664 
THE HARDENING WORLD 
June 20, 1S91. 
who have arranged for early exhibitions will 
not be disappointed. When the great shows 
are made to fall early in July, there is not 
much chance for the smaller ones to fill unless 
they fix rather early dates. In some years the 
early fixtures have been favoured. This year 
it would seem as if the later ones will be. 
he Royal Horticultural Society.— 
Although our objections to the James 
Street Drill Hall as the place for holding the 
ordinary meetings of the Royal Horticultural 
Society have always been firm and consistent, 
we have never gone to the length which some of 
the objectors have, in calling it abusive names, 
because such terms are neither exact nor called 
for. From the first we have held that the best 
home for the meetings was at Chiswick, and 
still think so, especially as regards the summer 
meetings, when the fine gardens then may be 
fully enjoyed, and Fellows made to understand 
what but very few now do, that the Chiswick 
Gardens are theirs, and that they may utilise 
them to the utmost. 
But we are most ready to admit that both the 
shows and the attendance at the Drill Hall 
meetings have greatly improved of late, due, 
perhaps, in a considerable measure to the fact 
that the great structure is a cool and not at all 
unpleasant place of resort in the summer, and 
has become better known to the Fellows. The 
winter months constitute the Drill Hall’s 
difficulty, for then it is cold, cheerless and 
wearisome. It is far too large for the purpose 
of the meetings, as well as far too cold and 
gloomy. Pending the carrying out of the 
Horticultural Hall scheme, the realisation of 
which may never come after all, we should 
advise the Council to arrange to hold all the 
summer meetings at Chiswick, at least from the 
first of May to the end of October, and then 
some smaller, warmer and lighter room would 
amply suffice for the winter and spring 
meetings. Were this plan adopted, not only 
would the society be the gainer, but the 
meetings would be far more attractive to the 
Fellows, and pleasanter to the Committees. 
How that Orchids form so important an 
element in the gatherings, it specially behoves 
the Council to furnish for them congenial 
surroundings, and certainly in winter the Drill 
Hall fails to provide these. Even in the 
winter the fine vinery at Chiswick, when it is 
warmed, excels any hall, horticultural or other¬ 
wise, that London can furnish for a meeting 
place; still we think London is best for the 
winter months. 
^omatos.—-T he long - continued gloomy 
weather, which has nearly reached to 
midsummer, has warned us of the poor prospect 
there is of getting ripe Tomatos from plants 
in the open air. Really lo have any chance in 
that direction we ought to have plants now put 
out into the open ground fully a foot high, 
already blooming, and making rapid growth. 
It cannot be said that the weather has favoured 
such development, except against warm south 
walls, the only place outdoors where it seems 
at all likely we shall get any ripe fruits. We 
wish to warn our amateur readers against 
trusting too much for a Tomato crop to outdoor 
plants. Already, even in houses, the disease 
which so much affects the Tomato in some 
places is very apparent. It destroys the leaves, 
spots the fruits, and finally kills the stems. 
Thus the plants come to an end. 
In houses it may be possible to counteract 
this disease by applications of sulphate of 
copper or sulphur ; but outdoors, once the plants 
are affected, they die off as rapidly as do Potato 
tops under the effects of the Potato fungus. 
It is thus seen that in wet cold seasons Tomatos 
have vmry poor chance outdoors, and the risk is 
very great. If our readers can manage a small 
greenhouse, even without any artificial heat for 
their Tomato plants, they will be wise, It is 
very disappointing indeed to see plants, raised 
and planted out in the open ground with so 
much trouble, die off useless, without being able 
to do anything to save them. Our only chance, 
is with a greenhouse or a large frame. A span 
frame is a useful thing also ; but in all cases the 
pfants should be grown in pots, as then the 
foots are kept under control. 
Tomatos want fairly good firm soil, with only 
a moderate proportion of well-decayed manure 
in it. The plants always do best if, as the 
fruits begin to swell, they are helped with 
some weak manure water, but it is not well to 
give too much of that when the fruits are 
colouring. Specially must the plants be kept 
hard pruned of all side shoots, as too much 
growth soon checks fruitfulness. 
-- 
The Late Mr. Shirley Hibberd’s Library, which 
contains a great number of valuable horticultural and 
botanical works, will be sold by auction by Messrs. 
Sotheby, Wilkinson and Hodge, at their rooms in 
Wellington Street, Strand, on Monday and Tuesday, 
June 29th and 30th. 
The Harrogate Nursery, so long carried on by 
Messrs. A. Booty & Co., has been taken over by Messrs. 
James Backhouse & Son, of York, as a branch estab¬ 
lishment. 
Gloxinias.—We understand that in consequence of 
the backwardness of the season, Messrs. J. Peed & Sons, 
of Tulse Hill, have postponed their Gloxinia show from 
June 25th and 26th to July 8th and 9th. 
Eastbourne Gardeners’ Society.—The committee 
of the above society have decided to visit Kew Gardens 
on July 8th, going by rail to London, and thence by 
boat up the river as far as Chiswick. 
Widcombe Horticultural Club.—At a meeting of 
this club, held on the 9th inst., Mr. Tate read a paper 
on greenhouse plants, and the members also enjoyed 
the inspection of some good Pinks from Mr. Shide, and 
Pansies from Mr. Hooper. 
Mr. J. R. Petch, the severance of whose connection 
with the firm of Messrs. R. Smith k Co., of Worcester, 
was recently announced in these columns, has purchased 
the business of Mr. J. S. Stevens, of Saffron Walden, 
Essex, and in conjunction with his son will carry on 
the business of a nurseryman, seedsman and florist. 
Mr. Petch takes possession on Wednesday next, and 
his many personal friends will assuredly wish him all 
possible success in his new undertaking. 
Death of Mr. George Cavendish.—Amongst metro¬ 
politan horticulturists, and particularly supporters of 
the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution, the an¬ 
nouncement of the sudden death recently of Mr. 
George Cavendish at his residence, Grove House, 
Surbiton, will be received with genuine regret, and with 
deep sympathy for his widow. He had been a regular 
attendant of late years at the principal social gatherings 
of horticulturists in the metropolis, and his recitations 
—humorous and pathetic—always proved welcome and 
enjoyable items in the evening’s entertainment. The 
United Horticultural Provident and Benefit Society 
will especially miss his genial presence at its next 
annual dinner, at which he had engaged himself to 
preside. 
The Best Seedling Orchid: 4 Correction.—In our last 
issue we inadvertently made an error which we hasten 
to correct. In our report of the Royal Horticultural 
Society’s meeting we credited Messrs. F. Sander & Co. 
with receiving a Silver-gilt Flora Medal for a small 
group of Orchids ; and Messrs. James Yeitch k Sons 
with receiving a Silver Flora Medal for "the best 
seedling Orchid.” We should have said that the 
Silver-gilt Medal was awarded to Messrs. Sander for 
the best seedling Orchid (Lrelia hybrida Arnoldiana); 
the Messrs. Veitch taking the Silver Medal for Disa 
Yeitchii. 
Royal Botanic Society" of London.—At a meeting 
of this society held on Saturday, Lord Willoughby de 
Eresby, vice-president, in the chair, Dr. Prior, F.L.S., 
showed some bundles of the undeveloped flower stalks 
of a species of Ornithogalum, or Star of Bethlehem, 
sold in the markets of Bath as a vegetable under the 
name of "Bath Asparagus.” The plant is common 
on the hills round that town, though rare elsewhere. 
A very beautiful collection of water colour drawings of 
Brazilian plants, painted from Nature by Mrs. A. 
Leveson-Gower, was exhibited at the meeting. 
The Conifer Conference.—By an oversight the list 
of papers to be read at the Chiswick Conference on 
October 7th, published in our last issue, was not given 
in its entirety. To the papers already enumerated 
should be added the following :—" Conifers as Specimen 
Trees and for Landscape Gardening,” by Mr. G. 
Nicholson, Kew ; “ Conifers for Timber and in Planta¬ 
tions, ” by Mr. A. D. Webster. Keston ; “Conifers for 
Afforesting,” by Messrs. Dicksons, Chester ; and 
“Conifers at Dropmore,” by Mr. C. Herrin. 
Commemoration Show at Oxford.—The summer 
exhibition of the Royal Oxfordshire Horticultural 
Society was held on Tuesday afternoon in the beautiful 
gardens of Worcester College, and was very numerously 
attended. Owing to the unseasonable weather that 
prevailed in the early spring, the number of exhibits 
was hardly so large as usual, the roses and vegetables 
showing a great falling off. Some splendid specimens, 
however, were included in the collections of vegetables, 
Mr. T. Lockie, of Oakley Court Gardens, Windsor, who 
carried off both first prizes, being awarded the Silver 
Medal for the exhibit displaying the highest cultural 
skill in the show. In the classes open to all England, 
the chief prize winners were :—-Messrs. J. Cypher, 
Cheltenham ; C. Turner, Slough ; J. F. Mold, Pewsey ; 
J. Marriott, Coventry ; J. Matlock, Headington ; A. H. 
Gray, Bath ; T. Lockie, Windsor ; and the Rev. H. A. 
Pickard. 
A Gardeners’ Excursion to Hardwicke Hall.—On 
the 11th inst. the members of the Notts Horticultural 
and Botanical Society, to the number of 140, paid a 
visit to Hardwicke Hall and Gardens, the seat of Lord 
Hartington, near Chesterfield. The party were received 
at Hardwicke early in the afternoon by Mr. Wilson, 
gardener to Lord Hartington, and an inspection of the 
mansion was made, but the greatest amount of interest 
was naturally centred in the lovely grounds and hot¬ 
houses. No better time could have been chosen for the 
visit of the horticulturists. The gardens simply glowed 
with rare flowers, arranged as artistically as the most 
fastidious of landscape gardeners could have wished, 
while the sight in the conservatories was one which 
will not soon fade from the memory of those privileged 
tosee.it. Tea was partaken of at the “Hardwicke” 
Inn, and the time intervening between five and half¬ 
past eight o’clock, the hour of departure, was pleasantly 
spent in strolling around the village and surrounding 
walks. The whole of the arrangements worked very 
smoothly in the hands of Mr. J. M. Stewart, hon. sec. 
Fruit Growing in California. — For healthfulness 
and fertility of soil there is, in Yice-Consul Mortimer's 
opinion, no country like California, and no district more 
happily situated than that of Los Angelos. For all 
that, the common notion that you have only to settle 
down here, grow fruit, and prosper, requires some impor¬ 
tant qualifications. So far from being a certain road to 
fortune Californian fruit-growing is essentially specula¬ 
tive. Two years ago the "white scale ” was so eating 
into the Orange-growers’ crops that it seemed probable 
that Oranges would cease to be grown. Last year, on 
the contrary, the Orange-growers’ profits were very 
large ; and this year again, owing partly to a combina¬ 
tion among the brokers and partly to other causes, it is 
much less. When to all this is added the ravages of 
storms and frosts it will be seen that Orange growing 
is considered in the country a hazardous business. 
“Food for Man” is the title of a reprint, in cheap 
pamphlet form, of a lecture delivered by Dr. B. "W. 
Richardson in the Free Trade Hall, Manchester, in 
January, 1888, and now published by the Yegetarian 
Society, 75, Princess Street, Manchester. Dr. Richard¬ 
son compares animal and vegetable foods in an able 
and most interesting way, and, we need scarcely add, 
draws deductions decidedly in favour of “the principles 
of those who would go to the world of plants for the 
sustenance of the world of human life.” If the ex¬ 
perience of hard workers does not lead them quite so far 
in the direction of vegetarianism as advocates of that 
dietary would have them go, it is quite certain that the 
great mass of the people in this country do not eat so 
much vegetable and green food as they ought to do, and 
on that ground any publication which tends to encourage 
a greater consumption of vegetable products—like the 
pamphlet before us—we are happy to commend to 
public notice. 
The Big Trees of California.—A wag once stated 
that the Dogwood tree ought to be known by its bark, 
but the big trees of California are as certainly known 
by their bark, which is a spongy mass, often measuring 
nearly 1 ft. thick. It is on account of this great 
thickness of bark, which in a measure does not take 
kindly to fire, that the large trees have been in a great 
measure preserved through so many ages, when other 
trees have been entirely destroyed by the flames which 
rushed through the forests. The bark of these mam¬ 
moth trees preserved them from destruction. Another 
