89i 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 2C, 189*. 
Events of the Week.— To-day (May 26th) the Royal Horticultural 
Society’s Showiu the Inner Temple Gardens is continued and concluded. 
A great Show will be held at the International Horticultural Exhibition, 
Earl’s Court, on the 27th and 28th. Fuller information is given below. 
A meeting of the Royal Botanic Society will be held on the 28th. 
- The Weather in London.—T he prognostication of fine 
weather in last week’s Journal appeared likely to be discounted, as 
rain fell on Thursday evening, but the fall was light and of short 
duration, the weather settling down again on the following day. On 
the 20th some little damage was caused by the heavy west wind. The 
21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th were hot and dry. At the time of going to 
press the wind is in the south-east and the weather unsettled, one or 
two heavy showers having fallen. Rain is badly wanted in the south, 
freshly planted trees flagging, while bedding plants are awaiting 
moisture for being placed in the soil. 
- National Tulip Show.—W e are informed that this Show 
will be held in the Botanical Gardens, Manchester, on June 8th. 
- Lilies op the Valley. —Messrs. Hawkins & Bennett send 
us their annual offering of Lilies of the Valley, twm beautiful bunches 
of the varieties Jubilee and Victoria. Both are of large size, pure, and 
fragrant, with long stalks and well-developed leafage. They mark a 
striking advance on the old form. 
- Express Grape Forcing. — I see in last week’s Journal 
(page 386) that a bunch of Black Hamburgh Grapes is alleged to have 
been ripened in ninety days from starting the Vines. Perhaps Mr. 
Watson intended to say 191 days, and I hope he will be able to obtain 
and supply particulars of the treatment that produced such results in 
what you describe as “Express culture.” Can Mr. Watson send a 
bunch to the Editor 1 —W. Brown. 
- Cheltenham Flower Show.—T he spring Show of the 
County of Gloucester and Cheltenham Royal Horticultural Society was 
held, in beautiful weather, at the Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham. 
There was a slight falling off in the number of exhibits, but the quality 
of the plants and flowers staged was quite up to the average, and, indeed, 
particularly in the case of the Azaleas and Calceolarias—^above it. 
The principal features of the Exhibition were the grand collections of 
foliage plants from Mr. Cypher, Messrs. Heath & Son, and Mr. Mould of 
Pewsey. There was also a splendid display of Orchids. Gloxinias were 
also good, and the Roses were much admired. 
- A NEW London Market.—M onday, the 13th of next month 
is the date fixed for the opening, by the Lord Mayor, of the new 
fruit, vegetable, and flower section of the London Central Markets at 
Smithfield, which has just been erected by the Corporation. The 
market has railway accommodation beneath, and completes the series 
of central markets erected under Act of Parliament by the Corporation. 
The Markets Committee meet on Monday to allot space for applicants 
for standings. The charge is l^d. per foot super per week, but a rebate 
will be allowed for the first year of one-half, and the second year of 
one-third, the full rental coming into operation in the third year. 
There are other charges for waggon and cart stands and pitchings. 
Mr. Smee’s Garden. — Mr. Smee’s garden at Hackbridge is 
picturesque by its pleasing naturalness. It is seen to advantage at this 
season of the year, when flowering shrubs and trees, including Apples, are 
in full beauty, and Ferns are producing luxuriant fronds in dells and 
clothing the banks of rushing streams. The Cattleya house is gay with 
splendid forms of Mossiae and Wagneri, and noticeable in another struc¬ 
ture is the Stanhopea-like Orchid Acineta Humboldti, bearing densely 
spotted flowers. The collection also contains many curios, among them 
Masdevallia octhoides is notable from the fact that it has been flowering 
continuously for eleven years. As the gardens are to be open to the 
public in the course of a week Orchids are not removed for exhibition 
at the Tetnple or other shows. The gardens are in the highest degree 
creditable to Mr. G. VV. Cummins, who is evidently well master of his 
w’ork in every department. 
- Spring Drought. —The last issue of Symons’s “ Meteorological 
Magazine ” contains a number of letters respecting the exceptional 
dryness during the present spring. 
- Bedford and Bedfordshire Horticultural Society.— 
The ninth annual Show of this Society will be held in a field at Gold- 
ington Road, Bedford, on Wednesday, July 13th, and the schedule has 
just been issued. 
- The Chestnut Trees in Bushey Park are now in full 
bloom, and there are few more beautiful sights than the long avenue 
of trees laden with snowy blossom. Anyone in the neighbourhood, or 
visiting Hampton Court, should inspect it. 
- Cheadle Horticultural Society.—T he twenty-fifth Show 
of this Society is announced to be held on August 12th and 13th. The 
schedule is full and varied, the chief prizes offered being £15, £10, and 
£5, for twelve stove or greenhouse plants. There are aLo other good 
prizes in the open classes. 
■- Shanks’ Lawn Mowers.—A handsome stand has been fitted 
up at the International Horticultural Exhibition by Messrs. A. Shanks 
and Co., and their excellent “ Standard ” machines, which deservedly 
enjoy great popularity, are on view, affording an opportunity for any 
visitor to become acquainted with their good points. 
- A Gigantic Camellia. —A Welsh paper says that one of the 
largest Camellia trees in Europe is that which is just now in full bloom 
at Pillnitz near Dresden, and forms one of the sights of the district. It 
was imported from Japan about 150 years ago, is about 17 yards high, 
and has an annual average of 40,000 blossoms. 
- CwAiNSONiA GALEGiFOLiA ALBA. —“ J. B.” Writes :—“ In 
the wel -kept gardens of Barton Court, Kintbury, Berks, Mr. W. Young, 
the gardener there, had on a recent visit a wonderfully well-flowered 
example of this now seldom seen greenhouse plant. It deserves a 
place in every such structure, thriving in a mixture of sandy loam 
and peat.” 
- Pansies and Violas for Bedding.—M r. H. Dunkin sends 
a box of Fancy Pansies and Violas to show what admirable plants they 
are for bedding. He refers to them more fully in his article on another 
page. They are a bright, fresh, and varied assortment, and it is 
gratifying to observe that their use for the purpose recomrnended is 
rapidly spreading. 
- Ledum thymifolia. —This dwarf-growing American plant 
is now very pretty in the shrubbery. The plants are dwarf in growth, 
thickly set with clusters of rosy pink flowers. It is quite a gem among 
a particularly interesting class of plants. This Ledum would be quite 
suitable for the rockery, and would last many years in a limited space, 
the growth not being rapid ; but it never fails to produce abundance of 
its showy blossoms.—E. M. 
- Royal Oxfordshire Horticultural Society. — Fine 
weather favoured the spring Show of this Society, and it proved to be 
of more than ordinary merit. A fine display of Orchids from the Duke 
of Marlborough’s splendid collection was gieatly admired, and Auricula 
lovers found food for interest in a collection from Mr. 0. Turner. Mr. 
John Mattock, Mr. Walker of Thame, Mr. J. Johnson, and Mr. J. Par¬ 
sons were to the fore with plants and cut flowers, but Mr, Joseph 
Lakin won with florists’Tulips. 
-A Great Show at Earl’s Court. —The first of the great Shows 
in connection with the International Horticultural Exhibition at Earl’s 
Court will be held on Friday and Saturday, May 27th and ‘28th. In all 
probability it will be a most extensive and beautiful display. There are 
fifty-eight classes for plants, seven for cut flowers, eighteen for fruit, 
and nine for preserved fruits and vegetables. At the head of the list 
in the first section is a class for twelve stove and greenhouse plants in 
flower, with prizes of £12, £8, and £6 ; then £8, £5, and £3 are offered 
for twenty Roses in pots, with similar awards for groups of Roses. For 
ten exotic Orchids in flower the prizes are £10, £8, and £6 ; for a group 
of plants (nurserymen), £20, £15, and £10; (amateur^), £15, £12, and £8. 
These and other classes embrace a consi lerable number of indoor and 
outdoor plants. Handsome prizes are offered in the other sections. If 
the response is as free as the prizes are liberal this Show sbould be a 
magnificent one, well worth visiting by anyone. Lovers of music may 
be interested to hear that they will have an opportunity of listening to 
the famous “Garde Republicaine” band on the occasion, as well as 
that of the Grenadier Guards. 
