September  7,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
217 
none  of  his  exhibits  was  named.  Mr.  W.  Mist  was  second  with  bright 
clean  sprays  of,  again  without  labels,  and  Mr.  C.  Osman  third. 
Mr.  Ed.  Mawley  was  the  only  exhibitor  of  six  sprays  of  six  blooms 
each,  and  was  awarded  first  prize  for  a  bright  even  display.  The  varieties 
were  Beauty's  Eye,  Polly  Eccles,  Miss  Roberts,  Victoria,  Demon,  and 
Northern  Star.  In  the  novices’  classes  some  really  gocd  stands  were 
staged.  For  six  blooms,  Show  or  Fancy  varieties,  Mr.  T.  Jones  was  placed 
first  with  a  fine  stand.  The  varieties  were  Colonist,  Jas.  Stephens, 
Burgundy',  Duchess  of  York,  Arthur  Ocock,  and  John  Walker,  followed 
by  Mr.  W.  J.  Joy,  Romford,  with  smaller  though  neat  flowers.  There 
were  seven  competitors  who  tried  their  prentice  hands  at  the  class  for 
six  bunches  of  Cactus,  three  blooms  each.  The  first  position  was  taken 
by  Mr.  W.  E.  Reeve,  Wokin?,  with  a  beautiful  exhibit.  The  varieties 
were  Chas.  Woodbridge,  Keynes’  White,  Mary  Service,  Island  Queen, 
Starfish,  and  Countess  of  Gosford.  Mr.  W.  Peters  was  a  good  second, 
but  the  Howers  were  not  so  well  arranged  as  they  might  have  been,  and 
Mr.  H.  L.  Broneson,  Sidcup,  was  third. 
Open  Classes. 
The  bouquets  in  the  open  classes  were  excellent,  the  first  prize  falling 
to  Mr.  Wm.  Treseder,  Cardiff,  for  a  beautiful  exhibit ;  Mr.  M.  V.  Seale, 
Sevenoaks,  following  with  a  heavier  arrangement.  The  floral  devices 
were  also  much  admired.  Mr.  W.  Treseder  was  again  to  the  front  with 
an  enormous  harp  made  of  red  and  white  Cactus  Dahlias  with  appropriate 
foliage.  Mr.  Seale  was  second  with  an  upright  cross  of  white  Pompons, 
with  a  beautitul  base  of  Cactus  varieties  of  the  same  colour.  The 
competition  for  three  vases  of  Cactus  Dahlias  was  keen  The  first  prize 
was  awarded  to  Mr.  R.  Edwards,  Beechy  Lees,  Sevenoaks,  for  a  well 
arranged  plan.  Mr.  J.  F.  Hudson  was  second  ;  and  Mr.  H.  A.  Needs 
third.  For  a  single  vase  of  twelve  Cactus  blooms  Mr.  Ed.  Mawley  was 
first  in  a  strong  competition,  Mr.  H.  A.  Needs  following,  and  Mr,  Hudson 
brought  up  the  rear.  For  a  single  vase  Mr.  J.  F.  Hudson  secured  the 
first  prize  with  a  pretty  arrangement  in  yellow  and  white,  closely 
followed  by  Mr.  R.  Edwards,  while  Mr.  W.  C.  ragram  was  third. 
There  were  five  stands  of  six  dark  Dahlias,  one  variety,  Mr.  M.  V. 
Seale  securing  premier  award  with  Prince  of  Denmark  in  good  form. 
Mr.  J.  Walker  was  an  excellent  second  with  the  same  variety,  and  Mr. 
S.  Mortimer  third  with  Victor.  Mr.  J.  Walker  went  ahead  in  the  class 
for  six  bloords  of  any  light  Dahlia,  not  yellow,  with  Mrs.  GladYone,  in 
superb  condition.  Mr.  R.  C.  West,  gardener  to  H.  J.  Wigtam,  Esq  , 
Salisbury,  with  the  same  variety,  was  second  ;  and  Mr.  M.  V.  Seale  was 
third  with  Florence  Tranter.  There  were  eight  stands  in  the  class  for 
six  blooms  of  any  yellow  variety,  Mr.  J.  Walker  being  first  with  Wm. 
Powell,  Messrs.  J.  Cheal  &  Sons  second  with  Mabel  Stanton,  and  Mr.  S. 
Mortimer  third  with  R.  T.  Rawlings. 
For  six  blooms  of  any  red  or  crimson  Dahlia  Mr.  R.  C.  West  was 
first  with  grand  blooms  of  Duke  of  Fife,  Mr.  S.  Mortimer  second  with 
Arthur  Rawlings,  and  Messrs  J.  Cheal  &  Sons  third  with  Warrior. 
There  were  four  exhibitors.  Five  growers  brought  six  white  Dahlias, 
one  variety,  of  whom  Mr.  J.  Walker  was  placed  first  with  John  Walker 
in  perfect  form.  Mr.  S.  Mortimer  was  second,  and  Mr.  M.  V.  Seale  third, 
each  with  the  same  variety.  For  six  blooms  of  any  one  Dahlia,  of  any 
colour  other  than  those  specified,  there  were  five  stands.  Mr.  M.  V.  Seale 
was  first  with  Duchess  of  York,  Mr.  S.  Mortimer  second  with  Sunbeam, 
and  Mr.  J.  Walker  third  with  Chieftain. 
Of  any  tipped  Dahlia  there  were  four  stands,  each  of  six  blooms.  Mr. 
J.  Walker  was  first  with  Miss  Browning,  in  splendid  condition  ;  Mr. 
S.  Mortimer  second  with  Peacock  ;  and  Mr.  M.  V.  Seale  third  with 
Mrs.  Saunders.  For  six  blooms  of  any  striped  Dahlia,  one  variety,  Mr. 
J.  Walker  was  again  first  with  Prince  Henry  ;  Mr.  M.  V.  Seale  second 
with  Mrs.  John  Downie  ;  and  Mr.  Thos.  Anstiss,  Brill,  Bucks,  third  with 
Goldsmith.  For  six  blooms  of  any  edged  Dahlia  Mr.  J.  Walker  was  first 
with  Miss  Canneli  ;  Mr.  M.  V.  Seale  second  with  T.  J.  Saltmarsh  ;  and 
Mr.  R.  C.  West  third  with  Florence  Tranter. 
Certificated  Varieties. 
Augustus  Bare  (J.  Stredwick). — Orange  red,  edged  crimson  ;  a  good 
petal,  of  true  type. 
Elsie  (J.  Burrell  &  Co.). — Yellow  at  the  base  of  petals,  heavily  suffused 
with  mauve  ;  a  good  flower. 
Emperor  (Keynes,  Williams  &  Co.). — A  red  with  purple  tips. 
Flame  (J.  Cheal  &  Sons). — A  single  variety  ;  orange,  striped  and 
splashed  with  crimson. 
Girlie  (Miss  Girdlestone).— A  single,  with  creamy  ground,  edged 
bright  red. 
Green’s  White  (J.  Green). — A  grand  white  Cactus  variety  with  the 
true  claw-like  petal  of  great  depth  ;  a  pure  white,  with  good  stems. 
Innovation  (Keynes,  Williams  &  Co.). — After  the  style  of  Arachne, 
with  a  redder  base. 
Major  Weston  (J.  Stredwick).— Deep  red,  good  type  of  petal. 
May, r  Tuppenny  (J.  Stredwick). — Outer  petals  deep  apricot,  with  yellow 
centre  ;  of  true  form. 
Mrs.  J.  J.  Crowe  (Keynes,  Williams  &  Co.).  —  A  light  yellow  of 
good  shape. 
Mrs.  Sanders  (J.  Stredwick). — Bright  yellow  ;  true  Cactus  type. 
Uncle  Tom  (J.  Stredwick). — A  deep  maroon,  of  good  form. 
William  Treseder  (W.  Treseder). — A  whi.e  with  a  suffusion  of  pink  ; 
good  petals. 
Zephyr  (J.  Green). — Deep  rosy  pink,  true  petal,  of  excellent  form. 
Non-Competitive  Exhibits. 
Mr.  John  Green  (Hobbies,  Ltd.),  Norfolk  Nurseries,  Dereham,  staged 
a  beautiful  display  of  Cactus  Dahlias,  chief  of  which  were  Red  Rover,  a 
grand  red  variety  of  the  true  type,  the  colour  a  good  bright  red,  the 
blooms  being  simply  enormous  ;  Green’s  White,  a  splendid  white  Cactus 
of  the  true  type,  the  petals  are  well  formed,  and  the  blooms  deep  and 
pure  in  colour,  certainly  the  best  white  Cactus  to  date.  Other  good 
varieties  were  Vixen,  Golden  Plover,  Dr.  Nansen,  Zephyr,  Clio,  and 
Erasmus. 
Messrs.  John  Peed  &  Sons,  Roupell  Park  Nurseries,  Norwood,  staged 
an  extensive  exhibit  of  Cactus,  Show,  and  Pompon  Dahlias,  arranged  in 
a  large  bank  of  hardy  flowers.  The  chief  Dahlias  were  Chas.  V  ood- 
bridge,  Mary  Service,  Beatrice,  Starfish,  Fusilier,  Iona,  Fantasy,  Mrs.. 
W.  Noble,  and  Mrs.  A.  Peart  in  the  Cactus  ;  while  the  Pompons  were 
represented  by  a  collection  of  all  the  most  popular  sorts. 
Messrs.  J.  Laing  &  Sons,  Forest  Hill,  staged  a  collection  of  Dahlias  of 
the  Cactus  and  Pompon  sections,  garden  Roses  in  variety,  with  hardy 
flowers  and  Cannas.  The  same  firm  also  staged  a  collection  of  Caladiums, 
hardy  ornamental  foliage  plants,  and  Ivies. 
Messrs.  T.  S.  Ware,  Ltd.,  Tottenham,  contributed  an  enormous 
exhibit  of  Cactus  and  Pompon  Dahlias  well  arranged  with  Grasses  and 
foliage  in  the  former  section  ;  Mrs.  Turner,  Fusilier,  Ruby,  Magni¬ 
ficent,  Night,  Ebony,  Captain  Broad,  Standard  Bearer,  Britannia, 
Arachne,  Capstan,  and  Wm.  Cuthbertson  were  well  shown.  The 
Pompons  were  in  great  variety,  and  included  such  popular  varieties  as 
Darkness,  Gertie  Fussel,  Fairy  Tales,  Leila,  Tommy  Keith,  Mars,  and 
Little  Sweetheart. 
From  the  Home  for  Flowers  Messrs.  H.  Canneli  &  Sons,  Swanley, 
brought  a  fine  collection  of  Cactus  varieties,  beautifully  displayed  in 
Asparagus  and  Gypsophila  paniculata.  Those  most  noteworthy  were 
Frank  Woodgate,  Oporto  Tait,  Mr.  E.  Canneli,  Britannia,  The  Clown, 
Gipsy,  Mrs.  Scrase  Dickens,  Exquisite,  Norfolk  Hero,  King  of  Siam, 
Radiance,  Rub}',  and  Austin  Canneli. 
THE  NATIONAL  DAHLIA  SOCIETY’S  CERTIFICATES. 
As  your  reporters  found  at  the  Crystal  Palace  last  Friday,  the  present 
method  of  making  awards  to  seedling  Dahlias  in  such  large  numbers  left 
something  to  be  desired,  as  for  a  long  time  after  the  awards  were  made  no 
indication  was  given  as  to  which  seedlings  had  been  recognised.  I 
suggested  to  Mr.  Mawley  later  that  it  would  greatly  facilitate  the  work 
of  the  Press  and  interest  others,  were  the  Committee  making  the  awards 
to  instruct  the  Secretary  to  place  a  small  card  on  which  was  printed 
“  certificate  of  merit,”  on  all  flowers  getting  such  awards  as  soon  as  made. 
These  small  cards  could  be  taken  away  when  the  duly  prepared 
certificates  were  placed  to  the  respective  exhibits. 
In  watching  the  proceedings  of  the  Committee  in  the  voting  I  was 
forced  to  the  conclusion  that  a  radical  amendment  is  needed  in  relation  to 
that  process.  In  one  case,  out  of  some  twelve  or  fourteen  members 
present  three  only  voted  for  a  certificate,  and  none  against.  An  award 
should  only  be  made  when  carried  by  a  full  majority  of  those  present. 
In  another  case  seven  voted  for,  and  six  against  ;  that  was  a  bare 
majority,  and  the  poor  quality  of  the  variety  may  well  be  understood 
when  six  members  voted  against  it.  Certainly  a  much  fuller  majority  is 
essential.  There  are  too  many  members  of  the  trade  on  the  Committee, 
and  in  granting  certificates,  a  matter  of  trade  interest,  those  members 
should  not  be  more  than  one-fourth  of  the  whole  body. — A.  D. 
THE  YOUNG  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
Early  Grapes. 
( Continued  from  page  200.) 
AS  the  shoots  begin  to  reach  the  glass  they  should  be  gently  eased 
down  to  the  trellis  ;  stop  all  growths  one  leaf  beyond  the  bunch,  and 
also  remove  all  laterals  as  they  appear.  To  insure  a  good,  crop  it  will 
be  necessary  when  in  bloom  to  brush  the  bunches  with  a  rabbit  s  tail 
fastened  to  the  end  of  a  stick  about  midday,  and  to  maintain  a  free 
circulation  of  air  in  the  house.  After  the  fruits  are  set  afford  a 
temperature  of  55°  to  60°  at  night,  60°  to  65°  by  day,  and  well  damp  the 
path  and  border  when  the  weather  is  bright.  Remove  all  surplus 
bunches,  attend  to  the  thinning  and  the  reii  oving  of  laterals,  thus  causing 
the  berries  to  swell  more  vigorously.  In  thinning  do  not  turn  the 
bunches  about,  and  be  very  careful  not  to  allow  the  points  of  the  scissors 
to  touch  the  remaining  berries. 
At  this  stage  when  watering  sprinkle  some  artificial  manure  on  the 
borders,  so  that  it  may  be  washed  in,  and  also  an  occasional  watering 
with  soot  water  will  benefit  the  Vines  during  the  swelling  of  the  fruit. 
Do  not  force  them  too  much  during  the  stoning  ;  it  is  far  better  to  have 
the  house  below  than  above  its  temperature.  When  stoniDg  is  completed 
the  temperature  may  be  again  increased,  and  if  any  red  spider  be 
detected  dust  a  little  flowers  of  sulphur  on  the  affected  parts.  1  may  say 
in  my  experience  that  I  have  seen  an  early  vinery  completely  covered 
with  red  spider  by  neglecting  to  damp  the  house  sufficiently.  As  the 
berries  begin  to  show  colour  afford  a  temperature  of  75°  to  80°  by  night, 
80°  to  85°  by  day,  and  admit  a  little  more  air  by  day,  and  night  if  the 
weather  permit.  Look  over  the  bunches  occasionally  for  decayed  berries, 
and  if  any  remove  them,  or  they  will  cause  others  to  decay. 
As  the  bunches  are  gathered  it  is  advisable  to  syringe  the  foliage 
in  the  evenings  to  keep  all  pests  in  check,  but  in  doing  so  be  careful 
not  to  wet  any  of  the  remaining  bunches,  and  always  use  warm  rain 
water.  After  the  fruit  is  gathered  admit  plenty  ot  air  on  all  favourable 
occasions,  keeping  a  gentle  heat  in  the  pipes  night  and  day  to  help  ripen 
the  wood  for  the  following  season’s  fruit.  Do  not  let  the  borders  want 
for  water,  and  in  watering  a  little  lime  sprinkled  on  the  borders  and 
washed  in  will  prove  beneficial.  The  two  following  varieties  are  very 
suitable  for  early  work — Black  Hamburgh,  and  Foster  s  Seedling.  1 .  R. 
