July 5, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
9 
Events of the Week. —Horticulturists will be busy during the 
ensuing week. In addition to numerous provincial Rose shows, a list 
of which is given in another column, the exhibition of the National 
Rose Society will be held at the Crystal Palace on Saturday, July 7tb. 
The Committees of the Royal Horticultural Society meet at the Drill 
Hall, James Street, S.W., on Tuesday, July 10th. Wolverhampton 
Floral FSte opens on the same day, and the exhibition of the Royal 
Caledonian Horticultural Society at Edinburgh on Wednesday the 
11th inst. 
- Weather in London. —During the past week bright weather 
has been experienced in the metropolis. A shade maximum of 82° was 
registered on Saturday and Sunday, this being about 10° above the 
•average for the time of year. On Monday there were indications of a 
change taking place, and some rain fell during the night, but Tuesday 
proved fine, with a clear blue sky, as did Wednesday. 
- Royal Horticultural Society. —At the next meeting of 
the above Society, which will take place in the Drill Hall, James Street, 
Victoria Street, Westminster, on Tuesday next, July 10th, there will 
be a show of hardy perennials and Cactaceous plants, for which special 
prizes are offered. At 3 P.M. a lecture on “ Cactacese ” will be given 
by Mr. John W. Singer. 
- Phenological Observations for 1893.—A report of Mr. 
Edward Mawiey’s observations on the weather and its influence on 
flowers, fruits, birds, and insects, has been sent to us in pamphlet form 
from the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. We 
can only say that it displays in an unmistakeable manner the extreme 
diligence and scrupulous care on the part of Mr. Mawley and his many 
closely observant coadj ators in various parts of the country. 
- Gardening Appointment. —Mr. H. J. Sensicall, late of 
Mentmore and Hatfield Gardens, has been appointed to succeed the 
late Mr. Thos. Wattam as head gardener to A. Longman, Esq.^ 
Shendish, Hemel Hempsted, Herts. 
- Death of a Well-known Horticulturist. —The death 
occurred recently at Cathcart of Mr. Hugh Austin, of the firm of 
Messrs. Austin & M‘Aslan, a gentleman whose name, and that of his 
father, has been long and well known over the west of Scotland. 
The firm of which he was a member began business in 1717, and 
have continued a successful career to the present day. Since 1873 
Mr. Austin has had control of the nursery department. Mr. Austin, 
who was forty-five years of age, was unmarried, and leaves two 
sisters and a large number of friends to mourn his early death. 
- The Carnation and Picotee Union. —We are requested to 
state that the annual exhibition of the Carnation and Picotee Union 
will he held in Stanley Road, Oxford, on Tuesday, July 31st, and that 
particulars as to membership, entries, and schedule of prizes can be 
obtained free on application to Mr. Arthur Medhurst, The Cottage, 
Stanley Road, Oxford. 
- A Proposed Cactus Society. —Mr. Henry Canned appears 
to have set his mind on forming a Cactus Society, and when the famous 
florist sets his mind on anything, we know what it means—not giving 
up in a hurry. He issues the following invitation :—“ Our Cactus gala 
day will take place on July 10th, at the Drill Hall, James Street, West¬ 
minster, not far from the Army and Navy Stores, when we hope to be 
favoured with your and your friends’ presence. If you will kindly 
bring a collection, please intimate to Mr. A. F. Barron, Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Gardens, Chiswick, the space required, and it will then be in 
readiness. Please let all exhibits be finished by twelve o’clock. I hope 
to be there myself, and will gladly render any assistance I can. Mr. 
Singer’s lecture will take place at three o’clock. Immediately after it 
please assemble at the Windsor Hotel (nearly opposite the above- 
mentioned show) for luncheon. Afterwards we hope to discuss the 
question of forming a society and all matters appertaining thereto. I 
need hardly say your presence and valuable co-operation will be looked 
for.” Let all attend who can, say we. 
-We understand that a Grace of the Senate of the University 
of Dublin has passed conferring the degree of Doctor of Science upon 
Mr. Daniel Morris, M.A., C.M.G., Assistant-Director of the Royal 
Gardens at Kew. 
- Death of Mr. Robert Bargus. —Those of our readers who 
are acquainted with the nurseries of Mr. C. Turner, Slough, will regret 
to hear of the death of Mr. Robert Bargus, which occurred on the 
23rd ult. Mr. Bargus entered the Slough Nursery as a boy, and had 
been ground foreman there for over forty years. 
- Sweet Pea Emily Henderson. —I have four named 
varieties of white Sweet Peas, but none equals Emily Henderson. The 
blooms of this Pea are large, pure, with much substance of petal and 
fragrance. I would recommend those who grow Sweet Peas to make a 
note of this variety for next year’s trial.—E. M. 
- Spir^a compacta multiflora.—T his variety will prove 
most useful for decorative purposes. The foliage, although somewhat 
dwarfer, is almost identical with that of S. japonica, whilst the flowers 
produced, as they are in greatest profusion, are more dense, and of 
a pleasing creamy shade. For forcing it is serviceable, and the plants 
we have had this season were admired.—R. P. R. 
- Hoya BELLA. —This is charming little plant, the flowers of 
which have been likened to “ an amethyst set in frosted silver.” This 
is not an inapt description, for their texture is exquisitely beautiful. 
Those on the look out for a plant for hanging baskets for a moist stove 
or Orchid house would do well to give this little Hoya a trial. The 
blossoms are produced in umbels along the young growth, and are 
delicately perfumed. We grow it in a mixture of turfy loam, chopped 
sphagnum and crock dust in the warm Orchid house, and under these 
conditions it grows and flowers freely.—H. R. 
- Irises tectorum and tomiolopha. —Having observed my 
remarks on these Irises in the Journal of 28th June (page 511), Dr. 
Wallace of Colchester has most kindly written me regarding them. 
From what he says the Iris I spoke of is the true I. tectorum of the 
“ Botanical Magazine,” but that the plant sent out as I. tomiolopha is 
an early kind belonging to the dwarf section of pumila and albiensis, 
and having narrower foliage and reddish purple flowers. Dr. Wallace 
has never considered the latter rightly named. This supports the view 
of our botanists, but makes one inquire the true name of the so-called 
tomiolopha. I need hardly say that I am greatly indebted to Dr. 
Wallace for his courteous letter.— S. Arnott. 
_Rose-coloured Carnations.—T hat we cannot well have too 
much of a good thing may be true, but there is a chance of getting 
too much of the same thing even in such charming flowers as Carnations. 
The most pleasing colour of this flower to my mind is rose, but it 
is all the same a hue that does not admit of much variation. I do 
not like to mention the particular ones that may seem to me to be the 
best varieties, because not only are they numerous, but there may be 
some in other parts of the kingdom little known to fame that are as 
good or be even better. But certificates are being frequently granted 
to these rose-tinted forms, that seem to be so much alike as to render 
distinctness difficult to discover. We seem to need a perpetual trial 
of these plants both indoors and outside, and then have them tested 
for distinctness before admitted to be new. Probably the same may be 
said of many other things, over which we are rapidly getting in a 
maze.—K. 
_ Drooping Disease in Tomatoes. —Your readers may, some 
of them, be glad to know that a prompt earthing-up round the stem of 
a drooping plant will usually save it. I use light soil and a few loose 
bricks or boards. Plants treated thus promptly will often equal in 
crop the best in a house. For black spot in the fruit I find the best thing 
is to sprinkle sulphur on very hot lime whilst slaking in a bucket, then 
walk up and down the house, shaking the bucket violently, and the 
sulphur and fresh lime will fly all over the house. This makes the fruit 
a little dusty, but that is better than losing it. Cladosporium also 
does not seem to make headway where the lime and sulphur bucket 
is used. I attribute a comparative freedom from both clubbing and 
drooping in my Tomatoes to the u^e of chemical instead of animal 
manures, also to the use of burnt ashes and mortar rubb.e, with gritty 
stuff of all sorts in the soil, to a large extent. My soil is greensand, 
but goes very closely together when rammed, which I find is necessary 
for Tomatoes. The ashes keep the soil sweet.—F. Williams. 
