March 27, 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
24 
house at King’s Acre, on Thursday, 20th March, 1884, John Cranston, Esq. 
(President) in the chair, the vice-President, Hugh Ronalds, Esq., being also 
present. The whole of the employes, numbering upwards of 100 men and 
lads, attended. The Chairman congratulated all present upon the success of 
the undertaking, which he described as far exceeding the expectations of the 
promoters, attributing that success to the very general unity which he 
was so pleased to see existed amongst all concerned. Having in a few well- 
chosen words given all present some excellent advice regarding thrift, and 
the importance of making some provision against sickness, he called upon the 
Honorary Secretary (Mr. J. T. Mayo) to read his report, which was received 
and adopted as read. It was then arranged to pay a bonus to each, to the 
amount of one-half their contributions ; this will reduce the amount in hand 
by £14 14 j. 7£ d.; the balance, £7 10*. l\d., to be placed to a reserve fund. 
It was further agreed to increase the weekly allowance in case of sickness, from 
5s. to 8s. for men, and from 2s. 6 d. to 4s. to boys, during the first six weeks of 
their illness, and, should they still continue ill, half that amount for the next 
six weeks, after which they will not be entitled to any benefit for the next 
twelve weeks. The contributions to remain the same as heretofore—viz., 2 d. 
per week for men and Id. per week for boys, which amount is deducted (in 
advance) once in every three weeks from their wages, an arrangement to 
which all very readily agreed to without a single dissentient. The allowance 
in case of death has also been increased from £1 to £2 10s., and the widow 
of one of the late employes has just been paid this latter sum, he having died 
two days after this alteration was made, after an illness extending over six 
weeks. His total contributions amounted to 9*. 4 d., whilst he and his widow 
have benefited to the amount of £3 16s. Ad., which clearly demonstrates the 
great amount of good which can be done by workmen combining in this way. 
The general regret expressed among the men here is that it was not 
■established years ago. 
The subscriptions during the year amounted to £40 12s. 10d., of which 
£15 14s. 7 d. was paid to sick members, £2 13s. refunded to employes, leaving 
the remaining £3 5s. 9d. in expenses of management, the balance being 
disposed of as above mentioned. 
At the conclusion of the business a hearty vote of thanks was accorded 
Mr. Cranston for presiding, also to Mr. Hugh Ronalds. In responding, Mr. 
Cranston promised to give all the employes a day’s holiday during the first 
week in June, with which all were delighted. Three hearty cheers for Mr. 
-and Mrs. Cranston, and Mr. and Mrs. Ronalds, with a cordial vote of thanks 
to Mr. J. T. Mayo, the Hon. Secretary and Treasurer, brought this most 
successful meeting to a close.—H. R. Illman, King’s Acre, near Hereford. 
At a general meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society held 
yesterday, William Houghton, Esq. (Treasurer), in the chair, the follow¬ 
ing candidates were unanimously elected Fellows, viz. :—William Poile 
Cockburn, Miss de Maine Constantine, Miss Egginton, Frederick C. 
Jacomb, J. Stanley James, George Jarrett, Mrs. Milner, Julius Newton, 
George Pounce, Baron Schroeder, Charles Henry Sharman, Edward A. 
Wallace, Walter H. Williams. 
- We understand the next Show of the Wirral Rose Society 
will be held in St. George’s Hall, Liverpool, on Friday, the 11th July 
sext. 
- For a period of three weeks that handsome shrub Forsythia 
«USPENSA has been flowering in a few suburban gardens, and its blooms 
are still fresh, bright, and abundant. F. viridissima is better known 
than this species, but it is much inferior in attractions, and it is difficult 
to understand how the superior form has been so much neglected. 
Richer in colour than the old and well-known Jasminum nudiflorum, 
with fine bell-like flowers three or four times as large, and equally 
profuse, there can be no question as to which is the better species in a 
horticultural point of view. 
- A Liverpool correspondent writes:--“We have been having 
changeable weather recently. The temperature was 70° in the shade 
on Sunday the 16th inst. On Thursday the wind was piercingly cold. 
Some of the early Pear trees are in full flower. One frost which is 
sure to come will, I fear, blight all hopes of a crop on early varieties. 
Apples are keeping back wonderfully well. Hyacinths in a few days 
outside will be in full beauty, and Daisies are growing and blooming as 
if at the end of April.” 
- A correspondent recommends the following as useful and 
beautiful varieties of Ghent Azaleas —Magnifies, pontica sulphurea, 
pontica magnifies, Marie Dorothde, pontica tricolor, Triomphe de Ron- 
quern, monstrosa fascicularis, Van Dyck, Admiral de Ruyter, elegans 
Optima, and Exquisite. 
- Although at the present time Amaryllises command primary 
attention in Messrs. Veitch & Sons’ Nurseries at Chelsea, they 
after all only form a share of the attractions. The Hyacinths are 
magnificent, and with other flowers in the same house—Rhododendrons) 
Cinerarias, bright and sturdy ; Azaleas, Cytisuses, Gueldres Roses, &c.— 
form a display of remarkable beauty, and well worthy of inspection. 
One or two plants particularly noteworthy are the following :— 
- Rhododendron suave. —This is stated to be the result of a 
cross between R. Edgworthii and R. ciliatum ; it has stout woolly leaves, 
resembling those of the latter, and pure white flowers 2 to 2 £ inches in 
diameter, and as sweet as the Honeysuckle. On this account, as well as 
the dwarf sturdy habit of the plant, Rhododendron suave must be 
regarded as an acquisition to the [great and beautiful family to which it 
belongs. 
— Azalea amcena Caldwelli.— The merits of this early and 
effective variety are not sufficiently known. It has the same small 
foliage, compact habit, and florifereous character as the species, and the 
flowers are similar in colour, but twice or thrice the size, which renders 
the plants particularly striking. For conservatory decoration in winter 
and spring the variety under notice is invaluable. 
- Wbigela HORTENSIS NIVEA.—This is evidently admirably 
adapted for forcing, presuming that the wood is well ripened in the 
summer. It is now flowering freely, and not many plants in the house 
are more chastely attractive, which the sprays when cut must be amongst 
the most acceptable for various decorative purposes. 
- Orchids. —There is quite a wealth of flowers of these, and ever- 
arriving importations of plants render increased accommodation impera¬ 
tive ; hence a new house, and a very fine one, is being erected for 
Cattleyas by Messrs. Weeks & Co. This house is 130 feet long by 22 feet 
wide, with a lantern roof with ventilators. It is a span-roofed structure, 
with side lights 2| feet high on walls of the same height, with sliding 
ventilators in them. Tanks are provided in the centre of the house, and 
twelve rows of 4-inch pipes are provided for heating, this liberal 
provision preventing the necessity of {having the water very hot, thus 
affording a genial temperature and saving fuel. This is a very superior 
structure in every respect, and will maintain the reputation of the 
builders. 
- In the paragraph (page 207) announcing a paper on Thermo¬ 
meters by Robert H. Scott, M.A., to be read at a meeting of the 
Royal Meteorological Society, the date was, by the Secretary’s mistake, 
given as “ Wednesday the 21st inst.,” whereas presumably the 19th inst. 
was intended. The Gardeners' Magazine in drawing attention to this 
remarks—“ It strangely happens that they have forgotten to state in 
what year the event may be expected to take place.” We appreciate our 
contemporary’s acuteness, but unfortunately in another column of the 
same issue “ the event ” is announced with no indication whatever as 
to when it is, or was, “ to take place.” 
- A FLORIST writing on double Primroses remarks“ We 
have the old double crimson-velvet, blush, white, lilac, carmine-rose 
yellow-crimson, and purple, all perfect rosettes, and very beautiful 
Many are lost in gardens through being left undisturbed, as they form 
a woody stem out of the ground, and the young roots perish as they 
grow out from the stem through not having soil near them to run in 
We find them succeed best in a sheltered nook. They are taken up 
annually in the autumn, the larger clumps are divided, and are replanted 
in good loam with a little leaf soil, pressing the soil round the collar of 
the plant. Treated in this way they form good flowering plants by the 
spring.” 
- Potatoes are this season unusually abundant and cheap, large 
quantities being offered as low as £4 105. per ton, and some at even 
lower prices. They are also generally very sound, scarcely any disease 
being perceptible. A correspondent in referring to the low prices being 
realised this year for Potatoes of first-rate quality, remarks that he has 
in some years at this time obtained as much as £10 per ton for Potatoes 
much inferior to those he is now selling at £4 to £5. 
_ The well-known fragrant, sweet-scented Lemon verbena 
(Lippia citriodora) is regarded among the Spanish people as a fine 
stomachic and cordial. It is either used in the form of a cold decoction 
sweetened, or five or six leaves are put into a teacup and hot tea poured 
upon them. The author of a work, “ Among the Spanish People,” says 
that the flavour of the tea thus prepared “ is simply delicious, and no one 
who has drunk his pekoe with it will ever again drink it without a sprig 
