June  28,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
551 
zratlonal  Dahlia  Society. —  A  committee  meeting  will  be  held 
on  July  3rd,  at  4  P.M.,  in  the  rooms  of  the  Horticultural  Club,  at  the 
Hotel  Windsor,  Victoria  Street,  Westminster  (by  kind  permission  of 
the  members  of  the  club).  Agenda  : — Election  of  judges,  meeting  on 
September  25th,  and  other  business. 
M’atlonal  Amateur  Gardeners’  Association. — This  association 
will  hold  its  summer  display  at  Winchester  House,  Old  Broad  Street, 
B.C.,  on  Tuesday  evening,  July  3rd,  at  seven  o’clock.  In  connection 
with  the  exhibition,  a  conversazione  has  been  arranged,  under  the 
patronage  of  the  Lord  Mayor  of  London.  The  honorary  secretary  is 
Mr.  V.  Stacy-Marks,  1,  Anglesea  Eoad,  Surbiton,  Surrey,  who  will 
give  any  information  respecting  the  association. 
National  Carnation  and  Plcotee  Society.  —  The  annual 
exhibition  of  this  society  will  be  held  at  the  Crystal  Palace,  Sydenham, 
on  Friday,  July  20ch.  The  Carnations  and  Picotees  give  promise  of  an 
exceptionally  good  bloom  this  season,  and  a  very  large  display  is 
anticipated.  The  schedule  is  a  very  liberal  one,  all  classes  of  exhibitors 
being  provided  for,  four  silver  cups  and  about  £300  being  offered  in 
prizes.  The  hon.  sec.  is  Mr.  T.  E.  Hen  wood,  16,  Hamilton  Road, 
Reading,  who  will  gladly  answer  any  inquiries  respecting  the  society. 
Horticultural  Club. — The  last  monthly  dinner  and  conversazione 
for  the  session  took  place  on  Tuesday  last,  19th  inst.  ;  the  chair  was 
occupied  by  Sir  J.  T.  D.  Llewelyn,  Bt.,  M.P.  Tbe  subject  for  discussion 
was  the  “  Clematis,”  opened  by  a  paper  by  Mr.  A.  G.  Jackman,  who 
was  unfortunately  not  able  to  be  present  through  indisposition,  and  the 
paper  was  read  by  Mr.  George  Bunyard,  and  an  interesting  discussion 
-followed.  There  were  present  the  Rev.  W.  Wilks,  Messrs.  H.  Selfe 
Leonard,  Harry  J.  Veitch,  S.  A.  de  Graaff,  P.  R.  Barr,  R.  C.  Notcutt, 
R.  Pinches,  J.  Assbee,  G.  Bunyard,  and  J.  Walker. 
Shirley  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement  Association. — 
The  monthly  meeting  of  the  above  society  was  held  on  the  18th  inst. 
at  the  Parish  Room,  Shirley,  Southampton,  Mr.  B.  Ladhams,  P.R.H.S., 
presiding  over  a  fair  attendance.  The  lecture  for  the  evening  was  on 
“The  Cultivation  of  the  Pelargonium,”  by  Mr.  H.  J.  Jones,  F.R.H.S., 
of  the  Ryecroft  Nurseries,  Lewisham.  Mr.  Jones  gave  an  admirable 
description  of  the  method  of  treating  the  Pelargonium.  The  show 
varieties  of  the  plant  were,  he  said,  introduced  in  1690,  and  though 
■200  years  had  elapsed,  there  was  still  to  be  traced  a  disposition 
to  revert  to  the  original  type,  the  purple  or  lilac  shade.  He 
also  gave  some  useful  hints  as  applying  to  plants  generally,  such  as 
get  your  plants  dry  when  you  cut  them  down.  In  potting,  see  that 
your  soil  is  neither  too  wet  nor  too  dry.  Do  not  sift  your  soil 
through  a  sieve,  as  with  rough  compost  the  plants  do  better.  In 
manuring.  Give  little  and  often  is  an  excellent  axiom,  as  if  you  give 
more  than  the  plant  can  take  it  turns  the  soil  sour  and  you  speedily 
poison  your  plant.  There  was  a  good  exhibition  of  plants,  fruit,  and 
flowers.  Among  the  most  noticeable  were  a  grand  display  of  hardy 
flowers  from  the  nurseries  of  Mr.  B.  Ladhams  of  Shirley,  containing 
as  it  did  over  100  varieties,  and  it  well  deserved  the  society’s  award 
of  merit  given  to  this  fine  collection.  Mr.  J.  Miles  was  awarded 
a  certificate  of  merit  for  a  fine  dish  of  Strawberries,  after  which  a 
hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  accorded  to  Mr.  Jones  for  his  most  practical 
and  interesting  lecture. — Harry  Curtis,  Hon.  Sec. 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Cblswlck. — Taken  in  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens — height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
/  Date. 
Direction  of 
Wind. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Bain. 
Temperature  of 
the  'Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
Lowest 
Temperature 
on  Grass. 
.  1900. 
,  June. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
1 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
SQ 
(0 
A 
H 
•s 
a> 
o 
t-J 
deg. 
deg. 
deg 
deg. 
ins. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Sunday..  17 
W.N.W. 
63-0 
66  9 
71-9 
59  6 
— 
62  1 
58  9 
55-1 
66-8 
Monday . .  18 
S.S.  W. 
64 -2 
56-0 
71-9 
46  7 
— 
62-0 
59-1 
55-1 
36-9 
Tuesday  19 
s.s.w. 
65-6 
58-5 
721 
64-9 
0-04 
63-5 
69-4 
55-3 
47-5 
Wed’sday  20 
s.  s. 'V  • 
61  6 
66-8 
69-9 
54-3 
0-16 
63-9 
59-9 
55-5 
50-2 
Thursday  21 
•s.s.w. 
58-9 
54-9 
60-2 
51-1 
0-33 
62-9 
60-2 
55-7 
44*3 
Friday  ..  22 
W.N.W. 
60-0 
54-2 
67  1 
52  5 
0-20 
61-5 
69-7 
55-9 
50-3 
Saturday  23 
W.N.W. 
67-5 
61  '8 
67  0 
47-3 
— 
61-2 
69-5 
55-9 
45-2 
Total 
Means  .. 
61 '5 
55-6 
68-6 
52-3 
'  0-73 
,  62-4 
59-5 
65*5 
i 
47-3 
The  Weather  has  been  mostly  dull  and  showery  during  the  past 
.  week,  with  strong  winds  and  cool  nights. 
/ 
Irish  'Weather. — The  weather  for  the  current  month  has  on  the 
whole  been  fairly  summerlike ;  some  of  the  evenings  have  been  cold, 
and  we  have  had 'a  thunderstorm  followed  by  heavy  rains,  but  the 
major  portion  has  fallen  during  the  night  time.  Our  gardens  are 
redolent  in  beauty,  and  Roses  are  abundant.  Pseonies  are  superb,  but 
unfortunately  they  are  mainly  the  old  crimson  variety,  instead  of  some 
of  the  newer  and  much  improved  types  of  more  recent  introduction. 
- - -  - 
Iris  paradoxa. 
Although  this  species  has  been  in  cultivation  for  a  long  period  it 
is  still  rare,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  it  is  a  showy  and  interesting 
plant.  It  belongs  to  the  dwarf  rhizomatous  section,  and  in  general 
appearance  most  closely  resembles  I.  iberica.  It  is  a  native  of  the 
Southern  Caucasus.  The  rootstock  is  short  and  sturdy,  producing 
usually  from  four  to  six  short  linear  leaves,  somewhat  crowded.  The 
flower  scape  is  thrown  up  a  little  above  the  foliage,  being  6  or  7  inches 
long.  The  flowers  are  large  and  showy,  and  vary  in  colour  from  very 
pale  blue  to  purple,  more  or  less  streaked  with  lighter  shades.  The  chief 
peculiarity  of  the  flower  lies  in  the  contrast  between  the  large  and  showy 
inner  segments  and  the  small  inconspicuous  outer  ones,  in  this  respect 
differing  from  most  if  not  all  other  species.  The  flowering  period  is 
spring.  It  rejoices  in  a  deep  rich  loam,  but  must  be  in  a  well  drained 
situation.  It  should  not  be  deeply  planted,  and  must  be  placed  in  a 
bed  of  sand  when  first  put  out.  A  place  in  the  rookery  or  at  the  foot 
of  a  warm  wall,  where  it  can  be  kept  partially  dry  during  winter,  will 
suit  it  admirably.  Iris  paradoxa  (fig.  149)  was  exhibited  by  Mr.  Van 
Tubergen,  Holland,  at  the  meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society 
held  on  June  19th,  when  it  was  recommended  for  a  first-class  certificate 
by  the  Floral  Committee. 
