April 7, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
269 
- The first annual Exhibition of the Windsor, Eton, and 
District Chrysanthemum or Horticultural Society will be 
held on Thursday, November 10th, at Windsor. 
- Bell’s Defiance Tomato.—I n reply to Mr. H. T. Eas'y on 
page 239,1 may say that it will not be distributed this spring, but I shall 
be sending out seeds for next season, of which due notice will be given 
in your advertising columns.—H. Bell. 
- The grounds surrounding the French building at the Chicago 
Exposition will be decorated by Messrs. Vilmorin. They have made fine 
floral displays at all of the World’s Fairs for twenty-five years or more, and 
it is reported that they are now planning to outdo all previous efforts. 
- Frost in Durham. —On Monday, 28th ult., our thermometer 
registered 14° frost; on the 29th, 12°; on the 30th, 20°; and on the 
morning of the 31st, 14° ; bright sunshine prevailed during the day.— 
A. Bentley, Eslmood Hall. 
- Weather at Liverpool.—S ince last writing we have had 
a week of sunshine—too good, I am afraid, to last. On Saturday last at 
mid-day the thermometer stood at 65° in the sun, and yesterday at the 
same time at 67°. The frosts, however, were very severe during the 
night, as the following will show:—29th, 18°; 30th, 15°; 31st, 16° : 
April 1st, 24° ; 2nd, 22° ; 3rd, 24° ; 4th, 29°. The roads are thick with 
dust, and a good steady rain would be of immense benefit.—R. P. R. 
- English Seeds at the Antipodes. — We are informed 
that “ no less than thirteen first-class awards were gained by Messrs. 
Sutton & Sons, the Queen’s seedsmen, Reading, at the Tasmanian Exhi¬ 
bition, a far larger number than has been awarded to any seed house in 
England on any other part of the world.” 
- The Stockport Horticultural Mutual Improvement 
Society. —Mr. Joseph Hadfield, The Gardens, Manor House, Brinnington, 
Stockport, the Honorary Secretary of this Society, says his Committee 
are desirous of being favoured with the rules of existing societies for 
guidance in revising their own. Perhaps a copy may be obligingly sent 
to Mr. Hadfield by those Secretaries who may have one to spare. 
- Freesias. —In reply to Mr. Parrant, page 240, on my treat¬ 
ment of the above, I ought to have said truss instead of spike, a spike 
consisting of several trusses proceeding from one bulb. I have had as 
many as twenty-eight fiowers on a spike. I still maintain they are 
more sturdy when grown in the temperature I mentioned, although 
they will force splendidly. I enclose a skeleton spray of eleven flowers. 
—G. Jordan, Harhstead Rectory Gardens, Ipswich. 
- Carbonate of Copper. — When preparing carbonate of 
copper by the instructions given in these pages about nine months 
since, I found the drying process to be the most troublesome part of the 
business until I thought of putting the deposit into a new plant pot 
with the hole corked. The moisture quickly percolated through the porous 
pot, which, being stood on a hot-water pipe, was as quickly evaporated, 
so that I soon had a perfectly dry powder.—T. S., Henlury Hill. 
- Brighton Spring Shows. —A correspondent informs us that 
the show of spring flowers last week was not so large as usual. A 
newspaper cutting enclosed contains the names of Mr. E. Meachen, 
gardener to Mrs. Armstrong, Woodslee, Withdean; Messrs. Peed and 
Sons, Norwood; and Mr. H. Shoesmith, gardener to Mr. Hodgson, 
Shirley Court, Croydon, as the most successful competitors. The Show 
of the New Horticultural Society, which closed yesterday (Wednesday) 
we hear was very successful. 
- Violet Lady Hume Campbell. —I enclose you half a dozen 
blooms for your inspection of this variety. It is much like the old 
Neapolitan in colour, but far more robust, and grows as freely as 
Count Brazzas or De Parme. The old Neapolitan is a charming 
Violet, but has been done away with in manj places in favour of the 
stronger-growing sorts.— Joseph Oliver, Islington Park. [We have 
long regarded Lady Hume Campbell as one of the best Violets, and the 
blooms received are very large and fragrant.] 
- White Fly on Tomatoes.—I was very much interested in 
Mr. W. P. Wright’s “ Thoughts on Tomatoes,” especially that part 
which declares his victory over the white fly. I have been troubled 
with this pest, and found that Calvert’s softsoap (carbolic) entirely 
destroyed it. Mr. Wright speaks of carbolic soap, which is likely to 
mislead, as it must be Calvert’s carbolic softsoap only. I use 2 ozs. 
to the gallon of water, and plunge the plants into it; or if too large 
for that purpose I syringe freely, and the result is most satisfactory.— 
Tomato Grower. 
- The Double Cocoanut. —At the present time Kew boasts, 
according to a daily contemporary, of possessing what no other garden 
in Europe does—a well-grown plant of the Seychelles double Cocoanut, 
botanically known as Lodoicea Seychellarum. The nut itself can 
frequently be seen in museums, but, with the exception of an attempt 
in Paris, it hitherto has failed to germinate in Europe. The period of 
germination is said to extend to two years. 
- Forced Turnip Tops. —When living near Liverpool fourteen 
years since we annually forced the growths from Swede Turnips, as a 
substitute for Seakale, not having space at command to prepare Seakale 
roots for forcing. Instead of planting the roots with entire crowns we 
used to remove the single crowns to induce a greater number of growths. 
Although these were not quite so large as from entire crowns, service¬ 
able produce was at command at any time during the winter months. 
By packing the roots in decayed leaves in the Mushroom house, and 
maintaining a temperature of about 58°, the succulent growth from 
the Turnips was quickly obtained.—S. 
- Rainfall at Cuckfield, Sussex. —The total fall for the 
past month was 1’23 inch, being 0'85 below the average. The heaviest 
fall was 0'66 inch, on the 15th. Rain fell on nine days. Total for 
the quarter 3-19 inches, which is 3'47 inches below the average. 
Maximum temperature 59°, on the 21st; minimum temperature 18°, on 
the 9th. Mean maximum 44°, mean minimum 31°, mean tempera¬ 
ture 37°. Partial shade readings 2° below the average. Continual 
frost up till the 15th. Mean temperature of the weeks ending 5th and 
12th, 32 7° and 30‘4°; while the weeks ending 19th and 26th rose to 
41'7° and 43’3° respectively. Fruit trees made but little progress during 
the month.—R. I. 
- Danger in Oleanders. —Kindly allow me to thank Mr- 
Colebrooke (page 239) very much for calling my attention to the 
dangerous properties of the Oleander. It has been grown here for a 
great number of years, fortunately with no detrimental results. The 
plants when in bloom are very highly prized, both for the beautiful 
form and colouring of the flowers. I think if ordinary care is used no 
more harm would result than by growing the Croton or Stephanotis, 
the juice of which, if allowed to get into the eye, or into a bruise, 
will cause the most intense suffering. As regards the perfume emitted 
tastes differ, as my employer enjoys the almond-like scent. All the 
same, I am obliged to Mr. Colebrooke for his interesting note of warning.— 
R. P. R. 
- An interesting feature of the recently issued report of the 
Carnation and Picotee Union is the collection of replies to a request 
for notes on the incidence of the season (1891). Mr. Dodwell’s pre¬ 
liminary remarks, which are as follows, contain some valuable hints :— 
“ We have a concensus of opinion that it had been one of the most trying 
to the florist, even of the trying seasons of the recent past. The sunless 
summer of 1890, followed by the long and severe frosts and fogs of 
November and December, and January, 1891, and these again by the 
blizzard of the 9th of March, had wrought a destruction of stock or 
induced a debilitation without a parallel in the memory of florists of 
the longest standing; in several cases reported to me resulting in the 
entire loss of very valuable collections. In my own case, from August, 
1890, to May, 1891, our losses were not less than 10,000 plants. Of course 
the blizzard referred to kept back the plants and the potting for bloom 
to an abnormally late date ; many plants which in the end gave us very 
satisfactory growth getting no farther than a 3-inch, 4-inch, or 5-inch 
pot until late in June—indeed, in place of the one-shift system, the 
normal rule for Carnation growth, we went upon successive shifts, 
giving the plant additional room only when its ball of soil had been 
filled with healthy roots. This is a practice I can recommend in the 
case of all weakly rooted or partially ripened layers. Let the plant 
have just so much food as it can healthily assimilate whilst it is sweet, 
bracing and strengthening its root action with the aeration through the 
sides of the pot (which, however, should be plunged, say, in cocoa-nut 
fibre), and it speedily gets power of digestion, and so rapid and robust 
growth. This was our experience, and the experience of Mr. Rowan, 
and I believe of some other friends, and I rarely remember our stock 
doing better or making a more healthy, though of course starting with 
such weakly stools it was in the majority of cases a scanty growth, up to 
the end of July. Then came storms, a deluge of rain, and a temperature 
so low, ripened growth was hopeless, hence a large proportion of the 
layers failed to make root, and I fear we shall again have to face a 
serious loss. I am glad to believe that our case is, if not singular, more 
extreme than that of friends in localities more favoured as to subsoil 
and rainfall.” 
