814 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 28, 1892. 
Events op the Week. —Shows are not numerous as yet. Com¬ 
mittee meetings of the Eoyal Horticultural Society are to be held on 
Tuesday, May 3rd, and on the same day the early summer Show of the 
Eastbourne Horticultural Society will open, continuing on Wednesday. 
Messrs. Protheroe & Morris announce several important Orchid sales. 
On Friday, April 27th, they will offer a consignment of Messrs. Linden’s 
new Cattleya Alexandra, also Cattleya Eex and other Orchids, at their 
Cheapside rooms. The collection of Orchids at Stand Hall, Whitefield, 
near Manchester, the residence of the late T. Stutter, Esq., will be 
offered for sale, without reserve, on May 3rd ; and on the same day the 
collection formed by E. Barnett, Esq., Kenton Court, Sunbury, will be 
disposed of at 67 and 68, Cheapside. 
- The Weather in London. —The milder weather that was 
recorded on the eve of going to press last week continued for several 
days, and the night temperature usually remained above freezing point. 
There were occasional not unwelcome showers on Monday and Tuesday 
in this week, and to-day (Wednesday) the weather is warm, but inclined 
to be showery, and the wind is in the west. 
- Weather in the North.— On the mornings of the 18th and 
19th 8° of frost were registered. Since then till this morning there has 
been no frost, the thermometer standing last night at 34°. Very cold 
west wind, high and piercing, has prevailed, and the occasional slight 
showers have done little or no good. Gardens and pastures stand very 
much in need of rain. Very little advance in vegetation has been made 
for a month.—B. D., S. Perthshire. 
- Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. —Those interested in this 
admirable institution should note that the date of the annual dinner, 
which is to be held at the Hotel M^tropole, near Charing Cross, has 
been fixed for May 17th. It will be a source of much gratification to 
its supporters to know that Sir James Whitehead, Bart,, will preside. 
- Auriculas in 1892.—Auricula growers who ■were present at 
the luncheon following last week’s Exhibition must have smiled grimly 
at the Chairman’s description of the Show asijthe best ever held. In 
quality the flowers were worse than I have' seen them for many years. 
They were rough, coarse, and unfinished. There was not, so to say, any 
polish whatever about them. Mr. Henwood, in particular, fell lament¬ 
ably short of his display last year. It is to be hoped that next season 
will show a great improvement.—A. B. 
- United Horticultural Benefit and Provident 
Society. —The report and balance-sheet of this admirable Society for 
1891 have just been issued. As details of its financial position were 
given in the report of the annual meeting a few weeks ago it is 
unnecessary to repeat them, but it may be noted that they are of a 
character to inspire the utmost confidence. Notwithstanding this, and 
the benefits accruing from membership, the number of members only 
amounts to a little over 400. The Society is worthy of more support 
from gardeners. The address of the Secretary, Mr. Collins, is 9, Martin- 
dale Eoad, Balbam, London, S.W. 
- Eotation op Crops.—I note the point raised in the discus¬ 
sion on the paper read by Mr. Townshend, and referred to on page 296, 
that land manured for Potatoes, with winter members of the Brassica tribe 
planted between, would prove a failure. I fear this will not be accepted, 
because as a rule the land for Potatoes is manured in the autumn—at 
least, heavy land. In this case the theory that the supernumerary 
green crops would be a failure would not hold good. I fancy that there 
are but few gardens in which this plan of intercropping can be dis¬ 
pensed with. Surely the roots of such plants as Brussels Sprouts travel 
further than between the rows of Potatoes unless these latter are planted 
extra wide. I think we gardeners are apt to be too stereotyped in our 
ideas of rotation in cropping. For the last ten years I have grown 
Brussels Sprouts, Kales, Savoys, Cauliflowers, and Broccoli on the 
same plot of ground, and with good results ; yet we do not crop in this 
manner from choice, but from sheer necessity.—E. M. 
- Death of Mr. Thomas Green. —The fame of Mr. Thomas 
Green of Leeds in connection with lawn mowers has long been 
established. Mr. Green, we regret to announce, died on the 19th inst.,. 
at the advanced age of eighty-one years. He commenced business in a 
small -n'ay as a wire worker, and by diligence, industry, and good, 
judgment became the head of a firm of world-wide reputation. 
-Versailles National School op Horticulture.—T he- 
directorship of this school, left vacant by the death of M. Hardy, has 
been offered to M. Nanot. 
- Shows op the Present Season.—T he Shows of the present 
season have commenced, and in order to make announcements of 
Exhibitions throughout the season in due time we shall be glad if 
secretaries will supply dates and schedules as early as possible. 
- York Florists’ Society. —The first of the Shows arranged 
by the Ancient Society of York Florists was held last week. Th& 
Hyacinths were a notable feature, but Auriculas and Polyanthus were 
poorly represented, owing to the lateness of the season. Mr. J. T, 
Hingston exhibited a good collection. 
- Brighton and Sussex New Horticultural and- 
Mutual Improvement Society. —Sussex readers will be interested 
to know that at the ordinary monthly meeting of the above Society, 
held on the 21st inst. (postponed from the 14th) it was announced 
that their first spring Show had resulted in a balance of £40 in favour of 
the Society, and that thirteen new members were admitted.—E. I. 
- Gardening Appointments. —Mr. A. Allan, late of Trentham 
Gardens, has been appointed head gardener to Lord Hillingdon, 
Hillingdon Court, Uxbridge. The following appointments have been 
made through Messrs. John Laing & Son, Forest Hill Nurseries, 
London, S.E.:—Mr. C. Rogerson, from Euston Hall, Thetford, as head 
gardener to G. W. Jude, Esq., The Laurels, Wateringbury, Kent. Mr. 
A. Bogie, as head gardener to Thos. Taylor, Esq., The Cedars, Newport 
Pagnell. 
- Spring Flowers in Finsbury Park.—T he few warm sunny 
days which characterised the end of last week made a marked improve¬ 
ment in the spring flowers in Finsbury Park. Hyacinths and Daffodils 
are now making a fine display, and in a few days the Tulips will be in 
full bloom. Considering the extreme changes in temperature which 
have prevailed this month, the whole of the spring flowers and vegeta¬ 
tion generally in this favourite northern lung of London are looking 
exceedingly well. 
- Freesias. —Mr. G. Parrant is in doubt as to whether “ T).,Deal,' 
refers to him or not on page 299. He, however, says his object in flower¬ 
ing the plants in a temperature of 55° to 60° is to have the greatest 
possible number of flowers expanded at once, rather than a more scattered 
display on dwarfer plants. Continuing he desires to say that he means 
by a spike the flower stem and branchlets, and it is not unusual to 
have twenty-six or twenty-seven flowers from a bulb. Mr. Parrant 
thinks “ D., Peal," might have been a little more explicit in his 
references. 
- Trentham Show. — The fifth annual Exhibition of the 
Trentham and Hanford Horticultural Society is fixed for Thursday, 
July 2l8t, and is to be held in Trentham Gardens. A glance through 
the schedule shows that the prizes are quite out of the common. No 
less than £62 is offered for a group, being divided into four prizes of 
£25, £16, £12, and £9. For forty-eight Roses £19 is offered, the first 
prize being £11 10s. in value, the second £5, and the third £3. For a 
collection of fruit £10, £6, and £3 are offered. The minor prizes are 
also well worth winning, and the schedule is a very comprehensive one. 
The Hon. Secretaries are Messrs. J. Taylor and E. W. Culverwell, 
Trentham. 
- Garrya elliptica.—W hen looking round the gardens at 
Tredegar Park, Newport, I noticed this shrub (now much neglected by 
planters) trained to an east wall near the mansion. Mr. Roderick told me 
the shrub produced its catkins yearly in great profusion, 8 to 9 inches long. 
When the catkins are expanded it presents an interesting appearance. It 
is worth growing as a shrub in the open or trained on a wall, not only 
for variety sake but for its unique appearance. It does well in a 
mixture of fibrous loam and burnt refuse, annually top-dressed with 
leaf soil. I have seen beautiful specimens that have been treated as 
indicated.— John Chinnery. 
