42G 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 16, 1895. 
Events op the Week. —The event of the week for horticulturists, 
aot alone of London, but of all the country, is the Temple show, which 
opens on Tuesday, May 2l8t, and continues during the two following 
days. Reference will also be found to it in another paragraph. The 
Southern show of the Royal National Tulip Society will be held on the 
first day of the Temple show. 
- The Weather in London.—A s is noted in another paragraph 
lie weather in the metropolis during the past week has been very hot 
and summer-like. During Sunday night a shower of rain fell, but did 
not continue sufficiently long to penetrate into the ground, which is now 
in many places becoming dry. A heavy fall of rain would now do a 
great amount of good. 
-- Weather in the North. —The week following the 7th inst. 
has been one of fine weather with bright sunshine, tempered occasionally 
by coldish east wind. On Sunday, which was dull throughout, several 
gentle showers fell; Monday was extremely bright and warm ; Tuesday 
morning dull with cold wind from the west.—B. D., S, Perthshire. 
— ■ The Temple Show. —We are requested to announce that the 
f’ruit. Floral, and Orchid Committees will meet at the Temple Gardens 
on Tuesday, May 2l8t, and that certificates and awards will be granted 
as usual for meritorious exhibits; but we are further requested to 
shite that “such awards cannot under any circumstances be issued 
from the Secretary’s tent until Wednesday, May 22nd.” 
- Wellingborough Horticultural Fete. — On Friday, 
/uly 25th, this fete will be held, and in the section for plants, flowers, 
and fruits several excellent prizes are offered. Prizes of £10, £6, and 
£3 are offered for twelve stove and greenhouse plants, distinct, and the 
competition should be strong. In the fruit section £2 are offered as a 
first prize for six varieties of fruits. These classes are open to all, but 
there are several open only to gardeners, others to amateurs, and others 
sgain to cottagers. The Hon. Secs, are Messrs. C. J. K. Woolston and 
T. rendered, Wellingborough, from whom information may be had. 
- Fruit Prospects in Scotland.—So far as my observation 
extends there is every prospect of an abundant fruit crop in Scotland 
this year. In the gardens of Logan House there is an imposing wealth 
of bloom. In my own garden, which has the advantage of great 
shelter, the Apple, Plum, Cherry, and Pear trees are white with 
blossoms. (I use this expression because white predominates, though 
pink in many instances equally prevails.) A Czar Plum in the centre 
of the garden, and a Morello Cherry on the west wall, are veritable 
pictures. There is nothing in Nature more beautiful than such trees in 
perfect bloom. The season is also balmy and benignant, and highly 
f.hvourable for the development of the flowers into the fruit.— David 
R. Williamson. 
- Royal Botanic Society.— The first of the annual series 
of botanical lectures was given recently, Mr. G, W. Bell presiding. 
Talking as her subject “ Fruits and Seeds : Their Structure, Means of 
Protection, and Dispersion,” the lecturer. Miss Styan, treated in a ! 
popular manner the methods adopted to protect and disseminate fruits 
and seeds. While some were supplied with sails to move through the 
air, others bad hooks and anchors or a screwing apparatus by which 
they were able to bury themselves underground, out of sight, many 
of these contrivances showing such remarkable ingenuity that, as 
the lecturer suggested, it was difficult to come to any other conclusion 
than that plants were able to think. In this country we had several 
examples of hooked fruits among our native plants, but the Cleavers 
and Burdocks of our hedgerows were not formidable like the fruits of 
the South African Grapple plant, which have been known to destroy 
even (he lion itself. The fruits, some 4 or 5 inches in diameter, are 
envered with sharp, claw-like appendages ; while endeavouring to 
lemove these from the skin the animal gets them fixed in its mouth, 
and beieg unal le to take food dies of starvation. These lectures are 
fixed tor the Fridays in May and June, and are free to all visitors to 
the gardens. 
- The Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund.—F riends of this 
excellent charity, which is deserving of all possible support, will be 
pleased to hear that the late Mr. George Taber bequeathed to it £100 
in the form of four £25 shares in the well-known seed business of 
Messrs. Cooper, Taber & Co. of Southwark Street. We also learn that 
Mr. Sherwood has undertaken to subscribe the requisite amount annually 
for the support of one of the children who failed to be elected as a 
beneficiary of the Fund at the last annual meeting. 
- Hyacinths and Sedum.—F or producing a pleasing effect 
Sedum glaucum makes an excellent carpet for growing Hyacinths, 
The glaucous tint of the Sedum is especially fitting to the various colours 
of the Hyacinths above. It does not appear to matter whether the 
Hyacinths are growing in a mass of one colour only in a bed or whether 
the colours are mixed, the effect appears to be the same—satisfactory. 
A thick carpeting of Sedum is much more pleasant to look on than the 
naked soil. Besides, with the Sedum there is no danger of low-growing 
Hyacinths becoming splashed with soil from heavy rains.—E. M. 
- Flowers on Mrs. Smee’s Grave. —Mr. G. W. Cummins 
has shown us some beautiful photographs of wreaths and other 
floral emblems taken in the churchyard at Beddington. The display 
was remarkably profuse, and the flowers of a choice nature. An 
arching spike of Cymbidium Lowianum deserves special notice. It 
was cut and placed in Mrs. Smee’s room a fortnight before she died ; 
it was then exposed on the grave night and day under bright sun 
and chilly nights for a fortnight, the stem not in water, but made to 
form an arch over a handsome wreath. It was then taken in and 
placed in water, and is still fresh—a remarkable instance of floral 
persistency. 
- The Weather Last Month. —April was bright with scarcely 
any frost, and a drier month than usual. The wind was in a northerly 
direction fourteen days, and in a southerly direction fourteen days. 
The total rainfall was 1’68 inch, which fell on sixteen days, the greatest 
daily fall being 0 41 inch on the 25th. Barometer—highest reading, 
30-194 at 9 A.M. on 12th; lowest, 29 018- at 9 P.M. on 6th. Ther¬ 
mometer—highest in the shade, 64° on 2l3t, 24th, 29th, and 30th ; 
lowest, 27° on the 13th. Mean of daily maxima, 55 30° ; mean of daily 
minima, 38 33°. Mean temperature of the month, 46-81°. Lowest on 
the grass, 21° on the 13th ; highest in the sun, 144° on the 24th. Mean 
temperature of the earth at 3 feet in depth, 43 56°. Total sunshine, 
159 hours 35 minutes. There was one sunless day.—W. H. Divers, 
Belvoir Castle Gardens, Grantham. 
- Death of Mr. Walker of Thame.—B y the death of this 
well known horticulturist the gardening world has lost, not only one of 
its most prominent members, but one of that band of quiet workers who, 
without blowing their own trumpets, have tended so much to advance 
the interests of horticulture. Mr. Walker was one of those who devoted 
himself to florists’ flowers, and at the metropolitan exhibitions his col¬ 
lections of Tulips, Dahlias, and Roses showed with what intelligence 
and skill he carried out their culture ; but I believe that he will be 
best remembered by the magnificent boxes of Mar6chal Niel which he 
exhibited at the metropolitan spring shows, their large size and mag¬ 
nificent colouring always elicited the praise and admiration of all 
visitors to the shows. Mr. Walker was a man of very quiet and 
unassuming manners, but his work was recognised by a large circle of 
acquaintances who will greatly mourn his loss. Mr. Walker died from 
an attack of apoplexy on the 8th inst. He was sixty-four years of age. 
—D., Deal. 
- Devon and Exeter Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement 
Association. —The Committee has fixed the fourth Wednesday ip ' 
July (24th) as the date of the summer outing for the year, and by 
permission of the Right Hon. Lord Poltimore, Sir W. H. Walrond, 
Bart., M.P., and Sir J. H. Amory, Bart., the members will be enabled 
to visit Poltimore Park, Bradfield, and Knightshayes, all of which 
places are noted for the horticultural interest they possess. The 
following is the programme as arranged :—To meet at Bedford Circus at 
eight o’clock, and proceed in four-horse brakes, via Whipton and Pinhoe, 
to Poltimore. Passing through the gardens and pleasure grounds, the 
party will rejoin the brakes and proceed to Bradfield. After a halt of 
about two hours or so there, inspecting the gardens and grounds, the 
journey will be resumed for Knightshayes. After a short stay at 
Knightshayes, Mr. Moyle’s, Angel Hotel, Tiverton, will be reached, 
where a substantial tea will be provided at five o’clock. The return 
journey will be made from Tiverton for Exeter direct, via Exe Valley, 
leaving the Angel at seven o’clock. 
