JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  28,  DO0. 
.*>64 
Recent  Weathek  in  London. — The  climatal  conditions  have  not 
been  particularly  characteristic  of  Christmas.  On  Saturday  it  was  very 
foggy,  but  on  Sunday  it  was  somewhat  clearer,  as  was  it  on  Christmas 
Day,  when  there  was  a  sharp  evening  frost.  During  the  early  hours  of 
Boxing  morning  rain  fell  heavily,  but  it  was  fine  though  mild  and  dull 
until  midday,  when  rain  again  fell.  Wednesday  opened  dull  and  raw. 
-  SPIRiEA  HYPERICIFOLIA. — In  poor  and  gravelly  soils  it  is  often 
difficult  to  find  a  plant  that  will  flower  in  summer  and  thrive,  rooting  down 
far  enough  to  find  moisture  to  enable  it  to  do  so.  This  pretty  shrubby 
Spirma  will  grow  where  many  others  of  the  genus  would  starve,  and  the 
charming  little  bunches  of  white  flowers  produced  all  along  the  somewhat 
slender  growths  never  fail  to  attract  attention.  I  have  seen  it  growing 
out  of  an  old  wall  and  flowering  vigorously,  though  no  doubt  more 
liberal  treatment  would  insure  better  results. — B.  S.  E. 
-  Violets  for  Exhibition.— “A.  J.  L.”  has  struck  a  right 
note  on  page  521  as  to  the  value  of  the  Violet  as  an  exhibition  flower, 
but,  as  many  readers  are  doubtless  aware,  the  idea  is  not  new,  and 
Violets,  both  as  pot  plants  and  cut  flowers,  have  been  and  are  frequently 
exhibited.  Pot  Violets  are  often  lifted  from  frames  for  the  purpose,  and 
cut  flowers  are  usually  shown  in  specimen  glasses.  A  pretty  class  for,  I 
think,  three  varieties,  several  bunches  of  each,  was  competed  for  at  the 
recent  Chrysanthemum  Show  at  Bury  St.  Edmunds,  and  Mr.  B.  Marks, 
of  Hardwicke,  was  placed  first  much  to  the  chagrin  of  some  other 
disappointed  exhibitors  who  tried  to  find  fault  with  his  methods. 
— C.  Hall. 
-  The  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution. — The 
sixty-first  annual  general  meeting  of  the  members  and  subscribers  of 
this  Institution  will  be  held  at  Simpson’s,  101,  Strand,  London,  W.C., 
on  Eriday,  January  12tb,  1900,  at  3  p  m.,  for  the  purpose  of  receiving 
the  report  of  the  Committee,  and  the  accounts  of  the  Institution  (as 
audited)  for  the  year  1899  ;  electing  officers  for  the  year  1900,  and  for 
the  purpose  of  placing  sixteen  pensioners  on  the  funds,  ten  of  whom 
will  be  recommended  to  receive  the  benefits  of  the  Institution  without 
election,  and  the  remaining  six  by  votes  of  subscribers.  The  chair  will 
be  taken  by  Harry  J.  Veitch,  Esq.,  Treasurer  and  Chairman  of  Com¬ 
mittee,  at  three  o’clock.  The  poll  will  open  at  3.15  o’clock  and  close 
at  4.30  o’clock  precisely,  after  which  hour  no  voting  papers  can  be 
received.  The  voting  papers  have  been  issued.  Any  subscriber  not 
having  received  a  copy  should  communicate  with  the  Secretary,  175, 
Victoria  Street,  S.W.  The  annual  friendly  supper  will  take  place  also 
at  Simpson’s,  101,  Strand,  W.C.,  at  6  P.M.,  on  the  evening  of  the  same 
day,  when  W.  A.  Bilney,  Esq.,  of  Weybridge,  will  preside. 
-  Exhibiting  Flowers  in  Vases.— It  is  evident  that  there  is 
a  strong  reaction  setting  in  against  the  stereotyped  method  of  showing 
flowers  of  diverse  nature  on  boards  as  hitherto.  I  notice  that  Mr.  George 
Paul  has  been  advocating  a  more  free  and  natural  method  of  exhibiting 
Roses,  and  as  Chrysanthemums  and  Carnations  have  already  so  admir¬ 
ably  led  the  way  it  is  not  possible  that  Roses  can  remain  out  in  the 
cold.  The  only  point  in  relation  to  Hybrid  Perpetuals,  the  great  exhi¬ 
bition  flowers,  is  that  to  set  them  up  with  long  stems  in  vases  needs  the 
cutting  of  a  good  deal  of  wood.  Still  farther,  because  the  rosewood  is 
so  hard,  it  is  just  possible  that  flowers  set  up  on  long  stems  may  not  keep 
fresh  in  water,  especially  on  hot  days,  so  well  as  softer  wooded  stems  will. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  both  Chrysanthemums  and  Carnations 
set  up  in  vases,  as  is  now  so  common,  present  themselves  in  the  most 
attractive  and  beautiful  aspects.  We  have  seen  Tea  Roses  occasionally 
shown  in  vases  with  charming  effect.  Mr.  Piper  has  of  late  evidenced 
with  his  lovely  new  Rose,  Sunrise,  how  charming  Teas  may  be  presented 
in  vases  and  epergnes.  We  have,  perhaps,  a  more  difficult  flower  to  deal 
with  in  the  Dahlia.  Certainly  the  huge,  robust  Shows  and  Fancies  could 
hardly  be  made  to  look  beautiful  in  vases  ;  but  Pompons  could  be  so 
shown  with  pleasing  effect,  and  the  lovely  Cactus  forms  more  so.  No 
doubt,  exhibitors  of  Dahlias  will  kick  at  the  suggestion  that  enough  has 
been  seen  of  the  ordinary  half  dozen  wire  rack  method  of  showing  these 
flowers  ;  but  still  the  method  is  very  formal  and  inartistic.  Perhaps  the 
N.D.S.  may  resolve  to  introduce  valuable  vase  classes  in  larger  numbers 
than  has  yet  been  seen. — A.  D. 
-  Gardening  Appointment. — Mr.  James  Frizell,  for  the  past 
eight  years  head  gardener  to  James  Wilson,  Esq.,  Old  Forge,  Dun- 
murry,  co.  Antrim,  has  been  appointed  head  gardener  and  estate 
manager  to  Lieutenant  W.  H.  Nichols,  Kilbrack  House,  Doneraile, 
co.  Cork. 
-  Hessle  Gardeners’  Society. — A  meeting  of  the  above 
Society  was  held  on  December  12th.  Mr.  Mason  presided  over  a  good 
attendance  of  members.  The  essayist  for  the  evening  was  Mr.  Foyne  of 
Hull,  whose  subject  was  “  Common  Garden  Flowers  and  their  Culture.” 
An  interesting  discussion  followed,  which,  with  a  cordial  vote  of  thanks 
to  the  essayist  and  Chairman,  terminated  an  enjoyable  evening.  Mr. 
Picker  of  Hesslewood  was  awarded  the  Society’s  first-class  certificate 
for  a  magnificent  display  of  late  Chrysanthemums. — J.  F.  D. 
-  The  Late  Mr.  Alfred  Outram. — Ah  1  poor  Outram,  those  of 
us  who  saw  him  this  year  at  Shrewsbury  Show  in  his  genial,  happy  mood— 
and,  apparently,  in  the  best  of  health — little  thought  that  before  the 
sands  of  the  year  had  run  out  he  would  have  joined  “  the  great  majority.” 
It  will  be  a  hard  task  to  find  his  equal  as  an  expert  judge  of  plants  at 
the  great  shows,  where  his  decisions  were  arrived  at  by  calm  deliberation, 
aided  by  wide  knowledge.  Shrewsbury  Show,  as  well  as  many  others,, 
will  seem  singularly  incomplete  without  Mr.  Outram,  whose  quiet 
humour  and  good  companionship  made  him  a  special  favourite  among  all 
classes  of  horticulturists. — H.  D. 
-  Royal  Meteorological  Society. — The  monthly  meeting  of 
this  Society  was  held  on  Wednesday  evening,  the  20th  inst.,  at  the  Insti¬ 
tution  of  Civil  Engineers,  Mr.  F.  C.  Bayard,  L.L  M.,  President,  in  the 
chair.  Mr.  Baldwin  Latham,  M.Inst.C.E  ,  read  a  paper  on  “  The  Climatic 
Conditions  Necessary  for  the  Propagation  and  Spread  of  Plague.”  Dr. 
R.  H.  Scott,  F.R.S.,  communicated  also  a  note  on  a  remarkable  dust  haze 
which  was  experienced  at  Teneriffe,  Canary  Islands,  on  February  16th 
to  19tb,  1898.  The  haze  during  this  period  was  exceptionally  dense,  s» 
much  so,  that  a  steamer  was  two  days  and  three  nights  on  a  voyage  from 
Teneriffe  to  Las  Palmas,  a  distance  she  usually  covered  in  five  hours, 
while  the  “  Tintagel  Castle  ”  of  the  Donald  Currie  Line  was  delayed  for 
thirty  hours,  and  the  “  Roslin  Castle,”  homeward  bound,  had  the  dust  so 
thick  that  for  900  miles  the  sun  and  stars  were  obscured  and  the  ship  was 
delayed  two  days. 
- Strawberries  Under  Irrigation. — The  latest  bulletin  of  the 
Mich  experimental  station  is  entitled  “  Strawberry  Notes  for  1899.”  For 
some  years  the  station  has  secured  all  the  new  varieties  for  trial.  The 
soil  is  a  moderately  heavy  loam,  used  formerly  as  a  garden.  Stable 
manure  has  been  frequently  applied,  and  the  ground  is  now  in  good 
condition,  although  not  ideal  for  fruit.  The  plants  for  this  year’s  notes 
were  set  in  May,  1898,  18  inches  by  4  feet.  Half  formed  matted  rows  and 
the  remainder  were  kept  in  hills.  About  twenty-five  plants  of  each 
variety  were  secured.  Good  cultivation  was  given  all  summer.  A  mulch 
was  applied  in  early  winter,  and  in  the  spring  of  1899  was  placed  between 
the  rows.  About  June  1st  of  this  year  the  mulch  was  removed  and  the 
plantation  irrigated  at  the  rate  of  800  barrels  per  acre,  the  mulch  being 
replaced  and  the  soil  kept  sufficiently  moist  the  remainder  of  the  season. 
A  strip  not  irrigated  produced  less  than  half  a  crop.  One  hundred  and 
sixty  varieties  were  thus  tested. — (“American  Agriculturist.”) 
-  London’s  Open  Spaces. — At  the  recent  meeting  of  the 
Metropolitan  Public  Gardens  Association,  it  was  reported  that  the  Local 
Government  Board  had  assented  to  the  proposed  contribution  by  the 
Willesden  District  Council  towards  the  Dollis  Hill  scheme,  and  that 
steps  could  now  be  taken  to  complete  the  purchase  of  this  estate  of 
98  acres  as  a  public  park.  The  Secretary  stated  that  the  Brockwell 
Park  Extension  Committee,  upon  which  the  Association  was  repre¬ 
sented,  formed  for  securing  the  addition  of  42  acres  to  Brockwell 
Park,  at  a  cost  of  £72,000,  had  been  actively  engaged  during  the 
month  in  approaching  various  South  London  vestries.  Lambeth  had 
agreed  to  subscribe  £15,000,  and  it  was  hoped  that  Camberwell,  New¬ 
ington,  and  St.  George  the  Martyr,  Southwark,  would  also  become 
contributors.  It  was  decided  to  render  help  in  the  laying-out  of  a 
children’s  playground  in  Sumner  Road,  Camberwell,  and  to  take  steps 
to  oppose  any  Bill  that  might  be  introduced  for  enabling  the  Battersea 
Latch  mere  allotment  land  to  be  used  as  a  building  site,  the  land  having 
been  formerly  part  of  a  common.  It  was  reported  that  the  attention 
of  the  various  County  Councils  in  England  and  Wales  had  been  drawn 
to  the  Commons  Act,  1899,  a  clause  in  which,  promoted  by  the  Asso¬ 
ciation,  conferred  upon  all  County  Councils  the  powers  of  the  London 
County  Council  in  regard  to  providing  open  spaces  themselves  or 
assisting  local  authorities  to  do  so. 
