26 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 11,1889, 
Events op the Week. —Highgate Flower Show will be held to-day 
(Thursday). The following are Rose Show fixtures for the current 
week :—To-day (Thursday), Gloucester ; Friday, July 12th, the Alex¬ 
andra Palace ; the 13th, Eltham and New Brighton ; the 16th, Birken¬ 
head and Carlton-in-Lindrick ; the 17th, Bedford and Ripley (Derby) ; 
the 18th, Sheffield (National Rose Society) and Helensburgh. 
- The Weathee.—A welcome change has occurred in the 
weather during the past few days in the neighbourhood of London, 
the sky having been more or less overclouded and occasional showers 
fallen, but by no means heavy rains. 
- Crystal Palace Rose Show. —His Imperial Majesty, the 
Shah, and their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, 
visited the Show at 6.30 p.m., the National Rose Society being repre¬ 
sented on this occasion by Mr. Edward Mawley, one of the Society’s 
Hon. Secretaries. 
- A Century op Medals. — The medal awarded to Messrs. 
Carter & Co. for their group of Emperor Petunias and ornamental 
Grasses at the evening fete at the Royal Botanic Gardens makes the 
one-hundredth medal gained by the firm for their seeds and plants 
grown from them—a record they believe to be unbeaten. 
- Messrs. Ransomes, Sims, & Jefferies desire to state that 
Her Majesty was pleased to accept one of their lawn mowers at the 
Windsor Show, and to purchase another, as also did the Princess 
Victoria of Prussia. 
- Messrs. Sutton & Sons of Reading have received the 
following letter :—“ Sir Henry Ponsonby is commanded by the Queen to 
thank Messrs. Sutton for the floral decorations and miniature garden 
surrounding the Pavilion, which they have had the kindness to present 
to Her Majesty.” 
- The Alexandra Palace Show. —At this Show, which is to 
be held on Friday, the 12th inst., the interesting ceremony of crowning 
the Rose Queen will be conducted by the Rev. Father Nugee. Mr. 
R. Beale, the manager of the Show, also intends holding a bazaar for 
the sale of horticultural literature and surplus Roses given by exhibitors, 
the proceeds of the sale to be given to the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. 
-Dr. Livingstone Strawberry.—T he sample sent is from the 
third picking, and therefore not the largest fruit. It is hardy and a 
robust grower, very prolific, suitable for any soil, and gives heavy crops 
under trees where other varieties fail; a second early, its latest fruits 
swelling to a good size.— Wm. Thomson, Blantyre. [The fruits 
received were large enough for any purpose, but so shaken and crushed in 
transit that their quality cannot be tested.] 
- Long Broad Beans. —Mr. Heard of Machen House, near 
Newport, Mon., sends three specimens of Broad Beans grown by his 
head gardener, Mr. McKinnon. Two of the pods are 13£ inches long 
and one 13 inches, and Mr. Heard wishes to know whether we have seen 
any so long? We think they are the largest that have been sent to 
us, and we have not measured long specimens we have seen on 
exhibition tables. Perhaps some of our readers have, and can send the 
dimensions if they exceed those named. 
- The Chertsey Strawberry Gardens.— The Surrey Adver¬ 
tiser says :—“ Chelsea may boast of its Orchids, and Bagshot of its 
Rhododendrons, but it remains for Chertsey to excel in Strawberry 
culture. The celebrated Royal Strawberry Gardens at Knowle Hill, 
cultivated by Mr. Thomas Sharpe, embrace an area of over 7 acres, 
from which more than a ton of luscious berries are being picked per 
day. About 1300 lbs. are daily packed in flat baskets and despatched 
to various parts of the country, and twelve pickers and packers are 
busily engaged at this work from 4.30 A.M. to 8.30 P.M. At the present 
time the gardens present an extraordinarily beautiful appearance, the 
ground being literally red with fruit. They are well worthy of a visit, 
and an additional attraction is that visitors for a slight fee are per¬ 
mitted to gather and eat the fruit from certain beds at their own 
sweet will.” 
•- The Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. —Mr. George Deal, the ex¬ 
cellent Chairman of this charity, desires us to remind our readers that 
the anniversary dinner and election of children will take place at the 
Cannon Street Hotel, London, on Friday, the 19th inst., and he hopes 
all gardeners who can do so, with others who are in sympathy with the 
object, will make arrangements for attending on the occasion. So do 
we. The proceedings will be of a most enjoyable character, and a large 
gathering of horticulturists is expected. Tickets, 5s. each, can be 
obtained from Mr. A. F. Barron and members of the Committee. In 
answer to an inquiry we may add that visitors are not expected to 
attend in evening dress, this being entirely optional. 
-The Rainfall at Cuckfield, Mid-Sussex, for June was 
0'23 inch, being 1'73 inch under the average, rain falling on only three 
days. Highest temperature, 96° on 7th ; lowest temperature, 45° on 
17th and 18th. Mean day temperature, 80° ; mean night temperature, 
511. Mean temperature, 65'5°, being 5'2° above the average of the 
past seven years.— R. Inglis. 
-United Horticultural Benefit and Provident 
Society. —The quarterly meeting of the above Society took place at 
the Caledonian Hotel, Robert Street, Adelphi Terrace, Strand, on Mon¬ 
day evening, July 8th, Mr. E. Berry in the chair. The Committee are 
sorry to report the death of one of the members (Mr. A. Barker of 
Hindlip), who died on June 14th last. A cheque was drawn for the 
widow for £8 7s. 4.jd., the amount standing in the ledger to the credit 
of the late Mr. Barker. Four new members were elected, and the 
usual business transacted. A cordial vote of thanks to the Chairman 
ended the meeting. 
- Farehah Show. —We have received a report of this Show, but 
cannot find space for it for reasons which are apparent. Captain 
Ramsey obligingly opened his gardens to the public, and his fine display 
of Roses was greatly enjoyed. He won the chief prize for Roses at the 
Exhibition “ with finely formed and extremely fresh blooms.” Mr. 
H. F. Hawkins, gardener to G. Bishop, Esq., Swanwick, and Mr. W. 
May, gardener to W. H. Deane, Esq., Fareham, were the most suc¬ 
cessful exhibitors of plants. Mr. N. Molyneux, gardener to J. C 
Gamier, Esq., Rookesbury Park, was awarded the chief prizes for 
black and white Grapes, Strawberries, and a collection of vegetables. 
The Revs. E. S. Prideaux and T. G. Browne were successful in the 
vegetable classes, and Mr. E. Penfold, gardener to Sir F. Fitzwigram, 
Bart,, Leigh Park, Havant, sent well grown plants not for competition. 
The Show was well managed by Mr. Harry Smith. 
-There are some noteworthy Conifers and other Trees 
in the grounds at Brockhurst, East Grinstead. The owner, Mr. K. R. 
Murchison, is a great tree-lover, and has embellished his estate with an 
extensive collection of exotic and native trees, many of which have 
been planted under his personal supervision. The grounds are extremely 
irregular, and the wise course has been pursued of planting and fur¬ 
nishing in accordance with the configuration of the place as Nature had 
provided it. The house is somewhat low, and almost immediately in 
front of it rises a huge mound, perhaps 100 feet above the ground level,, 
with other banks and slopes undulating, as it were, from it. On and 
between these Conifers and Rhododendrons have been freely and judi¬ 
ciously planted, and the grounds consequently present a highly pic¬ 
turesque appearance. The trees are a magnificent feature. There is a 
Pinus insignis approaching 70 feet in height, a truly noble specimen, 
which was planted from a flower pot by an old man still working 
on the estate, but the veteran’s memory is hazy as to the exact date. 
Araucaria imbricata is best represented by a very shapely specimen about 
30 feet high. Picea nobilis with its beautiful silvery foliage is ex¬ 
tremely handsome, and there is a fine tree that was planted by Mr. 
Murchison himself. Of Wellingtonia gigantea there is a handsome 
pair, about 50 feet high and 11 to 12 feet in circumference at the base. 
Picea Nordmanniana, a fine pyramid of Pinus austriaca, and a good 
example of Cedrus deodara were admired. There is also a finely fur¬ 
nished Cedar of Lebanon, and of Oak, Beech, and other forest trees- 
some noble examples. The Golden Yew presents a highly effective 
appearance with a bright sun shining on its yellow leafage, and a- 
handsome small-leaved shrub, named Podocarpus andinus, is graceful. 
-The Weather and Conifers.—T he wet weather of last 
season and the warmth of the present one have had most beneficial 
results so far as Conifers are concerned, as those at Brockhurst are 
making splendid growth, and all on the estate, numbering some hundreds, 
are in admirable condition; but the Oaks have suffered terribly from the 
