416 
December  1,  1898- 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
SHOWS  in  1899.  ' 
AA  E  are  informed  that  the  dates  have  been  fixed  for  holding  the 
next  year’s  Chrysanthemum  shows  at  Birmingham,  Winehester,  and 
Hull  as  follows: — Birmingham,  7th,  8th,  and  9th ;  Winchester  on 
14th  and  15th;  Hull  on  the  15th  and  16th  of  November.  Exhibitcrs 
cannot  complain  of  “short  notice,”  and  if  they  succeed  in  making 
better  shows  than  were  provided  this  year,  they  will  have  good  reason 
to  be  proud  of-  the  achievement. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM  SHOWS. 
Now  that  the  ?utumn  campaign  may  be  regarded  as  over,  we 
desire  to  thank  our  valued  coadjutors  in  various  part  of  the  country 
who  have  aided  in  the  production  of  reports.  During  the  extraordinary 
pressure,  especially  on  the  day  of  making-up  our  pages,  many  news¬ 
papers  have  arrived,  no  doubt  containing  reports,  but  we  have  to 
confess  that  such  late  arrivals  could  only  in  few  cases  be  opened. 
“Cuttings”  from  papers,  also,  which  arrived  at  the  last  moment, 
embodying  lengthy  reports  of  shows  held  several  days  previously, 
could  not  possibly  be  utilised,  though  we  thank  our  friends  all  the 
same  for  their  good  intentions. 
OYER  AT  LAST - EAYES-DROPPINGS. 
Free  again  !  Free  from  the  embrace  of  the  autumn  queen.  No, 
“embrace”  is  not  the  word  ;  it  has  been  a  case  of  being  overwhelmed 
with,  or  almost,  buried  in.  Chrysanthemums,  and  it  is  a  relief  now 
the  struggle  in  dealing  with  more  than  half  a  hundred  shows  is  over. 
Brilliant  but  brief  has  been  the  battle  of  flowers — the  contest 
between  the  eastern  races,  and  the  Japs  have  won  again.  Why 
the  weakness — the  degeneracy  of  their  rivals?  The  weather  of 
course  !  How  useful,  how  handy  it  is  !  So  hot  and  dry  it  roasted 
them,  then  so  wet  it  flooded  ihem,  then  so  cold  it  chilled  them  and 
made  them  fluff  up  their  feathers.  How  very  perverse !  Hot  when 
it  ought  to  be  cool,  cold  when  it  ought  to  be  warm,  dry  when  it  ought 
to  be  wet,  and  wet  when  it  ought  to  be  dry.  What  a  fickle  jade  it  is, 
and  how  cruelly  unfair  — to  be  so  bad  to  those  who  lose,  and  good 
to  those  who  win. 
Then  we  have  to  hear  how  stupid  the  judges  are  in  giving 
prizes  to  the  worst  stands  and  missing  the  best,  and  that  it  is  a 
pity  they  had  not  to  grow  the  blooms  that  lost,  as  there  could  not 
have  been  much  difficulty  in  growing  some  that  won.  What  is  the 
use  of  buying  the  best  sorts  and  growing  them  in  the  best  way  if 
somebody  else  is  put  before  you  with  seventeen  points  behind  ? 
“Enter  a  protest,”  j’ou  say.  What’s  fhe  use?  Committees  are  no 
good,  except  at  figures,  and  turning  you  out  before  you  have  done 
staging.  They  know  nothing  about  Mums,  and  if  you  do  put  in  a 
protest,  what  do  they  do  ?  I  believe  they  just  ask  the  judges  if 
they  were  wrong,  and  of  course  these  great  men  say,  “No,  there 
never  was  such  sound,  careful  judging  before  !  ” 
Did  you  ever  hear  a  judge  say  he  had  made  a  mistake  ?  I 
never  did.  I  have  seen  them  look  a  bit  queer  when  cornered  and 
standing  on  what  they  call  their  “  dignity,”  but  confess — never.  That 
is  not  in  their  line,  and  some  of  them  are  as  shifty  as  a  waggonload  of 
monkeys.  I  heard  that  in  a  lecture,  and  believe  it  is  tiue.  You  just 
say  to  one  (I  mean  a  judge),  if  you  can  catch  him,  “Oh.  Mr.  Lordy, 
do  you  mind  just  telling  me  why  lie  was  put  first  ?”  and  ten  to  one  if 
he  doesn't  say,  “  AY  ell,  you  know,  /  wanted  to  come  here ”  (them  was 
mine)  “but  the  other  two  went  against  me  by  half  a  point.”  Then 
you  hunt  up  another,  but  what’s  the  use  ?  If  you  find  him  it  is  the 
same  old  tale.  It  seems  to  me  to  always  be  the  “  other  two”  that  did 
the  mischief;  but  catch  all  three  together  if  you  can.  It’s  as  easy  to 
win  as  do  that. 
Some  of  these  gentry  are  wonderful.  To  see  them  march  about 
is  a  treat.  The  whole  show  might  belong  to  them,  and  they  the 
chief  things  in  it — nothing  else  much  worth  looking  at.  Just  speak 
to  one  of  them,  with  his  rings  and  medals  and  bangles,  and  you  will 
find  out.  It  will  be,  “Judging,  did  you  say  ?  Ow, yes ;  its  dan  (done) — 
finished,  young  man  then  up  goes  his  head  as  if  he  would  bump  the 
ceiling,  though  he  is  only  a  sort  of  overgrown  “Pom”  himself.  You 
don’t  forget  the  rorcc  of  that  “finished,”  though  ;  it  reminds  me  of 
smashing  the  Mad-I. 
Well,  there’s  more  than  one  or  two  of  that  sort  at  shows,  I  can 
tell  you,  particularly  about  the  time  when  the  judges  and  their  friends 
are  passing  the  butter  at  luncheon.  It  is  about  that  time,  or  soon 
after,  that  protests  are  “  lodged,”  and  safely  enough,  too,  for  you 
often  hear  no  more  about  them  than  “  not  entertained.”  This  is  not 
treating  them  like  the  judges,  anyhow.  I  once  asked  one  of  these 
grandees  what  was  said  about  a  certain  protest,  and  what  do  you  think 
I  got  in  reply?  Just  this,  “  Couldn’t  possibly  tell  you,  as  the  case 
was  discussed  in  camera.”  Oh,  thinks  I,  that’s  it,  is  it;  instead  of 
attending  to  business  alter  lunch  they  had  been  busy  having  theii 
likenesses  took  !  rl  here  is  a  good  deal  of  this  sort  of  thing  going  on 
at  shows,  and  the  camera  man  sells  the  pictures,  I  suppose.  Some¬ 
times  they  put  the  judges  in  schedules,  but  I  would  rather  see  a 
good  bloom  any  day,  such  as  my  Pankouk.  It  was  a  bloom  was 
that,  not  one  like  it  in  the  show,  but  the  judges  couldn’t  see  it  with 
their  glasses  on,  while  it  was  clear  enough  to  the  naked  eye. 
“  AVrite  to  the  Press,”  did  you  say  ?  Not  me,  AA:hy,  they  are  all  iu  it. 
I  mean  the  papers  and  the  judges.  It  seems  to  me  a  regular  mix  up. 
Look  at  the  reports.  What  are  they  ?  Stick  a  first  prize  card  up, 
and  the  men  with  the  books  go  for  it  like  a  pack  of  hungry  wolves. 
Then  down  goes  the  “  grands  ”  and  the  “  splendids.”  That  is  because 
the  cards  are  on.  They  never  see  good  blooms  without,  and  that  is 
why  a  lot  of  the  best  are  not  so  much  as  mentioned.  They  just  go  by 
the  cards,  and  then  go  with  the  judges  to  luncheon.  AArhat  do  you 
think  ? 
I  am  about  tired  of  the  goings  on.  I  spent  twenty-nine  and  six 
out  of  my  own  pocket  on  new  sorts,  weut  into  nine  classes,  and  took 
two  mean  “  thirds.”  A\Thy,  it  didn’t  pay  my  fare,  saying  nothing 
about  extrys.  I  tell  you  shows  will  be  no  good  without  different 
judges  and  committees.  They  should  all  be  growers,  /  say  ;  and  I  am 
getting  si.k  of  the  whole  concern. 
Wei  1 ,  so  am  I  dear  reader  ;  but  if  you  have  to  go  from  show  to 
show  all  over  the  country  you  are  bound  to  hear  such  things  as  I  have 
set  down,  and  many  more  of  the  same  amusing  character.  All  that 
can  be  said  for  them  is  this:  They  come  as  a  relief  to  the  stern  and 
strenuous  duty  of  taking  down  names  in  a  crowd  by — A  Reporter. 
OUTDOOR  CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
AOsitors  to  the  Chrysanthemum  nurseries  and  other  places  where 
the  flower  is  grown  in  quantity  cannot  fall  to  have  noticed  the  freedom 
and  luxuriance  of  many  of  the  outdoor  varieties  this  season.  At 
Earlswood  Air.  AV.  AV ells  has  a  large  field  full  of  these,  and  at  AAroking 
Air.  Shoesmith  had  a  pretty  little  collection  of  very  useful  sorts. 
Elsewhere  I  noticed  many  a  charming  clump  of  outdoor  Chrys¬ 
anthemums  blooming  in  great  profusion,  and  reminding  me  of  its 
value  other  than  as  a  mere  prizewinner. 
Never  has  my  house  been  gayer  than  this  year  owing  to  thekind- 
ness  of  a  friend  in  sending  me  right  up  to  the  middle  of  the  month 
an  occasional  box  of  these  outdoor  varieties,  and  especially  charming 
for  filling  one’s  vases  are  Harvest  Home ;  Orange  Child,  the  old 
crimson  Roi  dcs  Prccoces;  Mad.  Eulalie  Morel,  salmon  and  gold; 
George  Alenier,  rosy  amaranth  ;  Alad.  la  Comtesse  Foucher  de- 
Careil,  golden  bronze  ;  Ivy  Stark,  golden  bronze  ;  M.  Dupuis, 
golden  bronze;  Aldlle.  Alarie  Alasse,  pink;  Albert  Gorly,  reddish 
crimson,  golden  centre;  and  Ambroise  Thomas,  crimson,  all  of  which 
are  Japanese  varieties. 
In  addition  to  these  Crimson  Pride  is  very  useful;  AI.  Leveano  fils, 
chestnut  crimson;  Alad.  Aug.  Nonin,  pale  lilac  mauve;  Alytchett 
AA’hite,  Alarket  AVhite,  Alitchett  Yellow,  are  all  good  for  the  purpose. 
Others  to  which  special  attention  should  be  called  are  Alad.  de 
Sabatier,  crimson  and  gold  ;  Gladys  Rolt,  pure  white;  Vesuvius,  dull 
crimson  red,  reverse  gold ;  Alartiumas,  lilac  mauve :  Crimson  Source 
d'Or,  and  Alad.  Gajac,  pale  lilac  mauve.  So  valuable  do  I  consider 
these  that  I  shall  certainly  plant  the  b  st  part  of  them  in  my  new 
garden  for  next  autumn’s  supply  of  cut  flowers. — P. 
NEW  SPORTS  OF  CHRYSANTHEAIUMS. 
There  seems  to  be  a  largo  number  of  these  about  this  season,  and 
on  Alonday  I  heard  of  a  pure  golden  yellow  one  from  Mrs.  C.  Harman 
Payne  which  will  probably  rival  the  white  one,  as  I  am  told  there  is 
no  trace  of  coarseness  about  it.  Crimson  Alarie  Massd  is  a  very  free 
flowering  form  of  decorative  value  from  the  well-known  pink  Aldlle. 
Alarie  Alasse.  Then  wo  have  Aliss  Alary  Lcsehelles,  a  fine  white  sport 
from  Reine  d’Angleterre,  which  is  by  no  means  a  flower  to  be  despised, 
notwithstanding  the  many  good  whites  already  in  cultivation.  Golden 
Queen  of  the  Earlies  is  rather  a  pale  yellow  form  of  a  well-known 
October  variety. 
Airs.  J.  AV.  Barks  is  a  golden  bronzy  sport  from  Edith  Tabor,  and 
quite  as  fine  in  form  as  its  parent.  Alabel  Kerslake  is  a  crimson  and 
golden  sport  from  Pride  of  Mad  ford,  and  another  from  the  same  source 
is  called  Pride  of  Stokell.  I  have  not  seen  them  together,  but  am 
inclined  to  think  they  are  identical.  Then  we  have  a  deep  golden 
yellow  sport,  at  present  I  believe  unnamed,  from  the  famous  show 
variety  Edwin  Alolyneux.  This,  although  not  so  effective  as  its 
parent,  should  prove  a  useful  addition. 
Archie  Ray  is  . a  pale  primrose  form  of  Aldlle.  AI.  A.  de  Galbert, 
and  a  very  beautiful  flower,  of  which  some  really  fine  blooms  were 
shown  at  the  November  exhibition  of  the  N.C.8.  Miss  Rose  Polley, 
a  crimson  and  golden  variety  from  Dorothy  Seward  ;  Airs.  AV.  Alease 
and  G.  J.  AVarreD,  the  two  yellow  Carnot  sports,  need  no  praise  ;  nor 
does  Lady  Hanham,  the  Viviand  Alorel  sport,  which  was  seen  well 
last  season.  Airs.  Philip  Alann  is  a  pale  golden  yellow  sport  from 
Chas.  Davis,  flushed  pale  crimson. 
From  the  new  Alary  Alolyneux  there  is  a  sport,  which  was  recently 
exhibited,  called  Mr.  Adams ;  it  is  a  rather  pale  golden  buff  or  bronze. 
J.  E.  Clayton  is  a  yellow  Eva  Knowles.  Airs.  Alfred  Kimber,  a  very 
