3  52 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  15,  1901. 
Messrs,  Hogg  &.  Robertson,  seedsmen,  Dublin,  who  are  widely 
known  in  this  country  as  having  established  with  success  the  bulb 
growing  industry  at  Rush,  co.  Dublin,  and  whose  exhibits  of  Tulips, 
Daffodils,  and  other  bulbous  flowers  have  elioited  much  attention  and 
admiration  at  the  spring  flower  shows,  have  been  honoured  with  the 
royal  warrant  of  appointment  of  seedsmen  to  his  Majesty  the  King. 
French  Rose  Growers  have  a  characteristic  method  of  growing 
some  of  the  climbing  kinds.  The  plants  are  planted  in  the  beds  and  a 
framework  of  Bamboo  canes  set  behind  them,  so  that  the  shoots  are 
spread  outward,  almost  fan-shaped.  When  the  work  is  carefully  done 
very  little  of  the  frame  is  visible.  To  those  who  have  space,  this  system 
of  growing  some  of  the  lovely  climbing  kinds,  especially  the  yellow  and 
copper-coloured  sorts,  may  be  recommended. 
United  Horticultural  Benefit  and  Provident  Society. — The 
usual  monthly  meeting  of  this  society  was  held  at  the  Caledonian 
Hotel,  Adelphi  Terrace,  Strand,  on  Monday  evening  last,  Mr.  C.  H. 
Curtis  in  the  ohair.  Eight  new  members  were  elected,  and  one 
nominated.  The  amount  paid  to  sick  members  since  the  last  meeting 
was  £39  Is.  The  treasurer  reported  having  £499  9s.  4d.  in  hand, 
and  was  instructed  to  invest  £400  in  the  best  available  Corporation 
Stock.  The  secretary  was  asked  to  make  the  usual  preliminary 
arrangements  for  the  annual  dinner,  which  will  take  place  early  in 
October. 
The  Royal  Botanic  Gardens. — All  who  are  concerned  for  the 
preservation  in  its  unrivalled  beauty  of  one  of  the  prettiest  spots 
near  the  heart  of  London,  will  be  glad  to  learn  that  the  Royal  Botanio 
Society’s  garden  in  Regent’s  Park  has  been  secured  to  that  body  for  a 
further  term  of  thirty. one  years,  by  lease  granted  by  the  Department 
of  Woods  and  Forests.  The  announcement  was  made  by  the  oouncil  at 
the  annual  meeting,  over  which  Mr.  C.  B.  Marlay  presided,  and  it  was 
confidently  anticipated  that  with  the  building  of  the  new  club  rooms; 
the  extension  of  the  scientific  work,  and  the  formation  of  the  gardening 
school,  the  society  had  now  better  prospects  before  it  than  had  been 
the  case  for  many  years. 
Sudden  Showers. — A  cloudburst  is  one  of  those  meteorological 
disturbances  which  arise  under  the  same  general  conditions  as  wind 
squalls,  thunder  showers,  and  tornadoes.  They  come  at  a  season  when 
high  temperature  enables  the  atmosphere  to  oarry  in  suspension  a  muoh 
larger  quantity  of  water  vapour  than  at  other  times  ;  and  although  a 
large  and  widely  scattered  brood  of  local  storms  may  be  hatched  out 
simultaneously,  each  particular  member  of  the  family  is  small  and 
short  lived.  This  is  especially  true  of  the  cloudburst.  Another 
characteristic  of  the  latter  is  that  it  almost  invariably  ooours  in  a 
mountainous  district.  The  aooepted  explanation  of  the  phenomenon  is 
this  :  A  storm  cloud,  which  otherwise  might  give  rise  to  only  a  moderate 
shower,  is  forced  upward  by  striking  a  barrier,  and,  thus  being  chilled 
abnormally,  is  compelled  to'  surrender  an  exceptionally  large  share  of 
its  moisture. 
The  Properties  of  the  Sweet  Pea. — The  committee  of  the 
National  Sweet  Pea  Society  have  had  under  consideration  the  necessity 
for  drawing  up  some  regulations  in  regard  to  the  granting  by  the 
society  of  certificates  of  merit  to  any  new  varieties  which  may  be 
deemed  worthy  of  such  an  honour ;  and  they  have  adopted,  as  a  basis 
for  future  action,  a  schedule  of  properties  as  constituting  quality  in 
the  Sweet  Pea  as  under: — 1,  Form. — The  standard  must  be  erect, 
waved,  or  only  slightly  hooded ;  the  standard,  wings,  and  keel  to  be  in 
such  proportion  to  each  other  as  will  constitute  a  harmonious  and  well 
balanced  flower.  2,  Number  of  Blooms  on  a  Stem. — No  variety  shall  be 
recognised  that  has  not  at  least  three  bloomB  on  a  stem,  gracefully 
disposed.  3,  Colour. — Distinct  and  clear  self  colours  are  most  to  be 
desired,  and,  therefore,  striped,  watered,  and  edged  flowers  will  not  be 
awarded  certificates  of  merit  unless  they  present  quite  new  or 
remarkable  combinations.  4,  Exceptions. — Perfectly  distinct  new 
colours,  suoh  as  approaching  the  blue  of  Salvia  patens,  the  yellow  of 
Coreopsis  grandiflora,  or  the  soarlet  of  the  Zonal  Pelargonium,  shall 
be  recognised  even  if  the  variety  should  fall  short  of  the  foregoing 
properties. — R.  Dean,  Exhibition  Secretary . 
The  Rain  and  the  Crops. — T1  e  whole  country  has  now  had  its 
soaking,  but  the  result  to  the  farmer  is  not  wholly  satisfactory.  It  has 
come  a  little  too  late  for  the  main  cereal  crops,  which  had  beoome  fixed 
in  a  half-stunted  ripeness  by  the  drought.  Its  main  effect  in  the  Wheat 
fields  has  been  to  lay  the  corn  over  wide  areas,  and  to  make  reaping 
work  difficult  in  consequence.  But  for  the  later  root  crops  it  has  done 
nothing  but  good.  Another  week  or  two  of  drought  would  have  ruined 
the  root  fields.  The  later  autumn  fruit — Apples  and  Pears — which  were 
in  serious  danger,  have  also  been  largely  saved  by  the  downpour. 
Roof  Gardening  In  London. — The  offioe-keeper  at  Southwark 
Police  Court,  High  Street,  Borough,  has  established  a  flower  and 
vegetable  garden  on  the  roof  of  the  Court,  amidst  very  unpromising 
surroundings.  He  has  a  good  show  of  Lilies,  Geraniums,  Yerbenas, 
Asters,  Calceolarias,  and  other  blooms,  and  is  now  in  a  position  to 
supply  the  magistrate’s  luncheon  table  with  Vegetable  Marrows  and 
Scarlet  Runner  Beans  grown  on  the  premises.  Two  fine  Marrows 
were  cut  quite  recently  from  a  very  strong  plant,  which  has  been  trained 
against  a  chimney  to  a  height  of  6  feet  or  7  feet,  and  which  is  visible 
from  the  interior  of  the  Court  through  a  lantern  skylight.  The  growth 
and  fruition  of  the  plant  have  been  watohed  with  muoh  interest  from 
the  Bench. 
Jamaican  Bananas. — So  successful  has  the  new  mail  and  fruit 
service  proved  between  Bristol  and  Kingston,  Jamaica,  that  it  is  now 
stated  that  the  shipping  contractors,  Messrs.  Elder,  Dempster,  &  Co., 
are  willing  to  duplicate  the  service  by  making  it  a  weekly  instead  of  a 
fortnightly  service — for  a  consideration.  The  present  contract,  which 
was  arranged  by  the  Colonial  Offioe  without  reference  to  the  wishes  of 
the  people  of  Jamaica,  calls  for  a  subsidy  of  £40,000  a  year,  payable 
half  by  the  Imperial  Government  and  half  by  the  Colony.  It  is  stated 
that  for  a  weekly  service  Messrs.  Elder,  Dempster,  &  Co.  are  likely  to 
ask  another  £20,000,  payable  in  the  same  proportions.  Should  the 
duplication  of  the  Bristol  mail  service  be  carried  out  on  these  lines  by 
the  Crown  agents  for  the  Colonies,  it  is  likely  to  meet  with  the  most 
uncompromising  opposition  in  Jamaica. 
Oh,  Council,  Save  that  Tree  ! — Sir  Herbert  Maxwell  has  been 
writing  to  the  Chelsea  Borough  Council  to  enlist  their  sympathetic 
consideration  on  behalf  of  a  fine  Salisburia  tree  which  stands  in  that 
part  of  the  Chelsea  Physio  Garden  which  will  shortly  be  taken  over  by 
the  Council  in  connection  with  the  scheme  for  the  widening  of  the 
Embankment.  At  the  meeting  at  whioh  Sir  Herbert’s  letter  was  read, 
says  the  “  Argus,”  it  was  reported  by  the  surveyor  “  that  at  the  present 
time  the  tree  was  protected  from  the  north  wind,  and  got  the  sunshine. 
When  the  alterations  were  made  it  would  be  unprotected  from  the  north 
wind,  and  would  not  get  so  much  sun,  and  so  would  probably  die.  It 
would  not  bear  removal,  and  he  could  not  advise  that  the  Council  should 
adopt  Sir  Herbert  Maxwell’s  suggestion  that  part  of  the  old  wall  be 
retained.  He  could  only  suggest  that  the  tree  be  allowed  to  remain 
and  go  on  as  best  it  could  under  the  new  conditions.”  The  popular 
notion  that  this  Salisburia  was  the  only  specimen  in  this  country  was 
contradicted  by  Alderman  Meinertzhagen,  who  stated  that  he  had  two 
trees  of  the  kind  in  his  own  garden,  and  that  there  was  a  fine  specimen 
at  Kew.  Eventually  the  Council  decided  to  adopt  the  surveyor’s 
suggestion,  so  that  we  may  assume  there  will  be  one  Salisburia  the  less 
in  London  before  many  years  have  elapsed. 
Mighty  Marrows. — A  newspaper  named  “  The  Daily  Mail  ” 
furnishes  the  following  paragraph  in  its  issue  of  July  26th  (evidently 
to  relieve  someone  from  melancholia  !)  : — “  Just  now  competition  is  keen 
between  amateur  gardeners  as  to  who  will  oarry  off  most  prizes  at 
the  local  flower  shows.  A  medal  for  a  mighty  Marrow  is  eagerly  sought 
after,  and  a  promising  plant  is  tended  with  the  greatest  oare  and 
solicitude.  Some  time  ago  there  was  a  tremendous  sensation  in  a 
northern  village.  One  of  the  competitors  at  the  looal  show  continually 
carried  off  the  Marrow  medal  and  money,  until  his  disgusted  rivals 
began  to  find  it  monotonous.  His  exhibits  were  always  of  enormous 
size,  good  shape,  and  excellent  quality  when  out  by  the  judges.  One 
dark  night  they  scaled  his  garden  wall,  and  discovered  his  seoret. 
Eaoh  Marrow  had  been  pierced  at  the  stem  with  a  darning  needle 
threaded  with  twine  ;  the  twine  end  had  been  drawn  baok  to  the  centre 
of  the  Marrow  stem,  and  the  whole  connected  with  a  bottle  containing 
water  thickly  impregnated  with  sugar.  The  twine  aoted  in  a  similar 
manner  to  the  wiok  of  a  paraffin  lamp,  and  the  Marrow  greedily  drank 
up  the  sugary  and  fattening  nourishment.  Nourishing  Marrows  in  this 
way  is  now  a  fairly  common  expedient,  but  not  all  competitors  in  show 
competitions  know  about  it.  * 
