404 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
Norember 1,1894. 
of large size and fine appearance, are of comparatively little value from 
a market point of view, and a whole host of the varieties already 
planted will scarcely pay for the room they occupy, to say nothing 
about the attention, labour, manure, and other charges. If only the 
best and most suitable sorts had been selected in many cases that I could 
name, the results would have proved of the satisfactory order. 
Now that the leading society of the kingdom has taken the matter in 
hand, other societies will follow suit, as there are several annual exhi¬ 
bitions in the country where these unlimited classes exist, notably 
the Gloucester Eoot, Fruit, and Grain Society, which provides two classes 
for culinary and dessert Apples. In each there is no limit to the 
number of dishes, an exhibitor being perfectly at liberty to stage as 
many dishes as he can, provided he gives the secretary notice of the 
amount of space he requires. The same remarks apply to the class for 
Pears at that show. Such arrangements really act against a good 
competition, as there are only a very few exhibitors who care to enter 
the contest, whereas if only fifty dishes were allowed, as suggested by 
the Royal Horticultural Society, more collections would be staged, and 
of a much better quality, that would be far more educational than at 
present. Fruit culture has received so much attention of late years, 
and showing no indications of diminishing, that all will gladly welcome 
any plans for the promotion of that industry, and I think the action of 
the R.H.S. is a very decided step in that direction.— Fkuitman. 
Events op the Week. —Horticulturists will be busy during the 
ensuing week, the Chrysanthemum show season having already opened. 
To-morrow (Friday) the exhibition at the Crystal Palace opens, and 
will continue the following day. On the 6th, 7th, and 8th inst. the 
principal show of the National Chrysanthemum Society will be held at 
the Royal Aquarium, Westminster. Exhibitions will also be held at 
Leeds, Brighton, and Watford on the 6th and 7th ; and on the 7th and 
8 th at Ascot, Bournemouth, Wolverhampton, and Liverpool. A Chrys¬ 
anthemum show and Congress opens at Antwerp on Sunday, November 
4th, and will continue the following day. 
- The Weather in London. —Much rain has fallen in the 
Metropolis since publishing our last issue. On Saturday it rained 
heavily at frequent intervals, but Sunday was fine with the exception of 
the evening. Monday proved showery, and on Tuesday it rained all the 
day. Wednesday opened damp and foggy, but it cleared later in the 
day. 
- Mild Weather in Hampshire. —Mr. E, Molyneux writes 
that frost has not yet injured anything at Swanmore Park. He is still 
gathering Runner Beans and Peas. Dahlias are not touched, Begonias 
still good in the beds, and herbaceous Lobelias better than at any time 
during the year. They like moisture and have had plenty, as nearly 
3|- inches of rain fell in ten days after 20th of October. 
- The Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund.—T he seventh 
election of children to the benefit of this fund, consisting of an 
allowance of 5s. per week (subject to the conditions stated in rule xiii.) 
will take on February next, at the Cannon Street Hotel, London, E.C. 
All applications must be made on a printed form, copies of which may 
be had gratis of the Hon. Secretary, or of any of the local secretaries. 
Such form must be correctly filled up, duly'signed, and returned to this 
office not later than Friday, December 7th.—A. F. Barron, Hon, Sec,, 
HoT/al Horticultural Society's Gardens, Chiswick. 
- Fruit Houses in the Royal Gardens,—I n referring to the 
fruit houses in the Royal Gardens, Windsor, on page 392 of last week’s 
issue of the Journal of Horticulture, \t should have been stated that 
the range of houses alluded to in the thirteenth line is 340 yards long 
instead of feet as printed. The matter was printed as written, but we 
have pleasure in making the correction. 
Euonymus europasus. — Mr. G. Freeman, Akeley Wood 
Gardens, Buckingham, writes In your last issue (page 385) Mr. 
Divers asks particulars respecting the fruiting of the above. We have 
here a number of plants, some yielding a fair crop, others completely 
fruitless, although the plants flowered profusely; last year and the year 
before they were perfection. I believe it is a general failure with them 
this season. Hollies here, of which we have some fine specimens, 
are producing berries in abundance. Cydonia japonica, the white 
flowered variety, on a south wall is bearing several trusses of blooms. 
- Death of Mrs. David Thomson.—W e learn with much 
regret of the death, which occurred on October 25th, of as good and 
kind and helpful a gardener’s wife as ever lived. How good and kind 
she was hundreds of visitors to her hospitable home well know, and will 
readily acknowledge ; how helpful none can know so well as the accom¬ 
plished gardener at Drumlanrig, with whom friends innumerable will 
mourn in his great bereavement. 
- Horticultural Congress in Paris.—W e are informed 
that at the Horticultural Congress to be held in Paris in May, 1895, 
under the auspices of the National Horticultural Society of France, 
and in connection with the show, the following subjects will be 
discussed :—1, The part played by chlorophyll in plants and the 
remedies for chlorosis. 2, The cultivation of forced Vines under glass 
in France and other countries. 3, The outward appearance of fruits 
and tubers as indicating their quality. 4, The heat of the sun or that 
of the air: which has most influence on vegetation ? 5, Grafting 
Potatoes. 6, Apparatus for warming glass houses and consuming 
different fuels. 7, The advantage of a fixed standard for regulating 
the different systems of hot-water heating. 8, The various modes of 
growth in plants obtained from seed. Palms more particularly. 
- The Lily Disease. —It is pleasant to know that this annoying 
disease has not reached the garden of the Rev. D. R. Williamson, whose 
interesting communications upon the Lily, its rival the Rose, and the 
Viola, I always read with enjoyment. I had “ said my say,” as I 
thought, upon this disease, but since writing I have had occasion to 
remove my bulbs of Lilium chalcedonicum, and it may be of interest to 
some to know that, although the foliage was attacked by the disease, 
the bulbs are perfectly sound. Finer bulbs I could not wish to have.— 
S. Arnott. 
- Death of Mr. Robert Petfield.—W e regret to hear of the 
death of Mr. Robert Petfield, who for many years was gardener at Did- 
dington, Huntingdon, the residence of A. J. Thornhill, Esq. Mr. 
Petfield died on the 22nd ult., at the age of sixty-nine years. He was a 
keen florist, cultivating the Dahlia and Chrysanthemum for exhibition 
purposes with great success. Besides being a member of the National 
Chrysanthemum Society, Mr. Petfield was largely instrumental in 
winning for St. Neots Society the national trophy of the National 
Chrysanthemum Society in 1890, and again in 1892 and 1893. 
- The Cape Gooseberry.—I t is surprising to find how few 
people seem familiar with the old Cape Gooseberry, and once they see it 
in fruit how greatly they are charmed with it, Messrs. J. Cheal & Sons 
kindly sent to a meeting where I was the other evening, a few branches 
laden with the beautiful red fruits, and they were seized upon with 
exceeding avidity by the ladies present. Pieces of this plant are 
singularly effective for room decoration. Physalis Alkekengi is a hardy 
herbaceous perennial, and is so easily raised from seed that anyone 
may have it in quantity. Some day it will be grown in all good 
gardens.—A. D. 
- Bullfinches. —These birds are more numerous this winter 
than I ever remember so far. I have caught in trap-cages in my 
garden about forty, and this comparatively early, as I usually trap 
more in November than in any other month. Last season I was some¬ 
what taken to task by a correspondent in the Journal of Horticulture 
for advising trapping these destructive birds to fruit buds. On two 
occasions, also, I have gone into hot water for recommending others to 
trap them when giving my series of technical instruction lessons to 
classes in Worcestershire and Warwickshire. I considered it pure 
sentimentalism of ladies, as gardeners understand too well the damage 
and disappointment that result from attacks on fruit trees by these birds. 
May I ask for candid opinions on the subject?—J. Hiam, Astwood Bank. 
- Wolverhampton Free Library Lectures. -On Satur¬ 
day evening a lecture was given by Mr. G. A. Bishop, F.R.H.S., in the 
Lecture Hall of the Free Library, on “ Amateur Gardening: Flowers 
and Vegetables.” The chair was taken by Councillor Weaver. T’ne 
subject was intensely interesting to a number of persons who were in 
sympathy with the best modes of cultivating what is beautiful in 
flowers and choice in fruits. The lecturer, after describing the various 
kinds of soils with which the amateur has to deal, and indicating the 
best methods of treating them as regards drainage, manuring, and 
digging, passed on to treat of seeds, and to show the proper methods of 
sowing, planting, potting, pruning, and watering, and then adverted to 
the cultivation of vegetables. During an interval, by the aid of the 
limelight, was exhibited some photos of recently exhibited flowers and 
Grapes grown by the lecturer, and which had secured prizes. 
