822 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 26, 1903. 
Successful Career.— Mr. Norman Gill—second son of Mr. 
R. Gill, F.R.H.S., Tremough, Cornwall—who, after a brilliant 
career at the Royal Gardens, Rew, received a valuable appoint¬ 
ment in Calcutta Botanical Gardens, and was subsequently 
promoted to the superintendency of the Government Gardens, 
Cawnpore, India, has been selected to lay out an extensive open 
area at Cawnpore, which surrounds the hire statue of Her late 
Majesty Queen Victoria. Mr. Gill left Kew in January, 1900. 
* * * 
Big Cabbages. —A correspondent, Mr. H. Arnold, being in¬ 
terested in the subject of Cabbages, wrote to a celebrated grower 
of big Cabbages, whose achievements in this line have on pre¬ 
vious occasions been recorded in our pages, and the subjoined 
was the reply he received:—“I am in receipt of your note 
regarding Cabbages. The four heaviest that I ever reared were 
62" lbs., 63 lbs., 68 lbs., and 71 lbs. respectively. The solid 
hearts of the smaller ones were 19 in. in diameter, at the nar¬ 
rowest part and the two larger ones 20 in. I grew the two smallest 
and the largest one in one season, and at the same time had 
others 55 lbs. and 56 lbs., and several from 50 lbs. to 54 lbs. 
All the specially large ones were weighed and re-weighed inj 
the presence of quite a number of witnesses. I shall be very 
glad to hear what your record weight is, and, if more than 
71 lbs., I shall grow more Cabbages next season, with the 
object of wiping off the difference. These weights were for late 
or Drumhead Cabbages, but I liaVe grown an early one 39 lbs., 
variety Early York.” 
* * * ■ i 
The King’s Fruit Crop. —In common with many of his sub¬ 
jects who cultivate fruit, the King 1 finds his crop this season 
below the average. The Apples are not nearly so plentiful as 
last season, and the recent gale sliqok many bushels of choice 
fruit from the trees. Other fruit is also rather scarce, , and 
many of the Potatos in the Royal gardens, have been ' found Vto 
be diseased. So extensive are, the Frogmore gardens, however, 
'and so skilfully are they cultivated, that there will he ample 
quantities of both fruit ahd vegetables to supply the Royal 
tables. Every morning baskets of choice fruit' and vegetables 
are packed and despatched by train to the palace at which the 
King and Queen are staying, 
* * * 
Complimentary Dinner and Testimonial to Mr. W. B. 
Latham. —A meeting of nurserymen, gardeners, and others in¬ 
terested in horticulture was held at the Odd Fellows’ Rooms, 
Temple Street, Birmingham, on Saturday, August 22nd, to 
consider the best means of recognising the many years of valu¬ 
able service rendered to horticulture by Mr. W. B. Latham, who 
is resigning the curatorship of the Botanical Gardens, Edgbas- 
ton, and at that meeting it was unanimously resolved to enter¬ 
tain him at a complimentary dinner, to be held at the Colonnade 
Hotel, New Street, Birmingham, on Thursday evening, Sep¬ 
tember 24th (since then postponed until October 22nd), and in 
the meantime to raise a fund for the purpose of presenting him 
with a testimonial suitable to the occasion, and such that will 
represent the good wishes of his many friends and lovers of 
horticulture. In addition to having held the curatorship for 
35 years, he has been chairman of the Birmingham Chrysan¬ 
themum Society 30 years, the Gardeners’ Association 17 years, 
and the Birmingham Spring Flower Show (at one time held in 
the Town Hall) 15 years, thus establishing a unique, record of 
useful activity in the interest of horticulture. Should anyone 
therefore feel that he would like to participate in recognising 
such a life-long service to horticulture, we shall be, glad if he 
will kindly fill in and return the annexed form on, or before 
Thursday, October 15th. At a general meeting of subscribers 
held at the Athletic Institute, John Bright Street, Birmingham, 
on Monday evening, September 14th, after much consideration 
it was decided that it was advisable to postpone the dinner from 
September 24th (as originally fixed) to October 22ncl, in order 
that, his many friends at a distance may have an opportunity 
of showing their appreciation of his many kindnesses and life¬ 
long service to horticulture. Mr. Owen Thomas (late head 
gardener to His Majesty King Edward VII.), 25, Waldeck Road, 
West Ealing, W., who has kindly promised to preside at the 
dinner and present the testimonial, will be glad to receive sub¬ 
scriptions, or they may be sent direct to the chairman, Mr. W. 
Jones, Stephenson Chambers, New Street, Birmingham to the 
treasurer, Mr. W. Spinks, The Nurseries, Solihull, Birming¬ 
ham ; or to the secretary, Mr. J. Hughes, 140, High Street, 
Birmingham. Dinner tickets issued for September 24th will 
be available for October 22nd. 
p Gleanings from the World of Science. 
Royal Horticultural. Scientific Committee. 
August 18th.—-Present: Dr. M. C. Cooke (in the chair), 
Messrs. Holmes, ‘Odell, Gordon, Michael, Saunders, Bowles, 
Douglas,-Worsley, and Dr. Masters. 
Orites excelsa. —Mr. Holmes-showed a specimen of the bark 
of this Australian Protead, remarkable for containing aluminium 
•succinate. The nearly allied Grevillea contains no aluminium. 
Rijbus rosaeeolius. —Mr. Odell showed flowers and fruit of 
this Rubus, which has pinnate foliage of a light green colour, 
white flowers, and scarlet fruit. 
Proliferous Cucumber.— Dr. Masters showed a remarkable 
specimen, in which from the axil of the remains of the sepals on 
the top of one fruit a second one had sprung, longer than the 
parent. This was from a specimen probably akin to those show¬ 
ing remarkable outgrowths of flowers from the axial part of the 
fruit, exhibited on a former .occasion. 
Hymenocallis iiarrisiana. —Mr. Bliss sent bulbiform seeds 
of this plant in process of germination, which were referred to 
Dr. Rendle for examination and report. 
Viola Disease.— Specimens sent by Mr. Bacon were referred 
to Dr. Cooke for examination and report. 
Apple Tree Scorched.-—A further Tetter was read from Mr. 
Dowson relating to Apple branches shown at the last meeting. 
The dead bark does not peel off on the south side only, as it 
would do from sun scorch, to which the mischief had been attri¬ 
buted, but on the north side also. Lightning was suggested as 
the probable source of injury, as no fungus could be detected. 
Vine Leaves Discoloured. —Leaves were sent from Worthing 
affected with red spider. There were traces of Honeydew and 
of Smut-fungus (Capnodium). 
Cucumber Scale.— Dr.! Cooke showed further, specimens of 
Cucumbers affected with Cladosporium scabies., A close atmo¬ 
sphere, is favourable to 1 the spread of these fungi, whilst a 
Current'of air is prejudicial-to them. This has been observed 
by growers in the case of Tbmatos affected with Cladosporium. 
Peas.-— Mr. Worsley showed specimens of late Peas rotting 
near the base, Whilst the foliage above turns brown and shrivels. 
This condition is very common this autumn, and is probably due 
■to excessive moisture at the root. 
September 1st.—Present : Dr. Cooke, V.M.H., in the chair) 
and seven members. 
Hippeastrum species.—Col. Tillotson sent flowers of a plant 
sent from South America. The petals were of a pale clear green, 
passing into primrose, the stamens and pistil bright pink, and 
protruding far beyond the petals, which were almost closed at the 
apex of the flower. Though not very attractive in colour, it was 
thought it might be useful to breed from, on account of the great 
substance of the petals. 
Raspberry, Wineberry, Blackberry Hybrids.—Mr. H. Peer- 
man sent specimens of the foliage (the fruits had fallen off, and 
could not be identified) of three hybrids, Blackberry x Raspberry, 
Raspberry x Wineberry, Wineberry x Raspberry. They were 
considered most interesting, and he was .requested to send again 
next year, each iii'a separate box, with both fruit and foliage. 
Bud Formation.—-Mr. J. Robson sent “ a section from a young 
Sycamore exhibiting the extraordinary facility with which this 
tree develops woodbuds from’the alburnum.” The tree had been 
budded on the bare space between two leaves, and the bud had 
failed, but from the base of the incision the stock had sent out 
a growth “where no eye previously existed. iTiave twenty-five 
or more examples of the same thing in Sycamores, but though I 
have budded many subjects I have never noticed the same thing 
in any other genus. 
Hippeastrum Blistered. : —Dr. Bonavia sent some leaves of 
Hippeastrum “ covered with something that looks like scale, but 
which adheres so closely to the epidermis that it is difficult to 
remove.” The scalelike blotches, on examination, proved to be not 
of insect formation at all, but blisters due probably to defective 
root action, itself due to a check of some sort, such as cold or too 
much wet. 
Cryptocoocus on Weymouth Pine.—-Mr. R. Knight-Bruce sent 
a specimen of bark literally swarming with the white woolly or 
waxy Cryptococcus which attacks Pines, and which, he says, is 
rapidly spreading and killing plantations of the Weymouth Pine. 
The Committee considered the case almost hopeless, but sug¬ 
gested spraying the trees with a paraffin emulsion. Mr. Wilks 
said he had but little hope in spraying Cryptococcus, as, unless 
the sprayer was peculiarly strong and powerful, the fluid would 
not penetrate the downy wax with which the insect covers itself 
over. He had known a case of a Beech tree being saved by hand 
