110 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 8, 1889. 
produce fruit of the best quality. The least that can be done to pro¬ 
ductive old trees located in a hot and dry corner is to loosen the soil 
about their roots and heavily mulch with good solid manure, strawy 
litter spread over this serving to keep it always moist. Liquid manure 
may also be safely given to these comparatively stunted trees both now 
and during the summer ; but, if it is repeated, on no account should any 
trees already too vigorous to be profitable receive either top-dressings, 
manure solid or liquid. A surfacing of leaf soil would serve to attract 
and keep the roots near the surface, this tending to cause sturdy rather 
than gross unfruitful top growth.—W. I. 
Events of the Week. —The National Chrysanthemum Society’s 
annual excursion will take place on Monday next, August 12th, Hat¬ 
field and Knebworth Gardens being the places selected this year. Full 
particulars as to trains, &c., will be found in another paragraph. The 
Loyal Horticultural Society’s Fruit and Floral Committees will meet in 
the Drill Hall, James Street, Westminster, on Tuesday, August 13th, at 
11 A.M. On Thursday, August 15th, the annual Exhibition will beheld 
at Maidenhead. A sale of Orchids and other plants will be held at 
Sorbie, Tunbridge Wells, on August 14th, by Messrs. Brackett & Son. 
- Fellows of the Royal Horticultural Society. —From 
a list before us of Fellows elected during the last four months we find 
the number as follows :—April, thirty-six ; May, twenty-five ; June, 
twenty-two ; and July, sixteen, with one associate, making exactly one 
hundred during the period in question. 
- Rollisson’s Telegraph Cucumber.— Mr. George Bunyard 
sends us a brace of fruit representing what he calls the Maidstone strain 
of this variety. They are 20 inches long, straight, uniform in thickness, 
and excellent. They were cut from p’ants that have been bearing for 
two months. 
-Petroleum for Destroying Wasps’ Nests.—As a destroyer 
of the insect enemies of the garden no other substance perhaps has gained 
3uch popularity as petroleum ; but until this year we never tried it for 
the above purpose. A wasps’ nest was discovered in a very inaccessible 
place in the wall of an outhouse, where most other remedies could not 
be applied with safety. After some consideration the effect of syringing 
petroleum into it was tried, with the gratifying result that all the 
inmates were killed, and since then whenever a nest is discovered a 
small quantity has been poured into it at dusk, producing the same 
deadly consequences. Its cleanliness and effectiveness has caused us to 
discard all other destroyers in its favour. —M.D. 
-Mr. W. Holmes writes :—“ In response to very many inquiries 
1 have pleasure in announcing that the accustomed summer meeting of 
members and friends of the National Chrysanthemum Society 
will this year be held on Monday, August 12th. I have received permis¬ 
sion from Lord Salisbury, and also from Lord Lytton, to visit their 
respective gardens and parks at Hatfield and Knebworth, and I have 
very little doubt that given fine weather a most enjoyable outing may be 
anticipated. The Great Northern Railway Company have very con¬ 
siderably reduced their ordinary fares for this occasion, and I have 
arranged with the proprietor of the Lytton Arms Hotel for refreshments 
The cost, inclusive of railway fares, dinner and tea, will be 7s. each! 
Arrangements.— 10.15 (sharp), the party will assemble at King’s Cross 
main line, local platform ; 11.17, arrive at Hatfield, five minutes’ walk 
to Hatfield House gardens, inspection of gardens and park, &c. ; 
2 o clock, re-assemble at Hatfield Station ; 2.17, arrive at Knebworth 
station and walk to Lytton arms ; 2.45, dinner, and afterwards walk 
to Knebworth House, inspection of gardens and park, &c.; 7.30, tea 
at Lytton arms ; 8.59, Knebworth station; 9.55, arrive at King’s Cross. 
A train also leaves Knebworth at 0.55 P.M., and arrives at King’s 
Cross at 7.48 P.M.” 
Improving Gravelly Soils. —It was a great pleasure to see 
a letter again in our Journal from that veteran horticulturist “ Up¬ 
wards and Onwards.” In that letter he writes of having to deal with 
a gravelly soil at Woodstock, and as I have the like—viz., a shallow 
gravelly soil resting on a bed of gravel, I should be glad to know how he 
dealt with that soil, so as to bring it into a high state of fertility, and 
how he managed to grow such crops as Peas and summer Cauliflowers. 
Practical information on this point such as he has given on Strawberries 
would no doubt be of great value to many.—H. C. R. 
- “ M. C.” writes :—“ I recently had an opportunity of inspect¬ 
ing a very fine crop of Tomatoes in the gardens at Ham Green, 
Bristol. The variety grown is exclusively that known as Ham Green 
Favourite, and as far as I could judge of its merits it should soon 
become a favourite in every establishment where medium-sized, solid, 
and smooth fruits are required in quantity. In one house some twenty- 
five plants trained on the single stem system presented a remarkable 
appearance ; racemes of fruit as long as one’s arm depended at short in¬ 
tervals from the abnormally stout stems, bearing on an average from 
ten to twelve fruits of from 2 to 3 inches in diameter, perfectly smooth, 
and of a bright coral red. On one raceme I counted the almost in¬ 
credible number of seventeen fruits all of good size and shape. What 
the aggregate weight of the crop is I should not venture to state, but if 
anyone should desire to see Tomatoes growing as they are sometimes 
figured in seedsmen’s catalogues, they should not fail to pay a visit to 
Ham Green. 
- “ In another house without artificial heat the crop was equally 
fine, though somewhat later, the long strings of fruits showing its free¬ 
dom in setting by swelling off the fruit to the extreme tips of the 
racemes. Mr. Crocker is to be complimented on his acquisition of such 
an apparently valuable variety ; also in the production of such 
a magnificent crop of fruit, as undoubtedly the skill that is brought to 
bear on their cultivation materially adds to such successful results. 
- “ Some Grapes of more than ordinary quality were also worthy 
of note, a fine crop of Muscats in one division of a range of fruit houses 
being especially good, while in the late house some bunches of Lady 
Downe’s were of exceptional size and promise. Good crops of Peaches 
and Nectarines in other divisions were being gathered, and some large 
healthy specimen Ferns in another house, with a small but select col¬ 
lection of stove plants, all in clean and vigorous condition, completed 
the range of fruit and plant houses. 
- “ In the open ground Chrysanthemums were represented by 
fine healthy plants, with leaves down to the rims of the pot, evincing 
the skill exercised in their culture, and an opinion expressed that 
something more than average quality bloom should reward the labour 
bestowed on them met with a cordial invitation to ‘ come and see ’ in 
due time, a kindness which I shall not fail to take advantage of. A 
batch of Tuberous Begonias in cold frames were worthy of inspection, 
fine massive flowers and strong healthy foliage showing plainly that 
they were happy under the treatment accorded them. 
- “ Crops in the kitchen garden were of good uniform quality, 
‘ deep cultivation and adequate manuring’ being Mr. Crocker’s motto in 
this department. Some beds of double white Stocks, Princess Alice 
(Veitch’s strain) were of superior quality, as were also other beds of 
Empress White Asters. These were but a few of the many objects of 
interest in these well-kept gardens over which Mr. Crocker so ably 
presides.—M. C.” 
- Gardening Appointment. —Mr. R. Russell, late foreman at 
Shelton Abbey, Co. Wicklow, has been appointed head gardener to the 
Earl of Mayo, Palmerstown, Co. Kildare. 
- Bulb Show at Haarlem in 1890.—The General Royal Union 
for the cultivation of flower roots at Haarlem has sent to its members 
the schedule of prizes for the sixteenth flower show of that society. This 
will be the fourth large exhibition to be held at Haarlem. Such shows 
are opened every five years on the same system as the large exhibitions 
at Ghent (Belgium) take place. The last of the Haarlem shows was in 
1885, and then the collections of Hyacinths, Tulips, and other bulbous 
plants doubtless were as numerous and as good as ever were seen at any 
other exhibition. The next show promises to be a similar attraction. 
Not less than 253 prizes, consisting of gold, gilt, silver, and bronze 
medals are offered in 105 classes for Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissus, Crocus, 
Amaryllis, and miscellaneous bulbs and roots, as well as for bouquets, 
Ac., consisting of flowers of the same class of plants. The show is 
merely arranged to promote the bulb cultivation of Haarlem, and from 
this special point of view is certainly not to be surpassed. It will be 
of great interest to foreign horticulturists to pay a visit to Haarlem in 
the days the show is opened, which will be from March 21st to 25th, 1890. 
For particulars, information can be had from the General Secretary 
Mr. D. Bakker, Gedempte, Oude Gracht No. 110, Haarlem, Holland. 
