August 10,1888. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
147 
on'ce or at the most twice being sufficient, or all that is advisable. 
Among summer-flowering varieties La Petite Marie, both white and 
yellow, are little gems, and St. Mary is still one of the best.—W. I. M. 
A PROPOSED TRIP TO EGHAM. 
Last year an arrangement was made for a visit to Messrs. Cannell 
and Sons’ nursery, Swanley, by members of the National 'Chrysanthemum 
Society with their friends, and the excursion proved such a pleasant one 
that Mr. Holmes was requested to plan a similar trip for the present 
season. This has been effected, and Baron Schroder having given his 
permission for the party to visit the gardens and houses at The Dell, 
Egham, the excursion has Been fixed for Friday, August 24th. The 
party will assemble at the booking office, Waterloo Station, at 12.30 p.m. 
The train is timed to reach Egham station at 1.40, whence the 
visitors will proceed to The Dell, returning to tea luncheon at the 
“Angler’s Rest Hotel” at 5 p.m. The return train leaves Egham at 
8.30 p.m., due at Waterloo at 9.29 p.m. The cost, inclusive of railway 
fare and luncheon, will be 4s. 6d. each, and all desirous of joining the 
party should communicate with Mr. W. Holmes, Frampton Park Nursery, 
Hackney, by August 21st. 
Events of the Week. — To-day (Thursday) the Maidenhead, 
Aberdare, Ludlow, Abingdon, and Taunton Shows will be held. At 
Exeter the Summer Exhibition takes place on Friday, the 17th, and 
the Co-operative Society’s Show at the Crystal Palace, on Saturday, the 
18th inst. The Shrewsbury (two days) and Newcastle-on-Tyne (three 
days) Shows will be opened on Wednesday, the 22nd inst. - 
- We are informed that Mr, W. Pratt, Longleat Gardens, has 
recently been the recipient of a very handsome present from the 
King of the Belgians, which takes the form of a breastpin set with 
diamonds and pearls surmounted with a gold crown, given in recognition 
of the attention tendered to His Majesty during the recent visit to 
Longleat. 
- From Messrs. Dichsons of Chester come flowers of the hardy 
border Carnation Mrs. Reynolds Hole, which has been certificated 
and commended at several exhibitions. The flowers are of moderate 
size, good shape, and a bright terra cotta red tinged with orange. We 
recently saw a bed of the variety in which the plants were growing 
vigorously and flowering freely, proving that it is of good constitution, 
and the colour is a very popular one. 
- We regret to learn that Mr. Alexander Roger, who has been 
superintendent of Battersea Park for seventeen years, died on the 
7th inst., at the age of sixty-two years, after a long illness. Mr. Roger 
passed a varied career as gardener in early life, and was appointed to 
the charge of Battersea Parkin 1871, succeeding Mr. Gibson, who had 
laid out the greater portion of the Park. Several additions have been 
made and improvements effected since then, notably oil the eastern 
side, which was rendered very picturesque, much taste being displayed 
in the management of the ground. The Park also was well kept, the 
carpet and sub-tropical bedding being arranged with especial skill. 
Mr. Roger leaves a widow and family. 
- Winter Spinach. —“This vegetable,” writes “II.,” “finds 
favour in most gardening establishments, and in order to have a good 
supply when called for, a sowing should be made at once, and again in a 
week or ten days’ time. The ground selected for the crop should be 
well exposed to the south, be manured, dug, trodden, and made level 
with a rake. Sow the seeds thinly in shallow drills at from 1G inches to 
18 inches apart. The only after attention necessary is to thin the young 
plants to G or 8 inches apart in the rows as soon as they are large 
enough to handle, to keep them free from weeds, and to stir the soil be¬ 
tween the rows with a Dutch hoe as much to keep down weeds as to 
accelerate growth in the plants. This operation should be attended to 
frequently from September to May.” 
- The chief points to be attended to in Tomato Culture out 
OF DOORS are to keep the shoots and leaves well thinned and pinched, 
as any approach to the crowding of these would contribute to failure. By 
attending to the process of thinning and stopping in due time, and keep¬ 
ing the plants well supplied with water at the roots during ordinary 
summer weather, no disease will attack the plants, and good crops of 
wholesome fruit will be secured.—W. 
- Mr. W. H. Divers, Ketton Flail, Stamford, says :—“ I have 
been awarded a certificate by the Liverpool Horticultural Society for 
the new green fleshed Melon Ketton Gem, raised by myself, andl 
which your reporter spoke so highly of as being awarded the first prize 
at the Sefton Park Show on the 4th and 6th inst.” 
- The Weather.— “ B. D.”, writing from Scotland, says:— 
“ With occasional glimpses of sunshine, the weather continues gloomy,, 
cold, and wet. A good deal of hay has been secured in better con¬ 
dition than was expected, but the prospect for harvest is far from 
bright. Heavy rains have laid the Wheat and Barley very much, and 
Beans are not filling. There is no appearance of ripening for weeks 
to come.” In the South of England the weather during the past 
week has been very fine, bright, sunny, and warm—exactly what has 
been so long desired. 
- The schedule of the Warwickshire Horticultural Show,. 
to be held at Rugby in conjunction with the Agricultural Show on 
Tuesday and Wednesday, September 4th and 5th, is just to hand. 
Fifty classes for plants, cut flowers, fruit, and vegetables, open to all 
exhibitors, are provided, fifty others being devoted to amateurs and 
cottagers. Substantial prizes are offered for plants, the three principal 
classes being for ten stove or greenhouse plants in Cower, £7, £5, and 
£3 ; ten ornamental foliage plants, £5, £3, and £1 10s. ; and for the 
best decoration for a conservatory, to cover a space not exceeding 
20 feet by 12 feet, crescent shaped, £7, £4, and £2. The Hon. Sec, 
is Mr. Arthur Mason, 40, Albert Street, Rugby. 
- “ In cold districts,” says “ H. W.,” “ the present is a good time 
to sow seeds of the most approved varieties of Lettuces for Winter¬ 
ing in Cold Pits for transplanting early in spring. Ten days later 
will be soon enough to sow in warmer districts. These should be sown 
on a border having a south aspect in beds 4 feet wide, with an alley 
1 foot between, covered lightly, and then be protected from the ravages 
of birds by placing a piece of small-meshed netting over the beds, sup¬ 
ported by short forked sticks. As soon as the plants are large enough 
prick them out in a pit or frame in rows 3 inches asunder, and the same 
distance between the plants in the rows. The soil should be previously 
dusted' with a mixture of soot and wood ashes to keep slugs away. 
Plants should be put out in the same manner and at the same distance 
apart in a dry warm border out of doors, where, during frosty weather, 
they can be protected with fern or straw in bad weather.” 
- The monthly meeting of the Notts Horticultural and 
Botanical Society was held on the 9th inst. in the Arboretum rooms, 
when there was a large attendance of members and the general public. 
There were on view a good display of cut flowers, fruit, and vegetables, 
in addition to a miscellaneous collection of stove and greenhouse plants. 
Amongst the most noteworthy exhibitors of plants was Mr. Alfred Page, 
of Bulwell, who sent three magnificent pots of the beautiful Eucharis- 
amazonica, which were carrying upwards of 300 developed flowers. 
The same gentleman contributed a choice collection of other plants, 
amongst which were several good Orchids. Mr. W. H. Farmer of 
Alexandra Park sent several good exhibits, a pair of baskets containing 
fine examples of Hoya bella mixed with Maidenhair Fern being very 
noticeable. Mr. W. F. M. Webb, The Park, had a pretty group of 
Coleuses, Fuchsias, &c., and Mr. Hallam, Sherwood Rise, some remark¬ 
ably good Cockscombs. Amongst the other exhibitors was Messrs. J. R. 
Pearson & Sons, Chilwell, who staged a large and varied collection of 
herbaceous flowers, which was much admired. Mr. C. T. Cox had a 
good collection, including many stove flowers. Mr. Lockwood, Clarendon 
Road, had good Selaginellas, and Mr. J. Booth a fine flowering Orchid, 
Cut Roses were a leading feature, the principal exhibitors being Mr 
Fouljambe, St. Ann’s Well Road; Mr. T. B. Hallam, and Mr. R. Thurlby 
of the same place. Amongst the principal exhibitors of hardy fruit 
which was very fine, were Mr. E. W. Field, Aspley Hall; Mr. Edward 
Massey, and Mr. R. Halford, Magdala Road. Vegetables were also well 
shown by Mr. E. W. Field. The Judges were Messrs. Gadd, C. Pearson } 
Meadows, and Pownall. 
- At the ordinary weekly meeting of the members of the Wake¬ 
field Paxton Society, held at Councillor Lupton's, the “ Saw 
Hotel,” Councillor W. H. Milnes, the President, was in the chair, and 
