January  7,  19C4.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTACE  GARDENER. 
Trade  Y.  Private  Exhibitors, 
“Fairness”  is  not  an  exhibitor,  I  should  say,  or  ho  would 
not  take  up  tlie^  cudgels  on  behalf  of  private  growers  of  Chrys- 
anthemunis.  Spealdng,  as  an  old  exhibitor,  I  am  sure  we,  as. 
private  growers,  did  not  object  to  meet  any  Chrysanthemum 
specialist  who  thought  fit  to  enter  the  competitive  lists.  Why 
should  not  a  tradesman  compete?  He  has  no  moie  convenience 
than  the  bulk  of  private  growers,  and  often  not  nearly  so 
much  glass  accommodation  find  labour  as  many  persons  in  a 
private  garden.  If  he  can  produce  more  skill  and  energy  to 
display  it,  surely  credit  attaches  to  him  who  does.  Perhaps 
“  Fairness”  will  tell  us  why  trade  should  not  be  pitted  against 
private  growers.  I  should  say  Mr.  Chandler  never  was  more 
pleased  than  when  he  beat  Mr.  Vallis  at  Bradford  in  November 
last  in  the  leading  class  at  that  shoAv.  Extra  good  cultivators 
of  Chrysanthemums  in  the  Trade  are  an  exception  ;  their  forte 
does  not  lie  so  much  in  this  as  keeping  a  representative  collec¬ 
tion  together  and  providing  huge  stocks  of  good  cuttings  and 
plants  for  their  customers,  Avhich  they  invariably  do  ;  but  when 
we  see  one  Avho  by  great  exertion  and  skill  does  do  something 
to  educate  others  by  his  exhibits,  why  should  he  be- excluded 
and  the  public  deprived  of  knowledge? — E.  M. 
Horticultural  Education. 
The  Journal  of  Horticulture  for  December  17  contains  some 
remarks  under  the  heading  “  Practice  with  Science.”  In  the 
course  of  Ins  letter  the  writer  refers  to  “the  purely  practical 
gardener,  the  rule-of-thumb  man.”  But  is  there  such  a  man? 
My  practical  experience  has  taught  me  that  if  a  man  is  prac¬ 
tical  it  is  impossible  to  act  up  to  any  rule-of-thumb  ;  that  is, 
so  far  as  horticulture  is  concerned.  I  would  like  to  ask  the 
question  :  Is  it  possible  to  hold  an  examination  in  horticulture 
which  Avill  give  a  good  result,  whether  a  man  is  capable  of 
managing  a  fair-sized  garden?  Of  course,  Ave  can  have  the 
garden  managed  on  paper  by  rule-of-thumb ;  but  in  actual 
practice  there  AA'ill  be  many  divergencies,  and  they  will  have 
to  be  met. 
Again,  I  have  never  met  the  gardener  yet  avIio  looked 
askance  at  theoretical  instruction.  More  than  this,  I  have 
ahvays  received  some  help  in  this  tlirection  from  every  head  I 
have  had  the  pleasure  to  serve  under — a  real  pleasure  it  is  to 
serve  under  a  man  Avho  takes  an  interest  in  his  pupils ;  hard 
Avork,  length  of  hours  are  all  the  same ;  a  goodAvill  exists 
hetAveen  them.  A  love  for  his  calling  runs  in  the  blood  of  the 
pupil,  and  as  a  Avell-knoAvn  head  gardener  once  said  to  me, 
“  He  knoAvs  no  such  Avord  as  ‘  cannot.’  ”  No,  my  Avorthy 
friend,  colleges  do  not  turn  out  men  with  any  more  mettle  than 
the  crock  hencli  does.  If  a  man  is  determined  to  learn  the 
.scientific  side  of  gardening,  all  he  needs  is  a  good  sound  educa¬ 
tion  ;  the  remainder  he  Avill  acquire  for  himself. — W.  B.,  Ross. 
Want  of  Knowledge  in  Fruit  Culture. 
It  comes  as  a  terrible  shock;  a  piece  of  inconceivable  intelli¬ 
gence  to  those  of  us  Avho  have  studied  the  question  of  fruit  culture 
for  Great  Britain ;  who  have  urged  the  need  for  .study  and  experi¬ 
ence  ere  embarking  on  the  commercial  a.spects  of  fruit  culture  ; 
and  Avho  have  discerned  improvements  and  rational  conduct  in 
varied  cases  in  the  counties,  to  learn  this:  That  a  Devon.shire 
gentleman  has  just  planted  between  5,000  and  6,000  Apple  trees 
and  does  not  knoAv  a  single  one  of  the  varieties  that  have  been 
supplied. to  him!  This  is  an  authentic  ca.se.  The  gentleman  is 
a  personal  acquaintance  of  my  6wn,  and  casually  mentioned  his 
“  enterprise”  as  I  journeyed  with  him  in  a  train  to  London  last 
Aveek.  Asked  how  it  came  about  that  he  did  not  knoAv  what  kinds 
ho. had  bought,;  the  reply  Avas  that  a  local  nunseryman  had  supplied 
the  .stock  without  nanies;  and,  from  what  I  gathered,  it  Avould 
appear  that  the  nurseryman  himself  did  not  attach  much  im¬ 
portance  to  appellatives. 
I  ask,  Is  this  not  a  very  serious  matter?  Hai-e  the  papers, 
and  the  County  Council  instructors,  and  the  Board  of  Agriculture 
and  Fisheries  been  all  at  Avork  the.«e  years  past  Avithout  pene¬ 
trating  the  Egyptian  darkness?  What  good  will  Government 
Departmental  Committees  of  Inquiry  do  in  the  face  of  .such 
Fuegian  obscurity?  I  could  tell  of  anotlier  cultivator,  not  resi¬ 
dent  in  “fair,  fertile  Devon,”  but  Suffolk,  the  county  of  corn, 
Avho  Avas  pruning  some  very  shapely  and  vigorou.s  young  bush 
Apple  trees  at  (  hristmas,  a  year  ago,  aaIicu  I  called  ui>nii  liim. 
Naturally,  I  Avondi'rod  Avha-t  bis  favourites  were-  -for  he 
evidently  pruning  to  some  purpose  :  but,  lo !  came  his  airw  ec 
thus:  "Ah!  they’re  a  mixed  lot  ;  the  forester  got  me  I  lie  .p'iu'is 
from  someAvliore  and  .stuck  them  on.” 
Again  I  repeat.  Is  this  not  a  v'u-y  serious  mat cer ?— Fati’.h: ■ . 
Chrysanthemum  Critique  Controverted. 
Your  Correspondent  “  Sadoc  ”  (page  579)  sa.A's  he  is  sure 
that  your  less*  exiierienced  readers.  Aviil  Avelcome  me  a.'^  tlu-ir 
champion.  That  being  .so,  I  hope  it  Avill  intere.st  and  encourage 
them  to  knoAv  that  at  the  last  Birmingham  great  Chrysantlu>- 
mum  and  Fruit  ShoAV,  in  the  open  class  for  12  specimen  blooms 
displayed  for  effect  (11  entries),  I  Avas  placed  first  Avi^t  C. 
Molyneux,  Mrs.  Barkiey,  W.  R.  Church,  M.  fiouis  Remy,  Mr;-. 
Hummel,  Duche.ss  of  Sutherland,  Florence  IMolyneux,  Anstndii*, 
IMrs.  J.  LcAA’is,  Ethel  Fitzroy,  Mrs.  IMileham,  and  Sensation. 
In  the  open  class  for  2  varieties,  5  of  each  (8  entries)  I  Avas 
again  first  Avith  Austialio  and  Le  Grand  Dragon.  And  in  a  like 
class  for  one  Auvse  of  5  yelloAv  blooms  (1()  entries),  I  scored 
second  to  IMr.  Crooks  Avith  F.  S.  Vallis.  Jhe  in-evious  Aveek  I 
had  Avon  tAvo  first  and  one  second  prizes  at  Malvern  ShoAv,  and 
to  attain  the  aboA^e  i-esults  I  had  onl.y  groAvn  forty-five  plants 
for  specimen  blooms,  including  three  W.  R.  Church,  tAvo  Mrs. 
Barkley,  four  IM.  Louis  Remy,  one  IMrs.  Hummel,  tAvo  E.  Moly- 
neux,  tAvo  F.  Molyneux,  one  Duchess  of  .Sutherland  four 
Au.stralie,  three  IMrs.  J.  LeAvis,  tAvo  E.  Fitzroy,  tAvo  Mrs.  G. 
Mileham,  one  Sensation,  and  four  Le  Grand  Dragon. 
I  give  these  pai-ticulars  to  shoAv  that  it  Avould  be  nuAvise  tor 
any  groAver  in  a  small  Avay  to  throAv  out  any  reliable  variety 
until  he  has  proved  that  he  has  a  better  one  to  take  its  phu-.''. 
The  blooms  of  Duchess  of  Sutherland  exhibited  by  me  AAcre 
much  deeijer  than  they  Avere  Avide,  and  only  incAirved  in  tin 
, sen.se  that  they  Avere  not  entirely  i-eflexed.  Any  gi-OAver  in  a 
small  Avay  Avho  attempts  to  groAv  this  variety  Avill  have  to  be 
more  careful  Avith  his  plants  than  “Sadoc”  is  with  his  Avords. 
The  bloom  of  IMrs.  Hummel  shoAA  n  by  me  at  Birmingham  aa  a.-- 
deeply  suffused  Avith  ro.se  colour,  so  much  so  that  .several  other 
exhibitors  doubted  that  it  was  riglitly  named.  But  it 
thought,  like  “  Sadoc,”  that  I  Avas  only  prepared  to  “  assume, 
they  found  that  I  could  “lay  deAvn  the  laAV.”  Replying 
directly  to  the  questions  “Sadoc”  a.sks  about  the  varieties 
F.  Molyneux  and  W.  R.  Church,  I  can  only  say  that  bad 
cultivation  Avill  spoil  the  appearance  of  the  be.st  variety  in 
commerce. — R.  B.arnes. 
Question  Night. 
I  AA'as  glad  to  .see  this  noticed  in  the  Journal,  and  peihaps 
you  may  alloAv  me  to  .say  a  feAv  Avords  more  about  the  matter. 
Question,  or  Hat  Night,  is  a  most  important  function  of  an 
association,  but  AA'liich  is  but  rarely  taken  advantage  of.  I  have 
long  since  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  its  employment  is  not 
only  the  most  enjoyable  means  for  a  night’s  entertainment,  but 
is  also,  Avhat  is  of  still  greater  importance,  the  most  profitable 
of  any  Avhich  is  likely  to  be  introduced  to  such  sombroiis  meet¬ 
ings.  The  ordinary  gardeners’  as.sociation  is  not  the  place  Avhem 
old  or  young  are  likely  to  add  considerably  to  their  knoAvledge, 
save  perhaps,  distorted  extracts,  clumsily  annealled  togither, 
from  the  great  ma.sters  of  last  century.  This  is  certainly 
good  enough  in  a  Avay,  but  now,  with  a  ridiculously  cheap 
Press  and  its  concomitant  train  of  knoAidedge,  there  is  no  reason 
why  any  should  require  to  be  indebted  to  another  as  .searcher 
and  dictator  of  antique  facts  and  theories.  The  very  much 
laboured  paper  iiiA'anably  takes  the  place  of  the  practical, 
matter-of-fact.,  sound  sense  and  experiencie,  Avhich  ahvays  is  the 
outcome  of  Question  Night. 
Personally  I  have  had  to  do  penance  listening  to  papers 
read  at  meetings  of  this  kind,  which  did  not  rrte  in  inteUigmiee 
above  the  ordinary  schoolboy  essay ;  but  I  find  not  .so  mueli 
fault  with  this  as  I  do  with  the  syslem  Avluch  gives  it  character. 
Why  if  this  form  of  di.sseminating  knowledge  is  neee.-.-;aiy 
(which  I  think  is  not),  do  associations  net  turn  tins  heavy  piece 
of  ordnance  into  the  form  of  debates.?  Gardening  operations, 
like  most  other  things,  admit  of  more  than  one  way  of  making 
them  right.  How  often  do  Ave  appear  before  the  world  as  if 
there  aaus  one  way  only?  Without  dilating  further  on  this 
vexed  question,  I  hope  the  time  is  not  tar  distant  when  the 
pursuit  of  knowledge  shall  be  based  upon  more  stable  prineiple..-i, 
and  for  ever  bid  adieu  to  conventionalism. 
FeAV  and  unburnished  may  be  the  replies  to  the  question  bul 
then  it  is  the  person’s  oaaii  experience,  Avliich  is  doubtless  more 
valuable  than  a  cartload  of  assertions  which  mayha]i,  are  quite 
new  to  the  essayist  himself.  Let  us  think  for  ourselves,  lest  it 
iiiav  be  said  that  the  glory  of  the  art  died  Avitli  th“  giuit 
masters,  its  Paxtons,  Hoggs,  Knights,  Ac.,  and  ^hc  Avay  to  gi  t 
at  this  is  by  giving  more  attention  to  Question  Kiglit. — D.  t. 
