February 28, 1891. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
418 
which we have seen differ considerably in the details as 
to colour. Now that the hybrid has had time to 
establish itself, it shows plenty of evidence of being a 
robust and strong-growing subject, with flowers of 
great beauty. It is flowering in the collection of 
Messrs. Charleswortb, Shuttleworth & Co., 213, Park 
Road, Clapham. 
Dendrobium PRIMULINUM VAR. 
In habit this species somewhat resembles D. cretaceum, 
but the flowers are generally much larger. The stems 
usually vary from 9 ins. to 12 ins. in length, but a 
variety now flowering at Devonhurst, Chiswick, has 
a stout, pendent stem 18 ins. long. The flowers 
being produced singly on the pedicels, form a double 
row, one along each side of the stem, constituting a 
very attractive spray. The individual blooms are about 
1-J in. in diameter, with oblong, rosy purple, spreading 
sepals and petals. The lip is large, convolute at the 
base over the column, shortly fringed at the margin, 
creamy white, marked with bright purple lines on each 
side of the base, and otherwise more or less marked or 
suffused with pale purple. The specific name refers to 
the Cowslip odour of the flowers. Some growers 
would call this form D. primulinum giganteum, but it 
does not exactly correspond to the original plant 
having that name. Considering that the type 
was introduced in 1857, one might expect to see it 
more often grown and esteemed upon its own merits. 
It may be grown in a basket suspended from the roof 
in the same way as a great many others. 
--»$•«-- 
SOCIETIES. 
m 
Manchester Horticultural Improvement. — The 
members of this society held their last meeting of the 
winter session on the 19th inst. in the Memorial Hall. 
Mr. Bruce Findlay, who occupied the chair, referred to 
the less sustained by English horticulture since last 
session in the death of many prominent horticulturists, 
including Mr. James Backhouse, Mr Shirley Hibberd, 
and Mr. B. S. Williams. Mr. A. Stansfield, the 
senior vice-president, in the absence of Mr. Yates 
Dixon, who had been announced to address the 
members, made a few remarks on rock-loving shrubs. 
He said the subject was not only an alluring one, but 
might well engage the attention of practical gardeners, 
inasmuch as no pleasure grounds were complete 
without its rock garden. He gave a list of 100 plants 
suitable for rock gardens, with brief hints as to their 
habits and culture. The list, he said, might largely 
be extended, according to locality and climatic con¬ 
ditions. He explained the cause- of the characteristic 
dwarfness of Alpine plants, and of the comparatively 
large size of the flowers in proportion to the foliage. 
A great number of the so-called species were simply 
varieties of form resulting from the conditions under 
which the plants grew. Rhododendron ferrugineum, 
R. hirsutum and R. intermedium were practically so 
many different forms of the same species. Botanical 
nomenclature, through “hair splitting,’’had got into 
a state of absolute anarchy, insomuch that a veritable 
Hercules would now be needed to set things right. 
National Chrysanthemum. — At a well-attended 
meeting of the General Commitree—the dense fog 
prevailing notwithstanding—held on Monday evening, 
it was decided, among other business transacted, that 
it should be left to the Schedule Sub-Gommittee to 
secure a new design for the society’s certificate. The 
schedule of prizes for the society’s shows in September, 
November and December, with the list of judges for the 
same, prepared by the last-named body, was also 
unanimously adopted. The committee also adopted 
a few verbal alterations in the rules of the Floral 
Committee, and from eleven members nominated 
elected Mr. G. Stevens, Mr. Briscoe-Ironside, Mr. T. 
Bevan, Mr. J. Mardlin, and Mr. Robert Owen members 
of the same committee, in the place of those retiring 
iu rotation. - The dates fixed for holding the Floral 
Committee meetings were September 9th, October 14th 
and 28th ; November 10th and 24th, and December 
9th. Messrs. C. Harman Payne, E. C. Jukes, 
G. Gordon, Briscoe-Ironside, and H. Shoesmith were 
appointed to serve on the Catalogue Committee. Two 
new members were elected, and the Reigate, Grimsby 
and Nottingham Chrysanthemum Societies were ad¬ 
mitted into affiliation. 
North of Scotland Horticultural Association.— 
The monthly meeting of the members of this association 
was held in the Music Hall Buildings, Aberdeen, on 
Saturday evening, the 21st inst. There was a large 
attendance, and Mr. D. M. Smith, president, occupied 
the chair. Mr. D. Edwards, Bedford Road, read 
a paper on “The best varieties of Ferns for House 
Decoration.” There was probably no class of plants, 
he said, that had commanded so much attention for the 
purposes of house decoration, as the many and beautiful 
varieties of Ferns ; and this he attributed to their 
hardiness and gracefulness, growing and flourishing 
where other plants failed. He enumerated the various 
kinds of hardy Ferns, giving hints as to the best 
method of treatment, either in pots, Fern cases, or 
hanging baskets, as each was best adapted ; and finally 
concluded his very interesting paper with suggestions 
regarding their cultivation. 
Mr. Simpson, Union Wyiul, Aberdeen, then contri¬ 
buted a paper on “ The Construction of Greenhouses.” 
He had objections to iron erections because, in the first 
place, they were colder than those made of wood ; and, 
in the second place, the expansion and contraction of 
the metal during hot and cold weather proved a severe 
test for the glass, and kept the house in a Laky con¬ 
dition. The majority of houses were now being built 
of wood, the most durable, in his opinion, being well- 
seasoned Russian red pine. He particularly cautioned 
his hearers against the danger of open joints and bad 
foundations, and instanced various methods of glazing. 
As regarded the ventilation of greenhouses he thought 
there was a decided advantage gained in having a 
combination from the top and bottom, with apparatus 
to open simultaneously. Coming to the heating 
arrangements he thought they would all agree with 
him that the low-pressure system of hot-water pipes 
was the best, and he concluded by giving instructions 
as to the selection of boilers and the laying of the 
pipes. An interesting discussion on both papers was 
then engaged in, and at its close Mr. Edwards and Mr. 
Simpson were each heartily thanked for his contribution 
A vote of thanks to the president concluded a most 
enjoyable evening. 
Birmingham Gardeners’ Association.—At the fort¬ 
nightly meeting held on the 23rd inst., Mr. J. Lambert, 
gardener to Col. Wingfield, Onslow Hall, Shrewsbury, 
read a lengthened and excellent paper on “ Vegetables 
—their Varieties and Cultivation.” The cultivation 
for exhibition as well as for general use of the various 
families required for table, received full attention ; and 
Mr. Lambert made no secret as to how he produced 
the wonderful Parsnips and other vegetables he is in 
the habit of exhibiting. Much valuable advice was 
given regarding trenching and manures, and the best 
varieties for exhibiting as well as for general use were 
pointed out. Amongst vegetables as yet imperfectly 
known, Mr. Lambert strongly recommended the Lily- 
white Sea Kale grown from roots ; also Stachys tuberi- 
fera, an excellent second course vegetable, which he had 
now to devote attention to. It should be cultivated 
as a Potato, and planted in a warm situation and kept 
well watered in dry weather. A good discussion 
followed, and many questions were replied to ; Mr. 
Lambert adding materially to information already 
given. 
-- 
LAW NOTES. 
The Powers of Assessment Committees. 
An important decision affecting the powers of assess¬ 
ment committees has recently- been given in the Queen’s 
Bench Division by Mr. Baron Pollock and Mr. Justice 
Charles. The question in dispute had arisen in the 
parish of St. Mary Abbott, Kensington, on the appeal 
of one Trickett, who claimed the right to appear before 
the Assessment Committee by his surveyor, and the 
Assessment Committee having refused to allow Mr. 
Hitchings, the manager of the “ Rate and Tax Payers’ 
Protection Association, Limited ” (10, Serjeants’ Inn, 
Fleet Street, E.C.l, to appear before them on his 
behalf, he had applied for, and obtained, a rule nisi 
for a mandamus to them “to proceed to hear and 
determine the matter of the objections made by or on 
behalf of the said E. Trickett to the valuation list for 
the parish in respect of the valuation of his premises, 
and to hear his agent and witnesses ”—the agent 
referred to being Mr. Hitchings. Another case, that 
of a ratepayer named Preston, was of a similar character, 
and raised a similar question. Mr. Henn-Collins, Q.C , 
and Mr. E. Austin appeared for the vestry, and 
Mr. Philbrick, Q.C., and Mr. A. Glen for the appellants. 
Mr. Baron Pollock, in giving judgment, said the 
application was somewhat novel. The ground for it 
was that a party appealing to the committee claimed to 
appear by a surveyor. The ground taken by the 
committee in refusing the claim was that the surveyor 
was not, according to their rule, a member of the 
family or of the legal profession, and on that ground 
they declined to hear him “except as a witness.” 
“No other agent,” their clerk wrote, “could be 
allowed to appear but a member of the legal piofession.” 
Now, there was no fair analogy which required the 
Court to draw a distinction as to the nature of the body, 
for the committee were to “ hear and determine the 
objections,” not necessarily on hearing the parties 
making the objections. So under the Corrupt Practices 
Act the committee were to “ hear and determine ” the 
matter. This question then arose as to the right of 
parties under such circumstances to appear by agent. 
Now, in many cases the party himself might be unable, 
or not qualified to appear, and neighbours having a 
common interest might conveniently ask one of their 
body fitted for the duty to appear for all of them. The 
right to appear by agent could not limit or govern the 
right of a regular Court of Justice to regulate the 
matter. The committee therefore ought to have heard 
the surveyor in these cases. It might be different as 
to a surveyor appearing in a double capacity as witness 
and as advocate, which might be objectionable ; and 
he could not help thinking that the objection in this 
case had arisen upon some such ground. But as the 
committee had gone on the general ground of their 
right to refuse to hear a surveyor, the mandamus , 
therefore, must go. 
Mr. Justice Charles concurred. 
Against this decision the vestry appealed, and the 
case having been argued by the counsel for the vestry 
before the Master of the Rolls, Lord Justice Bowen and 
Lord Justice Fry, those for the respondent not being 
called upoD, the Court dismissed the appeal. 
The Master of the Rolls said that whatever the 
Assessment Committee were, they were not a court, nor 
did they exercise judicial functions. They were a body 
of select vestrymen, empowered by Act of Parliament 
to hear and determine objections to the valuation list. 
Such as they were, had they the right to say that a 
person might not appear before them by any agent 
whom he thought fit to appoint to support his objection 
to the valuation ? In his opinion they had no such 
right by law, and he would go further and say that 
they had no more power to limit the class of witnesses 
called before them than they had to. limit the class of 
advocates or agents. Probably they hal some discre¬ 
tion as to the number of witnesses or agents whom they 
would hear. They certainly had no such autocratic 
power as they claimed. 
-» >X< -- 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 
Dressing Vine Borders. — Young Grape Grower: Top-dress 
your Vine borders now, and water them thoroughly, not 
“ partly." Mulchings of cow manure are best applied after the 
Grapes are thinned. 
Names of Plants.—/. II. IE.: 1, Unrecognised, send when in 
flower ; 2, Diplacus glutinosus , 3, Nerine curvifolium, ap¬ 
parently and generally known as N. Fothergilli majus ; 4, Spiriea 
Thunbergii ; 5, Pieris floribunda ; 6, Berberis Darwini. Kilmeny: 
1, Dendrobium crassinode ; 2, Dendrobium senile ; 3, Phaius 
grandifolius ; 4, Cypripedium villosum. IE. /. Dale: Coleonema 
alba. Doubtful: The Begonia is B. incarnata atropurpurea ; 
the other is Eupatorium riparium. 
Name of Apple. — IE. Harrison: Lord Burghley. 
Renewing a Vine Border. — T. James: The best time to 
renew your Vine border is in the early autunm, or it may be done 
at once. If the drainage is good, you need only take away the 
bad soil, and replace with the fresh. You cannot do betterthan 
use Thomson’s Vine Manure, about 1 cwt. to 4 yds. of soil, 
and consult Ba r ron's Vines and Vine Culture, where this subject 
of renewing Vine borders is fully dealt with. 
Vallota and Euciiaris Mite. — C. J. IE.: The bulb you sent 
us was swarming with mites, but it is a great question whether 
they actually caused the decay of the roots and the lower part 
of the bulb. The idea seems to be gaining ground that the 
fungus, Torula glutinorum, is the real cause of the mischief, and 
that the mites (Rhizoglyphus Robini) only act the part of 
scavengers. One is led to take this view of the matter from the 
fact that the mites are most abundant amongst the dead, dying 
and half-rotted matter, whereas very few, and only strayed 
specimens apparently find their way on to the fresh scales of the 
bulb, and none apparently penetrate the healthy and clean scales. 
Another reason for this opinion is that young and growing roots 
often exhibit red portions due to the presence of the fungus, 
while no mites are yet to be found there. Red spots may also 
be seen on the neck of the bulb, and on leaves where no mites 
are to be seen, as the latter seem to require the shelter of the 
soil, so as to preserve the necessary amount of moisture about 
them. 
Violets —J. Carter: You can hardly do better thjn stick to 
the variety you have—The Czar—if you want a good blue only ; 
but we think it would be decidedly advantageous to have a few 
plants of Victoria regina, double blue, in the frame, to help out 
the supply. Marie Louise, double, pale blue, is one of the best 
for frame culture, but we presume its colour is not decided 
enough for you. 
Communications Received.— Flos.—M. M.—R. C. E. (next 
week).— A. Irvine (next week).—H. L.—<T. P.—E. 0. G.—J. B. 
—C. E. M.—W. B. G.—J. W. F.-J. P.—G. F.—W. O. H.-Odd 
Trick. 
