384 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 25, 1894. 
Events of the Week. —As will be seen by referring to the list of 
advertised shows, which appears in another column, the Chrysanthemum 
exhibition season opens to-day (Thursday) at Hertford. This show 
will be continued on Friday. The Kent County Chrysanthemum 
Society’s exhibition opens on the 31st inst., at the Rink, Blackheath ; 
and the Crystal Palace show on November 2nd and 3rd. 
- The Weather in London. —The weather in the metropolis 
has been of a changeable character since publishing our last issue. 
Dry weather prevailed towards the end of the week, and Sunday, 
Monday, and Tuesday proved fine, but rain fell in the evening of 
the last named day. It was much milder on Wednesday morning, and 
rained heavily during the day. 
- The Weather in the North. —The weather of September 
and October thus far has been unusually dry and fine, but winter is 
early upon us. On the morning of the 19th inst. we had 10° of frost, 
on that of the 22nd 12°, and on the 23rd 13°, with dense hoar frost, while 
the southern and western Grampians have been whitened with snow. 
Snow is also reported in the south of Scotland.—B. D., South 
Perthshire, 
-The Grand Yorkshire Gala—Donations to Charities. 
—At a meeting of the Council of the Grand Yorkshire Gala, held at 
Harker’s Hotel, York, on October 2nd, Alderman Sir Joseph Terry 
presiding over a large attendance, it was resolved to recommend to the 
general meeting of life members and guarantors grants amounting in 
the aggregate to £306 to charitable institutions out of the surplus in 
hand. At the general meeting, held on the 19th inst., it was decided to 
give the sum mentioned to various charities. Since the formation of 
the Society in 1859 no less than £2000 has been distributed among the 
York charities. 
- The Proposed National Vegetable Show.—A meeting 
of the provisional Committee that was appointed to take steps for 
carrying out the above project was held on Tuesday last, H. Balderson, 
Esq., in the chair. With the object of testing public feeling on the 
subject Mr. Alex. Dean (Secretary pro tern.) had, as agreed on at a 
previous meeting, sent circulars to a very large number of persons 
interested in or identified with the cultivation of vegetables in various 
parts of the country, and was able to announce that nearly in every 
instance the project was hailed with great satisfaction. Offers of 
co-operation were general, and in view of this it was decided to take 
such further steps as it was thought likely to advance the movement, in 
the hope that a scheme will be formulated to meet with public 
confidence and result in the establishment of a National Vegetable 
Society or show on a wide, firm, representative basis. A more 
substantially useful project than this has not for a long time been 
promulgated, and now that there is a greater disposition than ever to 
recognise the value of crops of everyday use in practically every family 
in the land, the time seems opportune for carrying out the object of the 
promoters in the interests of growers of Potatoes with other vegetables, 
and of consumers. 
- Wakefield Paxton Society.—A t a recent meeting of the 
members of the above Society, Mr. Campbell, gardener to Mrs. Mitkle- 
thwaite of Painthorpe, read an excellent paper on “ Hardy Fruits.” 
Mr. Campbell devotes special attention to fruit-growing, and during the 
past twenty years he has read several papers on the subject before the 
members. His paper on this occasion was of a thoroughly practical 
character, and contained much valuable information for professional 
and amateur gardeners. Mr. Campbell clearly and fully explained how 
to drain and plant an orchard, and mentioned the varieties of different 
kinds of Apples, Pears, and Plums which he had proved by experience 
can be successfully and profitably grown in this district. He contended 
that if the proper sorts of fruit were grown, if as much attention was 
given to fruit-growing as used to be the case, and the fruit was sent to 
market in a marketable condition, fruit-growing can be profitably carried 
on in this locality notwithstanding the keen foreign competition. He 
referred to some of the pests whieh infest fruit trees, showed the mischief 
they do, and pointed out how to get rid of them. 
- Growing Narcissi in the Scilly Isles.—T he favourable 
weather experienced during the last six weeks at the Islands of Scilly 
has had a marked effect on the Narcissi. They already make rows in 
the beds. 
- Gardening Appointment. —Mr. D. J. Smith informs us that 
he has left his situation as head gardener to B. Beer, Esq., Elm Wood, 
Bickley, Kent, and is now acting in a similar capacity at the General 
Infirmary, Northampton. 
- Metropolitan Public Gardens Association. —At the 
recent meeting of this Association it was announced that His Royal 
Highness the Duke of York, after opening to the public the Victoria 
Park Cemetery, now known as the Meath Gardens, had consented to 
become a patron of the Association, and had subscribed £10 to its 
funds. 
- Certificated Carnations. —Mr. W. J. Godfrey, Exmoutb,. 
exhibited blooms of Reginald Godfrey and Miss Mary Godfrey at the 
Royal Aquarium, Westminster, yesterday (Wednesday), and for which 
certificates were awarded by the Floral Committee of the National 
Chrysanthemum Society. The first named variety is salmon pink in 
colour, and the latter is white ; both useful for winter flowering; 
- Death of Mr. Edward Spivey. —The death of Mr. Edward 
Spivey is announced to have taken place at Sawbridgeworth recently. 
Mr. Spivey, who was eighty years of age, was for nearly half a century 
head gardener to the late J. A. Houblon, Esq., Great Hallingbury Place, 
Bishop’s Stortford, and was well known as a gardener of the old school. 
Many years ago he was a large exhibitor of fruit at the metropolitan 
shows. 
- A Book on Ferns. —We have received a new and cheap 
edition of “A Manual of Exotic Ferns and Selaginellas,” by Mr. E; 
Sandford, and published by Mr. Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.C. 
The book is well printed and contains much useful information on the 
subjects with which the author deals, but it appears to be merely a 
reproduction of the previous issue. A curious point in connection with 
this is the fact that the errors observed in the earlier edition are in the 
one under notice, a fac-simile “ errata ” list being printed. 
- The Apple Crop of 1891.— I am surprised to learn from 
page 356 of your last issue that Mr. Molyneux classes the Queen with 
Apples which have failed to yield a crop this season. With us Lord 
Grosvenor, Beauty of Kent, Mere de Manage and the Queen are the only 
kinds yielding good crops. Trees of the latter variety planted in gardens 
six or seven years ago were this year loaded with splendid fruit—perfect 
pictures. I have found the variety to be unfailing as a bearer, and the 
fruit commands the most ready sale of any culinary variety. The 
original tree, which stands in my orchard, has purchased its ground 
many times over with its fruit, the crop making in one year £6, and 
approaching that sum repeatedly.— William W. Bull, Ramsden^ 
Billericay, Essex. 
-- WOOLTON Show. —Seeing a paragraph in the Jo^irnal of Horti¬ 
culture (page 361) taking exception to the report of the Woolton show 
published the previous week, I beg leave to lay before you the true 
facts of the case. The show was certainly a competitive one, although 
the exhibits were not classified in the ordinary way. Each exhibitor 
could stage what he pleased, provided he kept to the rules. It was also 
perfectly well known to exhibitors that judges were appointed, and 
that awards in kind of different value were to be given in the order of 
merit, so that the best exhibit in the show received the best prize, which 
is certainly equivalent to being first. The report of the show on 
page 349, October 11th, was perfectly correct in every sense.— 
Wm. Disley, Hon. Sec. Woolton G.M.I. Society. 
- Autumn-sown Onions. —Mr. J. Taylor, of 22, Camp Hill 
Lane, Wednesbury, writes to the “ Rural World ; ”—“ The ordinary prac¬ 
tice of sowing Onions during August (and in some northern parts 
earlier) is well understood, but it is not a general method to transplant 
them during the early part of October. I have only done it twice, and 
observe this season as well as last the crop is in much better condition 
than those left to be planted during March or April in the usual way ; 
and what is more, bolting to seed is far less common. The ground is 
well prepared by manuring with decayed manure and digging deeply. 
The Onions are then planted in rows 1 foot apart and about 6 inches 
from plant to plant. Fine ashes mixed with soot are dusted along the 
rows once or twice during the season to ward off the evils caused by 
worms and the raising of the roots by frost.” 
