58 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  20,  1898. 
-  Flax  and  Hemp. — We  find  from  the  prosjjectus  of  the  English 
Fibre  Industries,  Limited,  of  which  Mr.  Chas.  T.  Druery  is  the  Secretary, 
that,  despite  the  enormous  home  consumption  of  both  staples,  raw  and 
manufactured,  our  country  has  practically  been  entirely  dei)endent  for  its 
supplies  upon  outside  sources,  importing  Flag  and  Hemp  to  the  annual 
value  of  about  four  and  a  quarter  millions  sterling,  and  Linseed  to  over 
three  and  a  quarter  millions  in  addition.  “  At  present  the  Company  is 
converting  raw  Flax  into  fibre  and  selling  the  same,’"  and  evidently 
wants  to  do  sundry  other  things  for  fostering  home  industry  and  making 
money. 
-  Kniphopia  PRIMULINA.  —  Several  plants  of  this  charming 
species  are  now  to  be  seen  in  flower  in  the  temperate  house  at  Kew. 
Through  its  lateness  of  flowering  it  has  been  found  to  be  of  little  use  for 
outside  work,  but  grown  in  pots  and  stood  in  a  cold  frame  on  the 
approach  of  winter,  it  is  found  to  make  a  very  acceptable  addition  to  the 
greenhouse  after  Chrysanthemums  are  over.  It  adapts  itself  readily  to 
this  mode  of  culture,  growing  strongly  and  flowering  freely,  plants  in 
8-inch  pots  producing  three  or  more  spikes  of  flowers  of  a  pale  yellow 
colour.  As  it  can  be  grown  outside  until  the'spikes  begin  to  show,  and 
can  be  put  outside  again  at  the  end  of  ilarch,  it  will  stand  with  feeding 
several  years  in  the  same  pot.  It  is  bound  to  be,  as  it  becomes  better 
known,  one  of  the  most  popular  M’inter-flowering  greenhouse  plants.  If 
any  plants  are  not  showing  flower  at  the  end  of  November,  and  there  is 
no  frame  room  for  them,  they  should  be  plunged  deeply  in  dry  leaves, 
this  being  the  best  protection  against  frost. — W.  D. 
-  Himalayan  Khododendeons. — The  members  of  the  Devon 
and  Exeter  Gardeners’  Association  were  much  interested  recently,  at 
the  Guildhall,  Exeter,  in  a  paper  prepared  by  Mr.  Diehard  Gill  of 
Penryn,  Cornwall,  on  the  subject  of  lihododendrons.  The  introduction 
of  many  of  the  tenderer  forms  instituted  a  new  era  in  outdoor  cultivation. 
In  the  West  of  England  and  South  Wales,  in  addition  to  the  mildness 
of  the  climate,  the  humidity  of  the  atmosphere  greatly  favoured  the 
Ehododendron.  They  were  great  lovers  of  peat  in  some  form  or  other. 
Granite  sand,  in  the  proportion  of  one-third,  might  be  added  with  good 
results.  The  plants  did  not  like  a  lime  or  chalky  soil,  or  a  stiff  water¬ 
logged  clay.  Being  surface-rooting  plants,  they  would  not  stand 
prolonged  droughts,  but  care  must  be  taken  to  prevent  the  accumulation 
of  stagnant  water  round  the  roots.  The  lowest  branches  of  the  Rhodo¬ 
dendron  should  be  carefully  preserved  and  encouraged,  as  they  kept  the 
soil  around  the  roots  comparatively  moist  in  the  driest  season. 
-  Kensington  Palace. — Relative  to  the  opening  of  the  State 
rooms  of  this  historic  place  to  the  public  by  the  Queen,  a  daily  paper 
remarks  that  the  beautiful  banqueting  room  of  Wren’s  is  used  as  a 
potting  shed ;  and  also  goes  on  to  say  that  some  idea  of  the  gardens  in 
the  time  of  William  and  Anne  may  be  had  from  the  following  description. 
In  those  diys  the  Dutch  taste,  of  course  was  predominant — evergreens 
were  transformed  into  shapes  of  birds,  beasts,  and  monsters  ;  slopes, 
labyrinths,  trees  trimmed  into  gigantic  dumb-waiters  ;  long  alleys  of 
alternate  Box  and  Apple  trees,  with  obelisks  peeping  between  every 
other  tree.  “  To  crown  these  impotent  displays  of  false  taste,”  says 
one  writer,  “the  shears  were  ajiplied  to  the  lovely  wildness  of  form 
with  which  Nature  has  distinguished  each  various  species  of  tree  and 
shrub.  The  venerable  Oak,  the  romantic  Beech,  the  useful  Elm,  even 
the  aspiring  circuit  of  the  Lime,  the  regular  round  of  the  Chestnut,  and 
the  almost  moulded  Orange  tree,  were  corrected  by  such  fantastic 
admirers  of  symmetry.” 
-  SOCIKTE  Feancai.se  d’Hoeticultuee  de  Londees. — The 
ninth  annual  dinner  of  this  flourishing  Society  was  held  on  Saturday 
evening  last,  the  15th  inst.,  when  Mr.  Herbert  Cutbush  occupied  the  chair. 
The  gathering  was  well  attended,  and  the  proceedings  were  of  the 
heartiest  nature.  Amongst  the  visitors  representing  English  horticulture 
were  Mr.  H.  ,J.  Jones,  Mr.  Wm.  Cutbush,  Mr.  Harman  Payne,  Mr.  Harry 
Laing,  Mr.  J.  Weathers,  and  several  more.  Dinner  being  over,  the  Presi¬ 
dent  of  the  Society,  Mr.  George  Schneider,  formally  introduced  the  Chair¬ 
man,  who,  in  an  excellent  s])eech,  reviewed  the  progress  of  the  Society, 
Mr.  Schneider,  in  reply,  thanked  the  members  for  the  spirit  of  comrade¬ 
ship  that  always  animated  them.  He  also  attributed  a  large  measure  of 
the  success  of  the  Society  to  English  friends.  At  this  point  a  little  sur])rise 
was  in  store  for  ]Mr.  Schneider  as  Mr.  Gachlein  arose  to  make  him  a  pre¬ 
sentation  of  a  case  of  cutlery  and  an  address  on  behalf  of  the  new  members. 
Mr.  Schneider  appropriately  replied  to  this  unexpected  demonstration  of 
good  feeling  towards  him,  and  as  a  close  to  the  proceedings,  the  company 
very  heartily  sang  the  English  and  French  National  Anthems.  Messrs. 
Cutbush  &  Sons  of  Highgate  received  a  cordial  vote  of  thanks  for  the 
floral  decorations. 
-  Richmond  Hoeticultueal  Society.  —  We  are  informed 
that  the  summer  show  of  this  Society  has' been  fixed  for  Wednesday, 
June  29th. 
-  Mild  Weathee  in  Aegyllshiee. — Mr.  Thos.  W.  Pritchard, 
Glenborrodale  Castle  Gardens,  Ardgour,  writes  : — “  The  weather  in  this 
district  is  very  mild.  We  have  Primroses  and  Rhododendrons  in  full 
flower,  and  have  not  registered  frost  since  October,  1897,  then  we  had 
only  3°,” 
-  A  Gaedenees’  Association’s  Almanack. — We  have 
received  a  large  sheet  almanack,  25  by  20  inches,  prepared  by  the  Isle  of 
Wight  Horticultural  Association.  It  is  an  excellent  example  of  its  kind, 
appropriate  and  useful.  It  contains  a  list  of  the  officers  of  the  Society, 
honorary  members,  and  gardener  members,  as  well  as  the  dates  of  shows 
of  the  eighteen  horticultural  societies  in  the  Island  ;  a  selection  of  books 
for  gardeners  to  read  ;  tables  of  planting,  distances,  and  the  longevity  of 
vegetable  seeds  ;  dates  of  the  R.H.S.  and  the  N.C.S.  meetings  ;  also  a 
good  calendar  of  gardening  operations.  It  is  the  first  sheet  of  the  kind  we 
have  seen  as  issued  by  a  gardeners’  association,  and  is  a  highly  creditable 
production. 
-  WiNTEE  A'egetables. — What  a  remarkable  season  for  all 
descriptions  have  we  had  so  far,  and  how  cheap  and  plentiful  they  have 
been.  If  market  growers  have  not  obtained  high  prices,  and  the  day  for 
those  in  connection  with  hardy  vegetables  seems  to  have  gone  absolutely, 
at  least  they  have  had  plenty  of  material  to  market,  and  gathering  has 
been  very  easy.  Probably  the  chief  loss,  so  far  as  there  has  been  any, 
has  laid  with  Savoy  Cabbages,  for  whilst  these  have  been  forced  by  the 
mild  weather  into  hearting  early  and  universally,  they  have  been  little 
in  demand.  Mild  weather  favours  Cauliflowers,  which  have  been 
wonderfully  abundant ;  early  Broccoli,  Brussels  Sprouts,  and  Cole  worts, 
and  when  these  Brassicas  are  plentiful  Savoys  are  little  called  for.  The 
Savoy,  too,  is  essentially  a  hard  weather  Cabbage,  but  so  far  with 
Savoys  white  in  heart,  in  vast  quantities,  the  hard  frosts  have  been 
absent.  No  doubt  market  growers  would  plant  few  or  many  of  these 
Savoys  could  they  foresee  mild  or  hard  winters.  Yet  the  Savoy  planted 
much  later  than  usual,  that  it  might  heart-in  small  and  green  in  March, 
might  prove  to  be  a  most  profitable  Cabbage  crop.  Next  to  the 
“  Whiteheads,”  the  long-enduring  Brussels  Sprouts  hold  the  field  for 
popularity  with  the  general  public.  Coleworts  and  early  White  Cabbages 
come  next.  The  real  pinch  is  found  in  April  and  May,  when  all 
ordinary  winter  stuff  being  over,  very  late  Sprouts,  early  spring 
Cabbages,  and  Spinach  are  the  chief  hardy  products.  How  very 
valuable  just  then  is  a  good  stock  of  Saakale  for  blanching.  Hardy  as  is 
this  product,  easily  grown,  and  most  profitable,  still  the  day  seems  far 
distant  when  it  can  ever  become  a  cheap  people’s  winter  vegetable. 
— D. 
-  Reading  Gaedenees’  Association.  —  The  annual  general 
meeting  of  the  Reading  and  District  Gardeners’  IMutual  Improvement 
Association  was  held  recently,  Mr.  C.  B.  Stevens  presiding  over  a  good 
attendance  of  members.  The  report  and  balance-sheet,  read  by  the 
Hon.  Secretary,  Mr.  James  Pound,  jun.,  were  of  a  very  satisfactory 
nature,  both  showing  that  the  Association  was  in  a  very  flourishing 
condition.  The  membership  was  still  on  the  increase  ;  thirty-one  new 
members  had  been  elected  during  the  year  1897,  making  over  180 
“paid  up”  members  on  the  books,  whilst  the  balance  in  hand  was  double 
that  at  the  end  of  1896.  The  Committee  regretted  the  death  of  Mr. 
Alfred  Sutton,  who  had  always  taken  a  great  interest  in  the  work  of  the 
Association,  and  had  since  its  formation  in  1888  provided  the  club-room 
for  their  meetings.  They  also  record  the  death  of  Mr.  George  Palmer, 
who  was  an  annual  subscriber  from  the  commencement  of  the  Association. 
The  meetings  during  the  year  had  been  well  attended,  on  some  occasions 
upwards  of  eighty  members  being  present.  The  thanks  of  the  Com¬ 
mittee  were  due  to  the  President,  Mr.  C.  B.  Stevens,  for  the  great  interest 
shown  not  only  in  presiding  at  their  meetings,  but  taking  an  active 
part  in  all  the  other  business  connected  with  the  Association ;  to 
Messrs.  Sutton  &  Sons  for  their  kindness  in  providing  a  room  at  the 
Abbey  Hall  for  the  use  of  the  members,  and  supplying  it  with  horti¬ 
cultural  and  other  literature  ;  to  the  honorary  members  for  their  kind 
and  general  support  ;  to  those  who  have  helped  forward  the  work  by 
reading  papers  and  introducing  subjects  for  discussion  ;  to  those  who 
have  added  so  much  interest  to  the  meetings  by  bringing  exhibits  of 
flowers,  and  to  the  horticultural  and  local  press  for  publishing 
reports  of  the  meetings.  A  beautiful  group  of  well-grown  Cyclamens 
was  shown  by  Mr.  W.  Townsend,  The  Gardens,  Sandhurst  Lodge, 
noticeable  being  Sutton’s  Butterfly,  Vulcan,  Salmon  Green,  and  Giant 
White  varieties. 
