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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
June  3,  1847. 
Weather  in  London.  —  Since  sending  our  last  impression  to 
the  machines,  a  considerable  amount  of  refreshing  and  invigorating 
rain,  has  fallen.  Throughout  the  Temple  Show,  as  well  as  on  Saturday, 
showers  were  heavy  and  frequent.  On  Sunday  evening,  and  at  four 
o’clock  on  Tuesday  morning,  there  were  thunderstorms  accompanied  by 
drenching  rains.  Wednesday  opened  dull  but  fine. 
-  Weather'inJthe  North.— Throughout  the  last. week  of  May 
rain  fell  plentifully  in  gentle  showers,  and  a  genial  atmosphere  has 
generally  prevailed ,  although  there  has  occasionally  been  a  recurrence 
of  the  cold  easterly  winds.  In  every  department  vegetation  has  made 
a  great  advance. — B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
-  Awards  at  the  Temple  Show. — In  the  official  list  of  awards 
at  the  Temple  Show  the  names  of  Messrs.  Sutton  &  Sons,  Beading  ; 
J.  Carter  &  Co.,  High  Holborn’;  and  C.  Beckett,  gardener  to  Sir  W.  G. 
Pearce,  Hungerford,  were  omitted.  Each  of  these  received  silver  caps 
for  their  contributions  to  the  display. 
-  Early  Peas. — A  correspondent  writes  :  —  “  You  may  be 
interested  to  note  that  Eclipse  Peas  were  picked  at  Evesham  on 
May  31st.  From  the  same  bank  Eclipse  was  first  picked  on  May  31st 
in  1895,  and  May  21st,  1896.  The  Peas  were  sown  in  December,  with 
Kadishes,  and  had  the  advantage  of  being  coveredswith  straw  till  the 
Kadishes  were  up.  No  other  special  culture  was  given.” 
- -  New|Potatoes  IN  Isle  OF  Wight. — Mr.  James  Mackett  of 
Bembridge  sent  me  a  few  days  ago  some  new  Potatoes  (SuttonYRing- 
leader)  which  bad  been  grown  in  the  open  air  without  any  protection 
whatever.  The  sets,  nicely  speared,  were  planted  on  a  S.E.  border,  well 
sheltered  by  a  high  hedge,  on  the  21st  February,  and  the  first  Potatoes 
dug  May  10th,  the  heaviest  tuber  weighing  4  ozs. — S.  Heaton. 
-  Gardening  for  All. — Mr.  James  Udale,  Chief  Instructor  in 
Horticulture  under  the  Worcestershire  County  Council,  has  sent  us  a 
copy  of  the  second  edition  of  his  Handbook  on  Gardening.  It  is,  as  its 
title  implies,  comprehensive,  and  the  many  subjects  are  of  necessity  con¬ 
cisely  treated,  the  greatest  amount  of  space  being  wisely  given  to  the 
more  important.  These  are  dealt  with  in  a  manner  that  cannot  fail  to 
be  helpful  to  those  who  desire  scientific  and  practical  information 
bearing  on  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  and  the  production  of  serviceable 
crops,  while  popular  window  and  garden  plants  are  not  overlooked. 
Lord  Cobham,  who  has  evidently  a  strong  desire  to  see  allotment  holders 
improve  their  position  in  life  by  intelligent  industry,  writes  aD  excellent 
commendatory  introduction,  and  truly  remarks,  “  Horticulture  is  a 
delight  to  most  right-minded  persons,  including  those  who  are  untrained 
and  unscientific  ;  but  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  the  more  knowledge 
there  is  of  the  mysteries  and  phenomena  of  life  and  growth,  the  more 
grasp  of  the  principles  upon  which  all  progress  and  skilled  experiment 
must  be  founded,  the  truer  and  higher  will  be  the  pleasure.”  The  Rev. 
F.  E.  Lawson  contributes  an  equally  excellent  preface,  one  paragraph  of 
which  may  be  cited,  and  appropriately  headed  as  follows  : — 
-  The  Delights  of  Gardening. — “  It  is,  on  every  ground,  a 
matter  of  deep  satisfaction  that  there  is  a  general  increase  in  gardening 
knowledge  and  gardening  skill.  There  is  in  horticulture  a  charm  which 
enlarges  as  its  students  advance  in  the  understanding  and  the  practice 
of  it.  It  brings  delight  to  the  beginner,  and  a  yet  deeper  satisfaction  to 
the  veteran.  There  is  delight  in  the  first  crop  from  our  own  sowing,  in 
the  first  fruit  from  trees  of  our  own  grafting,  in  the  maiden  blooms  of 
the  Rose  which,  with  anxiety,  labour,  and  some  loss  of  blood,  one  first 
budded.  But  better  still,  the  delight  of  later  years,  when  the  man,  a 
learner  still,  is  also  a  teacher,  when  the  lessons  of  mistakes  have  been 
acquired,  and  when  some  parts  of  God’s  varied  laws  of  growth  are  better 
understood.”  Heie  is  a  lesson  to  all;  and  they  are  many,  who  are, 
unfortunately  for  themselves,  “  wise  in  their  own  conceit,”  and  we  give 
the  Rector’s  significant  words  as  wide  a  circulation  as  we  can.  Worcester¬ 
shire  is  fortunate  in  having  such  patrons  of  gardening  on  its  County 
Council  as  Lord  Cobham  and  Mr.  Lawson,  also  such  a  competent  teacher 
of  the  ancient,  useful,  and  delightful  art  as  Mr.  James  Udale. 
-  London  Sparrows  and  Band  Music. — Undismayed  by  the 
daily  Monday  to  Friday  performance  of  the  Press  Band  in  the  Embank¬ 
ment  Gardens,  a  pair  of  sparrows  have  built  a  nest  in  the  ornamental 
ironwork  of  the  band  stand,  immediately  over  the  conductor’s  head, 
and  within  a  few  feet  of  his  baton.  Here  a  young  family  is  being: 
reared,  with  apparently  healthy  appetites  ;  for  the  old  birds,  taking  no 
,  notice  of  the  performers,  even  in  the  loudest  passages,  nor  of  the  big 
crowd  of  listeners  surrounding  them,  come  every  few  minutes  to  their 
untidy  nest  and  feed  the  youngsters. 
-  Strawberries  for  the  Jubilee. — At  the  Floral  Hall, 
Covent  Garden  Market,  there  is  evidently  no  belief  in  the  suggestion 
that  there  will  be  a  scarcity  of  Strawberries  for  the  coming  Diamond 
Jubilee.  Mr.  J.  B.  Thomas  writes  from  that  address  :  “  The  first  outdoor 
English  fruit  was  gathered  on  May  24th,  and  sold  in  Co  vent  Garden  on 
the  following  day,  and  the  reports  from  the  growers  indicate  that 
the  prospects  are  one  of  abundance  such  as  seldom  or  never  before 
has  been  experienced  on  the  banks  of  the  Tamar,  and  not  one  has 
been  affected  by  the  frosts.  In  South  Hants  in  few  exceptional  places 
we  hear  of  the  sad  effects  of  the  cold  nights,  but  the  fact  remains 
that  empties  ordered  are  double  the  quantity  of  last  year’s  require¬ 
ments,  and  which  have  been  considerably  increased  since.  In  fact, 
before  the  frosts  the  quantity  of  bloom  showing  up  for  fruit  would 
have  necessitated  the  importation  of  labour  from  the  adjoining  towns 
to  such  an  extent  that  can  only  be  appreciated  by  these  who  know 
the  demand  for  same  during  the  Kent  Hop-picking  season.  After  the 
second  week  in  June  contracts  for  Strawberries  can  be  made  from 
20  to  30  tons  a  day.” 
-  Rhododendron  kewense. — In  the  Rhododendron  dell  at 
Kew  several  large  plants  of  this  beautiful  Rhododendron  are  in  full 
flower.  At  the  present  time  rare,  and  found  only  in  choice  collections, 
its  beauty  and  distinctiveness  will  make  it  one  of  the  most  eagerly  sought 
after  of  all  Rhododendrons  in  the  near  future.  It  is  a  hybrid  between 
R.  Griffithianum  and  R.  Hookeri.  In  general  appearance  it  resembles 
R,  Griffithianum  much  more  strongly  than  its  other  parent,  though  quite 
distinct  from  either.  The  leaves  are  from  8  to  10  inches  in  length,  by 
2J  to  3  inches  in  width,  deep  green  in  colour,  and  produced  in  sufficient 
quantity  to  hide  all  the  branches.  The  flowers  are  usually  produced 
ten  or  twelve,  sometimes  more,  together  in  a  loose  head.  The  flowers  are 
large,  measuring  3  to  4  inches  across  when  fully  expanded.  The  tube  is 
to  2  inches  in  length,  quaiter  of  an  inch  wide  at  the  base,  and  widens 
rapidly  to  If  inch  just  below  the  free  portions  of  the  corolla.  In  some 
instances  the  flowers  are  found  almost  pure  white,  in  others  they  are 
suffused  with  rose,  in  all  cases  they  are  strongly  scented.  The  plantB  at 
Kew  are  growing  on  a  bank  in  a  somewhat  shaded  position  at  the  south 
end  of  the  dell  before  mentioned.  When  planting  this  variety  care 
should  be  taken  not  to  give  it  such  a  position  that  the  sun  will  catch  it 
first  thing  in  the  morning,  as  when  the  growths  are  young  they  are  more 
tender  than  those  of  the  R.  catawbiense  or  R.  ponticum  hybrids,  and 
the  early  sun  after  a  night’s  frost  often  injures  them.  Stocks  of 
R.  ponticum  or,  better  still,  R.  catawbiense,  may  be  used  to  work  this 
on. — W.  D. 
-  Horticulture. — Probably  the  clearest  definition  of  the  word 
“  horticulture  ”  we  have  met  with,  says  a  contemporary,  is  contained  in 
the  following  extract  : — “  Horticulture  is  more  than  a  mere  trade  ;  it  is 
more  than  a  productive  industry.  Its  succe  sful  practice  is  based  upom 
great  laws  which  have  been  deduced  from  the  natural  and  physical 
sciences.  Many  of  these  laws  may  be  arrested,  modified,  or  set  in 
motion  at  will.  The  horticulturist,  as  he  learns  that  the  control  of  these 
laws  is  largely  in  his  own  hands,  becomes  an  enthusiastic  student  and 
investigator,  and  can  scarcely  fail  to  develop  a  love  for  rural  life — a 
love  that  is  deep  and  abiding.  Horticulture  may  justly  rank  as  a  science 
as  well  as  an  art.  Not  to  speak  of  the  science  of  the  propagation  of 
plants  or  the  science  of  tillage,  the  great  fundamental  principles  of 
evolution  are  exemplified  in  horticulture  as  nowhere  else.  Over  6000 
species  of  plants  are  cultivated  by  the  horticulturist,  and  these  have 
produced  almost  an  infinite  number  of  distinct  forms.  In  these  forms, 
with  their  wonderful  and  intricate  variations,  we  can  study  the  laws  of 
genesis,  and  master  minds  are  rapidly  reducing  the  wealth  of  facts  found 
in  greenhouse,  garden,  and  orchard  to  the  semblance  of  an  orderly  f 
systematic,  and  progressive  science.  The  influence  of  natural  and 
artificial  selection,  the  effect  of  soil,  climate,  and  moisture  upon  develop¬ 
ment,  the  transmission  of  acquired  characters,  the  formation  of  new 
species,  are  revealed  in  horticulture  as  in  an  open  book.  Here  facts 
take  the  place  of  conjecture,  and  demonstration  is  substituted  for 
theory.” 
