November  13,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
449 
Miller,  Esq.,  who  has  recently  come  into  residence,  and 
who  has  already  found  in  Mr.  Robinson  an  expert  worthy 
of  his  confidence.— S. 
The  Last  November  Show  of  the  N.C.S.  a".  Royal  Aquarium. 
We  are  told  that  the  last  November  show  of  the  National 
Chrysanthemum  Society  has  been  held  in  the  Royal 
Aquarium,  London.  Considering  the  kindness  that  has 
always  been  shown  to  us  by  Messrs.  Ritchie  and  J.  W. 
Wilkinson,  and  all  their  staff,  we  owe  them  a  debt  of 
gratitude.  They  have  at  all  times  met  us  with  smiling  faces, 
and  never  failed  to  give  us  exhibitors  all  the  aid  that  lay 
in  their  power. 
I  remember  the  spot  before  ever  the  building  was  thought 
of.  I  watched  its  progress — then  called  a  “  London  Winter 
Garden  and  also  remember  its  first  gardenei’,  the  late 
Mr.  J.  Wells,  who  assured  the  public  it  always  would  be  full 
of  flowers,  but  with  the  obscure  light  from  an  opaque  roof,  both 
the  flowers  and  the  fishes  gradually  vanished.  Their  place 
was  supplied  by  the  remaining  portion  of  the  original  Stoke 
Newington  Society,  which  had  been  located  a  few'  years  in 
the  Borough  of  Hackney,  and  had  its  committee  room  at  the 
Four  Swans,  Bishopsgate,  and  afterwards  this  society  and 
its  show's  migrated  to  Westminster-. 
I  exhibited  at  Hackney,  and  of  course  also  at  the  First 
Chrysanthemum  Show'  in  the  Aquarium,  and  I  have  con¬ 
tinued  to  do  so  ever  since.  The  premier  show  had  a  good 
run,  and  at  each  succeeding  show  the  exhibits  increased, 
and  the  style  of  exhibiting  and  size  of  Chrysanthemums 
have  been  wonderfully  improved  upon.  Southw'ark  then 
held  its  show's  not  far  off.  Their  committee  complained  of 
the  Hackneyites  poaching,  and  as  a  remedy  I  suggested  to 
Mr.  W.  Holmes  that  it  was  time  we  should  change  the  title 
of  our  society  and  call  it  national,  but  when  this  proposi¬ 
tion  was  brought  before  the  committee  the  president  (the 
late  much  respected  Sir  E.  Sanders)  denounced  it  deter¬ 
minedly,  and  he  had  many  followers  who.  were  much  devoted 
to  the  neighbourhood  of  its  origin.  However,  Mr.  Holmes, 
the  first  and  much  esteemed  secretary,  used  great  influence 
and  weight,  and  the  more  ambitious  title  was  ultimately 
adopted,  and  ever  since  then  the  society  has  gone  forward 
by  leaps  and  bounds.  During  all  this  time  there  has  been 
a  representative  exhibition  of  Chrysanthemums  worthy  of 
this  great  nation.  I  only  remember  having  been  absent),  on 
one  occasion  from  the  whole  series  of  exhibitions,  and 
certainly  never  missed  a  November  show.  I  have  been 
especially  fortunate  in  securing  many  high  awards  for 
exhibits  from  Swanley,  and  at  these  numerous  meetings  I 
have  made  many  friends. — Henry  Cannell,  Y.M.H. 
At  the  Exmouth  Nurseries. 
Perhaps  never  in  the  history  of  the  Chrysanthemum  has  it 
been  the  good  fortune  of  any  one  raiser  to  offer  such  a  magnificent 
collection  of  seedlings  in  one  season  as  Mr.  Godfrey  did  last  year. 
Apple,  Edward’s  Coronation.  (Sec  page  451.) 
On  entering  the  large  Mum  house  we  exclaimed,  What  a 
glorious  sight !  for  about  100ft  in  length  was  one  blaze  of  colour, 
and  in  this  house  were  all  the  novelties.  Mr.  Godfrey  may  well 
be  Proud  of  Godfreys  Pride;  it  is  an  immense  bloom,  without 
he  least  coarseness.  The  florets  are  broad,  smooth,  and  of  great 
length  ;  slightly  whorled,  forming  a  good,  solid,  handsome  flower. 
Pear,  Eyewood. 
the  colour  is  quite  distinct,  being  a  reddish  carmine-crimson, 
with  a  lighter  reverse.  The  plant  is  of  good  healthy  growth,  and 
or  medium  height,  while  the  growth  of  all  the  seedlings  are 
marvellous..  Almost  every  variety  has  strong,  sturdy  growth,  and 
the  foliage  is  leathery,  and  of  a  healthy  dark  green  colour.  Every 
bloom  seems  to  come  with  ease.  Not  one  did  I  see  with  a  hard 
centre. 
Further  don  n  the  house  we  come  to  Godfrey’s  Masterpiece — a 
loveJy  flower.  One  might  call  it  a  very  large  Indian-red  form  of 
Mons.  Chenon  de  Leche,  which  just  shows  the  tip  of  the  florets 
With  a  rich  uolden  yellow.  Queen  Alexandra  is  the  most  distinct 
variety  I  have  seen.  The  colour  is  a  delicate  fawn  or  buff,  flushed 
with  carmine  pink.  Golden  Eagle,  an  immense  bloom;  colour,  a 
distinct  shade  of  chrome.  Exmouth  Crimson,  a  large  flower  of 
excellent  form,  very  distinct,  and  one  that  will  be  much  in 
demand.  Edward  VII.,  a  large  handsome  bloom  of  a  claret 
crimson  shade;  quite  distinct  from  any  other  variety. 
Another  most  lovely  flower  is  Bessie  Godfrey;  clear  canary 
yellow,  deepening  towards  the  centre.  Very  large,  deep  bloom. 
Godfrey’s  Triumph:  This  is  a  seedling  from  Mons.  Chenon  de 
Leche.  The  form  of  flower  is  very  superior,  the  petals  being 
more  recurving,  showing  the  flower  almost  a  perfect  solid  anil 
rL.i  ruby  crimson. 
Other  seedlings  noticed  as  of  exceptional  merit  were  Sen¬ 
sation,  The  King,  H.  E.  Hayman,  Wallace,  E.  Vowden,  Nellie 
Stevens,  Exmouth  Rival,  and  dozens  of  unnamed  seedlings  full  of 
promise. — G.  Foster. 
Pear,  Eyewool 
Eyewood  is  a  shapely  little  dessert  Pear,  good  as  a  standard, 
with  fair  average  bearing  qualities,  and  spoken  well  of  by  those 
who  know  it  best.  Many  of  the  trade  growers,  however,  fail 
to  catalogue  it.  At  Chiswick  it  is  cropping  well  this  season, 
and  specimens  have  reached  us  for  name  from  various  parts  of 
the  country.  It-  is  in  order  to  bring  this  variety  more  promi¬ 
nently  forward  at  this  season  that  our  notes  and  illustration 
of  it  are  now  published.  In  describing  it  in  his  “  Fruit  Manual,” 
Dr.  Robert  Hogg  supplies  the  following  facts:  “Fruit,  below 
medium  size,  2jin  wide,  and  2in  high ;  Bergamot-shaped.  Skin, 
very  thick,  green  on  the  shaded  side,  becoming  greenish  yellow 
tinged  with  brown  next,  the  sun,  and  very  much  covered  with 
pale  brown  russet,  and  large  russet  dots.  Eye,  small  and  open, 
slightly  depressed.  Stalk,  tin  to  L)in  long,  slender,  inserted  in 
a  small  cavity.  Flesh,  yellowish,  exceedingly  tender  and  melt¬ 
ing,  very  juicy,  with  a  sprightly  vinous  flavour  and  a  fine  aroma. 
A  very  excellent  Pear;  ripe  in  October.  The  tree  is  very  hardy, 
and  a  good  bearer.  Mr.  Luckhurst  finds  it  only  second-rate,  and 
Mr.  Blackmore  says  it  is  ‘  small,  of  poor  quality.’  This  was 
raised  by  Mr.  T.  A.  Knight,  President  of  the  Horticultural 
Society,  and  was  named  after  Eyewood,  near  Kington,  in  Here¬ 
fordshire,  and  not,  as  has  been  stated,  on  account  of  the  peculiar 
woodiness  of  the  eye.  Mj\  Knight  named  all  his  seedlings  after 
the  residences  of  his  friends.” 
