504 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 8, 1892. 
Events of the Week. —The Committees of the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society will meet at the Drill Hall, James Street, S.W., on 
Tuesday, December 13th, and a lecture on “ Winter Berry-bearing 
Plants ” will be given at the afternoon meeting. On the same day the 
annual meeting of the National Rose Society, also the monthly dinner 
and conversazione of the Horticultural Club, will take place. Particulars 
are given elsewhere. 
- The Weather in London. —The weather has been of a 
wintry nature in the metropolis during the past week. Sunday opened 
bright, but very cold, with a sharp fro9t at night. Monday was also 
fine and seasonable, and a slight fall of snow occurring in the evening. 
On Tuesday snow fell at intervals during the day, turning to rain at 
night. Early on Wednesday morning slight frost was apparent, and 
at the time of going to press it is clear, though not quite so cold. 
- Weather in the North. —From the 30th ult. to the 6th 
inst. has been a week of severe weather. On the morning of the 1st 
the ground was covered with 5 inches of snow, which still lies but little 
affected by the sun. The consecutive record of frost from the last day 
of November is 8°, 7°, 23°, 21°, 15° 16°, 15°. The cold on the 2nd was 
intense. There was a slight thaw for a few hours on Saturday, but after 
noon frost again set in keenly.—B. D., S. Perthshire. 
- Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution. —A general 
meeting of the members of the Institution will be held at Simpson’s, 
101, Strand, in the county of Middlesex, on Tuesday, the 20th day of 
December, 1892, at three o’clock in the afternoon, for the purpose of pass¬ 
ing a special resolution to change the original name of the Institution 
from “ the Benevolent Institution for the Relief of Aged and Indigent 
Gardeners and their Widows” (instituted in 1838) to the name of the 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution, by which it is now generally 
known, for the purpose of registration ; and also to consider and adopt 
alterations and additions to the rules of the Institution, recommended 
by the Committee of Management.— George J. Ingram, Secretary. 
- Horticultural Club. — The usual monthly dinner and 
conversazione will take place on Tuesday next at the rooms of the 
Ciub, Hotel Windsor, Victoria Street, Westminster, at six o’clock. The 
chair will be taken by Harry J. Veitch, Esq., Vice-Chairman of the 
Club. The discussion will be on growing the Chrysanthemum for 
exhibition, and will be opened by the Worshipful the Mayor of 
Taunton, Mr. W. Herbert Fowler, winner of the champion challenge 
cup of the National Chrysanthemum Society. 
- Meetings at the Drill Hall. —Allow me to cordially 
support the suggestion for altering the commencement of the afternoon 
meetings to 2.30 at least, 2 P.M. for preference. Very few of the lectures 
attract a good audience, and it is within my certain knowledge that 
many visitors leave before 3 p.m., unable to wait until that hour. If 
the general public came in during the afternoon in sufficient numbers 
to make a good meeting all would be well, but they do not.— Another 
Fellow, 
= — Royal Botanic Society.— At a meeting of this Society, held 
on November 26th, John Birkett, Esq., F.L.S., in the chair, Mr. C. E. 
Anquetil, Mr. J. L. Ellis, Dr. Seton, Mr. John Thompson, Mrs. F. Adams, 
and Mrs. Phillips were elected Fellows of the Society. Some beautiful 
paintings by Miss Bertha Maguire of Chrysanthemums in the Society’s 
conservatory were exhibited at the meeting, and highly commended by the 
Fellows present for their fidelity to Nature. The exhibitions and meetings 
of this Society will be held in the Gardens, Regent’s Park, during 1893 
as follows :—Spring Show's, March 22nd and April 26th ; Special Floral 
Fete, June 21st; Evening F^te, July 5th ; Musical Promenades on the 
Wednesdays in May, June and July, exhibition and fete days excepted. 
Lectures will be given on Fridays in May and June at 4 o’clock. 
General meetings for election of new Fellows and scientific discussions 
will be held on January 14th and 28th, February 11th and 25th, March 
11th and 25th, April 8th and 22nd, May 13th and 27th, June 10th and 
24th, July 8th and 22nd, November 11th and 25th, and December 9th. 
The anniversary meeting takes place on August 10th. 
- Sale of Plants at Blenheim Palace.—T he whole*of the 
contents of the greenhouses and hothouses at Blenheim Palace—plants 
of every kind, and no fewer than 25,000 Orchids—are to be sold^by 
auction on December 19th and the following day by Messrs. Protheroe 
and Morris. 
- The Horticultural Directory. — This annual is now 
ready. It is the thirty-fourth issue, and contains 480 pages of matter of 
interest to gardeners, amateurs, and the great community of persons- 
who are engaged in the industries of and in close alliance jwith 
horticulture. The changes in gardening appointments are numerous,, 
and were recorded up to date ; but, as is inevitable under the 
circumstances, many arrived too late to be inserted. As a handy ^workjof 
reference the “ Year-Book” will be found to maintain its established 
reputation, and the price remains as before—Is. 
- Crocuses in November.—I think it only right that_I should* 
state that when I wrote the article on “ Crocuses in November,” 
which appeared in the Journal of 1st inst., I was not in possession of 
the supplementary part of Nicholson’s “ Dictionary of Gardening.”' 
I have since received it, and find that it gives an admirable key to the 
genus and descriptions of most of the recent introductions. C. zonatus- 
is, I find from the above work, a native of the Cilician Mountains and 
Lebanon, and C. hyemalis of Palestine and Syria. The C. hyemalis in 
my garden is C. h. var. Foxi, which differs from the type in having 
black instead of orange anthers.—S. Arnott. 
- Chicago Exhibition. —In reference to the announcement 
at page 483, we are informed that Mr. Mclndoe is not the only English 
gardener who has been invited by the “ Executive of the above Exhi¬ 
bition to exhibit at their great Show next autumn a collection of fruit 
similar to the one staged at the International Horticultural Exhibition 
held at Earl’s Court, London, last August.” Messrs. Goodacre, 
H. W. Ward, and other successful exhibitors at Earl’s Court were also- 
specially ” invited by Mr. J. M. Samuels (Chief of the Department of 
Horticulture, Chicago), in language identical to that quoted above, the 
letters of “ special ” invitation being dated September 17th, and received 
ten days later. 
- The Hereford Fruit Show.—A correspondent writes:— 
“ Your reporter, in giving the account of the Hereford Fruit Show, is 
slightly in error when he states Mr. Lee Campbell to have taken most 
of the prizes in the amateur class. For thirty dishes of Apples, open 
to Herefordshire, Mrs. Evans, Moreton Court, was first, the English 
Fruit and Rose Company second, the Right Hon. Lady Emily Foley 
third. For twelve dishes of Pears Mr. Lee Campbell was first, Mrs. 
Evans second ; and for twelve dishes of Apples, best for market 
purposes, Mrs. Evans was first, Mr. Lee Campbell being second. For 
single dishes in the open class Mrs. Evans took three seconds and three 
thirds. I shall be obliged if you will insert this in your next issue.” 
The word “ indoor” in the report ought to have been printed “out of doors.” 
- Brisbane Botanic Garden.—A correspondent of a daily 
contemporary writes that trees from all parts of the world may be seen 
growing luxuriantly in this beautiful garden. One may walk in the 
avenue of Bamboos or sit beneath the shade of a beautiful Palm, Fig 
tree, or majestic Fir, and take in a view which time will scarcely 
efface. All around are beautiful flowers of every hue and climate,, 
and trees of almost every kind. There is the Banana tree, the Papan 
Apple, the Fig, Cypress, Pine, Bamboos, Palms, Bottle-tree, Gums, 
Eucalypti, and trees from America, India, China, England, Japan, and 
many other countries, always green, always beautiful. The walks are 
well planned, and the ferneries are pictures of loveliness. Here are 
noble Tree Ferns, rich Orchids, luxuriant varied climbers, Begonias, 
beautiful Maidenhair Ferns, Dracaenas, and Lilies. 
- Birmingham Gardeners’ Association. — At a meeting 
held on November 28th, Mr. W. Crump, Madresfield Court Gardens, 
Worcester, read a practical paper on “ The Apple and its Culture,” and 
exhibited specimens of 100 varieties grown at Madresfield in the 
experimental garden. Much useful information was given as to root- 
pruning and planting. Excellent samples of culinary Apples were 
exhibited, also several local varieties of considerable promise. Mr. 
Hughes, the Secretary, exhibited a very fine specimen of Cypripedium 
insigne fully 3 feet in diameter and well flowered, which had been 
growing in the same tub for several years, and a cultural certificate was 
awarded. Mr. R. W. Vertegans also obtained a similar award for 
Romneya Coulteri in bloom—a deliciously scented hardy plant. He 
also exhibited a dish of fruit of Diospyros Kaki, but not ripe enough 
to eat. It is not very unlike a medium-sized Tomato in form and colour. 
