October 22, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
345 
judge as to the conditions there stipulated, but even judging from 
“ inference ” there was no occasion for strong “ comments,” as to the 
omission of Cucumbers, because I fail to see how Mr. Pope was 
“ sailing near the wind,” as “ Observer” infers. Because the second list 
of prizes for collections of vegetables were not to contain “ Cucumbers 
or Tomatoes,” that is no reason why the first list should do so. 
We do not usually expect Lady Downe’s Grapes ready for the table 
before early in November, which is fully four months after the period 
quoted by “ Observer,” therefore the “parallel ” drawn is some distance 
from the mark. Relative to the Parsnips which were staged a very short 
time before the stated time when they “ are a stroDg dish.” If Parsnips 
are not in season during September, how is it that such a Society as the 
Edinburgh Association offer prizes for them alone? I presume Mr. Pope 
follows the line adopted by sensible men in making up his collection— 
viz., that a good dish of any one kind if a little out of season (which 
after all is a matter of opinion) is preferable to a bad “ seasonable ” 
one. 
I am quite aware that a dish of Globe Artichokes can be cut from 
the same plants year after year, but in what month 1 I would ask. 
Certainly not fit for show in September. “Observer” here displays a 
want of practical knowledge, or he must know that the same ten-year- 
old roots will not give heads up to exhibition form in September after 
having fruited since the early part of July. The reason Mr. Pope 
included Leeks of such inferior quality as “ Observer ” describes in his 
collection is obvious to all I should say, which in spite of their in¬ 
feriority as Leeks could not have been so extremely bad after all, or the 
collection would not have been placed where it was by competent 
Judges, as I presume the adjudicators were. It would indeed be a 
curious collection of twelve varieties of vegetables which did not 
(Contain a single dish to make some “ wonder.”— The Rambler. 
Events of the Week. —To-day (Thursday) the Fruit Show and 
Conference will be continued at Manchester, the Conference opening at 
twelve noon. On Tuesday, October 27th, the Royal Horticultural 
Society’s Fruit, Floral, and Orchid Committees will meet in the Drill 
Hall, James Street, Westminster, at twelve noon ; and in the afternoon 
Mr. H. J. Veitch will give an address on “ The Autumn Tints of Trees.” 
The National Chrysanthemum Society’s Floral Committee will meet in 
the Royal Aquarium, West minster, at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, October 28th. 
Messrs. Linden of Brussels advertise a sale of “ 200 plants in flower of 
the true Cattleya labiata autumnalis ” at Messrs. Protheroe & Morris’s 
Rooms, Cheapside, October 30th next, which will, no doubt, attract a 
large number of purchasers. Messrs. Protheroe also advertise sales of 
Orchids for Friday, October 23rd ; Church Fields Nursery Stock, at 
Cheshunt, on October 28th and 29th ; and Nursery Stock at Havant on 
the same days. 
- Royal Horticultural Society.—T he next meeting of the 
Floral, Orchid, and Fruit Committees will be held in the Drill Hall on 
Tuesday, October 27th, when the Society holds its usual display of 
new and rare plants, besides which special prizes are offered in the 
schedule for cooking and dessert Apples and Pears, as well as for 
varieties of Grapes. Intending competitors should at once communicate 
as to the nature of their exhibits to the Superintendent, R H.S. Gardens, 
Chiswick. In the afternoon at three o’clock Mr. Harry J. Veitch ( 
F.L.S., will read a paper on “Autumn Tints,” and specimens of trees, 
shrubs, or other plants indicating the season will be welcome as 
illustrations. 
- The Weather. —The gale last week was very destructive, 
much damage to trees being reported from many districts around the 
metropolis and elsewhere. Large trees were uprooted in many cases, 
and fruit was swept from the Apple and Pear tree3 in exposed gardens. 
Heavy rains have also prevailed, with intervals of bright weather, and 
exceedingly clear nights. Slight frost has been experienced in some 
places sufficient to blacken the Dahlias, but this has not yet been 
general. 
- The Crystal Palace Show. — Mr. R. Silk, gardener to 
J. Abernethy, Esq., C.E., Whiteness, Margate, sends us an exhibition 
card, from which it appears he was awarded the first prize in the class 
for the best flavoured Pears. In our report the name of the first prize¬ 
winner, which was taken from the Crystal Palace Company’s official 
prize list, was given as Mr. W. A. Cook of Compton Bassett. Willingly 
we make this correction. 
-Nitrate of Soda as a Stimulant.— I do not wonder at 
the results obtained from the use of nitrate of soda on Cucumbers and 
Celery, as described by Mr. H. Dunkin, paga 321. I have long had a 
high opinion of it as a manure. This year I tried it with dissolved 
bones in two parts to one of nitrate upon Apple trees, and with capital 
results. About the middle of July a good dressing of this mixture was 
spread on the surface, washing it in with clear water. The leaves 
quickly assumed a deep green colour, and had a leathery substance, 
making good growth, but not too rampant. Fruit of Lord Suffield on 
trees so stimulated swelled rapidly to a much greater size than hitherto. 
One fruit weighed exactly 1 lb., which is heavy for this variety, as it is 
not a weighty Apple for its size. Many other varieties show a similar 
increase in the size of their fruit. One tree especially of Tower of 
Glamis exhibits a marked improvement, both in its foliage and the 
quality of fruit borne. This tree had not been a success previously, but 
the application of so stimulating a manure as nitrate of soda seemed to 
give new life to this tree.— E. Molyneux. 
-Ware and District Horticultural Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Society. —At the usual fortnightly meeting, held on the 14th 
inst., an excellent paper was read by Mr. H. Brown on “ Exhibition 
Onions.” Practical hints were given on growing Onions generally, as 
well as how to grow them for exhibition, and some very fine Ails a 
Craig Onions were shown by Mr. Brown. A good discussion followed, 
and the usual vote of thanks brought the meeting to a close. 
- The Horticultural Club.—T he first monthly dinner and 
conversazione for the season 1891-92 was held on Tuesday, Oct. 13th, at 
the Club rooms, Hotel Windsor. Owing to the tempestuous weather the 
attendance was smaller than usual. The subject for discussion was 
Choice Dessert Plums, a paper on which was sent by Mr. Geo. Bunyard, 
who through illness was unable to attend. The paper was read by 
Mr. Charles T. Druery, and an interesting conversation followed, during 
which many interesting facts were brought forward by Messrs. Cheal, 
Soper, Cousens, Walker, &c., and a vote of thanks was given to 
Mr. Bunyard for his paper, which will be found in another part of our 
paper. 
- A Moth Trap. —A simple but most effective contrivance for 
trapping the female Apple Moth is used by Mr. Hobson, the Chairman 
of the Sutton Coldfield Gardeners’ Association, in his garden at Sutton. 
It consists of a strip of zinc made into a circular form, and is covered 
with calico fastened round the sides and tied at the top around the stem 
of the tree. It is really a crinoline, and open at the bottom. The 
interior is partially filled with a composition made of pitch and any 
fatty matter, such as kitchen fat or oil, of sufficient cons’stency to 
remain in the trap, and the female moth in climbing the stems cannot 
escape, but is a prisoner in the sticky substance. These should be applied 
in September ; and in one week thirteen female moths, several snails, 
and a score or two of earwigs were caught in one trap. As these traps 
can be made at a very trifling cost their use should be general. 
-A Friendly Storm. —A correspondent, Mr. M. Birt, writes 
from near Godaiming :—“ ’Tis an ill wind that blows nobody good.” In 
January, 1887, an Apple tree on a sloping lawn was blown flat down, 
and so remained under snow, often frozen for nearly three weeks. It 
was then raised, broken, tended, and has given its beautiful Blenheim 
Orange fruits yearly, still leaning considerably to one side, propped up 
by two supports. During the late gale the wind raised the tree, 
dragging with it the beam and strong pole, raising the former clear off 
the ground, and as the trunk returned dropping it down and forcing it 
safely into the ground, leaving the tree upright. The beam had been 
fastened by a large iron pin or bolt, driven at the edge of it in the grass, 
and the beam is now 18 inches from the pin. The tree settled into its 
original position so firmly that instead of standing as if on a mound, it 
is now in a slight depression. 
_ Gardeners’ Associations. — One of these societies was 
formed at Sutton Coldfield, near Birmingham, some four or five years 
since, is an affiliated branch of the Birmingham Society, it numbers 
about forty-five members, owns a select library of gardening books, 
with powerful microscopes, and has a balance of £8 or £10 in the 
bank. The autumn session was opened on the 6th inst. by A. W. Wills, 
Esq., J.P., so well known in the Midlands for his collection of Orchids, 
with an instructive illustrated lecture on the “ Use of the Microscope.” 
The programme for the autumn season comprises “ Lessons from my 
Garden,” “ riant Physiology,” “ Entomo'ogy,” “ Fruit-growing for 
Profit,” “ A Night with the Microscope,” “ The Chrysanthemum,” 
“ The Culture of the Mushroom,” “ Notes on some Garden Favourites,” 
