634 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 14, IMJ, 
- Trapping Bullfinches. —A few weeks since I noticed Mr. 
Hiam was writing about trapping bullfinches. Will Mr. Hiam say if 
the trap cages can be easily made, or where they can be bought ?—J. E. 
- Mons. L. Gillekens. —We are informed that Mons. Gillekens, 
who has been Director of the Ecole d’Horticulture of Vilvorde for 
twenty-six years, has tendered his resignation. Mons. Gillekens will, we 
understand, retain his present title as an honorary distinction. 
- A Large Paulownia. —Mr. George Canby writes that he has 
since made an accurate measurement of the great Paulownia or Empress 
Tree in Independent Square, Philadelphia, and he finds at 3 feet from 
the ground it is 9 feet in circumference. As we (“ Meehans’ Monthly ”) 
happen to know that this is probably the oldest tree in the United States, 
it will be interesting to learn if there is a larger one or not in the 
country. 
- The Boyal Horticultural Society of Ireland.—A 
special meeting of the above Society was held on December 4th at the 
office, 15, Lower Sackville Street. The following members of Council 
were present:—Sir Percy R. Grace, Bart., D.L. (in the chair) ; Major 
Cusack, J.P. ; Mr. Edmund D’Olier, Mr. F. W. Moore, Mr. William 
Dick, Mr. George Casson, J.P. ; Mr. C. Strong King, J.P. ; Mr. George 
Ross, M.A., B.E. ; and Mr. Hamilton Drummond, J.P., Hon. Sec. 
The following resolution was passed :—“ That the members of the 
Council of the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland desire to express 
their deep regret at the death of His Grace the Duke of Leinster, their 
late President, and their sincere sympathy with Her Grace the Duchess 
in her bereavement, and that a copy of this resolution be sent to Her 
Grace.—(Signed) Percy R. Grace, Bart, Chairman.” The following 
were elected annual members of the Society :—Major A. Mansfield, 
Morristown Lattin, Naas, Co. Kildare ; Mrs. Adam Findlater, Primrose 
Hill, Kingstown ; John M'Entaggart, Esq., Highfield Manor, Rathfarn- 
ham and Lower Sackville Street. 
- California and Australia Canned Fruits. —A horti¬ 
cultural magazine of Melbourne, Australia, calls attention to the fact 
that Australia may become a close competitor with California in 
furnishing dried and canned fruits for exportation to the old world. 
Peaches, Pears, Plums, and Apricots find themselves very much at 
home in Australia ; and the freight from there to the old world is 
little, if any more than the freight from California. For some reason 
or other, the enterprise in prosecuting these branches of fruit business 
has never been very successful in Australia; but our contemporary 
states that during the past year or two a great advance has been made 
in this branch of fruit economy, and that at least one firm in South 
Australia has been remarkably successful in making profitable ventures 
in this line to the old world. In some branches of agriculture the 
Australians have become close competitors with America for portions of 
the trade of the world ; and it would look, from the facts above noted, 
as if they were destined in the future to come closely into competition 
with an industry which has been almost a monopoly for California. 
- The Weather Last Month in Scotland. — Mr. 
G. McDougall, Stirling, writes : — The total rainfall here was 
3’417 inches, which fell on eighteen days, the greatest fall being 
0‘950 inch on the 16th. Frost was registered on nineteen days. 
Warmest day, 54-2° on the 27th; coldest day, .35‘5° on the 18th ; warmest 
night, 49 8° on the 29th ; coldest night, 21° on the 2l8t. Mean 
maximum, 45 6° ; mean minimum, 31’4°. The terrific gale of the 18th 
will long be remembered as the most disastrous experienced in this 
district for a long time. Nurserymen will be busy before they can 
supply the demand that is sure to arise if only some of the trees blown 
down are replaced. On the Abbey Craig, which belongs to the town of 
Stirling, more than 3000 trees are uprooted. In some parts they are lite¬ 
rally packed above each other. Mr. Lunt, gardener at Keir, told me that 
all their finest specimens are down. Some of the woods at Airthrey 
have the appearance as if a bat'ery of artillerymen had been practising 
amongst them. It is the same cry from all quarters, ” What a 
destruction among our woods ! The finest of our trees are lying 
prostrate, trees which we cannot replace.” 
- White Earwigs (page 511).—I have often observed earwigs of 
a lightish colour, but they were always under cover, and, when disturbed, 
they endeavoured to get out of sight as soon as possible. I have always 
attributed their lightish colour to a new change of garments. Some of 
the Carabis beetles, too, may be seen with their elytra white and soft, 
but these again are newly emerged from the chrysalis.—G. MacDqugal, 
Stirling. 
-A Gift to Dundee. —We understand that Messrs. R. B. 
Laird & Sons of Edinburgh have offered to the Council of the City of 
Dundee as a gift glass houses, trees, and shrubs, valued at £4000. It is 
stated that the houses are those at Coates Gardens, Edinburgh. 
-Two Crops of Grapes in One Season. — California is 
especially favoured in many way*. It seems to be the Paradise of fruit 
growing. It does not seem to be generally known that they have two 
crops of Grapes often in one season. At the present time, according to 
an American contemporary, one of the questions with Californian fruit 
growers is whether it really pays to allow the Grapes borne upon the 
later wood growth to mature ; some believing that the drain on the 
vitality of the Vine injures it for the future, while some contend that 
the plant is just as strong in after years where these two crops are 
taken as it would be with only one. 
- WooLTON Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society.— 
On Thursday, the 7th inst., under the chairmanship of Mr. H. Corlett 
Mr. R, G. Waterman gave an interesting account of various noted 
horticultural places he had visited during the summer—viz., Impney 
Hall, Droitwich, the chief features being the Chrysanthemums and 
fernery ; Appley Towers, Isle of Wight, mention being made of an 
unusually large Fig tree carrying an enormous crop ; Messrs. Drover’s, 
Fareham, and their Chrysanthemums ; Swanmore Park, where Grapes 
were very fine, but the great feature was the Apple trees, carrying such 
a heavy load as to necessitate their being propped. He finished an 
interesting paper by mentioning the Earl’s Court Exhibition and the 
Crystal Palace Ffite. Although a departure out of the ordinary run of 
the meetings, it proved of great interest, as showing many difiierent 
methods and ideas at the places visited. Mr. Stoney and Mr. Carling 
followed with a few remarks. The usual votes of thanks terminated the 
meeting.—R. P. R. 
-Fruit Machinery. —When we consider the vast difference 
between the price of labour in American gardens and orchards, and the 
low prices paid in the Old World, it is a matter of surprise to foreigners 
that we, says an American paper, can compete so successfully with them 
in their markets. They attribute it to our fine climate and good soil, 
yet there are not wanting some intelligent fruit cultivators who believe 
that these conditions are just the reverse, that America has probably 
the worst climate in the world for the successful growth of fruits, and 
that it is simply American genius which overcomes these difluculties, 
and thus gives them the command of the world’s markets. But it is in 
the Far West, and especially along the Pacific slope, where thousands 
of acres are devoted to fruit culture, and the fruit industries are among 
the most profitable of the States’ revenues, that this adaptation of art 
to overcome Nature is more apparent perhaps than in the Eastern States. 
Sometimes we see praise given to the systems of education in effect in 
the Old World as compared with that popular in America ; but if the 
proof of the pudding is in the eating, American education seems to have 
decidedly the advantage. 
- The Antwerp Exhibition. — Arrangements are now in 
progress for the adequate representation of Great Britain and Ireland 
at the forthcoming International Exhibition at Antwerp, which is to be 
opened in May next, and of which the King of the Belgians is the 
patron, and the Count of Flanders the President. The Exhibition 
includes industrial, scientific, and artistic productions, maritime, 
colonial, and African sections ; and shows of agricultural products, 
flowers, and fruit. The site of the Exhibition is a plot of land of 
200 acres, near the river Scheldt, and connected with all the principal 
railways, and the main buildings cover 120,000 square yards. The 
Governor of Antwerp is the President of the Executive Committee, and 
the Belgian Government has appointed a Commissary-General. The 
British Government has authorised Mr. De Courcy Perry, Her Majesty’s 
Consul-General in Belgium, to act as Commissioner-General for Great 
Britain, and he has nominated as the Antwerp Committee the Lord 
Mayor, Sir Frederic Leighton, P.R.A., Alderman Sir David Evans, 
Sir George Birdwood, Mr. Kennedy, C.B., Colonel North, Mr. Walter 
H. Harris, Mr. A. Agelasto, Mr. James Dredge, Mr. John Morgan, and 
others. The scheme has received the warm approval of the London 
Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Chambers, and a programme 
indicating their co-operation will shortly be issued. Meanwhile 
information will be supplied in London by the Chamber of Commerce, 
and in Antwerp by the British Consul-General. To co-operate with 
the Chamber of Commerce an important Committee has been formed 
by M. Rogier, Belgian Vice-Consul in London. Many of the exhibitors 
at Chicago are sending their goods direct to Antwerp. 
