IMart'h  <),  1899. 
jnui:yAL  of  horticulture  and  cottage  gardener. 
is:^ 
interest  and,  be  it  und.  rstuod,  for  instruction,  and  not  in  vain.  Their 
facile  pens  and  well  trained  minds  have  ever  been  at  the  service  of 
our  readers,  and  it  is  as  a  small  tribute  of  respect  that  their  portraits 
are  reproduced.  Several  of  them  will  be  personally  unknown  to  the 
majority  of  the  clientele  o(  “  our  Journal,”  and  this  mav  be  f^iven  as 
justihcation,  if  such  bo  needed,  for  the  introduction  of  “The  Veterans’ 
Portrait  (Tallery.” 
e  may  briefly  look  at  their  record  in  connection  with  the  Journal 
of  Horticulture.  Priority  must  be  accorded  to  Mr.  Robert  Fenn, 
whose  pseudonym  of  “  Upwards  and  Onwards  ”  was  sufficient  guarantee 
for  sound  common  sense.  Then  the  Rev.  11.  Honywood  D’Ombrain, 
as  “D.,  Dealf  has  been  known  for  forty  years  as  the  king  of  florists, 
and  his  articles  are  always  read  with  the  keenest  interest  by  everyone. 
From  the  remainder  included  within  this  academy  of  horticulturists,  it 
would  be  it)vidious  to  give  ore  precedence,  as  each  has  contributed  for 
periods  ranging  from  thirty  to  th'rty-five  years.  The  Rev.  C.  H. 
Buhner,  as  “  Herefordshire  Incumbent,”  has  done  yeoman’s  service  in 
the  Rose  world,  both  in  and  out  of  these  pages,  as  also  have  Mr.  Wni. 
Paul  and  the  Rev.  Alan  Cheales.  A«  a  writer  on  cultural  topics, 
eml:)racing  all  phases  of  gardening,  Mr.  Edward  Luckhurst  will  be  well 
known  I o  this  and  the  last  generation.  Than  Mr.  N.  11.  Pownall  none 
has  written  more  entertainingly  and  withal  instructively,  but  he  has 
largely  cloaked  his  personality  by  the  nom  de  plume  of  “An  Old 
Provincial.”  Of  insects  that  are  friendly  and  unfriendly  to  gardeners, 
“  Entom(  legist  ”  has  related  in  pleasant  style  ;  such  was  the  cognomen 
of  Mr.  J.  R,  S.  Clifford,  who  also  told  of  the  garden  hue  of  London 
and  its  environs  as  “  J.  R.  S,  (J.”  As  a  demonstrator  of  the  practical 
culiure  of  flowers,  fruits,  and  vegetables,  Mr.  Jas.  Douglas  has  made 
his  name  widely  known  and  universally  respected.  Is  it  necessary  trr 
refer  to  the  works  of  Mr.  George  Abbey  ?  Assuredly  not !  They  are 
Fig.  38. — Mr.  Thos.  Rivers. 
now  and  will  ever  lemain  tributes  to  the  man  whose  pride  lies  in  work 
well  done,  whether  he  were  treating  of  insect  pests,  fungoid  diseases, 
or  the  growth  of  plant  life. 
There  are  others  in  addition  to  those  named  who  have  laboured  in 
the  field  of  gardening  as  represented  by  the  Cottage  Gardener  and 
Journal  of  Horticulture,  but  facilities  do  not  enable  us  to  give  them 
deserved  publicity.  Younger  writers  have  done  their  duty,  aud  they, 
when  the  century  of  “  Our  Journal ’’  is  come,  will  occupy  no  less 
exalted  positions,  in  tlieir  respective  spheres,  gained  by  services  rendered 
“  For  Gardening  and  Gardeners.” 
Recent  Weather  in  London. — Wintry  conditions,  so  far  as  cold 
winds  and  sharp  night  frosts  are  concerned,  continue  to  prevail.  Each 
morning  brings  fog  and  frost,  followed  by  brilliant  sunshine  later  in  the 
day.  On  Saturday  there  was  a  slight  hailstorm,  with  a  cold  shower  later 
in  the  day.  At  the  time  of  going  to  press  on  Wednesday  it  was  bright 
and  warm. 
-  We.iTher  in  the  North. — February  closed  with  two  days  of 
moderate  frost  in  the  earlier  parts,  thaw  setting  in  later  on  the  28th  ult. 
March  has  so  far  been  marked  by  high  winds  from  the  west  and  north. 
On  Sunday  morning  2  inches  of  snow  covered  the  ground,  and  it  con¬ 
tinued  to  fall  heavily  till  midday,  when  rain  set  in.  By  Monday  morning 
the  snow  had  almost  disappeared  from  the  low  grounds,  that  day  being 
very  wet  in  the  former  part,  with  a  dry  and  cold  afternoon. — B.  D., 
S.  Ptrthshire. 
-  Royal  Horticultural  Society. — The  next  Fruit  and 
Floral  meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  will  be  held  on 
Tuesday,  March  14th,  in  the  Drill  Hall,  James  Street,  Westminster, 
1  to  4  P.M.  A  lecture  will  be  given  at  3  o’clock  on  “  The  Duke  of  Bedford’s- 
Experiments  at  Woburn  :  their  Object  and  Method,”  by  Mr.  Spencer 
Pickering. 
-  Royal  Meteorological  Society. — At  the  ordinary  meeting 
of  the  Society,  to  be  held  at  The  Institution  of  Civil  Engineers,  Great 
George  Street,  Westminstei,  on  Wednesday,  the  15th  inst.,  at  7.30  P.M., 
the  following  papers  will  be  read  : — “The  Prolonged  Deficiency  of  Rain 
in  1897  and  1898,”  by  F.  J.  Brodie,  F.R.Met.Soc.  ;  and  “The  Climate  of 
Jersey,”  by  the  Rev.  H.  W.  Yorke,  M.A, 
-  Seakale  Planting. — The  thong-like  roots  cut  away  from 
the  large  clumps  when  lifting  them  to  prepare  for  forcing  make  the 
best  material  to  increase  stock.  Cut  them  into  lengths  of  6  inches, 
the  upper  surface  of  roots  transversely  and  the  lower  end  slantingly. 
They  should  be  laid  in  sand  for  a  time,  when  it  will  be  found  that  a 
ring  of  growth  is  formed  from  which  the  future  shoots  originate.  These 
appear  so  thickly  that  it  is  necessary  to  reduce  them  in  number  when 
they  appear  above  the  soil.  Place  them  in  rows  2  feet  apart,  and  a  foot 
distance  in  the  rows. — E.  D.  S. 
-  Napoleon’s  Palm  Tree  at  St.  Helena.— The  St.  Helena 
Palm,  which  was  valued  so  highly  by  Napoleon  L,  has  been  dead  for  some 
time.  The  Emperor  often  sat  in  its  shade,  dreaming  of  his  glorious  past. 
It  was  Louis  Philippe’s  wish  to  have  this  historical  tree  transferred  to 
the  botanical  garden  at  Paris,  but  the  project  was  never  carried  out. 
Now  the  proud  Palm  is  sold  for  firewood.  With  it,  says  a  contemporary, 
disappears  from  St.  Helena  the  last  remembrance  of  the  Emperor.  The 
house  in  which  he  lived  is  fast  crumbling  away,  and  no  one  thinks  of 
repairing  it.  The  bedroom  is  used  for  a  pig  pen. 
-  National  Amateur  Gardeners’  Association  (Liverpoou 
Branch).  —  On  Thursday  a  successful  meeting  was  held,  the  new 
President  (Mr.  W.  Histed)  occupying  the  chair.  The  medals  and 
certificates  won  by  members  during  the  past  season  were  distributed. 
Afterwards  the  President  in  a  few  graceful  words  asked  Mr.  R.  Pinnington 
of  Roby  to  accept  of  a  solid  silver  cigarette  case  with  suitable  inscription, 
as  a  token  of  the  esteem  and  friendship  entertained  for  him  by  all  members 
of  the  branch,  Mr.  Pinnington  spoke  of  his  connection  with  the  branch, 
and  also  the  satisfaction  it  gave  him  to  help  them  in  any  way.  There 
were  some  charming  exhibits  from  Messrs.  IMcGregor,  Turner,  Drake 
and  Cangley. 
-  Isle  oe  Wight. — The  monthly  meeting  of  the  Isle  of  Wight 
Horticultural  Improvement  Association  was  held  at  Newport  on  Saturday 
Dr.  J.  Groves  presided  over  a  good  attendance  of  members  from  all  parts 
of  the  Island,  who  were  present  to  hear  a  paper  read  on  the  “Cultivation 
of  Peaches  and  Nectarines,”  by  Mr.  W.  Tribbick,  Brooke  House  Gardens, 
I.W.  The  exhibits  staged  were  of  first-class  quality,  and  consisted  of 
Cyclamens  from  Mr.  A.  J.  Cole,  Broadlands,  Sandown,  and  flowering  and 
foliage  plants  from  Mr.  A,  E.  Cave,  Newport.  The  Association  certificate 
for  cultural  merit  was  awarded  to  each  of  the  exhibits.  Sever  1  new 
members  were  elected.  The  exhibition  of  spring  flowers  will  take  place 
at  X’entnor  on  April  1st. — S.  H. 
