866 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 19, 1893. 
- Gardening Appointments. —Mr. J. Brooks, for over four 
years foreman in the gardens, Cringle House, Cheadle, Cheshire, has been 
appointed gardener to J. Johnson Houghton, Esq., Westwood, Neston, 
Chester. Mr. G. Stones, for the past two years with T. D. Grimke- 
Drayton, Esq., Golborne Park, Newton-le-Willows, as head gardener 
to R. Hey wood Thompson, Esq., Nun wick Hall, Penrith, Cumberland. 
- Exhibition at Lyons. —We are informed that arrangements 
have been made to hold a universal, international, and colonial Exhi¬ 
bition at Lyons in 1894, and to include a section devoted to horticulture. 
There will be a permanent horticultural Exhibition open from April to 
October, divided into sections, including exhibits relating to all branches 
of horticulture, arboriculture, and market gardening, as well as various 
temporary shows, which are to be held every month, and to last for a 
week. Applications for space in the horticultural section should be 
directed to M. J. Claret, Palais Saint Pierre. 
-Stray Tomatoes. —Many thousands of Tomato plants are 
growing on the extensive sewerage farm at Beaumont Lees belonging to 
the Leicester Corporation. They appear to attain the greatest vigour on 
the one-year-old sediment, which is pumped from the tanks into large 
beds surrounded with turf tanks, in which the sediment ^is about 
2 feet in depth. There is no doubt these plants would have ripened 
very fair crops this season if they had been thinned in good time, as 
is proved by many isolated plants which have done so. Seeds of Apples, 
Pears, Oranges, Grapes, and a host of exotic Grasses and other plants, 
also germinate and flourish for the time being, especially in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of the tanks, with great vigour. Many fields of Rye Grass 
have yielded four full crops this season on this sewerage farm.— 
J. H. W. 
- Hybridisation and Cross-Fertilisation.—T his was the 
subject of a lecture given by Mr. C. E. Pearson of Chilwell Nurseries, 
Nottingham, at a meeting of the Wakefield Paxton Society on the 
7th inst. Mr. Pearson spoke for about an hour, and his practical and 
valuable observations were listened to with the closest attention. At 
the outset he particularly impressed upon his hearers who desired to 
hybridise and cross-fertilise plants, the great importance of selecting 
good parents for their stock. Speaking as one who had been exten¬ 
sively engaged in the work for twenty years, he explained the most 
successful mode of fertilising Zonal Pelargoniums, Primulas, Begonias, 
Chrysanthemums, and other flowering plants, and also fruits, more 
particularly Grapes. He recommended that plants which were being 
experimented upon should be isolated from other plants, and the 
hybridiser must not be a lazy person, but should be in operation at an 
early hour in the morning. If they intended to be successful they must 
also be methodical, and take notes and keep records just the same as is 
done by breeders of horses and shorthorns. In concluding his excellent 
lecture, Mr, Pearson referred to the pride and pleasure it afforded a 
fertiliser to raise any new plant, flower, or fruit, and said that the 
names of such men were never forgotten. 
-Horticultural Club.—T he first dinner and conversazione 
for the session of 1893-94 took place on Tuesday in last week. There 
was a good attendance, although several members of the Club were 
engaged at the United Horticultural Benefit and Provident Society’s 
dinner at the Cannon Street Hotel. There were present the Rev. W, 
Wilks, Rev. F. H. Gall, Messrs. John Lee, J. S. Cousens, Geo. Monro, 
J. Webber, W. Assbee, A. Watkins, A. H. Pearson, Geo. Bunyard, 
T. Francis Rivers, H, Selfe Leonard, and others. The discourse was 
opened by Mr. Geo. Bunyard with an interesting paper “ On the Effects 
of the Drought as affecting Horticulture, more especially in its Relation 
to Fruit.” An interesting discussion in which nearly all the members 
took part followed, and from which much valuable information was 
obtained. Much stress was laid by Messrs. Webber and Monro of 
Covent Garden on the imperfect way in which fruit was packed for 
market, inferior fruits being put in and the samples not properly 
sorted. It was also stated the extreme earliness of the season had 
completely disorganised the foreign fruit market. As a proof of the 
extreme fertility of the crop it was stated that in one orchard in Kent 
8 tons of Goffs (a second-rate Apple) have been gathered off nine trees. 
Mr. Bunyard also placed upon the table a large dish of Vicomteise 
H^ricart de Thury Strawberries gathered from the open air of good size 
and excellent flavour. He also contributed some dishes of Beurr6 Bose 
and Beurr4 Fouqueray and Pitmaston Duchess Pears, the two first of 
which were pronounced excellent, though preference was given to 
Beurr^ Bose ; Pitmaston Duchess is universally condemned as worthless 
in quality. A cordial vote of thanks was given to Mr. Bunyard for his 
excellent paper, which will be found in another part of our present issue. 
- Exeter Gardeners’ Association.—A ti Exeter Guildhall 
last week, Mr. D. C. Powell, of Powderham Gardens, read a most 
interesting and instructive paper on “ Pears and their Culture,” in 
connection with the Devon and Exeter Gardeners’ Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Association. Since the establishment of the Association the 
gardeners of the district have shown the utmost interest in its affairs, 
and have greatly benefited by the practical and comprehensive manner 
in which a variety of subjects, especially relating to gardening, have 
been dealt with. The paper read by Mr. Powell was the first of a series 
of essays which will be discussed during the winter session. Mr. G. B. 
Carlile presided over a large attendance. 
- Sweet Scabious. —Mr. W. H. Divers, Ketton Hall Gardens, 
Stamford, writes :—“I noticed a fine row of this in full fiower recently 
at Orton Hall Gardens, Peterborough. Mr. Harding had planted it 
along the front of a Vine border near the walk, where it had a very fine 
effect, and the plants were carrying a large number of fiowers. It has 
also proved very useful with me this summer for cutting. Most ladies 
are very fond of it, as the colours blend well together, and if a few of the 
bunches of seeds are judiciously used with them, it enhances the effect 
of the flowers. The culture is simplicity itself. All that is required is 
merely to sow the seeds thinly on a mild hotbed early in April, and 
plant out in the open borders in May as is done with other annuals.” 
- Oxford Botanic Gardens, —Mr. W. R, Guilfoyle, Director 
of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens, recently gave a lecture entitled 
“ Glimpses of Some British Botanical Gardens and Their Conservatories,”' 
from notes taken during his visit to Europe. He said, “ I saw much 
during my travels in the way of gardening and horticulture that was 
really interesting and useful to me.” Of the Botanic Garden at Oxford, 
of which he speaks highly, though only a few acres in extent, he considers 
it contains some wonderfully fine specimens of rare and beautiful trees. 
It is the oldest of British Botanic Gardens, having been founded in 1632. 
A tree of Sophora japonica measures 11 feet 3 inches in circumference 
of stem at 5 feet from the ground. There are also some noble examples 
of different kinds of Ash. A Copper Beech measured 11 feet 6 inches 
in girth. Near the college are two Elms, one 26 feet 8 inches in girth, 
and the other is 21 feet 6 inches in girth. 
TECOMA SMITHI. 
At the Drill Hall, Westminster, on the 10th inst. three plants of 
Tecoma Smithi, from the Royal Gardens, Kew, were exhibited, and by 
reason of their attractiveness much interest was centred upon them. 
The plants shown were about 2 feet in height, and each bore a large 
terminal cyme of yellow blooms tinted with brownish red. An idea as 
to the character of the flowers may be gathered by referring to the 
illustration (fig. 52), and it will be readily conceded that this Tecoma is 
likely to prove useful for decorative purposes, meriting the first-class 
certificate awarded by the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticultural 
Society. Tecoma Smithi is a new hybrid, the result of a cross between 
T. capensis and T. velutina. 
FLORAL NOMENCLATURE. 
In la-st week’s “ Saturday Review,” in an article on flower names, I 
came across the following: — “ Gladiolus (Gladiolus, ma’am, not 
Gladiolus, as some use, or Gladiolus, as others) is perfect,” &c. I 
presume there can be no doubt that this (with the four vowels all short) 
is the correct form, notwithstanding the use of the others. Granting 
that the pronunciation of a Latin word used as a plant name may be 
occasionally altered by custom, that does not affect the case, as the 
controlling custom must be consistent; here we have two conflicting 
customs. Personally, I find it rather goes against the grain to call the 
plant either Gladiolus or Gladiolus, though I am content to do so if the 
world at large will only consent to adopt one or the other. Of course I 
should prefer the world adopting the correct form, but I fear the four- 
short vowels are a feeble minority and must submit to be driven in the 
way in which they should not go. Will you kindly exert your influence 
to obtain an authoritative declaration of the mode of pronunciation to be 
hereafter adopted, with a proviso that such declaration shall be not open 
to change 1 
As I am on the subject of plant names I will ask permission to go on 
and protest against the use of Latin plurals that has grown up of late. 
It began with names ending in us; I have seen it extended to others 
ending in a, and there seems no reason why it should not creep on to 
MOT, and so to the Greek derivatives in is, via, and ops or opsis, &c., if it 
has not already done so. There are nurserymen’s catalogues that may 
give a hint of the glorious confusion into which plant nomenclature 
may fall. The pages of your own Journal (please do not suppose I am 
attacking the Editor) will furnish an illustration. It is not many 
months since I noticed in it a report of a Narcissi Show. I can point to 
