32 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
July  11, 1895. 
Mtchen  garden,  with  its  glowing  and  beautifully  formed  blooms.  They 
were  those  of  Belle  de  Bordeaux,  and  the  accompanying  foliage  is  usually 
stout  and  handsome,  rather  resembling  that  of  Gloire  de  Dijon.  I 
found  that  at  least  one-half  of  the  space  which  had  at  one  time  been 
isovered  by  the  beautiful  and  luxuriant  growth  of  the  Rose  in  question 
occupied  by  Briar  suckers  which  were  actually  being  trained  through 
and  over  the  wooden  trellis  work  of  the  arches.  Nor  is  this  all.  My 
friend  had  been  from  home  for  some  weeks  ;  interest  and  curiosity  led 
me  now  and  again  to  give  a  look  round  her  garden  when  she  was  out. 
I  did  not  then  examine  the  arches  of  which  we  have  been  speaking,  but 
i  saw  several  instances  of  robust  suckers  exercising  their  vocation 
anmolested  in  the  borders,  and  robbing  the  Rose  trees  of  health  and 
strength.  Most  of  these,  however,  were  removed  by  the  gardener  before 
the  owner’s  return,  but  not  before  very  considerable  mischief  had  been 
done. — A.  M.  B. 
Etents  of  the  Week. — In  addition  to  the  numerous  Rose  shows 
iaat  will  be  held  during  the  coming  week,  and  a  list  of  which  is  given 
®n  page  30,  the  Woolwich,  Plumstead,  and  District  Horticultural 
Society  will  hold  its  annual  show  on  Friday,  July  12th. 
-  Weather  ih  London. — The  much  wanted  rain  still  appears 
Itoth  to  fall  in  metropolitan  districts,  as  we  have  again  to  record  a  week 
of  drought,  with  continued  tropical  sunshine.  On  Monday  the  heat  was 
intense,  and  at  the  time  of  going  to  press  there  seems  but  little  prospect 
of  a  change.  The  grass  in  the  Parks  presents  a  burnt-up  appearance, 
and  vegetation  in  the  neighbourhood  is  suffering  considerably. 
-  Weather  in  the  North. — Since  Tuesday,  the  2nd,  when 
another  severe  thunderstorm  raged  in  the  afternoon,  the  weather  has 
been  more  settled,  and  most  of  the  days  have  been  fine  with  occasional 
ahowexs.  The  evening  of  Monday  was  dull  and  cold,  and  Tuesday 
morning  promised  more  rain. — B.  D.,  8.  Perthshire. 
-  University  Honours  at  Oxford.— Mr.  J.  F.  Hudson  of 
Jesus  College,  son  of  Mr.  James  Hudson  of  Gunnersbury  House,  Acton, 
has  successfully  passed  the  second  public  examination  in  mathematics 
((^Honours  School)  at  Oxford,  taking  first-class  honours.  In  1893  he 
took  a  similar  position  in  the  first  public  examination.  He  proceeded 
io  take  his  B.A.  degree  on  Saturday  last. 
-  Woking  Show.— The  schedule  of  the  Woking  Gardeners’ 
Association’s  second  annual  show  is  just  to  hand,  and  the  Committee  is 
to  be  congratulated  on  the  distinct  advance  that  has  been  made.  There 
are  upwards  of  ninety  classes,  including  those  open  to  all,  others  for 
amateurs,  and  others,  again,  for  cottagers,  in  every  case  good  prizes  or 
certificates  being  given.  The  exhibition  will  be  held  on  July  31st  and 
August  Ist  on  the  Horsell  and  Woking  Cricket  Club  ground,  and  it  is 
hoped  that  the  best  of  weather  will  prevail.  The  Hon.  Secretary  is 
Mr.  H.  W.  Robertson,  Somerset  Villa,  Woking,  from  whom  all  necessary 
particulars  may  be  had. 
-  Botanical  Magazine. — In  the  number  for  July  of  this 
publication  the  following  subjects  are  included:  —  Senecio  Hualtata 
i^Compositae). — This  plant,  which  grows  along  the  Andes,  reaches  to  a 
height  of  5  feet.  The  leaves  attain  to  a  length  of  18  inches  by  6  inches 
in  breadth.  The  flower  heads  are  in  crowded  clusters,  being  each  about 
an  inch  broad.  The  flowers  of  the  ray  are  of  a  lighter  yellow  than 
those  of  the  disk,  Pyrus  cratmgifolia  (Rosacem)  is  a  native  of  certain 
woods  of  north-east  Italy.  It  is  nearly  allied  to  Pyrus  torminalis,  which 
it  much  resembles.  Aristolochia  ungulifolia.— Borneo  is  the  habitat  of 
this  plant.  It  is  very  peculiar  in  the  respect  of  having  two  curious 
swellings  or  bosses  upon  the  bladder.  The  tube  is  long  with  a 
recurving  mouth,  and  the  limb  long,  purple,  and  with  revolute 
margins.  Neuwiedia  Griffithi  (Orchides)  is  a  native  of  the  peninsula 
c8  Malacca,  and  differs  from  N.  Lindleyi  in  being  much  smaller  and 
having  a  shorter  spike,  broader  bracts,  and  very  small  white  flowers. 
R-ubus  lasiostylus  (Rosacese). — This  plant  comes  from  China.  The 
upper  surface  of  the  leaves  are  strongly  marked  with  brown,  as  are 
also  the  ribs  on  the  under  side.  The  pedicels  are  red,  being  the  same 
colour  as  the  calyx,  the  sepals  of  which  are  long  and  recurved.  The 
petals  are  blood  red,  and  the  achenes  dry  and  woolly. 
-  Wolverhampton  Show.  —  The  largest  show  yet  held  at 
Wolverhampton  opened  on  Tuesday,  continuing  for  three  days.  There 
was  good  competition  throughout.  Mr.  J.  Cypher  secured  the  chief 
prizes  for  plants  and  a  group.  Mr.  B.  R.  Cant  was  first  with  seventy- 
two  Roses.  Mr.  Gleeson  won  the  chief  prize  for  fruit,  and  Mr.  C.  J.  Waite 
for  vegetables. 
-  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution. — Friends 
of  this  excellent  charity  will  be  pleased  to  hear  that  its  President,  the 
Duke  of  Westminster,  has  increased  his  annual  subscription  to  the 
Gardeners’  Benevolent  Institution  to  £15  ISs.,  and  also  that  the 
Worshipful  Company  of  Skinners  has  given  a  donation  of  £10  lOs. 
in  aid  of  the  funds  of  the  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution. 
-  Papaver  fugax. — This  is  a  good  Poppy  which  is  not  often 
grown  in  gardens.  The  plant  is  distinguished  by  soft  glaucous  green 
foliage,  a  tuft  of  radical  leaves,  spreading  a  foot  in  diameter,  from 
which  springs  the  flower  stalk  2  feet  or  more  high.  The  flowers  are  a 
pale  orange-red,  very  numerous,  but  lasting  only  a  day,  whence  the 
name  Fugax.  They  are  of  no  use  for  cutting,  but  the  combination 
of  flower  and  foliage  in  the  herbaceous  border  is  most  effective. 
The  plant  is  perfectly  hardy  and  is  a  biennial ;  when  once  introduced 
into  a  garden  it  is  likely  to  persist  from  self-sown  seeds. 
- Gardening  Appointments. — Mr.  Wm.  Sayer,  who  for  the 
last  four  and  a  half  years  has  been  general  foreman  under  Mr.  Wm. 
Bardney,  Osmaston  Manor  Gardens,  Derby,  has  been  appointed  head 
gardener  to  A.  Barclay  Walker,  Esq.,  Rockingham,  Boyle,  Roscommon, 
Ireland,  aud  will  shortly  enter  on  his  duties.  Mr.  Edward  John 
Edwards,  who  has  been  head  gardener  and  Orchid  grower  for  nine  and 
a  half  years  to  Henry  Tate,  jun.,  Esq.,  Allerton  Beeches,  near  Liver¬ 
pool,  has  been  engaged  in  the  same  capacity  by  Edwin  Stanley  Clark, 
Esq.,  Oak  Alyn,  Cefn-y-Bedd,  near  Wrexham,  Denbighshire.  Mr. 
J.  Thorne,  for  the  past  eleven  years  head  gardener  to  A.  E.  Flood,  Esq., 
The  Bush,  Walton-on-Thames,  has  been  appointed  head  gardener  to 
R.  Garton,  Esq.,  Warplesdon  Place,  Guildford, 
-  Frost  in  Yorkshire- A  Puzzle. — In  your  report  of  the 
Wakefield  Paxton  Society’s  meeting  of  June  22nd  we  read  that  (on 
page  8)  Mr.  Thos.  Pitta  of  Walton  asserted  “  that  one  night  during  the 
week  15th  to  22nd  of  June  his  thermometer  at  4  inches  from  the  ground 
went  down  to  8°,  thus  marking  24°  of  frost.”  For  the  middle  of  June 
this  statement  is  difficult  to  accept,  but  if  correct  affords  interesting 
datum  for  a  study  in  acclimatisation.  Will  Mr.  Pitts  kindly  inform  us 
after  such  an  experience  what  there  is  left  alive  in  his  garden,  if  any¬ 
thing  ;  what  has  been  the  effect  on  the  young  growths  of  trees  and 
shrubs,  bedding  plants  and  vegetables  ? — York.  [We  have  read  in  a 
local  paper  that  the  Chairman  of  the  meeting  “  thought  that  there  must 
have  been  something  wrong  with  the  thermometer.”  Mr.  Pitts  did  not 
assent  to  this.  There  has  been  something  “  wrong  ”  somewhere.  Pos¬ 
sibly  8°  of  frost  were  registered.  Perhaps  Mr.  Pitts  will  deal  with 
“  York’s”  puzzle.l 
-  Potatoes, — As  we  are  now  getting  some  good  rains,  and  the 
back  of  the  long  drought  is  broken,  there  is  good  reason  to  hope 
that  all  late  Potatoes  will  be  largely  benefited.  That  early  ones  have  too 
far  ripened  to  be  beneficially  affected  seems  probable,  but  that  is  of  no 
great  moment.  The  chief  danger  to  the  tubers  lies  just  now  less  from 
attacks  of  the  disease  than  from  supertuberating,  as  much  rain  not  yet 
penetrating  deep  seems  likely  to  influence  the  tubers  more  than  the  roots. 
Should  we  get  abundant  rains,  a  matter  far  from  unlikely  now  that  the 
weather  has  so  far  broken  up,  then  the  roots  will  receive  a  fillip,  and 
tubers  may  be  less  affected.  If,  however,  the  rains  become  too  plentiful 
and  soil  is  saturated,  then  there  is  reason  to  fear  a  bad  attack  of  disease, 
which  would  result  in  the  doing  of  exceeding  mischief.  To  counteract 
that  harm  nothing  is  available  but  applications  of  the  Bordeaux  mixture, 
and  the  sooner  the  first  application  is  made  the  better.  Where  ground 
has  been  deeply  worked,  however,  the  main  Potato  breadths  have  suffered 
very  little  in  drought  ;  they  have  indeed  kept  up  their  growth  wonder¬ 
fully  well.  We  must  not  forget  that  the  Potato  is  a  native  of  a  hot 
dryish  climate,  and  all  our  efforts  after  some  300  years  of  cultivation 
to  render  it  hardier  or  less  susceptible  to  excessive  moisture  have  failed. 
Thus  if  the  tuber  produce  be  relatively  less  in  dry  seasons,  it  is  often 
both  sounder  and  more  starchy  or  matured,  hence  making  the  more 
desirable  food.  Warm  soil  and  ample  sunlight  are  most  important 
elements  in  Potato  culture,  and  these,  so  far,  have  been  freely  given. 
What  the  ultimate  outcome  of  the  crop  will  be  is  now  entirely  dependent 
on  the  nature  of  the  weather  of  the  next  month. — D. 
