9 
220 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
Events of the Week. —The only event of particular interest, 
other than auction sales, to horticulturists advertised to take place in 
the metropolis during the ensuing week will be the meeting of the 
Committees of the Royal Horticultural Society at the Drill Hall, James 
Street, Westminster, on Tuesday, the 27th. As mentioned in another 
paragraph, the Narcissus Committee will also meet, and an interesting 
display will doubtless be forthcoming. 
- The Weather in London.—F rosts have been prevalent in 
the metropolis since publishing our last issue. On Sunday morning 
several degrees of frost were registered in suburban gardens, and a fog 
prevailed during the early part of the day. Monday morning was also 
foggy, but it cleared in the afternoon. Tuesday was fine, and Wednesday 
opened similarly, the sun shining brightly at the time of going to press. 
- Weather in the North. —A most welcome change has at 
last taken place in the weather, and the past week has throughout been 
pleasant and dry with the exception of slight showers in the evening or 
during the night. The days have generally been well interspersed with 
sunshine. On the 14th and the three following mornings frosts of from 
4° to 7° were registered. This has enabled the farmers in the heavy 
clay land to get forward the sowing of the Bean crop, a very important 
one in the district. On Tuesday, though the morning was dull, there 
was no appearance of a change for the worse.—B. D., S. Perthshire. 
- The Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution.—W e 
understand that Sir Julian Goldsmid, Bart., M.P., has kindly under¬ 
taken to preside at the fifty-fifth anniversary festival dinner in aid of 
the funds of this Institution at the Hotel M4tropole on June 2l8t next. 
- Royal Horticultural Society.—T he next meeting of the 
Society will take place on Tuesday, March 27th, at the .Drill Hall, 
James Street, Victoria Street, Westminster. Besides the Fruit, Floral, 
and Orchid Committees, the Narcissus Committee will meet for the first 
time this year at twelve o’clock, and it is hoped that members will 
notice this intimation. At three o’clock Mons. Maurice de Vilmorin of 
Paris will attend to read his paper on “ The Rare Trees and Shrubs in 
the Arnold Arboretum, United States.” 
- Great Autumn Fruit Exhibition. — A correspondent 
writes :—“ It was whispered about at the Palace Show last Saturday 
that a great fruit exhibition is to be held at the Crystal Palace this 
year under the auspices of the Royal Horticultural Society ; do you 
know anything about it ? ” We can only add that we have heard of 
similar “ whispers ” at the last Westminster Drill Hall meeting, and 
of one person telling another in quiet corners about the project, ending 
with the injunction, “ Don’t say anything about it.” So far as we are 
able to trace the origin of the rumour, it did not emanate from a person 
in an obscure position, and we hope it is true. If the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society and the Crystal Palace Company were to put forth 
their strength in the direction indicated, there could only be one result 
—a grand exhibition in the best place in the kingdom for holding it. 
- Antwerp Exhibition, 1894.—We have received from the 
Horticultural Department of the Antwerp Exhibition the particulars of 
the programme and the conditions with which intending exhibitors 
must comply. The Exhibition is to extend from the 5th of May to the 
31st of October of the present year. In the class of Ornamental and Decora¬ 
tive Gardening application should have been made by intending exhibitors 
before March 20th ; in thai. of Flowering and Non-flowering Plants, 
Fruits, and Vegetables it must be made before April 15th ; in that of Cut 
Flowers before June 10th ; and in that of Pomology before Sep¬ 
tember 10th. The Exhibition of Flowers, Fruits, and Vegetables will be 
held on May 13th, 14th, and 15th ; that of Cut Flowers on the Ist and 
2nd of July ; that of Pomology on the 7th, 8th, and 9th of October; 
while the outdoor exhibits in the first-mentioned class will remain during 
the course of the Exhibition. Under the term “ Pomology ” are included 
general exhibits of table fruits, exhibits of packed fruits for export, 
plants for wholesale export, and Dahlias. Mons. Alphonse de Cock, 
President of the horticultural section. Rue Montigny, Antwerp, will 
furnish full particulars and schedules on application. 
March 22, 1894. 
- Liabilities of Members of Committees. — This is a 
question on which it is very desirable to have a definite opinion. The 
members of an executive committee are, I understand, responsible for the 
outlay which they have voted ; are the members of a general committee 
also liable on the ground that they have allowed their names to be 
published as supporters 7 In the case of a guarantee fund having been 
raised, would a deficit have to be paid by the executive and general 
committee before applying to the guarantee fund 7 The law is full of 
startling surprises to the ignorant, and it seems desirable that intending 
members should ascertain their position before giving their names. The 
success of shows seems so uncertain that a deficit appears almost a 
certainty. —F. R. H. S. 
- National Pomological Society.—T here is a National Rose 
Society, a Chrysanthemum Society, and many others, but Pomology, 
which is of very great national importance, is not at present repre¬ 
sented. Surely the time has come when a National, soon to be formed 
into a Royal, Pomological Society should be established. Fruit culture 
in the immediate future is an increasing interest, and a Pomological 
Society will be an ever-growing power for good in the community. 
Perhaps your influence in supporting and advancing the claims of a 
future Royal or National Pomological Society may direct public atten¬ 
tion to this very desirable object.—T. FRANCIS RIVERS. [Mr. Rivers' 
note arrives as we are preparing for press. The subject is eminently 
worthy of consideration, and we shall be glad to have the views of those 
of our readers who are interested in fruit culture on the proposition.] 
- Southern Pink Society.—A number of admirers of the 
laced florists’ and garden Pinks have taken the necessary steps to revive 
the exhibition of these flowers, formerly held in London at the Royal 
Aquarium, Westminster. A Committee, with power to add to their 
number, has been formed to carry out the same, and a subscription list 
to provide the necessary prizes, which it is proposed should not be large 
in amount, opened. It is proposed to hold the exhibition in the week 
commencing June 11th, and it will probably take place either in 
connection with the meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society on 
June 12th, at the Drill Hall, or at the Royal Aquarium on the following 
day, June 13th. Mr. B. Wynne, 1, Clements Inn, Strand, London, 
W.C., is the Secretary and Treasurer, to whom any suggestions or 
assistance in carrying out this work should be made. 
- Weather and Vegetation in Ireland.—T his month, in 
comparison with March of last year, contrasts unfavourably. Cold 
rains, with showers of hail and sleet interspersed, retards the seed- 
sowing, which one is more anxious to be about owing to the sound and 
sensible views lately promulgated in these pages. Each twenty-four 
hours brings moisture in some form, the last being snow, and high 
winds varying in intensity, from stiff ” sou’-westers ” to half gales, carry 
on the programme, which from constant rehearsal begins to get some¬ 
what monotonous. Yet here, near Dublin, vegetation is slowly moving, 
fruit bushes are assuming a tint of green, the advance guard of the 
Narcissi are well up to time, and in the absence of severe frost things 
look fairly promising, though “ the stormy winds do blow.”—E. K. 
- The Cultivation of Daffodils. —“ One of the Earliest 
Harbingers of Spring ” was the title given to the Daffodil in a lecture 
delivered by Mr. J. Lewis upon that flower, on Thursday evening in last 
week, at a meeting of the Brighton Horticultural Society. Mr, Lewis is 
an enthusiastic amateur gardener, and it appeared that Daffodils were his 
special hobby. We learn from a Sussex paper the subject was dealt 
with in a most interesting and intelligible manner, whilst the lecture 
was illustrated by a beautiful display of Daffodils which Mr. Lewis 
had brought with him. Mr. Lewis began by saying that probably no 
spring bulb was more popular than the Daffodil,and it might be grown in 
almost every situation. As a proof of its abundance he said that Great 
Britain was divided by b( tanists into 112 sections, in seventy-six of 
which the Daffodil grew wild, and he observed that it was mentioned 
by English writers from the earliest periods. The Daffodil belonged to 
the genus Narcissus, and in structure was of the Amaryllis type. About 
500 varieties were known, divided into three groups, according to the 
length of the trumpet, or the bell-shaped portion of the flower. He dealt 
with the question of hybrids and seedlings, and said that it was unfortu¬ 
nate that most of the raisers of hyl>rids had left no account of their 
methods. As to cultivation, the Daffodil was very easy to grow. In 
planting, manure should be avoided as much as possible, and the flower 
preferred a shady position. It should always be planted very early in 
the autumn, never later than September, and in good well dug ground, 
where it would he undisturbed for years. 
