424 
JOURNAL  OP  HORTIGULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
May  19,  1898. 
Weather  in  London. — From  the  time  of  sending  our  last  issue 
to  the  press  until  Monday  morning  we  had  heavy  showers  each  day. 
The  nights,  too,  were  generally  wet,  and  the  mornings  and  evenings 
cold.  On  Sunday  it  was  quite  dark  at  intervals,  and  householders 
had  to  light  the  gas  at  the  time  of  the  midday  meal.  On  Monday 
and  Tuesdaj'  it  was  bright  and  warm  in  the  sun,  but  the  wind  was  cold 
in  the  shade,  while  on  Wednesday  the  conditions  were  similar. 
-  Weather  in  the  North.— The  weather  of  the  past  week 
has  been  variable,  but  decidedly  cold  throughout.  A  good  deal  of  rain 
has  fallen,  and  hail  showers  have  been  frequent.  The  higher  hills  were, 
on  the  morning  of  the  lltb,  thickly  covered  with  snow,  a  heavy  fall 
having  taken  place  in  the  central  and  western  districts  of  the  county- 
Frosts  have  been  registered  on  several  nights.  On  Saturday  morning 
dense  hoar  frost  covered  the  ground.  Early  Potatoes  were  blackened, 
but  the  day  was  fine,  as  was  also  Sunday  and  Monday,  with  coldish  N.E. 
wind.  Tuesday  morning  was  wet,  but  milder. — B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
-  Early  Cabbahes. — The  mild  winter  has  had  the  effect  of 
bringing  the  Cabbage  crop  to  maturity  at  an  early  date  this  year,  quite 
full  hearts  being  cut  for  Easter.  Formerly  Whitsuntide  was  con¬ 
sidered  a  very  good  time  to  have  Cabbages  ready  to  cut,  but  Ellam’s  and 
other  early  kinds  extend  the  season  by  some  weeks.  Earlier  than  the 
date  named  I  do  not  think  this  vegetable  is  needed,  for  there  are  plenty 
of  other  green  vegetables  available  as  a  rule.  Express,  a  variety  I  sowed 
for  the  first  time  last  autumn,  is  far  behind  Ellam’s — quite  50  per  cent, 
bolting.  Early  Offenham  and  Flower  of  Spring  follow  Ellam’s  very 
closely,  and  are  really  invaluable,  either  for  large  or  small  private 
gardens  or  the  market  grower. — W.  S. 
-  A  Trap  for  the  Dean — Not  Caught. — Writing  in  respon.se 
to  a  letter  from  the  Editor  of  the  “  Vegetarian  ”  asking  for  his  opinion  of 
the  views  recently  expressed  by  Sir  Henry  Thompson,  the  Dean  of 
Rochester  says  that  man  is  bound  by  reason,  and  yet  more  by  religion,  to 
minister  so  far  as  he  can  to  the  capacity  for  enjoyment  possessed  by  ail 
animals,  and  to  protect  them  from  cruelty  and  from  all  unnecessary  pain, 
but  concludes  :  “  Allow  me  to  add  that,  although  I  quite  agree  with  you 
that  we  eat  too  much  flesh  meat  and  too  little  of  vegetables  and  fruit,  I 
see  no  more  harm  in  partaking  of  lamb  and  mint  sauce  now  than  there 
was  in  eating  the  paschal  lamb  and  bitter  herbs  by  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  I  believe  that  our  relish  of  a  haunch  of  venison  is  quite  as  justifiable 
as  it  was  with  Isaac.” 
-  Reading  Gardener,?’  Society. — The  first  meeting  of  the 
summer  season  was  held  on  Monday  evening  last,  when  the  Chairman  of 
the  Association,  Mr.  Turton,  presided  over  a  good  attendance  of  members. 
The  subject  for  discussion  was  Hardy  Flowers,  including  shrubs  and  bulbs, 
which  was  ably  introduced  by  Mr.  Townsend,  gardener  to  Sir  William 
Farrer,  Sandhurst  Lodge.  A  discussion  followed.  An  interesting  feature 
of  the  meeting  was  the  large  display  of  cut  flowers  contributed  by  Mr, 
Turton,  Maiden  Erlegh  Gardens  ;  Mr.  W.  Smith,  gardener  to  Miss  Neild, 
Greenbank  ;  and  Mr.  Townsend,  the  latter  exhibiting  a  splendidly  grown 
Anthurium  showing  forty-three  spathes.  A  vote  of  thanks  to  the  lecturer 
and  to  those  members  who  had  brought  the  flowers  ended  a  pleasant 
evening. 
-  The  Queen  and  London’s  Open  Spaces.— Mr.  G.  Shaw- 
Lefevre,  L.C.C.,  opened,  on  Saturday  afternoon,  Charles  Square  Recrea¬ 
tion  Ground,  Pitfield  Street,  Hoxton,  acquired  by  the  London  County 
Council  and  the  Shoreditch  Vestry  at  a  total  cost  of  £1000,  Since  the 
year  1604  the  ground  has  been  used  exclusively  by  the  inhabitants  of 
Charles  Square,  and  as  the  result  of  lengthy  negotiations  it  was  purchased 
by  the  Vestry  for  £.300.  Close  upon  £700  has  been  expended  in  laying 
out  the  ground  by  the  Metropolitan  Public  Gardens  As.socialion.  In 
declaring  the  ground  open  to  the  public  for  ever,  Mr.  Shaw-Lefevre  said 
that  within  fifteen  miles  of  the  centre  of  London  there  were  25,000  acres 
of  land  maintained  for  the  use  of  the  public,  and  of  that  they  were 
indebted  to  the  Queen  for  5000  acres  in  the  shape  of  Royal  Parks.  As 
a  matter  of  -fact,  the  public  owed  much  to  the  generosity  of  her  Majesty 
in  that  direction,  for  she  had  done  more  than  any  of  her  predecessors  to 
provide  beautiful  parks  and  open  spaces  for  the  use  of  the  people  in  the 
metropolis. 
-  A  German  Rose  Show. — We  are  asked  to  state  that  the 
Gotha  Rose  Exhibition  will  take  place  on  July  lOtb — 12th  next.  All 
communications  to  be  addressed  to  tbe  Local  Committee  at  Gotba, 
Thuringia. 
-  Shirley  Gardeners’  Association. — Tbe  monthly  meeting 
of  the  above  Society  was  held  at  the  Parish  Room,  Shirley,  Southampton, 
on  Monday,  when  the  President  presided  over  a  good  attendance  of  the 
members.  Mr.  E.  H.  Bellairs,  Wingfield,  Christchurch,  Hants,  gave  a 
most  interesting  lecture  on  “  Bees  and  Bee-keeping,  and  the  Relation  of 
Bees  to  Flowers,”  which  was  illustrated  with  limelight. 
-  Strawberries  at  Botlby. — The  following  observation  came 
before  my  notice  on  a  Strawberry  plantation  near  Botley  this  spring. 
The  plants,  particularly  those  in  low  lying  parts  of  the  field,  had  gradually 
dwindled  away,  the  roots  having  completely  decayed,  the  cause  being 
an  excessive  application  of  farmyard  manure.  The  plants  were  all  right 
as  long  as  the  manure  remained  in  an  open  spongy  mass,  but  when  it 
became  thoroughly  sodden,  and  almost  impervious  to  air,  the  roots  were 
eventually  killed  owing  to  the  formation  of  humic  acid  and  the  absence  of 
air  in  the  soil  due  to  the  sodden  manure.  It  is  seldom  that  an  excess  of 
manure  is  given  in  field  culture,  but  one  invariably  finds  equally  bad 
results  in  gardens,  not  only  in  Strawberry  beds,  but  likewise  in  Boses. 
— J.  N. 
-  Prices  in  the  Markets.— Fairly  good  green  peas  can  now  be 
had  at  5d.  per  lb.,  but  1  lb.  of  English  makes  as  full  a  dish  as  3  lbs.  of  the 
“foreigners,”  which  are  small  and  comparatively  flavourless.  French 
Beans  are  6d.  a  lb.  and  upwards.  Cauliflowers  are  very  cheap,  and,  fresh 
spring  Cabbages  are  now  coming  in.  Cucumbers  and  Lettuces  are  plen¬ 
tiful,  and  English  Tomatoes  are  lOd.  per  lb.  Rhubarb  is  extremely 
cheap.  Young  Carrots  and  Turnips  are  sold  at  about  4d.  the  lb.,  and  are 
very  good.  Asparagus  is  cheaper  and  more  abundant.  Strawberries  are 
now  down  in  price  to  2s.  6d.  a  basket,  holding  about  eighteen  Royal 
Sovereigns.  New  Potatoes  range  from  2d.  per  lb.  There  are  still  satis¬ 
factory  old  ones  to  be  had,  but  they  require  to  bo  boiled  in  their  jackets. 
Spinach  can  be  had  at  1^.  a  lb. 
-  A  Transformation  Scene, — The  recent  warm  gentle  rains 
have  had  their  eflect  on  vegetation,  with  the  result  that  the  whole 
country  has  assumed  a  mantle  of  vivid  green.  In  Kent  much  of  the  early 
fruit  blossom  is  over,  and  so  far  as  appearances  go  there  are  reasons  to 
hope  for  abundance  of  Plums,  Pears,  and  Cherries.  Apple  blossom  is 
later,  and  the  orchards  are  now  a  picture.  Since  the  rain  came  cold 
winds  have  disappeared,  and  the  genial  intermittent  showers  and  snnshine 
have  altered  the  appearance  of  crops  in  the  garden.  Early  Potatoes  are 
well  through  the  ground  and  making  robust  growth?  and  Peas,  which 
were  at  a  standstill  al>parently  for  some  time,  are  now  growing  apace. 
Strawberries  are  coming  into  bloom,  and  small  fruits  generally  show  signs 
of  heavy  crops.  Marked  progress  is  apparent  everywhere  since  the 
welcome  rain  came,  and  the  warm  close  atmosphere  is  conducive  to  rapid 
growth. — V.  |r. 
- —  Late  Tulips  at  Long  Ditton. — Just  now  the  fine  collec¬ 
tions  ofGate  Tulips  at  the  I^ong  Ditton  Nurseries  are  at  their  best.  It  is 
rather  difficult  to  clearly  define  the  time  which  is  assumed  to  exist 
between  early  and  late  Tulips,  for  the  doubles  follow  the  early  singles,  the 
Parrots  follow  these,  then  some  midseasons  fill  the  gap,  and  last  of  all 
in  Qome  the  latter  late  sections,  florists’  and  seifs,  many  of  which 
keep  the  garden  gay  up  to  the  end  of  May  ;  but  few  are  more  beau¬ 
tiful  now  than  are  those  which,  for  trade  description,  are  classed  as  the 
Darwin  section.  There  are  admittedly  breeder  Tulips,  yet  the  bulk  of 
them  seem  to  be  unbreakable,  and  for  that  reason  they  constitute  not  only 
reliable,  but  most  beautiful  seifs.  Very  free  reference  was  made  to  these 
Tulips  in  the  Journal  last  year.  Those  who  want  beautiful  features 
in  their  garden  borders  should  have  dozens,  and  plant  them  in  clumps 
of  six  bulbs  in  the  early  autumn,  making  the  soil  good  for  them,  but  not 
unduly  rich  with  manure.  Very  beautiful  are  Gipsy  Queen,  maroon 
crimson  ;  Cordelia,  purple  ;  Joseph  Chamberlain,  rich  crimson  ;  May 
Queen,  soft  rosy  salmon,  a  lovely  tint ;  Phyllis,  creamy  pink,  also  exqui¬ 
site  ;  Blushing  Bride,  red,  flushed  cream  ;  The  Sultan,  verj'  dark  ;  The 
Shah,  reddish  Crimson  ;  and  Isabella,  evidently  sport  from  Blushing 
Bride,  white,  flushed  red.  These  are  but  a  few  of  the  many.  Very 
charming,  too,  are  the  Dideiri  section,  with  their  long  pointed  petals  and 
refined  aspect  in  yellow  and  white,  and  especially  elegans  alba,  the  petals 
of  which  are  wire  edged  red.  With  the  cooler  weather  and  abundant 
moisture  prevailing,  it  may  be  possible  for  Messrs.  Barr  &  Sons  to  show 
a  good  collection  of  Tulips  at  the  Temple  on  the  25th  ;  but  however 
shown,  no  method  of  display  can  for  one  moment  compare  with  the  beauty 
seen  in  masses  growing  luxuriantly  outdoors. — A.  D, 
