December  9,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
555 
sot  of  keeping  personalities  in  the  background,  and  discuss  the  subject  on 
its  merits,  then  will  their  letters  be  inserted.  We  do  not  wish  to  publish 
anything  that  will  jeopardise  personal  friendship.] 
Seeing  that  everyone  knovs  who  pens  the  signature  “A.  1).,”  just  as 
well  as  if  blazoned  in  full  length,  I  can  easily  conceive  how  the 
individual  who  signs  himself  in  last  week’s  issue  “  One  of  the  Ksecutive  ” 
must  have  chuckled  over  the  way  in  which  he  was  girding  at  me,  and  yet 
keeping  his  own  anonimity.  It  is  such  fun  to  sit  behind  a  wall  and  in 
as  they  have  done,  no  wonder  an  evident  advocate  for  the  K.A.  is  nasty 
with  me. 
Did  I  feel  alone,  and  w’rite  for  myself,  it  would  be  of  no  conse([ucncc, 
but  the  sting  of  the  matter  lies  in  the  fact  that  what  I  think  everybody 
whose  opinion  is  worth  anything  thinks  the  same.  Will  my  critic  till 
your  readers  how  much  (first)  the  li.A.  Directors  contribute  towards  ilie 
November  show,  and  then  (second)  tell  them  how  many  thousands  during 
the  three  days  the  show  is  open  go  to  the  K.A.  to  see  the  Chrysanthemums 
solely  /  Is  it  not  under  the  mark  to  put  the  number  at  from  12,000  to 
Kig.  81.— CHKYSANTHEMUM  JULIA  SCARAMANGA. 
safety  fling  stones  at  known  passers-by.  However,  let  it  pass,  and  the 
writer  be  as  happy  as  he  deserves. 
I  wrote  on  the  subject  of  the  Chrysanthemum  Show  and  the  Aquarium 
because  of,  first,  what  I  have  seen  there,  and  secondly,  what  I  have  read 
of  grand  show  successes  elsewhere.  When  we  read  of  what  is  done  with¬ 
out  the  aid  of  variety  shows  and  other  “  attractions,’’  I  ask,  is  it  not  a 
disgrace  to  the  N.C.S.  and  London  that  it  should  be  unable  to  run  its 
shows  in  a  building  where  the  effect  of  all  the  splendid  products  sent 
cannot  be  fully  seen  and  pleasingly  enjoyed?  Would  any  other 
Chrysanthemum  society  iu  the  kingdom  endure  all  the  noise,  hubbub, 
darkness,  discord,  and  inconveniences  that  the  N.C.S.  has  to  endure  I 
Certainly  not  one.  AVhen  members  of  the  executive  bitterly  complain 
15,000  ?  And  is  not  that  relative  to  London  but  a  small  number  com¬ 
pared  with  the  attendance  seen  at  Liverpool,  Hull, Birmingham,  Edinburgh, 
and  other  towns  ?  Without  doubt  the  November  show  brings  some  £600 
to  £800  into  the  K.A.  treasury.  ^ 
When  we  see  cattle,  dog,  bicycle,  and  other  specialist  shows  at  the 
Agricultural  Hall  crowded  and  huge  successes,  why  not  a  great  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  show  also,  where  a  grand  effect  could  be  obtained  ?  There  is 
ample  light,  no  noise  ;  and  the  show  would  not  be  so  much  divided  that 
half  of  the  visitors  never  find  the  major  portion  of  it. — A.  D. 
If  there  are  no  better  arguments  to  be  adduced  in  favour  of  the  Koyal 
Aquarium  as  the  place  for  the  shows  of  the  N.C.Is.  than  those  given  in 
