194 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 30, 1888. 
where other so-called hardy shrubs have died. It blossoms profusely 
every year, and needs no protection here.” 
- “ B. C.” sends the following two notes :—“ At Holeyn Hall, the 
residence of Major Wood, where Mr. T. Irving is gardener, there is 
a Picea nobilis 40 feet high, bearing about 200 cones ; some of the 
branches have sixty on each, the cones measuring 9 to 12 inches long, and 
the same in circumference.” 
-“At Lambton Castle Gardens it may be interesting to 
note that Gros Maroc Grape on a Black Hamburgh stock has berries 
much more elongated and not so round as its usual character. In the 
same garden the fruit trees in pots bear remarkably well. BeunA Diel 
and Pitmaston Duchess Pears will weigh 28 to 30 ozs. each, and a 
fruit of the Apple D. T. Fish (Warner’s King) measured 15 inches in 
circumference. Pine Apples are also noteworthy; suckers planted last 
March arc throwing fine fruits, 4 to 5 lbs. each, and will be ripe in a 
month or so. Many of these are seedlings.” 
- Trade Appointment. —We are informed that Mr. William 
Napper, late of Osborne House, Alphington, has been appointed General 
Manager to Messrs. Jarman & Co., Chard, Somerset. Mr. Nap per was 
connected with the Old Exeter Nursery for nearly twenty years, and in 
1882 found at Newton Abbot the white Passion Flower, which has since 
become so well known. 
- At a recent show in the Crystal Palace an interesting Collec¬ 
tion of Hollyhocks was shown by Mr. J. Blundell, Martell Road, 
West Dulwich, who has given much attention to these plants with good 
results. Forty-eight blooms were shown, comprising several promising 
seedlings, but of the named varieties being Venus, pure white ; Princess 
Beatrice, pale yellow ; and Princess of Wales, salmon. They were not 
large but full, even, and of good form. 
- A correspondent states that the special feature of the 
Dublin Royal Horticultural Show were Dickson’s, of New- 
townards, new Roses. Her Excellency, the Lady Lieutenant, with the 
Dukes of Leinster. Abercorn, and a large suite, spent considerable time 
admiring them. They had the silver medal, and in another class first 
prize for forty-eight. Their show and fancy Dahlias, forty-eight, had 
a similar distinction. Grapes were splendidly shown, first prizes going 
to the Earls of Wicklow and Clancarty. 
- Duranta Plumieri. — Captain N. W. Turner remarkSj 
“ Amongst berry-bearing shrubs for a conservatory this South American 
one well merits a place. Its long spikes of dark Heliotrope-coloured 
flowers being succeeded by strings of golden berries, the weight of 
which causes the branches to droop very gracefully ; and as I have 
known it in Florida to withstand severe frosts, there is little doubt but 
that being wintered in a very cool house would conduce to the finer 
display of bloom during the succeeding season.” 
- A Children’s Flower Show was held last week in one of 
the most densely populated districts of Southwark. Early in the year 
200 plants were given out to the children under suitable regulations, 
of Fuchsias, Musk, Pelargoniums, Tradescantias, and “Creeping Jenny,” 
117 of these being returned at the Show. Three prizes and some extras 
were offered in each of the five classes, and when distributing the 
prizes in the evening the Baroness Burdett Coutts gave an instructive 
little homily on flowers and flower culture, pointing out the educational 
value of such a competition. 
- “In the Journal for August 2nd,” writes “J. L. B.,” “it is 
stated that Mr. Payne prevents Melons Cankering by planting 
deeply. I have never had any cankered stems since I adopted high 
planting. None of the stem between the soil and seed-leaf is covered 
with soil, either during potting or planting out. Each of eighteen 
Melon plants in 14-inch pots has given two crops of fruit, and as the 
plants required water two or three times a day it would have been 
difficult to keep the water off the stems. During the second crop all 
the water has been poured directly on to the stems to see what effect 
it would have but it has not made the least difference.” 
- The Paris correspondent of a daily paper remarks:—“ M. 
Prilleux has just discovered an infallible remedy for the Potato 
Disease. This is the recipe—Put 13 lbs. of sulphate of copper and the 
same quantity of chalk into 22 gallons of water and souse the plants 
with the mixture. An experiment made from the 5th to the 16th instant 
saved the diseased plants thus treated, while thirty-two per cent, of those 
which were left to themselves went to the wall; but the disease must 
be taken in hand as soon as the first black spots have been perceived on 
the leaves. The remedy is simple enough, and so is the application, 
which has been favourably received by the Academy of Sciences.” 
- Mr. W. Wainwright, 1, Weast Lane, Eccles Old Road, near 
Manchester, sends the following Warning to Gardeners About 
five weeks ago a man called on me representing himself as a gardener 
out of employment who had just recently lost his wife. I gave him 
assistance (both food and money), and he called several times during 
one week. The last time (July 13th) he said that a leading gentleman 
who is well known in Manchester had obtained him a situation, and as 
he begged hard for more money I lent him £2. He promised to write, 
also to come and see me, which he failed to do, and from inquiries since 
made I find all that he said to be false, and that he has defrauded others 
besides myself. He has given the name of McBride.” 
- Last Saturday, at the usual weekly meeting of the members of 
the Wakefield Paxton Society", Mr. Rigg presided, and Mr. Arthur 
Goldthorp was in the vice-chair. There was an average attendance 
of the members. Mr. T. Gartery of Rotherham, who has previously 
given essays at the Wdkefield Society, read an interesting and thoroughly 
practical paper on “ Tomatoes,” and some fine specimens were ex¬ 
hibited. Mr. Gartery treated his subject well, and gave much valu¬ 
able information and many useful hints to his fellow professional gar¬ 
deners, and also to amateurs. An interesting discussion followed the 
reading of the paper, during which reference was made to the growing 
popularity of the Tomato. A hearty vote of thanks was given to Mr. 
Gartery. _7; 
-As announced recently, a party of members of the National 
Chrysanthemum Society" and their friends visited Baron Schroder’s 
gardens, The Dell, Egham, on Friday last, August 24th. About seventy- 
five assembled at Waterloo Station, and several others were met at 
Egham, making the total party over eighty. Several hours were pro¬ 
fitably and agreeably spent in inspecting the valuable collection of 
plants, the fruit houses, and the admirably kept gardens under the 
guidance of the gardener, Mr. Ballantine, and his assistants. The party 
then adjourned to the “ Angler’s Rest Hotel ” for tea-luncheon, and 
after a pleasant day’s outing, marred only by one rather heavy shower 
in the evening, they left Egham Station for London at 8.30 P.M. The 
arrangements for the excursion were all made by Mr. W. Holmes, who 
proved a genial and considerate conductor. 
-The usual fortnightly meeting of the Walkley (Sheffield) 
Ayiateur Floral and Horticultural Society was held on Friday 
evening last t the Society’s rooms, the President (Mr. T. B. Hague) 
in the chair. A remarkably fine collection of Roses (cut blooms) was 
exhibited by Mr. Duncan Gilmour, jun., for which a unanimous vote of 
thanks was passed by the meeting. Excellent stands of cut Roses were 
also shown by the President and by Mr. J. Shipman. Plants, cut 
flowers, and vegetables were'shown by Messrs. Ash, Jarvis (Secretary), 
Herringshaw, Cuckson, and others. An exhaustive and valuable paper 
was read by Mr. Jno. Haigh on “ The Fertilisation of Flowers,” which 
gave much satisfaction, and induced a very interesting discussion. A 
vote of thanks to the essayist was moved by Mr. Shipman, seconded by 
Mr. Cuckson, supported by Messrs. W. K. Woodcock, and Councillor 
Outram, and carried with acclamation. 
- A Chinese Pagoda in Flowers. —Thousands of visitors have 
been to the Danvers Hospital grounds (at Boston) the past few weeks, 
and the horse-cars carry great loads daily, extra trips being run on visit¬ 
ing days—Mondays and Wednesdays. The main object held in view by 
the many strangers is to see the marvellous flower beds designed and 
arranged by the florist and gardener, Ettore Tassinari. The largest 
design is a Chinese Pagoda, 17 feet high, with a dome supported by six 
pillars, and archway beneath high enough to pass under without stoop¬ 
ing. There are three fountains and thirty varieties of plants. The front 
of the base has a calendar of growing plants in portable boxes, and the 
back a shield, flags, and draperies. Florists from far and near have pro¬ 
nounced this design the best they ever saw. A solar clock or sundial 
attracts much attention, as it accurately tells the time of day by a 
shadow cast by a pole of growing plants placed at an angle of 47°, and 
pointing to the north star. The shadow falls on floral numerals in the 
rim of a horseshoe-shaped bed of plants.— (American'Paper.") 
