498 
the head gardener, acting as guide to the 
party. — The Colombo Agri-Horticultural 
Society holds a grand show on the 21st. and 
22nd of July.—Tim Flore H.S. have arrange¬ 
ments well in hand in connection with their 
forthcoming floral fete.—On June 7th Mr. 
Eltliam, superintendent of Greenwich Park, 
lectured before the members of the Eltham 
H. A.—At the flower show of the Royal Cale¬ 
donian H.S. silver medals were awarded to 
Messrs. J. and A. Glass, Edinburgh, for 
Tulips ; Messrs. Reamsbottom and Co., King’s 
Co., for Anemones, etc. ; and Mr. Alfred 
Young, Elgin, for spring flowers. 
Out of Lave and Respect. 
“ We the undersigned members of the 
Reading and District" Gardeners’ Mutual Im¬ 
provement Association venture to ask you to 
do us the honour to- accept the accompanying 
silver centre-piece as a slight and very sin¬ 
cere token of our great respect and apprecia¬ 
tion of your kind services as President since 
January, 1902. Under your direction and 
guidance the association has steadily pro¬ 
gressed as a power for good in all matters 
relating to horticulture. The deep interest 
you have taken in providing opportunities for 
increasing our knowledge and experience is so 
much appreciated, that we hope it may be a 
real pleasure to you to receive this tangible 
expression of our feelings.” Such was the 
wording of the address which 200 members 
of the Reading and District G.M.I.A., 
presented to Mr. Leonard Sutton (of the 
great Reading firm of Sutton and Sons) at 
the May meeting of the association, held at 
the University College Gardens, Reading. 
Mr. Powell, one of the speakers at the meet¬ 
ing, expressed the feelings of the members 
of the association in still warmer terms when 
he said that “ by this gift they wished to con¬ 
vey to their President more fully the respect, 
he might say the love, which every member of 
the Gardeners’ Association felt towards him.” 
A Model Society. 
What a good thing it would be for the 
strengthening and multiplying of their 
societies if more influential gentlemen in 
other districts would take a similar kindly 
and helpful interest in horticultural organisa¬ 
tions of this character. Tire Reading Gar¬ 
deners’ Association is a supremely useful, 
successful, and active body, and its botanical 
classes and horticultural exhibitions are 
highly valued by its numerous:, members. It 
is a model for other gardening societies. 
Gloucestershire Rose Show 
We are glad to hear that a good response 
has been made for funds for this forthcoming 
show, and that several of the subscribers have 
largely increased their contributions. In 
order, however, to meet the heavy expendi¬ 
ture which is being incurred this year it 
will be necessary to raise a considerably 
larger sum than was obtained last year. 
Their First Meeting. 
Harrietsham’s recently formed gardening 
society held their first monthly meeting on 
the last day of May, when there was a most 
promising attendance under the chairmanship 
of the Re.v. E. L. St. Aubyn. There was a 
small but capital exhibition of vegetables. 
The annual show of the society isi fixed for 
July 19th. 
Henley’s Show. 
Henley-on-Thames will hold its annual 
flower show on September 13th, in the mounds 
of Xorthfield House, Henley. This was de¬ 
cided at the meeting held last week of the 
local H.S, 
THE GARDENING WORLD\ 
First Come, First Served. 
Since' writing the above note re South 
Shields H.S., we have been informed that 
the committee have decided to allot one or two 
stands at their forthcoming show to nursery¬ 
men and others who may desire to make a 
display of "their specialities on the free-gratis 
principle. Applications for these should be 
made at once, as the committee will act on 
the rule of first come, first served. 
The Isle of Wight Horticultural Society. 
“ We have,” says Mr. A. Kime, secretary 
of the Isle of Wight Horticultural Society, 
“ a lecture at each of our meetings. We also 
invite members to stage anything of botanical 
interest, and at most of our meetings we have 
a good display.” 
Lewes and District Chrysanthemum Society. 
The monthly committee meeting of the 
above society was held on Wednesday, 7th, 
when there were present J. W. James (chair¬ 
man), thirteen members, and the lion. sec. 
The competition was for two Cabbage Lettuce 
(brown) and two Cucumbers, and there was a 
very keen competition. 
Professional Gardeners’ Friendly Benefit 
Society. 
The monthly meeting of the above society 
was held at the registered office on Tuesday, 
the 6th inst., the president (Mr. G. Stubbs) 
in the chair. The monthly report showed the 
fund, this being the funeral allowance for the 
late Robert Featherstone. There were no 
claims for sickness benefits, this being the 
third successive month in which there been 
no such claims. The members deeply regret 
to hear of the death of Mr. Featherstone, 
who was one of the original members of the 
society, and one who always took an active 
interest in its welfare. At different times 
he held various offices, and at the time of his 
death was the senior trustee. 
Diary of Shows and Meetings. 
June. 
19th—Shirley and District Gardeners’ and 
Amateurs’ Association (monthly meet¬ 
ing) ; Horsforth Gardeners’ Mutual 
Improvement Society (weekly meeting, 
show of Spanish Iris). 
20th—Ancient Society of York Florists 
(monthly meeting) ; Croydon and 
District Horticultural Mutlual Im¬ 
provement Society (monthly meeting) ; 
Sevenoaks Gardeners’ and Amateurs’ 
Mutual Inqirovement Society (bi- 
monthly meeting) ; Loughborough and 
District Gardeners’ Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Association (exhibition, discus¬ 
sion, committee meeting). 
21st—Ide Hill Gardening Society (monthly 
meeting) ; Grand Yorkshire Gala 
(three days) ; Maidstone Gardeners’ 
Society (fortnightly show). 
22nd—Sherborne and District Gardeners’ 
Mutual Improvement Society (monthly 
exhibits, paper by Mr. Huntlev, 
F.R.H.S.). 
24th—Leeds Paxton Society (weekly meeting). 
Prettt Spring Climbers.— Conspicuous 
among those shrubs for cheerful colour and 
profusion of flowers which we often see, and 
would oftener see, brightening wayside cot¬ 
tage gardens, are the Wistaria, with their 
elegant blue tassels of pea-shaped blooms, 
drooping on the walls, and the white Clematis 
montana. There is no prettier covering for a 
porch in spring. 
June 17, 1905. 
The Weather in West Lothian eor the 
Week Ending June 2nd.— There have been 
some slight showers, but a good soaking is 
badly wanted, the total rainfall for May is 
only 0"94 deg., which is the lowest for a great 
number of years. Thermometer : maximum 
71 deg., minimum 45 deg.—C. Blair. 
* * * 
A Mammoth Seed Farm. —The second 
largest seed farm in the world is said to be 
located in the Western Hemisphere near 
Gilroy, Cal. Of its 2,500 acres 325 are de¬ 
voted to Sweet Peas, 800 acres to Onions, 200 
acres to Carrots, 250 acres to Lettuce, 250 
acres to Radishes, 50' to Tomatos, 50 to 
Beets, and an equal acreage to Celery, 
Cucumber, Parsley, Leeks, Parsnips, and 
other vegetables, besides a hundred varieties 
of flowers and large tracts for trial and ex¬ 
perimental grounds. 
* * * 
Rare Plants in Herefordshire. — De¬ 
scribing the neighbourhood of Wigmore, in 
Herefordshire, a writer in the “ Collector's 
Magazine ” says : “ The country lanes abound 
in wild flowers and Ferns, and in the autumn 
some of the fields in the valleys are covered 
with wild Crocuses of a delicate mauve tint. 
The Asarabacca, a rare medicinal plant, used 
as an emetic, was found growing in the dis¬ 
trict of Peerfold in 1869. This plant has been 
discovered in five other places only in Eng¬ 
land. In the woods surrounding Wigmore is 
found a very rare species of Orchid. The 
wonderful orchards of this district have re¬ 
cently made a fine spectacle, the trees having 
been laden with blossom, a harbinger of a 
fruitful season.” 
* * is- 
Rain at Last. — Copious rains have fallen 
throughout the country during the past week. 
T he drought and the frosts have played sad 
havoc in gardens and on farm lands, but 
absence of rain has done the most harm. 
Warm sunshine followin'? on the recent 
abundant downpour will wonderfully quicken 
growth, but the damage done is largely irre¬ 
parable as regards certain crops. The early 
promise of a fine Strawberry harvest will, 
owing to tire vagaries of the weather, be un¬ 
fulfilled. In some districts the crop has been 
almost destroyed. For instance, Mr. J. May 
Higgs is only littering down twenty acres out, 
of over a hundred acres. A gardener of St. 
Mary Cray is so disgusted that he has 
ploughed in several acres. Strawberry pick¬ 
ing has become general in South Hampshire. 
* * * 
Slaves of Toil and Profitable Allot¬ 
ment Gardening. —A large percentage, of the : 
be-spectacled and wheezy people in and around 
Reddish who are engaged in the ill-paid and 
terribly unhealthy occupation of needle¬ 
making find some compensation for their 
miserable lives in profitable allotment gar¬ 
dening. The amount of work put into the 
land, as well as the results, would surprise not 
only the dwellers in larger towns, but many: 
practical horticulturists as well. In spite of 
the fact that the allotment holders’ rent is 
four or five times as great as that of the farmer 1 
on adjoining land, area for area, he yet 
manages to supply all his own requirements,: 
and sells portions of his crops—Peas, Potatos,: 
Strawberries, and what not—at a remunera¬ 
tive price, 
