08 



THE GARDE1S 



T7 



CHRONICLE. 



[March 30, 1912. 





duplicate what is already being done in seve 

 places elsewhere. That it would not appeal 



eral 



places eisewnere. xiihl ib wuuiu uuii appeal to 



the popular mind I feel certain ; prubably Mr. 

 Hall is of the same opinion. I also question if it 



would appeal to the Manchester University. 

 Bearing on this point, and particularly on Mr. 

 H. 3 suggestion as to the training of students, 

 e is a very general impression, and I am 

 bound to admit there are good grounds for it, 

 that the " student " trained gardeners, or 

 " graduates " as they are tometin s termed, are 

 not a success. It would be folly at the present 

 time to institute and face the heavy expense 

 that a garden would entail, just as in the same 

 way it would be unwise to try to reproduce in 

 Manchester a hall and offices such as the R.H.S. 

 possess in London. A horticultural society in 

 Manchester could only do good work and be suc- 

 cessful if run on lines that appealed not only to 

 the wealthy garden owner, but to the professional 

 ardener, and the great number of amateurs 

 whose gardens are of strictly limited size. A 

 society that, through its meetings, exhibitions, 

 and publications would diffuse knowledge of 

 gardening and make its members feel that the 

 society had a real interest in helping them to 

 get the best out of their gardens, would do much 

 for horticulture in the North. It is a great pity 

 that the promoters of the North of England 

 Horticultural Society did not enter into some 

 arrangement with the Manchester Botanical 

 Society before establishing a new organisation. 

 There is not room or support in the North for 

 two large horticultural societies. Their dual 

 existence would mean heavy expense, clashing of 

 interests, and ineffective results. An amalgama- 

 tion would gave strength, economise expense, 

 facilitate working, and be beneficial in every 

 way. ^ Rumour — always busy — Bays that the 



l'> tanical Society intend to realise on their pro- 

 perty at Old Trafford. If this is so, what do 

 they intend to do with the funds obtained? A 

 pr »nouncement in your columns by the Botanical 

 S iciety itating their intentions would be very 

 welcome, and probably clear away some mis- 

 conceptions. In the meantime, our great com- 

 mercial metropolis is without a representative 

 horticultural show. How long is this to con- 

 tinue": Palatine* 



Your leading article of March 16 should 



inspire the Manchester Botanical Society in mak- 

 ing an effort to re-establish the glorious shows 

 once held in their -aniens at Old Trafford. The 

 financial position of the society looks encouraging, 

 and there does not seem to be any good reason 

 why shows should not be held in the gardens a 

 formerly ; but to ensure success they would have 

 to be run on rather different lines than for a 

 good many years past. The man to organize 

 a new undertaking of the kind should "be a 

 thoroughly practical horticulturist of long and 

 varied experience. He should not only be able 

 to gauge the sentiments of the many Manchester 

 people who have a great love for flowers, but also 

 those in the surrounding districts. The reasons 

 re obvious why it would be futile to attempt 

 establishing a garden on the Wisley lines any- 

 where near Manchester, If the society wished 



to hold monthly meetings, combined with small 

 exhibits, plenty of suitable accommodation could 

 be found in the city. An arrangement of this sort 

 could easily 4>e carried on with, or without, the 

 aid of any other society. The Manchester Orchid 

 Society may have some peculiar notions, but they 

 spell success. Pinus. 



Pot Strawberries.— We prow about 1,300 

 plants of Royal Sovereign Strawberry each season 

 f >r forcing. This year most of the plants pro- 

 mise to be a total failure. The runners were 

 selected from young, healthy stock plants, and 

 the final potting was completed by the end of 

 July. The plants were stood in an open position 

 on an ash bottom, fully exposed to the 

 light and air, and they were watered with 

 ore, the growth being restricted to a 

 single crown. They built up splendid crowns, 

 and everything pointed to success, the pots being 

 well filled with health v roots. Plants of the first 

 batch were started gently in the ordinary way in 

 an early vinery, but the majority of plants failed 

 to make either strong foliage or vigorous flower- 

 soikes. The whole growth seems stunted, as 

 though the crowns were too hard and over-ripened. 

 I should be pleased to hear the experience of other 

 growers, and if they can attribute a cause for the 

 failure. F. West] Had wood Park Gardens, 

 Basingstoke. 



Aphyllanthes monspeliensis (see pp. 

 134, 173). — It may interest your readers to know 

 that when a child I collected this plant near 

 Mentone, and also found it growing plentifully 

 near St. Jeanet, between Nice and Grasse, and 

 also in other localities, which at this distance of 

 time I cannot recall, and have rot got my notes 

 by me, but always on dry limestone in full sun. 

 I grew it in my garden at Didlington, Norfolk, 

 from 1882 for a few years until a severe winter 

 killed it. Some 10 years ago I tried to grow it 

 in the warmer climate of Dorsetshire, but with- 

 out success, although placed among stones in full 

 sun and given lime. I fear it is too tender for 

 most gardens. Alicia M. Cecil, Weycombe, 

 llaslemere, Surrey. 



In a Scottish Manse Garden. — Some of 

 the finest vernal flowers have come somewhat late 

 in south-western Scotland this year, notably the 

 Snowdrop, the first of which, Galanthus Melvillei, 

 did not open before the end of January, while, 

 on the other hand, the Crocus and Daffodil were 

 earlier than usual, the Scottish Narcissus appear- 

 ing at the beginning of March. The beautiful 

 Persian Plum, Prunns Pissardii, was already 

 in full flower on the 15th inst., which is 

 the earliest advent of its exquisite blossoms 

 hitherto recorded — in my garden at least. Two 

 years ago it made a heroic attempt to set its 

 fruit, and it succeeded so far that the embryonic 

 Plums were distinctly formed and beginning to 

 grow, but the cold, frosty winds of early April 

 made them rapidly disappear. In the autumn of 

 the same year I had the unexpected gratification 

 of receiving several of its fruits from a Highland 

 chieftain, Brodie of Brodie Castle, in the county 

 of Elgin. Prunus Pissardii has occasionally 

 fruited, to a limited extent, at Lochinch Castle, 

 the Wigtownshire residence of the Earl of Stair, 

 also at the gardens of St. Mary's Isle, in Kirkcud- 

 brightshire. Owing to the ripening of the 

 flowering wood during last summer and autumn, 

 there is quite an unusual promise of blossom on 

 fruit trees of every description this year. The 

 Plums and Cherries are crowded with flower-buds, 

 such varieties as Denniston's Superb Green Gage, 

 Early Rivers, Victoria and Czar Plums, and May 

 Duke, Morello, and Black Eagle Cherries being 

 specially prolific. Such Oriental Lilies as Liliunns 

 Henry i, ^ auratum, chalcedonicum, pardalinum, 

 Hansonii, excelsum, and Humboldtii are growing 

 with great rapidity. A few days ago Iris reticu- 

 lata, the earliest and loveliest of all the Irises, 

 unfolded its first fair flowers in my garden, a 

 veritable revelation of violet and gold. David 

 B. Williamson. 



©bttuari). 



Robert Fen n.— The death of Mr. Robert 

 Fenn, V.M.H., occurred on the 20th inst. at 

 Sulhampstead, Berkshire, at the ripe age of 96 

 years. Mr. Fenn was gardener for many years 

 to the Rev. G. St. John, at Woodstock Rectory, 

 Oxfordshire. His employer died in 1876, and 

 Mr. Fenn removed to Sulhampstead, near Read- 

 ing, becoming, as we should describe him 

 nowadays, a smallholder. He carried out a 

 number of experiments in the cross-breeding of 

 plants, but his most successful work w T as with 

 Potatos, and it was his efforts in this direction 

 that gained for him a place amongst the original 

 60 horticulturists who were awarded the Victoria 

 Medal of Honour in 1897. 



William Barry. —The Weekly Florists' Review 

 announces the death of Mr. William Barry, one 

 of the best known horticulturists in California, 

 on February 25. Mr. Barry was a native of 

 Ireland, but has resided in California for more 

 than 50 years. Deceased, who was 80 yeare of 

 age, had been horticultural inspector of Alameda 

 County for about 20 years. 



Robert Dennison.— Mr. Robert Dennison, 

 Florist, a native of Belfast, died at Bala, Phila- 

 delphia, U.S.A., on the 1st inst. He settled in 

 America nearly a quarter of a century ago, and, 

 with his brothers Alexander and John, carried on 

 an important nursery and florists' business at 

 Bala. 



William Thomson. — We regret to record the 

 death of Mr. William Thomson, head of the firm 

 of Messrs. Wm. Thomson & Co., Seedsmen, Mel- 

 bourne Place, Edinburgh, on the -25th inst., 

 aged 76. 



SOCIETIES- 



royal HORTICULTURAL. 



Scientific Committee. 



March 19. — Present: Mr. E. A. Bowie,. 

 M.A., F.L.S. (in the Chair) ; Canon Fowler, Rev' 

 G. H. Engleheart, Messrs. J. O'Brien, \V. Hale* 

 C. T. Druery, J. T. Bennett-Poe, C. E. Shea 

 E. M. Holmes, R. Hooper Pearson, r. J 

 Chittenden (hon. sec), and Rev. J. Jacob 

 (visitor). 



Hybrids with Narcissus Calathimi*. — Rev. G. 

 Engleheart made some remarks regarding th 

 apparently very restricted distribution of this 

 beautiful form of Narcissus triandrus. It is nut 

 apparently found outside a small area on an island 

 in S. Europe, about 1£ degrees out of the latitude 

 in which the type occurs on the mainland of Spain 

 and Portugal. He also showed a beautiful and 

 vigorous white hybrid between this and a variety 

 of N. Leedsii, which might be likened to a hardy 

 Eucharis. Several of these white and vigorous 

 seedlings had now been raised. The Committee 

 unanimously recommended a Certificate of Appre- 

 ciation to Mr. Engleheart for his work with 

 these hvbrids. 



v 



Osyris alba. — Mr. E. M. Holmes showed root 

 of vines attached to which were the suckers ol 

 the parasite Osyris alba, a plant belonging t 

 the family Santalacese. This parasite attaches 

 itself to the roots of a large number of plant 

 over 60 hosts being known, but up to now it 

 has not been recorded as attacking the vine. 

 The specimen came from Montpellier. 



Camellia Tuckiana. — Mr. Bennett -Poe 

 showed flowers of a seedling Camellia, which he 

 had raised from seed ripened in S. France, now 

 flowering for the first time in a cold greenhouse. 

 The flowers were single, about 3 inches in dia 

 meter, of a delicate pink, with numerous yellow 

 stamens. It had been identified as Camellia 

 Tuckiana. 



Beetles in Beans.— Canon Fowler showed 

 French Beans attack-ad by the beetle Bruchi. 

 lentis. This and other species of Bruchus are 

 well-known pests of various species of Bean and 

 Pea, boring holes into the cotyledons, but they 

 appear rarely to interfere with germination. 



Athyrium with bulbiferous sori. — Mr. C. T. 

 Druery showed portions of the fronds of Atm 

 rium Filix-foemina plumosum with large numbers 

 of small plants arising from the sori, each sorus 

 producing several bulbils. 



Snowdrops.— Mir. E. A. Bowles showed speci- 

 mens and drawings of a double green Snowdrop, 

 in which both stamens and ovary were aborted 

 and replaced by rather narrow, foliose segments. 

 He also exhibited the double yellow form ot 

 Galanthus nivalis, and drawings of the white 

 form of G. Elwesii recently shown by him to 

 demonstrate that there were a few small green 

 lines on the inner perianth pieces of that flower. 



Mrs. Taylor, of Bower- 

 sent two abnormal 



Malformed Orchids .— 



dens, Henley-on-Thames, 



flowers from a newly-imported plant of Dendro- 

 bium Wardianum giganteum. In one of tnem 

 two stamens of the outer whorl had developed 

 and become petaloid and bore pollen sacs on their 

 inner edges near the base. In the other, tne 

 column bore at its apex three stamens, the usual 

 one fully, the other two partially developed, ana 

 three lips, one inside the other (but 

 inner and progressivelv smaller ones 

 slightly to the right and left respectively ot tne 

 normal one). Mr. J. Gurney Fowler sent an 

 Odontoglossum with four symmetrically disposer 

 outer perianth pieces, six inner perianth piece i 

 including two lips, and two normal columns, si ^ 

 by side. The ovary also was double, but 

 into one. 



the two 

 arising 



fused 



BRIGHTON, HOVE, AND SUSSEX 



HORTICULTURAL. 



March 21.— At the meeting of this soci e g 



abov* **** 9fifl m^mbere and irieiuw 



"ciu <_>u tuts auove ua.Lt;, ^ju mciu^*w — T^w 



were present to hear Mr. Joseph Cheal. ol 

 fVld Nurseries, Crawley, speak on hw *F*** 



n^ia nurseries, urawiev, speaK o« «« -;- .« ,. 

 Gibraltar, Morocco, Teneriffe, and Madeira,^ * 

 trated by special slides taken from photograp 

 from Mr. Cheat's collection. , m hqt f 



The secretary (Mr. A. J. Gaston) read a iw q{ 

 42 nominations of new members. The res 

 the monthlv rnmnpfit.inns were announced. 



