May  3,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
381 
season  is  late,  the  prospects  for  the  coming  season  look  bright,  and 
work  which  a  short  time  ago  was  sadly  in  arrears  is  well  in  hand, 
and  this  will  help  gardeners  to  look  forward  without  misgiving  to 
the  busy  time  of  the  bedding-out  season. 
The  snows,  frosts,  and  biting  winds  of  winter  play  their  part 
in  ameliorating  and  sweetening  the  soil ;  the  fickle  showers  of  April 
freshen  and  speed  to  luxuriance  the  tender  growth  of  spring,  raising  our 
hopes  high  with  the  prospec's  of  a  bountiful  harvest,  Mav  the  year 
bring  to  the  followers  of  our  ancient  art  a  full  measure  of  that  bright 
promise  which  stirs  us  to  activity  in  the  days  of  spring. — Onward. 
Bulbs  in  Yictoria  Part 
It  is  extremely  doubtful  whether  dwellers  in  the  country,  with  its 
wealth  of  vegetation  and  pure,  health-giving  air,  can  realise  how  the 
parks  and  gardens  of  the  metropolis  are  appreciated’  by  Londoners. 
This  is  perhaps  especially  the  case  at  three  seasons  of  the  year — 1, 
when  the  bulbs  are  in  flower  in  the  beds  ;  2,  when  the  summer  flowers 
are  at  the  zenith  of  their  beauty  ;  and  3,  when  the  Chrysanthemum  is 
the  flower  of  the  hour.  At  other  times  the  parks  have  their  thousands 
of  visitors,  but  at  these  periods  it  is  quite  a  pleasure  to  see  the  crowds 
round  a  particular  bed  or  flower,  and  to  hear  the  criticisms  that  are 
passed  on  the  work  that  has  been  done.  The  latter  show  how  deeply 
interested  the  visitor  is  in  his  flowers,  and  how  keenly  he  desires  his 
particular  park  to  be  ahead  of  that  of  his  neighbour  in  its  bulbs, 
summer  flowers,  or  Chrysanthemums. 
The  more  encouragement  the  London  County  Council  can  give  the 
masses  in  this  direction  the  better,  as  no  one  can  doubt  that  flowers  and 
their  associations  have  an  excellent  effect  on  every  mind.  The  district 
in  which  Victoria  Park  is  situated  is  one  of  the  most  crowded  and 
unsavoury  in  the  metropolis,  but  it  accommodates  many  thousands  of 
horticulturists,  at  least  one  must  suppose  so  who  mingles  with  the 
crowd  and  hears  the  varied  expressions  of  opinion.  The  people,  as  a 
rule,  are  remarkably  just  in  the  views  they  hold,  and  are  equally  as 
prompt  in  seizing  upon  a  good  point  as  on  a  bad  one.  To  a  large  degree 
this  faculty  of  intelligent  criticism  has  been  engendered  by  the  County 
Council  and  its  various  superintendents,  who  have  laboured  assiduously 
to  educate  the  masses  up  to  what  is  permissible  and  what  incongruous 
in  the  planting  of  beds  with  various  flowers. 
This  season  east  and  north-east  London  has  had  to  wait  a  long  time 
for  the  display  of  bulbous  flowers,  for  which  Victoria  Park  has  become 
BO  famous  of  late.  It  must  be  several  years  since  the  season  was  so 
late,  and  certainly  the  bulbs  have  been  over  in  some  years  by  the 
present  time.  And  yet  they  all  came  out  within  a  week.  One  day 
there  was  scarcely  a  flower  to  be  found,  and  one  week  later  there  they 
were  in  their  thousands.  A  few  days  ago,  when  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
seeing  them,  they  were  probably  at  their  best,  with  the  exception  of  a 
few  beds  of  Tulips,  which  had  not  then  fully  developed.  With  some  of 
the  Hyacinths  it  was  almost  a  case  of  here  to-day  and  gone  to-morrow,  so 
short  was  their  reign,  but  in  this  respect  the  varieties  differ  very 
materially,  some  remaining  in  good  condition  for  a  much  longer  time. 
No  doubt  the  peculiar  season  has  had  much  to  do  with  this,  as  until 
the  week  referred  to  as  bringing  them  on  with  such  astounding  rapidity 
the  weather  had  been  particularly  uncongenial  to  this,  and,  indeed,  all 
forms  of  vegetation  as  well  as  to  mankind. 
Probably  if  a  plebiscite  could  be  taken  it  would  be  found  that  the 
most  popular  bed  of  all  was  one  in  the  space  near  the  Palm  house  of 
Narcissus  Emperor.  It  was  at  the  time  of  my  visit  really  magnificent, 
and  it  would  scarcely  have  been  possible  to  find  its  superior  in  any  park 
or  garden.  The  popular  bicolor  Horsefieldi,  too,  was  in  excellent  form, 
and  as  usual  claims  a  large  share  of  admirers.  Barri  conspicuus  is  in 
its  way  unrivalled,  and  it  might  advantageously  be  used  with  far 
greater  freedom,  both  in  respect  of  the  number  of  beds  planted  and  in 
the  number  of  bulbs  allocated  to  each  bed.  The  bed  observed  of  Sir 
Watkiu,  which  many  people  regard  as  one  of  the  finest  Narcissi  in 
cultivation,  was  not  by  any  means  satisfactory,  the  plants  varying  in 
height  to  a  remarkable  degree;  the  flowers  again  differed  in  size,  form, 
and  colour,  and  with  few  exceptions  were  not  thrown  up  above  the 
leafage,  as  is  the  normal  habit  of  this  noble  flower.  The  splendid 
yellow  maximus  was  in  capital  condition,  and  made  itself  very 
conspicuous. 
Amongst  the  Hyacinths  the  finest  bed  was  undoubtedly  that  of  the 
King  of  the  Blues.  This  is  a  decidedly  ancient  variety,  but  as  a  dark 
blue  for  bedding  it  is  still  difficult  to  beat.  The  trusses  on  the  plants 
in  Victoria  Park  were  splendid.  The  only  other  Hyacinth  worthy  of 
note  was  Gertrude,  the  charming  rose  coloured  variety,  which  has  been 
familiar  to  flower  gardeners  for  years.  The  Tulips  were  not,  as  has 
already  been  said,  up  to  the  mark,  but  several  promised  well,  such  for 
example  as  Vun  der  Neer,  Chrysolora,  Vermilion  Brilliant,  Keizerskroon, 
Proser,une,  Pottebakker  White,  and  Rose  Gtisdelin.  These  only  wanted 
a  few  more  da\s  of  warm  sunshine  to  bring  all  their  brilliant  beauty 
on  to  the  scene.  The  whole  display  is  fine  for  the  season,  and  should 
prove  a  source  of  satisfaction  to  the  council ;  Mr.  J.  W.  Moorman,  the 
superintendent;  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  neighbourhood. — Wanderer. 
Tlie  Hailstorm  Insurance  Corporation. 
The  fifth  annual  general  meeting  of  the  Nurserymen,  Market 
Gardeners’,  and  General  Hailstorm  Insurance  Corporation,  Limited,, 
was  held  at  the  new  offices  of  the  corporation,  41  and  42,  King  Street, 
Covent  Garden,  London,  on  Tuesday,  24th  April,  1900.  Mr.  H.  B.  May 
presided  (in  the  absence  of  Mr.  Harry  J.  Veitch,  who  was  in  Palestine), 
and  there  was  a  good  attendance  of  shareholders.  The  chairman  gave 
some  interesting  figures,  showing  the  growth  of  the  premium  income 
and  business,  as  follows:  — 
Policies  Premium 
Square  feet 
Value 
Claims 
Year. 
in  force. 
Income. 
£  s.  d. 
covered. 
Insured. 
£  a.  d. 
paid. 
£  8.  d.. 
1895-6 
235 
681  1  9 
10,408.161 
135.215  16  0 
283  17  4 
1896-7 
346 
889  11  5 
13,886,095 
179,366  11  1 
Nil. 
1897-8 
550 
1360  17  0 
20,098,104 
263,590  19  1 
1632  17  & 
1898-9 
749 
1736  0  6 
25,619,760 
28,855,076 
343,439  7  8 
Nil. 
1899-1900 
825 
1962  0  1 
391,202  15  4 
Nil. 
The  working  expenses  had  been  reduced  from  £40  10s.  3d.  per  cent,  of 
the  income  in  1895-6  to  £18  3s.  6d.  per  cent,  in  1899-1900. 
The  report  was  unanimously  agreed  to,  as  was  the  recommendation 
of  the  directors,  that  a  dividend  at  the  rate  of  5  per  cent,  and  a  bonus  of 
per  cent,  per  annum  be  paid,  and  that  £800  be  placed  to  the  reserve 
fund,  and  the  balance  £375  lOs.  4d.  be  carried  forward.  A  further 
issue  of  5000  shares  of  £5  each  had  been  made  at  a  premium  of  4s.  per 
share.  The  issue  had  been  more  than  subscribed  for,  and  applications 
for  shares  were  received  too  late.  £1  per  share  had  been  called  up, 
received,  and  invested.  The  subscribed  capital  was  now  £50,000,  and 
the  paid  up  capital  £10,000.  The  premiums  on  new  issue  had  beeu 
placed  to  the  reserve  fund  after  deducting  the  cost  of  the  new  issue. 
Since  the  financial  year  had  closed  a  claim  for  damage  to  glass  by 
hail  had  come  from  Kirkwall,  Orkney  Isles,  and  had  been  promptly- 
paid. 
- - 
Horticultural  SHows. 
National  Primula  and  Auricula  Society,  fflidlaiid  Section, 
April  25tli. 
Supported  by  a  most  influential  list  of  growers,  the  initial  exhibition 
proved  an  encouraging  success,  and  though  not  so  large  as  the  parent 
society’s  recent  show  held  in  London,  several  of  the  varieties  were 
pronounced  to  be  equal  in  quality,  as  instanced  by  the  premier  prize 
plant  Mrs.  Henwond,  and  which  specimen  had  also  taken  the  premier 
prize' at  the  Drill  Hall  on  the  previous  day  by  Messrs.  Phillips  &  Taylor, 
Brockwell,  who  were  also  accorded  chief  honours  for  six  Show  Auriculas, 
diseimilar,  with  George  Lightbody,  Marmion,  Miss  Barnett,  Rev.  F.  D. 
Horner,  and  a  seedling  unnamed  ;  the  second  prize  fell  to  Mr.  A.  R. 
Brown,  Handsworth,  and  the  third  to  Mr.  W.  B.  Latham. 
Messrs.  Phillips  &  Taylor  were  first  for  four  varieties,  with  Acme, 
Mrs.  Henwood,  Miss  Barnett,  and  Shirley  Hibberd ;  second  Mr.  J. 
Clements,  Harborne  ;  third  Mr.  J.  Stokes,  Harborne  ;  fourth  Mr.  A.  R. 
Brown,  Handsworth  ;  and  fifth  Mr.  R.  Holding,  Ballsall  Heath, 
Birmingham  (the  enthusiastic  secretary).  For  two  plants  Mr.  R. 
Holding  and  Mr.  J.  Stokes  were  placed  equal  first. 
Single  plant  green  edge  Mr.  Ben  Simonite  led  the  way  with  Ossian, 
second  and  third  Mr.  A.  R  Brown,  and  fourth  Mr.  R.  Holding.  For  a 
single  plant  grey  edge  Mr.  A.,  R.  Brown  was  first  with  Beauty  ;  second 
Mr.  W.  B.  Latham  with  Colonel  Champney.  Mr.  A.  E-.  Brown  was 
placed  first  in  the  white  edge  class  with  Acme,  and  Mr.  J.  Stokes  third. 
In  the  self  class,  which  was  well  contested,  Mr.  J.  Clements  was  first 
with  John  Spalding  and  Gerald;  second  Mr.  A.  R.  Brown  with  John 
Spalding  and  Mrs.  Potts  ;  third  Mr.  A.  R.  Brown ;  fourth  Mr.  R.  Holding  ^ 
and  fifth  Mr.  F.  T.  Poulson,  Stafford. 
Alpines  were  exceedingly  good,  and  for  six  Mr.  A.  R.  Brown  was 
placed  first  with  Dean  Hole,  Mrs.  Gorton,  Thetis,  Mr.  Martin  Smith, 
B.  Gorton,  and  J.  F.  Kew ;  second  Messrs.  Phillips  &  Taylor  ;  third 
Mr.  R.  Gorton  ;  fourth  Mr.  R.  Holding,  and  fifth  Mr.  J.  Clements.  For 
four  plants  Messrs.  Phillips  &  Taylor,  A.  R.  Brown,  R.  Holding, 
R.  Gorton,  Eccles,  and  J.  Clements  were  placed  as  in  order  named.  For 
two  plants  Mr.  W.  H.  Twist,  Cnrall  Heath,  was  placed  first ;  Mr.  W.  W. 
Cheshire,  Edgbaston,  second;  Mr.  Poulson  third.  For  a  single  plant 
with  gold  centre  Messrs.  R.  Gorton,  H.  R.  Brown,  Phillips  &  Taylor,  J. 
Clements,  and  W.  W.  Cheshire  were  the  respective  winners.  For  a  single 
plant,  light  centre,  the  first  and  third  prizes  fell  to  Mr.  A.  R.  Brown, 
the  second  and  fourth  to  Mr.  R.  Holding,  and  the  fifth  to  Mr.  J.  Clements, 
In  the  premier  Alpine  class  Messrs.  Phillips  &  Taylor  were  assigned  the 
prize.  For  a  pair  of  Alpines  (for  maiden  growers)  Mr.  W.  W.  Cheshire 
and  Mr.  F.  T.  Poulson  were  the  winners. 
Polyanthuses  were  spartely  shown.  For  four  plants,  gold  laced 
varieties,  Messrs.  Pope  &  Sons  were  the  only  exhibitors.  For  a  group 
of  Primulas  or  Auriculas  Messrs.  Pope  &  Sons  were  to  the  fore,  with 
Mr.  J.  Clements  second,  and  Mr.  R.  Holding  third. 
