November  10,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
355 
CHALLENGE  VASES  AND  TROPHIES. 
Although  “  E.  M.,”  with  his  unique  experience  of  Chrysanthemum 
shows,  regards  the  offering  of  these  trophies  with  great  favour,  I  am 
not  at  all  sure  that  they  are  so  very  popular  with  the  gardener  exhi¬ 
bitor,  though  where  the  desires  of  the  employer  are  concerned  no 
doubt  these  trophies  are  highly  esteemed.  I  have  frequently  felt, 
regarding  their  original  cost,  that  the  product  of  offering  them  is  not 
worth  the  money  sunk  in  the  purchase.  Take  the  very  fine  chal¬ 
lenge  vase  just  finally  won  at  Kingston  by  Mr.  King.  It  has  had  an 
existence  of  three  years  only,  costing  originally  25  guineas,  and  a 
total  of  money  prizes  added  and  taken  of  £42,  or  a  total  of  £68  5s. 
The  produce  has  been  about  four  competitors  yearly,  or  a  total  of 
twelve  stands  of  forty-eight  blooms  in  competition.  Such  a  class 
with  similar  prizes  should  bring  fully  ten  competitors  each  year  and 
“  good  ”  material.  That  is  an  adjective  that  cannot  be  applied  to  some 
of  the  exhibits  seen  during  the  past  few  years. 
I  have  no  doubt  whatever  but  that  quite  as  good  results  would 
have  been  obtained  had  the  cash  alone  been  offered  and  no  vase.  Two 
previous  25-guinea  vases  were  won  each  in  two  years,  thus  the  Society 
got  in  return  very  little  for  the  outlay  of  50  guineas,  besides  money 
prizes.  But  if  we  elect  to  put  aside,  as  of  small  importance,  the 
views  or  desires  of  the  gardener  in  relation  to  prizes,  and  think 
only  of  those  of  the  employer,  who  may  be  pleased  to  secure  a  fine 
vase  as  a  trophy  for  his  sideboard,  then  a  totally  different  aspect  is 
presented.  But  it  is  not  possible  for  the  Kingston,  or  any  other 
society,  unless  it  be  one,  exceptionally  wealthy  too,  to  offer  a  valuable 
challenge  vase  every  year.  So  long  as  there  is  combined  with  any  trophy 
the  condition  that  it  must  be  won  twice,  though  not  necessarily 
consecutively,  to  entitle  any  competitor  to  own  it,  there  must  always 
be  associated  with  it  that  somewhat  exasperating  fact  that  being  won 
and  owned  for  a  year  it  may  pass  to  someone  else  for  a  year,  perhaps 
for  good,  or  perhaps  be  won  back  again  by  the  first  winner.  That 
being  so,  why  make  it  a  condition  that  it  shall  be  won  absolutely  at 
all,  lor  furnishing  these  costly  trophies  constitutes  a  very  heavy  tax  on 
executives. 
I  should  very  much  like  to  see  the  Kingston  Society  take  up  my 
proposal  of  last  year,  and  promote  a  county  of  Surrey  challenge  shield 
or  trophy,  the  competition  open  to  the  county,  and  to  be  won  for 
the  year  only.  The  shield  should  be  of  silver,  and  have  on  it  some 
twenty  at  least  of  small  compartments,  in  which  could  be  inscribed 
the  names  of  the  winners  each  year,  until  all  were  filled.  Then  it 
should  become  the  property  of  the  County  Council,  and  be  placed  in  a 
glass  case  in  the  fine  hall  at  Kingston.  Such  a  trophy  there  is  not 
a  gentleman  in  the  county  but  would  be  proud  to  win.  If  it  could  be 
procured  by  subscription  amongst  the  members  of  the  County  Council, 
and  have  a  value  of  at  least  £50,  it  would  form  a  superb  object.  Of 
course  money  prizes  should  be  added  each  year. 
I  should  like  to  see  the  present  very  objectionable  practice  of 
coupling  the  Japanese  and  incurved  blooms  in  one  class  abolished. 
Apart  from  the  great  discordance  that  exists  in  the  form  and  appearance 
of  the  flowers,  the  smaller  globular  incurved  have  by  no  means  the 
same  attraction  for  the  public  that  the  Japanese  have.  Still  further, 
this  coupling  of  the  two  sections  limits  competition,  as  so  many  can 
and  do  grow  Japanese,  but  care  not  to  grow  the  far  less  attractive 
incurved.  A  class  for  thirty-six  Japanese,  distinct,  would  be  far  more 
popular,  and  enable  all  the  blooms  to  be  judged  on  the  same  basis.  Now 
a  moderate  stand  of  incurved  sometimes  outweighs  a  good  stand  of 
Japanese.  Certainly  every  executive  can  do  as  it  likes,  but  if  trophies 
are  to  be  continued,  they  must  be  of  a  nature  to  command  competition, 
and  especially  to  secure  the  co-operation  of  gentlemen  who  are 
employers. 
I  cannot  conceive  of  any  better  plan  to  secure  this  than  to  establish 
county  challenge  trophies  at  the  leading  Chrysanthemum  Show  in 
each  county,  and  so  far  as  Surrey  is  concerned  no  show  has  higher 
claims  on  the  county  than  has  Kingston.  I  fear  very  much  that 
Chrysanthemum  exhibiting  is  too  much  identified  with  money  and 
not  enough  with  pure  horticultural  love.  I  should  like  to  see  true 
appreciation  for  a  beautiful  flower  dominating  the  mercenary  aspects 
of  exhibiting.  Show  committees  have  done  much  to  breed  this 
pecuniary  aspect  of  competitions  by  offering  such  costly  prizes,  so 
that  men’s  instincts  of  cupidity  have  been  too  keenly  aroused.  Unless 
higher  considerations  come  into  play  Chrysanthemum  competitions 
may  soon  come  to  grief. — A.  D. 
G.  J.  WARREN  AND  MRS.  W.  MEASE. 
It  is  pleasing  to  find  that  these  two  sterling  varieties,  both 
sports  from  Madame  Carnot,  are  coming  true  in  character  and  are 
distinct  in  colour.  In  form  they  are  naturally  the  same.  I  consider 
this  trio  the  finest  set  of  Japanese  Chrysanthemums  ever  seen. 
Not  a  fault  can  be  found  in  any  of  the  blooms,  as  they  possess 
size,  refinement,  and  form.  The  colour,  too,  is  of  the  best,  white, 
yellow,  and  primrose  ;  perhaps  an  improvement  might  be  suggested  in 
the  habit  and  manner  of  bud  formation  and  growth.  This,  though,  is 
much  due  to  cultivation,  controlled  to  some  extent  by  climatic 
influence. — E.  M. 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS  IN  THE  NORTH. 
In  addition  to  those  already  referred  to  in  previous  issues  of  the 
Journal  of  Horticulture ,  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  visiting,  during 
the  last  fortnight,  most  of  the  best  collections  in  the  following 
districts — viz.,  Hessle,  Leeds,  Bradford,  Batley  and  Pontefract,  and 
writing  these  notes  on  the  last  day  of  October,  within  a  week  of  the 
exhibitions,  it  is  with  pleasure  we  are  able  to  confirm  the  hopes  of  a 
brilliant  season  held  out  on  an  earlier  date. 
Everywhere  the  blooms  are  opening  freely,  and  we  may  confidently 
look  forward  to  meeting  on  the  exhibition  boards  highly  coloured  and 
massive  specimens  in  abundance.  Novelties  and  recent  introductions 
are  more  in  evidence  than  in  any  previous  year,  and  on  account  of 
their  general  excellence  will  at  least  stimulate  as  much  interest  as 
ever.  It  is  pleasing  to  note  the  general  first  year’s  success  in  the 
trial  of  new  varieties,  compared  with  the  uncertainty  in  results  of  a 
few  years  ago.  This  is  due  to  the  explicit  and  reliable  data  published 
with  their  description  in  the  catalogues  of  the  leading  dealers,,  so 
that  buyers  are  able,  the  first  year  of  trial,  to  formulate  with  practical 
certainty  the  necessary  routine  of  culture  leading  to  success.  This  is  an 
immense  boon  to  the  cultivator,  and  it  will  stimulate  confidence  in 
the  reliability  of  the  catalogued  descriptions  of  new  varieties,  and  thus 
repay  the  dealer  in  increased  busiuess  transactions,  whilst  to  everyone 
concerned  it  will  be  an  advantage  in  creating  the  necessary  interest 
and  zest  as  an  important  factor  in  the  advancement  of  the  “cult.” 
Swanland  Manor, 
Theseat  of  Sir  Jas.  Reckitt,  Bt.,  M.P.,  whose  gardener,  Mr.  G.W  ilson, 
is  widely  known  as  one  of  the  foremost  exponents  of  the  art  of  plant 
grouping.  In  the  houses  large  quantities  of  the  very  best  material  for 
that  purpose  are  in  evidence.  One  large  span- roofed  house  of  Crotons 
are  worthy  of  a  long  journey  to  see,  whilst  the  first  prizes  won  time 
after  time  at  York,  Hull,  and  other  places,  have  proved  to  us  that,  in 
addition  to  knowing  how  to  grow  such  superb  specimens,  Mr.  M  ilson 
can  make  the  best  use  of  them ;  one  of  the  most  pleasing  traits  in 
Mr.  Wilson’s  personality  being  a  degree  of  modesty  rarely  equalled 
when  winning,  and  a  display  of  the  best  feelings  to  his  opponents  on 
the  extremely  rare  occasions  when  he  has  met  defeat.  The  Chrys¬ 
anthemums  grouped  in  the  conservatory  are  quite  equal  to  former 
years,  and  a  small  collection  of  incurved  staged  in  another  structure 
were  developing  flowers  of  high  quality. 
The  following  varieties  of  incurveds  were  especially  noteworthy — 
Globe  d'Or,  Ernest  Cannell,  Ma  Perfection,  Lady  Isobel,  Mdlle. 
Lucie  Faure,  J.  Agate,  Leonard  Payne,  Mrs.  N.  Molyneux,  John 
Fulford,  William  Tunnington,  and  most  of  the  Queen  family. 
Amongst  the  Japanese  the  best  were  Lady  Hanham,  Julie  Scara- 
manga,  Western  King,  Snowdon,  Robt.  Powell,  Lady  Byron,  Phoebus, 
Emily  Silsbury,  Louise,  Oceana,  Dorothy  Seward,  Mrs.  J.  Lewis, 
Baron  Ad.  de  Rothschild,  Modesto,  Mens.  Ed.  Andre,  C.  W.  Richardson, 
Princess  Ena,  Joseph  Brookes,  Mrs.  F.  A.  Bevan,  Lady  Ellen  Clark, 
Geo.  Seward,  Elthorne  Beauty,  Royal  Standard,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Barks, 
and  Lady  Ridgway. 
Tranby  Croft, 
The  seat  of  A.  Wilson,  Esq.,  is  approached  by  a  long  drive 
flanked  on  either  hand  by  one  of  the  richest  and  most  extensive  collec¬ 
tions  of  Coniferae  in  the  most  robust  health.  The  gardens  are  under  the 
management  of  Mr.  J.  Leadbetttr,  whose  skill  and  sound  management 
is  displaced  in  every  department,  and  not  the  least  in  the  extensive 
kitchen  gardens.  Immense  quantities  of  vegetables  are  necessary 
to  meet  the  demands  of  the  chef  in  providing  for  the  needs  of 
an  establishment  where  entertaining  company  on  a  large  scale  is 
practised  with  an  unsparing  hospitality. 
Independent  of  the  time  occupied  by  the  inspection  of  the  Chrys¬ 
anthemums,  fully  two  hours  were  taken  up  in  what  can  only  be 
termed  a  hurried  walk  through  the  gardens  and  houses.  In  a  large 
span-roof  house  lately  enlarged  we  found  a  remarkably  healthy  collec¬ 
tion  of  Carnations  of  the  Malmaison  type  ;  another  full  of  tree  Car¬ 
nations  literally  bristling  with  flower  buds,  Violets  of  every  variety 
in  abundance  in  frames.  In  another  house  several  dozens  ot  Begonia 
Gloire  de  Lorraine  were  a  perfect  blaze  of  beauty.  In  the  cool  Orchid 
house  a  remarkably  fine  collection  of  Efisa  grandiflora  were  starting 
most  vigorously. 
In  the  vineries  the  Muscats  were  co  si  k nous  for  size  of  bunch  and 
high  finish  in  development  of  berry,  and  t.;  nsparent  amber  in  colour. 
Whilst  every  other  department  reflects  credit  upon  Mr.  Leadbetter,  the 
Chrysanthemums  may  safely  be  left  to  assert  their  quality  on  the 
exhibition  boards,  where  their  cultivators  always  secure  a  high 
position.  •mi 
The  prominent  incurved  varieties  are  J.  Agate,  Prince  Charles  of 
Denmark,  Bonnie  Dundee,  Mdme.  Ferlat,  and  L’Amethiste.  All  the 
