April 26, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
319 
The Weather in London.— The past week has been characterised 
by changeable weather in the metropolis. Sunday was fine but cold, 
especially at night, and early on Monday similar weather prevailed, 
changing to rain towards the evening. Tuesday was fine, but rained 
heavily during the afternoon. Wednesday opened wet, but at the 
time of going to press there is a prospect of a change. 
- Manchester Horticultural Society. — We understand 
that the Earl of Derby will open the Exhibition of the Manchester 
Botanical and Horticultural Society on May 11th, at 2.30 p.m., and will 
preside at the annual dinner, which will take place in the gardens at 
4 P.M. on the same day. 
-Crystal Palace Summer Show.—T he summer Exhinition 
of plants and flowers will be held at the Crystal Palace on May 9th and 
lOth. We are informed that the entries close May 2nd, and intending 
exhibitors who are desirous of obtaining schedules should apply to 
Mr. W. G. Head, Superintendent, Gardens Department, Crystal 
Palace, S.E, 
- Death of Mr. James Simpson. —Mr. Alfred Watkins 
announces with sincere regret that his late respected partner, Mr. James 
Simpson, died on 11th April, in his seventy-fourth year, after six 
months’ illness. The business will be carried on as usual, under the 
same name of Watkins & Simpson, and with the same staff as 
heretofore; 
- Work on Structural Botany,—W e have received from 
Messrs. Black “An Introduction to Structural Botany,’’ by Mr. D. H. Scott 
of the Royal Gardens, Kew. In dealing with the subject three typical 
plants have been selected—the Wallflower, the White Lily, and the 
Spruce Fir, For those students who have already acquired an elemen¬ 
tary knowledge of botany in general, and are desirous of more deeply 
pursuing the subject on special lines, the work is to be recommended as 
being a simplified exposition of the structural branch of the science. 
For absolute beginners it is apparently not intended, as it either sub¬ 
ordinates or leaves untouched the important aspects of physiology 
and system. 
- Triteleia uniflora, and T. uniflora pallida.—I n the 
midland districts and near the large manufacturing towns these very 
pretty early blooming bulbous plants grow and flower admirably and 
are perfectly hardy, growing out in the borders undisturbed and through 
the month of April. Each cluster is a mass of white and lilac tinted 
white flowers, and is also a pretty plant for pot culture. They are not 
generally known, and well deserve more general cultivation. 
- A Hybrid Auricula.—A bout five years since a seedling 
hybrid was raised in the Kings’ Norton Nurseries near Birmingham, the 
presumed result of a cross betwixt a white-edged florists’ variety of 
Auricula and Primula marginata. It flowered in 1892 and again in 
1893, and a plant in bloom was exhibited at the Narcissus Exhi¬ 
bition in Birmingham, April 18th and 19th, by Messrs. Pope & Sons, 
the raisers, and was awarded a first-class certificate. The habit partakes 
very much of the Auricula, with deeply serrated powdered foliage, 
with a good sized truss of medium-sized, well-formed. Auricula- 
like flowers, of a pleasing, blue, lilac-tinted colour with a small 
light eye.—D. 
- Kew Gardens. — Favoured by the somewhat exceptional 
season vegetation in the Royal Gardens at Kew is already far advanced. 
The Horse Chestnut trees have almost completely assumed their summer 
aspect, and the inflorescence is even beginning to be apparent upon the 
dark background of the foliage. In places the Magnolia conspicua 
is still noticeable by its profusion of large but rapidly falling flowers. 
Apart from the Narcissi, Primroses, and Anemones which are scattered 
among the grass, the most prominent floral feature is the blossoms of the 
different species of Pyrus—Pollveria, spectabilis, and baccata. Many 
of the large timber trees are also in the flowering stage, and serve as 
an interesting study. The Wych Elm still retains in festoons part of 
its curious inflorescence known as “ locks and keys,’’ and the Hop 
Hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia) cannot fail to attract attention by its 
multitude of evenly distributed Hazel-like catkins. Oa the wall fronting 
the collection of herbaceous plants the agglomerated purple masses of 
the now blossoming Ceanothus rigidus are worth investigation. Fourteen 
beds of Tulips enliven the vista of the main walk, which terminates in 
a large concentrical arrangement of Auriculas, Phlox and Alyssum 
saxatile liberally interspersed with numerous varieties of Tulips. Given 
a warm and sunny afternoon, visitors to the gardens will find themselves 
amply repaid for their trouble in going to Kew. 
- USTILAGO Vaillanti. —Through an error in transcription on 
the part of one of my correspondents, the name of this fungus which 
attacks the Chionodoxas and allied plants appears on page 298 as 
Ustularia. The above is the correct name.—S. Arnott. 
- Queen Wasps.— If present appearances portend anything, we 
may expect a great plague of wasps again this season. Within the past 
fortnight I have already paid for destroying 151 queen wasps, some of 
which were unusually large and full of brood. Many were caught 
around the Gooseberry bushes among the bees, and on removing old 
fermenting material from an outdoor Rhubarb bed some were found 
I crawling out of their winter quarters.—A. Alderman, Effingham Hill, 
Dorking. 
- Bedfont Yellow Wallflower. —This fine form was one 
of my own selections, made after some patient waiting, several years ago, 
and was then certificated by the Floral Committee of the R.H.S. It 
grows about 13 inches in height, has very stout stems, and carries large 
spikes of the finest flowers of a deep yellow—indeed, almost orange 
colour ; the leafage is as dark as is that of the blood-red form. I saw a 
large breadth of this in bloom at Bedfont the other day, where it was 
remarkably effective.—A. D. 
- Biennials from Cuttings. —Biennials are often more easily 
propagated from cuttings than by sowing seed ; besides, when good 
strains of flowers are secured there is no fear of them being lost and 
inferior ones substituted, as is often the case when seed is wholly 
depended upon. Cuttings from biennials require little or no prepara¬ 
tion further than breaking them off with a heel, then either planting at 
once in their permanent places or in nursery beds. Now is a good time 
to start with Wallflowers and Sweet Williams.—W. T. 
- Chislehurst Gardeners’ Association.—T he members of 
the Chislehurst Gardeners’ Association brought their third winter 
session to a successful close last week. The Association numbers seventy- 
four members, and after paying all expenses a balance remains in 
hand of £1 9s. lid. During the session twenty-four meetings had 
been held and twenty-one papers on gardening subjects read. The 
library, which was added last year, contains sixty-two volumes of books 
for reference on gardening matters, which have been largely used by 
the members. 
- Strawberry Royal Sovereign. —This is the second year 
I have grown this fine Strawberry in pots for forcing. It forces well, 
coming into flower with very little heat and produces flne handsome 
fruit of excellent quality ; it also travels well, being very firm and not 
liable to get bruised in packing. In size and shape it is very much 
like that well known variety Sir Joseph Paxton. It was raised by 
crossing King of the Earlies and Noble, but here it is more like a large 
Paxton, and in my opinion is much superior to either of its parents. 
I consider this one of the best, if not the very best, variety ever raised 
by the late Mr. T. Laxton of Bedford, either for growing under glass or 
in the open air.—J. Smith, Mentmore, Bucks, 
- Clematis Montana. —The pure white Jasmine-like flowers 
of this flne old Clematis are now just unfolding their beauty, in those 
instances in which the plants are grown in warm sunny positions. This 
plant is a perfect gem among creepers for covering high walls, buildings, 
or arches. It is perfectly hardy, grows rapidly, and with proper treat¬ 
ment flowers abundantly each year. In dealing with young plants, the 
shoots should be laid-in regularly from 4 to 6 inches apart, over as wide 
a space as they will cover, the whole length of growth made up till 
the end of July being retained in each succeeding year till the allotted 
space is covered, afterwards, by pinching the young growths to within 
a couple of inches of their base, a mass of spurs studded with 
flower buds is formed; but to have these buds properly ripened, it is 
important to stop the young shoots before they have grown into an 
entangled mass, otherwise improper ripening will prevent free flowering, 
—II. Dunkin. 
