April  19,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
327 
Recent  Weather  In  Iiondon. — The  weather  during  the  Easter 
holidays  was  somewhat  changeable,  but  must  be  considered  generally 
satisfactory.  Both  Good  Friday  (except  for  the  gale  of  wind)  and  Satur¬ 
day  were  fine,  as  also  was^  Easter  Sunday,  except  for  a  slight  shower 
early  in  the  evening.  On  each  of  these  days  the  sun  shone  gloriously, 
and  the  wind  had  not  the  keenness  of  a  few  days  ago.  Monday  was 
bright  with  slight  showers  at  intervals  ;  indeed,  it  was  a  typical  April 
day,  as  described  in  the  phrase  “  smiles  and  tears,”  as  indeed  was 
Tuesday  also.  On  Wednesday  it  was  very  fine  and  warm. 
Weather  In  the  M'orth. — Very  high  westerly  and  northerly 
winds  have  prevailed  during  almost  the  whole  of  the  past  week,  and 
a  good  deal  of  rain  has  fallen  in  heavy  showers.  Sunday  was  very 
boisterous  and  wet,  as  was  also  the  earlier  part  of  Monday,  but  the 
evening  of  that  day  promised  more  settled  weather. — B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
The  Iiand  of  Raffodlls. — Daffodils  are  being  sent  away  from 
the  South  Lincolnshire  towns  in  great  quantities,  and  hundreds  of 
women  and  young  people  are  bunching  the  flowers.  Despite  the  bad 
weather,  there  has  been  quite  as  much  bloom  sent  to  London  and  other 
centres  this  season  as  last.  From  the  Spalding  district,  where  the 
flowers  are  very  extensively  cultivated,  last  week  25  tons  were  des¬ 
patched,  7  tons  going  away  on  Good  Friday  for  use  in  the  decoration  of 
churches  for  Easter  Sunday. 
Recreation  Ground  for  Bromley  by  Bow.  —  The  Bromley 
Recreation  Ground  of  nearly  1|  acre,  purchased  and  laid  out  by  the 
County  Council  at  a  total  cost  of  £6780,  was  opened  recently  by 
Mr.  B.  Cooper,  L  C.C.,  who  said  that  after  waiting  many  years  and 
contributing  much  to  the  parks  and  open  spaces  in  other  parts  of 
London,  Bromley  had  become  possessed  of  a  lung.  Bromley  was  one 
of  the  most  densely  crowded  portions  of  the  metropolis,  where  ground 
could  not  be  bought  at  a  low  rate,  but  he  felt  sure  that  the  residents 
would  appreciate  the  outlay  of  the  London  County  Council  in  providing 
such  a  charming  space. 
Messrs.  T.  S.  'Ware,  Iitd. — For  many  years  the  business  founded 
by  Mr.  T,  S.  Ware,  and  now  being  conducted  as  a  limited  liability 
company,  has  had  its  home  at  Tottenham,  whence  have  been  despatched 
many  hundreds  of  thousands  of  hardy  plants,  for  which  the  nursery  had 
such  an  enviable  reputation.  So  extensive  and  varied  was  the  collection, 
that  it  was  quite  impossible  for  anyone  to  visit  the  Tottenham  nurseries 
without  finding  something  of  interest  in  flower.  But  the  old  order 
changeth,  and  the  headquarters  of  the  firm  have  gone  to  Feltham.  It 
was  found  necessary  to  move,  and  this  position  in  Middlesex  was 
chosen.  Hardy  plant  lovers  must  hereafter,  when  they  want  to  visit 
“Ware’s,”  travel  via  the  London  and  South-Western  Railway  from 
Waterloo,  instead  of  from  Liverpool  Street  as  has  previously  been 
the  case. 
Tbe  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund. — Mr.  Brian  Wynne,  of 
8,  Danes  Inn,  Strand,  London,  the  secretary,  desires  us  to  intimate  that 
the  annual  dinner  of  this  most  meritorious  society  will  take  place  on 
Tuesday,  May  8th,  at  the  Cafe  Monico,  Piccadilly  Circus.  The  objects 
of  the  fund  are : — To  make  allowances  or  grants  of  money  to  aid  in 
the  maintenance  and  education  of  the  orphans  of  gardeners,  foremen  in 
public,  private  and  market  gardens,  and  the  managers  and  depart¬ 
mental  foremen  in  nursery  and  seed  establishments.  By  means  of  the 
fund  eighty-five  fatherless  children  are  this  year  (1900)  being  assisted 
at  the  rate  of  5s.  per  week  until  they  attain  the  age  of  fourteen  years, 
and  who,  with  the  sanction  of  the  Executive  Committee,  may  be  placed 
with  relatives  or  other  responsible  persons,  acting  as  guardians.  The 
committee  also  has  power  to  grant  a  sum  not  exceeding  £10  towards 
apprenticing  or  otherwise  promoting  the  start  in  life  of  any  orphan 
who  may  be  eligible  for  such  assistance;  and  to  make  arrangements 
for  placing  children  elected  to  the  benefits  of  the  fund,  either  with 
carefully  selected  foster  parents  as  cottage  boarders,  or  wiih  iha 
master  or  mistress  of  a  school  or  institution,  from  whom  satisfactory 
security  is  required  for  the  proper  discharge  of  their  duties. 
Royal  Horticultural  Society. — The  next  Fruit  and  Flower 
Show  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  will  be  held  on  Tuesday, 
April  24th,  in  the  Drill  Hall,  James  Street,  Westminster,  in  con¬ 
nection  with  which  the  National  Auricula  and  Primula  Society  will 
hold  its  annual  show,  I  to  5  p.m.  A  lecture  on  “The  Cultivation 
of  the  Narcissus  ”  will  be  given  by  the  Rev.  S.  Eugene  Bourne,  M.A., 
at  three  o’clock. 
The  Journal  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society. — Volume 
xxiv.  of  this  publication,  which  has  just  reached  us,  is  undoubtedly 
one  of  the  most  excellent  of  the  series.  It  embodies  an  exhaustive 
report  of  the  Hybrid  Conference  which  was  held  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  in  July  of  last  year.  The  excellent 
introductory  address  of  Dr.  Masters,  together  with  the  complete  text 
of  the  several  papers  prepared  by  experts,  and  a  list  of  the  principal 
plants  exhibited  are  given,  and  form  a  most  valuable  addition  to  the 
not  over-abundant  authoritative  literature  on  hybrids.  To  those 
specially  interested  in  hybridisation  the  work  will  become  a  necessity ; 
while  to  others  it  must  prove  interesting  as  well  as  instructive.  The 
price  to  non-Fellows  is  78.  6d.,  and  it  may  be  obtained  from  the 
secretary  R.H.S.,  117,  Victoria  Street,  London,  S.W. 
Royal  Botanic  Society. — At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  Royal 
Botanic  Society  the  chairman,  Mr.  C.  Brinsley  Marlay,  drew  attention 
to  some  Marie  Louise  Violets  grown  in  Ireland,  and  remarkable  for  their 
size,  fragrance,  and  colour.  He  thought  it  would  be  of  interest  if  he 
drew  attention  to  the  natural  advantages  Ireland  had  fur  growing 
plants  which  liked  a  limestone  soil,  and  he  had  often  been  struck  with 
the  extreme  delicacy  of  scent  and  brilliancy  of  colour  of  many  plants 
growing  in  his  garden  in  Ireland  as  compared  with  similar  plants  grown 
in  England.  The  absence  of  sunshine  during  the  summer  months 
owing  to  the  clouds  prevented  fruit  and  berries  fiom  ripening  to  the 
same  extent  or  having  the  same  colour  as  in  England  and  Germany,  but 
for  many  herbaceous  plants  there  was  no  better  soil  than  was  met  with 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Dublin  between  the  seashore  and  the  mountains. 
Kingston  Chrysanthemum  Society. — The  annual  show  of  this 
old  society  for  the  current  year,  and  it  will  be  its  twenty-fourth,  will 
be  held  as  usual  in  the  large  Drill  Hall  on  November  6th  and  7th. 
Last  year  the  executive  avoided  clashing  with  the  first  day  of  the 
National  Society’s  show,  but  no  one  seemed  to  thank  them  for  it. 
This  year,  also,  there  are  one  or  two  immediate  local  shows  that  it  is  felt 
to  be  more  important  not  to  be  in  conflict  with.  The  schedule  has  been 
thoroughly  revised,  and  whilst  the  great  open  class  for  cut  flowers  has 
been  omitted,  other  classes  for  gardeners,  likely  to  lead  to  greater 
competition,  have  been  included.  We  believe  the  schedule  of  prizes,  in 
slip  form,  is  ready,  and  can  be  had  on  application  to  the  new  secretary* 
Mr.  W.  Hayward,  Fife  Road,  whilst  the  complete  schedule  will  be 
issued  later. 
Royal  Agricultural  Society. — We  are  informed  that  the  special 
committee  appointed  to  consider  the  question  of  sites  for  future 
shows,  in  presenting  its  report  recommended  that  in  place  of  a  show 
in  or  near  a  different  town  each  year,  it  would  be  much  more 
economical  to  hold  the  show  in  some  permanent  locality,  preferably  in 
the  centre  of  England,  which  would  be  convenient  for  railway  access 
from  all  parts  of  the  country.  The  report  of  the  committee  was 
fijlly  considered,  but  the  proposal  for  its  adoption  was  opposed  by  Mr. 
Martin  Sutton,  on  the  ground  that  the  council  should  not  make  such  a 
drastic  change  without  being  sure  that  they  were  in  touch  with  their 
clientele.  Mr.  Sutton’s  resolution,  however,  was  ultimately  withdrawn, 
and  the  committee  reappointed,  with  a  view  to  selecting  a  suitable  site 
for  a  permanent  show  ground. 
Mount  Vesuvius  and  Vegetation.  —  The  inhabitants  of  the 
district  of  Somma  Vesuviana,  on  the  northern  slopes  of  Vesuvius, 
writes  the  Rome  correspondent  of  the  “  Morning  Post,”  have  just  had 
an  unpleasant  reminder  of  the  properties  of  the  mountain  on  which 
they  dwell.  On  ordinary  calm  days  the  head  of  Vesuvius  is  adorned 
by  a  plume  of  dark  smoke,  which,  when  the  wind  blows  from  the  south 
laden  with  moisture,  is  carried  northwards  over  the  slopes  of  the 
mountain.  During  the  last  long  spell  of  south  wind  it  rained  heavily 
without  interruption.  The  rain  in  passing  through  the  sulphuious 
smoke  became  impregnated  with  caustic  sal  s,  which  have  destroyed 
the  flowers  and  young  buds  on  all  the  trees,  and  have  ruined  all  the 
young  plants.  The  Vines  alone  escaped  damage,  because,  on  account 
of  the  cold  season,  their  buds  are  still  in  a  backward  condition.  The 
phenomenon  is  not  new,  though  it  is  extremely  rare. 
