September  7,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
213 
Society’s  Show  by  having  the  Judges  photographed  in  a  group.  It 
will  be  an  historical  souvenir  of  the  Society  and  the  Judges  it  had 
gathered  together  from  various  parts  of  the  kingdom,  as  representing 
the  highest  development  of  horticultural  skill  and  judgment.  Theie 
a  e  names  amongst  them  which  will  be  in  the  mouths  of  gardeners  for 
generations  to  come,  and  when  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  publishes 
the  group,  as  no  doubt  it  will,  it  will  be  seen  by  all  that  they  by  no 
means  form  a  mere  ordinary  class  of  men,  but  are  worthy  repre¬ 
sentatives  of  our  craft.  It  there  had  been  a  photograph  taken  of  the 
judges  of  the  first  show  that  would  have  been  singularly  interesting, 
but  unspeakably  pathetic  at  this  time,  from  the  absence  of  good  men 
who  had  gone  into  the  silent  land.  This  idea  was  in  the  minds  of 
some  present,  as  one  who  was  a  judge  twenty  years  back  said  to  the 
fifth  position  in  a  competition  like  this  !  ”  The  hero  of  the  day,  Mr 
Thomas  Lunt,  received  the  congratulations  of  everyone  with  proud,  if 
shy,  feelings.  He  is  a  comparatively  young  man,  well  set  up,  o 
quiet  manners,  with  a  lace,  as  his  portrait  shows,  full  of  steadiness 
ami  firmness,  dominated  by  a  Roman  nose  indicative  of  mental  and 
moral  power.  The  Society  has  made  itself  a  great  name  amongst 
gardeners  generally,  but  specially  so  amongst  Grape  growers. 
A  Luncheon  Note. 
At  the  close  of  the  luncheon  an  incident  occurred  wh'ch,  so  far  as 
I  know,  is  as  yet  unrecorded.  A  group  of  gardeners  were  at  the  end 
of  the  table  where  our  genial  Editor  sat,  and  afte~  the  solids  had  been 
done  justice  to,  first  one  and  then  another  spoke  to  him  on  what 
t 
Photo  by  Mr.  IV.  IV.  A'aunton, 
7  he  Square,  Shretcsbu/-y, 
Fro.  43.— THE  QUARRY,  SHREWSBURY  ON  FETE  DAY. 
writer,  “  I  have  been  looking  round,  and  I  believe  I  am  the  only  one 
of  the  judges  present  twenty  years  ago  !  ”  No  doubt  that  thought 
would  be  rather  saddening,  as  he  remembered  colleagues  with  whom 
he  had  acted,  but  who  were  now  no  more  on  earth. 
A  Grape  Note. 
To  describe  adequately  the  great  Grape  exhibit  at  this  show — a 
record  exhibit — will  require  the  pen  of  a  readier  writer  than  myself. 
I  can  only  say  that  I  never  saw  a  finer  or  better  set  up  lot  of  Grapes 
(fig.  41),  and  the  scene  around  the  tables,  of  gardeners  of  every  degree, 
intensely  awaiting  the  decision  of  the  Judges,  was  one  to  be  per¬ 
petually  remembered.  It  had  occupied  the  three  Judges,  Messrs. 
Thomas,  Crump,  and  MacHattie,  two  full  hours  to  arrive  at  their 
decision,  but  when  the  decisions  were  given  there  was  jubilation, 
triumph,  and  satisfaction  all  round.  The  Rev.  President,  himself  a 
thorough  gardener,  exclaimed,  “  Well,  I  am  perfectly  satisfied  at  the 
appeared  to  be  a  very  interesting  subject.  At  last  Mr.  Barnes  of  Eaton 
said,  “Now,  Mr.  Wrigbt,  you’re  just  the  man  to  do  it,  and  it  would 
come  better  from  you  than  anybody  else.  We  only  want  one  speech — 
short  and  to  the  point.”  Accordingly  our  Editor  rose,  and  said  in  a 
few  forceful  words  it  was  the  urgent  desire  of  the  friends  around  him, 
and  he  was  sure  of  the  entire  company,  that  the  untiring  exertions  of 
the  Honorary  Secretaries  should  not  go  unrecognised,  and  the  honour 
and  pleasure  had  been  imposed  on  him  of  conveying  to  them,  and  the 
officers  of  the  Society,  the  congratulations  of  the  Judges  on  the 
magnificent  success  of  the  glorious  Exhibition.  Mr.  Adnitt  very 
gracefully  acknowledged  the  compliment.  Then  there  were  calls  for 
his  co-Secretary,  Mr.  Naunton,  but  he  with  that  somewhat  shy  and 
retiring  manner,  which  so  marks  him,  smilingly  shook  his  head,  which 
conveyed  somehow  the  idea  that  he  was  a  worker,  but  no  speaker, 
and  this  was  accepted  as  a  well  known  fact.  I  have  a  visiting  note 
for  another  week. — N.  II.  P. 
