101 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 9i,1888> 
of doors in the midland counties. No. 2 was a larger and finer- 
looking fruit that had apparently gone through some prej)ai'ation for 
the occasion, while No. 3 was a ilish of very small Pears, and almost 
unrecognisable. I am not the only person who noticed these Pears, and 
freely commented upon them at the time. Can Jlr. Goodacre give 
satisfactory proof that the eight dishes of Pears in his collection were 
distinct varieties 1 One thing there can be no doubt about—viz., that 
the market value of Mr. Hunter’s dish of BeuiTe Diel was worth more 
than all Mr. Goodacre's eight dishes put together, at least such is the 
opinion of— An Old Hand. 
Events of the Week. —Tuesday next, the 14th inst., will be an 
important day at South Kensington. The Fruit and Floral Committees 
of the Roi'a! Horticultural Society meet as usual at 11 A.m. in the Con¬ 
servatory, but at 3 P.M. the annual general meeting will be held in the 
East Crush Room of the Royal Albert Hall. The principal business 
will be to receive the report of the Council and Auditors, elect Council 
and officers, and the election of new Fellows. On the 13th inst. the 
National Chrysanthemum Society will hold a meeting at Anderton’s 
Hotel, Fleet Street, to consider the proposals respecting a provincial 
show this year and the production of a catalogue of Chrysanthemums. 
Sales of Orchids will be held at Protheroe’s Rooms, Cheapside, on 
Friday and Tufsday, and at Stevens’ Rooms, King Street, Covent 
Garden, on Thursday. 
- The Weathee. —“ B. D.” writes—“ The week commencing the 
30th ult. began with wintry weather, and ends with spring-like 
mildness. Frosts of 6° to 8° and snow showers marked the first four 
days, since then the thermometer has stood on two nights at 45°. 
Spring flowers have made a leap during these last three days, and now 
Snowdrops, Crocuses, Hepaticas, and Primroses may be seen in bloom. 
On the morning of Thursday last about 5 o'clock a somewhat alarm¬ 
ing shock of earthquake was experienced in many districts in Scotland, 
most violent in the line of the Caledonian canal.” On Thursday morning 
in the neighbourhood of London the frost was severe, 12°, 14°, and 16° 
below freezing point being recorded. Since then the weather has been 
much milder and more open with several bright sunny mornings. 
- “ Duckwing” writes—“Now that everyone is writing aboutthe 
relative merits of newee vaeieties of Peas, it may be worth men¬ 
tioning that of the eight or nine varieties which I grew last year, so 
remarkable for drought, the only one which produced a good crop was 
the old Oxford Tom, the seed of which I bought from a cottager.” 
- We have reeeived the first part of a re-issue of “ Cassell’s 
POPDLAE Gaedening,” of which we have previously spoken in ap¬ 
proving terms. To those who do not already possess this useful book, 
the present is a favourable opportunity for them to begin taking it. 
- Me. B. S. Williams, Upper Holloway, sends blooms of 
Peimula sinensis Magenta Queen, a new variety being sent out 
this year. The flowers are of excellent shape and substance, the colour 
being a rich rosy magenta. It is an effective and handsome variety. 
- Me. J. Teesedee writes on Packing Feuit :—“ I have read 
your correspondent “ R. W.’s ” criticism on Mr. Pettigrew's method of 
packing mixed fruits, which he finds fault with, but he advances no 
theory himself on the subject, and it certainly would interest the readers 
of the Journal to know the method “ R. W.” adopts, and the material 
he uses in packing his fruits after an experience of no less than forty 
years.” 
- The Kvw Bulletin for February is devoted to Seeds OF 
Heebaceous Plants, and it is statal that “ these seeds are available 
for exchange with colonial, Indian, and foreign botanic gardens, as 
well as with regular correspondents of Kew. But the seeds are for the 
most part only available in moderate quantity, and are not sold to the 
general public.” About 3200 names of species and varieties are given, 
nearly eight pages out of twenty-five being occupied with the Composite. 
The authorities for the names are given, together with the native 
countries and the principal synomyns. It constitutes a useful reference 
list. 
- Feom M. Maxime Cornu of the Paeis MusfiuM d’Histoiee 
Natueelle we have also received a list of seeds, which com prises in seven¬ 
teen large pages over 6400 names of Ferns, Grasses, and miscellaneous 
plants. More than 180 Ferns are named of which spores are in stock, 
presumably for distribution to other botanic gardens. The botanical 
authorities only are given with these names, though “ Bot. Reg.” and/ 
'• Bot. Mag.,” which appear connected with tome names in this way, 
seem rather curious. In noticing Mr. R. I. Lynch’s list of seeds from 
the Cambridge Botanic Gardens recently it might have been stated 
that about 1400 species and varieties were enumerated. 
- The Royal Southampton Hoeticultubal Society have 
issued their report for the year 1887, of which the following are the. 
chief points :—The past year has not been so prosperous for the Society 
as the Council could desire, the many calls upon the public and the 
counter attractions in connection with the Jubilee celebrations no doubt 
materially affecting both the subscriptions and the attendance at the 
shows. The principal reason for the decrease in the receipts is, how¬ 
ever, more immediately' due to the railway company failing to run the 
usual excursions to Southampton on the August Bank Holiday. On, 
former occasions these excursions have brought many thousands of 
visitors into the town. The Council have, therefore, little doubt that by 
this omission on the part of the Company the Society lost from £80 t» 
£100. The shows of the Society last year fully maintained their repu¬ 
tation, both hy the extent and the excellence of the specimens exhibited^ 
At the Summer Show the fruit exhibits were pronounced by the judges 
and the horticultural press to be the best seen at any provincial exhi¬ 
bition last season. Considering the Society had to depend entirely upon 
local support, as already explained, the attendance on the two daysr 
over 20,000 persons, is evidence that the Society’s Great Summer Exhi¬ 
bition and Fete still retains its popularity as the event of the yearr 
The Autumn Show, with the exception of the afternoon of the first day- 
was very well attended, considering the very unfortunate weather, and 
the exhibition, although held upon an early date, was one with whichi 
the Council had every reason to be satisfieil, both as regards the entries- 
and the quality of the fruit, flowers, and birds shown. The next Summer 
Show is fixed to take place as usual on the August Bank Holiday and 
the Saturday preceding it, and the Autumn Show on the 6th and 7th of 
November, provided the funds at the disposal of the Council warrant the 
latter being held. The Council cannot conclude this report without, 
alluding with the deepest regret to the death of their late greatly re¬ 
spected colleague, Mr. \V. C. Westlake. The active interest which that- 
gentleman took in the welfare of this Society will cause his loss to be- 
greatly felt. The Right Hon. Baron Montagu having expressed a desire- 
to be relieved from the office of President, through ill health, the Council’ 
has obtained the sanction of W. H. Myers, Esq., J. P., of Swanmore 
Park, to allow his name to be placed in nomination for the office. Mr. 
Myers is well known as a successful exhibitor, especially of Chrysanthe- 
muns, at the exhibition of this and other societies. 
- Gaedening Appointments. —Mr. E. Shephard, late head? 
gardener to the Misses Bannerman, Roden Hall, Wellington, Salop, has 
been apjxiinted head gar’ener to N. Eckersley, Esq., Standish Hall^ 
Wigan, Lancashire; and Mr. R. Sharpe succeeds Mr. Raffill as gardener- 
at Low Hill Gardens, Bushbury, Wolverhampton. 
- Chiswick Gaedenees’ Mutual Impeovement Associa¬ 
tion. —On February 22nd E. W. Badger, Esq., Birmingham, will deliver- 
an address “ On the Advantage to Gardeners of a more thorough Know¬ 
ledge of the Science as Contrasted with the Art of Gardening.” The: 
same gentleman has also kindly promised to discuss later on the most 
important question of the raising hardy fruits, Apples and Pears {lar- 
ticularly, to bloom later than most of our existing kinds do, so as to 
escape or minimise the efficts of our late spring frosts. The latter 
subject will chiefly consist in the presentation of two ideas—(A) Thafr 
most of our hardy fruits bloom at a time when spring frosts prevail, and" 
are rendered barren for the year because the frosts destroy the j ear’s 
promise, (b) That the obvious remedy is to commence at once, and. 
by systematic hybridisation with the right kind for male and female, 
parents to originate sorts as good as we now possess, which will bloom, 
a little later, and so run less risk of damage from the late frosts. 
-A MEETING of the Royal Meteoeological Society will be. 
