August  1, 1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  horticulture  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
105 
Events  of  the  Week. — Horticultural  showa  are  somewhat  nume¬ 
rous  during  the  coming  week,  and  include  Southampton  on  Saturday 
and  Monday  ;  Carshalton  on  Monday  ;  Northampton  on  Monday  and 
Tuesday  ;  the  Eojal  Horticultural  Society  at  the  Drill  Hall  on 
Tuesday  ;  and  Taunton  on  Thursday. 
-  Weather  in  London. — Though  the  weather  has  been  very 
unsettled  during  the  past  week  not  very  much  rain  has  fallen.  Sunday, 
however,  was  wet  the  whole  of  the  day,  but  since  then  very  little  if  any 
rain  has  fallen. 
-  The  Worshipful  Company  of  Fruiterers  has  given  a  donation 
of  £10  10s.  to  the  funds  of  the  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution. 
We  learn  with  pleasure  that  H.R.H.  Princess  Louise  (Duchess  of  Fife) 
and  the  Duke  of  Fife  have  graciously  signified  their  interest  in  the 
work  of  the  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution  by  adding  their 
names  to  its  list  of  Vice-Presidents. 
-  A  Fine  Currant. — I  found  on  comparing  samples  of  the  fine 
■Red  Currants  I  saw  at  Clandon  Park,  Surrey,  with  others  shown  at  the 
Drill  Hall  the  other  day,  that  it  rejoices  in  too  many  names,  as  it  is 
identical  with  both  the  French  La  Fertile  and  La  Versaillaise,  and  also 
the  English  Red  Cherry.  When  grown  as  bushes,  because  so  heavy  a 
cropper,  the  bushes  should  be  kept  hard  stumped  or  pruned  to  prevent 
breaking  down  with  the  weight  of  fruits.  At  Clandon  Park  the  bushes 
are  almost  close  to  the  ground. — A. 
-  Death  of  Professor  Babington. — With  the  demise  of 
Charles  Cardale  Babington,  which  occurred  on  July  22nd  at  the  age 
of  eighty-seven,  England  loses  one  of  her  oldest  botanists.  Educated 
at  St.  John’s,  Cambridge,  a  great  portion  of  his  life  was  spent  there,  as 
he  retained  the  botanical  chair  from  1861  to  his  death,  His  work, 
entitled  “  The  Manual  of  British  Botany,”  was  an  excellent  one,  and 
that  it  was  very  widely  appreciated  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  at  least 
eight  editions  were  published  and  disposed  of,  and  despite  a  certain 
amount  of  adverse  criticism  that  the  book  created,  it  was  unquestion¬ 
ably  a  splendid  work,  as  many  persons  of  this  generation  can  testify. 
His  knowledge  of  British  plants  was  most  profound,  and  he  was  also  an 
acknowledged  authority  on  the  flora  of  Iceland,  to  which  island  he 
had  paid  extended  visits  for  botanical  study.  In  the  death  of  this 
gentleman  the  world  of  science  has  lost  an  able  man  whose  personality 
and  work  will  not  soon  fade  from  our  minds, 
-  Fruit  from  Sawbridge'worth.  —  Mr.  T.  F.  Rivers  sends 
us  small  samples — or  rather  large  samples  in  small  numbers — of  choice 
fruits.  First  we  have  a  couple  of  Early  Rivers  Nectarines  weighing 
’G  ozs.  each,  and  of  superb  quality.  These  are  to  show  how  much  it 
differs  from  the  Precoce  de  Croncels,  which  M.  Baltet  wished  to  ex¬ 
change  with  Mr.  Rivers  for  his  fine  early  variety,  but  did  not  succeed. 
Next  we  find  Late  Golden  Transparent  Plums,  weighing  2J  ozs.  each, 
roundish  oblate,  very  distinct,  and  handsome,  also  of  excellent  quality. 
Lastly,  we  have  to  note  Early  Rivers  Cherries,  which  have  been 
hanging  ripe  on  the  tree  under  glass  for  over  a  month — large,  jet  black, 
firm,  and  delicious.  Happy  ought  those  persons  to  be  who  have  an 
adequate  supply  of  the  three  kinds  of  fruits  similar  in  size  and  quality 
to  the  samples  referred  to,  for  they  were  quite  first-class  in  every  way. 
- National  Association  of  Cider  Makers. — We  are  pleased 
to  find  that  this  Association  is  taking  energetic  measures  to  insure  more 
attention  being  given  to  the  cider  competitions  at  agricultural  shows. 
The  arrangements  at  present  in  vogue  leave  much  to  be  desired,  and 
consequently  do  not  attract  the  more  important  makers  to  compete  ; 
nor  can  visitors  be  expected  to  evince  much  enthusiasm  in  the  cider 
shed,  where  only  a  diitant  view  of  the  exterior  of  the  casks  and  bottles 
is  vouchsafed.  The  cider  itself  is  tasted  only  by  the  judges.  A  sub¬ 
committee  has  been  deputed  to  investigate  the  subject  and  draw  up 
regulations,  to  be  submitted  to  the  agricultural  societies  giving  awards 
for  cider.  The  adoption  of  these  suggestions  will,  it  is  hoped,  induce 
more  entries  and  cause  the  judging  to  be  carried  out  under  fixed  rules, 
and  further  allow  of  cider  makers  tasting  the  exhibits  for  future 
guidance, 
-  Royal  Botanic  Society  of  Manchester.  —  It  will  be 
seen  by  our  advertising  columns  that  the  great  Lily  show  (the  first 
special  exhibition  of  the  kind  ever  held  in  the  country)  will  open  on  the 
22Dd  inst.  instead  of  the  5th.  A  show  of  Grapes  will  also  be  held  at  the 
same  time.  Facilities  are  offered  to  gardeners  who  may  feel  disposed  to 
visit  the  exhibition. 
-  Calochorti. — I  have  this  year,  for  the  first  time,  grown  some 
mixed  varieties  of  the  Calochorti,  with  which  my  employers  have  been 
well  pleased.  I  planted  them  in  the  open  ground  last  autumn  where 
they  had  the  protection  of  a  north  wall,  but  were  exposed  to  the  east. 
As  a  protection  I  put  an  additional  6  inches  of  leaf  mould  and  sand 
over  them,  and  I  levelled  it  down  in  the  spring.  I  think  “E.  M.” 
(page  81)  must  have  grown  the  Cyclobothra  section,  and  I  would  advise 
him  to  grow  next  year  the  Calochortus  as  well,  which  have  erect,  open 
flowers,  and  according  to  my  one  year’s  experience  will,  if  grown  with 
the  former,  keep  up  a  succession  of  their  interesting  flowers  for  several 
months. — Somerset  . 
-  Lavatera  trimestris  and  alba. — It  is  surprising  how 
seldom  we  see  the  above  flowers  grown  when  we  consider  how  effective 
they  are  for  house  decoration.  To  those  who  have  large  vases  to  keep 
filled  with  cut  flowers  I  would  strongly  recommend  the  above  to  be 
grown,  as  they  will  keep  quite  fresh  for  ten  days  or  a  fortnight  after 
being  cut,  as  the  flower  buds  keep  opening  in  water.  Growing  between 
2  and  3  feet  high,  Lavateras  are  most  showy  growing  round  the  shrub¬ 
bery  borders.  Being  hardy  annuals,  the  seeds  should  be  sown  in  the 
open  ground  at  the  beginning  of  April,  and  again  at  the  end  of  May  for 
succession.  I  have  been  cutting  large  numbers  of  bloom  for  quite 
three  weeks,  and  just  now  they  look  grand  from  the  first  sowing. 
— G.  H. 
-  El^agnus  argentea. — A  well-grown  specimen  of  this  shrub, 
when  it  reaches  a  height  of  from  8  to  10  feet  and  as  great  a  breadth,  is 
certainly  one  of  the  very  best  of  the  woody  plants  with  light-coloured 
foliage.  Some  of  the  Asiatic  species,  like  Elreagnus  longipes,  which  is 
useful  for  its  fruit,  and  the  smaller  E .  umbellata,  have  been  in  recent  years 
quite  generally  grown,  but  the  native  plant  has,  says  a  transatlantic 
journal,  been  comparatively  neglected.  The  flowers  are  white  without 
and  yellow  within,  and  are  not  strikingly  beautiful,  but  they  are  delight¬ 
fully  fragrant,  and  its  abundant  fruit  is  considered  edible  by  persons 
who  have  not  a  fastidious  taste,  but  the  silvery  foliage  of  its  wavy 
leaves  and  the  fragrance  of  its  abundant  flowers  make  it  an  attractive 
garden  plant  to  those  who  do  not  care  for  its  mealy  fruit. 
-  Flowers  at  Stephen’s  Green. — Passing  through  Stephen’s 
Green  to-day  (July  29ch)  I  collided  with  the  courteous  Superintendent, 
Mr.  Kearney,  in  the  vicinity  of  his  wondrous  border  of  hardy  flowers. 
Off  at  a  tangent  we  went — I,  on  the  beauty,  interest,  and  enjoyment 
provided  for  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  City  folk  who  here  delight  to 
congregate  ;  he,  on  the  trials  and  troubles  of  an  enthusiast,  arising  from 
soil,  situation,  and  the  watchfulness  required  to  keep  the  public  fingers 
from  picking  and  st . g.  Wonderfully  fresh  looked  this  city  garden 
after  the  recent  rains.  Carnations  named  and  unnamed  were  in  great 
beauty,  whilst  a  selection  of  the  fittest  was  being  made  for  layering. 
On  a  bank  of  Rosa  rugosa  is  a  plant  of  R.  callicarpa,  which  Mr.  Kearney 
thinks  highly  of,  and  a  thousand  and  one  things  in  the  long  border 
which  would  take  half  a  day  to  do  justice  to. — K.,  Duhlin. 
-  Botley  Show. — The  sixteenth  annual  show  of  the  Botley 
Horticultural  Society  was  held  in  the  beautiful  grounds  of  Sir 
H.  Jenkeys,  K.C.B.,  on  Thursday,  and  proved  to  be  a  marked  advance 
on  any  previous  exhibition.  The  groups  of  foliage  and  flowering 
plants  arranged  by  Mr.  Davey,  gardener  to  Sir  H.  Jenkeys,  K.C.B.,  who 
won  easily  the  coveted  prize;  Mr.  Gurman,  gardener  to  R.  A.  Burrell, 
Esq ,  a  close  second,  were  arranged  with  much  taste  and  skill.  Table 
decorations,  open  only  to  ladies,  are  very  popular  at  this  show,  and  the 
most  exquisite  taste  is  displayed  in  the  arrangements  of  the  flowers. 
Miss  Pern  was  the  successful  competitor.  The  arrangement  was  light 
and  extremely  graceful,  and  thoroughly  deserved  the  high  position 
accorded  to  it.  The  second  and  third  were  Miss  A.  Dufrie  and  Mias 
Rowley  as  named.  The  cottagers’  classes  were  well  represented,  most 
noticeable  winter  and  spring  Onions,  Potatoes,  red  and  white  ;  Peas,  and 
Cabbage.  Prizes  were  also  given  for  cottagers’  gardens.  Messrs. 
Ellcombe  &  Son,  florists,  Romsey,  exhibited  a  fine  group  of  Begonias  and 
new  Zonal  Pelargoniums,  which  this  firm  is  noted.  E.  H.  Liddell,  Esq., 
Hon.  Secretary;  W.  M.  Brock,  Treasurer,  and  Committee  worked  well 
to  make  the  exhibition  a  success,  and  they  were  justly  rewarded  for 
their  labours. 
