July 16, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
721 
Brighton Flower Shows. —We are requested to 
state that the shows of the Brighton and Sussex 
Floricultural and Horticultural Association, as 
advertised by Mr. E. Carpenter, have all been 
cancelled. The show of the Brighton and Sussex 
“ New ” Horticultural and Mutual Improvement 
Society will be held as arranged, the summer show 
on August 30 and 31, and the Brighton and Hove 
Chrysanthemum show on November 1 and 2. 
The National Chrysanthemum Society's Picnic.— 
The members of this society are reminded that the 
annual outing takes place on Friday, July 22. The 
party will leave Charing Cross at 9.28, and London 
Bridge at 9 35, but does not call at Cannon Street. 
The train is timed to reach Penshurst Station at 
11.5, and the visitors will pass through the gardens 
at Redleaf on the way to Penshurst village; 12.30, 
cricket match between the N.C.S. and local societies 
on the cricket ground at Penshurst Place ; 2, dinner ; 
2.30, visit Penshurst Place, gardens, and state apart¬ 
ments ; 5.30, tea; 7.15, leave Penshurst village for 
railway station ; 8.9, train leaves, and arrives at 
Charing Cross at 9 57, calling at London Bridge and 
Cannon Street. The distance from the village to 
the railway station is two miles. 
Fire Arrangements at Earl's Court. —Very complete 
arrangements have been made to protect the build¬ 
ings at Earl's Court from fire. Large high pressure 
mains run through the principal galleries, the theatre, 
lecture hall, etc., to which are connected twenty fire 
stations with standpost hydrants, hose, hand-pumps, 
and buckets. Small.fire engines are a^so distributed 
through the buildings. These arrangements, as in 
previous exhibitions, have been carried out by 
Messrs. Shand, Mason & Co. Supt. Duck is in 
charge of an efficient staff composed of men who 
have served in the Metropolitan Fire Brigade. 
Birkbeck Building Society. —The 41st annual meet¬ 
ing of this society was held on the 7th inst., at the 
offices, 29 and 30, Southampton Buildings, Chancery 
Lane. The report adopted states that the receipts 
during the year which ended 31st March last, reached 
£9, 362,005, making a total from the commencement 
of the society of more than one hundred and fifty 
millions (£151,128,183). The deposits received were 
£8,570,062, and the subscriptions £230,052. The 
gross profits amounted to £300,406. The surplus 
funds have been augmented by £505,573, and now 
stand at £5,544,530, of which £1,638,090 is invested 
in Consols and other secnrieties guaranteed by the 
British Government, upwards of two millions 
(£2,006,305) registered in the books of the Governor 
and Company of the Bank of England, and the cash 
in the hands of the bankers is £258,378. The 
Permanent Guarantee Fund stands at £150,000, and 
the balance £150,406, making together £300,406 in 
excess of the liabilities. The whole amount being 
invested in consols. The subscriptions and deposits 
withdrawable on demand amount to £5,674,713. The 
surplus funds (which are invested in readily converti¬ 
ble securities) are sufficient to piy the depositors 
1 [3J per cent, on the amount of their deposits. The 
new accounts opened during the year were 10,545, 
and there are, altogether, 63,145 shareholders and 
depositors on the books. Since its establishment 
the society has returned to the shareholders and 
depositors more than one hundred and a quarter 
millions (£125,444,436), the whole amount having 
been repaid upon demand. 
Insect-eating Plants. —On the occasion of the after¬ 
noon meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society on 
the 26th inst., Mr. A. J. Manda, of the Hextable 
Nursery, Swanley, will read a paper on “Insect¬ 
eating Plants.” We understand that Mr. Manda 
has given the subject some attention, and it is lo be 
hoped he will be present to read the paper himself. 
United Horticultural Benefit and Provident Society. 
—The quarterly meeting of this society was held on 
Monday evening last at the Caledonian Hotel, Mr. 
Joseph Wheeler in the chair. One new member was 
elected, making a total in the two quarters of 37. 
Sickness amongst the members has been light during 
the quarter, two only being on the funds at the present 
time. It was arranged that the annual dinner shall 
take place in the last week in September (due notice 
of which will be given), and it is proposed to present 
the treasurer, Mr. James Hudson, with a testimonial 
on the occasion, in consideration of the valuable 
services he has rendered to the society during the 
past ten years. 
THE EARL’S COURT 
EXHIBITIONS. 
The extremely beautiful flower show held at the Inter 
national Horticultural Exhibition, on the 5th inst.,was 
described by so distinguished a judge as M. Henri 
Vilmorin, of Paris, as one of the most beautiful he 
had seen. Being the second of the series, we were 
naturally much interested to learn how our 
numerous foreign visitors who so largely constituted 
the judging staff of this latter exhibition regarded it. 
Now there may be reasons why flower shows held 
as these Earl’s Court shows are, as purely business 
enterprises, should be looked upon with some dubiety ; 
we, however, fail to find any such reasons in this 
case. Certainly the exhibition is one of the most 
delightful of places in or near London at which shows 
of this kind can be conducted. There is no noise, 
but much that is refined and beautiful in the sur¬ 
roundings. The shows have the advantage of being 
held in very roomy, cool buildings, where they are 
secure from those ills which sometimes afflict shows 
in tents. They are very easy of access for exhibitors, 
and they are for the convenience of visitors right in 
the centre of one of the best parts of London, and 
accessible by rail from anywhere. No wonder then 
that these flower, fruit, and vegetable shows ?.re 
being regarded with exceeding favour by exhibitors 
generally. 
The next will be a large exhibition of cottage 
garden produce, if rural exhibitors will compete. 
Then comes the new great fruit show of August 
26 and 27, when also the gardeners' dinner will be 
held, and there are further shows in September and 
October, at all of which we hope to see many of the 
gardening craft from all parts of the kingdom. 
WHITE BACHELORS’ 
BUTTONS. 
Several popular names are given to Ranunculus 
aconitifolius flore pleno. The latter might be trans¬ 
lated as the double Aconite-leaved Ranunculus. The 
leaves are deeply divided into five segments, and are 
of a rich dark green, so that the allusion to the 
Aconite is aptly made. It differs in these respects 
from most if not all of the other species of Crowfoot 
in cultivation. Besides the above it is also known 
as Fair Maids of France and Fair Maids of Kent, 
and is a popular, as well as an old inhabitant of gar¬ 
dens. The flowers are perfectly double, pure white, 
and not unlike a button, so that the heading of this 
note is very suggestive. They are comparatively of 
short duration in a dry season like the present, if the 
plant is grown in soil liable to be affected by drought 
more especially in the southern counties. Cultiva¬ 
tors therefore cannot pay too good heed to the 
nature of the soil in which they plant it. A fairly 
retentive or even moist soil should be selected for it 
in the south, and the grower may rest assured that 
it will amply repay for any little trouble in that 
direction taken with it. The neat habit and the 
white flowers render the plant one of the most orna¬ 
mental subjects in the open border in spring, and 
may also be used to advantage for cut flower 
purposes as it is, by those in whose gardens it 
thrives. 
bedding" violas. 
The true value of the various varieties now in 
cultivation, amounting probably to quite 200 sorts, 
for standing useful decorative work is to be seen 
now after the experience of the months of May, June 
and July, and testing their qualities as to having 
constitutions strong enough to stand the influence of 
hot sunny days, and being excellent bloomers of good 
habit and of telling colours. 
At the Sparkhill Nurseries, Birmingham, a few 
thousand plants of leading sorts are planted out 
with the view of testing fully their value for decora¬ 
tive work. These are in long rows, planted out in 
the spring in rather poor soil and they make a 
brilliant mass of colour, some sorts giving way 
much more than others to the influence of solar 
heat and drought. 
In the Midlands, we are having a most suitable 
season for the Viola as we have not had much great 
heat and there has been a preponderance of cool 
and showery weather, and Violas are seen every¬ 
where in gardens and are very beautiful and striking 
objects : and popular as the plant now is, the wave 
of popularity will greatly increase. We are now 
having so many new shades of colours, many of 
Ranunculus aconitifolius flore pleno. 
