2 GO 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 22, 1892. 
Events of the Week. — The ensuing week will be one of the 
quietest of the year. There are no shows of any importance announced. 
A meeting of the Floral Committee of the National Chrysanthemum 
Society takes place on September 28th. Auction sales of bulbs and 
Orchids will be conducted during the week ; for particulars see adver¬ 
tisements on the second page. 
-The Weather in London.—A fine week has to be recorded, 
the weather having been uniformly dry, warm, and fine during the past 
seven days. Harvesting, fruit gathering, Potato lifting, and other 
operations have proceeded with little or no check, in which there is 
cause for thankfulness. Circumstances now indicate a change. The 
barometer shows a little depression, and the wind, which is south¬ 
westerly to westerly, is light and variable. At the time of going to press 
the weather is showery, warm, and close. 
- United Horticultural Benefit and Provident 
Society. —Mr. John Fraser of Lea Bridge will preside at the annual 
dinner of this Society, which takes place at the Cannon Street Hotel on 
Wednesday, October 6th, at 6 p.m. 
- French Horticulture at the World's Fair. — The 
French Commission will send to the World’s Fair to superintend the 
horticultural and floricultural work in the French section M. Le Fevre, 
the Superintendent and head gardener for the City of Paris, who has 
charge of the gardens in the Bois de Boulogne. M. Le Fevre was in 
charge of the gardens around the Trocadero at the Paris Exhibition in 
1889. H. Andre will prepare the plans. 
- Veronica longifolia subsessilis. — This is perhaps the 
finest of all the Veronicas. Flowering late as it does in the summer it 
is very valuable, prolonging the display when the bulk of the family 
have faded. The colour is a rich purple blue. The flower stalks grow 
from 2 feet to 3 feet high, and are freely clothed with large dark green 
leaves, which enhances its appearance considerably. No collection of 
herbaceous plants is complete without this Veronica.—E. M. 
- Peach Grosse Mignonne. —This is one of the best varieties for 
outdoor culture. It is of free growth, not subject to insects, mildew, or 
any ills which yearly befall some open air grown Peaches. On a south 
wall the fruit assumes an exceptionally high colour when the leaves 
are put on one side to admit of the sun shining full on the fruit. The 
flavour is good, perhaps the best of any variety out of doors. We have 
a tree covering an 8 feet high wall for 30 feet, which is bearing 
260 fruits, very even in size. The tree is in a most promising condition 
for next year also, the buds appearing to be plumping up quite full. 
—E. M. 
- Exhibition of Potatoes at Earl’s Court,—A schedule 
has been forwarded to us of a great Potato Show, to be held in connec¬ 
tion with the display of hardy fruit at the International Horticultural 
Exhibition, Earl’s Court, on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, October 
5th, 6th, and 7th. Seventeen classes are provided, thirteen of which 
are restricted to varieties in commerce, and four to seedling varieties 
not yet sent out. Many of the prizes are special contributions ; for 
instance, in the first, which is for twelve dishes, nine tubers of each 
variety, Messrs. Sutton & Sons offer prizes of £6, £4 10s., £3 3s., £2 2s., 
and £1 Is. They also offer prizes of £5, £4, £3, £2, and £1 for nine 
dishes ; and a set of the same value for six dishes. The Lord Mayor 
offers prizes of £2, £1 10s., £1, and 10s. 6d. for three dishes of white 
rounds ; and there are many others, while the Executive also give many 
prizes. Besides the money prizes, a silver medal will be given for the 
best dish of Potatoes in the whole of the classes, and a gold medal for 
the most meritorious collection of Potatoes. Schedules are now ready, 
and can be had from the Secretary of the International Horticultural 
Exhibition, or from Mr. P. McKinlay, 24, Upper Thames Street, 
London, E.C. The latter has long taken a deep interest in the noble 
tuber, and it is pleasing to hear that he will manage the Exhibition. 
In so good a Potato year as this we may reasonably expect a very fine 
display. 
- Tree of Life. —Can any of your correspondents tell me the 
botanical name of the Tree of Life from Nova Scotia, and what treat¬ 
ment it requires ?—W. J. J. 
- A Change of Charge. —Mr. Henry Purser, who has hac? 
charge of the gardens at Bavenhill, Rugeley, Lord Zouche’s Staffordshire 
residence, will in future superintend those at Parham Park, Pulborough, 
the same nobleman’s Sussex seat. 
■- Show Schedules. —The schedules of the Chrysanthemum 
Exhibition and Floral Fete, and of the spring Show of the Ancient Society 
of York Florists, have come to hand. The former will be held on 
November 16th, 17th, and 18th, the latter on April 26th and 27th, 1895. 
Spalding Chrysanthemum Show is fixed for November 10th and 11th ; 
schedules are now ready. 
- The First Frost. —There was sufficient frost in this part of 
Suffolk on the morning of September 18th to cut off the Vegetable 
Marrows and to touch Dahlias and Heliotropes. As more than half of 
our Vegetable Marrows were cut off on June 15th the summer of 1892 
has been indeed a short one. The Dahlias were first touched last 
year on October 29th.— W. R. Raillem. 
- Frost at Bournemouth. — This locality was visited by a 
very severe frost on Saturday night, which has cut down Dahlias, Vege¬ 
table Marrows, and Scarlet Runners ; but happily we in the centre of 
Bournemouth have escaped with only a slight touch of it. We have 
been having beautiful weather, and flowers were looking up after the 
late heavy rains and wind ; it seems a pity to have them cut down 
suddenly.—J. B. Stevenson. 
- Sale of a Seedling Rose. —Messrs. Alex. Dickson & Sons 
of Newtownards have sold their gold medal seedling Rose, Mrs. W. J. 
Grant, to an American gentleman, who, upon seeing it, would not be 
said “ Nay.” I compliment him upon his good taste, as this Rose, which 
is a seedling from La France, is a magnificent one, perfect in shape, 
delightful in colour, deliciously perfumed, and one of the freest 
bloomers I ever saw.—M. 
- Retinospora PLUMOSA. — At the Swiss Nursery, Farnham, 
there are two very fine specimens of this refined-looking and very 
handsome Conifer, which are so good that, to quote Mr. Mortimer’s 
words, “ they have sold hundreds of young ones.” The soil is essentially 
what may be called common land, not very deep, and originally a 
barren heath. Draining and trenching, however, have done wonders for 
it, with the result that what a few years ago seemed incapable of 
growing a common weed well now grows even show Dahlias in 
remarkably fine condition. These Retinosporas are each about 12 feet 
in height, and some 25 feet in circumference. They are of perfect 
form, and without a flaw, not a single rusty branch being found on them. 
This is probably the result of congenial soil. In any case it suits all 
kinds of Conifers well, especially Retinosporas.—D. 
- The Hop Crop.—A very distressing sight indeed was the 
general appearan.ee of the Hop plants about Farnham last week. The 
work of picking should, under ordinary conditions, have been in full 
swing, but in extensive gardens in all directions there were seen immense 
quantities of the plants still standing untouched because so blackened 
by cold or winds or blight, or from all causes combined. No words can 
fully convey what the eye could thus see. In some places one-half the 
poles had been pulled, in others not more than one-third, these having 
been taken out here and there. In some gardens the crop was so clean 
a complete clearance had been made, but these were few. In others 
there did not seem to be one pole worth gathering from. In only one 
garden, and that a low-lying and well-sheltered one, did I see a really 
fair, clean crop, and that was of a late variety. It is all very well to 
talk about the uncertainty of fruit culture, but it is a bad season that 
gives no produce, whilst fruit cannot be of such costly culture as Hops 
are. Still further, even if the trees are fruitless, it is rare that they 
are not benefiting by the rest from production thus afforded. A bad 
season for the Hop crop is equally a bad one for the plants. I should 
prefer to see a sparse crop of Apples, Pears, or Plums at any time than 
such a one of Hops as this year affords. Having regard to the amount 
of filthy manure, all sorts of disgusting compounds, which Hops are 
dressed with, it is no matter for wonder that sometimes the plants suffer 
from epidemics. It is a wonder that humanity does not suffer also in 
the same way. Happily, not only is fruit culture exempt from those 
abominations, but the trees would hardly appreciate such treatment. 
—A. D. 
