530 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  5, 189b, 
Events  of  the  Week. — As  will  be  seen  by  the  paragraph  below 
the  Koyal  Horticultural  Society  will  hold  a  meeting  at  the  Drill  Hall 
on  Tuesday  nest,  and  this,  with  the  annual  general  meeting  and  dinner 
of  the  National  Kose  Society  to-day  at  3.30  at  the  Hotel  Windsor,  is 
the  only  event  of  interest  to  horticulturists  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
London  during  the  forthcoming  week. 
-  Weather  in  London. — For  another  week  the  weather  has 
been  very  unsettled  and  extremely  variable.  On  Thursday  and  Friday 
last  much  rain  fell,  while  Saturday,  Sunday,  and  Monday  were  much 
colder  and  dry.  On  Tuesday,  during  the  early  part  of  the  day,  it  was 
dull  and  inclined  to  be  wet,  but  later  it  cleared  and  the  evening  proved 
to  be  calm  and  dry.  At  the  time  of  going  to  press  on  Wednesday  it 
was  dull  and  cold. 
-  Weather  in  the  North. — For  the  greater  part  of  the  week 
ending  the  3rd  inst.  the  weather  has  been  dull  and  wet.  Saturday  fore¬ 
noon  was  very  gloomy,  the  afternoon  and  evening  the  brightest  part  of 
the  week.  December  began  with  a  showery  day  ;  the  following  day 
was  dull,  and  the  night  boisterous  and  showery ;  while  Tuesday  brought 
cold  wet  squalls  from  the  N.W,  throughout  the  day  and  evening. — R.  D., 
8.  Perthshire, 
-  Royal  Horticultural  Society. — The  next  fruit  and  floral 
meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  will  be  held  in  the  Drill 
Hall,  James  Street,  Victoria  Street,  Westminster,  on  Tuesday,  Dec,  10th. 
The  Committees  will  meet  as  usual  at  twelve  o’clock. 
-  Mr.  a,  F.  Barron. — We  are  pleased  to  learn  that  the  Council 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  has  resolved  to  ofler  to  Mr.  A,  F. 
Barron  an  Honorary  Life  Fellowship  of  the  Society,  and  has  also  invited 
him  to  serve  on  the  Fruit  Committee  for  1896,  The  last  meeting  of  the 
year  of  the  Fruit  Committee  is  usually  well  attended,  and  we  may 
expect  that  the  meeting  on  Tuesday  next  will  be  no  exception  to  this 
rule,  especially  as  it  will  be  the  last  at  which  Mr.  Barron  will  officiate 
as  Secretary.  He  has  well  deserved,  and  will  no  doubt  receive,  the 
thanks  of  his  friends  the  members. 
-  The  Hessle  and  District  Horticultural  Mutual 
Improvement  Society. — At  a  meeting  of  the  above  Society,  held 
November  the  26th,  a  very  interesting  paper  was  given  by  Mr. 
F.  Thurstan,  The  Gardens,  Hesslewood,  on  the  cultivation  of  Dahlias. 
The  essayist  gave  an  accout  of  the  first  Dahlia  introduced,  and  very 
ably  dealt  with  the  propagation  of  this  useful  flower,  both  from  seeds 
and  cuttings,  and  the  general  cultivation  of  the  Show,  Fancy,  Decorative, 
and  Pompon  varieties,  stating  that  the  last  named  might  be  found  of 
great  service  for  bedding  purposes  owing  to  its  dwarf  habit.  At  the 
close  of  the  paper  a  discus.sion  took  place  as  to  the  value  of  the  Dahlia 
as  a  decorative  flower.  The  usual  vote  of  thanks  to  the  essayist,  and 
Mr.  Barker  for  his  services  in  the  chair,  brought  an  interesting  evening 
to  a  close. — M.  S. 
-  Gumming  in  Fruit  Trees.  —  In  Mr.  Iggulden’s  very 
interesting  remarks  (page  499)  on  Peach  tree  failures  he  says, 
“  French  experts  think  gumming  is  caused  by  the  sun.”  While  I 
think  it  may  do  so  in  France,  I  think  cold  may  be  one  great  cause 
of  gumming  in  England,  as  we  generally  find  a  great  deal  more  after 
severe  winters,  and  I  think  the  bursting  of  the  cells,  while  the  sap  is 
freezing,  has  more  to  do  with  it  than  is  generally  supposed.  The  chief 
cause  in  Peach  houses,  as  Mr.  Iggulden  says,  is  bursting  the  cells  by 
injury  from  wires,  or  knocking  the  bark  ofl  by  tools  ;  but  in  each  case 
the  cells  are  burst,  and  the  gum  exudes  out,  and  if  this  gum  is  left  on 
the  bark  it  injures  it  to  such  an  extent  that  it  has  the  appearance  of 
canker,  and  if  it  drops  on  to  a  sound  branch  it  injures  the  bark  there,  if 
the  shoot  is  a  young  one  with  thin  baik.  I  am  quite  aware  that 
gumming  is  supposed  to  be  caused  by  the  Coryneum  fungus.  But  is 
this  fungus  the  first  cause  of  gumming  ?  or  does  it  breed  spontaneously 
in  the  sap  after  it  has  exuded  ?  If  so,  the  dropping  of  the  gum  (with 
the  fungus  in  it)  on  to  another  branch  would  cause  gumming  there  by 
rooting  into  the  bark  and  into  the  sap.  I  find  Plum  trees  on  a  north 
wall  that  have  had  no  sun  are  badlv  ailected. — J.  L. 
-  Mr.  Horace  Huntley,  who  has  been  teaching  gardening 
effectively  in  Cumberland,  Hunts,  and  Lincolnshire,  has  been  appointed 
instructor  on  horticulture  to  the  Dorsetshire  County  Council. 
-  Presentation. — Mr.  J.  Davidson,  manager  of  the  seed  depart¬ 
ment  of  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  &  Sons,  Chelsea,  and  who  is  retiring  through 
ill-health,  has  recently  been  presented  by  his  fellow  workmen  with  a 
handsome  timepiece  of  the  value  of  £10,  together  with  two  valuable 
candlesticks  and  an  illuminated  address. 
-  Winter  Wallflowers. — Messrs.  Sutton  &  Sons  send  us  a 
bunch  of  their  Earliest  of  All  Wallflower  gathered  from  plants  sown 
in  May .  They  have  been  flowering  for  some  time,  and  will  continue  in 
the  absence  of  severe  weather,  and  more  profusely  in  the  early  days  of 
spring.  The  flowers  are  bronzy  orange  in  colour,  and  highly  fragrant. 
-  Instruction  in  Gardening. — A  correspondent  writes : — 
“  You  will  see  by  the  enclosed  handbill  that  we  are  doing  a  little  for 
horticulture  down  here  (Clydach).  Class  teaching  is  being  conducted 
by  Mr.  John  Ettle,  who  hopes  that  some  of  his  students  will  sit  for  the 
next  R.H.S.  examination  on  horticulture.  He  uses  Wright’s  Primer^ 
which  he  describes  as  an  excellent  little  work,  and  also  intends  using 
‘  Hooker’s  Primer  on  Botany.’  He  also  intends  giving  illustrated 
lectures  on  fruit  culture  and  other  subjects.” 
-  Dinner  to  the  Ryecroft  Employes. — The  staff  engaged 
at  Mr.  H.  J.  Jones’  nurseries  partook  of  that  gentleman’s  hospitality 
on  Saturday  evening  last,  a  large  party  mustering  round  the  festive 
board  to  commemorate  the  “  gold  medal  ”  year,  as  a  recognition  of 
the  efforts  of  his  staff  in  sustaining  the  high  reputation  which  Mr. 
Jones  has  so  deservedly  achieved  in  commercial  horticulture.  The 
function  was  a  happy  forethought.  In  this  pleasant  social  manner  Mr. 
Jones  recognised  the  valued  co-operation  of  the  staff,  and  the  members 
in  turn  appreciate  his  thoughtful  kindness.  The  musical  evening  that 
followed  was  enjoyed  by  all. 
-  Aster  Tradescanti. — At  the  time  I  write  (November  30th) 
this  Aster  is  still  in  bloom.  At  the  end  of  October  the  first  blooms 
began  to  unfold  their  florets  ;  it  has  continued  ever  since.  It  is  now 
the  only  Aster  in  flower.  All  others  have  been  cut  down  a  week  ago. 
The  pure  white  blooms  of  this  variety  are  decidedly  effective,  set  off  as 
they  are  with  the  smallest  foliage  of  any  Aster  that  I  know.  What  the 
leaves  lack  in  size  is  more  than  made  up  in  density  of  green,  which  is 
the  best  of  contrasts  for  white  flowers  of  any  kind.  Growing,  this  Aster 
is  especially  graceful,  the  branchlets  being  thinly  disposed  and  slightly 
drooping  at  the  point.  Wherever  Asters  are  favoured  this  should  be 
cultivated. — E.  M. 
-  National  Rose  Society.— At  the  Society’s  Crystal  Palace 
shows  in  1896  and  1897  the  following  valuable  prizes  will  be  offered 
for  Roses  raised  or  first  distributed  by  Messrs.  A.  Dickson  &  Sons,  New- 
townards,  Co.  Down,  Ireland.  There  will  be  a  class  for  amateurs  for  six 
distinct  varieties,  and  another  for  nurserymen  for  twelve  varieties.  In 
each  case  the  first  prize  will  be  a  handsome  silver  cup  and  £2,  second 
prize  £2,  and  the  third  prize  £1.  Each  silver  cup  must  be  won  twice 
(not  necessarily  two  years  in  succession)  before  it  becomes  the  property 
of  the  exhibitor.  The  above  prizes  are  presented  by  an  amateur  member 
of  the  Society,  who  wishes  us  to  make  these  classes  known  now  in  order 
that  intending  exhibitors  may  be  better  prepared  for  them  next  year. 
-  Mr.  D.  T.  Fish  on  Drink  Manufacture.— Our  esteemed 
friend  is  nothing  unless,  as  befits  a  gardener,  he  is  florid  and  even 
poetical.  Still,  the  poetical  may  sometimes  be  other  than  the  exact 
truth.  Thus  in  his  highly  imaginative  paper  which  was  published  in 
the  Journal  last  week  he  tells  us  that  our  water  is  distilled — i.e.,  through 
plant  agencies.  That  may  be  a  striking  figure  of  speech,  but  I  fear 
precious  little  of  the  water  we  consume  is  purified  through  the  agency  of 
plant  life.  The  muddy  Thames,  from  which  just  now  London  is  deriving 
two-thirds  of  the  vast  water  supply,  is  more  indebted  to  sand  filter  beds 
than  to  plant  distillation  for  the  comparative  purity  we  find  it  when  it 
reaches  our  cisterns.  As  to  the  grain  drinks,  is  it  quite  correct  to  say 
that  those  of  the  malt  and  distilled  order  are  the  product  of  growing 
embryos,  seeing  that  in  the  process  of  malting  the  embryos  are  carefully 
removed  and  swept  aside  as  malt  dust,  whilst  it  is  the  starch  in  the 
grain,  stored  by  Nature  as  food  for  the  infant  germ,  that  has  in  the 
process  of  germinating  been  converted  into  sugar,  and  this  sugar, 
through  the  artificial  agency  of  fermentation,  been  again  converted  into 
alcohol.  The  conception  found  in  the  sentence  is^beautiful,  but  like  so 
'  much  that  is  beautiful,  it  is  not  quite  true. — A.  D, 
