February  12,  1905.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
139 
as  smooth  as  ivory,  very  dwarf,  yet  strong  and  ,  sturdy,  it  is 
yellow,  grows  2ft,  and  is  ready  at  the  end  of  September.  This 
variety  is  sure  to  become  popular  for  house  decoration  (in  pots) 
in  September.  • 
Market  Pink  is  a  good  pink  companion  for  Godfrey’s  Pet, 
dwarf,  compact  habit,  good  for  house  decoration  in  pots.  Mitchet 
White,  a  pure  white  of  good  form,  but,  unfortunately,  a  bad 
doer.  Crimson  Pride,  reddish  carmine  crimson,  large  blooms, 
without  coarseness ;  habit  good ;  a  healthy  grower,  and  a.  very 
ea.sy  doer.  Jule.s  Mary,  a  distinct  October  crimson,  dwarf,  and 
fine.  The  Masse  family  and  other  types  of  early  dwarf  flowering 
Chrysanthemums  will  be  much  sought  after  for  house  decoration 
when  better  known.  In  pots  or  in  borders,  for  early  autumn 
flowering,  they  are  good,  their  dwarf,  sturdy  habit  of  growth 
requiring  no  stakes. 
The  early  autumn  and  midwinter  varieties,  on  the  approach 
of  frost,  should  be  lifted  and  housed.  They  should  be  sturdily 
gi'own  in  an  open  and  sunny  situation,  and,  to  begin  with,  the 
plants  mu.st  be  grown  from  a  clean,  healthy  stock,  in  cool  houses, 
with  only  just  enough  heat  to  keep  out  frost.  The  result  will 
be  that  the  plants,  at  planting  out  time,  are  in  vigorous  health 
and  absolutely  free  from  rust  and  mildew.  There  must  be  no 
crowding  or  coddling  of  the  plants.  Place  them  2ft  apart  every 
way.  Flower  salesmen  like  plenty  of  good  foliage,  which 
enhances  the  value  of  cut  flowers. — G.  R.  A. 
Cold  Storage  Experiment  Yiith  Peaches. 
Regarding  the  results  of  the  experiments  of  the  United 
States  Department  of  Agriculture  with  the  Peach  in  cold  storage 
the  following  brief  statement  is  submitted  in  advance  of  a 
detailed  report  that  will  shortly  be  issued  by  the  Department. 
The  Peach  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  fruits  to  hold  in  cold 
storage  on  account  of  its  deterioration  in  quality  and  the 
discolouration  of  the  flesh,  either  in  the  warehouse  or  soon  after 
the  fruit  is  removed.  It  is  not  generally  stored,  but  in  those 
hoases  that  receive  the  fruit  it  has  usually  been  held  at  a 
temperature  of  36deg  to  40deg,  and  removed  at  the  end  of,  or 
before,  ten  days.  There  is  a  general  impression  among  storage 
men  and  Peach  handlers  that  a,  temperature  lower  than  36deg 
is  more  injurious  to  the  quality  of  the  fruit,  that  it  deteriorates 
more  rapidly  when  removed,  and  is  more  subject  to  flesh  dis¬ 
colouration.  The  Department  has  endeavoured  to  secure  data 
upon  the  temperature  requirements,  and  stored  a  large  quantity 
of  Georgia  grown  Peaches  at  Philadelphia,  and  of  Connecticut 
Peaches  at  Hartford.  The  fruit  was  largely  of  the  Elberta 
variety,  and  was  grown  by  J.  H.  Hale. 
It  has  been  the  aim  of  the  investigation  to  determine  among 
other  things  the  influence  of  the  degree  of  ripeness  of  the  fruit 
on  its  keeping  quality,  of  delaying  its  storage  after  picking,  the 
effect  of  wrapping  the  fruit,  and  of  different  kinds  of  packages. 
The  practical  results  of  the  investigations  may  be  summed  up  in 
the  following  statement:  The  Elbertas  that  were  .stored  in  a 
highly  coloured,  firm  condition,  as  quickly  as  possible  after 
picking,  in  a  temperature  of  32deg,  were  firm,  juicy,  of  normal 
colour,  and  of  good  quality  for  three  or  four  week.s,  and  at  that 
time  remained  in  commercial  condition  two  or  three  days  after 
removal  from  the  storage  house.  If  left  longer  in  the  storage 
house  the  fruit  showed  considerable  shrivelling,  and  lost  quality, 
and  at  the  end  of  two  or  three  days  out  of  storage  the  fi'uit 
became  insipid  and  the  flesh  discoloured.  The  delay  in  the 
storage  after  picking  caused  the  fruit  to  ripen  and  reduced  its 
storage  durability.  Fruit  that  is  at  all  soft  when  taken  from 
the  storage  house  breaks  down  more  quickly,  while  that  which  is 
picked  before  it  is  coloured  shrivels. 
In  a  temperature  of  36deg  the  fruit  continues  to  ripen,  and 
reaches  its  commercial  limit  in  ten  days.  When  removed  at 
that  time  from  the  storage  house  it  was  inferior  in  {[uality,  and 
would  remain  in  commercial  condition  not  more  than  half  as 
long  as  the  fruit  from  a  temperature  of  32deg.  The  flesh  woulcl 
begin  te  discolour  in  a  day  after  removal.,  In  a  temperature 
of  40deg  the  commercial  limit  was  reached  in  about  one 
week. 
The  results  of  the  experiments  point  out  that  it  is  possible 
to  withhold  the  Peach  from  the  market  for  a  few  weeks  in  good 
commercial  condition,  provided  the  fruit  is  favourable  for  storage 
when  it  enters  the  stor^e  house.  The  temperature  should  be  as 
near  the  freezing  point  as  possible  to  arrest  the  ripening 
proc:ess,  or  the  fruit  continues  to  ripen,  and  soon  deteriorates 
on  removal.  The  mistake  is  generally  made  of  leaving  fruit 
in  storage  until  it  is  just  right  for  use,  and  in  that  condition 
it  breaks  down  quickly  when  taken  into  the  warm  air.  For  the 
best  results  it  must  enter  and -leave  the  .storage  house  in  a  firm 
condition.  -  .  .  _ 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  of  Southampton. 
The  annual  general  meeting  of  this  society  was  held  on 
Februarj'  6,  at  Southampton.  The  year’s  working  had  been 
satisfactory,  and  it  was  hoped  that  100  more  new  members  might 
join  during  the  coming  year.  The  society’s  officers  were  re¬ 
elected  (Mr.  C.  S.  Fuidge,  the  secretary,  for  the  forty-second  year 
in  succession),  and  some  new  officials  were  also  appointed.  The 
society’s  credit  balance  at  the  end  of  1902  was  over  £13. 
Cardiff  Gardeners’  Association. 
The  usual  fortnightly  meeting  took  place  at  the  Grand 
Hotel  on  Tuesday,  January  27,  Mr.  C.  E.  Collier  presiding. 
Mr.  J.  J.  Graham  delivered  a  lecture  entitled  “  Vegetable 
Culture.”  The  lecturer  strongly  advocated  deep  trenching,  and 
whilst  favouring  the  use  of  plenty  of  farmyard  manure,  he 
practically  condemned  the  use  of  artificials.  The  various  kinds 
of  vegetables  w-ere  dealt  with  in  detail  and  succession.  At  the' 
close  the  be.st  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  accorded  Mr.  Graham, 
for  his  lecture.  For  three  kinds  of  hardy  vegetables  Mr. 
Collier  was  awarded  first  prize.  Mr.  H.  Harris  was  awarded  a 
first-class  certificate  for  a  dish  of  Chinese  Artichokes  (Stachys 
tuberifera)  and  a  bundle  of  well  coloured  forced  Rhubarb. — 
J.  Julian. 
Liverpool  Horticultural:  Annual  Meeting. 
Mr.  T.  Fo.ster,  chairman  of  the  association,  presided  over  a. 
highly  successful  meeting  of  members  at  the  secretary’s 
rooms,  ,  Victoria  Street,  Liverpool,  recently.  The  balance- 
sheet  showed  a  loss  on  the  spring  .show  of  £120  Os.  Id.,  and  on, 
the  autumn  show  of  £104  16s.  4d.,  leaving  a  balance  in  the 
Bank  of  Liverpool,  Limited,  of  £253  4s.  2d.  The  subscriptions 
for  the  year  amounted  to  £331  11s.  6d.,  which  must  be  con¬ 
sidered  highly  satisfactory  in  the  face  of  so  many  demands 
made  upon  subscribers.  All  the  retiring  members  of  the  com¬ 
mittee  were  re-elected,  very  hearty  votes  of  thanks  being 
aaoorded  Messrs.  E.  Ellis  and  T.  Ranson  for  their  excellent 
w’ork  in  collecting  subscriptions  from  outlying  districts.  Other 
votes  were  to  the  donors  of  special  prizes  and  the  chairman 
for  his  able  work  during  the  year.  As  in  former  years,  the- 
committee  granted  three  guineas  to  the  Gardeners’  Royal  Bene¬ 
volent  Institution,  and  two  guineas  to  the  Royal  Gardeners’" 
Orphan  fund. — R.  P.  R. 
The  Horticultural  Club. 
This  club  held  its  annual  gathering  at  the  Hotel  Windsor  on  the 
10th  inst.,  under  the  presidency  of  Sir  J.  T.  D.  Llewelyn,  Bart. 
The  committee’s  report  for  the  past  year  showed  a  highly  .'■atis- 
factorj^  state  of  things,  the  membership  of  the  club  having 
increased  by  fifty-four.  Allusion  was  made  to  the  valuable 
papers  and  exhibits  read  and  given  by  Mr.  Arderne  respecting 
Cape  gardening,  and  Mr.  H.  Stevens  as  illustrating  high-class 
photography,  and  it  was  abundantly  demonstrated  that  the 
club’s  claims  to  recognition  as  the  social  centre  of  the  horticul¬ 
tural  interest,  and  an  active,  contributor  to  horticultural  pro¬ 
gress,  was  fully  substantiated.  The  financial  position  of  the 
club  was  well  maintained.  The  business  completed,  a  dinner 
followed,  at.  which  about  eighty  members  and  guests  (including 
ladies)  attended.  A  capital  programme  of  songs  and  recitations, 
arranged  by  Mr.  E.  T.  Cook,  the  hon.  secretary  of  the  club,  was 
interspersed  throughout  the  toast  list,  w’hich  embraced  the 
usual  loyal  and  appropriate  toasts.  Sir  Jno.  T.  D.  Llewelyn, 
Bart.,  who  also  presided  at  the  dinner,  decidedly  hit  the  mark 
by  pointing  out  that,  of  all  hobbies,  that  of  horticulture  wa.s  the 
best  adapted  as  a  recreation  of  the  business  man  Among  tlie 
visitors  was  Mr.  H.  E.  V.  Pickstone,  from  the  Cape,  where  ho 
until  recently  had  the  control  of  the  Cecil  Rhodes’  fruit  plan¬ 
tations.  He  has  consented  to  give  a  paper  on  “ 
Fruit  Growing  in  South  Africa”  at  the  March  meeting  of  the 
olub.  The  dub  is  doing  splendid  work  in  this  direction,  and  it 
is  devoutly  to  be  hoped,  and  certainly  to  be  expected,  that  its  . 
progress  during  the  past  year  will  be  continued  on  an  e\ei 
advancing  scale  in  the  future,  especially  as  its  all  but  nominal  , 
subscription  is  .so  amp’y  repaid  by  the  character  of  its  n.eetings. 
