August  13,  1886, 
JOURKAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
151 
Events  of  the  Week,  —  Shows  in  the  provinces  are  fairly 
numeroKS,  but  one — Shrewsbury — stands  above  all  others.  The  horti¬ 
cultural  world  is  looking  forward  to  it  with  the  greatest  interest,  and 
we  hope  that  it  will  be  as  good  an  exhibition  as  any  of  its  predecessors. 
-  Weather  in  London. — Heavy  rains  have  fallen  since  our 
last  issue  went  to  press,  especially  on  Saturday,  Sunday,  and  Monday, 
the  latter  being  wet  until  well  on  in  the  afternoon.  Since  then,  though 
it  has  been  cloudy,  no  rain  has  fallen.  On  Wednesday  morning  it  was 
close  and  dull. 
-  Sale  of  Growing  Fruit. — On  Wednesday,  5th  inst.,  Messrs. 
Tompsett  held  their  twenty-seventh  annual  sale  of  hard  fruit  at  Paddock 
Wood.  There  was  an  enormous  attendance  of  buyers,  many  coming 
from  a  great  distance,  and  competition  was  very  keen.  Some  orchards 
realised  £50  an  acre,  while  several  made  from  £30  to  £40,  nearly  every 
lot  finding  a  purchaser.  Sales  under  the  hammer  realised  £5000  odd, 
and  the  auctioneers  subsequently  succeeded  in  disposing  of  almost  all 
the  unsold  lots,  bringing  the  proceeds  up  to  about  £6000.  This  must  be 
highly  satisfactory,  as  the  Apple  crop  this  year  is  a  slight  one.  This  sale 
is  looked  upon  by  those  in  the  business  as  the  principal  one  in  the 
country. 
-  Wakefield  Paxton  Society.— There  was  a  good  attendance 
of  members  at  the  meeting  of  this  Society  on  Saturday  evening,  August  Ist. 
There  was  a  capital  display  of  Carnations  and  Picotees  of  all  sections, 
both  florist  and  garden  varieties,  brought  by  Messrs.  Calvert,  D.  Garnett, 
G.  Gill,  W.  Ashworth,  Eastwood,  and  others.  Mr.  G.  Gill,  of  Bastmoor, 
a  well-known  florist,  opened  the  discussion,  describing  the  process  of 
cultivation,  and  also  pointing  out  the  qualities  essential  in  the  higher 
developed  florist  class. 
-  The  Effect  of  Frost  on  Plants.— In  his  report  on  the  flora 
of  Wyoming,  Profeisor  Aven  Nelson  remarks  that  the  power  to  with¬ 
stand  frost  which  has  been  so  remarkably  developed  in  mountain  floras 
is  an  unceasing  cause  of  wonder,  and  the  great  beds  of  Phlox,  Mertensia, 
Gilia,  Actinella,  and  other  plants  which  he  saw  blooming  freely  when 
the  night  temperature  fell  to  from  5°  to  20°  below  the  freezing  point, 
suggested  questions  whicb  are  difficult  to  answer.  Professor  Nelson 
thinks  that  reduced  atmospheric  pressure  plays  an  important  part  in 
preventing  injury  to  plants,  for  the  same  species  at  lower  altitudes  would 
certainly  perish  in  such  cold.  As  an  illustration  of  this  he  states  that 
late  in  August,  1800,  he  noted  a  plot  of  Potatoes  in  full  blossom  at  an 
elevation  of  some  9000  feet.  For  three  successive  days  he  watched 
these  plants,  which  then  showed  no  trace  of  injury,  although  every  night 
there  were  heavy  frosts  and  ice  formed  in  exposed  water  pails.  Such  a 
degree  of  cold  would,  of  course,  have  killed  Potato  plants  growing  at  the 
sea  level. 
-  Horticultural  Club.  — The  annual  excursion  took  place 
last  Thursday,  and  was  probably  the  most  successful  one  that  the  Club 
has  ever  had.  A  courteous  invitation  had  been  conveyed  to  the  members, 
through  Mr.  Harry  J.  Veitch,  to  visit  Aecott,  the  seat  of  Mr,  Leopold  de 
Rothschild  ;  and  Halton,  the  seat  of  Mr.  Alfred  de  Rothschild.  The 
party,  which  numbered  forty-four,  included  the  following  members  and 
their  friends  : — Messrs.  Herbst,  G.  Monro,  T.  F.  Rivers,  P.  Kay,  the 
Rev,  W.  Wilks,  Messrs.  Selfe  Leonard,  P.  Crowley,  A.  H.  Pearson, 
C.  E.  Pearson,  H,  J.  Pearson,  J.  Sweet,  J.  Rochford,  E.  Mawley, 
G.  Bunyard,  A.  Watkins,  W.  J.  Grant,  G,  Paul,  J.  Laing,  J.  E.  Cockett, 
H,  Turner,  H.  J.  Veitch,  and  J.  H.  Veitch.  The  party  were  first 
conveyed  from  Bletchley  Station  to  Ascott,  where,  having  inspected 
the  grounds,  they  partook  of  luncheon  in  the  cricket  pavilion,  to  which 
they  had  been  invited  by  Mr.  Leopold  de  Rothschild.  They  then  drove 
across  Buckinghamshire  to  Halton,  the  seat  of  Mr.  Alfred  de  Rothschild, 
the  beautiful  grounds  of  which  were  much  enjoyed,  and  after  partaking 
of  refreshments  the  whole  party  returned  to  town.  The  weather  was 
perfect,  and  owing  to  the  excellent  arrangements  made  by  Mr.  Harry 
J.  Veitch,  who  kindly  undertook  all  the  trouble,  and  the  liberal  hospi¬ 
tality  ofithe'owners  of  Ascott  and  Halton,  everything  was  of  the  most 
agreeable  character,  and  everyone  returned  to  town  delighted  with  their 
excursion. 
-  Mr.  Carimichael’s  New  Strawberries.— We  are  informed 
that  Mr.  Carmichael’s  new  Strawberries,  the  Prince  and  Princess  of 
Wales,  have  received  the  approval  of  their  Royal  Highnesses,  They  are 
the  result  of  crosses  between  Waterloo,  British  Queen,  and  Latest  of  All. 
-  Gardening  Appointments.— Mr.  D.  M.  McKinnon,  general 
foreman  in  the  gardens  at  Luttrellstown,  Clonsilla,  Co.  Dublin,  has 
been  appointed  head  gardener  to  T.  Beaumont  Nesbit,  Esq.,  Tubberdaly, 
Edenderry,  King’s  County  ;  and  takes  up  his  new  duties  on  October  Ist 
proximo.  Mr.  Fred  Taylor,  flower  garden  foreman  for  Mr.  Burrows  at 
Berwick  House,  Shrewsbury,  has  been  appointed  gardener  to  Dr.  J.  P, 
Way,  The  Hall,  Rossall,  Fleetwood. 
-  Chrysanthemums  and  Hail.— A  severe  storm  passed  over 
Fareham  on  Saturday  ;  rain  fell  in  torrents,  followed  by  hail  as  large 
as  nuts.  Having  been  in  the  nursery  business  over  thirty  years,  I  have 
never  experienced  such  a  storm,  especially  at  this  season  of  the  year. 
It  has  done  great  damage  to  the  tops  and  leaves  of  Chrysanthemums, 
the  hail  cutting  the  leaves  off  by  the  hundreds,  and  most  of  the  early 
buds. — W.  Drover. 
■ -  Tomatoes  in  Florida. — A  few  growers  in  Florida  are  in  a 
measure  making  up  by  their  Tomato  crop  the  losses  of  former  years'  on 
their  Oranges.  The  reports  of  the  profits  of  the  Tomato  crop  for  the 
past  winter  are  something  enormous,  and  it  may  be  judged  from  the 
accounts  given  that  they  have  been  quite  as  plentiful  as  the  Orange  in 
its  past  day.  Many  thousands  of  crates  have  been  shipped,  and  now  it 
is  thought  that  with  this  good  experience  even  Tomato  growing  may  be 
overdone. 
-  The  Fruit  Crop. — All  kinds  flowered  very  freely,  and  at  one 
time  we  expected  heavy  crops  all  round,  but  much  of  the  blossom  failed 
to  set  owing  to  unfavourable  weather  and  exhaustion  of  the  trees  last 
year  by  heavy  crops.  Many  of  the  Apples  fell  after  setting  and  growing 
to  the  size  of  Walnuts.  Those  that  remained  are  growing  out  well,  the 
trees  are  remarkably  clean  and  healthy,  and  present  appearances  point 
to  a  crop  under  the  average  for  numbers  but  of  extra  good  quality. 
Pears  are  clean  and  good,  but  a  light  crop.  Apricots  are  a  very  heavy 
crop,  and  are  ripening  well.  Peaches  and  Nectarines  are  also  good  crops, 
but  are  small  owing  to  the  dry  season  and  a  deficient  water  supply. 
Strawberries  were  a  good  crop  and  of  good  quality,  but  finished  off 
earlier  than  usual  owing  to  the  hot  and  dry  weather.  Royal  Sovereign 
proves  to  be  one  of  the  best  varieties,  and  scarcely  behind  any  of  them 
as  regards earline»8.—W.  H.  Divers,  Belvoir  Castle  Gardens,  Gra-dham. 
-  Royal  Botanic  Society. — The  anniversary  meeting  of  the 
Fellows  of  the  Royal  Botanic  Society  was  held  on  Monday  afternoon  in 
the  Museum  in  the  Gardens,  Regent’s  Park,  Mr.  Pembroke  Stephens,  Q.C., 
presiding.  The  Council  reported  an  unusual  increase  to  its  body  by  the 
election  of  109  new  Fellows  during  the  past  year.  The  Council  further 
stated  that  they  had  found  it  incumbent  on  them  to  find  new  sources  of 
income:  With  a  view  to  increasing  the  popularity  and  usefulness  of  the 
Society’s  garden,  the  Council  were  offering  to  the  various  floral  societies 
the  use  of  the  gardens  for  their  annual  shows  and  conferences.  The 
number  of  students  attending  the  gardens  showed  an  increase  of  about 
200  to  the  present  date  over  that  of  1894.  The  Chairman  pointed  out 
with  regard  to  the  Saturday  promenades  that  some  had  shown  a  loss* 
and  that  it  was  necessary  for  the  Council  to  go  slowly.  They  must  not 
be  led  away  by  the  assumption  that  they  had  only  to  open  their  doors, 
impose  a  shilling  entrance,  and  straightway  make  their  fortune.  The 
report  having  been  adopted,  Mr.  J.  S.  Rubinstein  moved  a  resolution  to 
the  effect  “  That  this  meeting  approves  of  the  Royal  Botanic  Society 
giving  every  assistance  to  the  horticultural  and  floricultural  societies,  and 
recommends  the  Council  in  particular  to  adopt  the  following 
suggestions  : — (a)  To  arrange  where  possible  with  societies  to  hold  all 
their  exhibitions  in  the  Regent’s  Park  Gardens,  (b)  To  elect  to  the 
Council  representatives  of  the  leading  societies,  (c)  To  promote  the 
formation  of  societies  to  deal  with  plants  and  flowers  not  already  taken 
up  by  existing  societies.”  The  Chairman  said  the  Council  would  take 
steps  to  consider  carefully  these  suggestions.  Mr.  Rubinstein  moved  a 
further  resolution,  recommending  that  the  public  should  be  admitted 
next  season  to  musical  promenades  to  be  given  on  the  following  days 
and  at  the  following  charges  : — Mondays  Od.,  Wednesdays  2s.  6d.,  and 
Saturdays  Is.  The  Chairman  asked  Mr.  Rubinstein  to  leave  the  matter 
entirely  in  the  hands  of  the  Council.  In  the  matter  of  musical 
promenades  they  became  entertainment  caterers,  and  as  such  came  into 
competition  with  other  people,  and  must  have  entirely  unfettered 
hands.  The  meeting  concluded  with  votes  of  thanks  to  the  Duke  of 
Teck,  the  President  of  the  Society,  and  to  the  Chairman. 
