Si * THE GARDENING WORLD. January 16, 1904. 
and for the planting of trees in Bedford Bow, Lamb’s Conduit 
Street, and elsewhere. A letter was received respecting Golden 
Square, and it was resolved to inquire whether it would be pos- 
sible to secure it for public use, if adapted for that purpose 1 by 
the association. It was mentioned that the association, would 
be represented at any inquiry held by the Board of Education in 
respect of a scheme for acquiring Wycl'iffe Chapel and 'burial 
ground as a school site. 
* * 44 
Woo lx on Mutual Improvement Society.— The fourteenth 
annual meeting of the above was held under the presidency of 
Mr. B. Todd on the 7th inst., at the Mechanics’ Institute. The 
work of the year is reported as successful, the lectures being of a 
high practical tone, followed by good discussions. Four mem¬ 
bers sat for the examination of the Royal Horticultural Society, 
one passing second and three third. The library still continues 
its useful work, and contains over 150 volumes'. The finances 
show a balance of £3 9s. 9d. in the treasurer’s hands—a slight 
increase on that of last year. Mr. B. G. Waterman was; unani¬ 
mously re-elected treasurer and secretary. A vote of thanks was 
tendered to Mr. Todd for presiding. 
* * * 
Abinger and District Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement 
Society.— On Monday, January 4th, a very instructive and most 
interesting lecture was given by Mr. F. W. E. Shrivell, F.L. S., 
F.R.H.S., of Golden Green, Tonbridge, Kent, in the Abinger 
Institute. Mr. Payne, head gardener to Lord Farrar, introduced 
the lecturer. Mr. Shrivel! dealt first with the importance of lime 
in the soil; without lime no soil was fertile, and for soils that 
had had heavy dressings of farm manure for several years in suc¬ 
cession, and had become sour, lime was a corrective. No garden, 
fruit, or farm crops could be grown to perfection without lime. 
Mr. Shrivell explained that for many years dung was the chief 
manure both for garden and farm, but they were now trying, by 
a series of experiments at Tonbridge, to discover whether the 
best results were obtained by using heavy dressings of dung, 
light dressings of dung with chemicals, or chemicals only. 
Diagrams were' shown proving that after several years’ experi¬ 
ments the best result was obtained by employing .a small 
quantity of dung with the use of chemicals. For instance, lie 
stated quantity for use in the kitchen garden; 100 square yards 
should have half -a load of dung, 141b. superphosphate of lime, 
101b. of kainit. This should be dug in in autumn or early 
spring; later on, when crops are growing, sow on the surface 
101b. nitrate of soda in two or more dressings. The lecturer 
gave several other most excellent recipes for use on the vine, 
herbaceous border, fruit trees, lawn, etc., supplying all the con¬ 
stituents of plant food required. That they are doing a great 
work for the public benefit is without doubt from the fact that 
the British Government are noticing their work. They have 
also received a visit of representatives from the Agricultural 
Bureau of America, who complimented them on their work. The 
lecturer has kindly promised to pay the above society -another 
visit. This is looked forward to with no small amount of 
pleasure. 
* * * 
Scottish Horticultural Association.- —The twenty-seventh 
annual general meeting of this association was held on the 
12th inst. in Dowell’s Booms, 18, George Street, Edinburgh. 
There was a large attendance of members. Mr. J. W. McHatt.ie, 
the president, was in the chair. Mr. Peter Loney and Mr. Wm. 
M-ackinnon submitted tlxeir respective reports as secretary and 
treasurer. The secretary’s report showed that the past year had 
been one of activity and development. There- were thirteen 
meetings of council and seventeen meetings of sub-committees 
held during the year, and these were all well attended by 
members of council. During the year there were elected 
forty life members, two-honorary life members, and 191 ordinary 
members. The total number of members now on the roll is 
1,295. The treasurer’s report showed a credit balance for the 
year on the ordinary association account of £96 19s. lOd., and a 
credit balance on the Chrysanthemum Show account of 
£28 13s. 6d. The total funds of the association are now 
£1,104 5s. 6d. The reports were duly adopted. The Most 
Honourable the Marquis of Linlithgow, G.C.M.G., was re-elected 
honorary president, and Mr. J. W. McHattic was re-elected 
president for' the ensuing year. Mr. Peter Loney, 6, Carlton 
Street, Edinburgh, was re-elected secretary, and Mr. Wm. 
Mackinnon was re-elected hon. treasurer. Other vacancies in 
the council were thereafter duly filled up. The syllabus for the 
current session promises to be a highly interesting -and instruc¬ 
tive one, and will open on February 2nd, when Mr. James 
Whytock, The Palace. Gardens, Dalkeith, is to deliver a lecture, 
entitled “ Some Experiences in Ornamental Shrub and Tree 
Planting and Growing.” The association’s next Chrysanthe¬ 
mum Show will be held in the Waverly Market, Edinburgh, on 
November 17th, 18th, awl 19th rfext. 
NEWS OF THE WEEK. 
Death of Ms. W. Horne. —AVe regret to announce the death 
of Mr. W. Horne, the well-known nurseryman, etc., of Perry 
Hill, Cliffe-, near Rochester, Kent, after a long illness. 
* * * 
Kent Fruit Growers. —A general meeting of the North-AA T est 
Kent Fruit Growers’ Protection Association was held on the 
7th inst. at the Lullingstone Castle Hotel, Swanley Junction, 
when the railway weigh-bridge question was again discussed. 
* * * 
New Potatos at Holbeach. —Two new varieties of Potatos 
(late sorts), raised at Holbeach, were to- be seen in Spalding 
Market recently, the owner of which declined to set price on a 
single Potato- this season. These- two varieties are named re¬ 
spectively “The Maximum’’ and “Millennium.” Seeing that 
Holbeach is such a noted centre for Potatos, it is quite appro- 
priate that it should have first honours in reaching the 
“ Millennium.” 
* * * 
Living on Blackberries. —Coming to England after fighting 
in the late South African AA T ar, a man named John Sinclair, who 
was charged with burglary at the Surrey Quarter Sessions on 
the 8th inst., sa-id that lie tramped all over the country without 
being able to find work. For a time lie lived on Blackberries 
and raw Turnips, and it was through hunger that- he committed 
the burglary. The court missionary said he believed the 
prisoner's story to be true, and the magistrate bound him over. 
* * * 
Family Gathering at Ascott, Bucks. —Mr. and Mrs. Leopold 
de Rothschild have been entertaining a family gathering at 
Ascott, their place near Leighton Buzzard. Mrs. Rothschild is 
a clever hostess, and lias many chances of practising the pleasant 
virtue of hospitality at Ascott, at- Palace House, Newmarket, 
and at her London residence in Hamilton Place. Mr. Leojiold 
de Rothschild is a man of business and also of sport and country 
amusements. His gardens are a special hobby, and lie is 
greatly interested in the culture of Carnations. 
* * 44 - 
Elms Blown Down in Kensington Gardens. —The aged anl 
decayed Elm trees wluidh were blown down in Kensington 
Gardens during a severe gale in October still lie where they fell. 
In a few days, however, the Olfic-e of Works will commence- the 
work of removal. In the vicinity of the palace where 1 Queen 
Victoria was born there -are about 50 more decayed trees, and 
the Office of Works has the question under consideration whether 
they shall be felled -at o-nce, and young saplings planted in their 
stead, or be left to be destroyed by the gales in October. 
* * 44 - 
Florist’ s Severe Accident. —Mr. George Allen, a florist, of 
Blaby, met with a serious accident the other week. He was 
driving along the Arles-tone Road, Leicester, shortly after six 
o’clock, in a horse and-trap, on the- wrong side of the road, when 
the wheel of his vehicle slipped into a trench made by the work¬ 
men employed in laying the tramway rails. Allen was thrown 
violently out of his trap, and sustained a severe scalp wound. 
He was taken by some bystanders to the infirmary, where he was 
detained. It is stated that the trench was well lighted. 
* * * °- 
International Botanical Congress. —An International Con¬ 
gress of Botanists will be held in Vienna in the summer of 
1905, to discuss the- question of botanical nomenclature. It is 
expected that this will be the most important gathering of 
botanists which has ever,taken, place, as representatives from all 
the leading botanical societies and scientific academies of the 
world have signified their intention to attend. French has been 
selected as the official language of the congress, but discussion 
will be permitted in English, German, and Italian. In con¬ 
nection with the congress there will be- a meeting of delegates 
of experimental agricultural stations, and arrangements will be 
made for tours, under professional guides, to districts having 
.special botanical interest, and, among other parts, to Dalmatia, 
Bosnia, and Herzegovina. 
44 44 44 
The Economical Condition of Russian Central Asia. —The 
condition of Central Asia- is described by the British Consul at 
Batum in very unfavourable terms, says “The Times.” Last 
year was exceptionally disastrous to agriculture. The conse¬ 
quences of the earthquakes at Andijan, the visitation of locusts, 
and inundations on the economic -condition of the people have 
been very serious, especially in the -cotton-growing districts. The 
cereal and Cotton crops in the regions lying between Askabad 
and Krasnovodsk, with very rare exceptions, were devastated by 
locusts. Only a quarter of the barley was saved, and all the 
other grain and fruit, crops were totally lost. In the neighbour- 
