684 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
August 26, 1905. 
Not Versed in Dogs. 
The Claydon (Banbury) H.S. do not believe 
in relying altogether for the success of their 
annual show on the display of horticultural 
products. The ingenious executive this year 
promoted a dog show in connection therewith, 
and prizes were offered for the prettiest, 
ugliest, best-behaved, worst-behaved, fattest, 
and the biggest mongrel in the show. An 
admission fee of Id. was charged to view the 
dogs, and this entitled each to a vote for the 
prizes. Probably they know more about 
dowers and vegetables than dogs in Claydon, 
for it was found, on reckoning up the votes, 
that the prize for the biggest mongrel was 
awarded to a pure-bred fox-terrier. 
Outing of the Wolverton H.S. 
A party of the members of the above society 
paid a visit to Waddesdon Manor on 
August 8th, and a very interesting and 
pleasurable afternoon was passed. Miss Alice 
de Rothschild, who is the owner of this beau¬ 
tiful Buckinghamshire residence (which was 
built by the late Baron Rothschild) had given 
special permission for the Wolverton visitors 
to inspect the grounds, glass-houses, and vege¬ 
table gardens. The party were met by the 
head gardeners, and conducted over the gar¬ 
dens, etc., and not a few admiring remarks 
were passed as the splendid flower-beds came 
into view, the distinct feature of which was 
the Begonias, and these were simply superb. 
The glass-houses were looking lovely, too, 
each house being artistically arranged, and 
the flowers staged to give the best effect. 
a. i. o’Roukke, Sec. 
Retirement After Twenty Years. 
At the conclusion of the prize-giving at the 
show of the Thatcham Cottage Garden 
Society, Mr. W. Draper said he had men¬ 
tioned at former shows that he would be 
obliged to give up the secretaryship, but had 
been prevailed upon to continue in the office. 
He was standing there for the last time ; he 
had felt the duties were getting too heavy 
for him, and, indeed, he was not so young 
as when he took them on nearly twenty years 
ago. He thought they required a man when 
would put new life and energy into the society, 
bring the show up to date, obtain new sup¬ 
port, and secure more subscriptions. The 
show had been an unmixed good to the vil¬ 
lage ; each year it distributed £30, and in 
itself that was helpful to the working man. 
It was the one local institution of the kind 
which had stood the test of twenty-five years ; 
all the others had died. Much regret was ex¬ 
pressed at Mr. Draper’s retirement. 
The R.H S. 
The fortnightly exhibition and meeting of 
the R.H.S. was held on the 15th inst., when 
the exhibits proved to be of high quality 
and great interest, though not so numerous 
as recent shows held by the society. At the 
general meeting, the Countess of Lovelace, 
the Lady Mary Beresford, the Lady St. 
Helier, and Mr. H. Allhusen, M.P., were 
among the new Fellows elected. A paper by 
Professor H. J. Webber of the United States 
Department of Agriculture, was read on “ The 
Progress of Horticulture in the United 
States,” in which he treated of refrigeration, 
new varieties, hybridisation, methods of cul¬ 
ture, and diseases and their remedies. The 
next exhibition and meeting of this society 
will be held on Tuesday, August 29th, when 
a lecture wall be delivered by Mr. R. Lewis 
Castle on “Trees for Towns.” 
Aids to Matrimony. 
The Vicar of Stunninster Marshall, Wim- 
borne, commenting on the forthcoming flower 
show and competitions of the local horticul¬ 
tural society, “ strongly recommends the 
bachelors in the parish, before popping the 
momentous question, to inquire what certi¬ 
ficates have been gained in the needlework 
contests, as well as in those for the best loaf 
of home-made bread and best dish of cooked 
Potatos. And the young women may very 
properly refuse a suitor who cannot show 
certificates for the best-kept garden and allot¬ 
ment and for the collection of vegetables.” 
A Brilliant Success. 
“ Happy Bidford,” comments the “ Strat¬ 
ford-on-Avon Herald,” “with a comfortable 
nest-egg in the bank of nearly £50, with such 
an influential president as Lord Yarmouth, 
an imposing list of vice-presidents, an ener¬ 
getic general committee, and an indefatigable 
secretary in Mr. Harry Collins, the arrange¬ 
ments for the 1905 show of the Bidford and 
District Horticultural Society were made with 
light hearts, and once more Dame Fortune 
(in the shape of fine weather) smiled on the 
efforts of the promoters. Five thousand 
people were present during the afternoon, 
and the venture proved a brilliant success.” 
Egham Gardeners’ Society, 
At the last monthly meeting of the Egham 
and District Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement 
Association, Mr. G. Lingwood, gardener to 
the president of the society, gave a short 
paper on “ Tuberous Begonias,” and suppliel 
valuable cultural information. Mr. Wheeler 
also read two short, papers on “ Calceolarias ” 
and “ Cyclamen.” A hearty vote of thanks 
was accorded to Messrs. Lingwood and 
Wheeler for their interesting and instructive 
essays. Some very fine flowering and foliage 
plants were exhibited at the meeting. 
X. J. Wheeler, Hon. Sec. 
United Horticultural Benefit and 
Provident Society. 
The monthly committee meeting of this 
society was held at the Royal Horticultural 
Hall, Vincent Square, Westminster, on Mon¬ 
day evening, August 14th, Mr. Chas. H. 
Curtis in the chair. Five new members were 
elected. The amount paid for sickness during 
the past five weeks was £30 3s., nine mem¬ 
bers being on the sick fund at the present 
time, five of whom are on half-pay. 
Much in Little. 
Over 100 members of the Chelmsford Gar¬ 
deners’ Association visited Easton Lodge on, 
the 11th inst. by invitation of the Earl and 
Countess of Warwick. Luncheon was pro¬ 
vided for the guests, and in the beautiful 
gardens the band of the Gloucester Regiment 
discoursed music. -The little village of 
Ardingly, Sussex, last week held its first 
flower show, which was a great success.— 
The committee of the Undercliffe (Isle of 
Wight) H.S. will have to face a big deficit in 
consequence of wet weather on their show 
day and to counter-attractions at Cowe-s,— 
The Stourport H.S. have decided that an ex¬ 
pert shall accompany the members and give 
a practical demonstration on pruning.- 
Police-constable Huntley, whose duty it is to 
maintain peace in the little Sussex village of 
Ardingly, won several prizes at the recent- 
local horticultural show.— The first show of 
the Great Totham (Essex) and District Cot¬ 
tage Garden Society was held recently, and 
jaroved a great success. Mr. Alexander All- 
frey is the capable hon. secretary.-The 
Fingal (Ireland) H.S. have a railway stations 
corn-petition, the prizes this year going tc 
Reheny, Clontarf, and Sutton.-Singularly 
enough, Mr. R. Mercer, who secured the 
largest amount of prize-money at the show 
of the Hutton (Kent) and District Cottage 
Gardeners’ M.I. Society, is blind.-The 
first exhibition of Sweet Peas arranged by 
the Stafford and Midland Sweet Pea Society 
proved financially successful. 
Diary of Shows and Meetings. 
August. 
28tli.--Cross Gates (Yorks) Floral and H.S. 
(show, two- days); Four Elms (Eden 
Bridge) Gardening Society (monthly 
meetirg); Ilorsforth (Leeds) Gar¬ 
deners' M.I. Society (weekly meet- 
ing). 
29th.—R.H.S. (bi-monthly exhibition and 
meeting); Tunbridge Wells Chry¬ 
santhemum and Gardeners’ M.I. 
Association (Dahlia competition); 
Saltwood (Kent) Cottage Gardeners' 
Society (monthly meeting). 
30th.—Bath Floral Fete (two days) ; Derby¬ 
shire Agricultural and H. S. (show, two 
days) ; South Shields Floral, Horti¬ 
cultural, and Industrial Society 
(show, two days) ; Milton and Sit- 
tingbourne H.S. (show, two days); 
Highcliffe (Christchurch) H. and 
Industrial Society (show); New- 
haven and District H.S. (show): 
Harrietsliam (Maidstone) Gardening 
Society (monthly meeting); Maid¬ 
stone Gardeners’ M.I.S. (fortnightly 
meeting and show). 
31st.—Dundee H.S. (show, three days); 
Stirling H.S. (show, two days); St. 
John’s (Worcester) Horticultural 
Fete ; Sandy and Dist. Floral and 
H.S. (show); Bristol and Dist. Gar 
deners’ M.I. Assoc, (monthly meet¬ 
ing); Lee, Blackheath, Lewisham 
and Dist. H. S. (monthly meeting); 
Southampton Royal H.S. (monthly 
meeting). 
September. 
1st.—Mauchline (Ayrshire) H.S. (show); 
Osney, West Oxford, and Dist. H.S. 
(show); West London H.S. (monthly 
meeting); Caterliam H.S. (committee 
meeting). 
2nd.—Renfrew H.S. (show); Blackburn and 
Dist. H.S. (monthly meeting); 
Bristol and Dist. Gardeners’ M.I. 
Assoc. (outing); Leeds Paxton 
Society (weekly meeting). 
-♦- 
Blackmore, the novelist, was fond of 
gardening, and spent in that amusement all 
ho made by writing. 
* * * 
Darwin, it may be remembered, drew at 
tent ion to the peculiar method of the White 
Briony, Lady’s Seal, or Wild Vine, oi- 
mooring itself by the reversed spiral. Wner 
the plant needs assistance it puts forth i 
long tendril, which clasps the- twig or brand 
it touches, and then takes an equal numbei- 
of turns from each end in opposite directions 
Luke Turner, the inventor of india-rubbei 
webbing, finding 'a difficulty in getting <f 
thread to remain straight, took a. hint from 
the Wild Briony, and succeeded. 
