Jane 5, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
465 
anniversary dinner and election of children will be held at the Cannon 
Street Hotel on the date above named. Mr. Shirley Ilibberd will pre¬ 
side at the dinner, and tickets, 5s. each, must be applied for by 
July 15th. A very large gathering is expected, and suitable accom¬ 
modation will be made for all persons who purchase tickets on or before 
the date named. Sub-Committees were appointed to make the necessary 
arrangements for the anniversary proceedings. 
■- Cleaxixg Ponds.—C ould any of your readers give me any 
information how to clean our ponds in the grounds here ? They are 
covered in green slime, and the more we take it out the faster it seems to 
come, and looks so bad. There are no weeds in the ponds, and there is 
always water coming in and going out. We cannot very well empty 
them as there are fish in them. I should be pleased if any reader could 
give information as to the best way to deal with them.—A. McK. 
- White Zonal Pelargonium Amy Amphlett. —This beauti¬ 
ful and useful variety was sent out by Messrs. Pearson of Chilwell, 
Nottingham, last spring. The flowers are large, circular, and pure 
white. One of its best qualities, however, is the value of the flowers 
when cut. They will remain perfect in water nearly a week, and even 
then the petals will not fall, although they commence to decay. I am 
an old Zonal Pelargonium grower, and believe it to be one of the most 
valuable varieties in cultivation.—W. G., Sutton, Surrey, 
- Aphis Blight. —The weather has been particularly favour¬ 
able for the development of these pests this season. Plums and 
Gooseberries have suffered terribly. When rolled up in the young 
foliage it is difficult to reach these pests, but we may avoid this scourge 
another season by syringing or washing the trees before the bloom 
opens, when the viviparous old insects are depositing their joung- 
This I pointed out in January and February at the Evesham Con¬ 
ference, and having tested a large Green Gage Plum tree, I have 
splendid healthy foliage, a treat to see nowadays, with no trace of 
aphis, whereas surrounding trees are shrivelled up.—J. Hiam. 
- The Dutch Horticultural Society.—A t the last meeting 
of the above Society the Committee awarded first-class certificates to 
Mr. W. J. Van Lansberge, Brummen, for Odontoglossum vexillarium, 
O. Cervantes! lilacinum, and Cattleya Schroederiana; to Messrs. E. H. 
Krelage & Son, Haarlem, for a collection Tulipa Billletiana. Honour¬ 
able mention was also accorded to Mr. W. J. Van Lansberge for Vanda 
teres, Dendrobium mesochlorum, Cattleya Mossife, and for a collection 
of Orchids ; to Messrs. E. H. Krelage & Son for a collection Narcissus, a 
collection early flowering Irises in forty-two different species and 
varieties, and a collection of Darwin Tulips ; to Mr. J. Th. W. Neeb at 
Nykerk for Vanda tricolor formosa ; to Messrs. Ant. Koozen & Son at 
Overveen for a collection of Lilium Thomsonianum plants in flower. 
- An Exhibition of Pinks for the North.—A n attempt 
is being made to hold, during the present year, a Pink Show at Man¬ 
chester. It is proposed that it be held in connection with the Rose 
Show to be held in the Botanical Gardens, Old Trailord, on July 19th, 
as this date will suit the Pink growers in the North. The matter is 
in the hands of Mr. Samuel Barlow, Stakehill House, Castleton, Man¬ 
chester, who will shortly issue a circular inviting support and sub¬ 
scriptions towards a prize fund. The Southern Show of Pinks will 
take place on June 27th, in connection with the Rose Show at the 
Royal Aquarium, Westminster. 
- The Weather in May. —The past month here has been on 
the whole a delightful spring month, with abundance of sunshine with 
refreshing rains at intervals. Rain has fallen upon eight days, maximum 
for any twenty-four hours being 0'60 on the 9th May, minimum for any 
twenty-four hours being 0'03 on the 11th ; total amount for the month, 
1'72, being much below the amount registered during May, 1889, when 
3‘55 of rainfall was registered. But singular, from the 1st of January 
to end of May, 1889,10’30 of rainfall was registered here, whilst from 
1st of January to end of May this year 10'31 has been registered, thus 
making the total amount for the first five months of each year nearly 
equal.— E. Wallis, Tl^e Gardens , Uamels Park , Buntingford . 
-The Total Rainfall at Cuckfield, Sussex, for the past 
month was 1'71 inch, being O'2-l inch under the average. The heaviest 
fall was 0‘C0 inch on the 9th. Rain fell on ten days. Highest shade 
temperature 70® on 24th. Lowest 35® on 3rd. Mean day temperature 
G3'2®. Mean night 43-1®. Partial shade readings 4° above the average. 
On the whole a bright favourable month. Since the 25th hard, dry 
north winds have prevailed, and as only 0‘36 inch of rain has fallen 
since the 11th, more rain is very much wanted for all growing crops. 
A fair crop of Apples are now swelling. Caterpillars plentiful.—R. D. 
- The Royal Botanic Society.— A London daily paper has 
the following note :—“ The Duke of Teck, who is President of the 
Royal Botanic Society, occupied the chair at the last Friday 
afternoon lecture, which was delivered by Mr. Holmes, F.L.S., the 
subject being “ British Mosses.” A very interesting fact disclosed 
was that, notwithstanding the difficulty in studying these minute 
organisms, most of the discoveries among them of late years have 
been made, not by scientific men, but by Lancashire operatives, with 
whom the subject is quite a hobby—and a pretty hobby too. These 
tastes would seem to be traditional among the mill hands of cotton- 
land, for Lord Brougham made a point of this same refined employment 
of their leisure, when speaking in the House of Lords in favour of the 
first Reform Bill.” To horticulturists it has long been known that 
the workmen of the North of England not only excel as field natural¬ 
ists, but as florists as well, and as amateur cultivators or collectors of 
British Ferns. 
- Gardeners out of Situations. —On this subject “W. T.” 
writes: —“ Gardeners, like other workmen, are subjected to be out of 
employment in all times of depression. This suggests as a remedy 
that fewer should learn the business. Employment for many might 
be had in other countries, but a system of pioneering should be 
established so that reliable evidence could be sent home upon tne 
country, its climate, produce and demand for men, before any are sent 
and assisted out. Then at home, although there is not work to be had 
on gentlemen’s estates within the walls of the gardens, there is no gain¬ 
saying the fact that millions of acres might be greatly improved in every 
respect, and would in a short time bring' in an income of pounds in¬ 
stead of pence to the owners. During the end of last century and 
beginning of this one the Duke of Argyle reclaimed much ground, 
giving-employment to many during the hard times of that period. I 
will not say how the ground could be acquired for that purpose. 
Philanthropic gentlemen like the “ Good Duke ” might do something in 
the scheme, but failing that an Act of Parliament might be necessary. 
Men willing to work ought not to be starved.” 
- Presentation to Mr. J. S. Johnson. —This gentleman 
who has been connected with the firm of Messrs. Hurst & Son, seed 
merchants, Houndsditch, E.C., for the space of thirty-seven years, 
and who, in consequence of failing health, has been compelled to 
retire from it, was, on the 24th of May, presented with a mark of 
respeet and esteem by the employes of the firm. Mr. Swift occupied 
the chair at a gathering in the office, and the presentation was made 
by Mr. Hugh Acton, in the unavoidable absence of Mr. N. Sherwood, 
the head of the house. The present consisted of a very handsome 
centrepiece and a pair of candlesticks. The former have the follow¬ 
ing inscription :—“ Presented to Mr. J. S. Johnson by the staff of 
Messrs. Hurst & Son, on his retirement after thirty-seven years’ con¬ 
nection with the firm, as a token of their regard and esteem. In 
making his acknowledgment, Mr. Johnson expressed his gratitude for 
the mark of their affection. He was leaving the firm solely on the 
ground that he felt he must husband the strength that remained to 
him. He felt a great honour had been done him. He had never 
before heard of such a presentation being made in the seed trade, 
and the handsome present they had made him would be treasured 
by him as a lasting remembrance of the old friends he was leaving 
behind him. The proceedings closed with votes of thanks to the 
Committee and Chairman. 
THE CATERPILLAR SCOURGE. 
That some persons who are in “ happy ignorance ” of the destruc¬ 
tiveness of the caterpillar of the Winter Moth (Cheimatobia brumata) 
in orchards and fruit gardens should regard various statements that 
have been made respecting it as not untinted with exaggeration is only 
what might be expected. The persistency of the attacks of the enemy, 
its extraordinary increase, its terrible voracity and remarkable invulner¬ 
ability to ordinary insecticides, can only be appreciated by those who 
have either had to wage war against the foe or seen the desolation it 
leaves behind after an invasion. Mr. John Higgins ([>age 44.1), whose 
trees are free from insects, evidently thinks it right that he should have 
Apples, and other persons caterpillars, and he almost implies that those 
who are victims of their attacks are either visionaries frightened at 
their own dreams, or that they deserve the visitation as a judgment on 
them for killing birds. He cannot know that where birds abound and 
are proteeted that caterpillars much more abound, and when unmolested 
leave the trees as destitute of fruit and foliage in May and J une as his 
