November  25,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
511 
be  shown  in  unclisbudded  clusters,  Mr.  J.  Waldie  won  premier  position 
with  dark  and  yellow  varieties,  in  free  masses.  Mr.  T.  Gordon  second. 
Incurved  Chrysanthemums  are,  as  a  rule,  only  moderately  exhibited 
in  Scotland.  The  show  in  question  was  no  exception  in  this  respe(‘t. 
The  principal  class  was  for  twenty-four  distinct  varieties.  Mr.  .1.  Martin 
won  the  premier  awai’d  witli  fair  examples  of  leading  varieties.  Itlr. 
J.  ^McHattie  second,  IMr.  T.  Blair  third.  For  twelve  varieties  the  exhibits 
were  an  improvement  on  the  former  class.  Mr.  Lees  won  easily  with 
medium  sized  examples  beautifully  staged.  Messrs.  Martin  and  Day 
secured  the  remaining  prizes  in  the  order  named.  .1.  Agate  was  the 
variety  staged  in  the  class  for  si.x,  any  one  sort,  Mr.  .1.  Henderson  being 
the  prizewinner.  Prizes  were  oflfered  for  six  blooms  C.  II.  t'urtis.  Here 
an  improvement  was  manifest,  Mr.  Martin,  with  large,  fully  developed 
blooms,  winning  easily.  The  last  named  secured  the  award  for  the 
premier  incurved  bloom  in  the  show  with  a  fairly  good  one  of  C.  H.  Curtis. 
In  the  .Japanese  section  Mr.  Ilaggart  won  a  like  position  with  a  grandly 
developed  bloom  of  Mrs.  W.  H.  Lees. 
Chrj'santhemums  arranged  in  vases  or  epergnes,  with  any  kind  of 
foliage,  made  an  effective  display.  Miss  Todd,  Edinburgh,  winning  some¬ 
what  easily. 
Plants  are  not  well  cultivated  by  Scottish  grower ;  of  Chrysanthemums, 
though  they  were  largely  staged.  The  plants  are  large  enough  but  the 
blooms  lack  quality.  The  principal  class  was  for  six,  distinct.  Mr.  I). 
Cavannagh,  St.  Edwards,  Murrayfield,  won  easily  with  freely  flowered 
plants,  much  too  tall  to  display  their  blooms  in  a  satisfactory  manner  ; 
Mr.  Joseph  Holmes,  Winton  Castle,  Pencaitland,  second.  ]\Ir.  i  avannagh 
won  also  for  four  specimens.  Pompons  were  freely  flowered,  but  the 
blooms  lacked  quality.  The  best  of  four  specimens  came  from  Mr.  P. 
Hunt,  Coltbridge  Hall,  Murrayfield. 
Groups  of  Chrysanthemums  arranged  in  circular  form  were  of 
moderate  qualitj".  Mr.  W.  Jobson,  first  :  Mr.  .1.  Downie,  second. 
Vegetables  are  generally  a  feature  at  the  Edinburgh  shows,  this  proving 
no  exception  to  the  rule.  Amongst  the  most  successful  exhil)itors  were 
Messrs.  W.  Harper,  Tullibelton  House,  Perth;  A.  E.  Cameron  I.  W. 
Scarlett,  Inveresk  ;  W.  Smith,  Newtonairds  ;  G.  Ormiston  ;  and  T. 
Gallowajq  Kirk  Hill  Farm,  Broxburn.  Fruit,  as  usual,  was  staged 
extensively  and  well.  Space,  however,  for)>id,s  jnore  than  a  note  of  the 
fact  that  Messrs.  D.  Airdrie,  Larl)ert  House ;  .1.  Paterson,  Benochie  Park, 
Kirkcaldy  ;  J.  Leslie,  Pitcullen  House,  Perth;  T.  Lunt;  McIntyre,  The 
Glen,  Innerleithen  ;  and  J.  Day  were  successful  competitors. 
Non-competing  collections  made  an  interesting  disi)lay.  Mr.  11.  ,1. 
.Jones  secured  the  Society’s  gold  medal  for  a  grand  exhibit  of  Chrys¬ 
anthemums,  Begonia  Gloire  de  Lorraine,  Ferns,  and  Palms.  No  les.s 
than  J50  cut  blooms  were  staged.  First-class  certif  cates  were  awarded 
to  Chrysanthemums  Western  King,  Chebagne,  and  Madame  Laurence 
Zeda  in  this  collection.  Mr.  W.  Wells,  Earlswood  Nurseries,  Redhill, 
Surrey,  contributed  several  dozen  Chrysanthemum  cut  blooms  ;  certificates 
were  given  to  G.  ,J.  Warren,  Julia  Scaramanga,  and  Georgina  Pitchei’. 
Messrs.  Dobbie  &  i  o.,  Rothesay,  bad  Chrysanthemums  in  <[uantity.  Mr.  T. 
Fortune,  17,  (,)ueen’s  Ferry  Street,  had  a  charming  exhibit  of  bomiuets. 
The  banquet,  held  in  the  Royal  British  Hotel  on  the  opening  da\. 
was  a  brilliant  affair,  over  seventy'  sitting  dow  n.  Several  members  of  the 
National  Chrysanthemum  Si  cicty  were  present,  including  i\rr.  T.  W. 
Sanders,  Mr.  Witty,  and  Mr.  Orchard.  Mr.  Ross,  Hon.  Secretary  of  the 
R.H.S.,  Ireland,  was  also  present,  the  chair  being  worthily  occupied  by 
Mr,  J'odd,  the  President. 
Mr.  Robert  Laird,  whoso  portrait  we  have  pleasure  in  publishing 
(fig.  7(1),  is  the  third  son  of  the  late  Mr.  R.  B.  Laird,  and  was  horn  in 
1859.  Mr.  Robert  Laird  manages  the  office  and  seed  department  at  17, 
Frederick  Street,  while  his  brother,  Mr.  David  Laird,  attends  to  the 
sixty  acres  of  nurseries  where  the  raising  of  seedling  forest  trees  is 
particularly  well  carried  on.  Mr.  R.  l.aird  is  a  typical  Scot,  his 
commanding  presence,  jovial  good  humour,  and  unbounded  heartiness 
entirely  fit  him  for  the  position  he  so  worthily  occupies,  whether  as  a 
partner  in  the  nursery  business,  or  as  the  Secretary  of  the  Scottish 
Horticultural  Association,  a  post  which  he  has  filled  for  the  last  seven 
years,  it  is  in  no  sense  of  flattery  when  we  say  that  it  is  doubtful  it 
another  society  in  the  United  Kingdom  has  made  such  rapid  progress  as 
this  since  he  has  filled  his  present  piost.  Members  of  the  Scottisli 
Association  en  oy  many  privileges.  The  annual  subscription  is  only 
2s.  6d.,  this  small  sum  entitling  them  to  attendance  at  the  twelve  monthly- 
meetings  held  during  the  year,  as  well  as  to  a  free  pass  on  the  three  days 
of  the  autumn  exhibition.  The  photograph  was  by  Moir  &  Halkett, 
Fortoliello. 
CHESTER. 
The  annual  exhibition  promoted  Jiy  the  Chester  Paxton  Society  is 
every  year  becoming  more  successful.  The  seventh  show,  says  a  local 
contemporary,  was  a  decided  advance  both  as  regards  the  number  of 
entries  and  the  quality  of  the  exhibits.  The  Assembly  Room  of  the 
Town  Hall,  in  which  the  exhibition  was  held,  was  taken  full  advantage 
of,  the  arrangement  of  the  Chrysanthemums  and  the  fruit  in  a  slightly 
different  manner  to  that  which  obtained  last  year  producing  a  beautiful 
effect.  Among  the  exhibits  in  the  fruit  section  was  one  from  the  Duke  of 
Westminster  (Mr.  Barnes,  gardener),  who  sent  a  meritorious  collection  of 
sixty  dishes  of  Pears  and  Apples,  which  had  been  grown  in  the  open  in 
the  Eaton  gardens.  Next  to  this  the  most  conspicuous  collection  was 
that  of  Mr.  .lohn  Watkins  of  Witlungton,  Hereford,  who  was  represented 
by  (ifty  dishes  of  Apples.  It  may  be  here  mentioned  that  Messrs.  Dick¬ 
sons’,  Limited,  again  occupied  the  whole  length  of  the  lower  end  of  the 
room  with  an  imposing  and  miscellaneous  exhibit  of  flowers  and  fruits. 
The  whole  arrangement  was  one  that  had  not  yet  been  equalled  at  any 
previous  show  held  in  Chester,  and  contained  excellently  grown  specimens 
of  Chrysanthemums,  Cyclamens,  Carnations,  and  Palms,  the  front  being 
finished  off  by  luscious  looking  fruit  from  the  Upton  and  Newton 
Nurseries. 
A  new  departure  has  been  made  in  the  Chrysanthemum  classes,  this 
being  the  arrangement  of  the  groups  of  plants  in  the  centre  of  the  room 
instead  of  at  the  sides.  The  change  adds  greatly  to  the  general  attractive¬ 
ness  of  the  whole  exhibition.  The  entries,  oddly  enough,  were  those  of 
exactly  the  same  five  exhibitors  at  the  last  show,  when  Mr.  ,1.  Wynne 
Ffoulkes,  Old  Northgate  House,  took  first  prize.  Mr.  Wynne  Ffoulkes 
repeated  his  success  at  the  present  show,  the  other  four  groups, 
however,  being  also  of  excellent  merit.  A  new  feature  in  the  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  classes  was  that  for  an  epergne  filled  with  such  of  those 
flowers  as  are  suitable  for  table  decoration.  Nine  competitors  bave 
entered  the  lists  in  this  class,  and  although  Mr.  Edge  of  Hoole  Bank  was 
not  perhaps  so  advantageously  placed  as  the  others,  he  managed  to  carry 
off  the  first  prize  in  the  face  of  strong  opposition.  The  class  for  the  six- 
best  plants  of  the  .Japanese  varieties  had  not  induced  quite  so  large  a 
number  of  entries  as  could  lie  wished,  but  the  quality  is  very  good,  the 
first  prize  blooms  from  Mollington  Hall  (Mr.  Worker)  being  almost 
perfect. 
For  a  group  of  Chrysanthemums  arranged  for  effect  :  — First,  .J.  Wynne 
Ffoulkes,  Esq.  Second,  Mrs.  R.  S.  Hudson,  Bache  Hall.  Third,  E. 
Fict.  75. — Mu.  Roueut  Laiud. 
Dixon,  Esq.,  Littleton  Hall.  Fourth,  Mrs.  Potts,  Hoole  Hall.  Six 
plants,  Japanese  or  incurved  First,  Captain  Fielden.  Second.  A Jrs. 
Logan.  Third,  Miss  A.  Wynne,  Waverton.  Four  plants,  single  varieties  : 
— First,  Wigg,  Esq.  In  the  open  class  for  twelve  single  trusses 
naturally  grown  Chrysanthemums  : — First,  C.  Threlfall,  Esq.  Second. 
Mrs.  Townsend  Ince.  Third,  J.  Tomkinson,  Esq.  Twelve  cut 
blooms  : — First,  T.  Brocklebank,  Esq.,  Hesw-all.  Second,  .I.  Tomkinson, 
Esq.  Third,  C.  Threlfall,  Esq.  Six  cut  blooms,  Japanese : -Second, 
Colonel  Read,  Dee  Banks.  Six  cut  incurved  blooms  : — First,  Mrs.  Ince 
and  J.  Mosford,  Es(|.  Second,  <  aptain  Fielder.  Third,  J.  Tomkinson, 
Esq.  Three  cut  .Japanese  blooms  : —First,  J.  Wynne  Ffoulkes,  Esq. 
Second,  C.  Wigg,  Esq.  Third,  Hon.  H.  C.  Gore,  Malpas.  Three  cut 
incurved  blooms  : —First,  C.  Wigg,  Esq.  Second,  Hon.  H.  C.  Gore. 
Best  arranged  box  of  cut  single  '  hrysanthemums  : — First,  .J.  Tomkinson, 
Esq.  Second,  Mrs.  J'ownsend  Ince.  Third,  J.  Mosford,  Esq.  Best 
arranged  epergne  of  Chrysanthemums  :  -  First,  -  .  Wigg,  Esq.  Second, 
J.  Tomkinson,  Esq.  Third,  T.  Brocklebank,  Esq.  Premier  blooms, 
best  incurved  :  — C.  Threltall,  Esq.  Best  Japanese  :—T.  Brockle¬ 
bank,  Esq. 
HUIjB. -November  ITth  .\nd  18th. 
Many  magnificent  autumn  exhibitions  have  been  held  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Hull  Chrysanthemum  Society  in  years  past,  but  it  is 
doubtful  if  one  has  ever  been  held  before  that  exceeded  tiie  present,  either 
in  extent  or  ijuality.  Groups  have  long  lieen  famous  here  for  their 
magnificence  ;  this  year  they  were  quite  equal  to  any  that  has  previously 
been  seen.  Cut  blooms  in  some  sections  were  a  distinct  advance, 
notably  Anemone,  Reflexed,  and  Pompons.  Plants  were  a  decided 
im])rovement  on  recent  years.  Table  decorations,  by  their  number  and 
the  taste  may  be  described  as  progressive.  The  management  here,  always  of 
the  best,  was  quite  up  to  the  high  standard  attained.  Messrs.  Harland 
