May 2, 1895. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
381 
The Weather in London. —The weather ia London during 
the past week has been very variable. At the end of last week heavy 
showers fell, and on Saturday thunder accompanied downpours of rain. 
Sunday was dull and cold, but since then the weather has been bright 
and genial. 
- Weather in the North. —For the past week the days have 
mostly been dull, and a good deal of rain has fallen, especially during 
the nights. The minimum temperaturs has never been 40°, and rapid 
progress has been made in vegetation. Tuesday morning was bright 
with a coldish west wind, and a high and rising barometer.—B. D., 
S. Perthshire. 
- Royal National Tulip Society.—T his Society, in order to 
encourage the cultivation of the Tulip, is prepared to hold its annual 
exhibition this year about the end of May in a fresh locality. If any 
horticultural society within 100 miles of Manchester entertains the idea 
of having the exhibition in its district, full particulars can be had on 
application to the Hon. Secretary, Mr. James W. Bentley, Stakehill 
House, Castleton, Manchester. The southern Tulip show will this year 
be held in the Temple Gardens on the opening day (May 2l8t) of the 
Temple show. 
- Journal op the Royal Horticultural Society. —This 
publication has just come to hand, and contains, besides general matters 
of interest, the papers that have been read at the Drill Hall, which are 
as follows:—“Cactaceous Plants,” by Mr. John W, Singer. “Filmy 
Ferns,” by Mr. J. Backhouse. “ Relations Between Gardeners and 
their Employers,” by Mr. Malcolm Dunn, F.R.H.S. “ Lord Bute’s 
Vineyards,” by Mr. A. Pettigrew, F.R.H.S. “How to Popularise 
Orchid Growing,” by Mr. E. H. Woodall, F.R.H.S. “ Origin of Common 
Vegetables, and their Value as Food,” by Professor G. Henslow, M.A., 
F.L.S., &c. “Chrysanthemums,” Mr. C. E. Shea, F.R.H.S. “Principles 
of Judging at Flower Shows,” by Mr. Jas. Douglas, F.R.H.S. 
-The Fruit Prospects in North Staffordshire—T hese 
are, so far, very cheering. The Apple trees are very full of fruit 
buds. The recent copious showers are greatly helping them to burst. 
Plums and Damsons (for which this part is famous) will soon be a 
splendid sight, and should mild weather continue there will undoubtedly 
be heavy crops of fruit; there are good signs of healthy foliage, which 
will prove a great protection. Gooseberries and Currants are very 
promising, considering the damage done by the birds. Raspberries and 
Strawberries leave nothing to be desired in appearance, especially 
where the latter have been well protected with abundance of litter. 
—F. Ward, Denstone, 
-Guide to the Kew Economic Museum.—W e have received 
No. 2 of this publication, which deals with Monocotyledons and Crypto¬ 
gams. The preface says that “ the botanical character of the plants 
represented by the specimens and products in this museum are chiefly 
these:—!. The embryo plant in the ripe seed has but one seed-leaf, 
or cotyledon (hence called Monocotyledons) and the first leaves alter¬ 
nate. 2, The species having woody stems, form isolated bundles of 
wood, which usually do not increase in thickness year by year ; once 
formed they remain unaltered in diameter, scattered through the pith¬ 
like substance of the stem. 3, The parts of the flowers are usually in 
threes. 4, The veins of the leaves, excepting in a few orders, are 
parallel, or if diverging, not irregularly netted. The collection occupies 
two floors, commencing in room No. 1, on the left-hand side of the 
passage on entering by the north door. The number of each room is 
afldxed above or by the side of the doorway leading into it. The cases 
and objects specified in this guide are each numbered consecutively 
from room No. 1. In all there are 147 cases, and the contents of each 
are described.” Case 147 contains Myxomycetes, which have been more 
than once mentioned as injurious to vegetation by Mr. G. Abbey. The 
note on this case in the Guide is as follows :—“ A small, but widely 
distributed group of organisms, remarkable for the power of voluntary 
movement during the earliest stage of their development. For this 
reason the group is considered by some authorities as belonging to the 
animal kingdom.” 
- Gardening Appointments.—M r. J. Bennett, for some time 
gardener to Jas. Hornsby, Esq , Stapleford Park, Melton Mowbray, 
accompanies this gentleman to Laxton Hall, Wansford, Mr. Ellis 
succeeding as gardener at Stapleford, which has been purchased by 
John Gretton, Esq. 
- Injury to Lavender by Frost.—I was not at all surprised 
to see the note of reference to the quantity of Lavender plants killed by 
the recent frost about Wallington. Several acres have been under 
cultivation here for the last few years. I am sorry to say much of it is 
killed outright, especially the plants raised from slips inserted during 
the autumn of 1893, and finally planted last autumn.—E. Molyneux, 
Swanmore Park, 
- Bees Fertilising Beans. — On page 370 “English Bee¬ 
keeper” mentions Beans being fertilised through the agency of bees 
puncturing the blossoms at their base. This is done by other insects 
besides wild bees and Apis mellifica. Are the fiowers fertilised in this 
manner? When the bees puncture the blossoms they are after honey, 
and do not come into contact with the anthers or stigmas of the flowers. 
I have perhaps not given the matter the attention to warrant a 
contradiction, but think so long as bees do not enter the mouth of the 
blossom they are of no service, but would like to hear what others have 
to say.—O bserver. 
-National Horticultural Society of France. — The 
international horticultural exhibition to be held in the beautiful 
Tuileries Gardens, Paris, in connection with the above Society promises 
to be a great success. Applications for entries are very numerous, but 
considering that upwards of 30,000 francs are offered in prizes this 
cannot be wondered at. Special arrangements have been made with 
the Customs for the facilitating of the entry of exhibits from abroad. 
The show opens on May the 22nd, and continues until May 28th. Full 
particulars may be had from the General Secretary, Mons. Abel 
Chatenay, 84, Rue de Grenelle, Paris. 
-Horticultural Lectures at Grassendale.—T he second 
course of horticultural lectures under the auspices of the Garston 
Technical Instruction Committee has just come to a most successful 
conclusion. In no other part of the Liverpool district can we point to 
such good results, every meeting being well attended. The following 
lectures have been given :—“ Orchids,” Mr. R. Todd ; “ Primulas, &c.,” 
Mr. J. Glover ; “ Hardy Fruit,” Mr. T. White ; “ Chrysanthemums,” Mr. 
G. Haigh ; “ Herbaceous Plants,” Mr. John Moir ; “ Cultivation of the 
Vine,” Mr. J. J. Craven. In concluding, I may remark that Mr. 
Blomiley has for a second time ably fulfilled the office of Chairman, and 
Mr. D. H. Browning, the courteous Secretary to the Instruction Com¬ 
mittee, has worked with a zeal which has commended itself to all in the 
neighbourhood. The next course of lectures commences in October.— 
R. P. R. 
- Death of Mrs. A. H. Smee.—A large number of our readers 
will learn, as we do, with extreme regret of the death of this kind and 
estimable lady, which occurred on Wednesday in last week, after a long 
and painful illness, borne with great patience and fortitude. Mrs. Smee 
shared with her husband the love bestowed on the garden, and took 
great interest in the varied contents in it and the well-being of the 
workers. A local paper, the “ Carshalton Herald,” publishes the 
following just and appreciative tribute to the memory of the deceased 
lady. “ Mrs. Smee had resided at The Grange for something like sixteen 
years, and during the whole of that time had taken an exceptionally 
active interest in the doings of the locality. She did not believe that 
her duty towards her neighbour had been done when she had forwarded 
a cheque to the local clergy or a subscription to some charitable society. 
She knew that sometimes a sympathetic word is of more value than 
silver or gold, and no inconsiderable portion of her time—which might 
perhaps have been more pleasantly spent in the social amenities open 
to her_was devoted to visiting and relieving the sick and distressed. 
Her character, kindly and sympathetic heart, always felt for those in 
trouble. The extent of her charity will never be known, and still less 
the number of personal services she rendered to her poorer neighbours 
in times of difficulty or trial. As an evidence of her kindly disposition 
and thoughtfulness for others it may be mentioned that at Christmas 
last, when she was weak and ill from pain almost past bearing, she 
herself took measures to insure that none of her pensioners and none of 
those she had been accustomed to help at Christmas time were without 
their customary remembrances, and her bereaved husband is not alone 
in his sorrow at her decease.” Not alone, we may add, by a very long 
way, and many persons beyond the locality in which he resides will 
extend heartfelt sympathy towards the great amateur horticulturist. 
