no 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 10,1887. 
Chiswick Mutual Improvement Society, on March 4th, by Mr. Richard 
Dean. 
-At the ordinary meeting of the Royal Meteorological 
Society, to be held at 25, Great George Street, Westminster, on Wed¬ 
nesday, the I6th inst., at 7 P.M., the discussion on the Hon. R. Aber- 
cromby’s paper, “ On the Identity of Cloud Forms all over the World ; 
and on the General Principles by which their Indications must be Read,” 
will be resumed, after which the following papers will be read :— 
“ Remarks concerning the Nomenclature of Clouds for ordinary use,” 
by Dr. H. H. Hildebrandsson, Hon. Mem. R.Met.Soc. ; “ Suggestions for 
an International Nomenclature of Clouds,” by the Hon. Ralph Aber-, 
cromby, F.R.Met.Soc.; “ The Influence of Weather on the Proportion of 
Car bonic Acid in the Air of Plain sand Mountains,” by W. Marcet, M.D. 
F.R.S., F.R.Met.Soc., and A. Landriset. These papers will be in type 
before the meeting. Any Fellow wishing to take part in the discussion 
can obtain a copy on application to the Assistant Secretary. 
- There was a good attendance of the members of the Wake 
field Paxton Society at their usual weekly meeting at Councillor 
Lupton’s recently. Mr. H. Oxley presided, and Councillor Howden 
was in the vice-chair. Mr. Alfred Wraith of St. John’s was nominated 
as a member of the Society, which numbers about 200 members. The 
essayist was Mr. W. J. Ireland, head gardener to Baron St. Oswald of 
Nostell Priory, and his subject was British Orchids. The large 
tables in the room were ornamented by an extensive and very beautiful 
display of exotic Orchids, and the quaint forms and varied tints of the 
lovely flowers were much admired both by professional and amateur 
gardeners. Messrs. L. Twigge & Son of the Northgate Nursery also exhibi¬ 
ted a large box full of Lilies of the Valley. Mr. Oxley, in introducing Mr 
Ireland, remarked that some of the Paxtonians had a very pleasant re¬ 
collection of their last visit to the gardens and grounds at Nostell, and 
they hoped on some future occasion they would again have the pleasure 
of visiting the grounds. Mr. Ireland read a long, very interesting, and 
thoroughly practical paper, in which he stated that there are about 3500 
species of British Orchids. Their cultivation is becoming better known, 
and they can be grown in a cold frame in summer and in a greenhouse 
in winter. He minutely described about forty, and fully explained how 
to propagate and treat them. Mr. Preston, St. John’s Nursery, re- 
gretted that Mr. Ireland s essay had not been upon exotic Orchids, as 
they had such a magnificent collection of them on the table, and Mr. 
Iieland promised to give a paper on exotic Orchids on some future 
occasion. On the motion of Councillor Howden, seconded by Mr. Alan 
Willis, and supported by Mr. Oxley, the Chairman, a hearty vote of 
thanks was accorded to Mr. Ireland, who responded. 
At the fortnightly meeting of The Birmingham Gardeners 
Society, held on February 2nd, a handsome gold watch was presented 
to Mr. J. Hughes, the Secretary, in recognition of his having personally 
to a great extent collected about £80 towards a library fund, and the 
presentation was made by Mr. W. B. Latham on behalf of the sub¬ 
scribers. . The preliminary meeting to consider the desirability oJ 
establishing such a Society was held on the 4th February, 1886, in the 
Theatre of the Midland Institute, the Mayor of Birmingham presiding 
when 174 gardeners and nurserymen and amateur horticulturists 
attended, and the Society was formed, and now numbers close upon 30( 
membeis. A series of papers has already been read, followed by discus¬ 
sion, and some lectures have been delivered-viz., “ The Mutual Relatioi 
of Plants and Insects;” “The Scientific Value of a Gardener’* 
5 * Leaves and Roots in tR eir Relation to Air and Soils ; ’ 
« Pi lfty i p 6ar , S ° f Horticulture > a Retrospect; ” “ Practice with Science ;’ 
lant Food, especially m reference to Artificial Manures ; ” “ Mush 
room Growing;” “Carnivorous Plants;” “The Culture of the 
Cattleya, The Chrysanthemum and Its Culture;” “Contrast anc 
Harmony in Special Reference to Flowers ; ” and “ The Grape Vine, It, 
History and Cultivation.” The library is very poputo with the 
membeis, and already contains 145 volumes, besides magazines anc 
gardening papers. During the first six months there were seventy-twc 
orrowers, the most sought-after works being those by Baines anc 
Williamson Stove and Greenhouse Plants;” Williams and Castle oi 
nf ,f ^? dge ° n “ The Chr ^ a nthemiim ;” Burbidge’s “ Gardei 
C i S ™’ , W i“ ICh 18 much sought affcer ; Wright’s “Mushroon 
non Z ; tl T? “ Vine CultUre ’” the latter bein £ especially 
P P . ere is a balance of £6 7s. 7d. in hand on the general fund fo: 
the year, and about £20 more in hand to be expended on books. 
Mr. Hughes, the Seeretary, read a full report of the rise and history of 
the Society, embodying the above-named facts, and new members join 
at every meeting. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
February 8th. 
The meetings of the Committees in the morning, and the general 
annual meeting in the afternoon, induced a number of Fellows to attend, 
and the East Crush Room of the Royal Albert Hall was somewhat incon¬ 
veniently crowded. There was a good display of plants and flowers, 
Primulas being especia'ly well represented, but the exhibits could not be 
seen to such advantage as in the conservatory. 
Fruit Committee. —Present: T. Francis Rivers, Esq., in the chair, and 
Messrs. G. B myxrd, James Smith. W. Warren, W. Denning, J. Burnett, 
G. Norman, A. H. Pearson, J. Lee, S. Ford, C. Ross, T. J. Saltmarsh, T. B. 
Haywood, Joseph Fitt. Harry J. Veitch, J. Woodbridge, R. D. Blackmore, 
Philhp Crowley, and Dr. Robert Hogg. 
Messrs. T. Rivers & Son, SawbridgeworSh, sent a collection of dessert- 
Apples, including some fine samples, for which a vo e of thanks was 
accorded. Mr. W. Taylor, Osborne Nursery, Hampton, showed several 
fruit trees in pots. Mr. W. Troughton, Church Street, Preslon, exhibited 
fruits of a Cucumber named Troughton’s Prolific, of moderate size, but even 
in shape and somewhat like Rollisson’s Telegraph. Mr. C. Ross, We'ford 
Park Gardens, had some fruits of his seedling Apple named Alice Eyre. 
Messrs. Saltmarsh & Co., Romford, showed samples of Apple Lord of the 
Manor, which are to be reserved until the m eting with the Bosom Apple. 
The fruits were conical, yellow, ant solid. The Permanent Enamel Com¬ 
pany, Pelly Road, Plaistow, Essex, exhibited their enamel labels, some with 
white letters on black, others white on blue. In the opinion of the Com¬ 
mittee the labels are an improvement on those already in use of a similar 
make. 
Floral Committee. —Present:—G. F. Wilson, Esq., in the chair, and 
Messrs. W. Wilkes, G. Maw, H. Bennett. Amos Perry, J. Walker, B. Wynne, 
R. Dean, W. Holme% H. Herbst, W. H. Lowe, A. J. L»ndy, J. Fraser, J. 
Dominy, C. Noble, H. M. Pollett, C. Pilcher, G. Paul, T. Baines, G. Duffield, 
J. O’Biien, and H. Ballantine. 
Primulas, Daffodils, and Orchids were the chief features of the display, 
and comprised amongst them some handsome novelties or improved 
varieties. 
Baron Schtoder, The Dell, Egham (gardener, Mr. Ballantine), sent Borne 
very beautiful Orchid flowers, which excited much att-ndon. They in¬ 
cluded spikes of the lovely varieties of Lselia anceps recently not ced, 
the superbly spotted Odontoglossum Ballantineanum, the shining yellow 
Oncidium coronarium, and a most distinct variety of Vanda teres named 
Aurora, the flowers large, the sepals nearly white, the petals having a faint 
blush tinge and curiously placed, so that they appeared nearly perpendicular 
to the axis of the flower. F. A. Philbrick, Esq., Q.O , Bickley (gardener, 
Mr. Heims), exhibited plants of the charming and pecuhar Saccolabium 
bellinum (figured in this Journal, vol. x. page 147) with six flowers; it i* one of 
the largest examples of the species in the coum ry. A gran i variety of Phalae- 
nopsis Stuartiana was also shown, having a large panicle of fl >wers densely 
spotted with crimson at the lower part of the petals. Phalmnopsis Casta with 
extremely symmetrical flowers, the sepals and petals white, the lip veined 
in the centre, was ano her good plant, and the vote of thanks award d was 
amply merited. F. G. Tautz, Esq, Studley Hous•, Hammersmiih (gar¬ 
dener, Mr. Cowley) sent a variety of Cypripedium Boxalli named atratum, 
in which the dorsal sepal was extremely darkly coloured. W. Yanner,Esq., 
Chisl burst (gardener, Mr. Robins), showed a plant of D ndrohium Van- 
nerianum, which some have thought to he a hybrid between D. monili- 
forme and D. Fatconeri. It has very slender pseudo-bulbs, and narrow 
tapering sepals and petals tipped with crimson, the lip similar in shape and 
also tipped with crimson. H. M. Pollett, Esq., Bickley, sent a plant of 
Odontoglossum Marriottianum (vote of thanks), which has white sppals and 
petals with a few small reddish dots on the former. Mr. B. S. Williams, 
Upper Holloway, had a plant of the new Dendrobium Eyichianum roseum, 
which has the flowers distinctly tinted with a soft rosy hue. Mr. W. Bull, 
Chelsea, contributed an effective group of Orchids and Palms, the varieties 
of Cattleya Trianae, especially a delicately tinted one named Vesta, being 
very beautiful; Cattleya amethystoglossa marmorata, the yellow Dendro¬ 
bium speciosum Coelogyne cristata and Lemoiniana, Masdeva'lias, the soft 
yellow Dendrobium luteolum, and several good foims of Odontoglossum 
Rossi majus completed the group. Messrs. Misureel, Bros., Ghent, s nt a 
collection of Odontoglossum flowers, and R. J. Measures, E j q., Camberwell 
(gardener, Mr. Simpkins), had a little group of Orchids (vot9 of thanks), 
chiefly Cypripediums, such as C. insigne grandis, C. chloroneuron, and C. 
Sallieri, with a well-grown plant of Odontoglossum maculatum Donianum, 
bearing nine spikes of four or five flowers each. 
A large and choice collection of Daffodils and other hardy flowers 
secured for Mr. T. S. Ware of Tottenham a silver-gilt Banksian medal. 
The Daffodils comprised a selection of the most distinct varieties, a number 
of the bright red Lachenalia pendula, the fragrant Freesia refracta alba, the 
brightly coloured scarlet Anemone fulgens, several varieties of tbe early 
Iris reticulata, the bright blue Chionodoxa Luciliae, and several Primulas, 
of which the yellow P. floribnnda and the mauve P. poculiformis were the 
most noticeable. A silver Banksian medal was also awarded to Messrs. 
Barr & Son, King Street, Co vent Girden, for an interest ng collection of 
Daffodils, with Lachenalias, Freesias, and several oth>-r flowers. The 
Daffodils compiised both double and single varieties, s ich as obvallaris, 
odorus, papyraceus, Telamonius plenus, pallidas praecox, and the beautiful 
poeticus ornatus. A similar award was gained by Messrs. Collins Bros, and 
Gabriel, Waterloo Bridge Road, for a group of Daffodils, Snowdrops 
(Galanthu3 Elwesi), Freesias, and other flowers. A vote of thanks was 
accrded to Mr. James, Farnham Royal, Slough, for fine blooms of Cinerarias, 
and some good Primulas, two of which were certificated. Messrs. J. Veitch 
