August  10,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
121 
Recent  W  eather  in  London. — Storms  have  been  frequent  in 
London  during  the  past  few  days,  and,  as  usual,  have  varied  consider¬ 
ably  in  severity.  On  Saturday,  Sunday,  and  Monday  there  were  showers, 
but  on  the  latter  day  especially  they  were  very  light.  Tuesday  opened 
dull  and  cooler,  but  was  brilliantly  fine  later.  At  the  time  of  going  to 
press  on  Wednesday  it  was  cloudy. 
-  Royal  Horticultural  Society.— The  next  Fruit  and  Floral 
meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  will  bo  held  on  Tuesday, 
August  15th,  in  the  Drill  Hall,  James  Street,  Westminster,  1  to  5  p.m. 
There  will  be  a  lecture  on  “Pruning,’'  by  Mr.  R.  P.  Brotherston,  at 
3  P.M. 
-  Hemerocallis  aurantiaca  major. — This  is  one  of  the  best 
forms  of  the  Day  Lily.  The  blooms  are  quite  5  inches  across,  shapply  in 
petal,  but  its  great  charm  is  its  colour,  an  exceptionally  rich  orange  yellow. 
The  growth  is  all  that  could  be  desired,  and  the  foliage  is  robust  and 
handsome.— S.  P. 
-  Cyperus. — The  humorous  dwellers  in  “  Erin’s  fair  Isle”  have 
long  been  distinguished  lor  their  natural  aptitude  in  “  mixing  ”  things 
generally  in  their  inimitable  wtiy.  It  is,  therefore,  all  the  more  interesting  to 
find  “  K.,”  of  Dublin,  putting  me  right  (page  99)  in  regard  to  the  Egyptian 
Papyrus.  I  wrote  from  memory,  which  it  seems  in  this  instance  played 
me  false.  Many  thanks,  genial  penman  across  the  Irish  Channel,  for 
your  pleasing  note. — H.  D. 
• 
-  Strawberry  Culture.— Keeping  up  the  excellent  idea  of 
“comparing  notes”  I  may  say  that  this  season  has  not  been  a  favour¬ 
able  one.  Royal  Sovereign,  Auguste  Nicaise,  and  Latest  of  All  constitute 
my  three  bed9,  which  are  moved  all  over  the  garden  like  other  crops, 
remaining  only  two  years  in  the  same  place.  The  runners  are  taken  as 
early  as  possible,  and  are  planted  out,  well  rooted,  in  August.  Some 
very  fine  fruits  are  obtained  the  first  year  after,  but  the  following  season 
gives  the  main  crop.  It  does  not  pay  to  allow  the  plants  to  remain 
another  year. — T.  W.  Beaton. 
-  Carnation  St.  Anne’s. — This  is  a  new  border  variety,  that 
has  emanated  from  the  Emerald  Isle,  and  of  which  Messrs.  W.  Watson 
and  Sons,  Clontarf,  send  us  a  number  of  flowers.  Lord  Ardilaun  s 
capable  gardener,  Mr.  A.  Campbell,  at  St.  Anne's  raised  the  variety,  and 
it  was  named  after  the  estate  by  the  direct  wish  of  Lady  Ardilaun.  The 
flowers  are  of  medium  size,  and  of  a  peculiar  heliotrope  shade,  and 
fortunately  are  sweetly  scented.  The  spikes  sent  prove  St.  Anne’s  to  be 
exceptionally  flcriferous — indeed,  a  little  more  disbudding  would  have 
resulted  in  considerably  larger  flowers.  The  calyx  does  not  appear 
prone  to  splitting.  As  it  is  of  a  colour  that  is  just  now  fashionable,  we 
think  the  variety  should  become  popular. 
-  Cut  Flowers  at  South  Park,  Reigate. — Although  this 
local  exhibition  is  chiefly  for  cottagers,  and  is  held  in  the  South  Park 
Schools,  yet  every  available  inch  of  space  is  filled,  and  the  exhibits  are 
not  excelled  of  their  kinds  at  any  similar  show  in  the  county  of  Surrey. 
But  there  are  four  classes  with  only  small  prizes  open  to  the  local  gentle¬ 
men’s  gardeners,  one  of  which  is  for  bunches  of  cut  flowers,  distinct. 
There  were  four  stands  of  twelve  each,  set  up  at  the  recent  show  on 
August  5th,  aDd  as  each  bunch  was  shown  in  a  tube  or  vase  standing  on 
the  table,  a  really  remarkably  fine  display  was  made.  I  did  not  take 
note  of  the  competitors’  names,  but  all  were  good,  the  collection 
placed  first  being  specially  so.  The  whole  made  a  beautiful  bank  of 
flowers,  and  those  who  show  their  bunches  crowded  into  boxes  would  do 
well  to  copy  the  South  Park  gardeners  in  their  methods  of  exhibiting  it 
they  want  to  win  prizes,  for  box  collections  have  no  chance  whatever 
against  fine  bunches  of  good  flowers  thus  displayed.  It  has  been  my  lot  to 
see  this  season  many  very  meagre  blooms  of  various  descriptions  set  up  in 
boxes  both  singly  and  in  bunches,  utterly  devoid  of  beauty.  Show  com¬ 
mittees,  especially  those  having  control  of  cottagers’  societies,  would  find 
bunches  of  six  annuals,  six  hardy  border  flowers,  and  of  six 
greenhouse  or  tender  flowers,  set  up  in  vases  or  glasses,  in  separate 
classes  to  furnish  far  more  beauty  and  variety  than  are  seen  in  the  poor 
things  often  found  in  or  on  boxes  at  these  exhibitions. — A.  D. 
-  Gardening  Appointment. — Mr.  B.  Dockerill,  for  many 
years  gardener  to  G.  W.  Palmer,  Esq.,  M.P.,  Elmhurst,  Reading,  has 
removed  as  gardener  to  the  same  gentleman  at  Marlston  House,  near 
Newbury,  Berks.  Mr.  William  Parker  has  been  engaged  as  gardener  at 
Elmhurst. 
-  Hampstead  Green  for  the  Public. — A  movement  has 
been  initiated  in  Hampstead  for  purchasing  a  part  of  the  old  Hampstead 
Green  on  Haverstock  Hill  for  the  public.  A  portion  was  given  up  for 
the  site  of  St.  Stephen’s  Church,  and  another  small  corner  ha9  been 
dedicated  to  the  public,  but  the  centre  portion,  about  an  acre  in  siz  -, 
containing  some  fine  trees,  has  been  bought,  says  a  contemporary,  by  a 
private  purchaser  with  the  idea  of  making  the  Green  public  property. 
The  price  paid  was  £7500. 
-  Buttonhole  Bouquets. — The  greatest  mistake  that  can  be 
made  in  arranging  small  bouquets  for  gentlemen’s  buttonholes  is 
crowding.  A  single  flo#er  of  an  Orchid;  or  a  single  corymb  of  such  a 
plant  as  Hoya  bella  makes*  a  far  prettier  bouquet  than  those  in  four 
different  kinds  of  flowers,  bunched  so .  that  nothing  shows  its  proper 
character.  Yet  whenever  a  society  offers  prizes  for  these  the  majority  of 
competitors  are  not  satisfied  unless  they  set  half  a  dozen  flowers  in  each, 
and  the  result  is  a  bunch  that  would  charm  an  amorous  ploughman.  A 
number  of  Orchids  are  grown  that  are  really  excellent  for  the  purpose  ; 
Bouvardias  again  are  very  fine,  a  single  corymb  of  B.  Alfred  Neuner  or 
President  Garfield  making  a  charming  buttonhole.  About  half  a  dozen 
blooms  of  Plumbago  capensis  again  is  pretty  (or  anyone  who  likes  a 
blue  flower,  and  there  are  many  things  worse  than  a  choice  Carnation 
or  Picotee. — FLORIST. 
-  Models  of  Fruits  and  Flowers  from  Amboina.— 
Through  the  kindness  of  Dr.  Treub,  *.he  Director  of  the  Botanic  Garden, 
Buitenzorg,  Java,  we  have  recently,  says  the  “  Kew  Bulletin,”  been  enabled 
to  add  many  interesting  specimens  to  the  museum  collections.  Some 
examples  of  artificial  fruits  and  miniature  trees  from  A.uboina,  where 
they  are  said  to  be  regular  articles  of  commerce,  are  of  special  value.  The 
fruits  are  formed  of  the  pith  of  Scaavola  Kcenigi,  Vahl ,  a  shrub  with 
succulent  stems,  distributed  over  Tropical  E.  Asia,  Australia,  ami 
Polynesia  ;  and  the  foliage  is  represented  by  feathers.  The  manufacture 
of  these  articles  is  not  a  modern  introduction,  as  a  reference  to  the 
“Herbarium  Amboinense,”  vol.  iv,,  p.  117,  will  show.  Rumphius  there 
gives  an  interesting  account  of  the  uses  of  this  plant.  In  “Hooker’s 
Journal  of  Botany  and  Kew  Garden  Miscellany  ”  (vol.  iv.,  1852,  p.  349), 
the  employment  of  this  plant  for  the  manufacture  of  artificial  flowers  is 
also  referred  to  as  being  fully  described  by  Rumphius  before  1690. 
-  The  Journal  of  the  Kew  Guild. — No.  8  of  this  journal 
is  just  to  hand,  and  it  is  certainly  one  of  the  most  interesting  that 
has  been  published.  As  a  frontispiece  is  given  a  lifelike  portrait  of 
Mr.  W.  Bolting  Hemsley,  F.R.S.,  who  has  recently  succeeded  Mr.  J.  G. 
Baker  as  keeper  of  the  Herbarium  at  Kew.  A  brief  sketch  accom¬ 
panies  the  illustration.  Then,  too,  is  given  a  report  for  the  year 
1898-99,  in  which  the  Committee  considers  the  progress  to  be  generally 
satisfactory.  Notes  are  included  of  the  various  meetings  of  the  Guild, 
of  special  features  in  the  gardens,  and  of  Kewites  past  and  present. 
Illustrations  are  not  perhaps  sufficiently  numerous,  but  are  of  excellent 
standard.  We  observe  that  the  Committee  deplores  a  decrease  in  annual 
subscriptions,  but  we  trust  that  at  the  next  general  meeting  the  tide  will 
have  turned,  and  additional  members  will  be  a  cause  for  congratulation. 
A  list  of  old  Kewites  is  given  at  the  end  of  the  journal,  but  there  is 
no  apparent  indication  as  to  whether  or  not  they  are  members  of  the 
Guild.  Mr.  W.  Watson  is  the  Secretary. 
-  Clethra  arborea. — For  a  cool  greenhouse  or  conservatory 
this  makes  a  very  useful  plant  at  all  times  of  the  year.  In  winter  its 
handsome,  deep  green,  glossy  evergreen  foliage  makes  it  a  good  plant  for 
grouping  with  forced  deciduous  shrubs,  while  in  summer,  when  smothered 
with  its  large  panicles  of  Lily  of  the  Yalley-like  flowers,  it  is  one  of  the 
showiest  of  greenhouse  plants.  Introduced  from  Madeira  upwards  of  a 
century  ago  it  was  grown  largely  in  many  places,  when  cool  house  plants 
were  more  popular  than  at  present.  Although  it  can  be  well  grown  and 
flowered  as  a  bush  in  a  small  pot  it  is  seen  at  its  best  when  planted  out  or 
given  a  large  tub  ;  in  this  way  the  foliage  is  much  better  and  the  panicles 
of  flowers  finer.  When  planted  the  roots  should  be  pruned  every  three 
or  four  years,  otherwise  strong  growth  will  be  made  at  the  expense  of 
flowers.  When  put  in  a  tub  loam,  peat,  and  a  little  crushed  bones  should 
be  used  for  the  compost,  and  when  the  tub  is  well  filled  with  roots  liquid 
manure  should  be  given  frequently.  Besides  the  type  there  is  a  variety 
with  pretty  golden  variegated  foliage. — W.  D. 
