Jane 12, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
485 
- The first English-grown New Potatoes of the season 
seen in this part of Lincolnshire were on Saturday last sent to the 
Horncastle Market by Mr. T. Kimeof Mareham-le-Fen. They were very 
quickly all sold at Cd. per pound. The Potatoes on sale were of the 
variety known as Sharpe’s Victor, the earliest kind known. It is a 
circumstance unprecedented in the Horncastle district for new 
Potatoes to be for sale in the market in the month of May. Hitherto 
the 12th of June has been regarded as the earliest date, but Mr. 
T. Kime, who enjoys the reputation of being one of the greatest 
authorities in Lincolnshire on Potato culture, has beaten the record by 
nearly a fortnight. The Potatoes were grown in a field at Mareham-le- 
Een.— QSjt)aldi7iff Free Press.') 
- Eestorino Shrivelled Flowers.—I recently received a 
box of Pansy blooms, sent to me to see if correctly named, but through 
being laid in a small box without any green leaves, damp wadding, or 
moss, or something to assist in keeping the flowers fresh, they were 
shrivelled so as to be entirely beyond identification. I placed them in a 
basin of cold water, and a plate over the top to exclude air, and on 
examining them some hours afterwards they had resumed their normal 
condition and were readily recognisable. This hint may be useful, and 
I wish also to add that cut flowers in rooms and at exhibitions for more 
than one day could be kept for a long time in good -preservation, if 
taken each night and placed bodily in cold water, drawing them through 
it, and letting them rest in the water all night. It is painful to see cut 
flowers at shows, and visitors pay to see them in good condition, rendered 
unfit to be seen for want of a little care and attention.—D. S. H. 
- Arched Walls for Vine Borders.—M any gardeners of 
the present day are strongly in favour of arched walls for Vine borders. 
Generally speaking it rests entirely -with the gardener who happens to 
be in charge when new houses for Vines are being built, as any peculiar 
ideas of the gardener can then be carried out. At the present time we 
are having a long range of glass houses erected, among them being 
vineries and Peach houses, and I am thinking of not having arched 
walls for Vine or Peach houses. It is well known nothing can be 
better than inside borders for early Vines, as the roots are then in 
a suitable temperature. But with regard to intermediate or late houses 
I cannot see why the roots of a Vine should be half inside and half 
out, or have the opportunity of going into two borders. By so doing 
the roots must be in two temperatures. Either have the roots of 
each Vine altogether inside or out; then a man can judge when to 
attend best to them, and the Vines must be more satisfactory. I 
should like the opinion of others on this subject, as the chief reason 
for arched walls may be of interest to many.—A. J. L. 
- An American Nursery. —Mr. Thomas Meehan, one of our 
most active and intelligent representatives in Common Council, has 
been and continues a man of success in whatever his varied resources 
are applied to. He wields a prolific pen, is fluent and pleasing of 
speech, and whether he skims from the surface of social and political 
affairs or dives into the depths of scientific research he is always interest¬ 
ing and instructive. It is the combination of rare qualities—no mere 
accident—which has made our townsman to follow safely in every one 
of his undertakings, and at the same time a safe man to follow. The 
practical and visible evidence of his enterprise is probably more familiar 
to many in what are known throughout the country as Meehan’s 
Nurseries. Originally the nurseries were located on Main Street, and 
extended through to Chew Street, occupying the long strip of ground 
since divided by Meehan Avenue. Later the large business was removed 
to the present situation on Chew Street, back of Church, and now the 
nurseries extend from Chew Street to Stenton Avenue (the old town¬ 
ship line), a depth of nearly three-quarters of a mile, and in one of the 
most attractive portions of northern Philadelphia. That these are the 
largest nurseries within the ’limits of the city is certain, if not the 
largest in the country. But apart from the remarkable success thus 
achieved the nurseries have opened a field of employment for a large 
number of persons, a living for many families in fact, and in this we 
are sure the Messrs. Meehan & Son find not the least of their grati¬ 
fication. Success seems to have been perched on their banner from the 
start, and if that part of the city is not very soon hemmed in by brick 
and stone walls it is hard to say where another decade will find the 
nurseries spreading to .—(The Germantoicn Guide.) 
- Pansy Show in Leicester. —An excellent Show of these 
favourite flowers w.as held on Saturday last, June 7th, in a large 
detached room belonging to Mr. H. Jordan, the Butcher’s Arms Inn, 
Churchgate, Leicester, and was the first Show of the kind which has 
been held in the town for many years past. Mr. Jordan has long been 
well and widely known amongst Leicester townsmen as an ardent florist, 
and more particularly as a successful amateur cultivator of the Chrys¬ 
anthemum. Having, therefore, recently entered into the occupation of 
the above licensed premises, having such a suitable room at the back 
thereof for the purpose, and knowing how extensively and well the 
Pansy is cultivated by so many allotment holders in and around 
Leicester, he at once conceived the idea of inaugurating a Show. A 
number of prizes were offered for twelves, sixes, and threes, cut flowers, 
in both the classes of show and fancy flowers, which were responded to 
by numerous entries, and, as above stated, a good Show was the result. 
The Rev. E. N. Pochin of Barkby Vicarage, w’hose name is so well 
known amongst rosarians, and who has of late years been an ardent 
and very successful raiser and cultivator of the Pansy, was present 
during a good portion of the afternoon, giving counsel and advice to the 
numerous growers and exhibitors present, and strongly advocating the 
formation of a Pansy Club or Society, the object of which should be 
to meet together periodically for the purposes of reading papers, 
cultural discussions, and the eomparing of results of such culture in the 
flowers shown at each such meeting, he promising them all the 
assistance in his power to give in so doing. Mr. Jordan also generously 
offered the use of his room rent free for such purposes, so that it seems 
not improbable the rev. gentleman’s suggestions may be carried out, 
most of the growers and exhibitors present expressing themselves as 
being favourable to such a project. In addition to the Pansies shown, 
the room was tastefully decorated by flowering plants mostly from Mr. 
Jordan’s own greenhouses. Fine collections of cut Pansies not for 
competition were sent by Mr. Wm. Sydenham, Water Orton, near 
Birmingham, and Messrs. Biddles & Co., Forest Road, Loughborough. 
-Exhibition of the Bath and West and Southern 
Counties of England Agricultural Association. —This Show 
was held at Rochester on a commanding position near Fort Pitt, 
embracing views of the shipping in the River Medway, and Cobham 
Park and the well-wooded country near, and it was well attended on 
the shilling days. Horticulture was not represented on this occasion, 
though we noticed a few good Begonias from Messrs. John Laing 
and Sons. The seed trades were represented locally by Messrs. Horsnail 
and Reynolds; and by Messrs. Webb & Sons of Stourbridge, 
Messrs. Dicksons (Limited) of Chester, and Mr. Hunter of 
Chester, who exhibited specimens of Grasses, Clovers, &c., in growth. 
Jlr. Conway C. Warne (successor to Mr. Matthews), of Weston- 
super-Mare, had a very good exhibit of garden pottery. The Ayles- 
ford Pottery Company had a pretty cricket house, which was very 
tastefully decorated with plants and many-eoloured tiles. The horti¬ 
cultural builders were represented by Messrs. Foster & Pearson of 
Beeston, who showed their excellent patent frames and greenhouses ; 
and Mr. Newton of Hitchin showed his patent iren houses, which 
exhibit many excellent arrangements for ventilation, &c. 
IS PKIMULA OBCONICA. POISONOUS? 
From time to time the various opinions expressed with regard to 
the poisoning influence or otherwise of this plant have not appeared to 
have any definite result. Some, indeed, give no credence whatever to 
the statement, while others more generously inclined have stated that 
they have no reason to discredit the statements of others in the matter. 
One writer in a contemporary has gone the length of saying that if it 
were poisonous he should still continue to grow it, though I doubt very 
much had he experienced as many sleepless nights as I from the effects 
of handling this plant, if he would not alter or at least modify his ideas. 
Few people indeed would care to take up the pot culture of the Stinging 
Nettle were it ever so beautiful, for they know the consequences full 
well, yet at the present moment I would sooner handle a bunch of the 
Nettles than touch the Primula in question, and for this reason that the 
sting of the Nettle is more easily got rid of than the inflammatory effects 
produced by the leaves and stems of the latter. Another difference is 
this, the Nettle sting affects the parts only that come in contact with 
the plant, but in the case of the Primula it is liable to be conveyed to 
any part of the body that is touched by the hand already affected, and 
in this manner my eyes, nose, and lips have suffered to a considerable 
extent. 
Since its introduction I have been an ardent admirer of this charm¬ 
ing Primrose, and was rarely, if ever, without a few of its spikes of 
flowers in water, apart from its endless flowering in pots. 1 never 
allowed a visitor to come and go without sounding the praises of it, 
therefore in calling attention to what 1 fully believe to be a fact I have 
not the slightest desire to unnecessarily alarm or deter anyone from 
growing it. 1 also believe that these unpleasant results are only ex¬ 
perienced by certain individuals, and that under certain conditions. 
For instance, the amateur with only a cool house is not likely to be a 
