352 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  15,  1903. 
Hints  to  Exhibitors. 
Exhibitors  are  deserving  of  nuich  consideration  at  the  hands 
of  officials,  as  they  are  really  those  who  make  a  show  what  it  is 
—good  or  bad.  Exhibitors  are  in  some  instances  far  too  grasp¬ 
ing,  they  attempt  to  compete  at  too  many  shows  and  in  too 
many  classes,  and  thus  reduce  the  standard  of  quality  in  an 
exhibition  and  their  own  reputation  as  well.  There  are  many 
V  ho  prefer  several  third  prizes  to  one  first,  even  in  minor  classes, 
if  the  amount,  in  prize  money  exceeds  for  the  thirds  that  of  a 
.single  premier  award  by  a  few  shillings.  Some  exhibitors  think 
little  of  being  beaten,  but  such  is  not  the  spirit^  that  .should 
dominate  the  heart  of  an  exhibitor.  It  cannot  but  be  displeas¬ 
ing  to  employers  to  find  their  name  placed  behind  that  of 
another  exhibitor  with  far  less  facilities  for  producing  superior 
exhibits.  The  aim  of  all  exhibitors  should  be  to  strenuously 
gain  first  prizes,  restricting  the  number  of  entries  at  one  show 
to  gain  that  object. 
I  have  seen  men  adopt  the  shifting  tactics  at  an  exhibition 
(when  they  saw  their  opponents’  blooms  staged)  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  spread  their  chance  of  winning  prizes  over  a  larger  area 
until  they  had  to  be  content  with  the  winning  of  one  single  first, 
and  acknowledging  themselves  content  with  numerous  inferior 
awards. 
Exhibitors  are  solely  responsible  for  the  class  of  bloom 
exhibited.  It  is  pleasing  to  note  that  there  is  not  neaily  the 
tendency  nowadays  to  stage  blooms  remarkable  for  thcii'  size  in 
diameter  that  \yas  the  case  but  a  few  years  since.  Exhibitors 
now  more  readily  grasp  the  requirements  of  the  present  day 
taste.  Blooms  remarkable  only  for  inches  in  diameter  and  poor 
coloilr  in  petal  are  not  what  are  .sought  after.  Such  as  these 
are  the  residt  of  “  taking  ”  buds  formed  too  early  for  the  variety, 
and  which  arc  coarse  and  objectionable  in  every  way. 
Exhibitors  quite  inexperienced  would  do  well  during  the 
coming  .season  to  select  their  blooms  quite  on  a  different  basis. 
A  bloom  large  in  diameter  if  accompanied  by  other  attributes, 
such  as  depth,  evenness  of  contour,  solidity  of  petal,  brilliancy 
of  colour,  combined  as  this  latter  is  with  freshness,  are  all 
.superior  features;  ihen  size  in  diameter  is  an  important  item. 
t  arieties,  too,  that  have  reflexing  florets  of  a  semi-drooping 
chai'acter,  nith  well  filled  centres,  are  the  type  of  Japanese 
specimens  to  aim  at.  We  do  not  wish  to  see  through  the  florets 
on  to  the  stands  or  vases  when  looking  down  upon  an  exhibit; 
vc  require  greater  density.  Exhibitors  of  experience^  know 
(|Uite  well  that  blooms  of  the  character  I  note  always  obtain 
more  points  in  close  competition  than  those  of  an  opposite 
“  build.” 
Many  visitors  to  .shows  think  the  neatly  staged  Jap  anese 
blooms,  or  even  the  curled  drooping  forms;  are  all  “  dressed  ”  by 
the  aid  of  curling  tongs  or  tweezers.  Those  of  experience  know 
c(uite  tO'  the  contrary.  A  perfectly  developed  Japanese  bloom 
does  not  require  any  manipulation  of  its  florets,  let  alone 
dressing,”  as  is  understood  bj’  the  inexperienced. 
In  the  case  of  incurved  kinds  I  note  in  .some  districts  there 
is  too  .strong  a  tendency  to  favour  large  flat  blooms  if  they  have 
broad  florets,  in  preference  to  those  more  globose.  The  true 
typical  incurved  bloom  is  likened  to  a  globe,  and  as  such  should 
le  borne  in  when  staging.  Cross-eyed  flowers  and  others 
with  refiexed  florets,  especially  at  the  base,  as  is  the;  case  in 
many  present-day  varieties,  .should  always  be  avoided.  A 
medium-sized,  jicrfectly  formed  bloom  is  always  preferred  to  a 
.aige  coarse  exaniple,  for  the  reason  that  such  a  specimen  lacks 
but  on©  point  .size — whereas  the  other  contains  onh'  tliis  one 
feature. 
^iii’ysiinthemum  culture,  as  in  all  matters  appertaining  to 
exhibits  of  horticulture,  quality  should  rank  foremost.  I  think 
'w  en  HOW’  there  is  a  growdiig  tendency  amongst  prominent  ex- 
lubitorsi  to  staging  blooms  but  partly  opened,  many,  indeed, 
leqiuring  quite  a  week  to  give  them  the  necessary  finish.  In 
the  Japane.se  section  this  is  especially  the  case.  At  this  .stage  I 
would  point  out  to  such  an  exhibitor  what  are  the  duties  of  a 
.ludge  in  such  an  instance.  It  is  obviouslv  the  dutv  of  these 
olticials  to  take  into  consideration  wdiat  is  the  .state  of  the 
exlnbits  ^ipon  the  day  appointed.  He  has  nothing  to  do  with 
What  they  will  be  or  in  what  condition  such  exhibits  were  The 
appointed  day  is  in  his  niind,  or  ought  to  be.  If  due  weight' 
were  not  given  to  an  exhibitor  who  conforms  to  this  rule,  what 
w’ould  be  the  encouragement  to  an  exhibitor  who  “times”  his 
blooms  to  a  day? 
This  latter  is  not  the  least  simple  phase  of  Chrysanthemum 
culture  for  exhibition.  Fully  developed  blooms  will  always  add 
a  point  or  two  over  tho.se  not  so,  presuming,  of  course,  all 
other  points  are  iierfect. — E.  Molyneux. 
(To  be  continued.) 
Cuttings. 
Notwithstanding  the  knowledge  of  this  plant  now  obtained 
by  almost  everyone  wfio  takes  an  interest  in  flowers,  failures  to 
root  the  cuttings  are  quite  common.  This,  to  our  thinking,  is 
due  entirely  to  coddling.  I  have  known  gardeners  who  are  not 
satisfied  unless  they  are  oonstantly  sprinkling  w^ater  on  them, 
and  are  afraid  to  see  the  leaves  flag  in  the  least. 
The  new'er  varieties  have  especial  care  in  this  respect,  and  are 
consequently  lost,  the  dealer  being  then  abused  for  supplying  bad 
cuttings,  i  think  we  might  learn  something  from  the  dealers 
in  rooting  Chrysanthemums.  For  them  it  is  an  exception  to  lose 
a  single  cutting.  Give  them  a  tiny  sprig  of  growth  with  on©  or 
more  leaves,  and  in  three  weeks  or  so  it  is  turned  into  a  fresh¬ 
looking,  gi'owing  plant.  In  their  case  there  is  no  especial  mix¬ 
ture  of  soil;  the  cuttings  are  simply  dibbled  tluckly  in  shallow 
boxes  filled  with  ordinary  potting  mould.  They  are  thorougldy 
soaked,  and  the  boxes  put  in  any  glass  structure  wdiere  frost  i.s 
kept  out.  They  do  not  receive  daily  sprinkling, s,  but  are  allowed 
to  droop  their  leaves,  if  we  get  sun,  and  are  again  watered 
when  the  earth  requires  it.  In  due  time  a  gradual  lifting  of  the 
leaves  is  noticed,  and  then  neither  sun  nor  air  will  cause  thean 
to  droop  again. 
Instead  of  this  we  find  sturdy  little  plants,  with  roots 
attached,  and  ready  to  pot  singlj^  into  small  pots.  To  those  wdio 
grow'  the  plants  for  sale  propagating  is  a  simple  matter.  But 
WQ  find  such  artificial  means  employed  in  many  places  where 
Chry.santhemums  are  grown  with  care  for  show  purposes  that 
there  is  little  Avonder  a  bad  start  is  made.  In  the  first  place,  a 
closed  box  must  be  had,  the  top,  of  course,  of  glass.  These  are 
placed  inside  other  glass  structures.  Then  cocoa-fibre  must 
be  employed  to  plunge  the  pots,  each  one  containing  a  cutting. 
Then  the  daily  sprinkling,  Aviping  moisture  from  the  glass,  and 
.so  on.  In  the  end  a  goodly  percentage  are  lost  through  damp, 
and  those  that  do  root  are  draAvn  up  and  Aveakly. 
I  AA'ould  advise  more  rati>onal  methods  with  a  hardjq  easily 
groAvn  subject.  Treat  Chrysanthemum  cuttings  as  Ave  manage 
Calceolaria  cuttings,  for  instance;  that  is,  dibble  them  in  soil 
in  an  ordinary  frame,  Avher©  frost  may  be  keiit  out;  then 
failures  Avould  be  A’ery  rare  indeed. — H.  S. 
“The  Family  of  Composites.” 
This  autumn  session  of  the  Birmingham  Gardeners’  Associa¬ 
tion  began  on  the  bth  inst.,  by  the  presidential  address 
of  Prof.  Wm.  HillhoAAse,  of  the  Eniversity,  Birming¬ 
ham.  The  subject  of  his  dissertation  Avas  “  A  Foav 
Botairical  Members  of  the  Family  of  Composites.”  Illus¬ 
trations  Avero  afforded  by  the  fine  display  of  Dahlias  and 
early  fioAvering  Chrysanthemums  staged  in  the  lecture  room  of 
the  Athletic  Institute.  The  professor  dealt  AA'ith  the  .subject  in 
his  usual  familiar  and  entertaining  manner,  abjuring  as  much 
as  possible  scientific  terminology.  Allusion  Avas  also  made  to 
the  fact  that  out  of  the  about  eight  hundred  groups  in  the  family 
of  Compo.sites,  only  about  ten  per  cent,  afford  medicinal  pro¬ 
perties.  The  lecture  Avas  listened  to  Avith  Avrapt  attention, 
followed  by  an  interesting  discussion,  in  AA'hich  Messrs.  W. 
Spinks,  Walter  Jones,  R.  C.  Bick,  W.  Gardiner,  and  R.  J. 
Hamill  took  part.  There  Avere  two  or  three  neAV  members 
elected,  including  Mr.  T.  Humphreys,  the  neAv  curator  the 
Botanical  Gardens,  Edgbaston.  In  response  to  the  offer  cf 
prizes  for  Dahlias  and  Chrysanthemums  arranged  for  effect,  there 
Avas  a  very  good  competition,  and  also  non-competith'e  groups, 
the  Avinners  being  respectively  for  Dahlias :  Messrs.  W.  Mason 
and  G.  Stacey;  for  Chrysanthemums,  Me.ssrs.  T.  Sceany, 
J.  Sceany,  and  W.  Hirons.  A  first  class  certificate  Avas  aAA'arded 
to  Messrs.  W.  H.  Simpson,  nurserymen,  Birmingham,  for  a  fine 
assortment  of  Chrysanthemums;  and  certificates  of  merit  to  Mr. 
R.  J.  Hamill,  manager  of  The  Vineries,  Acccks  Green,  for  a  fine 
collection  of  Cactus  and  pompon  Dahlias. 
Ciioss-Breeding  ;  The  Earliest  Experimext. — It  is  an  in¬ 
teresting  point  that  the  first  experiment  in  cross-breeding  Avas 
performed  upon  the  common  Pink.  This  Avas  just  tvo  centuries 
ago.  Fairchild  AAas  the  experimenter,  and  the  result  Avas  a  per¬ 
fect  .success. 
Ax  “  Orchid  Day.” — Some  of  the  folloAvers  of  IMr.  Chamber- 
lain  have  suggested  the  formation  of  an  “Orchid  Day,”  on  the 
lines 'of  the  “Primrose  Day.”  in  honour  of  the  politician’s 
faA’ourite  race  of  floAvers.  Cypripediums,  Odontoglossums,  or 
Dendrobiums  might  be  suggested,  if  the  proposal  .l:(ecoipps 
serious. 
