■Jane 1, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
485 
-Faenham Amateue Rose and Hoeticultueal Association. 
—This Show will be held on July 5lh, when, besides other open prizes, 
a prize of £5 will be given for the best twenty-four Hybrid Perpetual 
Roses, open to all amateur and professional growers. Mr. Coldham C. 
Knight is the Honorary Secretary. 
- Death of Me, J. B. Webstee. —We regret to learn of the 
eleath of Mr. J. B. Webster, late forester to Her Majesty at Balmoral 
“Caitle, and for many years estate manager to Sir William Verner 
’Churchill, Vernersbridge, Ireland. Mr. Webster was seventy-four 
years of age, and died recently at Glasgow. 
- Sheffield Natuealists’ Club,—U nder the auspices of this 
•Club a lecture on the “ Development of Leaves ” was delivered recently 
in the Montgomery Hall by Mr. William White. The chair was 
taken by Mr. Howarth. The lecturer commenced by describing the 
different forms of leaves—round, triangular, arrow, and spear-shaped. 
He gave some interesting information regarding the progression of 
the development, and stated that some leaves which were almost 
round in their first stages became jagged in their ultimate forms. 
- The Death of Mes. Steel of Heatheeslaw.—R eaders 
of the Journal will be familiar with Mr. George Steel’s name as a 
writer in our columns on Violas, Pansies, and Hollyhocks, and will share 
our regret at the sudden death of Mrs. Steel on the 13th ult. at the early 
■age of thirty-six. She was as enthusiastic as her husband in the 
raising of seedling Pansies and Violas, and Heatherslaw is becoming 
famous for the charming varieties, especially of the Violetta section 
of the latter. All florists will join in very sincere sympathy with Mr- 
Steel in his sad bereavement. 
- A Savage Coeeespondent. —It quite makes me savage when 
I read in the Journal of such good rains in various parts of the country. 
We have had scarcely any for three months. There is little grass and 
no haymaking about here. Strawberries will be almost a failure. Apples 
a fair crop, but falling. Pears short, so many having already fallen. 
Cherries only skins and stones. Plums very short, and the trees covered 
with insects.—J. W, L., Eritli. [We trust Erith had a share of the 
welcome shower that fell around London on Monday night, and that 
our correspondent is now more docile in consequence.] 
- The Oedinaey Quamash (Camassia esculenta) is doing 
unusually well this year, the pleasing purple-blue flowers with yellow 
anthers being very plentifully produced on long spikes. Unfortunately 
it lasts in flower for a very short time, and if grown in a sunny position 
in light soil the flowers rapidly pass away. I thus find it better to 
grow it in a position where it only receives a little sun in the morning 
and where the soil is fairly moist. The white variety, C. esculenta alba, 
which I also grow here is very inferior to the type in general effect, the 
flowers being a dingy white, entirely wanting in purity.—S. Aenott. 
- Sutton’s Eaely Gem Caeeot. — Mr. H. Dunkin, Warwick 
Castle, writes :—This is a splendid early variety for open-air culture. 
The roots come quickly to maturity, are tender, and of excellent 
quality. On March the 8th I sowed a dozen rows in a warm border, 
and on May the 10th began to pull young Carrots for use. Since that 
date enough for a good dish have been obtained daily. I have not tried 
this variety side by side with Early Nantes, but some of the latter sown 
ten days later than Early Gem are very much later, and do not promise 
to supply roots fit for use for at least another fortnight. The position 
they occupy, however, is not such a warm one. Perhaps other readers 
of the Journal who have tried the two varieties under precisely the 
same conditions will record their experience as to the comparative 
earliness of either. 
- Royal Botanic Society. —The third and concluding lecture 
upon Ferns was given last week at the gardens by Professor J. W. Groves, 
F.L.S. On the previous Friday the lecturer had dealt with their 
formation and development, devoting the present one to a consideration 
of the points in common existing between Ferns and flowering plants, 
or, as he preferred to call it, between spore-bearing and seed-bearing 
plants. So far as the structure of roots, stems, and leaves were con¬ 
cerned, no true differences were found ; it was only when we come 
to deal with the flower and seeds on the one hand, and the spore and its 
peculiar development on the other, that vital difference appeared. If, 
however, we took the spores of the Ferns as equivalent to the pollen 
grains of flowering plants, a correspondence in structure and functions 
was to be seen, and, with one or two exceptions, could be traced 
hroughout their subsequent development. 
-Eaely Rivees Nectaeine —Mr. T. F. Rivers has sent us 
ripe specimens of th's new Nectarine. The quality of the fruit is 
equal to its fine appearance. Had it been named for indicating flavour 
it might not inappropriately have been called the Champagne Nectarine, 
so sprightly is its bountiful juice, and distinct and agreeable its aroma. 
Early Rivers is a beautiful Nectarine, net to be lost sight of by planters 
in and out doors. 
- Aenica MONTANA. —Referring to Mr. Divers’ note (page 415) 
I fear this cannot usually be considered a long-lived plant. It has 
never been a success with me, which I attribute to the dryness of my 
soil and the want of moisture. The plant requires a rather peaty soil, 
and a plentiful supply of moisture. I cannot say that I have met with 
any good specimens anywhere, and for many years it has had the 
reputation of being a bad “ doer ” in cultivation.—S. Aenott. 
- An Edible Thistle.—I n the search for improved vegetables, 
says “ Meehan’s Monthly,” the Rocky Mountain Thistle should not be 
forgotten. It rolls up its young leaves after the fashion of a Cabbage 
Lettuce, and was food for Indians who, as Dr. Coues has determined, 
called it Shanataque. The writer of this paragraph has collected them 
in Colorado as large as small Cabbages. They ought to be as good as 
an Artichoke, which is the flower head of an ally of the Thistle. Dr. 
Gray named it Cnicus edulis. 
- Bamboos at Kew.—A new garden was made in the early 
part of 1892 in the wood near the Rhododendron Dell, and now accom¬ 
modates an extensive collection of Bamboos. The place was in past 
times a gravel pit, and by the removal of many hundreds of loads of 
sand and gravel it has been considerably enlarged, and is now a pretty, 
sheltered hollow. It is intended eventually, says the “Kew Guild 
Journal,” to concentrate here all the larger-growing hardy Monocotyle- 
donous plants. 
- The Helianthemums or Sun Roses, writes Mr. S. Arnott, 
are very delightful at present, and it is a matter of surprise that they 
are so seldom seen. It is true the flowers are extremely fugacious, 
but then they are succeeded by others day after day for a considerable 
time, so that a good-sized bush is in the mornings of fine days covered 
with the small saucer-shaped flowers of various shades of pink, red, 
white, and yellow. The plants like a sunny position and a dry 
soil, but they should not be allowed to become too dry, as this 
would shorten the blooming period. They are very readily raised 
from seed, and a small packet will supply plants enough and to spare. 
Old plants do not remove satisfactorily. They are hardier than the Rock 
Cistus and flower earlier. 
- A Jubilee Celebeation.—O n Saturday last the staff and 
some private friends of Messrs. Hurst & Son, the great wholesale seeds¬ 
men of Houndsditch, celebrated the jubilee of the foundation of the 
house in 1843, Upwards of a hundred of the former and a goodly 
number of the latter assembled at the Paddington Station of the Great 
Western Railway, where saloon carriages were provided to ernvey them 
to Slough, led by Mr. N. N. Sherwood, the head of the housa. Arrived 
at Slough an ample lunch was provided for them at the Railway Hotel, 
and thereafter the whole party entered the breaks and carriages 
specially provided for their use, and promelei according to their fancy, 
some for a drive to Virginia Water, others to view home farms or the 
garden. In the evening the whole party assembled at the hotel and sat 
down to a sumptuous dinner provided by the highly respected head of 
the establishment. 
- The Kew Arboeetum.—A ccording to the “ Journal of the 
Kew Guild ” the Arboretum continues to grow in extent and interest, 
and attracts considerable attention from horticulturists. In spite of 
the evil effects of London fog, the collection of Coniferae is now a very 
fine one and comprises many Vandsome specimens. Deciduous trees 
and shrubs are also becoming more and more interesting, and as the 
fogs and smoke of winter do not appreciably damage them, they are 
likely to become much more extensively used for gardens in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of large towns than they are now. The Curator, Mr. 
Nicholson, is preparing a catalogue of all the hardy ligneous plants 
cultivated at Kew, which will no doubt be published in some form so 
that all who are interested in trees and shrubs will be able to obtain it. 
This catalogue will reveal a wealth of material available for outdoor 
gardening of which few people have any idea. Anyone who has made 
a study of the collections grown outside at Kew will agree that in 
English gardening generally there is a want of va’^iety among the trees 
and shrubs used which under the circumstances is deplorable. 
