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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
October  31,  1901. 
The  Irish  Gardeners’  Association. 
The  annual  winter  session  of  this  useful  society  is  announced 
to  open  on  Tuesday  next.  The  programme  for  the  session  is  a 
series  of  lectures,  aided  by  limelight  views  by  prominent 
lecturers,  who  have  kindly  volunteered  their  services;  the  chair 
will  likewise  be  taken  by  prominent  citizens.  The  inaugural  lec¬ 
ture  will  be  delivered  by  Mr.  F.  W.  Burbidge,  M.A.,  F.L.S., 
Curator  of  the  Trinity  College  Botanic  Gardens,  on  “  The  Pro¬ 
gress  of  Garden  Craft.”  Upwards  of  sixty  slides  will  be  displayed, 
and  the  chair  will  be  occupied  by  Mr.  Greenwood  Pirn,  M.A. 
Bristol  and  District  Gardeners’. 
This  society  held  its  usual  fortnightly  meeting  at  St.  John’s 
Parish  Rooms  on  Thursday,  October  24,  Mr.  Binfield  occupying 
the  chair.  A  most  interesting  paper  was  read  by  Mr.  F.  G. 
Treseder  on  “  The  Dahlia.”  Mr.  Treseder  being  a  specialist  on  this 
flower,  a  good  number  of  the  society’s  members  availed  them¬ 
selves  of  the  opportunity  of  getting  some  excellent  information 
concerning  this  now  very  popular  flower,  and  they  were  not  dis¬ 
appointed,  the  lecturer,  tracing  its  history  from  its  first  appear¬ 
ance  into  this  country  in  1787  up  to  the  present  day,  during  which 
time  it  has  come  to  the  front  by  leaps  and  bounds.  It  was  first 
introduced  into  England  by  Lady  Bute,  since  which  time  it  has 
undergone  numerous  improvements,  thanks  to  such  men  as 
Messrs.  Treseder,  Canned,  Keynes,  and  others.  Mr.  Treseder  laid 
stress  on  giving  the  Dahlia  plenty  of  room  and  air.  The  Cactus 
varieties  were  recommended  as  being  the  most  useful  for  cutting, 
and  would  last  a  long  time  in  water  if  cut  twenty-four  hours 
before  using  and  placed  in  water  so  as  to  stiffen  their  stems. 
The  best  time  to  cut  is  in  the  evening  or  early  morning.  Cuttings 
are  the  most  general  means  of  propagation.  To  obtain  large 
blooms,  cutting  away  the  slender  growths  was  recommended, 
leaving  six  or  eight  shoots  only  per  plant.  A  feature  of  the 
evening  was  the  excellent  collection  of  cut  blooms  of  over  fifty 
varieties  of  this  favourite  flower,  and  for  which  Mr.  Tresedef  was 
unanimously  awarded  the  society’s  special  certificate  of  merit. 
His  lecture  was  much  appreciated,  and  he  was  accorded  the 
hearty  thanks  of  the  association.  Prizes  for  six  blooms  of  Cactus 
Dahlias  were  awarded  as  follows  : — 1st,  Mr.  F.  Taggart  (gardener, 
Mr.  Binfield);  2nd,  Mr.  A.  Baker  (gardener,  Mr.  Orchard);  3rd, 
Mr.  Maidment.  Certificates  of  merit  went  to  Mr.  Howell  Davis, 
J.P.  (gardener,  Mr.  Curtis),  for  two  plants  of  Acalyplia  hispida; 
Mr.  C.  Bruce  Coles  (gardener,  Mr.  Lee),  for  Cattleya  labiata ; 
Mr.  J.  Harris,  for  collection  of  Dahlias ;  and  to  Mr.  Skinner  for  a 
dish  of  Pears.  The  management  of  lawns  and  pleasure  grounds 
will  be  the  subject  for  the  next  fortnightly  meeting,  being  the 
first  prize  essay  won  by  Mr.  Gardner,  of  Redland. 
Birmingham  Gardeners’  Association. 
At  a  recent  meeting  of  this  society  (Mr.  W.  B.  Latham  in  the 
chair),  Mr.  C.  H.  Herbert,  manager  of  Messrs.  Thomson  and  Co.’s 
Nursery,  Sparkhill,  read  a  very  instructive  and  comprehensive 
paper  “  On  the  Propagation  of  Plants,”  giving  concise  instruc¬ 
tions  regarding  the  propagation  and  cultivation  of  a  multitude  of 
tender  and  hardy  plants.  Practical  illustrations  were  also 
afforded  in  the  way  of  grafting  and  budding.  Speaking  of  the 
propagation  of  the  Fig  tree,  he  remarked  that  when  employed  in 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens  at  Chiswick  some  years 
ago,  he  conceived  the  idea  of  “  striking  ”  the  succulent  young 
growths,  but  the  suggestion  was  derided  by  the  foreman  as  im¬ 
practicable  until  it  proved  successful. 
Among  several  old  cultivated  plants,  and  which  nowadays  are 
but  seldom  seen,  such  as  the  beautiful  and  deliciously  fragrant 
winter  flowering  plant,  Luculia  gratissima,  came  in  for  special 
notice. 
Mr.  W.  Gardiner,  in  submitting  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  to 
Mr.  Herbert  for  his  able  disquisition,  took  occasion  to  animadvert 
upon  the  comparative  lack  of  interest  too  many  young 
gardeners  took  in  availing  themselves  of  the  advantages  afforded 
by  mutual  improvement  associations,  and  especially  when  com¬ 
bined  with  a  library  of  books  so  invaluable  as  that  of  the 
Birmingham  Association,  with  also  the  professional  knowledge  of 
Professor  Hillhouse.  of  the  Birmingham  University,  as  president, 
and  Mr.  W.  B.  Latham,  curator  of  the  Botanical  Gardens, 
Edgbaston,  as  chairman.  These,  he  said,  were  advantages  and 
benefits  not  readily  available  to  gardeners  situated  at  long  and 
inconvenient  distances  from  such  a  centre,  and  also  half  a  century 
ago,  or  less,  such  acquisitions  were  hardly  known  in  names. 
It  was,  however,  gratifying  to  observe  that  there  still  existed 
a  gradual  accession  of  the  fraternity  to  the  association  to  which 
he  had  the  honour  of  being  a  member,  and  the  great  pleasure  it 
afforded  him  in  having  been  almost  from  its  initiation  a  constant 
attendant  at  the  fortnightly  and  the  annual  “  outings  ”  and  con¬ 
vivial  entertainments. 
Mr.  J.  Wheeler,  gardener  to  Mrs.  H.  Heaton,  Harborne,  ex¬ 
hibited,  considering  the  situation,  a  small  collection  of  very  good 
Pears;  and  Mr.  Faudery,  gardener  to  T.  W.  Webley,  Esq.,  The 
Uplands,  Sollyhill,  fine  specimens  of  Withington  Seedling  Apple. 
It  is  a  very  large,  richly  coloured,  and  prominently  ribbed,  codlin 
shaped  fruit,  with  a  somewhat  deep  eye.  At  the  close  of  the 
meeting  two  or  three  young  gardeners  were  elected  as  members. 
Sheffield.  Chrysanthemum. 
The  members  of  the  Sheffield  Chrysanthemum  Society  had  a 
most  enjoyable  treat  on  Saturday,  having  been  invited'  by  the 
Rev.  Freeman,  vicar  of  Wickersley,  near  Rotherham,  to  view  his 
collection  of  early  flowering  varieties  of  Mums.  The  grounds  are 
most  tastefully  laid  out,  the  most  striking  feature  being  the 
blending  of  colours.  One  of  the  most  pleasant  sights  was  a  fine 
Aster  Novi-Angli.e  pulchelltjs  (improved  var.). 
bed  of  Percy’s  Seedling  running  the  whole  width  of  the  spacious 
lawn,  the  blooms  being  most  uniform.  Louis  Lyonette  was  grown 
in  great  perfection,  whilst  Matchet  White  and  Market  White 
were  most  prolific,  and  grown  in  great  profusion.  Fine  specimens 
of  Bronze  Dwarf  ,  Queen  of  the  Early,  and  Madam  M.  Massey  were 
also  observed.  A  fine  lot  of  Bronze  Prince,  a  dwarf  variety,  were 
also  much  in  evidence.  Mrs.  Squire,  Crimson  Pride  and  Harvest 
Home,  Old  Gold,  E.  Grunnewald,  white  and  red  Queen  of  the 
Earlies,  Lady  Fitzwygram,  E.  Wright,  Orange  Child,  and  Lemon 
Queen  were  abundantly  evident.  Four  large  greenhouses  were 
also  full  of  plants  in  different  stages  of  growth  and  bloom,  and 
would  on  a  later  date  show,  no  doubt,  excellent  results.  The 
rev.  gentleman  not  only  grows  nearly  1,000  plants  of  Mums,  but 
also  had  a  very  fine  collection  of  Tea  Roses,  whilst  a  good  collec¬ 
tion  of  Cactus  Dahlias,  including  Uncle  Tom,  J.  J.  Crow,  Mayor 
Tuppeny,  and  others,  were  also  well  grown,  and  altogether  the 
members  have  to  thank  the  vicar  for  a  most  enjoyable  and  in¬ 
structive  afternoon. — W.  H. 
