December  23,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OP  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
605 
this  meeting,  and  the  only  argument  I  have  heard  in  favour  of  it  is  that 
it  induces  the  Dahlia  enthusiasts  to  remain  subscribers  to  the  N.C.S. 
Again  I  ask,  Can  anyone  credit  that  the  prettily  arranged  and  snug 
little  December  show,  held  about  three  weeks  since  in  the  eastern  gallery, 
could  have  cost  the  Aquarium  management  £75,  in  addition  to  what  is 
charged  and  paid  by  the  N.C.S,  ?  If  Mr.  Dean  will  persist  in  upholding 
this  statement,  every  unbiased  person  must  characterise  his  opinion  as 
obviously  absurd.  Did  it  cost  the  management  a  tenth  part  of  what  he 
now  states  ?  Great  stress  is  also  placed  on  the  cost  of  hire  of  tabling  and 
baize.  Tables  for  this  purpose  are  commonly  made  from  floor  boards, 
which  cost  a  few  shillings  per  square,  and  everybody  can  calculate  how 
far  each-  square  of  100  feet  will  extend.  It  is  unreasonable  to  suppose 
that  any  established  organisation  would  hire  them  on  every  occasion,  any 
more  than  ourselves  would  think  of  hiring  our  necessary  garments, 
instead  of  buying  them  first  hand.  Even  the  cost  for  staging  may  be 
further  curtailed  if  trade  exhibits  were  not  so  much  sought  for,  and  the 
charges  now  made  for  space  allotted  would  mainly  be  forthcoming  as 
extended  subscription  to  the  Society  in  another  form. 
But  assuming,  for  the  purpose  of  this  letter,  that  he  is  correct,  and 
that  the  amount  stated  by  him— viz.,  £375— actually  represents  the 
necessary  and  therefore  legitimate  expenses  that  must  be  incurred 
annually  by  the  N.C.S.  in  order  to  carry  out  the  details  of  a  series  of 
exhibitions  (if  the  Society  were  dependent  on  its  own  resources  only), 
what  then?  Surely  that  £375  must  be  added  to  the  heavy  expenditure 
already  incurred !  and  again,  what  then?  Would  not  the  Society  find 
itself  in  the  unenvious  position  of  having  not  only  spent  all  its  balance 
and  reserve  fund,  but  in  debt  to  the  tune  of  £259  11s.  2d.  ? 
Is  this  the  position  that  Mr.  Dean  wishes  the  subscribers  of  the  N.C.S. 
to  feel  the  Society  would  be  placed  in  were  it  not  for  the  indirect  timely 
assistance  of  the  li.A.  Company  ?  If  this  is  to  be  our  position,  then  the 
sooner  the  Society  is  put  upon  a  safer  and  surer  footing  the  better  for 
all  concerned,  and  a  great  number  of  your  readers  must  think  with  me 
that  it  was  but  a  mere  “figure  of  speech,”  flavoured  with  self  praise,  that 
led  Mr.  Dean  to  say  that  the  N.C.S.  was  “  maintaining  an  entirely  inde¬ 
pendent  autonomy  as  the  best  administered  floricultural  Society.” 
It  seems  to  me  that  instead  of  proving  the  independence  of  our 
National  Society  the  evidence  that  he  now  adduces  proves  more  clearly 
than  I  had  hitherto  thought  could  be  proved  so  well — its  “  bondage.” 
In  the  same  letter  this  not  “rash  and  superficial ”  Secretary  tells  us 
that  he  “  alone  perhaps  knew  the  full  extent  of  the  valuable  assistance 
directly  and  indirectly  contributed  by  the  R.A.  to  the  N.C.S.  ”  iNIr.  Dean 
in  penning  those  lines  was,  I  presume,  writing  on  behalf  of  himself,  not 
on  behalf  of  his  Committee,  and  certainly  not  with  their  sanction,  for  to 
have  obtained  this  it  would  have  been  his  duty,  as  Secretary,  to  have 
imparted  his  knowledge  at  their  meetings. 
Then  not  he  “  alone  ”  would  possess  it.  Surely  the  committee  of  any 
society  is  entitled  to  the  knowledge  of  its  secretary  on  matters  aflecting 
its  policy  and  management.  It  is  clear  that  the  members  of  the  N.C.S. 
Committee  do  not  know  everything  about  its  affairs,  or  Mr.  Dean’s  words 
have  no  meaning. 
Does  Mr.  Dean  know  what  the  R.A.  gains  yearly  by  the  gate  money  ? 
He  asserts  “  that  it  attracts  to  the  Aquarium  yearly  thousands  of  persons 
to  see  the  Chrysanthemums.”  All  other  writers  agree  with  him.  If  any 
fixed  and  reliable  number  can  be  given,  then  both  committeemen  and 
subscribers  to  the  N.C.S.  wdll  be  able  to  judge  for  themselves,  not  as  to 
the  arrangement  being  “mutual,  friendly,  just  and  honourable,’  for  that 
is  not  the  question,  but  whether  it  is  equitable.  Reports  tell  us  that 
the  Birmingham  November  Show  was  visited  by  32,000  persons,  Edin¬ 
burgh  by  40,000,  and  that  the  Aquarium  was  crowded  to  escess  and 
inconvenience.  If  40,000  persons  visited  one  show  in  Edinburgh 
might  not  an  equal  number  be  expected  to  visit  four  N.C.S.  shows  in 
London  ?— J.  W.  Moorman. 
I  AM  disappointed.  When  I  read  Mr.  J.  W.  Moorman’s  letter  I  was 
agreeably  surprised,  and  thought,  “Well,  after  all,  there  is  hope  for  the 
N.C.S.,  and  a  few  more  with  the  spirit  and  sturdy  independence  of  Mr. 
Moorman,  the  Society  may  have  a  greater  claim  to  be  considered  national ;  ” 
but,  alas  !  my  hope  was  a  vain  one,  for,  from  the  Secretary’s  letter,  I  now 
learn  that  Mr.  M.  has  ceased  to  be  a  member  of  the  Committee  of  the 
N.C.S.*  I  am  afraid  the  real  loss  to  the  N.C.S.  is  considerable  and 
irreparable. 
It  has  already  been  pointed  out  in  the  columns  of  the  Journal  of 
Horticulture  that  the  ,Secretary  of  the  N.C.S.  does  not  intend  to  allow  the 
exhibition  to  be  held  in  any  other  building  than  the  Aquarium,  for  more 
reasons  than  one  about  the  worst  place  for  a  Chrysanthemum  show,  and 
unfortunately  with  the  Secretary  there  are  enough  of  the  Committee,  who 
are  his  willing  slaves,  who  dare  not  go  against  his  wishes.  What  a  gain 
to  some  of  the  trade  exhibitors  if  the  shows  could  be  held  in  any  other 
building  than  the  Aquarium,  for  it  is  beyond  di.spute  that  the  upper  classes 
will  not  honour  the  shows  there  with  their  presence. 
We  are  told  that  if  the  N.C.S.  left  the  Aquarium  the  Directors  of  the 
Company  would  institute  an  exhibition  of  their  own.  Well,  let  them — 
and  if  they  make  it  a  success  it  would  say  very  little  for  the  management 
of  the  N.C.S.  Should  such  a  thing  take  place  will  Mr.  Dean  inform  us 
where  the  balance  of  about  £1300  is  to  come  from  ? 
Further,  if  it  would  pay  the  Aquarium  Directors  to  run  a  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  Society  on  their  own  account,  and  of  course  finding  their  own 
prize  money,  it  certainly  proves  that  they  are  making  a  good  thing  out 
of  present  arrangements,  when  advertising,  stationery,  judges’  fees. 
*  See  report  of  N.C.S.  General  Committee  on  page  (504. 
Secretary’s  salary,  and  others,  to  the  tune  of  something  near  £1000,  is 
paid  for  them.  Mr.  Dean  wishes  us  to  believe  that  he  could  not  bear  a 
share  of  the  financial  responsibility  which  a  shift  to  another  building 
would  entail,  adding,  “  that  if  anyone  could  have  placed  in  their  hands 
the  details  of  the  actual  cost  of  such  an  exhibition  as  that  held  at  the 
Royal  Aquarium  in  November  last,  and  see  that  all  dependence  for  any 
return  of  the  same  was  on  the  uncertain  taking  at  the  gates,  they  would 
then  understand  why  I  would  decline  entering  upon  any  of  the  risks  they 
appear  to  desire  the  N.C.S.  should  undertake.” 
Will  Mr.  Dean  kindly  inform  us  how  other  shows  manage  and  have  a 
good  balance  in  hand  ?  and  he  certainly  does  not  ask  us  to  believe  that, 
the  xVquarium,  by  paying  the  N.C.S.  the  paltry  sum  of  £300  for  the  three 
shows,  and  taking  all  the  gate  money,  removes  any  portion  of  the  great 
responsibility  which  rests  on  the  N.C.S.  at  the  present  time.  In  referring 
to  the  great  assistance  given  by  the  R.A.  Mr.  Dean  says  : — “  I  alone, 
perhaps,  know  the  full  extent  of  the  valuable  assistance  directly  anci 
indirectly  contributed.”  In  reply  to  this  I  would  like  to  ask,  “  In  what 
way,  Mr.  Secretary?  ” — A.  B.  C. 
The  Object  and  Obstacles  of  the  N.C.S. 
The  object  of  the  National  Chrysanthemum  Society,  as  stated  in  its 
rules,  is  to  promote  the  cultivation  of  the  Chrysanthemum,  but  it  would 
appear  from  the  correspondence  in  your  Journal  that  the  principal  care  of 
the  executive  is  to  hold  Chrysanthemum  shows  at  the  Aquarium  at 
Westminster.  I  am  led  to  this'conclusion  by  observing  that  the  letters  of 
the  Secretary  and  members  of  the  executive  ignore  the  repeated 
expressions  of  opinion  as  to  the  disadvantages  of  holding  the  shows 
there,  but  are  profuse  in  their  expressions  of  laudation  of  the  benefits 
which  the  Society  enjoys  through  its  connection  with  the  place.  On 
reading  their  letters  those  who  look  below  the  surface  will  perhaps  be  of 
opinion  that  the  words  of  the  immortal  bard,  “  Methinks  the  lady  doth 
protest  too  much,”  may  not  inappropriately  be  applied  to  them. 
I  have  visited  our  Society’s  shows  for  years  past,  and  conversed  with 
many  of  the  members  and  also  the  executive.  1  find  there  are  very  few 
who  do  not  find  the  place  objectionable.  Why,  then,  do  violence  to  the 
general  judgment  by  describing  in  such  glowing  colours  the  admirable 
adaptation  of  the  Aquarium  for  the  purpose  ?  Viewed  in  the  light  of 
the  almost  universal  opinion  to  the  contrary,  the  grandiloquent  letter 
of  the  Secretary,  appearing  in  your  issue  of  the  9th  inst.,  borders 
on  the  grotesque. 
The  only  really  good  reason  I  have  yet  heard  advanced  in  favour  of 
the  Aquarium  is  the  difficulty  of  finding  another  suitable  building  ;  but  it 
appears  from  Mr.  Moorman’s  letter  that  no  genuine  effort  has  been  made 
to  find  one.  Better  far  let  the  executive  concentrate  their  efforts  by 
honestly  grappling  with  this  question  than  alienate  the  friends  of  the 
Society  by  arguing  against  the  general  opinion.  A  society  which  annually 
draws  from  its  members  and  the  affiliated  societies  over  £400  can  afford 
to  take  higher  ground  than  to  be  dragged  at  the  tail  of  the  Aquarium 
authorities. 
The  Secretary's  letter  appearing  in  your  issue  of  16th  inst.  lays  great 
stress  upon  the  vexations  and  worries  and  incidental  charges  inseparable 
from  carrying  out  a  large  flower  show.  With  his  great  experience  I  have 
no  doubt  the  management  of  the  show  has  by  this  time  been  reduced 
almost  to  an  exact  science,  and  vexations  and  worries  have  become  a 
minimum  quantity.  I  do  not  write  as  a  superficial  observer,  but  as  one 
who  has  very  closely  observed  the  management  of  shows,  both  large  and 
small,  and  I  am  convinced  that  these  vexations  and  worries  do  not  depend 
upon  the  size  of  the  show,  but  are  present  in  proportion  to  the  absence,  or 
otherwise,  of  a  proper  system  of  management ;  and  as  to  whether  a  proper 
system  can  be  best  carried  out  in  a  place  like  the  Aquarium,  hampered  bv 
the  presence  of  strangers,  or  in  a  place  all  our  own  for  the  time  being,  I 
leave  the  members  of  the  N.C.S.  to  judge. 
As  to  the  cost  of  5000  superficial  feet  of  tabling,  which  our  worthy 
Secretary  essays  to  frighten  us  with,  I  find  that  this  works  out  to  nearly 
one-third  of  a  mile  of  tabling  3  feet  wide  1  After  allowing  300  lineal 
feet'for  the  decorative  single  and  Pompon  classes,  there  is  sufficient  space 
left  to  exhibit  8000  blooms  on  the  orthodox  boards.  Was  there  half 
this  number  shown  at  the  last  November  exhibition  ?  The  vegetable  and 
miscellaneous  classes  are  a  source  of  attraction  to  some  ;  but  to  return  to 
my  text.  '‘'•  The  cultivation  of  the  Chrysanthemum"  is  the  object  of  the 
exhibition,  and  if  extraneous  exhibits  stand  in  the  way  it  is  a  fair 
subject  for  discussion  whether  they  should  be  continued  in  such  numbers 
as  heretofore. — Member  of  the  N.C.S. 
[A  member,  too,  who  has  done  yeoman’s  work  in  promoting  the 
cultivation  of  the  flower  he  loves.] 
The  Fettered  N.C.S. — A  Horticultural  Hall. 
All  the  controversy  respecting  the  N.C.S.  and  the  Royal  Ac^uarium 
Is  tending  to  show  what  an  ill-adapted  and  unpleasant  place  it  is  in 
which  to  hold  horticultural  exhibitions,  and  the  disappointing  amount  of 
money  the  Directors  offer  the  Society,  compared  with  what  is  actually 
received  at  the  turnstiles.  This  has  been  forcibly  debated  in  the  Journal 
of  Horticulture  recently,  and  in  my  opinion  the  discussion  is  most  desirable, 
for  it  emphasises  the  humiliating  fact  that  there  is  at  present  no  suitable 
central  place  in  London  for  horticultural  exhibitions.  It  seems  to  me  the 
only  real  remedy  for  existing  grievances  and  for  insuring  future  success 
is  to  set  to  in  earnest,  find  a  site,  and  erect  a  building,  temporary  or 
otherwise,  over  which  horticulturists  may  have  full  control.^ 
The  scheme  for  a  horticultural  hall  (similar  to  what  is  in  existence  in 
many  cities  in  America  and  on  the  Continent),  which  I  suggested  several 
years  ago,  was  most  favourably  received  by  the  President,  Council, 
