March  4,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
179 
Weather  in  London. — Though  the  end  of  last  week  was  fine  on 
ihe  whole  this  one  has  commenced  with  the  proverbial  March  winds  in 
very  strong  force.  Monday  morning  was  bright,  as  was  Tuesday  until 
between  two  and  three  o’clock,  after  which  rain  fell  in  drenching 
showers  on  both  days.  A  gale  of  wind  made  it  still  more  uncomfortable. 
Early  on  Tuesday  morning  there  was  a  little  frost.  On  Wednesday  the 
same  conditions  prevailed  ;  rain  and  snow  were  falling  rather  freely  at 
the  time  of  going  to  press. 
-  Weather  in  the  North. — February  closed  with  a  good 
deal  of  rain,  occasional  sleety  showers,  and  boisterous  cold  westerly 
■winds,  with  touches  of  frost  on  some  mornings.  Monday  was  cold,  but 
■fair  in  the  afternoon  and  evening.  On  Tuesday  morning  the  hills  and 
the  lower  grounds  were  whitened,  and  5°  frost  were  recorded  during  the 
night, — B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
t 
-  Royal  Horticultural  Society.— The  next  Fruit  and 
Floral  meetings  of  the  Society  will  be  held  on  Tuesday,  March  9th,  in 
the  Drill  Hall,  James  Street,  Westminster,  1  to  4  p.m.  At  three  o’clock 
Prof.  W.  M.  Ward,  F.R.8.,  will  deliver  a  lecture  on  “  Microicopic 
Gardening.” 
-  Wolverhampton  Show.— The  Wolverhampton  Floral  Fete, 
which  has  made  such  great  progress  during  recent  years,  we  find  by  the 
schedule  is  to  be  held  this  year  on  July  13th,  14th,  and  15th  in  the  West 
Park.  Excellent  prizes  are  provided  in  classes  for  specimen  plants 
(£45),  groups  (£50),  also  for  Orchids,  Roses,  Pansies,  and  Violas,  Car¬ 
nations  and  Pinks,  fruit  and  vegetables.  The  “  Hawley”  silver  challenge 
cup,  value  £20,  is  offered  for  a  “  Display  of  Plants  or  Floral  Arrange¬ 
ments.”  A  large  and  diversified  exhibition  may  be  expected. 
-  Woodbridge  Horticultural  Society.  —  The  annual 
exhibitions  held  in  the  Abbey  grounds  of  the  above  pleasant  Suffolk 
town  rank  as  the  best  in  East  Anglia,  and  the  next  show  may  be 
expected  to  at  least  equal  its  many  predecessors.  The  schedule  is  of 
wide  scope,  comprising  176  classes.  Roses  and  floral  decorations  are 
prominent  features.  A  25-guinea  challenge  cup  is  provided  for  twenty- 
four  Roses,  and  a  12-guinea  cup  for  twenty-four  Teas  and  Noisettes. 
■Silver  medals  are  also  provided  by  the  N.R.S.,  Mr.  O.  G.  Orpen,  and 
Rev.  J.  H.  Pemberton. 
-  The  Shrewsbury  Show. — Famous  as  previous  exhibitions 
have  been  at  Shrewsbury,  the  show,  which  opens  in  the  Quarry  Grounds 
on  August  18th,  should  eclipse  them  all.  In  the  schedule  to  hand  we 
find  the  following  special  awards  : — The  Royal  Horticultural  Society 
offer  a  gold  Banksian  medal  for  the  exhibit  (not  for  competition) 
which  in  the  opinion  of  the  Council  of  the  R.H.S.  best  represents  the 
progress  of  horticulture  for  the  last  sixty  years.  The  R.H.S.  will  also 
give  a  silver-gilt  Knightian  medal  in  tne  Victorian  decorative  fruit 
class,  with  other  medals  and  awards  as  the  Council  may  decide.  The 
Worshipful  Company  of  Fruiterers  (London)  will  give  the  gold  medal 
of  the  Company  to  the  Victorian  decorative  fruit  class,  and  three  silver 
medals  of  the  Company,  as  specified  in  the  schedule.  The  Veitch 
Memorial  Trustees  offer  the  Veitch  Memorial  medal  and  £5,  in  addition 
to  the  first  prize  of  the  Society  for  decorative  dessert  table.  The  Com¬ 
mittee  of  the  Shropshire  Horticultural  Society  offer  three  special 
Victorian  awards,  consisting  of  handsome  full  dessert  services  of  the 
value  of  £12  12s.  each,  manufactured  at  the  far-famed  Coalport,  Salop, 
china  works  specially  for  this  show,  with  royal  monogram  in  the  centre, 
and  of  which  no  duplicates  will  be  issued — 1,  For  the  most  attractive 
display  of  rare  plants  (not  for  competition),  grown  by  the  exhibitors 
2,  For  the  most  attractive  display  of  cut  flowers,  in  space  not  exceeding 
25  feet  by  6  feet  (not  for  competition),  giown  by  the  exhibitor.  3,  For 
the  most  novel  exhibit  specially  illustrating  the  progress  of  horticulture 
during  the  last  sixty  years,  either  in  plants,  flowers,  fruit,  or  vegetables 
(not  for  competition),  grown  by  the  exhibitor.  The  Society  will  also 
award  gold  and  silver  medals  on  the  recommendation  of  the  Judges 
and  approved  by  the  Committee.  Valuable  money  prizes  are  also 
added,  nearly  £340  being  offered  in  six  classes,  the  total  for  the  show 
•exceeding  £800. 
-  Oxford  Shows.— We  are  informed  that  a  Commemoration 
Show  will  be  held  at  Oxford  on  June  29th,  and  a  second  Summer  Show 
on  August  24th. 
-  United  Horticultural  Benevolent  Provident  Society. 
— The  annual  meeting  will  take  place  on  Monday  evening  next, 
March  8th,  at  the  Caledonian  Hotel,  Adelphi.  The  chair  will  be  taken 
at  eight  o’clock  by  Mr.  A.  Dean. 
-  Death  of  Mr.  William  Milne. — We  learn  that  this  well- 
known  gardener,  whose  afflictions  entitled  him  to  be  placed  on  the 
pension  list  of  the  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution  at  the  recent 
election,  died  on  Monday  morning  last.  He  was  only  forty-three  years 
of  age.  He  leaves  four  children,  under  thirteen  years  of  age,  dependent 
on  the  widow’s  earnings  in  a  small  lodging  house.  This  seems  a  fitting 
case  for  the  benefit  of  the  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fan!. 
-  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund.  —  A  meeting  of  the 
Committee  was  held  on  February  26th,  when  William  Marshall,  Esq., 
was  again  elected  Chairman  of  the  Executive.  Amongst  others  the 
following  special  receipts  were  announced  : — Chislehurst  Gardeners’ 
Mutual  Improvement  Society’s  concert,  £23  12s.  6d.,  a  special  vote  of 
thanks  being  accorded  ;  Messrs.  Bunyard  &  Co.,  nurseries,  Maidstone, 
£5  5s.  ;  Mr.  Owen  Thomas,  Frogmore,  £2  2s.  ;  Mr.  T.  Whillans,  Blen¬ 
heim,  £2  ;  Isle  of  Wight  Horticultural  Association,  result  of  a  lecture  by 
Mr.  H.  J.  Jones,  £1  2s.  ;  Miss  Noble,  Henley,  £1  ;  Mr.  J,  Kipling* 
1  1b.  7d.,  and  several  smaller  sums.  The  result  of  the  election  was 
announced,  whereby  thirteen  children  are  placed  on  the  Fund  and  the 
respective  guardians  appointed,  the  mothers  in  each  case  undertaking 
the  duties. 
-  Presentation  to  Mr.  David  Thomson.— Since  learning  of 
Mr.  Thomson’s  intention  of  retiring  from  Drumlanrig,  many  of  his  old 
pupils  think  it  a  fitting  occasion  for  showing  their  esteem  and  apprecia¬ 
tion  of  his  many  good  qualities  as  a  man  and  his  abilities  as  a  gardener, 
also  their  gratitude  for  his  kind  interest  in  their  welfare,  propose  making 
some  suitable  presentation,  as  may  be  afterwards  decided  upon.  In 
case  some  of  Mr.  Thomson's  old  pupils  may  not  have  received  a  circular, 
we  are  requested  to  notify  that  subscriptions  will  be  duly  acknowledged 
by  Messrs.  J.  McKenzie,  Linton  Park,  Maidstone  ;  W.  Allan,  Gunton 
Park,  Norwich  ;  J.  Young,  Zoological  Gardens,  Regent's  Park  ;  J.  Mel¬ 
ville,  The  Lodge,  Finsbury  Park,  N.  ;  T.  S.  Simpson,  Stourton  Court, 
Stourbridge  ;  A.  Henderson,  Thoresby,  Ollerton,  Newark  ;  J.  Garrett, 
Whittinghame,  Prestonkirk,  East  Lothian  ;  J.  Henderson,  Balbirnie, 
Markinch,  Fife  ;  W.  Priest,  Eglinton  Castle,  Irvine,  Ayrshire  ;  and 
W.  B.  Fisher,  Stackpole  Court,  Pembroke.  This  considerate  action  of 
the  “  old  pupils  ”  is  very  gratifying,  and  cannot  fail  to  be  appreciated 
by  their  worthy  old  chieftain.  We  have  pleasure  in  making  the  project 
widely  known. 
-  Reading  and  District  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improve¬ 
ment  Association. — The  fortnightly  meeting  of  this  Society  was  held 
in  the  club  room  on  Monday  evening,  when  Mr.  T.  Neve  presided  over  a 
very  large  attendance  of  members.  After  the  usual  business  had  been 
disposed  of,  Mr.  P.  H.  Foulkes,  B.Sc.,  Edinburgh,  of  the  staff  of  the 
University  Extension  College,  Reading,  gave  an  interesting  and  practical 
lecture  on  “  Insects  Injurious  to  Plant  Life.”  Mr.  Foulkes,  in  opening 
his  subject,  dealt  with  the  great  damage  done  annually  by  the  various 
pests,  and  drew  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  annual  loss  to  the  country 
runs  into  thousands  of  pounds  sterling.  In  instancing  some  of  the  most 
noticeable  p^sts  he  quoted  the  Hop  aphis  as  doing  damage  in  one  year 
10  the  extent  of  £500,000.  The  lecturer  touched  upon  the  resemblance 
of  fungoid  growths  to  the  results  of  insect  attack,  and  showed  this  more 
clearly  by  throwing  on  the  screen  photographs  of  Swedes  which  had 
been  attacked  by  “  finger  and  toe ’’and  Swedes  which  had  been  attacked 
by  the  “  Turnip  gall  weevil.”  An  account  of  the  life  history  and  habits 
of  the  winter  moth  was  given,  and,  knowing  these  features,  the  gardener 
is  in  possession  of  valuable  facts  which  he  could  make  use  of  to 
overcome  the  pest.  The  eelworm  was  also  taken  as  a  type  of  garden 
pest.  Pictures  were  put  upon  the  screen  showing  the  attack  on  Cucumber 
and  Tomato  roots,  as  well  as  the  various  life  stages  of  this  pest.  In 
dealing  with  the  measures  of  prevention  and  remedy  he  instanced, 
among  others,  the  use  of  capture  plants  as  a  means  of  clearing  the 
ground  of  the  eelworm,  a  practice  which  has  been  adopted  in  Germany 
on  a  large  scale  with  considerable  success.  In  concluding,  the  lecturer 
said  that  though  we  knew  the  habits  and  characteristics  of  a  number  of 
our  pests,  yet  there  was  a  great  deal  of  information  still  to  be  learned, 
and  he  pleaded  for  the  help  of  those  who,  by  their  natural  habits  and 
calling,  were  continually  coming  into  contact  with  insect  pests.  A 
number  of  questions  were  asked,  and  an  interesting  discussion  followed. 
