February J, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
93 
- Native Guano. —The Native Guano Co. (Limited), 29, New 
Bridge Street, Blackfriars, E.C., send us, through their agents (Messrs. 
Laughton & Co.), a pamphlet of some fifty-six pages, setting forth the 
virtues of this valuable manure. A glance at the contents of the Irochnre 
will convince anyone that native guano is extensively used in gardens. 
Reports as to its value for producing garden and farm crops, sent by 
well-known gardeners and gentlemen from all parts of England, Wales 
Ireland, and Scotland, are embodied in this publication. Some useful 
hints as to the amounts that should be applied to various crops are 
also included. 
- Kingston Gardeners.—A t a meeting of a number of the 
gardeners of Kingston and Surbiton held last week, it was resolved to 
form a Gardeners’ United Cricket Club for the district, and a code of 
rules was drawn up and passed. Mr. W. Henbest, Anglesea House 
Gardens, was appointed captain. After the business incidental to 
cricket was disposed of, it was further agreed to convene a meeting of 
the gardeners of the district and any others interested in horticulture, 
which will be held at the Albany Hall, Kingston, on the evening of the 
2nd of February. By special request Mr. A. Dean undertook to con¬ 
vene the meeting, the object of which is to form, if possible, a Gar¬ 
deners’ Association for the promotion of the social and intellectual status 
of gardeners. It is hoped that there will be a large attendance, and that 
so important a town will have its Gardeners’ Improvement Society. 
- Banquet of the Fruiterers’ Company. —The Master and 
Wardens of the Fruiterers’ Company are chosen on St. Paul’s day, 
January 25th, and the Lord Mayor is entertained at the banquet. This 
was held in the Whitehall rooms of the Hotel Mhtropole, the Court and 
Liverymen of the Company assembling on the occasion. In the 
unavoidable absence of the Master, H. Martin, Esq., H. R. Williams, 
Esq., P.M., ably presided. The Very Rev. Dean Hole, Hon. Chaplain of 
the Company, was present, and the list of ninety guests, published in 
the City Press, contains the names of Messrs. G. Bunyard, J. Cheal, 
T. F. Rivers, and J. Wright. The Lord Mayor, H. S. Foster, Esq. M.P.j 
Mr. Alderman and Sheriff Renals (Renter Warden), and the Chairman 
were the chief speakers, the latter founding an excellent address on the 
returns he had received from the Board of Agriculture, published on 
page 74 last week. 
- Education for Gardeners. —A correspondent writes ;— 
“ There are so many efforts being now put forth to promote wider know¬ 
ledge of horticulture generally that it is to be hoped special endeavours 
will be made in the interest of gardeners. It does seem as if County 
Councils are far from being indifferent to the requirements of gardeners, 
and in numerous cases have given gardeners’ associations the help of 
paid lecturers. Capital work also has been done through the aid of 
garden demonstrations during the summer months, and in that direction 
much more might very well be accomplished were members of gardeners’ 
associations to make it the practice to visit in numbers some of the best 
gardens, nurseries, and market establishments available, and there have 
the assistance of competent demonstrators of higher or more excellent 
garden practice. Such visits as now take place are usually of too 
pleasurable a kind, and whilst that is good something really instructive 
would be better.” 
- Teignmouth Gardeners’ Improvement Asssciation.—A 
Presentation. — At the fortnightly meeting of the Teignmouth 
Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Association, held on Tuesday, 24th 
inst., Mr. S. Deadman, who for sixteen years has been head gardener 
at Gorway, the residence of the late John Whidbourn, Esq., was pre¬ 
sented with a very handsome sixteen-day marble timepiece in recogni¬ 
tion of his services to the Association. Mr. J. Colman, as the presiding 
Chairman for the evening, made the presentation, and said that the 
members felt that they could not allow Mr. Deadman to leave the town 
without a slight recognition of his kindness and energy on behalf of 
their Association. He simply expressed the wish of every member that 
Mr. Deadman would have good health, and be successful in his future 
career wherever he may reside. The Association have reason to regret 
the loss of so valuable a member, who had so often given them able 
and instructive papers on fruit culture. Mr. Deadman briefly thanked 
the members for their expression of the humble services he had rendered, 
said whatever value had been set on the papers he had given, that some 
good would be the outcome of his efforts, whilst wishing the Teignmouth 
Association every prosperity. Mr. Deadman is a thorough practical 
gardener, and the Association hope he will soon meet with a suitable 
situation. 
-Leicester Chrysanthemum Society.—T he annual general 
meeting of the members of the Leicester Chrysanthemum Society was 
held on Thursday, 25th ult. The President, Aid. T. Wright, occupied 
the chair. Mr. W. Bell, the Hon. Secretary, read the annual report, 
which showed that during the year there has been a steady increase in 
the number of members and in the amount subscribed. Last year there 
were 263 members, subscribing £63 lOs. This year there are 267 
members, subscribing £67 17s. At the Exhibition held on November 
11th and 12th there were 190 entries. A gift of thirty books on fruit 
culture from Sir James Whitehead, Bart., M.P., was very much appre¬ 
ciated by those rnembers who were fortunate enough to receive one. 
The balance-sheet showed total receipts amounting to £130 11s. 44d., 
expenses amounting to £130 11s. OJd. A vote of thanks was passed to 
Mr. W. Bell, the Hon. Sec., on the motion of Aid. Wright, who spoke in 
high terms of the hard work he had given in the promotion of the 
Society’s interests, and general regret was expressed at his retirement. 
- Liverpool Horticultural Association. — On Saturday 
evening the annual general meeting of the above Association was held 
in the lecture room of the Museum, William Brown Street. Mr. T. 
White, the Chairman of the Association, presided, and there was a 
large attendance of members. Reference was made in the report to 
the loss the Association had sustained by the death of the late Mr 
A. R. Cox, who was a most useful member of the Committee. The 
report was passed, the financial statement showing a balance in hand 
of £134 Os. 3d. A vote of thanks was accorded to all past officers for 
their services during the year. Robert Holt, Esq., Mayor of Liverpool, 
was appointed Hon. President; W. Fletcher Rogers was re-elected 
Hon. Treasurer ; Mr. G. Blackmore Sub-Treasurer; Mr. Wm. Dickson, 
25, Victoria Street, Liverpool, Secretary ; and Messrs. Woolley, Playfair, 
B. Cromwell, J. Madeley, J. Bounds, J. Lowndes, D. H. Johns, T. D. 
Heany, and Thos. Healey were selected to fill the vacancies on the 
Committee. A sum of 3 guineas was voted to the Gardeners’ Royal 
Benevolent Institution, and 2 guineas to the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. 
The spring Show will be held in St. George’s Hall on March 14th and 
15th, and the summer Show July 26th and 27th. A vote of thanks to the 
Chairman terminated the proceedings.—R. P. R. 
- Hybridisation and Improvement of Plants. — Under 
the auspices of the Scottish Horticultural Association, Dr. J. H. Wilson 
recently delivered a lecture on the “ Hybridisation and Improvement of 
Plants.” After glancing at the early history of the art of hybridisation, 
reference was made by the lecturer to the great advances of recent 
times in the improvement of flowers and fruit by its aid. Undeniably 
there had been much success by haphazard w 'rk ; it were better, how¬ 
ever, to pursue surer and more scientific methods. B 7 a hybrid was 
ordinarily meant the plant resulting from the fertilisation of the flower 
of one species by that of another. In a fevv cases a result essentially 
comparable had been attained by grafting one species on another, but 
this method was not reliable. On the other hand, the nature of the 
hybrid, resulting from the crossing of flowers, could in most cases be 
approximately anticipated. It, therefore, lay within the power of the 
operator to attain a certain ideal of form and colour by skilfully 
blending certain parental characters. The lecturer having fully 
described a simple flower, and the means whereby seed could be pro¬ 
cured, discussed the precautions necessary to the successful fertilisation 
and hybridisation of well known garden plants. The extremely 
intimate union of the characters of the parents in hybrid offspring was 
shown by lantern transparencies of microscopic preparations of new 
hybrids raised by the lecturer. 
- Norfolk and Norwich Horticultural Society.—T he 
annual meeting of this Society was held at the Guildhall recently under 
the presidency of the Mayor (Mr. A. R. Chamberlain). The Hon. Secre¬ 
tary read the statement of accounts, from which it appeared that the 
balance in hand at the beginning of last year was £88 Ids. 9d., but 
owing principally to inclement weather that prevailed at the time 
of the Rose Show the balance at present is £39 19s. 3d. The 
reserve fund amounted to £257 6 s. 2d. The Chrysanthemum Show, 
according to the annual report, proved a greater success than ever, and 
it was extremely gratifying to find that its advance in every respect 
continued year after year to be so steady. For the first time an expert, 
Mr. Edwin Molyneux, of Swanmore Park, Bishops Waltham, was 
retained to judge the Chrysanthemums. His awards gave the utmost 
satisfaction both to the Committee and to the exhibitors. The report 
having been adopted, the following officers were elected President^ 
Mr. G. F. Buxton; Vice-President, Mr. B. La Neve Foster, Sennowe 
