May  28,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDE  HER. 
Events  of  the  Week  —  The  week  following  the  holidays  is 
usually  a  quiet  one,  and  with  the  exception  of  the  anniversary  dinner 
of  the  Gardeners  Royal  Benevolent  Institution,  which  is  announced  to 
take  place  in  the  Whitehall  rooms,  Hotel  Metiopole,  on  Saturday 
evening  next,  and  which  we  trust  will  prove  a  success,  no  events  of 
importance  are  recorded. 
Weather  in  London. — Bright  sunny  weather  still  continues 
in  the  metropolis,  and  holiday  makers  have  had  no  cause  to  complain, 
as  from  their  point  of  view  Whitsuntide  could  not  have  been  more 
pleasant.  Want  of  rain,  however,  is  the  general  outcry,  and  much  to 
the  disappointment  of  gardeners  and  farmers  the  threatenings  of  a 
few  days  ago  appear  to  have  passed  away,  and  at  the  time  of  going  to 
press  the  sun  is  shining  brilliantly,  with  no  prospect  of  a  change. 
-  Weather  in  the  North.— Two  or  three  peals  of  thunder  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  19th  inst.  brought  a  little  rain  and  a  decided  fall  in 
temperature  for  a  day  or  two.  For  the  rest  of  the  week  preceding 
Tuesday  morning  the  heat  and  drought  have  been  great,  with  no 
appearance  of  change. — B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
-  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution.  _  Our 
readers  are  reminded  that  the  fifty-seventh  anniversary  festival  dinner 
in  aid  of  the  funds  of  this  Institution  will  take  place  on  Saturday  next, 
May  30th,  at  the  Hotel  Mdtiopole,  at  6.30  p.m.,  under  the  presidency  of 
the  Right  Hon.  the  Earl  of  Lathom,  G.C.B.,  P.C.  (Lord  Chamberlain). 
-  Farnham  Rose  and  Horticultural  Show.  —  We  are 
desired  to  state  that  the  show  in  question  will  be  held  on  July  1st  in  the 
gardens  of  Farnham  Castle,  and  that  Mrs.  Davidson,  wife  of  the  Bishop 
of  Winchester,  has  kindly  consented  to  distribute  the  prizes.  The 
schedule  contains  nine  classes  for  Roses,  one  open  to  amateurs  and 
nurserymen,  the  remainder  to  members  of  the  Society.  Mr.  Coldham 
C.  Knight  is  the  Honorary  Secretary. 
-  Royal  Meteorological  Society.  —  The  monthly  meeting 
of  this  Society  was  held  on  Wednesday  evening  the  20th  inBt.,  Mr. 
E.  Mawley,  F.R.H.S.,  President,  in  the  chair.  Mr.  R,  H.  Curtis, 
F. R.Met.Soc.,  read  a  paper  on  the  exposure  of  anemometers,  in  which 
he  gave  the  results  of  a  comparison  of  the  records  from  the  three 
anemometers  at  Holyhead — viz  ,  the  Robinson,  the  bridled,  and  the 
pressure- tube  anemometers.  It  was  clearly  shown  that  the  force  of  the 
wind  is  greatly  affected  by  surrounding  objects.  The  author  is  of 
opinion  that  for  an  anemometrical  record  to  be  reliable  and  of  value, 
not  only  must  the  instrument  he  exposed  in  an  open  place,  free  from 
local  obstructions,  but  it  is  also  absolutely  essential  that  the  stand 
which  carries  it  shall  offer  practically  no  resistance  to  the  wind,  and  that 
the  instrument  should  not  be  placed  on  the  roof  of  a  house.  The  paper 
was  illustrated  by  a  number  of  lantern  slides.  An  interesting  collection 
of  photographs  of  clouds,  sent  to  the  Society  by  Mr.  II.  C.  Russell,  F.R.S., 
of  the  Sydney  Observatory,  was  also  exhibited. 
-  Death  of  Mr,  J.  Bounds. — It  is  with  the  most  sincere  regret 
that  I  send  you  the  announcement  of  the  death  of  another  of  our  best- 
known  Liverpool  exhibitors,  viz.,  Mr.  John  Bounds,  gardener  to 
A.  L.  Jones,  Esq.,  Oaklands,  Aigburth,  which  took  place  on  Saturday 
morning,  May  23rd.  Deceased  was  in  his  usual  health  up  to  a  week 
previous,  when  he  caught  a  chill,  and  despite  all  care  and  attention  he 
succumbed  to  pneumonia  at  the  early  age  of  forty-one.  Coming  from 
Herefordshire  he  has,  I  believe,  been  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Liverpool 
for  over  twenty  years,  twelve  of  which  bad  been  spent  as  head  gardener 
at  Oaklands.  As  an  exhibitor  he  was  always  to  the  fore,  more  particu¬ 
larly  in  grouping,  the  last  appearance  as  an  exhibitor  being  at  our 
Liverpool  show.  Having  often  competed  against  him  there  was  one 
trait  in  his  character  which  I  always  used  to  admire,  viz  ,  his  perfect 
bearing  in  all  his  successes  or  otherwise.  He  was  also  on  the  Liverpool 
Committee  for  several  years,  and  took  great  interest  in  the  Grassendale 
and  Aigburth  Society.  I  feel  sure  that  I  may  be  permitted  in  my  own 
name  and  for  all  Liverpool  horticulturists  to  express  our  deepest 
sympathy  to  Mrs.  Bounds  and  her  six  young  children  in  the  great  loss 
they  have  sustained  by  the  sudden  calling  away  of  their  breadwinner. 
— R.  P.  R. 
4f>9 
-  Gardening  Appointment  — Mr.  G.  Carpenter,  who  has  taken 
charge  of  the  gardens  of  F.  C.  Stoop,  Esq.,  West  Hall,  Byfleet, 
Wtybridge,  is  welcomed  back  to  the  district  in  which  he  is  known  so 
well  as  a  successful  cultivator  and  exhibitor. 
-  Dawlish  Improvement  Scheme.— At  the  last  bi-monthly 
meeting  of  this  District  Council,  Mr.  F.  W.  Meyer,  landscape  gardener 
to  Messrs.  Yeitch  &  Sons  of  Exeter,  read  a  descriptive  paper  on  “  How 
to  Make  Dawlish  More  Attractive,”  and  also  submitted  plans.  The 
Chairman  highly  complimented  Mr.  Meyer  on  the  excellence  of  his 
designs,  which  it  was  decided  to  frame,  and  said  they  would  receive  the 
due  consideration  of  the  Council. 
-  A  Severe  Frost. — The  severe  frost  on  Thursday  morning  (we 
registered  6°)  was  by  no  means  kindly  welcomed,  coming  as  it  did  so 
unexpectedly.  Much  damage  has  been  done,  the  los3  to  the  Cheshire 
market  gardeners  being  very  great,  especially  amongst  Potatoes.  French 
and  Runner  Beans  have  suffered  greatly,  whilst  the  young  shoots  of 
Hollies  and  Aucubas  are  in  several  places  turned  quite  black.  It  is 
interesting  to  note  the  hardiness  of  some  varieties  of  Potatoes,  some 
being  quite  shrivelled,  whilst  others  do  not  appear  to  be  touched,  yet  all 
growing  side  by  side.  Perhaps  other  readers  could  give  some  interesting 
accounts  on  this  latter  subject. — R. 
-  In  more  especially  low-lying  districts  around  Birmingham  the 
Lost  was  sufficiently  severe  to  totally  destroy  the  early  Potato  tops, 
Scarlet  Runner  Beans,  and  other  exposed  tender  plants. — G. 
-  New  Steam  Pump  for  Gardens. — A  novelty  in  garden 
watering  apparatus  has  just  been  brought  out  by  Messrs.  Merryweather 
and  Sons,  London.  It  has  been  constructed  on  lines  laid  down  by 
Mr.  Gibb,  estate  agent  to  Miss  Alice  de  Rothschild,  and  appears  to  be 
well  suited  for  its  work.  Complete  with  steam  boiler  and  four-wheel 
carriage,  it  weighs  about  3  cwt.,  and  can  therefore  be  easily  wheeled 
about  by  one  man.  The  pump  is  entirely  of  gun  metal,  and  may  be  used 
for  Hop  washing  and  removing  blight  without  injury  to  barrel  or  valves. 
The  capacity  is  from  20  to  30  gallons  per  minute,  and  several  hoses  may 
be  used  simultaneously. 
-  Worksop  Rose  and  Horticultural  Society.  —  The 
schedule  of  the  annual  show  of  this  Society  has  just  reached  us,  and 
we  find  that  it  is  to  be  held  in  the  grounds  ad]o  ning  Sparken,  the 
residence  of  J.  D.  Ellis,  Esq.  There  are  many  classes  (118),  some 
coming  in  one  section,  some  in  another.  Generally  speaking  the  prizes 
are  good,  and  should  be  provocative  of  strong  competition.  There  are 
several  open  classes,  especially  in  the  Rose  section,  besides  amateurs’ 
and  cottagers’  classes  for  Roses,  fruits,  vegetables,  and  flowers.  We 
hope  the  weather  will  be  fine,  and  that  the  exhibition  will  be  a  pro¬ 
nounced  success.  The  Honorary  Secretary  is  Mr.  Geo.  G.  Bailey, 
Worksop,  who  will  gladly  furnish  all  needful  particulars. 
- Flowering  Trees  — How  wondrously  beautiful  have  all  the 
May-blooming  deciduous  trees  been  this  season  1  No  doubt  the 
Laburnum  is  the  most  widely  grown,  as  it  seems  to  be  everybody’s 
tree,  and  if  not  too  largely  planted,  it  is  very  charming.  When, 
however,  tree3  follow  thickly,  so  that  the  surroundings  of  a  garden 
are  all  yellow,  then  does  even  the  Laburnum  become  obtrusive. 
I  noticed  the  other  day  at  Chertsey,  where  a  strong  stem  of  the 
Wistaria  had  been  carried  up  into  the  head  of  a  Laburnum  tree,  that 
the  companionship  of  yellow  and  blue  was  not  at  all  happy,  whereas 
the  same  thing  done  in  a  White  Thorn  tree  was  very  pleasing.  Paul’s 
Crimson  Thorn  has  not  only  been  superb  this  season,  but  it  is  fast 
rivalling  the  Laburnum  in  the  abundance  with  which  it  is  presented. 
Whites  and  pinks,  and  even  reds,  in  double  Thorns,  are  all  very 
beautiful,  but  the  crimson  variety  is  indeed  superb.  Here  again  we 
see  old  tastes  shown  in  planting,  as  at  Woking  I  saw  four  trees  standing 
in  succession,  and  almost  close  together,  in  front  of  a  villa  without  any 
o' her  tree  with  them,  and  the  effect  was  certainly  too  warm.  Where, 
however,  planted  moderately  in  that  sandy  district,  the  effect  was 
indeed  all  that  could  be  desired.  On  Kingston  Hill  recently  I  saw  two 
large  trees  standing  back  from  the  road,  and  amidst  others  that  were 
grand  masses  of  colour.  At  Coombe  a  tree  of  Cytisus  Adami,  the  piak 
Laburnum,  has  just  a  few  bud  sports  of  the  ordinary  yellow  form  here 
and  there  in  it  that  is  very  interesting,  though  not  particularly  striking. 
It  is  a  wonder  the  Judas  Tree  is  not  more  largely  planted,  as  where 
it  does  well  it  is  a  grand  flowering  tree.  Large  standard  white  Brooms 
are  very  pleasing  also,  but  the  yellow  one  is  in  places  too  comm<  n,  so 
that  railway  embanknun^s  and  commons  become  ablaze  with  golden 
yellow. — A.  D. 
