218 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 24, 1892. 
they grow in heat some white Lilac, for which they find a ready 
sale. 
Bunches of Lilac for vases are in great demand, and to produce 
the most graceful effect with a limited number of trusses the pro¬ 
cedure is as follows;—A handful of damp straw is folded as repre¬ 
sented, and tied at A, giving it the form of a Mushroom. The 
stems of the Lilac are forced through, the ends coming out at B. 
For hiding the straw and part of the stems a fringe of Box 
sprays is secured at c, and a large yet free bunch is provided.— 
EUGi:NE SCHAETTEL, Paris. 
[Our correspondent has obligingly sent us one of the bunches 
of white and tinted Lilac, as made by Mr. Eoux, 22, Route 
Strat^gique, Grand Montrouge, near Paris, one of the best French 
Lilac growers and forcers. The arrangement is pleasing by its 
lightness, freedom, and informality, and much exceeds in effect 
the close “ lumpy” bunches that are so common with us in May as 
made with a far greater number of trusses. 
(To be continued.) 
Events op the Week. —The annual Show of spring flowers at the 
Crystal Palace, Sydenham, will be held on Saturday, March 26th. The 
Brighton and Sussex Horticultural Association announce a spring Show 
for March 29th and 30fch, while the Brighton and Sussex New Horti¬ 
cultural and Mutual Improvement Society also advertise a Show for 
April 6th and 6th, so that London-by-the-Sea will be well provided with 
shows this spring. 
- The weather in the Metropolitan district was during 
several days last week and early in the present one fine and spring-like, 
though the wind continued rather keen. Tuesday was duller, colder, 
and wet ; yesterday (Wednesday) was dull, cold, and ungenial, 
- Weather in the North.—O n the first three days of the 
week, ending 21st inst., 7°, 13°, 1-1° frost were registered here. A thaw 
then set in and was followed by a day of continuous drizzle on the 17th, 
and that by one of almost summer brightness and warmth. The 19th 
and 20th were dry and bright, with a sharp east wind; 5° frost are 
recorded this morning, 21st.—B. D , N. PertlisMre, 
- The Dutch Horticultural and Botanical Society 
has issued a list of the awards granted by its Committees during 1891, 
which occupies fifteen pages in tabular form. The names of plants with 
the authorities, the awards, the dates, and the names of the exhibitors 
are given in separate columns, the names being arranged in alphabetical 
order. 
- Gardening Appointments. —Mr. E. Tapping, for the past 
three years foreman at Dropmore, Maidenhead, has been engaged as 
head gardener to Viscount Templetown, Castle Upton, Antrim, Ireland, 
and will enter on his new duties in May. Mr. Robert Craigie, foreman 
in the gardens of Sir M. W. Ridley, M.P., Blagdon House, Northumber¬ 
land, has been appointed head gardener to C. T. Mander, Esq., The 
Mount, Wolverhampton, 
- The Preston and Fulwood Horticultural Society’s Spring 
Show, held in the Public Hall at Preston last week, appears to have 
been a highly satisfactory gathering, the exhibits being numerous and 
of good quality, while there was also a large attendance of visitors. Bulbs 
were well represented, especially Hyacinths, and in many other depart¬ 
ments the display was much superior to the majority of spring shows. 
Mr. Hanbury, M.P., opened the Show, on which occasion and at the 
lunch subsequently he made very interesting and appropriate speeches. 
- In reference to the International Horticultural 
Exhibition at Earl’s Court, the market growers and salesmen of 
Covent Garden held a meeting at the Hummums Hotel last week to 
consider the best means of assisting in forming a representative display 
of market produce on June 6th, 7th, and 8th. Mr. Webber presided, and 
Mr. Milner explained that the Council of the Exhibition would devote 
£200 to this Show, to be allotted as the market growers should advise, 
and a sub-committee was thereupon appointed to consider the matter. 
-- Farningham Rose and Horticultural Society.— 
Kindly allow me to inform your readers that the date of the annual 
Show of the above Society has been changed from the 30th to the 29th 
June, in order not to clash with the shows held at Canterbury and at 
Eltham.— Stanley Edwards, Hon. Sec. 
- The Dundee correspondent of the Lwevpool Journal of 
Commerce, March 21st, 1892, states that, owing to the failure of the 
Dutch Potato crop, large quantities of Potatoes are being shipped 
from ports on the north-east coast of Scotland to Rotterdam. During 
the season it is expected that over 1000 tons will be exported weekly 
from Dundee, Arbroath, Montrose, and Anstruther to Holland. The 
supplies are principally to be consumed, while there is a small quantity 
to be used as seed. Good prices are being obtained by the shippers. 
-Fruit prom South Africa.— The Union Steamship Com¬ 
pany’s R.M.S. “ Scot,” which arrived at Southampton on the 17th inst. 
brought a further consignment of Grapes and Peaches from South Africa, 
which was placed on sale at Covent Garden Market a few days after, 
when the Grapes realised high prices, boxes containing about 20 lbs. net 
of white Grapes fetching 10s, to 10s. 6d. each, and similar boxes of black 
Grapes realising 12s. 6d. to 15s. 6d. per box. These Grapes were packed 
in cork dust and arrived in good condition. The Peaches also realised 
8s. to 14s, per box. 
- Flower Boxes for Parcels Post. — Messrs. W, Allen 
and Co, (Limited), Butcher Street Works, Nottingham, send us a sample 
of their special boxes intended for the conveyance of fish, flowers, 
and game by parcel post. They are constructed of stout cardboard, 
in various sizes up to 14 inches long by 7 inches wide and 5 inches deep, 
and are formed of two cases ; the inner one fitting closely in the outer 
case, and being furnished with tapes at the side, is readily lifted out 
when required without disturbing the contents. When the outer lid is 
placed on the package is remarkably strong and compact. 
- The Birds in London.—I t is always a matter of interest to 
me to see what is going on in bird life in and around London. Having 
read in a Birmingham paper that magpies build annually in Kensington 
Gardens I tried to prove its accuracy or otherwise, and I am afraid the 
verdict must be otherwise, for I could neither find a nest or hear of one 
worth listening to. It is a strange season to see rooks nest-building and 
people skating in the parks at the same time, but such was the case last 
week, I was much interested to find the common wood pigeon or 
“queece” and a nest in the public garden at Lincolns Inn, and a 
good sized rookery in Theobald’s Gardens in the very heart of London.— 
J. Hiam. 
- Mouse Traps. —It appears to me that traps of the figure 4 
kind are very likely to be murder traps for several of our most useful 
insectivorous birds, such as hedge sparrows, wrens, and robins. If mice 
visit my bees. Peas, Beans, or anything in fact, I have no difficulty in 
getting rid of them with little penny wire and wood traps, or the small 
“ steel traps ” sold by most ironmongers. The latter are dangerous to 
the useful birds mentioned, unless care is taken to partially cover them, 
so that I usually set the wire and wood trap baited with a nut kernel 
divided or a garden bean, a hole being first bored through the centre 
with the point of a penknife to hang the bait on the hooked wire. 
- Market Flowers.—M.M. J, B. Balli^re et Fils, the well- 
known Parisian publishers, have just issued a work on Market Flowers, 
by M. Philippe L. de Vilmorin. The latter is the eldest son of M. Henri 
de Vilmorin, who is a familiar figure to many horticulturists in this 
country, and we learn with surprise from the brief introduction penned 
by the latter gentleman that the author’s twentieth year had not been 
entered upon when the volume saw the light. Not only is the literary 
matter of a high order, and of a character to do credit to an experienced 
writer, but the work is replete with practical information on market 
plants and their culture. The book opens with some references to the 
great taste and love for flowers that everywhere prevail, and then a 
survey is made of the leading markets of the world, with special reference 
to Covent Garden. Turning then to the flower markets (les Halles) of 
Paris, the author describes the methods of conducting the sales, and goes 
on to indicate the sources from which the supplies are drawn, subse¬ 
quently describing the principal plants grown and the methods of culture 
adopted. A volume of this kind cannot but prove of the greatest 
interest and value, and it is to be regretted that the fact of its being 
published in French will prevent many British cultivators deriving from 
it the pleasure and instruction that it is so well calculated to afford. 
Perhaps the highest compliment that we can pay to the writer is to say 
that the work would have been worthy of his accomplished father. 
