April 28, 1900 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
549 
The Old Stems of Snapdragons and Pentstemons 
If left as they are till spring, when they may be cat 
down, serve as protection to the sucker shoots. 
Mr, Harry J. Yeitch, senior partner of the Chel¬ 
sea firm, is expected to arrive in London this week, 
hiving visited, with bis wife, parts of northern Egypt 
aid the Holy Land. 
Maidenhead Chrysanthemum Fruit and Vege¬ 
table Society.—It seems that the Maidenhead 
Society has not to be dropped jus t yet. Good luck 
to it, and may it not go down. The third exhibition 
of Chrysanthemums, Fruit, and Vegetables, will be 
held in the Town Hall on Thursday and Friday, 
November 15th and i6tb, 1900. The secretary’s 
report of last year's work is of a satisfactory nature, 
and there is a balance of over £8 to go on with. 
With such an energetic hon. secretary as Dr. J. W. 
Stone, everything that can be done to aid and pro¬ 
mote the society will be done. 
R.H.S. Meeting of Fellows.—A large number of 
Fellows of the Royal Horticultural Society met in a 
room above the Drill Hall, James Street, West¬ 
minster, S.W., on Wednesday, the 25th inst., to hear 
the propositions of the Council in reference to the 
new site of a garden. The proceedings were of a 
very interesting character. Sir Trevor Lawrence, 
Bart., president, occupied the chair. We cannot 
give more at this time than the ultimatum of the 
meeting. Exception was taken to ihe fact that 
copies of the Rules and Bye-laws had not been dis¬ 
tributed to the Fellows. It was resolved that the 
meeting be postponed Until this matter was effected. 
Aq amendment was made to Sir Trevor’s proposition 
that “ This meeting confirms the recommendati in of 
the Council, that the centenary of the society be 
celebrated by removing the society’s garden from 
Chiswick.” The amendment adds—" Subject to the 
Council being able to find a site which recommends 
itself to the Fellows of the society.” 
Stanley Park, Liverpool.—The beauty and utility 
of this park has been enhanced by the opening of the 
new " Gladstone ” Conservatory, opened on the 23rd 
inst. by Alderman Ball, Chairman of the Parks and 
Gardens Committee. A full, illustrated description 
was given in our pages for February 3rd. The 
building, the second presented to the City by the 
kind donor, Mrs. Yates Thompson, is 120 ft. long, 50 
f'. wide, and 30 ft. high, the cost being £8,000. The 
gift was accepted on behalf of the corporation by the 
Lord Mayor, who previously had entertained Mr. 
Yates Thompson and an influential company to 
luncheon. At the entrance is a fine bronze bust of 
the late William Ewart Gladstone. A magnificent 
presentation 18 carat gold key was presented to 
Alderman Ball. The Right Hon. Walter Long, 
M P, moved a vote of thanks to Mrs. Yates Thomp¬ 
son, the Lady Mayoress, and Mrs. Ball for their 
presence. Alderman Ball, in seconding the motion, 
announced that Mr. J. Reuben Grant had promised 
an aviary for Sefton Park, similar to that he had 
already given to Stanley Park. 
Orchids at the Sale Rooms. — Amongst the 
Orchids in bloom, which turned up at the Sale 
Rooms of Messrs. Protheroe & Morris, Cheapside, 
on the 20th inst., were some choice and showy 
varieties and hybrids. A richly spotted variety of 
Odontoglossum Mulus was quickly run up to 27 gs. 
Four pieces of Cymbidium lowiano-eburneum ranged 
from 3j gs. to 8 gs., according to size. Very pretty 
were the uniformly rosy flowers of Odontoglossum 
crispum roseum,which fetched 8 gs. Some Cattleyas, 
including C. Mendelii, with a dark lip, and the nearly 
white C. Schroderae albens fetched 4^ gs. apiece. 
The dark and showy C. Mantini nobilior brought 
6J gs.; C. exoniensis, 9 gs.; the pure white C. inter¬ 
media Parthenia, 20 gs,; and C. Trianaei delicala, 
5$ gs. Miltonia vexillaria Leopoldi brought 14 gs. 
A large flowered, light coloured hybrid Dendrobe of 
the D. Ainsworthii type was run up to 14 gs. Many 
choice Cypripediums came under the hammer, in¬ 
cluding C. Memoria Moensi, 12 gs. ; C. insigne 
Sanderae, 18 gs. and 20 gs. ; C. Norma, 9 gs.; C. 
Annie Measures, gj gs. ; C. sanderiano-superbiens, 
14 gs.; C. tessellatum porphyreum, 6J gs.; C. Wm. 
Ltoyd magnificum, a very dark and richly coloured 
flower, 21 gs.; C. insigne citrinum, with the brown 
colour mostly washed out of the flowers, g\ gs. ; C. 
i. Harefield var., 19 gs.; C. i. statterianum, 7$ gs. ; 
and C. i. Ballae, 63 gs. Most of the above are fit to 
adorn a very select collection. 
Weather in London.—The weather of the past 
week has been typically British, we have had a 
number of samples. Towards the close of last 
week and beginning of this we seemed to have the 
conditions which prevail in the torrid zones. But 
on Monday we once more shivered, and as we pre¬ 
pare for press a steady rain falls. But still with 
Cowper we will say :—"England, with all thy faults, 
I love thee still . though thy clime be fickle, 
and thy year most part deform'd with dripping 
rains, or withered by a frost.” 
Luncheon of the National Auricula and Primula 
Society.—Members of the above body joined to¬ 
gether at luncheon in the Windsor Hotel, West¬ 
minster, at 1.30 p.m., on Tuesday, the 24th inst. 
The society's show was held in the Drill Hall the 
same day. At the luncheon most of the faces well 
known in connection with the culture and raising of 
these pretty spring and summer flowering plants 
were to be seen. Mr. James Douglas, of Great 
Bockbam, occupied the chair, and members of the 
official list, judges, exhibitors, and others supported 
him on right and left. The loyal toasts were 
proposed from the chair, and a toast for the con¬ 
tinued prosperity of their society was also drunk to. 
The general expression of the members was that this 
year’s show was very creditable and satisfactory 
after such a season. 
National Chysanthemum Society: Annual 
Report. —The report of the executive committee for 
1899 is before us. The position of the society’s 
affairs is satisfactory, and the quality of exhibits at 
the society’s show has at least been maintained and 
certainly improved upon in quantity. Thus the 
real objects of this body are being upheld, and the 
go:d work is developing. Their financial position 
is decidedly encouraging—the balance sheet state¬ 
ment for the year showing the substantial balance of 
£76 4s. 6d. in hand. The committee recommend 
that the re erve fund be increa=ed by an additional 
£50, which will then make £100. Competition 
among affiliated societies for the possession of the 
Challenge Trophy is maintained with spirit. It is 
yet desirable that still more societies should take 
part in the annual contes 1 . A sub-committee have 
had under consideration the re’ations existing 
between the N.C.S. and affiliated societies, and have 
reported that it is desirable certain amendments be 
made to the privilege; enjoyed by affiliated societies. 
Such alterations will be proposed for adoption at 
the annual general meeting. The c'mmittee 
expresses its appreciation of gratitude to all who 
have lent their counsel or services towards the 
advancement of the society’s interest. 
Croydon and District Horticultural Mutual Im¬ 
provement Society.—The monthly meeting of this 
society was held on Tuesday evening, April 17th, at 
the Sunflower Temperance Hotel, George Street, 
Mr. W. J. Simpson (The Gardens, Falkland Park, 
S. Norwood) in the cba ; r, Mr. M. E. Mills (Coombe 
House Gardens), vice-chair,when over forty members 
were present. Mr. Green, chairman of the Ealing 
Gardeners' Society, gave an in teresting paper on 
" How Plants Feed.” The lecturer introduced his 
subject with an account of the structure and function 
of roots, stems, leaves, and various organs of planis, 
and the mode of taking up the constituents of the 
soils, manures, &c. Mr. Green was listened to with 
considerable interest, and a very pleasant and useful 
discussion followed, in which Messrs. Mills, Blogg, 
Good, Lusch, Simpson, Gregory, and others took 
part, on the conclusion of which a hearty vote of 
thanks was accorded Mr. Green. The pleasure of 
the evening was further enhanced by the ex¬ 
hibition of two dozen show and alpine Auriculas 
by Mr. F. C. L. Wratten, the treasurer. Mr. 
Blogg showed a fine plant of Gasteria maculata 
with a very fine spike of bloom. Mr. Reddon, 
West Wickham, brought a spike of Richardia with 
two well developed spathes ; Mr. Mills, a fine mass 
of roots of Ipomoea Horsfalliae, which had been 
grown among the shingle used on the stages. A vote 
of thanks was given to the gentlemen named. Five 
new members were nominated. The chairman an¬ 
nounced that the next meeting would be on May 
22nd; subject, " Walks and Talks in Kew Gardens, ’ 
illustrated by a series of lantern slides and photo 
graphs by the secretary, Mr. John Gregory, when 
ladies will be specially invited. The meeting closed 
with a vote of thanks to the chairman. The hon. 
secretary is Mr. John Gregory, 60, Canterbury Road, 
Croydon, 
Rubbish of all sorts, such as gathers about a garden 
during winter and all ihe pruning season, sh'iil b° 
periodically smother-burned. The residue is a d 
fertiliser. 
Arrival of Avian Visitors.—Cold weather or 
warm weather, the cuckoo seems to arrive in this 
country with great regularity. At Maidstone it 
arrives on or about April 13th, and on this occasion 
the date was kept. The nightingale arrived on the 
i8tb, and the bouse martin on the 19th. The 13th 
inst was Good Friday which was a blustering and 
windy day, but otherwise fine. The 15th and 16th 
were very cold days and more or less windy. 
Barr’s Daffodil Catalogue.—At this time when 
Daffodils are in their season, the catalogue of this 
foremost firm of bulb merchants becomes an in¬ 
valuable possession to all those who grow these 
loveliest of spriDg flowering bulbous plants. The 
catalogue contains inside the front page a synoptical 
list of all the finest of our present day Narcissi and 
the class to which they belong is also bracketed by 
the side of the name. Thus at once it is a work for 
ready reference. There are some good illustrations 
of outstanding types of Narcissi, and lists of new 
varieties with their prices. The varieties are kept 
strictly into their properly classified groups and 
sections, each variety being carefully described, and 
notes appended which tell where or how best this or 
that variety succeeds. 
The James Martin Memorial Fund.—It will be 
remembered that a fund was started by ihe Reading 
and District Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement 
Association in memory of the late Mr. James 
Marlin, of Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Reading, for the 
purpose of placing on the Royal Gardeners' Orphan 
Fund a chili lobe known as " The James Martin 
Memorial Orphan.” The late lamented Mr. James 
Martin was known to and beloved of a wide circle of 
friends all over the country. Nor is this to be 
wondered at when we recognise the man who was 
ever ready to impart information on any horticul¬ 
tural top c coming within his scnps, but particularly 
in regard to the many subjects of which he was so 
successful a cultivator. Chine 5 e Primulas, Calceo¬ 
larias, tuberous and fibrous-roo’ei Begonias, Cycla¬ 
mens, Gloxinias, and Cinerarias were amongst the 
subjects in which he delighted to- labour and to 
impart knowledge to all who were in’eres’ed in the 
same. The fine varieties and strains now in 
existence, and widely cultivated throughout the land 
bear ample evidence of his skill and intelligent handi¬ 
work as a raiser of superior varieties of popular and 
indispensable flowers for the garden. It is not sur¬ 
prising, therefore, that bis many friends should have 
conceived the idea of commemorating so estimable 
a man, and that the committee of the Reading aDd 
District Gardeners' Mutual Improvement Associa¬ 
tion should have taken the matter in hand and 
appealed for funds to perpetuate his memory in a 
way that would have been most acceptable to him 
had he been alive, and questioned upon the subject. 
A sum of £133 7s. bas already been subscribed. 
The list was headed by Messrs. Sutton & Sons, wiih 
the handsome sum of £50. Mr. and Mrs. H. B. 
Blandy gave £5 5s ; Messrs. H J. Ve'tch and Alf. 
Palmer, £5 each ; Mr. C. B. Steve is, £3 3s.; Lee 
Hor.icultural Society, £2 3s.; Messrs. G. W. 
Palmer, National Amateurs, R. Sydenham, Herbert 
SuttOD, and Mrs. Noble, £2 2s each; Sir W. 
Farrer, £2 ; Messrs. Knill & Sons and Park Place 
Gardeners, £1 us. 6d. each ; York Florists, £1 4s. ; 
Messrs. Boyd & Murley, R. and G. Cuthbert, Alex. 
Dean, W. J. James, C. E. Keyser, D. Kemp, P. 
Noble, E. Ryder, J. T. Strange, G. Stanton, S. B. 
Stevens, T. Turton, and J Wright, £1 is each; 
Rev. E. Lascelles, Mrs. Phippeo, and Miss Russell, 
£1 is. each ; Misses Harman, King, and Neild, and 
Messrs. M. Prichard and A. Wrght, £1 each ; per 
H. T. Martio, Stoneleigh Abbey Gardens, 12s. ; 
Messrs. W. Badcock, T. Chapman, C. Ross, and 
Bournemouth Gardeners, ios. 6 1 . each ; and sums of 
10s. were contributed by Messrs. Bartholomew, 
Blazey, Bovermao, Fleming, G rdeiton, Harris, 
Hudson, Jones, Kneller, Macdondd, Mackrill, 
Mortimer, Parsons, Papilion, and Pope & Sons. 
It is proposed to close the fund on May 12th. 
Subscriptions will be gladly received by Arthur W. 
Sutton, Esq., Harry J. Veitch, Esq., Mr. J. Wool- 
ford, East Tborpe, Reading, and by Mr. H. G. 
Cox, Fernlea, Junction Road, Reading. 
