Docfmber  S4,  1896. 
JOURNAL-  OF  HGimCULTUEE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
605 
Granting  Awards  to  New  Chrysanthemums. 
At  the  Edinburgh  autumn  show  the  Scottish  Hnrticaltural  Associa¬ 
tion  annually  offer  a  silver  medal  for  the  most  meritorious  new  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  not  in  commerce.  Several  new  or  supposed  new  varieties 
were  staged  in  competition  at  the  last  show,  bat  of  such  inferior 
quality  that  the  Judges  reluctantly  withheld  the  coveted  award.  In 
my  opinion  much  discretion  should  be  employed  by  judges  or  com¬ 
mittees  when  dealing  with  new  varieties.  Any  variety  that  does  not 
exhibit  a  distinct  improvement  upon  older  forms  ought  not  to  receive 
recognition.  T®o  many  new  (7)  varieties  have  first-class  certificates 
conferred  upon  them,  and  are  never  seen  afterwards. — E.  M. 
Confusion  in  Naming  Chrysanthemums, 
From  what  one  can  gather  there  will  most  likely  be  some  confusion 
amongst  Chrysanthemum  growers  during  the  ensuing  season, 
Your  report  on  the  N.O.S.  meeting  (p.  56S)  of  the  Floral  Committee 
speaks  of  Mrs.  F,  A.  Bevan,  a  pale  yellow  sport  from  Madame  Carnot, 
as  being  a  promising  variety,  and  without  a  doubt  it  will  come  to  the 
front  if  it  partake  of  the  same  good  qualities  as  its  parent  variety, 
A  leading  specialist  catalogues  a  novelty,  Mrs.  F.  A  Bevan,  which 
ha  describes  as  a  flesh-pink  coloured  Japanese.  It  is  to  be  desired  that 
two  varieties,  one  yellow,  the  other  pink,  will  not  be  sent  out  under  the 
same  name. 
I  see  also  that  another  yellow  sport  from  Madame  Carnot  is  being 
advertised  by  Mr.  Wells  under  the  name  of  Q.  J.  Warren. 
I  should  imagine  that  intending  purchasers,  if  not  very  careful,  may 
find  that  they  have  not  procured  the  variety  they  desired. — Interested, 
The  N.C.S.  and  the  Aquarium. 
Mr.  R.  Dean,  in  a  contemporary,  is  again  defending  the  action  of 
the  N.C.S.  in  holding  its  exhibitions  at  the  Aquarium.  To  most  who 
are  acquainted  with  the  N.C.S.  it  is  as  “plain  as  a  pikestaff”  that, 
whilst  Mr.  Dean  holds  the  reins  no  other  building  will  hold  these  exhi¬ 
bitions.  Previously  we  had  been  told  of  the  enormous  amount  of  tabling 
required  to  stage  the  exhibits,  bnt  all  who  attend  these  exhibitions  are 
aware  of  the  fact  that  the  main  portion  is  utilised  by  exhibits,  such  as 
fruit  and  vegetables,  which  ought  to  be  outside  the  province  of  the 
N.C.S. 
Mr.  Dean  now  informs  us  that  if  the  Society  ceases  to  occupy  the 
Aquarium  it  will  have  to  relinquish  two,  if  not  three  or  four,  annual 
exhibitions,  for  the  Society  would  then  have  to  provide  staging,  print 
and  provide  bills,  and  advertise  in  the  daily  papers — all  of  which  is  now 
done  at  the  expense  of  the  Aquarium.  How  very  kind  of  the  latter  1 
But  Mr.  Dean  omits  to  inform  us  that  the  proprietors  of  the  building 
also  take  the  whole  of  the  door  money,  less  £282  The  takings  at  the 
doors  for  the  four  exhibitions  must,  or  should,  well  run  into  four  figures, 
and  did  but  the  N.C.S,  receive  the  total  amount  it  could  well  afford  to 
pay  for  a  building  and  the  other  expenses  mentioned  by  Mr,  Dean  and 
have  a  good  balance  in  hand.  To  admit  that  the  N.C.S.  is  so  managed 
that  it  could  not  exist  without  the  assistance  of  a  speculative  concern 
established  for  a  totally  different  purpose  is  rather  more  than  I  expected 
to  see,  yet  such  is  the  pronouncement  of  the  Secretary  of  our  great  floral 
society.  Other  societies  have  to  incur  the  expenses  mentioned,  and  still 
exist  and  flourish.  Then*  why  not  the  N.C.S.  7 
No  other  Chrysanthemum  society  in  the  world  has  such  a  list  of 
subscribers  as  the  N.C.S.,  and  for  the  sake  of  comparison  I  will  turn  to 
two  other  (1895-)  balance-sheets  nosv  before  me  : 
N.C.S.  Birmingham.  Hull. 
Members’  subscriptions  .  £200  £125  £t)9 
Frizes  awarded .  £363  £264  £177 
Receipt  at  doors .  .  £260  £232 
Now,  if  these  Societies  (Birmingham  and  Hull)  can  get  such  sub¬ 
stantial  sums  from  their  door  receipts  with  one  show,  what  should  the 
N.C.S,  do  with  four?  or  perhaps  three  only  should  be  considered ,  the 
early  or  September  one  being  more  of  a  Dahlia  show  than  Chrysanthemum 
show,  and  may  be  said  to  be  run  chiefly  in  the  interests  of  the 
Aquarium. 
In  addition  to  these  amounts  the  N.C.S.  obtains  a  substantial 
sum  from  affiliated  societies,  the  fees  amounting  to  £62  93.  ud,  and 
receipts  for  medals  £104  14?.  6  i.,  together  £167  43.,  whilst  the  sum  of 
£67  18->.  6d.  only  is  really  paid  for  the  medals ;  the  profit  in  favour  of 
the  N.C.S  is  something  over  £100.  As  to  the  cost  of  erecting  tables 
and  other  work,  there  is  now  an  item  of  .£40  for  “  labour  and  assistance,” 
which  presumably  must  be  applied  to  staging,  because  clerical  assistance 
is  put  down  at  £75,  and  other  working  expenses  are  given  in  detail. 
Then  we  find  these  two  Birmingham  and  Hull  Societies,  which 
incur  the  expenses  which  Mr.  Dean  says  would  mean  the  relinquishing 
of  some  of  the  exhibitions  of  the  N.C.S.,  have  each  a  good  balance  at 
their  bankers.  How  does  the  balance  of  the  N.C.S.  compare  with  them 
in  proportion  with  the  income  received  by  the  N.C.S.  for  itself  and  the 
Aquarium  ?  I  am  a  member  of  the  N.C.S,,  but  at  present  sign  myself— Z. 
Chey.'^anthemum  King  op  Orange. 
This  was  certificated  by  the  N.C.S.  December  9tb,  1896,  I  see  you 
credit  Mr.  Wells  with  it,  which  is  incorrect,  as  I  staged  the  blooms  for 
F.  W.  Flight,  E«q,,  Cornstiles,  Twyford,  Hants. — D.  Ingamells. 
National  Chrysanthemum  Society. 
At  the  last  meeting  of  the  General  Committee  of  this  Society,  Mr. 
Harman  Payne  read  an  elaborate  report  on  the  visit  of  the  Society’s 
deputation  to  the  foreign  shows,  which  it  was  resolved  be  printed  in  the 
Society’s  schedule  for  next  year. 
The  question  as  to  the  meetings  of  the  Floral  Committee  raised 
some  discussion,  and  it  was  finally  resolved  that  for  the  season  of  1897 
they  be  held  on  a  Monday,  except  in  the  case  of  a  show  being  held  on 
that  day,  and  that  the  Committee  meet  at  three  o’clock  in  the  afternoon. 
The  shows  for  the  ensuing  year  are  fixed  for  September  7th,  8th  and 
9th,  provided  an  early  show  should  be  ultimately  decided  upon ; 
October  12th,  13th  and  14th  ;  November  9th,  10th  and  11th,  and 
December  7th,  8th  and  9th,  and  the  Secretary  was  empowered  to  make 
the  necessary  arrangements  with  the  Aquariujn  Company. 
Referring  to  the  vexed  question  of  incurved  varieties  arising  out  of 
a  decision  at  a  recent  Floral  Committee  meeting,  it  was  resolved  to 
appoint  a  sub-committee  to  deal  with  questions  of  classification,  and 
to  report  on  varieties  of  a  doubtful  character.  This  sub-committee 
will  consist  of  Messrs.  Bevan,  Jones,  Stevens,  Beckett,  Lyne,  Wright, 
Moorman,  Gibson,  Lees,  Mease,  Whitty,  Rowbottom,  Gordon,  Owen, 
Lanedon,  Dean,  and  Payne. 
The  annual  general  meeting  of  the  Society  will  be  held  on  Monday, 
February  22nd.  A  propositiou  was  also  made  that  the  Secretary  and 
Foreign  Secretary  should  be  awarded  a  gold  Jubilee  medal  of  the 
Society  and  an  illuminated  address  for  their  services  to  the  Society 
extending  over  some  years. 
New  members  were  elected,  and  the  Leytonstone  Chrysanthemum 
Society  admitted  in  affiliation. 
Shows  and  Schedules, 
Chrysanthemum  shows  have  become  so  stereotyped  in  character  that 
for  all  practical  purposes  the  same  schedule  would  answer  its  purpose 
year  after  year.  But,  in  addition  to  this  want  of  variety,  they  are  held 
sometimes,  as  a  matter  of  necessity,  in  buildings  not  always  conforming 
to  a  high  standard  of  architectural  beauty,  some  of  the  drill  halls  being 
positively  ugly  internally  in  their  incongruous  proportions  and  immense 
area  of  dead  walls.  To  those  interested  in  the  future  welfare  and  pro¬ 
gress  of  our  Chrysanthemum  shows  the  problem  to  solve  is.  How  can 
these  acknowledged  drawbacks  be  remedied  7  In  catering  for  public 
amusement,  to  insure  any  degree  of  success  it  must  of  necessity  become 
somewhat  speculative.  This  means  that  in  providing  new  classes  to 
interest  those  who  pay  for  them  more  money  must  be  risked.  The 
management  will  have  to  consider  whether  a  bolder  bid  for  public 
patronage  would  strengthen  the  position  of  the  Society,  or  whether  these 
new  classes  which  are  to  give  variety  will  have  to  be  provided  by  cutting 
down  or  dropping  entirely  other  classes  of  the  schedule.  Societies 
having  a  substantial  balance  in  hand  would  be  justified  in  adopting  the 
former  policy,  whilst  those  with  limited  capabilities  would  be  guided  by 
circumstances.  _ 
Owing  to  the  character  of  the  buildings  in  which  the  exhibitions  are 
held,  and  the  immense  breadth  of  colour  of  the  general  exhibits,  the  first 
step  in  the  improvement  of  shows  is  by  the  introduction  of  more  green, 
and  to  do  justice  it  must  be  in  abundance,  which  could  not  be  out  of 
place  iu  the  highly  ornate  halls  of  St.  George  in  Liverpool  and  Victoria 
in  Leeds,  or  in  the  plainest  drill  hall  in  the  country.  To  supply  this 
the  cheaper  Coniferce  might  be  drawn  upon,  as  is  the  case  in  most  large 
centres  of  population  in  the  decoration  of  corridors,  staircases,  and  ball¬ 
rooms,  variety  being  obtained  by  the  introduction  of  Tree  Ferns, 
standard  Bays,  Portugal  Laurels,  and  Oranges.  Such  simpla  materials  in 
the  hands  of  a  capable  curator,  the  ugliest  room  in  the  country  could  be 
transformed  into  a  fairy  palace. _ 
The  general  scheme  of  arrangement  could  be  carried  out  the  day 
previous  to  the  show,  the  allotted  spaces  for  exhibits  being  left  to  be 
filled  up  as  at  present.  A  few  societies  having  their  fixtures  with 
sufficient  time  between  could  combine  iu  the  purchase  of  the  Coniferae, 
which  might  oe  kept  fresh  and  green  by  syringing  at  convenient 
intervals.  The  cost  in  carriage  from  place  to  place  would  be  reduced  co 
a  minimum  by  taking  the  plants  out  of  the  pots  and  tubs.  Tree  Perns, 
hardy  greenhouse  plants,  and  standards  in  most  cases  could  he  hired 
locally.  Details  would  vary  according  to  circumstances.  To  make  the 
best  of  each  individual  place  should  be  the  rule,  and  imitations  of  other 
arrangements  should  be  avoided  as  fa’’  as  possible,  except  in  cases  where 
decided  improvement  would  be  the  result. 
In  the  introduction  of  new  classes  in  the  schedule,  an  important 
matter  for  consideration  is  to  enlist  the  sympathy  and  assistance  of 
growers,  who  are  not  at  present  able  to  exhibit,  by  giving  them  scope 
to  do  so  under  fresh  arrangements.  This  may  be  done  without  excluding 
old  exhibitors ;  and  whatever  new  classes  are  introduced,  should  be  in  the 
direction  of  an  improvement  in  taste  in  the  use  of  either  cut  flowers  or 
plants  for  some  definite  purpose.  In  this  direction,  the  Hull  Committee’s 
new  departure  ih  scheduling  a  class  for  decorated  mirrors  is  an  excellent 
one.  In  addition  to  its  combined  artistic  and  decorative  character — say, 
