28 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENETL 
January 11, 1894. 
Events of the Week. —The Committees of the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society will meet for the first time this year at the Drill Hall, 
James Street, Westminster, S.W., on Tuesday, the 16th inst. On the 
following day, the 17th inst., the annual general meeting of the 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution will be held at Simpson’s, 
101, Strand, London, W.C., at 3 P.M, In addition to reading the 
Committee’s report and the accounts of the Institution, fifteen pensioners 
will be elected on the funds. The members and friends will hold their 
annual supper at 6 p.m. on the day mentioned and at the same place. 
Tickets can be obtained on application to the Secretary, Mr. G. J. 
Ingram, at the oflSce, 50, Parliament Street, S.W. 
- The Weather in London.—A s in other places, the weather 
has been very severe in the metropolis during the past week, frost, 
snow, and fog being prevalent. On Friday the 5th inst. the ther¬ 
mometer in Fleet Street did not rise above 18°, and it is reported to be 
the coldest day experienced in London for more than twenty years. 
The nearest approach to it occurred on the 4th of January last year, 
when the maximum was only 22°, but with this exception the lowest 
day temperature recorded in the metropolis during the twenty-three years, 
1871-1893, was 25°. Saturday and Sunday were also very cold, but on 
Monday a change was apparent, the temperature gradually rising. On 
Tuesday it rained, but a slight frost occurred again at night. Wednes¬ 
day, however, opened mild, and at the time of writing this paragraph 
jt is raining. 
- Weather in the North.—T he past eight days have been 
marked by very severe weather. Frost set in on New Year’s Day and 
continued increasing in intensity till on the night of the 6th, when 30° 
of frost were registered. Snow fell on the previous night to about 
4 inches in depth. Even lower temperatures are reported from some 
districts ; from one, 38° of frost. On Monday morning 14° frost 
were recorded, fully an inch of snow fell during the night, but a thaw 
seems probable on Tuesday morning.—B. D., S. Perthshire. 
- United Horticultural Benefit and Provident Society. 
—The quarterly meeting of this Society was held at the Caledonian 
Hotel on Monday evening last. Five new members were elected. 
There being an accumulated balance in the Benefit Fund, it was 
resolved that the same be added to the credit of members on all 
amounts above dSl at the rate of 4d. in the £1. The annual meeting 
will take place on Monday evening, March 12th, at 8 o’clock, and Mr. 
B. Wynne is invited to preside on that occasion. 
- A Flourishing Horticultural Society.—T he first annual 
meeting of the Welshpool Horticultural Society was held in the Town 
Hall recently. The balance sheet of the last Show was taken as read, 
and showed a balance of £111 11s. 3d. It was decided to hold the next 
on August 9th and 10th, in Powis Castle Park, by permission of the 
Right Hon. the Earl Powis. Mrs. Naylor of Leighton Hall was elected 
President, Mrs. W. F. Addie being re-elected Hon. Secretary, Mr. F. D. 
Ward Secretary, and Mr. Matthew Poole Hon. Treasurer. The General 
Committee of last year was also re-elected, 
- The Birmingham Amateur Gardeners’ Association.—A 
number of amateurs in the district were desirous a year or so since that 
a Society should be formed for their meeting together to read papers, 
have discussions, and exhibiting the products of their gardens ; but 
membership to be confined to those only who do their own gardening as 
a recreation, not for profit, and the Association now has 152 members. 
Papers and discussions are initiated chiefly by themselves, but during 
each session one or two well known horticulturists are invited to read a 
paper ; and in the syllabus for the coming winter session two papers of 
this kind are to be read, one on hardy fruits for suburban gardens and 
their culture ; the other on Carnations, Picotees, and Pinks suitable for 
town gardens. The members had three excursions to well known 
gardens during the past year. In June to Stoneleigh Abbey, Kenil¬ 
worth ; in July to Can well Hall, Tam worth ; in August to Impney, 
Droitwich. Mr. W. B. Griffin is a very energetic Secretary, and with a 
good Committee, the Association makes a considerable headway, and is 
doing much good. 
-- A prize of 1250 francs is offered by the Natural History Society 
of Dantzic for the best means of destroying the poisonous insects,in 
the forests of Western Prussia. 
- We understand that the Queensland Government, in pursuance 
of their policy of retrenchment, have abolished the’post of Government 
botanist hitherto held by Mr. F. M. Bailey. 
- Sweet Peas Travelling.—W ill any of your readers inform 
me whether the cut blooms of Sweet Peas, if carefully packed, will 
travel well and be fit for market purposes after a railway journey ?— 
Subscriber. 
- The Mulberry Tree at Bourg-le-Roi in Southern France is, 
says a correspondent, about 40 feet high, and supposed to be 250 years 
old. A short distance from the ground the trunk is 9 feet in 
circumference. 
- The Potato Crop.—I t is stated that the Potato crop of 
1893 occupied an area of 527,821 acres in Great Britain, and of 
1,262,674 acres in the United Kingdom, as compared with 525,361 and 
1,276,835 acres respectively in 1892, 
- Cyclamens and Primulas at Reading, —Messrs. Sutton 
and Sons inform us that their Cyclamens and Primulas are now in 
bloom, and if any of our 'readers are in the neighbourhood of Reading 
the firm will be glad for them to see the display. 
- Lapageria alba Seeding. —Could any of the numerous 
readers of the Journal inform me the time that Lapageria alba seed 
pods will take to ripen ? Will twenty pods be likely to injure the plant, 
which is about thirty years old ? —J. M. 
- Royal Botanic Society. —It is reported that the summer 
Exhibition of the Royal Botanic Society will be held on Wednesday, 
May 30th, instead of on May 23rd, the date originally fixed, as that 
is the opening day of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Exhibition in 
the gardens of the Inner Temple. 
- Tomtits. —These are extremely numerous this year. I hear 
they are molesting bees in some places in the South of England ; and in 
Lanarkshire fruit buds, as they usually do. In order that Mr. J. Hiam 
may see their depredations,! would be pleased to show any commissioner 
he may appoint to examine and report, if he cannot come and see for 
himself.—A L. B. 
- Flower Show at Ghent. — It is reported that the next 
annual horticultural Exhibition of the Royal Agricultural and Botanical 
Society of Ghent will be held from the 11th to the 13th November. 
The Show will consist of Chrysanthemums, ornamental plants, and 
Orchids. The members of the Royal Agricultural and Botanical Society 
as well as amateurs and foreign nurserymen alone will be permitted to 
exhibit. 
- The Wren and Green Fly. —One day recently I noticed a 
wren moving quickly about among some Pelargonium plants. I was 
curious to know what the bird was doing, so went quietly up to the 
plants to observe its movements, and saw at once that it was hunting 
for green fly and eating them. The plants are growing in a heated pit. 
I never knew before that the wren would eat green fly, and I should be 
very loth to disturb such a careful watcher for this troublesome plant 
pest.— Geo. Garner. 
- At the annual country meeting of the Royal AGRICULTURAL 
Society to be held at Cambridge on Monday, June 25th, 1894, and the 
four following days, arrangements, we understand, will be made for 
exhibiting cider, perry, preserved fruits, jams, honey, and other pro¬ 
ducts of the garden and orchard. Four classes are provided for cider 
and perry, the prizes amounting to £40. Jams and fruits occupy but 
three classes, and £18 in prizes are offered in this section. Among the 
eighteen classes devoted to hives and honey £36 will be given in prizes. 
- WooLTON Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society.— 
On Thursday evening, January 4th, a paper on the “ Culture of 
Calanthes,” by Mr. R. Pinnington, gardener to Mrs. Banner, Blacklow 
House, Roby, Liverpool, was read before the members of the above 
Society. In the absence of Mr. Pinnington, who is only just recovering 
from a serious illness, the paper was read by Mr. R. G. Waterman, the 
Hon. Treasurer, and listened to with great interest, a good discussion 
taking place afterwards. It was the unanimous wish of the members 
that the Secretary convey to Mr. Pinnington a hearty vote of thanks for 
the paper, together with their sympathy in his illness, and a hope that 
he may soon be restored to good health. 
