438 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
[ November 17, 1892. 
Events of the Week. — The ensuing week will be a com¬ 
paratively quiet one in horticultural circles. A few important Chrys¬ 
anthemum exhibitions remain to be held, and a brief list of these will 
be found on another page. Several auction sales will take place, for 
particulars of which see advertisements. 
- The Weather in London. —Thick black fogs were preva¬ 
lent in the metropolis at the end of last week. Sunday, however, 
opened more favourable, it being mild with occasional glimpses of 
sunshine. Bright and mild weather characterised Monday, but 
Tuesday proved dull and wet. At the time of going to press it is 
raining. 
- Weather in the North.—N ovember 8th to 15th.—A week 
of dull, foggy, wet weather. The 10th was an exception ; there was a 
slight touch of frost in the morning, and the day and evening were 
fine. The afternoon of the 14th and the evening were very wet. The 
thermometer has frequently during the week stood over 40° throughout 
the night.—B. D., S. Perthshire. 
- Cyclamen at the Gloucester and Cheltenham Shows. 
—Messrs. Sutton & Sons of Reading were awarded six first-class 
certificates for beautiful and distinct varieties of Cyclamen at the 
Gloucester Show, whilst at the Cheltenham Exhibition they received nine 
first-class certificates. These flowers are now highly worthy of inspec¬ 
tion at Reading. We are compelled to defer the publication of the 
report of the Gloucester Show. 
- French Apples in London. —According to an American 
contemporary France at the present time is “ sending 20,000 packages of 
Apples per week to the London markets, and these are being sold at low 
prices.” Immense quantities of foreign fruit, and much of it of an 
inferior nature, are now being sold in the metropolis, but the accuracy of 
the above statement is open to question. Albeit, well-grown British 
fruit always commands remunerative prices. 
- A Narcissus Exhibition. —An Exhibition of Narcissi will 
be held in the Edgbaston Botanical Gardens on April 26th and 27th 
next under the auspices of the Birmingham Botanical Society, and it 
is hoped that representative collections an i new varieties will be staged 
by cultivators. Classes will be devoted also to plants in pots to show 
their usefulness for indoor decoration, and particularly to encourage this 
object Mr. Robert Sydenham gives five prizes for twelve pots of curious 
varieties. 
- Woolton Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society.— 
The first of a series of lectures under the auspices of the Lancashire and 
Cheshire Association for the Extension of University Teaching was 
delivered by T. L. Bailey, Esq., Ph.D., University College, Liverpool, on 
Thursday, the title being “ The Constituents of Plants, and Whence 
They are Supplied.’ There was a very fair attendance, and the lecture, 
being illustrated by experiments, proved very interesting, and gained the 
closest attention of the audience.—R. P. R. 
- Horticulturists as Mayors.—I t is gratifying to note that 
at least two horticulturists were se'ected for municipal honours last 
week—namely, Mr. Samuel Barlow, J.P., of Stakehill House, Castleton, 
as Mayor of Middleton; and Mr. W. Herbert Fowler as Mayor of 
Taunton. Mr. Barlow is a most enthusiastic florist, and Mr. Fowler 
is a well-known Chrysanthemum grower and exhibitor, he having 
secured the first prize for forty-eight Japanese blooms at the Royal 
Aquarium last week, in addition to other awards. 
- An Addition to Waterlow Park.—T he London County 
Council have undertaken to restore, under the direction of Mr. Blashill, 
Lauderdale House, which together with its own terraced and old- 
fashioned garden, is now included in Waterlow Park, Highgate. The 
park consists of 29 acres, the gift of Sir Sydney Waterlow, to which he 
added £6000 for the purchase of the freehold of a portion (2§ acres) 
then held on lease. The Council voted £4900 to defray the cost of 
adapting the grounds for public resort. The house was the home of 
John, Duke of Lauderdale, and it is said of Nell Gwynne. 
- Hardy Trees and Shrubs at Kew. —It is said that the 
arboretum of Kew, which was very small a quarter of a century or so ago, 
now contains over 3000 species or marked varieties of trees and shrubs. 
- Floriculture in the South of France. —Floriculture is 
rapidly extending in the South of France. In certain parts of the 
Alpes Maritimes Rose-growing brings a profit of from 10,000 francs to- 
12,000 francs an acre. It is in winter that the flowers are most in 
request. 
- Plymouth Chrysanthemum Show. —We are informed by 
telegram that in the open class for forty-eight blooms at this Show 
Messrs. W. & G. Drover, Fareham, were first ; Miss Frith, Teignmouth, 
second ; and Mr. W. Herbert Fowler, Taunton, third. The Exhibition 
was held on Tuesday, November 15th. 
- Agapanthus umbellatus albus. — Your correspondent, 
“ Rectory,” page 116, in writing about this plant says that he cannot 
get it to flower. I have two plants of it, which flower beautifully every 
year, and they are treated exactly the same as the blue variety. The 
white ones that I have were brought to me by a friend direct from the 
Cape.— Edward Costate. 
- Australian Fruit. —An American paper says, “ The last 
year’s shipment of Australian fruit to London was profitless to shippers, 
owing chiefly to inferior packing. Another such a season will destroy 
the English market for Australian fruit.” We are inclined to think 
that superiority of English-grown fruit will in future tell heavily 
against foreign productions. 
- Trentham Gardens. —We are desired to state that Mr. Peter 
Blair has arranged with the Duke of Sutherland to remain with him as 
head gardener at Trentham instead of taking the Trentham Hotel, as 
previously arranged. The Duke and Duchess take a very great interest 
in the gardens, and Mr. Blair is the right man in the right place at 
princely Trentham. 
- The Weather in Dumfries. —The weather here during the 
past week may almost be summed up in one word—rain. Saturday, 
12th inst., was, however, dry nearly all day, but dull. Some 
days high winds prevailed ; but, generally speaking, it has been calm. 
The rainfall has been heavy, and to-day (14th) there is no appearance 
of any improvement.—S. Arnott, Dumfriesshire. 
- A Leicester Vegetable Show. —Messrs. Harrison & Sons’ 
annual vegetable and root Show opened on Wednesday, November 9th, 
at the Market Hall, Leicester. The vegetables were staged in a very 
effective manner. The Show was, during the day, visited by hundreds 
of people. Compared with last year, the exhibits were of a far superior 
quality, and the entries were numerous, especially those of Potatoes, 
Onions, Leeks, and Carrots. 
- Are all Yews Poisonous ? —Replying to a query asked 
by Earl Cathcart at the last meeting of the Council of the Royal Agri¬ 
cultural Society as to what was known as to the poisonous properties of 
the Yew, and whether the trees of one sex only or of both were poisonous, 
Mr. W. Carruthers, F.R.S., said the question whether the poisonous 
qualities of the tree were restricted to one sex only of the plant could 
not be answered in the affirmative. 
- Orange Growing in Florida.— It is stated that on Tues¬ 
day, November 15ch, the steamer “ Ethelwold,” from Fernandina, 
Florida, started with the first cargo (15,000 boxes) of Florida Oranges 
ever shipped to England. This shipment will reach and be sold in 
London about December 5th. At the present time the United States 
produces six million boxes, each containing 200 Oranges. In a few 
years Florida and California will produce ten million boxes, three 
million at least of which, writes a correspondent, will have to go to 
Europe, “ to avoid glutting American markets.” The present cargo has 
been collected from 200 different Orange growers. 
- Ghent International Exhibition, 1893.—A circular has 
been issued by the Committee of the Ghent International Horticultural 
Exhibition in 1893 calling attention to its comprehensive character. It 
is pointed out that there are 660 classes, embracing a very wide range 
of material, from hardy and indoor plants of all kinds to objects of art 
and industry, that nearly 1500 medals will be offered, including a gold 
medal each from the King and Queen, and that space will be free to 
exhibitors. The circular concludes by stating that the Exhibition, 
which will be open from the 16th to the 23rd of April next, will be 
unique. More than 100,000 plants will be gathered together, as well as 
objects of art. 
