March  I,  1900. 
JOimXAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
177 
Recent  V^eatber  In  Iiondon. — The  weather  continues  very 
mild  and  unseasonable,  and  many  persons  would  hail  with  pleasure  a 
spell  of  gentle  frost.  Such  would  be  beneficial  to  almost  everyone 
and  everything.  Sunday  was  dull  but  dry  throughout  the  day,  while 
Monday  morning  was  characterised  by  a  veritable  downpour  of  rain. 
It  cleared  later  in  the  day,  but  the  evening  brought  another  deluge. 
On  Tuesday  and  Wednesday  it  was  wet  and  very  muggy. 
M’orthern  'Weather. — Snow  fell  on  the  20th,  and  again  on 
the  22nd,  causing  fresh  blocking  of  roads  that  had  just  been  opened, 
in  several  parts  of  the  country.  On  the  morning  of  the  21st  there  were 
8°  of  frost,  but  latterly  the  weather  has  been  dull  and  foggy.  The 
afternoon  of  Sunday,  however,  was  bright  and  fine,  while  Monday  was 
dull  and  cold  with  a  bitter  wind  from  the  east. — B.  D.,  8.  Perthshire, 
The  Gardeners’  Charity  Guild, — The  fourth  annual  smoking 
concert  of  this  Association  will  be  held  on  March  14th,  at  7.30  p.m.,  in 
the  Great  Hall,  Cannon  Street  Hotel,  E.C.  N.  N.  Sherwood,  Esq.,  will 
occupy  the  chair,  and  the  proceeds  will  go  to  the  Gardeners’  Royal 
Benevolent  Institution.  Tickets  are  obtainable  from  members  of  the 
Guild,  price  Is.  each,  or  from  the  Hon.  Secretary,  Mr.  T.  Swales* 
6  and  6,  Clement’s  Inn,  Strand  W.C. 
Chester  Paxton  Society. — At  the  usual  fortnightly  meeting, 
held  at  the  Grosvenor  Museum  on  Saturday,  Mr.  R.  Xewstead,  P.E.S., 
consulting  entomologist  to  this  Society,  lectured  on  “  Recent  Important 
Investigations  on  the  Currant  Bud  Mite  ”  and  notes  on  the  “  Pear  Tree 
Slug,”  Mr.  N.  P.  Barnes  in  the  chair.  In  his  opening  remarks  the 
lecturer  gave  an  account  of  the  life  history  of  the  Currant  Phytoptus, 
dealing  with  all  the  salient  points  of  its  economy.  As  a  result  of 
present  knowledge  of  the  habits  of  the  pest  it  has  been  found  impos¬ 
sible  to  apply  any  effective  insecticide  at  the  time  of  migration  owing 
to  the  long  period  over  which  it  is  continued.  He  then  went  on  to 
describe  numerous  experiments  which  had  been  conducted  at  Woburn 
with  approximate  results  obtained.  Not  the  least  of  these  were  a  series 
of  experiments  which  Mr.  Newstead  had  recently  conducted  with  hot 
water.  Complete  and  lengthy  immersion  is,  however,  necessary  for  the 
killing  of  the  mites,  but  which  it  is  feared  will  also,  as  many  other 
things  have  proved,  prove  fatal  to  the  plants.  The  second  part  of 
Mr.  Newstead’s  paper  described  many  new  facts  dealing  with  the  Pear 
tree  slug,  including  results  of  experiments  with  insecticides,  in  which 
it  was  pointed  out  the  uselessness  of  a  top-dressing  of  lime.  An 
interesting  discussion  followed,  in  which  Mr.  Robert  Wakefield,  Presi¬ 
dent  of  the  Society,  Mr.  G.  P.  Miln,  Honorary  Secretary,  and  others 
took  part,  and  at  the  close  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  accorded  to 
Mr.  Newstead  for  his  able  and  interesting  lecture. 
Readlngr  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement  Association. — 
“  Horticultural  Buildings  ”  was  the  subject  of  an  interesting  and 
practical  paper  read  before  the  members  of  the  above  Association 
on  Monday  last  by  Mr.  G.  H.  Parsons,  horticultural  builder,  Reading, 
who  in  a  few  preliminary  remarks  said  that  horticultural  buildings, 
as  compared  with  religious  and  domestic  buildings,  are  quite  modern. 
The  last  200  years  will  nearly  cover  all  records.  Their  necessity 
arose  from  the  bringing  home  by  travellers  and  others  of  plants  and 
seeds  that  would  not  stand  the  rigours  of  our  climate.  The  modern 
and  popular  taste  for  Tomatoes  and  Cucumbers  has  caused  the 
erection  of  thousands  of  houses.  Prolongation  of  season  of  different 
fruits,  flowers,  and  vegetables,  is  also  another  prolific  cause  of  con¬ 
struction.  After  explaining  the  action  of  the  rays  of  light  passing 
through  glass  at  various  angles,  Mr.  Parsons  passed  on  to  the 
consideration  of  glass  and  roof  pitches,  sites,  forms  of  houses,  heating, 
staging,  pathways,  brickwork,  timber,  ironwork,  glass  and  glazing, 
and  painting.  Many  questions  were  asked,  and  an  exceedingly 
interesting  discussion  followed,  in  which  the  following  took  part — 
Messrs.  Woolford,  Hinton,  Fry,  Neve,  Pigg,  Purkis,  Cretchley,  Rigg, 
Bryant,  Ager,  and  Dore.  At  the  close  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was 
accorded  to  Mr.  Parsons  for  his  paper,  and  to  Mr.  Pigg,  The  Gardens, 
Samoa  Villa,  Kendrick  Road,  for  exhibiting  a  beautifully  coloured 
Amaryllis. 
ITew  Recreation  Ground. — The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  has 
consented  to  hand  over  the  Lambeth  Palace  Grounds  to  the  London 
County  Council  for  use  as  a  public  recreation  place. 
Croydon  Gardeners’  Society. — Croydon  has  awoke  to  the  fact 
that  a  mutual  improvement  association  is  necessary  for  gardeners  and 
others  interested  in  horticulture.  A  society  has  been  established  with 
the  title  of  “  Croydon  and  District  Horticultural  Mutual  Improvement 
Society,”  and  at  a  well  attended  inaugural  meeting,  on  February  20th, 
Mr.  George  Gordon,  V.M.H.,  discoursed  pleasantly  on  combinations  of 
gardeners.  The  Secretary  is  Mr.  John  Gregory,  60,  Canterbury  Road, 
Croydon. 
Bristol  Gardeners’  Assoelatlon. — The  fortnightly  meeting  was 
held  at  St.  John’s  Parish  Room  on  Thursday,  22nd  ult.  Mr.  Chas. 
Lock  presided  over  a  good  attendance.  The  paper  was  supplied  by 
Mr.  A.  Moore-Sara  of  Elmside,  Stoke  Bishop,  on  “The  Pollen  Grain 
and  its  Functions.”  With  the  help  of  black  board  diagrams  he  made 
the  subject  very  interesting,  tracing  what  is  known  of  the  conception 
of  the  sexuality  of  flowers  from  the  time  of  Herodotus  down  to  the 
I7th  century,  when  in  1676  Dr.  Grew  in  a  book  on  plant  anatomy  laid 
down  in  definite  terms  the  law  of  vegetative  impregnation,  accepted  by 
botanists  to-day,  and  in  a  greater  or  lesser  degree  understood  by  all 
present  day  gardeners.  Dealing  in  detail  with  the  subject,  he  described 
the  formation  of  the  pollen,  some  of  the  many  methods  of  distribution, 
and  the  processes  through  which  it  had  to  pass  until  fertilisation  was 
complete.  A  short  discussion  followed,  chiefly  on  the  advisability  of 
forming  a  botany  class  in  connection  with  the  association.  Prizes  for 
three  pots  of  Narcissi  were  secured  by  Messrs.  Price  and  Ross.  Certi¬ 
ficates  of  merit  went  to  Mr.  White  and  Mr.  Clarke  each  for  an  Orchid 
in  bloom. 
Irlsb  Gardeners’  Association. — The  members  of  the  above 
Association  held  their  monthly  meeting  oa  Thursday  last,  the  22ad 
ult.  Mr.  Cotter,  President,  occupied  the  chair.  Mr.  A.  Camp¬ 
bell,  The  Gardens,  St.  Anne’s,  Clontarf,  gave  a  lecture  on  “The 
Treatment  of  Plants  Prom  Different  Climates.”  At  the  outset  he 
regretted  the  absence  of  young  men,  as  it  was  to  them  he  intended  to 
devote  his  paper.  He  desired  to  impress  upon  young  gardeners  the 
absolute  necessity  of  learning  something  more  about  plants  than  the 
usual  routine.  He  should  try  and  learn  the  natural  conditions  of  the 
plants  from  the  countries  where  they  are  indigenous — namely,  the  soil, 
climate,  the  changes  of  the  seasons,  and  the  temperature  they  thrive  in  ; 
in  fact  his  business  was  to  imitate  nature,  and  he  could  only  acquire 
this  knowledge  from  a  thorough  study  of  books  of  travel.  He  then 
dealt  with  numbers  of  plants  as  illustrative  of  his  remarks.  Several 
questions  were  put  to  the  lecturer,  which  he  answered,  after  which 
a  discussion  arose  as  to  the  wisest  course  in  planting  Vines,  whether 
when  growing  or  dormant.  A  vote  of  thanks,  proposed  by  Mr.  Shaw, 
and  seconded  and  supported  by  several  members,  was  unanimously 
passed  to  the  lecturer,  after  which  the  meeting  was  brought  to  a 
conclusion. 
Blrmlngbam  Gardeners’  Association. — Much  interest  was 
centred  in  the  last  fortnightly  meeting  (February  19th)  by  the  fact 
that  there  was  to  be  a  series  of  about  100  photographic  limelight 
pictures  of  various  objects  of  interest  pertaining  to  garden  scenes  and 
of  natural  history  contained  in  the  pleasure  grounds  of  Harborne  Hall, 
Harborne,  the  residence  of  Walter  Chamberlain,  Esq.,  brother  of  the 
Colonial  Secretary.  The  photographs  were  taken  by  the  head  gardener, 
Mr.  C.  R.  Bick.  Mr.  W.  B.  Latham,  the  Chairman,  in  introducing  the 
lecturer,  remarked  that  he  himself  had  had  ample  opportunity  of 
witnessing  the  progress  of  the  numerous  improvements  effected  by 
Mr.  Bick.  The  subject  was  entitled  “  A  AValk  Round  Harborne  Hall 
Pleasure  Grounds,”  and  a  verbal  description  was  given  of  each  view, 
accompanied  by  a  few  characteristic  humorous  remarks  and  anecdotes. 
Especially  interesting  were  such  views  as  the  artificial  “  Serpentine 
Pond  ”  in  near  proximity  to  the  handsome  and  commodious  mansion. 
The  formation  and  furnishing  of  the  pond  was  an  object  of  Mr.  Bick’s 
special  regard,  and  altogether  it  represents  an  ideal  water  garden.  The 
“  Lower  Pond  ”  is  the  abode  of  several  species  of  waterfowl,  including 
specimens  of  penguins.  Effective  pictures  were  also  portrayed  of  a 
colony  of  ostriches  and  cranes  in  considerable  variety,  one  or  two 
species  of  the  latter  genus  being  very  rare.  Photos  of  zebra  bulls  and 
cows  with  their  peculiar  “  humps,”  as  seeu  in  their  respective  quarters, 
the  paddock  and  the  farmyard,  afforded  additional  interest  to  the 
display.  A  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  accorded  Mr.  Bick  for  his  unique 
and  interesting  exposition. — W.  G. 
