JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
513 
Norem^jer  2'^,  1S98 
"ifl  difficult  to  say,  especially  as  we  find  scores  of  varieties  mentioned 
which  have  not  and  never  Jwill  be  grown  in  this  country. — W,  J. 
Godfeet,  Exnmith. 
COTJXTY  COMPETITIOoTS, 
many  good  shows  schedules  are  yeAr  after  year  of  the  most  stereo- 
■typed  form.  Classes  seemed  to  be  fised  and  unalterable ;  there  is  no 
effort  to  arouse  greater  Interest  in  the  show  by  introducing  more 
novel  or  attractive  features.  One  course  which  I  think  could  be  taken 
with  advantage  would  be  to  affiliate  all  in  counties  to  one  County  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  Council,  which  should  be  composed  of  representatives  from 
each  local  executive,  and  specially  should  have  power  to  assist  in  the 
•organisation  of  a  local  society,  if  needed,  or  to  put  out  of  existence  any 
that  might  be  found  useless.  When  new  societies  were  proposed  the 
promoters  should  be  able  to  show  that  the  neighbourhood  needed  an 
•exhibition,  and  that  ample  pecuniary  support  was  assured.  Then  I 
should  like  to  see  county  challenge  prizes  established,  the  competitions 
■to  be  peripatetic — that  is,  carried  from  year  to  year  from  one  show  to 
Another,  of  course  in  the  same  county. 
One  special  object  of  such  prizes  should  be  to  help  to  keep  in  the  county 
exhibitions  the  flowers  of  the  best  growers  in  the  county  who  now  fly  at 
higher  or  more  profitable  game.  The  competitions  should  be  held  every 
year,  and  the  local  society  having  the  competition  for  the  time  being 
should  be  bound  to  supply  at  least  one-third  of  the  sum  needed  in  prizes. 
How  large  an  amount  would  be  required  every  year  would  depend  on 
the  nature  of  the  county  class.  If,  for  instance,  one  only,  and  that  for 
thirty -six  Japanese,  were  established,  with  a  first  prize  of  £10,  followed 
by  £8,  £6,  £4,  £8.  £2 — that  is,  six  prizes,  the  sum  of  £33  would  be 
required — not  a  large  sum  for  a  county  to  raise  annually,  and  the  good 
sums  offered  should  attract  very  high  class  competition.  Such  a  show 
would  be  worth  travelling  many  miles  to  see,  and  no  doubt  because  of 
the  esprit  de  corpf;  created  in  the  county  the  attendance  would  be 
invariably  great. 
I  should  object  to  cups  or  medals  as  being  usually  either  worthless 
or  unsatisfactory ;  but  a  very  moderate  cost  the  County  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  Council  could  have  prepared  a  specially  handsome  illumi¬ 
nated  certificate  of  merit,  to  be  granted  to  the  leading  prizewinners 
•each  year,  for  framing.  The  winner  of  the  first  prize  of  one  year  should 
be  barred  from  competing  the  next  year,  but  for  that  year  only. 
In  the  hope  of  inducing  the  Committee  of  the  Kingston-on-Thames 
Chrysanthemum  Society  to  promote  something  good  and  novel  in 
celebration  of  the  Society  attaining  its  majority  next  year,  I  have 
■suggested  the  formation  of  this  county  class  in  a  local  paper,  the  first 
competition  to  be  at  Surrey’s  premier  show — viz,,  that  at  Kingston  next 
November.  That  such  a  class  if  originated  would  become  popular  in  the 
county  I  can  have  no  doubt;  after  Kingston,  Guildford,  Reigate,  Croydon, 
Wimbledon,  Godaiming,  Leatherhead,  Woking,  Sutton,  and  other  good 
centres,  might  all  desire  to  have  a  turn  with  the  county  class.  Then 
how  strong  the  county  is  in  growers ;  indeed,  has  it  not  this  year 
furnished  practically  the  champion  of  the  year  in  Mr.  Mease,  who  is 
indeed  a  grower  of  whom  any  county  may  be  proud  1  Then  we  have 
Mr.  Salter,  Mr.  Bailey,  and  others  at  Reigate  ;  Mr.  Paddon  at  Bramley  ; 
M  r.  Higgs  of  Leatherhead  ;  and  Mr,  Hunt  of  Ashtead  ;  with  many 
•others  of  lesser  note,  and  there  are  famous  trade  growers  in  the  persons 
of  Mr,  Wells  of  Earlswood,  and  Mr.  Shoesmith  of  Woking. 
Now  it  is  obvious  that  were  a  county  challenge  class  instituted  at 
Kingston  for  a  start  next  year,  and  these  famous  growers  could  be 
induced  to  compete,  that  we  should  see  resulting  a  competition  in 
Japanese  blooms  equal  to  any  similar  competition  in  the  kingdom.  Still 
farther,  I  cannot  but  think  that  the  institution  of  such  county  class 
would  very  largely  create  special  interest  in  the  minds  of  Surrey  county 
gentlemen,  who  would  be  thus  induced  to  patronise  the  competition  in 
«n  unwonted  degree.  That  the  proposal,  if  taken  up,  would  result  in  a 
great  success,  I  have  no  doubt,  provided,  of  course,  it  be  taken  in  hand 
with  energy. — A.  D, 
Classification  of  Chrysanthemums. 
It  has  been  with  some  diffidence  that  I  have  undertaken  to  speak  on 
the  question  of  a  fuller  classification  of  Chrysanthemums,  for  the  subject 
is  not  one  that  readily  lends  itself  to  picturesque,  treatment,  and  in 
dealing  with  the  subject  it  is  necessary  to  pass  over  much  ground  that 
is  of  necessity  more  or  less  familiar  to  those  who  take  any  considerable 
amount  of  interest  in  Chrysanthemums  and  Chrysanthemum  culture. 
The  subject  is  not  one  of  my  own  choosing,  but  i«,  nevertheless,  one  of 
considerable  importance  in  its  bearing  upon  the  exhibition  of  Chrys¬ 
anthemums,  which  now  occupies  so  prominent  a  position  among 
horticultural  activities.  The  Committee  of  the  National  Chrysanthemum 
Bociety  decided  that  the  time  had  arrived  for  considering  whether  or 
not  a  fuller  classification  than  that  now  generally  adopted  should  not 
be  made,  and  they  invited  me  to  open  the  discassion. 
In  discussing  questions  of  classification  of  the  types  of  the  Chrys¬ 
anthemum,  or,  indeed,  of  any  other  flower,  there  are  two  points  which, 
in  my  opinion,  should  be  kept  in  view.  One  is  to  so  arrange  the  groups, 
sections  or  classes  that  the  multitudinous  forms  can  with  the  aid  of 
technical  descriptions  be  allotted  a  place  in  their  proper  section  without 
any  great  difficulty.  The  other  is  to  adopt  as  the  basis  of  the  classification 
the  grouping  and  designations  that  have  come  to  be  generally 
adopted  by  the  cultivators  of  the  flower.  Such  a  classification  will 
necessarily  lack  novelty,  but  it  will  prove  useful,  and  in  a  question  of 
this  kind  utility  should  be  the  first  consideration. 
The  necessity  for  placing  the  varieties  of  the  Chrysanthemum  in 
proper  order  has  long  been  recognised,  and  several  attempts,  with  vary¬ 
ing  success,  have  been  made.  Sixty-three  years  ago  Mr.  A.  H.  Hawortb, 
with  a  view  to  obviate  the  difficulties  that  were  then  felt  in  distinguish¬ 
ing  the  several  types  grown  at  the  time,  undertook  the  task  of 
classifying  them,  and  contributed  his  classification,  under  the  title  of 
“  A  New  Arrangement  for  Double-flowered  Chinese  Chrysanthemums,” 
to  the  Gardeners'  Magazine  of  1833  (page  218).  Mr.  Haworth  arranged 
the  varieties  then  grown  in  six  classes  which  he  distinguished  as  follows  : 
— (1)  Ranunculus-flowered,  (2)  Incurving  Ranunculus-flowered,  (3) 
China  Aster- flowered,  (4)  Marigold-flowered,  (5)  Tassel-flowered,  and 
(6)  Half-double  Tassel-flowered.  The  first  section  comprised  varieties 
with  flowers  of  medium  size,  and  having  reflexed  florets  ;  the  second,  the 
large-flowered  varieties,  with  the  blooms  of  which  the  florets  showed  an 
indication  to  incurve  ;  the  third,  large-flowered  single  and  semi-double 
varieties ;  the  fourth,  varieties  having  blooms  of  mediqm  size  double  and 
neat  in  form  ;  tue  fifth,  varieties  with  very  large  double  and  more  or  less 
conspicuously  drooping  flowers,  and  elongated  and  quilled  florets  ;  and 
the  sixth,  varieties  of  which  the  blooms  were  similar  in  character  to 
those  of  the  preceding  section  but  only  semi-double. 
In  this  classification  no  provisions  were  made  for  the  incurved  or  the 
Pompons,  for  in  those  days  the  Pompons  had  not  been  introduced  to 
this  country,  and  the  incurved  varieties  as  we  know  them  did  not  exist. 
This  classification  created  some  interest  at  the  time,  bat  it  had  no 
practical  value,  and,  so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  ascertain,  was  not 
recognised  by  cultivators ;  and  I  am  not  surprised  that  this  was  the 
case,  for  what  Mr,  Haworth  attempted  was  equivalent  to  arranging  the 
present  race  of  Japanese  into  six  classes.  To  remedy  the  obvious  defects 
of  Mr.  Haworth’s  classification,  Mr.  Salter  proposed,  in  his  book  on 
“  The  Chrysanthemum,”  published  in  1835,  to  amend  It  by  adding  four 
new  classes,  instead  of  attempting  a  quite  new  classification  adapted  to 
the  requirements  of  cultivators  of  that  dayi  Mr.  Salter  proposed  four 
additional  classes,  and  these  were  :  — (7)  Incurved  form,  (8)  Pompon 
Ranunculus-flowered,  (9)  Pompon  Anemone-flowered,  and  (10)  Matri- 
carioides  or  Feverfew  form  and  size.  It  is,  of  course,  an  easy  matter  to 
criticise  classifications  prepared  at  periods  in  the  history  of  the  flower 
when  other  conditions  obtained  ;  but  it  is  somewhat  singular  that  Mr. 
Salter,  so  recently  as  thirty  years  ago.  should  not  have  attempted  in  his 
extension  of  Haworth’s  classification  to  include  the  large  Anemone  and 
the  reflexed  varieties,  which  wore  then  plentiful,  and  of  greater  relative 
importance  than  they  are  at  the  present  day. 
Seventeen  years  ago  I  prepared  a  wholly  new  classification,  which, 
I  venture  to  believe,  found  considerable  favour,  from  the  fact  that  :t 
has,  with  the  exception  of  one  class,  been  generally  adopted  by 
Chrysanthemum  societies  in  the  United  Kingdom.  In  this  classification 
there  were  seven  sections,  and  these  were  : — (1)  Incurved,  (2)  Reflexed, 
(3)  Large  Anemone-flowered,  (4)  Japanese,  (5)  Pompon,  (6)  Anemone- 
flowered,  and  (7)  Intermediate.  The  last  class  was  formed  for  the 
purpose  of  providing  a  section  for  the  varieties  intermediate  in  size 
between  the  Pompons  and  the  reflexed,  which  were  generally  termed 
hybrids.  It  failed  in  its  purpose,  and  I  shall  make  no  attempt  to 
justify  it.  We  have  still  varieties  with  blooms  so  large  as  to  suggest 
that  they  do  not  belong  to  the  Pompon  section — Sceur  Melaine,  for 
example — and  some,  like  Julie  Lagravere,  which  have  blooms  so  small 
that  they  do  not,  at  first  sight,  belong  to  the  reflexed  section.  These 
intermediate  varieties  have  occasioned  considerable  difficulty  to  judges 
and  others  in  determining  the  classes  to  which  they  properly  belong. 
It  is,  however,  a  very  simple  matter,  for  all  Pompons  have  small  leaves 
and  reflexed  large  ones,  and  it  was  by  means  of  the  leaves,  as  well  as  the 
flowers,  that  in  the  preparation  of  the  classified  lists  in  the  Society’s 
catalogue  for  1888  that  I  succeeded  in  placing  the  doubtful  varieties  ia 
their  proper  classes. 
Since  the  publication  of  my  first  classification  in  1879  the  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  has  undergone  a  remarkable  development,  and  several  new 
types  have  been  added,  with  the  result  that  it  is  no  longer  sufficient.  I 
would,  therefore,  suggest  that  the  classification  of  the  types  of  the 
Chrysanthemum  be  increased,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  suggestions  1 
shall  make  will  readily  be  accepted,  as  the  greater  portion  have  already 
had  practical  effect  given  to  them  in  modelling  the  Society’s  catalogue, 
in  which,  with  the  exception  of  the  Jubilee  edition,  I  have  had  a  large 
share  since  1888,  when  this  important  work  was  given  its  present  form. 
My  suggestions  are  that  the  classification  should  comprise  twelve 
sections,  and  that  these  should  be  arranged  as  follows  :  —(1)  Incurved, 
(2)  Japanese,  (3)  Japanese  Incurved,  (4)  Large  Reflexed,  (5)  Large 
Anemone-flowered,  (6)  Japanese  Anemone-flowered,  (7)  Hairy  or  Hirsute, 
(8)  Pompon,  (9)  Pompon  Fringed,  (10)  Ifompon  Anemone-flowered, 
(11)  Large-flowered  Single,  and  (12)  Pompon  Single. 
These  classes  will  provide  for  all  the  varieties  of  which  at  present 
we  have  knowledge,  and,  with  the  aid  of  the  technical  descriptions  that  I 
have  prepared,  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in  relegating  the  varieties 
to  their  proper  sections  or  classes.  Difficulties  will,  of  courfe, 
occasionally  arise  iu  determining  the  exact  position  of  varieties,  owing 
to  the  gradual  manner  in  which  the  several  sections  merge  into  each 
other.  In  the  case  of  varieties  that  form  the  connecting  link  between 
two  sections,  I  would  suggest  that  they  should  be  referred  to  a  sinall 
sub-committee  for  consideration,  who  would  be  able  to  give  more  time 
to  the  matter  than  is  possible  at  the  meeting  of  the  Floral  Committee, 
and  be  able  to  determine,  after  a  careful  examination  of  the  blooms 
and  the  definitions  of  the  two  sections,  with  exactitude  the  classes  to 
which  they  belong. 
With  reference  to  the  definitions,  I  would  take  advantage  of  this 
opportunity  for  suggesting  the  desirability  of  members  of  committ^, 
of  judges,  and,  indeed,  of  all  who  have  to  deal  with  new  varieties, 
making  themselves  familiar  with  the  points  defining  the  several  classes, 
