358 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
November  10  1898. 
Events  of  the  Week. — During  the  coming  week  scores  of  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  Shows  will  be  held,  and  thousands  of  people  will  be  gladdened 
by  the  sight  of  grand  displays  of  the  autumn  queen.  On  page  366  a  few 
of  the  principal  fixtures  are  noted. 
-  Weather  in  London. — After  sending  our  pages  to  press  on 
the  2nd  inst.  there  was  a  downpour  of  rain  that  continued  throughout  the 
afternoon  and  evening,  and  on  Thursday  morning.  From  Friday  to 
Monday  it  was  fine,  with  bright  and  dull  intervals,  and  cold  winds  at 
night  and  in  the  mornings.  Tuesday  and  Wednesday  morning  were  dull. 
-  Royal  Horticultural  Society.— Dates  of  meetings  in 
1899:  January  10th  and  31st,  February  14th  and  28th,  March  14th  and 
28th,  April  18th,  May  2nd  and  16th  ;  Temple  Show,  May  31st  and 
June  1st  and  2nd  ;  June  13th  and  27th,  July  11th  and  25th,  August  15th 
and  29th,  September  12th  and  26th  ;  Crystal  Palace  Fruit  Show,  Sep¬ 
tember  28th,  29th,  and  30th  ;  October  10th  and  24th,  November  7th  and 
21st,  December  5th  and  19th  ;  January  9th  and  23rd,  1900. 
-  Royal  Meteorological  Society.— At  the  ordinary  meeting 
of  the  Society,  to  be  held  at  the  Institution  of  Civil  Engineers,  Great 
George  Street,  Westminster,  on  Wednesday,  the  16th  inst.,  at  7.30  P.M., 
the  following  papers  will  be  read  : — “Report  on  Experiments  upon  the 
Exposure  of  Anemometers  at  Different  Elevations,”  by  the  Wind  Force 
Committee  ;  “  Comparisons  of  Estimated  Wind  Force  with  that  given  by 
Anemometers,”  by  Captain  D.  Wilson-Barker,  F.R.S.E.,  F.R.Met.Soc. ; 
“  The  Tornado  at  Camberwell,  October  29th,  1898,”  by  William  Marriott, 
F.R.Met.Soc. 
-  Woolton  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement  Society. — 
The  usual  meeting  of  this  Society  was  held  on  Thursday  evening  in  the 
Mechanics’  Institute,  Mr.  B.  Cromwell  presiding.  The  paper  of  the 
evening  was  on  the  “  Art  of  Dinner  Table  Decoration,”  the  lecturer  being 
Mr.  B.  Ashton,  gardener  to  the  Earl  of  Lathom,  K.G.,  who  considered  it 
one  of  the  most  important  features  of  a  first-class  gardener,  and  strong 
advice  was  given  to  under  gardeners  to  make  themselves  proficient  in  this 
department.  A  capital  discussion,  opened  by  the  Chairman,  was  continued 
by  Messrs.  T.  Carling,  J.  Ellis,  J.  Hogan,  R.  Todd,  R.  G.  Waterman,  and 
others.  A  vote  of  thanks  to  lecturer  and  chairman  closed  the  meeting. 
— R.  P.  R. 
-  The  Late  Mr.  H.  F.  Cowan.— It  may  interest  readers  to 
know  that  the  son  of  Mr.  T.  W.  Cowan,  alluded  to  in  the  current  issue 
of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  (Mr.  H.  F.  Cowan),  and  who  was  lost  in  the 
wreck  of  the  ill-fated  “Mohegan,”  was  a  few  years  ago  a  very  promising 
student  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens  at  Chiswick.  After 
having  served  two  years  he  went  to  Edinburgh  Botanic  Gardens,  where  he 
was  located  in  the  herbarium  under  Professor  Balfour  for  some  two  or  three 
years.  He  had,  however,  given  up  gardening  and  was  being  trained  by  the 
Church  Missionary  Society,  expecting  eventually  to  go  to  China  in  the 
capacity  of  a  missionary,  but  his  health  had  become  impaired  through  over¬ 
study  and  he  was  taking  a  trip  to  California  to  recruit  and  visit  his  brother 
who  is  already  there,  when  he  met  his  death,  the  6hip  running  on  the 
Manacles  Rock,  and  so  ended  a  life  which  had  given  great  promise. — 
T.  W.  T. 
-  Birmingham  Gardeners’  Association.— At  the  usual  fort¬ 
nightly  meeting  held  on  October  27th  Mr.  C.  Colebroke,  Birmingham, 
contributed  a  paper  entitled,  “  The  Grouping  of  Plants  for  Effect  at 
Exhibitions.”  Mr.  Walter  Jones  occupied  the  chair,  and  in  the  absence 
of  the  essayist  the  paper  was  read  by  Mr.  W.  Gardiner,  Librarian  to  the 
Society.  Exhibitors  were  strongly  advised  to  avoid  the  temptation  of 
overcrowding,  and  to  imitate  Nature  by  adopting  as  artistic  and  graceful 
a  style  as  possible.  Reference  was  also  made  to  the  splendid  groups  of 
Chrysanthemums  at  the  great  Jubilee  Exhibition  held  in  Bingley  Hall 
last  year.  In  the  ensuing  instructive  discussion,  in  which  several  of  the 
members  took  part,  there  was  a  consensus  of  opinion  that  in  almost  every 
respect  the  half-circular  form  of  group  is  preferable  to  the  circular,  and  also 
affords  a  readier  means  of  comparing  their  relative  merits.  At  the  next 
meeting  a  discussion,  to  be  opened  by  Mr.  W.  Spinks,  on  “  The  Exhibits 
at  the  Late  Chrysanthemum  Show  ”  will  take  place. 
-  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution. — We  are 
requested  to  state  that  the  Committee  of  the  above  Institution  have  been 
obliged  to  remove  their  offices  from  50,  Parliament  Street,  to  175, 
Victoria  Street,  S.W.,  where  all  communications  should  now  be 
addressed. 
-  Keele  Hall  Gardens.— We  understand  that  Mr.  J.  Wallis, 
who  has  long  and  creditably  occupied  the  position  of  head  gardener  at 
Keele  Hall,  has  arranged  to  relinquish  his  charge.  Mr.  Wallis  is  known 
as  a  successful  exhibitor  of  fruit,  and  his  services  as  a  judge  at  horticul¬ 
tural  shows  were  in  d.  mand  in  Staffordshire  and  surrounding  counties. 
-  The  Hessle  Gardeners’  Society.  —  At  a  well-attended 
meeting  of  the  above  Society,  held  on  November  1st,  Mr.  G.  Picker  of 
Hesslewood  read  a  paper  on  the  cultivation  of  bush  fruits.  The  essayist 
dealt  with  the  subject  in  an  exhaustive  manner,  dealing  with  the  soil, 
varieties,  diseases,  and  other  points.  There  was  a  capital  discussion,  in 
which  several  members  took  part. — J.  T.  B. 
-  Gishurstine. — The  inventor  of  this  valuable  preserver  of  boots 
and  preventer  of  colds  through  damp  feet  sends  us,  through  Price’s 
Patent  Candle  Company,  the  annual  sample  package  as  a  reminder  of 
coming  slush  with  its  attendant  inconveniences,  and  he  evidently  considers 
it  would  be  prudent  on  the  part  of  gardeners,  farmers,  gamekeepers,  and 
pedestrians  generally  to  lay  in  a  winter  stock  of  the  dubbing,  which 
remains  unsurpassed  for  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  compounded  by 
the  distinguished  amateur  gardener  and  originator  also  of  the  Gishurst 
compound  that  has  proved  so  serviceable  in  gardens  for  over  thirty  years. 
-  Commercial  Enterprise. — The  name  of  “Sell”  is,  so  to 
say,  a  household  word  in  the  commercial,  and  especially  the  advertising 
world.  Mr.  Henry  Sell  has  embarked  on  a  great  enterprise,  the 
establishment  of  a  large  weekly  penny  newspaper,  to  be  devoted  to  the 
furtherance  of  British  trade  at  home  and  abroad.  The  first  number  is 
before  us,  and  we  shall  be  surprised  if  the  circulation  of  Commercial 
Intelligence  does  not  increase  by  leaps  and  bounds  among  the  mercantile 
community.  Its  title  exactly  denotes  its  character.  The  columns  are 
not  filled  with  dry  tabulations,  but  with  important  information  in  read¬ 
able  form.  Its  policy  is  broadly  based,  as  may  be  seen  from  the 
following  citation  : — “  It  is  not  our  intention  to  indulge  in  lachrymose 
jeremiads  about  the  decline  and  fall  of  British  industry,  nor  in  jealous 
complaints  about  the  enterprise  and  energy  of  other  nations.  British 
commercial  supremacy  has  been  built  up,  and  must  be  maintained,  by 
more  robust  and  manly  methods.  We  recognise  the  awakening  of  the 
nations  to  the  rivalries  of  commerce  as  inevitable  ;  we  accept  their 
challenge,  and  welcome  the  struggle  with  foemen  worthy  of  our  steel. 
It  is  our  object  to  incite,  to  encourage,  to  assist  British  merchants  and 
manufactures,  so  that  by  world-wide  energy  and  enterprise  they  will 
maintain  their  proud  pre-eminence  in  the  face  of  all  competition.” 
That  is  entirely  the  right  spirit  to  cultivate.  It  is  not  those  who  sit 
still  and  grumble  over  competition  who  make  headway  in  these  days, 
but  those  who  meet  it  bravely.  There  is  always  room  at  the  top,  and 
hence  this  new  and  promising  medium  with  its  patriotic  motto,  “  Our 
country’s  welfare  is  our  first  concern.” 
-  Lonicera  Hildebrandiana.  —  This  large-flowered  Honey¬ 
suckle  was  discovered  in  Upper  Burma  in  1878  by  General  Sir  Henry 
Collett,  K.C.B.,  F.L.S.,  and  described  in  the  Journal  of  the  Linnean 
Society  (vol.  xxviii.,  page  664)  as  “  a  conspicuous  shrub,  with  large, 
dark,  glossy  leaves  and  fine  crimson  flowers  7  inches  long,  and  is  by  far 
the  largest  of  any  known  species  of  Honeysuckle.”  Seeds  of  it  were 
kindly  forwarded  to  Kew  in  1894  by  Mr.  A.  H.  Hildebrand,  O.I.E., 
Superintendent  and  Political  Officer  of  the  Southern  Shan  States,  after 
whom  the  plant  is  named,  and  plants  raised  from  them  were  liberally 
distributed.  It  proved  too  tender  for  cultivation  in  the  open  air  at  Kew  ; 
on  the  other  hand,  it  has  grown  vigorously  under  greenhouse  treatment, 
but  has  not  yet  flowered.  Mr.  F.  W.  Moore,  the  able  Keeper  of  the 
Royal  Botanic  Gardens,  Glasnevin,  has,  however,  been  more  successful, 
flowers  having  been  produced  there  in  August  last  on  a  plant  grown  in  a 
sunny  airy  position  in  a  greenhouse.  The  example  forwarded  to  Kew 
by  Mr.  Moore  bore  two-flowered  axillary  racemes,  with  flowers  6  inches 
long,  and  of  a  bright  golden  colour — not  crimson,  as  stated  in  the  note 
quoted  above.  Writing  from  Burma  in  April  last  year,  Mr.  Hildebrand 
said :  “  I  am  sorry  that  you  are  unable  to  flower  the  large  Honeysuckle  and 
Rose  (Rosa  gigantea).  The  former  is  a  sight  to  behold  just  now  in  my 
garden,  and  strikes  the  densest  in  horticultural  matters  with  astonish¬ 
ment.  It  is  a  mass  of  flowers,  white  when  they  open,  and  of  a  lovely 
gold  when  far  spent.  It  flowers  on  last  year’s  wood.  Water  at  the  roots 
is  what  both  Rose  and  Honeysuckle  require.”— (“Kew  Bulletin.”) 
