February 16, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
138 
Events of the Week. —The ensuing week will not be a parti- 
•cularly busy one so far as horticultural events in the metropolis are 
concerned. On Monday, February 20th, the annual general meeting of 
■the National Chrysanthemum Society will be held at Anderton’s Hotel, 
Fleet Street, E.C , at 7 p.m. The customary auction sales will also take 
place at Messrs. Protheroe & Morris’ Rooms. 
The Wbather in London, —The weather in the metropolis 
■continues to be unsettled. Sunday proved cold with occasional showers, 
Monday being rather milder. On Tuesday it rained more or less the 
greater part of the day, and was squally. Wednesday opened fine with 
south-westerly winds, and at the time of going to press it appears to be 
more settled. 
- Weather in the North. —With the exception of Sunday, 
which was a fine, clear, cold, winter day, the past week has been a dis¬ 
agreeable one. Cold showers were frequent during the earlier part. 
The nights of the 9th and 10th were very boisterous and wet. During 
the night of the 12th 8° of frost were recorded, and on Monday morning 
the hoar frost lay like snow. Heavy snow fell all the afternoon and 
■evening, but it changed to rain later.—B. D., S. Perthshire, 
Gardeners Orphan Fund. —We have pleasure in announc- 
ing that Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild will preside at the annual 
dinner of this charity on Wednesday, March 22nd, at St. James’ Hall, 
Regent Street, and we trust a large and influential company will assemble 
on the occasion. 
- The Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution. —As 
an instance of what local societies are able to do in aiding the gardening 
•charities, we are asked to mention that the Reigate and District 
Ohrysanthemum Society has remitted to the Gardeners’ Royal Benevo¬ 
lent Institution no less a sum than £136 lOs, during the four years it 
has been established, and has thus been the means of nominating 
thirteen of its members as life members of the Institution. Mr. James 
Brown, the indefatigable Honorary Secretary of the Reigate Society, 
expresses a hope that kindred societies, if able, may be induced to do 
likewise, and thus not only add to the funds of an excellent charity, but 
■also benefit their own members by conferring upon them, as funds 
permit, the privileges of life membership of the Institution. 
- Gardening and Forestry Exhibition.— Just as we are 
going to press we receive a preliminary programme of the Earl’s 
Court Exhibition during the present year. It is intended to have a 
continuous representative display of Gardening and Forestry, with 
special fortnightly shows. The outline schedule appears to be very 
comprehensive, but particular reference to it cannot be made this 
week. Mr. H. E. Milner is Chairman of the Exhibition Committee, and 
Mr. Harry Turner, Slough, Vice-Chairman of the horticultural section. 
Certificated Plants, 1859—1893.—A more useful volume 
than that just published by the Royal Horticultural Society has 
seldom been issued. This comprises upwards of 250 pages, and con¬ 
tains the names of plants, flowers. Ferns, Orchids, fruit, and vege¬ 
tables certificated by the Society from 1859 to 1893. The contents 
are admirably arranged, the work having been accomplished by Mr. 
John Weathers, Assistant Secretary of the Society. The book will be 
most valuable for reference, and should have a place in every library 
of horticultural works. 
The World’s Fair at Chicago. — We are requested to 
announce that for the convenience of visitors to Chicago during the 
forthcoming Exposition, a mammoth hotel is being erected by the 
V orld’s Fair Co-operative Bureau. The hotel is in blocks, somewhat 
after the plan of St. Thomas’s Hospital, and will contain over 6000 
rooms. These rooms will be let at a uniform rate of a dollar a day 
to those who pay a nominal registration fee beforehand, and thus 
seeure the right of occupancy at any time during the Exposition. 
The sole representation of the World’s Fair Co-operative Bureau in 
Great Britain has been placed in the hands of the City Press Agency, 
1, King’s Arms Yard, and 51, Coleman Street, London, E.C. 
- Early Primroses.— A correspondent writes :—“ Some fine 
bunches of Primroses were plucked on Saturday, February 4th, at 
Penhale, near the Lizard, the weather being delightfully fine and 
warm.” 
■- Flower Shows at Reading.— We are requested to state 
that the summer Show of the Reading Horticultural Society will be 
held on August 16 h this year, and that the Exhibition of the Reading 
Chrysanthemum Society will take place on November 15th. 
- Frozen Flowers are likely to beeome as plentiful as frozen 
meat. At a recent meeting of the Scientific Society of Ipswich, it was 
stated that a large consignment of fiowers packed in ice would shortly 
be received from New Zealand. It is probable that the frozen flowers 
will be exhibited at the Museum at Ipswich. 
- Sheffield Botanical Gardens. —According to the Com¬ 
mittee’s report recently submitted, the outlook for these Gardens is not 
very promising. It would seem that the shares are at almost nominal 
prices, and unless more adequately supported by the townspeople fears 
for the future of these grounds are likely to be entertained. 
- The Birmingham Gardeners’ Association. —Three years 
sinee it was determined by the Association that an annual social gathering 
of members, their wives, and friends should take place at one of the 
principal hotels, and the anniversary meeting was held on the evening 
of the 8th inst., when a large number spent a most pleasant evening, 
Mr. W. B. Latham presiding. 
-United Horticultural Benefit and Provident Society. 
—The monthly meeting of this Society was held at the. Caledonian 
Hotel, Adelphi Terrace, Strand, on Monday evening last. The chair 
was taken at eight o’clock by Mr. W. P. Thomson. Seven new membeis 
were elected, and one was nominated. Two meii!.ber8 only are on the 
sick fund. The annual meeting will take place at the above hotel on 
Monday evening, March 13th, at eight o’clock. Mr. Arthur Veitch has 
kindly consented to preside. 
- The Royal Horticultural Society will hold a grand 
flower Show in the Agricultural Hall, London, on August 29th to 
September 1st next, when it is intended to make special awards for 
heating apparatus and appliances that are practically tested in the 
building. These awards will prove of the greatest value in promoting 
trade, and the action of the R.H.S. in insisting that the awards shall 
alone be for demonstrated and proved merit should commend itself to 
general exhibition authorities. 
- Flower Shows at the Crystal Palace.—T he dates of the 
Shows to be held at the Crystal Palace during the current year are as 
follows :—The spring Exhibition of plants and flowers will be on 
Saturday, March 25th, and the Great Summer Exhibition on Wednesday 
and Thursday, May 10th and 11th. The National Rose Society’s 
Exhibition is fixed for Saturday, July 1st, and the National Dahlia 
Society’s Show will be held on Friday and Saturday, September 
1st and 2nd. November 3rd and 1th are the dates of the grand Chrys¬ 
anthemum Exhibition. 
- Lychnis chalcedonica.—M r. S. Arnott (page 106) rightly 
says much in favour of the double form of this perennial. I should like 
to add a word in reference to the common form as a border plant. In 
cottage gardens it is much grown and appreciated, and goes under the 
name of “ Scarlet Lightning.’’ In strong soil it will reach 4 feet in 
height and give abundance of its showy flowers. Unlike many other 
hardy plants, it is easy to keep in its proper position in the border. By 
the aid of a fairly stout stake compact plants are assured, and with but 
little trouble in the matter of tying.—E. M. 
- Cost of Manuring Fruit Trees.—I f you have not closed 
discussion on manures, will you allow me to say, speaking from considerable 
experience, that if a fruit garden is in a good condition an expenditure 
of from £1 to £1 10s. per acre every year in artificial manures will keep 
it so? I have always used Lawe’s guano at about the rate of 2 cwt. per 
acre as a minimum, using rather more after a heavy crop. I have 
applied it at times varying from early February to late April, but prefer 
the former date, In conclusion, I would say young fruit trees planted 
in properly prepared ground need no manure for the first few years* 
and at all times it is possible to use too much.—Y, [Our correspondent 
is a highly successful cultivator—one who really makes fruit-giowing 
pay in a district where the natural conditions are far from being o£ 
ihe most encouraging nature.] 
