250 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  ?5,  1897 
It  is  a  source  of  much  regret  to  me  that  I  did  not  learn  of  the  event  in 
time  to  pay  a  last  tribute  of  respect  to  his  memory  by  attending  at  the 
interment ;  but  the  recollection  of  his  invariable  kindness  and  considera¬ 
tion  will  always  beheld  in  grateful  remembrance. — Geo.  Shayler. 
Old  friends  can  never  be  replaced,  and  old  comrades  and  fellow 
workers  when  taken  away  leave  a  sad  gap.  W  e  miss  the  cheery  inter¬ 
course,  the  bright  smile  and  pleasant  word,  and  life  seems  poorer  and 
duller.  In  onr  old  friend’s  case  we  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing 
that  his  life’s  work  was  well  done,  and  that  he  had  earned  his  rest.  He 
had  made  for  himself  a  distinguished  name — not  as  a  warrior  or  artist, 
but  as  a  gentle  craftsman,  on  the  lines  of  our  common  ancestor,  “  the 
grand  old  gardener.”  He  has  gone  to  see  the  immortal  flowers,  that 
are  untouched  by  blight,  and  feel  no  nipping  winds  and  catting  frosts  ; 
and  while  we  think  tenderly  and  sadly  of  him,  we  will  rejoice  at  his 
safe  arrival  in  the  land  where  there  is  no  more  pain.  Our  sympathies 
are  with  all  those  who  have  lost  in  the  good  old  Doctor  a  true  friend. — 
Helen  Grace. 
[Kindly  references  are  also  made  by  Mr.  David  Thomson,  Mr.  John 
Thomson,  Mr.  G.  W.  Summers,  Mr.  A.  Pettigrew,  and  incidentally  by 
many  other  correspondents.  We  have  been  compelled  to  abridge  some 
of  the  communications  above  inserted.] 
Weather  in  London. — Though  not  quite  so  much  rain  has  fallen 
during  the  past  week  as  was  the  case  in  the  previous  seven  days,  the 
weather  has  not  been  wholly  favourable.  Several  days  have  been  wet 
in  the  mornings  and  finer  after  noon  and  in  the  evenings.  Tuesday  was 
a  lovely  day,  the  sun  being  bright  and  very  warm.  On  Wednesday 
practically  the  same  conditions  prevailed. 
-  Weather  in  the  North —A  great  deal  of  rain  has  fallen 
during  the  week  ending  the  23rd,  no  day  being  fair  throughout,  and 
squally  winds  have  been  frequent.  Sunday  was  pleasant.  A  westerly 
gale  rose  on  the  afternoon  of  Monday  and  continued  throughout  the 
night,  but  fell  towards  morning.  There  is  much  need  for  dry  weather, 
especially  for  lands  where  Beans  are  grown.— B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
-  Erica  mediterranea  hybrida. — For  a  bright  d'splay  in 
spring  this  plant  has  high  qualifications.  The  bright  red  flowers  commence 
to  open  early  in  February,  and  continue  to  do  so  until  the  end  of  March. 
From  general  appearances,  at  first  sight  this  plant  might  easily  be  taken 
for  a  tall-growing  form  of  Erica  carnea.  On  closer  examination,  how¬ 
ever,  the  flowers  are  found  to  be  produced  in  longer  spikes,  and  the 
habit  of  the  plant  is  more  free  generally.  It  is,  however,  dwarfer,  and 
appears  to  flower  earlier  than  the  typical  Erica  mediterranea.  General 
appearances  suggest  it  to  be  a  hybrid  between  E.  mediterranea  and 
E.  carnea. — W.  D. 
-  Influence  of  Wind  on  Trees.— There  can  be  no  doubt  but 
that  where  trees  are  properly  secured  wind  exercises  upon  the  stems  and 
branches  healthful  effects.  The  motion  created  by  the  wind,  and  this  is 
invariably  the  most  excessive  when  trees  are  leafless,  serves  to  harden 
the  woody  fibre  and  to  help  in  developing  cellular  tissue.  Fir  trees 
during  winter  no  doubt  do  hold  much  wind  and  are  in  hurricanes 
aaverely  tried,  but  generally  the  harm  wrought  amongst  these  by  gales 
of  wind  is  very  much  less  than  would  have  been  the  case  were  the 
ordinary  deciduous  trees  in  leaf.  Possibly  the  turpentine,  always  so 
plentiful  in  Fir  trees,  renders  the  wood  more  tough,  and  to  use  a 
common  term  lissome.  True,  Fir  branches  will  snap  sharply  under 
an  undue  weight  of  snow,  but  that  is  pressure  very  different  from  the 
lateral  pressure  of  wind.  A  very  curious  effect  of  wind  pressure  is 
sometimes  seen  in  open  places  where  south-west  winds  blow  strongly 
and  unbroken,  especially  on  fruit  trees.  In  these  cases  all  the  head 
growth  seems  to  bend  towards  the  north-east,  and  no  sun  force  seems 
capable  of  bringing  it  back  into  its  normal  condition.  itCsop  in  one  of 
his  fables  represents  the  sun  as  being  more  potent  in  removing  the 
traveller’s  cloak  than  the  fiercest  wind,  but  it  is  evidently  not  so  in  the 
case  of  trees.  On  the  other  hand,  where  fruit  trees  are  somewhat 
sheltered  from  winds,  the  sun  then  does  exert  great  attractive  power 
At  this  moment  of  writing  a  fierce  hurricane  is  blowing,  and  one’s 
thoughts  are  turned  naturally  to  the  newly  planted  trees  of  all  sorts, 
with  sympathy  forthose  whose  needful  supports  have  not  been  furnished. 
—A.  D. 
-  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution.  —  Mr. 
H.  Morgan  Veitch  has  forwarded  to  the  Secretary  of  this  Institution  a 
cheque  for  £60  2s.  2d.,  being  the  net  proceeds  from  the  performance  of 
the  comedy-opera  “  Dorothy  ”  at  St.  George’s  Hall  in  aid  of  the 
“  Victoria  Era  Fund.” 
-  London  Almond  Trees. — These  trees,  which  have  been 
freely  planted  in  suburban  gardens,  especially  perhaps  in  the  south 
and  western  parts  of  the  metropolis,  are  now  in  full  beauty.  Owing  to 
the  absence  of  east  winds  the  flowers  are  larger  than  usual,  they  are 
also  borne  in  such  profusion  that  the  trees  resemble  gigantic  silvery 
bouquets. 
-  Spring  Blooming  Shrubs.— The  great  value  of  early 
blooming  shrubs  is  now  manifest,  for  even  whilst  the  March  weather  is 
often  cold  and  stormy  yet  we  see  the  various  beautiful  and  golden 
flowered  Forsythias  coming  into  abundant  bloom,  and  even  in  cold  and 
somewhat  exposed  positions  making  shrubberies  gay.  The  scarlet  Ribes 
is  coming  rapidly  into  bloom,  and  the  deeper  coloured  Pyrus  japonica  is 
already  rich  in  colour.  Very  pretty  also  are  the  various  forms  of  Daphne 
Mezereum.  The  very  early  Azalea  japonica  has  been  flowering  for  some 
time.  This  very  early  variety  ought  to  be  planted  in  clumps,  and  wher& 
some  shelter  from  north  winds  is  furnished.  In  proper  soil  and  in 
shelter  various  of  the  earliest  blooming  hybrid  Rhododendrons  have  long 
been  blooming  abundantly,  and  the  pretty  Andromeda  and  Laurustinus 
are  pleasing.  Because  other  hardy  flowers  are  yet  so  few,  all  the  more 
should  we  encourage  early  blooming  shrubs. — D. 
-  Hessle  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement  Society. — At 
a  meeting  of  the  above  Society,  held  in  the  Parish  Schoolroom  on  Tues¬ 
day,  March  16th,  a  paper  was  read  by  Mr.  F.  Mason,  gardener  to  A.  Smith, 
Esq.,  West  Hill,  on  “  The  Narcissus.”  The  essayist  would  like  to  see 
these  beautiful  bulbs  more  generally  cultivated  in  this  country  than  is  at 
present  the  case ;  he  does  not  see  why  Dutch  produce  should  monopolise 
the  English  markets  when  they  can  be  grown  as  well,  if  not  better,  by 
Englishmen.  He  set  forth  the  many  and  various  ways  in  which  the 
Narcissus  can  be  utilised,  both  inside  for  pots  and  outside  for  borders, 
flower  beds,  on  grass,  round  trees,  ornamental  water,  rockeries,  and 
many  other  places,  in  which  the  plants  thrive  and  produce  masses  of 
bright  golden  flowers  so  acceptable  during  the  early  spring  months. 
— F.  L.  T. 
-  Top-dressing  Liliums. — Where  Liliums  have  not  been 
repotted  or  top-dressed  in  the  autumn  the  benefit  accruing  from  a 
liberal  top-dressing  at  the  present  time  will  be  apparent,  not  only  by  the 
vigorous  growths  made  during  the  coming  summer  but  also  the  improve¬ 
ment  in  the  flowers,  and  will  in  many  cases  put  weakly  bulbs  into  good 
condition  for  repotting  in  the  autumn.  Our  pots  are  just  being  lifted 
out  of  a  plunging  of  coal  ashes  in  a  cold  frame,  and  the  top-dressing 
which  was  applied  last  October  is  almost  a  mass  of  white  fleshy  roots* 
which  will  again  receive  another  supply  of  fresh  material  previous  to 
their  being  placed  in  a  cool  house.  In  top-dressing  remove  as  much  of 
the  old  soil  as  possible,  and  fill  in  with  a  compost  of  good  fibry,  loam 
two  parts,  and  one  each  of  red  sandstone  broken  up  and  horse  droppings, 
making  moderately  firm.  We  find  no  compost  to  suit  us  better. — 
Grower. 
-  The  Gardeners  “United.” — The  fancy  for  shortened  titles 
has  led  to  the  calling  of  the  United  Horticultural  Benefit  and  Provident 
Society  by  the  above  pithy  appellation.  May  the  members  always  be 
as  united  in  spirit  and  in  practice  as  they  were  when  I  had  the  pleasure 
to  preside  over  their  annual  meeting  on  the  8th  inst.  Recently  I 
attended  in  London  also  an  annual  general  meeting  of  another  well- 
known  Society,  when  the  large  room  was  full  of  foul  tobacco  smoke,  the 
members  seeming  incapable  of  transacting  a  couple  of  hours’  business 
without  smoking.  To  enjoy  themselves  in  that  way  is  one  thing ;  to 
inflict  an  abominable  nuisance  on  other  members  who  do  not  smoke, 
and  who  have  the  fullest  right  to  be  present,  is  quite  another.  Possibly 
the  Chrysanthemum  temperament  is  of  so  excitable  or  irritable  a  kind 
that  it  cannot  be  brought  calmly  to  discuss  business  matters  unless 
under  the  influence  of  an  anodyne.  What  a  striking  contrast  was  the- 
condact  of  the  members  of  the  “  United.”  They  sat  out  a  couple  of 
hoars,  many  having  previously  had  an  hour’s  attendance  in  Committee, 
without  even  thinking  of  smoking  ;  and  I  did  not  see  that  one  member 
seemed  irritable  in  consequence.  Thousands  of  business  meetings  are 
conducted  in  this  country,  and  thousands  of  gatherings  and  functions 
take  place  without  the  introduction  of  this  undoubted  infliction  upon 
those  who  do  not  indulge  in  the  habit.  Until  the  Chrysanthemum  men 
learn  better  manners  they  will  not  see  me  at  their  meetings  again. 
—A.  D. 
