November  3,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
343 
N.C.S.— GENERAL  COMMITTEE. 
On  Monday  evening  last  a  meeting  of  the  Executive  Committee 
was  held  at  Carr’s  Restaurant,  Strand ;  Mr.  T.  W.  Sanders  presiding. 
The  Chairman  gave  in  a  report  of  the  Sub-committee  appointed  to  take 
the  necessary  steps  to  defend  the  action  brought  against  the  Society 
for  the  recovery  of  certain  prizes  at  the  last  November  Show,  and 
which  action  resulted  in  a  verdict  for  the  Society.  The  Sub-Committee, 
consisting  of  Mess'S.  T.  W.  Sanders,  C.  Harman  Payne,  and  H.  Taylor, 
were  acc  eded  a  vote  of  thanks  for  the  trouble  they  had  taken. 
Tne  Secretary  announced  that  on  the  first  day  ol  the  forthcoming 
show — viz.,  November  8th — there  would  be  a  meeting  of  the  Classifi¬ 
cation  Committee.  Fixtures  for  1899  next  occupied  the  attention  of  the 
meeting,  and  as  a  result  it  was  resolved  that  three  shows  only  be  held, 
as  follows  : — October  10th,  11th,  and  12th  ;  November  7th,  8th,  and 
'9th  ;  December  5th,  6th,  and  7th.  It  was  also  reported  that  the  prize 
money  awarded  at  the  last  show  in  October  amounted  to  the  sum  of 
£47  5s. 
The  following  awards  of  medals,  on  the  recommendation  of  the 
Arbitration  Committee,  were  confirmed.  Large  gold  medal  to  Mr. 
II.  J.  Jones  ;  small  cold  medal  to  Mr.  Norman  Davis;  silver-gilt  medals 
to  Messrs.  Berry,  Beckett,  Laing  &  Sons,  Mortimer,  W.  Wells,  and 
T.  S.  Ware,  Ltd.-  silver  medals  to  Messrs.  Cutbush  &  Son,  Cannell  and 
Sons,  Deverill,  Godfrey  and  Spooner  ;  small  silver  medal  to  Mr.  Box, 
bronze  medals  to  Messrs.  R.  Owen  aud  T.  Robinson. 
It  was  resolved,  on  the  recommendation  of  the  Dinner  Sub-com¬ 
mittee,  that  the  annual  dinner  be  held  this  year  at  the  Plolborn 
■  Restaurant,  on  Wednesday,  the  30th  November,  and  that  ladies  be 
invited.  Various  details  as  to  the  forthcoming  show  were  then  settled, 
and  the  meeting  concluded  with  the  election  of  twenty-three  new 
members  and  one  Fellow’. 
N.C.S.— FLORAL  COMMITTEE. 
The  Floral  Committee  of  this  Society  held  a  meeting  at  the  Royal 
Aquarium,  Westminster,  on  Monday  last,  when  Mr.  T.  Bevan  occupied 
the  chair.  There  was  a  very  good  collection  of  cut  blooms  of  Chrys¬ 
anthemums,  aud  the  high  average  quality  of  the  exhibits  was  quite  a 
noteworthy  feature  of  the  meeting.  The  attendance  of  members  and 
exhibitors  was  good,  and  the  results  of  the  meeting  wrere  as  follows. 
First-class  certificates  were  awarded  to  the  undermentioned 
varieties : — 
Mrs.  W.  Mease.- — The  well-known  Carnot  sport,  much  paler  than 
G.  J.  Warren.  It  is  as  beautifully  formed  as  its  parent,  Mme.  Carnot, 
and  the  colour  is  a  pure  pale  sulphur  or  primrose.  Exhibited  by 
Mr.  Godfrey. 
Nellie  Pockett. — This  is  of  Australian  origin,  a  very  fine  Japanese 
incurved,  with  narrow  grooved  incurving  florets ;  colour  pure 
glistening  white.  Shown  by  Mr.  W.  Wells. 
Mychett  Beauty. — A  golden  yellow  decorative  Japanese,  very 
free  and  useful.  Another  of  Mr.  Wells’. 
It.  Hooper  Pearson. — This  is  one  of  the  grandest.  A  large 
Japanese,  big  and  solid,  a  kind  of  yellow  Mutual  Friend,  with  very 
broad  florets,  curly  at  the  tips  ;  the  colour  is  a  deep  velvety  golden 
yellow,  with  a  reverse  of  glistening  pale  gold  yellow.  Mr.  II.  J.  Jones 
was  the  exhibitor  of  this. 
John  Miles. — An  incurved,  very  perfect  in  form,  deep  and 
globular  ;  colour  deep  golden  orange.  Shown  by  Mr.  N.  Molyneux. 
/Mrs.  Coombes. — Japanese  with  very  long  drooping  florets,  very 
full  and  double,  large  blooms ;  colour  deep  rosy  mauve.  From  Mr. 
H.  Weeks. 
Lady  Crawshaw.  —  A  large  Japanese  with  narrow  intermingling 
florets  ;  colour  creamy  white,  slightly  tinted.  Also  shown  by  Mr. 
H.  Weeks. 
Emily  Towers. — Japanese  with  medium-sized  florets,  incurving  in 
the  centre ;  rosy  mauve  pink  with  pretty  silvery  pink  reverse.  Another 
from  Mr.  Weeks. 
Henry  Weeks — A  Japanese  of  large  size  with  medium  florets,  the 
outer  ones  being  purplish  crimson,  inside  reddish  crimson ;  golden 
reverse.  Shown  by  Mr.  Wells. 
Mrs.  White  Popham. — A  very  large  Japanese  incurved  with  very 
broad  grooved  florets,  bold  and  effective ;  colour  white,  deeply  shaded 
rosy  purple.  From  Mr.  W.  Wells. 
Ryecroft  Scarlet. — Here  is  a  very  useful  and  effective  decorative 
free-flowering  Japanese;  the  colour  is  crimson-red,  with  golden  reverse. 
Mr.  H.  J.  Jones  was  the  exhibitor. 
Some  very  good  varieties  were  submitted  to  the  Committee,  but 
hardly  came  up  to  the  standard  required.  Of  these  Fred  Joy,  a  fine 
crimson  Japanese  with  golden  reverse,  the  Committee  wished  to  see 
again.  Fair  Maid,  rather  a  flat  Japanese,  but  a  very  pretty  shade  of 
lilac  pink,  the  Committee  also  wished  to  see  again.  Jane  Bloomfield, 
a  very  fine  shade  of  golden  yellow,  was  also  asked  to  be  submitted 
again.  Le  Grand  Dragon,  a  deep  golden  'yellow,  was  the  object 
of  a  similar  request.  The  best  exhibits  came  from  Messrs.  H.  Cannell 
and  Sons,  N.  Molyneux,  W.  Wells,  R.  Owen, II.  J.  Jones,  W.  Seward, 
LI.  Weeks,  and  W.  J.  Godfrey. 
THE  N.C.S— AQUARIUM  versus  C.  PALACE  AND  ROYAL. 
It  is  rumoured  that  if  the  N  C.S.  leave  the  Aquarium  the 
pioprietors  will  run  a  Chrysanthemum  Show  on  their  own  account, 
and  they  are,  of  course,  at  liberty  to  do  the  best  they  can  in  that 
direction.  Already  the  N.C.S.  exhibitions  are  being  commonly  termed 
the  “  Aquarium  Shows.”  The  “  National  ”  was  merely  a  change  from 
“Stoke  Newington.”  Fancy  the  RTFS,  holding  its  great  fruit  show 
in  the  crowded  Aquarium  !  And  note  the  prestige  of  this— the  real 
national  Horticultural  Society — the  entrance  to  the  Drill  Hall  well 
lined  with  “  carriages  and  pairs.”  Why  is  not  a  “  Royal  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  Society  ”  formed  to  hold  two  or  three  exhibitions  at  the 
Crystal  Palace  ?  I  know  that  several  of  the  leading  trade  growers 
would  certainly  join  any  society  that  woull  go  to  the  Palace.  In 
addition  to  the  R.H.S.  the  Kingston  Society  U,  I  think,  entitled  to 
the  distinction  “  Royal ; ’’  it  is  a  Society  of  repute,  and  was  the  first 
to  widen  the  interest  in  the  Chrysanthemum  in  this  country,  as  it 
was  the  first  to  offer  valuable  cups,  also  the  first  to  provide  substantial 
prizes  for  Japanese  blooms  and  for  groups  of  plants.  Birmingham  is 
also  being  discussed  as  a  fine  centre  for  a  grand  British  Chrysanthemum 
Show. — A  Trade  Grower. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM  RUST. 
Referring  to  Mr.  Godfrey’s  letter  on  page  324,  we  do  not  think 
that  his  rather  sweeping  assertion  as  to  the  universality  of  the  disease 
should  be  allowed  to  pass  uncontradicted.  We  ourselves  received 
diseased  plants  in  the  spring  from  several  sources,  but  by  careful 
quarantine  and  constant  treatment  with  fungicides  succeeded  in 
getting  rid  of  it,  and  we  believe  our  collection  is  absolutely  clean  at 
the  present  moment,  and  there  may  probably  be  a  number  of  others 
equally  fortunate. — J.  R.  Pearson  &  Sons. 
Referring  to  your  editorial  remarks  under  Mr.  Godfrey’s  letter  on 
page  324,  last  week,  it  will  be  most  useful  and  interesting  to  many  of 
your  readers  who  are  fighting  the  battle  with  the  rust,  if  you  would 
indicate  in  your  next  the  exact  composition  of  Mr.  Fenn’s  sulphate  of 
copper  and  lime  powder,  and  also  where  one  can  be  Sure  of  obtaining 
it  pure,  as  well  as  the  bellows  distributor,  which  you  say  Mr.  Fenn 
uses,  the  great  difficulty  being  to  get  under  the  leaves,  especially 
when  the  plant  is  too  large  to  handle  freely.  I  may  tell  yon,  as  an 
interesting  fact  in  connection  with  the  disease,  that  I  succeeded  in 
saving  and  curing  most  of  the  twenty-five  plants  which,  as  I  wrote 
you  last  February,  were  badly  affected,  and  I  have  not  seen  any  rust 
on  them  since.  I  attribute  the  cure  to  applications  of  sulphate  of 
copper  and  lime  in  solution  until  late  in  the  spring.  Is  there  any 
danger,  when  using  the  powder  freely,  of  the  soil  being  injuriously 
affected  by  the  powder  which  must  fall  on  it  ? — J.  G.  Mills. 
[It  would  appear  that  Mr.  Mills  succeeded  in  banishing  the  fungus 
that  attacked  his  Chrysanthemums  in  the  same  way,  but  by  different 
means,  that  Mr.  Fenn  cleared  the  fungi  from  his  Potatoes,  Vines, 
Tomatoes,  Roses,  everything — namely,  by  early  and  persistent  appli¬ 
cations  of  sulphate  of  copper  and  lime,  one  using  the  antidote  in  a 
liquid,  the  other  in  powder  form.  Note  the  word  “antidote” — a 
preventive.  When  the  mycelium  of  a  fungus  takes  firm  possession  of 
the  leaves  of  plants,  permeating  their  tissues  as  the  “spawn”  does 
a  Mushroom  bed,  nothing  can  be  done  that  will  save  them,  and  frantic 
endeavours  to  effect  a  cure  then  is  akin  to  locking  the  stable  door 
when  the  steed  is  stolen,  or  in  other  words  the  action  is  too  late. 
We  have  dozens  of  fungus-infested  Chrysanthemum  leaves  before 
us  as  we  write.  They  have  come  from  widely  separated  districts,  and 
exactly  resemble  those  illustrated  on  page  285,  October  13th,  with  the 
exception  that  some  of  the  leaves  are  worse  than  those  depicted,  in 
fact  practically  eaten  up.  It  is  beyond  the  power  of  any  human  being 
to  restore  such  leaves  to  health  by  any  application  whatsoever.  It  is 
well  known  that  the  Potato  disease  fungus  can  be  kept  in  subjection 
by  timely  and  repeated  applications  of  sulphate  of  copper  and  lime, 
simply  because  these  prevent  the  germinal  tube  of  the  spores  entering 
the  leaves  ;  but  let  the  fungus  become  deeply  seated  in  the  plants, 
and  the  dressings  then  given  cannot  save  the  crops.  It  is  precisely 
the  same  with  fungus-infested  Vines,  Tomatoes,  Chrysanthemums,  or 
anything  else. 
In  the  earliest  stages,  or  immediately  the  presence  of  the  fungus  is 
faintly  visible,  it  can  be  successfully  combated,  for  even  if  the  first  few 
leaves  succumb — and  it  is  well  to  remove  and  burn  them — the  others 
can  be  so  fortified  as  to  be  practicably  impenetrable  by  the  enemy. 
This  Mr.  Fenn’s  practice  proved  conclusively.  We  were  more  than 
once  witness  of  the  invasion  to  which  his  plants  and  crops  were  the 
victims;  and  also  more  than  once  of  the  revolution  he  effected — for  it 
was  nothing  else — by  his  untiring  dustings. 
We  are  not  able  to  state  the  relative  proportions  of  the  copper  and 
lime  in  the  powder,  but  this  is  not  material,  as  the  anti-blight  is  cheap 
enough.  It  is  Messrs.  Tait  &  Buchanan’s,  and  was  first  used  with 
such  pronounced  success  by  Mr.  Tait  in  his  continental  vineyards, 
that  it  was  decided  to  place  it  in  the  market.  Mr.  Fenn  obtained  his 
