318 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
Society & Association Notes. 
United Horticultural Benefit and Provident Society.— 
This society having removed from the Caledonian Hotel, held its 
monthly committee meeting on Monday evening last at its new 
headquarters, viz., the Royal Horticultural Hall, Vincent 
Square, Westminster, S.W. Mr. C. H. Curtis presided. Eleven 
new members' were elected, making an addition of seventy-four 
since January last. Sixteen members were reported on the 
sick fund at the present time. The amount of sick pay for the 
month was £46 7s. Two members were allowed to transfer from 
the- lower to the higher scale. The quinquennial valuation of 
the society will be placed in the bands of Mr. Thomas. G. 
Ackland. The usual quarterly grants from the benevolent fund 
were passed. The committee hope that the removal of its 
headquarters to the Royal Horticultural Hall will be an in¬ 
centive for many young gardeners to join the ranks of the 
United. 
* * * 
Royal Horticultural Society.— At the meeting of this 
society on April 11th Mr. T. J. Powell, of Henley-on-Thames, 
gave a lecture at the general meeting, held during the afternoon, 
on “ Retarded Potatos,” which was illustrated by photographs 
and actual specimens. The next exhibition and general meet¬ 
ing of this society will be held on Tuesday, April 25th (Easter 
Tuesday), when lectures will be delivered by Monsieur Albert 
Maumene, on “Japanese Dwarf Trees,” and by Mr. James 
Hudson, V.M.H., on “Japanese Gardens in England.” A fort¬ 
night later, May 9th, lectures will also be delivered on 
“Japanese Horticulture and Gardens,” by Mr. N. Hayashi 
and by Mr. R. E. Farrer. Mr. Hudson’s and Mr. Farrer’s 
lectures'will be illustrated with lantern slides, and as .Japanese 
plants in England are at their best during the above, the 
Council hope that there will be ai fine and representative 
exhibit of Japanese plants of all kinds. 
* * * 
Croydon and District Horticultural Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Society. —On this society’s syllabus of meetings the sub¬ 
ject arranged for Tuesday last, April 4tli, was “Hardy Herba¬ 
ceous Plants,” and in the able hands of Mr. E. H. Jenkins, 
Queen’s Road Nursery, Hampton Hill, who is known to be an 
expert in this branch of horticulture, it received most excellent 
treatment. He alluded to the Iris in all its varieties, and this 
plant will furnish us with bloom from January to June, making 
excellent decoration for cool greenhouses in the early months, 
until the warmer months of April, May and June, when with 
the suitable varieties we can look to the outside borders for 
our requirements. Amongst other hardy flowers under notice 
were the Paeonies, which should find a place m all gardens, for 
their magnificence of colour and character of bloom are surely 
enough to recommend them. The best time to remove them 
is in August, for then the main or tap root will not be disturbed 
to injure the plant, as it would be if they were moved in the 
early spring. The Helleborus, Phloxes, Michaelmas Daisies, 
Pvrethrums, Delphiniums and Lathyrus were, amongst others, 
amply described. In each variety he advised the situation re¬ 
quired most suitable for them, and the time of the year and 
methods to propagate. In the discussion following many ques¬ 
tions were asked of the lecturer, and in his subsequent remarks 
culture points were obtained, which should prove beneficial to 
those members present. Mr. J. Gregory had an interesting 
exhibit, staging rare specimens of Colonial fruits, including 
Limes, 'Citrons, and Bananas, also Oranges and Lemons grown 
in this country. The meeting’s vote of thanks was accorded him. 
* * * 
The Metropolitan Public Gardens Association. —Open 
Spaces: At the monthly meeting of the Metropolitan Public 
Gardens Association, held at 83, Lancaster Gate, W., on the 
5th inst., Sir AA illiam Vincent, Bart., vice-chairman, presiding, 
a proposal for laying out Trafalgar Square as an architectural 
garden met with support, but it was decided to await the result 
of the motion of which Sir Melvill Beachcroft has given notice 
at the London County Council before approving of any par¬ 
ticular design. An appeal was submitted for the preservation 
of the well-known Purley. Beeches, near Croydon, at a. cost of 
£5,600, and it was agreed to seek the assistance of the Surrey 
County Council. .Particulars were given of the Garden Suburb 
scheme for building on and laying out 240 acres adjacent to 
Hampstead Heath, with due regard to open space and garden 
requirements. It was stated that the association had received 
over £100 from some of its members in response to an appeal 
m aid of the Ruskin Park scheme, and that £2,000 was still 
needed from private sources. It was reported that the svm- 
April 15, 1905. 
nastic apparatus as granted had been erected at the Norfolk 
Square area, Islington, and at St. Peter’s, Walworth, and All 
Saints’, Buxton Street, Gymnasia, and that seats had been seni 
to Ufford Street recreation ground, the public library garden 
Isle of Dogs, and Avondale Park, W. Further grants were made 
of seats for the Latchmore Estate and the Ball’s Bridge Road 
public gardens and of gymnastic apparatus for the Tait Street 
Club, St. George’s-in-the-East, and the Lads’ Club, Wapping. 
Applications for prizes in connection with outside window 
garden competitions in poor localities were granted for St. Paul’s 
and St. James the Less, Bethnal Green ; St. Matthew’s, Lisson 
Grove ; Christ Church, Spitalfields; St. Saviour’s, Hoxton; 
the People’s Palace, De Beauvoir Town ; and Battersea Horti’ 
cultural Societies, and other similar organisations willin'* to 
arrange competitions, it being the desire of the association to 
brighten the aspect of the streets by plants and flowers outside 
windows abutting thereon. It was agreed to undertake the 
laying out of the proposed Varcoe Road recreation ground if 
the Camberwell Borough Council would contribute one-half of 
the cost. 
Public Garden for Folkestone. —At a meeting of the Town 
Council on the 5th inst., it was announced that Earl Radnor 
had offered a valuable piece of land on the east cliff as a public 
garden for ever. 
* * * 
Mr. Edward Webb.-— Many of our readers will be interested 
to learn that Mr. Edward Webb, of the firm of Edward Webb 
and Sons, Wordsley, Stourbridge, has been appointed High 
Sheriff of the county of Worcester. 
* * * 
Scoitish Horticultural Association. —The amount collected 
on the 4th inst. was not £10 2s. 6d., but £5 2s. 6d. Of the 
amount originally stated, £5 is from a member who annually 
subscribes that sum, which goes into the general fund.—C. C. 
* * -* 
New Garden Ground for Manchester. —The Sanitary Com¬ 
mittee of the Manchester Corporation are prepared to lay out 
a portion of the Blackley estate for gardening purposes. Each 
plot will be 200 square yards in extent, and these are to be let 
out to tenants on the estate at a small charge. 
* * * — 
A J edge’s Epigram.— During the hearing of a case in court 
last week Mr. Justice Lawrance made a witty epigram. A lady 
alleged that she became ill after eating Mushrooms with which 
she had been served at a restaurant. The judge was not at all 
certain that the Mushrooms were the cause of the illness, as 
there was no evidence of negligence on the part of the vendor. 
He said, however, that the “ Mushrooms began in manure and 
ended in indigestion.” 
* * * 
I he Danger of Eating V atercress. —The scare that was 
created some two years ago by the outbreak of typhoid fever 
owing to polluted watercress has been giving the London County 
Council some trouble in collecting statistics about this favourite 
green vegetable. We learn from the statistics prepared by the 
medical officer of the L. C.C. that London eats about 1,500 tons 
of watercress during the year, and that these are supplied from 
something like 120 cress beds or establishments. All of these 
sources of supply have been visited for the purpose of drawing 
up this report. It seems that some of the beds are in proximity 
to sewage farms or other offensive trades. On the whole, it does 
not seem that a very large percentage of the beds are in a deci¬ 
dedly bad situation, and the medical officer thinks that careful 
washing is capable of eliminating the impurities and rendering 
the risk comparatively immaterial. We hope, however, that the 
outbreak in Hackney was not due to eating unwashed watercress, 
but if so that the inhabitants will now take the preventive means 
in their own hands. The doctor does, however, take objection 
to certain beds on topographical, chemical and bacteriological 
grounds, but we are not informed where these objectionable beds 
are situated. AA T e presume, however, that the cultivators have 
been well warned as to their liability for any carelessness or 
negligence on their part. 
