THE 



GA RDENERS MA GA ZINE. 



June 18, ^ 



best. P. Gordonianus and P. grandiflorus, both of which were introduced functions of the roots, stems, leaves and flowers, and show^h^TZ^T 



r ._. tt_:.-j c.„^o j«««cr th*» first half of the nresent renturv. are of of these would materially assist the gardener in ,. Kno *'«lie 



of these would materially assist the gardenei -in ^ - 



referring to the work that had been accomplished by scientists ^ t y°^ h 

 assistance they had rendered the cultivator, Mr. Henslow to * * 



portance of gardeners closely observing and of recording everything lit m ' 

 of value to the scientist in his investigations of the various problems '/ ' i 

 life. At the close of the lecture William Marshall, Esq., who presided « P 

 the hearty thanks of the meeting to the lecturer, and the pleasure he felt in • 

 so large a number present, and hoped that they would inform their friends T? 

 lectures, as it was desirable that the largest possible m.mU ri^u L .° . 



from the United States during the first half of the present century, are of 

 great beauty, and have much larger flowers than those of the first-named 

 species, and these are produced at a later period of the summer. In con- 

 trast to the foregoing, all of which make large shrubs, we have the 

 elegant P. microphyllus, introduced from New Mexico about fifteen years 

 since. This is of small growth, and produces an abundance of medium- 

 sized pure white flowers, but is less hardy than the stronger growing 



species. Of late years these shrubs have received the attention of the i ectures> as ft was desirable that the largest possible number"^ Idh ° f 

 hybridist, and already a trio of beautiful forms have been introduced to opportunity of hearing them. u a nave the 



commerce. These are known respectively as Boule d'Argent and Gerbe 

 de Neige, which are becoming known, and Mont Blanc, which was 

 exhibited for the first time in this country^at Westminster on Tuesday. 

 These hybrids are distinguished by their neat growth and profusion of 

 flowering, and should prove of value for the supply of flowers under glass 

 early in the year. 



IMPROVEMENT OF PASTURES. 



Although the maintenance of grass lands in a fertile condition is 

 by a considerable proportion of cultivators regarded as of less importance 

 than the provision of a good tilth and a liberal supply of plant food for 

 crops grown on arable land, no such distinction is justified. When the 

 grass is eaten off by cattle, very moderate dressings of manure will 



A Successful Lady Gardener. — A portrait of Miss Annie Gulvin wh 

 has the distinction of being the first woman to take charge of a garden on exani° 

 the same terms as a man, is given in the current issue of the journal of the Ke ' 

 Guild. Miss Gulvin, who left Kew in January, 1897, to take charge of the 

 gardens of J. Brogden Esq., Iscoed, Ferryside, South Wales, has contributed to 

 •the journal a short account of her first year's experience as a head gardener, and 

 from this we gather that she has been successful in overcoming many difficulties 

 and has had the pleasure of winning a first prize for vegetables, and having had 

 her salary raised £10 a year. The kitchen garden has an area of five acres and 

 contains four vineries and an orchard house, and the staff comprises a lady assistant 

 and four men. 



The Kingston Chrysanthemum Society.— Mr. A. D^an writes: 



*' Although almost from its origin to now I have laken great interest in the welfare 



suffice to maintain the fertility of the land, as a portion of the constituents of this society and have attended every annual exhibition for the past twenty 



will be returned to the soil. But when the grass is converted into hay P erha P s ! ^ K mterest ln lts 15 h ™™> 



, , , * i "LiT ij , r been recently urged to become a member of the executive, I have agreed, subiect 



and consumed on another part of the holding, or sold, large quantities of . ,./r wu , * r -t , , 



d» v ? , & ^ to certain conditions. When a good ship is m danger of sinking only the rati 



the constituents of plant food are • wholly removed, with the result leave it, and it is then a proper time for those who have real interest in its welfare 



that the soil becomes impoverished, and with an impoverishment of the to do their best t0 help to save it from being wrecke d. The Kingston Society is, 



md there is a deterioration of the herbage and a diminution in the bulk. 



chink, the oldest in the county of Surrey ; certainly not so many years back it was 



On the other hand, with the restoration of fertility there is a rapid t h e leading chrysanthemum society of the kingdom. It is not so now by a long 



improvement in the quality of the produce, as well as an increase in the wa y, none the less every effort should be made to keep it up to its earlier high 



bulk ; and one of the most striking examples of the importance of maintain- status. It is now heavily in debt to its secretary and collector. Realizing that 



ing the soil of meadows in a high state of fertility that has yet come under the committee have been compelled to reduce the prize list somewhat, but seeing 



our notice was met with at Swanmore Park the other day. Three or four how great a pull exhibitors have had out of the society in years past, that should 



years since, Mr. Molyneux, who has occupied the position of head gardener be rather a reason than otherwise why they should give the old ship all the support 



to W. H. Mvers, Esq., during the past two decades, added to his other they can. To help to that end we want to see a first-rate show presented next 



November ; it will not clash with the National, but will take place on the is: 



and 2nd. Kindly let me ask both trade and private growers to bear Kingston i 

 mind, and help the committee to make a splendid exhibition worthy of the - 1 

 town and of the queen of autumn flowers." 



Club- Root Disease.— At a 



cago 



responsibilities the management of the home farm, which includes a con- 

 siderable area of meadows. Finding in some of these a less vigorous 

 growth of grass than was desirable, Mr. Molyneux decided to apply to a 

 portion of the pastures a dressing, consisting of basic slag and kainit, at 

 the rate of twelve cwt. to the acre, the proportions being one ton of the 



latter to two tons of the basic slag. The effect of this application is now Mr - G - Stolle 'y ^ted that he had failed in his attempt to grow sweet pu 

 evident to a casual observer, for the vigour of the grass has been because of the V^ts having been attacked by the fungus causing ; club-* 

 increased to a remarkable extent, and the clovers, which were sparingly J-** He ^ -parted that he had 



V . ' ^ h j . j j McGowan carnation, because of its being attacked in a similar manner. Ml 



represented in the herbage now form an important part, and must aad 0 , . _ * b ^ n th arnnn A he now occ 



v . _ . . * . . r ... r r 9 . , . Stollery said cabbage had been grown for many years on the ground ne now uw. 



materially to its value. Both these fertilizers are comparatively inex- 

 pensive, and as they will continue to exercise an influence for two or 

 three years, the annual cost will be trivial. The soil at Swanmore is 

 mther strong, and therefore the basic slag is more effective than it would 

 be in the case of light soils, but there can be no question that the ex- 

 periment so successfully conducted at Swanmore Park might be repeated 

 with advantage on many other holdings, for poor pastures are not is due. 



pleasing to the eye or satisfactory to the pocket. 



Lateness of Rose Season.— In consequence of the abnormally low tem- 

 perature of the past six weeks roses have made so slow a growth that but few 

 blooms of the hybrid perpetuals, hybrid teas, and teas have as yet attained their 

 full development, and considerable apprehension is naturally felt with regard to 

 the success of the earlier exhibitions of roses. The Council of the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society have very wisely decided to postpone the rose show, arranged to 

 be held at the Drill Hall, Westminster, on June 28 to July 12, One of the leading 

 rosarians in Ireland informs us that .the roses in the North of Ireland are about a 

 fortnight later than usual, and a member of one of the leading firms in Scotland, 

 whom we had the pleasure of meeting the other day, in taking a somewhat 

 humorous view of the situation, said that the present rate of progress in the rose 

 quarters suggested that they would give a good supply of blooms in November. 

 The National Rose Society's exhibition at the Crystal Palace on July 2 will 

 probably be one of the best of the metropolitan shows held of recent years, as the 

 date appears likely to be suitable for growers in the South and the Midlands. At 



pies, and he believed that the attacks from which his sweet peas and caraatioi 

 had suffered were due to the spores remaining in the soil. As there is no record 

 of Plasmodiophora brassicce attacking either sweet peas or carnations it is of ml 

 importance that the club-root from which Mr. Stollery's plants are suftering 

 should be fully investigated, with a view to ascertain whether the disease is cautjj 

 by the plasmo-diphora, and if not the identity of the f ungus to which the mischief 



New Offices of the Royal Gardens, Kew.-Offices for the cantor 



and assistant-curator, a library and meeting room for the gardeners, and an otoC* 



residence for the assistant-curator have been provided in the large house * ^ 

 stands in the east corner of the melon ground. This building, formerly a pm ■ 



residence, and known to Kewites as Bell's House or Descanso Lodge, is sta 

 the journal of the Kew Guild to have been the official residence of Director A ^ 

 The room -a very large one— which is now the gardeners' library, was in 1 



time the king's room, having been built by George III. for his convenienCC to 

 visiting his garden. The term melon ground indicates that this part ot 

 contained the fruit houses when George III. was king. 



A Royal Rose. -At the exhibition of the Royal Botanic ^J^J 

 the 10th inst, their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess 01 ^ 

 present, and, in addition to awarding the prizes to the successfu comp ^ 

 the Floral Parade, made a tour of the exhibition, and especially ^ ^ 

 roses. The Prince of Wales was graciously pleased to name one : 0 1 , ... 



Paul and Son's new seedling roses " The Alexandra," and to 

 tu. -n • . . „ ? . , ,L.urjfUn«, rw« variety Empress mc* 



the meeting of the National Rose Society on Tuesday, in the course of a discussion of Russia. 



at the close of the business, Mr. G. Paul expressed the opinion that the hybrid 

 teas would be highly satisfactory this season, for in no previous year had they 

 appeared so promising in advance of the season of flowering as is now the case ; 

 let us hope this promise will be amply fulfilled. 



Chiswick Lectures.— The first of the series of lectures in the gardens of 



The Newcastle upon Tyne Flower 



Sh0W.-As already anno** 



lturalbo' 



This will be 



Agricultural *~ 



of the Urg 



COUDCl 



il 



London to visk inc- 



f r*rtS Of Eflg* 



«n-.-.v 0 , — *uci«j,i 01 me series 01 lectures in mc garaens 01 xxuy<u -norucuiturai Society wm . s 



the Royal Horticultural Society was given by the Rev. G. Henslow on Wednesday, make awards. Several prominent nurserymen from dittere f« 



and proved, we are pleased to state, a gratifying success. That the lecture would 

 be of the highest excellence was a foregone conclusion, for as a lecturer on botanical 

 subjects Mr. Henslow has but few equals and no superior, and the only point about 

 which there could be any doubt was the attendance, and this was remarkably good, 

 borne s>xty or seventy young gardeners, with a few Fellows of the society, were 

 present. Mr. Henslow dealt in his lecture with the leading points in the physi- 

 ology of plants, and m the course of a masterly address described the chief 



have made applications for space. 



The Gardeners' Company.— At the 



recent »^° f ^S3U 

 Samuel Harmer was admitted to the freedom and livery with the ^ D ^: jniain fttnei 

 On the motion of Mr. N. N. Sherwood, the retiring Master,^ ^ ^ ^ 

 was elected the Master, Mr. Philip Crowley the Upper w ^ nf Miefm »a 



the Renter Warden for the ensuing year ; and, on & ^ & , 



Marcus Samuel, a hearty vote of thanks was passed to • 



XI 



» 



