823 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 13, 1891, 
- The Wakefield Paxton Society. —The annual dinner of 
this flourishing Society was held in the Paxton room, Sun Hotel, Wake¬ 
field, on the 15th inst, The large and beautifully decorate i room was 
crowded to overflowing. AVakefield, one of the oldest of towns and 
newest of cities, contains about 40,000 inhabitants, yet the Society 
numbers 284 members. It is distinctly educational in its aims, and is 
supported by the municipality and influential persons. No less than 
forty-seven papers and essays were read during the past year. The 
Society encourages window gardening in the town, and originated the 
movement for a public park shortly to be commenced. Major Taylor, 
J.P., is the President of the Society, and ably presided at the meeting. 
He was supported by the Mayor, Mr. J. Haslegrave, Alderman AVatson, 
ex-Mayor, and other gentlemen. Mr. AVright, of the Journal of 
Horticulture, was asked to propose “Success to the Paxton Society,” and 
in doing so referred to the great and growing demand for flowers in 
towns. He instanced the expenditure of £30,000 by Mr. Whiteley, the 
universal provider, in establishing another fruit and flower farm near 
London, for meeting the demands of his customers ; and Mr. Whiteley’s 
brother, who was present at the meeting, confirmed the statement. 
Mr. AVright also gave what he called another “ striking and sad ” 
example of the attractive force of flowers—namely, the dense crowd of 
people flocking into the wholesale market. Covent Garden, on the 
morning following the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund Fete, and stopping 
business, so that the show had to be discontinued, the Fund sustain 
loss, and needy children remain unprovided for. Ho also referred to the 
value of the library of the Paxton Society, and its assistance to members 
in the preparation of essays. The ex-Mayor, a gentleman of wealth 
and benevolent instincts, made a practical response. He asked Mr. 
AVright to buy £10 worth of books for the library, and accept 
£10 for the Orphan Fund, which would be repeated annually, and 
the Alderman also sent £5 4s., being 23. a week for the year, to Mrs. 
Preston, the widow of a gardener in the neighbou rhood, one of whose 
children is in receipt of 53. a week from the fund. Another circumstance 
worthy of record in connection with this gentleman, Alderman Ben¬ 
jamin Watson, J.P., is placing £1 a year in the bank for children who 
are given his Christian name, to accumulate till they are twenty-one 
years of age, and there are no less than 120 “Benjamins” in the city 
who will have som- thing to start in life with on attaining their 
majority, for the sum given by their benefactor has incited habits of 
thrift, and is in many instances added to materially by the parents of 
the boys. Mr. AVatson’s gift to the boys of Wakefield represents a sum 
of upwards of £2500, and is probably unique. Several other gentlemen 
of the city and delegates from different societies ably addressed 
the meeting; also talented vocalists contributed to render it in the 
highest degree enjoyable. It was in all respects a complete success and 
a credit to the old town and new city in which it was held. 
- Three Good Peas. —Three varieties which I consider especially 
good are Fortyfold, Duke of Albany, and Duchess. I have grown the 
former every season for the last thirteen years, and I see no reason now 
to discard it. I have also recommended it to scores of people, and 
especially those with limited space, and I find they are all equally in 
favour of it. No weather seems to affect its growth adversely. Last 
year it grew over 8 feet high, but the haulm had an even better crop 
than usual, as there were more pods than if it had only reached its 
acknowledged height 5 feet: with us it always grows 6 feet. The pods 
are not so long as some other sorts, but the peas are of large size, and 
the flavour cannot be surpassed. AA^c grow it as one of the secand-crop 
sorts, as well as for the main crop. Duke of Albany is the second of 
the trio. If I were asked to name one Pea the most suitable for all 
purposes I should vole for the Duke. The advantage it possesses over 
Fortyfold is that the pods are longer, and they always fill well, while 
the flavour is excellent. We sow the seed in small pots, three or four 
peas in each ; they are then placed in a late vinery, are afterwards 
shifted into 52-inch pots, and grown in a cool house until the haulm is 
4 inches high. The plants are then transferred to a cold frame for a 
time until a favourable opportunity can be found to plant them out in 
a trench, the soil of which is thrown out on each side about 9 inches 
high, thus keeping the cold wind from the Peas. A sunny spot is chosen 
in the garden. Plenty of space is allowed between the plants ; the stakes 
are placed to them at once, and some evergreen branches on the north 
and east sides of the row for protection from strong winds. The surface 
is mulched with the materials of a spent Mushroom bed, and by the 
middle and end of June we are enabled to gather fine samples of tender 
Peas. Duchess is the last of the three which I recommend. As a main 
crop variety it is unsurpassed in robust growth, freedom in cropping, 
and flavour.—A Kitchen Gardener, 
- Horticultural Club. —The usual monthly dinner and con¬ 
versazione took place on Tuesday last, and was one of the largest and 
most successful meetings that has been held. The chair was occupied 
by the Key. W. AVilks, in the absence of the Chairman and Vice-Chair¬ 
man of the Club. Mr. F. W. Moore of Glasnevin, the Chevalier Van 
Pulford, Herr de Graaf, and Herr Drassen, were the invited guests, and 
the following were present:—Dr. Hogg, Messrs. Crowley, Castle, Cousens, 
Bunyard, AValker, Lauder, Ashby, Wheeler, H. J. Pearson, Charles 
E. Pearson, Herbert S. Adams, F. Sander, Cockett, Druery, Martin, 
J. Smith, Geo. Prince, A. Prince, and the Secretary. An interesting 
paper was read by Mr. Lewis Castle on “ Cool House Orchids,” which 
was followed by considerable discussion, and at the conclusion the 
Chairman moved a hearty vote of thanks to the reader. 
- The gardeners of North Notts have set a good example. In 
November, 1889, they got up a concert in aid of the Gardeners’ 
Orphan Fund, which was a great success, and during the past winter 
one of their members died very suddenly (Mr. W. Wasley, late gardener 
Blyth Hall, Worksop, Notts), leaving four orphan children, and as there 
was no election this year it occurred to Mr. Henderson (gardener, 
Thoresby) and Mr. J. Mallender (gardener, Hodsock Priory) to appeal to 
the gardeners of the district and other friends for immediate help. Their 
appeal has secured the sympathy of many kind friends, and the amount 
collected is £28, which is being paid at the rate of 5s. per week to each 
of the guardians of the two youngest children. Messrs. Henderson and 
Mallender hope to be able next February to have one or both of the 
little orphans elected. 
- Royal Meteorological Society. — The usual monthly 
meeting of this Society was held on Wednesday evening, the 15th 
instant, at the Institution of Civil Engineers, 25, Great George Street, 
Westminster, Mr. A. Brewin (Vice-President) in the chair. Mr. 
J. Baxendell, Mr. H. Champ, and Mr. S. H. Ridge, B.A., F.R.G.8., 
were elected Fellows of the Society. The following papers were read :— 
1, “ Some Remarkable Features in the Winter of 1890-91,” by Mr. F. J. 
Brodie, F.R.Met.Soc. The author points out the peculiarities or 
special features of interest in the weather which prevailed over the 
British Isles during the past winter. In addition to the prolonged 
frost, which lasted from the close of November to about January 22nd, 
he flnds that the barometric pressure for the whole winter was about 
a quarter of an inch above the average, and that when the wind was 
not absolutely calm there was an undue prevalence of breezes from 
some cold quarter. The per-centage of winds from the southward did 
not amount to one-half of the average. The number of foggy daysi in 
London was no less than twice the average. The rainfall over the 
greater part of the British Isles was less than half the average. The 
author says that “ almost every element in the weather has been 
influenced to an abnormal degree by the remarkable prevalence of high 
barometrical pressure, and if we were called upon to define the season 
1890-91 we should have little hesitation in giving it the name ofjthe 
‘ anticyclonic ’ winter.” 2, “ The Rainfall of February, 1891,” by Mr. 
H. S. Wallis, F.R.Met.Soc. This was one of the driest months upon 
record, the mean rainfall over England, excluding the Lake District, 
being only 0 066 inch, or about one-forcieth of the average. 3, “ On 
the Variations of the Rainfall at Cherra Poonjee in the Khasi Hills, 
Assam,” by Mr. H. F. Blanford, F.R.S. Cherra Poonjee Iras long been 
notorious as having a heavier rainfall than any other known place on 
the globe, the mean annual fall being frequently given as about 
600 inches. Mr. Blanford has made a critical examination of the 
various records of rainfall kept at this place, and has come to the 
conclusion that the above amount is too high, and that the average 
annual rainfall is probably only a little over 500 inches. 
BOMBAY GARDENS. 
(^Concluded from page 304.') 
Though I am crnscious of a great many omissions among character¬ 
istic trees, some of which, however, are intended, because those par¬ 
ticular trees grow to far greater perfection elsewhere in India, it will 
be still more difficult to point out the most characteristic shrubs with¬ 
out omitting a great many. Among these none are, or at the least were, 
more common than Codiseums or Crotons, the beauty and often curious 
shape of whose brilliantly coloured foliage needs no comment, while 
it is well known that they succeed admirably here, and that more than 
a hundred varieties are found in our gardens. They are, however, 
nowadays partly giving way to quicker growing and, in certain respects, 
more effective shrubs, as the brilliantly coloured Acalyphas, the leaves 
of which vary in colour from the most brilliant metallic blood-red to 
