April  2$,  18si 
JOURNAL  OF  JiOii TICUL TUilE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
-  Gardening  Appointments. — We  are  glad  to  be  able  to 
announce  that  Mr.  W.  Coomber,  for  many  years  with  the  Royal  Botanic 
Society  at  Regent’s  Bark,  has  been  appointed  head  gardener  to  Lord 
Lilford,  Lilford  Hall,  Oundle,  Northamptonshire.  Mr.  George  Eveleigh 
has  been  appointed  gardener  to  Colonel  Pinney,  Somerton  Erleigh, 
Somerton. 
-  Ealing  Gardeners’  Association. — A  numerous  gathering 
attended  the  annual  dinner  and  prize  distribution  of  this  flourishing 
body,  held  recently  at  Ealing.  R.  Willey,  Esq.,  President  of  the 
Association,  occupied  the  chair.  From  the  statement  of  the  Hon. 
Secretary  it  appears  that  twenty-five  meetings  were  held,  and  sixteen 
new  honorary  members,  and  a  like  number  of  ordinary  members, 
were  elected.  The  Secretary  threw  out  a  good  suggestion  as  to 
establishing  a  “  Gardeners’  Registry  ”  in  connection  with  associations 
of  this  description  throughout  the  country,  to  which  those  in  want  of 
gardeners  in  their  respective  districts  might  apply,  and  be  supplied 
therefrom  with  competent  men. 
-  Violas  and  Pansies  from  Rothesay.  —  From  Messrs. 
Dobbie  &  Co.,  Rothesay,  N.B.,  we  have  received  a  small  box  of  these 
flowers,  and  found  them  to  be  of  extreme  beauty.  The  varieties  were 
numerous,  and  it  would  be  impossible  to  select  the  best  ;  but  Minnie,  a 
pale  lavender  with  a  deeper  centre ;  Dandie  Dinmont,  rich  purple  ; 
A.  J.  Rowberry,  clear  yellow  ;  rosea  pallida,  the  name  of  which  tells 
the  colour  ;  Accushla,  white,  with  clearly  defined  violet  margins,  and 
Marchioness,  pure  white,  were  superb.  Besides  these  were  flowers 
of  a  new  strain  of  bedding  Violas,  of  which,  if  the  quality  of  the 
specimens  sent  is  maintained,  much  will  be  heard  in  the  future ;  a 
gold  laced  crimson  was  particularly  effective.  Taking  into  consideration 
the  earliness  of  the  date,  the  form,  substance,  and  colouration  left 
nothing  to  be  desired, 
-  Blue  King  Pansy. — Amidst  all  the  Viola  production  which 
still  goes  on  apace,  and  which  seems  to  be  in  danger  of  breeding  many 
thin,  attenuated,  and  worthless  varieties,  none  yet  has  been  produced 
that  for  earliness  and  effect  excels  as  a  blue  that  fine  Pansy  Blue  King. 
Those  who  see  it  grown  in  bulk  for  market  sale  have  to  admit  that  no 
Viola  can  touch  it  for  effect  or  as  a  market  plant.  Here  is  a  parent 
which  it  may  be  well  if  someone  interested  in  this  section  of  hardy 
flowers  would  take  in  hand  and  create  a  new  race  of  bedding  Pansies 
that  shall  have  all  the  merits  of  being  early,  compact,  floriferous,  and 
very  varied  in  colour.  Too  much  thought  just  now  is  given  to  the  pro¬ 
duction  of  rayless  flowers,  but  when  got  they  have  little  market  value  or 
decorative  usefulness.  Blue  King  still  holds  the  field  as  the  best  and 
earliest  Pansy  in  commerce. — A.  D. 
-  Shirley  and  Surrounding  Districts  Gardeners’  and 
Amateurs’  Mutual  Improvement  Association.  —  The  monthly 
meeting  was  held  on  the  20th  inst.,  at  the  Parish  Room,  Shirley, 
Southampton,  Mr.  B.  Ladhams,  F.R  H.S.,  presiding.  This  was  the 
first  meeting  of  the  Society’s  third  season,  and  was  well  attended. 
Mr.  H.  Ctartis,  The  Gardens,  Springhill,  gave  a  very  practical  and 
exhaustive  paper  on  the  “  Culture  of  the  Tomato,”  directing  his 
remarks  chiefly  to  the  treatment  under  glass.  He  recommended  Seakale 
pots  for  growing  the  plants  in,  preferring  these  to  any  other  pot,  as 
requiring  less  water,  and  also  being  better  than  planting  out,  there 
being,  in  his  opinion,  less  danger  of  disease  setting  in  with  a  limited 
root  run.  A  discussion  followed,  especially  on  the  diseases  of  the 
plant,  and  the  remedies  to  be  applied  ;  but  it  was  generally  admitted 
that  a  close  atmosphere  and  a  rampant  Boft  growth  were  the  two 
things  to  be  chiefly  avoided.  A  hearty  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Curtis 
concluded  the  proceedings. 
-  Phallus  esculentus — I  have  been  unusually  interested 
this  spring  with  the  appearance  of  the  fungus  Phallus  esculentus  in  the 
grass  in  our  orchard,  never  having  observed  it  there  before.  I  should 
like  to  ask  those  readers,  who  are  situated  in  localities  where  it  generally 
makes  its  appearance,  if  they  find  it  more  numerous  this  spring* than 
usual.  Probably  the  mild  and  open  winter  is  the  cause  of  its 
unexpected  advent  here,  or  perchance  the  dressings  of  wood  ashes  and 
soot,  which  have  been  spread  on  the  grass  for  the  benefit  of  the  fruit 
trees,  may  have  had  some  effect  in  stimulating  the  dormant  spores  or 
mycelium  into  activity,  and  causing  this  dainty  esculent  to  appear. 
Whatever  may  have  contributed  to  its  presence  it  is  welcomed  and 
relished.  In  some  parts  of  the  country  it  is  regularly  sought  after  by 
persons  who  have  an  epicurean  taste,  and  no  wonder,  for  when  cut  up 
with  equal  quantities  of  beef,  dressed  and  cooked  the  same  way  as  a 
beefsteak  pudding,  it  is  well  able  to  satisfy  the  craving  of  a  hungry  man. 
•— J,  Easter,  Nustell  Priory  Gardens, 
-  Importation  of  Colonial  Apples. — The  first  cargo  of  the 
season  arrived  on  Thursday  last  by  the  Orient  liner  “  Oruba,”  the 
consignment  consisting  of  about  6700  cases.  The  quality,  particularly 
of  the  Tasmanian  Apples,  is  said  to  be  better  than  has  been  known  for 
several  years,  the  Apples  in  question  realising  from  12j.  6i.  to  22s.  per 
bushel  case. 
-  Vines  in  Jadoo  Fibre.  —  From  Col.  Halford  Thompson, 
Eastcliff,  Teignmouth,  has  come  a  little  pamphlet,  printed  in  French, 
regarding  some  experiments  that  have  been  carried  out  at  Bordeaux 
in  growing  Grape  Vines  in  Jadoo  fibre,  and  rooting  Vine  cuttings  in 
the  same  material.  One  of  the  chief  advantages  claimed  for  Jadoo 
for  this  purpose  is  that  it  will  do  away  with  the  necessity  for  planting 
the  cuttings  in  a  nursery,  as  the  certainty  of  the  root  action  of  Jadoo 
will  enable  this  process  to  be  dispensed  with,  and  the  cuttings  put 
straight  into  their  permanent  position.  Plants  grown  in  this  way  are 
said  to  be  more  able  to  resist  all  kinds  of  insect  pests  than  if  rooted  in 
earth.  The  same  remarks  apply  to  the  use  Jadoo  for  Hops. 
-  Peach  Yellows — Several  Peach  growers  in  the  Michigan 
Fruit  Belt  report  a  decided  decrease  of  the  yellows  in  orchards  that 
have  been  sprayed  thoroughly  with  copper  sulphate  during  the  past  two 
years.  The  spraying,  says  an  American  contemporary,  was  done  as  a 
possible  preventive  of  the  curl  leaf,  with  no  thought  of  its  having  any 
effect  on  the  yellows  disease.  The  result  of  the  experiments  would  seem 
to  indicate  that  while  no  application  can  be  expected  to  cure  the  disease 
even  in  the  early  stages,  the  application  may  destroy  spores  and  thus 
save  treeB  that  have  not  become  diseased.  If  this  theory  prove  true, 
growers  who  persist  in  spraying  will  in  a  few  years  be  entirely  exempt 
from  the  misfortune  in  spite  of  negligent  neighbours. 
-  A  Generous  Gift — The  name  of  John  Crosfield,  Esq.,  of 
Walton  Lea,  Warrington,  is  well  known  to  all  lovers  of  horticulture, 
and  equally  so  is  that  of  his  esteemed  gardener,  Mr.  W.  Kipps.  A  very 
successful  Chrysanthemum  exhibition  was  held  last  November  by  the 
Warrington  Floral  and  Horticultural  Society,  and  so  pleased  was  Mr. 
Crosfield  that  he  most  kindly  offered  2000  Hyacinth  bulbs,  and  in 
addition  £20  wherewith  to  supply  prizes  for  the  beBt  productions  from 
the  bulbs.  As  might  be  expected,  there  was  a  large  number  of  entries, 
the  following  being  successful  : — One  Hyacinth  in  a  glass.  —  First, 
Inspector  Cox  ;  second,  Mr.  K  W.  D.  Cock  ;  third,  Miss  Vipond  ; 
fourth,  Mr.  M.  W.  Long;  fifth,  Mrs.  Cowdell  ;  Mrs.  Broadbent  and 
Mr.  W.  Lowe  gaining  certificates.  For  two  Hyacinths  in  glasses  the 
winners  were  Messrs.  T.  Hunt,  Jno.  Dennett,  and  W.  Lowe.  For  one 
Hyacinth  in  a  pot  the  winners  were  Messrs.  S.  Davies,  Randles, 
P.  Cliffe,  W.  Ball,  and  Mrs.  Eawards  ;  those  successful  for  two  in  a  pot 
being  Messrs.  P.  Cliffe,  Thomas  Struttle,  Thomas  Timperley,  J.  E. 
Kinston,  and  F.  W.  Taggart.  All  the  exhibits  were  of  much  merit, 
the  condition,  pots,  and  neatness  in  staking  being  considered  in  making 
the  awards.  The  distribution  of  the  prize  money  and  certificates  took 
place  at  the  Society’s  Office,  Warrington,  Mr.  Crosfield  paying  all  costa. 
Would  that  many  more  gentlemen  of  wealth  would  follow  the  excellent 
example  set  by  Mr.  Crosfield. — R.  P.  R. 
-  Royal  Meteorological  Society.— The  monthly  meeting  of 
this  Society  was  held  on  Wednesday  evening,  the  15th  inst.,  at  the 
Institution  of  Civil  Engineers,  Westminster,  Mr.  E.  Mawley,  President, 
in  the  chair.  Mr.  W.  Ellis,  F.R.S.,  read  a  paper  on  the  “  Mean  amount 
of  cloud  on  each  day  of  the  year  at  the  Royal  Observatory,  Greenwich, 
on  the  average  of  the  fifty  years,  1841-1890,”  in  which  he  showed  that  a 
principal  maximum  occurs  in  the  winter  and  a  principal  minimum  in 
the  autumn,  with  a  secondary  much  less  pronounced  maximum  in  the 
summer  and  a  secondary  minimum  in  the  spring.  There  is,  however, 
considerable  irregularity  in  the  succession  of  daily  values,  the 
differences  between  which  on  consecutive  days  are  in  numerous  cases 
relatively  large.  Mr.  E.  D.  Fridlander,  B.Sc.,  gave  an  account  of  some 
observations  of  the  amount  of  dust  in  the  atmosphere  made  at  various 
places  during  a  voyage  round  the  world  in  1894-5.  The  experiments, 
which  were  made  with  a  form  of  Aitken’s  pocket  dust  counter,  showed 
that  there  are  often  considerable  variations  in  the  number  of  dust 
particles  in  a  very  short  space  of  time.  Not  only  did  dust  occur  in  the 
air  of  inhabited  countries,  over  the  water  surfaces  immediately  adjoining 
them,  and  up  to  an  altitude  of  6000  or  7000  feet  amongst  the  Alps,  but 
it  was  also  found  in  the  open  oceaD,  and  that  so  far  away  from  any  land 
as  to  preclude  the  possibility  of  artificial  pollution,  and  its  existence  has 
been  directly  demonstrated  at  a  height  of  more  than  13,000  feet.  Major 
H.  E.  Rawson,  F.R.Met.Soc.,  gave  an  analysis  of  the  Greenwich  rainfall 
records  from  1879  to  1890,  with  special  reference  to  the  declination  of 
the  suu  and  moon, 
