March  12,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OP  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
225 
To  Readers  and  Writers.  —  Notwithstanding  the  increase  in 
the  number  of  pages  comprising  the  present  issue  of  the  Journal  of 
Horticulture  we  have  been  compelled  to  hold  over  several  articles  that 
are  as  creditable  to  the  writers  of  them  as  they  will  be  interesting  to 
readers  of  future  issues.  The  Rose  and  Chrysanthemum  sections  had 
to  be  printed  on  Monday.  Several  items  of  news  have  had  also  to  be 
abridged  or  postponed.  Our  obligations  to  contributors  are  the  same 
whether  their  communications  appear  promptly  or  not.  We  like  to  be 
able  to  rejoice  in  a  store  of  good  things. 
-  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution.  —  On  Wed¬ 
nesday,  the  4th  inst.,  a  meeting  was  held  in  the  Guildhall,  Exeter,  with 
a  view  to  the  formation  of  an  Exeter  branch  of  the  above  excellent 
Institution.  Speeches  were  made  by  Messrs.  Harry  J.  Veitch.G.J.  Ingram, 
and  P.  C.  M.  Veitch,  after  which  the  formal  proposition  was  made  and 
carried  unanimously.  Officers  and  a  committee  were  elected,  and  com¬ 
prise  some  of  the  most  influential  and  energetic  gentlemen  in  the 
district.  We  trust  the  scheme  will  meet  the  success  it  deserves. 
-  Milled  Carrot  Seed.  —  Messrs.  Pennell  &  Sons,  Lincoln, 
send  us  samples  of  Carrot  seed,  as  milled  by  a  new  process.  It  is  firm, 
clean,  and  bright,  and  can  be  sown  or  drilled  as  easily  as  Onion  seed. 
It  differs  materially  from  the  closely  adhering  new  English  seed  also 
sent,  from  which  the  sample  was  cleaned.  No  doubt,  as  is  suggested 
small  packets  of  clean  seed  can  be  made  up  in  quarter  the  time  occupied 
over  bearded  seed,  and  in  that  respect  well  milled  seed  will  facilitate 
work  in  seed  stores  during  the  busy  season. 
FIG:  33.— PRIMULA  BOUQUET. 
-  Weather  in  London. — The  weather  during  the  past  week 
has  been  more  like  April  than  March,  as  showers  with  gleams  of  bright 
sunshine  have  alternated  almost  every  day.  The  weather  generally  has 
been  warm,  though  it  was  colder  on  Tuesday  morning  than  on  any  other 
day  since  our  laBt  issue  went  to  press. 
— —  Weather  in  the  North.— The  week  ending  Tuesday  morning 
has  again  been  marked  by  very  variable  weather,  boisterous  westerly 
winds  with  heavy  showers  occurring  on  several  days.  On  the  morning 
of  the  4th,  5°,  and  on  that  of  Tuesday  3°  frost  were  registered.  Friday 
wub  one  of  the  stormiest,  and  Saturday  perhaps  the  pleasantest  day  of 
the  season.  Sunday  was  showery  and  cold  ;  Monday  fine,  especially  in 
the  afternoon  ;  Tuesday  morning  dull,  but  fair. — B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
-  Primula  Magenta  Queen. — Blooms  of  this  Primula  have 
been  sent  to  us  by  Messrs.  B.  S.  William*  &  Son,  Holloway.  They  are 
large,  Btout,  and  rich,  the  colour  showing  well,  not  in  the  daytime  only, 
but  under  artificial  light. 
-  Death  oP  Mr.  GEORGE  Prince.— It  is  with  regret  that  we 
have  to  record  the  death  of  this  Oxford  rosarian,  which  occurred  on  the 
3rd  inst.  in  his  sixty-fifth  year.  The  deceased  was  well  known  and 
extremely  popular  amongst  horticulturists,  and  his  death  will  be  deeply 
regretted  by  all  who  knew  him.  Appreciative  in  memoriam  notes  from 
“  D.,  Deal,"  arrived  just  too  late  for  insertion  this  week. 
_  The  New  Forest.— There  is  always  a  strange  interest  attached 
to  the  New  Forest  differing  from  other  Old  World  woods  still  retaining 
their  freshness  of  antiquity.  An  interesting  question  arises  with  regard 
to  the  afforestation  of  63,000  acres  as  to  who  were  the  contracting 
nurserymen  of  this  big  job.  No  historian  seems  to  have  thought  it 
worth  while  to  give  any  account  of  this  very  expensive  contract.  Some 
antiquarian  can  surely  find  the  bill  which  William  the  Norman  had  to 
pay  for  the  planting  and  purchasing  of  trees,  which  at  6  feet  apart  would 
reach  the  astounding  number  of  76,230,000,  a  good  order  for  some 
contractor.  Was  he  some  favourite  of  the  King? — T.  Francis  Rivers, 
