GARDEN NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2672, 31 May 1905, Page 10

GARDEN NOTES.

A SUCCESS.

- The • Horticultural Society have every" ' reason to be gratified with the success crowning Jftieir^ efforts in connection with j the chrysanthemum show held on the 24th | ihst. It would be scarcely justifiable to say j it "was the best of its kind yet held here, but it may safely- be asserted that it has not been excelled by any hitherto. That there were deficiencies, as is common in all cases, cannot be gainsaid, and their j existence should be an" incitement to greater diligence in having them overcome or rectified. It was indeed a first-class all-round show, and would have been a credit to any part of the Southern Hemisphere. Some of the flowers were of surpassing beauty, delicate in texture, decided in colour, habit, and form, and could scarcely be beat. As a whole, the exhibits were worthy of their cultivators, showing- an amount of skill, . labour, and attention in producing them without which success could not have been attained. It be useless to enter into de- ! tailed criticism of the show and its arrangements ; it will suffice to give a few particulars which forced themselves on our consideration. Among all the galaxy of beauty thero does not appear to be much stability in fixing particular individuals, which come up year ' after year, and take a foremost position. This can hardly be wondered at, seeing the im- ! , mense wealth of new productions brought i into the market from all quarters every season. It seems the aim rather to produce novelties than to perpetuate and perfect the old worthies who have borne the J brunt of the battle. A comparison of a few of the names of those taking precedence in the -homelands and with ourselves may interest and amuse. „At the West of England show, held in Plymouth "in November last, in 'the_ premier-class, for a- stand of 48 blooms-. thr> first prize was awarded to MtF. T. Vallis. and to this -was attached the -society's cer- ' tificate of merit. , The -exhibit contained, ( among others,- IVlontigny, one of the finest j chrysanthemum blooms that has even been j exhibited on a show board. It is one of i Calvert's seedlings, and in colour is a clear, pale yellow, with exceptionally broad petals, and inclined to incurve. This flower^ measured by one of the executive, proved to be a foot in dia-meter and over 7in in depth. It was awarded special commendation as the finest exhibit in the show. Mr "Vallis, who is a. cousin of Mr Albert Vallis, of this city, stated that it was very easy of culture, and that his plant was bearing two more blooms fully ,ecmal to the one exhibited. Other particularly fine flowers in this stand were Y. T. Vallis. Henry Perkins. Marquis V. Venosta, Mrs Barklev. Mvs Vallis,- Madame P. Radaelli, and Bessie Godfrey. All were first-class blooms. The Brighton and Sussex horticultural show, held about the same time, was notable for this peculiarity as its main attraction. The blooms, shown on a checker board, werj the most attractive eolourincfs. tht premier place in the competition being gained by Mr G. Sims, gardener to Mr F. A. Wallis. Sunnyside. his board showing J a. blending and contrasting of colours consisting of white, mauve, yellow, and pink, each* flower being good of its kind, with i variegations. ' At some of the other shows the more conspicuous names were Mrs G. Mileham, Mars, liOuis Remy, and Nellie Pockett. Another peculiarity shown at the Brighton and Sussex show was a greenflowered variety in a semi-circular group of blooms of ordinary size and character, j A green flower is rather a new feature among chrysanthemums, and may possibly take our readers by surprise. Among the new flowers exhibited were the quite new chrysanthemum, E. J. Brooks, an incurved Japanese, plum-coloured, with white reverse, an enormous flower of globular shape ; Mrs G. Hedoome, a delicate shade of salmony-buff ; Mrs W. Knox, a deep yellow, with a slight bronze tinge; and Mrs E. Dunne, a terra-cotta tint, with long, drooping florets. Very many additional ' names could be given, none as yet familiar among us, but all described as of decidedly high merit. Ihe priz2 bloom at our show— Miss Maud Jeffries, a white Japanese incurved, seedling -by Brunnine Bros., Melbourne, and grown by Mr Hugh Adam. — showed the width of her train to be llin, with a depth of 7in. this being considerably smaller than the winning bloom at the West of England ; how - i. m. i.