February  1?,  1903. 
167 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE 
National  Fruit  Growers’  Federation. 
The  fruit  growers  of  South  Haiit.s  have  combined,  and  become 
hllied  with  the  National  Fruit  Grower-s’  Federation.  They  have 
now  commenced  an  agitation  for  an  improved  train  service  in 
the  convej’ance  of  tlieir  goods  to  market.  A  meeting  was  held 
on  Monday  evening  in  the  schoolroom  on  Titchfield  Common, 
Portsmouth,  to  consider  the  grievances,  and  Major  A.  H.  Lees, 
M.P,,  attended  to  give  his  assistance.  There  wa-s  a  very  good 
attendance. 
Cardiff  Gardeners’  Association. 
,  'The  usual  fortnightly  meeting  took  place  at  the  Grand  Hotel 
on  Tuesday,  Febraary  10,  Mr.  ('.  K.  Collier  in  the  cliair.  Mr. 
F.  C\,  Parsons,  gardener  at  Strathearn,  Cardiff,  gave  a  most 
appreciative  lecture,  entitled  *■  Chrysanthemums,”  dealing  briefly 
with  history,  then  largely  with  cultivation  chiefly  for  exhibition. 
The  lecturer  advocated  the  groat  importance  of  timing  the  propa¬ 
gation  of  cuttings,  as  being  cjuite  as  e.ssential  as  the  timing  of  the 
buds.  Many  details  were  gone  into  and  valuable  hints  given,  as 
fdr  as  time  would  allow.  Owing  to  the  growing  popularit}^  of  the 
floater  in  this  district,  there  was  a  large  attendance  of  members 
and  friends,  who  contributed  to  a  most  enthusiastic  debate.  Mr. 
Parsons  was  very  cordially  thanked  for  his  lecture.  For  a  nice 
spike  of  Cattleya  Harrisoni  Mr.  Parsons  was  awarded  a  second- 
class  certificate. — J.  Juliax. 
Bristol  Gardeners'  Association. 
The  fortnightly  meeting  of  this  association  was  held  at  St. 
John’s  Rooms,  Redland,  on  the  12th  inst.,  Mr.  E.  Binfield,  Old 
Sneyd  Park,  occupying  the  chair.  The  .subject  for  the  evening 
was  “Melons  and  Cucumbers,”  introduced  by  Mr.  Collier,  of  the 
Cardiff  Gardeners’  Association.  A  good  discussion  followed  Mr. 
C’ollier’s  lecture,  and  lie  was  voted  the  thanks  of  the  meeting  for 
hi.s  able- paper.  Prizes  for  two-  Orchids  ivere  awarded  equal  firsts 
to  Mr.  W.  Howell  Davis,  J.P.  (gardener,  Mr.  Curti.s)  and  Mr. 
J.  M.  Harris  (gardener,  Mr.  Venn).  Certificate-s  of  merit  went  to 
Mr.  Garnish  for  some  cut  Tulip.',  Mr.  W.  Howell  Davis,  J.P.  (gar¬ 
dener,  Mr.  Curtis),  for  Odontoglossum  crispmii,  and  to  Mr.  H. 
Kitley  for  a  pot  of  double  Daffodils  grown  entirely  in  moss.  The 
society’s  certificate  of  ,  special  merit  were  recommended  to  Air. 
■Hall  (gardener,  Mr.  Ware)  for  two  good  pots  of  Freesias,  and  to 
'^Alr.  Ayres  for  a  fine  collection  of  Cypripediums. — H.  K. 
National  Chrysanthemum  Society, 
A  fully  attended  meeting  of  the  executive!  committee  was 
held  at  the  Albert  Hotel,  Victoria  Street,  S.W.,  on  the  Kith  in.'^t., 
it  being  the  first  meeting  of  the  newly  constituted  committee. 
After  the  confirmation  of  the  minutes  of  a  previous  meeting,  an 
important-  modification  of  one  of  the  proposals  as  to  entrance 
fees  in  some  of  the  smaller  classes  was  made  in  the  interests 
of  exhibitors.  A  letter  was  read  from  Sir  A.  Rollit,  AI.P.,  the 
late  pre.sident,  wishing  his  name  retained  on  the  list  of  Fellows; 
from  Mr.  C.  E.  Shea,  accepting  the  po.st  of  president  of  the 
society  in  the  room  of  Sir  A.  .K.  Rollit,  resigned;  from  Air.  R. 
Cordwell,  accepting  the  post  of  auditor;  and  from  Alessrs. 
Alackenzie  and  Aloncur,  Limited,  Edinburgh,  differing  a  .special 
first  prize  to  the  value-  of  £10  at  the  November  exhibition.  The 
secretary  having  announced  the  changes  made  in  the  executive 
committee,  he  also-  submitted  a  financial  .statement  from 
Januaiy  1,  showing  a  balance  in  hand  of  £67  8s.  8d.,  and  with 
but  a  few  liabilities.  The  allowance  made  to  thc:  general  secre¬ 
tary  in  1902  was  continued  in  the  present  year.  It  was  decided 
to  accept  an  offer  from  the  authorities  of  Essex  Hall,  Strand, 
for  three  meetings  of  the  Floral  Committee  to  be  held  there,  viz., 
September  21,  October  26,  and  November  23.  These,  with  a 
meeting  at  each  of  the  shows  to  be  held  at  the  Crystal  Palace, 
will  make  six  meetings  in  all.  Thc  annua!  dinner,  postponed  to 
the  spring,  was  further  postponed  until  the  usual  time  in  the 
autumn.  The  outgoing  members  of  the  Floral  Committee — those 
willing  to  .stand  for  re-election  were  re-elected,  together  with 
Messrs.  C.  Blick  and  J.  B.  Riding,  in  the  place  of  two  others 
who  had  ceased  to  serve.  The  schedule  revision  and  the  finance 
sub-committees  were  reappointed  with  slight  alterations ;  also 
the  classification  committee  and  the  beard  of  arbitration,  the 
decision  of  the  latter  in  any  case  to  be  final.  It  was  resolved  that 
the  finance  sub-committee  bring  up  at  the  next  meeting  of  the 
executive  comniitte'e  an  estimate  of  the  probable  receipts  and 
expenditure  for  the  present  year  before  the  amounts  offered 
in  the  schedules  were  approved.  Some  now  members  were 
elected,  and  a  vote  of  thanks  was  passed  to  the  chairman. 
and  cottage  gardener. 
The  New  Gardeners’  Society  at  Dorchester. 
A  meeting  of  the  newly-formed  Dorchester  and  Di.'-trict 
Gardeners’  and  Amateur.s’  Improvement  Society  was  held  at  the 
Antelope  Hotel,  at  7.30,  on  Wednesday  evening.  Among  those 
present  were  Alessrs.  Edward  Nutting  (honorary  secretary,  pro 
tern.),  J.  Clarke  (gardener  to  Air.  R.  D.  Thornton,  Birkin  Hou.se), 
J.  Dominey,  Pomeroy,  G.  AVebb,  Read,  R.  Aliller  (gardener  to 
Air.  Alfred  Pope),  Rogers  (gardener  to  the  Rev.  S.  E.  A".  Fillcul), 
E.  Cosh,  and  AA".  Spiller  (Dorchester),  Collins  (gardener  to  Sir 
John  Groves,  AA'eymouth),  AA’hite  (gardener  to  Air.  G.  AV.  Floyer, 
Stafford),  Stone  (head  gardener  to  Captain  Dymond,  Char- 
minster),  and  A.  J.  Legg  (second  gardener),  A.  AA’ilday,  (gar¬ 
dener  at  Stratton  Alanor),  Alason  (head  gardener  to  Air.  H.  Cox, 
Radipolo  Alanor),  and  Warne  (second  gardener).  Air.  J.  Clarke 
was  appointed  chairman.  The  society  has  secured  a  hall  for  its 
meetings,  it  has  appointed  a  pre.-^ident  (Capt.  Dymond)  and  com¬ 
mittee,  with  Mr.  Nutting  as  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  is 
altogether  well  on  its  way  to  thorough  establishment. 
Newport  (Mon.)  Gardeners’  Association  :  Freesia  Culture. 
The  usual  meeting  of  the  above  association  was  held  on 
AA  ednesday  last,  when  Air.  G.  Harris  read  a  very  practical  paper 
on  “The  Cultivation  of  the  Freesia.”  Air.  Harris  dealt  shortly 
with  growing  the  Freesia  from  seed,  but  preferred  to  grow  from 
the  bulbs,  as  he  found  they  flowered  better.  Seed  could  be  sown 
in  the  spring  or  in  August,  the  seedlings  not  to  be  transplanted, 
but,  if  too  thick,  they  must  be  thinned  out.  In  growing  from 
bulbs,  he  recommended  potting  at  intervals,  commencing  in 
August,  placing  twelve  or  fourteen  bulbs'  in  a  bin  pot^  choosing 
the  finest  bulbs,  place  in  a  cold  frame,  giving  no  water  until 
they  commenca  to  grow,  and,  when  the  weather  gets  too  cold, 
bring  them  into  a  greenhouse  and  place  on  a  shelf  near  the 
glass.  If  wanted  in  bloom  early,  give  a  moderate  heat ;  when 
showing  bloom  give  a  little  manure  or  soot-water,  rather  weak, 
once  or  twice  a  week.  After  blooming  they  must  not  be 
neglected,  but  continue  the  manure  vater  until  the  foliage  com¬ 
mences  to  turn  yellow  ;  then  gradually  withhold  water,  keeping 
them  on  the  shelf  in  the  sun  so  that  the  bulbs  ripen  off  well, 
this  treatment  being  mece-ssary  for  successful  blooming  the  follow¬ 
ing  season.  Air.  Harris  preferred  bulbs  grown  in  this  way  to 
those  that  could  be  bought.  Soil  :  two  parts  loam,  one  part  leaf 
mould,  a  little  rotten  manure,  wood  ashes,  and  silver  sand.  An 
animated  di.scussion  followed,  in  which  Alessrs.  Long,  Kenward, 
Duff,  AA’oodward,  Daniels,  Pegler,  AA’iggiiis,  Jones,  Reece, 
Clevcrley,  Coward,  and  Bi.shop  took  part.  A  hearty  vote  of 
thanks  to  Air.  Harris  for  his  able  paper  was  carried  unanimously. 
Air.  F.  S.  Daniels  presided  over  a  good  attendance. — J.  Peglek. 
Reading  Gardeners’  Association:  Melons. 
The  fortnightly  meeting  of  the  above  was  held  in  the  club- 
room  on  the  9th  inst..  Air.  J.  T.  Powell  presiding  over  a  large 
attendance  of  members.  The  subject  for  the  evening  was  “Melon 
Culture  ;  Right  and  A^'rong  Alethods,”  and  was  introduced  by  Air. 
AA’.  Iggulden,  of  Fromc.  Needless  to  .say,  the  matter  was  treated 
in  a  most  practical  manner,  the  lecturer  at  the  outset  asking  the 
que.stion  whether  the  gardeners  present  though^  they  were  better 
Melon  growers  than  the  brethren  of  the  craft  in  other  parts  of 
the  country.  Reasons  were  given  why  many  growers  fail  in  the 
culture  and  why  other  growers  are  successful. 
The  various  points  touched  upon  were  hotbeds,  flavour, 
houses,  growing  in  pots,  disbudding,  .syringing,  feeding,  frames, 
varieties.  Ac.  Reference  was  made  to  the  culture  carried  out  at 
Cardiff  Castle  and  Longlcat,  where  Alclons  are  grown  extensively. 
The  discussion  ivas  taken  up  in  a  most  hearty  manner  by  Me.ssrs. 
Poyell,  Neve,  Hinton,  Bright,  Ager.  Clinch.  Barnes,  Cox.  Judd. 
Dore.  Ac.  The  exhibits  were  throe  vases  of  the  Chinese  Sacred 
Lily  (splendidly  grown)  by  Air.  F.  Lever,  The  Gardens,  Hill'ide. 
and  some  beautiful  blooms  of  Rhododendron  A’eitchi,  by  Air.  A.  F. 
Bailey,  The  Gardens,  Leopold  House,  Reading.  Right  new 
members  were  elected.  On  Februar.v  3  the  annual  tea  and  enter¬ 
tainment  was  held  in  the  Abbey  Hall,  and  proved  a  great  succe.ss, 
120  members  and  lady  friends  sitting  down  to  t(‘a  at  six  o’clock, 
uhilst  the  entertaimnent  was  attended  by  an  audience  of  over 
700.  The  arti.'tcs  were  kindly  provided  by  the  president,  viz.. 
Air.  Ale!  B.  Spurr.  the  celebrated  humourist,  mus  ciaii,  and 
society  entertainer,  who  carried  out  the  first  part  of  the  pro¬ 
gramme  :  whilst  Air.  Lewis  was  responsible  for  the  latter  part  with 
a  series  of  animated  pictures,  Ac. 
