April  20,  1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
317 
Kecent  Weather  ix  Londox.— Though  we  have  had  some  bright 
Aveather  of  late  the  nights  have  proved  very  cold,  either  from  winds 
•or  frosts.  On  Sunday  evening  rain  fell  rather  heavily  for  some  time, 
tout  Monday  and  Tuesday  it  was  dry,  though  the  latter  day  was  very 
dull  at  intervals.  On  Wednesday  it  was  fine,  with  a  pleasant  breeze. 
-  Weather  ix  the  North. — For  the  fortnight  ending  the 
17thinst.,  the  weather  has  been  highly  unfavourable  to  vegetation.  Piercing 
northerly  winds  have  been  continuous,  and  sharp  frosts  of  from  4°  to  6’ 
■have  occurred  almost  nightl}'.  From  some  northern  counties  pretty 
heavy  snowfalls  are  reported,  and  12°  frost  from  a  county  well  to  the 
^outh.  The  night  of  Sunday  was  keen,  6°  frost  were  recorded,  and  all 
the  north  hills  are  for  some  time  white  near  to  their  bases. — B.  I)., 
Perthshire. 
-  Royal  Gardkxers’  Orphan  Fund. — We  have  much  pleasure 
■in  announcing  that  Sir  Reginald  Hanson,  Bart.,  M.P.,  has  kindly  consented 
to  preside  at  the  annual  dinner  of  this  Charity,  which  will  take  place  at 
the  Hotel  M^tropole,  on  Tuesday,  July  18th. 
• 
-  Sowing  Parsnips  and  Other  Roots. — There  is  no  account¬ 
ing  for  the  action  of  many  growers  who  sow  their  root  crops,  especially 
Parsnips,  weeks  before  there  is  any  need.  The  ground  may  bo  in  the 
worst  of  order,  and  the  weather  quite  unfit,  yet  they  think  something 
very  untoward  has  happened  unless  the  Parsnip  seeds  are  in  with  the 
early  Broad  Beans.  Beet,  again,  is  often  sown  far  too  early,  the  con¬ 
sequence  being  that  the  roots  grow  very  large,  and  are  wanting  both  in 
(Colour  and  flavour.  By  all  means  sow  a  drill  or  two  of  either  for  an 
early  crop,  but  as  soon  as  the  main  crop  comes  in,  the  remainder,  if  any, 
of  the  early  ones  may  as  well  be  thrown  away,  for  there  is  no  question 
about  the  difference  in  quality  of  the  late  sown  roots.  From  seeds 
sown  in  April  Parsnips  jirove  a  most  useful  vegetable,  as  does  Beet  when 
sown  in  May. —  C.  H. 
-  Societe  Franqaisb  d’Horticulture  de  Londres. — The 
■bulletin  of  this  estimable  Society  has  just  reached  us,  and  we  find  its 
gross  of  pages  full  of  matter  that  is  always  interesting,  and,  in  many 
eases,  instructive.  Details  are  given  of  the  several  meetings  that  were 
held  in  the  past  year,  with  a  special  report  of  the  annual  dinner  which 
took  place  in  .January  under  the  presidency  of  Mr.  K.  Drost.  This 
function  seems  to  have  been  one  of  the  most  successful  within  the  exist¬ 
ence  of  the  Association,  duo  not  alone  to  Mr.  Drost,  but  also  to  Mr.  Geo. 
tichneider  and  his  energetic  co-workers.  From  a  practical  point  of  view 
the  value  of  the  publication  lies  mainly  in  the  several  articles  on  various 
plants  and  flowers.  Young  Frenchmen  resident  in  Flngland  who  are  not 
in  communication  with  the  Society  should  write  to  the  Secretary,  Mons. 
Roger  Br^autd,  20,  Bedford  Street,  Strand,  London. 
-  Royal  Botanic  Society.  —  The  following  medals  and 
■certificates  were  awarded  for  miscellaneous  exhibits  and  meritorious 
■plants  at  the  exhibition  of  this  Society,  that  was  held  on  Wednesday,  the 
12th  inst.  Large  bronze  medal  to  Messrs.  A.  W.  Young  &  Co., 
Stevenage,  for  Olivias  and  Pelargoniums  ;  large  silver  medal  to  Messrs. 
J.  fusing  &  Sons,  Forest  Hill,  for  flowering  and  foliage  plants  ;  large 
silver  medal  to  Messrs.  B.  S.  Williams  k  Son,  Upper  Holloway,  for 
■Orchids  and  foliage  plants  :  large  silver  medal  to  Messrs.  Hill  k  Sons, 
Edmonton,  for  Ferns  ;  large  silver  medal  to  Messrs.  J.  Carter  k  Co., 
High  Holborn,  for  Cinerarias  ;  large  silver  medal  to  Messrs.  W.  Paul 
and  Son,  Waltham  Cross,  for  Tulips  and  flowering  plants  ;  silver  medal 
to  the  St.  George’s  Nursery  Co,  Hanwell,  for  Cyclamens;  small  si  ver 
raedal  to  Messrs.  Barr  k  Sons,  Covent  Garden,  for  Narcissi  ;  silver  medal 
to  Mr.  W.  Rumscy  for  Roses ;  silver  medal  to  Messrs.  Hogg  and 
Robertson,  Dublin,  for  Narcissi  and  Tulips  ;  large  bronze  medal  to 
T.  S.  AVare,  Ltd.,  Tottenham,  for  Narcissi  and  flowering  bulbs  ;  bronze 
medal  to  Messrs.  Morle  k  Co.,  Finchley  Road,  for  Mignonette  and 
Acers  ;  and  large  bronze  medals  to  Mrs.  Vince,  J.,eighton  ;  Mr.  Prewett, 
Rayleigh,  for  table  decorations.  Floral  certificates  were  accorded  io 
Messrs.  W.  Paul  k  Son  for  Camellia  Dr.  Balthazar  de  Mello  and  single 
Tulip  Queen  of  the  Netherlands  ;  and  to  Messrs.  Barr  k  Son  for 
Narcissus  Duke  of  Bedford.  A  botanical  certificate  was  granted  to 
Messrs.  B.  S.  Williams  k  Son  for  Cymbidium  Devonianum  and  Phaius 
NormanL 
-  Spring  Visitors. — Swallows  were  first  seen  here  on  Saturday 
the  15tb,  and  the  cuckoo  was  heard  on  the  16th.  Last  year  the  dates  of 
these  were  the  4th  and  17th  of  April  respectively.  The  nightingale, 
which  was  heard  on  the  14th  last  year,  has  not  up  till  this  date  yet  made 
its  appearance.  AVe  cut  our  first  100  Asparagus  out  of  doors  on  the  12th. 
Last  year  it  was  cut  on  the  lUh,  so  there  is  not  much  difference  in  the 
season.— C.  Orchard,  Bem'iikhjc,  l.W. 
-  Bruxfelsia  eximia.— Grown  as  a  pot  plant,  this  usually' 
presents  a  more  or  less  stunted  appearance,  due  to  its  habit  of  producing  a 
large  quantity  of  flowers  at  the  expense  of  growth.  AVhen  planted  out, 
however,  more  growth  is  made  with  better  foliage,  and  the  flowers  are 
borne  quite  as  abundantly  as  in  the  former  case.  The  flowers  are 
produced  from  the  tips  of  the  shoots  during  spring  and  early  summer. 
They  are  rather  more  than  1:|  inch  across,  deep  purple  when  they  first 
open,  becoming  paler  as  they  age,  and  sweetly  scented.  For  planting  out 
in  an  intermediate  house  it  is  excellent,  flowering  very  freely, 
and  being  showy.  A  mixture  of  peat  and  loam,  with  plenty  of  sand 
added,  and  a  well  drained  border,  is  all  that  is  necessary  to  insure  success. 
It  is  a  native  of  Brazil,  and  a  figure  of  it  may  be  seen  in  the  “Botanical 
Magazine”  (t.  4790). — D.  K.  ' 
-  Torquay  Gardeners’  A.ssociation. —  Though  only  seven 
years  old  this  Society  is  a  very  flourishing  one,  and  has  done  mueh^ 
useful  work  in  disseminating  horticultural  knowledge  in  tke  district. 
The  essays  that  are  read  at  the  meetings  are  invariably  of  a  useful 
character,  as  readers  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  will  be  aware,  as  w’e 
have  from  time  to  time  published  more  or  less  lengthy  extracts  from 
them.  At  the  recent  annual  meeting  when  the  Committee’s  report  was 
presented  the  stability  of  the  Association  was  commented  upon,  and  from 
the  balance-sheet  we  are  pleased  to  see  that  the  amount  in  hand  is 
greater  than  it  was  last  year.  The  Hon.  Secretary',  Mr.  F.  C.  Srnale, 
Isaline,  Avenue  Road,  Torquay,  is  indefatigable  in  his  endeavours  to 
maintain  the  status  of  the  Society. 
-  “Familiar  AA^ild  Flowers.” — Many  readers  of  the /owrnnJ  o/ 
Horticulture  will  have  taken  this  work  in  its  earlier  editions.  There  will, 
however,  be  numbers  of  young  gardeners  to  whom  it  is  unknown,  and 
now  that  Messrs.  Cassell  &  Co.  are  republishing  it  the  opportunity  should 
bo  grasped  of  adding  it  to  the  library'.  It  will  be  completed  in  twenty- 
five  parts,  for  each  of  which  the  price  will  be  sixpence,  and  of  these 
three,  containing  thirty  coloured  plates,  arc  now  before  us.  The  author, 
Mr.  F.  E.  Hulme,  F.L.S.,  F.S.A.,  has  dealt  with  his  subjects  concisely, 
yet  withal  instructively,  and  the  work  cannot  fail  to  he  of  value  to  the 
diligent  reader.  The  sections  ready  c-’ntain  admirable  representations  of 
the  Field  Convolvulus,  Field  Rose,  Meadow  Cranesbill,  Silverweed,  Apple, 
Borage,  scarlet  Fopi)y',  Arum  or  Cuckoo  Fint,  Sweet  A'^iolct,  Primrose, 
Hyacinth,  Dandelion,  Bulbous  Crowfoot,  common  Orchis  and  Broad¬ 
leaved  Garlic,  yellow  Iris,  red  and  white  Dead  Nettle,  Goldilocks  and 
AVater  Ranunculus,  Periwinkle,  Lesser  Celandine,  Harebell,  Bush  Vetch 
and  Sweet-scented  Vernal  Grass,  Storksbill,  Bramble,  Honeysuckle, 
Valerian,  Small  Knrpweed,  Cowslip,  Toadflax,  pink  Persicaria,  Tormentil 
and  Ciiiqu<*foil.  “Familiar  AVild  Flowers”  may  be  obtained  through  any 
newsagent  or  bookseller. 
-  Pinching  Fruit  Trees— A  Question  to  Answer. — The 
question  ia  this.  Can  any  practical  readers  of  the  Journal  of  HorttcuHura 
prove  that  the  pinching  or  stopping  of  the  shoots  of  fruit  trees  will 
produce  large  healthy  fruit  buds  on  trees  so  pinched  earlier  than  trees 
that  are  not  pinched  .'  I  have  been  a  grower  of  hardy  fruits  for  more 
than  twenty-two  years.  I  have  done  the  pruning  myself,  and  taken  deep 
interest  in  the  growth  of  the  trees,  but  I  have  never  been  able  to  prove 
that  pinching  produced  fruit  buds  on  the  current  year’s  growth  capable 
of  producing  large  healthy  flowers.  The  best  test  would  be  to  plant 
one  dozen  Apple  or  Pear  trees,  in  six  varieties,  all  worked  on  the  same 
kind  of  stock,  all  the  trees  to  bo  carefully  planted  with  their  roots  near 
the  surface  on  a  plot  of  well-prepared  ground.  After  the  trees  have 
become  established  and  growing  freely,  let  one  of  each  variety  be  pinched 
in  the  orthodox  way,  to  form  fruit  buds,  allowing  the  other  six  to  gro'w 
unpinched,  but  removing  useless  crowded  growths,  to  enable  the  foliage 
to  obtain  abundance  of  sun  and  air  for  the  maturation  of  the  leaves  i  nd 
wood  ;  also  taking  out  the  points  of  the  very  strong  shoots  that  are 
robbing  the  weaker.  Pinch  away  at  the  first  six  trees  as  much  as  you 
like.  My  opinion  is  that  the  six  trees  merely  pinched  for  training  will 
produce  more  and  better  fruit  in  six  years  after  planting  than  the  six 
trees  will  that  have  been  systematically  pinched  for  manufacturing  fruit 
buds.  Many  varieties  will  produce  fruit  buds  on  the  current  year’s 
growth  of  both  Pears  and  Apples  when  their  roots  are  in  a  proper  medium 
without  pinching  or  stopping  in  any  way.— Geo.  Picker. 
