October 26, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
375 
Events op the Week. —The principal events of horticultural 
interest during the ensuing week will include several Chrysanthemum 
shows. The first one, Havant, will be opened on Friday, the 28th inst., 
and others will follow in quick rotation. A list of some of the most 
important exhibitions, and those that have been advertised in our 
columns, is given on page 380 of the present issue. 
- The Weather ik London.—T he weather has been mild 
during the greater part of the past week, and much rain has fallen in 
the metropolis. On Sunday it rained more or less nearly all day, but 
was fine on Monday. Tuesday proved colder, and Wednesday opened 
^milarly, it being also dull as we are preparing for press. 
- La Societe Royale d’Agrichlture et de Botanique 
DE Gand. —At a meeting of this Society, held on the 16th inst., Mr. 
H. J. Veitch, of the Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, was unanimously 
elected a Membre d'Honneur, in recognition of his services to botany 
and to horticulture. 
- Amaryllis Belladonna.— Mr. W. H. Divers, Ketton Hall 
Gardens, Stamford, writes A narrow border of this plant at the 
Mote Park, near Maidstone, formed a very pretty, as well as an unusual 
sight, last month when the plants were in flower. Mr. Fielder grows it 
on a south aspect close to some warm Orchid houses, which no doubt 
assists it to a certain extent during the cold weather, and also helps to 
ripen the bulbs in the summer. The plant has one bad point, as it 
flowers at a time when it has no foliage, but this may be assisted in 
various ways so as to give full effect to the flowers.” 
- New Zealand Plants. —According to a New Zealand paper, 
Mr. James Veitch, of the well-known firm of Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons 
of Chelsea, who has been travelling in search of plants all over the 
world for some years, has collected plants from that part of the globe. 
They were packed in twelve large Wardian cases, weighing over half a 
ton each. The dimensions of each case are 4 feet by 2 feet 6 inches, 
and 2 feet 6 inches high. The twelve Wardian cases mentioned 
were shipped by the “ Ruahine,” from Lyttelton, for London, by 
which vessel Mr. Veitch was also a passenger. [We learn with pleasure 
that Mr. James Veitch has arrived home safely, also the plants, to 
which a further reference will be made.] 
- The First International Botanical Congress ever 
convened on American soil was held at Madison, Wis., immediately after 
the adjournment of the American Association for the Advancement of 
Science, August 23rd and 24th. The foreign representation, however, 
was so small that the title of the meeting was changed to the “ Madison 
Botanical Congress.” The meeting was an outgrowth of that at Genoa 
last year. Professor E. L. Greene of California was elected President. 
All the subjects discussed at the meeting referred to terminology, the 
following being the topics :—1, Plant Diseases ; 2, Anatomy and 
Morphology ; 3, Physiology ; 4, Horticultural Forms ; 5, Bibliography. 
It is expected, says “Nature,” that the next meeting will be held in 
Europe in 1894, but the precise time and place was not announced. 
- The Best Country for Apples.—I t is said that California 
will never get the fame in Apple culture which has followed its 
experience with other fruits. This is natural; the Apple is a native of 
cool and comparatively northern regions. It has never been able to 
adapt itself to warm countries. Even in the Eastern States the Apple 
is not a particularly successful fruit south of the Potomac river, except 
in the mountains and cool regions. All along the Allegheny range they 
thrive admirably, quite as well as in the famous Apple regions of 
western New York ; but when we get into the lower lands, where a 
long and comparatively high summer temperature prevails, the Apple 
would never be looked upon as a desirable orchard fruit by those who 
were looking to profit from fruit culture. Thus remarks “ Meehans’ 
Monthly,” and by way of a supplement we might put in a claim that 
England is at least one of the best countries in the world for Apples. 
This year they have in most localities been exceptionally fine. 
- Gardening Appointment.— Mr. William Seal, five years 
foreman for Earl Stanhope, Chevening Park, Kent, has been appointed 
head gardener to S. W. Waller, Esq., Baynard’s Park, Surrey. 
- Curious Spelling op the Names op Pears. — In a 
fruiterer’s shop in a Suffolk town I noticed the following three Pears 
very well represented — Chaumontel, Beurr6 Diel, and Bergamotte 
d’Automne, but curiously labelled “ Sharman’s Tell,” “ Bure’s Dale,” 
and “Burgoyne” respectively.— East Anglia. 
- Gaillardias and Antirrhinums.—T hese are still in flower 
and have been so since the spring. They appear to have almost 
enjoyed the very dry season, and have proved most useful for cutting 
when nearly everything else was burnt up. A bed of Yellow Prince 
dwarf Antirrhinums has been much admired.— East Anglia. 
- Self-sown Tomatoes. —Mr. G. F. Ash, The Gardens, Swan- 
bourne House, Winslow, Bucks, informs us that he had self-sown 
Tomatoes which came up in the open garden, and one plant was simply 
staked and in no other way protected. This produced 130 very large 
fruit of the old wrinkled red type, and many of them ripened. 
- According to the “ Lancet,” the Apothecaries’ Society are 
about to apply to the Courts lor powers to sell their Botanical Gardens 
at Chelsea, the money value of which has been fixed at about £30,000. 
The removal of this historic garden would be a source of keen regret 
to the many who have profited by the instruction conveyed by its means. 
- Belladonna Lily. —“T. A., Bristol," writes:—A few seeds 
of this plant have ripened here this season. I should be glad to know if 
it is unusual, as I do not remember to have seen in previous years any 
capsules attempting to swell much less to perfect their seeds. These 
are about the size and form of the small round grained Maize, and 
when first gathered are of an ivory white colour. 
- Johnson’s Gardeners’ Dictionary.—A copy of part vii. of 
the new edition of the above work has come to hand, and like its 
predecessors, it has been carefully prepared. It opens with the genus 
Pleandra and finishes with a description of Sesbanias, the intervening 
genera being described in alphabetical order. One more instalment, we 
believe, remains to be published, which completes the edition. As 
before remarked, Messrs. G. Bell & Sons, Covent Garden, W.C., are the 
publishers. 
- Ripe Strawberries in October. —Mr. C. Bellwood, The 
Gardens, East Horsley Towers, near Leatherhead, writes :—In answer to 
Mr. G. Freeman’s remarks (page 355) of discovering several clusters of 
Strawberries showing colour on the 9th inst., I discovered October 19th 
several clusters of fruit also in looking over a plot. Some are quite ripe, 
others not so forward, but I think they will ripen. I may add, the 
Strawberries were produced from plants that have already fruited in the 
open, and had not been forced. Mr. John Short, Darlington, also 
observes :—“ I gathered some Strawberries on the 6th, and nearly every 
day since we have had a few ripe fruits, and there are still quite a 
number ripening. These are from plants that have been planted out 
two years. There are other persons in the immediate neighbourhood 
whose experience is similar. This is the first time we have had any 
ripe in October for fifteen years.” Another correspondent from Bristol 
says, “ My two-year-old plants of Vicomtesse H4ricart de Thury have 
ripened several fruits during the present month, and there are still 
some to be found in various stages of development; they are rather 
small, however, and not worth protecting. Neither Noble nor any other 
variety has given a second crop of fruit with me.” In addition to the 
foregoing, other instances of Strawberries fruiting this autumn have 
come under our notice. 
_ Potatoes in Lincolnshire. —We learn from a northern 
contemporary tba*' fie Potato harvest in the Fen district of Lincoln¬ 
shire is now completed “ Generally speaking, it has been one of the 
best experienced for several years, and those who risked planting a 
large acreage with the tuber have had no cause to regret having done 
so. The early varieties especially made some very high prices, and 
several growers made as much as £20 per acre, exclusive of the cost of 
digging the crop. The season has been an exceptionably favourable 
one, and owing to the absence of rain very little disease has been 
noticed, and consequently less labour has been required for picking and 
sorting. Magnum Bonum, which is a variety much grown in the Fen 
district, has yielded heavily, and there are numerous instances-notably 
amongst allotment occupiers—where the crops have yielded at the rate 
of 7 and 8 tons to the acre.” 
