December  11,  1902. 
541 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AXD  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Illegal  Showing. 
it  is  clear,  from  the  three  excellent  letters  in  last  week’s 
Journal,  that  this  matter  is  much  more  prevalent  than  I,  for  one, 
had  any  idea  of.  I  am  sure,  Mr.  Editor,  you  will  allow  it  is 
of  the  utmost  importance,  and  I  hope  you  will  not,  if  possible, 
let  it  drop  till  some  means  have  been  suggested  for  effectually 
dealing  with  it.  “Withholding  prizes  fraudulently  won,”  as  men¬ 
tioned  by  Mr.  Win,  Taylor,  ought  to  be  sufficient,  but  is  not 
when  the  matter  has  got  so  far  as  it  seems  to  have  done.  Prose¬ 
cution  in  a  law  court  seems  now  wanted  to  clear  the  air.  I 
thoroughly  agree  with  the  capital  letter  of  “  Quiz,”  who  has 
convinced  me  I  was  unjust  to  “  A  Yorkshire  Grower,”  and  owe 
him  an  apology,  which  I  here  heartily  offer.  I  had  no  notion  the 
matter  had  gone  so  far,  having,  it  seems,  as  “  Quiz  ”  suggests, 
not  been  “  privileged  to  peep  behind  the  scenes.”  If  I  had  been, 
there  would  have  been  a  shindy,  if  he  will  take  my  wTord  for  it. 
But  what  about  Mr.  Wm.  Taylor  and  the  Grapes?  (page  512). 
Had  he  no  alternative?  I  think  I  would  have  tried  pretty  hard 
to  find  one,  even  if  it  consisted  in  resigning  my  office  as  judge 
right  off  and  leaving  the  place.  But  it  is  pretty  clear,  from  his 
statement  about  the  secretary,  and  the  other  letters,  that  it 
is  the  executive — -the  officials  of  the  shows — who  are  most  to 
blame,  by  refusing  to  take  action,  and  winking  at  dishonest 
proceedings.  Quis  custodiet  ipsos  custodes?  It  is  very  difficult 
to  say.  When  things  have  got  as  bad  as  these  letters  seem  to 
show,  a  “  reign  of  terror  ”  is  set  up  to  a  certain  extent,  and  it  is, 
one  must  acknowledge,  a  serious  matter  for  one  in  a  dependent 
position  to  “bell  the  cat.”  I  can  only  suggest  that  honest  men 
in  each  society  put  their  heads  together,  stand  by  one  another, 
and  put  forward  a  general  motion  without  reference  to  any 
individual  case,  at  the  annual  meeting.  Still,  it  does  seem  as 
if  there  must  have  been  originally,  when  the  evil  was  beginning 
and  before'  it  had  grown  strong,  a  little  want  of  pluck  among 
the  honest  men. — W.  R.  Raillem. 
After  the  appropriate  remarks  by  “  W.  R.  Raillem,”  page  490, 
in  reply  to  “  A  Yorkshire  Grower,”  on  this  subject,  one  would  think 
that  the  latter  must  be  now  convinced  that  he  has  missed  a 
golden  opportunity  of  doing  his  part  towards  arresting  the  evil 
he  complains  of  I  believe  that  all  horticultural  societies  have 
a  rule  embodied  in  their  schedules,  with  the  object  of  protecting 
honest  exhibitors  against  such  practices  as  “A  Yorkshire  Grower  ” 
alleges  to  have  taken  place,  within  his  own  knowledge.  Com¬ 
mittees  of  management  cannot  very  well  act  on  vague  assertions 
and  cautious  inuendoes.  If  those  in  possession  of  such  facts 
were  to  bring  these  timely  and  promptly  before  them  they  would 
be  obliged  to  act,  according  to  their  own  rules.  This  subject 
has  given  “  W.  R.  Raillem  ”  an  opportunity  of  having  a  dig  at  the 
management  of  northern  exhibitions,  of  which  he  avails  himself 
thus :  “  This  is  not  the  first  time  that  exhibitors  1  living  down 
south  ’  have  heard  whispers  of  lax  proceedings  in  the  north,  and 
even  that  they  are  winked  at  and  condoned.”  This  statement 
is  so  vague  that  it  is  impossible  to  deal  with  it.  After,  however, 
noticing  the  observation  made  by  “  F.  W.”  respecting  the 
National  Chrysanthemum  Society  and  its  management— bringing 
to  mind  something  more  than  whispers  of  similar  things  in  the 
past — down  south,  the  thought  occurs  that  the  reproof  or  in¬ 
junction  in  reference  to  the  “  beam  in  your  own  eye  ”  might  fitly 
apply  here.  The  naive  saying  by  Artemus  Ward  that  “  there  is 
a  great  deal  of  human  nature  in  man  ”  is  frequently  manifested 
in  many  ways,  whether  it  be  “clown  south”  or  “up  north.”  I 
happen  to  have  some  experience  of  exhibiting  in  the  south,  but 
considerably  more  so  in  the  north,  and  I  know  of  no  committee 
of  management  there  who  would  tolerate  or  wink  at  or  condone 
such  practices  as  “  Yorkshire  Grower  ”  possesses  knowledge  of,  if 
these  Avere  brought  clearly  and  timely  before  their  notice. — R.  M., 
York. 
men  growing  up  with  active  brains  are  looking  round  to  see  how 
and  where  they  can  get  best  wages,  and  gardening  may  some  day 
have  to  be  paid  on  a  higher  scale.  Wages  have  risen  among 
mechanics  and  indoor  servants,  and  when  we  consider  what  is 
required  of  a  head  gardener  and  his  under-men  I  think  all 
employers  ought  to  be  pleased  to  improve  the  scale  of  wages,  so' 
as  to  uphold  horticulture  in  this  countrv  in  the  best  possible 
way.- — A.  J.  L. 
A  Mild  Season, 
In  last  week’s  Journal  of  Horticulture  you  record  some 
interesting  and  unusual  things  about  various  crops  of  fruit 
gathered  in  November.  To-day,  December  5,  I  send  you  Straw¬ 
berries  just  gathered  from  a  seedling,  St.  Joseph,  from  the  open 
ground.  Unfortunately  for  the  Strawberries,  the  frost  of  last 
night  has  stopped  further  progress  in  ripening. — W. 
A  nice  dish  of  Raspberries,  of  which  we  send  you  part,  was 
picked  in  the  garden  of  Mr.  G.  N.  Burden,  Oakfield,  Teignmouth, 
to-day,  December  2.  We  doubt  if  the  Riviera  could  produce 
better  in  December.  We  thought  it  would  be  of  general  interest 
as  showing  the  mildness  of  our  climate. — W.  Hannaford  and 
Son,  Teignmouth,  Devon. 
Fugitive  Notes. 
“  Many  Men,  Many  Minds.” 
In  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  for  December  4,  “  G.  H.  H.” 
gives  expression  to  thoughts  which  doubtless  have  frequently 
arisen  in  the  minds  of  many  people  conversant  with  the  number 
of  plants,  fruits,  and  vegetables  that,  year  in  and  year  out,  pass 
before  the  R.H.S.  committees  for  honourable  mention,  or  that 
silence,  standing  so  often  for  condemnation.  That  the  method 
of  sitting  in  judgment  upon  the  various  products  brought  to 
the  notice  of  the  committees  has  its  drawbacks,  few  will  be  slow 
to  admit ;  but  who  can  point  out  a  better  way  ?  It  is  obvious 
to  anyone  that  whatever  is  shown  at  the  Drill  Hall  is  sent  in 
its  best  possible  condition,  and  that  the  censors  must  appraise 
its  merits,  novel  or  otherwise,  as  it  appears  before  them,  without 
relation  to  habit  of  growth,  difficulties  of  culture,  Ac.  There 
are,  it  is  true,  exceptions  when  allowance  can  be  made  on  these 
points;  and  when  this  is  the  case,  a  novelty  can  be  more 
nearly  esteemed  at  its  proper  worth.  But  here  is  without  ques¬ 
tion  the  great  drawback  to  the  present  system  of  awarding  cer¬ 
tificates,  and  the  reason  why  so  many  of  the  honours  awarded 
confer  on  the  recipients  benefits  of  such  a.  fleeting  nature.  Still, 
it  is  to  be  feared  that  no  better  plan  is  likely  to  be  forthcoming. 
We  must  go  on  taking  for  granted  that  whatever  has  been 
approved  and  honoured  by  the  R.H.S.  must  be  worth  buying 
and  growing,  and  only  by  actual  trial  under  everyday  conditions 
do  we  find  that  this  plant  with  the  mystic  A.M.  attached  to  its 
name,  or  that  fruit  so'  lately  granted  a  F.C.C.,  fail  to  satisfy  the 
needs  of  those  who  desire  a  combination  of  beauty  and  utility. 
An  Imposing  Almshouse. 
Whether  rightly  or  wrongly  the  above  was  the  ejaculation 
that  involuntarily  arose  to  my  lips  when  the  illustration  of  the 
plan  of  the  proposed  Hall  of  Horticulture  was  disclosed  to  my 
view  on  page  521.  Mr.  Shayler’s  modifications  may  be,  and  no 
doubt  are,  everything  that  could  bo  desired  as  far  as  they  go  ; 
but,  alack!  modifications  here  will  scarcely  meet  the  difficulty. 
Mr.  Wood’s  suggestion  of  competitive  plans  would  involve  a 
loss  of  time  and  some  extra  expenditure,  and  truly  both  might 
well  be  sustained  in  the  hope  of  securing  a  properly  arranged 
structure,  and  outwardly  a  fitting  edifice,  which  for  many,  many 
years  to  come  must  be  the  centre  of  the  horticultural  life  of  this 
country.  It  may  be  as  well  to  say  that  against  the  plan,  as  a 
plan,  I  have  not  a  word  to  say,  for  some  purposes  it  is  possible 
the  ideas  it  embodies  might  be  everything  desirable. 
The  Scarcity  of  Journeyman  Gardeners. 
After  reading  your  correspondent’s  remarks  (page  513)  on  the 
above,  I  can  say  the  best  way  out  of  the  difficulty  is  to  offer 
better  wages  for  first  class  journeymen,  then,  perhaps,  some  of 
them  will  not  be  in  such  a  hurry  to  get  foremen’s  places.  In 
advertising  one  should  state  that  only  those  who  have  had  a  good 
training  should  apply.  This  is  a  time  of  competition,  and  young 
Illegal  Showing. 
This  subject  is  a  very  old  friend  to  those  who  have  studied 
the  pages  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  during  past  years. 
Nevertheless,  it  is  a  matter  that  will  bear  repetition  anti  stir¬ 
ring  up.  That  there  are  still  those  among  exhibitors  who  lack 
a  proper  sense  of  right  and  justice  in  competition  with  their 
fellows  is  well  known  ;  yet  to  counterbalance  this  we  have  a  great 
body  of  those  whose  rigid  uprightness  is  in  itself  no  light  answer 
to  the(  charges  so  recently  brought  against  showmen  in  these 
pages. 
