244 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
December 19, 1896. 
Bournemouth Gardeners' Mutual Improvement 
Society were favoured on Tuesday, December ist, by 
a paper on “Nut-growing in England,” by Mr. J. O. 
Cooper, a well-known cultivator of Nuts and 
Filberts. 
Gardeners' Royal Eenevoient Institution.—Lord 
Rothschild has fixed Wednesday, May 26th next, for 
the celebration of the 58th Anniversary Festival 
Dinner of this Institution, which will be held at the 
Hotel Metropole under his Lordship's presidency. 
Flowers for the London Hospitals.—A rumour is 
afloat of an intention to station authorised persons at 
the various London termini for the purpose of re¬ 
ceiving fresh flowers from dwellers in the suburbs, 
who may be willing to bring such with them in the 
morning for the use of the various hospitals. City 
men, it is thought, would only be too pleased to be¬ 
friend such an arrangement. 
Ayrshire Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Associa¬ 
tion. —The monthly meeting of this Association was 
held in the Carrick Street Hall on Thursday evening 
last, when there was a fair attendance of members— 
Mr. Thomas Gordon, Ewenfield, presiding. Mr. A. 
H. Scott, Cambusdoon, read a very instructive paper 
on “How Plants Feed, and the Chemistry of our 
Garden Crops,” in which he strongly advised young 
gardeners to study chemistry in connection with 
their trade as much as they could. The reader 
illustrated his paper by means of diagrams, which he 
explained for the benefit of the young members. A 
long and interesting discussion followed, at the con¬ 
clusion of which Mr. Scott was accorded a hearty 
vote of thanks. It was intimated that the next meet¬ 
ing would take place on January 7th, 1897, at half¬ 
past seven o’clock, when Mr. Thomas Bryden, 
Dennison Nursery, would read a paper on “ Hardy 
Climbers.” A vote of thanks to the Chairman 
brought the meeting to a close. 
Death of M. Charles Van Geert.— With deep regret 
we learn of the death on the 12th inst. of M. Charles- 
Prosper Van Geert, of Antwerp, in his 79th year. M. 
Van Geert, who was one of the oldest and most dis¬ 
tinguished of Belgian Horticulturists, was born at 
Ghent in 1817, and was a brother of the late M. 
Auguste Van Geert, so well known in his time as one 
of the leading nurserymen of the old Flemish city. 
In early life M. Charles Van Geert settled down to 
business in Antwerp, and carried on much of the 
tree planting and landscape gardening which makes 
the latter port so interesting to Horticultural 
visitors. He was a chevalier of the Leopold Order, 
for many years a member of the municipality of 
Antwerp, a member of the Council of the Belgian 
Royal Society of Horticulture, and a corresponding 
member of numerous learned sccieties. The per¬ 
sonality of M. Van Geert was singularly attractive, 
and gained for him the warm personal esteem and 
regard of all who knew him. He has passed away 
after suffering a long and painful illness, and we are 
sure that the warmest sympathy will be felt for the 
family in their bereavement by all his friends in this 
country. 
Ealing Gardeners’ Society.—On the 8th inst., at the 
Victoria Buildings, Ealing, Mr. J. Hudson, of 
Gunnersbury House, Acton, read a paper on " Apples 
and Pears,” to a large and appreciative audience, 
which was presided over by S. Arthur Sewell, Esq., 
F.R.H.S., the genial chairman of the society. Mr. 
Hudson gave a most exhaustive account of the ways 
which lead to success, his own manner and method 
of cultivation, and a long selective list of varieties 
which he had obtained from various sources. Mr. 
Hudson premised his remarks by the statement that 
science should be the stock on which culture is 
grafted, and then success would be almost sure to 
follow. He gave it as his opinion that Cox’s Orange 
Pippin was the prince of dessert Apples, while 
Doyenne du Comice occupied the same position 
among Pears. Mr. Hudson also gave some hints 
concerning gathering, preserving, and cooking, and 
otherwise afforded a variety of information which 
had been acquired by long observation and experi¬ 
ences. The exhibitors of Apples and Pears were 
Messrs. Bridges, R. Green, Edwards, Cox, and 
Woods. Other exhibits came from Messrs. Cottrell, 
Frost and C. B. Green, the former staging Cattleya 
labiata and Oncidium tigrinum, and the latter Chry¬ 
santhemums Good Gracious, and Rose Wynne, 
respectively. 
The Small Tortoise-shell Butterfly seems to have 
forgotten the season of the year. A fine specimen of 
it was caught the other week in Tollington Park, 
about 4 miles from Charing Cross. 
Bistol Amateur Horticultural Society held its annual 
general meeting on the evening of Wednesday, 
December 2nd, Mr. T. B. Sibly presiding, when the 
prizes won at the monthly and annual shows were 
given to their respective recipients. The report of 
the committee showed a highly gratifying increase in 
the membership. The entries at the Chrysanthe¬ 
mum show were also said to be greatly augmented. 
At the election of officers Mr, E. M. Dyer was 
elected president, and Mr. E. G. Machon, and Mr, 
E. Melville were re-elected treasurer and 
secretary respectively. Various gentlemen were 
likewise chosen to make’good the vacancies on the 
committee. 
Spring Flower Show for Cornwall.—In response to 
an invitation issued by the Hon. J. Boscawen, and 
the Rev. A. T. Boscawen, a meeting was recently 
held at Truro to make arrangements for a Daffodil 
show to be held at Truro in the spring of 1897. The 
Mayor, Mr. Dorrington, presided. It was decided 
that the show should last over two days. Mr. J. C. 
Williams, Caerhayes, was elected president, and Mr. 
T. A. Dorrien Smith, Scilly, vice-president. The 
Hon. J. Boscawen will discharge the duties of 
secretary and treasurer. 
Montrose Chrysanthemum Show. —The good people 
of Montrose have signalised 1896 by holding a most 
successful Chyrsanthemura, fruit, and vegetable 
show in the Guildhall, during the last week in 
November. This exhibition was the first of its kind 
that has taken place for fourteen years, and in view 
of the success that attended it, it is hoped that it 
may, for the future, constitute an annual feature. 
The entries, it is true, were not too numerous, but 
they were strong in quality. Mr. T. Methven, Links 
House, was placed first for twelve Japs. Mr. Thomas 
Ness, Rossie Castle Gardens, had the best collec¬ 
tion of Apples, and Mr. W. Douglas the best Black 
and White Grapes. Amateurs were well represented. 
Tunbridge Wells Gardeners’ Association.—Mr. A. 
Charlton, the president of this association took the 
chair on Wednesday, December 10th at the annual 
dinner. After the customary loyal toasts had been 
honoured, at the chairman’s invitation, Mr. E. 
Charlton proposed “continued success to their 
society.” He briefly touched upon the readiness 
with which gardeners communicated to each other 
the results of their experience, and the meetings of 
such associations as theirs, afforded suitable 
occasions for the interchange of such experiences. 
The chairman briefly responded. One of the most 
important events of the evening was the presentation 
to Mr. Grengoe, of a handsomely bound volume of 
travels as a recognition of the value of the services 
he had rendered to the society. 
The Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society held its 
annual meeting on Thursday, December 3rd, in 
Dowell’s Rooms, Edinburgh, Mr. David Thompson 
presiding. The hon. treasurer, Mr. Fraser, sub¬ 
mitted the report and balance sheet up to November 
30th. The receipts had been £1,188 10s. gd., and 
the expenditure £1,107 15s. 3d., leuving a balance of 
£80 15s. 6d. The funds invested up to November 
30th, 1893, were £1,046 5s., and by November 30th, 
1896, they had increased to £1,137 X 5 S - 3 <L Mr. 
Malcolm Dunn moved the formal adoption of the 
report, saying that it was very satisfactory to find 
that the old society could still weather it to the tune 
of nearly £100 a year. Mr. A. Milne seconded, and 
stated that the Royal Caledonian did not exist 
specially to make money, but to advance the 
interests of horticulture. The Marquis of Lothian 
was re-appointed president, whilst Mr. C. W. 
Cowan, Valleyfield, was chosen to fill the post of 
vice-president rendered vacant by the retirement of 
Sir Charles Tennant. Mr. Murray, Blackford, was 
chosen to represent the amateur element upon the 
council, whilst Mr. P. M’lntyre was elected as a 
gardener member of the same body. Mr. Neil 
Fraser still continues the duties of hon. treasurer. 
The chairman alluded to the late death of Mr. W. 
Young, who had for a long time been assistant 
secretary of the society, and moved that there 
should be recorded upon the minutes a testimony of 
their appreciation of his services. A committee was 
appointed to see to the erection of a tombstone over 
Mr. Young’s grave. 
Platform Gardens on the Midland Railway.—A sum 
of £200 is offered in prizes by the Midland Railway 
Company for the best kept and most attractive plat¬ 
form gardens, and the awards for the past summer 
have lately been officially announced. The first 
prize has again been won by the station-master at 
Matlock Bath. Second honours have gone to the 
stationmaster at Wickwar, and the third award goes 
to Cardington. 
Eastbourne Horticulturists.—The fifteenth annual 
dinner of this society, held at the Queen's Hotel, 
Eastbourne, was presided over by the president, Mr. 
George Boulton. The Mayor (Alderman J. A. 
Skinner), and several members of the corporation 
attended. In proposing “ success to the society,” 
Mr. Standen Triggs referred to the chairman as the 
mainstay of the institution. It had been decided to 
discontinue the spring show owing to the lack of 
funds, and he thought that taking all things into 
consideration this was a wise conclusion. 
National Chrysanthemum Society.—The gleanings 
of the season came up before the floral committee of 
the above society on the occasion of the last meeting 
of the year. Mr. W. Wells submitted cut blooms of 
a very pretty single variety, Disraeli, which received 
a “ commended.” The florets are long and narrow, 
and bright primrose-yellow in hue. The plant is 
said to be dwarf, barely exceeding 2 ft. in height, and" 
very floriferous. It should prove a favourite. 
Messrs. Cannell & Sons, Swanlev, sent a very 
distinct lilac-coloured decorative variety classed as a 
Japanese pompon, and named Midget. Some large 
blooms of the White Sport Florence Chandler came 
from Mr. Chandler, Wyn Park, Northend, but they 
were passed. Mr. P. Ladds, Swanley, Kent, had 
blooms of Christmas Gold, a large Japanese incurved 
late form exhibiting a rich shade cf golden yellow', 
and said to be a great favourite in Covent Garden. 
The chief defect of this variety, however, is the 
weakness of its flower stems. After the Chrysan¬ 
themums had received attention, the secretary, Mr. 
R. Dean, submitted a list of dates for the meetings 
of the floral committee next year, the 7th September 
being the date of the first, the others being arranged 
to take place nearly weekly through October and 
November, with the exception of the week set apart 
for the great show. Two meetings were also 
proposed for December. The floral committee 
elected not to deal with these fixtures on that 
occasion. 
Smithfield Show.—The gallery of the Agricultural 
Hall was again crowded with the stands of seeds¬ 
men, nurserymen, implement makers, and manure 
merchants last week. Messrs. Sutton & Sons, 
Reading, displayed huge banks of mangels labelled 
as “grown by Lord Wantage at Lockinge,” quanti¬ 
ties of Sutton’s Giant White Belgian Carrot, and 
their disease-resisting Potatos. Messrs. Carter's 
fine stand displayed samples of Swedes, Onions, 
Potatos, Carrots, Peas, &c., grown presumably from 
their well-known seeds. Messrs. Ed. Webb & Sons, 
Stourbridge, again filled their grand erection with 
splendid samples of appropriate growths. Messrs. 
Dicksons, of Chester, included a collection of Apples 
gathered from young bearing trees, with handy 
specimens of Quicks, Forest Trees, &c. Messrs. 
Jatman & Co. submitted Mangels, Parsnips, Turnips, 
Onions, and specimens of their New Crimson King 
Apple. Messrs. Harrison & Sons, Leicester, staged 
large quantities of vegetables, and some neatly 
arranged specimens of dried grasses. Mr. John K. 
King attracted attention to his exhibit by announce¬ 
ments that his roots were not forced specimens, but 
fair field culture. Messrs. Fidler & Sons, of Reading 
and Mr. A. Findlay, of Markiocb, confined their 
attention to Potatos ; Mr. W. Horne, Cliffe, to 
Apple trees, and fruit ; Mr. B. Wells, Crawley, to 
fruit; and Messrs. Thos. Kennedy & Co., Dumfries, 
to forest trees. Agricultural manures were repre¬ 
sented by Mr. Wm Colchester, Ipswich, with some 
fine Potato tubers, said to be grown by Naylor 
Mearns, Esq., Outwel), Norwich, and specimens of 
Inch's Purple Top Swede. Mr. Andrew Potter 
filled a corner of the Berner’s Hall with poultry- 
houses, hose, roofing felt, galvanised sheets, horse¬ 
clothing, &c., from his branch works at Reading. 
Mr. Thomas Mellonie, Ipswich, tendered a sample 
of pure fish salt as a good manure for growing 
Cabbages, Turnips, &c., in light soils. Messrs. 
Gaymer & Sons, Attleborough, had their usual table 
of cider and Apples. 
