April  24,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
367 
Handsworth  and  District  Show. 
The  eighteenth  annual  exhibition  of  this  society  Avill  be  held 
in  the  Victoria  Park,  Handsworth,  on  Friday  and  Saturday, 
•July  25  and  26.  Upwards  of  £500  are  offered  in  prizes. 
Important  Notice. 
In  consequence  of  the  Coal  Exchange,  Manchester,  being 
•engaged  on  Friday,  May  2,  the  Exhibition  of  the  National 
Auricula  Society  (Northern  Section)  Avill  be  held  there  on  Satur¬ 
day,  May  3. — J.  W.  Bentley,  Hon.  Secretary,  Stakehill,  C'astle- 
ton,  Manchester. 
Weather  in  the  North. 
On  the  morning  of  the  18th  there  were  3deg  bf  frost,  the 
•only  recurrence  during  the  past  week.  The  weather  has  been 
changeable,  cold  easterly  winds  prevailhig  throughout  the  earlier 
part,  giving  way  to  milder  and  showery  weather  on  Sunday  and 
Monday,  the  latter  being  extremely  characteristic  of  the  month. 
— B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
More  Fruit  Steamers. 
Messrs.  Forward  Brothers,  of  St.  Mary  Axe,  whose  steamers 
trade  to  Morocco,  the  Canary  Islands,  and  Madeira,  have  made 
arrangements  with  a  firm  of  London  fruit  brokers  to  run  a 
regular  fortnightly  line  of  steamers  from  the  Canaiy  Islands  to 
Manchester  carrjdng  fruit.  The  first  steamer  is  reported  to  have 
left  the  Canai"y  Islands  on  Tuesday,  April  15,  with  a  cargo  of 
11,000  packages  of  Bananas  and  Tomatoes,  and  arrived  at  Man¬ 
chester  on  22nd  inst.  All  arrangements  are  made  to  deal  with 
any  “  boycott,”  and  it  was  hoped  that  the  Manchester  Ship  Canal 
would  help  in  every  way  to  establish  a  continuous  service. 
German  School  Gardens. 
Ah  excellent  instance  of  the  advantage  of  the  German  system 
is  given  in  “  School  Gardens  in  Gennany  ” — an  article  published 
in  volume  9  of  the  Board  of  Education’s  “  Special  Reports.” 
Ten  years  ago  the  fruit  growing  industry  in  Rhineland  was 
decaying.  The  peasants  in  many  districts  were  ignorant  of  how 
to  choose,  plant,  or  tend  their  trees,  and  the  district  school 
inspector  at  Siegburg  took  the  matter  in  hand.  He  interested 
the  masters  in  the  village  schools  in  the  theory  and  practice  of 
horticulture,  and  after  these  ten  years’  endeavours  he  has  suc¬ 
ceeded  in  establishing  a  garden  in  connection  with  each  of  his 
hundred  schools.  The  result  has  been  that  in  many  of  the 
villages  fruit  growing  has  become  practically  a  new  industry ;  in 
others  the  industry  has  received  an  impetus  ;  and  evei'juvhere  the 
work  has  resulted  in  pecuniary  advantage  to  the  pea.sants. 
Bulbous  Plants  at  Kew 
In  the  Cape  house  at  Kew,  the  central  portion  of  which  is 
devoted  to  Heaths,  there  is  at  present  a  yellow  fioAvered  form 
(aurea)  of  Freesia  refracta.  The  colour  is  very  distinct  and 
charming.  An  old  but  little  known  species  of  Ornithogalum 
named  aureum  claims  a  deal  of  attention,  for  the  fleshy  segments 
of  the  medium  sized,  erect  flowers  are  coloured  a  rich,  gloAving 
orange.  The  inflorescence  reaches  a  height  of  about  lift,  and 
bears  four  or  five  of  these  flowers  from  the  central  axis.  It  is  not 
mentioned  in  NichO'Lson’s  first  edition  of  his  Dictionary. 
Veltheimia  viridiflora  is  an  old  favourite  with  not  a  few  claims  to 
our  regard,  and  it  has  the  merit  of  being  handsome  even  though 
not  in  bloom,  for  the  succulent  green  foliage  is  glossy  and 
beautiful.  Cyrtanthus  Flambeau,  bearing  clusters  of  rosy-pink, 
tubular  flowers,  which  curve  slightly,  deserves  attention,  as  do 
others  of  the  genus,  and  Anoiganthus  breviflorus,  with  deep, 
canary  yellow  flowers  also  in  terminal  cymes  and  tubular,  the 
foliage  being  long,  dark  green,  and  linear,  forms  a  splendid 
subject  to  contrast  against  the  fore-named  Anoiganthus. 
Antholyza  Cunonia  is  a  scarlet  and  black  flowered  species  of 
merit,  and  is  the  only  member  of  the  genus  now  in  floAver.  The 
Antholyzas  may  not  be  so  showy  as  the  Sparaxis  (some  of  Avliich 
are  now  at  their  best)  or  the  Ixias,  or  Freesias,  yet  they  have  a 
character  of  their  own,  and  a  number  of  them  are  very  elegant 
Avhen  in  bloom.  They  can  be  successfully  cultivated  in  the  open 
air.  Phsedranassa  chloraca,  Avith  its  most  lovely  drooping 
flowers,  is  in  floAver  in  the  warm  Begonia  house.  The  blooms  are 
clustered  at  the  apex  of  a  tall,  erect,  and  slender  stalk,  being 
tubular  in  shape  and  3in  in  length.  The  tips  are  green,  AAdiile 
the  rest  of  the  tube  is  crimson,  Avith  a  glaucous  sheen.  Acidanthera 
Candida  is  very  pretty,  with  its  snow-white  flowers,  Avhich  may  be 
likened  to  those  of  “  The  Bride  ”  Gladiolus.  The  Brodiseas,  Ixias, 
and  Sparaxis  are  also  gaily  beautiful  at  the  present  time. 
Daffodils  from  Rood  Ashton. 
On  Saturday  morning  last  Ave  received  from  Mr.  W.  Strugnell, 
gardener  to  Colonel  Vivian,  Rood  Ashton,  TroAvbridge,  a 
delightful  selection  of  double  Daffodils.  These  Avere  as  fine  as 
the  best  Ave  haA^e  seen,  the  form  being  the  hand.somest  of  the 
double  Teleinonius,  and  not  generally  met  Avith. 
Trees  in  the  Strand. 
According  to  previous  notices  in  the  Press,  shade  trees  have 
noAv  been  planted  at  the  edge  of  the  i>avements  by  the  LaAv 
Courts,  Avhere  the  AA'idened  thoroughfare  around  St.  Clement’s 
Danes  Church  has  allowed  of  tl;ie  .planting  being  done.  The  trees 
are.  10ft  high,  clean,  healthy,  and  shapely.  They  seem  to  have 
been  well  planted  and  are  carefully  staked.  The  London  Plane 
is  the  species  mostly  chosen. 
Notes  from  Kendal. 
On  every  hand  there  are  indications  of  an  immense  crop  of 
blossom.  Fruit  trees  off  all  kinds,  even  to  the  tips  of  last  year’s 
Avood,  are  studded  Avjth  floAver  buds,  and  the  Hawthorn  hedges 
and  trees  Avill  be  one  mass  of  Avhite,  shoAAung  the  great  influence 
of  last  autumn’s  sun.  GiA^en  favourable  Aveather,  free  from  frost 
and  cold  rains,  during  the  next  month,  there  Avill  be  an  immense 
crop  of  fruit  throughout  the  country. — A.  D. 
Victorian  Apples. 
Covent  Garden  salesmen  were  briskly  engaged  on  Wednesday 
aftenioon,  the  16th  inst.,  selling  off  Avith  great  dispatch  to  a 
AAulling  crow'd  of  dealers,  the  first  consignments  of  Apples  in 
barrels  from  Victoria,  that  land  of  promise  far  away  in  the  other 
hemisphere  of  earth.  And,  like  the  Tasmanian  fruits,  big  prices 
were  received.  The  barrels  contain  361b  of  Apples  each,  ana 
some  of  these  cases,  containing  sound  and  greener  samples  of 
fruit,  brought  19s.  each,  Avhich  is  just  over  6d.  per  lb  Avholesale 
cost — truly  a  long  pi’ice.  It  is  notable,  hoAvever,  that  similar 
samples  in  the  same  sized  cases  or  barrels  have  on  other  occasions 
only  brought  7s.  6d.  each,  and  the  average  pirice  obtained  appears 
to  be  about  14s.  per  case  of  361b,  equal  to  a  fraction  over  4jd. 
per  lb,  AAUolesale.  Taa'O  good  Apples  AA^eigh  half  a  pound,  and 
five  moderate  ones  AA’eigh  a  whole  pound,  and  fetch  Id.  each 
retail. 
Bchoes  from  Hamilton. 
The  first  half  of  the  month  AA^as  scarcely  in  line  Avith  the 
poetical  Ajrrils  one  conjures  up  fi'om  the  oblivion  of  the  AA'orthy 
past.  The  shoAvers  Avere  unpleasantly  cold,  and  AA’ould  make 
excellent  duty  for  the  opening  days  of  March.  No  balmy  zephyrs 
faAA’ned  the  deAvy  buds,  but  a  A’igorous,  icy  Boreas,  highly 
suggestive  of  the  snoAV-laden  cloud  and  ice-capped  hill,  ijer- 
vaded  the  atmosphere  hrstead.  The  nights  AA’ere  frosty ;  some 
of  them  phenomenally  so  for  the  month.  Yet  the  improvement 
AAdiich  has  taken  place  in  the  last  feAV  days  has  done  great  things 
in  pushing  foi’AA'ard  A^egetation.  Manj^  kinds  of  trees  have  a  start 
of  nine  days  on  last  year,  and  if  the  conditions  aaTII  continue 
uninterrupted  the  greater  part  of  forest  trees  aaTU  be  in  full  leaf 
by  the  1st  of  next  month.  Farmers,  as  well  as  gardeners,  are 
Avell  forAA'ard  AAith  their  Avork,  and  the  outlook  in  both  spheres  is 
on  the  AA'hole  gratifying  and  promising.  This  month  AA'as  of  some 
consequence  among  the  Ancient  Romans.  Not  less  than  six 
great  festrtals  AA'ore  celebi’ated  to  conciliate  certain  of  the 
voluminous  deities  held  sacred  by  that  nation.  The  4th  and  5th 
of  the  month  were  the  “  Megalesia,”  held  in  honour  to  the  mother 
of  the  gods.  The  9th  “  Ceralia,”  in  honour  of  Ceres.  The  15th 
“  Fordicidia,”  a  sacidficial  festival  of  certain  coaa’s.  The  21st, 
and  perhaps  the  greatest  of  any,  AA’as  “  Palilia,”  in  honour  to  the 
goddess  of  shepherds;  originally  this  festival  AAas  a  celebration 
of  the  aimiversary  of  the  foundation  of  Rome,  on  which  day, 
753  B.C.,  it  is  said  this  undertaking  Avas  begun.  The  25th 
“  Robigalia,”  in  deference  to  the  goddess  Robigo,  aaJio  AA'as  sup¬ 
posed  to  preseiwe  the  corn  from  the  raA’ages  of  inildeAV.  (Many 
a  gardener  AA  Ould  AA'illingly  pay  a  day  at  the  shrine  of  fair 
Robigo  did  he  knoAA"  AA’here  to  find  her.)  The  28th  to  the  end 
of  the  month  Avas  “  Floralia,”  in  honour  to  Flora,  and  from  AA'hat 
is  knoAATi  of  this  festival  it  AA'as  far  from  being  so  imiocently 
harmless  as  our  floral  fetes  and  battles  of  flowers  of  to-day.  The 
bumble  bee  goes  about  noAV  every  day,  and  appears  as  if  anti¬ 
cipating  a  busy  season.  The  rooks  are  engaged  for  some  time 
feeding  their  young,  and  baby  AA'easels  are  going  about  half 
grown. — D.  C. 
