January 2, 1904. 
THE GARDENING WOkLD 
11 
Society and Association Notes. NEWS OF THE WEEK. 
Beckenham Horticultural Society. —On the above date 
“ Herbaceous Plants” was the subject given by Mr. Richard 
Martin (Mr. Ware’s, Feltham), a subject which proved very in¬ 
teresting to a good audience. A good discussion followed Mi. 
Martin’s remarks, and he was accorded a vote of thanks. Mi. 
Crosswell exhibited a well grown Cypripedium msigne in a 48 
size pot, having nine flowers upon it. An award of merit. 
1 * * * 
Proposed National Potato Society.— Mr. A. D. Hall, 
director of the Rothamsted experiments, will take the chair at 
the meeting at the Hotel Windsor, Victoria Street, Westminster, 
on Wednesday, December 30th, at 3 p.m., which is arranged 
to establish a national Potato society. A large and influential 
fathering is expected.—W alter P. M right. 
° ° * * * 
Weybridge and District Horticultural Society. The 
annual meeting of the Weybridge Gardeners’ Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Society was liedd at the A illage Hall the othei week. Mi. J. 
Lock moved the alteration of the name of the society to the 
Weybridge and District Horticultural Society. A good deal of 
discussion arose. Some members thought that the Addlestone 
should be left out', as a society had recently been started there ; 
others that a section should be taken, but eventually the resolu¬ 
tion was carried by a majority ( the scope of the society to in¬ 
clude the parishes of Weybridge, Walton, Her sham, Byfleet, and 
Addlestone. 
* * * 
Newcastle and District Gardeners’ Mutual Society. — 
The monthly meeting of the above society was held in Lockhait s 
Cafe on Wednesday, December 16th, Mr. Matthew Larke in the 
chair. There was a good muster of the members. The suoject 
of the evening was a paper by Mr. Chapman, I .R.H.S., gaidenei 
to N. C. Cookson, Esq., on “ The Cypripedium and its Hybrids. 
Mr. Chapman also exhibited some specimens of dried flowers of 
Cypripediums. His paper was very instructive, and at the* 
close a discussion took place, in which Messrs. B. Cowen, 
F.R.H.S., Ed. Slater, the chairman, and others took part. A 
hearty vote of thanks, proposed by Mr. Cowen, F.R.H.S. and 
supported by Mr. Slater and the chairman, was accorded to 
Mr. Chapman for his valuable paper. 
* * * 
R >yal Horticultural Society.— The first meeting of the 
committees of the Royal Horticultural Society in 1904 will be 
held as usual in the Drill Hall, Buckingham Gate, Westminster, 
on Tuesday, January 5th. An election of new Fellows will take 
place at 3 o’clock. To prevent misunderstanding, it may be 
mentioned that the committee's of 1904 do not vacate office, until 
the date of the annual meeting, 1904, and in like manner all 
Fellows’ tickets of 1903 are available until the end of January, 
1904. At a general meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society', 
held on Tuesday, December 15th, 72 new Fellows were elected, 
making a total of 1.412 elected since the beginning of the year 
1903. 
* * 
Sherborne Gardeners’ Society.— The December meeting of 
the above society was held in St. John’s Hall, Sherborne. Mr. 
John Crook, Forde Abbey, Chard, gave a highly interesting and 
instructive paper on “The Progress of Horticulture.’’ During 
the course of the evening lie also drew the attention of the 
gardeners to. tire advantages of joining the Gardeners’ Royal 
Benevolent Institution for the relief of aged and distressed 
gardeners and to the Royal Gardeners’ Orphan 1* und. This 
matter was afterwards discussed, and it was decided that the 
committee should go into the question, and lay the particulars 
before the next meeting. Mr. Crook was thanked for his instruc¬ 
tive paper. In the gardeners’ competition fur six varieties of 
roots the leading prize was taken by Mr. TTott, Mr. Lane being 
second, and Mr. Leading third. Messrs. Amaiis and Mr. Chubb 
took the prizes in the amateurs’_class for four roots. Sir Hit 
Cooper staged 36 Onions, weighing in the aggregate 47lb., the 
exhibit being not for competition. 
A New Variety of Cabbage. —In the village of Morton, Grant¬ 
ham, is a strange member of the Cabbage tribe, and believed to 
be the result of a cross between a Cabbage and a Brussels Sprout. 
It bears a fully-developed Cabbage on the top and good sprouts 
along the stems. The type seems fixed, as Mr. Barron, the 
raise”, has a plantation of it possessing the above characteristics. 
Bananas.- —Enormous supplies of this fruit have reached us 
during autumn and winter from Jamaica and the Canary 
Islands. 
* * * 
Miniature Cacti Conservatories. —It would seem that very 
small cases, by courtesy termed conservatories, are taking the 
place of Wardian cases for the cultivation of Ferns in dwelling 
houses. They certainly require less attention in the way of 
watering than Ferns, and not so likely to die if neglected for a 
week or two. 
* * * 
Death of Mr. George Rees. —On the 3rd ult. Mr. G. Rees, 
nurseryman and florist, Glandulais Terrace, Lampeter, Car¬ 
marthen, died at his residence, at the age of 68 years. He had 
carried on. business in that town for many years, and was much 
respected by all who knew him. He leaves a widow, four sons, 
and three daughters to mourn his loss. 
* * * 
Mistleto at Hampton Court. —A curious spectacle may be 
witnessed by visitors to Hampton Court Palace Gardens—namely, 
large quantities of Mistleto growing upon the lime trees fring¬ 
ing the Lime Walk in front of the Palace. Of the scores of trees 
forming the avenue, there is scarcely one that does not bear 
several fine bunches of the plant, but all are practically out of 
reach, some growing on the boughs as high as fifty feet from the 
ground. 
* * 41 - 
Big Compensation Award. —Mr. Frederick G. Chinnock has 
published his award arising out of the claim by Mr. Leopold de 
Rothschild for £58,000 compensation from the Metropolitan Dis¬ 
trict Railway Company iir respect of property taken (and con¬ 
sequential damage) at Gunnersbury. The area acquired was 
25a 2r 13p, or 1,114,390 superficial feet, having frontages to 
Gunnersbury Lane andi Uxbridge Road. At the arbitration the 
expert valuations handed in on behalf of the claimant ranged 
from £52,111 to £56,835, and those for the railway company 
from £23,865 to £28,200. The amount of the award is £41,036. 
* * * 
Frae Oor Kail-y'aird.— Though the climate and soil of 
Scotland are far from being favourable to horticulture, a large 
majority of our leading gardeners are natives of that bleak and 
comparatively flowerless land. Seventy-five per cent, of the 
gardeners employed at Kew Gardens are Scotsmen. If you 
enter into conversation with the head gardener at any large 
country house the chances are about a hundred to one that he 
will reply in broad Scots accents. At the leading horticultural 
exhibitions it is an exceptional thing to find a judge who does 
not hail from the “ land o’ cakes.”— Evening News- 
* * * 
St. Michael Oranges Losing Ground.— Despite recent 
attempts to market it in quantity at old prices, the St. Michael 
Orange will never come to the top again. The giant Australian 
Jaffa and seedless Californian Oranges have made a revival of 
the St. Michael trade impossible. During November the imports 
of Oranges ranged from 50,000 to 200,000 cases weekly, and 
the total number of single Oranges on sale during December 
exceeded 200,000,000. In December, 1902, the imports of 
Oranges into British ports exceeded 100,000,000 single fruits 
during one week. The Jamaica Orange, round, with juicy and 
firm but dainty flesh, and pale, partly ripened looking, though 
thin skin, is well to the fore. 
* * * 
The Mildura Irrigation Settlement.— A Times correspon¬ 
dent writing from Melbourne on November 10th states : The 
week has been marked by the opening of a railway which will 
connect the isolated irrigation settlement of Mildura, on the 
river Murray, with Melbourne, and with all the other large 
centres of population in Victoria. Many of your readers will 
remember—some to their cost—the high hopes which attended 
the formation of the Mildura irrigation settlement many years 
ago. The vicissitudes which it has passe:! through since those 
early days, with disastrous consequences to many of the original 
settlers, are also well known. It has long been felt that nothing 
could save the settlement from ultimate failure, but a railway 
to connect it with the markets for its products, which only 
Melbourne and other large cities could provide. Its products 
consist of fresh and dried fruits, including Oranges, Lemons, 
Citron fruits of all kinds, Apples and Pears, Apricots and 
Peaches, Grapes and Currants. It has become locally famous 
for its dried fruits—Raisins, Currants, Apricots, Peaches, and 
Apples. The opening of the railway will not only give an outlet 
