April  30,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
395 
Events  of  the  Week. — Horticulturists  within  the  metropolitan 
area  will  not  be  very  busy  with  shows  during  the  coming  week — in  fact, 
the  only  one  is  that  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  of  which  a  note 
will  be  found  below. 
-  Weather  in  London. — For  a  full  week  now  we  have  had 
magnificent  weather.  The  days  have  been  brilliant  with  sunshine,  and 
the  nights  cold,  clear,  and  inclined  to  be  frosty.  It  has  occasionally  been 
dull  in  the  mornings,  but  this  has  not  been  long  before  the  sun  has 
come  through.  Genial  showers  are  needed. 
-  Weather  in  the  North.  —  The  weather  was  extremely 
fine  up  to  the  end  of  last  week,  the  days  warm  with  a  good  deal  of 
sunshine,  the  evenings  occasionally  somewhat  cold.  On  the  afternoon 
of  Saturday  gentle  showers  fell.  During  both  Sunday  and  Monday  a 
coldish  high  wind  blew  in  gusts  from  the  West  and  N.W.,  and 
recurring  showers  fell  on  both  days.  The  conditions  were  much  the 
same  on  Tuesday  morning. — B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
-  The  Woburn  Experimental  Fruit  Farm.  —  We  are 
requested  by  Mr.  Spencer  Pickering  to  state  that  although  no  formal 
imitation  to  visit  the  Woburn  Experimental  Fruit  Farm  will  be  sent 
to  horticulturists  this  year,  all  who  are  interested  in  the  undertaking 
will  be  welcomed  there  on  any  Saturday  during  the  month  of  May. 
Those  who  propose  paying  the  farm  a  visit  are  requested  to  send  notice 
of  their  intention  two  days  previously  to  Mr.  L.  Castle,  Ridgmont, 
Aspley  Guise. 
-  Royal  Horticultural  Society.— The  next  fruit  and  floral 
meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  will  be  held  on  Tuesday, 
May  5th,  in  the  Drill  Hall,  James  Street,  Westminster.  At  three 
o’clock  a  lecture  will  be  delivered  by  Mr.  J.  G.  Baker,  F.R.S.,  on  the 
“  Species  and  Varieties  of  Cultivated  Tulips.”  An  interesting  feature 
of  this  exhibition  will  be  a  large  collection  of  original  paintings  of 
Irises  and  Daffodils  by  Mr.  W.  J.  Caparn,  of  Oundle,  Northants. 
- A  Twin  Peach  Tree. — I  have  never  yet  raised  twin  Peach 
trees.  I  should  think  the  trees  mentioned  on  page  377  are  the  produce 
of  two  kernels.  These  are  very  frequent  in  Almonds  and  probably  in 
Peaches  also,  but  as  Peach  stones  are  not  used  for  dessert  as  Almonds 
are  they  are  not  noticed.  If  the  trees  are  not  visibly  separate  they 
were  probably  united  at  a  very  early  date.  It  would  be  very  difficult  to 
discover  the  junction  now.  I  gather  from  the  description  that  one  half 
of  the  tree  is  a  Nectarine  and  the  other  a  Peach,  but  quite  distinct. — 
T.  Francis  Rivers. 
-  Tulips  in  Victoria  Park— "A  Visitor”  writes  Having 
read  the  account  on  page  370  of  the  Tulips  in  Victoria  Park,  I  was 
induced  to  go  and  see  them.  The  display  exceeded  my  anticipations. 
The  large  beds  must  contain  many  thousands  of  plants,  and  not  a 
failure  was  observable,  nor  a  ‘  rogue  ’  to  be  seen.  The  varieties  did  not 
appear  to  be  named,  and  if  they  were  the  names  could  not  be  read 
except  in  the  beds  near  the  roadway.  Could  not  Mr.  Moorman  make  a 
little  index  bed  in  a  convenient  position  another  year  with  a  short  row 
of  each  variety  across  it  duly  named  1  This  would  be  instructive  to 
many  visitors.  He  is  to  be  complimented  on  the  rich  floral  treat 
afforded,  as  are  Messrs.  Carter  &  Co.,  the  vendors  of  the  bulbs.” 
-  Garden  Hand-pumps  or  Syringe-engines  versus  Hand- 
syringes. — Having  had  a  long-life  experience  of  various  forms  of  these 
useful  appliances,  and  a  predilection  in  favour  of  the  former,  especially 
where  an  extensive  use  of  it  is  required,  I  have  often  wondered  why 
gardeners  in  general  have  not  adopted  it  in  preference  to  the  ordinary 
syringe.  It  is  superior  both  in  regard  to  the  far  greater  expeditiousness, 
ease,  and  facility  with  which  the  work  can  be  performed,  especially 
when  a  suitable  length  of  indiarubber  tubing  is  attached  for  the  more 
ready  application  of  water  or  liquid  insecticides  about  the  plants,  and 
particularly  with  regard  to  those  trained  against  high  walls  or  con¬ 
servatory  roofs,  in  addition  to  which  the  loss  of  time  and  extra  labour 
involved  in  replenishing  the  ordinary  syringe  with  water  or  other  liquid 
are  factors  of  very  considerable  importance. — \V.  G. 
-  Gardening  Appointment. — Mr.  Geo.  Parr,  late  gardener  to 
A.  Benn,  Esq.,  has  taken  charge  of  the  gardens  of  J.  H.  Arkwright, 
Esq.,  Hampton  Court,  Herefordshire. 
-  Mr.  Robert  Lindsay. — This  gentleman,  who  has  been  Curator 
of  the  Royal  Botanic  Society’s  Gardens,  Edinburgh,  for  several  years, 
retired  from  that  position  on  the  31st  ult.  The  office  of  Curator  is  being 
dispensed  with,  but  Professor  Bayley  Balfour  has  efficient  assistants  in 
the  management  of  this  fine  garden. 
-  Fritillaria  Meleagris.— I  Bend  herewith  some  flowers 
gathered  from  a  beautiful  patch  of  meadow  near  the  river  Mersey, 
which  is  quite  gay  with  their  flowers.  I  am  informed  it  is  rather  rare 
in  this  locality  in  a  wild  state,  consequently  you  may  think  it  worth 
while  making  a  note  of  it. — Robt.  MacKellar,  Cheadle,  Cheshire. 
[The  flowers  Bent  were  of  good  size  and  splendidly  coloured.] 
-  Fertilisation  of  Flowers  by  Bees. — Although  seldom 
adopted,  it  has  long  been  considered  by  cultivators  to  be  an  excellent 
practice  to  put  a  hive  of  bees  in  a  Peach  house  started  early  in  the  year, 
when  the  trees  are  in  bloom,  to  insure  a  good  set  of  fruit ;  but  according 
to  an  experiment  made  at  the  Cornell  horticultural  station  bees  are  not 
inclined  to  work  out  of  season.  A  hive  of  bees  was  wintered  in  a  house 
tilled  with  Tomato  plants.  Not  only,  however,  did  the  bees  not  fertilise 
the  flowers,  but  they  made  frequent  efforts  to  escape  from  the  house, 
and  were  found  to  be  useless  as  carriers  of  pollen  in  the  winter. 
-  Birmingham  Gardeners’  Association.  —  At  the  Athletic 
Institute,  Birmingham,  on  the  27th  inst.,  an  interesting  meeting  of 
this  Society  was  supplemented  by  an  exhibition  of  Daffodils  both  in 
pots  and  in  the  cut  state.  The  competition  was  comparatively  small. 
The  first  prize  was  adjudged  to  Mr.  A.  Cryer  and  the  fourth  to  Mr. 
H.  Snejd.  Messrs.  Pope  &  Sons  brought  an  interesting  collection  of 
cut  blooms  of  Daffodils,  as  also  did  Mr.  C.  Bick.  An  instructive 
discussion  (opened  by  Mr.  W.  Spinks)  took  place,  and  was  taken  part 
in  by  several  of  the  members.  Mr.  Clements  of  Harborne  brought 
some  of  his  prize  Auriculas,  and  Mr.  Greig  of  Harborne  a  plant  of 
Primula  obconica  in  very  fine  form. — W.  G. 
-  Covering  Pots.  —  A  correspondent  lately  recommended  the 
use  of  crinkled  paper  for  covering  pots  used  in  house  decorations,  while 
others  objected  to  its  use,  as  partaking  too  much  of  the  cheap  luncheon 
table.  With  the  latter  I  cordially  agree,  and  being  responsible  for  the 
decoration  of  a  large  country  house  I  may  be  allowed  to  state  how  pots 
may  be  made  very  attractive  by  covering  them  with  Box.  If  it  is  a 
6-inch  pot  that  has  to  be  covered,  cut  the  branches  from  a  Box  tree, 
about  7  inches  in  length  and  fasten  them  round  the  outside  of  the  pot 
with  two  bands  of  thin  invisible  wire.  If  neatly  done  the  pot  will  be 
completely  hidden,  and  will  be  the  admiration  of  all.  Young  men  soon 
get  adepts  at  “  boxing  ”  the  pots,  and  it  does  not  take  so  long  as  would 
at  first  sight  appear.  From  remarks  that  are  often  passed  by  visitors,  I 
am  inclined  to  think  that  Box  may  be  used  for  the  purpose  much  more 
than  has  hitherto  been  the  case. — S. ,  Yorlis. 
-  Bournemouth  and  District  Gardeners’  Mutual 
Improvement  Association. — This  Society  now  holds  its  meetings 
at  the  Wilberforce  Assembly  Rooms,  which  is  a  more  central  position 
in  the  town  and  available  from  all  parts  of  the  district,  upwards  of 
twenty-four  members  having  been  added  since  the  change  of  meeting 
place  in  February.  A  largely  attended  meeting  was  held  on  the 
21st  inst.,  the  chair  being  occupied  by  C.  H.  Mate,  Esq.,  one  of  the 
Vice-Presidents ;  and  amongst  those  present  were  J.  B.  M.  Camm, 
Esq.,  Burnham  Grange  ;  Rev.  G.  S.  Bevir,  Holdenhurst ;  Mr.  J.  Beck, 
late  gardener  to  Lord  Allington,  Crichel,  who  is  now  a  resident  in 
Bournemouth  ;  and  Mr.  A.  Skinner,  Highcliffe  Castle.  T.  J.  Hankinson, 
Esq ,  J.P.,  was  elected  President  of  the  Society  in  the  place  of  Dr. 
Hitchcock,  J.P.,  who  resigned  owing  to  his  inability  to  attend  the 
meetings.  An  excellent  paper  on  “  The  Hardy  Herbaceous  Border  :  How 
to  Make,  Keep,  and  Enjoy  It,”  was  read  by  Mr.  M.  Prichard,  Christ¬ 
church,  who  makes  a  speciality  of  the  cultivation  of  herbaceous  plants. 
Hints  were  given  on  the  preparation  and  planting  of  the  border,  with  a 
select  list  of  plants  and  the  position  they  should  occupy.  The  essayist 
did  not  favour  the  planting  of  spring  flowering  bulbs  in  the  herbaceous 
border,  but  did  not  object  to  Gladioli  and  Lilies  having  a  place  there. 
He  spoke  highly  of  the  new  race  of  giant  flowered  Gladiolus,  a  cross 
between  the  Saundersi  and  Lemoine  varieties.  Mr.  Prichard  added 
greatly  to  the  interest  of  his  paper  by  staging  a  fine  collection  of  bunches 
of  hardy  flowers.  Hearty  votes  of  thanks  was  accorded  to  the  exhibitors 
and  also  to  the  Chairman. 
