February  0, 1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
115 
bright  orange,  and  the  stigmata  are  orange-scarlet.  The  leaves 
begin  to  appear  at  the  flowering  time. 
I  expected  to  find  among  C.  serius  some  C.  cancellatue,  but  have 
not  done  so,  although  some  may  come  among  the  unflowered 
seedlings  from  the  seed  collected  on  the  mountain.  Mr.  George 
Maw  makes  the  interesting  observation  in  speaking  of  the  flower¬ 
colouring  of  variations  from  the  types,  that  “  the  form  of 
C.  cancellatus  found  on  the  Bithynian  Olympus,  where  it  is 
associated  with  0.  asrius.  puts  on  the  exact  colouring  of  C.  asrius  ; 
furthermore,  there  is  a  complete  set  of  variations  in  the  markings 
of  the  flowers  of  C.  cancellatus,  exactly  mimetic  of  the  variations 
in  colour  of  C.  serius,  with  which  it  is  associated.”  I  had  hoped  to 
obtain  some  of  these  interesting  varieties,  but  unfortunately  my 
correspondent  has  left  Broussa,  and  I  have  been  unable  to  follow 
up  the  matter. 
Enough  has,  perhaps,  been  said  of  the  Crocus  at  present,  but  in 
passing  one  may  mention  that  among  those  in  flower  are  C.  tauri, 
C.  Imperati,  C.  Fleischori,  C.  aureus,  C.  ancyrensis,  C.  chrysanthus, 
C.  c.  fnsco-tinctus,  C.  c.  fusco-lineatus,  C.  Sieberi,  C.  vernus 
leucostigma,  C.  gargaricus,  C.  versicolor,  C.  biflorus,  C.  biflorus 
argenteus,  C.  b.  estriatus,  C.  pusillus,  C.  Toinmasinianus,  and  a 
few  others  of  more  or  less  rarity. 
The  Squills  are  coming  on  quickly,  and  before  this  appears 
S.  bifolia  Whittalli,  S.  b.  grandiflora,  with  the  typical  bifolia  and 
two  or  three  others,  will  be  in  bloom.  The  Glory  of  the  Snow  is 
also  on  the  way,  and  the  varieties  of  Iris  reticulata  are  nearly  ready 
to  open.  There  are  some  flowers,  however,  the  Tulips  among  the 
number,  which  do  not  seem  to  be  making  the  progress  one  would 
anticipate.  We  do  not  wish,  though,  to  have  all  our  early  flowers 
at  once,  but  can  rest  content  in  the  variety  given  us  by  the  Snow¬ 
drops,  Snowflakes,  Crocuses,  Aconites,  Primroses,  Anemones, 
Cyclamens,  and  other  flowers  which  make  so  attractive  a  garden  in 
the  dawning  of  spring. — S.  Arnott. 
Sheffield  Chrysanthemum  Society. 
On  Saturday  evening,  February  1st,  the  annual  dinner  of  the  above 
Society  was  held  in  the  large  dining  hall  of  the  Masonic  Buildings, 
Surrey  Street.  The  President,  C.  E.  Jeffcocfc,  Esq.,  was  in  the  chair, 
supported  by  Mr.  W.  A.  Milner,  Mr.  J.  Ellison,  jun.,  Dr.  Littlejohn, 
Mr.  A.  S.  Jarvis,  Mr.  H.  J.  Jones  (Ryecroft  Nursery,  Lewisham),  Mr.  Wm. 
Housley  (Secretary),  Mr.  J.  Haigh,  Mr.  J.  G.  Newsham,  Mr.  J.  W. 
Jarvis,  Mr.  G.  W.  Cuckson,  Mr.  P.  Peck,  and  delegates  from  Leeds, 
Rotherham,  Wakefield,  Sheffield  Floral  Society,  and  Walkley  Gardeners’ 
Improvement  Society.  Ninety -seven  guests  aat  down,  and  it  was 
pleasant  to  observe  that  a  large  proportion  was  composed  of  practical 
gardeners  anxious  to  show  their  interest  in  and  sympathy  for  the  objects 
of  the  Society.  The  tables  were  profusely  decorated  with  spring  flowers 
arranged  in  the  best  taste,  the  beautiful  and  chaste  Narcissi  pre¬ 
dominating,  and  every  guest  was  presented  with  a  buttonhole  bouquet 
appropriate  for  the  occasion.  Clever  songs  and  sketches  alternated 
with  crisp  and  pointed  speeches,  rendered  the  whole  proceedings  moat 
enjoyable. 
After  the  usual  loyal  toasts  had  been  honoured,  Mr.  J.  Haigh  proposed 
the  “  President,  Vice-Presidents,  and  Patrons  of  the  Society,”  especially 
referring  to  the  ready  assistance  and  counsel  accorded  to  the  management 
by  the  President.  Mr.  W.  A.  Milner,  a  well-known  floriculturist, 
responded  on  behalf  of  the  patrons.  He  hoped  the  Society  would  continue 
to  prosper  and  carry  on  its  good  work.  He  was  pleased  to  meet  so  many 
who,  like  himself,  were  interested  in  the  culture  of  flowers  and  plants, 
and  he  thought  that  the  people  of  Sheffield  ought  to  feel  grateful  to  the 
Society  for  encouraging  the  growth  of  that  wonderful  flower,  the 
Chrysanthemum,  which  came  to  cheer  them  in  the  dark  days  of  winter. 
He  was  especially  pleased  to  hear  that  the  Society  was  in  a  flourishing 
condition,  that  the  membership  was  increasing,  and  that  the  shows  were 
improving,  notwithstanding  their  general  excellence.  He  hoped  the 
Society  would  continue  to  prosper,  maintain  its  popularity,  and  carry  on 
to  a  greater  extent  its  good  work. 
Mr.  T.  Garnett  proposed  the  “Sheffield  Chrysanthemum  Society.” 
Going  back  about  fifteen  years  to  the  Chrysanthemum  shows  of  that 
date,  held  in  a  comparatively  small  room  at  the  Cutlers’  Hall,  he 
compared  them  with  the  later  exhibitions,  showing  the  immense  strides 
which  had  been  made  in  the  cultivation  and  improvement  in  size  and 
quality  of  the  blooms  of  to-day  ;  and  as  a  natural  consequence  the 
greater  interest  and  delight  taken  in  the  exhibitions.  Sheffield  especially 
held  an  important  position  in  the  Chrysanthemum  world,  from  the  fact 
that  Society  a  few  years  ago  had  invited  the  National  Chrysanthemum 
Society,  the  acceptance  of  that  invitation  by  the  National  Society  had 
evidently  given  an  incitement  to  the  Committee  to  make  Sheffield  show 
one  of  the  most  important  in  the  North  of  England.  He  urged  the 
Committee  not  to  relax  their  efforts,  and  to  maintain  the  high  place 
which  their  past  efforts  had  placed  them.  Referring  to  the  monthly 
meetings  the  speaker  alluded  to  the  good  work  done  there,  and  could  not 
refrain  from  paving  a  tribute  of  respectful  admiration  to  their  esteemed 
Treasurer,  Mr.  H.  Broomhead,  who  had  so  generously  provided  them  at 
his  own  cost  such  a  useful  library  of  books  on  horticultural  subjects. 
Mr.  Housley,  the  courteous  and  energetic  Secretary,  responded  to  the 
toast.  He  said  they  were  proud  of  the  prominent  position  their  Society 
held,  and  hoped  to  maintain  it.  They  were  pleased  to  have  the  company 
of  Mr.  H.  J.  Jones,  who  had  paid  the  Society  the  high  compliment  of 
naming  one  of  his  best  new  seedling  Japanese  Chrysanthemums  after 
their  esteemed  President. 
Mr.  J.  G.  Newsham  proposed  the  “  Visitors  and  Kindred  Societies,” 
which  was  responded  to  by  Messrs.  M.  J.  Ellison,  W.  G.  Cuckson,  and 
Dr.  Littlejohn,  Medical  Officer  of  Health,  who  stated  from  experience 
he  knew  that  such  societies  as  theirs  exercised  a  very  great  educational 
influence,  more  perhaps  than  the  members  thought,  fostering  a  taste  for 
habits  of  tidiness  and  cleanliness.  They  could  not  grow  flowers  in  a 
bad  atmosphere — they  must  have  ventilation,  and  the  mere  fact  of 
having  an  interest  in  flowers  tended  in  the  direction  to  good,  and  must 
have  a  beneficial  effect  on  children.  Sheffield  abounded  in  dingy  courts 
and  yards,  therefore  the  greater  need  to  stimulate  the  inherent  love  of 
flowers,  and  if  flowers  were  unattainable,  better  a  green  sod  than  all 
pavement  or  asphalt. 
Mr.  J.  W.  Jarvis  proposed  “The  Nurserymen  and  Non-competing 
Exhibitors.”  Mr.  H.  J.  Jones  responded,  paying  a  high  compliment  to 
the  management  of  the  Society,  which  he  considered  held  a  front  rank 
in  the  shows  of  the  kingdom,  and  before  long  it  would  claim  position  in 
the  first  six.  That  would  be  no  mean  position  to  hold  at  the  present 
day. 
Other  toasts  followed,  and  Messrs.  G.  Elsey  (Nottingham),  A.  E. 
Copley,  H.  Goodiuson,  M.  H.  Williford,  T.  Brewer,  J.  G.  Newsham  con¬ 
tributing  songs  and  recitations.  Mr.  J.  Owen  accompanied,  all  adding 
greatly  to  the  enjoyment  of  those  present. 
It  is  satisfactory  to  find  that  the  finances  of  the  Society  are  in  a 
healthy  state,  the  income  of  the  past  year  having  been  £360  7s.  5d.  and 
the  expenditure  £293  8s.  Id. ;  balance  in  favour  of  the  Society, 
£66  19s.  4d„  which  is  an  increase  on  that  of  the  preceding  year. 
Disqualification  at  Glasgow. 
We  thought  we  had  heard  the  last  of  Mr.  Elton,  but  he  crops  up 
again.  We  will  not  bandy  words  over  the  question  of  measurements,  a* 
the  boards  are  still  here  to  be  measured  by  anyone  interested  ;  but  the 
remark  as  to  “  competing  with  gardeners  and  amateurs  in  Class  1  ” 
needs  explanation.  This  class,  the  first  and  principal  one  in  the 
schedule  (£10  prize)  is  headed  in  bold  type  “Open  to  all,”  being  the 
only  one  so  distinguished,  and  was,  we  presumed,  in  our  ignorance  of 
local  feeling,  intended  to  provoke  a  good  competition  by  making  it 
worth  while  for  growers  from  a  distance  to  enter,  whether  nurserymen, 
gardeners,  or  amateurs. 
We  did  not  notice  Class  28  (the  only  one  set  apart  for  nurserymen)  ; 
but  had  we  done  so  we  should  not  have  entered  where  we  did  not  expect 
to  encounter  good  competition,  the  prize  being  barely  sufficient  to  cover 
travelling  expenses  from  any  distance.  The  real  “  hub  ”  of  the  matter, 
which  has  been  freely  discussed  at  some  of  the  shows,  but  which  contri¬ 
butors  to  the  Press  fight  shy  of,  is  the  petty  jealousy  of  some  of  the 
smaller  (minded)  exhibitors  at  the  trade  entering  the  lists.  The  front 
rank  are  above  this,  and  welcome  a  new  competitor  with  the  honourable 
feeling  of  “  The  more  the  merrier,”  and  “  The  hotter  the  fight  the 
greater  the  honour;”  but  it  is  not  so  all  through,  as  the  .exhibition 
habitufis  know  well.  However,  we  consider  that  nurserymen  have  as 
much  right  to  exhibit  Chrysanthemums  as  Roses,  and  shall  persevere  in 
the  course  we  have  adopted  in  the  hope  that  another  year  or  so  will  see  us 
joined  by  others,  so  that  a  good  class  may  be  formed  at  the  principal 
shows  for  “  nurserymen  only  ”  if  the  managers  see  fit  to  do  so. — 
J.  R.  Pearson  &  Sons,  Clillwdl  Nurseries,  Notts. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM  GROWING. 
A  Chat  with  Beginners. 
In  an  article  recently  published  in  this  Journal,  I  referred  to  a 
number  of  curious  facts  concerning  the  history  of  the  Chrysanthemum, 
only  touching  upon  its  culture  to  a  very  slight  extent.  At  that  time  I 
dealt  with  the  subject  more  from  a  popular  than  a  purely  horticultural 
point  of  view.  The  culture  of  the  Chrysanthemum  in  its  different  stages 
has  been  dealt  with  often  enough  by  hands  more  competent  than 
mine,  I  therefore  propose  in  this  article  to  simply  touch  on  a  few 
points  of,  I  think,  some  interest  and  importance  to  the  great  body  of  my 
readers. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  popularity  of  the  Chrysanthemum  is 
still  on  the  increase  among  both  professional  gardeners  and  the  general 
public.  Almost  every  gardener  has  by  now  made  up  his  mind  to  grow 
at  least  “  a  few  stems  ”  during  the  coming  season,  and  employers  of 
gardeners  are  beginning  to  see  that  a  smaller  number  of  blooms  of  finer 
quality  make  a  more  striking  display  in  the  conservatory  than  weedy 
“  bush”  plants,  allowed  to  run  comparatively  wild  and  bear  as  many 
flowers  as  they  choose. 
Even  for  cut  purposes  three  or  four  moderately  good  blooms  in  a 
