108 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
I February 7 , 1889. 
most flourishing Society might be prou 1—notwithstanidng the certainty 
that, under the most favourable circumstances, the competitors could 
only receive a very small amount in prize money. As a matter of fact, 
the special prizes only have been paid, but offers of assistance have 
been received, including a ball, being organised by a number of friends 
in aid of the Society’s funds, and also a very kind promise by Mr. 
Alexander Rowland to give a grand concert for the same purpose ; the 
, Council therefore hope the members and the public will show their 
appreciation by largely patronising these events, so that some part of 
the other prizes may yet be paid.” From the financial statement we 
learn that the receipts from the summer Show were £417 14s. 4d., the 
expenses being £602 3s. 3d. The receipts from the autumn Show 
were £1S7 Ids. 7d., the expenses £ 17(5 17s. 5 1. The to'al income for 
the year was £1327 5s. 8d., and the expenses £1326 17s. 9d., leaving 
a balance of 7s. lid. But it appears from the balance account there is 
a deficit of £78 Os. 8d. 
LIVERPOOL HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 
The annual general meeting of this Society was held in the large 
lecture room of the Free Public Library, William Brown Street, on 
Saturday evening, the 26th ult., for the purpose of passing the report 
and balance sheet for the past year, and the election of officers for the 
ensuing one. The balance sheet was very satisfactory considering the 
heavy losses the Society sustained at its three exhibitions, owing to 
unfavourable weather. The loss at the spring show was £171 I ts. 4d., 
at the summer show £407 15s. lid., and at the autumn show 
£148 7s. lOd.—total loss, £727 18s. Id. This was certain to reduce the 
handsome balance the Society had at the bank. In spite of this, how¬ 
ever, the Society has still a balance on the right side of £139 5s. 7d. 
The number of subscribers during the year increased, and the income 
from this source alone was larger than in any previous year, being 
£613 15s., subscribed by over 1300 honoraiy and ordinary members. 
.During the year the sum of £633 5s. was paid in prizes. It is gratifying 
to observe that although the amount paid in prizes has steadily 
increased, working and other expenses show a slight decrease. The 
members, in spite of their losses during the year, again voted their 
annual contributions to the Gardeners' Orphan Fund—namely, £2, and 
£3 to the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution. 
The members decided tohold their annual meeting the last Saturday 
in January each year, and passed a resolution to this effect, and also to 
find some more central position for the summer show. Two other reso¬ 
lutions were brought forward to alter two rules; the first to give the 
members the power of saying how many shows should be held in each 
year, and to state the maximum amount to be offered in prizes, also to 
i mit the number of exhibitors on the Committee to one-third, but both 
resolutions were defeated by large majorities. Mr. T. White, Chairman 
of the Society, resigned in order to make room as he said, “ for a younger 
and more energetic man,” but the members pressed him to withdraw his 
resignation which he consented to do. All the officers of the Society 
were re-elected. The Mayor (Mr. E. H. Cookson) was elected President. 
The election of the Committee and the usual votes of thanks brought 
the proceedings to a close. 
CANKER ON FRUIT TREES. 
For many years we have made fruit tree management a special item 
in our gardening duties, and had much to do renovating old plantations 
and forming new ones. Canker has frequently been combated, and 
•generally with success. But in no case have we been able to completely 
eradicate the evil without administering an entire change of food for 
the roots and changing their action at same time. Grafting vigorous 
kinds on the diseased trees after they have been cut down has been 
•practised frequently, but in each case we were rewarded with only 
short-lived success. When the roots were called into action to support 
vigorous growth which had been made by the new grafts, they could not 
all respond to the demand made upon them, their main action being 
far below the surface in sour soil, and where there were traces of iron 
disappointment was complete. Surface dressings of rich wholesome 
soil often helps the new branches to retain their vigour for years, but 
while other portions of roots are embedded in irony or otherwise 
unwholesome soil permanent health is almost impossible. 
Among many experiments with root management of fruit trees, 
hundreds of miles apart, we will describe the latest. A number of very 
old trees in a low-lying district, damp from adjacent sluggish rivers, the 
trees (Apples and Pears chiefly) were gradually dying. The Apples 
were mostly badly cankered, trunks and branches alike. Seeing they 
were rooted far down into soil like rusty iron, with no means of helping 
them by substituting fresh soil for the untoward material in which they 
bad so long subsisted, we cut them clean away, cleared out the pieces 
which were within reach, and rammed in firmly old lime and brick rubbish. 
The wasted surface was removed and replaced with healthy loam mixed 
with decayed manure and a portion of Thomson’s Vine and Plant Manure. 
Every portion of decaying wood was removed from the trees, and long 
branches shortened. The result was that a short healthy fruit-bearing 
growth followed, the rusty foliage disappeared, the fruit is greatly 
improved in size and quality, and canker is rarely seen, the bark having 
formed over old wounds. Some young trees were planted in a border 
welljjrenched, but with much iron in the soil. Fresh loam was placed 
next the roots, but the feeders have pushed through this into the natural 
soil, and canker is appearing on the young growths, necessitating lifting 
and replanting. If roots are in soil where iron exist canker is inevit¬ 
able.—M. T. 
EVENING NOTES. 
Gardeners.— Mr. Alfred Bishop makes a serious charge against 
“ nurserymen and others ” as to sending men to “ fill important situa¬ 
tions for which they are not fitted.” I fail to see how it could be to a 
nurseryman’s interest to do so, or to the interest of anyone. Nursery¬ 
men, like other people, perhaps occasionally make a mistake ; but I am 
reluctant to believe that they do such things deliberately. It has yet to 
be shown that “ a knowledge of cows, pigs, and poultry ” is beneath or 
beyond the scope of, or detrimental to, the capacity of a really good 
gardener ; and one of the best gardeners in England at the present time 
also looks after “ cows, pigs, and poultry.” 
Probably Mr. Bishop is alluding to a useful and necessary body of 
men, properly called grooms and gardeners ; but there is no reason why 
members of this body should not become bona fide gardeners in time, 
any more than there is why Mr. Bishop should not become “ my Lord 
Bishop ” clerically if he chooses to apply himself to a proper course of 
study, and receives a good share of the smiles of fortune. 
Eucharis. —We occasionally have a glimpse of successful Eucharis 
culture, and when we do we rarely find that they have been alternately 
roasted and starved, but generally have had rational treatment, such as 
is usually accorded to stove exotics. For a number of years they used 
to be p’unged in a bottom heat of about 90°, then they would be placed 
in a draughty corridor, room, or conservatory whilst in flower ; then 
returned to their growing quarters, and again transferred to a cold green¬ 
house, just prior to pushing up flower scapes from secondary bulbs, to 
rest; and what a rest! This was the routine of culture in nearly every 
garden where it was grown in quantity. Is there any wonder that 
many have since gone to their final “ rest ?” 
Gros Colman Grape. —It is very gratifying to find Mr. Taylor once 
more giving us the benefit of his experience in his own lucid way. I 
consider Mr. Taylor one of the best living exponents of Grape culture, 
and, as a reader of his notes, I give him a hearty welcome. 
Mr. Taylor’s eulogium of Gros Colman will, perhaps, surprise many 
gardeners, but I am of the same opinion as himself in regard to its 
merits. I think Gros Colman is one of the best abused Grapes ; at the 
same time, when properly grown, it is one of the most refreshing, 
luscious, and of delicate half melting skin. Here it is preferred to Lady 
Downe’s (but perhaps some critic will say “That is because Lady Downe’s 
is not well grown with you”—in such a case, I shou'd be prepared to 
submit a bunch for the Editor’s opinion), and that by a lady who has 
probably eaten some of the best Grapes produced in this country for 
more than ha f a century, and who can, and does, appreciate the 
Frontignans as well as anyone. In this case the preference has arisen 
within the last two or three years ; and, with one exception, it is 
contemporaneous with my own. 
The Skins of Grapes. —Mr. Taylor’s inquiry—“ Does the thick¬ 
ness of the skin depend on the amount of air given ?”—is a very 
pertinent one. In my case the Gros Colman and Lady Downe’s are also 
grown in a house heated by flues ; and the house has had free ventilation 
night and day from the time the Lady Downe’s were stoning. The skins 
of the Lady Downe’s are as thick as the skins of that variety usually are, 
well coloured, and with abundance of “ bloom.” The skins of Gros 
Co’man are thin, not so well coloured as usual, and the flavour scarcely 
up to the usual quality here ; these two latter defects I attribute to over¬ 
cropping, which I purposely did for testing the finishing capabilities of 
the Vines of Gros Colman. In 1887 these Vines carried and perfectly 
finished eight bunches, averaging 2 lbs. each, and at the rate of 1 lb. per 
foot run of rod. Last year they were allowed to carry eleven bunches, 
averaging 2 lbs. each ; so that there was an additional weight of 6 lbs. to 
finish, which they failed to do in the most perfectly satisfactory manner. 
Nevertheless I prefer their eating qualities to those of Lady Downe’s, 
although, of course, Lady Downe’s has its own pecu iar flavour.— Hugh 
Dale. 
ROMNEYA COULTERI. 
Under the popular and appropriate name of “ Tree Poppy,” this 
hitherto rare Californian plant now appears in cata’ogues, an 1 Mr. T. S. 
Ware, who obta’ned a first-class certificate at the Royal Horticultural 
Society's meeting, September 11th, 1888, for the specimen depicted in 
fig. 19, states that he has secured plenty of seed, and will soon have a 
large stock of young plants. It is about fourteen years since attention 
was generally called to Romney a Coulteri in Great Britain, when it was 
introduced from California by Mr. Thompson of Ipswich, and in the 
following year it flowered most satisfactorily at Glasnevin, where its 
merits were fully recognised. In announcing the plant its introducer 
said-what has since proved to be the fact—that he did not think it 
would be found to be quite hardy in England, unless in the extreme 
south or very warm districts. It succeeds out of doors during the 
