September 27, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
293 
several plants that were the picture of health. In one case a single 
stem will collapse as though boiling water had been poured on it, in 
other cases all the leaves will collapse down one side. I have no doubt the 
conclusions arrived at by Mr. Molyneux are logical, but I cannot yet 
persuade myself they are absolutely correct, for we have several sappy 
growers besides Golden Wedding, though they never practise this freak 
on the would-be growers.— Jas. B. Riding. 
Cheysanthemdms at Havant. 
I MADE a call on Mr. J. Agate at Havant on September 17th, and 
found that very successful cultivator and exhibitor busy housing his 
plants. Sharing the general opinion of many growers that this dull 
and wet season has caused sappy and unripened growth in many 
instances, I was agreeably surprised to find this collection looking 
remarkably well, with strong hard wood and plump flower buds, many 
of which were unfolding their florets, and hence Mr. Agate’s anxiety to 
get them under cover, and not risk having them injured by early autumn 
frosts. He is certainly favoured with a good open position, where the 
plants are grown during the summer, a square being sheltered on one 
side by a span-roof show house and on the other three by hedges high 
enough to shelter the plants from the wind without obstructing the 
sunlight. That, no doubt, accounts for their being somewhat early. 
The collection comprises most all the new varieties of merit, and many 
duplicates are left to the terminal bud for experiment. 
Amongst the earliest to show colour, many of which are half out, 
are Louise, very dwarf habit and fine, solid incurved Japanese ; Beauty 
of Exmouth looks well this year ; Viscountess Hambledon, another very 
promising variety of good growth, but very prolific in flower buds 
all the season ; Petite D41aux, Mdlle. Th^r^se Rey, Edith Rowbottom, 
Mrs. T. Denne, Mrs. C. Harman Payne, E. G. Whittle, Stanstead White, 
Kentish Yellow, RJadame Iwick, Wm. Seward, Puritan, W. W. Coles, 
Miss Simpkins, G. C. Schwabe, President Borel, Eda Prass, Florence 
Davis, Chas. Shrimpton, George Savage, President Lincoln, and L’Ami 
Etienne. These, with the many other varieties forming the general 
collection, will make a fine show, and be well worth a visit later on.— 
C . Orchard. 
Events of the Week. — As mentioned elsewhere the three-days 
fruit show and conferences, held under the auspices of the Royal 
Horticultural Society at the Crystal Palace, will be the principal events 
of horticultural interest to take place during the ensuing week. The 
exhibition opens on Saturday, the 29th inst., continuing the following 
Monday and Tuesday. Particulars are published on page 294. 
- The Weather in London. —Since publishing our last issue 
but little sunshine has been recorded in the metropolis. Rain has 
fallen on several days, and slight fogs have prevailed in some districts. 
Tuesday last was particularly wet, and Wednesday opened dull though 
fine. 
- Rev. W. Wilks. —In answer to inquiries on the subject, we 
are informed that Mr. Wilks has undergone an important and delicate 
throat operation, and Is making favourable progress. We are very 
delighted to hear this, and our readers will join us in the sincere hope 
for a speedy recovery. A resolution of sympathy with the rev. gentle¬ 
man in his affliction was passed unanimously by the members of the 
Fruit Committee on Tuesday last. 
- Mr. a. Pettigrew. —When the talented gardener at Cardiff 
Castle was reading his interesting paper at the meeting of the Royal 
Horticultural Society, on the 11th inst., few of his audience were aware 
that he had left the bedside of a dying daughter to do so. Mi-s Agnes 
Pettigrew died on the 19th ult., at the age of seventeen years. Mr. 
and Mrs. Pettigrew have now lost two bright and promising girls, and 
it is to be hoped that the sympathies of a host of friends may do some¬ 
thing to allay the pain of their great bereavement. 
- Pea Late Queen. —Amongst Pea novelties this variety is a 
first-rate one. I saw it growing and fiuely cropping at Hackwood Park 
recently. Mr. Bowerman is greatly pleased with it, not only because it 
is such a fine late variety, having large blunt-ended pods of the old 
British Queen type, but is such a capital enduring variety. Duke of 
Albany growing beside it, and sown later, was over and white with 
mildew. Late Queen was carrying a very heavy crop, quite green, and 
reaches 4 feet in height, though ordinarily rather dwarfer. The flavour 
cf the Pea is excellent.—A. 
- “ Practical Forestry.” — We are informed that the first 
edition of “Practical Forestry,” by Mr. A. D. Webster, has run out in 
less than a year, and a second and enlarge! illustrated edition, which 
is now passing through the press, will be ready by the end of October. 
The first edition will likewise be republished in its present form, and 
retained in Rider’s Technical Series of Handbooks. 
- Gardening Appointment. —Mr. T. B. Field, who for the 
last twenty-two years has been head gardener to the late Sir Hy. 
Tyrwhitt, Bart., has been appointed to act in a similar capacity to the 
Baroness Berners, Ashwellthorpe Hall, Wymondham, Norfolk. Mr. 
Angus McKinnon, for the last seven years gardener and bailiff to 
W. B. Heard, Esq., Machen House, Newport (Mon.), has been appointed 
to succeed Mr. James Jones, who has been for the last forty-four years 
head gardener to Col. the Hon. F. C. Morgan, M.P , Ruperra Castle, 
Newport (Mon.). 
- Trop^olum speciosum.—I was pleased to see by the note of 
“ E, M.” (page 273) that there are some districts in England where this 
beautiful climber thrives so well, and I hope the information supplied 
will lead others to succeed in its culture. I fancy, however, that except 
in particular localities and situations, it will seldom grow so freely in 
England as in Scotland or Wales, as the climatic conditions of the last 
named countries are, during ordinary seasons, more favourable to the 
growth of this Tropaeolum than those of England. It is not so much a 
matter of cultural skill as of cool, moist surroundings.—H. Ddnkin. 
- Harpalium rigidum. Miss Mellish’s Variety. —Mr. 
J. Mallender, The Gardens, Hodsock Priory, Worksop, Notts, sends us 
blooms of Harpalium rigidum. Miss Mellish’s variety. This variety 
was grown at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens, Chiswick, 
and proved to be one of the best amongst a great number sent up for 
trial. It was shown at one of the meetings and unanimously received 
an award from the Floral Committee. It is a plant that should be in 
every garden where hardy plants are grown. It attains a height of 
about 7 feet, branching freely if planted thinly, each stem producing 
from seven to ten fine flowers. 
- Liatris PYCNOSTACHYA. — This is a very striking hardy 
flowering plant. I saw it in numbers recently in Mr. Ladham’s 
nursery at Shirley, Southampton, where there is also one of the largest 
collections of hardy flowers in the kingdom. This Liatris has long 
pointed spikes of bloom that rise to a height of 4 feet, and, oddly 
enough, the flowers commence expanding from the top ; they are of 
purplish-red colour, and are densely set on the stems. These when 
fully developed are grand for vases. I observed that in one or two 
cases where the points of the main spikes had been removed that they 
had developed side shoots of lesser size, but still not less useful for 
cutting—indeed, perhaps more so for small vases. As a border plant 
also, especially for a back row, it is singularly effective.—D. = 
- A New Manure Distributor. —Owing to the extended use 
of chemical manures for the caitwation of garden and farm produce, 
suitable implements, varying somewhat in construction, for distributing 
the stimulants have been invented. One of the best of these we recently 
had the opportunity of inspecting at the establishment of Mr. James 
Coultas, Perseverance Iron Works, Grantham, This distributor appears 
to differ considerably in princip’e from other machines used for the 
same purpose, the material being thrown on to the ground by means of 
a revolving rake and spreader. An automatic box contains the manure, 
which can be applied to the soil in quantities varying, as may be 
necessary, from 25 lbs. to 10 cwt. per acre. As is well known there is 
a tendency for certain manures when damp to work into a paste if 
placed in a distributor, but in the one under notice this objection is 
obviated, which doubtless secured for the maker the silver medal of the 
Royal Agricultural Society. 
- Woolton Garden'ers’ Mutual Improvement Society.— 
This Society consists of meiuoers who not only look for improvement in 
themselves but try to further it in many directions. For some years 
past they have organised exhi hr ions and concerts for the various gar¬ 
dening institutions. This yeir mev are giving, if possible, a local 
organisation some assistance, ami intend opening their sixth season with 
a horticultural exhiblrion t > b - nt-l<l in the Parochial Hall, Woolton, on 
Wednesday and Thursday. 0 ^tooer 3id and 4th, in aid of the funds of 
the Woolton Convalescent Ins it jt ni Grand displays of flowering and 
ornamental plants, groups fo ■ ff ct. herbaceous cot flowers, early 
Chrysanthemums, choice trun an i vegetables will form the exhibits. 
There will also be a series of pronae lal ■ concerts. Mr. W. Disley and 
Mr. Waterman are Secreiary nil" l'l••a.-urel• respectively.—P. P. R, 
