January CO, isro. j 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
87 
the glass to prevent the plants drawing, care being taken in watering. 
As soon as the plants are large enough I place the strongest in small 
<iO-pots ; the rest are pricked oS in boxes ; they are then placed in a 
close frame for a few days, and gradually hardened until fit for planting 
out. Those in pots will well pay for the little extra labour, as 
they receive no check when planted out. Should the weather prove 
unfavourable after planting I turn an inverted pot over the plants at 
night, also on cold days to protect them from wind and frost.—T. N. 
Events of the Week.— To-day (Thursday) the Royal Society 
meets at 4.30 p.m. The Essex Field Club’s annual meeting will take 
place in the Public Hall, Loughton, on Saturday, February 1st, at 7 P.M., 
and the Society of Arts will hold a meeting on Wednesday, February 
3rd, at 8 P.M. Messrs. Protheroe & Morris announce an important sale 
of Orchids at their Cheapside Rooms on January 31st, in which Vanda 
Sanderiana will form a leading feature. Sales of Lilium auratum and 
other bulbs also take place at the same rooms every Wednesday. 
- At a meeting of the Trustees of the Veitch Memoeial Fund 
held on the 23rd inst.—present Dr. Robert Hogg (in the chair), and 
Messrs. T. B. Haywood, G. F. Wilson, and H. J. Veitch—it was decided 
to give four prizes, consisting of four bronze medals and £5 each, at the 
Chrysanthemum Centenary, which opens on November 11th; and also a 
special silver medal each to Mr. Bruce Findlay of Manchester and Mr. 
David Thomson of Drumlanrig, in recognition of their valuable services 
to British horticulture. 
- The Weathee in the South. —During the past week in 
the metropolitan district, and the south of England generally, the 
weather has been mild for January, with frequent and rather heavy 
rains. Strong winds have prevailed, and much damage has resulted 
in exposed positions and along the coast. In the West of England 
the damage has been greatest; much land is under water, and in the 
Vale of Gloucester it is reported that hundreds of sheep have been 
drowned by the Severn bursting its banks. 
- The Weathee in the Noeth.— The temperature has been 
lower during the past week. On the night of the 22nd a\° of frost was 
registered. Very high winds and heavy rains have been frequent, the 
night of the 25th being especially stormy. Snow fell on the evening of 
the 23rd, and sleety showers over and again; these, with the melting of 
the snow on the hills, and the great rainfall, have brought down the 
streams heavily, and caused much flooding of the lower grounds. In my 
last note 40° at 9 p.m. on the 16th should have been 60°; 40° has been 
quite common.—B. D. 
- The Woeshipful Company of Feuiteeees. —The Master 
and Wardens of the Fruiterers’ Company for each year are chosen on 
January 25th, the feast day of the Conversion of St. Paul, the patron 
saint of London. At a court held this year Sir James Whitehead, Bart., 
ex-Lord Mayor, was, in consequence of his exertions in promoting fruit 
culture, elected to all the privileges, including the position of Master 
of the Company for the ensuing year. In this capacity he presided at 
the annual dinner which was held at the Albion Hotel, Aldersgate Street, 
on Jlonday evening last, and was supported by the Lord Mayor, Sir 
Henry Isaacs; the City Sheriffs, Colonel Sir Nigel Kingscote, Major 
Craigie, H. R. Williams, Esq. ; and civic dignitaries. About 100 persons 
sat down. Horticulturists were represented by Messrs. A. F. Barron, 
T. F. Rivers (Mr. Shirley Hibberd being unable to attend), and 
J. Wright, who, it may be safely said, did not give their adherence to 
all that was heard on fruit culture, though they did not appear to 
enjoy the proceedings the less on that account. A copy of Mr. Wright’s 
essay, bound in morocco, and containing a beautifully illuminated 
frontispiece, which included a view of the Old Mansion House, the 
Arms of the Fruiterers’ Company, and those of Sir James Whitehead, was 
presented to the Master by Mr. H. R. Williams. Sir James accepted it 
in graceful terms and publicly thanked the author for his useful work. 
-Application of Photogeaphy to Meteoeology. — The 
Council of the Royal Meteorological Society have arranged to hold at 
25, Great George Street, Westminster, on March 18th to 21st next, 
an exhibition of instruments and photographs illustrating the appli¬ 
cation of photography to meteorology. I am therefore instructed by 
the Exhibition Committee to invite your co-operation, as they are 
anxious to obtain as large a collection as possible of such instruments. 
The Committee will also be glad to show any new meteorological 
instruments or apparatus invented or first constructed since last 
March, as well as photographs and drawings possessing meteorological 
interest.— W. Maeeiott. 
- Gaedening Appointment. —Mr. J. Leicester, late foreman at 
Hillsborough Castle Gardens, has been appointed gardener to Lord 
Farnham, Farnham House, Co. Cavan. 
- We are informed that the seventh annual Show of the Hull 
AND East Riding Cheysanthemum Society has been fixed for 
Wednesday and Thursday, November 19th and 20th. 
- Apeicots. —May I be allowed to ask the readers of the Journal 
who are successful in Apeicot Cultuee the best method to adopt 
which may tend to secure a crop in the Midlands ? —C. R. 
- Vinca minoe vaeiegata. —Can any of your readers inform 
me if there are two varieties under this heading, the one having white 
and the other blue flowers? The latter is now in bloom out of doors. I 
fancy we should have two sorts as stated, both variegated.— COEK. 
- May not the old couplet as to Snowdeops quoted by Mr. 
Arnott in your paper of the 23rd inst. have been written when the old 
style prevailed, and have been quite applicable? Candlemas Day 
would, as regards the season of the year, have then fallen about what 
is now January 22nd.— Feancis Steen. 
- The Teddington Cheysanthemum Society’s annual 
Exhibition is announced to be held on November 13th and 14th, 1890, 
Mr. David Anderson, the Nursery, Teddington, being the Secretary. It 
is probable that the summer Shows of the Twickenham and Teddington 
Societies will be united this year, but the autumn Shows will remain 
distinct as before. 
- Ieish Apple, Gibbon’s Russet.—So much has been written 
lately on the merits or demerits of numerous well known Apples that I 
venture a word in praise of this little-known sort. Hitherto it has 
been localised in the south of Ireland, and quite possible neither scions 
nor trees have as yet reached England. 1 may be wrong. Can any of 
your readers give me the information ?—B. H. C. 
- Peeston and Fulwood Hoeticultueal Society.—T he 
twenty-eighth monthly meeting of this Society (the sixth of the present 
season) will be held in the large room of the Castle Hotel, Market 
Place, Preston, on Saturday, February 1st, when Mr. William Bardney 
of Norris Green, near Liverpool, will read a paper, “ Notes on Fruit 
Culture, Extension versus Restriction.” Chair to be taken at 7.30, 
prompt, by the President. 
- Cat Eating Melons and Cucumbees.—W e have known 
dogs to eat Peaches and Strawberries, but a correspondent says his cat 
likes Cucumbers and Melons. “ H. S. E.” writes :—“ I am fond of Melon 
growing, and enjoy a real good fruit. My children are the same, and 
we can always cat one right away. Even one of my cats is sure to eat 
one if he can get near enough ; he has destroyed a fruit uncut before 
now The brute also eats Cucumbers as they are growing.” 
- Double Hyacinth La Toue d’Auveegne. —For flowering 
at Christmas this old variety is invaluable. I saw during Christmas 
week several boxes of this excellent Hyacinth with spikes averaging 
6 inches in length. They were planted close together in boxes very 
soon after the arrival of the bulbs from Holland, in ordinary Hyacinth 
soil, and were plunged out of doors in cocoa fibre refuse until fit to 
remove under glass, then placed in a cool house for a fortnight before, 
placing them in heat.—S. H. 
- Peae Huyshe's Victoeia. —We do not often see this men¬ 
tioned, which to me is somewhat unaccountable. We have a good- 
sized well-formed pyramid of it on the Pear stock, and during the past 
nine seasons it has never once failed to bear a crop. Some seasons we 
have gathered two bushels of fruit from this single tree. We did so in 
1888, and in 1889 we had fully three pecks of it stored for use during 
December. With us the fruits are somewhat small this season, but it is 
sound, and promises to be of good quality. Huyshe’s Victoria is by no 
means a showy Pear, but it is very serviceable, and deserves a place or 
trial in most gardens.—1. 
