February  26,  19C3.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
183 
Huyton  and  Roby  Horticultural  Society. 
The  finances  of  the  Huyton  and  Roby  Horticultural  Society 
are  not  so  flourishing  as  they  were  in  former  years,  the  balance 
being  very  much  on  the  wrong  side,  accordingly  a  concert  was 
arranged,  and  the  Huyton  Negro  Nomads  gave  their  valuable 
serviceg,  with  the  result  that  a  third  of  the  debt  was  wiped 
cut.  Again  last  week  the  same  troupe  gave  an  entirely  new" 
programme,  which  was  so  successful  that  the  society  can  start 
with  a  clean  slate.  To  Messrs.  J.  Threlfall,  J.  Holland,  W.  Lyon, 
and  J.  Cookson  the  thanks  are  due  for  their  unfailing  efforts  in 
bringing  about'  such  a  substantial  return. —  R.  P.  R. 
Liverpool  Horticultural  Association. 
The  committee  of  the  above  association  were  fortunate  to 
secure  the  services  of  Mr.  Charles  Paul,  of  the  Royal  Botanical 
Gardens,  Manchester,  for  their  February  lecturer,  as  few  men 
are  bettor  able  to  deal  wdth  the  subject  of  “Stove  and  Green¬ 
house  Flow'ering  Plants  for  Exhibition”  than  Mr.  Paul,  who  in 
times  back  had  charge  of  the  magnificent  Ixoras,  Allamandas, 
Heaths,  and  Gleichenias  of  the  late  Mr.  Schloss,  of  Bowdon.  At 
the  secretary’s  offices,  Victoria  Street,  Mr.  T.  Foster,  the  chair¬ 
man,  briefl.y  introduced  the  lecturer,  and  spoke  of  him  as  one 
who  had  been  in  the  forefront  at  some  of  the  great  Manchester 
shows.  In  his  opening  remarks  Mr.  Paul  drew  a  comparison 
betw'een  the  fine  specimens  of  the  pa.st  as  against  those  of  the 
present  day,  and  while  paying  a  high  tribute  to  the  excellence 
of  the  present  day  gardener,  thought  he  had  much  more  to 
contend  with  in  the  matter  of  good  composts  and  pure  water. 
In  admirable  style  Mr.  Paul  detailed  the  houses  and  the  general 
routine  of  culture  most  suitable  to  bring  about  the  highest 
possible  results.  The  discussion  afterwards  elicited  many  points, 
to  all  of  wdiich  Mr.  Paul  gave  additional  experience.  Votes 
of  thanks  closed  the  meeting. — R.  P.  R. 
Redhill  and  Reigate  Gardeners’  A^ssociation. 
This  newly-constituted  society  held  its  first  meeting  at  the 
Public  Hall,  Redhill,  the  president,  J.  Coleman,  Esq.,  J.P., 
D.L.,  taking  the  chair.  Mr.  Seman  was  awarded  the  society’s 
certificate  for-  the  best  Orchid  in  bloom,  namely,  Dendrobium 
Pierardi.  Mr.  Brund,  the  pre.sident’s  gardener,  showed  a  very 
choice  group,  consisting  of  Lselias,  Dendrobes,  Cymbidium 
Tracyanum,  &c.  The  chairman  in  a  short  pithy  speech  said  that 
gardeners  were  to  horticulture  what  the  sailors  are  to  the  nation 
at  large — handy'  men.  Gardeners  were  expected  to  decorate  a 
dinner  table,  the  rooms  of  the  mansion,  the  church  on  high 
days  and  holidays,  and  even  the  graves  of  those  departed.  In 
addition  to  this  they  were  expected  to  supply  our  tables  with 
the  choicest  vegetables  and  fruit,  both  in  season  and  out,  besides 
attending  to  the  tennis  and  golf  grounds,  and  other  duties, 
sometimes  throwing  in  the  care  of  a  cow  and  pony,  as  emergency 
required,  and  all  this  expected  for  wages  little  more  than  are 
given  to  an  ordinary  labourer.  The  president  urged  all  the 
owners  of  gardens  present  to  be  generous  to  their  gardeners, 
and  give  them  all  the  facilities  possible,  so  that  employer  and 
employed  might  have  the  mutual  satisfaction  of  seeing  their 
gardens  beautified  to  the  greatest  possible  extent.  He  also 
hoped  that  those  who  were  not  already  honorary  members  of  the 
society  would  join,  which  they  could  do  for  the  modest  sum  of 
bs.  The  chairman  proposed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  the  lecturer, 
Mr.  Kromer,  and  as.sured  him  of  a  welcome  to  Redhill.  Mr. 
Kromer,  of  Roriana  Nui-sery,  West  Croydon,  then  gave  his 
lecture,  entitled,  “  An  Orchid  Collector’s  Travels  Through  British 
Guiana  to  Brazil.”  Mr.  Kromer  very  ably  dealt  with  his  subject, 
which  was  profusely  illustrated  with  lantern  slides. 
The  society  held  its  second  meeting  at  Mutton’s  Hotel, 
on  February  17.  Mr.  Brund  in  the  chair.  Ten  new  members 
were  elected.  Mr.  Mould  was  awarded  the  society’s  ceihificate 
for  three  Parsnips.  The  chairman  introduced  the  lecturer,  Mr. 
Duncan,  of  South  Park,  Reigate,  to  give  his  lecture  on  insect 
p-^ts  of  the  garden.  Mr.  Duncan  was  received  with  cheers,  and 
gave  a  very  interesting  lecture  on  the  life  history  and  structure 
of  the, sc  pest®,  and  the  best  means  of  eradicating  them  from  our 
garden.  Mr,  Duncan  gave  the  members  several  useful  recipes 
for  their  destruction,  and  the  best  time  to  apply  them.  The 
lecture  was  profusely  illustrated  with  lantern  slides.  A  hearty 
vote  of  thanks  was  accorded  the  lecturer,  who  had  given  his 
.services  free  of  charge  to  the  society.— Jno.  W.  B. 
Devon  and  Exeter  Gardeners’  Association. 
A  very  interesting  paper  was  recently  read  at  a  meeting  of 
the  Devon  and  Exeter  Gardeners’  A,ssociation  held  at  the  Guild¬ 
hall,  Exeter.  The  .subject  was  “Forcing  Vegetables,”  and  the 
paper  was  written  by  Mr.  Baker,  gardener  to  Sir  Dudley  Duck¬ 
worth  King,  Bart.,  Wear  House,  Exeter.  Mr.  W.  Charley 
occupied  the  chair.  The  first  prize  in  a  Parsnip  competition  was 
won  by  Mr.  W.  Charley,  gardener  at  Wonford  House,  and  the 
second  by  Mr.  J.  Weeks,  gardener  to  Mr.  E.  A.  Sanders,  Stoke 
House.  The  hon.  seci'etary  (Mr.  Hope)  announced  that  the 
Roj'al  Horticultural  Society,  to  which  the  Devon  and  Exeter 
Gardeners’  Association  is  affiliated,  had  arranged  for  a  National 
Show  of  vegetables  at  their  gardens  in  London,  on  September  29 
and  30  and  October  1,  at  which  prizes  would  be  given  for  Peas*, 
Potatoes,  Tomatoes,  &c.,  of  which  particulars  would  very  shortly 
be  given,  and  that  he  hoped  some  of  the  members  of  the  Devon 
Society  would  enter  the  competition  and  show"  what  Devonshire 
could  do  in  the  way  of  growing  vegetables. 
Croydon  Horticultural  Society. 
There  are  many  amateur  as  well  as  profes.sional  gardeners 
who  w’ould  be  extremely  grateful  for  the  valuable  information 
and  practical  details  of  cultivation  of  “  Garden  Root  Crops,” 
which  formed  the  .subject  of  the  paper  given  at  the  rooms  of 
this  society  at  the  Sunflow’er  Temperance  Hotel,  George  Street, 
on  Tuesdaj",  the  17th,  by  Mr.  Thomas  Bunyard,  late  lecturer  to 
several  County  Councils  in  the  eastern  and  western  divisions  of 
the  country.  To  a  good  attendance  the  details  expounded  by 
the  lecturer  niu.st  create  a  stimulus  to  “  go  and  do  likew’ise  ”  in 
this  mo.st  populous  part  of  horticulture.  A  di.scussion  by  many 
members  further  emphasised  the  remarks  of  the  lecturer,  andj 
the  chairman  (Mr.  W.  J.  Simpson)  proposed  a  very  hearty  vote  of 
thanks  to  Mr.  Bunyard  for  his  excellent  paper;  this  was 
seconded  by  Mr.  W.  Turney,  and  agreed  to  unanimously.  Mr.  A. 
Edw'ards  exhibited  an  Odontoglossum  triumphans,  for  which  a 
vote  of  thanks  was  accorded.  Three  new  members  were  elected. 
The  next  paper  will  be  on  “Mushrooms,”  by  Mr.  W.  Green, 
Sidcup,  on  March  3. 
Shirley  (Southampton)  Gardeners’  Association. 
The  monthly  meeting  of  this  Society  took  place  on  Monday 
evening,  when  the  President,  Mr.  W.  F.  G.  Sprenger,  J.P., 
occupied  the  chair.  A  very  interesting  evening  was  spent  by  the 
members  listening  to  an  illustrated  scientific  lecture  by  Mr.  J.  T. 
Jenkins,  B.Sc.,  Lecturer  in  Biologjq  Ac.,  to  the  Hartley  College, 
Southampton,  on  insectivorous  plants.  The  lecturer  said  the 
great  difference  between  the  vegetable  and  the  animal  kingdom 
is  that  the  former  exists  on  inorganic  and  the  latter  organic 
material:  hut  the  rule  is  broken  by  a  group  of  plants  which  he 
dealt  with — a  group  numbering  above  500  members,  species,  and 
their  varieties.  The  fine  lantern  gave  faithful  reproduction  of 
both  the  plants,  and,  on  a  greatly  magnified  scale,  the  individual 
parts  which  are  so  useful  in  attracting  to  their  doom  the  insects 
on  which  the  plants  partly  live.  One  specially  highly-developed 
plant  .shown  was  the  Pitcher  plant  (Nepenthes),  the  beautiful 
colouring  first,  and  then  the  .sticky,  honey-like  substance,  exud¬ 
ing  from  the  pitcher  formed  at  the  end  of  the  leaf,  being  very 
attractive  to  winged  insects.  These  entered  the  mouth  of  the 
highly  finished  pitcher,  which  is  always  partly  full  of  liquid,  and 
drowned  in  their  efforts  to  get  out.  again,  their  exit  being  pre¬ 
vented  by  the  hair-like  filaments  pointed  downwards  on  the  inner 
side  of  the  rim.  The  plant  then,  by  the  aid  of  certain  acid 
resembling  pepsin  in  animals,  dige.sted  the  bodies  of  these  un- 
fortunater,  leaving  the  hard,  scaly  substance  intact.  Other 
plants  shown,  both  by  the  lantern,  and  also  preserved  in  bottles, 
were  Saracenis  Drosera,  which  has  hairy  leaves  closing  together 
when  touched.  Toothwort,  which  grew  under  ground,  and  was 
a  peculiar  water  species  which  trapped  in  its  small  pitchers  water 
insects.  It  was  a  well-prepared  lecture  of  absorbing  intere.st, 
the  more  so  that  some  few  of  the  examples  are  indigenous  to 
this  country.  The  handsomest  are  grown  in  greenhouses,  as 
they  are  tropical  plants,  and  add  greatly  to  any  collection  of 
stove  plants.  At  the  close  of  the  lecture  Mr.  Jenkins  was 
accorded  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  on  the  motion  of  the  President, 
seconded  by  the  Secretary  (Mr.  J.  Miles).  The  Hon.  Treasurer 
(Mr.  G.  Gre-enslade)  expressed  thanks  on  behalf  of  the  Society 
to  their  President  for  his  services  in  the  chair.— J.  M, 
