JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
February  18,  1897. 
13  G 
Weather  in  London. — On  the  whole  milder  weather  has  prevailed 
throughout  the  past  seven  days.  On  Thursday  it  was  dull  but  dry, 
while  during  the  afternoon  of  Friday  the  sun  shone  brilliantly,  though 
rain  fell  during  the  evening,  as  it  did  at  intervals  on  Saturday. 
Sunday  was  fine;  Monday  bringing  a  drizzling  rain,  clearing  towards 
night.  No  rain  fell  on  Tuesday,  a  damp  fog  hanging  over  the  City 
during  the  forenoon.  At  the  time  of  going  to  press  on  Wednesday  it 
was  bright. 
-  Weather  in  the  North. — For  a  day  or  two  there  was  a 
return  of  frost  during  the  past  week,  9°  being  registered  on  the  morning 
of  the  11th  ;  11°  and  7°  following.  Thaw  set  in  on  Saturday  with  dense 
fog  and  rain  generally  over  the  country.  Sunday  was  very  wet  through¬ 
out.  On  Monday  morning  there  was  a  slight  touch  of  frost  followed  by 
a  good  dullish  day.  Tuesday  morning  was  fresh  and  pleasant,  with  the 
thermometer  at  43°. — B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
-  Victorian  Fruit  Class  at  Shrewsbury.— We  understand 
that  a  specially  large  class  of  sixty  dishes  of  fruit  will  be  provided  at 
the  Shrewsbury  Show,  with  prizss  of  something  like  £30  and  the  gold 
medal  of  the  Worshipful  Company  of  Fruiterers  as  the  first  prize  ;  £25 
and  the  silver  Knightian  medal  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  ;  and 
£20,  with  the  silver  medal  of  the  Shropshire  Society,  as  the  remaining 
prizes.  We  do  not  know  the  precise  terms  of  the  proposed  competition, 
but  presume  they  will  be  published  very  shortly. 
-  The  National  Viola  Society.  —  The  first  annual  general 
meeting  of  the  members  was  held  on  the  10th  inst.  at  Winchester  House, 
Old  Broad  Street,  E.C.,  when  there  was  a  large  attendance,  Mr. 
W.  Robinson  (the  President)  occupying  the  chair.  A  very  favourab'e 
report  of  the  work  carried  out  by  the  Society  during  its  first  year, 
together  with  a  balance-sheet  showing  that  the  Society  had  been  able  to 
meet  all  expenses  and  carry  forward  a  small  balance,  was  adopted.  The 
following  officers  were  re-elected  for  the  ensuing  year  : — Mr.  W.  Robin¬ 
son,  President  ;  Dr.  Shackleton,  Chairman  of  Committee  ;  Mr.  H.  A. 
Needs,  Hon.  Treasurer  ;  Mr.  A.  J.  Rowberry,  Hon.  Secretary  ;  while 
Messrs.  C.  Jordan  of  Regent’s  Park  and  J.  Moorman  of  Victoria  Park 
were  elected  to  fill  two  vacancies  on  the  Committee.  It  was  decided, 
subject  to  arrangement  with  the  Council  of  the  Royal  Botanic  Society, 
to  hold  a  show  in  the  Society’s  Gardens,  and  also  carry  out  another  trial 
of  Violas  and  Conference  during  the  coming  summer,  a  sub-Committee 
having  been  re-appointed  to  undertake  the  work  in  connection  with  the 
latter.  It  was  also  decided  to  publish  a  report  of  the  proceedings  of  the 
Conference,  together  with  particulars  of  the  result  of  the  trial  of  Violas 
made  last  year  in  the  Botanic  Gardens,  and  copies  (price  61.  each)  may 
shortly  be  obtained  from  Mr.  A.  J.  Rowberry,  of  The  Crescent,  South 
Woodford. 
-  Reading  Gardeners’  Association. — The  fortnightly  meet¬ 
ing  of  the  above  Association  was  held  on  Monday  evening,  when  Mr. 
Neve  presided  over  a  very  large  attendance  of  members.  The  lecture 
for  the  evening  was  “  Soils  and  their  Comparative  Fertility,”  by  Mr. 
Douglas  A.  Gilchrist,  B.Sc.Edin.  Taking  up  his  subject,  the  lecturer 
explained  that  the  fertility  of  soils  might  be  divided  into  natural  or 
inherent  fertility  and  artificial  fertility.  The  following  were  indications 
of  natural  fertility.  The  character  of  the  general  vegetation  of  a  district, 
such  as  the  trees  and  hedges,  for  instance,  where  the  Ash  is  to  be  found 
doing  well,  the  soil  would  be  of  a  generally  strong  loam  and  damp 
subsoils,  whilst  on  chalk  and  oolite  formations  the  Beech  would  pre¬ 
dominate.  A  good  Thorn  hedge  showed  that  the  soil  was  good.  The 
herbage  of  common  land  generally  indicated  whether  the  soil  is  fertile 
or  not.  Then  the  colour  and  character  of  the  soil  and  subsoil  which 
may  be  seen  at  the  edge  of  a  ditch  give  a  good  indication  of  natural 
fertility  or  otherwise.  Soils  in  order  to  be  fertile  must  have  all  the 
ingredients  of  a  plant  food  present  in  a  suitable  form,  they  must  a'so  be 
in  a  suitable  condition  as  far  as  tilth  is  concerned.  Reference  was  also 
made  to  the  great  work  of  the  earthworm.  Darwin  was  the  first  to 
recognise  its  value.  Although  many  would  consider  that  the  casts 
caused  a  great  disfigurement  to  their  lawns,  yet  he  could  assure  them 
that  the  worms  were  greatly  improving  the  soil.  Many  questions  were 
asked  as  to  soils  and  manures,  and  a  discussion  followed. 
-  An  Early  Wasp. — It  might  interest  your  readers  to  hear  that? 
a  fine  wasp  was  killed  (indoors)  on  Thursday,  February  11th  last. — L. 
-  Kew  Guild. — The  annual  geneial  meeting  of  the  Kew  Guild 
will  be  held  in  the  Lecture  Room  of  the  Royal  Gardens,  Kew  (entrance 
by  Melon  Yard  Gate),  on  Thursday  evening,  February  25th,  at  half-past 
seven. 
-  Flowers  from  the  Scilly  Islands.— On  one  day  last 
week  22  tons  of  flowers,  in  4205  boxes,  arrived  at  Penzance  from  the- 
Scilly  Islands,  and  were  at  once  despatched  by  special  train,  half  of  the 
lot  being  consigned  to  London  and  the  rest  to  Birmingham  and  the 
North. 
-  Striking  Carnation  Cuttings.— Mr.  Bardney  is  behind 
the  times.  I  root  90  per  cent,  in  three  weeks,  inserting  four  cuttings 
round  3-inch  pots  in  a  compost  of  light,  sharp  soil,  plunging  these  in  a 
bottom  heat  of  70°  to  75°.  The  cuttings  are  kept  nearly  air-tight 
under  a  hand-light,  shaded  according  to  sun. — Bassil. 
-  Rainfall  in  the  West  Riding.  —  There  have  been 
2  43  inches  rainfall  (chiefly  melted  snow)  registered  here  on  the  first 
five  days  of  this  month.  The  heaviest  fall  in  twenty-four  hours  was  on 
the  5th  inst.,  when  1-16  inch  was  registered.  Owing  to  the  excessive 
wet,  and  the  hardness  of  the  ground  through  frost,  floods  are  very 
prevalent.  During  January  2'62  inches  rain  fell  on  eighteen  days.— 
Geo.  Summers,  Sandbeck  Park. 
-  Crystal  Palace— Garden  Superintendent.— Mr.  Geo* 
Caselton  has  written  to  us  : — “  I  beg  to  inform  you  that  I  have  been 
engaged  as  Superintendent  of  the  Garden  Department  of  the  Crystal 
Palace  in  place  of  Mr.  Head,  who  has  had  to  resign  through  ill  health.” 
We  have  also  received  from  the  address  Of  Mr.  Head  the  following 
correction  : — "  There  appears  to  have  been  an  error  in  some  of  the  last 
week’s  gardening  papers  in  stating  that  Mr.  George  Caselton  has 
succeeded  Mr.  Head,  who  has  resigned  his  appointment.  This  is  not  the 
case ;  but  owing  to  Mr.  Head’s  prolonged  illness  the  Directors  have 
deemed  it  advisable  to  appoint  Mr.  Caselton  as  Deputy  during 
this  year.” 
-  Hessle  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement  Society. — 
At  a  meeting  of  the  above  Society,  held  in  the  Parish  Schoolroom  on 
Tuesday,  February  9th,  a  paper  was  read  by  Mr.  Geo.  Wilson,  gardener 
to  Sir  James  Reckitt,  Bart.,  Swanland  Manor,  on  "Gardening,  Past 
and  Present.”  Our  forefathers,  he  said,  sought  for  knowledge  and 
fouDd  it,  and  we  are  to  a  great  extent  reaping  the  benefit  of  their 
labours,  therefore  it  is  our  duty  to  the  next  generation  to  take  care 
that  our  legacy  to  them  is  not  less  than  the  one  bequeathed  to  us. 
I  In  fruit  and  vegetable  culture  we  are  not  greatly  in  advance  of  the 
past.  We  have  more  improved  appliances  and  better  varieties,  thanks 
to  the  untiring  perseverance  of  our  hybridists.  But  in  flower  and 
plant  growing,  also  floral  decorations,  we  have  made  great  strides — 
fashions  have  changed  ;  and  it  must  be  said  for  gardeners,  that  as  a 
body  they  are  not  slow  to  acquire  the  new  ideas  and  fancies  of  their 
employers,  and  endeavour  to  meet  the  requirements.— F.  L.  T. 
_  The  Diamond  Jubilee  Celebration. — Horticultural  pro¬ 
posals  in  relation  to  this  celebration,  associated  with  public  subscriptions* 
have,  beyond  what  is  utterly  impracticable,  so  far  been  of  a  purely 
charitable  kind.  It  does  look  very  much  as  if  horticulture  as  a  great 
national  vocation  would  be  found  out  in  the  cold  absolutely  in  the  end* 
I  wish  to  make  a  practical  suggestion  in  relation  to  the  great  fruit  show 
at  the  Crystal  Palace  in  the  autumn,  which  should  be,  specially  having 
regard  to  the  event  of  the  year,  the  greatest  and  grandest  show  of  fruit 
ever  held  there.  With  a  view  to  commemorate  the  Queen’s  long  reign 
to  some  extent,  the  Council  have  arranged  for  a  series  of  papers  to 
be  read  on  fruit  progress,  vegetable  progress,  and  market  gardenin  $ 
progress  during  the  past  sixty  years.  Nothing  could  well  be  more 
fitting  or  in  harmony  with  the  year’s  event  and  the  occasion.  Now,  I 
should  like  to  Bee  specially  invited  collections  of  produce  in  three  classes, 
conforming  to  the  subjects  of  the  papers ;  and  to  certain  money  prizes* 
not  necessarily  large,  should  be  added  ailver  medals,  specially  struck,  to 
be  called  the  Queen’s  Diamond  Medals,  and  these  be  awarded  to  the 
respective  collections.  The  only  limit  placed  upon  them  should  be  space,, 
which  should  be  rigidly  restricted,  and  they  should  be  such  as  would 
exhibit  progress  in  their  respective  sections.  Vegetables  have,  we  know, 
been  tabooed  at  this  great  show,  but  no  doubt  that  difficulty  could,  for 
one  special  purpose,  be  surmounted.  Were  a  special  subscription  to  this 
end  promoted,  we  may  expect  it  would  be  liberally  responded  to. 
Certainly  the  collections  and  competitions  would  arouse  the  greatest. 
•  interest  horticulturally. — A.  D. 
