January  8,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  A\D  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
29 
The  Horticultural  Hall :  A  Good  Example. 
Tlie  Cornwall  Daffodil  and  Spring  Flower  Society  has  unani¬ 
mously  voted  a  .sum  of  £20  from  its  funds  towards  the  building 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  new  hall. 
Vegetable  Exhibition. 
It  has  been  arranged  by  the  Council  of  the  Royal  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society  to  hold  at  Chiswick,  during  the  coming  autumn, 
a  Vegetable  Exhibition  and  Conference. 
J.  C  Loudon. 
In  the  ciu’rent  issue  of  the  ‘‘  Canadian  Horticulturist  ”  (pub¬ 
lished  by  the  Ontario  Fruit  Growers’  Association,  Toronto, 
Ontario),  a  brief  biography  (with  portrait  from  the  Journal  of 
HorticuUurp)  of  this  noted  litterateur  and  gardener  appears. 
Death  of  Mr.  James  Ward. 
This  old  servant  of  the  Turner’s,  who  went  to  the  Royal  Nur- 
scrj^,  Slough,  in  1853,  when  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  remained 
there  all  his  life,  died  at  Slough  on  the  5tli  inst.  at  the  age  of 
sixty-three  years.  He  came  of  a  good  floricultural  stock,  for  his 
father,  who  died  last  year  at  the  great  age  of  eighty-seven,  was 
for  many  years  gardener  to  that  notable  Eastern  Counties  florist, 
the  Rev.  Charles  Fellowes,  Shottesham  Park,  Norwich.  James 
Ward  commenced  as  a  crock  boy  at  .Slough,  and  gradually  worked 
his  way  up  through  the  various  departments  until  he  became 
head  of  the  oflice,  a  position  he  filled  for  many  years.  He  was 
buried  at  Slough  on  the  7th  inst. 
The  New  Seed  Catalogues. 
During  the  past  two  weeks  the  seed  catalogues  have  been 
arriving  by  every  post,  and  we  turn  now  to  notice  a  feiv  of  them. 
Messrs.  Webb  and  Sons’  comes  in  dark  blue  covers  with  gilt 
lettering;  it  is  well  illustrated,  vegetables,  Glo'xinias,  Del¬ 
phiniums,  Sw’eet  Peas,  and  Stocks  receiving  .special  attention. 
Messrs.  Cannell'and  Sons  still  offer  “golden  seeds,”  and  we  note 
the  photographs  of  their  single  Cactus  Cineraria,  also  Kochia 
scoparia,  an  easily  grown  beautiful  annual,  and  their  unique 
collection  of  Gourds,  Pumpkins,  and  Squashes.  The  Messrs. 
Clibran,  of  Manchester,  make  a  feature  of  garden  tools  in  the 
back  page.s  of  their  catalogue,  and  for  this  alone  the  publication 
should  be  obtained.  Of  course,  flowers  and  vegetables  are  the 
chief  things,  and  ornamental  grasses  are  also  illu.stratecl.  Messrs. 
Win.  Paul  and  Son  furnish  a  good  general  seed  catalogue,  and 
Dobbie  and  Co.  have  an  elaborate  book  well  deserving  its  title  of 
“  Competitors’  Guide.”  Others  we  may  specially  mention  are 
tho.se  of  Daniel  Bros.,  Limited,  Norwich,  with  beautiful  covers 
and  intere.sting  pages;  Dicksons,  Chester;  Stuart  and  Mein, 
Kelso  ;  Toogood’s ;  and  Dickson  and  Robinson,  Manchester. 
The  Amateur  Gardeners’  Complaint. 
The  three-colour  process  is  evidently  destined  to  bestow  a 
new  artistic  credit  on  tradesmen’s  catalogues.  Several  of  those 
recently  sent  out  by  the  leading  firms  of  horticulturists  include 
some  mo.st  attractively  and  truthfully  coloured  pictures  of  the 
prodigious  vegetables  and  ravishing  flowers  which  the  amateur 
may  expect,  at  the  price  of  writing  a  cheque  for  so-and-so’s  seeds 
or  bulbs.  But  in  one  direction,  observes  the  “Yorkshire  Daily 
Observer,”  the  horticulturists  appear  to  have  determined  collec¬ 
tively  not  to  change;  they  will  not  make  up  small  packets  of 
their  seed  at  properly  retail  rates.  A  shilling  to  half  a  crown  per 
packet  may  seem  a  small  matter  to  merchant  princes  of  the  nur¬ 
sery  gardens  and  seed  fanns,  accustomed  to  do  business  with  head 
gardenei-s  of  dukes  and  county  councils.  But  the  amateur, 
whose  resources  are  not  measured  by  acres  and  five-pound  notes, 
would  like  to  try  the  vaunted  wares  in  a  judicious  collection  of 
threepennyworths  and  sixpennyworths.  As  things  are  he  has  to 
put  up  with  the  seeds  of  the  penny  packet  purveyors.  These  are 
well  enough  in  their  way,  but  a  considerable  percentage  of  them 
miss  fire,  and  those  that  spring  up  rarely  produce  the  gorgeous 
blooms  of  the  catalogue. 
Croydon  Horticultural  Mutual  Improvement  Society. 
The  third  annual  dinner  and  smoking  concert  of  the  society 
will  be  lield  on  Wednesday,  January  14,  1903,  at  the  Cafe  Royai, 
North  End,  Croydon. 
“  My  Garden  Diary  for  1903.’ 
Me.ssrs.  Sutton  and  Sons  of  Reading  have  published  an  annual 
diary,  containing  useful  practical  gardening  hints,  for  some  years, 
and  the  little  booklet  has  come  to  be  expected  about  thei  early 
days  of  each  January.  This  year’s  diary  follows  the  plan  of  its 
forerunners,  and  furnishes  a  neat  companion  and  memoranda  for 
the  gardener’s  desk. 
A  London  Winter  Thunderstorm. 
Sudden  thunder-storms  of  appreciable  inten.sity  so  rarely  break 
over  our  loved  London,  that  perforce  we  must  lift  our  pen  to 
note  that  the  elements  diversified  our  morning’s  business  on 
Saturday  last  ;  but  briskly  though  the  lightning  flashed,  and 
loudlj’  the  terrible  thunder  clashed  (that’s  poetry!) — with  hail, 
sleet,  and  rain  in  accoiupaniment,  the  storm  speedily  abated. 
Who’s  Who? 
What  more  useful  than  a  neat  and  nicely  bound  book  like 
this,  giving  in  the  least  space'  a  correct  report  of  the  chief  points 
in  the  lives  of  all  the  prominent  men  and  women  figuring  before 
the  British  public  to-day  ?  This  is  the  purpose  of  the  book 
entitled  “  Who’s  Who  ?  ”  published  bj'  Messrs.  Adam  and  Charles 
Black,  of  London,  at  5s.  net.  Our  notes  on  Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke  in 
last  week’s  Journal  were  gleaned  from  this  much  prized  office 
companion,  and  served  tO'  show  how’  much  of  individual  notice  is 
given.  The  knowledge  of  our  fellow  men  whets  our  synqjathies 
and  sharpens  the  interest  in  life  (pages  1.597). 
A  Message  of  Sympathy. 
I  read,  with  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  and  symiiathy,  the  lead¬ 
ing  article  by  our  friend,  “  D,”  in  last  week’s  Journal.  I  would 
like  you  to  convey  to  him  my  hearty  good  wishes,  and  hope  that 
a  life  so  valuable  may  be  prolonged  some  years  yet.  Gardeners 
do  occasionally  attain  a  great  age.  [Not  occa-sionally,  sir,  but 
very  generally,  as  the  ages  of  pensioners  of  the  Gardeners’  Royal 
Benevolent  Institution  testify.  Statistics  -show  that  the  classes 
having  the  expectation  of  long  life  are  arranged  in  the  order  of 
(1)  rural  episcopal  incumbents,  (2)  farmei's  and  gardeners,  and  (3) 
barristers. — En.]  You  would  not  see  any  notice  of  the  fact  in 
the  daily  press,  but  I  may  mention  to  you  that  recently  Air.  S. 
Smither,  a  printer  and  stationer,  died  in  this  town  (Gravesend), 
who  was  exceedingly  fond  of  flowers,  especially  our  native  species. 
He  left  orders  that  his  body  should  be  cremated  at  AYoking,  and 
the  ashes  sprinkled  amongst  the  wild  flowers. — C. 
Cassell’s  Dictionary  of  Gardening. 
During  the  progress  through  the  Press  of  each  of  the  twenty 
parts  composing  “  Cassell’s  Dictionary  of  Gardening,”  which  is 
finally  completed,  the  Jounial  has  briefly  noted  their  appearance, 
and  has  many  times  complimented  the  publishers  on  good  work 
done,  and  advised  the  purchase  of  the  parts  as  being  vei-y  good' 
at  so  small  a  cost.  Now  that  the  bound  volumes  are  before  us, 
one  can  judge  more  accurately  the  merits  of  the  work.  The 
matter  is  all  from  able  and  experienced  men,  and  presented 
very  concisely.  Looking  over  a  few  of  the  concluding  page.*,  we 
find  summarised  articles  on  watering  pots,  weeds,  weed  destroyers. 
Willow  sawflie-s,  window  boxes,  woodlice,  worms,  witch  knots 
and  witches’  brooms,  and  wood  ashes.  These  titles  are  noted 
just  as  we  meet  them  in  turning  the  pages.  Then,  of  course, 
the  vegetable  crops,  the  Feims,  the  flowers,  the  plants,  the  trees, 
.shrubs,  and  fruits  grown  in  gardens  are  all  here  considered, 
though  briefly  yet  reliably.  The  editor.  Air.  Walter  P.  Wright, 
has  bestowed  very  great  thought  on  the  general  plan  of  this 
work,  on  its  arrangement,  and  has  produced  the  parts  with 
masterly  care  in  the  editing.  The  glossary  at  the  end  of 
Volume  II.,  and  the  useful  tables  of  annuals  and  garden  friend*, 
also  training  of  fruit  trees,  will  be  of  much  service  to  many  users 
of  this  Dictionary.  The  la.st  part  is  i.ssued  at  8d.  net,  and  the 
handsome  cloth  cases  for  binding  this  work  are  published  at  4s. 
the  set  of  two.  In  its  bound  state,  “  Cassell’s  Dictionai-y’  of 
Gardening  ”  will  be  an  ornament  to  eveiy  library  that  it  enters, 
and  the  480  pages  are  bright  with  hosts  of  excellent  illustration* 
and  twenty  coloured  plates. 
