April 20, 1912.] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



265 



Birds and Fruit Buds. — In the closing 



days of February, whilst our indoor Peach trees 

 were in flower, birds caused much damage to 

 them. Having kept a careful watch, we found 

 that sparrows were the cause of the mischief. 

 They appeared to eat the top half of each flower 

 as it opened. Nets were put over the ventilators 

 to keep them out until the flowers were set. The 

 sparrows have just done the same with our Peach 

 trees out-of-doors. I never saw or heard of simi- 

 lar damage being done by these birds before. 

 Inside Foreman, East Lothian. 



- Last year the fruit-buds on Apple 



trees here were destroyed by bullfinches and lin- 

 nets. The birds commenced to eat the buds dur- 

 ing the second week in March, and continued 

 their depredations until the flowers were almost 

 fully expanded. They had not previously touched 

 them, and no other buds w T ere interfered with, 

 only those of Apple trees. This year bullfinches 

 are the principal offenders, and they seem to 

 take a special delight in eating the blooms of 

 Cox's Orange Pippin, while trees of the 

 variety Duchess of Oldenburg are untouched. 

 Contrary to the experience of Mr. Phillips (see 

 p. 246) sparrows, of which we have great num- 

 bers, never seem to touch the buds. I find that 

 shooting the birds is the only means of preven- 

 tion : sprayings with V 2 , caustic and with Niquas 

 has had no effect. An unusual thing occurred 

 last year. On some of the worst trees we 

 had a splendid second crop of bloom, and they 

 furnished a very heavy crop of fruits, and the 

 same thing occurred in two other gardens close 

 by. It would be interesting to know the ex- 

 perience of other readers on this matter. J. 

 Smith, Mulroy Gardens, Co. Donegal. 



SOCIETIE 



Frost and the Fruit Crops. — We ex- 

 perienced 13° of frost on the morning of the 

 12th inst., which spoiled what promised to be a 

 splendid fruit year. The embryo fruits of 

 Plums, Pears, and Cherries are practically all 

 destroyed, and even the unopened flowers. 

 Peaches and Apricots that were already set have 

 also been destroyed. The gardens are situated 

 near to a stream, which accounts for so much 

 damage. Gooseberries and Currants seem to 

 have escaped injury. J . R. Wilson, Sulby Hall 

 Gardens, Northamptonshire. 





Primula rosea. — I was not a little suiprised 



on reading in the last issue, p. 246, the remarks 

 of your correspondent in reference to the seed- 

 ing of Primula rosea. I have cultivated this 

 Primula for many years, and it is not my experi- 

 ence that the plant does not perfect its seeds 

 unless pollinated artificially. Here it is grown 

 on the north side of a cottage in a nursery, 

 where it succeeds well. The drought of last sum- 

 mer militated greatly against its development, 

 many of the crowns dying, but its beautiful 

 flowers are invariably followed by a good head of 

 seed. So far as I can determine, every flower 

 gets naturally fertilised, for no trouble is taken 

 to ensure this. The seed is invariably fertile, 

 and I have a supply of home-grown seed which, 

 when sown, germinates with the greatest free- 

 dom. Your correspondent does not give the posi- 

 tion where he grows his plants. Probably, if 

 planted in a warm border or in full sunshine, 

 seeds would not develop. I have never submitted 

 it to such a position, regarding it as enjoying a 

 shady or partially-shaded situation. A. J. A. B., 

 Chorlton-cum-Hardy. 



NEW INVENTION. 



A NEW FLOWER POT. 



The Trivett Pottery Co., Lount, near Ashby- 

 de-la-Zouch, have sent us one of their improved 

 flower pots. Instead of the customary flat bottom, 

 with one large hole in the centre for drainage, 

 the inventors have made the bottom of their pot 

 dome shaped, and have placed a series of small 

 drainage holes around the lower half of the dome, 

 ihree grooves, at the base at regular intervals, 

 ensure a free circulation of air around the roots 

 °i the plant. This dome device obviates the 

 necessity of " crocking/' except perhaps in the 

 very large sizes ; the pot is well made, light, and 

 sufficiently porous to grow good plants. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL. 



Aprii 16. — The meeting at the Society's Hall 

 on Tuesday last included a special competitive 

 sljpw of Narcissi. Daffodil growers made the most 

 of the occasion to display their flowers, so that 

 Narcissi were shown extensively and well. The 

 Narcissus Committee awarded, several medals 

 to groups, and conferred three Awards of Merit 

 on novelties. The Barr Memorial Cup (fig. 124) 

 was formally presented to the Rev. G. H. Engle- 

 heart by Mr. H. B. 3Iay on behalf of the 

 Memorial Fund Committee (see p. 241). 



Orchids made a brilliant show, and the Orchid 

 Committee found plenty to inspect, including 

 novelties. Awards made to the latter included 

 one First-class Certificate, and two Awards of 



Merit. 



Hardy plants were the most numerous of the 

 exhibits in the floral section ; besides these Roses, 

 Carnations, Ferns, forced shrubs, Pelargoniums, 

 and Rhododendrons were • freely shown. The 

 Floral Committee recommended four Awards of 



Merit to new plants. 



Messrs. Sutton & Son's collection of vegetables 

 was the only exhibit of importance before the 

 Fruit and Vegetable Committee. 



At the 3 o'clock meeting in the lecture-room 

 the Rev. Prof. G. Henslow delivered an address 

 on " Darwin as Ecologist." 



Floral Committee. 



Present: H. B. May, Esq. (in the Chair); and 

 Messrs. Chas. E. Shea, George Paul, John Green, 

 R. C. Notcutt, George Gordon, C. R. Fielder, 

 C. Blick, J. F. McLeod, John Jennings, Wm. 

 Howe, Wm. Bain, Herbert J. Cutbush, John 

 Dickson, Chas. Dixon, H. J. Jones, Arthur Tur- 

 ner, W. P. Thomson, Edward Mawley, G. 

 Reuthe, and F. Page Roberts. 



Messrs. Wm. Cutbush & Son, Highgate, Lon- 

 don, arranged a large group of flowering trees and 

 shrubs against the side wall. The many pro- 

 fusely-flowered bushes of Lilac, Prunus of sorts, 

 Wistaria sinensis, Rhododendron (Azalea) sinen- 

 sis, R. indicum and Cytisus praecox made a fine 

 show. The comparatively rare Ledum latifolium 

 compactum was shown in very good form. Messrs. 

 Cutbush also showed many interesting hardy 

 plants. Erythronium Johnstonii possesses an un- 

 common rosy-mauve shade of colour. A fine 

 group of Cypripedium spectabile, fronted with 

 Sanguinaria canadensis, attracted attention. This 

 firm also showed choice blooms of perpetual- 

 blooming Carnations, having a selection of most 

 of the best varieties. (Silver-gilt Flora Medal.) 



Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, exhi- 

 bited a selection of Hippeastrums, including 

 such choice varieties as Hermia, Juvantes, 

 and Otanes. In the same group there were 

 well-flowered plants of Rhododendron (Azalea) 

 indicum, new Gerbera hybrids, and delightful 

 plants of the pretty pink-flowered Crowea angus- 

 tifolia. Lopezia lineata also found a place in 



the collection. 



Messrs. Stuart Low & Co., Bush Hill Park, 

 Middlesex, exhibited several very fine plants of 

 Metrosideros robusta bearing large inflores- 

 cences. Other useful and uncommon greenhouse 

 plants included Clianthus Dampieri, shown ex- 

 ceedingly well; Eriostemon myoporoides, E. 

 linearis, and Boronia heterophylla. 



Mr. H. N. Ellison, West Bromwich, staged a 

 very pleasing arrangement of cut flowers of 

 Gerbera hybrids, relieved with sprays of Aspara- 

 gus plumosus nanus, in Bamboo stands rising 

 from a groundwork of Ferns growing in small 

 pots. The Gerberas were exceedingly good. 



Messrs. Gill & Sons, Tremough, Cornwall, 

 again showed trusses of Rhododendrons, having 

 splendid inflorescences of such choice varieties 

 as Beauty of Tremough, Cornubia, Hodginsonii 

 (pale lilac), Lindleyi, and such noble species as 

 R. Aucklandii and R. Falconeri. The exhibit also 

 contained fine flowering sprays of Erica mediter- 

 ranea and Embothrium coccineum. (Silver Bank- 



sian Medal.) ' 



The Hon. H. B. Portman, Buxted Park, Uck- 



field, Sussex (gr. Mr. J. Phillips), exhibited a 

 fine group of Schizanthus hybrids. 



Messrs. H. B. May & Sons, Upper Edmon- 

 ton, staged a cool-looking bank of stove and 

 greenhouse Ferns. An especially fine specimen 

 plant of Davallia fijiensis robusta occupied the 

 centre of the exhibit. The gloriosa variety of 



Adiantum Farleyense, growing in very small pots, 

 bore large fronds. (Silver Flora Medal.) 



Mr. James Douglas, Great Bookham, Surrey, 

 showed a large number of exceedingly fine 

 Auriculas. Three large pots of Myosotidium 

 nobile were perfect examples of this delightful 

 plant, and bore stout racemes of Myosotis-like 

 flowers. (Silver Flora Medal.) 



Mrs. Henderson, Sedgwick Park, Horsham, 

 exhibited a large plant of Echium fastuosum, 

 bearing numerous spikes of blue flowers. 



Mr. Phillip Ladds, Swanley, Kent, showed 

 fine Zonal Pelargoniums, and fresh, sweet- 

 scented Midlothian Stocks in 5-inch pots. 



Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, Kent, 

 again exhibited excellent cut blooms of Zonal 

 Pelargoniums. (Bronze Banksian Medal.) 



Mr. Vincent Slade, Taunton, Somerset, staged 

 single and double-flowered Zonal Pelargoniums, 

 and their new Ivy-leaved variety Miss L. H. 



Popham. The single Zonals included Mrs. V. 

 Slade, a fine flower, with a pink edge, the petals 

 being splashed with the same colour. 



Mr. H. J. Jones, Ryecroft, Lewisham, ex- 

 hibited an exceedingly bright collection of fine 

 cut blooms of single Zonal Pelargoniums. 

 (Bronze Banksian Medal.) 



Roses. 



Messrs. B. R. Cant & Sons, Colchester, set up 

 a fine collection of Roses. Tall stands contained 

 blooms of Austrian Copper and Austrian (J old, 

 whilst in boxes we noted Hugh Dickson, 

 Mme. Melanie Soupert, Fisher Holmes, Papa 

 Lambert, and Caroline Testout as being 

 especially good. The new seedling bedding 

 variety, Rose du Barri, is a very attractive 

 flower. The collection also included a good vase 

 of St. Helena, a new H.T. Rose of pale pink 

 colour, flushed with orange at the base. (Silver 

 Banksian Medal.) 



Messrs. George Mount & Sons, Canterbury, 

 exhibited many fresh blooms of Roses. The rich- 

 yellow variety Lady Hillingdon contrasted finely 

 with the deep pink of Mrs. Geo. Shawyer. Other 

 fine blooms were Caroline Testout, Lady Pirrie, 

 the rich red Liberty, and the beautiful yellow 

 Rayon d'Or. (Silver Banksian Medal.) 



Messrs. W. Paul & Sons, Waltham Cross, 

 filled a corner of the Hall with tall pot plants 

 of Roses, chiefly of climbing varieties, such as 

 Sylvia, Bocca negra, Tausendschon, and Fairy. 

 (Silver Banksian Medal.) 



Mr. G. Prince, Longworth, Berkshire, ex- 

 hibited fine cut blooms of Roses in variety. 

 Debutante and King Edward VII were the best 

 of the cluster Roses. In stands there were fine 

 blooms of Ulrich Brunner, Rayon d'Or, and Dean 

 Hole. (Bronze Banksian Medal.) 



Carnations. 



Mr. G. Englemann, Saffron Walden, Essex, 

 exhibited blooms of Carnations, in large stands, 

 of distinct colours. (Bronze Banksian Medal.) 



Messrs. All wood Bros., Hay wards Heath, 

 Sussex, staged a good selection of cut Carna- 

 tions, including Empire Day, a fine pink, free- 

 flowering variety, of good substance. Fairmount 

 is a great improvement on Mikado. 



Mr. Bertie Bell, Guernsey, again exhibited a 

 very fine group of cut blooms of his seedling 

 Carnation Coronation. 



A Silver Flora Medal was awarded to Mr. H. 

 Burnett, Guernsey, for an exhibit of perpetual- 

 blooming Carnations, the flowers being exceed- 

 ingly fine. 



An exhibit of Carnations was displayed by 

 Messrs. W. Wells & Co., Merstham, Surrey, in 

 which prominence was given to the fine variety 

 named Wodenethe, which is described under 

 Awards. 



Hardy Plants. 



The Buxton Hardy Plant Nurseries, Christ- 

 church, exhibited attractive rockery plants and a 

 fine strain of orange-coloured hybrid Polyanthus, 

 which were arranged in a conspicuous position on 

 the rockery. 



Messrs. Whitelegg & Page, Chislehurst, 



Kent, set up a low rockery in the annexe. Saxi- 

 fraga "Pencilled Beauty," displayed in consider- 

 able quantity, was very attractive. (Bronze 

 Banksian Medal.) 



Messrs. B. Ladhams, Ltd., The Shirley Nur- 

 series, Southampton, showed a large basket of 

 giant crimson Polyanthuses. 



