334 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  17,  1902. 
nameless,  and  he  takes  a  general  survey  from  the  end  of  the 
table,  instead  of  making  a  closer  examination,  which  in  all 
probability  he  would  if  there  was  a  ticket  on  each  dish  bear¬ 
ing  the  name  of  the  variety.  The  rule  would  also  have  a 
beneficial  effect  on  exhibitors,  too,  as  it  would  induce  them 
to  pay  more  attention  to  the  question  of  nomenclature. 
Judges’  Responsibilities. — It  may  appear  hard  to  sug¬ 
gest  more  work  for  the  judges,  who,  as  a  rule,  carry  but  their 
duties  thoroughly  and  conscientiously ;  but  if  it  is  in  the 
interests  of  the  show,  they  will  not  complain.  The  present 
system  of  simply  placing  the  prize  cards  on  the  exhibits  is 
often  unsatisfactory.  Take,  for  instance,  the  case  of  two 
collections  of  vegetables  of  almost  equal  merit.  The  judges 
may  have  excellent  reasons  for  giving  one  the  preference, 
but  the  exhibitor  does  not  know  them,  and  if  placed  second 
he  is  apt  to  think  himself  badly  treated.  To  avoid  this  I 
would  have  a  published  standard  of  points,  and  it 
should  be  the  duty  of  the  judges  to  place  a  ticket 
on  each  dish,  showing  the  number  of  points  given. 
The  addition  of  numbers  would  settle  the  question 
of  superiority.  The  doubtful  exhibitor  and  the  in¬ 
terested  visitor  would  be  able  to  make  comparisons  of  the 
points,  and  the  former,  by  observing  where  he  lost  marks, 
would  be  given  an  opportunity  of  improving  himself  in  the 
future.  By  adopting  this  rule  there  would  be  no  need  to 
waylay  the  judge  when  he  is  hurrying  off  to  catch  his  train 
in  order  to  ascertain  why  he  had  given  a  certain  decision, 
because  the  figures  would  fix  the  responsibility.  The  point 
system,  with  certain  modifications,  might  be  carried  right 
through  the  show,  and  include  single  dishes  of  vegetables  and 
fruit,  as  well  as  flowers. 
The  Decorative  Side.— There  is  a  sad  want  of  taste  in 
the  way  flowers  are  exhibited  at  rural  shows,  and  in  many 
cases  the  wording  of  the  schedule  is  largely  to  blame.  Last 
summer  my  attention  was  called  to  a  class  for  a  dozen  kinds 
of  garden  flowers.  For  the  most  part  they  were  crowded 
together  on  ugly  boards,  but  one  exhibitor  displaved  his 
flowers  in  slender  glasses,  and  arranged  them  with  light 
greenery.  For  his  pains  he  was  disqualified,  because  the 
schedule  said  flowers  only,  not  a  word  about  foliage.  Could 
more  absurd  1  Here  was  the  rieht  aim,  viz., 
the  displaying  of  flowers  in  a  graceful  and  pleasing  manner, 
simply  defeated  by  the  wording  of  the  schedule.  This  is 
not  a  solitaiy  instance.  Too  often  there  is  no  encouragement 
pven  for  the  exhibitor  to  display  any  decorative  skill,  and 
he  tries  his  best  to  cram  as  many  flowers  as  possible  into  the 
receptacle  he  uses.  Why  should  not  suitable  greenery  be 
used  when  exhibiting  collections  of  flowers  ?  It  takes 
nothing  from  the  quality  or  appearance  of  the  latter,  and,  in 
order  to  encourage  exhibitors  to  exercise  taste,  the  artistic 
arrangement  should  have  something  to  do  with  deciding 
the  competition. 
What  an  ugly  thing  the  orthodox  show  board  is  for  dis- 
piaying  flov  ers  on,  and  yet  how  tenaciously  the  exhibitor 
sticks  to  it!  I  have  thought  sometimes  that  a  fire  would  be 
somethmg  ot  a  blessing  amongst  the  articles.  Of  course, 
me  board  is  necessary  in  the  case  of  certain  flowers,  such  as 
Chrysanthemums,  Roses,  and  Dahlias  ;  but  even  with  these 
W  break  away  from  the  old  order 
ot  things,  as  witness  the  vase  classes  at  the  shows  of  the 
National  Chrysanthemum  and  Rose  Societies.  What  I 
rtrongly  object  to,  however,  is  to  see  half  a  dozen  Pansies, 
Carnations,  Marigolds,  Zinnias,  or  Asters  dotted  about  on 
the  face  ot  a  board  large  enough  to  accommodate  a  dozen 
huge  Japanese  Chrysanthemum  blooms,  and  the  ugliness  of 
such  an  arrangement  is  often  made  greater  by  the  flowers 
appearing  in  paper  collars.  The  exhibitor  may  be  loth  to 
give  up  his  board,  it  is  part  of  his  showing  stock  in  trade  ; 
but  away  with  it,  I  say,  except  in  a  few  insta-nces,  and  let  its 
place  be  taken  by  simple  specimen  glasses.  In  short,  let  all 
societies  encourage  decorative  art,  by  wording  schedules  in 
the  cut  flower  classes  so  that  exhibitors  will  display  their 
blooms  in  a  graceful  and  pleasing  manner. 
The  Childrens’  Wild  Flowers. — Ho  country  flower  show 
would  be  complete  without  a  class  for  bunches  and  baskets 
of  wild  flowers  open  to  children  ;  but  this  class  might  be 
made  far  more  educational.  In  the  majority  of  cases  the 
youngsters  scour  the  woodlands  and  hedgerows  for  tne 
flowers,  which  they  bundle  together  for  the  show,  perhaps 
without  knowing  even  the  common  names  of  the  majority  of 
them.  I  take  it  that  the  idea  is  to  encourage  the  children 
to  show  an  interest  in  wild  flowers,  and,  in  order  that  they 
may  do  so.  the  example  set  by  one  or  two  societies  should 
be  followed.  In  these  cases  prizes  are  offered  for  collections 
of  wild  flowers  and  grasses,  and  extra  prizes  are  given  to  the- 
children  who  give  the  most  correct  names  to  the  flowers,. 
&c.,  in  their  collections.  A  youngster  will  ferret  about  for 
a  name  if  he  thinks  he  will  be  rewarded  for  his  pains,  and. 
when  the  lesson  is  learnt  in  this  way  it  is  rarely  forgotten.. 
For  older  children  a  class  might  be  provided  with  prizes  for 
the  botanical  as  well  as  the  common  names  of  the  flowers, 
shown.  By  following  this  plan,  donors  of  special  prizes- 
and  show  committees  might  do  something  to  advance  the 
kind  of  rural  education  that  has  been  so  sadly  neglected  in 
the  past. 
These  are  a  few*  suggestions  which,  if  adopted,  would 
add  to  the  interest  of  rural  flower  shows.  I  know  of  no. 
reason  why  these  worthy  institutions  should  go  on  year  after 
year  on  the  old  lines  and  without  change,  and  a  general  dis¬ 
cussion  on  the  subject  might  lead  to  some  useful  improve¬ 
ments  being  adopted.— G.  H.  H. 
Irish  Gardeners:  An  Address. 
The  following  address  w’as  delivered  early  in  the  present  year 
by  Mr.  F.  W.  Burbidge,  of  Trinity  College,  Dublin,  before  the 
Irish  Gardeners’  Association  and  Benevolent  Society  :  — • 
John  Claudius  Loudon  says,  in  his  masterly  “  Encyolopsedia  of 
Gardening,”  that  “  gardening  has  been  the  inclination  of  kings- 
and  the  choice  of  philosophers,”  and  this  is  true^ — from  Solomon 
to  Edward  VII.  and  Moses  to  Bacon.  From  Bacon,  to  still 
more  modem  times,  the  philosophers,  or  “scientists,”  as  it  is 
now  the  fashion  to  call  them,  Huxley,  Tyndall,  and  Darwin,  have 
been  fond  of  gardens  and  of  flowers.  In  speaking  to  you  firstly 
of  employers,  I  may  say  that,  like  other  o'wners  of  capital  and 
employers  of  labour,  they  consist  of  “  all  kinds  and  conditions  of 
men.”  The  bulk  of  employers  may  be  roughly  divided  into- 
those  that  know  something  of  trees,  plants,  and  garden  methods  ; 
and  those  who  know  little,  and  often  care  less !  As  a  broad  rule, 
the  first  class — those  who*  know  something^  of  garden  craft  and  of 
its  expenses — make  the  best  employers.  They  may  in  some  cases 
be  very  exacting,  but  they  know  that  accidents,  or  unforeseen 
failures  must  happen  now  and  then,  and  they  also*  know  that 
means  and  appliances  must  be  provided,  and  that  the  life  of  an- 
industrious  and  conscientious  gardener  is  no  easy  one.  A 
gardener’s  life  is  not  all  cakes  and  ale,  even  where  ample  means, 
and  labour  power  are  provided. 
Every  gardener  naturally'  wants  what  is  called  “a  good 
situation,”  by  which  a  good  master  or  mistress  is  meant,  as  well 
as  a  good  house  for  himself,  in  addition  to  the  good  and  w'ell- 
stocked  garden  of  his  employer.  Now  let  us  ask  what  is  a  good 
master  ?  The  employers  who  give  the  highest  salaries  or  money 
wages- are  not  always  the  best  masters  to  serve.  There  are  places 
where  the  nominal  Avages  given  seem  very  small,  but  v/here  other 
advantages  are  afforded  that  really  make  the  situation  a  most 
desirable  one.  The  gardeneFs  house  may  be  commodious  and 
healthy,  and  so  situated  and  surrounded  that  poultry,  or  even  a 
pig  may  be  kept.  Then  a  good  plot  of  land  may  sometimes  be 
given  for  Potatoes,  &c.,  and  in  other  cases  in  addition  to  these- 
benefits,  there  may  be  allorved  grass  for  a  cow. 
Of  course  such  places  are  only  found  in  country  districts,  and 
rarely  very  near  to  towns,  so  that  against  them  may  often  be  set 
some  difficulty  in  marketing,  or  in  sending  children  to  school. 
Still  with  all,  I  think,  tfie  gardener  in  the  country  is,  broadly 
speaking,  better  off  than  the  gardener  in,  or  very  near  to  the- 
toAvn,  who  has  rent  and  taxes  to  pay. 
The  toAvn  gardener  sometimes  earns  more,  his  nominal  wages 
are  higher,  but  he  has  to  live  in  ci'amped  and  unhealthy  surround¬ 
ings,  vegetables  and  milk  are  scarce,  and  it  generally  happens  that 
though  he  earns  more,  he  spends  more,  and  that  is  the  real  crux 
of  the  comparison.  It  is  not  so  much  what  a  gardener  receives- 
in  money  wages  as  w'hat  he  is  able  to  save  over  and  above  all  his 
reasonable  requirements,  that  makes  the  pecuniary  difference 
betAveen  a  good  place  and  a  bad  one.  Of  course  all  gardeners  of 
experience  knoAv  these  things  Avell,  but  I  allude  to  them  to-night 
for  the  sake  of  those  young  students  and  journeymen,  Avhom  all' 
of  us  feel  proud  and  glad  to  see  amongst  us  at  these  meetings. 
As  I  have  said,  the  ideal  employer  often — if  not  always — is  a 
gentleman  or  lady  aaFo  knoAvs  sometliing  of  practical  gardening 
themselves.  But,  alas  1  there  are  employers  Avho  don’t  know, 
and  sometimes  don’t  care  very  much  either,  for  gardeners  or- 
gardens.  They  keep  up  gardens  as  they  or  others  do  yachts, 
horses,  or  houseboats,  because  it  seems  -the  proper  tiling  to  do. 
Amongst  this  class  are  some  who  “  don’t  in  the  least  know  what 
they  really  do  AA-ant,  but  are  nevertheless  determined  to  have  it.”' 
They  are  uncertain  themselves,  and  so  fret  and  AAmrry  their- 
gardeners  in  many  Avays.  If  they  visit  other  people’s  gardens- 
and  see  in  one  fine  Grajies,  in  another  good  Peaches  or  Avail  fruit, 
in  another  Avell-flowered  Chrysanthemums,  or  Eucharis  Lilies,  oir 
