April 11, 1895. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
313 
- Royal Sovereign Strawberry.— Mr. E. Parry, The Gardens, 
'Castlemans, Twyford, Berks, sends us a few very good fruits of this 
Strawberry, informing us that he has been gathering similar fruits for 
the last fortnight five to seven from each plant, the runners taken the 
third week in June, and the plants placed in 6-inch pots early in 
August. 
- Herr W. Siebe has started on a botanical exploration of Asia 
Minor, with the special object of making collections of the almost 
unknown flora of Cilicia Trachea. Setting out from Cyprus, he proposes 
to visit Mersina in southern Asia Minor, proceeding then to the 
Kalykadnos Valley and the adjacent mountains, the steppe district of 
Konia, the maritime district of Egerdir, and finally, in the summer, the 
elevated alpine region of Geigdagh. 
- Cassava Culture in America.— Mr. H. W. Wiley, the 
■chemist to the United States Department of Agriculture, recommends 
the cultivation of the Cassava, Manihot utilissima, in the most southerly 
■of the United Siates, It furnishes an excellent food for men and 
cattle ; though, from the small proportion of nitrogen which it contains, 
it cannot take the place of bread-stuffs. A very good kind of tapioca 
may be made from it. The yield, in sandy soils, is from 4 to 5 tons 
per acre. 
- Cape Grapes. —The “ Goth ” steamship arrived from the Cape 
the other day with a cargo of Grapes, amounting in all to about 
1292 boxes and cases of white and red varieties, the quality ranging 
from indifferent to very fair, but the prices were not those of a few 
years since. The consignments were sold rapidly—the whites at an 
average of 10s. per box (equal 7d. per lb.), and the reds fetching 
1153. per box, or aoout 8d. per lb. The lowest price (for wasters) was 
equal to 3d. per lb., and the highest all over was loi. per lb. 
- The Delights op Gardening. —Everyone, says a trans¬ 
atlantic journal, who has once tasted the real delights of gardening 
returns to it with zest, Tranquilly pursued it gives a certain richness 
to life and thought, a wholesome basis for intellectual labour. It is a 
common bond between the wise and the ignorant, a pursuit wherein 
men of different station can interchange roles and mutually impart 
knowledge. Rivalry is of the friendliest. The cottager’s Rose may 
surpass that of a duke, and the interest of one in his specimen be as 
keen as that shown for the flower of the other. 
- The Weather Last Month.—M arch was changeable and 
showery, but without severe frost. We had heavy gales on the 23rd and 
24th which blew down several trees, and showers of snow on the 4th. The 
ice on the lake was then 6;^ inches thick. The wind was in a westerly 
direction twenty-four days. The total rainfall was 2TO inches, which 
fell on twenty-seven days, the greatest daily fall being 0'30 inch on the 
28th. The highest reading barometer was 30T24 on the IGth at 9 A.M., 
and the lowest 28‘462 at 1 p.m. on the 28th. Highest temperature in the 
shade, 59° on the 17th and 23rd; lowest, 24° on 3rd. Mean of daily 
maxima, 4S'61° ; mean of daily minima, 34’80°. Mean temperature of 
the month, 41 70° ; lowest on the grass, 19° on the 3rd ; highest in the 
sun, 115° on the 11th. Mean temperature of the earth at 3 feet deep, 
37‘80°. Total sunshine, 104 hours 45 minutes. There were two sunless 
days.— W. H. Divers, Belvoir Castle Gardens, Grantham, 
- Death of an Old Royal Gardener.—B y the deeply 
regretted demise of Mr. John William Thomson, which occurred on 
Tuesday night, March 28th, at Hayward’s Heath, the only man 
surviving in the last decade of the nineteenth century who was 
connected with the Royal Gardens in the reign of George III. has been 
removed. Mr. Thomson, ivho had on March 20th completed his 
ninetieth year, had resided at Hayward’s Heath since 1876, where he 
followed his profession as a horticulturist, though of late years his 
extensive greeenhouses had been allowed to pass into a state of 
dilapidation. During his long life he came into contact or had corre¬ 
spondence with many eminent men, of which he was exceedingly proud, 
and was a veritable store of anecdotes and reminiscences, extending 
into the reigns of four monarchs. A Shropshire man, Mr. Thomson was 
educated at Shrewsbury, a school-fellow being Darwin the great 
naturalist. He commenced his gardening career in the Royal Gardens 
of Cumberland Lodge and Windsor in the reign of George III., and 
assisted in laying out and planting the famous Virginian Water 
Gardens. Mr. Thomson was also gardener at Syon House, and the first 
flower of Vanda teres that opened there in 1833 wms presented by him 
to the future Sovereign. Mr. Thomson, who had survived three Dukes 
of Northumberland, left the ducal employ in 1835, and for several 
years was the proprietor of a nursery at Hammersmith. 
- The Newcastle-on-Tyne Spring Show will be held in 
Olympia on Wednesday and Thursday, 24th and 25th insl. Last year 
the show was a very fine one, and a great success. This year the Com¬ 
mittee has added classes for groups of plants and Roses. The prizes in 
the cut flower classes have also been increased. 
- March Weather at Driffield. — Mean tempera'ure at 
9 A M., 40 98° ; wet bulb, 39 27°. Mean maximum, 47‘44° ; mean 
minimum, 33 89°. Highest, 58-08° on the 22nd ; lowest, 22 0° on the 3rd. 
Mean of maxima and minima, 40 66°; mean range, 13-55°. Mean 
radiation temperature on grass, 27 04°; lowest, 12 0° on the 3rd. Rainfall, 
2 57 inches. Number of rainy days twenty-three. Greatest amount 
in one day 0 47 inch on the 9th. There were no sunless days.— 
W. E. Lovel, Observer, York Road, Driffield. 
-Popularity of Bananas in America. — During the year 
1894 the importations of Bananas into the United States amounted to 
nearly 18,000,000 bunches. Heavy cyclones throughout the West Indies 
last autumn destroyed much of this year’s crop, and the few cargoes 
now coming from Jamaica and Cuba bring high prices, some Bananas 
of the first grade selling last week for 1 dol. 40 cents, a bunch by the 
truckload. Nearly one-third of all these imports usually come from 
Jamaica alone, so that the market has been considerably affected by the 
shortage. 
- Azaleas in New York.—T he most conspicuous objects in 
the windows of the florists’ shops in spring are compact plants of 
Azalea in full bloom. It is rather strange that the newer varieties are 
mostly those which bear double flowers, since the single-flowered kinds, 
says the “ Garden and Forest,” are generally more effective. The fashion, 
imported from France, of swathing the plants as well as the pots with 
ribbons and paper and decorating them with bow'-knots of various 
material has nothing to commend it. Much of the beauty of a v/ell- 
growm plant is in its form, and when this is hidden by upholstery the 
plant loses half its charm. 
- Torquay District Gardeners’ Association. — The third 
annual meeting of the Society took place on Friday, April 5th, Dr. 
R. Hamilton Ramsay being in the chair. The Hon. Secretary (Mr. 
F. C. Smale) read the report and balance sheet, the latter showing a 
surplus of £4 15s. lid. After the election of officers, the forthcoming 
summer outing was discussed, and it was decided that it should take 
the form of a trip over Dartmoor. At the close of the ordinary 
business a pleasing ceremony took place, Mr. F. C. Smale being 
presented by the members with a handsome mahogany knee-hole 
writing table with brass-handled drawers. On a plate affixed was 
inscribed, “ Presented, with a pair of brass candlesticks and inkstand, 
to Mr. F. 0. Smale, by 100 of the officials and members of the Torquay 
District Gardeners’ Association, in recognition of his zealous and 
efficient services as Honorary Secretary to the Society.” The President 
made the presentation on behalf cf the members, Mr. Smale suitably 
replying. 
-Fruit Prospects.—T here is a promise of a fine bloom on 
most hardy fruit trees this spring. Of course, that may not mean a good 
fruit crop, because there are so many slips between the cup of promise 
and the lips of realisation. Still, nothing is more obvious than is the 
fact that if there be little or no bloom there is neither hope or realisa¬ 
tion. I have remarked the curious comparatively even condition of 
Apples, Pears, and Plums just now, buds seemingly to be in about the 
same stage of development. Pears and Plums may bloom a little later 
than usual perhaps, and a very good thing too, but Apples can hardly be 
earlier, and probably will be no later. Still, when once the bloom does 
make a start to open we must expect to see Pears and Plums rather in 
advance. It is specially interesting to find such a bloom show following 
on such a comparatively cold w-et summer and autumn as was found 
last year. Still, we had a good ripening late autumn, and certainly a 
very maturing winter, if a long spell of intense cold and a remarkably 
dry late wdnter and spring conduce to that end. Without doubt, some 
good warm rains would render the trees just now great service, and help 
to expand the bloom. Very likely we shall be able to judge of probable 
fertility or otherwise by examining the organs of fruition, and it pollen 
be abundant then we may very reasonably look for good and plenty of 
fruit. There can be no doubt but that a heavy fruit crop will be of 
exceeding service this season. It would furnish very many persons 
with means they now lack, and in that way stimulate trade, as the 
wealth of the nation is added to. It would also give a valuable stimulus 
to fruit culture. It is true that in a purely decorative sense we see very 
much of beauty in luxuriant tree blooms, but our chief aspiration, of 
course, is for the fruit crop, and that the hard winter leads to the hope 
will come in due course.—D. 
