January  27,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
81 
-  Veitch  Memorial  Trust. — At  a  meeting  of  the  Trustees, 
Held  on  January  19th,  Dr.  Maxwell  Masters  in  the  chair,  it  was 
unanimously  resolved  that  medals  for  objects  to  be  hereafter  determined 
should  be  allotted  for  the  present  year  at  exhibitions  to  be  held  at  Bristol, 
Leicester,  and  Cardiff  respectively.  A  sum  of  £20  was  voted  to  the 
Trustees  of  the  Lindley  Library  towards  the  preparation  of  the  catalogue 
now  in  progress.  IMedals  were  also  allotted  to  M.  Marliac  in  recognition 
of  his  success  as  a  hybridiser,  to  M.  Andre  of  Paris,  and  to  M.  le  Comte 
de  Kerchove  of  Ghent,  President  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  and  Botanical 
Society  of  Ghent,  for  their  respective  services  to  horticulture. 
-  Apple  Court  Pendu  Plat. — A  correspondent  writes  (on 
20th  inst.)  :  “  I  was  all  round  Birmingham  yesterday,  and  only  met  with 
one  lot  of  English  Apples,  and  that  was  Court  Pendtl  Plat.”  We  have  for 
years  found  this  a  reliable  and  serviceable  late  dessert  Apple  in  use 
from  January  to  April.  Dr.  Hogg,  in  hi3“Eruit  IManual,”  states  the 
name  Court  pendii  signifies  suspended  short,  “  the  stalk  being  so  short  that 
it  sits,  as  it  were,  upon  the  branch.  ’  That  is  precisely  its  character.  It 
became  known  as  Garnons  Apple  in  Herefordshire  through  having  long 
been  grown  without  a  name  in  the  gardens  of  the  Cotterell  family  of  that 
city.  In  Nottinghamshire  it  is  called  Woolaton  Pippin,  from  the  residence 
of  Lord  Middleton.  Its  popular  name  is  the  Wise  Apple,  through  the 
blossoms  unfolding  so  late  as  to  usually  escape  injury  from  spring  frosts. 
-  A  Dream  of  the  Future. — In  this  beautifully  written  and 
very  possible  outlook  (page  52)  it  is  startling  to  find  this  sentence,  “I  seemed 
to  miss  the  cornfields,  but  soon  perceived  they  were  things  of  the  past.” 
To  my  mind  it  is  the  one  great  danger  impending  over  this  country — the 
extent  to  which  already  we  are  dependant  on  other  lands  for  our  corn. 
How  many  weeks’  supply  does  this  country  ever  contain  ?  and  how  would 
the  corn  ships  get  here  in  case  of  a  war  ?  At  any  instant  a  war  might 
break  out  with  Russia,  then  one  of  our  principal  sources  of  supply  is  at 
once  cut  off  ;  if  America  were  also  to  withhold  it  we  should  be  brought 
to  our  knees  at  once  ;  if  not,  famine  prices  would  raise  a  clamour  which 
would  make  us  seek  peace  at  any  price.  The  storage  of  corn,  and  the 
increase  of  acres  under  cultivation,  will  have  to  receive  attention  unless 
the  nation  is  prepared  for  the  gravest  calamities.  We  are  the  only 
country  in  Christendom — nay,  in  the  world — that  is  content  to  accept  of 
such  a  perilous  position. — A.  C. 
« 
-  Reading  Gardeners’  Association, — Lender  the  auspices 
of  this  successful  Horticultural  Association  a  tea  and  smoking  concert 
was  held  in  the  Abbey  Hall  on  Monday,  17th  inst.  Nearly  100  members 
sat  down  to  tea,  which  was  presided  over  by  the  President,  Mr.  C.  B. 
Stevens.  The  tables  were  decorated  with  plants  from  the  gardens  of 
East  Thorpe  (Mr.  Woolford,  gardener).  After  justice  had  been  done  to 
an  excellent  repast,  the  Chairman  proceeded  to  propose  the  usual  loyal 
toast,  and  in  so  doing  said  that  they,  as  an  Association,  were  greatly 
honoured,  for  on  the  occasion  of  their  annual  outing,  which  took  place 
in  July  last  to  Windsor,  they  had  not  only  the  pleasure  of  looking 
through  the  gardens  and  grounds  at  Windsor  and  Frogmore,  but  by 
her  Majesty’s  gracious  permission  they  were  allowed  to  inspect  also  the 
“  private  portion  ”  of  the  gardens  at  the  latter  place.  They  were  greatly 
indebted  to  Mr.  Owen  Thomas,  the  Queen  s  gardener,  for  having  spoken 
on  their  behalf. 
-  Indiscreet  Nature. — The  mildness  of  the  weather  is  evidenced 
in  some  of  the  consignments  to’  Covent  Garden  Market,  where  there  were 
to  be  seen  last  Saturday  numerous  clumps  of  Primroses  and  bunches  of 
Snowdrops.  Violets — nearly  all  foreign — are,  it  may  be  added,  a  drug  in 
the  market.  The  wholesale  price  is  about  four  bunches  a  penny  for  lots 
of  ten  dozen,  and  as  these  are  subdivided  by  street  and  shop  vendors 
some  idea  can  be  obtained  of  the  profits.  Judging  from  the  innumerable 
letters  we  have  received.  Nature  is  everywhere  being  deceived.  Crocuses 
are  in  bloom  in  Kent,  and  white  Roses  in  the  gardens  of  the  Langland 
Bay  Hotel,  near  Swansea.  In  some  parts  of  Lincolnshire  Primroses  have 
been  flowering  for  the  last  week  or  two,  and  even  Roses  may  occasionally 
be  seen  blooming  in  the  open  garden.  Pansies  are  also  much  to  the 
front,  reports  from  Welling,  Kent,  and  Bournemouth  showing  them  to  be 
quite  common.  In  the  latter  place  the  Doronicum,  which  usually  comes 
out  in  May,  is  already  in  bloom.  Tales  of  venturesome  butterflies  and 
indiscreet  birds,  who  have  brought  their  young  progenies  into  the  world 
several  months  too  soon,  continue  to  reach  us.  Gne  blackbird  signalised 
Christmas  Day  by  laying  an  egg  in  a  nest  secreted  in  the  Ivy  of  the 
Aylsham  Workhouse.  A  correspondent  who  sends  us  the  last  interesting 
item  also  states  that  he  has  just  seen  a  nest  containing  three  young 
sparrows  in  the  Ivy  of  the  workhouse  at  Swaffham,  Norfolk. — (“  Daily 
Mail.”) 
— ^  Profits  in  Banana  Culture. — It  is  remarkable  how  many 
people  there  are  among  the  lovers  of  fruits  and  flowers  who,  in  the 
language  of  Scripture,  “have  eyes  but  see  not,  and  ears  but  hear  not.” 
The  cultivation  of  the  Banana  is  the  case  in  point.  Banana  fruit  is  now 
among  the  commonest  of  our  fruit  in  market,  and  it  is  within  the  reach 
of  even  the  poorest,  and  yet  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago  they  were 
scarcely  known,  to  any  great  extent,  out  of  the  land  in  which  they 
grew.  At  the  present  time,  says  a  transatlantic  paper,  shipments  are 
made  from  Jamaica  to  different  parts  of  the  world  amounting  to  3,000,000 
of  dollars  annually.  There  is  no  reason  why  such  an  extended  culture 
could  not  have  been  started  a  hundred  years  ago.  It  must  be  said,  how¬ 
ever,  that  the  cheap  and  rapid  means  of  transportation,  by  means  of 
the  steamship  companies,  has  undoubtedly  had  to  do  with  the  progress 
in  this  industry. 
-  The  Hessle  Gardeners’  Society. — A  large  number  of 
members  attended  a  meeting  of  the  above  Society,  held  on  Tuesday, 
.January  18th,  to  hear  Mr.  Peake,  Superintendent  of  the  Hull  parks  and 
gardens,  read  a  paper  on  “  Hardy  Shrubs  and  Plants  in  Towns.”  Those 
who  had  heard  Mr.  Pe^ke  on  previous  occasions  expected  a  treat,  and 
they  were  not  disappointed.  The  essayist  described  the  most  suitable 
varieties  of  evergreen,  deciduous  and  climbing  shrubs,  classifying  them 
for  the  different  localities  according  to  their  powers  of  endurance  and  the 
conditions  of  the  soil.  Herbaceous  plants  and  several  varieties  of  florists’ 
flowers  then  followed,  and  these  were  served  in  a  similar  manner  to  the 
shrubs.  Mr.  Barker  showed  well-grown  plants  of  Cypripediums 
Leeanum,  C.  Pitcherianum,  and  C.  purpuratum,  arranged  on  the 
table  with  Pandanus  Veitchi  and  Ferns.  A  vote  of  thanks  to  the  essayist 
and  Chairman  (Mr.  J.  P.  Leadbetter,  Tranby  Croft  Gardens)  terminated 
the  meeting. — G.  W.  G. 
-  Technical  Education  in  Warwickshire.— The  last  of  a 
course  of  lectures  on  horticulture,  arranged  by  the  local  Technical 
Education  Committee,  was  given  in  the  Board  School  on  Monday 
evening  last.  Mr.  H.  Dunkin,  F.R.H.S.,  has  been  the  lecturer,  and  the 
interesting  and  instructive  manner  in  which  he  deals  with  each  subject 
is  productive  of  the  greatest  possible  attention  from  his  audience.  An 
average  attendance  of  upwards  of  forty  is  a  proof  that  lecturer  and 
subject  are  popular  in  the  district.  The  subjects  dealt  with  have  been  : 
“Soils  and  Manures;”  “How  and  When  to  Plant  Fruit  Trees;  ” 
“  Insect  Pests  and  the  Mode  of  Destruction  ;  ”  “  Grafting  and  Budding 
“  Pruning  ;  ”  and  “  Vegetable  Culture.”  Pruning  was  illustrated  in  a 
very  practical  way  by  several  large  Currant  and  Gooseberry  bushes  (just 
such  as  are  seen  in  almost  every  cottage  garden),  branches  of  fruit  trees 
being  pruned  and  each  step  carefully  explained.  Mr.  Dunkin  evidently 
takes  great  pains  in  the  preparation  of  his  lectures,  the  information  he 
imparts  being  useful  and  practical  ;  and  as  he  speaks  from  actual 
experience  it  is  not  surprising  they  are  attended  with  success.— 
(“  Leamington  Gazette.”) 
_  Artificial  Manures. — I  could  scarcely  believe  Mr.  Dyke 
was  serious  in  writing  that  he  dressed  his  Tomato  borders,  in  a  house  I 
presume,  with  2  lbs.  12  ozs.  of  artificial  manure  per  square  yard.  His 
assertion  that  after  all  this  is  a  trifling  bulk  when  it  is  mixed  with 
900  lbs.  of  soil,  only  shows  how  terribly  poor  must  that  soil  have  been  to 
need  such  a  wanton  bulk  of  dressing.  The  analogy  drawn  from  the 
application  of  manures  with  potting  soil  is  not  applicable,  as  in  a 
border,  especially  broken  up  12  inches  deep.  Tomato  plants  put  out,  say, 
15  inches  apart,  would  have  for  root  run  six  times  the  room  and  soil  they 
would  have  in  a  10-inch  pot.  Pot  culture  of  any  plant  is  essentially 
artificial,  and  artificial  treatment  alone  will  produce  success.  1  lanting 
Tomato  plants  out  in  an  ordinary  soil  border  can  hardly  be  so 
described.  But  2  lbs.  12  ozs.  of  these  manures  per  yard  means  fully 
82  lbs,  per  rod,  and  just  about  6  tons  per  acre.  It  is  only  needful  to  go 
so  far  to  show  the  very  costly  as  well  as  wasteful  form  of  dressing 
referred  to.  Now,  one  assumption  derived  from  what  is  told  us,  and  a 
very  natural  one  also,  seeing  that  the  plant  and  fruit  product  does  not 
seem  to  have  been  one  whit  the  better  than  Tomato  growers  ordinarily 
obtain  on  ordinary  soil,  is  that  the  manures  mentioned  basic  slag  and 
kainit— are  either  practically  worthless,  or  were  not  in  the  form  applied 
utilised  by  the  croj)  at  all.  This  is  not  the  first  time  we  have  heard  ol 
soil  being  poisoned  by  excessive  manure  dressings,  for  here  is  furnished 
what  ought  to  be  plant  food  enough  at  one  dressing  to  serve  for  a  dozen 
at  least.  I  have  seen  plenty  of  fine  crops  of  Tomatoes  obtained  from 
very  ordinary  soil,  assisted  during  the  summer  with  soot  dressings  or 
waterings,  and  occasional  very  light  sprinklings  of  chemical  manures, 
bearing  no  comparison  to  the  waste  of  the  applications  cited  by  Mr. 
Dyke. — A.  D. 
