February 21, 1889. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
151 
and which have commanded the admiration of Auricula lovers for 
so many generations ! It is gratifying to know that the growers in 
Scotland, and most of those in England, have no sympathy with 
this new heresy, and will continue to grow the “ bonny gems ” sent 
out by Lightbody, Campbell, Traill, Spalding, Sim, Smith, Meikle- 
john, Kay, Low, Jeffrey, Martin, Clark, and others in Scotland, and 
by the host of equally eminent raisers in England. The two best 
flowers sent out of late years are Horner’s Heroine (self) and 
Simonite’s F. D. Horner (green), and these will keep their places 
and rank for a long time, just as Lancashire Hero and Colonel 
Taylor have done. Barlow’s Mrs. Arthur Potts (self) is highly 
spoken of, but I have not yet seen it, and cannot therefore pass 
judgment upon it. My advice to those forming a collection is to 
grow all the old kinds they can pick up, adding new varieties as 
they can procure offsets from their friends, or as their purses allow 
them to give high prices. There is not one of the tried and approved 
old kinds which I have ever had that I would like to lose. They 
may not be prizetakers at a show, but they are nevertheless lovely. 
I again maintain that there are many of our old varieties in all 
classes which will never be surpassed.—J. M. (Dundee Courier .) 
The Weather in London. —During the early part of the week 
the weather has been mild and agreeable ; on Monday and Tuesday 
quite spring-like ; yesterday (Wednesday) there was drizzling rain in 
the morning. 
- The Weather in the North continues variable in the 
extreme. During the past week, beginning with 13° of frost, we have 
run through all the changes—bright sunshine and dull fogs, calms and 
high winds, rain sleet, snow, frost, and thaw.—B. D. 
- We learn with regret that Mr. J. T. Peacock of Sudbury 
House, Hammersmith, died last Friday at the age of fifty-eight. 
Mr. Peacock for many years had one of the largest private collections 
of succulent plants m this country, and of late years he has also given 
much attention to Orchids, of which some thousands of plants were 
grown, and their flowers were distributed most liberally to hospitals and 
charitable institutions. The gardener, Mr. Vicary, writes that Mr- 
Peacock was “ a kind and considerate employer, ever ready to help 
those who needed it, and to alleviate the pains of those who were 
sick. His garden was a source of great delight to him, and nothing 
pleased him better than to have plants and flowers to present to his 
many friends,” 
-Exhibition of Botanical Geography.—I t is proposed by the 
Floral Circle of Antwerp to hold an international Exhibition of botanical 
geography, industrial and commercial, in that city next year, and they 
have forwarded us a preliminary schedule. It is proposed to divide the 
Exhibition into two piincipal parts. (A) A permanent exhibition, 
comprising a variety of vegetable products, living and fossil plants, and 
botanical studies, such as collections of herbs, artificial plants, flowers 
and fruit, drawings, museums, and botanical works ; (P>) temporary 
exhibitions, comprising collections of the flora of various parts, and 
plants noteworthy from a cultural point of view, or as novelties or 
hybrids. There will also be various public meetings. The President of 
the organisation Commission is M. Charles de Bosschere, and the Hon. 
Secretary, M. Charles van Geert,- junior. 
- Gardening Appointment. —Mr. W. Eastwood, late head 
gardener for over nine years at Muncaster Hall, Bainford, St. Helen’s, 
Lancs, has been appointed gardener and forester to H. H. Bolton, Esq., 
Hightside House. Newchurch-in-Rossendale, near Manchester. 
- Rhododendron Auguste Van Geert.—A correspondent 
writes : “ All who grow Rhododendrons in pots for house or conservatory 
decoration at this time of the year should make a point of securing 
this grand variety. Plants carrying from five to ten enormous trusses 
of flow-ers, good in colour and perfect in form, have a most imposing 
appearance w T hen arranged with other flowers, and considering the little 
trouble Rhododendrons generally give, they deserve to be more exten¬ 
sively grown in pots than they arc at present.” 
- Tops of the varieties of Crotons taken off now and inserted 
singly in 3-inch pots filled with a mixture of fine loam and leaf mould, 
and surfaced with sand, watered, plunged to the rims in sawdust in a 
handlight or a box deep enough to allow of a piece of glass being placed 
over it without touching the cuttings, and then placed in a stove or 
forcing house, will soon emit roots, and by being pinched a few times 
and shifted into 4^-inch and 6-inch pots respectively, in due time will 
make useful decorative plants by next summer. During the interval 
the plants should be kept well supplied with water at the roots as well 
as over the foliage, and be grown on in a moist warm house well exposed 
to the light. —H. W. 
- The fortnightly meeting of the Reading and District 
Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Association was held at the 
British Workman, King’s Road, Reading, on Monday, the 18th inst., 
and was largely attended. Mr. R. D. Catchpool, a Vice-President of the 
Association and Hon. Secretary of the Reading Chrysanthemum Society, 
presided, and Mr. E. Molyneux, Bishops Waltham, read a paper on 
“ Leading Points in the Culture of Chrysanthemums for Cut Blooms.” 
The lecturer dealt with his subject with much ability, and readily 
answered the numerous questions put to him, declaring that there were 
no secrets. The paper was so excellent that it was the unanimous wish 
of the members that it should be printed and circulated. At the con¬ 
clusion a hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Molyneux. 
- Daffodils in Flower out of doors at Temple Hill, 
Cork. —Since January 18th the Irish King, or Ard-Righ has flowered 
in quantity, closely followed by pallidus praecox of Barr. Just now 
we have Tenby, minimus, nobilis, cvclamineus, Trumpet maximus, 
Golden Plover, Blondin, Golden Spur, Henry Irving, Variiformis, 
Varius, Saragossa, and the grand new Irish introduction in the way of 
Golden Spur, but the corona more expanded and the perianth rich 
sulphur, overlapping and imbricated. This Irish introduction (I dare 
not give it a name) will be sought after by every lover of good things in 
Daffodils, as to my mind it is one of the finest and best of all. It will 
be plentiful as Sir Watkin, and as great, if not greater, an El Dorado to 
its owner.—W. B. Hartland, Cork. 
- Daffodils, Green and Split Flowers of 1888.—We are 
not going to have this kind of flower on the double Daffodils of this year. 
They are now coming into flower with me in the open air, and the trumpets 
are solid and yellow as gold. I think the hot dry summer of 1887, with the 
sun’s intense heat, penetrated the soil to such a degree that it affected the 
formation of the flower buds. During the dry months of February and 
March of 1888, the flowering period was so retarded, the ground hard 
and dry, with frost and an easterly wind during the entire stages in 
February, and hence we had green flowers so produced in 1888, and 
split ones from the sun’s action during bud formation in 1887. I think 
we should now understand the cause of solid trumpets in double 
Daffodils, and split ones, and that moisture and a cool soil during bud 
formation solves the problem.—W. B. H. 
- The annual dinner of the Horticultural Club took place 
on Tuesday, Feb. 12th, at their rooms, Hotel Windsor, Victoria Street, 
Westminster, and notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather there 
was a good attendance of members. The chair was taken by Dr. Hogg, and 
there were present the Rev. W. Wilks, Messrs. H. J. Veitcb. D. Morris, 
Bunyard, H. J. Pearson, Pollett, A. II. Pearson, H. Turner, Girdlestone, 
H. Veitch, Walker, Crowley, Strange, Dea>, &c. The Chairman spoke 
in feeling terms of the absence of their Chairman, Mr. John Lee, but 
said that there was every hope that he would when the weather became 
milder be with them again, and during the evening a telegram was read 
from Mr. Lee, expressing his best wishes for the prosperity of the Club, 
and the toast of his health was received with enthusiasm. During the 
evening some excellent music, vocal and instrumental, w'as given under 
the direction of Mr. Harry Turner, who had kindly undertaken to 
arrange it. A very pleasant evening was spent, and great satisfaction 
expressed at the excellent arrangements made for their Club in their 
present quarters. 
- At the annual meeting of the Wilts Horticultural So¬ 
ciety, held at Salisbury on the 14th inst., over which the Mayor pre¬ 
sided, it was announced that the work of the Society had been as 
successful as ever, though unfavourable weather slightly reduced the 
amount taken at the shows. The members and exhibitors had increased, 
and the Society was in an active, healthy state. At the dinner that 
followed some excellent speeches were made. The Mayor, in proposing; 
the toast of the “ Honorary Secretary,” said he had been thinking what 
a place this world would be without a flower. It would be a face with- 
