May 28, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
609 
Mr. Beevers, late gardener to F. C. Carr Gomm, 
Esq., Farnham Chase, Slough, has been engaged to 
succeed Mr. Maher (who is retiring after 33 years' 
service) as gardener to H. E. Allhausen, Esq., Stoke 
Court, Stoke Poges, Slough. Mr Reid, late gardener 
at Pimdrift, Maidenhead, succeeds Mr. Beevers. 
The National Chrysanthemuit Society's Schedule 
for the current year comes to hand in an improved 
form, and should prove of more general interest to 
the members than heretofore. Without adding 
materially to its bulk the matter has been re-arranged, 
and in addition to the prize list rules, list of members, 
etc., it contains the papers read at the conference 
held on November 10th of last year ; and a list of 
the plants certificated by the Society's floral com¬ 
mittee during the past year. It also includes an 
announcement of a conference on October 12th, to 
consider the proposed uniform enlargement of show 
boards for Japanese blooms, and gives all needful 
particulars with reference to the competitions for the 
Society’s new Holmes’ memorial challenge cups. 
Kelway’s Medals for Herbaceous Plants. —We are 
asked to state that the Messrs. Kelway & Son, of 
Langport, offer medals for competition at the Royal 
Horticultural Society’s meetings on June 7th and 
21st, July 12th, and September 6th, for Pyrethrums, 
Pmonies, Delphiniums, Gaillardias, and Gladioli. 
Princess of Wales passed into the gardens with a 
dog, and on attempting to enter the Palm-house 
with it, was very properly prevented from so doing 
by one of the attendants. The circumstance fell 
under the notice of H R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, 
who was one of the party, and who, if we are rightly 
informed, roundly scolded the official for doing what 
was his plain duty. The man in question did not 
know the Princess, but even if he had done so, he 
would have been amply justified in remonstrating. 
Dogs are not welcome visitors in the Royal Gardens 
in general, or the Palm-houses in particular, nor 
does the fact that they belong to a popular Princess 
make their company any more desirable. 
The Royal National Tulip Society. —The annual 
exhibition is fixed for Wednesday, June 8th, and it 
will take place in the gardens of the Manchester 
Botanical Society, at Old Trafford. So far as can 
be learned there is the promise of an excellent show, 
one of the best which has been seen for years. The 
weather, hostile as it has proved to some things, 
appears to have benefited the Tulip, and theadvance is 
generally favourable. It is satisfactory to know that 
the collection grown by the president, Mr. Samuel 
Barlow, at Stake Hill, is of such excellent promise 
and so forward, that he will be able to shape better 
as an exhibitor than for several years past when his 
flowersTiave been soTackward. The^usual schedule 
issued by Mr. W. Herbert Eowler, Claremont, 
Taunton, and Mr. Norman Davis, of Camberwell 
" It has long been felt that in order to stamp the 
character of the National Chrysanthemum Society 
as more distinctly national, something beyond mere 
monetary prizes are desirable, in order to awaken 
additional interest in the society's work. The late 
secretary, Mr. William Holmes, inaugurated a new 
departure in this sense by organizing the Affiliated 
Societies’ Nationat Challenge Trophy, which has 
answered beyond the most sanguine expectations 
In instituting the Holmes' Memorial Fund, it was 
the desire of the promoters that some portion of the 
money subscribed should commemorate Mr Holmes 
work in connection with the Society, in the form, if 
possible, of special prizes bearing his name The 
trustees of the fund have devoted a certain portion 
of the amount they have received to this purpose, 
but it is inadequate to provide prizes of sufficient 
value to worthily commemorate Mr. Holmes’ name 
and labours. A number of gentlemen have volunteered 
to subscribe with a view of augmenting the amount, 
and it is intended, with the sanction of the committee 
of the society, to provide two National Chrysanthe¬ 
mum Society’s Holmes’ Memorial Challenge Cups 
one for Incurved and one for Japanese blooms, full 
particulars of which will be found in the schedule of 
prizes for this year. The winners in the present 
Fuchsias showing the effect of a special manure. 
Particulars of the several competitions can be 
obtained from the secretary to the society, or from 
the Messrs. Kelway. 
Burning of an old Oak at Hampton Court. —Early 
on the 14th inst. an unusual spectacle was witnessed 
in the Home Park at Hampton Court, when a 
magnificent oak growing about twenty yards from 
the Long Water was discovered to be on fire. The 
Palace fire-brigade, under Superintendent Moorman, 
were quickly on the spot, and the alarm having been 
sent to Kingston and Surbiton, the steamers from 
those places arrived shortly afterwards, a copious 
supply of water, pumped from the Long Water, being 
poured on the burning oak. The tree is said to be 
1,100 years old, and one of the eight largest oaks in 
England. It is 33 ft. in circumference, having an 
average diameter of 11 ft. The trunk is hollow for 
about 10 ft., and several of the larger branches above 
that are also in a decayed condition. It was in the 
hollow of the oak that the fire burned fiercest, and 
as the flames spread from branch to branch the effect 
was singular in the extreme. The fire was extin¬ 
guished in a few hours, but not before the fine old 
tree had been almost completely destroyed. The 
cause of the fire is unknown. 
Kew. —An incident, as we (Gardeners' Chronicle) 
learn, occurred at Kew on Sunday, the 15th inst., 
which scarcely reflects credit on the Commander 
responsible for the discipline in the British Army. 
It appears that, no doubt from inadvertence, the 
of prizes has been issued, and should the fates be 
propitious and an unusually good exhibition be held, 
it may have the effect, as we most devoutly hope it 
will, of leading to an increased interest being taken 
in the Tulip. We have witnessed times of depression 
!n regard to its popularity, followed by times of 
revival, and it may be in store for us to witness 
another period of revived interest in a flower far too 
interesting to be allowed to fall into oblivion. 
A Rose Society for America —Steps are being taken 
by some of the leading growers of Roses in America 
to found a National Rose Society, which will have 
for its object the encouragement of the production 
of new Roses by offering valuable prizes, in addition 
to certificates of merit, to American growers of new 
varieties that show a distinct gain over existing sorts 
in the same classes. 
Corydalis capnoides. —The leaves of this Cory- 
dalis are two or three times divided into wedge- 
shaped segments, and have a slender, glaucous 
appearance. The flowers are, to all intents and 
purposes, w'hite, but close examination shows the 
petals to be tipped with a green and yellow blotch, 
while the inner ones are tipped with a yellow blotch. 
The plant is hardy and easily managed in any good 
garden soil, and should be planted in the front row 
on account of its dwarf habit. On the w'hole it 
closely resembles the well-known C. lutea, except in 
the flowers. 
The Holn es’ Memorial Challenge < ups. —We quote 
the following from a circular which has just been 
year will be regarded as the champions for 1892, and 
will have their names engraved on the cups accord¬ 
ingly. That these memorial cups may be of con¬ 
siderable value and worthy of the society is highly 
desirable, and it is earnest’y hoped that members 
having the future interests of the society at heart, 
will not allow this opportunity to pass without 
making every effort to insure the undertaking being 
distinctly successful. Promises have already been 
received to the amount of £45, and it is earnestly 
hoped the desired sum of £100 may be obtained. A 
meeting of the subscribers will be called at an early 
date to make final arrangements for the purchase of 
the memorial cups so that they may be ready for 
presentation to the society previous to the November 
show, at which the cups are offered for competition.' 
Donations may be sent to either of the gentlemen 
named above. 
STIMULANTS FOR 
PLANTS IN POTS. 
The quantity of soil supplied, even where the pot 
is comparatively large, offers far too little space for 
the roots to spread, and the amount of soluble food 
material in the soil, even when the richest hot bed 
soil is employed, is far too small to induce the plant 
to develop. Various means are adopted to overcome 
this deficiency, but the means are insufficient Pot 
plants are transplanted, they are put into fresh earth, 
richer in food materials, but the earth—even the best 
flower earth—is soon exhausted, and allows the 
