192 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 11, 1886. 
flower stows may well lend a helping hand. Contributions should be 
sent to the Honorary Secretary and Treasurer, Mr. Thomas Moore, 
Botanic Garden, Chelsea, London, S.W., whs will gladly acknowledge 
them. We may add to the foregoing that the second of the Dahlia com¬ 
petitions for the possession of the Tubner Memorial Prize Cup will 
take place at the Crystal Palace on the occasion of this Show, and will 
greatly increase the interest with which it can be watched by those who 
are admirers of this noble autumn flower. 
- Relative to the frost that has prevailed during the past week, 
Mr. N. H. Pownall states that the thermometer registered 10° on Sunday 
night last, or 22° of frost in Lenton Gardens, Nottingham ; on the same 
morning the reading at Old Warden, Bedfordshire, by Mr. Allis was 18°, 
or 14° of frost. A Wakefield correspondent writes : “ The weather in 
this neighbourhood seems to get more severe. The thermometer regis¬ 
tered 24° below freezing—viz., 8° last night (8th inst.), and the ground 
has been covered with about 7 or 8 inches of snow, which has every 
appearance of remaining some time. This is an anxious time for 
gardeners.” From Alderminster Lodge, Stratford-on-Avon, we have 
received the following :—“ We are having very severe weather at night, 
with bright sunshine in daytime. The last three nights I have registered 
on a sheltered warm south wall 16°, 19°, and 18° of frost, while in the 
open on the north side 23?, 25°, and 24° have been registered. The winter 
and spring Beans will, I fear, be greatly injured.” In the vicinity of 
London sharp frosts have prevailed and keen winds, but no snow, and the 
last few days were sunny. 
- We are informed that Messrs. Sutton & Sous, Reading, intend 
offering upwards of £16 in six prizeo for collections of vegetables at the 
Provincial Show of the Royal Horticultural Society at Liverpool, also 
three prizes for Melons, particulars of which will no doubt be issued in 
the schedule of the Exhibition. 
- Mr. H. S. Easty writes : “ In answer to ‘ A. M.’s’ inquiry re¬ 
specting the selection and succession of Peas, I think he will find 
the following of high quality and prolific bearers :—Gem of the Season 
(Daniels), William I., Dr. Hogg, for earliest; Champion of England 
Duke of Albany, and Evolution, for midseason ; No Plus Ultra, Veitch’s 
Perfection, Yeitch’s Sturdy, and Laxton’s Omega, for latest. Dr. Hogg is 
nearly if not quite the sweetest Pea grown, and no Pea excels Ne Plus 
Ultra. ‘A.M.’ was really answered, and extremely well answered, on 
page 183, ‘ Peas for Use ’ (‘ B. L. E.’) Only three varieties are men¬ 
tioned there in place of my ten.” 
- We understand that the well-known botanist, Dr. E. Regel, 
who has been director of the St. Petersburg Botanic Gardens for a number 
of years, has resigned the appointment, and has been succeeded by Dr. 
Engler. 
-The Glasgow and West of Scotland Horticultural 
Society announce their Spring Show this year for March 24th, the 
Autumn Show taking place on September 8th in the St. Andrew’s Hall 
The schedule is of the usual character, a large number of classes being 
provided, and the prizes ranging from £4 to 3s. 
-Messrs. Lucombe, Pince]& Co. have lately had an Exhibition 
of Hyacinths, at which several well-grown collections were entered in 
competition for the prizes offered by the firm. The best came from the 
Rev. T. J. Yarde (gardener, Mr. J. Dawe), who was followed by Mrs. 
Norris, Pinhoe (gardener, Mr. F. Viney), and Mr. Barnett, Tiverton (gar¬ 
dener, Mr. Sparkes). Mr. Dawe’s Hyacinths had some handsome spikes, 
especially La Grandesse, which was wonderfully fine. In the second 
prize collection, Yon Schiller, Czar Peter, and Duke of Connaught were 
the best. The Camellias at this nursery are now flowering very freely 
with many other plants. 
- Messrs. J. Laing & Co., Forest Hill, have succeeded in flowering 
the new Cattleya Lawrenciana, having two plants, one with a spike 
of three flowers, the other with two, and one bloom on another growth. 
The colour is good, and lip uncommonly deep (a dark purple). It may be 
remembered that a plant of this Cattleya was shown at South Kensington 
in February, but the flowers then were probably not in their best condition, 
as some dissatisfaction was generally expressed concerning it. The 
flowers are now assuming more of their true characters. 
-The Wilts Horticultural Society will hold a show at 
Salisbury on July 29th next, when liberal prizes will be offered in the 
leading classes. For twelve stove and greenhouse plants the first prize is 
£15, for twelve variegated and fine-foliage stove and greenhouse plants 
the first prize is £13, others of smaller amount being offered in several 
other good classes. The Hon. Sec. is Mr. W. H. Williams, Salisbury. 
- “JuVENIS” writes:—“In the Journal of the 4:h inst. I was 
glad to find part of a letter of mine referring to Hybridisation of 
Siveet Briar, but the word ‘ or ’ is printed instead of‘ and ’ between the 
words ‘Sweet Briar’ and ‘Rosa rugosa.’ I should be glad to hear 
whether any of the readers of the Journal have ever tried hybridising 
Sweet Briar with Fortune’s Yellow, and whether any lovers of the Rose' 
of long experience think any of the crosses between ‘Sweet Briar’ and 
other Roses I have mentioned worth a trial.” 
- The Tunbridge Wells Horticultural Society will hold 
their annual Show at Tunbridge Wells on Friday, July 2nd. The annual 
Show of the Maidenhead Horticultural Society is fixed for 
Thursday, August 19th, 1886. 
-The Official Report of the Orchid Conference held by 
the Royal Horticultural Society at South Kensington in May last year is' 
now issued, forming the first portion of vol. vii. of the Society’s Journal. 
It comprises 155 pages, giving a full reDOrt of the papers read at the 
Conference, the discussion, and the exhibition, the greater portion of 
which has already appeared in these pages and elsewhere. A horticultural 
report on the plants exhibited is contributed by Mr. F. W. Burbidge 
and Mr. H. N. Ridley has a chapter devoted to the botanical consideration 
of the Orchids shown, both of which contain some interesting matter. 
Though somewhat late in appearing, the Report will be welcomed by 
many persons as giving all the particulars concerning the Conference- 
brought together in a convenient form. It is, however, regretable that 
more care has not been exercised in the revision, especially of the 
horticultural portion. 
-We are glad to observe that the remarkably successful Shrop¬ 
shire Floral and Horticultural Society continues its prosperous, 
career. The receipts for 1885 were upwards of £2250, the largest since the- 
formation of the Society. The profits realised during the year exceeded 
£500, and the balance in hand at the present time is £725 103. 4d. The 
Spring Show for the present year will be held on April 1st, and the 
Summer Show on August 18th and 19th. The schedules are comprehensive, 
fifty-two classes being provided for the former Show and 145 for the 
latter, £60 being offered in one class for stove and greenhouse plants. 
-A Variegata Ficus repens in the Cambridge Botanie 
Gardens, Massachusetts, is thus described : “ It is beautifully variegated 
with white ; not a dirty white as often seen in variegated-leaved plants, 
but a clear striking white. About half the foliage was white, giving it 
sufficient to make it attractive. For decorative purposes this will make 
a suitable plant; either grown into large specimens neatly trained, or 
grown in small pots, it can be kept in a compact bushy form, and will 
answer the same purpose some of the Selaginellas are now used for. With, 
sufficient to cover the back wall of a fernery or Orchid house, what a 
beautiful object it would make. It appears to grow just as strong as Ficus 
repens, from which it is a sport.” 
- We regret to have to announce the death of Mr. Robert 
Preston Ker of Liverpool, a nurseryman we’l known and much 
respected in the district, and by all who knew him. He was born at 
Hassendeanburn, Hawick, on July 21st, 1816, and was therefore in bis 
seventieth year at the time of his death, which took p’ace on March 4th. 
Under his management the business grew to be one of the most important 
in the norih of England, and has been particularly noted in recent years 
for the handsome Crotons shown at the leading exhibitions. 
-Amongst many vegetable growers who read this Journal we 
may include a few vegetarians, to whom the following note from a pro¬ 
fessional musician will be interesting :—“ I speak from an eight-year's- 
experience as a vegetarian, adopted at the outset from motives of economy, 
to enable me to prosecute my studies in a most trying profession—viz., 
that of an 1 English Musical Artist,’ my day’s work during the earlier 
years of my professional career regularly commencing within twenty 
minutes of rising at 4.30 A.M., and continuing, with necessary intervals 
for meals, for nine, ten, and sometimes twelve hours and more. This I 
have been enabled to accomplish without a day’s illness, one or two slight 
accidents excepted, and ailments to which before the adoption of my 
vegetarian regime I was invariably subject are now strangers indeed. The 
