JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  December  24,  i)03. 
578 
Red  Spider  on  Vines. 
I  quite  agree  with  Mr.  Jefferies  as  regards  the  fumigating 
of  -Muscat  and  Lady  Downe’s  Vines  with  XL  All,  as  to  the 
utter  impossibility  of  killing  red  spider  without  the  total 
destruction  of  the  foliage  of  the  same— at  least,  my  experience 
has  been  the  same  as  Mr.  Jefferies’,  and  I  am  pleased  to  see 
the  subject  brought  forward  again,  as  it  might  be  the  means  of 
causing  some  who  have  not  tried  it  to  be  a  little  cautious 
before  using  it  on  these  particular  Vines.  In  the  month  of 
July  I  tried  it  in  a  house  full  of  Muscats,  with  the  exception 
of  two  Vines,  one  a  Airs.  Pearson  and  the  other  Lady  Hutt. 
The  hou.se  is  a  lean-to,  on  the  back  wall  of  which  are  planted 
Peach  trees,  and  at  tlie  time  the  Peaches  were  ripening  and 
could  not  be  syringed.  Ked  spider  began  to  make  its  appear¬ 
ance,  and  not  wishing  to  let  it  get  a  hold  on  the  Vines,  I 
re,solved  (after  being  advised)  to  vapourise  with  XL  All.  The 
house  was  cai'efully  measured,  but  not  wanting  to  run  any 
risks  so  early  in  the  year,  I  used  rather  le.ss  liquid  than  the 
amount  recommended,  and  glad  I  was  that  I  did  so,  for  on  tlie 
second  day  after  fumigating  I  could  see  the  effects  on  the 
leaves  of  the  Vines,  though  not  to  any  great  extent. 
In  the  autumn  the  house  was  filled  with  Chrysanthemums 
on  which  were  some  gi-een  fly,  and  wishing  to  get  rid  of  the 
fly,  and  at  the  same  time  try  the  effect  of  the  nicotine  on 
the  Aluscats,  and  not  being  so  particular  now,  as  the  Vines 
were  ripening  their  leaves,  I  again  fumigated  on  two  different 
niglits;  the  fir.st  night  a  little  under  strength,  but  as  a  few 
green  flies  were  alive  the  next  day  I  fumigated  again  that 
night,  according  to  tlie  directions  given.  Next  day,  of  course, 
the  “flies”  were  all  dead,  the  leaves  of  the  Muscats  pretty 
well  burned  up,  and  the  red  spider  still  living!  I  might  mention 
that  the  foliage  of  Airs.  Pearson  and  Lady  Hutt  were  not 
affected  in  the  least. 
Now,  let  it  be  understood  that  I  by  no  means  wash  these 
few  remarks  to  be  a  stumblingblock  to  the  use  of  XL  All ; 
rather  on  the  contrary.  I  can  highly  recommend  it,  having 
used  it  for  a  number  of  years,  although  never  on  Aluscats  or 
Lady  Downe’s,  but  in  another  vineTy  of  mixed  Grapes  without 
any  bad  effects  ;  also  for  Peach  trees,  foliage  plants,  &c.,  with 
grand  results,  to  the  total  destruction  of  thrip  and  green  fly, 
but  not  to  the  extermination  of  red  spider.— James  Duff,  , 
Threave  Gardens,  Castle  Douglas,  N.B. 
The  Raid  Against  Show  Boards. 
I  have  attended  a  good  number  of  provincial  Chrysanthemum  • 
shows,  but  the  most  artistic  display  was  seen  at  the  last  Cardiff 
Show.  This  society  boldly  abolished  their  class  for  24  “  Japs,” 
distinct,  substituting  a  class  for  eight  vases,  each  containing  three 
blooms  of  one  variety,  and  instead  of  flowers  of  one  variety  shown 
on  boards,  they  hacl  classes  for  five  blooms  of  one  variety  shown 
with  their  own  foliage  in  a  vase.  The  experiment  was  a  pro¬ 
nounced  success  from  every  point  of  view.  The  reason  why  vase 
classes  have  not  been  a  succe.ss  at  some  exhibitions  arises,  I  have 
no  doubt,  from  the  ambiguous  wording  of  the  schedules,  and  the 
lack  of  proper  knowledge  on  the  part  of  the  exhibitors  as  to  ' 
the  best  method  of  staging.  If  good  prize  money  is  offered,  ex- 
liibitors  will  be  found  willing  to  compete  for  it;  and  of  this 
I  am  convinced,  that  instead  of  lessening  the  number,  it  will 
eventually  have  the  opposite  effect.  For  under  the  old  system 
blooms  that  have  been  shown  upon  boards  are  useless  after  a 
show ;  whereas  blooms  that  have  been  shown  in  vases  may  be 
taken  home  and  utilised  for  house  decoration.  And  what  employer 
would  not  be  proud  of  his  gardener’s  handiwork  if  he  w’ere  able  to 
show  to  his  friends  the  exhibit  that  had  won  the  first  prize,  or 
even  the  challenge  cup  at  some  good  show,  and  by  so  doing  • 
stimulate  the  .spirit  of  rivalry  amongst  neighbours ;  thus  ensuring 
better  cbmpetitiou  for  another  year  ?  I  have  not  seen  the  Edin¬ 
burgh  Show,  but  understand  it  is  the  most  successful  in  the 
counti-y,  and  evidently  the  experiment  of  abolishing  boards  has 
not  spelt  di.saster  in  this  case.  More  attention  may  be  paid  to  ' 
blooms  staged  on  show  boards  by  gardeners  and  growers,  but  not 
by  the  general  public;  and  it  is  the  latter  Avho  chiefly  sustain  our 
•shows  by  sub.scribing  and  paying  the  entrance  charges.  I  think 
Air.  Dean’s  fears  about  the  extinction  of  a  large  number  of  ex¬ 
hibitors  are  quite  groundless. — A.  H. 
I  was  glad  to  .see  by  the  remarks  of  Air.  Richard  Dean,  page 
534,  that  he  is  fully  alive  to  the  necessity  of  retaining  show 
boards  for  exhibiting  blooms  of  Chry.?anthemums.  I  think  there  is 
room,  and  with  advantage  too,  for  vases  and  boards.  Com- 
lietition  would  be  less  keen  if  show  boards  were  abolished.  I,  too, 
think  that  tJie  writers  of  the  various  articles  against  show  boards 
little  dream  of  the  expense  in  providing,  carting,  packing,  and 
storing  vases,  that  societies  would  be  put  to  if  all  blooms  had 
to  be  shown  in  vases  alone.  Then,  again,  what  huge  boxes  are 
required  to  take'  blooms,  on  long  stems,  to  shows!  To  take  three 
dozen  blooms,  it  requires  a  box  5ft  Gin  long,  2ft  Gin  wide,  and 
2ft  3in  in  depth.  “  Small  pantechnicons,”  one  exhibitor  aptly 
de.scribed  his  boxes !  The  cost  is  very  great  in  getting  to  and 
from  the  shows  with  these  huge  boxes.  There'  are  excess  fares 
to  be  paid,  and  “  tipping  ”  to  be  done  at  all  stations.  The  Crystal 
Palace  is  a  most  awkward  place  to  get  at ;  at  least,  when  one  is 
loaded  with  these  travelling  boxes. 
It  was  with  feelings  of  dismay  that  I  heard  our  iiresident  (Air. 
C.  E.  Shea)  announce  that  the  Horticultural  Hall,  which  is  now 
being  built,  would  be  too  small  to  hold  the  N.C.S.  shoAvs,  Could 
not  some  of  the  leading  gentlemen  of  the  R.H.S.  have  approached 
Mr.  Andrew  Carnegie,  who  so  kindly  provides  free  libraries  for 
the  asking,  and  prevailed  on  him  to  give  a  sum  sufficient  to  have 
chosen  a  larger  site  for  a  larger  hall,  so  that  all  the  different 
societies  could  have  found  refuge  under  the  wing  of  the  R.H.S.  ? — 
A.  Jefferies,  Aloor  Hall  Gardens,  Essex. 
[Air.  Carnegie  ivas  earnestly  appealed  to,  by  influential  gentle¬ 
men. — Ed.]  ^  ^ 
ChrysaDthemum  Critique  Controverted. 
Reviewing  the  remarks  under  the  heading  “Successful  Varie¬ 
ties  of  Chrysanthemums,”  page  532  (“  J.  of  H.,”  Dec.  10),  I  find 
“  Sadoc  ”  describes  Mrs.  T.  W.  Pockett  as  a  sport  from  Nellie 
Pockett.  This  is  quite  wrong,  as  it  is  one  of  Air.  Rockett’s 
Anstralian  seedlings,  and  Ava.s  sent  out  by  Mr.  AV.  Wells  of  Earls- 
wood  Nurseries  in  the  spring  of  1902.  Cheltoni  is  the  only 
sport  that  I  know  of  coming  from  Nellie  Pockett,  and  this  was 
sent  out  by  Air.  AVells  last  year.  Then  again  on  page  533  “  Sadoc  ’ 
is  in  error  in  his  selection  of  ivhat  he  de.scribe.s  as  true  Japanese 
incurveds.  He  classes  Mrs.  T.  W.  Pockett  as  an  incurved 
“  Jap,”  and  of  “  rich  yellow  colour.”  Blooms  that  I  have  grown 
of  this  variety  have  been  canary  yelloiv,  and  a.s  good  a  type  of 
Japanese  bloom  as  A^iviand  Morel  ivhen  seen  at  its  best  on  the 
exhibitio'ii  boards  a  feiv  years  ago,  and  every  petal,  from  start  to 
finish,  reflexes.  Calvat’s  Sun  is  a  grand  variety,  but  it  does  not 
meet  my  ideal  of  an  incurved-  “  Jap.”  The  same  remark  applie.s 
to  Godfrey’s  King.  “  Sadoc  ”  would  make  a  poor  authority  to 
look  to  if  he  classes  Airs.  T.  W.  Pockett  (a  true  Japanese),  Cal¬ 
vat’s  Sun,  and  Godfrey’s  King  as  belonging  to  the  section  known 
as  Japanese  incurveds.  Madame  Waldeck  Rousseau  rightly 
belongs  to  this  section,  but  a  more  ivretched  colour  in  a  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  I  have  never  seen.  I  have  grown  it  this  season  for 
the  first  and  last  time. 
Returning  to  page  532,  under  the  heading,  “  Non-succes.«ful 
A^arieties,”  I  agree  with  “Sadoc”  that  W.  R.  Church  has  not 
been  seen  at  its  best  this  season,  but  the  distinct  green  tip 
which  he  complains  of  is  quite  natural,  and  very  pretty ;  in 
fact,  quite  charms  me.  Mrs.  Barkley  ivith  me  has  been  extra  fine 
this  year,  both  in  size,  form,  and  colour,  so  that  I  cannot  let  thi.s 
variety  pass  as  a  failure.  Again,  Godfrey’s  Pride  is  described  by 
“Sadoc”  as  too  small.  Blooms  I  have  grown  and  seen  staged 
are  quite  up  to  exhibition  size,  and  I  will  be  greatly  surprised  if 
it  does  not  stand  in  a  good  position  in  the  Chrysanthemum 
analysis  wdiich  Air.  E.  Molyneux  has  again  kindly  undertaken  to 
prepare  for  the  benefit  of  Journal  readers.  Exmouth  Rival  is 
the  grandest  dark  coloured  “  Mum  ”  I  have  seen ;  no  up-to-dato 
growler  should  be  without  it.  One  of  the  blooms  .staged  by  Air. 
Godfrey  at  the  N.C.S.  November  Show,  at  the  Crj’stal  Palace, 
was  fully  up  to  exhibition  size.  And  blooms  such  as  this  would 
be  most  acceptable  in  stiff  competition  in  a  class  of  24  Japanese, 
distinct.  Guy  Hamilton  wms  shown  at  Birmingham  Sin  and  9in 
in  depth — so  one  of  the  judges  informed  me — which  disposes  of 
“  Sadoc’s  ”  assertion. 
This  season  Air.  R.  Kenyon,  of  AVoodford  Green,  had  a  fine  lot 
of  Madame  Herreivege.  ’The  plants  ivere  about  8ft  high,  and 
each  carrying  three  blooms,  almost  as  large  as  those  of  good 
Madame  Carnots.  They  were  magnificent  results  from  skilful 
culture.  Alons.  L.  Remy  has. not  been  shown  much  this  year, 
but  last  year  it  was  shown  at  nearly  every  shoiv  in  the  kingdom. 
It  is  early  to  tlass  this  sort  among  the  derelicts.  Lily  Alount- 
ford,  I  must  admit,  loses  its  pretty  ro.se  colour  and  becomes 
“  Avashy,”  but  that  is  after  it. has  been  in  bloom  a  fortnight  ;  but 
so  do  many  others  of  less  merit,  and  in  less  time  than  this 
variety.  Alfriston,  as  shoAvn  by  Mr.  W.  Mease  in  the  first  prize 
48  Japanese  at  the  Crystal  Palace  in  November,  certainly 
appeared  tO'  beat  that  grand  old  Avarrior  Edwin  Molyneux  in  form 
and  size,  but  not  in  colour,  though  in  the  latter  it  is  almost 
identical.  There  is  room  still  for  the  old  favourite  AA'hen  Avell 
groAvn. 
Lastly,  Air.  “  Sadoc,”  I  .should  like  to  say  that  J.  R.  Upton  is, 
Avith  me,  one  of  the  best.  The  blooms  are  of  huge  size,  grand 
form,  and  excellent  in  colour.  A  vase  of  G  blooms  Avon  for  me  a 
great  victory  over  huge  blooms  of  F.  S.  Yallis  at  the  N.C.S.  ShoAv 
in  November.  Air.  Charles  Beckett  also  had  J.  R.  Upton  magnifi¬ 
cently  staged  in  one  of  the  12  Amses  he  staged  in  the  Great  A^ase 
