April  16,'  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
347 
Events  op  the  Week.— In  connection  with  the  meeting  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  at  the  Drill  Hall,  on  Tuesday  nest,  the 
annual  show  of  Auriculas  and  Primulas  will  be  held. 
W  eather  in  London,  —  Once  again  we  have  to  record  a 
week  of  very  changeable  weather,  true  April  style  it  is  termed  by  some. 
On  Saturday  and  Sunday  very  heavy  showers  fell  at  frequent  intervals, 
while  the  air  on  the  evening  of  the  latter  day  was  very  cold.  Monday 
was  dry,  but  cold  winds  continued,  while  Tuesday  morning  was  wet, 
and  the  atmosphere  heavy  throughout  the  day.  Wednesday  morning 
opened  bright  and  cold. 
Weather  in  the  North. — During  the  week  ending  Tuesday 
morning  there  has  been  a  good  deal  of  unpleasant  weather,  high,  cold, 
westerly  and  north-westerly  winds  prevailing  for  some  days,  and  heavy 
showers  of  rain  and  sleet  during  both  day  and  evening.  The  evening 
of  the  lO'h  was  particularly  stormy,  and  there  were  a  few  loud  peals  of 
thunder  between  8  and  9  P.M.  Sunday  was  bright  and  cold  ;  Monday 
finer  towards  evening  ;  on  Tuesday  morning  the  higher  and  lower  hills 
were  white  with  snow.— B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire . 
-  The  People’s  Palace  Horticultural  Society. — The 
annual  meeting  of  this  Society  was  recently  held,  and  a  large  number 
of  members  attended.  The  Society  has  existed  since  January,  1894, 
has  as  members  J4b  adults  and  o4  children,  a  large  proportion  of 
whom  exhibit  at  the  Society’s  shows.  The  report  shows  a  steady 
increase  in  the  number  of  exhibits  and  improvement  in  their  quality. 
Bi-monthly  social  meetings  will  be  held,  and  an  excursion  made  to  some 
place  of  horticultural  interest.  The  financial  position  of  the  Society  is 
satisfactory,  although  the  members’  subscription  is  low  so  as  to  bring 
it  within  the  reach  of  the  poorest. 
-  Wolverhampton  Spring  Show.— The  second  annual  exhibi¬ 
tion  of  spring  flowers  under  the  auspices  of  the  Wolverhampton  and 
Staffordshire  Auxiliary  of  the  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution, 
was  held  in  the  Drill  Hall  last  week,  when  a  magnificent  display  was 
brought  together.  Almost  all  the  leading  trade  growers  were  repre¬ 
sented  in  some  form  or  another,  and  the  number  of  private  gardeners 
who  sent  flowers,  plants,  fruits  or  vegetables  was  very  large  indeed. 
Everything  seasonable  was  staged,  and  that  in  such  splendid  condition 
as  must  have  been  gratifying  both  to  the  visitors  and  to  the  promoters. 
Through  the  show  last  year  this  worthy  institution  benefited  to  the  extent 
of  upwards  of  £60,  and  it  is  hoped  that  the  financial  returns  were  this 
season  even  better  than  last. 
-  The  Fruit  Committee  at  Chiswick —Whilst  it  is 
earnestly  hoped  that  it  will  be  practicable  to  secure  the  required 
attendance  of  eleven  members  at  the  future  Chiswick  meetings  of  this 
body,  so  as  to  enable  full  awards  to  be  made  to  plants  grown  in  the 
Gardens  for  trial,  it  must  not  be  overlooked  that  one  of  the  chief  causes 
for  the  moderate  attendance  of  members  that  is  usual  is  the  impossibility 
of  fixing  the  date  of  such  a  meeting  at  any  appreciable  time  before¬ 
hand.  If,  say,  fourteen  days’  notice  could  be  giveD,  it  might  often  admit 
of  arrangements  being  made  that  would  enable  members  to  attend.  But 
it  is  very  difficult  in  relation  to  various  crops,  Peans  and  Beans  for 
instance,  to  determine  long  beforehand  just  when  they  will  be  at  their 
best.  That  is  a  difficulty  not  easy  to  overcome.  It  is  admitted  that, 
given  a  fine  day  the  Chiswick  gatherings  are  always  very  enjoyable, 
not  only  because  the  plants  are  seen  in  a  growing  state,  but  also 
because  there  are  usually  many  things  of  interest  to  be  seen  in  the 
Gardens.  Perhaps  added  to  the  stimulus  to  better  attendance  recently 
furnished  by  the  Council,  some  additional  attraction  may  be  found  in 
natural  curiosity  to  see  how  the  Gardens  go  on  under  the  new  Superin¬ 
tendent.  Most  members  of  the  Fruit  Committee  would,  I  am  sure,  be 
very  pleased  were  it  found  possible  to  increase  the  area  of  ground,  all 
too  limited,  now  devoted  to  the  trials  of  vegetables.  Some  day,  perhaps, 
that  may  be  had.  A  matter  of  some  importance  in  relation  to  the 
Chiswick  meetings  is  the  undoubted  fact  that  these  usually  fall  in  the 
season  when  country  shows  are  plentiful.  For  that  reason  it  is  well  to 
have  a  good  contingent  of  metropolitan  members  who  may  not  be  so 
engaged. — A.  D. 
-  Royal  Horticultural  Society.— The  next  Fruit  and  Floral 
meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  will  be  held  on  Tuesday, 
April  21st,  in  the  Drill  Hall,  James  Street,  Victoria  Street,  Westminster, 
1  to  5  p.m*.  A  paper  on  “  Pine  Apples,”  by  Mr.  H.  W.  Ward,  will  be 
read  at  three  o’clock. 
-  Garpeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution. — The  Queen 
has  been  graciously  pleased  to  give  a  donation  of  £25  in  aid  of  the  funds 
of  the  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution,  of  which  Her  Majesty 
is  the  Patroness.  The  fifty-seventh  anniversary  festival  of  this  charity 
we  would  again  remind  our  readers,  takes  place  at  the  Hotel  Mdtropole 
on  May  30th,  when  the  Lord  Chamberlain  (the  Earl  of  Lathom)  will 
preside. 
-  An  East  End  Flower  Show. — We  have  just  been  favoured 
with  the  schedule  of  a  flower  show  that  is  to  be  held  in  the  Chestnut 
Lodge  Paddock,  The  Green,  Stratford,  E.,  in  aid  of  the  West  Ham 
Hospital.  Prizes  are  offered  in  numerous  classes  for  professional 
gardeners,  amateurs,  and  cottagers,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  with  such 
an  excellent  object  in  view  the  promoters  will  be  rewarded  by  very 
liberal  support.  The  exhibition  will  open  on  Wednesday,  July  22nd, 
and  will  be  carried  over  the  following  day.  All  needful  particulars  and 
schedules  may  be  had  on  application  to  W.  Wadley,  Esq.,  Langton 
House,  Norwich  Road,  Forest  Gate,  E. 
-  Wakefield  Paxton  Society.  —  At  the  ordinary  weekly 
meeting  of  the  members  of  this  Society,  held  on  the  4th  inst.,  Mr.  B. 
Whiteley  presided,  and  Mr.  Swire  occupied  the  vice-chair.  Notwith¬ 
standing  the  Easter  holidays  there  was  an  average  attendance.  Mr.  W. 
Hudson,  gardener  to  W.  T.  Marriott,  Esq.,  J.P.,  of  Sandal  Grange,  read  a 
seasonable  and  interesting  paper  on  “Spring  Wild  Flowers.”  Mr. 
Hudson,  who  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  warmest  supporters  of  the  Society, 
dealt  with  his  subject  in  a  general  and  able  manner,  his  remarks  being 
rendered  all  the  more  interesting  by  a  free  introduction  of  suitable 
selections  of  poetry  by  many  of  our  best  poets.  In  his  opening  remarks 
he  referred  more  particularly  to  the  wild  Daffodil  or  Lent  Lily,  which 
is  now  popular  and  very  extensively  used  for  Easter  decorations.  The 
numerous  other  wild  flowers  to  be  met  with  in  a  country  ramble  in  the 
spring  were  also  noticed,  and  poetical  quotations  given.  A  vote  of 
thanks  was  accorded  to  Mr.  Hudson. 
-  A  Lucky  Gardener. — Through  the  liberality  of  his  employers, 
C.  A.  Smith-Ryland,  Esq.,  and  Mrs.  Smith-Ryland,  Mr.  R.  Jones,  the  able 
and  energetic  gardener  at  Barford  Hill,  near  Warwick,  has  recently 
been  enabled  to  spend  a  fortnight  in  the  South  of  France  around  the 
neighbourhood  of  Cannes,  that  province  of  sunshine  which  has  so 
often  been  described  a  veritable  paradise  of  spring  flowers.  Mr.  Jones 
was  delighted  with,  to  his  English  eyes,  the  novel  aspect  of  the 
country,  the  stately  Palm  groves,  lofty  Bamboos,  glowing  masses  of 
Cyclamens,  Anemones,  and  Carnations,  and  was  not  a  little  surprised  at 
the  gigantic  proportions  of  the  cut  flower  trade.  He  also  gained  much 
valuable  information  in  regard  to  the  horticulture  of  France  and  the 
methods  of  culture  adopted,  and  will  doubtless  be  able  to  turn  to  good 
account  the  rich  store  of  mental  notes  collected.  In  these  days,  when 
it  is  so  necessary  to  be  “  up  to  date,”  a  friendly  trip  into  the  land 
of  a  rival  benefits  both  gardener  and  employer,  for  we  want  to 
know  something  of  what  our  rivals  are  doing  if  we  are  to  beat  them 
in  the  race. 
-  A  Trial  of  Violas  at  the  Gardens  of  the  Royal 
Botanic  Society. — The  Council  of  the  Royal  Botanic  Society  has 
given  permission  for  the  promoters  of  the  two  last  Conferences  on  the 
Viola  at  Birmingham  to  hold  a  trial  of  Violas  at  the  gardens,  and  the 
beds  in  the  American  Garden  have  been  prepared  and  planted.  It  is 
computed  that  as  many  as  3000  plants  have  been  sent  in  for  the  purpose. 
Raisers  and  cultivators  in  various  parts  of  the  country  have  been 
particularly  invited  to  Bend  in  plants  of  the  newer  varieties  of  the  past 
four  and  five  years,  and  especially  those  new  of  1895-96,  and  in  order 
that  there  should  be  a  representation  of  the  cream  of  the  standard 
varieties  of  several  years  past  for  the  purposes  of  comparison,  a 
collection  of  these  has  been  furnished  by  Messrs.  Dobbie  &  Co.,  and 
planted  by  themselves.  A  representative  Committee  of  Viola  experts 
will  be  invited  to  inspect  the  plants  when  in  full  bloom,  and  they  will 
in  all  probability  make  a  report  to  the  Viola  Conference,  which  will  be 
held  in  the  Lecture  Room  of  the  Royal  Botanic  Society  in  August  next. 
Mr.  Sowerby  has  kindly  undertaken  that  the  beds  of  Violas  shall  have 
the  necessary  attention  in  the  interval.  Any  communication  respecting 
the  Viola  trial  and  Conference  should  be  addressed  to  the  Secretary, 
Mr.  Richard  Dean,  42,  Ranelagh  Road,  Ealing,  W.,  who  will  furnish 
full  particulars. 
