432 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
November  6,  1S02 
National  Chrysanthemum  Society’s  Show  Judges. 
I  have  just  been  looking  through  the  schedules  of  prizes  of 
the  National  Chrysanthemum  Society  for  1902,  and  I  find  that 
five  members  of  the  Executive  Committee  are  the  paid  judges  at 
the  exhibitions  of  the  society,  and  of  this  number  three  of  them 
are  the  principal  officers  of  the  society — men  who,  as  members  of 
the  Show  Committee,  are  supposed  to  be  intimate  with  the  names 
of  the  exhibitors  and  the  classes  in  which  they  exhibit ;  and  as 
members  of  the  Show  Committee  they,  I  imagine,  have  the 
direction  of  the  placing  of  the  various  exhibits.  More  than  this,  I 
also  perceive  that  the  three  principal  officers  who  are  judges  are 
also  members  of  the  Arbitration  Committee,  whose  duty  it  is  to 
deal  with  any  protest  as  to  the  awards  of  the  judges;  so  they 
may  have  to  consider  protests  made  in  reference  to  their  own 
awards.  By  referring  to  the  schedule  of  prizes  for  1901,  I  find 
that  eight  members  of  the  committee  were  judges  in  that  year,  so 
that  there  is  reason  to  hope  that  the  proper  but  unsuccessful 
attempt  made  at  the  last  general  meeting  to  so  alter  the  rule  of 
the  society  as  to  the  election  of  judges  so  as  to  disqualify  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  committee  from  acting  in  that  capacity — an  alteration 
which  the  “Gardeners’  Chronicle”  stated  to  be  both  just  and 
proper — has  had  some  good  effect,  as  seen  in  the  reduction  of  the 
number  of  judges  in  the  present  year  taken  from  the  committee. 
The  practice  of  selecting  to  make  awards  those  who  administer 
the  affairs  of  the  Society  is  opposed  to  universal  practice,  and  so 
liable  to  be  adversely  criticised  that  I  am  astonished  so  influential 
a  society,  which  I, have  heard  claims  to-  be  the  foremost  special 
floricultural  society  in  the  kingdom,  sets  such  a  bad  example  to 
its  many  affiliated  societies.  If  the  whole  of  the  men  capable  of 
judging  Chrysanthemums,  Ac.,  are  included  in  the  committee, 
there  would  be  some  excuse  for  what  is  little  better  than  a 
scandal.  So  far  from  this,  there  are'  about  the  country  many  men 
who,  in  addition  to  possessing  the  highest  qualifications  as  judges, 
are  also  warm  supporters  of  the  society;  but  these  receive  no 
invitation,  though  in  not  a  few  cases  their  services  are  in  demand 
as  judges  elsewhere. 
If  anyone  will  turn  to  the  back  page  of  the  third  leaf  of  the 
schedule  of  prizes,  they  will  see  set  forth  the  composition  of  the 
Schedule  Revision  Sub-C'ommittee,  who  have  the  nomination  of 
the  judges  ;  four  of  the  members  of  that  committee  are  judges,  and 
so  nominate  themselves.  If  any  six  members  of  that  committee  will 
agree  among  themselves  to  nominate  and  vote  for  each  other  and 
no  other  candidate,  taking  care  to  be  present  at  the  meeting  when 
the  nominations  are  made  they  are  certain  to  be  elected,  as  I  am 
informed  that  the  Executive  Committee  who  make  the  final 
selection,  invariably  accept  these  self-made  nominations.  It  is  a 
scandal  which  is  operating  to  discredit  the  society  in  the  provinces. 
1  he  sooner  the  members  remove  it  the  better  for  the  society, 
which,  just  now  that  it  has  to  seek  a  neW  home,  needs  all  the 
support  it  can  obtain. — A  Country  Member. 
Floriferous  Lapagerias. 
I  was  much  interested  to  read  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture 
of  October  25,  page  378,  of  the  very  fine  specimen  of  Lapageria 
growing  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Powell  in  the  gardens  of  Colonel 
Brymer  near  to  Dorchester,  and  when  seen  as  described  they 
are  a  gorgeous  sight  to  look  upon.  There  is  no  other  greenhouse 
plant  as  a  climber  that  I  am  acquainted  with  that  furnishes  the 
roof  with  such  a  profusion  of  flowers,  and  yet  one  so  seldom 
meets  with  Lajragerias  under  flourishing  conditions.  In  the 
gardens  here  the  plants  growT  with  the  utmost  freedom  each 
season,  putting  up  their  Asparagus-like  shoots  from  the  base  of 
the  plants,  and  growing  some  loft  to  20ft  in  length  in  a  season. 
I  shall  be  interested,  Mr.  Editor,  to  know  the  number  of  blooms 
recorded  on  a  single  shoot  from  plants  in  other  gardens.  I  am 
sending  you  a  few  sprays  of  ours  for  your  inspection.  You  will 
see  that  No.  1  has  thirty-four  blooms,  No.  2  has  twenty-seven, 
No.  3  has  fifty  (one  flower  having  been  broken  off),  and  last  year 
fifty-one  was  our  highest  number  on  one  shoot.  The  highest 
number  of  flowers  is  on  a  plant  in  a  lOin  pot,  of  L.  rosea  albiflora, 
there  being  thirty-two  on  a  spray.  Permit  me  to  compliment 
Mr.  Powell  on  his  successful  cultivation.  I  fully  realise  the 
amount  of  pleasure  and  satisfaction  he,  and  also  Colonel  Brymer, 
must  feel  in  looking  on  a  well-cultivated  and  profuse  flowering 
plant.  —  Benjamin  Cromwell,  Cleveley  Gardens,  Allerton, 
Liverpool. 
[Mr.  Cromwells  heart  would  have  warmed  had  he  been  able 
to  observe  the  ecstacies  of  members  of  our  office  staff  on  our 
displaying  the  magnificent  garlands  of  this  exquisitely  beautiful 
climbing  plant,  on  their  receipt.  Finer  growths  we  have  pro¬ 
bably  never  seen,  and,  on  counting  the  flowers,  find  that  the 
numbers  are  as  stated  in  our  correspondent’s  letter.  It  would 
certainly  be  interesting  to  learn,  through  these  pages,  of  the 
existence  of  other  well-grown  and  floriferous  Lapagerias,  and 
the  numbers  of  their  flowers.  Mr.  Cromwell  enclosed  a  hand¬ 
some  seedling,  raised  from  two  of  his  best  forms.  We  make  no 
reserve  in  saying  that  it  is  a  decided  improvement  on  the  specific 
form,  being  more  richly  coloured,  and  both  larger  and  heavier. 
It  is  well  worth  being  attended  to.  This  half-hardy  Liliaceous 
twiner  is  a  native  of  Patagonia,  South  America,  and  its  coriaceous 
leaves,  wiry  stems,  and  fleshy  flowers  are  typical  of  desert  or 
dry  land  floras.  The  generic  name  was  accorded  in  honour  of 
Josephine  Lapagerie,  the  first  wife  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte. — Ed.] 
- — - 
Red  Spider  and  XL  All. 
After  reading  the  very  flattering  remarks  by  my  friend 
Mr.  Easter  on  page  363,  I  feel,  Mr.  Editor,  that  I  ought  to  give 
your  readers  an  account  of  some  experiments  made  some  years 
ago,  but  related  only  to  a  few  friends.  It  was  in  early  autumn 
tliat  I  took  charge  of  some  vineries  and  Peach  houses,  very  badly 
infested  with  mealy  bug  and  red  spider,  and  my  new  employer 
told  me  they  must  be  got  clean.  XL  All  was  but  little  known  at 
that  time,  so  some  of  it  was  procured,  and  the  early  vinery  was 
the  first  house  to  operate  on,  the  foliage  being  just  on  the  turn. 
The  house  was  covered  as  far  as  possible  with  shading,  and  then 
the  hose-pipe  put  on  to  thoroughly  wet  the  top  to  make  it  stick 
and  keep  it  as  airtight  as  possible.  About  six  o’clock  the  lamps 
were  started,  and  fully  one-half  more  compound  used 
than  the  directions  stated  on  the  bottle,  and  the  same  dose 
at  nine  o’clock  the  same  evening  was  given.  In  the 
morning  we  were  surprised  to  find  bug  dead  on  the 
stages  and  floor.  That  night  we  repeated  the  two  doses 
as  before,  the  covering  being  left  on  for  two  days  after,  while  the 
hose-pipe  was  used  to  dislodge  (?)  as  much  as  possible.  I  should 
have  said  that  the  second  evening  it  rained  all  the  afternoon 
and  night,  and  on  entering  to  trim  lamps,  Ac.,  just  before  nine, 
the  house  was  very  full  of  vapour,  and  since  then  have  found  a 
wet  night  much  more  effective.  The  leaves  on  two  Muscats 
were  burnt  very  much,  the  others  hardly  touched;  but  no 
damage  was  really  done  to  the  canes,  as  they  started  next  spring 
as  usual. 
By  constant  attention  the  bug  was  got  rid  of  the  same 
season,  and  by  the  time  the  fruit  was  ripe  and  cut  red  spider 
had  not  made  any  appearance.  Peach  houses  were  treated  in 
the  same  manner  when  the  leaves  began  to  change  colour,  with 
the  same  good  results.  Orchids  I  always  gave  a  second  vapouris¬ 
ing  the  same  evening  at  the  normal  strength,  without  any 
damage  being  done.  I  advise  keeping  the  blinds  down  the  day 
after,  using  in  all  cases  small  fumigators,  to  have  the  vapour 
spread  evenly  over  the  house,  and  be  careful  to  clean  and  scrape 
the  bowls  with  a  knife,  so  that  no  black  sediment  remains  at 
bottom  or  sides,  or  much  damage  may  soon  be  done.  Vapouris¬ 
ing  every  nine  or  ten  days  will  do  much  to  keep  woodlice,  ants, 
beetles,  Ac.,  in  check,  especially  in  spring,  their  breeding  season. 
I  sefe  no  reason  why  Mushroom  houses  should  not  be  cleared  m 
the  same  manner.  I  might  add  that  we  have  never  used  any 
other  compound  but  the  one  named,  but  Teel  sure  that  there  are 
ethers  good  in  the  market,  and  just  as  effective  as  Mr.  Kipps 
stated  in  his  note  on  scab,  which  I  was  pleased  to  read.  In 
conclusion,  sir,  I  have  a  fancy  for  vapourising  at  six  and  nine, 
on  account  of  having  been  told  that  a  lot  of  insects  come  out 
to  feed  every  three  hours,  namely,  three,  six,  nine,  and  twelve ; 
but  there  I  must  leave  that  point  for  some  more  able  pen  to 
explain. — T.  T..  Wakefield. 
- - 
Autumn  Foliage  in  the  Highlands. 
Whatever  season  of  the  year  the  Highlands  are  visited,  there 
is  ample  to  exercise  the  imagination  and  interest  the, mind  of  the 
student  of  Nature.  The  dead  of  winter  in  those  northern  lati¬ 
tudes  bespeaks  its  charms  as  forcibly  as  the  genial  warmth  and 
sunshine  of  midsummer.  The>  awe-inspiring  mountains  whose 
summits  are  lost  in  the  clouds,  robed  in  a  mantle  of  several  feet 
of  snow,  to  the  true  artist  and  admirer  of  Nature  is  a  sight  no  less 
worthy  of  his  admiration  than  the  blue  and  purple  mountains 
clad  in  their  summer  vestments  of  Heath  blossom.  But,  perhaps, 
at  no  period  of  the  year  does  the  face  of  Nature  in  any  country 
call  for  general  admiration  so  much  as  in  the  autumn,  when  the 
foliage  is  maturing  from  the  trees,  and  nowhere  in  the  whole 
kingdom  could  the  changing  tints  be  more  full  of  splendour  than 
they  were  a  week  ago  in  the  greater  part  of  the  course  of  the 
Highland  railway  from  Dunkirk  to  Daviot,  near  Inverness,  and  in 
the  Highlands  generally.  In  the  vicinity  of  C’arrbridge,  Avie- 
more,  Ac.,  the  white  Birches,  and  Mountain  Ash,  Poplars,  and 
the  noble  Scottish  Pine  combined  to  form  a  picture  in  the  land¬ 
scape  difficult  to  rival  in  any  country.  The  Birches,  which  are 
