551 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 21, 1893. 
- It is reported that Baron de Goldstein, the newly appointed 
Dutch Ambassador to this country, is the President of the Royal 
Netherlands Horticultural Society. 
- The American Dewberry. —An Asiatic contemporary says 
that among exotic fruits recently introduced into India, one of the most 
promising seems to be the American Dewberry, which bears fruit 
profusely in the Shaharanpur Botanic Gardens. 
- Bolton Horticultural and Chrysanthemum Society. 
—Mr. James Hicks, Secretary, informs us that the next exhibition of 
Chrysanthemums and other flowers, fruit, and vegetables under the 
auspices of this Society will be held on November 16th and 17th, 1891. 
- The Death op Mr. J. Wells took place on Saturday, 9th 
inst., at Osborne Park Nurseries, Potter’s Bar, Middlesex. He was 
considerably over eighty years of age, and in former years was for a 
long time gardener at Holme Lacy, Hereford, where his services were 
highly appreciated by the late Lord Chesterfield, who was Sir Henry 
Scudamore Stanhope in Mr. Wells’ time. 
- Railway Gardening. —Some years ago the Midland Railway 
directors decided to set aside £1.50 annually, to be allotted as prizes 
among the station masters throughout the system as an encouragement 
to them to render their platform garden borders as attractive as pos¬ 
sible. This year’s awards have just been distributed, and range from 
£6 to 5s. Matlock Bath takes the first prize, and amongst other 
Midland stations securing prizes are Sandal and Walton and 
Woodlesford. 
- A Narcissus (Daffodil) Show will be held in the 
Botanical Gardens, Edgbaston, on Wednesday and Thursday, 18th and 
19th April, 1894, under the auspices of the Birmingham Botanical and 
Horticultural Society. A liberal prize schedule has been prepared, no 
less than seventeen classes being provided. Any intending exhibitors 
must give notice in writing of the classes in which they intend to 
exhibit, and, in the case of honorary exhibits, the table space required, 
to Mr. W. B. Latham, Curator, Botanical Gardens, Edgbaston, Bir¬ 
mingham, on or before April 13th. F. W. Burbidge, Esq., F.L.S., 
Trinity College Gardens, Dublin, has been invited to act as judge. 
-Pacific Coast Irises. —A correspondent writes to an American 
contemporary :—“ Oregon collectors are offering Iris macrosiphon, and 
describe it as having a cream-coloured flower. It is common on the 
coast range of Northern California and North Oregon, and where it is 
generally a lilac-purple. I have seen detached clumps which were pure 
white. In the range east of Ukiah it frequently varies to cream colour, 
and in one locality, within a half mile, it runs from purple through 
bronze-purple to rich bronze and to cream colour. Like all the Pacific 
coast species, the masses are dense, with rootstocks hard and rather 
slender. It prefers a gravelly soil in open woods. I have naturalised 
Iris Douglasiana with success in my Fern beds, where it shows well 
with its yellow purple-lined flowers. It runs through the eastern 
edge of the Redwood belt. I. Hartwegi is a somewhat similar species 
with yellow flowers, found in the open woods of the Sierra, flourishing 
in the peculiar dry, red, granulated soil.” 
-Ancient Society of York Florists.—-T he annual dinner 
of the Ancient Society of York Florists was held on the 13th inst. at 
Harker s Hotel, York. The ^Lord Mayor of York (Mr. Alderman 
Clayton) presided, and was supported by a large number of other gentle¬ 
men. Mr. Alderman Rymer in proposing the “Ancient Society of York 
Florists,” said they had a right to lay claim to their title, for they knew 
that the records of the Society went back 100 years, and tradition took 
it back further. There was no doubt that the Society had had its ups 
and downs, but it was never more prosperous than at present. It 
deserved to prosper, seeing that its aim was to cultivate and encourage 
the cultivation of all kinds of flowers. The Chrysanthemum Show had 
had the effect of resuscitating their funds, and had placed them on their 
legs financially speaking, and had given incalculable pleasure to 
numberless citizens of York. Mr. J. Key replied, and spoke of the 
rapid progress of the Society during the past twenty years. They had 
now in round numbers about 600 members. Mr. Lamb said that their 
total receipts for the year had been £680, and the expenditure about 
£628, leaving a balance of about £160. Mr. J. B. Sampson offered a 
standard woik on botany as a prize to scholars, and hoped the Society 
would take tne matter up. Mr. J. J. Hunt also offered £5 as a special 
hr^st prize for dessert table decorations at the next Chrysanthemum 
Show, which doubtless will take nlace on November 14th, 15th, 
and 16th, * 
- Seaweed, though not the diet for an epicure, is, when dry> 
says an Australian writer, richer than oatmeal or Indian com in nitro¬ 
genous constituents, and takes rank among the most nutritious of 
vegetable foods. 
- Early Snowdrops. —Colonel Mesham writes from Pontryflfydd,, 
North Wales ;—“ In most years I have been able to gather some Snow¬ 
drops on Christmas Day, but this year I have found several in bloom 
under the trees in my shrubberies on the 17th inst.” 
- We are informed that the Russian traveller, M. POTANiN, who- 
has spent more than a twelvemonth in a botanical exploration of Thibet, 
is expected in St. Petersburg in January next. M. Dobrotworsky has 
arrived at Jenisseisk on the Jennissei, on a botanical expedition. 
-Lady Hutt and Appley Towers Grapes. — “ S. W. F.”^ 
writes :—“ I should be interested in hearing the experience of your 
Vine-growing correspondents with the Grapes Lady Hutt and Appley 
Towers. They were sent out with a great flourish of trumpets, but since 
that time I have not seen a reference to either variety in the horti¬ 
cultural press.” 
-Aristolochia Sipho Seeding. — Miss S. C. Smith, New 
Galloway, Kirkcudbrightshire, wishes to know through the Journal of 
Horticulture if it is usual for the Aristolochia Sipho to seed in thia 
country, because hers did so this season. The seed pod is like a small 
Vegetable Marrow and well ripened, and her plant was five years old. 
Miss Smith has been told by gardeners in her neighbourhood that they 
had not heard of such an occurrence before. 
-The Midland Carnation and Picotee Society.—A copy 
of the Report for 1893 of the Midland Carnation and Picotee Society 
has come to hand, and this asserts that the popularity of the Society i» 
proved by the large increase of members, which rose from 152 in 1891 
to 204 in 1892 ; the number still further increased in 1893 to 242, and 
twelve new members have already promised to support the Society for 
1894. The season of 1893 was one long to be remembered for its pro¬ 
longed drought and great heat, and cultivators experienced much 
difficulty in keeping down the ravages of thrips and other insect pests ; 
and it was feared for a time that the date fixed for the exhibition would 
be too late owing to the flowers being driven into bloom so rapidly and 
prematurely ; but to the surprise and intense gratification of the 
Committee the entries and exhibits were far beyond their expectations, no 
less than forty-six members bringing flowers, and a very fine exhibition 
was secured. The success of the exhibition again enables the Committee 
to give a donation of £5 each to the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent 
Institution and to the Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund, and they hope 
to be able to continue this help each year. The financial statement 
shows a balance of £50 7s. 3d. The schedule for 1894 will be published 
in January, when the Committee hope to increase the prize list to £120. 
- Insect Pests.—A n Australian nurseryman referring to the 
three common pests on fruits and flowers—viz., scale, aphis, and 
mildew, gives some practical hints from his own experience. In the 
case of the coccus or scale insect and the aphis or green fly, he 
recommends kerosine emulsion as the most simple, effective, and the 
easiest applied. The following is the recipe: Boil softsoap in just 
sufficient water to dissolve it (1 lb. soap to 1^ pint water), then add 
1 pint of kerosine. When thoroughly mixed 1 quart will be sufficient 
for 3 gallons of water, and the mixture should be applied with a fine 
nozzled syringe. In the case of the aphides one good dressing is 
generally effectual, but when applied to the scale the greatest care 
should be exercised, so that every part of the tree gets thoroughly 
saturated, more especially underneath the leaves, for if this is neglected 
all the insects so secured will remain untouched, and form a new stock 
for further destruction. The oidiurn or mildew, different from the two 
preceding pests, is due to a fungus, and in its early stages consists of a 
white coating over all parts of the infested plant. The superficial 
position of the fungus renders direct treatment comparatively easy, and 
a thorough application to the diseased part of flowers ot sulphur or 
sulphide of potassium in weak solution (which is also recommended for 
green fly and red spider) will be found sufficient to put an end to the 
fungus without injuring the plants. But it has also been found that 
the same remedy as has been recommended for scale and aphides 
with the addition of a little flowers of sulphur, applied during the 
period of rest, has been found a good preventive ; loose bark and the 
soil immediately round the plant should at the same time be removed 
and burnt, and every part of the plant thoroughly washed. If this 
treatment is adopted once a year, as a rule, it will destroy all traces of 
mildew. 
