March SI, 18S7. ] 
J :URNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
251 
Cully arranged and filled in with Ivy and other evergreens, with pro¬ 
jecting groups of plants in flower, created an effective display, which 
was much admired. Mr. Vertegans, nurseryman, presented the Mayoress 
with a bouquet, and supplied one for presentation to the Queen by the 
-children of the Grammar School. The number of plants used by Hans 
Xiemand was close upon 5000, amongst them many magnificent specimen 
I’alms.” 
- The March number of the Ken Bulletin contains some infor¬ 
mation on Kibue Plants, the principal subjects being Sisal Hemp 
vlerived from species of Agave and Furcnea, and Mauritius Hemp from 
Furcraea gigantea. Obtaining the fibre from the latter plant has de¬ 
veloped into an important industry in Mauritius, where this Furcrasa 
has taken possession of waste lands and abandoned sugar estates. It 
was introduced from South America in 1790, and has increased very 
largely without any assistance from cultivators. 
-The monthly meeting of Liverpool Horticultural Asso¬ 
ciation was held as usual in one of the lecture rooms of the Free Library 
on the 26lh inst., when Mr. T. White presided. The subject of the 
•evening was the “ Rhododendron,” by Mr. R. Wilson Ker, who treated 
•Cully of the origin and history of the different species and varieties, the 
■discourse proving extremely interesting as well as instructive. A good 
discussion followed, in which Messrs. White, Mease, Ranger, Powell, and 
Vox took prominent part Cordial votes of thanks to the essayist and 
the chairman brought to a conclusion a most successful session. 
- “ Bradwen” writes : —“ What a pity that the beautiful climber, 
A'l ematisindi visa lobat a, is so seldom seen. No plant can be more easily 
•grown, with just a little ordinary care to keep down thrips and black 
fly, its worst enemies'; and, on the other hand, I can think of no plant 
that produces such a profusion of acceptable blooms, chaste, white, and 
the most useful size either for mounting in bouquets, buttonholes, or 
any other purpose. Mr. Whitelegg, the able gardener at Oughtrighton 
House, near Lvmm, evidently knows its value. There, a short time ago, 
I saw a remarkably fine plant with all its foliage completely hidden by the 
bloom. It was planted in a very narrow border just inside the green¬ 
house, the roof of which it covered, or at least all the woodwork in the 
roof was covered, the plant being trained closely in so as to obstruct 
little or no light from the other occupants of the house. By this means 
the objectionable apjiearance of the woodwork gives way to a graceful 
drapery of green, and, at the time of my visit, a glorious spectacle of 
the purest blossom. By a judicious choice of plants of a trailing habit 
much more could be done towards rendering our greenhouses attractive 
than is the case at present. Bare walls and rafters cannot but detract 
from the merit and beauty of specimens, however good, grown under 
■such conditions.” 
- We arc informed that Miss Gordon has presented to the 
Museum of the Royal Gardens, Kew, the collections and drawings 
made by her late brother, General Gordon, illustrative of the Coco de 
Mer (Lodoicea seychellahum), a Palm peculiar to the Seychelles | 
and remarkable, among other things, for possessing the largest known 
seed in the vegetable kingdom. The seeds are well known in European 
museums. One amongst General Gordon’s specimens is a model which 
he had made of the fruit in its mature state, before the external fibrous 
but perishable husk had become detached. Some of the specimens are 
placed, with others already possessed by Kew, in No. 2 Museum. The 
rest will be shown, with the drawings made by his own hand, in No. 3 
Museum. 
- We regret to have to announce the death of M. Jean Jacques 
Kick.y, Rector of the University of Ghent, Director of the Botanic 
Garden, and of the State School of Horticulture, President of the Royal 
Botanic Society of Belgium, and Chevalier of the Order of Leopold. He 
was born at Ghent on the 27th January, 1842, and died there on the 
27th inst. 
- Hyacinths at Bristol. —There are on view at the present 
time in Messrs. Garaway’s Durdham Down Nursery, Clifton, a very 
effective display of Hyacinths in pots. They are arranged in three lines 
along one side of a span-roofed plant house, a background of Palms and 
Ferns, and a margin of trailing plants serving to set off the Hyacinths 
to the best advantage. There are 300 of them. There are a good 
selection of new, or comparatively new varieties, many of which are 
decidedly superior. Among the latter we noticed Lady Derby, white 
and a fine bold spike ; Souvenir J. H. Vein, rich dark blue ; Chimney 
Sweep, the nearest approach to black ; Incomparable, deep crimson, and 
very attractive ; King of the Reds, bright red, very showy ; Sultan, 
dark blue, spike compact ; Prince of Wales, blue with white eye ; 
Primrose Perfection, the best of the yellows; and Marchioness of 
Lome, yellow, tinged and striped with red. Of better known sorts, the 
best both as regards size of spike, pips, and the colour, were Garibaldi, 
deep crimson; Lord Derby, porcelain blue ; Grand Maitrc, porcelain 
blue ; Nectar, white, good, distinct ; Queen of the Yellows ; Czar Peter, 
light blue ; Lord Byron, porcelain blue ; Snowball, white, compact 
spike ; Prince of Wales, rose, good ; Von Schiller, pale red, fine spike ; 
King of the Blues, one of the best; Prima Donna, bright red ; Sultan, 
dark blue, close spike ; La Grandesse, white, good ; Madame Van der 
Hoop, white ; General Havelock, dark blue ; Fabiola, bright rose ; and 
L’Innocence, fine white. 
- The ninth annual Show of the Maidenhead Horticultural 
Society is fixed to be held on August 18th, 1887, in the grounds of 
Braywick Lodge, by permission of the President, J. Hibbert, Esq. One 
hundred classes are provided, including those for cottagers. 
- A correspondent directs attention to the fragrance of cer¬ 
tain Primulas as follows :—■“ Lovers of sweet-scented flowers find in 
the large Primula family some of the very sweetest. A walk through 
a Primrose-dotted lawn on a damp April evening is a delicious treat 
The Auricula of the florist, if for no other reason, would be worth culti¬ 
vating for its scent alone, the old yellow border variety having the 
Dusty Miller perfume in ics most concentrated form. Primula Monroi 
is an exceedingly sweet-scented species, and for this feature alone we 
grow a few plants. The leafage of the Chinese Primrose is possessed of 
an extremely pleasing scent, though this fact does not seem to be 
generally known, no doubt because it is not of a pronounced character. 
But the sweetest of all the Primroses is that known as the Abyssinian, 
a plant which was pretty common about fifteen years ago, but has now 
been pushed aside by more novel though less interesting plants. This 
species comes into bloom about this time and flowers in whorls, one tier 
succeeding another for a lengthened period. , One plant will perfume 
a good-sized greenhouse, and though not so “ gay ” as many other 
flowers at this season, its yellow blooms and mealy foliage are suffi¬ 
ciently attractive to make it of value as a decorative plant. It is of the 
easiest culture, a stock in the first instance being obtained from seed 
which, if sown now, would under good culture bloom the year suc¬ 
ceeding. Old plants divide readily, and where only a few more arc 
wanted this will be found the best method of keeping up a stock of 
healthy young plants.” 
- Katvre states that the botanical collections of the late 
Thomas Moore, F.L.S., Curator of the Botanic Garden at Chelsea, 
belonging to the Society of Apothecaries, have been acquired for the 
Herbarium of the Royal Gardens, Kew. The most important portions 
are :—1, The general Fern herbarium, which contains the types of the 
numerous species described by Moore, especially those introduced into 
European cultivation. 2, The collection of forms and varieties of 
British Ferns, which is probably unique in richness and completeness ; 
it is especially interesting as the basis of Mr. Moore’s well-known and 
beautifully illustrated works on the Fern flora of the British Isles. 3, 
The Fern herbarium of R. Howard, F.L.S., which is especially strong in 
West Indian species. 
-At the usual monthly meeting of the Royal Meteorological 
Society, at the Institution of Civil Engineers, 25, Great George Street, 
Mr. W. Ellis, F.R.A.S., President, was in the chair. Mit J. Eyres, Mr. 
J. T. Hotblack, and Captain C'. H. M. Kensington, R.E., were 
balloted for and elected Fellows of the Society. The following 
papers were read :—1, “ Notes on taking Meteorological Observa¬ 
tions on Board Ship,” by Captain D. W. Barker, I'.R.Met.Soe. 
The author makes Various suggestions as to the placing of meteoro¬ 
logical instruments on board ship with the view of securing uni¬ 
formity. 2, “ Marine Temperature Observations,” by Dr. H. R. Mill, 
F.R.S.E. After briefly sketching the principal historical methods of 
observing temperature beneath the surface of the water, Dr. Hill dis¬ 
cussed in some detail the relative merits and defects of the two instru¬ 
ments now in common use for this purpose. The self-registering 
maximum and minimum'therraomcter on Six's principle, even with the 
addition of an outer bulb to protect it from pressure, has certain 
inherent defects. It merely shows the highest and lowest temperatures 
