l)eoember  17,  1898. 
58^ 
jOURl^AL  OF  HORTICVLTUkE  AND  GOTTAGE  GARDENER- 
-  Waited— Manners  and  Customs  op  New  RosEB.—In  the 
Journal  of  Horticulture  for  October  8th,  on  page  o44,  there  is  an 
aadit  of  nineteen  of  the  newer  Eoaes.  Would  it  be  too  much  to 
ask  some  contributor  to  describe  the  “  manners  and  customs  ”  (as  per  Mr 
Foster- Melliar).  of  these  I  ask  this  (a)  because  many  smaller  growers 
who  bud  and  otherwise  propagate  some  of  these  newer  Roses  for  their 
own  use  are  often  puzzled  to  know  which  “  stock  ”  to  use  ;  and  (J) 
because  the  kind  contributor  who  has  previously  described  the  new  ” 
Roses  has  failed  to  contribute  of  late,  or  I  have  overlooked  the  article. 
The  contributions  of  Mr*  Molyneux  on  “  New  Chrysanthemums  ”  is  a 
parallel  to  what  I  am  asking  for,  and  is  extremely  helpful  both  to  mind 
and  pocket.  We  are  “going  in”  for  Roses  in  this  part  of  the  country 
as  well  as  for  hunting. — Pttchley. 
A  Gakdeneks’  Library. — Very  largely  through  the  active 
exertions  of  the  Hon.  Secretary,  Mr.  T.  W.  Thornton,  the  executive  of 
the  Beckenham  Horticultural  Society  have  got  together  a  capital  library 
of  about  230  books  of  a  horticultural  nature,  and  having  fortunately  found 
a  home  for  them  at  a  room  in  the  Church  House  well  in  the  town,  have 
,  appointed  Mr.  Webster  of  Kelsey  Park  Gardens  to  be  the  Librarian. 
The  Library  is  open  for  two  hours  on  Friday  evenings,  and  is  available 
to  all  members  of  the  Society  on  payment  of  6d.  extra  for  the  winter 
season ;  but  of  course  is  chiefly  utilised  by  gardeners,  although  some 
amateurs  and  cottagers  take  books.  It  is  satisfactory  to  learn  that 
generally  high-class  books  are  sought  for,  it  being  the  evident  desire  of 
the  borrowers  to  gain  wider  knowledge  in  branches  ordinarily  outside 
their  own  range  of  operations.  Such  a  work  as  “  The  Fruit  Growers’ 
Guide,”  which  is  represented  by  six  parts,  is  in  constant  request.  So, 
too,  are  books  on  Orchid  culture,  or  on  plant  physiology.  The 
Library  was  opened  so  recently  as  October  last,  and  there  are  now 
thirty-one  borrowing  members.  The  room  is  also  furnished  with  copies 
of  all  the  gardening  papers,  specially  purchased,  and  duplicate  copies  are 
often  added  by  members.  In  addition  to  this  educational  aspect  of  the 
Society’s  work,  courses  of  lectures  and  discussions  are  arranged  through 
the  winter  months,  the  meetings  being  held  in  the  Public  Hall,  and  are 
invariably  well  attended.  Thus  it  is  made  evident  that  the  Beckenham 
Horticultural  Society  is  seeking  to  do  good  work  in  its  district. — 
Visitor. 
— -  Allotments  in  the  Isle  or  Doas.— In  the  heart  of  that 
dreary  and  dismal  region  known  as  the  Isle  of  Hogs  there  flourishes  a 
little  oasis  in  the  shape  of  an  allotment  colony  ;  and  from  the  balance- 
sheet  of  the  “  Isle  of  Dogs’  Allotment  Garden  Society  ”  for  the  year 
ending  November,  189fi,  submitted  to  a  meeting  recently,  we  learn  that 
it  flourishes  in  more  senses  than  one.  It  is  pleasant  to  find  a  waste  bit 
of  land  near  the  docks,  closed  in  on  all  sides  by  houses,  growing 
champion  vegetables  and  dotted  here  and  there  v/ith  flower  plots  and 
picturesque  chalets,  and  it  is  satisfactory  to  know  that  the  garden  allot¬ 
ments  are  a  paying  enterprise.  These  allotments  were  the  first  of  the 
kind  established  in  London,  and  owe  their  existence  to  Mr.  John 
McDougall,  L.C.O.,  in  whose  constituency  they  are  situated.  The  land 
is  rented  at  1121  68.  8d.  a  year,  and  the  allotments  are  managed  by  a 
committee  of  the  men  who  hold  them.  There  is  an  important  condi¬ 
tion  attached  to  occupation  ;  no  one  must  sell  the  produce  of  his  plot. 
The  crop  is  for  consumption,  and  as  a  matter  of  fact  the  tenants,  who 
are  working  men  living  in  the  neighbourhood,  grow  on  a  small  plot 
the  whole  vegetables  they  require  throughout  the  year.  If  the  plots 
are  not  large  the  soil  is  rich,  and  the  tenants  are  in  the  happy  position 
of  getting  manure  presented  to  them  with  a  bonus  for  taking  it.  The 
local  vestries  are  delighted  to  dispose  of  street  sweepings  and  other 
refuse  in  this  way,  and  pay  to  be  relieved  of  the  stuff.  From  the 
balance-sheet  we  learn  that  a  surplus  of  £20  was  carried  from  1895,  that 
the  rent  from  members  came  to  £12  10s,,  and  the  total  receipts  to 
£81  Is.  7d.  On  the  other  hand  the  expenses  were  only  £58  9s.  7d., 
leaving  a  balance  of  £22  128.  The  members  pay  a  secretary,  they  grant 
loans  to  new  members,  and  they  even  pay  for  auditing  their  accounts. 
They  have  also  given  a  grant  to  a  member’s  widow  and  established  a 
benevolent  fund.  The  allotments  are  divided  among  166  members, 
heads  of  families,  which  would  mean  that  about  800  people  benefit ;  and 
the  rent,  it  will  be  seen,  is  only  a  trifle  over  58  per  member.  The 
great  value  of  the  allotments  is  not  to  be  lopked  for  altogether  in  the 
material  benefits  which  the  members  receive,  but  from  the  advantages 
of  healthy  occupations.  Mr.  McDougall  goes  so  far  as  to  say  that  the 
business  of  the  neighbouring  public  houses  has  been  affected  adversely 
by  *he  influence  of  the  allotment.  The  system  of  managing  the  allot¬ 
ments,  a  kind  of  free  commnn.ism,  must  also  lead  the  members  to  take 
an  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  larger  community  of  which  they  form  a 
part,— (“  Daily  News.”) 
-  The  Weather. — Although  so  far  we  have  had  no  appreciable 
floods,  the  rain  having  not  been  excessive,  yet  does  the  weather  seem  much 
like  that  which  prevailed  at  the  close  of  1894,  when  such  tremendous 
floods  prevailed  and  the  opinion  was  general  that  a  soft  wet  winter  was  in 
store.  We  found,  however,  that  January  was  remarkable  for  its  intense 
cold  and  bitterly  keen  frost,  which  left  behind  an  impression  the  present 
generation  will  not  soon  forget.  We  are  now  in  a  difficult  condition  in 
relation  to  the  rest  of  the  winter,  as  it  is  not  at  all  possible  to  tell 
whether  we  shall  have  a  continuance  of  the  present  softness  and 
moisture,  or  whether  we  may  have  some  intense  frosts.  No  wonder 
gardeners  do  not  know  what  weather  to  provide  for .  Generally  it  is  no 
doubt  best  to  be  prepared  for  the  worst. — D. 
-  Winchester  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement  Associa¬ 
tion. — On  Tuesday,  the  Bob  inst..  Professor  Gilchrist,  of  the  University 
Extension  College,  Reading,  gave  a  lecture  on  “  Manures,”  being  a 
continuation  of  the  previous  lecture  last  month.  Professor  Gilchrist 
begaii  by  speaking  of  the  experiments  which  were  carried  out  at  Messrs. 
Sutton  &  Sons  last  season,  and  in  the  course  of  his  lecture  spoke  of 
the  usefulness  of  lime  as  a  corrective  for  some  soils,  the  mode  of  appli¬ 
cation  and  the  best  time  to  apply  it.  The  subject  of  “  Artificial 
Manures  ”  was  then  taken,  and  the  sources  whence  they  were  obtained 
and  what  they  were  composed  of.  He  advised  those  who  wished  to  use 
artificial  manures  to  find  out  what  each  crop  needed,  and  apply  it,  and 
not  to  bay  the  mixed  manures,  as  they  were  more  expensive  and  possibly 
not  give  such  good  results.  A  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  given  to  the 
lecturer,  and  also  to  the  Chairman  for  presiding. 
-  Yucca  uuoraosA. — Mr.  J.  Meehan,  Germantown,  writes  in  an 
American  contemporary  : — "  For  the  first  time,  so  far  as  I  can  ascertain, 
this  plant  has  flowered  perfectly  here.  It  blooms  late  in  the  season,  and 
until  this  year  every  attempt  it  has  made  to  flower  has  been  frustrated 
by  freezing  weather.  This  year  a  slight  coveting  at  night  has  sufficed  to 
protect  it  against  the  lowest  temperature  yet  experienced,  and  for  three 
weeks  or  more  its  large  panicle  of  flowers  has  been  a  novel  and  attractive 
spectacle.  The  warm  weather  has  permitted  every  flower  to  expand, 
and  although  it  is  now  (November  20th)  past  its  best,  it  is  still  an  object 
of  much  interest.  It  has  a  second  branch  almost  ready  to  flower,  but  it 
is  too  much  to  hope  for  more  flowels  with  winter  at  hand.  I  know  only 
one  or  two  more  examples  of  this  arborescent  Yucca  in  Philadelphia. 
They  are  quite  hardy  here,  and,  no  doubt,  if  they  were  planted  in  a 
warm  sheltered  place,  the  flowers  would  often  expand  in  spite  of  their 
late  appearance.” 
_ Wolverhampton  Gardeners’  Association. — The  annual 
meeting  of  this  Society  for  the  election  of  officers  for  the  ensuing  year 
took  place  on  the  9th  inst.  under  the  presidency  of  Mr.  G.  A.  Bishop. 
Mr.  W.  Gardiner,  Haiborne,  Birmingham,  was  invited  to  give  a  lecture 
on  the  occasion.  To  this  he  responded,  selecting  as  his  subject  a 
modified  reproduction  of  an  address  entitled,  “  Welcome  and  Unwelcome 
Guests,”  given  by  Mr,  A.  W.  Wills,  F.O.S,,  before  the  members 
of  the  Birmingham  Gardeners’  Association  on  January  28th,  189.5, 
and  of  which  a  report  appeared  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  on 
February  7th,  The  lecture  was  mainly  composed  of  illustrations  from 
Mr,  Wills’  admirable  paper,  also  partly  from  other  sources,  and  including 
the  essayist’s  own  observations  respecting  the  various  insects,  winged  or 
wingless,  which  act  as  friends  or  foes  towards  the  fertilisation  or  the 
reverse  of  flowers  needing  such  insect  agency.  The  reading  of  the 
paper  was  listened  to  throughout  with  deep  attention,  and  it  elicited 
several  remarks  by  members  regarding  their  own  observations. 
-  -  The  Cellar. — This  is  a  capital  storehouse  for  certain  plants; 
Such  things  as  Hi^drangeas,  Myrtles,  Oleanders,  Daturas,  Sweet  Bays, 
and  the  like  should  be  kept  in  a  cool  part,  say  where  the  tempera¬ 
ture  runs  from  35°  to  40° ;  never  let  these  plants  get  absolutely  dry. 
Drought  may  not  hurt  the  Daturas,  Fuchsias,  and  some  others,  but 
it  does  them  no  good.  Gladioli,  Tigridias,  and  summer  Hyacinths  may 
be  kept  dry  in  flats,  or  hung  up  in  bags,  where  they  will  be  away 
from  vermin,  and  in  a  temperature  of  45°  or  thereabout.  Dahlia  and 
Ganna  roots  and  tubers  of  Ipomce*  paniculata  also  live  well  in  the  same, 
says  an  American  contemporary.  While  Tuberoses,  Oaladiums,  Gloxi¬ 
nias,  and  other  tropical  roots  might  exist  fairly  well  in  a  low  tempera- 
tuure,  we  prefer  one  of  50°  to  60°  to  keep  them  in.  A  draughty  cellar 
is  bad  for  all  plants,  and  so  is  a  dry  parching  place,  such  as  near  the 
furnace.  A  wet  cellar  is  uncongenial  to  anything,  widle  deciduous  or 
leafless  plants  and  tubers  may  be  kept  in  dark  quarters  ;  leafy  ones,  as 
Hydrangeas,  or  evergreen  ones,  like  Roses,  Myrtles,  or  Cactuses,  should 
have  a  little  light.  Roses  in  the  cellar  should  be  kept  very  cool,  even 
to  letting  a  slight  frost  touch  them,  and  faintly  moist  at  the  root. 
