426 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 20, 1905. 
Society & Association Notes. 
EckDs'gton Horticultural Society. —At the last meeting of 
this society, held on May 9th, the balance-sheet, which was 
adopted, showed the toted income to be £127 3s. 10d., with a 
balance in hand of 6s. 6d. 
* * * 
Kew Guild Dinner. —We would again remind readers Who 
are old Ivewites tliat the annual clinnea' of the guild will be 
held at the Holbein Restaurant on the 29th inst., at 7.30 p.m., 
and that the secretary, Mr. Winn, would be glad to hear before 
the 22nd from all who intend being present on that occasion. 
* * * 
The British Gardeners’ Association, —A meeting organised 
by the North Ferriby and District Gardeners’ Society was held 
on the 6th inst. It was attended and addressed by Messrs. 
Donoghue and Carter as delegates from the Yorkshire Branch 
of the “B. G. A.” Nearly all of those present promised their 
support to the association, Which it was agreed would do much 
to raise the standard of the profession. 
* * * 
Oxford Central Allotments Association. —At a meeting of 
this association, held at Oxford on May 9tli, Alderman Hugh 
Hall presiding, it was decided, on the recommendation of the 
committee, to rent the Music Meadow (6^ acres) for allotment 
purposes, and Merton College, the owners of the land, were to 
be asked to grant a lease of fourteen years for the same at £4 
per acre. Six gentlemen had agreed to act as trustees, and it 
is believed that the allotments will be quickly taken up. 
* * * 
Clay Cross Floral and Horticultural Society. —Under the 
presidency of Mr. E. Tinkler, a meeting of the committee of 
this society was held on May lltlr, for the purpose cf making 
arrangements for the show to be held during, the second week 
in August. Messrs. G. Elliott (Clay Cross) and J. Swain 
(Tupton) were appointed garden inspectors. It was decided to 
engage the band of H.M. Yorkshire Hussars (thirty instru¬ 
mentalists), and to entrust the stage performamcei to Mr. W. F. 
Jury, of London Mr. C. Pearson’s (Clay Cross) band was also 
engaged for the stage, and the Clay Cross Volunteer Band will 
be in attendance at the sports. It is regretted that the Derbyshire 
County Cricket Club have fixed a county match at Chesterfield 
during the same week. 
° * * * 
East Anglian Horticultural Club. —At the May meeting of 
this club, held at Norwich under the presidency of Mr. J. 
Powley, F.R.H.S., it was decided that at the annual outing in 
July the members Should visit Westwick House Gardens. The 
secretary announced that eight papers had been received for the 
essay competition on the subject of “ The History and Cultiva¬ 
tion of the Apple, suggesting the best Dessert and Culinary 
Varieties.” These the secretary proceeded to read, and the judges 
awarded the prizes as follows:—First, Mr. J. R. Mace, Thorpe 
St. Andrew ; second, Mr. Alfred Cooke, Harford Lodge Gardens, 
Norwich ; third, Mr. H. B. Dobbie, Thorpe. In the non-com¬ 
petitive exhibits two vases of a charming Narcissus of the 
Bernadi type, named Philip Hurt', were shown by Messrs. 
Daniels Bros., Ltd., Norwich. The competitive table contained 
a choice display of flowers, fruits, and vegetables. 
* * * 
Royal Horticultural Society. —The Exhibition at the Horti¬ 
cultural Hall on May 9th was largely a show of “old friends.” 
Bright-liued Tulips and a blaze of Roses, Poppies, Verbena, 
Myosotis, and Carnations provided gorgeous and splendid, lines 
and masses of colour. Then there were rows of Forget-me-nots, 
crescents of Wallflowers, Anemones in crimson, white, and 
purple, Lilacs and Azaleas and Rhododendrons ill a curious 
medley of magnificence. Among these old f avourites were several 
strangers, notably a new hybrid climbing and rambling and 
very sweet-scented Rose, called “ Waltham Pride,” and exhibited 
by Messrs. William Paul and Son. Near by the pink-and-whitel 
rambler, “ Wedding Bells,” proved itself a serious rival of 
“ Dorothy Perkins.” A new tree Carnation, “ Leander,” of 
salmon-pink colour and moderate size, was shown by Messrs. 
Hugh Low ; and Messrs. Gilbert and Son’s purple “ St. Bngid ” 
and “ King of Scarlet ” Anemones contrasted effectively against 
the bank cf Polyanthus from the garden of Mr. W. A. Watts. 
A new dwarf perpetual Polyantha Rose, catalogued “ Mrs. 
William Cutbush,” and two Geraniums, “Mrs. Joseph Bell,” 
white and shrimp-pink, and the “ Duke of Connaught,” purple, 
were also among the novelties. 
Eltham and District Horticultural and Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Association. —“ The Management of Stove Houses ” was 
the subject of an excellent paper read before the members of this 
association by Mr. Stedman on Wednesday evening, May 10th. 
* * * 
Botanical Society of Edinburgh. —A meeting cf the 
Botanical Society of Edinburgh was held in the Lecture Hall of 
the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, on May 9th, when Pro¬ 
fessor Bayley Balfour exhibited a collection of Alpine plants. 
Fruits from Mauritius, and diagrams of plant diseases, pre¬ 
pared by the Government, were among the other exhibits. 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 
The Editor invites enquiries for reply in this column■ These 
enquiries may cover any branch of gardening. Questions should be put 
as briefly as possible, and written on one side of the paper only; a 
separate sheet of paper should be used for each question. 
Readers are also invited to give their fellow gardeners the benefit 
of their experience by sending supplementary replies. 
Replies cannot be sent by post, even if a stamped, addressed 
enve'ope is enclosed, and the return of specimens cannot be undertaken. 
Anonymous communications are treated in the usual editorial manner. 
Address letters: The Editor, “The Gardening World,” 37 and 
38. Shoe Lane, London, E.C. 
Muscats Going Off. 
Could you give us an opinion of the cause of our Muscats going 
off in this way on one Vine, not a- weak one? (Old Subscriber.) 
After a close inspection of the hunch of flowers you sent us we 
fail to see anything hi the nature of a fungus or the result of insects 
at work. Some of the flowers are merely discoloured, which might, 
be. due to a variety of causes which we can only suspect. If you have 
been painting the hot water pipes with sulphur, it is just possible 
that the paint was put on too warm a part of the pipes, and that 
the fumes given off were too strong for the Vines. It would be 
an extremely dangerous practice to put sulphur on flues, but even 
with hotwater pipes, if put on the hot flow pipes next the boiler 
it is just possible that the fumes given off would cause mischief 
such as the killing of the flowers. On the other hand, you might* 
use the sulphur safely on the return portion of the piping. Another 
suggestion that we would make is that the sulphur fumes may have 
got into the vinery from the stokehole. If none of these are likely 
to have caused the mischief, it is possible that the Vine is weak 
at the roots if the soil happened to get water-logged last autumn 
from any cause Whatever. Another fact is that some of the flowers 
on Muscats are not very perfect, and such would be the first to fall 
after presenting a pale andi decayed appearance. Judging the 
inflorescence on the whole, we think, however, that a good propor¬ 
tion of the flowers will yet come through if you are careful to 
fertilise them in proper time and to give timely ventilation before 
the vinery gets too much heated by the sun in the morning. If 
further damage occurs we should be interested to learn if you will 
kindly send us a sample with any particulars which you suspect 
might be the cause. 
Diseased Leaf of Calla. 
'Could you give us an opinion of the cause of the damage to 
the leaf of Calla enclosed? (Old Subscriber.) 
Some portions of the leaf sent us seem to have been subjected 
to some acid used in spraying, or other substance having a similar 
effect upon the leaf. Towards the margin is a band that has been 
killed outright, and which would seem to be due to the same cause, 
namely, by the liquid applied running towards the margin of the 
leaf and being there held sufficiently long to do the damage men¬ 
tioned. Another suggestion is that the leaf has been scorched 
owing to the glass concentrating the rays of the sun upon the leaf 
While it was still holding moisture. It would be worth your while 
to inspect the glass to see whether there are any bad portions that 
would concentrate the rays of the sun on the leaves immediately 
beneath. On the whole, we think it is due to some extent either 
in cultural treatment or to the effect of the sun upon it. The same 
results are often brought about in the winter time by the continued 
drip of cold water from the roof, either owing to the condensation 
of the moisture in the house or to a leak in the glass. If the 
damage was done recently, however, that would scarcely explain 
it. It is certainly not due to any insect, and if a fungus was the 
cause of it, it must be the tuberous root that is attacked. When the 
foliage dies 1 down you should then carefully inspect the tubers to 
see if any of them are diseased, and, if so, they should be removed, 
or rather burned to destroy the fungus. In the meantime we suspect 
the damage was done by spraying or by sulphur fumes. 
The Common Thyme. 
Which do you consider the common Thyme? We have a quantity 
of Thymus citriodorus aureus, but her serene highness the cook says 
it is not the common Thyme, and she wants that. What is your 
opinion about it? (T. W. G.) 
