514 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
June  20,  1901. 
liberality  of  the  Crystal  Palace  Company  for  the  reception  of  a 
subsidy  which  enabled  them  to  offer  to  their  members  a  large  and 
almost  plethoric  schedule,  which,  however,  had  the  advantage  of 
offering  prizeB  to  exhibitors  of  all  kinds  and  descriptions.  By  means 
of  special  prizes  offered  by  its  members,  additional  interest  was  given 
to  the  exhibition  ;  challenge  trophies  were  subscribed  for  to  the  value 
of  50  guineas  each  by  both  amateurs  and  professionals,  and  these 
formed  the  blue  ribbon  of  the  exhibition.  When  gained  by  a 
professional  man  it  was  the  best  possible  advertisement  he  could  have, 
while  the  amateur  gloried  in  a  grand  piece  of  artistic  work  to  adorn 
his  sideboard.  There  are  some,  indeed,  who  disregarded  it,  and  said 
they  would  rather  “hab  de  cash,”  but  they  were  the  exceptions  to  the 
rule. 
The  society  fared  no  better  when  it  linked  its  fortunes  with  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  in  its  worst  days  of  South  Kensington, 
and  so  it  went  back  to  the  Crystal  Palace.  Great  changes  in  its 
personnel  had  taken  place,  many  of  the  earlier  exhibitors  had  passed 
away,  and  a  great  change  had  taken  place  in  the  character  of  the 
exhibition.  This  was  due  to  the  initiative  of  Mr.  Charles  J.  Grahame, 
who  had  been  a  generous  supporter  of  the  society  at  all  times,  and 
who  proposed  a  plan,  which  some  of  us  looked  askance  upon  at  first, 
but  of  which  we  afterwards  saw  the  value.  Its  object  was  to  prevent 
small  growers  being  swamped  by  the  giants.  People  have  little  idea 
how  this  was  carried  on.  I  remember  one  exhibition,  for  instance, 
where  an  exhibitor,  who  grew  his  plants  by  tens  of  thousands  (I  speak 
advisedly),  not  only  competed  in  the  big  cla-s,  where,  of  course,  he 
ought  to  have  shown,  but  also  in  the  class  for  six  blooms  !  Mr. 
Grahame’s  plan  was  to  divide  the  exhibitors  into  sections,  according  to 
the  number  of  plants  grown.  Nor  was  this  all.  The  exhibitor  was  not 
allowed  to  choose  which  of  two  classes  he  should  exhibit  in — that  is 
to  say,  for  twelve  or  twenty-four  blooms,  and  to  make  his  choice  on 
the  exhibition  day,  when  he  saw  what  chance  he  had  of  winning 
in  the  race.  He  had  to  select  either  one  or  other  when  he  sent  in 
his  notice. 
This  had  the  desired  effect,  for  the  plan  encouraged  those  who 
were  anxious  to  commence  Rose  exhibiting  to  begin  in  a  small  way, 
and  gradually  to  work  their  way  up  into  the  larger  classes,  so  everyone 
was  given  a  fair  chance,  according  to  his  ability  of  making  his  mark 
as  a  Rose  exhibitor.  Nor  were  the  exertions  of  the  society  confined  to 
the  metropolis;  as  it  was  a  national  society  it  was  thought  that 
exhibitions  ought  to  be  held  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  and  as 
the  northern  growers  complained  that  the  metropolitan  show  was  ton 
early  for  them,  it  was  arranged  that  a  northern  show  should  be  hel  i 
somewhat  later.  But  this  was  not  enough.  If  the  northern  growers 
were  to  have  a  show  to  themselves,  why  not  the  southern,  so  as  to 
allow  those  who  lived  in  the  more  forward  parts  of  the  country  to 
exhibit  ?  It  was  said  that  Tea  Roses  were  past  their  best  when  thu 
metropolitan  show  was  held,  so  it  was  determined  that  the  southern 
show  should  be  held  the  last  week  in  June.  It  was  a  little  awkward, 
its  coming  before  the  metropolitan  show,  bnt  its  usefulness  was  clearly 
seen  and  duly  appreciated.  The  society  has  not  only  encouraged  the 
exhibition  of  Roses,  it  has  also  published  several  treatises  on  such 
subjects  as  hybridising,  pruning,  and  exhibiting,  the  decorative  use  of 
Roses  in  our  gardens,  and  reports  of  conferences  on  various  subjects 
connected  with  the  Rose,  and  thus  has  endeavoured  to  create  a  rea 
nterest  in  the  culture  of  the  queen  of  flowers. 
And  now  a  greater  and  more  momentous  change  has  taken  place 
in  the  society.  There  is  no  building  in  London  where  an  exhibition 
of  the  National  Rose  Society  could  be  held.  Our  first  show  was  held 
at  St.  James’  Hall,  and  though  there  was  a  grand  exhibition  of  Roses, 
there  was  no  public  to  see  them,  and  it  seemed  as  though  all  our 
hopes  and  expectations  were  to  be  shattered ;  the  prize  money  could 
not  be  paid  in  full,  and  many  thought  there  was  an  end  of  the  society. 
The  exhibitors,  however,  behaved  nobly,  agreeing  to  receive  a  portion 
of  their  pr  zes  and  to  let  the  balance  remain  over.  Many  thought  this 
would  be  till  the  Greek  Kalends,  but  they  did  not  understand  the 
power  ot  those  who  had  taken  the  matter  in  hand,  as  in  a  couple  of 
years  the  balance  was  paid.  The  Society  has  also  been  fortunate  in 
another  way.  I  have  during  a  loDg  life  been  connected  with  many 
societies  of  various  descriptions,  but  1  do  not  think  I  ever  knew  one 
which  had  a  committee  so  large  in  numbers,  and  yet  so  thoroughly 
willing  to  give  themselves  to  its  work.  I  have  sometimes  heard  it 
said  that  the  best  sort  of  committee  was  one  of  three,  two  of  whom 
were  always  absent.  It  is  not  so  with  the  National.  Our  committee 
room  is  always  crowded  at  our  meetings,  and  everything  is  carried  on 
in  a  thoroughly  business-like  way.  It  was  owing  to  the  exertions 
of  one  of  its  members,  the  late  Hon.  and  Rev.  J.  T.  Boscawen,  that 
the  then  Princess  of  Wales  was  induced  to  become  our  patroness,  and 
as  Queen  Alexandra  she  has  now  graciously  acceded  to  the  request 
to  continue  so. 
But  to  return,  in  order  that  we  may  survey  the  present  position  of 
the  society.  As  I  have  already  said,  there  is  no  building  in  London 
which  will  contain  our  exhibition,  but  the  Treasurer  and  Benchers  of 
the  Inner  Temple  have  kindly  consented  to  allow  us  to  hold  our 
exhibition  for  the  current  year  in  their  gardens  on  the  Thames 
Embankment,  where  the  very  successful  shows  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  have  been  held  for  some  years.  And  so  we 
are  looking  forward  for  the  4th  of  July  next,  for  what  we  hope  will 
be  the  grandest  exhibition  of  Roses  ever  held  in  London.  Everything 
has  been  done  to  insure  success;  a  guarantee  fund  of  upwards  of  £300 
has  been  subscribed,  and  as  we  know  that  a  great  many  people  are 
more  interested  in  the  beautiful  arrangement  of  Rose  blooms  than  in 
the  exhibition  blooms  which  so  amply  testify  to  the  skill  of  the 
cultivator,  a  number  of  classes  have  been  arranged  for  in  this  section. 
It  only  now  remains  for  every  member  of  the  society  to  do  his  or  her 
utmost  to  make  the  exhibition  in  every  respect  a  perfect  success. 
The  council  a  id  secretary  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  have 
kindly  arranged  to  give  our  society  the  most  valuable  assistance  ; 
they  have  consented  that  their  able  Chiswick  superintendent  (Mr.  S.  T. 
Wright)  and  others  of  their  officers  shall  give  us  their  aid  Of  course 
we  cannot  tell  how  Londoners  will  take  to  it,  but  members  of  the 
National  Rose  Society  from  all  parts  of  the  country  will  be  there,  and 
we  hope  will  bring  their  friends  and  relatives  with  them,  and  so  give 
the  amplest  justification  to  the  committee  lor  the  daring  step  that 
they  have  taken  ;  and  we  must  remember  that  if  they  do  so  they  will 
put  the  society  in  a  better  financial  position  than  it  has  ever  yet 
occupied  — D.,  Deal. 
- — - - - 
Flyless!  Flealess!  Frostless! 
So  far  as  the  seaboard  of  Dublin  was  concerned  (and  we  are 
concerned  as  much  as  elsewhere)  the  .“merrie  month”  came  and 
went,  leaving  us  without  a  grievance.  Ah  !  the  growls  anent  the 
drought  are  forgotten — in  fact,  “smiling  June”  was  ushered  in  with 
some  smart  showers,  which  easily  washed  them  out,  for  they  were 
neither  loud  nor  deep.  There  has  been,  too,  a  few  unkind  remarks 
about  the  lateness  of  the  season,  which  from  general  observation  one 
is  not  disposed  to  agree  with.  Ere  this  is  in  print  (if  ever  it  is)  we 
shall  have  picked  our  first  dish  of  Royal  Sovereign  Strawberries,  and  a 
rignt  royal  kind  it  is.  The  first  day  of  June  gave  us  our  first  picking 
of  well-filled  American  Wonder  Pea  ;  the  wonder  about  it  is  that  so 
many  around  here  cling  to  the  small  round- seeded  climbers  for  early 
work.  There  are,  of  course,  improved  dwarf  varieties,  but  American 
Wonder  has  been  tried  and  trusted  for  over  twenty  years,  and  never 
found  wanting,  so  being  a  bit  old-fashioned  we  stick  to  the  old  friend 
that  has  stuck  to  us.  Another  wonder  is  about  old  enemies — viz.,  the 
Turnip  fly,  and  a  few  more  of  that  ilk,  such  as  that  “  hop,  skip,  and 
a  jump”  fellow  the  Turnip  flea,  and  the  silky,  subtle,  Onion  fly. 
Talk  of  the  -  ;  well,  none  of  these  have  appeared  as  yet,. 
and  aphides,  beyond  those  noticed  on  a  few  Moss  Roses,  are 
conspicuous  by  their  absence.  Certainly  it  was  not  for  want  of 
watching  these  fellows,  which  come  like  a  thief  in  the  night,  that  they 
have  been  unnoticed  and  unknown,  for  we  have  what  a  humble  but 
worthy  neighbour  calls  a  “strong  weakness”  for  beasties,  be  they 
inside  or  out;  hence  it  has  been  noticed  in  relevance  to  the  above 
freedom  so  far  enjoyed,  that  but  one  solitary  house  fly  came  to  our 
cottage  as  yet,  and  he  (or  she)  found  it  apparently  too  loDely  and  left. 
So,  so  far,  we  are  flyless  and  flealesp,  and  so  far,  so  good.  Certainly 
we  have  seen  a  more  floriferous  May,  but  if  less  lavish  in  blossom 
there  has  been  sufficient  in  evidence  to  take  comfort  in  prospective 
benefits.  The  thermometer  on  two  occasions  weDt  perilously  neir  to 
freezing  point,  in  fact  actually  touched  it  in  the  wee  sma’  ’oois  o’ 
the  13th  (unlucky  number),  but  somehow,  as  each  day  came  aud 
went  in  glowing  sunshine,  danger  from  that  quarter  was  never 
apprehended  ;  and  now  the  critical  month  is  over,  and  “showery 
June’s  dark  south-west  gale”  has  brought  moisture  as  well  as  mess 
by  strewing  the  walks  with  twigs  and  tender  foliage,  one  cannot  bnt 
feel  that  the  departed  month  left  little  to  grumble  at,  and  much  to 
be  thankful  for. — K.,  Dublin. 
P.S. — Possibly  farther  inland  a  different  version  would  obtain,  but 
that’s  another  tale. 
