January 4 , 1M4. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
9 
- The Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution. —The 
fifty-fifth annual general meeting of the members of this Institution will 
be held at Simpson’s, 101, Strand, London, W.C., on Wednesday, 
January 17th, 1894, at 3 P.M., for the purpose of receiving the report 
of the Committee and the accounts of the Institution for the present 
year, electing officers for the ensuing year, and other affairs ; and also 
for the purpose of placing fifteen pensioners on the funds. The annual 
friendly supper of members and friends will also be held at the same 
place, and on the same date, at 6 p.m., tickets for which may be obtained 
on application to the Secretary, Mr. George J. Ingram, at the office, 50, 
Parliament Street, S.W. 
-The Earl’s Court Exhibitions and Prize Money.— 
Mr. Harry Turner informs us of the death on the 20tn inst. of 
Mr. W. Hay, who was Financial Director of the Earl’s Court Exhibi¬ 
tion. He caught cold through joining in the Lord Mayor’s procession 
on November 9th, influenza supervening. Mr. Hay was a very genial 
man, and was known to several of our readers. Though there may be 
still more delay in completing the financial arrangements it is expected 
that the prize money due to exhibitors will be paid, as undoubtedly it 
ought to be, with as little delay as possible. 
— - Wolverhampton Floral Fete. —This important provincial 
Show is announced to be held on the 10th, 11th, and 12th July. The 
money is increased by about £20. Prizes will also be offered for displays 
of Roses, allowing small Palms, Ferns, and mosses to be used. A some¬ 
what similar class is provided for hardy garden flowers. Mr. Lutz has 
again promised a gold medal for Pansies, and other classes are added to 
the schedule. The Committee have now a reserve fund of over £1800, 
though various large sums have at times been voted from the funds for 
special improvements in the park. 
- — We learn from a daily paper that the Botanical Department 
of the South Kensington Museum has received a valuable acquisition. 
Mr. Lehmann,'one of Her Majesty’s Consuls, has presented to that 
institution the specimens of flowers which he has collected during many 
years’ residence in Ecuador and British Columbia. They include many 
kinds with which European specialists are totally unacquainted. In 
particular, the Orchids are of extraordinary variety. 
- The Season.—A Sussex correspondent writes: “ I do not 
know whether we are going to have the same forward season that we 
had last year; but there is some evidence to that effect, for my Tulip 
bed is so advanced that some of the plants are already through the 
ground, and will very shortly be generally so. This is most unusual, as 
we never expect to see any appearance of growth before February. 
Last year everything was a month earlier, and there is some indication 
that it will be the same this year. We have yellow Crocus in bloom, 
and also the Winter Aconite and Snowdrop, together with yellow 
Wallflower and purple Stock.” 
- Marguerite Carnations. —I would like to corroborate your 
correspondent s, “ W. C.,” remarks (page 572, last volume), respecting 
the usefulness and adaptability of the Marguerite Carnation as a pot plant 
and cutting. Some weeks ago I had an occasion to pay a visit to the well- 
kept gardens at Moor Top House, Ackworth, when to my surprise I saw a 
number of these useful plants in full flower. The colours were varied 
and bright, and deliciously sweet-scented. These Carnations seem 
particularly well adapted for pot culture for an^autumn or early winter 
display, Mr. Ketchell, the head gardener, informed me that they had 
been growing in pots outdoors all through the summer, and under 
similar treatment described by your correspondent.—J. E. 
- Preservation op Commons. —The Board of Agriculture call 
attention to the recent Act of Parliament amending the law relating to 
commons, with a view to their better preservation and in connection 
with previous enactments. “ By the Law of Commons Amendment 
Act, 1893, lately passed, it is enacted that an enclosure or approvement 
of any part of a common purporting to be made under the Statute of 
Merton and the Statute of Westminster the second, or either of such 
statutes, shall not be valid unless it is made with the consent of the 
Boatd of Agriculture. By the 3l8t section of the Commons Act, 1876, 
it is provided that any person intending to enclose or approve a common, 
or part of a common, otherwise than under the provisions of the Act, 
shall give notice to all persons claiming any legal right in such common 
or part of a common, by publishing at least three months beforehand a 
statement of bis intention to make such enclosure, for three successive 
times, and in two or more of the principal local newspapers in the county^ 
town, or district in which the common or part of common proposed to 
be enclosed is situate.” 
- Death op PROPEasoR Bentley.—W ith much regret we 
announce the death, on the 24th ult., at 91, Warwick Road, Earl’s 
Court, of Professor Robert Bentley, a botanist, who has more particu¬ 
larly directed attention to the application of botany to medicine. He 
was born at Hitchin, Herts, in 1825, and became a member of the Royal 
College of Surgeons in 1847. He was Dean of the Medical Faculty, 
Honorary Fellow and Professor of Botany in King’s College, London ; 
Honorary Member of and Professor of Materia Medica and Botany to 
the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain ; Honorary Member of the 
American Pharmaceutical Association ; Professor of Botany in the 
London Institution ; Examiner in Botany to the Royal College of 
Veterinary Surgeons; Member of the Council and Chairman of the 
Garden Committee of the Royal Botanic Society of London; and was 
formerly Lecturer on Botany at the Medical Colleges of the London, 
Middlesex, and St. Mary’s Hospitals. Professor Bentley was President 
of the British Pharmaceutical Conferences in 1866 and 1867, and was for 
many years one of the Editors of the PharmaceuticalJournal. He was 
also the author of numerous books, including a “ Manual of Botany,” and, 
in conjunction with Dr. Trimen, he brought out an illustrated work on 
“ Medicinal Plants,” in four volumes. The funeral took place on Satur¬ 
day last at Kensal Green. The first portion of the burial office was said 
with imposing ritual at the church of St. Matthias, Earl’s Court, by 
the Rev. Jonas Pascal Davidson, and among those present were Mrs. 
Bentley (the widow), Mr. Bentley, Mr. A. Shaw, the Rev. R. C. Kirk¬ 
patrick (who conducted the service at the cemetery), the Rev. J. Outram 
Marshall, the Rev. H. Westall, Mr. J. W. Cunningham (representing 
King’s College), Dr. Attfield (representing the Pharmaceutical Society), 
Mr. Goodsir, and Mr. Hobbrow. The coffin was covered with wreaths, 
including one from the members of the Guild of St. Luke. 
- Planting Trees.—A somewhat advanced politician writing 
on the unemployed question, makes the suggestion that much labour 
might be found at this time of year in planting trees on our bare, and, 
in many cases, at present absolutely unprofitable soils. The proposal 
has the merit of being a moat practical one, and commends itself to 
horticulturists. We seem of late very much to have neglected tree 
planting, taking little thought of the needs of those who are to come 
after us. Yet trees are rarely other than profitable in the long run if 
well cared for. Still further, they [serve in the most efficient way to 
bring barren, sour, or poor soils into a condition of sweetness and fertility 
To meet the unemployed requirements we need have sturdy forest trees 
planted by the million ; but there are vast areas of soil that would be 
better employed than at present if so planted. Would that the 
suggestion could nationally be acted upon speedily.—D. 
-Ayrshire Horticultural Society.—T he annual general 
meeting of this Society was held in Carrick Street Hall last week. In 
the absence of the President (ex-Bailie Hill, who was indisposed) Mr. 
Wilson of Auchencruive was called to the chair. The Secretary and 
Treasurer’s reports were duly read and approved of. The Society’s 
books were produced with vouchers, and certified to be correct by the 
Auditors, Messrs. J. M. Rodger and J. D. Graham. The books showed 
that the drawings at both the autumn and winter Shows were less than 
last year, causing a deficit of £8 7s. Id., and thus reducing the balance 
at the credit of the Society to £101 lbs. lid. Mr. Wm. Burns in¬ 
timated his retiral from the post of Hon. Secretary and Treasurer. The 
members present having expressed their regret at losing the services of 
their Secretary, who ’ey his zeal and untiring efforts these last eleven years 
had brought the Society to such a high state of excellence, the Chair¬ 
man, in name of the subscribers of this Society, thanked him, and 
acknowledged the debt which the Society owed him. 
- A Novel Exhibition. —A daily contemporary says that an 
Exhibition is being held in Portland Street, Manchester, of a new 
method of public decoration. A great variety of real flowers and plants 
are preserved in such a way by a patent process that their natural 
colours and form are retained and protected against the weather. A 
room in the form of a garden was laid out with grass plots, flower beds, 
and walks. The entrance is by three arches built in trellis work and 
real flowers and grasses. At the further end of the room there is a 
collection of devices of the sea, made entirely of flowers, including a 
ship’s bridge, pennant in colours, life buoy, and life belt. On the front 
of the bridge was a shield bearing the arms of the city. In the centre 
of the garden is a large cut crystal fountain lighted by electricity, 
which is intended to give a practical illustration of the ability of the 
flowers to resist rain. There are columns festooned with garlands of 
natural flowers, draperies tied up with bouquets, and long curves of 
pendant grasses of various colours. 
