August  12,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
145 
Events  op  the  Week, — The  great  event  of  the  forthcoming 
week  is  the  Royal  Commemorative  Shrewsbury  Floral  Fete,  which 
will  open  on  Wednesday  next.  Magnificent  as  these  exhibitions  always 
are,  it  is  anticipated  that  the  one  of  1897  will  eclipse  all  others,  as  the 
executive  has  made  extraordinary  efforts  to  have  something  entirely 
out  of  the  ordinary  for  the  deputation  from  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  to  see.  This  deputation  will,  we  believe,  consist  of  Sir  Trevor 
Lawrence,  Bart.,  with  Messrs.  H.  J.  Veitch,  T.  Statter,  S.  Courtaald, 
P.  Crowley,  J.  Douglas,  H.  Selfe  Leonard,  W.  Crump,  J.  Smith,  and  the 
Rev.  W.  Wilks.  On  the  same  day  as  Shrewsbury  there  is  to  be  a 
Jubilee  fete  at  Boscombe,  Bournemouth,  which  also  promises  to  be 
good  ;  but  it  is  regretable  that  the  dates  are  in  conflict, 
-  Weather  in  London, — The  three  days  ending  Saturday, 
August  7th,  were  intensely  hot  and  most  people  found  it  impossible  to 
keep  cool.  The  temperature  on  two  occasions  reached  upwards  of  80° 
in  the  shade,  the  highest  being  87°  on  Thursday  last.  Sunday  was  a 
thoroughly  wet  day,  the  rain  coming  down  heavily  almost  throughout 
the  day.  As  a  result  it  was  much  cooler  and  pleasanter.  Monday  also 
was  fairly  cool,  but  Tuesday  was  again  intensely  hot,  while  on  Wednes¬ 
day  it  was  dull  and  warm. 
-  The  Forthcoming-  Shrewsbury  Show. — 1  notice  by  advt. 
in  the  Journal  that  the  annual  Show,  takes  place  on  the  18th  and  19lh 
insts.  Last  year  I  had  the  pleasure  of  visiting  the  Show.  Although  I 
had  to  walk  about  twenty  miles  in  the  dusty  roads  I  did  not  begrudge 
the  day’s  outing.  What  struck  me  as  a  great  drawback  was  the  dusty 
state  of  the  atmosphere  in  the  principal  tent  where  the  dinner  tables 
were  laid  out,  and  the  coating  of  dust  everything  was  carrying,  and  the 
fruit  spoiled.  If  fine  weather  occurs  again,  as  everyone  may  hope, 
could  not  the  ground  be*well  watered  early  without  soddening  to  avoid 
such  a  nuisance  ? — J.  Hiam,  Astivood  Bank. 
-  The  Harborne  Gooseberry  Growers’  Society. — The 
eighty-third  annual  exhibition  of  Gooseberries  was  held  on  Saturday 
last.  The  entries  were  larger  in  number,  but  the  size  and  quality  of  the 
berries  were,  owing  to  the  dryness  of  the  season,  hardly  up  to  the  average 
of  recent  years.  The  premier  prize  was  taken  by  Mr.  T.  Field  with  a 
“  Leveller,”  weighing  20  dwt.  17  grains.  Mr.  E.  Withers  took  second 
prize  with  “Ringer,”  19  dwt.  15  grains  ;  and  Mr.  W.  Astley  secured  the 
maiden  exhibitors’  prize  with  “Leveller,”  11  dwt.  6  grains.  The  class 
prizes  were  awarded  as  follows: — Twin  berries:  Mr.  Field,  "Ringer,” 
32  dwt.  ;  red  berries,  Mr.  E.  Withers,  “  Bobby,”  19  dwt.  11  grains  ; 
yellow  berries,  Mr.  T.  Field.  “Leveller,”  20  dwt,  ;  green  berries,  Mr.  H. 
Westwood,  “  Stockwell,”  17  dwt.  8  grains;  white  berries,  Mr.  T.  Field, 
“Antagonist,”  19  dwt.  1  grain;  six  berries,  Mr,  T.  Field,  “Leveller.” 
112  dwt,  ;  three  berries,  Mr.  E.  Withers,  53  dwt.  10  grains  ;  two  berries, 
Mr.  T.  Field,  35  dwt.  ;  a  consolation  prize  for  the  best  beaten  berry  in 
the  premier  competition,  Mr.  T.  Field,  “  Leveller,”  19  dwt.  13  grains. 
-  The  Plum  Crop. — Reports  generally  are  not  favourable  with 
regard  to  the  Plum  crops,  there  being  a  universal  expression  of  regret  at 
the  shortness  of  the  supply  forthcoming,  both  from  fruiterers.and  growers. 
The  spring  frosts,  no  doubt,  account  to  a  large  extent  for  this  loss,  and 
probably,  too,  the  tropical  nature  of  last  summer,  and  the  great  depth 
to  which  the  drought  penetrated  brought  about  debility  and  over-ripeness 
in  the  wood.  The  positions  most  generally  assigned  to  garden  trees  is 
on  the  east  and  west  aspect  furnished  by  the  walls,  and  in  these  gardens 
it  is  noteworthy  that  trees  on  the  west  side  are  bearing  more  freely 
generally  than  on  the  opposite  aspect.  This  points  to  the  influence  of 
sunshine  acting  on  frosted  flowers  in  the  early  morning  on  the  east,  those 
on  west  walls  being  screened  somewhat,  and  probably  until  the  frost  had 
lifted.  Gages  are  very  scarce,  Kirke’s,  Jefferson’s,  Washington,  and  Coe’s 
Golden  Drop  vary  according  to  aspect,  but  not  in  any  case  are  they 
plentiful,  Victoria  and  Pond’s  Seedling  on  the  west  are  the  only  trees 
bearing  full  crops,  the  same  varieties  on  the  other  side  of  the  garden  are 
almost  'destitute,  quite  an  unusual  occurrence  with  these  free-bearing 
varieties.  Even  Early  Rivers  gave  a  scanty  return.  The  Plum  crop  is 
lighter  than  it  has  been  for  several  seasons  past  in  this  neighbourhood. 
— W.  S.,  Wilts. 
-  Education  in  Gardening. — Mr.  John  Ettle,  F.R.H.S,,  of 
the  Agricultural  Department,  University  College,  Nottingham,  and 
Instructor  in  Horticulture  to  the  Notts  C.C.,  has  been  appointed  Staff 
Instructor  in  Horticulture  to  the  Somerset  County  Education  Committee. 
- Gardening  Appointments. — Mr.  H.  Morse,  late  plant  for®' 
man  at  Trentham  Gardens,  has  been  appointed  head  gardener  to  Sir 
Cecil  Miles,  Bart.,  Leigh  Court,  near  Bristol.  Mr;  G.  H,  Sage,  head 
gardener  at  Ham  House,  Richmond,  has  gone  in  a  similar  capacity  to 
Bayham  Abbey,  the  seat  of  Viscount  Lamberhurst. 
-  Mr.  James  Douglas. — After  thirty-four  years’  service  in  the 
Whitbourn  family,  Mr,  James  Douglas  retires  in  September  in  order 
that  he  may  give  the  whole  of  his  attention  to  his  growing  florist’s 
business  at  Edenside,  Bookham.  Mr.  Douglas  has  made  greater 
progress  in  his  ancient  and  honourable  vocation  than  have  most  men. 
This  is  attributable  to  his  good  judgment  and  quiet,  yet  constant 
perseverance.  When  he  first  went  to  Loxford  Hall  as  a  very  young  man 
it  was  little  better  than  a  single-handed  place  with,  we  think,  one 
greenhouse.  He  did  not  grumble,  but  worked,  and  his  zeal  was  catching, 
Mr.  Whitbourn  being  steadily,  but  surely,  drawn  into  the  vortex  of 
gardening.  He  became  an  ardent  florist  and  thorough  horticulturist. 
His  gardener  could  then  have  what  houses,  men,  and  materials  he  wished, 
and  of  these  he  made  good  use.  When  a  removal  was  made  to  Great 
Gearies,  a  good  garden  had  to  be  provided  and  equipped,  this  garden 
affording  the  utmost  pleasure  to  its  owner  as  long  as  he  lived.  He  left 
Mr.  Douglas  secure  in  his  position,  also  the  requisite  means  for  con¬ 
ducting  his  work  as  usual  during  the  life  of  Mrs.  Whitbourn.  As  this 
Udy  can  no  longer  traverse  the  garden  it  has  in  a  measure  lost  its  charm 
to  the  manager,  and  it  has  been  mutually  arranged  that  he  shall  in 
future  devote  the  whole  of  his  attention  to  his  own  flowers,  which,  how¬ 
ever,  seem  to  become  somebody  else’s  as  fast  as  they  can  be  raised.  Mr. 
Douglas  is  as  active  as  ever  he  was  ;  indeed,  few  men  can  get  through 
more  work,  literary  and  otherwise,  in  a  quiet  way  than  he  can,  and  his 
many  friends  will  wish  for  him  and  his  real  helpmeet  long  and  useful 
careers  in  their  pleasant  home  at  Edenside.  * 
_  Ladybirds  and  Fruit  Pests.— Valuable  information  upon 
this  subject  is  given  by  Mr.  C.  R.  Marlatt  in  the  “Year-book  of  the 
U.S.  Department  of  Agriculture,”  in  an  article  describing  the  various 
methods  employed  to  combat  the  ravages  of  injurious  insects  in 
California,  where  the  possibility  of  control  of  insects  by  introducing 
and  fostering  their  natural  enemies  has  been  thoroughly  tested.  The 
very  notable  instance  of  the  entire  eradication  of  the  white  scale  insect 
by  the  introduction  from  Australia  of  its  ladybird  enemy,  Vedalia 
cirdinalis,  demonstrated  the  possibilities  in  this  direction  in  the  most 
striking  way.  This  one  experiment  saved  the  State  its  Citrus  industry, 
and  gave  the  greatest  confidence  in  many  quarters  in  this  means  of 
controlling  insects,  as  well  as  incited  the  later  action  looking  to  the 
introduction  of  beneficial  insects  on  a  much  larger  scale.  It  led  the 
State  of  California,  in  1891,  to  grant  5000  dols.  “for  the  purpose  of 
sending  an  expert  to  Australia,  New  Zealand,  and  adjacent  counties  to 
collect  and  import  into  this  State  parasitic  and  predaceous  insects,” 
Mr.  Albert  Koebele,  who  had  previously  been  instrumental  in  intro¬ 
ducing  Vedalia  cardinalis,  was  selected  for  the  work.  His  chief  object 
was  to  obtain  predaceous  insects  which  might  exterminate  the  black 
scale,  the  red  scale,  and  the  San  .Jos^  scale.  Mr.  Koebele's  mission 
lasted  upwards  of  a  year,  and  during  this  time  he  imported  into 
California  probably  60,000  specimens,  representing  very  many  species, 
chiefly  of  ladybirds.  Five  or  six  of  these  species  took  hold  well  from  the 
s’-art,  and  two  or  three  of  them  are  still  represented  abundantly  in  the 
o  cbards  of  California,  the  others  having  practically  disappeared.  The 
important  ones  remaining  include  a  very  efficient  predatory  enemy  of 
the  black  scale  in  the  little  Rhizobius  ventralis,  and  two  much  smaller 
species,  R.  debilis  and  R,  toowoombse,  which  attack  the  black  scale,  and 
also  the  red  scale  and  San  Jos^  scale  to  a  less  extent.^  Rhizobius 
ventralis  was  easily  colonised,  and  during  the  last  three  years  has  been 
distributed  in  enormous  numbers  to  different  parts  of  the  State,  300,000 
or  400,000  having  been  colonised  in  Southern  California  alone.  This 
beetle  is  by  far  the  most  useful  of  the  recent  importations,  and 
has  already  done  much  good  ;  in  several  instances  it  has  effected  the 
entire  eradication  of  the  black  scale  in  badly  infested  orchards.  The 
disappearance  of  the  scale  may  in  some  cases  be  due  to  other  natural 
causes,  but  there  seems  to  be  no  doubt  that  the  chief  credit  belongs  to 
the  ladybirds.  Once  the  ladybirds  have  established  themselves  in 
sufficient  numbers,  it  seems  best-  not  ,to  spray  or  fumigate  the  trees,  a.9 
these  treatments  are  very  prejudicial  to  the  multiplication  of  this 
beneficial  beetle.— (  ‘  Nature.”) 
