40 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 15, 1886. 
house with ice the weather should be mild for a time, aud then be 
followed by a severe time of frost, it will be judicious to open the 
valves, and displacing the air in o, replace it with that at a lower 
temperature, 'i he valves should be closed when a minimum has 
been secured, and should not be opened again until the return of 
frost the following autumn, when air at a temperature below freezing 
should be admitted. 
Nothing is so detrimental to ice-keeping as constantly opening 
the doors. It should only be occasioned by necessity, and the doors 
should be closed after the person visiting the ice chamber, so that as 
little as possible of the outer air may be allowed to enter, and on 
coming out the like care should be bestowed on closing the door. 
At a general meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, 
Maurice Young, Esq., in the chair, the following candidates were unani¬ 
mously elected—viz., Robert Berridge, M.R.I.C.E., Domingo De Ybarrando, 
George Haigh. James Terry, William J. Thomson, and Reginald Young. 
- The Royal Botanic Society’s Second Evening Fete 
this year was held on Wednesday the 7th inst., and being favoured with fine 
weather proved like the firet, very successful, a large number of visiters 
assembling during the evening. The gardens were most brilliantly and 
tastefully lighted by coloured glass lamps of a new and very elegant pat¬ 
tern. Floral decorations for tables and rooms were shown in the large 
marquee, and an excellent selection of vocal and instrumental music fur¬ 
nished additional attractions in the grounds. The principal exhibitors of 
floral decorations were Mr. Chard, Miss Williams, and Messrs. Dick Rad- 
clyife & Co.; Messrs. Hooper & Co. showing bouquets. Mr. B. S. 
Williams, Upper Holloway, contributed a very handsome group of Orchids 
and choice plants ; Messrs. Paul & Son, Waltham Cross, having a large 
group of Rose blooms. During the evening the Duchess of Teck and 
daughter, with numerous friends, visited the gardens. 
“ S. C.” writes that “ So far the Ivy-leap Pelargonium 
Madame Thibaut by far exceeds the description given when it was 
sent out. My stock plant in a 48-pot, with a dozen trusses of bloom in 
various stages, is very beautiful. It is particularly free-blooming, for in 
a thumb pot I have a head of bloom larger than the pot it is in, and two 
other trusses showing. Another character is the dwarf growth of the 
plant, and so far I have not a tie or a stick to support it; the individual 
blooms being large and useful for buttonholes.” 
The same correspondent observes that “Abed of self-sown 
Mignonette has been for a fortnight a grand sight. In this locality 
the general cry is 1 How badly my Mignonette is doing,’ or ‘ I cannon 
get it to grow,’ yet here it is magnificent. I believe the secret lies in the 
Imd not being either forked or dug, simply raked and slightly top-dressed 
with a rich soil in the autumn, and a little lime at the same time. I 
measured a spike of bloom C inches long with no seeds. Sowing itself it 
comes up rather thickly, but I leave it alone. I have every reason to 
believe that Mignonette sown in the autumn, or as soon as the seed is 
r pe, is the most successful. My bed, about 30 feet long by 3 feet wide, 
is a treat for the bees.” 
- Messrs. ^ iccars, Collyer, & Co., Leicester, inform us that 
the Wilson Junior Blackberry is now bearing a fine crop of ripe 
fruit on plants in pots, and invite an inspection. They were pot'.ed in 
the spring of last year and grown outside until two or three months ago 
then placed in a cool house. Fruit from cne of these plants was exhibited 
at South Kensington on Tuesday last. 
We are informed that the Duchess of Teck has graciously con¬ 
sented to open a large People’s Flower Show and Industrial 
Exhibition in the parish of All Saints, South Lambeth. The Exhibition 
is to be held at the Manor House, Priory Road, Wandsworth Road, S.W. 
aud the promoters are desirous that it shall be in every way a success* 
Ds object is to encourage the poor of this overcrowdtd neighbourhood to 
gtow flowers, and to teach them to cultivate that industry in which they 
iake a special interest, About 200 money prizes are offered, amongst which 
are special prizes given by well-known philanthropists as the Duke of 
Westminster, K.G., Lady Emily Cavendish, Sir Donald Currie, K.C.M.G.i 
M.P., and others, many of whom have promised to support the Princess 
at the opening ceiemony on July 19th. The entrance money is very 
small, and all ccmpetitors receive a free ticket for the distribution of 
prizes on Wednesday, the 21st July, at which the Lieut.-General Sir 
Frederick Fitzwygram, Barf., M.P., has promised to preside. 
- Garden Irrigation. —Messrs. Merryweather & Sons, Long 
Acre, the well-known manufacturers of garden hose, have recently intro¬ 
duced a lawn fountain, and this being niokle-ilated, combines elegance 
with utility. Much labour is saved in watering lawns, &c., where there 
is a pressure of water in pipes, as the fountain only needs occasional 
moving for its regular distribution. 
- Messrs. J. Carter & Co., High HolVrn, have now an extensive 
show of Ten-week Stocks at the Perry Hill Nursery, about 7000 
plants being in flower. They are arranged on stages out of doors facing 
the south, and covered at the top with a sloping roof to protect them from 
excessive rain. For several years Messrs. Carter & Co. have been growing 
plants for seed in this way instead of relying exclusively upon continental 
seed, and by close attention and rigid selection the strain has been con¬ 
siderably improved. From Germany these Stocks are received in twenty- 
six colours, but several of these are either dull shades or not distinct; 
they have therefore been reduced to twelve, and it is probable that some of 
these will be discarded. Those now represented are—Crimson Roses 
Chamois, Blood Red, Yellow, White, Light B ue, Purple, Brick Red, Chest¬ 
nut Brown, Pale Rose, and Aurora (pale salmon). They are in four types 
—Dwarf German, very compact-growing and free ; Large-flowering, 
with very fine double flowers ; Pyramidal, taller in habit; and Wallflower¬ 
leaved, with bright green smooth leave?. All are remarkable for the large 
proportion of doubles included—a satisfactory indication of the merit of 
the strain, though the yield of seed will be smaller. The Petunias, for 
which this firm is noted, are also coming on well, a large Dumber being 
already in flower. 
- The Birmingham Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement 
Society. —This Society, which was staited about four months since, now 
numbers about 200 members, and so warm an interest is taken in it by 
many gentlemen of the town that donations to the amount of £60 7s. 6d. 
have been given towards a library fund, chiefly thiough the exertions of 
Mr. Hughes, the Secretary. Mr. J. Crook, a well-kDOWD gardener in 
Birmingham, has accepted the position of librarian. One hundred 
volumes of the best modern as well as rare old gardening works have 
been purchased at a cost of about £40, and fifty-two bouks have been 
prestnted by various gentlemen and ladies interested in horticulture. 
The library was opened recently, upwards oi 100 membeis attending, and 
a number of books were lent to members. By an arrangement with the 
Birmingham Botanical and Horticultural Society, the annual subscription 
of £6 5s. will be pAd by the Gardeners’ Society, which will secure from 
the B itanical Gardens the following privileges :—Free admission on all 
ordinary days and Sundays to all members on presenting their cards of 
membership; ten tickets for exhibition days and reserved days to be sent 
to the Secretary for distribution amongst the members ; the free U6e of 
the Botanical Soce'y’s library for reference oily, subject to the super¬ 
vision < f Mr. W. B. Latham, Curator to the Society. A course of essays 
and papers, followed by discussions, will be proceeded with through the 
autumn, winter, and spiing, with lectures occasionally. Mr. W. B. 
Latham is the Chairman of the Committee. 
- The monthly meeting of the Belgian Horticulturists was 
held on the 5th inst. in Ghent. Those present were—MM. P. Blancqusert, 
V. Cuvelier, Arth, Desmet, Desmet-Duvivier, B. Spae, Em. Decock and 
Vervaet, and M. Alex. Dalli^re, who prtsidtd ; M Jules Hye acting as 
Secretary. Certificates of merit were awarded for Pcrnettya lilaciDa nigra 
nuj r, from M. Alex. DBLcre ; Pernettya lilacina iructu albo, from the 
sime; Hopiophyton robustum variegatum, from M. Aug. "Van Geert; 
A> thuriura Schertzerianum var. sanguineum, from M. D. smet-Duvivier ; 
Ccelogyne Ma'-sangeana, from MM. Yervaet & Co. ; Alocasia Augustiana, 
AlocaAa marmi rata, Phrynium variegatum, Alocasia nigricaDS, Sagenia 
mammillosa, Alocasia giga3, aud Amaryllis Bongueroth', from the Conti¬ 
nental Hortieul'ural Company (Director, M. J. Linden). A cultural cer¬ 
tificate was awarded for Cypripedium superbiens, from M. J. Hye-Leysen. 
Honourable mention was accorded to the f Rowing for th-ir novelty :— 
An’hurium Schertzerianum Brillant, from M. D smet-Duvivier; Odonto- 
glossum Alexandras var. fastuosum, from MM. Yervaet & Co.; Dractena 
