August 4, 1900. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
773 
Louis Leroy, the well-known nurseryman of 
Angers, France, has been appointed chevalier of the 
Legion of Honour by the President of the French 
Republic. 
The Chilwell Nurseries of Messrs. J. R. Pearson 
& Sons have been removed, the new premises and 
nursery extending to ioo acres, and the firm intends 
to devote its energies to the specialising of fruit tree 
and Rose culture. The cultivation of Zonal Pelar¬ 
goniums is discontinued. 
Bristol & District Gardeners’ Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Association.—The monthly meeting of the 
association was held at St. John’s Parish Room, 
Redland, on Thursday, Juiy 26th. A large atten¬ 
dance was presided over by Mr. A. J. Hancock. 
The subject for the evening was " Sweet Peas,' 
opened by Mr. J. C. House, of Coombe Nurseries, 
Westbury-on-Trym, who is a recognised authority 
on the subject. In opening the subject, he paid an 
eloquent tribute to the efforts of Mr. H. Eckford, of 
Wem, who has done more than any other man to 
bring the popular flower to the high level of culture 
and beauty we have in it to-day. Mr. House 
claimed for Sweet Peas an attractiveness and useful¬ 
ness for all forms of floral decoration to be found in 
hardly any other flower, and gave very clear details 
as to the methods of culture likely to secure the 
best possible results, urging the need of planting 
thinly, firmly, and in well manured ground. He also 
gave many useful hints as to sticking, watering, and 
shading, closing with a list of the varieties he 
thought the best for ordinary and exhibition culture. 
Mr. House’s lecture was much appreciated, and a 
vote of thanks to him for his attendance was carried 
by acclamation. Prizes for six bunches of Sweet 
Peas attracted keen competition, the awards being : 
Mr. Curtis, 1st; Mr. Maidment, 2nd; Mr. Harford, 
3rd. Prizes for six Carnation blooms went to Mr. 
Harford, 1st; Mr. Staddon, 2nd. 
Southwark Flower Show.—On Saturday, July 
14th, in the Red Cross Hall, Southwark, a little 
flower show was held. To those who are used to 
seeing the finest shows in the kingdom it was amus¬ 
ing and somewhat pathetic to view the efforts of the 
city workpeople as displayed in their flower show. 
The commonest of cut flowers, " Geraniums ” in 
pots, boxes of annuals, and one Musk, one Fuchsia, 
one " Creeping Jenny," and so on formed the chief 
classes composing the schedule. None of the prizes 
are greater than a total of 5s. In the class for one 
plant of a Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia Nummularia) 
there were fifty-five entries—rather keen competition ! 
There'are also prizes for window boxes, but these, 
of course, are judged at the dwellings of the com¬ 
petitors. The Countess of Halsbury distributed the 
prizes at 5 o’clock. Altogether, however, the spirit 
of the show is good, and those who are responsible 
for its maintenance have much to receive thanks for. 
We hope they will continue to foster the love for 
flowers, and, if possible, to teach the people some¬ 
thing more of plants than can be advanced by 
having a yearly show composed wholly of Geraniums, 
Creeping Jenny’s, and the like. In front of the Red 
Cross Hall there is a pretty little garden, having a 
fountain, Fig trees, Jasmine bushes, Ampelopsis, and 
various other pretty shrubs. Seats are placed about 
liberally, so that on a fine day the Red Cross Gardens 
ought to be well patronised. The hall was planned 
and erected by donations, £2,000 being contributed 
by the late Hon. Henry F. Cowper for the 
inhabitants. The garden was given by the 
Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and laid out by 
the Kyrle Society, the whole cost (£1,000) 
being defrayed by the late Countess of Ducie. An 
adjoining line of cottages, overlooking the garden, 
was built with money given by Lady Jane Dundas, 
and the interest from this money, supplied by fees 
for letting the hail, meets the standing expenses of 
hall and garden. The hall is used on Sunday after¬ 
noons in winter as a sort of drawing-room for grown¬ 
up people. Singing and carving classes occupy it 
during the week. The trustees appoint a committee 
of a management as followsChairman, Mr. W. 
Richardson; Treasurer, Miss Octavia Hill; Hon. 
Sec., Miss Eardley Wilmot; Mr. Chubb, Mr. 
Benton Fletcher, Misses Gardner, Grimston, Mr. S. 
Lewis, Sewell, Mrs. Herron, Mrs. Orr, Mrs. 
Vincent, Mr. Roberts, and Mr. Waters. More of 
such exhibitions are wanted in thickly populated 
city districts. 
The Derivation of Ulex.—It is a pleasure to read 
the letter from your correspondent, "Sigma," who 
is not above giving authority for what he writes. I 
am glad, too, that he quotes so eminent an authority 
as Skeat. Pliny, however, uses the word Ulex as 
the name of a shrub closely allied to the Rosemary, 
which, so far as I know, is not a prickly plant. 
Anyhow, I quite accept Sigma’s derivation as being 
very ingenious, and, should occasion ever require, 
I shall quote it with pleasure. " The legendary 
Pliny" can, I fear, have but one meaning, namely, 
" fabulous," as " The legendary Amazons," Tennyson’s 
Princess. I trust that Sigma will not take Horace’s 
advice as applying to himself, but that we may 
soon and often see his signature in The Gardening 
World.--/. C. Stogdon. 
ROSES AND THE FROST. 
Many of us were astounded at the severe havoc 
made by the phenomenal frost during the last week of 
December of 1899 ; it came on so suddenly and 
severe after such a mild period, which was 
experienced for some weeks previous, while growth 
seemed to be progressing freely. It is worth noting 
that Roses which are not gross in their wood growth 
are generally more hardy than those which grow 
late and of strong habit. When looking over our 
stock of dwarfs, climbers and others, we noticed how 
severely some suffered from frost compared with others 
On a very damp piece of ground which is too low to 
be drained, the plants were cut down to the sur¬ 
face of the ground by frost. They were planted well 
below the junction of stock and sown at the end of 
1898, earth drawn round the collar, and evergreens 
placed thickly among the plants. Now all have 
started freely into growth. Many of them have made 
shoots from 3 ft. to 4 ft. long.- To make up for lack 
of drainage on this untoward space, a foot of broken 
bricks was placed in the bottoms of the beds, over 
which was placed a quantity of very rough soil, 
rather light. The beds stand well above the level of 
the surrounding ground, and by this means we have 
an abundance of Roses from two hundred plants. 
Teas have started away as freely as perpetuals. We 
have not fared so well with climbers and others over 
wire archways, &c. Though few ot them have 
been killed many suffered severely, but the vacant 
spaces are being rapidily filled up, and many of the 
plants individually, are crowded with hundreds of 
blossoms. Strong growers (some of which made 
12 ft. of growth last year), have been thinned 
severely. Madame d’Arbly, is the greatest sufferer 
of the lot. Early in spring we removed the surface 
soil and placed about 3 in. of good manure all over 
the border space, and covered it with the soil. The 
result has been excellent.— M. Temple, Carron, N.B. 
--- 
HORTICULTURAL COLLEGE, 
SWANLEY. 
The annual distribution of prizes won by students 
at the Horticultural College, Swanley, in subjects 
taught at the college and examined by the in¬ 
structors, took place on Friday, July 20th. Parents 
and friends of the students, who now number about 
ninety, including about sixty-five young ladies, 
assembled at the college in large numbers. In the 
lecture room there were specimens of bottled fruits 
and jams, besides dishes of fruits, vegetables and 
Sweet Peas ; sections of honey, and the students' 
diaries were also shown. 
The table decorations, bouquets, and floral designs 
were staged in the botanical laboratory, and were 
judged by Mr. Henry Cannell, of Swanley. The 
prizes were distributed in the saloon by Mrs. Corn¬ 
wallis. Mr. F. S. W. Cornwallis, M.P., Maidstone, 
presided. The following awards were presented : — 
Miss E. Welthin Winlo: The College Silver 
Medal for highest distinction in examinations ; 
Silver Gilt Medal and First-class Certificate of the 
Royal Horticultural Society ; 1st prize, principles of 
horticulture (advanced) ; 1st prize, theoretical 
botany (advanced) ; and best diary two years 
(women's). Miss L. Gibbs : 1st prize, practical botany 
(advanced), and 1st prize practical botanical note 
book (advanced). Miss E. Bedell: 1st prize, princi¬ 
ples of horticulture, and 1st prize, theoretical chemis¬ 
try. Mr. F. Tremain : 1st prize, entomology, and 1st 
prize, bee-keeping (second year). Miss L. Hanson : 
1st prize, physics, and 1st prize, geology. Miss E. 
Varley : 1st prize, elementary botany (theoreticil), 
and 1st prize, practical chemistry. Mr. C. Buck: 
Best diary (men), and highest aggregate of marks 
first year. Miss. M. Macara : 1st prize, practical 
elementary botany. Miss Dowding : Best note-book 
of practical and elementary botany. Miss H. 
Draper : 1st prize, dairy work ; and First-class 
Certificate for second place in Royal Horticultural 
Society’s examination. Mr. Gleed : 1st prize, poul¬ 
try keeping. Miss L. Landgren : 1st prize, practical 
work (second year). Miss Boorman: 2nd prize, 
practical work (second yeir). Miss Morrell and Mr. 
Hurst: Practical work prizes (first year). Miss 
Smlt: 1st prize, bee-keeping (first year). 
Students’ plots: 1st prize, Miss Carlyon; 2nd 
prize, Miss Fearnley ; 3rd prize, Miss Squire. 
Best table decorations in college during term, Mr. 
A. Say. Best table decorations on prize day, Miss 
E. W. Winlo. Best bouquet (prize presented by 
Mrs. Watson), 1st, Miss E. W. Winlo; 2nd, Miss 
Mordaunt. 
Wreaths and crosses : 1st, Miss Meadmore ; 2nd, 
Miss E. W. Winlo. Sprays and buttonholes, 1st, 
Miss Neiderhuber ; 2nd, Miss Powell. Collection 
of fresh wild flowers, 1st, Miss Young. 
The successful students in the recent Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society's examination, whose names we 
have previously given, also received Certificates. 
PINEAPPLES 
May be grown by anyone with care and a good 
stove. I remember a situation I had some time ago 
where the ladies brought the growths off some Pine¬ 
apples they had had for dessert with a request I 
should try and grow them "just for a novelty.” I 
removed a few leaves from the base of the growth, 
and put them into 6o’s in some good loam and silver 
sand, and placed them in a propagating case where 
they soon rooted. When well rooted I potted them on 
into 24's in some good loam, silver sand, and a little 
artificial manure, and watered them very carefully. 
I left them in the 24's for about a year when I potted 
them into large 16’s, using same mixture as 
before, adding a little more artificial manure. 
As the pots filled witfi roots I gave them a little 
manure water. When fruit began to appear I 
ceased feediog, and kept the house drier till the fruit 
had set, when I resumed feeding, giving it stronger 
than before. Wflen the fruit began to ripen I with¬ 
held feeding and gave clear water only. Care must 
be taken that moisture is not allowed to remain in 
the heart of the pine, or it will cause decay, and I 
must impress careful watering one of the chief 
thiDgs in growing Pines successfully. I may here 
add that the fruit was medium size, and I was told 
of excellent flavour.— R. Mayhury, Silver Medallist 0] 
the Wolverhampton Horticultural Club. 
-o*——-— 
ABOUT STRAWBERRIES. 
As the season has almost arrived for making new 
Strawberry plantations, a few notes on suitable 
varieties for securing a good supply for as long a 
season as possible, of this most popular fruit, will be 
interesting. I have had experience of the culture on 
many different soils, and that experience proves that 
a medium to heavy loam is the most suitable. 
Where possible the soil should be trenched 2 ft. 
deep, and unless very rich a heavy coating of 
manure must be incorporated with the soil. For 
heavy clay land, stable manure, and plenty of rough 
leaf mould is best, while light soils 'require heavy 
dressings of cow manure. As regards varieties they 
are legion, and I find that different districts require 
different varieties. However, a few varieties are so 
universally good, that they are worthy of particular 
notice. The earliest variety here is Laxton's Noble. 
It is a fine showy fruit, and in a dry season the 
flavour is excellent. The universally grown Royal 
Sovereign comes next. It is good in every respect 
except one, and that is, it will not stand the weather. 
This season I had as fine a crop as probably anyone 
ever saw. With the long spell of wet weather I lost 
50 per cent, of them. Another fine variety is Duke 
of Edinburgh, a mid-season variety. Probably this 
is one of the best varieties grown. Old President 
continues to be almost the finest flavoured and 
heavy cropping variety. Sir J. Paxton is also hard 
to beat ; while for later work, Oscar and McMahon, 
are most excellent. The old Elton Pine is also still 
well to the front. I have no great experience of the 
newer varieties, but can thoroughly recommend all 
those I have named.— Chas. Blair, Binny, Uphall, 
N.B. 
