July  6,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
7 
Recent  Weather  in  London. — The  storms  of  last  week  brought 
welcome  rains,  which  must  have  done  good  to  vegetation.  There  was, 
too,  some  rain  on  Sunday  evening  and  Monday  ;  but  on  Tuesday,  though 
dull,  there  were  only  one  or  two  light  showers.  Wednesday  opened 
bright,  and  very  warm. 
-  Royal  Horticultural  Society— Hybrid  Conference, 
Chiswick,  July  11th. — The  ordinary  Committees  will  meet  at 
Chiswick  at  twelve  punctually,  and  plants,  &c„  for  certificate  will  be 
placed  before  them  as  at  the  usual  meeting  in  the  Drill  Hall  ;  but 
with  the  exception  of  plants,  &c.,  for  certificate,  and  hybrids  and  their 
parents,  no  other  plants,  &e.,  may  be  exhibited  on  this  day. 
-  An  al  Fresco  Representation  of  Shakespeare’s 
Plays  in  Dublin.— On  the  17th,  18th,  and  19th  of  July,  a  rather 
unique  performance  will  be  submitted  for  criticism  in  the  shape  of 
al  fresco  representation  of  Shakespeare’s  plays,  an  unusual  feature  in 
Dublin.  Lord  Iveagh  has  kindly  lent  his  magnificent  gardens  in  Stephen’s 
■Green  to  the  Committee  of  “The  Police-aided  Children's  Clothing 
Society,”  who  have  made  arrangements  with  Mr.  F.  R.  Benson  and  his 
talented  company,  who  intend  to  produce  ‘  Twelfth  Night”  and  “As You 
Like  It.’  The  surroundings  are  simply  perfection,  whilst  the  impersona¬ 
tion  of  Rosalind  by  Mrs.  F.  R.  Benson,  one  of  her  most  characteristic 
■creations,  will  give  a  fillip  to  this  novel  attraction. — A.  O’Neill. 
-  Late  Broccoli.— Replying  to  “  A.  D.”  (page  530,  last  vol.) 
1  may  say  that  Dickson’s  June  King  was  put  in  commerce  two  or 
three  years  ago.  It  is  quite  distinct  from  and  later  than  Methven's 
June  and  Ledsham’s  Late  White,  both  of  which  I  have  grown  many 
years.  I  mentioned  in  a  former  note  that  June  King  is  distinct  from 
and  later  than  the  other  varieties  named  by  “  A.  D.”  Perhaps  large 
pots  are  not  so  common  in  South  Yorkshire  as  they  are  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  London  ;  a  10- inch  head  would  be  little  more  of  a 
“pot-burster”  than  the  9-inch  head  mentioned  by  ‘  A.  D.”  in  the 
Jourml  of  Horticulture  of  June  loth.  It  sometimes  happens  where 
large  quantities  of  Broccoli  (and  other  vegetables  too)  are  grown  for 
private  establishments  that  all  cannot  be  consumed  while  of  small  or 
medium  size,  consequently  some  are  left  until  they  attain  to  a  “pot¬ 
bursting”  size.  These  are  found  to  be  an  advantage  (if  of  good 
quality,  as  those  in  question  were)  over  small  ones  where  a  large 
number  of  servants  has  to  be  provided  for.  The  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  would  do  good  service  in  making  a  trial  of  late  Broccoli  at 
Chiswick  and  publishing  the  results.— South  Yorks. 
-  Strawberries. — Although  Strawberries  have  been  apparently 
plentiful  in  the  market,  yet  i>  it  generally  held  that  the  season  will  be 
a  brief  one,  as  the  crop  is  only  moderate  in  quantity’.  Looking  over  the 
beds  in  the  R.H.S.  gardens  at  Chiswick  I  could  but  note  the  paucity  of 
fruit,  although  the  plants  were  looking  so  well  and  all  hail  been  admirably 
mulched.  The  finest  of  all  was  the  Countess,  undoubtedly  one  of  the  best 
flavoured  of  varieties,  well  known  in  commerce,  and  not  a  large-leaved 
variety  either.  Many  others  had  very  few  fruits,  especially  the  yearling 
plants,  yet  they  were  very  strong.  Possibly,  because  so  comparatively 
fruitless  they  have  developed  all  the  stronger  leaf  growth.  Market 
growers.  I  find,  ascribe  the  cause  of  this  partial  barrenness  to  the  long 
drought  of  last  summer  and  autumn,  which  was  so  deterrent  in  fruit 
crown  production.  Plants  layered  into  pots  and  kept  well  watered  do  not 
feel  drought  effects  in  this  way,  but  those  in  the  open  ground  do,  and 
they  seem,  so  far,  to  have  suffered,  that  whilst  bloom  was  thin  this  spring, 
it  also  seemed  greatly  to  lack  stamina.  No  wonder,  then,  with  such  a 
spell  of  cold,  and  especially  of  late,  sharp  frosts,  in  the  spring,  a  finishing 
touch  was  given  to  so  much  of  this  bloom  that  thousands  of  plants  have 
not  had  a  fruit  on  them.  What  a  boon  would  it  have  been  to  Strawberry 
growers  could  they  have  given  their  breadths,  small  or  large,  two  or 
three  floodings  of  town  sewage,  although  that  would  not  have  enabled 
the  bloom  to  escape  harm  from  the  spring  frosts.  It  is  one  of  the  features 
of  Strawberry  growing  that  crop  failures  are  relatively  few.  It  is  easy 
to  advise  planting  only  in  moist  alluvial  bottoms  to  secure  good  root 
action  in  dry  weather,  but  no  place  forms  a  greater  frost  trap  in  the 
spring.  We  want  to  be  able  to  irrigate  our  Strawberries  occasionally  in 
the  autumn,  and  that  we  cannot  do. — OBSERVER. 
-  Band  at  Blackrock.  —  One  of  the  pleasing  features  that 
has  sprung  up  in  recent  years — namely,  military  bands  playing  in  our 
Dublin  city  and  suburban  parka,  has  become  quite  popular,  and  should, 
in  the  natural  course  of  events,  give  a  leaning  towards  love  of  the 
beauties  of  Nature  in  the  domain  of  horticulture.  On  a  recent  Saturday 
evening  the  band  cf  the  Rifle  Brigade  discoursed  pleasingly  from  four  to 
six  o’clock,  and  any  pas9er-by  could  easily  notice  by  the  well-filled 
electric  cars  and  cyclists,  both  male  and  female,  its  fascination. — A.  O  N. 
-  Calceolarias  at  Anningsley  Park.— A  particularly  fine 
strain  of  Calceolarias  was  noted  recently  at  Anningsley  Park,  near 
Chertsey,  the  colouring  being  rich  and  varied,  whi.e  the  individual 
blooms  were  exceptionally  large.  No  special  shade  predominated,  but 
seifs  and  spotted  flowers  were  found  in  all  the  many  hues  for  which  this 
greenhouse  plant  is  esteemed.  The  excellent  condition  of  plants  con¬ 
tributed  in  no  small  measure  to  the  fine  size  of  the  blossoms,  but  most 
cultivators  know  that  in  the  case  of  florists’  flowers  much  also  depends 
upon  the  stock  of  seeds.  In  this  case  it  is  the  result  of  some  years  of 
careful  crossing  by  the  gardener,  Mr.  Tomliu,  whose  culture  differs  in 
one  item  from  that  mostly’  followed — namely,  small  pots  are  used.  Quite 
handsome  specimens  were  growing  in  those  of  7-inch  diameter. — H.  S. 
-  Fertilisation  by  Insects. — We  were  privileged  a  week 
ago  to  listen  to  a  lecture  on  the  above  subject  in  the  large  vinery  at 
Chiswick,  by  the  Rev.  Professor  Henslow.  In  addition  to  the  students 
in  the  gardens  a  considerable  number  of  persons  who  have  attended 
classes  on  horticulture  at  Wimbledon  were  present.  For  an  hour  the 
attention  of  the  audience  was  riveted,  so  to  say,  by  the  masterly  dis¬ 
course,  in  which  much  was  made  plain  that  was  hitherto  obscure  to  the 
majority,  and  practical  lessons  were  readily  deducible  from  the  scientific 
facts  so  lucidly  pourtrayed.  That  scientific  knowledge  should  form  the 
basis  of  practical  gardening  is  beirg  more  and  rrore  recognised,  and 
Professor  Henslow,  by  his  untiring  efforts  and  gift  of  attractive  and 
convincing  exposition,  is  doing  excellent  work  in  the  direction  indicated. 
The  lecture  was  highly  appreciated,  and  a  vote  of  thanks  for  it  conveyed 
amidst  ringing  cheers.  The  Professor  lectures  again  in  the  great  vinery 
on  the  evening  of  the  19th  inst. 
-  High-class  Vegetables. — If  anyone  had  any  doubts  as  to 
the  exhibition  attractions  furnished  by  vegetables,  they  would  have  had 
them  entirely  removed  on  seeing  the  splendid  collection  of  fifty-three 
dishes  which  Mr.  Beckett,  of  Elstree,  set  up  at  the  Drill  Hall  on 
June  13th  in  honour  of  the  Sherwood  cup.  Whilst  the  individual  samples 
and  the  entire  collection  constituted  a  triumph  in  culture,  the  whole  also 
made  a  superb  picture,  for  if  there  be  art  in  effectively  grouping  vegetables, 
there  are  the  elements  of  art,  and  o"  true  art,  seen  in  their  forms  and 
colours.  It  is  true  we  see  habitually  plenty  of  fine  products  at  flower 
shows  in  much  lesser  quantities,  and  beautifully  arranged,  but  Mr. 
Beckett’s  collection  was  so  large,  yet  in  every  case  so  good,  that  for  the 
time  of  year  it  has  never  been  equalled.  It  seems  a  pity  that  at  least  one 
field-day  cannot  be  set  apart  at  the  Drill  Hall  for  vegetables  some  time 
during  the  year.  A  score  of  various  sized  collections  by  our  leading 
growers  would  make  a  fine  display. — A.  D. 
-  Echium  Wildpreti. — Of  new  plants  recently  flowered  at 
Ivew  this  is  certainly  one  of  the  best  from  a  garden  point  of  view.  It 
was  received  from  Mr.  Wildpret  in  the  first  place  as  a  variety  of 
E.  candicans,  but  on  flowering  it  was  found  to  be  quite  distinct  from 
that  species,  and  was  named  after  the  donor.  Although  only  recently 
named,  it  flowered  for  the  first  time  two  years  ago,  the  plant  being 
very  small  and  not  fully  developed  ;  seeds  were,  however,  saved,  and 
resulted  in  a  stock  of  some  thirty  or  more  plants  now  flowering  in  the 
temperate  house.  It  is  a  biennial  species,  taking  about  eighteen  months 
to  flower  from  the  time  the  seed  is  sown.  When  not  in  flower  it  is  a 
striking-looking  plant,  the  long  narrow  leaves  being  covered  with  whitish 
hairs,  and  produced  in  a  dense  rosette.  When  about  sixteen  months  old 
the  stem  begins  to  elongate,  continuing  to  grow  until  it  is  2  or  2^  feet 
high.  On  the  upper  9  inches  of  this,  the  flowers — which  are  light  red, 
and  three-quarters  of  an  inch  across — are  produced  in  a  dense  cylindrical 
head.  Seeds  are  produced  freely,  which  if  sown  in  light  sandy  soil 
quickly  germinate.  The  young  plants  should  be  kept  growing,  without  a 
check,  until  mature.  A  compost  of  loam,  leaf  mould,  and  sand,  with  a 
little  rotten  manure,  is  suitable  for  them.  For  the  last  potting  6-inch 
pots  should  be  used.  The  plants  should  be  grown  cool  and  kept  on  the 
dry  side  during  winter,  feeding  liberally  when  the  flower  stems  begin  to 
push.  They  should  on  no  account  be  fumigated,  the  foliage  being 
damaged  very  quickly.  It  is  a  native  of  Tenenffe,  and  is  to  be  figured 
shortly  in  the  “  Botanical  Magazine.” — W.  D. 
