12 
JOURNAL  or  HORTICULTURE  and  cottage  gardener. 
July  4,  1901. 
Weather  In  Xiondon. — After  a  period  of  some  weeks’  drought, 
rain  in  torrents  fell  on  Saturday  evening,  and  again  on  Sunday  night. 
On  the  latter  evening  the  rain  literally  fell  in  “  whole-water  ”  sheets, 
almost  flooding  the  streets.  Monday  was  dull  and  warm  ;  Tuesday, 
showery,  and  Wednesday  was  warm,  breezy,  and  bright. 
Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund.  —  Her  Majesty  Queen 
Alexandra  has  graciously  consented  to  continue  the  patronage  to  the 
Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund,  which  her  Majesty  formerly  extended 
to  the  institution  as  Princess  of  Wales. 
Birmingham  and  Gooseberries. — Tons  of  Gooseberries  were 
sent  into  the  Birmingham  market  on  Saturday  the  22ad  Jane  from 
Worcestershire,  chiefly  with  the  result  that  the  fruit  could  hardly  be 
given  away.  The  average  price  was  a  halfpenny  per  lb.,  at  which  rate 
the  growers  sold  at  a  dead  loss. 
Miss  Ormerod. — We  regret  to  hear  that  Miss  Ormerod  is  still 
very  ill  at  her  house,  and  among  her  flowers  at  St.  Albans.  A  unique 
position  is  hers,  for  she  has  taken  a  first  place,  with  no  second,  in  a 
department  of  life  which  is  properly  man’s.  To  her  the  farmer  and  the 
horticulturist  have  had  to  turn  for  tidings  of  the  blights  and  insects  and 
grubs  that  are  the  bane  of  their  flowers,  their  fruit,  and  their  crops.  At 
her  present  advanced  age  (says  a  contemporary)  Miss  Ormerod  is  still, 
when  her  health  is  good,  keenly  alert  in  the  pursuance  of  her 
researches  ;  and,  inheriting  some  of  her  late  father’s  literary  talent,  she 
has  lately  been  engaged  on  the  compilation  of  her  memoirs. 
A  Perplexed  Gardener. — An  amusing  case,  in  which  Lady 
Charles  Beresford  sued  Mr.  Philip  Lyttelton  Gell,  J.P.,  for  £22  4s., 
representing  gardeners’  wages  and  coke  supplied,  was  heard  at  the 
Kingston  County  Court  on  Monday.  Mr.  Gell  counterclaimed  £23  for 
breach  of  contract.  Mr.  Gell  rented  Park  Gate  House,  Ham,  from 
Lady  Charles,  taking  over  the  household  staff,  and  the  flowers  and 
garden  produce.  Her  ladyship,  however,  reserved  one  greenhouse  for 
forcing  flowers,  and  out  of  this  the  trouble  arose.  The  head  gardener 
refused  to  supply  Mrs.  Gell  with  some  Hyacinths.  Then  both  ladies 
wanted  some  Lilies  of  the  Yalley,  and  they  were  sent  to  Lady  Charles ; 
hence  came  about  the  wages  crisis,  and  the  heating  of  the  greenhouses 
was  suspended.  Judge  French  awarded  Lady  Charles  Beresford  £15 
on  the  wages  claim,  and  dismissed  the  counterclaim. 
“  One  and  All  ”  Flower  Show. — We  have  received  the  schedule 
of  prizes  offered  for  competition  at  this  year’s  “  One  and  All”  Flower 
Show  to  be  held  at  the  Crystal  Palace  on  August  16th  and  17th.  It 
marks  a  considerable  advance  on  those  which  have  stimulated  such 
notable  displays  of  working  men’s  produce  in  previous  years.  Full 
particulars  are  included  of  the  Countess  of  Warwick’s  scheme  for  a 
combined  educational  flower  show,  where  the  various  institutions 
engaged  in  the  technical  teaching  of  horticulture  and  agriculture  will 
have  an  opportunity  of  meeting  and  comparing  results.  Lady 
Warwick  presents  a  challenge  vase  for  competition  among  these 
institutions,  and  her  sister,  Lady  Algernon  Gordon-Lennox,  we  are 
informed,  will  found  a  similar  challenge  trophy  for  local  horticultural 
societies,  with  a  view  to  stimulate  their  interest  in  this  movement. 
Fruit  Growing. — Continuing  his  interesting  articles  upon  the 
state  and  outlook  of  the  English  countryside  in  a  contemporary,  Mr* 
Rider  Haggard  discourses  upon  the  practicability  of  growing  Straw¬ 
berries  on  some  lands  instead  of  Wheat  as  a  profitable  undertaking. 
He  says  : — “  One  gentleman  (a  large  farmer  in  Herefordshire)  told  me 
that  last  year  from  6i  acres  of  Strawberries  he  netted  £200  clear 
profit.  Another  plot  of  60  acres  is  said  to  have  produced  150  tons, 
which  sold  at  £25  a  ton,  the  net  profit  on  this  parcel  amounting  to 
£1500.  How  often  does  an  ordinary  cultivator  of  the  soil  clear 
£1500  profit  in  these  days,  even  from  a  farm  of,  let  us  say,  1000  acres  ? 
The  inference  is  suggestive,  and  in  this  connection  I  may  say  that 
much  of  the  English  Wheat  land  whioh  is  now  practically  worthless 
would  be  well  suited  to  the  crop.  The  question  leads  to  another. 
How  many  English  farmers  can  grow  a  Strawberry,  or,  being  ignorant, 
will  take  the  trouble  to  learn  the  craft  ?” 
The  Flora  and  Fauna  of  Greenwich  Park  was  the  tnle 
of  an  essay  read  by  Mr.  A.  D.  Webster  before  the  West  Keut  Natural 
History,  Microscopical,  and  Photographic  Society  in  January  last.  It 
has  now  been  printed  and  issued  in  pamphlet  form. 
Correction. — The  signature  given  as  “  S.  EatoD,”  to  the  artiole  on 
“  The  College  Gardens,  St.  John’s,  Oxford,”  at  page  545  last  week, 
should  have  been  “  S.  Heaton,”  that  of  the  recently  appointed 
instructor  in  horticulture  to  the  Oxfordshire  County  Counoil. 
Appointments. — Mr.  James  Tansley,  for  the  last  twenty-five  years 
head  gardener  to  the  Right  Hon.  Earl  of  Derby,  K.G.,  Witherslack 
Hall,  Grange-over- Sands,  Lancashire,  retires  on  a  pension.  His  son, 
Mr.  George  Henry  Tansley,  at  present  head  gardener  to  Allan  Lupton, 
Esq.,  Sleningford  Park,  RipoD,  York,  succeeds  him  at  the  end  of  this 
month.  *  *  Mr.  Herbert  Spooner,  Royal  Gardens,  Kew,  to  succeed 
Mr.  Adolphus  H.  Kent,  of  Messrs.  J.  Yeitch  and  Son,  Ltd. 
Variorum. — None  more  than  the  Strawberry  growers  blessed  the 
rainfall  of  Saturday  and  Sunday  last.  *  *  The  novel  sight  may 
be  seen  in  Dover  of  a  young  tree  growing  out  of  a  very  high  mill 
chimney  in  a  publio  thoroughfare.  Notwithstanding  its  extraordinary 
position,  the  tree  has  grown  2  or  3  feet  high.  It  is  believed  to 
have  its  root  in  an  old  nest. 
Carnations  from  Kelso. — Two  blooms  of  the  new  Carnation 
named  “  Duchess  of  Roxburghe,”  sent  out  last  year,  have  come  to  us 
from  Messrs.  Lang  &  Mather,  Carnation  specialists,  Kelso-on-Tweed. 
It  was  awarded  a  certificate  at  the  Drill  Hall  meeting  on  June  18th. 
The  ground  colour  of  the  flower  is  a  beautiful  rich  primrose,  striped 
with  a  lovely  shade  of  terra-cotta  and  heliotrope.  It  is  one  of  the 
finest  and  most  desirable  of  recent  yellow-ground  varieties. 
An  Agave  In  Bloom. — The  rarity  with  whioh  Agave  americana 
flowers  in  this  country  renders  the  sight  now  to  be  seen  in  Victoria 
Park,  London,  of  some  interest.  They  have  there  a  specimen  which  is 
seventy-five  years  old,  and  up  to  the  present  time  it  has  never  flowered. 
The  flower  spike  made  its  appearance  only  in  April,  and  grew  with 
great  rapidity,  sometimes  as  much  as  6  inches  in  a  day.  The  bloom  is 
now  expanded.  One  result  of  this  curiosity  is  that  attention  is  being 
drawn  to  Victoria  Park,  which  is  really  one  of  the  prettiest  of  London’s 
open  spaces. 
Horticultural  Club’s  Annual  Excursion.  —  The  annual 
excursion  of  the  club,  to  which  ladies  are  specially  invited,  will  take 
place  on  Wednesday,  July  17th.  The  members  and  their  friends  will 
meet  at  Liverpool  Street  Station  to  leave  by  the  train  starting  at  10.25 
for  Cheshunt,  and  arriving  there  at  11.20,  where  brakes  will  be  in 
readiness.  They  will  then  drive  to  Messrs.  Paul  &  Son’s  Rose  nursery 
and  afterwards  to  Mr.  Thomas  Rochford’s,  who  has  kindly  invited  the 
party  to  luncheon,  and  after  seeing  his  establishment  will  drive  through 
Wormley  Woods  to  Panshanger,  the  seat  of  Earl  Cowper,  visit  the 
mansion  and  gardens,  and  reach  Hertford  about  6.0  p.m.  Dine  at  the 
Dimsdale  Arms  at  6.30,  and  return  to  London  by  an  evening  train. 
Tickets  15s.,  to  cover  all  expenses,  wine  excepted.  Applications  for 
tickets,  with  the  amount  enclosed,  to  be  made  to  Harry  J.  Veitch,  Esq., 
34,  Redcliffe  Gardens,  South  Kensington,  S.W.,  before  Jnly«10th,  he 
having  kindly  consented  to  make  the  arrangements. 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Cblswlck. — Taken  in  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens — height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
«*■* 
o 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
<D 
H 
1901. 
rectlon 
Wind. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
a 
*c£ 
03 
At 
At 
At 
a  fig 
June. 
s 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
Highest 
Lowest. 
1-ft. 
deep. 
2-ft. 
deep. 
4-ft. 
deep. 
H 
Sunday  ..23 
S.W. 
deg. 
60-9 
deg. 
552 
deg. 
68  3 
deg. 
59-3 
Ins. 
deg. 
64-1 
deg. 
69-7 
deg. 
65-9 
deg. 
55-7 
Monday.  .24 
w.s.w. 
61-3 
54-7 
68-0 
44’9 
— 
62-1 
59-9 
65-9 
34-2 
Tuesday  25 
N.W. 
62-6 
54-7 
70-2 
460 
— 
62-0 
59-8 
66-1 
34-3 
Wed’sday  26 
N.  E* 
63-3 
65-4 
74-2 
47-6 
— 
62-2 
69-8 
56-2 
39*3 
Thursday  27 
E.S.E. 
62-2 
56-9 
72-0 
61-3 
— 
64 '2 
60-3 
66-4 
39-8 
Friday  ..  28 
E.S.E. 
65*1 
58’5 
73-3 
64-2 
— 
64-6 
60-6 
66-5 
45-3 
Saturday  29 
E.S.  E. 
70-0 
58-8 
74-0 
57-9 
0.21 
64-8 
61*1 
56-7 
62'1 
Means  .. 
63 ’6 
56 ’3 
71-4 
51-5 
Total 
0-21 
|  63-4 
60-2 
56-2 
430 
A  week  of  fine  bright  weather,  with  drying  wind,  and  a  nioe  rain  on 
the  29th. 
