February  1,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
95 
Hessle  Gardeners’  Society. — A  fortnightly  meeting  of  the 
above  Society  was  held  in  the  parish  schoolroom  on  January  23rd, 
there  being  a  record  attendance  ;  Mr.  Mason  occupied  the  chair.  The 
essayist  for  the  evening  was  Mr.  Judson  from  the  East  Park,  Hull. 
The  subject,  which  was  Chrysanthemums,  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most 
popular  ones  of  the  session,  and  was  thoroughly  practical  and  instructive 
in  every  detail.  The  essayist  made  it  clearly  understood  that  anyone 
who  wishes  to  excel  in  the  production  of  these  popular  flowers  must 
pay  strict  attention  to  every  detail  of  their  culture  at  all  seasons.  An 
interesting  and  instructive  discussion  followed.  Votes  of  thanks  to 
the  essayist  and  Chairman  terminated  the  meeting. — J.  P.  D.,  Tories. 
Heading:  Gardeners’  Association. — The  members  of  the  above 
Association  assembled  in  force  on  the  occasion  of  the  annual  tea  and 
smoking  concert,  which  took  place  on  Monday  evening  last  in  the  Abbey 
Hall,  kindly  lent  by  Messrs.  Sutton  &  Sons.  The  President,  Mr.  C.  B. 
Stevens,  presided  at  the  tea,  which  commenced  at  6.30,  the  company 
including  Mr.  Leonard  Sutton  and  Mr.  M.  H.  F.  Sutton.  The  tables 
and  hall  presented  a  bright  and  pleasing  appearance,  having  been 
decorated  under  the  etipervision  of  Mr.  Macdonald  with  foliage  and 
flowering  plants  sent  by  Mr.  J.  Woolford,  The  Gardens,  East  Thorpe, 
and  Messrs.  Sutton  &  Sons.  During  the  tea  the  Chairman  gave  the 
toast  of  “  The  Queen,”  referring  to  the  great  trials  Her  Majesty  was 
passing  through,  and  spoke  of  the  kindness  and  sympathy  she  was 
showing  to  the  friends  of  our  gallant  soldiers  fighting  in  South  Africa. 
Subsequently  he  presented  to  the  winners  the  prizes  offered  in  the 
essay  competition.  At  eight  o’clock  the  smoking  concert  commenced, 
presided  over  by  Mr.  Leonard  Sutton,  and  it  was  without  doubt  the  best 
and  most  varied  ever  held  at  these  annual  gatherings. 
Iilverpool  Horticultural  Association. — There  was  a  fair 
attendance  of  members  on  the  occasion  of  the  annual  general  meet¬ 
ing,  Mr.  Thomas  Foster  presiding.  There  had  been  a  small  loss  on 
the  year’s  working,  but  the  Association  have  in  hand  a  balance  of 
£92  2s.  Id.,  which,  according  to  the  many  demands  at  present  on  the 
public,  was  considered  satisfactory.  Even  when  low  in  funds  members 
have  never  forgotten  the  charitable  institutions,  and  this  year  grants 
of  3  and  2  guineas  were  made  respectively  to  the  Gardeners’  Eoyal 
Benevolent  Institution  and  the  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund.  The 
election  of  Committee  followed,  the  new  members  being  Messrs.  E. 
Bridge,  J.  Rimmer,  J.  Bracegirdle,  John  Stoney,  T.  Carling  and 
E.  Finch.  The  Lord  Mayor  (Louis  S.  Cohen,  Esq.)  was  elected 
President,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  Committee  will  endeavour  to 
secure  his  presence  at  the  opening  of  the  forthcoming  spring  show  to 
be  held  in  St.  George’s  Hall.  Mr.  Harold  Sadler  was  unanimously 
elected  Secretary,  many  gentlemen  present  testifying  to  his  geniality 
and  business-like  capacity.  Mr.  W.  Fletcher  Rogers  and  Mr.  G. 
Blackmore  were  respectively  appointed  Hon.  Treasurer  and  Sub- 
Treasurer.  Spring  and  autumn  shows  were  agreed  to.  Mr.  Stoney 
proposed  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Foster  for  presiding,  and 
a  most  pleasant  and  successful  annual  meeting  was  brought  to  a 
close. — R.  P.  R. 
Bristol  Gardeners’  Association. — The  fortnightly  meeting  was 
held  at  St.  John’s  Parish  Room>  Redlacd,  on  Thursday,  25th  inst.  Mr. 
C.  Lock,  presided  over  a  large  attendance.  The  meeting  was 
especially  interesting  by  reason  of  a  paper  read  by  a  member  from  the 
Cardiff  Gardeners’  Association,  Mr.  J.  Graham.  Under  the  title, 
“  Gleanings  from  a  Horticultural  Class,”  Mr.  Graham  dealt  with  a 
variety  of  subjects,  all  of  great  importance  to  gardeners,  such  as  soil 
and  its  constituents,  bacteria,  thermometers,  dew  and  rain,  laying  out 
pleasure  grounds,  rockery  formation,  draining  of  land,  and  plant 
diseases.  He  dealt  with  the  subjects  in  a  vigorous  and  able  manner, 
gi^dng  much  useful  information.  Mr.  Graham  strongly  urged  the 
formation  of  botany  classes  in  connection  with  gardeners’  associations, 
claiming  that  a  knowledge  of  theory  was  a  great  help  in  practical 
work,  and  pleaded  for  more  sympathy  between  head  gardeners  and 
their  assistants,  being  cordially  thanked  for  his  attendance  and 
paper.  Prizes  for  a  Pitcher  Plant  were  awarded— first,  Mr.  White^ 
second,  Mr.  Bannister,  and  a  certificate  of  merit  to  Mr.  Ross  for  a 
Primula  sinensis.  An  exhibit  of  great  interest  was  provided  by  Mr. 
Graham,  who  showed  over  fifty  dried  specimens  of  British  plants,  which 
attracted  much  attention.  A  motion  of  sympathy  with  the  relatives 
of  the  late  Canon  Ansley  was  passed.  The  late  Canon  was  a  Vice- 
President  of  the  Association  during  his  residence  at  Redland,  and 
took  a  keen  interest  in  the  work  from  the  time  of  its  formation. 
The  Imperial  Teomanry. — Messrs.  Boulton  &  Paul,  who  had 
given  a  frame  house  for  a  hospital  ward,  have  now  added  a  similar 
house,  with  kitchens  and  offices  complete,  for  the  use  of  Mr.  A.  Fripp, 
the  hospital  surgeon.  The  ward  house  will  contain  thirty-five  heds. 
“  Bawns.” — Messrs.  Sutton  &  Sons  have  sent  us  a  copy  in 
pamphlet  form  of  their  useful  work  on  the  formation  of  lawns  of 
various  sizes  and  for  different  purposes — handy  for  reference  by 
gardeners;  we  have  also  received  a  thoroughly  well-bound  copy  of 
the  same  work,  clearly  printed  on  stout  paper,  and  enriched  with 
photographic  illustrations — worthy  of  a  place  on  the  drawing-room 
table.  The  instructions  on  preparing  the  ground  for  new,  and 
improving  old  lawns,  are  concise  and  to  the  point — so  clear,  in  fact, 
that  they  cannot  very  well  be  misunderstood,  and  ae  the  information 
is  the  result  of  great  experience,  it  possesses  the  great  merit  of 
trustworthiness. 
Cbemlcal  manures. — This  was  the  subject  of  a  lecture  delivered 
by  Mr.  F.  W.  E.  Shrivell  at  the  fortnightly  meeting  of  the  Reading 
Gardeners’  Association,  on  Monday  evening  last.  The  Lecturer, 
in  an  interesting  manner,  laid  before  the  members  the  results  of  the 
various  experiments  carried  out  at  Tonbridge  during  the  past  five 
years  with  chemical  manures  on  vegetables  and  fruit  crops.  An 
interesting  discussion  followed.  On  the  proposition  of  the  Chairman 
(Mr.  Fry)  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  accorded  to  Mr.  Shrivell  for 
his  lecture,  and  to  Mr.  F.  Lever,  The  Gardens,  Hillside,  for  staging  an 
exceedingly  well-flowered  plant  of  Coelogyne  cristata.  Six  new 
members  were  elected. 
Apple  Bramley’s  Seedling. — The  good  qualities  of  this  variety 
are  yearly  getting  better  known,  and  any  Apple  of  its  class  that  keeps 
hard,  firm,  and  full  of  juice  at  this  time  of  year  is  welcome  in  the 
kitchen,  while  those  whose  tastes  are  inclined  to  a  brisk  flavour  will  be 
sure  to  like  it  for  eating.  Its  free  growing  qualities  and  fruitfulness 
are  also  well  known,  and  many  of  the  fruits  take  on  a  fine  colour 
after  being  stored,  an  attribute  not  common  to  really  good  varieties. 
In  sending  us  fruits  of  it,  Mr.  Henry  Merryweather,  who  sent  it  out, 
remarks  on  this  last  point,  and  really  some  of  the  fruits  are  as  finely 
coloured  as  a  Worcester  Pearmain  in  October,  and  as  solid  and  heavy 
as  the  day  they  are  gathered.  They  evidently  know  how  to  keep  fruit 
at  Southwell. — C.  Hall. 
Hotes  from  Ireland. — The  weather  in  the  Irish  metropolis  is 
anything  but  gay  ;  rain  is  frequent,  although  we  have  had  a  sprinkling 
of  flue  days.  Cyclamens  and  Primulas  in  variety  add  a  charm  to  an 
otherwise  dull  outlook.  At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticul¬ 
tural  Society  of  Ireland  the  large  silver  medal  given  by  the  trustees  of 
the  Williams’  Memorial  bequest  was  awarded  to  Mr.  Andrew  Porter, 
gardener  to  Lord  Ashtown,  Woodlawn,  Galway,  with  a  total  of  fourteen 
first  prizes,  exclusive  of  seconds  or  any  lesser  awards.  It  was  closely 
contested,  as  Mr.  T.  Byrne,  gardener  to  George  Drimmie,  Esq., 
Bellevue,  Booterstown,  had  a  total  of  thirteen.  In  a  recent  issue  I 
alluded  to  J.  H.  Dudgeon,  Esq.’s,  orangery,  remarking  on  the  non-edible 
fruits ;  I  have  since  been  sent  a  sample  which  completely  reverses  my 
former  opinion,  as  the  fruits  are  tine  and  juicy. — A.  O’Neill. 
IMCeteorologlcal  Observations  at  Cblswlck. — Taken  in  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Girdens — height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Direction  of 
Wind. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
j  Bain. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
Lowest 
Temperature 
on  Grass. 
Jan.  It  00 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
OQ 
bD 
s 
91 
<D 
O 
1-3 
Sunday  21 
Monday  22 
Tuesday  23 
Wed’sday  24 
Thursday  25 
Friday  ..  2(3 
Saturday  27 
E.S.E. 
w.s.w. 
iV..S.\V. 
w.s.w. 
w.s.w. 
w.s.w. 
w.s.w. 
deg. 
32-2 
42-8 
48  8 
47-9 
41-9 
46-4 
36-3 
deg. 
32  0 
41-7 
4CT 
4(3-9 
38-9 
44-5 
35-1 
deg. 
50- 5 
49-8 
51- 5 
53-5 
50  1 
49-2 
41-t3 
deg. 
28  0 
31-5 
42-() 
45-2 
40-5 
41  0 
34-7 
ins. 
0-19 
0-02 
0-11 
0-03 
0-14 
deg. 
38-2 
40- 5 
41- 7 
43-1 
42- 3 
41-7 
41-(i 
deg. 
40-5 
40- 8 
41- 4 
42- 2 
42-9 
42-9 
42-9 
deg. 
43-5 
43-5 
43-5 
43-(i 
43- 9 
44- 1 
44-2 
deg. 
24-1 
29- 4 
40- 0 
41- 0 
30- 4 
33-3 
27-5 
Means  .. 
42-3 
40-7 
49-5  37-0 
Total 
0-49 
41-3 
41-9 
43-8 
32-2 
Mild  spring-like  weather  has  prevailed  during  the  past  week  with 
small  quantities  of  rain  on  five  days. 
