248 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
March 21,1895. 
Events of the Week. —Again, as in the past week, there are 
three items of interest to horticultHrists during this week. On Friday 
evening a presentation will be made to Mr. W. G. Head of the Crystal 
Palace ; on Tuesday the Committees of the Royal Horticultural Society 
meet at the Drill Hall; and the Brighton and Sussex Horticultural 
Society holds its spring show in the Pavilion and Corn Exchange of that 
town. 
- Weather in London. —During the past week the weather in 
and around London has been most pleasant and spring-like. The sun 
has shone gloriously on most of the days, and vegetation has made rapid 
strides since a few days ago. Most of the mornings have been somewhat 
foggy, but this has soon been dissipated. Tuesday was dull and cooler, 
a little rain falling in the evening, while at the time of going to press 
on Wednesday the conditions are the same as those of the previous day. 
- Weather in the North. —During the week ending the 
19th inst. the weather has been generally dull with occasional showers 
and gleams of sunshine. Saturday and Sunday, however, were fine 
throughout. Rain and sunshine alternated on Monday, and Tuesday 
morning was dull and cold. West wind has prevailed, and the thaw 
now complete has enabled farmers to be at thei plough for several days. 
Crocuses are making their appearance.—B. D., S. Perthshire. 
- At the next meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, 
which will be held in the Drill Hall, James Street, Victoria Street, 
Westminster, on Tuesday, March 26th, Mr. T. H. Crasp will read a 
paper on “ Lifting Large Trees and Shrubs ” at 3 P.M. The vacancy 
caused on the Fruit Committee by the lamented death of Mr. Geo. 
Taber has been filled by Mr. Iggulden’s appointment by the Council. 
The Vegetable Show has now been definitely fixed for September 10th 
(instead of October 15th), and will be held at Chiswick Gardens, 
instead of in the Drill Hall as stated in the Society’s “ Arrangements ” 
for the year. 
- Gooseberry Trees and Red Spider. —I have read the note 
by “ W. D.” (page 228) with much interest, and venture to endorse the 
valuable advice as to training Gooseberries on the wire trellis plan as 
practised by Mr. Beddard at Lord Leigh’s gardens at Stoneleigh Abbey. 
At every centre in Warwickshire where I have given lectures on horti¬ 
culture I have referred to this excellent plan as carried out by Mr, 
Beddard. Perhaps the worst attack of red spider I ever remember 
seeing was on the Gooseberry trees trained on the walls at Stoneleigh 
Abbey Gardens, referred to by “ W. D.” My opinion was that the walls 
sheltered the spiders, and the heat of the sun exactly suited their nature. 
At the present time thousands, even millions, are feeding on the tips 
of the unopened buds. Now is the time to check the attack while they 
are at the mercy of insecticides before the foliage shelters them, and 
before any damage is done. I can confidently recommend Kill-m-right, 
advertised in your pages for this and other pests, as I have given it 
several exhaustive trials.—J. Hi am. 
- Mr. Martin Hope Sutton. —To very few is it permitted, 
after an active and successful business career, and a life spent in works 
of usefulness, social, philanthropic and religious, to enter the threshold 
of fourscore years. An honoured resident of Reading — Mr. 
M. H. Sutton—has lived to attain his eightieth birthday, the 14th of 
March, and the pleasurable occasion was on that day duly 
observed. Mr. Sutton received over 100 letters and telegrams, besides 
a great number of congratulatory visits from friends in Reading. 
Addresses were also presented, amongst others, by the Church of 
England Y.M.C.A. ; the Reading and District Gardeners’ Mutual 
Improvement Association, and by the chiefs of departments of the 
Royal Seed Establishment, from which business he retired in 1888, 
after being head partner for more than fifty years, leaving it in the 
hands of the present firm, consisting of his eldest son, Mr. Martin 
J, Sutton, who has been managing partner for the past twenty-four 
years, with two other sons, Mr. A. W. Sutton and Mr. Leonard Sutton, 
and his nephew, Mr. Herbert Sutton. The heartfelt congratulations 
which Mr. Sutton received on the anniversary will be echoed far and 
wide, together with the wish that his life may still longer be spared to 
hia family and friends. 
_ Presentation to Mr. W. G. Head. —The presentation to 
Mr. W. G. Head will take place in the Refreshment Department, 
Victoria Station, S.W., on Friday, the 22nd inst., at half-past six o’clock 
sharp, on which occasion Mr. Head will be invited to dinner. William 
Marshall, Esq., in the chair. 
_ Death of Mr. Alexander Anderson.— We regret to learn 
that this able horticulturist died on the 9th inst., at the early age of thirty 
years, from an attack of pneumonia. For about ten years he had been 
employed at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, and for the last 
few years as herbaceous foreman. He was an enthusiast in his depart¬ 
ment, and enjoyed the respect of his fellow employes at that establish¬ 
ment ; his death will be deeply regretted by all with whom he came 
in contact. 
-New Show House at Southwark Park.— We learn that 
the County Council has erected a large T-shaped house at this park to 
be used as a show house for the Chrysanthemums. It is at present 
open as a winter garden, staging having been erected all round, which 
is filled with fine-foliaged and fiowering plants, such as Spiraeas, Dielytra 
spectabilis. Primulas, some fine Imantophyllums, Hyacinths, Tulips, and 
other bulbous plants in full bloom. One length of the stage is set 
apart for a choice collection of succulent plants. The centres of the 
different sections are filled with a collection of foliage plants which 
make a splendid display, and appear to take the public attention as a 
new feature even better than the Chrysanthemum show. 
_ The Horticultural Club.— The usual monthly dinner and 
conversazione of the Horticultural Club took place on Tuesday, the 
12th inst., at their Rooms, Hotel Windsor, Victoria Street. There was 
a good attendance of members. The chair was occupied by Mr. 
C. E. Shea, and there were present the Rev. W. Wilks, Messrs. Cockett, 
H. J. Pearson, Selfe Leonard, C. E. Pearson, H. Briscoe-lronside, 
J. Walker, Harry Turner, J. Laing, and others. The discussion was 
opened by Mr. H. Briscoe-lronside with an interesting paper on “The 
Vegetation of the Italian Lakes, Especially that of Lago Maggiore.” In 
the conversation which followed most of the members present joined, 
and a cordial vote of thanks was accorded to Mr, Briscoe-lronside, whose 
paper will be found printed in full on page 255. 
_ Thinning Young Crops. —Few practices are more profitable 
in the amateur’s vegetable garden than thinning out garden crops as 
soon as the young plants are above the surface. If the knowledge of 
the proper sowing of seeds was more widely prevalent, when the number 
of seeds required to make plants only need be sown, no thinning would 
be needed; but so many persons sow the seeds, fearing that numbers 
will fail to grow, and therefore many more seeds are used than is neces¬ 
sary. But sometimes all these superfluous seeds grow, in which case it 
is desirable that they should be thinned. Not only do the vegetable 
plants grow larger under these circumstances, but in many cases they 
come earlier into use. 
_ Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund.—M r. H. J. Veitch, who 
will preside at the anniversary dinner of the Royal Gardeners’ Orphan 
Fund at the Hotel Metropole, on Friday, April 5th, has issued the 
following appeal;—“ Having consented to occupy the chair on April 5th 
next at the anniversary dinner of the Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund, I 
am naturaRy most anxious that it should be a great financial success, 
and I confidently appeal to all lovers of gardens and gardening to assist 
me to the utmost of their power to attain this object. From a personal 
knowledge of the management of the funds of the charity I can con- 
filently speak of the excellent work it is doing. With the exception of 
about £50 per annum for oflSce expenses the whole of the work of dis¬ 
tributing the income is carried on free of cost by the Committee, and 
therefore almost the entirety of the income is available for the main¬ 
tenance and education of the orphan children of gardeners until they 
attain the age of fourteen, at which age it is expected they can begin to 
earn. At present sixty-four children are assisted by an allowance of 5s. 
per week, the good done being limited only by the amount of means at 
the disposal of the Committee ; and when I mention the fact that not 
half the candidates at the last election could be assisted, solely in con¬ 
sequence of insufficiency of funds, I feel sure I shall not now appeal in 
vain for help to try and permanently increase the income of the charity. 
It is, I venture to assert, impossible to Imagine any position more sad or 
heartrending than that of a widow left with, in many instances, several 
young children and with little or no means for their support, the father 
having been taken off prematurely and before he could make any or 
only a totally inadequate provision for them. It is such cases which I 
now ask all who love their garden to assist.’' We trust the responses 
to this appeal will be many and substantial. 
