November  18,  18}t7. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
479 
Chrysanthemum  Shows. 
As  is  usual  at  this  time  of  the  year  we  have  received  numerous 
ntimations  of  Chrysanthemum  shows  which  are  to  be  held  during  the 
coming  season.  Space,  however,  can  only  be  found  for  mentioning  those 
that  have  been  advertised  in  our  columns.  If  any  have  been  omitted 
we  shall  be  glad  to  add  them  to  the  following  list.  We  append  the 
names  and  addresses  of  the  various  Secretaries. 
Nov.  17th  and  18th.— SOUTH  Shields.— B.  Cowan,  Harton,  South 
Shields. 
„  17th  and  18th. — Hull.  ~E.  Harland  and  .1.  Dixon,  Manor  Street, 
Hull. 
,,  17th  and  18th. — Bristol. — E.  G.  Cooper,  Mervyn  Road,  Bishopston, 
Bristol. 
„  17th  and  18th.— RuGUY.- W.  Bryant,  S,  Barby  Road,  Rugl.y. 
,,  17th,  18th,  and  19th. — \0RK. — J,  Eazenliy,  13,  Eeasegate,  York. 
,,  l8th  and  19th. — Bury  St.  Edmunds.  G.  A.  Planning,  “Bury 
Post,”  Abbeygate  Street,  Bury  St.  Edmunds. 
„  19th  and  20th.— Bolton.— ,1.  Hicks,  Markland  Hill  Lane,  Heaton, 
Bolton. 
„  25th  and  26th. — LEAMINGTON  SpA. — L.  L.  Lawi'ence,  76,  Parade, 
Leamington. 
National  Chrysanthemum  Society. 
On  ^Monday  last  the  Floral  Committee  of  this  Society  held  a  meeting 
£R  the  Ivoyal  Aquarium,  Westminster,  i\lr.  T.  Bevan  occupying  the  chair. 
There  was  an  excellent  show  of  novelties,  some  good  incurved  varie¬ 
ties  being  staged.  First-class  certificates  were  awarded  as  follows 
Master  II.  Pwfe/-.— Large  incurved  Jajianese,  with  broad  stiff  florets  ; 
deei)est  crimson,  reverse  chestnut  bronze.  Shown  l.y  Mr.  H.  Shoesmith 
of  Woking. 
Georgiana  Pitcher. — Massive  incurved  .Japanese,  with  broad,  long, 
incurving  and  curling  petals  of  good  substance  :  soft  yellow.  From  Mr 
W.  Wells  of  Earlswood. 
Mllle.  Lucie  Fa«rr.— Immense  incurved,  with  long  and  pointed  florets, 
building  up  a  flower  resembling  Chas.  II.  Curtis  ;  creamy  white.  From’ 
Mr.  W.  J.  Godfrey  of  E'iinouth. 
Ernest  Cannell.—Yavy  large  incurved,  of  deep  build,  neatly  incurved, 
florets  somewhat  pointed  ;  colour  buff  yellow.  E.xhibited  by  Mr.  R.  Lead- 
better,  Elmstead  Grange,  Chislehurst. 
M) s.  Geo.  Carpenter.  Pretty  rosy  lilac  .Japanese,  with  white  centre 
florets,  fairly  long,  twisting  and  curling.  Shown  by  Mr.  Geo.  Carpenter, 
W  est  Hill,  Byrteet. 
Madame  Laurence  Zede. —  Large,  massive  incurved  .Japanese,  with  long, 
bioad,  incurved,  and  curving  petals,  slightly  twisted  ;  colour  rosy  lilac, 
white  centre.  From  Mr.  AV.  Wells. 
Earlswood  Beauty. — Large  single,  of  good  form,  with  long  florets  of 
good  width,  and  neatly  grooved  ;  creamy  white,  yellow  disc.  From  Mr. 
W.  Wells. 
^  Some  other  noteworthy  examjjles  I’eceived  commendations,  the  best 
being  Matthew  Hodgson,  Lady  Northcote,  I’hillip  Mann,  Mrs.  W.  (k 
Egan,  and  Atadame  ierlat.  The  Committee  expressed  the  wish  to  see 
again  the  following  ; — Mabel  Miller  and  Archie  Ray.  A  small  silver 
medal  was  awarded  to  Mr.  W.  \\  ells  for  a  collection  of  cut  flowers,  and  a 
commendation  to  Mr.  P.  ^Faterer  for  his  improved  name  ticket-holder, 
for  fixing  in  front  of  show  boards. 
Chry'^santhemum  nipponicum. 
Although  hardy,  this  comparatively  new, Japanese  species  of  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  is  likely,  when  better  known,  to  be  extensively  grown  as  a 
greenhouse  decorative  plant.  The  inflorescences  are  after  the  manner  of 
those  of  0.  frutescens,  but  quite  distinct,  as  is  the  whole  plant,  from  that 
species.  ^  It  can  be  had  from  1  to  2  feet  in  height,  with  a  sturdy,  bushy 
habit.  The  leaves  are  spathulate,  2J  to  3  inches  long,  dark  green  and 
glossy,  and  the  margins  deeply  toothed  on  the  upper  half.  The  flowers 
aie^  terminal  and  erect  on  stout  stalks  from  every  growth.  They  are 
3  inches  across,  the  ray  florets  white,  with  a  large  disc  of  yellow 
florets.  It  should  be  grown  in  a  similar  manner  to  ordinary  decorative 
Chrysanthemums. 
Cuttings  may  be  inserted  any  time  up  to  the  end  of  March.  They 
take  from  throe  to  five  weeks  to  root  if  given  a  little  heat.  After  they 
are  well  rooted  they  should  be  potted  into  5-inch  pots,  and  when 
established  the  points  should  be  pinched  out.  A  further  shift  should  be 
given  into  7-inch  pots  about  the  end  of  May,  ordinary  Chrysanthemum 
Sod  being  used.  At  this  i)Otting  they  should  be  stood  outside.  The  last 
stopping  should  be  given  by  the  end  of  .1  une.  No  staking  is  necessary, 
as  the  growths  are  all  sturdy  enough  to  support  themselves.  About  the 
end  of  jVugust  they  should  be  placed  in  a  frame  and  allowed  to  come  on 
slowly,  when  they  will  flower  during  October  and  November. -W.  1). 
Aquarium  Show. 
It  has  been  pointed  out  to  us  that  in  our  report  of  this  exhibition 
we  referred  to  an  exhilat  from  Mr.  Wells,  Earlsfield.  Of  course,  it 
should  have  read  Earlswood,  and  we  regret  the  error.  We  also 
omitted  to  refer  to  the  handsome  stand  of  horticultural  sundries 
exhibited  by  Messrs.  Wood  &  Sons,  Ltd.,  Wood  Green. 
County  Challenge  Chrysanthemum  Competitions. 
I  VENTURE  to  return  again  to  mj'old  proposal  ere  the  Chrysanthemum 
fever  of  the  season  expires,  in  favour  of  the  establishment  of  county 
challenge  competitions,  because  I  believe  these  would  arouse  interest, 
especially  with  gentlemen,  that  seems,  in  relation  to  the  Chrysanthemum, 
to  be  dormant.  So  far  competition  seems  to  be  too  much  amongst  the 
gardeners.  A  county  competition  would  serve  to  put  gentlemen  as  well 
as  their  gardeners  on  their  mettle,  and  arouse  interest  of  the  most 
desirable  kind.  These  interests  the  mere  local  competitions  fail  to  excite. 
Were  there  in  each  county  a  splendid  challenge  vase  to  be  won 
yearly,  and  for  the  year  only,  how  many  employers  but  would  be  too 
proud  to  see  such  a  trophy  on  their  side  boards.  To  prevent  the  vase 
getting  into  the  same  hands  too  often  I  would  render  the  winner  of  one 
year  ineligible  to  compete  the  next.  The  class  should  be  for  foi  ty-eight 
blooms,  sixteen  to  be  incurved.  That  would  be  indeed  the  front  row. 
Sucii  a  competition  should  be  supplemented  by  six  money  prizes,  the  first 
being  £8,  and  the  entrance  fee  should  be  10s.  The  competition  should 
be  peripatetic  -  that  is,  in  various  towns  in  the  county,  so  that  each 
principal  society  might  have  the  benefit  of  the  competition  in  turn.  The 
local  society  should  find  one-half  the  prize  money,  and  the  challenge  vase 
committee  should  collect  the  rest.  Beyond  this,  we  might  in  time  see  a 
grand  national  competition  by  counties  in  London  annually,  with  collec¬ 
tions  of,  say,  100  blooms,  thus  furnishing  a  really  magnificent  show. 
In  my  own  county  of  Surrey  we  have  such  growers  as  Mease,  Salter, 
Higgs,  Paddon,  McLeod,  Hunt,  Baker,  .Jinks,  King,  and  many  others  ; 
and  what  a  grand  competition  could  thus  be  furnished  for  a  county 
challenge  vase,  would  all  these  fine  growers  but  agree  to  take  part  in 
it. — A.  D, 
At  Ii’SWICH. 
In  the  years  that  have  gone  by  Ipswich  has,  perhaps,  been  renowned 
more  for  the  Roses  that  are  so  splendidly  grown  in  the  neighbourhood 
thereof  than  for  its  '  hrysanthemums.  However,  such  a  state  of  affairs 
could  not  hold  good  in  these  days,  for  the  (  hrysanthemiim  is  grown 
everywhere  in  greater  or  lesser  numbers.  In  this  ancient  East  Anglian 
town  and  its  environs  there  are  now  many  devotees  of  the  Eastern 
flower,  and  of  them  all  none  is  more  widely  known  than  Mr.  R.  C. 
Notcutt  of  the  Broughton  Road  Nurseries.  He  is  not  an  old  grower 
any  more  than  he  is  a  cultivator  of  several  thousands  of  plants  to 
produce  a  richly  varied  display,  but  the  introduction  of  the  lovely  Edith 
Tabor  placed  him  at  once  in  the  very  van  of  growers  throughout  the 
country.  It  was  hailed  with  delight,  and  remains  still  one  of  the  most 
popular  varieties  in  cultivation,  for  it  is  in  all  respects  excellent. 
If  we  cannot  justifiably  place  him  amongst  those  who  cultivate 
C’hi  ysanthenuuns  on  the  largest  scale,  the  quality  of  the  blooms  he  exhibits 
at  least  w  arrant  his  inclusion  amongst  those  who  grow  for  ([uality  in  con¬ 
tradistinction  to  others  whose  object  is  apparently  size  at  any  cost  The 
rage—  and  it  can  be  called  nothing  else— for  mere  size  is  extremely  regret- 
able,  for  with  its  attainment  are  lost  that  grace  and  elegance  for  which 
Japanese  varieties  are  so  much  appreciated.  A  reversion  in  favour  of 
refinement  must  come  sooner  or  later,  and  it  is  pleasant  to  see  several  of 
the  trade  growers,  including  Mr.  Notcutt,  endeavouring  to  divert  the 
popular  fancy  into  that,  its  rightful  channel.  Let  us  hope  that  the  near 
future  will  see  the  exclusion  of  those  immense  ungainly  flowers  from  the 
stands  at  our  exhiliitions,  and  the  sooner  it  comes  the  better  for  the  cult. 
Returning  to  our  original  subject,  we  will  proceed  at  once  to  the 
Broughton  Road  Niu'sery  at  Ipswich.  The  establishment  is  not  a  very 
large  one,  comprising  only  a  few  houses,  which  are,  as  a  rule,  light  and 
well  built,  and  almost  all  of  which  contain  Mums.  There  are  some  that 
ilo  not,  being  stocked  with  Ferns,  Asjiaragus,  Primulas,  and  other  plants 
grown  for  decoration  purposes,  in  which  phase  of  gardening  the  firm 
has  a  wide  circle  of  clients.  The  largest  house — a  broad  s]ian-roofed  one 
— is  devoted  entirely  to  ('hrysanthemums,  the  plants  standing  in  a  large 
central  bed,  the  whole  of  which  is  readily  inspected  from  the  path  that 
runs  round  it.  There  is  not  quite  so  much  crowding  here  as  is 
frequently  the  case  when  Chrysanthemums  in  pots  are  being  staged, 
and  if  the  system  cause  a  stem  or  a  pot  to  be  seen,  it  at  any  rate 
permits  of  all  the  plants  and  flowers  being  seen  with  jierfect  ease. 
In  the  preliminary  glance  round  a  sharp  watch  was  kept  for  new 
varieties,  in  order  to  ascertain  if  the  collection  were  up  to  date  in  this 
respect.  We  were  not  long  in  being  assured  that  this  was  decidedly  the 
case,  for  the  major  portion  of  the  novelties  were  noted  as  being  in  flower. 
Then,  too,  mildew  on  the  foliage  and  damping  of  the  florets  were  sought, 
but  vainly,  for  there  was  an  absence  of  both.  What  we  did  observe  were 
the  capital  leaves  produced  by  the  medium  sized  solid  wood.  Larger 
growths  have  often  been  seen,  Imt  none  better  ripened  than  this,  and 
experience  has  proved  that  the  strong  wood  is  not  always  the  best  ripened, 
and  cannot  be  relied  upon  to  jiroduce  flowers  of  the  finest  ([uality.  On 
these  points  we  were  soon  satisfied,  and  then  the  flowers  themselves  were 
submitted  to  scrutiny  to  ascertain  which  were  of  the  best  in  respect  of 
colour,  refinement,  and  freshness. 
Foremost  amongst  the  few  varieties  it  is  purposed  to  mention  must 
be  placed  Edith  Tabor,  than  which  nothing  more  beautiful  need  be 
wished.  The  superb  flowers  are  still  unrivalled  in  their  particular  style. 
