8 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  7,  1898. 
Weather  in  London.  —  We  think  most  horticulturists  would 
appreciate  the  weather  during  the  past  week,  with  its  warm  sun  and 
pleasant  breezes,  for  it  cannot  but  be  beneficial  to  vegetation.  Rosarians 
will  welcome  it,  for  it  will  assist  them  very  materially’  towards  good 
flowers  for  the  later  shows.  At  the  time  of  going  to  press  on  Wednesday 
it  was  dull  but  warm. 
-  Royal  Horticultural  Society. — The  next  Fruit  and  Flower 
show  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  will  be  held  on  Tuesday,  July 
12th,  in  the  Drill  Hall,  James  Street,  Westminster,  1.5  p.m.  On  this 
occasion  special  prizes  will  be  offered  for  Roses,  and  at  3  o’clock  a  lecture 
on  “  Edible  Peas  ”  will  be  given  by  Mr.  N.  N.  Sherwood.  V.M.H. 
-  Spiraea  japonica. — The  latest  plants  of  these  are  now  over, 
though  some  may  still  be  in  bloom  if  the  coolest  possible  treatment  has 
been  given  them,  or  they  are  growing  outdoors,  this  being  an  admirable 
way  of  securing  a  late  supply  of  bloom.  The  most  important  thing  now 
is  to  give  plenty  of  water  to  the  plants,  whether  retained  in  pots  or 
planted  out. — E. 
-  Flora  of  Simla. — The  “  Kew  Bulletin  ”  says,  “  Since  his 
retirement  from  active  service  Colonel  Sir  Henry  Collett  has  devoted 
much  of  his  time  to  preparing  at  Kew  a  Flora  of  Simla  and  the  adjacent 
district.  Simla  itself  is  situated  at  an  elevation  of  about  7000  feet,  and 
the  area  included  gives  a  range  of  altitudes  from  3000  feet  in  the 
valleys  to  10,000  feet  the  summit  of  Huttoo,  hence  the  vegetation  is 
highly  diversified.  Including  Ferns  and  a  few  other  vascular  cryptogams, 
the  total  number  of  species  is  estimated  at  about  1500.  The  work,  which 
is  well  advanced,  is  to  be  illustrated  by  200  figures  in  the  text,  all 
uniformly  half  natural  size,  reduced  from  drawings,  by  Miss  M.  Smith, 
of  natural  size.  Sir  Henry  has  presented  the  first  portion  of  the  original 
drawings  to  Kew.” 
-  Leeds  Show. — From  every  point  of  view,  excepting  the  financial 
one,  the  Leeds  Flower  Show  was  a  success.  The  exhibits  were  worthy 
of  the  highest  encomiums,  and  during  the  whole  three  days  the  weather 
was  everything  that  could  be  desired,  yet  the  Leeds  citizens,  by  their 
lukewarm  support,  have  again,  it  is  to  be  feared,  lost  a  fine  opportunity 
to  establish  a  yearly  show  worthy  of  the  city.  A  meagre  attendance, 
ending  in  the  loss  of  about  £150  to  the  Committee,  was  the  result,  after 
a  plucky  stand  to  avert  defeat.  The  fact  is  the  more  to  be  deplored  when 
we  find  the  support  given  to  smaller  and  less  important  suburban  shows 
by  Leeds  people,  who  take  it  as  a  pleasure  to  run  a  considerable  distance 
from  home  on  those  occasions,  whilst  they  leave  their  own  Show  to  its 
fate.  In  our  report  of  the  Show  last  week  we  omitted  to  mention  a  fine 
form  of  Oncidium  macranthum  Townsendi  in  the  first  prize  collection  of 
Orchids  exhibited  by  Mr.  Townsend,  gardener  to  Beckett  Fabers,  Esq., 
Harrogate.  In  the  first  instance  the  plant  was  bought  for  25s.  Orchid 
fanciers  present  at  the  Show  were  much  impressed  by  the  decided  colours 
and  distinct  markings  of  the  flower,  and  the  exhibitor  refused  a  40  guinea 
offer  for  the  plant. 
-  A  Couple  of  Errors. — I  always  ask  for  the  correction  of  a 
printer’s  error  with  great  diffidence.  Handwriting  is  in  these  days  of 
hurry  and  high  pressure  often  quaint,  and  sometimes  illegible.  I  hope 
the  printers  are  in  such  case  philosophers,  and  bear  the  burthens  thus 
placed  upon  their  understanding  with  equanimity.  Now  I  notice  in  last 
week’s  issue  of  the  Journal  I  am  made  to  say,  in  reference  to  the  foliage 
of  Hedysarum  multijugnm,  that  it  resembled  that  of  the  “  Dianthus.” 
That  comparison  must  have  rather  puzzled  some  readers.  I  wrote,  or 
shall  I  say  professed  to  write,  “Clianthus,”  which  explains  my  meaning. 
Then  in  reference  to  the  American  hand  hoe  or  plough,  I  am  made  to 
refer  to  a  circular  “barrow.”  I  meant  to  write  “harrow.”  Perhaps 
everyone  may  not  be  familiar  with  those  rotary  implements.  When 
a  couple  of,  say,  3  feet  diameter  are  fixed  side  by  side  in  a  framework 
which  is  pulled  by  a  horse  over  a  roughly  harrowed  surface  of  ground, 
the  effect  is,  as  these  round  harrows  rotate,  to  create  a  fine  surface,  and  to 
draw  weeds  well  out  of  the  soil.  My  idea  was  that  a  small  one  of  from 
1 5  to  18  inches  in  diameter,  whirling  round  and  round  as  drawn  through 
tows  of  plants  or  trees,  would  clean  soil  rapidly  and  effectually. — A.  D. 
-  Wolverhampton  Horticultural  Club. — The  monthly 
meeting  of  this  enterprising  society  was  held  on  the  28th  ult.,  when  a 
fairly  large  attendance,  with  Mr.  E.  Simpson  in  the  chair,  listened  to  a 
lecture  by  Mr.  W.  Gardener,  Harborne,  Birmingham,  on  the  genus 
“Paeony,”  which  was  illustrated  by  a  beautiful  assortment  of  cut 
blooms,  kindly  supplied  by  Messrs.  Kelway  &  Sons,  Langport,  Somerset. 
A  vote  of  thanks  was  accorded  to  the  essayist  for  his  information. 
-  June  Weather  at  Driffield. — Mean  temperature  at  9  a.m. 
(corrected),  57’6° ;  wet  bulb,  53’7°.  Mean  maximum,  63’36° ;  mean 
minimum,  47’03°.  Highest,  73-5°  on  the  29th  ;  lowest,  33’6°  on  the  1st. 
Mean  of  maxima  and  minima,  55’19°.  Mean  radiation  temperature  on 
the  grass,  45’37°  ;  lowest,  32°  on  the  1st.  Rainfall,  2’44  inches.  Number 
of  rainy  days,  eleven.  Greatest  amount  on  one  day,  0’61  inches  on  21st. 
— W.  E.  Lovell,  Observer,  York  Road,  Driffield. 
-  Sussex  Rainfall. — The  total  rainfall  at  Stonehurst,  Ardingly, 
for  the  past  month  was  2*50  inches,  being  0’70  inch  above  the  average. 
The  total  for  the  six  months  is  10  80  inches,  which  is  1’36  inch  short  of 
the  average.  The  heaviest  fall  was  0  66  inch  on  the  24th.  Rain  fell  on 
thirteen  days.  The  maximum  temperature  was  78°  on  the  19th,  22nd, 
and  29th,  the  minimum  41°  on  the  3rd.  Mean  maximum,  68-2°  ;  mean 
minimum,  49’15°.  Mean  temperature,  58’67° ;  1’10°  below  the  average. 
— R.  I. 
-  Dutch  Horticultural  and  Botanical  Society.  — 
Floral  Committee. — At  a  meeting  on  June  8th  the  Floral  Committee 
awarded  first-class  certificates  to  Messrs.  E.  H.  Ivrelage  &  Son,  of 
Haarlem,  for  Acalypha  Sanderi  ;  to  Messrs.  J.  H.  Kersten  &  Co.,  of 
Heemstede,  for  Anemone  coronaria  fl.-pl.  White  Lady  ;  to  Mr.  J.  H. 
Schober,  of  Putten,  for  Epidendrum  purpureum  ;  and  to  Mr.  J.  C.  de 
Lange,  of  Rotterdam,  for  Lilium  rubellum.  Certificates  of  merit  to 
Messrs.  E.  H.  Ivrelage  &  Son,  of  Haarlem,  for  Brodisea  Howelli  lilacina  ; 
and  to  Mr.  H.  D.  Willink  van  Collen,  of  Breukelen,  for  Lupinus  nut- 
kaensis.  Botanical  certificates  to  Messrs.  E.  H.  Krelage  &  Son,  of 
Haarlem,  for  Calochortus  Maweanus  major,  Iris  nigricans,  Ivniphofia 
Tucki,  and  Tulipa  Sprengeri  ;  and  to  Mr.  W.  C.  Baron  van  Boetzelaer, 
of  Maartensdijk,  for  Masdevallia  rosea  and  M.  Ephippium.  A  gold 
medal  to  Messrs.  E.  H.  Krelage  &  Son,  of  Haarlem,  for  a  collection  cut 
flowers  from  bulbous  and  tuberous  plants. 
-  Trips  to  the  Continent. — Under  the  title  of  “Tourists’ 
Guide  to  the  Continent,”  and  published  by  authority  of  the  Great 
Eastern  Railway  Company,  Mr.  Percy  Lindley  has  provided  some  sound 
information  in  an  easily  digested  form.  It  is  such  knowledge  as  is  here 
imparted  that  allows  the  traveller  to  enjoy  a  visit  to  the  Continent,  for 
notes  on  every  phase  of  travelling,  such  as  hotels,  roads,  places  to  see 
and  how  to  reach  them,  are  given.  Mr.  Lindley  has  edited  many  books 
of  this  character,  but  none  has  been  more  useful  than  this,  which  com¬ 
prises  upwards  of  1 50  pages,  and  is  profusely  illustrated  with  photographic 
illustrations  and  maps.  The  price  of  the  book  is  6d.  only,  and  it  may 
be  procured  from  the  publishing  office,  30,  Fleet  Street,  London,  or  from 
the  continental  department,  Great  Eastern  Railway,  Liverpool  Street 
Station. 
-  Emigrants’  Information. — The  July  circulars  of  the 
Emigrants’  Information  Office  and  the  annual  editions  of  the  penny 
Handbooks  show  the  present  prospects  of  emigration.  There  is  a  good 
opening  for  experienced  farm  hands  in  Canada  at  this  season  of  the  year. 
There  is  no  great  demand  for  more  labour  at  the  present  time  in  New 
South  Wales  ;  the  total  acreage  under  cultivation  this  year  is  considerably 
more  than  it  was  in  1897.  In  Victoria  there  is  no  general  demand  for 
more  labour,  but  there  are  excellent  openings  for  men  who  understand 
fruit  growing.  As  regards  Queensland,  reports  from  Brisbane,  Mary¬ 
borough,  Bundaberg,  Mackay,  and  other  parts  show  that  there  is  a  good 
demand  for  farm  labourers  in  sugar  districts  during  the  crushing  season, 
but  it  must  be  remembered  that  this  only  lasts  from  June  to  December. 
In  Western  Australia,  Tasmania,  and  New  Zealand  the  local  supply  of 
labour  seems  to  be  sufficient.  For  experienced  farmers  with  capital,  and 
for  skilled  mechanics  with  sufficient  money  to  keep  them  for  a  time,  and 
for  domestic  servants  there  are  excellent  openings  in  the  latter  colony. 
In  Cape  Colony  the  protracted  droughts  have  at  length  broken  up,  and 
the  scourge  of  rinderpest  has  been  to  a  considerable  extent  held  in  check. 
Prospects  therefore  are  generally  improving,  and  marked  progress  has 
been  made  in  developing  the  important  industry  of  fruit  growing. 
Speaking  generally,  however,  there  is  at  the  present  time  no  demand  for 
anyone  in  the  Colony  except  in  some  parts  for  thoroughly  skilled 
mechanics  ;  inexperienced  hands  will  find  great  difficulty  in  getting  work. 
In  Natal  there  is  very  little  demand  for  more  mechanics,  and  coloured 
labour  is  almost  exclusively  employed  on  farms. 
