September 1, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
193 
- Woodbridge HORTICULTURAL Society.—W e are pleased to 
find that the excellent summer Show of this Society was a financial 
success. Captain R. J. Carthew has offered his grounds for the 
floral f&te next year, which is fixed for July 13th. Mr. John Andrews 
is the efficient Secretary of the Society, and works zealously for its 
success. 
- Hollyhocks from West Dulwich. —Trouble Hollyhocks 
have still an active supporter left in the West Dulwich grower, Mr. 
■Smith, who annually calls at the Journal office with a box of choice 
blooms. His last visit was on August 25th, and the flowers he brought 
were excellent in type, being finely formed, full, and substantial. The 
colours varied greatly, rose, pink, crimson, lemon, cream, and others 
being represented. The blooms served as a pleasant reminder of 
old times. 
- Scorton Horticultural Show. —The second annual Exhi¬ 
bition in connection with the Scorton and District Floral and Horticul¬ 
tural Society was held on Monday in the New Institute at Scorton, and 
was a great success. There were over 100 exhibitors. Mr. T. Lawson 
of Ellerton made close upon fifty entries, and won numerous prizes in 
the different departments. A prominent feature of the Exhibition was 
a magnificent display of Roses sent by Messrs. R. Mack of the North of 
England Rose Nurseries. 
- Torquay District Gardeners’ Association.—I t is always 
a pleasure to wish success to an organisation having the welfare and 
progress of horticulture as its main object, and as the Torquay District 
Gardeners’ Association comes into existence with this end specially in 
view it merits recognition and encouragement. That it fills a want 
would appear to be evident from the fact of nearly 100 members having 
already joined ; may its numbers continue to grow. W. H. Lavers, Esq., 
has been elected President, and Mr. Fred. C. Srnale, 1, Knowsley, 
Avenue Road, Torquay, Hon. Secretary. 
-Lynton Horticultural Show. — This Society held its 
eleventh annual Show on the pretty Manor Ground, Lynmouth, kindly 
placed at the disposal of the Committee by Mr. C. B. Jeun. The 
weather proved most auspicious, and this, together with the interest 
which the inhabitants and visitors to the twin towns take in this 
annual Show, drew a large attendance. The Society has never been in 
the fortunate position of being able to enter upon a year with a balance 
in hand, but this year’s Show will probably usher in a new era finan¬ 
cially, there being a large attendance. The whole of the classes were well 
filled. 
- Electricity in Market Gardening.— Several years ago 
the interest of horticulturists and gardeners was drawn to the electric 
light as a substitute for, or valuable adjunct to, sunlight in forcing 
plants. We heard at the time of Strawberries and other fruits ripened 
by electricity, but few people gave any credence to the story, and those 
who did were mostly deterred from making further experiments in this 
direction on account of the expense entailed. This difficulty appears 
to have been overcome in America, for at Boston a Mr. Rawson has, 
it is said, successfully cultivated and is cultivating large crops of vege¬ 
tables by electric lamplight. He has covered in several fields with glass. 
The electric light is used only at night, and the effect in forcing the 
growth of Lettuces and similar vegetables is said to be extraordinary. 
This opens up a wide field for the horticulturist, and we may expect 
in due time to have many kinds of fruit and vegetables that are now 
restricted to particular seasons, except at prohibitive prices, available 
all the year round. 
- Market Reform.— The “ National Observer ” has come to 
the rescue of the small grower, and calls attention to the anomalous 
position he occupies with respect to the commission agent, who 
charges so much per punnet or bushel sold instead of a per-centage 
on the gross amount realised. Under this condition of affairs it does 
not matter what the price realised may be, good or bad, his com¬ 
mission is the same. But our contemporary goes on to comment on a 
still more significant fact—namely, that agents are very often dealers 
in what they sell on commission, and even growers or producers of the 
articles which they sell on behalf of others. What this opens the 
gate for is obvious. “What is affirmed—and that with emphasis”— 
says the National Observer, “ is that, if there be such a thing as 
a wicked salesman, he may sell another man’s goods to himself at the 
cheapest and resell them to the public at the dearest rate without 
breaking any Commandment openly, or showing a vulnerable point to 
the law ; and that if the London market system be not rotten to the 
core, it can only be because all salesmen whatsoever are so very noble 
and virtuous that not the connivance of the law, nor the unprotected 
condition of their customers, nor even the love of profit, may tempt 
them out of the path of rectitude and the way of honour. But many 
ugly stories are current among their customers, and of late unpleasant 
facts have come to light.” No doubt the system has been abused by 
unprincipled men, but there is no lack of salesmen who act with the 
greatest fairness, and give full satisfaction to the growers of garden 
produce with whom they deal. 
- Crotons at Dover House, Roehampton.—“ J. B.” writes: 
—“ In the well-kept gardens of Dover House, Roehampton, I noticed 
recently a wonderfully fine collection of Crotons, some fifty-six varieties, 
very brightly, indeed unusually well, coloured, and forming a capital 
display of these useful decorative plants. Noteworthy were Reedi, 
Cronstadti, Chelsoni, volutum, Lord Chelmsford, aigburthensis, Mrs. 
Norman, superbum, Countess, and Prince and Princess of Wales. Mr. 
J. F. McLeod, the able gardener, i3 to be congratulated on his culture 
of these plants. Chrysanthemums (some 1500 plants) and Carnat’ons 
in thousands, with other well-grown classes of plants, also attest to his 
skill as a cultivator.” 
- Telekia speciosissima.— Probably few visitors at Rede Hall 
on Wednesday week saw the fine plant of this grand hardy perennial 
there, and which is certainly so rare that it is seldom met with. Mr. 
Cottle drew aside a few Conifer branches in one part of the grounds, 
and there, revelling in the shade and seclusion, was a fine specimen 
carrying several stems some 4 feet in height, and producing very large 
single yellow flowers fully 4 inches across ; the petals are thread-like, 
resembling those of a fine-petalled single Japanese Chrysanthemum. 
The variety evidently likes shade and seclusion. It is not mentioned 
in the select lists of hardy perennials published in the report of the 
proceedings of the Royal Horticultural Society of November, 1891, that 
includes almost every known good hardy plant.—D. 
-Phlox Avalanche.—I do not know whether this variety of the 
herbaceous section is new or not, but I learn from Messrs. Collins and 
Gabriel’s foreman at Hampton that it had not been certificated. 
Certainly there are few varieties more worthy that honour. It carries 
fine trusses of large flat pips of pure white colour, the individual blooms 
being larger than a pennypiece, and forms one of the best white hardy 
flowers for pots or borders I have seen. In the Hampton Nursery it is 
grown in considerable quantity. The heads are on stems 20 inches in 
height, on second-year bottoms, and on spring-struck cuttings it would be 
some 6 inches shorter. What a fine thing for any form of plant 
decoration would be a large quantity of such dwarf plants in pots, 
carrying single heads ! I commend it to all lovers of the Phlox very 
heartily.—A. D. 
- Allotment Association. — I have a recollection of reading 
some long time ago an account of the forming and working of an 
Allotment Association, by which means the holders procured seeds, &c., 
also disposed of part of their produce to advantage. My employer has 
recently cut up a 10-acre field in addition to others already existing, 
cottagers holding 10 or 20 rods, one or two others who keep a cow 
having an acre. Our e’ergyman and myself are interested in the matter, 
and wish to encourage it. We think that by the holders combining 
more life and energy will be thrown into the work. If any of your 
readers can assist us with useful hints, or give us the address of a 
secretary of an association that is working successfully, I shall feel 
greatly obliged.— Geo. Nottage, Gardener to J. Bonham Carter, Esq , 
Adhurst , St, Mary , Petersjield. 
- Rawmarsh and Parkgate Flower Show.—T he annual 
Show of the Society formed for the promotion of gardening pursuits in 
the Rawmarsh and Parkgate district took place on August 16th. The 
Rawmarsh Cricket Club had kindly lent their field, which was in every 
way well adapted for the event. Financially the Society is in a fairly 
good position, the accounts for 1891 exhibiting a substantial balance in 
the bank after discharging all liabilities. The proceedings were largely 
attended, and there is no doubt that the gate money will compare most 
favourably with that of any previous local undertaking of this descrip¬ 
tion. The prize money amounted to £50, aDd for the most part the 
competition was keen. There were two sections — amateurs’ and 
cottagers’—each being well represented in pretty nearly all sections. 
Vegetables were excellent, and several good collections of fruit were 
staged. Plants in pots were fully up to former years, while amongst the 
