February  2?,  IS'-K 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
189 
18  inches  or  2  feet  wide,  were  a  prominent  feature  in  one  place 
where  ray  earlier  days  were  spent.  Trim  and  stately  were  these 
Beech  hedges,  and  of  marvellous  beauty  in  their  spring  dress ;  but 
it  was  rather  for  their  utility  as  shelter  they  were  there  regarded. 
In  the  summer  they  were  almost  impenetrable  walls,  and  retaining 
the  dead  foliage  until  the  severity  of  winrer  was  past,  protecion 
was  afforded  nearly  all  the  year  round.  Probably  a  Beech  hedge 
is  not  surpassed  in  its  storm-resisting  qualities ;  as  the  horizontal 
branches  interlace,  only  those  which  extend  on  either  face  come 
under  the  shears.  Another  advantage  is  that  it  will  bear  being  so 
closely  clipped  as  to  take  up  but  little  more  lateral  room  than  an 
ordinary  wall.  In  planting  these  or  other  things  double  the 
number  of  plants  ultimately  required  may  be  set  in  the  line,  and 
before  crowding  takes  place  alternate  plants  may  be  lifted  for 
disposition  as  circumstances  direct.  At  this  stage  a  little  manure 
thrown  into  the  vacant  spots  will  materially  benefit  the  permanent 
subjects  and  attract  the  roots  from  spreading  at  right  angles. 
Hedges  which  are  planted  as  fences  pure  and  simple  need  not 
be  included  here,  although  some  little  ornamentation  in  the  way  of 
standard  Scarlet  Thorns  would  relieve  the  monotony  not  seldom 
apparent.  The  season  now  with  us  is  obviously  one  for  the 
consideration  of  evergreen  planting  rather  than  for  deciduous 
things,  but  in  all  cases  the  subject  is  worthy  of  a  little  forethought 
when  the  work  is  to  be  of  a  permanent  character. — Invicta. 
Whilst  everyone  must  heartily  join  in  thanking  Mr.  Molyneux  for 
the  admirable  service  which  he  has  rendered  to  Chrysanthemum  growers, 
it  is  difficult  to  avoid  comment  on  some  of  the  results.  Thus  we  see 
that  grand  white  novelty,  Madame  Carnot,  practically  at  the  top  of  the 
two  larger  lists  and  in  first-class  company,  yet  when  the  votes  in  the 
twelve  best  new  varieties  are  taken  it  is  found  that  with  fifty-four  given 
for  the  top  one,  Madime  Carnot  drops  down  to  twenty-one. »  That  seems 
inexplicable.  One  is  therefore  tempted  to  ask  whether  all  who  have 
responded  to  this  census  requirement  have  grown  the  varieties  named, 
or  whether  they  have  only  seen  them  at  shows,  or  taken  their  selec¬ 
tions  from  catalogues.  Take  the  beautiful  Mons.  Chenon  de  Lbche, 
for  instance,  how  many  or  really  how  few  have  yet  grown  it  1  Of  course, 
if  it  were  stated  in  sending  out  the  invitations  to  take  part  in  the  census 
that,  so  far  as  new  varieties  were  concerned,  it  was  not  essential  that 
these  should  have  been  grown  by  contributors,  then  my  objection  is 
out  of  court.  Still  how  in  this  selection  Madame  Carnot  gets  only 
twenty-one  votes,  while  Edith  Taber  gets  fifty-four,  and  in  the  fifty  list 
Madame  Carnot  gets  105,  and  Edith  Taber  only  nineteen,  and  in  the 
twenty-four  Japs  Madame  gets  101  and  Edith  only  fourteen,  passes  my 
comprehension.  Does  not  such  voting  tend  very  much  to  nullify  the 
usefulness  of  the  census  ?  I  should  like  to  say  that  amongst  novelties 
in  Japs  quite  up  to  first-class  form  I  saw  in  the  autumn  in  various 
directions,  were  La  Moucherette,  Deuil  de  Jules  Ferry,  fine  colour; 
Mons.  Panckoucke,  W,  Slogrove,  Mons.  G.  Biron,  and  the  pretty  Good 
Gracious. — D. 
The  French  National  Chrysanthemum  Society. 
We  may  now  fairly  assume  from  the  reports  to  hand  that  the  efforts 
of  the  French  Chrysanthemum  growers  to  promote  a  National  Cdrys- 
anthemum  Society  have  been  successful.  At  a  general  meeting  held  on 
the  13ffi  ult.  the  rules  were  passed,  aad  in  a  great  measure  they  seem  to 
be  similar,  so  far  as  practicable,  to  those  of  the  English  Society.  The 
proper  title  of  the  Society  is  “  Socibte  National  des  Chrysanthbmistes 
Frac9ai8,”  but  membership  i9  not  restricted  to  persons  of  that  nationality, 
for  we  find  several  well-known  English  lovers  of  the  popular  flower 
enrolled  on  the  list  of  members  ;  such,  for  instance,  as  Messrs.  Cannell 
and  Sons,  Messrs.  John  Laing  &  Sons,  Mr  C.  E.  Shea,  Mr.  Briscoe  Iron¬ 
side,  Mr.  H.  J.  Jonea,  and  Mr.  Harman  Payne.  Although  only  started 
so  recently,  the  Secretary  informs  me  that  there  are  already  150  members, 
which  shows  pretty  plainly  that  the  need  for  some  such  organisation 
was  an  undoubted  fact,  and  not  a  matter  of  speculation.  Another 
Society,  founded  on  almost  identical  lines,  has  been  started  at  Lille,  and 
a  Committee  of  Chrysanthemum  grower*  has  also  been  organised  at 
Paris  under  the  aegis  of  the  National  Horticultural  Society.  Theee, 
however,  are  merely  local  expressions  of  a  long-felt  want,  and  will 
probably  do  more  good  than  harm  to  the  original  “National”  Society, 
which  has  its  headquarters  at  Lyons. 
The  constitution  of  the  .French  N.C.S.  is  partly  on  the  English  and 
partly  on  the  American  systems.  Owing  to  want  of  funds  the  French 
Society  does  not  propose  to  hold  shows  on  its  own  account,  but  to 
encourage  other  horticultural  societies  in  various  parts  of  the  country 
to  do  so  by  making  grants  of  money  and  medals,  and  also  to  hold 
conferences  on  the  occasion  of  such  shows.  The  French  Society  intends 
to  foster  the  formation  of  local  committees  on  the  American  principle. 
It  has  just  now  under  consideration  the  question  of  a  Floral  Committee, 
whose  members  will  meet  at  Lyons  for  the  purpose  of  making  awards 
on  new  varieties,  and  the  regulations  proposed  are  almost  identical  with 
those  of  the  N.C.S.  here  in  London,  These,  however,  have  yet  to  be 
settkd.  An  official  catalogue  of  varieties  and  an  annual  report  and 
financial  statement  are  to  be  published,  and  a  scheme  for  affiliation  of 
local  societies  is  also  provided  for. 
It  is  interesting  to  be  able  to  record  that  the  French  N.C.S.  has 
also  in  the  plan  of  operations  determined  upon  the  formation  of  a 
library  of  Chrysanthemum  books,  trade  catalogues,  and  other  literature. 
It  is  also  to  be  hoped  that  consideration  will  be  given  to  the  question  of 
the  registration  of  new  seedlings.  Many  of  the  raisers  live  so  far  apart, 
and  have  hitherto  known  so  little  of  what  one  another  has  been  doing, 
that  the  duplication  of  names  has  occurred  to  a  very  large  extent,  and 
some  system  of  registration,  as  adopted  by  the  American  N  C.S.,  would 
do  much  to  prevent  this  in  future. 
The  annual  subscription  of  5  francs  (4s.)  is  a  very  modest  one,  and 
the  best  guarantee  of  success  can  only  be  found  in  a  very  extensive  roll 
of  membership.  This,  however,  at  the  present  rate  of  growth  seems 
likely  to  be  accomplished  in  the  near  future.  If  the  three  National 
Chrysanthemum  Societies  of  England,  America,  and  France  can  only 
find  a  means  of  working  in  common  accord,  growers  and  raisers  in  all 
parts  of  the  world  will  rally  round  them,  and  find  an  enormous  benefit 
from  their  existence.  Much  misunderstanding,  confusion,  and  perhaps 
recrimination  may  thus  be  avoided  in  future. — P. 
The  N.C.S.  Jubilee  Schedule. 
The  officers  of  the  N.C.S.  deserve  praise  for  the  prompt  manner  in 
which  they  acquaint  the  public  as  to  the  constitution  of  the  leading 
classes  of  the  jubilee  exhibition  to  be  held  during  the  current  year,  as 
when  the  issue  of  prize  schedules  is  delayed  until  April  ordinary 
exhibitor*  are  seriously  handicapped. 
A  few  comments  on  the  principal  classes  in  the  preliminary  schedule 
just  issued  may  not  be  inopportune.  The  class  for  a  group  of  Chrys¬ 
anthemums  in  pots  mingled  with  foliage  planta  is  this  year  to  be 
staged  in  circular  form.  It  is  questionable  if  a  good  effect  can  be 
secured  in  such  an  arrangement,  either  with  Chrysanthemums  or  any 
other  plants,  and  it  will  be  interesting  to  see  the  results.  The 
introduction  of  circular  groups  may  be  with  a  view  to  economise 
space  in  the  Royal  Aquarium.  I  note,  however,  with  far  greater 
concern  a  special  clause  in  this  class  which  runs  thus,  “The  foliage 
plants  need  not  necessarily  be  grown  by  the  exhibitor.”  I  venture 
to  say  such  a  class  is  unique  in  the  exhibition,  but  it  is  an  obvious 
insertion  to  meet  the  requirements  of  a  limited  few.  The  groups  of 
Chrysanthemums  and  foliage  plants  at  the  Aquarium  show  in  November 
last  fully  demonstrated  the  part  that  foliage  plants  play  in  groups 
of  this  kind. 
Take  the  case  of  a  gardener  with  limited  mean*  at  command,  who 
is  a  good  cultivator  of  Chrysanthemums  and  plants  generally,  but  has 
not  the  space  of  an  unlimited  choice  of  foliage  plant*  to  assist  his 
well  grown  Chrysanthemums  ;  *uch  an  exhibitor  cannot,  owing  to  his 
limited  means,  search  London  and  the  provinces  to  obtain  the  beat  of 
Crotons  and  Palms.  Compare  this  would-be  competitor  with  a  leading 
Chrysanthemum  specialist,  to  whom  the  winning  of  such  a  prize  may, 
aDd  probably  does,  mean  untold  gain  to  him  in  his  business  as  a  vendor 
of  choice  Chrysanthemums.  He  may  not  own  a  single  Croton  or  Palm, 
but  he  can  under  the  conditions  of  this  class  buy  or  hire  the  best  foliage 
plants  possible.  Surely  these  two  men  do  not  start  on  an  equal  base. 
In  competition  the  base  should,  so  far  as  possible,  be  equal,  if  not 
complaints  from  exhibitors  will  always  be  heard. 
The  prizes,  except  in  two  classes,  are  handsome  throughout,  and 
cannot  fail  to  attract  exhibitors.  When  we  consider  that  only  two 
competitors  entered  for  thirty-six  incurved  blooms  at  the  last  November 
show,  what  reason  is  there  to  expect  more  for  sixty  ?  The  class  for  a 
collection  of  old  varieties  may  create  some  interest  in  the  mind  of  a 
limited  few,  but  actual  results  will  be  small  I  suspect.  It  is  questionable 
if  the  exhibits  will  merit  the  awards.  The  class  devoted  to  market 
growers  should  produce  some  instructive  exhibits,  and  is  one  well 
conceived.  The  class  pr  ovided  for  foreign  members  will  be  the  means 
of  instituting  a  comparison  between  foreign  and  English  grown  blooms, 
and  as  such  should  prove  interesting.  Mr.  H.  J.  Jones  deserves  praise 
for  the  handsome  prizes  offered  by  himself  for  twenty-four  Japanese 
blooms,  and  which  will  no  doubt  produce  some  of  the  best  specimens  in 
existence.  Taken  in  its  entirety  the  jubilee  exhibition  of  the  N.C.S. 
bids  fair  to  outclass  anything  of  the  kind  hitherto  attempted  in  England 
or  elsewhere. — Fairplay. 
NATIONAL  CHRYSANTHEMUM  SOCIETY.— Annual  Meeting. 
The  annual  general  meeting  of  this  Society  was  held  at  Anderton’s 
Hotel,  Fleet  Street,  on  Monday  evening  last.  There  were  seventy-five 
members  present,  and  Mr.  R.  Ballantine  was  elected  to  take  the  chair. 
After  the  minutes  of  the  last  annual  meeting  had  been  read  and  duly 
signed,  the  Chairman  called  on  Mr.  R.  Dean,  the  Honorary  Secretary,  to 
read  the  report  of  the  Committee  and  balance-sheet,  which  is  herewith 
appended. 
Report  of  the  Committee,  1895. 
On  no  previous  occasion  have  your  Committee  made  their  annual 
report  with  greater  satisfaction  than  at  the  close  of  the  present  financial 
