494 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  29,  18£i. 
Weather  in  London. — The  weather  in  London  during  the  Christ¬ 
mas  holidays  has  met  with  the  approval  of  almost  everyone.  On  Thurs¬ 
day,  Friday,  and  Saturday  mornings  there  was  a  sharp  white  frost,  but 
the  afternoon  of  the  latter  day  brought  a  change  to  milder  weather. 
Christmas  was  bright  and  mild,  with  very  slight  rain  during  the 
evening  and  the  early  hours  of  Monday  morning,  which  day  was  dull  but 
mild.  Tuesday  was  wet,  and  Wednesday  bright  and  rather  cold. 
-  Weather  in  the  North. — There  has  been  rain  everyday  or 
night  during  the  past  week  ;  very  frequently  boisterous  winds,  chiefly 
from  the  west,  and  but  few  gleams  of  watery  sunshine.  Christmas  day 
was  showery  and  cold,  especially  in  the  latter  part.  The  two  following 
ni/“ts  were  very  windy  and  wet,  and  Tuesday  morning,  with  a  very  low 
barometer,  showed  no  sign  of  change. —  B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
-  J ASMINUM  nudiflorum. — The  present  mild  weather  prevailing 
suits  the  expansion  of  the  pretty  yellow  flowers  of  the  winter-flowering 
Jasmine.  T  his  climber,  which  is  well  adapted  for  ornamenting  walls  and 
fences,  blooms  on  the  leafless  shoots  produced  the  previous  summer.  In 
trimming  up  climbing  plants,  the  long  shoots  of  the  Jasmine  ought  to  be 
preserved,  as  they  invariably  bloom  the  entire  length.  Sometimes  it  forms 
a  boundary  hedge,  and  is  rather  ruthlessly  shortened  back,  but  even  on 
the  few  inches  of  stem  left,  flowers  open  and  stud'  the  fence  with  yellow 
stars.  All  through  the  mild  open  weather  of  winter  the  plant  is  attrac¬ 
tive. — E. 
-  Kew  Seeds.  —  The  list  of  seeds  for  distribution  from  the 
Royal  Gardens,  Kew,  is  a  most  extensive  one,  and  will  be  of  value  to 
many  Kew  correspondents.  The  introductory  note  says,  “  The  following 
is  a  list  of  seeds  of  hardy  herbaceous  annual  and  perennial  plants,  and 
of  hardy  trees  and  shrubs,  which  for  the  most  part  have  ripened  at  Kew 
during  the  year  1898.  These  seeds  are  not  sold  to  the  general  public, 
but  are  available  for  exchange  with  Colonial,  Indian,  and  foreign  botanic 
gardens,  as  well  as  with  regular  correspondents  of  Kew.  No  application, 
except  from  remote  Colonial  possessions,  can  be  entertained  after  the  end 
of  March.” 
-  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund. — A  meeting  was  held 
on  Tuesday,  Wm.  Marshall,  Esq,  in  the  chair.  After  the  usual  routine 
the  Secretary  announced  the  receipt  of  the  following  special  donations  : — 
Altrincham  Gardeners  Society,  £15  10s.;  Scottish  Horticultural  Associa¬ 
tion,  £15  ;  Canterbury  Hospital  and  Charities  Fete,  £5  ;  H.  Herbst,  Esq., 
Richmond,  proceeds  of  box,  £5  ;  Chislehurst  Gardeners’  Society,  £3  14s.  ; 
Penshurst  Gardeners’  Society,  £3  3s.  ;  Mr.  Selway,  Betteshanger, 
£2  10s.  ;  and  several  others  of  smaller  amounts.  The  nomination  forms 
were  received,  there  being  nineteen  applications,  who  were  found  eligible, 
and  put  on  the  list.  The  election  of  officers  for  the  ensuing  year  was 
proceeded  with,  there  being  four  retiring  members,  whose  places  have  to 
be  filled.  The  Secretary,  Mr.  Barron,  announced  that  he  would  not  seek 
re-election  on  this  occasion,  on  account  of  the  unsatisfactory  state  of  his 
health.  The  Committee  expressed  much  regret  at  the  loss  of  Mr. 
Barron’s  services,  and  appointed  a  sub-Committee  to  make  arrangements 
for  the  appointment  of  a  new  Secretary. 
-  Catalogue  of  the  Lindley  Library. — This  much-needed 
work  is  completed,  and  can  be  obtained  post  free  from  the  Royal  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society  for  2s.  6d.  It  consists  of  160  closely,  yet  clearly,  printed 
pages.  As  stated  in  the  preface,  a  portion  of  the  profits  resulting  from 
the  great  horticultural  exhibition  in  1866  were  devoted  to  the  purchase 
of  the  library  of  the  late  Dr.  Lindley,  which  was  handed  over  by  the 
Exhibition  Committee  to  a  body  of  Trustees  for  the  benefit  of  the  Fellows 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  and  other  persons.  By  the  terms  of 
the  Trust  Deed  it  was  arranged  that  the  library  should  not  be  alienated 
from  the  Society  so  long  as  its  headquarters  remain  in  or  near  the  metro¬ 
polis,  and  the  numerous  books  are  now  arranged  in  the  large  room  of 
the  Society  at  117,  Victoria  Street,  Westminster.  The  present  Trustees 
of  the  Lindley  Library  are,  as  stated  in  the  catalogue,  William  Carruthei^, 
F.R.S. ;  Phillip  Crowley,  Treasurer  R.H.S.  ;  Maxwell  T.  Masters,  F.R.S., 
Secretary  to  the  Botanical  Congress  of  1866  ;  John  T.  Bennett-Poe,  M.A., 
H.  J.  \  eitch,  F.L.S.,  and  the  Rev.  W.  Wilks,  M.  A.,  Secretaryjto  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society. 
-  Gardening  Appointment. — Mr.  u  arnes  Fulton,  late  gardener 
at  Glenstal  Castle,  Limerick,  has  been  appointed  head  gardener  to  W.  S- 
Gilbert,  Esq.,  Grims  Dyke,  Harrow  Weald,  Middlesex. 
-  Crathsgus  pyracantha.  —  There  are  few  people  who  see 
this  evergreen  plant  adorning  the  walls  of  villas,  cottages,  or  mansions 
who  do  not  admire  its  beautiful  bunches  of  handsome  scarlet  berries.  At 
this  season  of  the  year  they  are  peculiarly  attractive,  because  of  the  lack 
of  bright  colours  from  flowering  plants  and  the  general  dullness  of  the 
weather. — S. 
-  The  Dees  Public  Park,  Wallsend. — The  interesting  cere¬ 
mony  of  cutting  the  first  sod  of  the  park  presented  to  Wallsend  by 
R.  R.  Dees,  Esq.,  was  performed  by  G.  B.  Hunter,  Esq.,  on  Friday  after¬ 
noon,  the  23rd  inst.,  in  the  presence  of  a  representative  gathering.  Mr. 
J.  O’Hanlon,  Chairman  of  the  Urban  District  Council,  introduced  Mr- 
Hunter,  who  proceeded  vigorously  to  his  task,  after  which  an  adjourn¬ 
ment  was  made  for  tea  and  speeches.  The  work  of  lavdng  out  the  park 
from  plans  submitted  by  Messrs.  J.  Cheal  &  Sons  is  entrusted  to  Mr. 
A,  E.  Raisbeck,  late  head  gardener,  Benton  Hall,  Newcastle-on-Tyne, 
who  has  been  appointed  Superintendent. — South  Northumbrian. 
-  Veltha. — If  Messrs.  Wood  &  Sons  substantiate  their  claims 
as  set  forth  in  an  imposing  prospectus  that  the  product  under  the  above 
name  will  destroy  every  form  of  fungoid  disease,  including  resting  spores, 
also  increase  the  yield  of  Wheat  and  impart  healthfulness  to  various 
plants,  they  will  be  entitled  to  a  prominent  place  in  the  list  of  public 
benefactors.  We  do  not  for  a  moment  suggest  that  the  article  may 
not  be  both  a  fungicide  and  fertiliser,  as  we  know  that  more  than  one 
application  combines,  to  some  degree,  properties  of  destructiveness  and 
productiveness  in  the  direction  indicated.  We  shall  only  be  too  glad  if 
in  extended  trials  Veltha  is  found  to  possess  a  maximum  of  potency  as  a 
supporter  of  plants  and  crops  and  an  annihilator  of  their  fungoid  enemies. 
-  Trapping  Bullfinches. — On  page  437  “  C.  W.”  asks  for 
information  on  trapping  bullfinches.  As  I  have  so  often  advised  catching 
them  instead  of  shooting  them  and  damaging  trees,  I  will  gladly  give 
any  information  in  the  Journal.  I  may  first  say  that  it  is  far  better  to 
illustrate  the  process  with  a  bird  and  cage  than  describe  it  on  paper.  I 
have  carried  my  cage  and  bird  for  this  purpose  scores,  if  not  hundreds,  of 
miles  in  Warwickshire  to  show  the  villagers  at  my  lectures  on  horti¬ 
cultural  subjects  how  to  carry  it  out  and  make  their  own  traps.  I  am  well 
aware  that  some  may  object  to  such  advice,  but  I  am  prepared  to  argue 
the  matter.  The  trap-cage  I  use  is  made  on  a  different  principle  from 
any  I  have  seen.  Instead  of  the  trap  part  being  on  the  top  it  is  in  front  of  the 
call-bird.  And  there  are  several  advantages  in  this.  Then  instead 
of  being  painted  red  or  stained  it  is  painted  green.  The  treadle  is  also  a 
common  stick  instead  of  a  small  board.  In  front  of  the  cage  a  common 
bough  is  fixed,  on  which  a  bird  first  alights,  and,  seeing  no 
danger  ahead,  and  plenty  of  natural  food  inside  the  cage — berries  of 
various  kinds,  dock  seed,  or  lettuce,  in  it  goes,  and  the  lid  closes  down. 
I  have  caught  over  fifty  this  last  autumn  in  the  same  spot,  and  many 
hundreds  />  tore.  I  have  not  time  to  devote  now  to  luller  details. — 
JAMES  Hiam,  j  ecturer  to  the  Warwickshire  County  Council. 
-  Making  a  Peach  Border. — I  should  very  much  like  to  have 
criticisms  of  practical  Peach  growers  on  the  following.  Very  recently  a 
rather  young  gardener  who  is  about  to  plant  a  Peach  house  submitted 
to  me  the  following  recipe  for  compost,  with  a  request  for  my  opinion 
as  to  its  suitability.  I  gave  it  freely  and  not  approvingly.  But  what 
I  advised  is  beside  the  question  now,  as  I  ask  for  other  opinions,  and  at 
this  dull  time  of  the  year  the  very  important  subject  of  making  borders 
for  Peach  and  Nectarine  trees  in  houses  may  well  merit  notice.  The 
recipe  was  as  follows — ten  loads  of  turfy  loam,  one  ditto  of  fresh  horse 
droppings,  one  ’ditto  of  wood  ashes,  two  ditto  of  old  mortar  rubbish, 
one  of  broken  charcoal,  and  one  of  a  Vine  manure  made  of  bone 
shavings,  hoof  parings,  and  similar  not  readily  soluble  matter.  I 
thought  the  recipe  one  of  great  elaboration,  and  that  the  gardener  in 
question  was  too  anxious  to  secure  great  results  too  soon.  However, 
what  my  estimate  of  the  recipe  was  I  leave  with  the  Editor,  not  for 
publication,  that  he  may  be  able  to  judge  for  himself  after  he  has  learnt 
from  capable  correspondents  what  theirs  are.  Of  course  he  is  quite 
capable  of  judging  for  himself  without  such  opinions,  but  it  is  the  diverse 
opinions  of  others  one  wishes  to  elicit.  Specially  is  it  desirable  to  have 
expressed  statements  as  to  just  what  materials  have  been  found  pro¬ 
ductive  of  the  best  results  by  gardeners.  It  may  be  found  that  success 
in  Peach  production  has  resulted  with  very  diverse  materials,  Apert- 
from  these,  it  is  important  that  the  consistency,  or  otherwise,  of  Pen 
borders  should  be  dealt  with. — A.  D 
