April  5,  1900, 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
2H5 
Recent  Weather  In  Xondon. — Intensely  cold  winds  with 
brilliant  sunshine  at  rare  intervals  and  occasional  night  frosts  have 
characterised  the  weather  in  the  metropolis  of  late.  Tuesday  morning 
brought  a  decided  change  to  milder  conditions.  There  was  little  wind, 
and  a  gentle  rain  fell  for  some  time,  increasing  to  quite  a  downpour  in 
the  evening.  At  the  time  of  going  to  press  on  Wednesday  it  was  mild 
and  dull. 
Weather  In  the  Rorth. — Throughout  the  whole  of  the  week 
ending  the  2nd  inst.  frosts  of  from  4”  to  6°  have  occurred  tiightly,  and 
the  days  have  been  bright  with  an  occasional  duller  evening.  Farm 
work  is  being  pushed  on  under  favourable  conditions,  but  vegetation 
makes  little  progress. — B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
Royal  Hortlcultaral  Society.— The  next  fruit  and  flower  show 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  will  be  held  on  Tuesday,  April  10th, 
1  to  5  P.M.,  in  the  Drill  Hall,  James  Street,  Westminster,  when  special 
prizes  will  be  offered  for  Daffodils  (see  R.H.S.  Book  of  Arrangements, 
p.  58).  At  three  o’clock  a  lecture  on  “  Some  of  the  Plants  Exhibited,” 
will  be  given  by  the  Rev.  Prof.  G.  Henslow,  M.A. 
ITewcastle  riower  Show.— On  July  25th,  26th,  and  27th  Leazes 
Park,  Newcastle-on-Tyne,  will  be  the  venue  for  the  flower  show  of  the 
Durham,  Northumberland,  and  Newcastle-upon-Tyne  Incorporated 
Botanical  and  Horticultural  Society.  The  secretary  is  Mr.  I.  B.  Reid, 
Mosley  Chambers,  Mosley  Street,  Newcastle,  who  will  send  schedules 
and  particulars  to  applicants.  There  are  five  and  a  half  dozen  classes, 
divided  amongst  various  sections  of  growers  and  for  different  kinds  of 
produce,  and  the  prizes  should  prove  sufficiently  tempting  to  bring 
forward  a  large  number  of  exhibitors  of  a  very  high  average  quality. 
The  Royal  Horticultural  Society  of  Southampton. — It  is 
pleasant  to  learn  that  this  important  society,  which  has  of  late  years 
had  many  difficulties  to  contend  with,  is  now  practically  free,  and 
will  thus  be  better  able  to  continue  its  work.  The  report  for  1899 
shows  a  most  satisfactory  advance.  The  dates  of  the  summer  show 
have  been  fixed  for  June  27th  and  28th,  on  the  Royal  Pier,  and 
the  schedule  comprises  classes  for  Roses  as  well  as  general 
seasonable  produce.  There  are  about  four  dozen  classes.  The 
Cyrysanthemum  and  fruit  show  will  be  held  in  the  Skating  Rink  on 
November  6th  and  7th,  when  a  fine  show  may  be  looked  for.  There 
are  five  dozen  classes,  many  with  capital  prizes,  and  it  should  not 
prove  difficult  for  all  sections  of  growers  to  find  classes  suited  to  their 
conveniences.  The  honorary  secretary  is  Mr.  C.  S.  Fuidge,  17,  New 
Alma  Road,  Southampton. 
The  Gardeners’  Association  of  Ireland. — The  members  of  the 
above  society  held  their  usual  monthly  meeting  in  D’Olier  Street, 
Dublin,  on  Thursday,  March  29th,  when  there  was  a  large  attendance 
of  members,  and  the  president,  Mr.  Collier,  occupied  the  chair.  After 
the  usual  routine  was  completed,  Mr.  McPadzean,  The  Gardens,  Killakee, 
(Lord  Massey’s)  contributed  a  paper  on  “  Cottage  Gardening.”  He 
desired  to  impress  on  architects  and  others,  when  designing  their  houses, 
to  leave  a  much  larger  space  than  heretofore,  in  order  that  the  cottagers 
may  be  able  to  live  more  comfortably ;  also,  as  an  incentive  to  better 
work,  their  landlords  should  start  a  cottage  show  (a  feature  not  common 
enough  in  this  country),  contributing  prizes.  The  remaining  portions 
of  his  essay  dealt  with  the  uses  of  fertilisers,  cultural  notes,  and  the 
crops  most  suitable  for  the  cottager.  Subsequently  Mr.  R.  Weller, 
P.R.H.S.,  Crotanstown  Farm,  Newbridge,  read  a  short  paper  on 
“  Grafting.”  He  started  by  explaining  the  various  modes  of  grafting 
in  general,  and  laid  special  stress  on  the  styles  time  had  sanctioned. 
He  ventured  the  opinion  that  side  grafts  were  the  best  for  pot  Roses ; 
that  when  grafting  fruit  trees  the  factor  of  locality  should  be  kept 
prominently  in  view,  otherwise  failure  may  be  the  result.  The  latter 
portion  of  his  paper  comprised  a  series  of  hints  for  the  guidance  of 
those  who  intend  to  master  the  art  of  grafting,  so  that  their  labours 
may  not  be  futile.  The  two  papers  gave  rise  to  a  spirited  discussion. 
After  a  vote  of  thanks  was  unanimously  passed  to  the  lecturers,  the 
meeting  was  brought  to  a  conclusion.  Mr.  Hall,  secretary,  was  in 
•attendance. 
Xlgtat. — In  resuming  his  lectures  on  Saturday  at  the  Royal  Insti¬ 
tution  on  “  Polarised  Light,”  Lord  Rayleigh  specially  dwelt  on  refrac¬ 
tion  with  all  its  remarkable  phenomenon  of  varied  colour.  As  the 
physiologist  deals  with  the  minute  details  of  nerve  and  tissue,  or 
the  chemist  in  resolving  the  most  complex  body  into  its  constituent 
elements,  so  has  this  expositor  on  optical  physics  gone  into  the  most 
subtle  properties  of  crystalline  colour,  analysing  everything  in  con¬ 
nection  with  it,  demonstrating  its  strictly  scientific  aspect  by  a  series 
of  most  exact  and  pertinent  experiments.  Special  reference  was 
made  to  the  theories  and  discoveries  of  Sir  George  Stokes  and  Mr. 
Madden.  After  hearing  these  lectures  from  the  Royal  Institution 
professor  of  natural  philosophy  the  student  can  only  come  to  the 
conclusion  that,  while  the  laws  of  Nature  abound  with  evidence  of  the 
most  supreme  wisdom  of  their  Author,  the  scientist  in  revealing  these 
marvellous  facts  is  indeed  an  apostle  of  veritable  truth. 
New  York  Nursery  Inspectors. — Certificates  of  inspection  of 
nursery  stock  have  been  issued  by  the  Department  of  Agriculture  at 
Albany  to  nearly  .500  nurseries  in  New  York  State  during  1899.  These 
certificates  are  good  up  to  and  including  June  30th,  1900.  The 
inspectors  found,  says  an  American  contemporary,  that, the  San  Jose 
scale  has  not  increased  appreciably  in  1899,  and  are  under  the 
impression  that  it  is  on  the  decrease.  There  have  been  about  43,000 
nursery  stock  destroyed  this  year,  about  70  per  cent,  of  this  number 
being  confined  to  one  locality.  The  western  part  of  the  State  is 
comparatively  free,  there  being  only  three  or  four  instances  where  it 
existed  to  any  extent,  and  the  stock  was  entirely  destroyed.  There  are 
in  the  State  five  inspectors,  men  who  are  taken  from  the  civil  service 
eligible  list,  after  having  passed  an  examination  for  the  position  of 
nursery  inspector.  There  is  now  before  the  legislature  a  bill  amending 
the  law,  so  as  to  have  fumigating  applied  to  all  stock  raised  within  the 
State  as  well  as  to  all  stock  brought  from  without  the  State. 
Hull  and  East  Riding  Chrysanthemum  Society. — It  is 
regrettable  to  learn  from  the  committee’s  statement  that  there  continues 
to  be  a  falling  off  in  the  receipts  of  this  excellent  society,  and  w'e  trust 
that  the  year  1900  will  prove  the  turning  point  to  a  period  of  renewed 
prosperity  and  usefulness.  Few  societies  have  done  more  than  this 
during  the  past  fifteen  years  to  popularise  the  Chrysanthemum,  and  it  is 
deserving  of  generous  support.  This  year’s  exhibition  will  be  held  in 
the  Artillery  Barracks,  on  November  14th  and  15th,  and  a  schedule  of 
half  a  hundred  classes  has  been  arranged.  These  include,  in  addition  to 
the  celebrated  group  section,  excellent  prizes  for  incurved  and  Japanese 
cut  blooms,  £40  being  offered  in  two  classes'for  these.  Silver  cups  and 
pieces  of  plate  are  added  to  the  premier  awards  in  several  classes,  and 
there  is  practically  sure  to  be  splendid  competition.  What  the  society 
really  requires  is  a  very  much  increased  list  of  annual  subscribers. 
Messrs.  B.  Harland  and  J.  Dixon  continue  to  officiate  as  hon.  secretaries. 
Chester  Paxton  Society.— The  last  meeting  for  the  winter, 
session  was  held  in  the  Grosvenor  Museum  on  Saturday,  when  Mr. 
R.  G.  Waterman  of  Woolton,  Liverpool,  delivered  a  lecture  on  “  Exhi- 
bition  Roses.”  The  lecturer  is  well  known  throughout  Lancashire  and 
Cheshire  as  a  successful  exhibitor  of  the  ”  regal  flower,”  and  his 
remarks  on  this  occasion  were  characterised  by  a  thoroughly  practical 
knowledge  of  his  subject,  which  he  freely  imparted  to  his  hearers. 
Minute  details  of  the  best  varieties  to  grow,  soil  and  situation, 
mulching,  pruning,  staging  for  the  exhibition’  table,  as  well  as  the 
treatment  of  pests  which  Roses  are  subject  to  were  given.  Incidentally 
he  said  that  the  gratitude  of  all  those  who  appreciated  really  good 
Roses  was  due  to  the  Pauls,  Dicksons  of  Newtonards,  Bennett,  Piper, 
Cranston,  Lord  Penzance,  and  others  who  have  done  so  much  in  the  way 
of  hybridising  and  raising  new  varieties.  To’the^Very  Rev.  Dean  Hole, 
Rev.  H.  D’Ombrain,  Wm.  Paul,  and  other  writers  ^on  Roses,  he  said  our 
thanks  were  no  less  due.  In  his  closing  remarks  Mr.  Waterman  said 
that  much  as  his  success  had  been  with  the  Hybrid  Perpetual  varieties, 
he  nevertheless  pleaded  for  an  extended  cultivation  of  the  old  fashioned 
garden  Roses  as  well  as  the  new  simple  varieties  now  popular  with 
so  many,  and  said  he  hoped  that  Rose  societies ^would  in  the  future 
recognise  these  more  fully  in  their  prize  schedules.  An  interesting 
and  profitable  discussion  followed,  in  which  the  chairman  of  the 
meeting  (Mr.  Thomas  Weaver),  the  president  of  [the  society  (Mr. 
Robert  Wakefield),  Mr.  Hawkins,  and  Mr.  J.  Weaver  took  part.  In 
proposing  a  vote  of  thanks  to  the  lecturer,  Mr.  G.  P.  Miln  emphasised 
what  had  been  said  about  the  old  fashioned  and  simple  varieties  of 
Roses,  and  said  that  the  presence  of  these  was  an  added  adornment  to 
any  garden.  This  vote  of  thanks  was  carried  with  acclamation,  and  a 
similar  compliment  to  the  chairman  brought  the  meeting  to  a  close. 
