336 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
f October 11,188i 
Pears by Mr. \V. Wildsmith on the “ Fewest Varieties of Apples 
«nd Pears necessary to insure supplies of ripe fruit from August to 
March “ Pruning Apple and Pear Trees,” by Mr. Shirley Hibberd, 
Dr. Hogg being nominated to preside at the meeting. On Thursday the 
■subjects are “ Canker in Fruit Trees,” by Mr. J. Douglas and Mr. E. 
Tonks ; the “ Enemies of the Apple and Pear,” by Mr. J. Fraser; 
Varieties of Apples for Sussex and their Culture in Heavy Clay Soils,” 
by Mr. J. Cheal; “Renovation of Old and Formation of New Orchards 
in the Midlands,” by Mr. W. Coleman ; “ Apples and Pears Suitable for 
Cultivation in Scotland,” by Mr. M. Dunn, Mr. Shirley Hibberd pre¬ 
siding. On Friday the papers to be read are on “Compensation for 
•Orchard Planting,” by Mr. W. E. Bear ; “ Fruit Production and Dis¬ 
tribution,” by Mr. E. J. Baillie ; “ Railway Charges for Carriage,” by 
Mr. D. Tallerman, Mr. T. B. Haywood being nominated to preside on 
"the occasion. The meetings are to commence at 1.30 on each day, and 
•discussions are expected to follow the reading of each paper. Visitors 
from the country who propose attending the meetings may be reminded 
that the Gardens are within five minutes’ walk of the Acton Green 
station on the Metropolitan District Railway, and trains run in half an 
hour from the City stations every twenty minutes. Visitors from the 
■south will find trains from Clapham J unction to Chiswick station, which 
is within a mile of the Gardens. 
Events of the Week.— To-day (Thursday) the Crystal Palace 
Hardy Fruit Show opens, and at 2 p.m. a Conference of Fruit Growers 
and a meeting of the British Fruit Growers’ Association will be held. 
At 5.30 p.m. the Annual Dinner of the United Horticultural Benefit 
and Provident Society will be held in Cannon Street Hotel, Dr. R. Hogg 
presiding, and H. J. Veitch, Esq., in the vice-chair. The Crystal Palace 
Fruit Show will be continued on Friday and Saturday. A General 
Meeting of the Nationr.l Chrysanthemum Society will be held at 7 p.M^ 
on Monday, October 15th, in Anderton’s Hotel, Fleet Street; E. Sander¬ 
son, Esq., in the chair. The National Apple and Pear Conference in the 
Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens, Chiswick, will be opened on 
Tuesday and continued until Friday, particulars of the programme being 
published on another page. 
- Royal Horticultural Society. —It has been decided to hold 
a Grand Horticultural Exhibition in the Temple Gardens on the Thames 
Embankment on or about the last week in May, 1880, the Benchers of 
the Temple having liberally given their consent for the Society to 
•occupy the Gardens during two days for that purpose. 
- A prospectus before us shows that the business of Mb. Sam 
Deabds is being converted into a limited liability company, to be 
worked with a capital of £25,000 in shares of £1 each. The prospectus 
■shows the various medals that have been awarded to the Victoria dry 
glazing and other of Mr. Deard’s specialties, most or all of which have 
been from time to time described and illustrated in this Journal. Mr. 
Deards accepts the position of manager to the company on terms stated 
in the prospectus. 
- The death of Me. David Wooster at the age of sixty-four 
was recently announced as having taken place at Bayswater after an 
illness of over three years. Mr. Wooster was formerly associated with 
Loudon, whom he assisted in the compilation of several important 
works. A work on Alpine plants was also published by him, and for 
some years he was also associated with Sir Walter Trevelyan at 
Wallington. 
- Some inquiries have reached us in respect to a Horticul¬ 
tural and Technical College for students in Kent, We are not 
in a position to give advice on thi3 matter, as information essential for 
-this purpose is not given in any prospectus we have seen. In a copy 
before us we find a tempting curriculum displajmd, but we look in vain 
for names of proprietors, teachers, officers, or manager. Obviously on 
the character and ability of these, and the means at disposal, depend the 
stability and usefulness of a scholastic or collegiate institution, and 
until full particulars are furnished on these matters we are justified in 
regarding the scheme as speculative. At the same time we are con¬ 
vinced that knowledge cannot be bought at any college with which we 
are acquainted that will enable “ students ” to compete successfully 
-with the leading gardeners, private or commercial, trained in establish¬ 
ments where actual work is conducted to a satisfactory issue. 
- Extraordinary Onions.— A correspondent sends the follow¬ 
ing note :—“ At Mr. Deverill’s Royal Seed Stores, Corn Hill, may now 
be seen two dozen of his new Onion, Ailsa Craig, probably the largest 
bulbs ever placed on an exhibition table, the largest of which girths 
18 inches in circumference and weighs 2£ lbs., less 1 ounce, the total 
weight of the twenty-four Onions being very nearly 47 lbs. Mr. Murrayi 
the head gardener to the Marquis of Ailsa, Culzean Castle, is the 
grower, and after such a magnificent display wc are sure the Oxford¬ 
shire growers of Onions will acknowledge that they do not stand alone 
in the production of fine Onions. We are assured that not for the last 
twenty-nine years has the like been seen in Banbury, and for the present 
Ayrshire is the premier county for Onions.” 
- Gardening Appointment. — Mr. William Maybury, late 
head gardener at The Rookery, Dorking, has been appointed head 
gardener to J. Godfrey, Esq., Brooke House, Sandwich, Kent. 
- At the present time Helianthus multiflorus rigidus is 
one of the most showy plants in the borders. It has run up to a height 
of 7 feet, and its bright yellow flower heads are much prized for the 
decoration of tall vases when in a cut state. 
- Small plants of Fuchsia procumbens covered with its 
crimson berries are very attractive and useful for draping the edges of 
the greenhouse or conservatory stages. It is a plant not often seen, 
but generally admired when well cultivated. 
- Cuphea platycentra is useful when planted in a mass in 
the flower garden. It is not often used now for embellishing beds and 
borders, but where it succeeds it is certain to meet with many admirers. 
Cuttings strike readily in the spring and rapidly grow into neat little 
bushes. 
- Presentation to Mr. A. J. Brown. —On Thursday last a 
public meeting was held in Lindfield, the object being to present Mr. 
A. J. Brown, who is retiring from the charge of the Finches Gardens, 
with a purse containing £8, as a mark of appreciation for the service he 
has rendered to the village during the nine years he has had charge of 
the gardens named. Mr. Brown is also local Secretary for the Gar¬ 
deners’ Orphan Fund. 
- A very fine example of Trop^JOLUM speciosum is growingat 
the base of a north wall of the Dairy, Highfield, Heck field. The shoots 
of this season’s growth measure 12 feet long. At the present time there 
there are many fine blooms upon it. The effect it produced some time 
since when covered with flowers can easily be imagined. Where thi3 
plant flourishes it is splendid, but how seldom do we see it in thoroughly 
good condition 1 —M. 
- Lilium auratum and Roses. —Anyone wishing to improve 
the appearance of their Rose beds during September and early October, 
when there is a scarcity of blooms upon Hybrid Perpetual Roses, could 
not do better than plant bulbs of this Lily. Good bulbs'are capable of 
producing stems carrying as many as ten and twelve large blooms the 
first year upon each. This form of after-decoration of the Rose beds 
does not in any way interfere with the welfare of the Roses.—E. 
- The Weather in Limerick.—A n event without a parallel 
in the memory of anyone occurred on the morning of the 2nd, when 
I awoke to find 8° of frost. Dahlias, Heliotrope, Paris Daisies, 
Calceolarias, annuals in variety, French and Runner Beans, Ac., were 
cut down to the ground. Geraniums were not much hurt, yellow 
Daisies not at all injured. The days since have been cold, rain falling 
frequently. Each night we have had from 2° to G° of frost. Everything 
is cut down fully a month earlier this year. The swallows are still as 
plentiful as they were in the summer.— R. Weller. 
- Messrs. Cassell A Company send us a specimen with plate 
of a new serial publication they are issuing entitled “ The World of 
Adventure,” and ask our opinion thereon. The work, which is to be 
published monthly, is mainly intended for young people, and is to be 
“ attractive in text and illustrations, and at the same time of an 
elevating character.” The specimen copy, which consists of sixty-four 
pages of matter and illustrations, well fulfils these conditions, and the 
work will be interesting to, and no doubt read by, old as well as young. 
We commend this new serial to the attention of our readers. 
- Tom Thumb Ageratum. —This is the best Ageratum that I 
know. The plants from which I have propagated my stock the last 
twelve or fourteen years were selected from seedlings raised from a 
packet of seed had under the above name, and during that period I have 
supplied friends with cuttings and plants of it. It is the admiration of 
