446 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
NoTember 15,1894. 
Events of the Week. —As will be seen by referring to the list 
published on another page a few more Chrysanthemum shows remain to 
be held during the ensuing week. To-day (Thursday) exhibitions open 
at Birkenhead and Winchester, and on Friday and Saturday, the 16th 
and 17th inst., shows are to be held at Bolton, Chesterfield, Eccles, 
Bradford, and Sheffield. On Tuesday, the 20th inst., Woking and 
Twickenham shows will open, continuing in each case the following day. 
- The Weather in London.— The past week has been 
characterised by stormy weather in the metropolis. On Saturday last it 
rained heavily during the afternoon, but was fine on Sunday. Monday 
was wet, and in the evening a thunderstorm occurred, accompanied with 
hail. Tuesday was fine and colder, but it wag very gusty during the 
night, and on Wednesday the weather was unfavourable, rain falling 
most of the day. 
-- The Weather in the North. —Since the 26th ult. till 
Tuesday morning, 13th inst., there has been no recurrence of frost. 
The intervening fortnight has been extremely changeable, with rain 
on nearly every alternate day. On Tuesday morning there was a 
slight frost. Farmers are pushing on the storing of Turnips. 
Previously an average crop of Potatoes with but little disease had been 
secured in fine conditions of weather.—B. D., S. Perthshire, 
- Testimonial to Mr. William Dean, Birmingham. —We 
are informed that Mr. Kobert Sydenham and Mr. W. B. Latham met 
Mr. W. Dean on November 7tb, and formally presented him, in name of 
the committee of subscribers, with a handsome silver watch bearing the 
following inscription:—“Presented to Mr. Wm. Dean, along with 
50 guineas, on his seventieth birthday, as a mark of esteem. Subscribed 
for by florists and friends in all parts of the country.” 
- The Royal Society.— We learn from “Nature” that the 
President and Council of the Royal Society have],this year awarded 
the following medals, amongst others :—The Copley medal to Dr. 
Edward Frankland, for his eminent services to theoretical and applied 
chemistry ; the Rumford medal to Prof. James Dewar, for his researches 
on the properties of matter at extremely low temperatures; the Davy 
medal to Prof. Cleave, of Upsala, for his researches on the chemistry 
of the rare earths ; and the Darwin medal to Prof. Huxley, for his 
researches in comparative anatomy, and especially for his intimate 
association with Mr. Darwin in relation to the origin of species. 
- Albert Haller’s History of Plants Indigenous to 
Switzerland. —This valuable old work has just been presented to the 
Lindley Library by Mr. Jas. Douglas, Great Gearies, Ilford. It consists 
of three folio volumes bound together in one. Although the date of 
publication is 1768 it is evident that the author had either begun the 
work or contemplated doing so about thirty years prior to that date, as 
some of the engravings were drawn in the year 1740. Perhaps the most 
interesting feature in connection with the work is the fact that it bears 
■the signature of A. J. J. Rousseau. Rousseau seems to have utilised 
Von Haller’s Historia to a very great extent, as he has taken the trouble 
to correct the synonymy of over 100 names. There can be little doubt 
that the handwriting is his. 
- The Lily Disease. — I am gratified to learn from Mr. 
S. Arnott that his bulbs of Lilium chalcedonicum, the beautiful 
Scarlet Martagon, have been found, when examined, perfectly sound. 
This Lily is supposed by such authorities as Mr. J. G. Baker of Kew, 
Dr. Wallace of Colchester, and Sir Edwin Arnold to have been the 
special Oriental flower that was immortalised in a memorable passage. 
I therefore regard it as possessing an exceptional interest and signifl- 
cance. Lilium speciosum Kreutzeri is the only Lily in my garden 
which has suffered much. It is my opinion that disease is not 
responsible for this, but the excessively wet summer, which seriously 
affected the upper roots, whereby the flowers are fed. I am confirmed 
in this impression by the absolutely healthy appearance of the spikes, 
which up to the present period have exhibited no evidence whatever of 
premature decay. With a drier warmer season, the result, I venture to 
assert, would not have been the same.— David R. Williamson. 
- We learn from “Nature,” with regret, of the death of Professor 
M. Duchartre, the eminent French botanist. He was in his eighty- 
fourth year. 
- A Laburnum Tree in Flower. —“ W. G. H.” writes: “As 
I have taken the Journal of Horticulture for some years, and knowing 
that you are always ready to note anything unusual, I send blooms of a 
Laburnum. This is the second time the tree has flowered this year. 
Nothing has been done to this tree as far as I can learn to cause this 
freak of Nature.” 
- The Hop Crop. —According to the Board of Agriculture the 
total produce of hops is put at 636,846 cwt., from 59,535 acres, or at the 
rate of 10'7 cwt. per acre. Last year’s return was given as 414,929 cwt. 
from 57,564 acres, or 7-21 cwt. per acre. The yield per acre has only 
once been equalled during the nine previous years of official returns, 
namely, in 1886, when it was 11'07 cwt. per acre. 
-Royal Meteorological Society.—A t the ordinary meeting 
of the Society, to be held at 25, Great George Street, Westminster, on 
Wednesday, the 21st inst., at 7.30 p.m., the following papers will be 
read:—“ Methods of Determining the Influence of Springs on the 
Temperature of a River, as Illustrated by the Thames and its Tribu¬ 
taries,” by H. B. Guppy, M.B.; “Some Effects of the Gale in the 
Highlands of Scotland on November 17th and 18th, 1893,” by Eric S. 
Bruce, M.A., F.R.Met.Soc.; “ History of a Waterspout,” by Alfred B. 
Wollaston. 
- Grafting the Tomato on the Potato.—W hen the Potato 
is grafted on the Tomato, which can be done by reason of the close 
relationship between the two plants, says “ Meehans’ Monthly,” the 
Potato roots continue to produce Potatoes, while the Tomato grafted on 
the Potato stalk continues to produce Tomatoes. This is considered in 
some of the agricultural papers as remarkable, that one plant should 
produce two different kinds of products ; but it is no more remarkable 
than all other experiences in grafting. A Pear may be grafted on the 
Quince, but the roots are still Quince roots, although Pears come from 
the grafted portion. There have been cases known where the graft 
will influence the stock, but to such a slight degree as not to materially 
alter its character. 
- Tadc ASTER Paxton Society.—O n Friday, 9th inst., this 
flourishing Society held its third annual show of Chrysanthemums^ 
plants, fruit, flowers, and vegetables. The show, both in the number 
and quality of the exhibits, was in advance of its predecessors. There 
were thirty-eight more entries than last year. Mr. T. Fielden, of 
Grimston Park, exhibited a magnificent group of Chrysanthemums 
(not for competition), and a splendid collection of Apples and Pears, 
showing kinds suitable to the northern climate, for which the 
judges awarded a certificate of merit. The first prize for a group of 
Chrysanthemums arranged for effect was awarded to Mr. T. J. Padman, 
Boston Spa; second to Mr. H. Bromet ; third to Masters R. and 
F. Colley, aged respectively thirteen and nine. The show was formally 
opened by Mrs. Fielden, of Grimston Park.—J. S. 
- Mere de Menage Apples. — I had sent me the other day, to 
stage at the Royal Aquarium show, a number of Mere de Mfinage 
Apples, all the way from Rhyl, North Wales. They were sent by a local 
gardener, Mr. C. J. Holden, and were in that locality esteemed to be a 
very excellent sample. The fruits were not grown on nursery stocks 
or on highly cultured bush trees in gardens, but on some twenty-year- 
old standard trees. Here in London we are so accustomed to see 
the very fine fruits produced from such trees that I have named that we 
are rather disposed to regard samples from orchard trees with indiffer¬ 
ence ; and yet if we fairly considered the conditions under which grown, 
it is very probable that after all, because exemplifying the cheaper forms 
of Apple culture, fruits from orchard trees, if really clean and good, are 
the more meritorious. In any case Mr. Holden sent some 130 fruits of 
Mfere de Menage, all of capital market size, all richly coloured, clean, 
and a most excellent sample to show how well this fine variety can be 
grown within one mile of the sea, and under undoubtedly ordinary 
conditions. But those who have to make awards at shows do not know 
or are supposed to know how fruits are grown. They only regard the 
samples before them, hence large fruits that are produced singly or in 
pairs on nursery trees, and are few, adding nothing to the general Apple 
products of the community, obtain the awards, whilst lesser but still good 
fruits, samples of what is produced by many bushels, are not looked at. 
Surely a knowledge of how produced should have some weight with 
judges.—A. D. 
