58 
July  U,  1898. 
JOUnXAL  OF  HORTICULTUliE  AND  COTTAGE  GAUDENEn. 
Events  op  the  Week. — In  addition  to  several  Rose  shows  yet  to 
take  place,  a  list  of  which  appears  on  page  54,  the  principal  events  for 
the  ensuing  week  are  the  National  Carnation  and  Picotee  show  at  the 
Crystal  Palace,  on  Wednesday,  July  22nd,  the  Beckenham  Summer 
show  and  floral  fete,  and  the  show  in  aid  of  the  West  Ham  Hospital,  to 
be  held  at  Stratford,  E.,  the  same  day. 
-  Weather  in  London. — During  the  past  week  the  heat  has 
been  excessive  in  the  metropolis.  On  several  days  the  thermometer  in 
the  shade  has  exceeded  80°,  and  Tuesday  was  the  hottest  day  recorded 
for  the  past  three  years,  the  thermometer  registering  85°  in  the  shade. 
On  several  days  the  mercury  has  risen  to  150°  in  the  sun’s  rays.  The 
weather  continues  persistently  dry  in  London,  the  total  measurement  of 
rain  for  ten  days  past  being  only  a  hundredth  part  of  an  inch. 
- Cardipp’  Horticultdrad  Society.  —  The  eighth  annual 
show  will  be  held  by  arrangement  with  the  Cardiff  Exhibition 
Committee  in  the  Long  Avenue  adjoining  the  Imperial  Gardens  on  the 
12  th  and  13  th  August  next.  As  the  space  at  the  disposal  of  the 
Committee  is  limited  we  are  requested  to  state  that  applications  for 
exhibits  not  for  competition  will  be  dealt  with  in  the  order  received, 
and  it  is  expected  the  show  will  be  a  full  one. 
-  Potatoes  in  Cambridge  and  Lincolnshire.— These  have 
been  planted  much  more  extensively  this  season  than  in  previous  years. 
The  planting  has  taken  place  chiefly  on  land  usually  occupied  by  Brown 
Mustard,  the  latter  being  now  at  such  a  low  price  that  farmers  were 
advised  not  to  grow  it  for  a  while.  Snowdrops,  Hebrons,  and  Early 
Puritans  occupy  large  areas  in  those  portions  of  these  counties  that  are 
adjacent  ;  but,  owing  to  the  long  continued  drought,  it  is  greatly  to  be 
feared  that  the  crops  will  be  very  light.  Where  late  varieties  were 
planted  early  they  are  flowering  profusely,  and  this  itself  tends  to 
minimise  the  'subsequent  yield  of  tubers.  So  far  the  prospects  are  not 
very  bright. 
-  Cultivation  of  Outdoor  Tomatobs.~Now  Is  the  time  to 
decide  on  the  method  to  adopt  if  the  aim  is  an  early  crop  of  Tomatoes, 
regardless  of  size  or  quality.  Cut  away  all  shoots  except  the  centre 
one  ;  should  the  fruit  be  set  up  to  the  fourth  bunch,  take  off  the  top 
just  above  it ;  if  the  leaves  are  thick  remove  half  of  them.  Give  water 
only  once  a  week,  no  matter  bow  hot  and  dry  the  weather — in  fact,  the 
great  thing  is  just  to  keep  the  plants  alive  till  the  fruits  set.  To  have 
fine  fruit  remove  all  shoots  except  the  leading  one  j  thin  the  fruit,  so  as 
not  to  have  more  than  three  on  a  bunch,  and  certainly  not  more  than 
four  bunches  ;  remove  no  leaves  unless  they  are  withered  ;  during  dry 
hot  weather  give  weak  liquid  manure,  not  the  muddy  slush,  which  is 
too  often  given  under  the  impression  that  because  it  is  thick  it  must  be 
strong.  This  is  a  fatal  error,  and  is  soon  evident  by  the  leaves  becoming 
yellow  and  curling  up,  and  the  fruit  spotted  and  diseased.  To  encourage 
the  swelling  of  the  fruit  syringe  with  water  which  has  been  exposed  to 
the  full  sun  all  day  ;  the  best  time  to  commence  is  about  five,  so  that  the 
leaves  are  thoroughly  dry  before  the  sun  goes  down. — F.  C.,  Colchester, 
-  Preservation  op  Commons. — This  continues  to  receive  the 
attention  it  deserves,  and  the  Commons  Preservation  Society  boldly 
attacks  any  efiort  made  to  reduce  or  spoil  public  lands  and  open 
spaces.  At  a  recent  committee  meeting  of  this  body,  Mr.  G.  Shaw 
Lefebvre  in  the  chair,  it  was  reported  that  the  clause  in  the  London, 
Brighton,  and  South  Coast  Railway  Bill  affecting  Mitcham  Common 
had  been  struck  out,  and  that  similar  results  had  taken  place  in 
regard  to  proposals  contained  in  various  Bills  for  the  appropriation 
of  common  land.  The  Portsmouth,  Basingstoke,  and  Godaiming 
Railway  Bill,  which  sought  to  interfere  with  Hanckley  Common 
and  with  Lammas  lands  at  Godaiming,  has  been  rejected  by  the 
Select  Committee  of  the  House  of  Lords  to  which  it  had  been 
referred.  The  protection  of  commons  in  the  Light  Railways  Bill  by  a 
clause  inserted  by  the  Grand  Committee  on  Trade  was  regarded  as 
satisfactory.  Correspondence  was  read  respecting  the  preservation  of 
Ham  and  Petersham  Commons  and  the  proposed  enclosure  of  the  Giant’s 
Causeway.  A  draft  scheme  for  the  regulation  of  Darwen  Moor  was  also 
considered. 
-  Gardening  Appointments.  —  Mr.  H.  Woodgate,  formerly 
head  gardener  to  Col.  Harvey,  Sandhurst,  Berks,  has  been  appointed 
head  gardener  to  Thomas  Pink,  Esq.,  Thornton  House,  Clapham 
Park,  S.W.  Mr.  George  Hardy,  late  gardener  at  Glanbrydan  Park, 
Carmarthenshire,  is  appointed  gardener  to  W.  S.  Laycock,  E-q,, 
Oakbrook,  Sheffield. 
-  The  Wedding  Flower,  Iris  Robinsonia,  is  now  flowering 
in  the  succulent  house  at  the  Royal  Gardens,  Kew,  the  specimen 
producing  ten  tall  branching  spikes  of  beautiful  flowers  that  are 
pure  white  save  for  a  horseshoe  mark  in  pale  orange  on  each  fall. 
Other  interesting  plants  at  Kew  are  Kniphofia  Northiae,  flowering  in  the 
succulent  bouse  border,  a  handsome  Cape  plant  with  long  spikes  of 
yellowish  flowers.  Calceolaria  alba,  a  beautiful  species  sent  to  Kew  by 
Professor  Max  Leitchlin,  is  now  bearing  a  profusion  of  small  pure  white 
flowers.  Primula  Poissoni  is  also  flowering  freely  in  a  bay  in  the 
rockery. 
-  Avenues. — I  notice  that  by  a  typographical  error  I  was  made 
in  some  notes  on  avenues  last  week,  to  refer  to  the  trees  in  the  Hampton 
Court  Park  as  Pines  instead  of  Limes,  which  they  are.  Unobservant 
persons  would  probably  think  that  the  strictures  on  the  condition  of 
these  trees  were  undeserved  because  so  many  of  the  trees  wear  an  out¬ 
ward  aspect  of  health.  Unfortunately  there  is  very  much  of  rottenness 
within,  as  decaying  stems,  broken  branches,  and  other  features  indicate. 
The  same  evidences  of  decay  may  be  found  in  many  of  the  avenue  trees 
of  the  kingdom,  they  having  prematurely  aged  because  of  their  com- 
paritively  crowded  state,  and  now  absence  of  sustenance. — A.  D. 
-  Intense  Heat. — Thursday  was  the  hottest  day  of  the  year  in 
Ipswich.  The  maximum  reading  in  the  western  part  of  the  borough 
was  86°  in  the  shade  6  feet  above  ground.  This  is  3°  higher  than  on  the 
previous  day,  and  6°  higher  than  the  maximum  reached  on  Monday  and 
Tuesday.  The  highest  reading  during  the  month  of  June  was  83°.  The 
evening  and  night  temperature  was  quite  as  remarkable.  The  minimum 
during  Wednesday  night  was  60°  ;  at  6  p  M.  on  Thursday  the  mercury 
stood  at  80°.  On  the  Continent  the  heat  was  still  more  intense.  On 
Thursday  115°  F.  in  the  shade  was  registered  at  Seville,  108°  at  Caen, 
and  104°  at  Madrid.  Cases  of  apoplexy  are  reported  from  Andalusia, 
where  the  heat  has  also  proved  fatal  to  birds. 
-  Schoolmaster  and  GariTener.— Mr.  Way,  the  head  master 
at  Warwick  School,  has  been  appointed  head  master  of  Bossall  School, 
near  Fleetwood,  and  very  sBortly  goes  there.  Mention  has  often  been 
made  of  his  pretty  garden  at  Warwick,  and  the  great  interest  he  has 
always  taken  in  the  culture  of  Orchids,  Begonias,  Carnations,  Chrys¬ 
anthemums,  as  well  as  herbaceous  and  alpine  plants.  During  his  twelve 
years’  residence  at  Warwick  he  has  made  bis  garden,  which  was  simply 
a  rubbish  heap,  to  what  it  is  now — viz.,  a  mrdel  garden  of  its  kind.  One 
great  feature  of  it  is  the  alpine  rockery,  which  Mr.  Way  built  prin¬ 
cipally  himself.  He  is  a  great  admirer  of  choice  flowers,  and  knows 
how  to  appreciate  them.  He  is  well  known  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Warwick  as  a  friend  to  gardeners,  and  never  more  happy  than  when 
having  a  chat  about  his  flowers.  As  an  Orchid  grower  he  has  been  very 
successful,  especially  with  imported  ones.  It  is  to  be  hoped  Mr.  Way, 
who  is  an  F.R.H.S.,  will  continue  to  show  his  keen  interest  in  horti¬ 
culture  at  Bossall  as  at  Warwick.-  Geo.  Burrows,  Bei'wick  Home, 
Shrev'shury . 
-  In  Aid  of  the  Hospital.— The  fruit  and  vegetable  sales¬ 
men  of  Stratford  Market,  London,  being  aware  of  the  continually 
increasing  expenses  incurred  in  carrying  on  the  work  of  the  West  Ham 
Hospital,  are  promoting  a  flower,  fruit,  and  vegetable  show  in  aid  of  the 
funds  of  that  institution,  and  have  decided  to  hold  it  on  Wednesday  and 
Thursday,  July  22nd  and  23rd.  The  need  for  increased  help  for  the 
hospital  is  shown  by  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  sent  by  the 
Secretary  of  the  Hospital,  G.  E.  Adams,  Esq. : — “  The  approximate 
annual  expenditure  will  be  £4500,  whereas  our  income  from  endowments 
only  averages  about  £150,  and  our  annual  subscriptions  do  not  exceed 
£700  per  annum,  thus  leaving  a  deficit  of  £3650  to  be  defrayed  by 
donations,  church  collections,  entertainments,  workpeop’e’s  contribu¬ 
tions,  and  other  sources  of  revenue,  all  of  which  are  of  a  fluctuating  and 
unreliable  character.”  The  schedule  provided  is  an  exhaustive  one, 
open  classes  being  provided,  as  well  as  others  for  gentlemen’s  gardeners, 
amateurs,  and  cottagers.  The  Committee  will  be  glad  to  receive  any 
contributions  of  flowers  or  fruit  to  be  exhibited  and  sold  at  the  show 
for  the  benefit  of  the  fund.  We  trust  the  venture  will  be  successful, 
and  that  the  Committee  will  be  able  to  hand  over  a  substantial  balance 
to  the  Hospital  fund.  The  Hon.  Sec.  is  W,  Wadley,  Esq.,  Langton 
House,  Norwich  Road,  Forest  Gate,  E. 
