April  6,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
275 
-  Florilegium  Harlemense.— From  Mr.  de  Erven  Loosjes, 
Haarlem,  we  have  just  received  the  ninth  issue  of  this  splendid  work,  of 
which  the  excellence  of  production  continues  to  be  worthy  of  all  praise. 
The  present  number  comprises  Hyacinth  Charles  Dickens  ;  Double  Tulips 
Hex  Rubrorum  and  La  Candeur  ;  and  a  superb  plate  of  Narcissi 
Emperor,  Empress  and  Sir  Watkin.  When  the  series  is  complete  it  will 
form  a  most  valuable  gallery  of  bulbous  and  tuberous  rooted  plants. 
-  American  Fruit  in  Germany. — The  officials  of  the 
German  Foreign  Office  have  notified  the  United  States  Embassy^  that 
the  Government  will  henceforth  admit  American  Oranges,  Lemons,  and 
Raisins  without  examination,  and  also  that  all  American  fresh  and 
dried  fruit  will  be  allowed  to  pass  in  bond  through  Germany  without 
being  examined.  The  decisions  are  based  on  the  favourable  reports  of 
the  German  experts  sent  to  America.  The  question  whether  dried 
fruit  sent  abroad  is  harmless,  especially  for  the  transmission  of  the  San 
Jose  and  other  insects,  and  whether  the  fruit  may  be  imported  without 
previous  examination,  has  not  yet  been  decided.  The  probability  is» 
says  an  American  contemporary,  that  the  decision  will  be  favourable  to 
American  interests. 
-  Nelson  Recreation  Ground,  Bermondsey.  —  Nelson 
Recreation  Ground,  which  has  been  formed  in  Kipling  Street  (late 
Nelson  Sts’eet),  Bermondsey,  was  opened  on  Thursday  forenoon.  The 
open  space,  which  was  formerly  a  burial  ground  attached  to  Guy’s 
Hospital,  has  an  area  of  a  little  over  three-quarters  of  an  acre,  and  is 
surrounded  on  all  sides  by  warehouses  and  other  large  buildings.  It  is 
f  he  only  ground  in  the  immediate  district  now  available  for  public  recrea¬ 
tion.  Half  of  the  purchase  money — £4000 — was  paid  by  the  County 
Council,  and  the  other  half  by  other  bodies.  We  learn  that  the  Metro¬ 
politan  Public  Gardens  Association,  in  addition  to  their  contribution 
towards  the  purchase  money,  spent  £o00 — a  donation  from  the  Trustees 
of  the  London  Parochial  Charities— in  laying  out  the  ground. 
-  Devon  AND  Exeter  Gardeners’ Association. — At  the  meet¬ 
ing  of  the  Devon  and  Exeter  Gardeners’  Association  at  the  Guildhall  on 
March  29th,  Mr.  G.  C.  Crabbe,  of  Prospect  Park,  Exeter,  read  a  paper  on 
■“Pelargoniums:  Their  Treatment  from  an  Amateur’s  Standpoint.”  Pelar¬ 
goniums,  miscalled  Geraniums,  were  a  very  large  family,  but  all  loved  a 
similar  soil  and  treatment.  With  regard  to  the  soil,  rubbish  dug  up  from 
the  garden  or  knocked  out  of  pots  was  of  no  use.  A  good  all-round 
soil  could  be  made  with  three  parts  of  loam,  one  of  leaf  mould,  and  one 
part  of  coarse  sand  well  mixed.  This  soil  would  do  either  for  rooting 
cuttings  or  growing  plants.  Insert  cuttings  round  the  edge  of  a  pot, 
water  and  place  in  a  shady  and  airy  spot,  and  in  six  weeks’  time  they 
would  become  rooted  plants.  The  cuttings  should  be  firmly  inserted  and 
kept  fairly  dry.  The  young  plants  should  bo  put  in  T^-inch  pots.  The 
new  plant  must  not  be  allowed  to  run  away  as  it  liked.  When  8  inches 
■high  cut  out  the  growing  point,  as  that  compelled  the  plant  to  break  out  at 
the  sides,  and  allow  only  those  shoots  to  develop  that  were  seen  to  be 
necessar}'.  The  plants  would  grow  well  for  the  whole  season  in  these 
pots.  ’’The  latter  part  of  the  paper  dealt  with  different  varieties  of  the 
Pelargonium.  Mr.  J.  Abrams,  Peamore,  occupied  the  chair. 
-  Farmers  and  Fruit  Culture.  —  Your  correspondent 
‘  A.  D.”  (page  245)  is  right,  there  is  room  for  improvement  in  our  fruit 
growing,  but  surely  we  are  improving,  if  slowly.  Some  of  our  sons  are 
being  taught  the  various  details  connected  with  the  work,  as  we  know 
there  is  money  in  it.  But  “  A.  D.”  seems  to  think  they  waste  too  much 
valuable  time  in  “hunting  and  sporting.”  Do  they  not  need  relaxation  ? 
And  does  “  A.  D.”  think  their  time  is  always  wasted  while  hunting  ?  I 
think  he  will  find  they  often  go  hunting  from  a  business  point  of  view^ 
as  he  must  know  that  breeding  good  horses  pays,  and  how  can  they 
better  dispose  of  a  good  horse  at  a  good  price  than  by  showing  him  off  to 
“  the  Squire”  or  the  “gentleman  from  town”  in  the  hunting  field,  making 
as  much,  perhaps,  from  the  sale  as  they  would  from  fruit-growing  in  a 
year.  Our  sons,  or  the  majority  of  them,  have  to  work  hard,  early  and 
late,  seven  days  a  week,  and  we  must  not  begrudge  them  an  occasional 
day’s  hunting,  and  if  they  care  to  enter  their  horses  for  a  “point  to 
point,”  or  the  cup  at  the  “Hunt”  steeplechase,  we  wish  them  luck,  as  we 
know  they  still  combine  business  with  pleasure.  But  peg  away  at  them, 
‘A.  D.,”  about  improving  their  orchards  and  then  we  shall  get  better 
cider.  But  now  I  remember  our  friend  does  not  like  cider,  as  he  says  it 
is  “  good  Apples  spoilt.”  There  I  beg  to  differ  from  him,  as  I  know 
w'hen  properly  made  and  kept  there  is  not  a  more  wholesome  beverage 
made.  I  think  if  “A.  D.”  were  horticultural  instructor  in  our  county 
it  would  not  add  to  his  popularity  among  the  farmers  to  condemn  their 
hunting  and  sporting,  and  say  their  sparkling  champagne  cider  was 
■“good  Apples  spoilt,” — Double  Gloucester. 
-  Flowering  Trees  and  Shrubs.  —  Quite  surprising  is  the 
recovery'  from  what  seemed  to  bo  grave  injury  from  cold  biting  winds 
and  frosts  of  the  Almond,  double-blossom  Peach,  Snowy  Mespilus,  ana 
other  early  flowering  trees  since  the  weather  became  soft  and  showery. 
Just  now  all  these  trees  are  in  glorious  bloom,  and  it  naturally  leads  to 
the  hope  that  if  no  appreciable  harm  has  been  done  to  the  flowers,  that 
very  little  harm  has  been  done  to  fruit  bloom.  Very  marked  also  has 
been  the  sudden  flower  development  seen  on  the  Forsythias,  as  well  as  on 
the  Daphnes.  The  Forsythias  arc  exceedingly  graceful,  and  rank  amongst 
our  brightest  of  early  blooming  shrubs.  We  seem  at  last  to  have 
made  a  fair  start  for  spring  bloom  and  weather  now. — Wanderer. 
-  At  it  Again. — Of  course  they  are,  and  ever  will  be  so  long  as 
the  brown  sparrew  clings  tenaciously  to  the  haunts  of  men.  I  thought 
how  pleasing  the  bright  coloured  Crocuses  looked  as  they  opened  oiit 
in  response  to  the  call  of  the  balmy  sunshine  ;  but  the  sparrows  see 
(hem  in  another  light,  and  rejoice  in  pecking  to  pieces  the  charming 
flowers.  Why  they  do  it  I  have  not  yet  learned,  except  it  be  that 
they'  are  imbued  with  an  uncontrollable  spirit  of  mischief  which  must 
have  vent  somewhere.  In  a  moment  of  aggravated  rage  I  drive  them 
from  the  Crocuses,  and  they  at  once  give  a  little  chirrup  and  settle  on 
the  Gooseberry  and  Currant  bushes  a  little  farther  on.  Every'one 
knows  what  that  means,  especially  when  the  ground  underneath  is 
strewn  with  the  remains  of  ruined  bads.  There  is  nothing  for  it  but 
to  follow  them  up  with  the  mixture  of  soot  and  lime  lor  dusting  over 
the  bushes,  and  w'hile  busy'  with  that  operation  they  are  hack  at  the 
Crocuses  again.  Oh !  those  sparrows !  Can  there  be  wonder  that 
gardeners  often  lose  their  tempers  ? — G. 
-  The  Hailstorm  Insurance  Corporation.— On  Monday, 
March  24th,  the  annual  report  and  financial  statement  were  presented 
at  Simpson’s  Hotel  of  the  Nurserymen,  Market  Gardeners’  and  General 
Hailstorm  Insurance  Corporation,  Ltd.  This  is  the  fourth  annual  report, 
and  it  is  matter  for  congratulation  to  all  concerned  to  see  how  eminently 
satisfactory  is  the  state  of  affairs.  The  directors  say  they  “  are  pleased 
to  be  able  to  draw  attention  to  the  gratifying  fact  that  not  only  has  the 
premium  income  been  increased  by'  over  27  per  cent,  and  the  income  from 
investments  largely  augmented  during  the  year,  but  that  the  ratio  of 
working  expenses  has  been  considerably  reduced  as  compared  with 
previous  years.”  They  continue,  “  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  hail¬ 
storms  occurred  in  so  many  different  parts  of  the  country,  fortunately  no 
damage  was  done  to  glass  insured  with  this  Corporation,  although  in 
several  instances  the  gardens  of  policy  holders  were  in  close  proximity  to 
the  storm  areas.”  Finances  are  equally  sound.  Full  particulars  of 
the  Corporation  can  be  obtained  from  the  Secretary,  Mr.  Alex.  J .  Monro 
1  and  2,  King  Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C. 
EOYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY, 
Scientific  Committee  — Present  :  Mr.  Veitch  (in  the  chair)  ; 
Jr.  Muller,  Rev.  W.  Wilks,  Rev.  G.  Henslo'w,  Hon.  Sec.  ;  visitor, 
dr.  Lees. 
Flow  of  sap  in  a  Sycamore  during  frost. — Mr.  T.  R,_  Bruce,  The  Old 
Jarrsop,  New  Galloway,  sent  the  following  communication  ; — “I  noticed 
eicles  hanging  on  a  newly  cut  branch  during  the  whole  of  last  week,  and 
leadily  inUeasing,  although  the  mean  temperature  of  the  week  v\as  only 
10°.  'The  mean  temperature  of  the  24th  of  March  was  only’  25'7°.  The 
!ut  branch  would  be  about  half  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  some  pounds 
veight  of  icicles,  or  pints  of  sap,  have  flowed  out  during  the  week,  and  it 
itill  continues  to  flow.  The  maximum  and  minimum  temperatures  were 
18  follows:  19th,  42-5°,  21°;  20th,  42-5°,  23°;  21st,  38-5°,  15°;  22nd, 
18°,  21-5°  ;  23rd,  37-5°,  21-5°  ;  24th,  40°,  11-5°;  25th,  43°,  23°.” 
Narcissus,  aberrant  forms, — Mrs.  F.  M,  Cooper  sent  some  flowers 
lartly  fasciated,  partly  double,  and  w’ith  coherent  ovaries,  &c,,  not 
inusual  sports  under  cultivation. 
Cai'iiations  and  Chrysanthemums  attacked  by  insects,  — Mr.  'Lees,  of 
Prent  Park,  New  Barnet,  exhibitid  specimens  of  Pinks  and  Chrysknthe- 
1  .  «  /•  J  _  J  AT-  HA ..  r  ..1^  1  ^  ATi/>hnol  fni* 
examination. 
Hybrid  Narcissi.— With  regard  to  the  spontaneous  hybrid  sent  to  the 
meeting  on  March  14th  by  Rev.  C.  Wolley-Dod,  Mr.  Henslow  stated  that 
the  pollen  was  quite  shrivelled  and  probably  useless,  as  IMr.  Wolley-Dod 
had  found  to  be  the  case  with  other  hybrid  Narcissi.  He  sent  also  a 
spontaneous  hybrid  between  N.  triandrus  and  the  Daffodil.  The  pollen 
of  this  also  proved  quite  effete.  He  also  sent  flowers  of  N.  Johnstom,  a 
supposed  species  intermediate  between  triandrus  and  the  Daffodil,  but  it 
resembled  the  latter  much  more  closely  than  the  one  mentioned  above, 
as  the  corona  was  almost  exactlv  that  of  the  Daffodil,  but  of  a  paler 
yellow.  The  pollen  proved  to  be  very  bad,  but  still  many  grains  weie 
apparently  quite  perfect.  Mr.  Wolley-Dod  says  that  “  it  is  found  m 
various  lorms,  having  established  an  independent  existence  over  large 
areas  of  Portugal  and  N.W.  Spain.”  He  adds  that  it  has  nev-er  been 
known  to  seed.  The  variety  sent  is  called  “  Queen  of  Spam,  and  is  the 
most  abundant. 
