416 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ ilay 25, 1893. 
- The Gardeners’ Company were kindly invited by Sir Trevor 
Lawrence, Bart., the Master, and Lady Lawrence, to an “ At Home,” at 
Iheir town residence, 57, Prince’s Gate, on Saturday last. 
- Montpellier Botanic Garden.—T he tercentenary of the 
foundation of this garden is being celebrated by a series of f6tes, 
which commenced on the 20th, and will be continued to the 28th inst. 
- East Anglian Horticultural Club Benevolent Fund. 
—The Hon. Treasurer has received £22 ISs., the profits arising fro-m an 
amateur dramatic performance given by Messrs, Daniels Bros.’ 
employes on 13th April, at Norwich. 
- Herbaceous Calceolarias.—W e are informed that at the 
Cheltenham Show recently Messrs. Sutton & Sons were adjudged a 
medal for a collection of Calceolarias, the only medal ever awarded 
by the Society. 
- Agricultural and Horticultural Imports.—I n the 
House of Lords recently the Earl of Kimberley moved, “ That a Select 
Committee be appointed to consider and report whether legislation for 
the purpose of requiring the foreign or colonial origin of imported 
agricultural and horticultural produce, to be marked thereon or other¬ 
wise indicated, is necessary, expedient, and feasible ; and, if so, what 
are the provisions which such legislation should comprise.” The motion 
was agreed to. 
- The Temple Show.—A s notified in another paragraph, the 
great Flower Show held under the auspices of the Royal Horticultural 
Society opens in the Temple Gardens to-day (Thursday). A preliminary 
visit as these pages are passing through the press affords evidence that 
the Show in many respects equals those held on previous occasions. 
This year Orchids, as they hitherto have done, form a feature in the 
Exhibition. One large marquee is filled with Orchids, and some 
are staged in another huge tent with various exhibits. The Orchids 
are contributed by many of the leading growers, including Baron 
Schroder, Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., C. J. Lucas, Esq., Messrs. F. 
Sander & Co., Hugh Low & Co., J. Cypher & Sons, and B. S. Williams 
and Son. Ferns are extensively shown by Messrs. W. & J. Birkenhead, 
and hardy herbaceous flowers make a striking display, these coming 
from Messrs. P. Barr & Sons, T. S. Ware, Collins Bros., and others. 
Gloxinias are well represented, some grand collections being staged 
by Messrs. Sutton & Sons, J. Carter & Co., and J. Veitch & Sons, 
the latter firm also having hybrid Streptocarpus. Begonias are dis¬ 
played by Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, H, Canned & Sons, and T. S. 
Ware. Roses are not extensively shown this year. A detailed report 
will be given in our next issue. 
- Sutton’s Imperial Cabbage.—T his is quite distinct from 
the well-known Wheeler’s Imperial, so popular as a spring variety. We 
have a bed of several hundreds of each of these Imperial Cabbages, and 
the difference between them is very marked. Wheeler’s is much the 
smaller and quicker in turning in, but the larger growing and later kind 
has its value, and a very considerable one too, in supplying a succession 
of heads of delicate colour, flavour, and crispness. It is not wise to 
depend on any one variety alone. A light sprinkling of nitrate of soda 
put on some time since and hoed in has had a marked effect, although 
not a drop of rain have we had since its application. Even in ground 
of good heart a sprinkling of this quick-acting fertiliser is a good invest¬ 
ment, especially in a season like the present, in which the growth of 
most vegetables is slow.—W. Strugnell. 
- Carnation Society for Western England.—I t has been 
thought by several growers and lovers of Carnations and Picotees in 
Western England that a good opening exists for the formation of a 
Society for the purpose of increasing the cultivation of these beautiful 
flowers in this part of the country. At the present time there is no 
show of Carnations held nearer than London, and it is thought that 
if annual shows, such as the Oxford and Midland Counties Shows, can 
be arranged for in the west, they would be appreciated by numerous 
small growers who do not care to go to the expense and inconvenience 
of sending to more distant shows, but would be glad to exhibit, if they 
could do so within a reasonable distance. Many of the large growers 
would doubtless exhibit, and those interested in the Carnation would 
be brought together and have the benefit of an interchange both cf 
ideas and experience in regard to this subject. Mr. F. W. Baker of 
Keynsham, says T/ie IFeste/yi Press, is acting as Hon. Secretary of the 
movement, and Mr. J. A. Taylor of Warmley Hall is also interesting 
himself in its behalf. 
- Botanical Lectures at Chelsea. —Mr. J. G. Baker, F.R.S.,. 
has commenced a course of botanical lectures and demonstrations in the 
gardens of the Society of Apothecaries, Chelsea. The lectures are given 
on Saturday afternoons at three o’clock, and are free. 
- Diseases op Plants.—I taly is to the fore in the economic- 
investigation of the diseases of plants, this work being carried on at 
two stations. One of the stations is at Pavia, established in 1871, and 
under the charge of Professor Brioni ; and the other, established in 
1887, is under the directorship of Professor Cuboni. 
- Royalty at Fareham.—T heir Royal Highnesses the Duke 
and Duchess of Connaught honoured Messrs. W. & G. Drover with a 
visit to their nurseries, Fareham, on Friday last. Their Royal High¬ 
nesses were received by Mr. W. Drover, and conducted through the 
houses. The Duchess evinced great interest in the growth of the 
Stephanotis, Gardenias, and Roses, and on leaving Her Royal Highness 
was presented by Mr. W. Drover with a bouquet of Perle des Jardins 
Roses and His Royal Highness with their new book on the “ Growth of 
the Chrysanthemum.” 
- Whit-Monday in London.—T he weather in London last 
Monday was all that could be desired for a Bank Holiday. Nearly 
70,000 people went to Hampstead Heath, 53,000 to the Crystal Palace, 
about 90,000 to Kew Gardens, 40,000 to Dulwich Park, 112,000 to 
Battersea Park, over 27,000 to the Zoological Gardens, 17,000 to the 
Tower, and 14,293 to the South Kensington Museum. In addition to 
these there were immense crowds at the Gardening and Forestry 
Exhibition. Thousands of people also visited Hampton Court Park» 
which was thrown open to the public without any formal ceremony. 
- Destroying Crickets. —Being much pestered with crickets 
in our vinery, I shall be greatly obliged if any readers of the Journal of 
Horticulture will let me know of a better plan than I have tried—viz., 
beetle traps baited with sugar and treacle—for eradicating the pest. 
I should also like to ask if it is not very unusual for a cluster of Grapes 
to show from the extreme point of a shoot ? There are only a few 
leaves on the shoot beneath the cluster, not one over it. I have left it 
from curiosity. The variety is Alicante, and the bunch should weigh 
about 4 lbs. if fully grown.—W. L. W. 
- Pollination of Tomatoes. — Anything from the pen of Mr. 
Iggulden is always acceptable, and I read with great interest his article 
on the “ Pollination of Tomato Flowers ” (page 350, May 4th). It may 
interest him and others to know that after perusing his article I was 
sufficiently interested to make a microscopic examination -with a high 
power lens of the stigmas of two Tomato flowers—the one pollinated 
in the ordinary way by shaking the flowers, and the other in the way 
suggested by Mr. Iggulden. Both were well pollinated, and, so far as I 
could judge, there was no appreciable difference in the quantity of 
pollen deposited on the stigma.— Constant Reader. 
- Flowers Arranged in the French Style.—T here is no 
doubt that we have to concede a good deal to our neighbours over the 
Channel in matters of taste. Our solid insular perception refuses to 
lend itself to the vagaries of fashion and confectionery which are taken 
up and negotiated so airily by our charming and volatile friends. But 
if there is one of the lighter arts in which the French more excel than 
another it is in the arrangement of flowjrs. The solidified nosegays 
which we are accustomed to see in shop windows at home would be 
impossible to the most untaught marcliand des deurs abroad, and I, 
writes a correspondent in “ Talk,” am truly glad to see that an offshoot 
of this native talent has lately taken root in Regent Street, and bids fair 
to flourish there like the proverbial green Bay tree. 
- The Weather in Warwickshire.—W riting from Warwick 
“ H. D.” says :—“ The long wished for rain has come at last, and with 
no unstinted hand as far as this district is concerned. A steady rain 
of several hours’ duration fe'l during the afternoon of Monday 15 th inst., 
and continued at intervals during the night, amounting in all to half 
an inch. A few slight showers fell during the succeeding night. To¬ 
day, Wednesday, 17th, between twelve and two o’clock, we experienced 
a perfect deluge of rain. In a little over an hour the fall amounted to 
Ij: inch, and a series of steady showers continued throughout the 
afternoon and evening. Vegetation on every hand is responding with 
marvellous rapidity to the beneficial influence of life-giving rain, which 
has revived the drooping hopes of many a farmer and gardener, and 
converted trees, crops, grass, and flowers from a parched and weakened 
condition to one of the freshest vigour, not without high promise for 
future plenty.” 
