April  10,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
319 
The  Horticultural  Club. 
Oil  Tue.sday  ovenihg  la,st  the  Horticultural  Club  met  to  the 
number  of  about  fifty  at  their  rooms,  in  the  Hotel  Windsor,  to 
do  honour  to  Dr.  Augustus  Henry,  who  is  about  to  return  to  his 
professional  practice  in  China.  The  president  of  the  Royal  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society  occupied  the  chair. 
Sweden  and  its  Trees. 
Orsa,  in  Sweden,  has  during  the  course  of  a  generation  sold 
£1,150,000  worth  of  trees,  and  by  means  of  judicious  replanting 
has  provided  for  a  similar  income  every  thirty  or  forty  years.  In 
consequence  of  this  commercial  wealth  there  are  no  taxes.  Rail- 
ways,  telephones,  &c.,  are  free,  and  so  are  schoolhouses,  teaching, 
and  many  other  things. 
Motor  Car  for  Farmers. 
Speaking  before  the  Yorkshire  Agricultural  Union  a  short 
time  ago,  the  President  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture  said  he  hoped 
to  see  motor  cars  competing  with  the  railways  for  the  conveyance 
of  goods  to  and  from  the  country  villages.  For  this  the  size  of 
motors  would  require  to  be  enlarged,  they  w'ould  require  to  travel 
at  a  reasonable  speed,  and  the  roads  everywhere  would  need  to 
be  kept  in  thorough  good  order.  There  was  a  talk  some  time  ago 
about  market  gardeners  adopting  motor  cars ;  but  we  have  seen 
none  yet,  though  many  of  the  London  manufacturing  companies 
are  adopting  motor  power. 
Ipswich  Mutual  Improvement  Society. 
The  usual  fortnightly  meeting  of  this  society  was  held  on 
April  3,  Mr.  R.  C.  Notcutt  occupying  the  chair.  A  paper  on 
“Stove  and  Greenliouse  Climbing  Plants”  was  read  by  Mr.  E. 
Creek,  Westerfield  House  Gardens,  who  first  briefly  described 
the  conditions  neces,sary  for  the  successful  cultivation  of  climb¬ 
ing  plants,  giving  details  with  regard  to  soil  and  position,  pruning, 
training,  and  emdication  of  insect  pests,  afterwards  mentioning 
a  few  of  the  more  important  genera,  such  as  Stephanotis,  Clero- 
dendron,  Ipomsea,  Dipladenia,  Bougainvillea,  Passiflora,  &c.  In 
the  discussion  wdimh  followed,  Ma.ssrs.  Southgate,  Whittel, 
A.  Creek,  Chandler,  Moi’gan,  Close,  and  the  chairman  took  part. 
Liverpool  Amateur  Gardeners. 
There  was  a  very  fair  attendance  of  members  at  the  usual 
monthly  meeting,  held  in  the  Common  Hall,  Hackins  Hey,  on 
Thursday  last.  Hyacinths,  Azaleas,  and  several  good  Orchids 
were  exhibited,  Messrs.  Dodd  and  Ellison  winning  with  the 
latter,  the  former  gentleman’s  plant  of  Cattleya  Schrodcrre  l)eing 
noticeable.  Mrs.  McGregor  and  Mr.  Ellison  showed  in  good  form, 
the  class  for  cut  flowers  being  taken  with  a  handsome  selection 
staged  by  Mr.  Robins.  A  lecture  on  “  Table  Decoration,”  by  Mr. 
J.  Stoney  (gardener  to  H.  B.  Gilmour,  Esq.,  Underlea,  Aigburth), 
was  much  appreciated,  the  leading  features  being  given  in  my 
notes  of  the  same  subject  read  at  a  meeting  of  the  Woolton 
Gardener.s’  Mutual  Improvement  Society. — R.  P.  R. 
Croydon  Horticultural  Mutual  Improvement  Society. 
A  crowded  meeting  was  held  in  the  society’s  room,  at  the 
Temperance  Hotel,  Croydon,  on  Tuesday  evening,  April  1.  Mr. 
W.  J.  Simpson  presided.  Several  new  members  were  elected. 
Mr.  George  Gordon,  V.M.H.,  Editor  of  the  “Gardeners’  Maga¬ 
zine,”  gave  a  most  admirable  and  interesting  paper  upon  “  Hardy 
Flowering  Trees  and  Shrubs.”  The  paper  was  appropriate  at  the 
present  season.  Mr.  Gordon  prefaced  his  discourse  on  the  little 
use  of  flowei'ing  trees  and  shrubs  made  by  the  gardeners  and 
planters  of  early  times,  and  specially  noted  the  great  increase 
of  species  and  varieties  planted  by  gardeners,  &c.,  during  the 
past  few  years.  Mr.  Gordon  dwelt  upon  the  wealth  of  beautiful 
flowering  subjects,  noting  their  seasons  of  flowering — ^^many  bear¬ 
ing  richly  coloured  fruit  in  the  autumn — their  adaptability  for 
various  purposes,  and  for  the  decoration  of  the  garden  and 
shrubberies.  Mr.  Gordon’s  knowledge  of  the  subject  in  hand, 
aided  by  a  series  of  about  seventy  lantern  slides  of  trees  and 
shrubs  in  flower  and  fruit,  specially  prepared  for  this  lecture, 
enabled  him  to  give  much  valuable  information  to  his  audience. 
The  lecturer’s  remarks  met  with  frequent  applause,  and  at  the 
close  a  hearty  and  enthusiastic  vote  of  thanks  was  accorded  IMr. 
Gordon  on  the  proposition  of  the  chairman,  supported  by  Mr. 
Mills.  In  replying,  Mr.  Gordon  proposed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  the 
lantemist.  The  next  paper  will  be  on  April  15.  Subject: 
“  Flowermg  Plants  of  the  Spring  Garden.” — J.  G. 
Midland  Daffodil  Society’s  Show. 
This  sliow  will  be  held  at  Edgbaston  on  April  24  and  25. 
Royal  Meteorological  Society. 
At  the  ordinary  meeting  of  the  society,  to  be  held,  by  kind 
permission  of  the  council,  at  the  Institution  of  Civil  Engineers, 
Great  George  Street,  Westminster,  S.W.,  on  Wednesday,  the 
16th  inst.,  at  7.30  p.m.,  a  lecture  will  be  delivered  on  “Clouds,” 
by  Captain  D.  W  ilson-Barker,  F.R.S.E.,  F.R.G.S.  The  lecture 
will  be  illustrated  by  lantern  slides.  Fellows  may  introduce 
friends.- — W.  M. 
Cornish  Clemency. 
Fruit  trees  in  Cornwall  are  showing  evidences  of  remarkable 
promise  this  season.  Not  only  in  the  case  of  Apple  trees,  but 
with  Pears,  Plums,  and  other  kinds  of  fruit,  the  trees  are 
practically  covered  with  blossoms.  With  anything  like  favour¬ 
able  weather,  the  indications  point  to  a  bumper  crop. 
Dundee  Horticultural  Society. 
Upon  April  3,  Mr.  William  Christison,  gardener.  Bracken- 
brae,  West  Feri-y,  addressed  the  members  of  the  Dundee  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society  on  the  subject  of  “  Passiflora,”  or  what  is  more 
popularly  known  as  Passion  Flowers.  In  an  interesting  manner 
the  lecturer  explained  some  of  the  common  varieties  which  are 
grown  outside  in  specially  sheltered  positions,  where,  however, 
they  are  very  liable  to  be  destroyed  by  the  rigours  of  the  winter. 
Mr.  Christison  also  explained  some  of  Dr.  Wilson’s  (St.  Andrews) 
successful  experiments  in  raising  new  hybrids. 
The  Preservation  of  Trees  in  Towns. 
Mr.  J.  N.  Hewitt,  speaking  recently  at  a  public  meeting  at 
Liverpool,  stated  that  a  committee  was  appointed  some  months 
ago  for  the  preservation  of  the  trees  of  the  district.  Of  course, 
he  said,  some  of  the  trees  must  be  sacrificed,  but  w'hat  is  wanted 
is  to  preserve  as  many  as  possible,  even  though  the  main  road^ 
may  have  to  be  made  wider  in  consequence.  He  suggested 
that  when  certain  land  is  sold  for  building  puiTposes  there  may 
be  an  undertaking  that  the  “  trees  thereon  shall  not  be  wantonly 
destroyed,”  so  that  boulevards  might  be  formed  in  the  centre 
of  the  roadw'ay,  or  a  line  of  trees  may  be  left  on  each  side  of 
the  road  so  as  to  form  an  avenue.  We  w'ould  do  well  to  follow 
the  plan  adopted  in  many  Continental  cities,  so  that,  whilst 
we  have  lines  of  shops  and  houses,  we  may  also  have  open 
spaces  and  green  trees  to  beautify  our  neighbourhood. 
The  Will  of  the  late  Mr.  Ed.  Jno.  Beale. 
Mr.  Edward  John  Beale,  J.P.,  F.L.S.,  of  Stoneydeep  House,. 
Teddington,  and  of  the  firm  of  James  Carter  and  Co.,  of  97,  High 
Holborn,  seedsmen,  who  died  on  Januai'y  8,  aged  sixty-five,  left 
estate  valued  at  £30,671  gross,  including  personal  estate  of  the 
net  value  of  £20,921.  The  testator  bequeathed  his  share  and 
interest  in  the  business  of  James  Carter  and  Co.  in  trust  for 
son  Gilbert  Ernest,  subject  to  a  covenant  on  his  part  to  pay  to 
the  trustees  of  the  testator’s  estate  £30,000,  in  respect  of  his 
share  and  interest  in  the  business,  and  £10,000  in  respect  of 
his  share  in  the  goodwill  thereof,  making  together  £40,000,  but 
the  trustees  are  not  to  enforce  the  covenant  so'  long  as  a  sum 
of  £40  is  paid  each  week  in  respect  thereof.  Subject  thereto, 
the  late  Mr.  Beale  left  his  property  in  trust  for  his  wife  and 
children. 
Death  of  Mr.  John  Downs. 
Horticulturists  around  Birmingham  and  the  Midlands  will 
learn  with  deep  regret  of  the  somewhat  sudden  death,  on 
March  29,  of  their  much-respected  friend  Mr.  John  Do^vns,  head 
gardener  at  Berkswell  Hall,  near  Coventry.  He  was  fifty-nine 
years  of  age,  and  commenced  his  gardening  career  forty  or  more 
years  ago  under  his  father,  a  very  able  gardener,  who,  with  the 
owner,  T.  E.  Walker,  Esq.,  came  to  Berkswell  Hall  about  that 
time.  About  twenty-five  years  ago,  when  his  father  retired  and 
commenced  farming,  our  friend  then  took  up  the  position  as  head 
gardener,  a  position  he  held  with  credit  to  himself  and  the 
greatest  satisfaction  to  Mr.  Walker,  who  died  about  thirteen  years 
ago,  since  when  he  has  found  a  most  kind  and  generous  employer 
in  J.  H.  Wheatley,  Esq.,  the  present  resident  and  owner  of 
the  Berkswell  estate.  Mr.  Downs  was  an  excellent  all-round 
gardener  of  a  kind  and  sympathetic  disposition,  and  his  absence 
as  a  judge  at  exhibitions  in  the  Midlands  will  be  much  felt, 
especially  at  the  Birmingham  Chrysanthemum  Exhibition,  where 
he  had  an  unbroken  record  as  a  judge  for  upwards  of  twenty 
years,  and  where  his  judgment  was  never  once  disputed. — J.  H. 
