410 
JOURNAL-  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
May  8,  1902. 
Leaf  Curl  in  reaches. 
fan  spraying  with  the  Bordeaux  mixture  possibly  do  any 
good,  now  that  this  disease  of  the  foliage  is  in  full  sway.f’  I  can 
imagine  that  spraying  before  the  foliage  is  expanded  may  act  as 
a  preventive,  but  not  how  it  can  benefit  the  trees  now.  The 
curled  leaves  are  useless,  whatever  the  spray  may  do  to  them. 
But  I  should  be  glad  of  the  opinion  of  experienced  growers  as  to 
the  best  course,  if  any,  to  adopt  with  my  Peach  and  Nectarine 
trees,  wliich  are  badly  affected.  They  were  so  last  year ;  but 
this  did  not  prevent  them  from  growing  v'ell  and  producing 
plenty  of  new,  ripe  wood. — Inexpekienced. 
Flower  Show  Reforms. 
Having  been  for  many  years  interested  in  flower  shows, 
especially  village  shows,  believing  them,  in  spite  of  evils  inherent 
to  all  things  human,  one  of  the  very  best  things  for  a  parish,  I 
read  “  G.  H.  H.’s  ”  notes  (p.  333,  April  17)  with  much  interest.  I 
cannot  say  that  I  agree  with  all  he  advances.  Certainly,  the 
visitors  are  a  matter  of  very  great  moment,  and  to  most  shows  a 
necessity  of  existence,  still  the  great  goal  of  exhibitors  generally 
is  the  excellence  of  the  exhibit  itself,  without  extraneous  aids. 
But,  perhaps,  I  had  better  take  the  points  as  “  G.  H.  H.”  puts 
them.  First,  then,  the  naming  of  exhibits.  If  correctness  of 
[varietal]  name  is  to  be  taken  into  consideration  there  will  be  a 
difficulty.  This  might  be  met  by  making  the  rule  that  the 
articles  must  be  labelled  with  what  the  exhibitor  believes  to  be 
their  correct  name.  How  frequently  are  amateurs  supplied  with 
articles  different  to  those  ordered.  This  is  pardonable  for 
instance,  in  Roses,  where  a  whole  batch  of  budded  plants  may 
be  misnamed  by  the  name  having  been  carelessly  knocked  away 
during  the  autumn,  and  the  accident  subsequently  unnoticed. 
But  it  is  unpardonable  in  fruit  trees,  where  each  should  be 
proved  before  sale.  Take,  for  instance,  my  own  case.  I  have 
at  the  present  time  two  Pear  trees  wrongly  named ;  a  Nectarine 
the  same,  and  a  Vine  was  also  furnished  under  a  wrong  name. 
The  latter  had  to  be  replaced,  but  of  course  a  year’s  growth  was 
lost.  I  Imow  few  things  more  annoying  to  a  small  man  than 
this,  and  if  at  the  same  time  he  is  a  novice,  of  course,  he  believes 
in  the  name,  and  must  exhibit  the  article  under  a  wrong  name. 
I  may  be  told  to  go  to  “  a  good  house.”  Well,  the  house  jr 
finn  these  came  from  is  a  noted  one.  \vhen  judging  on  one 
occasion  with  the  head  gardener  of  one  of  the  nobility,  I  asked 
him  what  he  did  under  such  circumstances.  His  reply  was :  “  I 
should  not  go  to  that  firm  again ;  ”  but  that  does  not  mend 
matters,  or  name  your  tree  coiwectly.  Still,  in  spite  of  this 
difficulty,  I  think  exhibits  should  be  named,  but  I  dO'  not  think 
that  a  wrong  name  should  be  a  disqualification.  It  is,  however, 
a  trying  thing  to  the  cottager,  in  spite  of  the  wonderful  Board 
Schools.  Then  as  to  judges’  responsibilities ;  They  are  ah'eady 
heavy,  and  before  pointing  each  exhibit,  which  I  agree  -s  a 
capital  idea,  coimnittees  must  have  the  tents  cleared  at  the  fixed 
time,  and  how  many  can  manage  this?  Unless  a  show  has  some¬ 
body  in  authority,  and  with  a  pocket  that  will  help  the  society 
under  such  circumstances,  how  many  officials  have  the  pluck  to 
stand  to  their  guns  and  disqualify  those  who  are  not  ready? 
Every  Avay,  this  “  reform  ”  is  to  be  desired,  and  especially  for 
the  honest  exhibitor  who  puts  up  his  exhibits  punctually  and 
suffers  often  accordingly ;  but  how  many  societies  dare  to  do  it  ? 
They  are  like  the  raisins  in  the  old  woman’s  pudding,  one  here 
and  the  other  yonder.  Much  as  this  pointing  is  to  be  desired 
for  educational  advantage,  it  would  so  much  increase  the  labours 
of  the  poor  judges  that  more  would  certainly  be  required. 
Thirdly,  the  decorative  side:  There  is  one  objection  to  this 
proposal  at  any  rate,  for  cut  flowers  are  w'hat  the  judges  have 
to  judge,  and  these  should  be  exhibited  in  similar  glasses  to 
put  all  exhibitors  on  the  same  level.  If  every  exhibitor  has  to 
find  his  or  her  own,  this  means  additional  expense,  possibly  to 
some  who  cannot  afford  it.  Then  as  to  the  addition  of  light 
greenery ;  this  very  possibly  may,  by  the  taste  exhibitor,  beat 
better  flowers.  Is  this  desirable  to  any  great  extent?  [Vtoy 
not  judge  by  points  in  all  such  cases? — En.]  I  believe  the 
National  Rose  Society  still  makes  the  addition  of  even  the  Rose 
foliage  a  cause  of  disqualification.  True,  a  departure  has  been 
made  of  late  years  in  the  so-called  vase  classes.  The  effect  is 
pretty  when  backed  by  black  velvet,  but  hitherto  I  have  rarely 
seen  in  Roses  any  blooms  thus  exhibited  that  could  be  called 
first  class,  and,  moreover,  this  gives  the  exhibitor  from  a  di.stance 
a  heavy  handicap,  with  possible  breakage,  because  the  tender 
mercies  of  a  railway  porter  to  all  boxes,  even  if  painted  green,  and 
carrying  their  use  on  their  face,  are  sometimes  cruel.  Before 
could  save  them  I  once  had  one  of  my  boxes  seized  by  one 
handle  and  thus  bundled  out  on  the  platform.  I  need  not  say 
that  the  contents  were  not  improved  in  appearance !  I  think 
the  exhibitor  sticks  tO'  the  objectionable  show-board  because 
there,  after  all,  each  bloom  can  be  separately  scanned  to  see 
both  its  form  and  general  quality  ;  it  can  be  carried  about  for 
compai"i.son,  if  need  be,  as  for  in.stanoe  in  settling  the  question  of 
premier  bloom,  and  also  if  it  be  a  matter  of  decision  whether 
two  blooms  of  the  same  variety  may  have  been  accidentally  or 
otherwise  placed  in  the  same  stand.  These  matters  could  not 
be  so  well  decided  or  detected,  and  they  are  often  difficult  enough 
if  additional  greenery  has  been  added.  I  cannot  think  any 
experienced  exhibitor  would  place  Pansies  or  Carnations  in  stanus 
fit  for  Japanese  Chrysanthemums.  Of  course,  the  decorative 
idea  is  handicapping  the  cottager  considerably,  as  it  means  the 
possession  of  decorative  plants.  All  this  may  be  an  addition  to 
the  other  attractions  of  the  show,  and  being  much  admired  by 
many,  but  I  do  not  think  the  genuine  enthusiast  over  tliis  or 
that  flower  will  go  there  to  see  his  favourites  in  perfection. 
Lastly,  the  children’s  wild  flowers:  Yes,  I  should  be  very  sorry 
to  miss  them ;  at  the  same  time  difficulties  attach  to  it.  I  knew 
one  show  where  the  farmers  complained  bitterly  of  these  prizes, 
on  account  of  the  damage  done  to  their  hedgerows.  Then,  sup¬ 
posing  there  are  baskets  of  ivild  flowers  to  be  set  up  by  cliildren 
themselves,  unless  a  tent  be  provided  for  them  under  the  eye  of 
a  committeeman,  how  are  we  to  be  certain  that  the  children 
do  set  up  the  baskets?  Certainly  at  one  show,  w'here  for  many 
years  I  was  the  hon.  sec.,  we  discovered  that  one  woman  used 
to  make  up  many  of  the  baskets.  I  believe  the  tent  dodge  has 
put  a  stop  to'  this  game.  Personally,  I  am  not  very  sanguine  if 
they  are  told  the  botanical  name  that  it  will  stick  to  them.  I 
am  more  disposed  to  think  that  it  will  be  my  own  experience. 
At  the  botanical  lectures,  which  as  a  student  I  had  to  attend,  the 
name  of  Brooklime  (Veronica  beccabunga)  stuck  to  me ;  but  alas  1 
the  plant  did  not.  When  asked  the  name  of  a  plant,  if  ignorant, 
I  jokingly  replied  with  my  favourite  name,  or  coined  a  good  long 
one  for  the  purpose.  Alas !  one  day  on  an  excursion,  a  botanising 
relative  found  some  of  the  plant,  and  applied  among  others  to 
me.  In  an  evil  moment  I  coined  a  fresh  word,  but  in  the 
evening,  an  appeal  to  Withering  had  a  withering  effect  on  my 
botanical  knowledge,  and  with  roars  of  laughter,  he  exclaimed, 
“  Why,  he  doesn’t  know  his  pet  plant.”  I  only  hope  the  children 
may  be  wiser  than — Y.  B.  A.  Z. 
Gardeners’  Wages. 
The  following  cutting,  writes  a  correspondent,  I  send  to 
you  from  an  American  gardening  newspaper,  believing  that  its 
tone  may  inspire  hope  in  some  quarters  here : — “  The  compara¬ 
tively  low  rate  of  wages  paid  gardeners  and  others  engaged  in 
the  varied  branches  of  horticulture  has  often  caused  surprise, 
more  especially  among  those  chiefly  interested.  There  is  no 
reason  at  all  why  the  gardener  should  be  rated  below  the 
mechanic;  in  fact,  coimnon  jmstice  would  demand  that  his  com¬ 
pensation  should  be  higher.  Y'et,  as  a  rule,  it  is  below  that  of 
the  mechanic.  It  is  improving,  but  there  are  many  eardeners 
to-day  who  are  receiving  less  for  the  results  of  their  years  of 
application  in  mastering  their  business  than  the  man  who,  with 
absolutely  no  previous  application,  takes  a  brush  in  hand  and 
paints  a  house.  Carpenters,  and  those  of  many  other  trades,  do 
not  need  one-tenth  of  the  training  or  intelligence  of  a  gardener, 
yet  they  are  better  paid.  A  boss  carpenter  or  painter  sends  t 
man  to  do  a  piece  of  work  for  a.  customer.  He  charges  at  the 
rate  of  about  3dols.  per  day  for  the  man.  Let  a  nurseryman 
charge  the  same  for  a  man  sent  to  do  work  requiring  far  more 
previous  training  and  charge  at  the  same  rate,  and  there  is  an 
accusation  of  extortion  at  once.  Various  reasons  come  to  mind 
for  this  state  of  affairs.  The  private  gardeners  heretofore  have 
come  to  us  from  abroad,  where  wages  are  low,  and  moderate 
wages  here  seem  liigh  to  them.  Then  the  employers  have  not 
had  the  appreciation  for  horticulture  they  should  have  had,  and 
one  who  really  was  no  gardener  passed  muster  because  the 
employer  was  incapable  of  judging  whether  the  applicant  was 
competent  or  not.  Better  times  seem  I'eally  coming.  Employers 
are  not  only  wealthier,  but  they  are  taking  far  more  interest 
in  their  places;  and  knowing  more  of  horticulture  they  can 
better  judge  of  the  gardeners  who  come  before  them.  This 
applies  not  only  to  the  regular  gardener,  but  to  the  landscape 
gardeners  and  their  assistants  called  in  for  temporary  work. 
“  The  placing  of  the  gardener  on  a  higher  plane,  commensurate 
with  his  capabilities,  is  something  that  all  interested  in  horticul¬ 
ture  should  join  hands  in  working  for.  Let  the  day  be  past  when 
the  one  who  wields  a  paint  brush  can  obtain  higher  pay  for  his 
day’s  work  than  the  gardener,  whose  knowledge  has  been 
acquired  by  years  of  application  and  study.” 
