610 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
July ii, 1903. 
Scottish Horticultural Association.- —The monthly meeting 
of the above association was held in Dowell’s Rooms, 18, George 
Street, Edinburgh, on the 7th inst. Mr. J. W. McHat-tie pre¬ 
sided over a good attendance of members. A paper was read by 
the secretary from Mr. J. C. Dick, The Gardens, Champ- 
fleurie, Linlithgow, entitled “ Favourite Flowers and Shrubs, 
and the Soils which .Suit Them.” Mr. Dick dealt first with 
Roses, and next with Liliums ; in dealing with the latter he 
emphasised tlhel benefits of top dressing, and exhibited an old 
stein of S. platyphyllum with numerous stem-roots resulting 
from repeated top-dressings. Other flowers dealt with were 
Carnations, Cyclamens, Lapagegias, Eucharis grandiflora, 
Pancratiums, Callas, Stephanotis, and Allamandas. Among the 
shrubs dealt with were Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Andromeda 
floribunda, C'hoysia ternata, etc. Amongst the numerous 
exhibits on the table were-: From Messrs. Dickson and Co., 
Waterloo Place, Edinburgh, eight pots Kalanchoe flam in®.a, 
awarded a Certificate of Merit; from Mr. D. Kidd, The Gardens, 
Carberry Tower, Musselburgh, vases of Carnations, Princess of 
Wales, Uriah Pike. Mrs. E. Hanlbury, awarded a Cultural Cer¬ 
tificate ; from Messrs. Todd and Co., S'handwick Place, Edin¬ 
burgh, a vase of Carnations, including Royalty, Dazzler, Cam¬ 
bridge White, etc. ; from 1 Mr. Waldie, Lam out, .two pots of 
Gloxinias ; from Mr. John Downie, Beech Hill Nurseries, double 
white Rocket and a pan of Primula sikkimensis ; from Mr. Chas. 
Comfort, Broomfield, Davidson’s Mains, blooms of Brugmansia 
suaveoleus; from Messrs. Jas. Grieve and Sons, Redbraes, a col¬ 
lection of seedling Pansies and a collection of hardy herbaceous 
flowers; from Messrs. Howden and Co., Inverness, a rayless 
golden seedling Viola ; from Mr. A. Johnstone, Hay Lodge, 
Trinity, a plant of Orchis m-aculata. 
NEWS OF THE WEEK. 
Strawberries were being sold as cheaply as twopence a pound 
in London on the 2nd inst. 
•* * ■* 
Death oe Mr. C. Cull. —The death was announced on the 
2nd inst. of Mr. C. Cull, the well-known horticulturist, and for 
many years hon. secretary of the Tunbridge Wells Flower Show 
Society. 
* * * 
Historic Tree in Jeopardy. —A fire which occurred at Sud¬ 
bury Maced in jeopardy a house formerly occupied by Gains¬ 
borough, the famous painter. A Walnut tree under which many of 
his pictures were painted had a narrow escape from destruction. 
* * * 
Dean Hole’s Roses. —The Vicar of Herne, Kent, has received 
the following letter from Dean Hole:—“The- Deanery, 
Rochester, June 22nd,—With regard to your query as to- my 
Roses, the regicides (insects and floods) have almost done their 
murderous work here as effectually as at Belgrade. In my sixty 
years’ experience of Rose cultivation I have never seen- such 
desolation.” 
* ■- * 
Forestry in Scotland. —It is said that there is likely to be 
an unusually interesting forestry section at the show of the High¬ 
land and Agricultural Society of Scotland, which is to be held 
in Dumfries in July. The classes seem to- be well arranged, 
and it will interest many to observe the efforts being made- to 
encourage the more scientific pursuit of the- practice of forestry 
in Scotland. The Royal Scottish Arbo-ricultural Society con¬ 
tinues to grow in strength anl usefulness. Too many gardeners 
neglect the acquirement of a knowledge of forestry, which would 
often: he of immense advantage to them in their career. 
* * *■ 
Potatos Damaged by Frost. —Damage to Potatos by recent 
snaps of frost has been considerable in certain districts of Scot¬ 
land, but has not been general over the whole country, nor 
serious enough to greatly affect the probable output as a whole. 
Inquiries in Blairgowrie- district show that comparatively little 
damage has been done-. In the Upper and Lower Stormont the 
crop is looking splendidly, though rain is much needed, and it 
is reported that not- a blackened haulm is to be seen. In the 
Muir o’ Blair and Carsi-e districts, however, evidence of severe 
frost is plainly visible. Potatos have certainly suffered to some 
extent. To the immediate- north fields show signs of hard frost, 
but reports from Glenshee .and Strathardle state that little 
damage has been done there. 
Pear Trees at West Norwood and various other places are no 
flowering a second time. 
The Cherry Crop.—I n South Bucks, owing to the bad weathe 
the Cherry crop is a complete failure. 
* * * 
The West Wickham Horticultural and Cottage Garden 
Society has just been inaugurated. Their first annual show 
to be held on Wednesday, August 19th. 
* * * 
Strawberries a Century Ago. —English Strawberries wei 
being sold in London streets for the first time this season on tl 
30th ult. Tlie average price was sixpence per pound. In 1803 tl 
fruit was ripe some ten days earlier, and was sold at twopence. 
pound. A century ago the Strawberry was much smaller tha 
it is now. 
* * 
Mr. Chamberlain and Protection eor Fruit. —Fruit cultui 
as an English industry is said to- have suffered severely froi 
foreign competition, and Mr. Chamberlain, in reply to a quei 
as to whether his scheme would cover protection for fruit, sai 
that the principle must be established before they entered upo 
details, and that each case must be considered on its merits. 
•* * •* 
The Gardeners’ Company. —At a recent meeting of the Com¬ 
b-eld at Fishmongers’ Hall, it was resolved, subject to th 
approval of the Library Committee of the Corporation, to depos 
the company’s old muniment chest in the Guildhall Museui 
as a loan exhibit. The recently-started charity fund no 
amounts to over £280. The Master and Mrs. Burrows will ente 
tain the Court and Livery, with their ladies, at Ladywoot 
Orpington, Kent, on Thursday, July 23rd. 
* * * 
-yyuaxnlylu .-a. -JLVJ.I. u. VV . 
memiber of the Westminster City Council, and a member of th 
“ rn ) of Messrs. W. Dennis and Sons, of Kirton, Lincolnshirt 
probably the largest potato growers in the kingdom, states the 
during the year ending May, 1902, his firm consigned to Americ 
-Potatos the duty on which totalled nearly £14,000. Messrs 
emus and Sons, who are recognised as Potato kings in Lincoli 
s ne, gave the whole of the Potatos consumed at the gre; 
dinners given to- the- London poor in connection with the King 
Coronation, which it was estimated cost th-e-m £1 000 
■ * * * 
High Prices for Fruit and Flowers.— Fruit growers’ hope 
have blos-somed with the sunshine. Gooseberries, the mo< 
plentiful fruit of the season, fetched as much as £25 a ton tli 
other week £30 to £40 having -been paid for large berries ear 1« 
m tne month. -It is many years, since Gooseberry growers ha 
a more profitable time. Indoor Strawberries have sold for ' 
much as 6s. a pound wholesale, and outdoor varieties ha\ 
c laaiged hands at jn’ices ranging uji to eighteenpence. As th: 
latter figure represents £160 a ton, and it is possible to get tw 
ons of fruit from a well-kept acre-, it is easy to understand th; 
Strawberry growing has proved very remunerative this yea: 
although Bie fruit is new plentiful at from 2d. to 4d. per poun 
wholesale-. Flowers have made very large prices. “Last wee 
was one of the most remarkable in the history of the trade,” sai 
a dealer at Covent- Garden recently. “Lilies of the Valley wei 
sold at fro-m 15s. to 21s. a dozen bunches, Moss Roses at froi 
bs. to- 8s. a dozen bunich-es, and Gladiolus from 9s. to 18s. Tli 
puces now ruling are about. 25 per cent, below these.” 
* * * 
Ripe Strawberries. —-Strawberry picking is now in full swim 
in a the gardens- in Surrey and the adjoining counties, and 
whatever may have been the result of the recent floods and nigh 
rests m other places, they have not materially injured the croi 
in these- counties. Under the- influence of the brilliant sunshin. 
or the last few days the fruit has ripened rapidly, and there i- 
tidy piospect of a fairly heavy crop. The- berries are ver- 
aige, and, though tli-e- total yield per acre will not be so grea 
as last year, which was an exceptionally good season, the grower- 
y * lfn e ho reason to complain if they are favoured with a con 
tmuance of the fine weather. Thousands- of fruit-pickers are nov 
engaged m the Strawberry fields in the Wisbech district and tin 
P en-s, on the borders of Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, and Lincoln 
shire. Although the first- crop was, to a great extent, spoilt In 
mildew, the second crop of Strawberries is a good one, and, 
hundreds of tons are being sent each evening by special Great 
Eastern trains to Coven t Garden .and the South, and by the Mid 
land and Great No-rt-hem and the Great Central Railway t( 
Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Edinburgh, and 1 
Glasgow, and other great centres. 
