloom  flushed  with  rose,  which,  however, 
passes  off  with  age  to  buff.  A  full  handsome  bloom. 
Le  Moucherette. — In  colour  this  is  deep  orange  yellow,  with  a 
bronze  base.  The  florets  are  irregularly  curled,  and  occasionally  split 
at  the  point. 
Australian  Gold. — This  belongs  to  the  Mutual  Friend  type  of 
bloom.  In  colour  it  is  old  gold. 
Triomphe  de  St.  Laurent. — The  rich  yellow  florets  are  loosely 
incurved  at  first,  later  they  attain  a  drooping  character.  The  centre  is 
quite  full. 
H.  Jacotot  fils.— So  much  better  has  this  been  exhibited  this- 
season  that  it  should  now  rank  as  one  of  the  best  of  incurving  varieties, 
the  centre  being  especially  well  built  up,  with  broad  incurving  florets. 
The  colour  chestnut  bronze,  with  a  rich  crimson  shaded  surface,  the 
reverse  gold. 
Amiral  Avellan.  —  When  this  French-raised  variety  becomes 
better  known  it  will  occupy  a  high  position  amongst  the  yellows. 
If  anything,  perhaps  the  florets  are  a  trifle  short  to  ccunteract  the 
massiveness  of  bloom.  The  colour  is  golden  yellow, 
