March  19,  1903. 
251 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE 
The  Weather  at  Hamilton. 
Last  week  opened  with  the  promise  of  better  weather  than 
has  of  late  favoured  the  district.  Two  days,  however, 
were  wet,  especially  Thursday,  which  was  very  wet,  rain 
falling  without  ceasing  from  midnight  of  Wednesday  till  the 
same  time  on  the  night  of  Thursday.  The  rest  of  the  week  was 
made  up  of  fine  spring  days.  There  was  slight  frost  on  two 
mornings,  odeg  being  the  greatest  registered  here.  All  hope  the 
worst  of  the  deplorable  weather,  more  or  less  general  in  Scotland 
for  the  last  six  weeks,  has  now  passed  over. — D.  C. 
Cardiff  Gardeners’  Association. 
The  usual  fortnightly  meeting  took  place  on  March  10  at  the 
Grand  Hotel,  Mr.  C.  E.  Collier  presiding,  when  Mr.  F.  S. 
Daniels  (chairman  and  rei^resentative  of  the  Newport  Gardeners’ 
M.I.  Association)  delivered  a  most  instructive  and  practical 
lecture  on  “  The  Cultivation  of  the  Strawberry,”  giving  the 
general  outline  and  details  regarding  the  aspect,  soils  and 
manures  as  niost  s\iitable  to  aid  successful  results.  The  four  best 
kinds  for  a  small  collection  recommended  were  as  follows  :  — 
Vicomtesse  Hericart  de  Thury,  Green’s  President,  La  Grosse 
Sucree,  and  Royal  Sovereign.  The  best  thanks  of  the  meeting 
were  voted  Mr.  Daniels  for  his  splendid  lecture. — J.  Julian. 
''  The  Garden  Gazette.’’ 
The  above  is  the  title  of  a  new  monthly  gardening  paper  pub¬ 
lished  in  Melbourne,  Au.stralia,  and  of  which  ive  have  received 
the  three  latest  issues.  The  paper  is  exceedingly  well  illustrated 
and  arranged,  and  the  matter  it  contains  is  likely  to  be  such  as 
Melbourne  and  Victoria  readers  generally  will  appreciate.  It 
is  a  garden  paper  after  the  .style  of  those  published  at  home  here. 
In  the  December  number  there  is  an  illu.strated  memoir  of  Mr. 
T.  W.  Pockett,  the  Chry.santhemist  of  fame.  The  Melbourne 
Botanical  Gardens  are  also  noticed,  and  photographs  of  them  are 
given.  In  the  January  number  appears  a  letter  from  London, 
England,  giving  a  brief  review  of  the  leading  events  in  English 
horticultural  life.  The  offices  of  ‘‘The  Garden  Gazette”  are  at 
2,  Royal  Lane,  Melbourne. 
The  late  Mr.  James  T.  Fromow. 
Mr.  James  Fromow,  the  senior  partner  in  the  firm  of  Messrs. 
W.  Fromow  and  Sons,  Sutton  Courts  Nursery,  Tumham  Green, 
and  also  at  Bagshot  and  Hounslow,  died  on  the  13th  inst.  at  the 
age  of  foriy-eight  years.  Mr.  Fromow  met  with  an  accident 
about  a  month  ago,  which  injured  his  knee,  and  it  is  surmised 
that  blood  poisoning  supervened,  which  caused  his  death.  He 
was  the  elde.st  of  three  brothers  and  had  charge  of  the  extensive 
nurseries  of  the  firm  at  Bagshot,  and  being  a  man  of  energy  and 
healthy  comstitution  up  to  the  time  of  his  accident,  the  loss 
experienced  by  the  firm  through  his  death  is  great.  The  deceased 
and  his  brothers  represented  the  third  generation  of  proprietor¬ 
ship  of  the  nurseries'!  Mr.  Fromow  was  married  about  two  years 
ago,  and  leaves  a  widow  and  one  child.  He  was  buried  in  Ealing 
Cemetery  on  the  18th  in.st. 
The  Late  Mr.  John  S.  Murray. 
The  late  John  S.  Murray,  the  pioneer  florist  of  Montreal,  was 
born  in  Rattray,  Perthshire,  Scotland  (not  in  Alyth,  Forfarshire, 
as  has  been  so  often  stated),  in  1833.  He  came  to  Montreal  in 
1854,  working  the'  first  few  years  as  a  private  gardener.  In  1861 
he  .started  the  present  .store  at  822,  Dorchester  Street,  in  con¬ 
nection  Avith  his  first  greenhouses.  These  soon  becoming  inade¬ 
quate  to  meet  the  demands  of  his  growing  busines.Sj  in  1877  he 
purchased  a  block  of  ground  in  Cote  Street,  Antoine  (noiv  West- 
mount),  and  built  what  was  then  the  finest  range  of  glass  in 
Canada.  To  this  he  added  the  dwelling  in  aaIucIi  he  resided  at 
the  time  of  his  death.  Mr.  Murray  Avas  knoAvn  as  a  quiet,  un¬ 
assuming  man,  thorough-going,  home-loving,  attentive  to  busi¬ 
ness,  honourable  and  scrupulous  in  all  his  transactions,  and  AA’as 
highly  respected  by  all  avIio  knoAV  him.  His  pleasant  personal 
appearance,  gentle  manners  and  genial  smile,  made  him  a  great 
favourite  Avith  children,  of  Avhom  he  Avas  passionately  fond,  and 
to  many  the  plea.santest  as  Avell  as  themost  lasting  memories  of  Mr. 
Murray,  Avill  be  of  him  in  the  midst  of  a  eroAvd  of  children  at  the 
Gardeners’ "and  Florists’  Club’s  pic-nics,  his  hands  and  pockets 
full  of  cakes,  candies,  and  other  such  things  as  children  love, 
advising,  .superintending,  distributing,  and  adjirsting  contests. 
To  any  Avho  attempted  to  attract  him  to  other  objects  his  inv’ari- 
able reply  AA'as,  “Leave  me  alone,  I’m  happy.” — (“Florists’ 
Exchange.”) 
AND  cottage  gardener. 
Weather  in  the  North. 
The  10th.  13th,  and  14th  in.st.  AAcre  good  clear  days,  although 
a  shoAAer  fell  on  the  afternoon  of  the  last.  There  AAas  a  great 
deal  of  rain  on  the  other  days  of  the  Aveck  ending  16th  inst.,  par¬ 
ticularly  on  Thursday  and  Sunday.  On  tAvo  mornings  there  Avas 
a  sharp  snap  of  frost. — B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
Mr.  A.  D.  Webster. 
Mr.  A.  D.  Webster,  F.R.S.E.,  Superintendent  of  GreeiiAvich 
Pai’k,  is  vacating  that  position  on  promotion  to  Regent’s  Park, 
London,  where  he  AAill  take  up  his  residence  .shortly.  A  .strong 
desii'e  has  been  eA'inced  that  before  he  leaves  Greenwich,  a  suit¬ 
able  testimonial  be  presented  to  him,  together  Avith  an  addre.ss. 
committee  for  the  purpose  of  securing  subscriptions  has  been 
formed,  and  the  lion,  secretary  of  this  committee  is  Mr.  H.  RicJi- 
ardson,  4,  Church  Street,  GreenAA'ich,  S.E. 
February  Weather  at  Belvoir  Castle. 
The  prevailing  direction  of  the  AA’ind  Avas  S.W.,  total  thirteen 
days.  The  total  rainfall  Avas  0.79in;  this  fell  on  seven  days,  and 
is  1.02in  beloAV  the  average  for  the  month;  the  greatest  daily 
fall  Avas  0.24in  on  the  24th.  Barometer  (corrected  and  reduced) : 
highest  reading,  30.617in  on  the  17th  at  9  a.m. ;  loAA’est  reading, 
29.216in  on  the  1st  at  9  a.m.  Thermometer:  highe.st  in  tha 
shade,  58deg  on  the  9th;  loAA’est,  28deg  on  the  2nd;  mean  of 
daily  maxima,  49.71deg;  mean  of  daily  minima,  38.21deg;  mean 
temperature  of  the  month,  43.96deg;  loAvest  on  the  grass,  25deg 
on  the  2nd,  17th,  and  18th;  highe.st  in  the  sun,  97deg  on  the 
20th;  mean  temperature  of  the  earth  at  3ft,  41.67deg.  Total 
sunshine,  84  hours  40  minutes,  AA'hich  is  54  minutes  above  the 
average.  There  Avere  nine  sunless  days.  All  the  temperature 
records  Avere  A^ery  much  above  the  average. — W.  H.  Divers. 
National  Fruit  Growers’  Federation. 
The  conference  betAveen  the  delegates  from  this  Federation 
and  the  Board  of  Raihvay  General  Managers,  AA  liich  took  place  on 
November  4  last,  is  bearing  excellent  fruit,  already  fully  justify¬ 
ing  the  existence  of  the  organisation.  These  sub-committees 
have  obtained  from  the  Midland,  the  provision  of  ventilated  vans 
constructed  on  their  oaaii  plan,  and  from  the  Great  Western,  an 
improved  system  of  sheeting.  Both  these  companies  have  also 
granted  the  folloAving  substantial  concession:  They  will  iioaa'  carry 
consignments  of  fruit  in  5cAvt  or  lOcwt  lots  by  passenger  train,  at 
greatly  reduced  rates,  by  Avhich  means  medium  sized  toAvns  will 
be  supplied  direct  from  the  groAver,  instc'ad  of  being  compelled  to 
go  to  large  markets.  This  means  a  saving  in  carriage  of  7s.  6d. 
on  ScAvt  for  100  miles  for  the  groAver,  and  finit  in  good,  fresh 
condition,  Avith  all  the  bloom  on  it,  for  the  provincial  dealer.  It 
should  be  obserA’cd  that  so  far  the  AAork  done  AA’ill  benefit  all 
groAA'ersq'  and  not  members  only,  but  the  objects  of  the  Federation 
are  not  confined  to  raihvay  rates,  but  enibraoe  every  possible 
means  of  inereasing  the  prosperity  of  the  industi'y.  It,  there¬ 
fore,  behove.s  all  fruit  groAvers  and  market  gardeners  to  send  in 
their  names  as  members,  for  they  Avill  find  the  small  subscription 
of  10s.  per  annum  an  excellent  iiu’cstment. — A.  T.  Matthews, 
Secretary,  28,  Eaton  Rise,  Ealing,  London. 
Severe  Frost  at  Los  Angeles. 
On  Februai-y  18,  the  “  Pacific  Fruit  World  ”  reported  thus : 
“  Last  Friday,  just  as  the  “  Fruit  World’s  ”  Avere  going  out  on  the 
express  trains  to  all  sections  of  the  Stato,  old  Jack  Frost 
descended  into  the  A'alleys  cf  California,  and  chilled  everybody 
to  the  marroAv— it  snoAved  promiscuously  in  otherAvise  frostless 
communities,  made  ice  in  every  section  froze'  the  ground  solid 
enough  for  a  team  to  stand  on,  in  some  spots,  and  did  CA’^erything 
—except  damage  to  the  Citrus  crop.  For  a  magnificent  display 
of  credulous  expressions,  aa'c  should  like  to  see  the  countenances 
of  several  prominent  eastern  fruit  dealers  Avhcn  they  road  tho 
above  accurate  summary  of  the  events  that  nujjie-Jhe  latter  part 
of  last,  and  the  opening  of  this  AAmek,  famous  in  the  climatic 
records’of  California.  Of  course,  the  eastern  ITiited  States  fruit 
dealer  (except  in  the  rare  instance  Avhere  ho  visits  this  section 
personally),  does  not  know  that  in  the  large  fruit  shipping  offices 
of  California  where  the  clerks  are  busy  billing  out  cars  of 
Oranges,  the  vieAvs  from  the  AvindoAvs,  if  located  right,  ahvays 
lead  off  to  the  siioav  capped  mountains,  across  and  aAAay  beyond 
the  groves  of  golden  fruit  lying  between.  Snow  and  ice  are  not 
unco'iiimon  factors  in  California  life  at  all;  they  are  both  Avithin 
easy  reach  of  the  A'ision.” 
