December  18  19  2.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
557 
the  total  number  of  varieties  exceed  those  of  last  year,  but 
not  in  a  great  degree.  Last  year  sixteen  persons  named 
152,  while  the  twenty-seven  this  time  give  173  names — not 
a  great  increase  really.  This  is  a  step  in  the  right  direc¬ 
tion,  as  I  think  voters  are  more  in  accord  of  what  should  be 
the  prevailing  points  of  excellence. 
Thirty-six  Best  Incurved  Varieties. 
19  C.  H.  Curtis 
19  Duchess  of  Fife 
19  Hanwell  Glory 
19  Miss  Nellie  Southam 
18  Lady  Isabel 
18  Frank  Hammond 
18  Ialene 
17  Madame  Ferlat 
17  Mrs.  R.  C.  Kingston 
17  Topazo  Orientale 
17  Ma  Perfection 
17  Mrs.  H.  .T.  Jones 
17  Pearl  Palace 
15  Chrysanthemiste  Bruant 
14  Globe  d’Or 
14  K.  Petfield 
13  Countess  of  Warwick 
12  Fred  Palmer 
12  Lord  Alcester 
12  J.  Agate 
12  Ralph  Hatton 
11  Mrs.  C.  Crooks 
11  Empress  of  India 
10  Mrs.  F.  Judson 
10  W.  Higgs 
10  Louisa  Giles 
10  Golden  Empress 
10  John  Lambert 
9  Major  Bonnaffon 
9  Mdlle.  Lucie  Faurc 
9  Madame  de  Verneuil 
9  Miss  V.  Foster 
9  Miss  Annie  Hills 
9  Ernest  Canned 
9  Miss  I).  Foster 
8  George  Ilaigh 
36 
7  General  Symonds 
7  Nellie  Threlfall 
7  Matthew  Russell 
7  George  Lock 
7  Dome  d’Or 
6  Bonnie  Dundee 
6  Nellie  Stevens 
6  Miss  E.  Seward 
6  Miss  M.  A.  Haggas 
5  Miss  Doris  Cox 
5  Edith  Hughes 
5  Mrs.  W.  C.  Egan 
5  PantiaRalli 
5  Queen  of  England 
5  Golden  Madame  Ferlat 
5  Thomas  Lockie 
5  Princess  of  Wales 
4  Cecil  Cutts 
4  King  of  Yellows 
4  Mrs.  W.  Howe 
4  Perle  Dauphinoise 
4  Mrs.  J.  Murray 
4  Violet  Tomlin 
4  Creole 
3  Charles  Bliclt 
3  Mrs.  Molyneux 
3  Mrs.  .T.  Eadie 
3  The  King 
3  Madame  Durandel 
3  Comtessc  d’Etoile 
3  Mrs.  S.  Coleman 
3  Miss  E.  Gerrard 
3  Baron  Hirsch 
3  Mrs.  Gerard  Williams 
2  Egyptian 
2  Miss  F.  Southam 
2  May  Bell 
2  Mrs.  W.  Higgs 
2  W.  Neville 
2  Annie  C.  Love 
2  President  Bcvan 
2  Mr.  F.  King 
2  Alfred  Salter 
2  Austin  Can  no  11 
2  Bonita 
2  Ada  Owen 
1  Llenry  Ellis 
1  The  Colonel 
1  Edinburgh 
1  John  Doughty 
1  Prince  Alfred 
1  C.  R.  Whitnall 
1  Yvonne  Desblanc 
1  John  Carvill 
1  Mrs.  W.  Harvey 
1  Mrs.  E.  Bennett 
1  Snowdrift 
1  Mrs.  J.  Seward 
1  Madame  Desblanc 
1  Lord  Coleridge 
1  Miss  R.  Hunt 
1  Madame  E.  Rogers 
1  Colonel  Ivekewich 
1  Eldorado 
1  Fouka 
1  Madame  Darier 
1  D.  B.  Crane 
1  Thomas  Singleton 
1  Major  Matthew 
1  Watteau 
1  Lydia 
,1  Mrs.  C.  J.  Mee 
108— total  number  of  varieties. 
%  List  of  Voters. 
Mr.  A.  Simmons,  The  Grange,  Framfield,  Sussex 
Mr.  C.  Penford,  Leigh  Park,  Havant 
Mr.  Folkhard,  Sand  Hutton  Hall,  York 
Mr.  R.  Kenyon,  Monkhams,  Woodford,  Essex 
Mr.  J.  H.  Goodacre,  Elvaston  Castle,  Derby 
Mr.  Neville,  Cornstiles,  Twyford,  Winchester 
Mr.  Nobbs,  Osborne  House,  Isle  of  Wight 
Mr.  T.  Lunt,  Keir,  Dunblane,  N.B. 
Mr.  D.  Niccoll,  Rossie,  Forgandenny 
Mr.  W.  Mease,  Downside,  Leatherhead 
Mr.  C.  J.  Salter,  Woodhatch  Lodge,  Reigate 
Mr.  G.  Hall,  Melchet  Court,  Romsey 
Mr.  G.  Haigh,  Highfield,  AVoolton,  Liverpool 
Mr.  W.  Hunt,  Aslistead  Park,  Epsom 
Mr.  W.  Higgs,  Fetcham  Park,  Leatherhead 
Mr.  C.  Crooks,  Hedsor,  Droitwich 
Mr.  G.  W.  Drake,  Cathays  Terrace,  Cardiff 
Mr.  J.  Heaton,  The  Lawn,  Aigburth,  Liverpool 
Mr.  C.  Beckett,  Chilton  Lodge,  Hungerford,  Berks 
Mr.  W.  Meredith,  Stanstead  Park,  Emsworth 
Mr.  Jefferies,  Moor  Hall,  Harlow,  Essex 
Mr.  Perkins,  Greenlands,  Henley-on-Thames 
Mr.  G.  Foster,  Glendanagh,  Teignmouth 
Mr.  W.  L.  Bastin,  Buscot  Park,  Berks 
Mr.  .T.  Bible,  Draycot  Park,  Chippenham 
Mr.  J.  Brooks,  Brandon  Hall,  Coventry 
Mr.  C.  Payne,  Sandhills,  Bletchworth,  Surrey 
Notes  on  the  Incurved  Section. 
As  was  to  be  expected,  all  the  voters  are  not  cultivators 
of  the  Incurved  section  ;  they,  therefore— rightly,  too— did 
not  send  in  a  selection.  Nineteen  persons  took  part  this 
time,  and  without  any  hesitation  I  consider  the  selection 
given  as  typical  of  deserving  varieties  of  the  present-day 
requirement  of  size  and  colour.  In  too  many  instances — 
away  from  the  leading  cultivators — a  want  of  form  has 
been  all  too  apparent  this  season.  Cultivators  are  not 
wholly  to  blame  in  this  ;  it  is  not  possible  to  obtain  the  true 
incurved  form  in  some  varieties  that  are  admitted  into  this 
section.  A  greater  prohibition  of  varieties  that  are  bred 
from  Japanese  kinds  would  raise  the  standard  of  this  sec¬ 
tion. 
With  C.  H.  Curtis  and  Duchess  of  Fife,  Hanwell  Glory 
and  Miss  Nellie'  Southam  share  the  honour  of  being  first. 
The  two  former  occupied  a  similar  position  last  year. 
Neither  of  the  two  show  any  sign  of  failure  or  a  want  of 
popularity  at  the  exhibitions,  possessing,  as  they  do,  all 
the  attributes  of  good  blooms.  The  last-named  has  con¬ 
siderably  improved  her  position  in  the  list  since  last  year ; 
it  is  a  variety  worthy  of  encouragement,  being  of  a  taking 
colour,  full  size,  and  desirable  form.  Frank  Hammond, 
as  I  predicted  last  year,  has  made  good  strides  ;  it  is  a 
flower  of  exceptional  merit.  The  six  varieties  that  share 
the  third  place  are  all  of  the  right  order,  if  I  except  one — 
Topaze  Orientale.  True,  its  colour  is  pleasing,  but  except 
when  in  the  best  hands  it  lacks  the  fulness  of  petal  of  such 
sorts  as  Mrs.  H.  J.  Jones  or  Mrs.  R.  C.  Kingston.  Chrys¬ 
anthemiste  Bruant,  with  fifteen  votes,  is  not  so  highly 
valued  as  last  year,  and  rightly  so,  in  my  estimation,  as  it 
lacks  the  globular  form  so  desirable. 
Fred  Palmer,  from  a  solitary  vote  last  year,  has  risen  to 
twelve  marks  this  time  ;  it  possesses  all  the  desirable  points 
of  an  incurved  variety.  Lord  Alcester,  Empress  of  India, 
and  Golden  Empress  receive  a  fair  amount  of  support  consi¬ 
dering  that  they  are  distinctly  on  the  down  grade,  as  the 
trio,  in  fact  all  the  members  of  the  family,  lack  constitution 
sufficient  to  enable  them  to  build  up  good  blooms.  Mrs.  C. 
Crooks  and  Mrs.  F.  Judson  occupy  a  strong  position.  The 
last-named  last  year  was  not  mentioned,  while  the  former 
received  but  one  vote.  That  one-time  favourite,  Princess 
of  Wales,  still  finds  the  same  number  of  adherents — five — 
as  last  year.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  this  and  its  offspring 
Violet  Tomlin,  Miss  M.  A.  Haggas,  and  Mrs.  S.  Coleman, 
will  in  a  very  short  space  of  time  only  be  heard  of  occasion¬ 
ally.  Many  old-time  favourites  receive  but  scant  support, 
notably  Prince  Alfred,  which  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Liver¬ 
pool  tw’enty  years  since  was  the  most  popular  of  all.  In 
the  present  list  Jeanne  d’Arc,  Mons.  R.  Bahuant,  Mrs. 
Dixon,  George  Glenny,  and  Mrs.  G.  Rundle  do  not  find 
mention.  Fortunately,  varieties  of  doubtful  origin,  like 
General  Symonds,  Perle  Dauphinoise,  The  Egyptian,  Presi¬ 
dent  Bevan,  and  Mdlle.  Laurence  Zede  receive  scanty  sup¬ 
port,  the  last-named  not  being  mentioned  once  in  a  long 
list.  Without  exception  these  varieties  are  more  injurious 
to  this  section  than  otherwise  ;  one  or  jtwo  such  blooms  in 
a  stand  go  a  long  way  towards  lowering  the  standard  of 
quality. 
At  one  time  Princess  Teck  and  its  progeny  were 
numerous  in  any  exhibit,  and  so  was  Novelty  and  Lady 
Hardinge  ;  not  one  is  now  mentioned.  The  present  list  con¬ 
tains  108  varieties,,  which  is  but  ten  more  than  last  year, 
from  twelve  electors. 
Judging  from  the  present  analysis  the  incurved  section  is 
a  long  way  from  being  an  extinct  section,  containing  as  it 
does  ample  material  for  display  ;  but  whether  the  present 
general  method  of  staging  is  to  be  continued  is  a  moot  point 
which  time  alone  can  determine. 
Edwin  Molyneux,  V.M.H. 
- <•«•> - 
Flowers  from  the  Riyiera. 
It  is  reported  that  arrangements  have  just  been  completed 
by  which  it  will  be  possible  to  send  fresh-cut  flowers  from  the 
Riviera  to  England  cheaply  and  rapidly.  A  number  of  florists 
have  arranged  to  send  small  boxes  of  flowers  in  hampers  to  an 
agent  at  Calais  by  the  express  flower  train,  which  leaves  Men¬ 
tone  soon  after  10  a.m.,  reaching  Paris  in  thirteen  hours.  _  At 
Calais  the  hampers  are  put  on  board  ship,  stamped  with  Eng¬ 
lish  stamps,  and  posted  at  Dover  by  parcel  post.  The  flowers 
should  reach  their  destination  in  forty-eight  hours,  and  the  cost 
of  small  boxes  under  lib  in  weight  should  not  exceed  Gd.  or  7d. 
