106 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 31, 1903 
J* 
News of the Week— (continued). 
At Birkdale, Lancashire, a Rhododendron is blooming in an 
open garden. 
* * * 
Goon reports are to hand regarding New Zealand’s fruit-grow¬ 
ing industry, the area devoted to which is steadily increasing. 
* * * 
Royal Botanic Society.— A laboratory has been opened in the 
gardens of the Royal Botanic Society at Regent’s Park, in which 
classes for instruction in botany and horticultural chemistry 
are held three days a week. Mr. E. J. Schwartz, Demonstrator 
in Botany at King’s College, has been appointed director, and 
he lias now completed arrangements for the reception of pupils. 
The laboratory has been erected and equipped under the iegis 
of the Technical Education Board, and there is ground for hope 
that it may form the nucleus of a more ambitious botanic institute 
in connection with the Royal Botanic Society. 
* 
Cardiff and County Horticultural Society.— The annual 
meeting of this society was held on Monday for the appointment 
of officers for the ensuing year. Lord Windsor was elected pre¬ 
sident, Dr. De Vere Hunt chairman, and Mr. A. W. Morris vice- 
chairman of the committee. Mr. H. Gillett was re-elected secre¬ 
tary, a position which he has held since the society was estab¬ 
lished. The date of the show was fixed for July 22nd and 23rd. 
The accounts were passed, and a satisfactory balance is in hand. 
* * * 
Social Evening at Kew. —The annual social evening 
organised by the young gardeners at Kew was held on tips 
occasion in the Boat House, Kew Bridge, on the 15th inst. About 
sixty couples were present, including most of the present 
gardeners and a. few of the past Kewit-e-s. There was a pro¬ 
gramme of twelve dances, Mr. Horton acting as M.C. and giving 
general satisfaction. There was vocal and instrumental music, 
the latter supplied chiefly by the piano. The dancing was kept 
up to an early hour in the morning, and all were agreed that they 
had spent a very agreeable and pleasant evening. 
* * * 
National Dahlia Society. —The newly-issued schedule of the 
above society contains the report for 1902, with the prize list for 
1903. Compared with the report for 1901, issued ten months 
ago, the changes are as follow:—The name of the Earl of 
Ilchester is added to the list of patrons, and that of Miss 
Willmott, Y.M.H., to the list of patronesses. Mr. F. W. 
Sharpe has resigned his position as vice-president, and Mr. J. F. 
Hudson, M.A., has been elected a vice-pre-sident in his place. 
Mr. Hudson thus retires from the position of hon. secretary, 
which he has so ably filled during the past six years, and Mr. 
P. W. Tulloch has been elected hon. secretary in his place. 
Mr. E. T. Cook has been elected to the vacant seat on the com¬ 
mittee caused by Mr. Tulloch’s appointment. Compared with 
the date of issue of the last report, the membership shows an 
increase of over 11 per cent., and the prize schedule for 1903 has 
been improved by the addition of four new prize trophies, as 
already notified. Negotiations are in progress for thei holding 
of a special exhibition of Dahlias by this society at Manchester 
in September next, which it is hoped will shortly reach a s-atis- 
factorv conclusion. 
* * * 
Croydon and District Horticultural Mutual-Improvement 
Society. — The first lecture in the New Year of this society’s 
syllabus of meetings was held at the Sunflower Temperance Hotel, 
George Street, on the 20th inst., when the chairman, Mr. W. J. 
Simpson, introduced Mr. J. Deans, who gave a most interesting 
and,appreciable paper on “ Nature’s Seed Sowing.” The lecturer, 
in his opening remarks, referred to the well-known authorities 
on! the subject, such as Darwin, Lubbock, etc., and their theories 
of the many ways which Nature has of distributing the seeds of 
plant life over the earth, attributing the methods of dispersing 
the seeds toi four chief ways, viz., by water, winds, birds, and 
animals, and explaining the channels of each in detail, thereby 
showing the harmonious working of Nature and her subjects. 
The lecturer passed round to the meeting different varieties of 
seeds, and these conveyed in a very clear manner the different 
points which he raised in his discourse. A good discussion by the 
members relating to the lecture followed the reading of the paper, 
and on the proposition of the chairman, seconded by Dr. Brooke 
Ridley, a unanimous vote of thanks was accorded the lecturer 
for the splendid way in which he dealt with his subject. Seven 
new members were elected. The next meeting is February 3rd, 
when Mr. Thos. Bunyard will take for his subject “ Garden 
Root Crops.” 
The Fruit-growers’ Association, Blairgowrie, sat down to 
their annual dinner on the 22nid inst. 
* . * * 
Mr. Chamberlain stopped at Nawasha Station, on the 
Uganda Railway to examine Orchids and Lilies, which were 
brought to him for inspection. Some of them were taken away 
with him. 
* * * 
Horticultural Lectures at Potter’s Bar. —A series of six 
lectures on Horticulture has recently been started, Mr. J. 
Weathers again being the lecturer. Only about a dozen persons, 
however, patronised the opening meeting last week. Mr. H. 
Joy is the class manager. 
* * * 
The King’s Park, Bloemfontein. —The laying out and plant¬ 
ing of the King’s Park, a piece of ground given to Bloemfontein 
in celebration of the King’s Coronation, is progressing. The 
situation of the park is a mile to the east of the town. Unfor- 
tunately, the soil is brackish, and therefore the site chosen 
is not an ideal one ; but, in the hands of the Curator of Graliams- 
town Botanical Gardens, amongst the finest in South Africa, 
confidence is felt that the park will be laid out to the best, 
advantage. 
* •* * 
A Big Garden Farm. —America is the country for big things, 
and it is not- astonishing therefore to learn that it claims to have 
the bggest market garden in the world. This is run in Massa¬ 
chusetts by Mr. W. W. Raw-son, who last year grew 600,000 
“cukes ” of cucumbers at a co-s-t of £1,200, which works out just 
one halfpenny per Cucumber. About 2.000 Cucumbers are cut 
each day in March, 4,000 a day in April, 10.000 a day in May, 
and 15,000 a day in June. Lettuces are another big cultivation 
on this farm, a million head having been grown under glass last 
year. 
* * * 
Bucklebury Horticultural Society. —The annual general 
meeting of the Bucklebury and Marlston Society was held in the 
Schoolroom, Bucklebury, on the 17th inst. The chairman for 
the evening, Mr. A. W. Sutton', said the society was in a flourish¬ 
ing condition, with a balance of £44 2s-. Id. on the credit side. 
After the adoption of the report officers for the ensuing year were 
elected. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the retiring 
secretary, Mr. A. Wright, for the work he had done, and the in¬ 
terest he had taken in the proceedings of the society during the 
two years he held office Later in the evening, at a meeting to 
discuss, questions on cottage gardening, Mr. Wright delivered a 
lecture on “Chrysanthemums for Cottagers.” 
* * * 
Linn.ean Society of London.— At the meeting of the 15th inst. 
the Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing, F.R. S., moved: “ That this meet¬ 
ing, approving o-f the alterations in the constitution of the 
Li-nnsean Society of London, as shown in the printed statement 
circulated, hereby -authorises the council to take the necessary 
steps to obtain a supplementary charter embodying the said 
alterations, and thereafter to prepare revised bye-laws in accord¬ 
ance with the provisions of the new charter.” The object of 
these alterations wa.s to enable the society to admit ladies to their 
meetings, who, by the ruling of the old charter, had previously 
been debarred from attending. At the votinlg which followed the 
more important alteration was the addition of the words “ with¬ 
out distinction of sex.” This was carried by 54 in favour and 17 
against. 
* * * 
Fisiilake.—An Interesting Lecture on Horticulture.— 
Mr. A. Gant, of the Yorkshire College, gave the third of his lec¬ 
tures on “Horticulture,” in the schoolroom, on the 19th inst.. 
to a moderate attendance. The lecturer gave some practical 
hints on budding and striking Roses. The bud should be taken 
from a branch not too old, and would do better if not allowed to 
grow too long a- shoot the first year. The branch should not he 
cut back until the snring after. The best time for budding was : 
Cherries in June, Roses in July, and Apples in August. Roses 
that could not bo raised from cuttings might be raised from 
runners by laying a branch in the ground and cutting a- ring of 
bark out, which would cause the roots to strike. The best- time 
to plant them was July, August, and September. Regarding 
some of the insect pests, the lecturer advised tar water mixed 
with soil for Carrot grub, and carbolic soap for Onion grub, 
Carrot grub, and green-fly on Roses. To destroy fingers and toes 
use lime and avoid manuring with superphosphate. 
