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JOURNAL  OF  TTORTtCULTURE  AND  COTTAGE!  GARDENER. 
March  12,  1898 
-  Death  of  Madame  Ernest  Calvat.— Those  of  our  readers 
who  know  Mons.  Ernest  Calvat  will  share  with  us  the  feelings  of  regret 
with  which  we  make  the  announcement  that  his  wife  departed  this  life 
at  Grenoble  on  the  2nd  inst.  Madame  Calvat  was  only  in  her  thirty- 
eighth  year. 
-  The  Coombee  Testimonial. — The  Committee  has  resolved 
to  close  this  fund  on  March  31st.  The  amount  subscribed  is  £113  4s.  6d. 
Those  who  have  promised  subscriptions  are  asked  to  forward  the  amounts, 
without  delay,  to  Mr.  H.  J.  Veitch,  Chelsea,  or  to  Mr.  J.  Willard,  Holly 
Lodge,  Highgate. 
-  Livekpool  Hokticultukal  Association.  —  The  usual 
monthly  meeting  was  held  in  the  Free  Library  on  Saturday  last,  Mr. 
T.  Foster  presiding.  Mr.  C.  A.  Young  of  West  Derby  read  a  paper  on 
“  Carnations,”  and  Mr;  J.  J.  Craven,  Allerton  Priory,  one  on  “  Service¬ 
able  Varieties  of  Fruits.”  A  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  passed  to 
Messrs.  Young  and  Craven  for  their  excellent  papers.— R.  P.  R. 
-  The  Birmingham  Amateur  Gardeners’  Association. — 
At  this  Society’s  fresh  quarters  in  the  New  Technical  School,  on  the 
5th  inst.,  before  a  large  attendance  of  the  members,  Mr.  John  Pope, 
F.R.H.S.,  gave  an  address,  entitled,  “  Propagation  of  Plants  by  Methods 
Other  than  Grafting.”  The  various  modes  of  propagating  were  dealt 
with  in  a  clear  and  concise  manner,  and  much  useful  information  was 
imparted. 
-  The  Bristol  Amateur  Horticultural  Society. — The 
first  spring  meeting  of  the  aboie  Society,  which  was  held  at  Colston 
Hall  on  Wednesday  evening,  was  marked  by  a  rare  floral  display  by  the 
members.  Mr.  T.  D.  Sibly  (President)  presided,  and  a  paper  on  the 
"Culture  of  the  Carnation”  was  read  by  Mr.  F.  Hooper  of  Widcombe. 
Amongst  other  items  dealt  with  during  the  evening  were  “  Dahlias," 
by  Mr.  W.  E.  Turner ;  and  "  Primulas,”  by  Mr.  J.  B.  Cole,  while  Mr.  G. 
Wager  continued  his  series  of  instructions  on  Chrysanthemum  culture. 
-  Lawn  Mowers.  —  Messrs.  Follows  &  Bate,  in  view  of  the 
grass-growing  season,  desire  us  to  state  that  they  have  perfected  marked 
improvements  in  both  of  their  mowers.  The  aim  of  the  makers,  in  the 
case  of  the  “  Runaway,”  is  to  produce  a  machine  of  the  highest  possible 
quality  and  finish,  while  the  “  Speedwell”  is  provided  as  a  reliable  and 
cheap  mower  that  will  compare  with  advantage  against  the  light  and 
less  substantial  machines  imported  from  abroad.  They  would  like  their 
countrymen  to  support  home  industries,  and  not  to  forget,  among  other 
things,  their  handy  little  gardener’s  friend,  the  grindstone,  as  neither 
easy  nor  good  work  can  be  done  with  blunt  tools. 
-  A  Premature  Spring.— Owing  to  the  remarkable  mildness 
of  the  past  winter,  vegetation  is  advancing  with  dangerous  rapidity. 
We  have,  indeed,  experienced  during  the  last  week  a  visitation  of  snow, 
accompanied  by  a  few  degrees  of  frost ;  but  rain,  productive  of  rapid 
growth,  has  once  more  supervened.  Plum  trees,  which  are  supposed  to 
blossom  about  a  month  earlier  than  Apples,  will  be  in  flower  in  my 
garden  in  a  few  days,  the  buds  of  The  Czar  and  Early  Rivers  varieties 
having  already  reached  their  normal  dimensions ;  while  Pears  and 
Cherries,  especially  Pitmaston  Duchess  and  Black  Eagle,  are  fast  follow¬ 
ing  in  their  train. — David  R.  Williamson. 
-  The  “Island”  Plant  Protector.— This  is  a  simple  contri¬ 
vance,  that  has  many  advantages,  and  which  should  be  used  by  all 
plant  raisers  and  growers.  It  is  made  in  the  form  of  a  plant  saucer 
having  a  detachable  inverted  pan  in  the  centre  on  which  to  stand  the 
pots.  As  the  saucer  can  be  filled  with  water,  the  plant  is  truly  on  an 
island  to  which  slugs,  caterpillars,  woodlice,  and  other  pests  will  have 
difficulty  in  landing.  In  addition  to  this,  a  more  uniform  condition  of 
moisture  may  be  maintained — an  important  point,  especially  in  a  dry 
atmosphere.  It  would  be  excellent  for  Ferns,  Orchids,  and  various 
other  plants  in  dry  structures.  The  patentee  and  maker  is  Mr.  H.  F. 
Brown,  129,  Selhurst  Road,  South  Norwood. 
-  Daffodils. — I  observe  that  a  Daffodil  Conference  is  to  be 
held  at  the  Royal  Botanic  Gardens,  Regent’s  Park.  I  am  delighted  that 
it  will  not  be  held  at  the  Drill  Hall,  and  therefore  can  wish  for  it  every 
success.  The  poor  Drill  Hall  meetings  have  been  so  inundated  with 
“  Daffs  ”  in  the  spring  that  they  have  become  wearisome.  Another 
Conference  would  have  broken  our  hearts  absolutely.  Happily,  we 
are  spared  that  infliction.  Of  course,  Daffodils  are  beautiful ;  and  if 
some  will  make  them  a  floral  god  and  fall  down  and  worship  let  them 
do  so,  but  that  is  no  reason  why  everybody  else  should  be  forced  to  join 
in.  However,  so  far  all  is  well,  and  we  Fellows  can  attend  the  Drill 
Hall  meetings  this  spring  without  fear  of  being  driven  Daffodil  mad. 
— F.  R.  H.  S. 
-  Carnation  Uriah  Pike.— I  notice  that  “  Inquirer  ”  on 
page  162  writes  to  know  whether  the  above  is  generally  acknowledged  to 
be  a  free-flowering  winter  variety,  and  also  asks  for  the  method  adopted 
for  growing  it.  My  experience  differs  from  that  of  your  correspondent 
“  A.  D.”  (page  206),  having  found  it  this  winter  a  free  bloomer.  We 
started  ours  twelve  months  ago  last  August,  grew  them  on  through  the 
winter  and  spring,  flowering  them  all  the  time,  then  hardened  them  in 
the  summer,  and  about  August  flower  buds  began  showing.  They  were 
housed  in  September,  and  have  continued  flowering  from  that  time 
till  now.  A  week  before  Christmas  we  cut  a  spray  with  six  blooms  on 
it  from  one  plant,  and  the  remainder  have  all  done  equally  well.— 
E.  R.  R.,  Emsworth. 
GENTLE  SPRING. 
“My  heart  with  pleasure  always  fills, 
And  dances  with  the  Daffodils.” — Wordsworth. 
Spring  is  here,  a  truly  poetic  spring,  a  spring  of  fair,  soft 
winds,  bright  sunshine,  of  early  blossoming  flowers,  and  of  birds  in 
full  song  ;  a  spring  that  brings  life  and  light  to  the  oldest  heart 
and  dim-sighted  eye.  So  far  there  has  been  almost  a  total  absence 
of  cutting  winds  and  biting  frosts,  of  dreary  dust  clouds  and  leaden 
skies.  Every  spring  seems  a  fresh  miracle,  such  a  wondrous 
resurrection,  such  a  life  from  the  dead.  It  is  the  very  gentleness 
of  spring  that  makes  it*  chief  charm — so  slow,  so  imperceptible,  yet 
so  certain  this  growth  of  plant  and  flower.  Spring  teaches  a  lesson 
of  patience ;  she  is  never  (notwithstanding  her  youth)  in  an 
unseemly  hurry,  never  too  late,  never  too  early.  Nature  is  very 
lavish  here  with  her  gifts,  and  the  old  Earth  is  a  fruitful  mother  ; 
year  after  year  ever  freshly  and  ever  fairly  does  she  deck  herself 
with  choicest  jewels,  and,  unlike  the  jewels  of  ordinary  commerce, 
they  are,  though  so  rarely  beautiful,  within  the  reach  of  all.  It  is 
often  in  the  poor  man’s  garden  you  find  the  greatest  variety  of 
spring  flowers,  flowers  that  tell  of  Old  World  gardens,  that  have 
been  treasured  for  generations,  such  as  Parkinson  speaks  of  in  his 
“Earthly  Paradise.”  The  village  children  have  such  happy 
hunting  grounds  when  all  the  hedge  bottoms  are  fragrant  with  the 
Yiolet,  the  Violet  of  regal  purple  and  of  virgin  white,  such  posies 
for  home  decoration,  such  posies  to  adorn  the  schoolmaster’s  desk. 
Yesterday  we  stopped  to  listen  to  the  glorious  bird  concert  in 
the  woods  by  the  east  lodge.  Were  they  thanking  their  Father  for 
His  bounty  and  care,  and  on  the  wing«  of  song  presenting  their 
glad  anthem  at  His  footstool?  Our  earliest  flowers  are  under  the 
south  wall  of  the  village  church,  fit  emblems  of  our  immortality. 
Snowdrops  are  everywhere,  borders  of  Crocus  playing  in  the 
sunshine,  Violets  hiding  among  the  tufts  of  grass.  Can  a 
sweeter  resting  place  be  imagined  for  the  poor  tired  body  ?  It  is 
peace — perfect  peace.  The  cawing  of  the  busy  rook  does  not 
disturb,  it  only  soothes.  The  laughing  dancing  Daffodils  sway  in 
the  gentle  breeze.  See,  here  they  quite  encircle  that  loved  one’s 
grave.  Are  they  not  better  memorials  than  the  cold  stone  and 
“storied  urn.”  Time  crumbles  the  stone  and  defaces  the  inscription, 
but  as  we  one  by  one  pass  to  that  silent  land  the  flowers  are  still 
there,  proclaiming  with  sweetest  voice  that  they  yet  watch  over 
the  last  resting  place  of  one  who  during  life  found  in  them  such 
joy  and  comfort. 
Can  you  smell  the  smell  of  the  fields  ?  You  can’t  define  that 
subtle  essence  ;  but  it  tell*  of  life — life  of  grass  and  corn  blade, 
life  of  tree  and  hedgerow.  The  stream  seems  to  move  more 
merrily  ;  or  is  it  only  the  sun's  rays  that  cause  it  so  to  sparkle  and 
flash  ?  Perhaps  after  all  it  is  in  the  woodland  glade  that  the 
spring  feeling  is  the  strongest.  From  under  the  dead  leaf  and 
bracken  life  in  a  thousand  forms  is  springing.  The  budding  trees 
are  offering  an  incense  of  their  own,  and  only  waiting  for  a  little 
more  sun  and  shower  to  burst  into  a  robe  of  vivid  living  green. 
Much  house  building  is  going  forward,  and,  unlike  human  work, 
these  woodland  homes  do  not  spoil  the  landscape  nor  block  the 
view.  They  are  never  mean  or  shabby,  but  are  so  perfectly 
adapted  to  the  wants  of  the  feathery  babies,  so  beautifully  finished, 
so  cunningly  hidden. 
A  rainy  spring  day  does  not  depress  as  other  rainy  days  are  apt 
to  do.  Perhaps  this  is  because  we  know  that  on  the  morrow  we 
shall  see  the  giant  strides  vegetation  has  made.  Water  is  always 
wonderful  in  its  action,  as  wonderful  in  its  gentleness  to  the  tender 
leaf  and  spikelet  as  in  the  mighty  overwhelming  vehemenoe  of  the 
mountain  torrent. 
People  take  holidays  at  set  times,  dates  that  are  marked  out  for 
them  in  the  calendar,  but  would  not  an  occasional  day  in  the 
country  early  in  spring  before  the  legal  Easter  outing,  be  life  and 
joy  to  the  wearied  body  and  harrassed  brain  ? 
“  For  the  winter  is  past,  .  .  .  the  flowers  appear  on  the  earth,  the  time  of 
the  singing  of  birds  is  come.  .  .  .  Arise  and  come  away.” 
— The  Missus. 
