408 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  28,  1897. 
are  now  unfolding  their  florets.  Of  the  newer  Japanese  the  following  are 
very  promising — Modesto  (fine),  Phoebus,  Australie  (very  tall),  Beauty  of 
Teignmouth,  General  Koberts,  Pride  of  Svvanley,  Australian  Gold  (on 
second  crown),  Dorothy  Seward  (very  promising).  Simplicity,  a  fine 
white,  but  rather  early  ;  the  same  with  Lady  Byron.  ]Mrs.  H.  Weeks  is 
a  failure  ;  plants  stopped  early  in  April  did  not  show  a  bud  till  the 
middle  of  this  month.  I  have  nine  promising  buds  of  G.  J.  Warren 
opening  freely.  This  variety  appears  to  have  a  much  better  constitution 
than  INIadame  Carnot,  of  which  it  is  a  sport.” — A  Yoekshire  Grower. 
Event.S  oe  the  W eek.  During  the  next  few  weeks  horticulturists 
throughout  the  country  will  be  busy  amongst  the  Chrysanthemums. 
Shows  are  fixed  for  almost  every  day,  and  on  one  or  two  favoured  dates 
there  are  about  a  dozen.  On  Friday,  Oct.  29th,  there  will  be  Battersea  ; 
on  Tuesday,  Nov.  2nd,  there  will  be  Croydon,  Plymouth,  and  Brighton  ; 
while  Wednesday,  Nov.  3rd,  has  been  chosen  for  Woking,  Cardiff, 
Lowestoft,  and  Kent  County. 
-  Weather  in  London.  —The  mildness  that  characterised  the 
opening  days  of  last  week  has  scarcely  been  maintained  since  our  last 
note  w'as  written.  Thiii’sday  and  Friday  were  slightly  cooler,  a  little  rain 
falling  on  the  latter  day.  Saturday,  Sunday,  and  IVlonday,  though  foggy 
in  the  mornings,  were  fine  later  in  the  day,  and  rather  cool  in  the 
evenings.  Tuesday  was  dull  and  wet,  but  Wednesday  morning  was  finer. 
-  Wa  TERiNGr  Fre  1 T  TREES. — It  would  be  adv^isable  in  *the 
present  -dry  state  of  the  weather  if  those  having  charge  of  fruit  trees 
outside  would  ascertain  the  condition  of  the  soil  about  the  roots  of 
their  trees,  particularly  those  against  walls.  In  lifting  some  Peach 
trees  recently  they  were  found  to  be  much  drier  than  I  like  to  see  them 
at  this  season.  These  trees  had  been  copiously  supplied  with  water,  but 
a  gravelly  subsoil  accounts  for  their  dry  state.  If  fruit  trees  were  better 
attended  to  in  the  matter  of  water  at  this  season,  and  also  liquid  manure 
in  the  case  of  old  trees,  it  is,  I  think,  quite  possible  we  might  hear  less 
of  what  is  at  times  termed  over-ripening  or  exhaustion  after  such  a  dry 
season  as  we  have  experienced.— W.  S.  G. 
-  A  Fruit  Evening  at  York.  —  Under  the  ausifices  of  the 
Ancient  Society  of  York  Florists  both  a  pleasant  and  instructive  meeting 
appears  to  have  been  held  in  the  old  city  last  Friday  evening.  The  llev 
Gordon  Salmon  read  an  interesting  paper  on  “  Fruit  Trees,”  and  very 
fine  fruit  was  sent  by  the  following  able  cultivators  : — Mr.  G.  Picker, 
Ilesslewood,  Hull ;  IMr.  C.  Lawton,  Welton  House,  Brough  ;  Mr. 
D.  Williams,  Buncombe  Park  ;  Mr.  ,1.  Allsopp,  Dalton  Hall,  Hull;  Mr. 
G.  Harris,  Alnwick  Castle  ;  Mr.  Wrazzel,  Bishopthorpe  Palace  ;  Mr. 
J.  Mclndoe,  Hutton  Hall,  Guisborough  ;  IVIr.  G.  Taylor,  By  ram  Hall, 
Pontefract  ;  IMr.  J.  Hornby,  Heslington  Hall ;  Mr.  IMacintosh,  North 
Biding  Asylum ;  the  Bev.  Gordon  Salmon,  Overton  Vicarage;  Messrs. 
Backhouse  &  Sons,  York  ;  Mr.  Everard,  Holgate  Lodge  ;  and  Messrs. 
G.  Bunyard  &  Co.j  Maidstone. 
-  Hbssee  Gardeners’  Society.  —  A  meeting  of  the  above 
Society  was  held  on  Tuesday,  October  19th,  in  the  Parish  School,  .Mr. 
Geo.  Picker,  Hesslewood,  occupying  the  chair.  The  essayist  for  the 
evening  was  Mr.  Garnett,  St.  John’s  Gardens,  Wakefield,  and  the  subject 
“Chrysanthemums.”  The  Chairman,  when  introducing  the  essayist  to 
the  company,  stated  to  what  an  extent  Mr.  Garnett  was  acquainted  with 
Chrysanthemums,  both  in  the  capacity  of  grower  and  judge.  The 
essayist  took  for  his  base  the  ripening  process,  and  pointed  out  the 
complications  caused  by  having  over-ripe  and  under-ripe  growths,  also 
the  difficulties  the  northern  growers  have  to  contend  with  to  obtain  the 
“  happy  ”  medium,  ^t  the  close  of  the  essay  a  discussion  took  place,  and 
the  number  of  questions  asked  showed  that  he  had  indeed  fallen  upon  a 
hotbed  of  Chrysanthemum  growers.  The  Chairman  had  some  good 
blooms  on  the  table,  the  varieties  being  Ylrs.  Hume  Long,  Phoebus,  Boule 
d’Or,  Emily  Silsbury,  Lady  Byron,  Baron  Hirsch,  and  Mons.  R.  Bahuant. 
Mr.  Blakey  showed  ])lants  of  Odontoglossum  crispum  and  Cattleya 
labiata  in  fiowmr.  The  meeting  w’as  the  largest  the  Society  has  had,  and 
this  no  doubt  was  caused  by  the  subject  and  the  essayist  being  so  popular. 
The  Secretary  reported  having  received  subscriptions  from  several 
gentlemen  in  the  locality.  A  vote  of  thanks  to  the  essayist  terminated 
a  very  pleasant  evening.— G.  W.  G. 
-  Death  of  the  Rev.  C.  S.  P.  Parish. — The  death  of  this 
gentleman  occurred  recently  at  his  residence,  Boughmoor,  Somerset,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  The  deceased  was  much  interested  in 
botany  and  Orchids.  A  Vanda,  a  Cypripedium,  and  other  Orchids  bear 
his  name. 
. -  The  Royal  Gardens,  Kew.  —  Messrs.  Mackenzie  and 
Moncur,  Ltd.,  have  been  entrusted  by  H.M.  Board  of  Works  with  the 
erection  of  a  large  temperate  house  in  Kew  Gardens.  The  house  is  to  be 
constructed  with  iron  girders,  and  teak  sashes  and  sashbars.  The 
carrying  out  of  the  contract  will  take  about  a  year. 
-  The  Maidstone  Nurseries.— Messrs.  George  Bunyard  and 
Co.  desire  us  to  state  that  visitors  can  safely  inspect  their  nurseries,  as 
they  are  on  high  ground,  two  miles  from  the  town,  and  in  no  way 
connected  therewith  by  drainage  or  w'ater  supply.  Upwards  of  a  dozen 
medical  officers  certify  that  in  their  opinion  the  fever  has  been  altogether 
due  to  the  drinking  of  contaminated  water,  and  that  there  is  no  possible 
danger  to  persons  visiting  the  town.  One  of  our  representatives  is 
looking  forward  with  pleasure  to  a  visit  to  the  nurseries,  near  Barming 
Station,  on  the  London,  Chatham,  and  Dover  Railway. 
- Railway  Accidents  or  Negligence.— I  had  ten  boxes  of 
plants  in  pots  down  recently.  Two  of  these  boxes  had  been  dropped,  or 
something  heavy  put  on  them,  and  two-thirds  of  the  pots  and  plants  were 
smashed  and  rendered  unsaleable.  I  made  a  claim  on  the  Company, 
which  they  disallowed,  on  the  ground  that  they  were  carried  at  owner's 
risk.  Surely  this  does  not  permit  of  damage  from  carelessness?  — 
St.  Julien  Arabin.  [We  always  thought  that  railway  companies 
were  responsible  for  damage  resulting  from  the  negligence  or  carelessness 
of  their  officials.  Possibly  some  of  our  readers  may  be  able  to  give 
information  on  the  subject.] 
-  Birmingham  Gardeners’  Association.— The  inaugural 
meeting  of  the  autumn  session  took  place  on  the  18th  inst.  at  the  Athletic 
Institute,  Mr.  W.  B.  Latham,  the  Botanical  Gardens,  Edgbaston,  in  the 
chair.  Prizes  in  the  shape  of  valuable  and  appropriate  books  were  offered 
for  collections  of  dried  native  ivild  flowers.  The  only  contributor  was 
IMr.  C.  Raffil,  a  student  in  the  Botanical  Gardens.  The  collection  was  a 
very  good  representative  one,  and  comprised  upwards  of  sixty  species. 
Mr.  C.  R.  Bick,  gardener  to  Walter  Chamberlain,  Esq.,  contributed  several 
freshly  gathered  wild  flowers  and  autumn  berries,  including  hipped  sprays 
of  various  wild  Roses.  Mr.  W.  Gardiner  (the  Librarian)  also  brought  a 
few  species  of  wild  flowers.  On  the  1st  of  November  Mr.  John  Pope, 
King’s  Norton  Nurseries,  is  appointed  to  give  a  lecture  upon  his  tour  in 
the  Pyrenees  last  spring. 
-  Literary  Styles. — It  may  be,  perhaps,  that  I  am  too  old 
with  the  pen,  for  I  have  been  a  correspondent  with  gardening  literature 
for  thirty  years,  that  I  cannot  get  down  to  the  level  of  “  A  Traveller’s  ’ 
intellect.  Life  too  short  and  work  too  serious  to  fit  me  to  play  the 
funny  man.  I  daresay  there  are  readers  as  well  as  writers  who  think 
that  style  clever  and  smart.  I  aspire  not  to  be  regarded  as  either,  but 
to  be  solid,  sensible,  and  I  hope,  too,  honest.  I  have  closely  scanned 
the  writings  of  the  young  men  who  have  availed  themselves  of  the 
“  Young  Gardeners’  Domain,”  and  have  been  pleased  to  see  an  entire 
absence  of  what  is  regarded  as  smartness.  All  honour  to  them.  I 
trust  they  will  stick  to  that  suitable  and  excellent  style.  By  doing  so 
they  will  secure  the  respect  and  approval  of  their  elders.  When  I 
cannot. longer  write  matter  that  may  be  of  practical  service  to  horti¬ 
culture  I  will  lay  aside  my  pen. — A.  D. 
-  Isle  of  Wight. — The  first  annual  meeting  of  the  East  Cowes 
Horticultural  Improvement  Society  was  held  last  week,  Capt.  Harvey 
presiding.  The  Society  has  made  satisfactory  progress,  having  at  present 
over  one  hundred  members.  Excellent  papers  have  been  read  by  Messrs. 
C.  Martin,  H.  Cogger,  J.  ^Merritt,  W.  Tribbick,  D.  Sheath,  A.  Saunders, 
J.  .Tackman,  J.  Hygate,  J.  Barnes,  and  J.  Broadwater  on  gardening 
subjects,  whilst  the  County  Horticultural  Instructor  (Mr.  S.  Heaton)  gave 
a  series  of  six  lectures.  Visits  have  been  paid  during  the  summer  to  the 
gardens  of  Messrs.  .1.  S.  White,  J.  Lee-White,  and  A.  Hills,  which  proved 
interesting  and  instructive.  A  library  has  been  established  for  the  benefit 
of  the  members,  and  is  receiving  excellent  support.  After  all  expenses 
are  paid  there  is  a  balance  of  £4  Is.  7d.  in  hand.  In  addition  to  a  strong 
Committee,  Messrs.  A.  Hills  (Hon.  Sec.),  and  C.  IMartin  (Hon.  Treasurer), 
have  rendered  great  help  towards  the  success  of  the  Society.  After  a  few 
sharp  frosts,  just  sufficient  to  cut  off  the  Dahlias  in  most  places  and  give 
a  littery  appearance  to  gardens,  we  have  a  return  of  very  mild  and  calm 
weather  with  sunshine,  to  make  the  very  birds  think  by  their  song  summer 
still  remains.  Ah  !  we  are  told  “  it  is  a  weather  breeder.” — S.  H. 
