■November  21, 1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
479 
Events  op  the  Week. — Now  that  the  Chrysanthemum  shows  are 
practically  over  for  this  season  horticulturists  will  experience  a  welcome 
lull,  the  only  meeting  of  interest  in  the  neighbourhood  of  London  being 
that  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society. 
- Weather  in  London. — At  last  we  have  more  seasonable,  and, 
it  is  hoped,  more  healthful  weather.  The  latter  half  of  last  week  was 
wet  and  boisterous,  but  on  Monday  morning  there  was  a  fairly  sharp 
frost  accompanied  by  fog  which  did  not  clear  until  midday.  Tuesday, 
however,  opened  bright,  clear,  and  frosty,  these  conditions  prevailing  up 
to  the  time  of  going  to  press  on  Wednesday. 
-  Weather  in  the  North. — Dull  showery  weather  with  occa¬ 
sional  high  winds  has  prevailed  for  the  week  ending  the  19th  inst ,  with 
the  exception  of  Monday,  which  was  fair  till  the  evening,  when  rain 
fell.  On  the  morning  of  Monday  there  was  a  slight  tendency  to  frost, 
and  on  Tuesday  morning  2°  were  registered. — B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire, 
-  Royal  Horticultural  Society. — The  next  fruit  and  floral 
meeting  will  be  held  on  Tuesday,  November  26th,  in  the  Drill  Hall, 
James  Street,  Westminster,  and  at  3  p.m.  a  lecture  will  be  given  by 
Mr.  James  Mason  on  “Asparagus  Culture.”  The  Committees  will  meet 
as  usual  at  twelve  o’clock. 
-  WiTLEY  Court. — It  was  currently  reported  at  the  Hull  Show, 
on  what  was  alleged  to  be  good  authority,  that  Mr.  J.  Austen  is  retiring 
from  the  charge  of  the  gardens  and  beautiful  pleasure  grounds  at  Witley 
Court  and  going  into  business;  also  that  Mr.  A.  Young  will  shortly 
leave  Abberley  as  Mr.  Austen’s  successor.  Only  a  flrst-class  gardener 
would  be  competent  to  follow  Mr.  Austen,  and  undoubtedly  Mr.  Young 
ranks  amongst  the  best  cultivators  and  worthiest  men  in  the  gardening 
community. 
- Cooper's  Black  and  Gros  Colman  Grapes. — I  desire 
respectfully  to  acknowledge  Mr.  Kirk’s  note  in  the  Journal  of  Horticul¬ 
ture  (page  4:32).  I  am  sorry  that  home  duties  preclude  my  calling  at 
Norwood  to  see  the  Grapes  Cooper’s  Black  and  Gros  Maroc  growing 
side  by  side  with  bunches  still  on  them.  I  may  inform  Mr.  Kirk  that  I 
had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  Grapes  he  condemned  growing  on  the 
Vines  side  by  side  a  short  time  previous  to  their  appearance  on  the 
exhibition  table,  and  the  distinction  between  the  two  varieties  was  quite 
visible. — Rusticus.  [We  have  more  matter  on  this  subject.] 
-  The  Duke  of  Bedford  was  last  week  unanimously  elected 
to  the  chairmanship  of  the  Bedfordshire  County  Council,  an  appoint¬ 
ment  which  was  received  with  greatest  satisfaction  throughout  the 
district.  In  addition  to  the  Woburn  experimental  fruit  farm,  estab¬ 
lished  by  His  Grace  last  year,  a  farm  of  200  acres  at  Ridgmont  has  been 
presented  to  the  County  Council  and  a  building  erected  to  serve  as  a 
farm  school,  the  expense  of  the  erection  being  defrayed  by  the  duke, 
but  it  will  subsequently  be  entirely  under  the  direction  of  the  Council. 
The  Royal  Agricultural  Society’s  experimental  farm  ckse  by,  presented 
by  a  former  duke,  in  addition  to  the  above,  renders  the  neighbourhood 
of  Ridgmont  highly  interesting  to  those  concerned  in  experimental  or 
technical  work. 
-  The  Royal  Botanic  Society. — The  announcement  of  the 
apparently  enforced  retirement  of  Mr.  Coomber  from  the  service  of  this 
Society  comes  with  exceeding  suddenness  and  surprise  to  that  gentleman’s 
friends.  The  assumption  is  that  this  retirement  is  being  brought  about 
from  motives  of  economy.  That  assumption  is  borne  out  by  a  recent 
report  of  the  Society’s  proceedings,  in  which  mention  was  made  of  a 
proposed  application  to  Government  for  an  annual  grant  of  money  on 
the  ground  of  the  service  the  Society  had  rendered  to  science.  What 
then  about  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  and  its  great  and  practical 
service  to  the  nation,  at  half  the  annual  outlay  of  the  Botanic,  which 
is  said  to  be  £6000  a  year  ?  Public  grants  involve  free  public  access  as 
at  Kew  and  the  parks  of  London.  The  Royal  Botanic  Society  is  a  close 
corporation,  with  pleasure  grounds  for  the  enjoyment  of  its  affluent 
subscribers.  So  far  as  horticulture  is  concerned  there  has  been  no 
evidence  forthcoming  that  a  Government  could  do  better  what 
horticulturists  can  do  so  admirably  for  themselves,  and  with  an 
absolutely  free  hand. — D 
-  The  Chrysanthemum  Season. — Brilliant-  but  brief  is  the 
show  season  of  Chrysanthemums,  and  as  evidence  of  public  interest  in 
the  contests  we  received  no  less  than  twenty  manuscript  reports  in  one 
day,  in  addition  to  more  newspapers  than  could  be  opened.  We  are 
obliged  to  all  who  have  given  their  willing  co-operation  during  a  busy 
time,  and  the  more  so,  as  recognising  the  pressure,  so  few  have  com¬ 
plained  of  the  compulsory  abridgment  of  their  reports,  and  none  of  the 
postponement  for  a  week  or  two  of  other  communications,  which  will 
shortly  appear. 
-  Those  Printers  I — A  trade  list  of  plants  las  been  sent  to 
us  which  is  unique  in  its  way.  The  following  plants  are  specially 
offered  and  displayed  in  large  type.  “  Cinerias,”  “  Hydrania,” 
“  Dracaenias,”  Lom.aria  “  glibbas,”  Pteris  “  agreas,”  “  Arim  ”  Lily,  Lily 
“  of  Vally,  “  Climing  Nephotis,”  Glorie  “  D.  Digon  ”  Roses,  and  “  Chrys- 
anthmums.”  More  peculiar  samples  could  be  given,  but  the  above  will 
suffice  as  a  lesson  in  orthography.  Our  P.D.  enters  a  protest,  and  avers 
that  the  printers  ought  not  to  be  blamed,  as  he  feels  sure  they  “  followed 
copy.” 
- Horticultural  Club. — The  usual  monthly  meeting  and 
conversazione  took  place  on  Tuesday  evening,  the  12th  inst.  The  chair 
was  occupied  by  Mr.  George  Paul,  and  there  were  present  Messrs. 
Philip  Crowley,  H.  Self  Leonard,  Geo.  Monro,  Peter  Kay,  H.  Turner, 
J.  Walker,  and  others.  An  address  was  given  by  Mr.  D.  T.  Fish  on 
“  Flowers,  Fruit,  and  Plants  in  the  Life  and  in  the  Home.”  It  ranged 
over  a  wide  area,  and  many  interesting  facts  were  brought  forward.  At 
its  conclusion  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  proposed  by  the  Chairman. 
The  table  was  decorated  with  Chrysanthemums  from  the  Royal  Nurseries, 
Slough,  and  some  dishes  of  well-grown  fruit  of  Emile  d’Heyst  Pear 
were  added  to  the  dessert  by  the  kindness  of  Mr.  James  Walker.  We 
hope  to  give  the  purport  of  Mr.  Fish’s  paper  in  a  future  issue. 
-  Shirley  Gardeners’  Association. — The  monthly  meeting 
was  held  on  the  18th  inst.  at  the  Parish  Room,  Shirley,  Southampton, 
Mr.  E.  J.  Wilcox  presiding.  There  was  a  good  attendance  of  the 
members  to  hear  a  paper  given  by  Mr.  F.  D.  Woolf,  Totton,  Southampton, 
on  the  “  Culture  of  the  Mushroom.”  Mr.  Woolf  said  that  there  was 
only  one  royal  road  to  success  in  the  culture  of  this  fungi,  and  that  was 
personal  experience.  No  amount  of  reading  or  instruction  would  take 
the  place  of  attention  to  small  details  of  culture,  such  as  is  necessary  in 
this  branch  of  horticulture  more  perhaps  than  any  other.  He  gave 
directions  for  the  making  up  of  a  bed,  and  the  attention  necessary  as 
should,  if  properly  carried  out,  insure  a  valuable  return,  based  on  his 
own  experience.  A  long  and  useful  discussion  followed,  and  a  vote  of 
thanks  was  accorded  the  contributor  of  the  paper. 
-  National  Rose  Society. — A  prize  of  5  guineas,  presented  by 
Alexander  Hill  Gray,  Esq.,  will  be  awarded  by  the  above  Society  for 
the  best  essay  on  “  The  Hybridisation  of  Roses.”  Intending  competitors 
are  requested  to  forward  their  essays  to  one  of  the  Hon.  Secretaries,  the 
Rev.  H.  H.  D’Ombrain,  Westwell  Vicarage,  Ashford,  Kent;  Mr. Edward 
Mawley,  Rosebank,  Berkhamsted,  Herts,  on  or  before  March  Ist,  1896. 
The  name  of  the  competitor  must  not  appear  on  the  essay  itself ;  but  the 
motto  of  each  competitor  is  to  be  plainly  written  on  the  top  of  his  essay, 
while  his  name  and  address  with  motto  are  to  be  sent,  under  seal,  in  a 
separate  envelope.  Any  departure  from  this  condition  will  disqualify 
for  competition.  The  National  Rose  Society  reserves  to  itself  the  right 
of  withholding  the  prize  should  none  of  the  essays  sent  in  be  considered 
by  the  judges  worthy  of  it.  The  essay  to  which  the  prize  may  be 
awarded  to  become  the  property  of  the  Society. 
-  Guernsey  Weather.— The  weather  here  for  the  past  fort¬ 
night  has  been  very  wet,  yet  for  the  most  part  a  high  temperature  has 
prevailed,  and  one  might  imagine  from  the  fresh  look  of  vegetation  that 
we  were  yet  in  the  early  days  of  autumn.  Fr  st  has,  so  far,  given  us  a 
wide  berth,  and  save  for  the  damage  by  wet,  the  gardens  are  still 
cheerful  with  Hydrangeas,  Dahlias,  Marguerites,  Geraniums,  Chrys¬ 
anthemums,  and  various  other  autumn  flowers.  Grass  is  abundant. 
Root  crops  have  been  very  good,  and  at  our  annual  autumn  show  of  the 
Guernsey  Agricultural  and  Horticultural  Society,  held  on  Wednesday 
and  Thursday  recently,  there  were  shown  excellent  specimens  of  roots 
of  every  kind.  I  was  especially  struck  with  the  beauty  of  the  Carrots, 
both  red  and  white  ;  perfect  in  every  respect.  This,  no  doubt,  is  due 
in  great  measure  to  the  free  use  of  seaweed,  which,  in  addition  to  being 
a  good  manure,  materially  helps  takeep  down  insect  pests,  and  sweetens 
the  soil.  The  exhibits  of  Chrysanthemums  also,  considering  there  are 
so  few  private  enthusiasts  here,  were  very  good  indeed.  Fruit,  save  the 
Pears,  was  not  of  any  particular  merit. — X. 
