74 
JOURNAL  OP  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  2fe,  189?. 
Weather  in  London. — The  frost  that  came  Iubc  week  iB  with  us 
still,  and  shows  little  signs  of  departing.  Several  degrees  have  been 
registered  each  morning,  and  the  prospects  for  metropolitan  skaters  are 
decidedly  bright.  Provided  it  is  not  too  sgvere  the  frost  will  do  a 
considerable  amount  of  good. 
— —  Weather  in  The  North. — Frost  of  varying  intensity  haB 
prevailed  throughout  the  past  week.  On  the  21st  there  were  9°,  the  same 
being  recorded  on  Saturday  morning.  That  day  was  an  ideal  winter 
one— bright,  cold,  and  calm.  On  Sunday  morning  11°  frost  were 
registered,  but  a  thaw  followed  and  continued  throughout  the  day. 
Frost  set  in,  and  during  the  night  nearly  2  inches  of  snow  fell.  Monday 
was  keen  throughout,  with  occasional  snow  showers.  On  Tuesday  14°  of 
frost  were  indicated,  with  every  appearance  of  its  continuance. — B.  D., 
S.  Perthshire. 
-  Royal  Botanic  Society.— At  a  meeting  of  the  Fellows  held 
in  the  Gardens,  Regent’s  Park,  on  Saturday,  the  23rd  inst.,  Mr.  J.  S. 
Rubinstein  brought  forward  a  resolution  recommending  the  Council  to 
intimate  to  the  Lord  Mayor,  the  Chairmen  of  the  London  County 
Council,  the  London  School  Board,  and  other  local  authorities,  and  to 
the  secretaries  of  recognised  societies  and  institutions,  that  the  Council 
would  be  pleased  to  arrange  for  the  use  in  the  coming  season  of  the 
Society’s  Gardens  for  garden  parties  and  receptions.  The  resolution  was 
carried. 
- -  Chionodoxa  Lhcili^e. — I  fear  that  Nature  alone  could  give 
Mr.  Arnott  the  information  he  asks  for  on  page  27.  Nature  is 
capricious,  and  does  not  always  disclose  to  us  her  secrets.  I  have  little 
doubt,  however,  that  the  premature  flowering  of  the  “  Glory  of  the 
Snow,”  in  a  garden  within  a  mile  of  the  Mull  of  Galloway,  to  which  I 
alluded  in  a  recent  contribution,  was  owing  not  to  the  period  when  the 
bulbs  were  planted,  but  to  the  almost  abnormal  mildness  of  the  season. 
During  the  last  two  months  I  have  had  lilac  Primroses  continuously  in 
bloom.  The  St.  Brigid  Anemones  are  already  preparing  to  flower,  two 
months  before  their  time.  I  anticipate,  however,  that  they  will  not  be 
permitted  to  proceed  with  their  floral  development,  as  within  the  last 
week  frost  has  supervened,  accompanied,  providentially  for  early  vegeta- 
tation,  with  a  gentle  shower  of  snow — that  white  repentance  of  gracious 
Nature,  whereby  she  mitigates  her  own  severity. — D.  R.  Williamson. 
-  Veitch  Memorial  Fund.— The  Veitch  Memorial  Trustees 
have  decided  to  present  this  year  a  large  silver  medal  for  distinguished 
service  to  horticulture  to  each  of  the  following  gentlemen  : — To  Norman 
C.  Cookson,  Esq.,  of  Oakwood,  Wylam-on-Tyne,  for  his  successful 
hybridisation  of  Orchids,  extending  over  many  years,  by  which  a  large 
number  of  new  and  beautiful  forms  have  been  added  to  this  remarkable 
family  of  plants.  To  Martin  R.  Smith,  Esq.,  of  Warren  House,  Hayes,  an 
eminent  amateur,  who  has  been  most  successful  in  the  raising  of  Carna¬ 
tions.  By  his  efforts  many  new  and  beautiful  varieties  have  been  raised, 
especially  in  the  Malmaison  section,  and  among  those  which,  on  account 
of  their  hardihood  and  beauty,  are  adapted  for  culture  in  the  open 
border.  To  Professor  L.  H.  Bailey  of  Cornell  University,  Ithaca,  N.Y., 
in  recognition  of  his  efforts,  by  means  of  his  lectures  and  his  writings, 
to  place  the  cultivation  of  plants  on  a  scientific  basis  ;  to  promote  the 
extension  of  horticultural  education,  and,  by  numerous  trials  and 
experiments,  to  improve  and  render  more  productive  plants  grown  for 
economic  purposes.  To  Mons.  Charles  Naudin  of  Antibes,  a  distinguished 
French  botanist  and  horticulturist,  who,  by  his  prolonged  series  of 
experiments  and  observations,  has  much  advanced  the  theory  and 
practice  of  hybridisation.  M.  Naudin  has  also  been  highly  successful 
in  introducing,  cultivating,  and  distributing  a  large  number  of  plants  of 
great  economic  importance,  and  of  thus  enhancing  the  resources  not 
only  of  his  own  but  of  other  countries.  To  Herr  Max  Leichtlin  of 
Baden-Baden,  as  one  who  has  rendered  eminent  service  to  horticulture 
bv  the  introduction  of  a  large  number  of  interesting  plants,  and  who 
has  displayed  equal  sagacity  and  skill  in  their  cultivation.  The  Trustees 
have  also  decided  upon  placing  a  medal  and  prize  of  £5  at  the  disposal 
of  the  Shropshire  Horticultural  Society,  to  be  competed  for  at  their 
Great  Commemorative  Exhibition  in  August  next ;  and  have  allotted  a 
similar  medal  and  prize  of  £5  to  the  Trentham  Horticultural  Society. 
-  Death  of  Mr.  W.  Piercy. — It  is  with  regret  we  have  to 
record  the  death  of  Mr.  W.  Piercy  of  Forest  Hill,  who  has  done  so  much 
to  advance  the  cultivation  of  early  flowering  Chrysanthemums.  The 
deceased  was  born  June  27th,  1825,  and  spent  most  of  his  early  life  in 
Islington. 
-  Liverpool  Horticultural  Association.  —  On  Saturday 
evening  the  fourth  meeting  of  the  season  was  held  in  the  Free  Library, 
William  Brown  Street,  Liverpool,  Mr.  T.  White  in  the  chair.  The 
lecturer  was  Mr.  J.  Hathaway,  Superintendent  of  Hesketh  Park, 
Southport,  formerly  of  Lathom  House,  the  title  of  the  paper  being 
“Vegetables.”  As  was  to  be  expected  from  such  a  notable  grower  and 
exhibitor,  the  subject  was  dealt  with  in  an  excellent  manner.  The 
preparation  of  various  soils,  with  corresponding  cultural  notes,  were 
fully  treated.  Manures  also  formed  an  important  part  of  the  paper, 
and  Mr.  Hathaway  soon  led  his  audience  to  the  conclusion  that  he  was 
a  firm  believer  in  artificial  manures,  many  of  which  were  quoted. 
A  discussion  ensued,  the  meeting  terminating  with  hearty  votes  to 
Lecturer  and  Chairman. 
-  The  Hessle  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement  Society. 
— An  extra  meeting  of  the  above  Society  was  held  on  Tuesday,  January 
19th,  Mr.  Chas.  Lawton  in  the  chair,  when  a  paper  on  “  Herbaceous 
and  Alpine  Plants  ”  was  read  by  Mr.  A.  J.  Keeling,  Bradford.  The 
essayist  must  have  had  considerable  practical  experience  with  the 
subjects  of  his  lecture  by  the  masterly  manner  in  which  he  handled  it. 
This  branch  of  the  profession  every  gardener  should  be  well  acquainted 
with,  some  employers  thinking  as  much  of  their  hardy  flowers  as  others 
do  of  their  Orchids,  and  indeed  it  requires  as  much  skill  and  knowledge 
to  successfully  cultivate  them  as  it  does  the  majority  of  Orchids. 
Mr.  Keeling  entered  into  all  the  details  of  their  cultivation,  their 
arrangement,  and  selection  of  varieties  best  adapted  for  the  various 
soils.  The  weather  proving  unfavourable,  members  from  a  distance 
were  unfortunately  debarred  the  treat  their  more  fortunate  brethren 
enjoyed  so  much. — F.  L.  T. 
- Gold  Medallists  of  the  Fruiterers’  Company.  —  The 
banquet  of  the  Worshipful  Company  of  Fruiterers  was  held  on  Monday 
evening  the  26th  (St.  Paul’s  Day),  the  newly  elected  Master,  Thomas 
Platt,  Esq.,  presiding,  supported  by  the  Lord  Mayor  and  Sheriffs  of 
London.  About  eighty  members  of  the  Livery  and  visitors  attended. 
The  banquet,  speeches  and  music  were  of  a  very  high  order.  The  only 
horticultural  Liverymen  present  were  Messrs.  G.  Bunyard  and  J.  Wright. 
An  interesting  feature  of  the  proceedings  was  the  presentation  of  the 
large  gold  medals  of  the  Company  to  Major  W.  Bythway  and  Mr. 
G.  Bunyard  for  their  magnificent  collections  of  fruit  at  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society’s  Show  at  the  Crystal  Palace  last  autumn.  The 
Major  made  an  earnest  and  excellent  speech  on  the  subject  of  fruit 
growing,  and  subsequently  stated  that  he  was  mainly  indebted  for  his 
success  to  an  essay  produced  under  the  auspices  of  the  Fruiterers’  Com¬ 
pany  a  few  years  ago,  and  which  has  passed  through  several  editions. 
-  The  Snow. — The  earth  over  a  large  portion  of  the  kingdom  is 
at  present  thickly  covered  with  snow.  It  has  come  at  a  very  convenient 
time  of  the  year,  when  it  gives  to  U9  who  garden  a  minimum  of  incon¬ 
venience,  yet  it  is  a  visitation  that  never  Beems  welcome  except  to 
children,  because  it  invariably  hinders  labour  on  the  land.  Our  labour 
conditions  here  differ  so  much  from  those  which  exist  in  northern 
countries,  where  severe  frost  and  snow  annually  prevailing  over  a  large 
portion  of  the  winter  season,  life  and  work  are  accommodated  to  those 
conditions.  With  us  any  appreciable  hindrance  to  work  not  only  soon 
produces  inconvenience,  but  also  much  suffering.  That  is  specially  so 
in  relation  to  soil  cultivation.  Much  as  we  may  rejoice  to  see  vegetation 
only  moderately  hardy  protected,  if  but  for  a  short  time,  from  injury 
by  frost  and  biting  wind,  yet  that  same  snow  protection  shuts  us  out 
from  working  the  soil,  or  being  upon  it,  and  thus  becomes  a  source  of 
trouble.  In  addition  it  creates  vegetable  scarcity,  and  humanity  and 
animals  alike  suffer.  But  whilst  we  credit  the  snow  with  saving  our 
vegetable  and  corn  crops  from  harm  whilst  it  lies,  we  must  not  forget 
that  the  snow  is  with  us  at  any  time  but  a  temporary  visitation,  and 
that  this  same  vegetable  life  is  exposed  to  all  the  harmful  forces  of 
frost  and  wind  over  much  the  greater  period  of  the  winter.  Hence  the 
approval  usually  given  to  a  snow  visitation  is  not  always  deserved. 
All  gardeners  know  that  shut  out  from  other  food  supplies  birds  begin 
to  prey  upon  fruit  tree  and  bush  buds  voraciously,  and  do  immense 
mischief,  from  which  the  Bnow  does  not  save  our  fruits,  indeed  is  the 
chief  cause  of  the  mischief.  After  all,  here  in  England,  at  least,  there 
seems  to  be  good  reason  to  doubt  the  tradition  that  winter  snows  are 
useful  for  vegetable  protection.— A. 
