June 14, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
471 
Events of the Week. —The horticultural events of the ensuing 
week include the Floral FSte and Parade at the Eoyal Botanic Society’s 
Gardens, Regent’s Park, on the 20th. On the same day a Rose show 
will be held at Shanklin, Isle of Wight. The anniversary dinner of the 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution will take place at the HOtel 
Metropole on the 2l8t, Sir Julian Goldsmid, Bart., M.P., presiding, and the 
•exhibition at Boston, Lincolnshire, will likewise be held on the 
21gt inst. 
- The Weather in London. — Showery weather has been 
■experienced in the metropolis since publishing our last issue. Sunday 
was for the most part fine, but rain fell at night, and Monday was 
ejharacterised by heavy and frequent showers. Tuesday proved fine until 
the evening, when rain fell. Wednesday opened dull but fine. 
- The Rev. W. Wilks. —The presence of the laborious Secretary 
•of the Royal Horticultural Society at the Westminster Drill Hall last 
Tuesday was hailed with great and general satisfaction. His illness—a 
throat affection—has evidently been acute, and his steady progress to 
complete recovery is evidently hoped for by all who know him and long 
to hear his sonorous voice again. Only devotion to the Society and his 
friends could have induced Mr. Wilkg to venture out on this occasion in 
his sad speechless but not spiritless state. 
- Veitch Memorial Medals— At the afternoon meeting of 
the Royal Horticultural Society on Tuesday last. Sir Trevor Lawrence, 
Bart., on behalf of the Veitch Memorial Trustees, presented Veitch 
Memorial medals to Colonel R. Trevor Clarke, Messrs. G. Nicholson, 
T. Francis Rivers, A. H. Kent, and James Martin. Mr. Charles Moore 
was also awarded a medal, but being curator of the Botanic Garden at 
Sydney and resident in New South Wales Mr. Veitch received the medal 
on his behalf. 
- The Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. — At the monthly 
meeting of the Committee, held at the Hotel Windsor on the 1st, the 
special receipts announced included that of £10 lOs., given annually by 
Mr. John Wills on the occurrence of his birthday; and a sum of 
£2 ds. fid. from Mr. W. G. Head of the Crystal Palace, obtained by sale 
of flowers used by Messrs. Perkins & Sons of Coventry in their table 
decorations at the recent Crystal Palace Show. A report from the 
Dinner sub-Committee was laid upon the table, from which it appeared 
that the sum of £600 was received, including £10 lOs. from the Lord 
Mayor, and £5 5s, from the Lady Mayoress. Votes of thanks were passed 
to the Lord Mayor for presiding, and also to Mr, James Hudson and 
Mr. J. Assbee for their valuable services in decorating the dinner table. 
- Establishment Louis Van Houtte and M. Van 
Eckhaute —In celebration of his fifty years of service in this long- 
famed Belgian establishment, the administration gave a sumptuous 
dinner to the members of the staff, numbering 130, on the 20th ult. 
The usual toasts were proposed and suitably responded to, and every¬ 
body seemed to enjoy themselves most thoroughly. The firm had also 
been kind enough to grant a general holiday to all its employes on 
the following day. M. Van Eckhaute is well known in horticultural 
circles, and has been the recipient of many congratulations from various 
societies with which he is connected. 
-Late-keeping Apples. —I may tell Mr. Palmer (page 446) 
the reason why the Royal Horticultural Society did not include 
Wellington in the list of cottagers’ Apples was that the variety, all 
very well on young trees, is found to be a sad rogue^on the Crab ; when 
the trees become old cankering badly, and altogether proving to be 
most unreliable. It is a pity so good an Apple should be so. It ought 
always to be grown in bush form on the Paradise stock. Mr. Palmer’s 
selection of Apples for late keeping after his fashion is not a very 
attractive one, as nearly all are notorious long keepers under almost any 
ordinary good conditions. Compare the selection given with that seen at 
the Temple Show put up by Mr. G. Bunyard, and all kept on open shelves 
in his ordinary fruit shed in the nursery. Nothing could be finer and 
more perfect than these were at the end of May. It is very evident 
that Apples can be kept well with simple means if the fruit be at first 
clean, well matured, and be always kept in an equable temperature.—D. 
- Currant Bud Mite. —In reply to “ Yorkshire ” in your issue 
of the Slst May respecting the Currant bud mite you quote a dressing 
I used. My further experience has taught me that the advice you have 
given—namely, to pick when there are but few knots, is the better 
mode of procedure. This must be done as early after the fall of the leaf 
as it is possible to discern the knots during the first year of the attack, 
or little or no good will result. The mischief is done by the insect in 
its “ caterpillar ” state—as many as a score of which may be found in 
the thinner slice cut for a microscopic object—when it is completely 
protected by the outer scales of the bud and when no amount of dressing 
can reach it; and it is very questionable to me whether it is practicable 
to dress later with a view to destroying the mature insect.— Arthur 
Bull. 
- Violas. —This is a Viola season, and grand masses of colour 
are now to be generally seen. In the Birmingham Botanical Gardens 
a large bed, 24 feet long by 6 feet wide, on the terrace is now a brilliant 
mass of indigo blue, and is the admiration of every visitor. It is Dean’s 
True Blue, the best of all the blue varieties, of close sturdy habit, each 
plant a compact mass of flowers from March until the present time, and 
it would continue so until August only that the beds must be cleared 
for the summer carpet bedding. The bed was planted in November 
with bulbs and this Viola, and another similar bed close by is now 
brilliant with yellow Violas, amongst which Tulips were also planted in 
November. If Violas were planted out early in the autumn or in March, 
strong plants and well rooted, then an early and continuous bloom is 
secured ; but so many persist in buying their plants in the spring, even 
so late as May and June, and frequently failure results.—W. D. 
- The Wakefield Paxton Society. —Nearly 100 members 
of this Society were present at the meeting held recently. The room at 
the new quarters has been very comfortably fitted up, and great satis¬ 
faction was expressed with the arrangements. A magnificent display of 
Tulips was made by Mr. Moorhouse and Mr. Geo. Gill. Mr. J. Clark, 
M.A., Ph.D., Yorkshire College, delivered the inaugural lecture, his 
subject being “How our Wild Flowers Came to England.” After a 
graphic description of the “ clean sweep,” of former vegetation and the 
geologic changes effected by the Ice Age in the British Isles, Mr. Clark 
showed that 1300 species of our wild flowers comprised relics of the 
Alpine plants, plants now to be found in the neighbourhood of the 
Mediterranean, and denizens of the West of Asia, while some few had 
been introduced from the New World. The most interesting were the 
alpine plants, and these were deteriorating and fast disappearing. 
- The Valerian. —I am pleased that my note (page 429) has 
drawn forth the remarks of your correspondent, “ T, S., Ileniury Hill." 
I will avail myself of his kind offer as regards the white variety of 
Valerian, He mentions his cultivated variety as being of a deeper red 
than any seen growing wild. I venture to think that the depth of 
colouring, dark red, cannot be surpassed on the embankment I alluded 
to, especially at the present time after the heavy rains. The other 
shade of colour is a deep pink. As growing the distinction is obvious, 
and the two shades add an element of fascination in contemplating the 
scene. I am also obliged to “J, R. S, C,” for his information with 
respect to the white variety of Valerian, and the exact spots where it is 
found growing. I notice that the red Valerian is established in many 
small gardens, and to my mind it would make no mean ornament among 
a choice selection of hardy perennials in an herbaceous border. In 
Rochester Castle grounds it forms a prominent feature in some of the 
borders.—E. D. S. 
- The Price of Potatoes —The old adage that “ It’s an ill 
wind that blaws naebody good ” has been, says a writer in a daily con¬ 
temporary, strikingly exemplified in the Potato trade this season. The 
severe weather in May effected an almost miraculous improvement in 
prices in local markets. Potatoes, which formerly realised from 258. to 
303 . per ton, were early in June eagerly competed for at from SOs. to 
lOOs. on rail; but, unfortunately, only a very limited quantity remained 
to be disposed of. The lucky holders of these are, therefore, to be con¬ 
gratulated on their good fortune. The export trade is, of course, 
practically over for the season ; but according to latest advices from 
America, quotations are still very satisfactory there, one cargo having 
recently been cleared out at from 2 15 dollars to 2 25 dollars per 163-lb. 
bag, and the probabilities are that pi ices may even advance slightly in 
consequence of the restricted nature of recent consignments. Never¬ 
theless, it must be borne in mind that new Potatoes are now pouring 
into the Transatlantic markets from all directions, anil these wiP, of 
course, soon usurp the position in public favour formerly held by the 
older varieties. 
