February  6,  1902. 
129 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  QARhESEll 
Royal  Appointment. 
Messrs.  Daniels  Bros.,  Norwich,  inform  ns  that  they  have 
Ibeen  appointed  seed  growers,  by  Special  Royal  Warrant,  to  His 
Majesty  the  King. 
Irish  Gardeners’  Association. 
On  Tuesday,  January  28,  an  interesting  lecture,  entitled 
■“  Nitrate  in  the  Garden,”  which  was  illu.strated  with  limelight 
-views,  was  delivered  under  the  auspices  of  the  Irish  Gardeners’ 
Association  in  the  X.L.  Cafe,  Grafton  Street,  Dublin,  by  Mr. 
-John  Simpson. 
Appointments. 
Mr.  P.  Clinch  has  just  been  appointed  as  gardener  to  Mrs. 
Harry,  Scribblestown  Park,  Cardiff’s  Bridge,  Co.  Dublin.  *  * 
Mr.  John  Michie,  for  many  years  head  forester  on  His  Majesty’s 
estates  at  Balmoral,  as  factor  there,  in  place  of  Mr.  James  Forbes, 
-who  has  assumed  charge  as  factor  of  Atholl  estates. 
Weather  in  the  North. 
From  the  25th  ult  to  the  1st  inst.  severe  frost  prevailed,  and 
the  whole  country  was  under  snow.  On  the  morning  of  the  30th 
;27deg  of  frost  were  registered,  22deg  and  13deg  on  the  two 
succeeding  mornings.  An  imperfect  thaw  began  on  Saturday 
night,  continued  throughout  Sunday,  and  a  more  decided  change 
•during  the  following  night  removed  nearly  all  the  snow  from  the 
lower  levels.  This  held  over  Monday. — B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
Sussex  Weather. 
The  total  rainfall  at  Abbots  Leigh,  Haywards  Heath,  for 
January,  was  1.06in,  being  1.12in  below  the  average.  The 
heaviest  fall  was  0.36in  rainfall  on  eight  days.  The  maximum 
temperature  was  52deg  on  the  1st  and  2nd,  the  minimum  22deg 
on  the  22nd.  Mean  maximum,  45.06deg ;  mean  minimum, 
35.25deg;  mean  temperature,  TO.lodeg,  which  is  2.82deg  above 
the  average.  February  1  very  cold,  with  indications  of  snow. 
— R.  1. 
Devon  and  Dxeter  Gardeners. 
Mr.  G.  C.  Crabbe  last  week  read  an  interesting  paper  to  the 
Devon  and  Exeter  Gardeners’  Association,  at  Exeter,  on  “  The 
Chrysanthemum  as  a  Cottagers’  Plant.”  Mr.  S.  Baker,  gardener 
to  Sir  Dudlev  Duckworth-King,  presided.  The  result  of  the  com¬ 
petition  for  the  be.st  three  table  foliage  plants  in  5in  pots  was : 
1,  Mr.  E.  C.  Cole,  gardener  to  Mr.  W.  B.  Heberden,  C.B., 
Elmfield;  2,  Mr.  W.  R.  Baker,  gardener  to  Lady  Duckworth, 
Knightleys. 
R.H.S.  Rose  Conference. 
It  is  now  well  knorni  that  Tuesday  and  Wedne.sday, 
June  24  and  25  next,  have  been  fixed  as  the  dates  on  which  the 
conference  on  Roses,  together  with  an  illustrative  show  of 
flowers,  will  be  held  at  Holland  House,  Kensington,  W.  All 
classes  of  plants,  flowers,  and  fruits  may  be  exhibited.  The  Fruit, 
Floral,  and  Orchid  Committees  meet  at  11  a.m.  on  June  24,  the 
Council  at  12  noon ;  the  exhibition  will  be  open  at  12.30  p.m. ; 
at  1  p.m.  the  Council  will  entertain  the  committees  and  other 
invited  guests  to  luncheon  ;  at  2  p.m.  the  show  mil  be  open  to 
the  public ;  and  at  2.30  p.m.  the  conference  assembles.  A  schedule 
including  twenty-seven  classes  has  now  been  published,  and  w'ill 
be  found  in  the  society’s  Arrangements  book  for  the  present  year. 
The  Very  Rev.  the  Dean  of  Rochester,  D.D.,  has  been  invited  to 
act  as  president  of  the  conference,  and  thirty-two  others  will  take 
special  part  in  the  proceedings. 
The  Waterford  Horticulturists. 
The  interest  of  district  gardeners  and  those  who  might  be 
expected  to  assist  the  Waterford  Horticultural  Society  is 
recorded  in  the  last  annual  report  sent  to  us  by  the  secretary,  as 
decidedly  unsatisfactoi’y.  True,  the  society  has  a  balance  in 
hand  of  £17  7s.  8d.,  but  £10  of  this  sum  is  to  be  spent  in  the 
purchase  of  a  new  silver  Challenge  Cup.  It  has  been  bv  dint  of 
unceasing  hard  work  and  solicitations  on  the  part  of  the  secretary 
and  the  treasurer  during  a  few  years  past  that  success  is  at 
present  attending  the  Waterford  Horticultural  Society.  We  saw 
how  difficult  it  was  to  re-elect  the  secretary — he  had  had  almost 
enough  of  jiast  worry — and  the  treasurer  would  not  at  all  consent 
to  be  reinstated.  Let  us  hope  Waterford  will  be  more  energetic, 
and  rally  to  the  assistance  of  the  honorary  secretary  and  treasurer 
respectively.  The  schedule  for  the  forthcoming  show,  on  Novem¬ 
ber  7,  is  already  published,  and  may  be  had  from  Mr.  D.  Cantwell, 
hon.  secretary,  Terminus  House,  Waterford. 
Southampton  Gardeners. 
The  annual  general  meeting  of  the  members  of  the  R.H.S. 
of  Southampton  will  be  held,  by  the  kind  permis.sion  of  the 
Mayor,  in  the  Mayor’s  Parlour,  Municipal  Offices,  on  Tues€lay, 
February  11,  at  four  o’clock  in  the  afternoon.  The  Worshipful 
the  Mayor  will  preside. 
Mr.  John  Robertson. 
Within  the  Atholl  Arms  Hotel,  Dunkeld,  a  short  while 
ago,  a  deputation  from  the  tenantry  on  the  Atholl  Estates  waited 
on  Mr.  John  Robertson,  who  has  occupied  the  position  of  factor 
and  commissioner  to  the  Duke  of  Atholl  for  the  long  period  of 
thirty-eight  years,  and  resented  him  with  a  complimentary 
address. 
Edinburgh  Spring  Flower  Sho- 
The  first  flower  .show  of  the  year,  to  be  held  in  Edinburgh, 
takes  place  on  May  7  and  8,  under  the  airspices  of  the  Royal 
Caledonian  Horticultiiral  Society.  No  cnti'y  money  is  charged, 
and  free  admission  tickets  are  not  given  to  exhibitors.  £600  in 
prize  money  are  offered  for  competition  at  the  two  shows  of  the 
society — the  one  in  May  and  the  other  in  September. 
Kew  Gardeners’  Social  Evening. 
The  annual  social  evening  of  the  Royal  Gardens  (Kew)  st-aff 
was  successfully  caiwied  through  on  Thursday  last,  a  week  to-day. 
Indeed,  so  creditable  was  the  Avhole  “  show  ”  that  some  of  the 
young  Continental  friends  who  are  employed  at  Kcav  as  gardeners 
were  strongly  desirous  to  have  another  such  social  evening,  after 
having  enjoyed  that  of  last  Thursday.  Songs,  character  sketches, 
instrumental  music,  and  dancing  engaged  the  attention  of  a  large 
assemblage. 
Frickly  Pear  as  a  Pest. 
The  Department  of  Agriculture  in  Queensland,  the 
“  Standard  ”  announces,  has  resolved  to  offer  the  substantial 
reivard  of  £5,000  for  the  discovery  of  a  means  of  eradicating  the 
Prickly  Pear  (Opuntia).  A  provi.so  will  be  made  that  the  cost 
must  not  exceed  a  certain  .sum  per  acre,  and  the  Department  will 
have  to  be  satisfied  that  the  means  adopted  are  efficacious.  As 
it  is,  the  Department  has  a  process  evolved  from  the  experi¬ 
ments  at  the  Westbrook  State  Farm,  but  the  cost  per  acre  is 
too  great. 
Winchester  Gardeners*. 
A  meeting  Avas  held  at  the  Market  House,  Winchester,  on 
Friday,  January  31,  1902.  Mr.  Geo.  Gamier,  of  Cadlands  Park, 
Southampton,  gave  a  very  intex’esting  lecture  on  the  “  Culture 
of  Peaches  and  Nectarines,”  Avhich  he  dealt  Avith  in  an  able  and 
practical  manner.  A  long  discussion  then  folloAA'ed.  The  chair¬ 
man  (Mr.  G.  Street)  passed  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks.  He  thought 
the  lecture  very  practical  and  instractive,  and  hoped  on  a 
future  occasion  to  have  the  pleasure  of  hearing  Mr.  Gamier  on 
some  other  subject. — S.  C.,  Hon.  Secretary. 
Highgate  Chrysanthemum  Growers. 
The  secretary  of  the  Highgate  Chi-ysanthemum  Society 
Avrites :  “We  are  making  grand  progress  toAA^ards  our  schedule  for 
our  next  exhibition,  and  you  Avill  see  by  enclosed  report  that  we 
shall  make  a  noAml  feature  of  a  floral  display  on  the  floor.  I  have 
every  reason  to  believe  that  our  exhibition  aaTII  be  the  largest 
and  best  ever  held  in  North  Middlesex,  and  Avhen  I  tell  you  that 
Mr.tBevan  and  Mr.  Witty  (the  chairman  and  vice-cliairman  of 
the  N.C.S.)  have  given  me  their  support  and  aid,  it  Avill  be  suffi¬ 
cient  guarantee  that  the  shoAV  will  be  an  unqualified  success.” 
January  Weather  at  Bel  voir  Castle,  1902. 
The  wind  was  in  a  south-Avesterly  direction  fourteen  days. 
The  total  rainfall  AA*as  1.25in — this  fell  on  eleven  days,  and  is 
0.53in  beloAv  the  average  for  the  month;  the  greatest  daily  fall 
was  0.48in  on’  the  4th.  Barometer  (corrected  and  reduced) : 
Highest  reading,  30.877in  on  the  31st,  at  noon;  loAA-est  reading, 
29.067in  on  the  2nd,  at  9  a.m.  Thermometers:  Highest  in  the 
shade,  53deg,  on  the  3rd,  4th,  and  10th;  loAvest,  20deg,  on  the 
15th;  mean  of  daily  maxima,  45.48deg ;  mean  of  daily  minima, 
34.64deg ;  mean  temperature  of  the  month,  40.06deg ;  loAvest  on 
the  grass,  18deg  on  the  15th ;  highest  in  the  sun,  88deg  on  the 
9th;  mean  temperature  of  the  earth  at  3ft,  40.61deg.  Total 
sunshine,  fifty-three  hours,  Avhich  is  6h  29m  below  the  average  for 
the  month.  There  Avere  nine  sunless  days.  The  barometer  read¬ 
ing  on  the  31st  at  noon  is  the  highest  recorded  since  Januaiy  9, 
1896. — W.  H.  Divers. 
