September  17,  1886. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
275 
Weathek  in  London. — Heavy  downpours  of  rain  have  been 
frequent  during  the  past  week,  and  everyone  is  again  sighing  for  the 
settled  weather  and  balmy  sunshine  which  sometimes  characterises  the 
autumn  months.  The  wet  miserable  aspect,  however,  of  late  gives 
evidence  that  the  winter  is  draw’ing  nearer,  and  should  the  weather  take 
a  favourable  change,  even  if  only  brief,  m«ch  appreciation  would 
be  felt. 
-  Gardening  Appointments.  —  Mr.  E.  F.  Hazelton,  late 
gardener  to  the  Earl  of  Yarborough  at  Brocklesby  Park,  who  has  been 
appointed  to  succeed  Mr.  H.  W.  Ward  at  Longford  Castle,  enters  on  his 
duties  this  week.  Mr.  Peter  Williams,  a  Jmirnal  of  Horticulture 
medallist,  has  taken  charge  of  Inveresk  Gardens,  Tileston,  Malpas, 
Cheshire,  the  residence  of  —  Ranstead,  Esq. 
-  The  Hamburg  International  Horticultural  Exhi¬ 
bition  OF  1897. — This  is  to  be  a  comprehensive  one,  both  as  regards  the 
permanent  exhibition  in  the  open  and  under  cover  and  the  large  special 
displays.  The  latter  are  to  take  place  as  follows  : — A  spring  exhibition 
from  May  1st  until  May  7th,  1897  ;  a  special  exhibition  ot  plants, 
■flowers,  and  vegetables  from  May  30th  until  June  3rd  ;  a  special  exhibi¬ 
tion  of  plants,  flowers,  and  shrubs  from  July  2nd  until  July  6th;  a 
special  exhibition  of  plants,  flowers,  and  fruits  of  the  season  from  July 
30'h  until  August  3rd  ;  a  general  autumn  exhibition  from  August  27th 
until  September  5th ;  and  a  general  fruit  exhibition  from  September  17th 
until  September  30th,  1897. 
-  Presentation— Mr.  John  S.  Ball  of  Alpha  Street,  Slough, 
who  has  been  for  over  half  a  century  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  C.  Turner  of 
the  Royal  Nurseries,  was  recently  presented  by  the  firm  with  a  very 
handsome  mantel  clock,  with  two  vases  to  match,  to  commemorate  the 
completion  of  fifty  years’  service.  The  clock  bore  the  inscription  : — 
“To  Mr.  John  Ball  on  the  jubilee  of  his  connection  with  Charles  Turner 
and  Sons  at  the  Royal  Nurseries,  Slough,  August,  1896.’’  A  card 
accompanied  the  gift,  which  came  as  a  great  surprise  to  the  recipient, 
and  on  this  were  the  words,  “  With  the  remembrance  of  Charles  Turner 
and  the  good  wishes  of  11.  and  A.  Turner”  Mr,  Ball  has  charge  of  the 
floral  department  at  the  Royal  Nurseries,  and  is  one  of  Slough’s  oldest 
and  most  respected  inhabitants. 
-  The  Rain, — Without  doubt  the  exceedingly  abundant  rains 
we  have  had  recently  are  not  quite  all  that  could  be  desired.  They  very 
materially  hinder  important  garden  operations,  and  they  are  making 
weeds  to  grow  marvellously.  Myriads  of  seeds  that  have  through  the 
dry  summer  lain  dormant  have  now  germinated,  and  because  hoeing  has 
been  out  of  the  question  and  pulling  could  not  keep  pace  with  growth, 
weeds  just  lately  have  greatly  dominated.  Happily  there  is  no  fear 
that  they  will  be  productive  of  ripe  seed.  That,  at  least,  seems  out  of 
the  question.  If  they  can  be  buried  into  the  soil  or  be  decomposed  they 
may  presently  render  useful  service  toother  crops.  Gardeners  are  finding 
grass  on  lawns  to  grow  almost  as  treely  as  weeds,  and  the  mowers  have 
to  be  constantly  employed.  That  work,  however,  will  be  of  short  dura¬ 
tion.  No  doubt  late-leafing  trees  will  greatly  benefit  from  the  repeated 
rains,  for  they  must  have  been  badly  in  need  of  moisture,  and  it  will 
take  a  month  or  two  of  such  storms  as  we  have  lately  had  to  satisfy 
-their  requirements.  The  trees  in  process  of  defoliation  are  too  early  to 
benefit  materially,  and  the  rains  render  the  gathering  up  of  the  leaves 
more  difficult.  Potatoes  are  now  in  danger  of  being  severely  diseased, 
or  in  the  case  of  very  late  ones  of  becoming  soft  and  sappy,  and  little 
value  as  food.  It  is  not  possible  to  get  up  crops  in  quantity  for  storing 
whilst  the  weather  is  so  wet.  It  is,  therefore,  the  least  of  two  evils  to 
let  the  tubers  remain  in  the  ground  until  the  weather  improves.  Lata 
breadths  of  Onions  are  difficult  to  dry  off  and  store.  Strong  Carrots  are 
in  danger  of  splitting,  and  Turnips  of  early  sowings  are  the  same. 
■Celery  cannot  well  be  earthed  with  the  care  needful  to  secure  long 
endurance.  Beets  are  making  too  gross  growth,  and  would  be  all  the 
better  denuded  of  some  of  their  leafage.  Winter  Greens  of  every 
description  are  very  luxuriant,  rather  too  much  so;  Much  more  might 
be  said,  but  these  are  a  few  of  the  troubles  that  beset  gardeners  just  now. 
We  may  still  have  a  fine  late  autumn  ns  last  year,  and  then  things  may 
be  somewhat  righted. — A.  D. 
-  Marriage  of  Mr.  Henry  Cannell,  Jun. — Mr.  H.  Cannell, 
jun.,  eldest  son  of  Mr,  Henry  Cannell,  sen.,  of  H.  Cannell  &  Sons, 
Swanley,  was  married  on  the  9th  inst.  to  Miss  Christine  Robertson  of 
Inverurie,  at  Inverurie.  The  honeymoon  will  be  spent  in  the  Highlands, 
-  Tercentenary  of  the  Potato. — This  year  is  the  tercen¬ 
tenary  of  the  introduction  of  the  Potato  into  Ireland  by  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh.  The  Irish  Gardeners’  Association  has  therefore  resolved  to 
hold  a  great  conference  and  exhibition  of  Potatoes  in  Dublin  towards 
the  end  of  the  year,  English  and  Scotch  specialists  are  expected  to 
attend,  and  papers  on  all  matters  connected  with  the  Potato  and  the 
prevention  of  disease  will  be  read.  The  Secretary  is  Mr,  Thomas  Shaw, 
Sackville  Hall,  Duhlin. 
-  The  National  Amateur  Gardeners’  Association. — The 
Executive  of  the  above  Association  has  arranged  fur  a  visit  to  Kew 
Gardens  on  Saturday,  September  the  26th  inst.,  by  train,  leaving  Broad 
Street  (N.L.  Railway)  at  2.25  P.M.  Return  fare,  9d.  The  Secretaries 
will  be  in  attendance  at  the  station  at  2  p.m.  for  the  sale  of  tickets. 
Will  those  members  who  intend  joining  the  party  please  notify  the  same 
to  theS'Cietary  not  later  than  the  25th  inst.,  in  order  that  the  necessary 
arrangements  may  be  made. 
-  Violet  Princess  of  Wales. — Mr.  H.  Cannell,  Swanley, 
favours  us  with  a  very  small  box  of  this  superb  Violet.  The  blooms, 
which  have  long  stalks,  are  of  exceptional  size,  and  the  colour  is  very 
rich.  Oar  correspondent  says,  “  If  the  enclosed  Violet  flowers  do  not 
make  you  feel  too  much  sorrow  at  the  thoughts  of  the  coming  winter 
. I  think  the  Princess  deserves  a  kind  word.’’  No,  Mr. 
Cannell,  we  do  not  fear  the  advent  of  the  festive  season ;  indeed,  oar 
only  regret  is  that  the  flowers  are  so  precious  as  to  allow  you  to  send 
such  a  very  few  blooms. 
-  Another  Runner  Bean. — Hurdly  has  the  strife  which  waged 
over  the  nomenclature  of  the  climbing  Canadian  Wonder  or  Tender  and 
True  French  Bean  died  out  ere  yet  another  claimant  for  fame  of  the  same 
class  is  presented,  called  Tender  and  True  Improved.  I  saw  this  variety 
where  it  had  been  sent  for  trial,  growing  recently  at  Hackwood  Park.  It 
is  our  old  friend  in  a  new  guise,  as  the  plants  are  genuine  out  and  out 
climbers,  running  up  to  10  feet  in  height,  though  sown  rather  late,  and 
being  entirely  devoid  of  that  bushy  growth  at  the  base  which  has  marked 
all  the  earlier  stock  of  the  climbing  form  so  far.  Mr,  Bowerman  likes 
this  Improved  Tender  and  True  much  better  than  the  original,  good  as 
that  is.  It  is  a  strong  grower,  has  fine  dark  leafage,  and  carries  long, 
narrow,  succulent  pods  in  great  profusion  for  a  very  long  season. — A. 
_  Vegetables  at  the  Royal  Aquarium. — From  information 
received,  to  quote  the  police  formula,  1  anticipate  one  of  the  stiffest 
contests  in  vegetable  exhibiting,  at  the  Aquarium  in  November  next 
that  has  ever  been  seen.  So  many  of  the  leading  growers  intimate  their 
intention  to  have  a  look  in,  the  prizes  being  so  valuable  that  the 
contest  bids  fair  to  be  literally  a  battle  of  the  giants.  The  Jubilee  show 
of  theN.C.S.  falls  at  a  time  of  the  year  when  exhibitors,  having  had  a 
long  rest,  once  more  begin  to  long  for  battle.  The  time  of  the  year  as 
well  as  the  conditions  of  the  schedule  limits  material,  consequently  most 
of  the  classes  will  see  similar  kinds  presented.  With  such  a  splendid 
competition  in  prospect  care  should  be  taken  that  the  judges  are  equal 
to  what  is  required  of  them.  They  have  a  heavy  responsibility  cast  upon 
them,  and  should  be  the  very  best  men  in  vegetable  judging  to  be  found. 
Mistases  will  not  only  be  severely  criticised,  probably  something  more  ; 
but  doubtless  the  Committee  have  thought  of  all  that.— D. 
_  The  Scarlet  Geranium  — I  am  very  much  surprised  that 
Mr.  Grant  Allen  should  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  anyone  who 
talked  about  “old-fashioned  flowers’’  would  include  the  scarlet 
Geranium  amongst  them.  When  we  speak  or  write  of  such  things  we 
do  not  mean  any  tender  plants  which  require  greenhouse  culture,  but 
those  hardy  denizens  of  the  flower  garden  which  are  found  in  many  of 
the  gardens  of  generations  gone  by,  and  also  in  the  cottage  gardens  of 
the  labouring  poor.  He  has  also  given  us  a  very  interesliog  account  of 
his  notions  about  the  cross-fertilisation  of  such  plants,  seemingly 
unconscious  that  the  whole  subject  has  been  discredited  by  accurate 
observers  both  in  Europe  and  America,  That  not  only  is  cross-fertilisa¬ 
tion  not  necessary,  but  that  the  flowers  so  treated  by  insects  are  none  the 
better  for  it,  some  going  so  far  as  to  say  that  their  presence  is  rather 
injurious  to  the  flower  than  otherwise.  But  like  many  evolutionists  Mr. 
Grant  Allen  seems  pe’fectly  certain  of  the  correctness  of  his  views,  and 
therefore  if  one  disputes  them  there  is  no  doubt  that  I  shall  earn,  in  his 
estimation,  the  correctness  of  the  title  which  I  subscribe  to  this  short 
note.— Ignoramus. 
