January 6, 1912.] 



THE 



GARB ENER S CHR O Nl CL E. 



1 



J 





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EOYAL HORTICULTURAL OF 



IRELAND. 



December 14.— The report of the Royal Hor- 

 ticultural Society of Ireland, submitted at the 

 annual meeting held in Dublin, stated that the 

 members had reason to be satisfied with the 

 results of the three shows held during 1911, the 

 shows having been larger than in previous years, 

 and the quality of the exhibits very high. The 

 autumn show was the largest of its kind for some 

 years, but the winter fruit show was the most 

 satisfactory ever promoted by the society. The 

 membership is 476, and there is a credit balance 



of £231 lis. 



Messrs. Ormsby and Rhodes were re-elected 

 auditors, and it was agreed that members of the 

 council attending at least one-quarter of the 

 meetings of that body should be eligible for re- 

 election without nomination. 



The following retiring members of the council 



were re-elected : — 



C. Watson, J. J. M'Donough, J. Wylie-Hen- 

 derson, Rev. Canon Hayes, E. Wylie, Lady Al- 

 breda JBourke and Mrs. Greer. Mr. W. Ussher 

 was elected to the vacancy caused by the retire- 

 ment of Mr. H. Crawford. 



age 



READING AND DISTRICT ROSE 



AND SWEET PEA. 



December 16. — The annual general meeting of 

 the above society was held in the Abbey Hall 

 on this date. The Rev. F. Page-Roberts pre- 

 sided. 



The secretary read tke report, which stated 

 that, although the entries were below the aver- 

 considering the trying season a very repre- 

 sentative show was made in all sections. The 

 committee thanked the Vice-Presidents and the 

 principal subscribers for the help they had 

 rendered, financially and otherwise. The society 

 has gained some new subscribers, and the deficit 

 has been reduced to about £14. Her Highness 

 Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein has 

 kindly signified her willingness to accept the 

 office of President for 1912, and if possible to 

 attend the show. The report was adopted. 



The secretary presented the financial state- 

 ment, which showed total receipts amounting to 

 £109 10s. 5d., and total payments of £123 

 12s. 8d., leaving a deficit of £14 2s. 3d. 



The meeting then proceeded with the election 

 of officers, the only change being in the office of 

 President, Her Highness Princess Victoria of 

 Schleswig-Holstein being appointed in place of 

 Her Royal Highness Princess Christian. 



LINNEAN SOCIETY. 



THE LATE SIR JOSEPH HOOKER. 



December 21.— The President, Dr. D. H. 

 Scott, M.A., F.R.S., spoke of the loss sustained 

 by the Society since its last meeting in the death 

 of Sir Joseph Hooker, beyond doubt their most 

 distinguished Fellow. He was elected June 7, 

 1842, over 69 years ago, and served on the Coun- 

 cil, with only short intermissions, from 1846 to 

 1884; he was Vice-president during a great part 

 of that time, and exercised a great influence on 

 the affairs of the Society, though, unfortunately, 

 never president. Much of his best work, so far 

 as it was not in book-form, was published by the 

 Society; his memoirs on the flora of the Gala- 

 pagos Islands, the distribution of Arctic plants, 

 and the classic memoir on the unique plant, 

 Welwitschia mirabilis, were mentioned. His last 

 paper published in the Transactions was on the 

 Rubber plant, Castilloa, 25 years back. The 

 Society hoped to have the honour of publishing 

 his latest work, on the genus Impatiens, on which 

 he was actively engaged during the last years of 

 his life, till very near the end. 



Sir Joseph was the acknowledged leader in 



systematic and, above all, in geographical botany. 



His contributions to fossil botany were of great 



value; by the world at large, he would be best 



known for his close association with Darwin and 



with the development of the Darwinian theory. 



The following resolution was then moved from 

 the Chair : — 



The Fellows of the Linnean Society of 

 London in general meeting assembled, desire 

 to place upon record their profound sense of 

 the loss to the Society and to the world of 

 science, occasioned by the death of Sir Joseph 



Dalton Hooker on December 10, and their 

 pride in his having been - a Fellow of the Lin- 

 nean Society for nearly 70 years, during which, 

 by his scientific contributions to the Society's 

 publications and his advice throughout his 

 many years of service on the Council, he so 

 greatly added to the prestige and efficiency of 

 the Society. 



They desire also to express their deepest 

 sympathy with Lady Hooker and the family in 

 their bereavement. 



That a copy of the foregoing resolution be 

 communicated to the family by the general 

 secretary. 



The resolution was carried unanimously, the 



Fellows rising in their places. 



The President then announced that a vacancy 

 existed in the List of Foreign Members by the 

 recent death of Dr. Jean Baptiste Edouard Bor- 

 net, F.M.R.S., and that two vacancies had arisen 

 in the List of Associates, by the death of Mr. 

 Oswald Arthur Sayce, and the election as Fellow 

 of Sir Frederick William Moore, M.A. 



The Rev. Hilderic Friend read a paper en- 

 titled " Some Annelids of the Thames Valley," 

 which was discussed by Prof. A. Dendy and the 

 Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing ; the author briefly 

 replying. 



Mr. W. C. Worsdell gave a lantern exhibition 

 of a series of slides, snowing abnormalities in 

 fungi, and explained his views on the cause 

 which produce them. 



Dr. A. B. Rendle, F.R.S., showed specimens 

 obtained in 1911, of the dissected leaf-form of 

 Horseradish, Cochlearia Armoracia ; in his ab- 

 sence, the following statement was read for him 

 by the general secretary : — 



It is not suggested that the dissected form of 

 leaf of Horeradish is new ; it will be familiar to 

 many Fellows. The leaf-tissue between the veins 

 is undeveloped to a greater or less degree, and 

 a more or less cut form of leaf results. I should 

 like to ask whether this form has been more 

 generally noticed during the past remarkably 

 sunny summer. It might be suggested that it is 

 a response to an increased amount of sunlight or 

 diminution of water supply. The specimen 

 which I am showing came from a dry field, about 

 a mile from the sea at Bognor, in which numbers 

 of the plants were growing here and there, 

 and nearly all of them showed the phenomenon in 

 a greater or less degree. I noticed the same dis- 

 sected leaf-form in other places this summer. 



©bttuarj). 



Andrew Riddell. — The death of Mr. Andrew 

 Riddell, seedsman, Grassmarket, Edinburgh, oc- 

 curred on December 27 in the train on his way to 

 Gorgie Market. Mr. Riddell, who had not en- 

 joyed good health for some time past, died 

 before medical assistance could be obtained. He 

 was 63 years of age, and had been connected 

 with the seed trade since 1871, when he was a 

 member of the firm of Inch and Riddell, which 

 was dissolved twenty years afterwards. 



Robert Inch, Edinburgh.— On December 

 29, just two days after the sudden death of his 

 former partner, Mr. A. Riddell, there died at 

 Belleville, Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh, Mr. 

 Robert Inqh, seed merchant, a well-known and 

 respected member of the Edinburgh seed trade. 

 He carried on business after the dissolution of 

 partnership with Mr. Riddell and enjoyed for 

 many years an extensive business. 



Mrs. Thomas Wilkinson.— Horticulturists 

 in the West of England will extend their sym- 

 pathy to Mr. Thos. Wilkinson, of the Gardens, 

 Tyntesfield, near Bristol, in the loss he has sus- 

 tained by the death of his wife on the 27th ult. 



William Deal. — As these pages go to press 

 information is received of the death of Mr. 

 William Deal, seedsman, Brooklands, Kelvedon, 

 which occurred on Tuesday last, the 2nd inst. 



Pedro Maria Binot. — The information has 

 just reached this country (January 4) of the death 

 of Monsieur Pedro Maria Binot, which occurred 

 in Brazil on November 26 last. M. Binot was a 

 collector of Palm seeds, Orchids and other plants, 

 whilst he was the principal importer of Cocos 

 Weddelliana. He was well known to European 



dealers in Orchids and rare plants, and 

 his death, after a long illness, will be re- 

 gretted by a large circle of friends. Deceased 

 was 61 years of age, and was a godson of the 

 Emperor of Brazil. The remains were buried 

 in the Petropolis Cemetery on the day following 

 the death. 



Thomas Childs. — The death of this market 

 gardener of Bexley, Kent, occurred on the 3rd 

 inst. Deceased was well known in Covent Gar- 

 den Market as a cultivator of pot plants, and 

 especially Adiantum Ferns. 



LAW NOTE. 





THEFTS FKOM NURSERIES. 



At the Spelthorne Petty Sessions recently, 

 Walter Waring was charged on remand with 

 stealing 21 standard roses from the nursery of 

 Mr. Wilfred Clarke, Broad Lane, Hampton, value 

 £1 lis. 6d. Prisoner was fined 40s., with the 

 alternative of one month. Richard Anthony, 

 carpenter, and Josiah Bonner, labourer, were 

 charged on remand with being concerned together 

 in stealing 102 standard briars, value 8s. 6d., the 

 property of Ernest Hayler, nurseryman, Green 

 Lane, Shepperton. Bonner was sentenced to six 

 months' hard labour. Anthony pleaded not 

 guilty, and said he simply carried the briars to 

 earn a shilling or two. He was fined 20s., or 14 

 days in default. 





TRADE NOTICES. 



Mr. W. F. Gullick, nurseryman, Salisbury, has acquired 

 the business of florists and seedsmen carried on for the past 

 40 years by Messrs. Brittan & Son at 122, Fisherton Street, 

 and Waterloo Nurseries, Salisbury. 



NURSERY REQUISITES COMPANY, LTD. 



This new private company has a capital of £"2,000 in £ 1 

 shares and will carry on the business of manufacturer of 

 nursery requisites and necessities, formerly conducted by 

 J. C. S. Dunn, at Palais St. Georges, Conduit Street, VV. 



CorrcdponUnU, 





French Horticultural Journals : Kard- 

 worker. Le Jardin, 84 bis, Rue de Grenelle, 

 Paris, Jardinage, 90 bis, Avenue de Paris, 

 Versailles ; Revue Horticole, Rue Jacob, 26, 

 Paris. 



Gardening Employment in Australia : Aus- 

 tralian. The late Mr. Mclndoe, who visited 

 Australia a few years ago, stated in reply to a 

 similar question that "Anyone emigrating 

 to Australia or New Zealand in the hope 

 of obtaining a good situation as head gar- 

 dener there incurs a great risk of being dis- 

 appointed, no matter how good his testimonials 

 may be. Large private garden establishments 

 are few. With regard to public parks, a 

 stranger may have to wait for years before he 

 attains a superintendent's position. The gar- 

 deners in demand are good spadesmen and 

 handy -men who are not particular in turning 

 their hands to anything that comes in the way. 

 Such men have no difficulty in getting situa- 

 tions in the neighbourhood of large towns at 

 wages ranging from 40s. to 50s. per week. 



Lobelia cardinalis : Doctor, Hampstead. 

 The plants are affected with eelworm. The 

 soil should be sterilised by heating, or mix- 

 ing with gas-lime. The plants cannot be 

 saved, and should be burned. Obtain healthy 

 stock and select your potting compost from a 

 fresh source. 



Market Gardening : F. B. Your climate is 

 undoubtedly favourable to the cultivation of 

 the flowers you mention, and if your land is of 

 fair depth and fertility good results should be 

 obtained. It would not pay you to send Chry- 

 santhemum flowers to Covent Garden Market, 

 owing to the great distance of your place from 

 London. Chrysanthemums were abundantly 

 plentiful in Covent Garden Market during the 

 past three months. However, there are several 

 large towns in Devonshire and the adjoining 

 counties in which you would be able to dis- 

 pose of good supplies of Chrysanthemum 

 blooms during August and the four following 





