506 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
November  28,  1896. 
Events  of  the  Week — Oae  of  the  latest  Chrysanthemum  shows 
will  be  that  at  Alderley  Edge  on  the  29th  and  30th,  though  the  National 
Chrysanthemum  Society  holds  one  still  later  at  the  Koyal  Aquarium,  the 
dates  of  which  are  December  3rd,  4th,  and  5th. 
-  Weather  in  the  North. — The  close  of  last  week  was  an 
improvement  on  the  preceding  three  days,  which  were  dull  and 
occasionally  very  wet.  There  was  a  slight  frost  on  Saturday  morning, 
and  since  then  the  days  have  been  dry,  though  generally  dull  and  cold, 
Tuesday  opened  with  the  promise  of  a  fair  day  with  E.  wind,  and  the 
thermometer  at  40°. — B.  D.,  S.  Peithahire. 
-  Weather  in  London  — The  weather  in  London  during  the 
past  week  has  been  cold,  stormy,  and  wet.  On  Friday  last  there  was 
some  rain,  while  on  Saturday  morning  snow  fell  in  one  or  two  districts, 
Sunday,  Monday,  and  Tuesday  were  ccld  owing  to  high  north-easterly 
winds  ;  while  on  Wednesday  it  was  mild,  and  small  rain  fell  throughout 
the  day. 
-  Death  of  Mr.  James  Walters  — We  very  much  regret  to 
learn  of  the  death  of  Mr.  James  Walters  of  the  Mount  Radford  Nurseries, 
Exeter,  which  occurred  on  the  20th  inst.  Mr.  Walters  was  widely 
known  and  respected,  and  his  death  will  be  mourned  by  many  friends. 
His  age  is  not  mentioned  in  the  notification  we  have  received. 
-  Incandescent  Gas  Light  and  Plants. — I  am  anxious  to 
have  the  incandescent  gas  light  fitted  in  my  conservatory,  but  am 
afraid  it  is  injurious  to  plant  life,  although  the  agent  assures  me  it 
is  not.  Have  any  of  your  readers  had  any  practical  knowledge  of  the 
light  in  plant  structures?  if  so,  I  should  feel  greatly  obliged  if  they 
would  favour  me  with  their  views  through  the  medium  of  your  valuable 
paper. — Incandescent. 
-  White  Cyclamens. — We  have  received  from  Mr.  W.  Rapley, 
Harrow  Weald  House,  a  few  blooms  of  white  Cyclamens  that  show  what 
an  excellent  strain  of  seeds  this  able  gardener  has.  The  flowers  were 
large  in  size  and  pure  in  colour.  The  few  leaves  enclosed  were  of 
wonderful  size  and  substance,  and  the  cultivation  of  Cyclamens,  which 
seems  to  have  terrors  for  many  gardeners,  is  evidently  thoroughly 
understood  by  Mr.  Rapley,  who,  we  understand,  secured  the  special 
prize  for  six  Cyclamens  at  the  recent  Watford  show. 
-  The  Nude  Jasmine  — This  hardy  shrub  or  deciduous  climber, 
if  it  really  be  such,  is  just  now  opening  its  first  flowers  in  many 
situations.  It  seems  odd  that  what  we  commonly  term  the  earliest  to 
bloom  of  all  nhrubs  outdoors  should  be  really  the  latest  of  the  year,  but 
we  do  not  quite  count  flowering  seasons  as  beginning  in  January. 
Rather  they  commence  now,  because  there  is  an  undoubted  interval 
between  the  disappearance  of  the  latest  of  really  hardy  shrub  or  plant 
bloom,  and  the  opening  of  the  flowers  of  Jasminum  nudiflorum.  Hardy 
as  thisshiub  is,  however,  its  bloom  often  suffers  from  sharp  frosts  ;  hence 
it  seems  as  if  a  little  protection  to  plants  well  in  bloom  might  worthily 
he  given  at  night,  even  though  we  have  nearly  all  the  winter  before  us. 
Still  the  opening  of*  the  Jasmine  flowers  is  cheering  and  encouraging. 
Soon  those  of  the  Forsythia,  Pyrus  japonica  and  the  Daphnes  Fortune! 
and  Mertzeum,  and  these  bring  with  them  the  spring  once  again, — A.  D. 
-  Death  of  Mr.  R.  Gilbert. — It  is  with  profound  regret  that 
we  learn  of  the  decease  of  Mr.  R.  Gilbert  of  Burghley,  who  died  of 
bronchitis  and  other  complaints  on  22nd,  aged  seventy-five.  He 
commenced  gardening  as  a  boy  at  Worksop  Manor,  then  the  property 
of  the  Duke  of  Norfolk,  and  worked  his  way  upwards  through  many 
changes  of  fortune  by  indomitable  energy,  pluck,  and  perseverance.  He 
was  one  of  the  kindest  men  known,  always  delighted  to  help  his  young 
men  and  others  in  every  possible  way,  generous  beyond  his  means  to  all 
in  distiess,  and  always  meeting  his  friends  with  a  fine  spirit  of  good 
fellowship  and  pleasure.  One  of  the  best  growers  of  fruit  and  vegetables, 
he  won  many  prizes  and  medals  while  he  competed,  including  Messrs. 
Carter  &  Co.’s  50-guinea  challenge  cup,  the  highest  prize  that  has  been 
offered  for  vegetables.  He  only  survived  his  old  master  the  late  Marquis 
of  Exeter  a  few  weeks,  and  had  filled  the  position  of  head  gardener  at 
Burghley  for  twenty-seven  years. 
-  Death  of  Mrs.  Bruce  Findlay. — Much  regret  was  ex¬ 
pressed  at  the  Manchester  show  on  the  22nd  inst.  at  the  absence  of  Mr. 
Findlay,  who  was  unable  to  be  present  through  the  death  of  Mrs. 
Findlay,  which  had  occurred  on  the  previous  day.  The  deepest 
sympathy  is  felt  for  him  and  his  family. 
-  Seasoning  Fruits. — A  ccrrespondent  writes  Apropos  of 
Mr.  Fenn’s  daughter  and  her  letter  from  Greece,  which  appeared  some 
little  time  ago  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture,  I  may  say  that  I  have 
for  years  and  years  preferred  pepper  to  sugar  for  Melons  and  Straw¬ 
berries.  A  little  cayenne  pepper  mixed  with  the  pounded  loaf  sugar 
brings  out  the  flavour  of  the  Strawberry  wonderfully.  Black  pepper 
with  Bananas  is  also  well  worth  trying.” 
-  Potato  Fingers.  —  The  same  correspondent  adds:  —  “My 
cook  says  she  is  glad  that  all  Potatoes  are  cot  like  the  one  illustrated  on 
page  493  last  week,  as  it  is  not  at  all  ‘  handy  ’  for  practical  purposes.” 
We  shall  anticipate  our  Hibernian  by  saying,  “But  shure  if  the  cook 
herself  is  handy  she  can  turn  the  one  Pratie  into  five,  and  serve  as 
Potato  fingers.” 
- Judging  Vegetables  at  Birmingham.— of  the 
judging,  especially  of  the  vegetables,  at  the  recent  Birmingham  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  show,  it  was  noticeable  as  one  of  the  principal  factors 
recognised  by  the  judges  in  the  making  of  the  awards,  were  “  medium 
size  and  neatness.”  Especially  did  this  apply  to  such  products  as 
Pctatoes,  Cauliflowers,  Beetroot,  and  ethers — a  striking  contrast  to  the 
adjudication  observed  at  more  than  one  leading  exhibiticn  during  the 
past  Seaton  elsewhere. — G. 
-  The  Hessle  Gardeners’ Mutual  Improvement  Society. 
— .kt  a  meeting  of  the  above  Society  held  in  the  Parish  School  Rooms, 
November  19tb,  a  paper  was  read  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Barker,  gardener  to 
W.  B.  Buikinshaw,  Etq.,  West  Hill,  on  “  Cattleyas.”  Commencing  with 
a  short  account  of  their  fiist  introduction  into  this  country,  Mr.  Barker 
described  his  mode  of  dealing  with  imported  and  established  Cattleyas, 
also  some  practical  hints  on  watering,  temperature,  structures  best 
adapted  to  their  welfare,  insects  and  diseases  to  which  they  are  liable, 
with  the  best  means  of  overcoming  the  same  ;  also  the  different  varieties 
and  their  several  requirements. — F.  L.  T. 
-  Second  Crop  Potatoes. — You  may  be  interested  in  seeing 
the  accompanying  tubers  of  Sutton’s  Windsor  Castle  Potato,  which  are 
a  second  crop  produced  this  year  from  one  set.  This  set  was  planted  on 
April  19th,  1895,  the  first  crop  was  lifted  on  June  21it,  and  weighed 
5  lbs.  of  good  tubers.  The  old  set  being  very  firm  was  again  planted 
on  July  Ist,  and  lifted  yesterday  (November  11th,  1895),  when  it  had 
produced  another  crop  of  twelve  tubers,  which  are  sent  herewith. — 
Sutton  &  Sons.  [We  have  often  planned  tubers  of  Ashleaf  Potatoes, 
which  have  ripened  in  July,  and  had  a  good  sufply  of  “new 
Potatoes  ”  from  them  in  the  autumn.  The  tubers  of  Windsor  Castle 
received  are  quite  ripe,  a  good  proportion  of  the  proper  size  for 
cooking,  and  of  the  almost  faultless  shape  for  which  the  variety  is 
famed.  We  have  not  before  seen  examples  of  it  similarly  grown  ] 
-  A  Pretty  Show  of  Garden  Produce.— Whilst  it  is  a  fact 
that  stern  limitations  in  schedules  prevent  the  display  of  taste  in  the 
arran  gement  of  garden  products  at  shows,  there  is  some  scope  for  this 
evidence  of  taste  when  exhibits  are  of  a  honorary  nature.  At  a  con¬ 
versazione  held  in  the  Albany  Hall,  Kingston-on-Thames,  last  week, 
Mr.  A.  Dean,  through  the  kindness  of  numerous  friends,  was  able  to 
arrange  a  group  that  was,  in  no  spirit  of  Jingoism,  described  as  British 
grown  garden  produce,  and  which  elicited  the  warmest  admiration. 
The  table  was  some  16  feet  long  and  4  feet  wide.  The  central  feature 
comprised  grand  Ailsa  Craig  Onions,  fine  Parsnips,  Carrots,  Beets,  Turnips, 
and  Potatoes.  Between  these  and  along  the  back  of  the  entire  table 
were  splendid  Chrysanthemum  blooms  in  variety,8et  up  with  evergreens 
in  tall  Hyacinth  glasses,  the  back  row  being  elevated,  thus  carrying  the 
group  up  to  meet  the  pretty  plants  employed  to  decorate  the  front  of 
the  platform.  In  front  of  these  flowers,  and  on  either  side,  were 
arranged  plates  of  very  fine  show  Potatees,  and  fronting  these  superb 
kitchen  and  dtssert  Apples,  with  some  fine  Pears.  A  few  small  table 
plants  gave  grace  to  these,  and  amongst  the  plates  was  laid  leafage  of 
Mahonia,  Box,  and  other  evergreens,  thus  presenting  a  pleasing  finish 
and  a  charming  iffect.  It  is  surprising  to  find  how  wonderfully  attrac¬ 
tive  ord’nary  garden  produce  can  thus  be  made,  and  it  is  a  pity 
that  schedules  do  not  break  away  fiom  the  ordinary  rut,  and  encourage 
more  this  form  of  grouping.  In  this  case  the  persons  present  came  to 
look  aga'n  and  again,  so  attractive  was  the  arrangement. 
