August  26,  1897 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER 
193 
toasts  having  been  duly  honoured,  the  Chairman,  in  appropriate  terms, 
proposed  “  The  Royal  Horticultural  Society.” 
Sir  Trevor  Lawrence,  v/hose  name  was  coupled  with  the  toast, 
tirst  mentioned  with  pleasure  that  Lord  Kenyon  had  asked  him  to 
propose  him  as  a  member  of  the  Royal  Society.  lie  pi’oceeded  that 
though  the  elements  were  to  some  extent  in  a  conspiracy  against  the 
Show  the  previous  day,  they  must  agree  that  the  efforts  that  had  been 
made  to  overcome  the  disaster  which  took  place  had  been  crowned  with 
success.  The  visits  which  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  had  made 
during  the  last  two  years  to  the  provinces  had  been  made  with  a  view  to 
drawing  nearer  the  ties  which  bound  the  Society  in  London  with  the 
societies  which  existed  all  over  the  country.  They  felt  that  the  parent 
Society  should  encourage  horticulture  all  over  the  kingdom,  and  by  visiting 
York,  Shrewsbury,  and  other  places  they  hoped  to  be  able  to  do  that. 
With  regard  to  the  Shrewsbury  Show,  he  olered  them  his  very  sincere 
congratulations.  (Applause.)  He  had  heard  a  great  deal  about  the 
splendour  of  the  Shrewsbury  Shows,  but  he  did  not  believe  till  he  saw  it 
that  they  could  have  got  together  so  tine  an  exhibition  as  they  had  that 
day.  (Applause.)  The  Royal  Horticultural  Society  which  had  had  its 
ups  and  downs,  was  very  near  its  centenai'y.  If  they  looked  back  to  the 
work  it  had  done  to  advance  horticulture  in  this  kingdom— particularly 
in  the  introduction  of  new  plants  and  in  the  instruction  of  gardeners  — 
they  must  say  it  had  done  work  of  enduring  excellence.  (Applause.) 
He  believed  there  was  no  part  of  the  kingdom  where  they  could  walk 
more  than  a  few  yards  without  coming  across  plants  which  had  been 
introduced  through  that  Society.  He  acknowledged  the  support  given 
them  by  the  amateurs  of  the  kingdom,  and  the  gratuitous  services  of  the 
best  horticulturists  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  and 
took  that  opportunity  of  returning  them  grateful  thanks.  With  her 
Majesty’s  permission,  he  added,  they  had  established  this  year  a  Victoria 
medal,  which  they  believed  would  be  of  considerable  value.  It  might  not 
perhaps  be  so  valuable  as  the  two  medals  given  by  Lord  Kenyon  that  day, 
which  he  understood  could  not  be  reproduced,  and  which  were  of  very 
beautiful  design.  He  believed  they  were  designed  by  a  lady,  as  was  also 
their  Victoria  medal.  Having  thanked  the  local  Society  for  the  kind 
reception  they  had  given  the  Royal  Society, 
Sir  Trevor  Lawrence,  on  behalf  of  the  exhibitors  at  the  Shrews¬ 
bury  Show  and  friends,  presented  each  of  the  Hon.  Secretaries  (Mr.  W.  W. 
Xaunton  and  Mr.  H.  W.  Adnitt)  with  a  large  and  handsome  silver  and 
cut  glass  epergne.  The  epergnes  bore  inscriptions  testifying  that  they 
were  presented  to  Mr.  W.  W.  Naunton  and  Mr.  11.  W .  Adnitt  by  the 
exhibitors  and  friends  attending  the  shows  of  the  Shropshire  Ilorti- 
cultural  Society  during  the  last  twenty-two  years  in  appreciation  of  their 
faithful  services  as  Hon.  Secretaries.  Sir  ff'revor  added  that  those  who 
knew  the  ti-ouble  of  arranging  these  exhibitions  would  feel  that  after 
twenty-two  years’  service  not  only  should  these  epergnes  be  presented, 
but  they  should  be  full  of  sovereigns  as  well.  (Applause.) 
Messrs.  Adnitt  and  Naunton  both  suitably  responded,  alluding  to 
the  pleasure  with  which  they  had  worked  for  the  Society  for  so  many 
years,  and  thanking  the  Committee  m  Iio  had  arranged  the  presentation, 
and  the  Hon.  Treasurer  (Mr.  ().  Thomas)  and  the  Hon.  Secretary  (Mr.  A. 
Outram)  for  .  the  trouble  they  had  taken  in  connection  with  it.  Mr. 
Naunton  mentioned  that  there  had  now  been  twenty-three  shows,  and 
neither  he  nor  his  colleague  had  ever  been  absent  one  hour. 
Dean  Hole,  addressing  the  company  as  his  brethren  and  sisters  in 
the  most  charming  of  all  arts  and  the  purest  of  human  pleasures,  said 
they  must  be  few  who  could  remember,  as  he  did,  the  old  times  at  the 
beginning  of  the  Victorian  era — the  dismal  trees  in  tubs  and  lanky  plants, 
the  stoves  and  greenhouses  with  long  roofs  and  decaying  rafters  and  tiny 
discoloured  panes,  and  within  and  over  all  Hies  and  red  spiders  and  mealy 
bugs  reigning  in  glory.  (Laughter.)  In  one  or  two  of  their  choicest 
collections  there  were  half  a  dozen  Orchids  in  their  green  and  yellow 
melancholy,  looking  at  one  as  the  Roman  gladiators  looked  at  the 
Emperor  when  they  presented  the  compliments  of  dying  men.  (Laughter.) 
The  queen  of  Howers,  like  the  Queen  of  England,  was  just  stepping  on 
the  throne  of  her  development  in  beauty.  (Applause.)  The  gardener 
of  si.xty  years  ago  was  a  superior  sort  of  man,  clever,  shrewd,  industrious, 
and  honest  as  the  day  ;  but  he  was  the  biggest  tyrant  and  the  greatest 
autocrat  that  ever  breathed.  (Laughter.)  The  fact  was  that  nobody 
knew  anything  about  gardening,  and  they  dared  not  contradict  him. 
Worse  than  that,  they  were  even  proud  of  their  ignorance,  and  they  went 
and  stopped  the  growth  of  his  plants,  and  excited  not  only  his  compassion 
but  his  indignation.  And  when  he  found  them  out  he  had  seen  this — 
that  man  would  stand  in  the  presence  of  the  proprietor  and  proprietress 
and  their  guests  and  let  them  have  such  a  lecture  as  made  their  knees 
knock  together.  (Renewed  laughter.)  The  gardener  of  the  present  day 
was,  for  his  own  and  other  people’s  happiness,  a  very  different  man, 
though  there  wei’e  some  terrible  exceptions.  He  was  far  more  appreciated 
than  ever  he  was.  People  had  sympathy  with  his  art ;  thfoughout 
England  his  power  was  recognised  in  the  preparation  of  things  pleasing 
to  the  eye  and  good  for  food.  The  time  came,  said  the  speaker,  in 
conclusion,  when  other  things  failed,  but  the  garden  never  failed  them, 
and  as  they  grew  older  it  became  more  and  more  the  consolation  of 
their  life.  He  hoped  the  show  that  day  might  induce  others  to  inter¬ 
weave  with  their  lives  that  golden  thread  of  a  love  of  horticulture,  which 
added  so  much  to  its  pure  and  permanent  happiness.  He  then  proposed 
“  .Success  to  the  Shropshire  Horticultural  Society,”  to  which  the  Mayor 
of  Shrewsbury  eloipiently  responded.  The  proceedings  terminated  with 
the  “Health  of  the  President,”  and  Lord  Kenyon,  in  replying,  mentioned 
that  his  medal  was  designed  by  the  Countess  Feodore  Gleichen. 
COMMENTS  ON  THE  SHREWSBURY  SHOW. 
I  HAVE  no  intention  whatever  to  intrude  into  the  reporter’s  domain 
in  connection  with  the  products  of  this  truly  grand  exhibition,  but  I  do 
feel  that  there  is  space  to  make  some  general  references  that  may  merit 
notice.  In  your  recent  references  to  the  Shropshire  Society  mention  is 
made  of  the  wonderful  local  benefits  that  have  resulted  from  the  shows, 
and  the  great  surplus  they  have  produced  from  time  to  time.  With  the 
recollection  of  that  disaster  to  the  great  plant  tent  full  upon  us,  a 
disaster  so  soon  and  so  effectively  recovered  from  by  British  pluck  and 
activity,  I  can  but  think  the  Society  would  find  an  object  worthy  of 
its  ambition  in  the  erection  on  the  site  of  the  dismantled  tent  of  a  noble 
pavilion,  which  could  be  utilised  in  winter  as  a  concert  hall  or  musical 
promenade,  being  at  the  same  time  a  sort  of  winter  garden  ;  and  then 
might  be  available  for  the  purposes  of  the  flower  show  as  a  grand  plant 
centre  when  needed.  What  fine  effects  could  be  obtained  in  such  case. 
If  on  either  side  there  could  run  off  a  long  broad  covered  promenade, 
which  might  also  be  utilised  for  show  purposes,  and  from  out  of  these 
could  run  tents  for  the  remainder  of  the  exhibits,  thus  bringing  the  entire 
show  under  one  roof  as  it  were,  what  a  boon  would  it  be,  and  how 
remarkably  effective  the  result.  Without  exception  the  grandest  of  all 
provincial  shows,  that  of  Shrewsbury,  loses  so  much  by  its  wide  distri¬ 
bution.  Could  the  finest  of  the  exhibits  be  more  concentrated,  how  much 
would  the  show  gain  ! 
The  decorative  groups  are  there  so  beautiful  and  in  design  largely  so 
original  that  they  become  veritable  works  of  art,  that  are  alone  worth 
travelling  long  journeys  to  see,  To  numbers  of  gardetiers  a  sight  of 
these  groups  must  come  as  revelations  of  what  is  possible  with  even  com¬ 
paratively  ordinary  exhibits.  Arrangers  now  seem  to  find  it  difficult  to 
excel  themselves.  But  somehow,  perhaps  because  they  seem  to  belong 
to  the  exhibition  ideas  of  a  past  age,  the  big  specimen  plants^  now  attract 
little  attention.  If  I  were  to  ask.  Are  they  worth  preserving  ?  I  think 
the  majority  would  answer  No,  For  one  visitor  who  stops  to  scrutinise 
them  twenty  stop  to  study  the  very  beautiful  groups,  whether  in  or  out 
of  competition,  with  the  greatest  interest.  Compared  with  what  used  to 
be  seen  in  the  palmy  days  of  Baines  and  Cole  the  finest  show  plants  of 
to-day  seem  poor.  They  may  be  good,  but  the  old  appreciation  of  them 
is  gone.  The  public  needs  something  more  up-to-date  now  to  satisfy  its 
rather  exacting  requirements. 
The  introduction  of  the  point  system  in  awards,  and  their  publication 
for  the  benefit  of  all  concerned,  if  giving  to  the  judges  some  additional 
trouble,  yet  cannot  give  much  extra,  seeing  that  in  relation  to  the  two 
great  classes  concerned  it  would  not  be  possible  to  arrive  at  any  correct 
conclusions  except  on  a  pointing  basis.  As  an  apostle  of  a  just  but 
hard  to  obtain  regulation,  very  much  indeed  one  crying  in  the  wilder¬ 
ness,  I  could  but  think,  seeing  that  in  the  dessert  table  class  for 
instance  the  total  ordinary  prize  money  amounted  to  £38  17s.,  what 
a  splendid  opportunity  was  here  offered  to  make  the  money  prizes 
exactly  commensurate  with  the  actual  point  value  of  the  exhibits,  Mr, 
Coodacre  comes  with  105^  points,  and  besides  the  Veitch  Memorial 
medal  receives  £17  12s.  Mr.  Mclndoe  is  but  one  point  behind,  and 
he  receives  only  12  guineas.  Had  the  whole  of  the  cash  inclusive  of 
the  Veitch  Memorial  £5  been  pooled  and  then  shared  according  to  actual 
point  merit  the  cash  values  would  have  been  very  different. 
There  is  an  impi’ession  that  this  method  of  prize-sharing  would 
discourage  competition.  That  is  all  nonsense.  Rather  it  would  tend  to 
stimulate  it.  I  should  like  to  see  the  Shrewsbury  executive,  a  body  that 
can  afford  so  well  to  lead,  establishing  just  one  class  on  this  principle, 
and  one  of  six  vegetables,  six  outdoor  fruits,  and  six  bunches  of  garden 
Howers,  all  distinct,  and  in  one  group,  would  make  a  capital  open  one 
for  a  corpiis  vile.  I  noticed  in  the  cottagers’  tent  a  couple  of  wonderfully 
pretty  objects  of  wild  Howers  on  tripods  shown  as  baskets  that  were 
dis(|ualified,  but  which,  if  admitted,  would  have  been  well  first.  Baskets 
in  the  ordinary  acceptation  of  the  term  they  were  not,  but  rather  basket- 
trays.  Could  not  the  words  “trays”  or  baskets  be  included  in  the 
conditions  next  year  ?  As  to  the  wild  flower  arrangements  generally, 
they  were  the  handsomest  1  have  ever  seen. — A.  D. 
STRAWBERRY  LORD  SUFFIELD* 
I  WAS  much  interested  with  the  article  on  Strawberries  by  “  A  Young 
Scot  ”  in  the  “  Gardeners’  Domain,”  in  your  issue  of  the  12th,  but  with 
the  judgment  pronounced  on  Lord  Suffield  by  the  writer  I  do  not  at  all 
agree.  In  our  light  free  soil  I  find  it  to  be  a  first-class  Straw'berry  in 
every  respect.  The  size  is  all  that  could  be  desired,  being  quite  as  large 
as  Royal  Sovereign,  and  having  very  few  small  fruits.  The  colour  is 
magnificent,  bright  red  to  the  very  tip.  But  one  of  the  best  features 
is  firmness  of  flesh,  and  it  therefore  does  not  suffer  from  damp  so  readily 
as  many  other  varieties.  To  be  pronounced  coarse  by  any  grower 
astonishes  me,  but  it  may  be  the  treatment  of  the  plants  that  makes  all 
the  difference  in  quality. 
Immediately  the  fruit  is  gathered  we  take  a  spade  and  run  it  up 
each  side  of  the  row  to  cut  all  runners,  and  also  run  the  hoe  through 
between  the  rows  to  clear  off  weeds.  I  find  little  more  attention  is 
needed  until  November,  then  we  give  them  a  heavy  mulch  of  cow  manure. 
About  the  beginning  of  April  a  dusting  of  soot  is  given  to  check  slugs, 
straw  is  then  laid  in  between  the  rows,  and  our  plants  never  show  any 
signs  of  suffering  from  drought. — R.  K.  B.ITBRSON,  Linlithgow, 
