August  17,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
139 
are,  say,  Muscat  of  Alexandria,  he  is  almost  certain  to  come  off  with 
first  honours,  which  in  such  a  case  would  be  gained  on  the  merits  of 
one  variety,  whereas  the  intention  of  the  collection  is  for  the  general 
excellence  of  a  specified  number  of  varieties.  A  better  way  would  be 
six  bunches,  three  varieties,  two  bunches  of  each ;  or,  seeing  that 
there  is  already  a  four  bunch  collection,  distinct  varieties,  make  it 
eight  bunches,  four  varieties. 
I  would  further  suggest  that  these  collections  should  be  judged  by 
points,  the  several  marks  gained  to  be  displayed  on  the  exhibits  after 
the  awards  are  made.  This  is  of  importance  as  an  educational  lesson 
to  young  gardepersand  others,  and  causes  a  keener  interest  to  be  taken 
in  the  exhibits  by  the  public  generally.  Besides,  by  the  point 
method,  the  judges  are  compelled  to  look  minutely  into  the  merits 
and  demerits  of  each  individual  bunch  forming  the  collection. 
When  the  point  method  is  adopted  the  maximum  number 
allowed  for  the  respective  varieties  should  never  be  left  to  the  judges 
to  determine,  but  should  be  clearly  stated  in  the  schedule.  For 
instance,  ten  points  might  be  allowed  for  Muscat  of  Alexandria,  nine 
for  a  number  of  other  high-class  varieties,  such  as  Madresfieid  Court 
and  Muscat  Hamburgh,  while  eight  could  be  the  maximum  for  others. 
One  word  of  advice  I  venture  to  give  in  reference  to  the  selection 
of  judges.  Some  mav  think  this  is  not  needed,  as  societies  surely 
select  the  best  men.  This  is  not  always  the  case.  In  too  many  instances 
adjudicators  are  selected  more  for  the  position  they  hold  than  for  any 
individual  merit  or  ability  they  have  shown  in  the  particular  branch 
in  which  they  are  asked  to  adjudicate.  As  well  ask  a  man  who  was  never 
known  to  grow  a  creditable  Chrysanthemum  bloom  to  take  the  place 
of  Mr.  Molyneux  and  judge  single-handed  all  the  cut  flowers  at  the 
November  show,  as  to  appoint  a  judge  for  the  Grape  classes  who  was 
never  known  to  grow  even  a  creditable  crop  of  Grapes.  Such  a  one 
might  be  a  good  all-round  man,  and  a  fine  fellow,  but  to  successfully 
judge  a  particular  branch  you  must  possess  an  intimate  knowledge  of 
that  branch,  and  this  can  be  gained  only  by  practical  experience. 
[This  admirable  paper  was  read  at  Edinburgh  by  the  author.  It 
contains  so  many  good  hints  that  we  give  it  the  prominence  that  it 
merits.  The  guidance  suggested  for  judging  a  “six-bunch  class”  at 
Edinburgh  (“  superior  cultivation  and  finish  to  be  the  first  con¬ 
sideration  ”)  is  precisely  the  same  as  announced  in  the  schedule  for  the 
twelve-bunch  class  in  the  £100  competition  at  Shrewsbury,  but  with 
the  addition  in  the  greater  class  of  “  for  the  respective  varieties,”  as  it 
is  obviously  easier  to  cultivate  and  finish,  say,  Gros  Maroc  than  Mrs. 
Pince.  The  Judges,  it  will  be  admitted,  are  practical  men  of  the 
first  standing  among  British  gardeners.] 
POPULAR  GRAPES. 
The  recent  granting  of  a  first-class  certificate  to  a  new  black 
Grape,  and  the  nearness  of  the  great  Grape  competition  at  Shrews¬ 
bury — the  most  interesting,  and  probably  most  exciting  of  the 
century — naturally  leads  to  wonder  as  to  the  varieties  most  likely  to 
be  there  exhibited,  and  to  consideration  of  the  general  popularity  or 
otherwise  of  certificated  Grapes. 
Probably  of  the  many  that  have  secured  the  award  of  a  first  class 
certificate  during  the  past  fifty  years  not  more  than  one- tenth  if  so  many 
are  now  regarded  as  first  class  or  standard  varieties.  The  late  Dr. 
Hogg  gives  in  the  “  Fruit  Manual  ”  a  list  of  144  varieties  as  distinct, 
and  that  list  does  not  include  all,  as  for  instance,  Appley  Towers 
and  Lady  Hutt  are  not  included.  If  we  take  the  number  of  varieties 
to  be  in  round  numbers  150,  think  how  few  of  these  enjoy  the  high 
position  of  being  standard  varieties. 
Reflection  on  the  fugitive  popularity  enjoyed  by  so  many  varieties 
that  have  received  certificates  should  make  us  cautious  in  granting 
such  honours  in  the  future.  If  it  were  a  rule  that,  tentatively  only, 
awards  of  merit  be  granted  to  all  apparently  new  fruits,  certificates 
being  given  only  after  several  years’  trial  had  proved  established 
excellence,  much  that  eventuated  iD  misdirection  might  he  saved  to 
the  public  at  large.  It  is  one  of  the  misfortunes  incidental  to  making 
awards  of  this  nature  that,  like  granting  an  excise  license  to  a  house, 
its  value  commercially  is  at  once  greatly  increased.  As  a  result  prices 
are  greatly  enhanced,  and  the  public  purchases  largely  of  what  is  thus 
recommended ;  too  often,  as  the  history  of  Grapes  show,  only  to  be  in 
the  end  disappointed. 
It  is  very  well  known  that  the  making  of  awards  so  late  that  the 
thing  in  question  has  got  freely  into  cultivation  benefits  no  trader, 
hence  every  effort  is  made  to  secure  the  honour  ere  any  real  or  general 
trial  of  the  product  can  have  taken  place.  Talk  about  a  certain  place 
being  paved  with  good  intentions  ;  what  sort  of  habitation  should  that 
be  papered  with  certificates  of  merit  given  to  things  that  have  in  the 
end  proved  not  to  be  worth  the  cardboard  ?  Now,  these  reflections 
were  forced  fupon  me  when  thinking  of  the  great  Grape  competition 
so  soon  to  take  place  at  Shrewsbury. 
Unfortunately  the  matter  has  come  into  my  mind  too  late,  or  I 
'would  have  suggested  to  the  Editor  that  he  invite  readers  to  send  in 
lists  of  twelve  Grapes  from  which  those  shown  in  the  various  exhibits 
in  the  great  class  at  Shrewsbury  will  probably  be  selected.  P  or, 
were  this  done,  most  forcibly  would  be  demonstrated  the  com¬ 
paratively  narrow  range  which  our  most  popular  Grapes  cover,  and 
how  few  others  are  generally  grown. 
The  following  fifteen  will,  I  think,  take  all  that  may  be  exhibited, 
or  at  least  nearly  so.  Black  Hamburgh,  Muscat  Hamburgh,  Madres¬ 
fieid  Court,  Gros  Maroc,  Gros  Colman,  Mrs.  Pince,  Alicante,  Gros 
Guillaume,  Lady  Downe’s,  Alnwick  Seedling,  Buckland  Sweetwater, 
Foster’s  Seedling,  Mrs.  Pearson,  Muscat  of  Alexandria,  and  Canon 
Hall  Muscat. — A.  D. 
WALTON  GRANGE. 
The  number  of  enthusiastic  amateur  Orchid  growers  in  the 
provinces  is  very  great,  and,  what  is  more,  the  ranks  are  swelling 
yearly.  Some  of  these  specialise,  while  others  devote  their  energy  to 
all  kinds  of  Orchids.  Many  of  these  cultivators  are  in  the  forefront  as 
orchidists,  but  simply  from  the  fact  that  they  do  not  reside  in  or  near 
London  not  nearly  so  much  is  heard  of  them  as  with  those  in  the 
metropolitan  district.  That  their  collections  are  rich  in  quality  has 
been  proved  time  after  time  by  the  examples  they  have  placed  before 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  but  it  cannot  be  expected  that  they 
will  become  fortnightly  attendants  with  large  groups  when  the  trouble 
involved  in  the  transportation  of  valuable  plants  is  borne  in  mind. 
They  therefore  content  themselves  with  frequent  personal  visits  and 
bring  a  plant  or  two  when  they  have  one  in  flower  that  their 
experience  tells  them  is  of  super-excellence.  Then  their  exhibits  are 
appreciated  perhaps  more  than  would  be  the  case  if  they  were  regular 
contributors  to  the  displays  at  the  Drill  Hall. 
Ranking  with  those  of  highest  repute  is  Mr.  W.  Thompson,  of 
Walton  Grange,  Stone,  Staffordshire,  whose  occasional  plants  are  always 
welcomed  by  London  orchidists.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  was  the  deep 
interest  taken  in  the  plants  sent  to  the  Drill  Hall  now  and  again 
that  induced  me  to  arrange  for  a  visit  to  Walton  Grange  to  see  the 
plants  at  home,  and  thus  ascertain  whether  they  were  equal  collectively 
to  the  individuals  sent  to  London.  The  examples  that  found  their 
way  to  the  metropolis  were  always  in  such  splendid  condition  as  to 
prove  the  fact  that  not  only  did  Mr.  W.  Stevens  know  a  good  Orchid 
flower  when  he  saw  one,  but  that  he  was  also  thoroughly  conversant 
with  the  requirements  of  the  plants  in  his  charge.  1  hey  carried 
flowers  of  striking  beauty ;  the  colour  and  the  substance  of  the 
foliage  and  the  pseudo-bulbs  demonstrated  excellent  health — indeed, 
they  were  in  such  condition  as  would  encourage  their  grower  to 
anticipate  a  good  spike  of  flowers,  though  he  could  not,  of  course, 
insure  that  every  bloom  that  expanded  would  stand  high  above 
its  compeers  in  some  desirable  respect.  rl  here  was  no  trouble,  in 
arranging  for  a  visit,  and  one  day  early  in  May  found  the  writer 
journeying  from  London  to  Stone  for  the  purpose  just  avowed. 
As  was  stated  in  the  opening  paragraph  some  of  the  provincial 
Orchid  growers  specialise,  while  others  cultivate  a  general  collection, 
and  it  may  now  be  said  that  Mr.  Thompson  must  be  included  . in  the 
first  named  section.  The  pride  of  the  W  alton  Grange  Orchids  is, 
beyond  a  doubt,  the  Odontoglossums,  and  I  think  I  am  well  within 
the  mark  in  saying  that  of  these  most  beautiful  flowers  the  ^collection 
would  be  placed  in  the  first  three  if  a  census  were  taken.  These  are 
not  cultivated  to  the  exclusion  of  all  others,  but  the  major  portion  of 
the  space  is  accorded  to  them,  and  the  collection,  by  constant  judicious 
accessions,  is  gradually  being  brought  to  a  remarkable  standard. 
Sometimes,  where  a  speciality  is  made  in  this  way,  the  few  other 
Orcbids  that  may  be  found  are  relegated  to  out  of  the  way  corners, 
and  are  almost  totally  ignored  by  the  grower,  but  this  is  not  done 
here,  as  Mr.  Stevens  is  a  thorough  gardener,  inasmuch  as  everything 
he  grows  he  endeavours  to  produce  thoroughly  well,  and  he  succeeds 
admirably.  The  Cattleyas,  Dendrobiums,  Laelias,  and  other  Orchids, 
with  Grapes  and  Peaches  under  glass,  and  fruits  and  vegetables  out  of 
doors,  all  testify  to  the  careful  consideration  that  is  given  to  their 
■requirements,  and  amply  repay,  in  the  form  of  flowers,  fruits  or 
other  products,  as  the  case  may  be.  But  our  mission  was  to  the 
Orchid  department,  so  to  this  we  must  confine  our  attention  now. 
The  garden  in  which  the  houses  are  situated  abuts  on  the 
main  road— in  fact,  the  door  in  the  street  wall  opens  immediately  into 
one  of  the  structures— and  is  not  of  very  great  extent,  but  the  houses 
are  numerous  and  follow  the  whole  of  the  four  walle  right  round 
