876 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 27, 1892. 
- Bournemouth and District Gardeners’ Mutual Im¬ 
provement Association. —“ The Composition, Uses, and Abuses of 
Farmyard Manure ” was the title of an excellent paper read by Mr. 
A. Skinner, gardener, Highcliffe Castle, Christchurch, at the meeting of 
the above Society on Wednesday, October 19th. An interesting discussion 
followed, and Mr. Skinner was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. Mr. 
J. J. Swaffield, nurseryman, occupied the chair. 
- Presentation to Mr. A. McLeod. —On Tuesdays October 
18th, the friends of Mr. Angus McLeod presented him with an address, 
accompanied with a purse of sovereigns, on his departure from Kells. 
Mr. McLeod was manager of Headfort Gardens for over six years, during 
which time the great interest he took in the promotion of Irish horti¬ 
culture, together with his genial manners, won him many friends. His 
name figured as a prizetaker at most of the Dublin and at many local 
shows. Mr. McLeod is at present disengaged, and is succeeded by 
Mr. Hownslow, Lord Headfort’s gardener at Virginia, who now manages 
both establishments. 
- Plants and Flowers by Parcel Post. —The regulations 
concerning the sending of plants and flowers, &c., by parcel post now 
indicate that tin boxes should always be used for Damsons, Bullaces, 
and Blackberries. Chrysanthemums should invariably be enclosed in a 
box or basket, as by this means all risk of damage is prevented. Shrubs 
and dwarf trees should have the roots encased in bass matting, and the 
branches and twigs tied together with bass or string. Dwarf standard 
Rose trees should have bands of hay or of bass matting wound round 
their entire length so as to prevent all risk of injury to the young shoots. 
Wooden boxes should be used for flowers and soft or tender plants. 
The address label attached to such parcels should bear the words “ by 
parcel post,” “ fruit,” “ plant,” &c., as the case may be, or “ perishable,” 
and every effort will be made by the authorities to deal with parcels so 
marked as speedily and carefully as possible. 
- Ailsa Craig Onion. —Replying to “ R. M.” in the Journal of 
Horticulture , page 329, I think I may safely assert that what Mr. 
Deverill is trying to obtain is an Ailsa Craig of a handsome globe-shaped 
form. What labour this means only practical onionists (who, like 
myself, have spent years of patient experiments) can comprehend ; but 
as “ R. M.” truly observes, whether as a “ globe ” or “ flat,” Ailsa Craig 
is undoubtedly a magnificent exhibition Onion. What “ R. M.” and 
others will have to watch is that he obtains the finest strains only from 
selected bulbs, otherwise, as in the case of the cheap stocks of Rousham 
Park Hero (raised by myself), he will find that in years to come the 
Ailsa Craig will be without any character whatever. Perhaps nothing 
deteriorates so quickly as an Onion, and the care required to keep a variety 
up to exhibition excellence was amply illustrated at Deverill’s last 
Onion Show by comparing the Rousham Park Hero Onions there ex¬ 
hibited with the low-priced stocks now so prevalent. I mention this as 
a comparison, and to show what we may expect Ailsa Craig to ultimately 
become in the absence of the closest care in selection.—H. Wingrove, 
Rousham Park Gardens. 
- Technical Institute, Dundee. —The Dundee Horticultural 
Association, having for its aims the advancement of the science and 
practice of horticulture, made application in the autumn of last year 
to participate in any sum set aside from “ Residue Grant ” by the Town 
Council for the purposes of technical education. This application was 
favourably received, and one of the conditions attached to the grant 
given to the Technical Institute by the Council was the institution of 
a class in the principles and practice of horticulture for gardeners. 
A course of about twenty lessons and demonstrations has been arranged. 
The class will be conducted by Mr. D. Storrie, who has been strongly 
recommended to the Committee as a skilful and enthusiastic botanist 
and horticulturist. The following subjects will be treated :—Introduc¬ 
tion.—The three pathways of knowledge and the three kingdoms of 
Nature—the mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdoms ; their relations 
and main divisions, with special reference to plants. The Mineral 
Kingdom, briefly considered in relation to horticulture.—Rocks and 
their reduction to soils ; mechanical and chemical properties of soils ; 
rough methods of soil analysis ; improvement of barren and poor soils. 
The Vegetable Kingdom.—The higher and lower forms of vegetation ; 
the fundamental structure of plants ; different plant members (roots, 
leaves, &c.) and their functions. Plant Growth.—Absorption of food 
materials; respiration and transpiration ; assimilation and increase of 
size and weight. Plant Reproduction.—Pollination ; fertilisation and 
growth of the embryo; seed—their character and germination ; practical 
management of seeds ; propagation and practical management of bulbs, 
corms, tubers, and root crowns ; spores and viviparous buds. Ferns.— 
Their reproduction and life history ; essential conditions for raising 
Ferns from spores. Plant Propagation.—Cuttings and layers ; budding 
and grafting. Plant Cultivation.—Essential conditions of temperature 
and humidity ; the effects of light, heat, and cold on plants ; the 
principles of heating by hot water. The practice and principles of 
pruning. Planting and Transplanting.—Seasons and conditions of the 
soil; meteorological conditions determining success or failure ; care and 
management of roots. Pot Plants and their Management.—Potting 
and composts ; watering ; capillarity and evaporation; airing, shading, 
and syringing. The Chemistry of the Soil.—Plant foods and plant 
constituents ; manures, their management and applications ; theory of 
rotation of cropping. Garden Pests.—Fungoid and other vegetable 
pests ; insect pests. Botany.—A course of one lecture weekly during 
the summer term will be given by Professor Geddes. In 1893 the 
course will deal with “ Systematic and Economic Botany and the 
Geography of Plants.” No previous knowledge is required ; but the 
course will cover natural orders of plants not undertaken last year. 
The class will meet on Tuesdays at eight, beginning Tuesday, 3rd May, 
Students may attend the botanical excursions. As far as possible, 
assistance in pursuing botanical studies during the vacation will again 
be given. Fee, 5s. 
- Gardeners’ Association Lectures. —The remarkable case 
of plagiarism which Mr. Barron has brought to light in respect of a 
lecture delivered to a gardeners’ association very naturally leads further 
to the query, How many such cases are in the habit of occurring under 
the same conditions, in which information taken from books is palmed 
off as practical knowledge ? But I would ask of gardeners’ associations 
whether in obtaining lectures or papers of the description referred to in 
a fragmentary way they are really performing for their members very 
much of useful service. A winter course of lectures should, so far as 
possible, be made exhaustive of some section of horticulture. There 
should be connection and continuity in what is undertaken, so that at 
the conclusion of a session it might be said that real educational work 
has been performed. If the proposed scheme relating to horticultural 
examinations, now under the consideration of the Council of the Royal 
Horticultural Society, be finally formulated, and gardeners’ associations 
invited to send members for examination, they will find the greater 
need for courses of lectures that have definite relation to the subjects 
found in the examination syllabus.—A. D. 
— Montbretia crocosm^eflora. —In reference to the Rev. 
C. Wolley Dod’s remarks (page 58), as to the hardiness of Montbretias, 
I may state that with Chancellor Swayne, The Close, Salisbury, the 
Montbretias are quite hardy. I had my Montbretias from that noted 
cultivator of hardy perennial and alpine plants last spring, and I believe 
that these beautiful and highly useful plants will prove hardy in most 
gardens in this country if they are planted deep enough in light well- 
drained soil in a dry warm situation, to be out of the reach of frost. In 
our case the herbaceous borders are raised above the soil surrounding 
them and slope to the walk, which runs nearly north and south. The 
soil is a light loam, enriched with leaf soil, short manure, and wood 
ashes, and from 2 to 3 feet in depth, resting on a gravelly sub-stratum. 
Still, where there is doubt about the hardiness of this plant in soils and 
situations less favourable to its perfect safety than those indicated, a 
few inches thick of sifted coal ashes or leaf mould placed over the roots 
on the approach of winter would render them quite secure from frost. 
—H. W. W. 
- Woolton Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society.— 
On Thursday evening the second meeting of this useful Society was 
held in the Mechanics’ Institute. Mr. D. H. Johns occupied the chair, 
and the following short papers were read—viz., “ Helianthuses,” by Mr. 
R. Todd, gardener to Holbrook Gaskell, Esq., Woolton Wood ; “ Violets,” 
by Mr. J. Stoney, gardener to Sir Thos. Earle, Bart., Allerton Tower ; 
“ Chrysanthemums,” by Mr. T. Carling, gardener to Mrs. Cope, Dove Park, 
Woolton ; “ Pyrethrums and Anemones,” by Mr. R. G. Waterman; and 
“ Potatoes,” by Mr. T. Leadbetter. The papers proved most interesting, 
as was also the excellent display of flowers and vegetables. Mr. 
W. Piercy, Forest Hill, London, sent a box of early-flowering Chrysanthe¬ 
mums, for which he received the Society’s special thanks, together with 
a certificate of merit. Certificates were also granted to A. S. Lowndes, 
Esq. (gardener, Mr. W. Harrison), for Dahlias; to Mr. J. J. Craven, 
gardener to G. Grant Morris, Esq., Allerton Priory, for hardy flowers; 
to Mr. J. Stoney for Vegetables ; and to Mr. T. Leadbetter for Potatoes, 
showing good examples of a new Potato named Magpie, also Maincrop, 
Early Regent, and others. The statement of accounts of the recent 
