44 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 15, 1891. 
Events of the Week. —To-day (Thursday) the annual meeting 
of the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution will be held at 3 p.m., 
at “ Simpson’s,” Strand, and the annual dinner at G P.M , N. N. Sher¬ 
wood, Esq., in the chair, when presentations will be made to II. J. 
Veitch, Esq., and Mr. E. R. Cutler. The Royal Society also meet at 
4.30 P.M., and the Linnaean Society at 8 p.m. On Friday, January IGth, 
the Quekett Club meets at 8 p.sr., and the 21st inst. the Royal Meteor¬ 
ological Society have a meeting at 7 p.m, 
- The weather in the metropolitan district has con¬ 
tinued very severe during the past week, and the slight thaw noted in 
our columns in the last issue of the Journal was of very short duration. 
Upon several days 20° of frost has been registered, ard on Saturday 
and Sunday 22° was reached, accompanied by dense fogs. On Monday 
9° only was registered, and it has been strange what rapid fluctuations 
in temperature, ranging over 12°, have occurred within a few hours late 
in the evenings. A thaw commenced in the course of Monday, the 
temperature rising to 40°, with a west wind. This was continued on 
Tuesday, the snow and ice disappearing rapidly. All outdoor work has 
been completely at a standstill, and it is feared that much damage has 
been effected amongst the Tea Roses in some nurseries and gardens. 
- The Weather in the North.— January 5th to 12th.— 
During the week we had in S. Perthshire fine seasonable weather 
from the 5th ; about an inch of snow covered the ground, and the 
frost increased nightly from 7° to 18° on the night of the 9th. On 
Saturday the wind veered into the W., and during the night winter’s 
forces sustained, for the present, utter rout. Never was thaw more 
complete. By the morning of Sunday, 11th, snow had disappeared from 
both high and low grounds, and to-day (12th) the thermometer stands 
at47°.—B. D. 
- B, S. WILLIA.MS’ Memorial Fund.—T he Committee having 
decided on closing this Fund on Saturday, 17th inst., they beg that 
any still intending subscribers will kindly remit the amounts at once 
to either of the Hon. Secs , Mr, J. A. Laing, The Nurseries, Forest 
Hill, S.E. ; and Mr. A. Outram, 7, Moore Park Road, Fulham, S.W. ; or 
to the Hon. Treasurer, Mr. H. J. Veitch, 544, King’s Road, Chelsea, S.W. 
- The Hibberd Memorial. —As will be seen by our adver¬ 
tisement in another column promises of support to the amount of 
about £100 have been reeeived by the Committee, in sums varying from 
2s. 6d. to £25, for providing a portrait of the popular horticulturist 
who was so suddenly called away, the residue to be invested for his 
orphan daughter. All who would like to share in the Memorial are 
invited to send contributions, large or small, to the Secretaries of the 
Fund, 117, Victoria Street, Westminster. As we have previously stated 
we should like to see a large number of subscribers to both these 
Memorials. 
- Hardy Fruit Exhibitions. — As secretaries are now 
arranging their programmes for 1891, will you allow me to suggest that, 
in collections of Apples and Pears, only five fruits should be shown in a 
dish ? This is rendered necessary by the great increase in the size of the 
fruits, and they also look better when set up in this form. Special note 
should also be made to exclude orchard house grown fruit from exhibits 
of hardy kinds ; a separate class for them is most desirable, as these 
monsters are apt to mislead the public.— Geo, Bunyard, Maidstone. 
- Cutting Down Camellias.—T his is an operation which 
may be performed with the most beneficial results on Camellias which 
have become too large, or which have lost a greater portion of their 
lower branches, or those which are crowded with a great amount of thin 
useless wood. The present is a good time to examine the plants to see 
if there are any with the above indications with a view to their being 
made more useful. By those possessing a number of plants many such 
will be found, and the best possible way so as not to sacrifice all the 
flowers for a season is to cut back a few each year as soon as the blooming 
is over, commencing with the worst plants first. Provided the roots 
are in a fair state of health there is no need to be afraid of cutting well 
back into the old wood, for by this means only can a good basis be 
formed for the future training of the plants. After being cut down 
place the plants in a warm house, keep them well syringed ; in a 
short space of time new growths will be seen pushing in all directions, 
and in a couple of seasons the plants will be completely renovated. 
Not only will the growth be more vigorous, but flowers of the first 
quality may be expected. For Camellias, in pots especially, this system 
is to be recommended, and anyone trying it will be astonished with the 
excellent results which may be attained.—R. P. R. 
- Bolton and District Chrysanthemum Society.— 
Kindly announce that the Show of this Society will be held On November 
13th and 14th next.— Jas. Hicks, Eec. 
- On page 1C7 of the “ Horticultural Directory foe 1891,” 
issued at your office, Mr. Burberry’s name appears as gardener at High¬ 
bury. I should be glad if you will rectify this in the horticultural 
press, as I have been head gardener to the Right Hon. J. Chamberlain 
for sixteen years, and still hold that position. Mr. Burberry is the 
Orchid grower.— E. Cooper, Highhury Gardens, Birmingham. 
- Wolverhampton Horticultural Society. —At a meeting 
of the Committee of the above it was announced that the profits of the 
last Show amounted to £568 153. 7d., of which it was determined to 
invest £500 as a reserve fund and the balance to improvements in the 
park. The Committee have now £900 invested as the results of their 
first two Shows. The next Fete will be held on the 14th, 15th, and 16th 
July, 1891. 
- The “ Botanical Magazine ” for January is devoted to plates 
of Amorphophallus Titanum and Dipladenia illusteis vae. 
GLABRA. Three illustrations are given of the remarkable Aroid, of 
which a woodcut was given in this Journal, page 7, July 4th, 1889. The 
plates in the “ Botanical Magazine ” show the plant, spathe, and spadix 
in different stages of development, and a long description, together with 
particulars respecting the culture and dimensions of the plant, is also 
given, the principal points in which have already appeared in these 
pages. The Dipladenia is a handsome variety with large rosy blooms 
having a deeper crimson central zone, and a light throat. The leaves 
are broad and distinctly ribbed. 
-“ Peach Culture under Glass and on the Open 
Wall.” —This was the title of an excellent paper read by Mr. W. 
Tunnington, Calderstones, before a good number of members of the 
Liverpool Horticultural Association at the Free Library, William 
Brown Street, Liverpool, last Saturday evening, Mr. White presided. 
The paper was thoroughly to the point, and greatly appreciated. An 
interesting discussion was entered into by Messrs, White, Simpson, 
Ranger, Smetham, Stoney, Cox, Glover, Tunnington, and Carling. 
The subjects forming the discussion were pot Peaches, varieties, insects, 
loss of buds, stocks for Peaches, pale v. high-coloured Peaches, &c. A 
vote of thanks to Mr. Tunnington brought the meeting to a close. 
- Deutzia gracilis.— Though rather late, may I be allowed 
to add a few remarks to those of your correspondents, “ W. B.” 
and “ E. M.,” in favour of the above named shrub for outdoor planting ? 
Some seven years ago I turned out of a 12-inch pot a large plant of 
this Deutzia, and planted it in the front part of a plantation having a 
north aspect. The soil is heavy clay, and in planting there was not 
a particle of any other compost mixed with it. Here the plant is 
quite at home, having grown into a handsome spreading bush, and it 
is doubly welcome, flowering as it does each year when the forced 
plants are all over. What the plants would do under more favourable 
conditions can be imagined, and I intend planting out another dozen 
plants in a good bed of prepared soil.—R. P. R. 
■- Royal Meteorological Society. —The annual general 
meeting of the Society will be held at 25, Great George Street, West¬ 
minster, on Wednesday, the 21st inst, at 8.15 p.m., when the report of 
the Council will be read, and the election of oSicers and Council for the 
ensuing year will take place. The above meeting will be preceded by 
an ordinary meeting, commencing at 7 p.m., at which the following 
papers will be read :—“ Note on a Peculiar Development of Cirrus Cloud 
Observed in Southern Switzerland,” by Robert H. Scott, M.A., F.R.S. ; 
“Some Remarks on Dew,” by Col. W. F. Badgley, F.R.Met.Soc. The 
Council have also arranged to hold, on March 17th and 20th next, an 
exhibition of rain gauges, evaporation gauges, percolation gauges, and 
kindred instruments. The Committee will also be glad to show any new 
meterological instruments or apparatus invented or first constructed 
since last March, as well as photographs and drawings possessing 
meterological interest. 
