84 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 2, 1888. 
Hoorn of Grapes can preserve it. Mr. Pettigrew’s partition box and 
materials, bay excepted, for Peach packing is excellent, but his mode of 
rolling the Peaches in the material, and then dropping them into these 
compartments, is quite novel to—K. W. 
Events of the Week. —To-night (Thursday), at 8 p.m., the 
Linnean Society will hold a meeting at Burlington House, Piccadilly, 
at which it is announced that Harry J. Yeitch, Esq., will contribute a 
paper on “ The Fertilisation of Cattleya labiata var. Mossise.” Mr. 
H. F. Blanford will also have a paper on “ The Ferns of Simla.” The 
Koyal Society meets on the same day at 4.30 P.M., and the Society of 
Arts on Wednesday, the 8th inst. The usual Orchid sales will be held 
in the Cheapside Booms on Friday and Tuesday, and at Covent Garden 
on Thursday and Wednesday. 
- Kefeeeing to Poinsettias planted out, “A. H.” says: 
—“ I am very pleased to notice that at least one other person has a 
Poinsettia planted out. Ours has only been planted three years. The 
first year we cut a head that measured 22 inches across, composed of 
eighty bracts.” 
- The Weathek in the Noeth.— “B. D.” writes:—“The 
weather was very mild up to the afternoon of the 2Gth ult., when 
frost set in, 3°, 8°, 12°, 6° of frost being recorded on the last four nights 
During the night of the 24th the thermometer in the open stood at 47J°. 
The eclipse of the moon was observed throughout in a cloudless sky. A 
snowstorm was pretty general over Scotland on the same day, drifts of 
6 feet and upwards being reported from some of the N.E. counties. On 
the 30th ult. in South Perthshire the ground was thickly covered with 
snow, and frost was somewhat keen.” In the south of England the 
weather has been variable, several sharp frosts alternating with rain, 
sleet, and very little snow. 
- WE learn with a deep regret, which will be shared by many 
persons in this country, that Peofessos Asa Geay, a botanist of 
world-wide fame, died on January 31st, at Boston, Massachusetts. 
This gentleman was born at Paris, in the State of New York, on 
November 18th, 1810, and was educated for the medical profession, but 
applied himself closely to botanical studies, to which he has devoted his 
whole attention since 1831. In 1804 his herbarium amounted to 
200,000 specimens, which with a library of 2200 botanical works he 
presented to the Harvard University. He was for ten years President of 
the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and was subsequently 
elected to the same position in connection with the American Association ' 
for the Advancement of Science. He was also correspondent and 
honorary member of numerous scientific societies in Europe. His 
botanical works include several admirable popular treatises that are 
distinguished by a singular lucidity of expression, and his “ Flora of 
North America ” is a most valuable work of reference. 
- We also regret to announce the death of Dr. J. T. Ievine 
Boswell, which took place on the same date—namely, the 31st ult.— 
at Balmuto, Fifeshire. Dr. Boswell was for many years Curator for the 
London Botanical Society, and lecturer at the Charing Cross and 
Middlesex Schools of Medicine ; but his chief fame as a botanist was 
derived from the fact that he re-wrote “ Sowerby’s English Botany,” a 
most extensive work in twenty volumes, and which occupied his 
attention for twenty years. 
- We learn that Messrs. Sutton & Sons’ useful work, the 
“ Cultuee of Vegetables and Flowees feom Seeds and Boots,” 
has been awarded the first order of merit and highest prize medal as a 
horticultural book at the Adelaide International Exhibition, making 
seven similar awards to the exhibits of the firm at Adelaide. 
- Messes. J. Veitch & Sons, Kings Boad, Chelsea, have received 
the following letter from Mr. H. E. Kennedy, The Gardens, Downton- 
Hall, Ludlow, Salop, which they forwarded to us as requested :—“ I have 
this day sent two flowers and foliage of a plant of Cineraria growing in 
an 8-inch pot, the seed being supplied by you last year. The foliage 
measures 17 inches in diameter ; one flower being 2| inches across, the 
other 2^ inches. Is it a common occurrence to see them so large ? It is 
not only one plant, for I have three dozen in flower. I should be glad if 
you would forward them to the Journal of Horticulture office if you 
think it is worth while doing so. All the people that have been here, 
including gardeners, say they never saw such foliage and flowers on 
Cinerarias before. I may also state that the plants are from 2 feet to 
2 feet 9 inches across, and are grown in 8-inch pots.” The flowers sent 
were of rich colour with very thick florets, and the leaf of wonderful 
size. 
- The Liveepool Hoeticultueal Association held their 
ninth annual meeting on Saturday evening last. Towards the close of 
the proceedings a lively discussion arose between Messrs. Bardney and 
Cox. It appears that the Society’s receipts for the last year or two 
have slightly fallen off, while the amount in schedule of prizes has been 
increasing. To remedy this Mr. Bardney very prudently spoke in favour 
of a more economic schedule. Mr. Cox in a very energetic manner 
defended and upheld the Committee in providing so liberal a prize list, 
and was sure that the course taken was a wise one for the welfare of 
the Society. The question, no doubt, will be brought forward at the 
next meeting. 
- No. 13 of the Kew Bulletin for January was recently 
issued, and contains a continuation of a subject introduced in the 
November number last year—namel}', “ Colonial Fruit.” The Colonies 
under consideration are Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, 
Tasmania, New Zealand, Cape Colony, and Mauritius. Lists of fruits 
grown in these countries, and in some cases the local prices, are given. 
Thus, in the case of South Australia a list of twenty-seven fruits is 
supplied, with the times when they are in season, the relative quantities 
and prices. For example. Grapes are said to be in season from January 
to May in unlimited quantities, at 7s. Cd. to lOs. per cwt. ; Apples, 
January to October, in larger quantities, 2s. 6d. to 5s. per bushel ; 
Apricots, December to January, unlimited quantities, 16s. to 24s. per 
cwt. ; Pears, December to July, Bs. to Gs. per bushel; and Peaches, 
December to February, IGs. to 24s. per cwt. 
- Me. John F. Pascoe furnishes the above particulars, and he 
further mentions in reference to the export of fruit to this country from 
Australia that “ A bushel of Apples costing in Adelaide 4s., sent to Eng¬ 
land in the ordinary way would have to realise nearly 9s. to pay the 
shipper net cost. To give an example. Per Orient steamer ‘ John 
Elder,’ I sent last year to the Colonial and Indian Exhibition fifty cases 
of fruit, which realised £55 3s., a gcod price, and ought to have shown 
good profit; but the expenses were—Commission, &c., on sale by com¬ 
missioners, £33 15s. 4d. ; freight and incidental expenses, £7 14s.— 
total, £41 9s. 4d., or, deducting the cases £2 10s., a balance of £11 3s. 8d. 
from the sale total —about 4s. 6J. per bushel. Considering this lot con¬ 
sisted of the choicest samples obtainable it certainly gives very little 
encouragement.” There is something extraordinary about the commis¬ 
sion charged in this case, and over GO per cent, is wffiat few salesmen 
would have the audacity to charge. Those who remember the fruit 
market at the exhibition mentioned will also remember that the charges 
were very high. 
- Kingston and Suebiton Cheysanthemum Society.—W e 
are informed that at the recent meeting of the above Society it was unani¬ 
mously resolved to offer another challenge cup, value 25 guineas, with 
t je usual money prizes. 
- Me. W. Dybe, Park House Gardens, Edgbaston, Birmingham, 
the well-known specimen Chrysanthemum grower, desires to state that 
he has found Wood & Sons’ liquid manure powder of service to his 
plants. 
- A LIST of seeds for the year 1888 has been issued from the 
Cambeidge Botanic Gaedbn containing the names of those in stock 
for exchange with other botanic gardens, as well as the names of plants 
of which seed is required. The list fills fifteen closely printed pages, 
and the plants are arranged under their natural orders. 
- Weiting in reference to oue Benevolent Institutions, 
“ D. S.” makes the following suggestion :—“ I should like to suggest to 
the committees of every horticultural society in the kingdom, that 
special effort should be made by each society to help the funds of the 
I Gardeners’ Orphan and the Gardeners’ Benevolent Societies. Even an 
