December  7,  1893. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
491 
THE  PROPOSED  NATIONAL  GRAPE  TROPHY. 
Considering  that  fourfout  of  the  five  letters  that  we  now  publish 
bear  the  above  heading,  and  the  fifth  is  a  close  approach  thereto,  it  is 
for  the  present  adopted.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  explain  that  these 
communications  had  to  stand  'over  till  the  Chrysanthemum  crusade 
had  come  to  a  close.  It  was  brilliant  yet  brief,  ?and  during  its 
continuance  of  commanding  interest,  and  the  reports  of  shows  could 
not  wait.  The  subject  of  the  “  Trophy  ”  is  now  resumed. 
In  formulating  conditions  under  which  a  challenge  trophy  should 
be  competedfor,  I  think  Mr.  Thomas  and  “  A.  D.’s”  proposed  range  of 
produce  is  rather  too  wide  to  be  fair  as  between  Scotland  and  England. 
Both  the"soil  and  climate  of  especially  the  south  and  south-west  of 
England  are  so  far  superior  to  the  soil  and  climate  of  Scotland  that  the 
poor  Scots  would  be  terribly  handicapped  in  competing  with  hardy 
fruits,  especially  the  two  premier  fruits,  Pears  and  Apples.  I  think, 
therefore,  that  in  formulating  conditions  to  be  perfectly  fair,  or  as 
nearly  so  as  possible,  no  hardy  fruit  class  should  be  embraced. 
There  would  be  no  objection  to  collections  of  fruits  grown  under 
glass.  Your  correspondents  must  be  perfectly  aware  that  there  would 
be  no  chance  for  Scots  with  growers  from  Kent  and  many  other 
English  counties.  We  have  neither  the  strong  soil  nor  especially  the 
heat  and  bright  sun  to  swell  Apples  and  Pears  to  the  size  and  colour 
they  attain  in  the  south. 
One  of  the  matters  to  be  studied  in  such  a  competition  as  is 
proposed  ought  to  be  the  making  of  conditions  that  would  place 
“  John,  Pat  and  Sandy”  on  a  fair  field.  I  feel  sure  the  triplet  would 
give  as  gallant  an  account  of  themselves  as  they  are  giving  just  now 
in  a  very  different  contest. — D.  Thomson. 
The  above  is  undoubtedly  a  very  attractive  title  as  well  as  a 
very  alluring  subject ;  but  why  not  substitute  for  the  word  National- 
Colonial  and  International;  and  for  the  word  Grape — Fruit? 
Such  a  title,  with  such  an  object,  would  not  then  appeal  to  a 
comparatively  small  section  of  the  horticultural  community,  but 
would  commend  itself  to  every  person  interested  in  horticulture.  It 
would  also  command  universal  attention  and  respect,  and  insure  the 
hearty  support  and  co-operation  of  every  section  of  society.  It  would, 
moreover,  prove  to  be,  not  only  an  object  worthy  of  the  closing  years 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  but  it  would  be  in  strict  accordance  with 
the  true,  progressive,  and  colonial  spirit,  so  wisely  engendered  and  so 
cleverly  and  persistently  nurtured  by  our  leading  statesmen. 
Such  a  scheme  would  undoubtedly  require  special,  most  efficient, 
and  very  influential  organisers,  all  of  which  could  be  found  without 
difficulty,  provided  the  initial  steps  were  undertaken  by  the  best  and 
most  influential  public  horticultural  societies  of  England,  Scotland, 
Wales  and  Ireland  combined. 
Exhibitions  conducted  on  the  old  lines  are  becoming  annually 
less  interesting,  less  attractive,  and  less  educational,  hence  the  great 
necessity  of  a  “  new  departure and  what  more  suitable  time  than 
the  present  for  such  a  departure  as  here  suggested,  when  colonial 
enterprise,  extension,  and  prosperity  are  on  every  lip  and  close  to  every 
Briton’s  heart  ? 
We  in  the  old  country  may  perhaps  excel  in  the  cultivation  of 
some  kinds  of  fruit,  as  tersely  expressed  by  one  of  your  correspondents, 
and  therefore  be  able  to  enlighten  our  colonial  and  continental  friends. 
On  the  other  hand,  we  must  admit  that  in  the  cultivation  of  many 
other  kinds  we  have  much  to  learn  from  them,  so  that  the  obligations 
would  be  mutual,  and  the  advantages  gained  by  friendly  intercourse 
and  rivalry  inestimable. 
Colonial  and  continental  travellers  and  writers  have  long  striven 
to  remove  the  scales  of  ignorance  from  our  eyes,  but  with  little  effect. 
Such  exhibitions,  however,  would  tend  more  to  that  result  than 
volumes  of  letterpress  could  do.  Such  exhibitions  would  undoubtedly 
have  to  be  carried  through  on  the  broadest,  most  unselfish,  most 
generous,  yet  discreet  lines;  but  this  should  not  prove  a  bar  to 
successful  results. 
Every  day  is  carrying  us  nearer  to  cheaper  and  more  plentiful 
importations  of  colonial  and  continental  produce.  Let  us  also  hope 
that  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  we  shall  be  in  a  position  to  make 
them  some  compensation  by  a  substantial  exportation  of  those  fruits, 
in  the  cultivation  of  which  we  are  supposed  to  excel. — T.  Challis, 
Wilton  House ,  near  Salisbury. 
If  it  will  help  the  cause  by  all  means  let  Mr.  Buchanan  or  any 
anxious  aspirant  take  the  credit  of  being  the  originator  of  the  enter¬ 
prise  ;  still  I  may  inform  Mr.  P.  Murray  Thomson  that  the  idea  is 
not  new  in  the  South.  About  twelve  months  ago  I  had  some 
correspondence  with  Mr.  Sydenham,  of  Birmingham,  also  the  Shrews¬ 
bury  authorities,  on  the  selfsame  business  ;  so  if  September  was  the 
first  time  Mr.  Murray  Thomson  heard  of  the  proposal  he  is  a  long  way 
in  arrears  ;  but  it  is  of  very  little  consequence,  at  least  as  far  as  I  am 
concerned.  As  regards  the  alleged  past  misdeeds  of  some  of  the  R.C.H. 
Society’s  officials,  we  must  hope  for  better  things  under  the  new 
regime  that  will  lead  to  a  happier  feeling  amongst  the  pruning-hook 
brigade,  otherwise  twenty  trophies  will  be  useless  for  the  purpose  we 
have  in  view — namely,  the  healthiest  rivalry  in  the  beautiful  art  of 
Grape  culture  and  exhibiting  in  both  North  and  South. — 
J.  H.  Goodacre. 
While  not  now  an  exhibitor  of  Grapes  I  am  much  interested  in 
anv  subject  bearing  upon  Grape  culture.  With  this  view  I  have 
followed  closely  the  recent  notes  published  in  your  columns  on  the 
above-named  subject,  and  my  conclusions  are  as  follows  : — 
1,  It  would  be  a  good  arrangement  to  have  a  Grape  trophy  for 
England.  Scotland  and  Ireland  might  wisely  do  the  same  if  they 
thought  proper. 
2,  It  should  be  called  the  Twentieth  Century  Grape  Trophy.  Had 
it  been  arranged  sooner  Diamond  Jubilee  or  Victorian  Medal  Trophy 
would  have  been  more  appropriate. 
3,  Cash  prizes  of  sufficient  value  should  accompany  every  com¬ 
petition  for  the  trophy. 
4,  The  employer  of  the  gardener  who  wins  the  trophy  should,  if 
he  wish,  be  the  legitimate  holder  of  it  for  the  time  being. 
5,  The  winner  of  it  for  aDy  one  year  should  be  debarred  from 
competing  the  following  year. 
6,  The  competition  should  take  place  in  London  and  some  provincial 
centre  in  alternate  years. 
7,  If  possible  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  should  be  the 
responsible  holders  of  the  trophy,  and  the  money  should  be  raised 
under  their  auspices.  I  am  not  a  member  of  the  R.H.S.,  so  can  have 
no  possible  interest  in  the  matter. 
A  small  committee  of  members  of  that  Society  should  be  appointed 
every  year  to  arrange  where  the  trophy  is  to  be  competed  for  when 
away  from  London.  The  Society  under  whose  auspices  the  show  is 
held  to  be  responsible  for  the  cash  prizes,  which  in  the  aggregate 
should  not  be  less.than  £25.  I  refrain  from  going  into  details,  as  most 
of  those  who  have  written  to  you  will  see  I  have  “  cribbed  ”  a  bit 
from  several,  if  not  all  of  them. — H.  J.  Clayton,  Grimston,  Tadcaster. 
Although  the  first  to  make  this  matter  public,  I  was  not  the 
originator  of  the  idea,  that  honour,  as  has  been  clearly  stated  by  Mr. 
Murray  Thomson,  belongs  to  my  partner  here,  Mr.  Win.  Buchanan. 
That  the  idea  has  “  caught  on  ”  is  proved  from  the  extensive  corre¬ 
spondence,  and  the  practical  interest  shown  in  the  subject  by  so  many 
of  our  foremost  Grape  growers,  exhibitors,  and  gardeners  generally. 
Let  us  hope  the  matter  will  now  take  definite  form,  and  to  assist  this 
I  will  state  as  clearly  as  I  can  the  original  intention  and  conditions 
upon  which  the  annual  competition  would  take  place. 
Let  all  interested  in  England  (including  Wales),  Scotland,  and 
Ireland  be  given  an  opportunity  of  subscribing  to  the  trophy,  which 
should  be  of  the  value  of  £100,  of  artistic  and  appropriate  design.  In 
the  event  of  more  than  this  amount  being  subscribed— a  not  unlikely 
thing — the  surplus  to  be  used  in  purchasing  small  gold  medals,  with 
suitable  inscriptions,  to  be  given  to  the  first  prize  man  in  each  com¬ 
petition.  The  trophy  itself  never  to  be  won  outright,  but  to  remain  as 
an  annual  international  challenge  trophy,  open  to  the  world.  Although 
there  is  little  chance  of  any  outside  the  United  Kingdom  ever  com¬ 
peting,  this  “  open  to  the  world”  would  certainly  count  much  to  the 
honour  of  the  lucky  winner.  The  prize  money  to  go  along  with  each 
competition  to  be  provided  by  the  society  at  whose  show  the  com¬ 
petition  is  to  take  place,  amount  of  such  prize  money  not  to  be  less 
than  £50,  divided  something  like  this:  £15,  £13,  £10,  £7,  and  £5, 
with  the  option  of  increasing  the  amount  if  the  society  chooses.  As 
to  the  number  of  bunches  and  varieties,  the  minimum  to  be  eight 
bunches,  four  varieties,  and  the  maximum  twelve  bunches,  six  varieties, 
the  society  holding  the  competition  to  decide  the  number  according  to 
the  amount  of  prize  money  they  offer. 
Only  one  society  is  required  to  start  the  competition.  To  my  mind 
two  societies  stand  clearly  out  among  all  others  as  entitled  to  secure 
this  honour;  these  are  Edinburgh  and  Shrewsbury.  It  matters  little 
which  is  decided  on,  both  we  know  if  they  took  it  up  would  do  so  in 
no  half-hearted  manner.  To  guard  against  any  little  irritation  that 
might  arise  among  so  many  strong  societies  in  England  which  are  in  a 
position  to  start  the  competition  I  would  suggest  that,  seeing  the  idea 
of  the  present  proposal  originated  and  was  first  discussed  in  the  capital 
of  Scotland  in  connection  with  the  Royal  Caledonian  autumn  show,  we 
allow  this  society,  as  the  premier  horticultural  society  of  Scotland,  to 
have  the  honour  of  the  first  kick  off. 
Assuming  that  this  is  so,  and  the  first  contest  takes  place  in  Edin¬ 
burgh,  if  tbe  trophy  is  carried  off  by  a  grower  in  England,  Ireland, 
or  Wales — no  matter  what  his  nationality  is — that  country  claims  the 
honour  for  the  year.  The  winner  to  have  the  option  of  handing  the 
trophy  to  any  society  in  his  country  willing  to  provide  the  necessary 
amount  for  the  next  competition,  and  complying  with  the  rules  and 
