92 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ February 1, 1883. 
vator as “ A Kitchen Gardener ” appears to be, should intimate 
on page 26 that this and Sandringham White are distinct varie¬ 
ties, and thus lead inexperienced readers to purchase two packets 
of seed of the same vegetable. 
- Mr. B. S. Williams, Upper Holloway, sends us blooms 
of Primulas rubro-violacea and Chiswick Red, both exceed¬ 
ingly fine varieties, the former being of a very rich purplish 
crimson hue, and the latter bright red with a decided tendency to 
scarlet. The blooms are large, of good form, and very freely 
produced. 
- At the annual dinner of the Committee of the Wimbledon 
and District Horticultural Society, held last Friday, a pleasing 
presentation was made TO Me. J. Lyne, gardener to 
A. Schlusser, Esq., Belvedere. The testimonial took the form 
of a handsome plated tea service, and on the teapot was the fol¬ 
lowing inscription:—“Presented to Mr. John Lyne by a few 
members and friends of the Wimbledon Horticultural Society in 
appreciation of his services as a member of such Committee. 
January 26th, 1883.” Mrs. Lyne was afterwards presented with 
half a dozen silver spoons. 
- The annual dinner of the workmen employed by Messrs. 
R. E. Crompton & Co. and Messrs. T. H. P. Dennis & Co. at the 
Arc Electric Light and Anchor Iron Works, Moulsham, took place 
at the Public Hall, Moulsham, last Saturday evening. Mr. F. A. 
Fawkes presided at the dinner, being supported by Mr. G. Kapp, 
Mr. Thos. Thompson, and Mr. W. A. Kyle. After dinner the chair 
was occupied by Capt. Crompton, who was supported on the plat¬ 
form by those already named and by Mr. J. Luckin. Mr. S. Sud- 
worth was in the vice-chair. After the usual toasts had been 
proposed and suitably acknowledged a pleasant evening was con¬ 
cluded with a musical entertainment. 
- Garden Appointments. —Messrs. J. Carter & Co. state 
that the following appointments have been recently made through 
them :—Mr. A. H. Wright to be head gardener to J. Y. Hornyold, 
Esq., of Blackmore Park, Upton-on-Severn ; and Mr. Geo. Stuart, 
head gardener to C. Howard, Esq., Woodcote Lodge, Shere, 
Guildford. The late Mr. Ward has, we are informed, been suc¬ 
ceeded by his son as gardener at Stoke Edith. 
- Writing on the 29th ult. “ A Northern Amateur ” says 
“ The effects OF the weather we have had in Perthshire for 
some time is to be seen. In my garden the buds of fruit trees 
and bushes are swelling, and Roses are moving. I see on a south 
wall shoots about half an inch long on a plant of Charles Lawson, 
and a plant of Marechal Niel which has been slightly protected 
is also'pushing. During the last week Snowdrops are in flower, 
Crocuses are showing their tips, white and red Hepaticas, the first 
laced Polyanthus, and one plant among seedling Primroses are in 
bloom. On the 27th they were covered with 3 inches depth of 
snow, which soon began to thaw on the low grounds, although the 
hills all round are still white, and we have again a repetition of 
wind and rain. I lately had a plant sent me ; the name on the 
tally is not very legible, but seems to be Primula glaucescens. 
The foliage is unlike that of any of the other Primulas I have, 
and I cannot find it in any catalogue. Can any of your corre¬ 
spondents give me any information as to such a variety beyond 
the colour implied in the name ?” 
- An American contemporary has the following respecting 
the Lily of the Valley :—“The flowers of the Lily of the 
Valley, universal favourites, are used during the winter months 
in great quantities in our large cities and towns, New York city 
alone probably using a million, the average price of which is about 
fire cents each, so that for this flower alone 50,000 dols. is annually 
paid by the bouquet makers of one city to the florists, the con¬ 
sumer, no doubt, paying from one-third to one-half more. The 
Lily of the Valley is nearly all imported from Germany and 
France, usually in single crams or “ pips.” 
- The fifty-fifth annual report of the Manchester Bota¬ 
nical and Horticultural Society states that several 
important changes have been carried out in the garden during 
the past year. During the past year the old range of houses has 
been removed, and five new houses, 300 feet long, have been 
erected in a position further back than the old ones occupied. 
The erection of these houses and the labour consequent upon the 
removal of the old buildings has caused an extraordinary outlay 
of about £1400. The number of new life members who joined 
during the year exactly corresponded with that of the preceding 
year, while the income from two-guinea subscribers is four guineas 
in excess. About £1000 was awarded in prizes during the year 
to encourage the cultivation of plants, flowers, fruits, and vege¬ 
tables, and so numerous were the exhibits sent in that much diffi¬ 
culty was experienced in finding accommodation for them. 
Another feature of the increasing public utility of the Sbciety is 
the assistance afforded to botanical "students (professional and 
amateur), to artists and others. A series of botanical lectures 
was given during the summer months by Mr. Leo Grindon, to 
the evident satisfaction of the members present. The Council 
state that the large exhibition house in which the exotics have 
been exhibited for the last thirty years is in a very unsafe condi¬ 
tion (unfit to hold another exhibition in) ; consequently they have 
resolved to remove the present structure, and to build a new one 
about one-third larger. It is estimated that the cost of the 
proposed new exhibition house will be about £2000, and it has 
been resolved to make an effort to secure one hundred additional 
life members to cover the expense. A life member’s ticket is 
£20. The income for the year has been £4204, and the expendi¬ 
ture £5384. 
- Parts 26, 27, 28, and 29 of Messrs. Cassell’s re-issue of 
“ Paxton’s Flower Garden ” contain coloured plates of the 
following plants, in addition to the woodcuts in the gleanings and 
original memoranda : — Oncidium variegatum, a pretty species 
with bright pink flowers, borne in a loose panicle. Jonesia Asoca, 
an East Indian tree, included in the natural order Leguminosre, 
but very distinct from the majority of that family ; the flowers 
are orange-coloured, fragrant, and borne in dense terminal heads. 
Pleione maculata and P. lagenaria, two well-known dwarf Orchids, 
the former with white sepals and petals and a rose-striped lip ; 
the latter differing chiefly in the sepals and petals being purple, 
and the flowers rather larger. Veronica Andersonii, a hybrid 
raised from crossing V. salicifolia with pollen from V. speciosa, 
from which a beautiful race of Veronicas has been obtained. 
Vanda tricolor is represented by a good plate, and is accom¬ 
panied by an enumeration of the species. Aponogeton distachyon 
is also faithfully depicted. Berberis Darwinii, undoubtedly the 
most ornamental and useful of the genus, is well shown. Salvia 
gesnerimflora, a favourite rich scarlet-flowered Sage, which is 
closely allied to S. fulgens (cardinalis), and is especially valued 
for the brilliancy of its long tubular flowers. Much interesting 
information is given in the gleanings, through the additions in the 
present issue do not appear to be very numerous. 
- Many readers of this Journal will welcome the work just 
commenced by the publishers of the above, entitled “ Familiar 
Wild Birds,” which is illustrated with coloured engravings, and 
accompanied by descriptive letterpress in a similar style to the 
“ Familiar Wild and Garden Flowers.” The plates are admirably 
executed, the two in the first part representing the Goldfinch and 
Magpie. This work will undoubtedly become as popular as the 
other serials already noticed. 
- We have been shown some specimens of floral photo¬ 
graphy executed by Mr. Henry Stevens of the well-known firm 
