46 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 18, 1889. 
Hampshire. A piece of land, about 3 acres in extent, is thickly studded 
all over with spikes of bloom, many between 4 and 5 feet high, the 
flowering part at least 2 feet long. I never saw Foxgloves luxuriate as 
they do in the wood in question. The land is somewhat damp ; the 
trees overhead are Oak, thinly planted ; the undergrowth, which is 
mainly Hazel, was cut down about three years since, thus the Fox¬ 
gloves have abundance of light, which adds to the freedom in which 
they grow.—E. M. 
- Fruit Prospects for 1889-90.—All round hereabouts Apples 
and Pears appear to be plentiful. Owing to the heavy rains in May 
and the heat in June the trees pushed many young growths, but being 
checked by the subsequent heat and drought the growths are short and 
studded with b'ossom buds. A good spring in 1890, together with the 
absence of the devastating caterpillars, which the birds appear to have 
cleared, a heavy crop may be expected. The cold spring prevented 
early nesting amongst the birds, hence the caterpillars wrought the 
mischief before the nestlings were forward. The hedge sparrow is the 
gardener’s friend, but the law is not strict enough for its preservation. 
—W. T., Blantyre. 
- The Weather in June.— W. H. Divers, Ketton Hall, 
Stamford, writes—“A few days, from Gth to 11th, were showery and 
dull ; the remainder of the month was bright and beautiful summer 
weather. The 5th was the only clear day, but the 26th and 27th were 
clear for the greater part. Wind was in an easterly direction twenty- 
one days. Total rainfall, 073 inch, which fell on eight days, 0'35 of 
which fell early on the morning of the 7th, with a heavy thunderstorm. 
Barometer steady. Highest 30-50 at 9 A.M. on the 5th ; lowest 2972 
at noon on the 2nd. Highest shade temperature 83° on the 2nd ; lowest 
43° on the 16th ; Lowest on grass 41° on the 1st, 16th, and 18th. 
Garden spring running 30 gallons per minute on the 30th.” 
- The Names and Synonyms of British Plants, by 
Geoffrey Egerton Warburton, B.A., is a pocket volume that 'will 
find favour with the British botanist. It is stated to be an attempt 
to make the difficulties of botanical nomenclature somewhat less, 
whilst it may at the same time point out what perplexing confusion 
exists, not only in the names given to various plants, but also in 
the rank they should take as species, sub-species, or varieties. The list 
contains the names of every plant considered as a species by the best 
authorities. Mr. Warburton has done his work faithfully and efficiently, 
and we highly commend it to British botanists. It is published by 
Messrs. George Bell & Sons. If we could only induce publishers to 
place the titles on the backs of all their books what a convenience it 
would be ! 
- Referring to the Fine Summer, the Standard says“ If 
it has been a good season, so far, for the farmer and the husbandman, it 
has been equally kindly and favourable to the horticulturist and the 
private owners of gardens. If people complain that anything has failed 
in their gardens this year they may depend on it that—leaving out of 
account the ravages wrought by the caterpillars in the spring—the 
fault lies with themselves, or at any rate with those they employ. Just 
as everybody was beginning to say, 1 We shall want rain shortly,’ down 
it came ; and,, most obligingly, a considerable proportion of it has fal en 
during the night time. Perhaps we ought to allow, in order to be 
strictly accurate, that people who are very fond of their Roses would 
willingly have waited another week before the dry weather broke 
But though the rain may have slightly shortened the heyday of the first 
bloom of the Roses, it will greatly benefit the second bloom. You 
cannot have it all round, as the phrase is. Without the rain the 
Phloxes, that will soon be in beauty, would have turned brown at the 
bottom of the long stalks, and everybody who has a garden of his own 
and watches it lovingly knows what that means. The Sunflower 
dunng the last few days has been growing almost with the rapidity of 
the Prophet's Gourd. How precious, too, has been the rain to the 
growth of the Rhododendrons, preparing them thus to do their duty 
next year. Nor must we forget more homely, but not less necessary 
accompaniments of an agreeable life. The rain that dashed the Rose* 
and finished the Foxglove has swelled the Gooseberries, ripened the 
Raspberries, and prolonged the Strawberry season. The dripping Julv 
clouds lay the dust and fill the larder. The gentle downfall has washed 
the honeydew off the Green Gages, plumped out the Peaches and the 
Nectarines, and would have developed the Apples had there been anv 
to develope. But, alas ! it will be, in most places, a bad Apple year, 
The wood ripened imperfectly last autumn, and the blossom, though 
fair to see at the time, has not fulfilled the promise of May ” 
- Wolverhampton Show. — At the great Horticultural 
Show which opened at Wolverhampton on Tuesday the following are a 
few of the leading prizes awarded, and a full report of the Show will 
appear next week. Sixteen stove and greenhouse plants (open), not less 
than eighteen in bloom.—First, Mr. Cypher, Cheltenham. Second, 
J. Marriott, Esq., Coventry. Mr. Cypher was also first for six exotic 
Ferns, six plants in flower, and six Palms. For a group of plants in 
140 square feet and 100 square feet Mr. W. H. Dyer, gardener to Mrs. 
Marigold, Edgbaston, Birmingham, was the chief prizewinner. For 
forty-eight Roses (open).—First, Messrs. Cranston & Co. Second, 
Messrs. Harkness & Sons. Thirty-six Roses (open). —First, Messrs. 
Perkins & Sons, Coventry. Second, Messrs. Cranston & Co. Third, 
Messrs. Harkness & Sons. Twenty-four Roses (open).—First, Messrs. 
Perkins and Sons. Second, Messrs. Cranston k Co. Third, Messrs. 
Dicksons, Limited. Twelve dark Roses (one sort).—First, Messrs. 
Cranston & Co., with Alfred Colomb. Second, Dicksons, Limited, with 
Horace Yernet. Twelve light Roses (one sort).—First Messrs. Cranston 
and Co., with La France. Second, Messrs. Dickson & Co., with Merveille 
de Lyon. The Mayor’s prize of five guineas for the most meritorious 
exhibit in the Show, was awarded to Mr. Cypher, Cheltenham. 
- Plums in France.— Plums constitute a produce of great im¬ 
portance, and it may be interesting to point out the extent of their 
culture in France. In the first place comes Lot-et-Garonne with 
175,000 cwt., valued at 12,000,000 francs. The fruits of this country 
are very much prized. Next comes the Deux-Sevres, supplying 98,960 
cwt., worth 2,000,000 francs. The production of the Loiret is about 
53,500 cwts. valued at 270,000 francs. That of the two departments of 
Aisne and Seine-et-Marne amounts to about 40,000 cwts. The 37,000 
cwts. of Seine-et-Oise have a value of 48,000 francs, the production of 
Meurthe-et-Moselle amounts to 34,000 cwts., and it varies from 24,000 to 
14,000 cwts. for the departments of the Aube, Haute-Saone, Meuse, 
Vosges, Tarn-et Garonne, Haute Marne, and Seine-Inferieure. These 
figures relate to the year 1885. The total of the harvest in France 
has risen to 752,000 cwts. Moreover, as the quality of the fruit varies 
considerably, the variations in price are also great. The price of the 
hundredweight, which was 68 francs in Lot-et-Garonne, was only 
20 francs in the Deux-Sevres, from 42 francs in the Tarn-et-Garonne, 
and in fine from 4 francs 50 cents for the Haute Loire. There is 
certainly the material for supplying a considerable commerce.— 
{La Nature, June 29th, 1SS9 .) 
- Notts Horticultural and Botanical Society. —The 
usual monthly meeting of the Nottinghamshire Horticultural and 
Botanical Society was held at the Arboretum Rooms, Nottingham, on 
Thursday evening last week, when a large number of members attended. 
In addition to money prizes being offered to any meritorious exhibits by 
the Society, Messrs. R. Sankey & Son of Bulwell Potteries, Nottingham, 
who take a great interest in the Society, offered special prizes for the 
best six Coleuses, the best six Gloxinias, and the best six exotic Ferns, 
which caused a healthy competition in each of the classes. The exhibits 
were tastefully arranged in the large corridor, and during the evening 
about 2000 of the general public were admitted free. In the class for 
six exotic Ferns C. J. Cox, Esq., Basford (gardener, Mr. Meadows), 
carried bff the principal honour ; VV. H. Farmer, Esq., Alexandra Park 
(gardener, Mr. Attenborough), being second. The class for six Coleuses 
were well represented, Mr. W. PI. Farmer being first with well-coloured 
examples, the Sheriff of Nottingham, John Robinson, Esq. (gardener, 
Mr. Plumb), being a good second. Gloxinias were well shown, seven 
good lots being staged, the principal honours falling to Mr. T. Hallam, 
Dr. Powell, and Mr. James Booth respectively. Amongst those who sent 
plants and flowers, not for competition, but which received the Society’s 
awards, were C. J. Cox. Esq., who staged a large and nicely arranged 
miscellaneous collection of stove and greenhouse plants, Orchids, &c. 
VV. H. Farmer, Esq., sent a massive Cyathea dealbata, and a collection 
of stove and greenhouse cut flowers. Messrs. J. R. Pearson & Sons, 
Chilwell Nurseries, set up a large and varied collection of herbaceous 
flowers. J. Wesley Lewes, Esq., Hardwick House, Nottingham (gardener, 
Mr. Walker), contributed a fine collection of cut Gloxinia flowers. Mr. 
C. J. Mee, Wollaton Hall Gardens, an excellent collection of fruit and 
vegetables, very noticeable amongst which were some well-grown Muscat 
of Alexandria Grapes, highly coloured Peaches, and several varieties of 
splendidly well-kept Apples. Dr. Powell showed a magnificent dish of 
Strawberries (James Veitch), which received the Society’s certificate of 
merit. Mr. Frank Pates, seedsman, Nottingham, sent, handsome 
examples of his new Lettuce, Yates’ Champion, which received a large 
share of attention from the visitors. The meeting in every respect was 
