300 
JOURNAL  OF  BORTinULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  2,  1903. 
Apple,  King  of  the  Pippins. 
A  good  market  variety  is  tliis,  and  a  prime  favourite,  too,  in 
private  gardens.  It  is  consistently  a  heavy  cropper,  producing 
handsome,  solid  fruits  of  medium  size  and  SAveet,  .juicy  soft 
flesh.  It  is  an  excellent  all-round  de,ssert  Apple  from  mid- 
C^tobor,  or  earlier,  till  toward  the  end  of  January,  its  bright 
rich  colour  being  also  attractive,  and  in. October  and  November 
especially  it  is  often  used  in  cookery.  Our  representation  of  a 
l)yramid  tree  in  bearing  is  an  admirable  one  in  testimony  to  its 
fruitfulne.ss,  and  this  was  photo, graphed  at  Ote  Hall,  in  Sussex. 
As  a  standard  for  orchards.  King  of  the  Pippins  is  much  used, 
and  on  a  light,  warm  soils  it  thrives  in  the  most  satisfactory 
manner.  The  upright  growing  form  of  this  variety  is  sought 
after  for  garden  planting. 
Societies, 
R.H.S.  Scieniific  Committee,  March  24ih. 
Present;  Dr.  M.  T.  Masters  (in  the  chair);  Messrs.  Massee, 
Saunders.  Duncan,  Shea,  Gordon,  Holmes.  Bidgood,  Chapman,  and 
Douglas  ;  Drs.  Cooke  and  Rendle  ;  Revs.  W.  Wilks  and  G.  HensloAV, 
hon.  see. 
Orchid  seedlings. — Mr.  Duncan  inquired  if  the  spring-tails  ” 
(Podura)  were  injurious,  as  the  seedlings  were  injm-ed  just  above  the 
ground.  Mr.  Saunders  observed  that  such  was  undoubtedlv  the  ease. 
Mr.  Bidgood  said  that  he  had  found  a  very  weak  solution  of  rectified 
spirit  (i  to  1  per  cent.)  was  effective  applied  two  or  three  times  a 
week  to  the  growing  plants. 
Fruit  industry.— A.  communication  was  received  from  the  Board 
of  .4grieulture  asking  for  opinions  upon  a  proposed  legislation  for  the 
protection  of  the  fruit  industry  in  this  country.  It  was  referred  to  a 
sub-committee  consisting  of  Messrs.  Shea,  Saunders,  Massee,  and 
Dr.  M.  T.  Masters  to  report. 
Mendel's  Law. — Capt.  Hurst  sent  an  interesting  description  of 
Mr.  Chapman’s  Orchids,  showing  hoAv  the  Mendelian  Law  was 
exemplified  by  them.  It  will  be  published  in  the  Society’s  Journal  ” 
in  full. 
Ant  destroyer. — Mr.  Holmes  directed  attention  to  a  very  dangerous 
preparation  of  arsenic  offered  for  sale  without  proper  safeguai’ds 
under  the  name  of  “  Ballikintrain  Ant  Destroyer.”  The  bottle  shown 
contained  about  three-quarters  of  an  ounce  of  arsenic  and  fifteen 
fluid  ounces  of  syrup,  or  enough  to  poison  150  adults.  As  it  is  recom¬ 
mended  on  the  label  that  the  preparation  should  be  put  on  Vine  rods, 
&c.,  it  would  probably  prove  either  fatal  to  bees  or  poison  their  honey, 
since  these  insects  eagerly  steal  sugar  or  a  sugary  solution  wherever 
they  find  it,  and  if  placed  on  stones,  to  dogs,  to  say  nothing  of 
children,  who,  finding  a  sweet  fluid  in  an  ordinary  bottle,  might  find  it 
particularly  attractive,  the  arsenic  present  being  quite  tasteless.  The 
maker’s  name  is  not  on  the  bottle,  but  it  is  understood  that  the 
preparation  is  supplied  by  Messrs.  Alexander  Cross  and  Sons,  Ltd.,  of 
Glasgow.  It  must  be  a  very  profitable  article  to  the  manufacturers, 
as  it  costs  less  than  6d.  and  sells  for  3s.  6d.  The  word  poison  is  not 
on  a  separate  label,  and  might  be  easily  overlooked.  The  committee 
agreed  with  Mr.  Holmes  that  such  a  dangerous  preparation  ought  not 
to  be  freely  obtainable  by  the  public  without  proper  restrictions  as 
provided  by  the  Pharmacy  .4ct  of  1868,  especially  as  other  effective 
insecticides,  not  poisonous  to  animals,  are  obtainable  Avithout  difficulty 
t 
National  Sweet  Pea. 
“The  Trade”  Excluded  from  Judging. 
A  meeting  of  the  executive  committee  of  this,  society  took 
place  at  the  Hotel  Windsor  on  the  27th  ult.,  Mr.  George  Gordon 
in  the  chair,  there  being  a  small  attendance.  The  principal 
business  ivas  to  make  arrangements  for  the  annual  exhibition 
in  July  next,  and  to  elect  judges.  The  latter  task  brought  out' 
from  a  certain  quarter,  a  reluctance  bordering  upon  hostility  to 
elect' any  person  connected  Avith  the  trade,  whether  as  principal 
or  employe,  to  act  as  judge.  No  valid  reason  Avas  put  forivard 
Avhich  justified  a  departure  from  the  practice  at  the  bi-centenary 
exhibition  in  1900,  and  at  the  SAveet  Pea  shoAvs  in  1901  and  1902 
of  selecting  censors  both  from  the  trade  and  private  groAvers. 
The  motion  to  exclude  the  trade  Avas  carried  by  a  bare  majority 
of  those  A’oting;  the  only  reason  assigned  for  this  action  Avas 
that  there  existed  on  the  part  of  certain  somebodies,  a  prejudice 
against  the  trade  acting  in  this  capacity,  as  if  knoAvledge,  impar¬ 
tiality,  and  honesty  of  purpo.se  Avere  alike  open  to  cj[ue,stion. 
Thus  the  bona  tides  of  the  trade  Avere  sacrificed  to  Avhat  is 
nothing  better  than  a  vulgar  prejudice.  The  Royal  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society  at  its  exhibitions,  and  also  at  those  of  the 
National  Rose,  National  Carnation  and  Picotee,  National 
Auricula  and  Primula,  National  Dahlia  Societies,  and  others, 
gladly  aA'ail  themselA^es  of  the  serA'ices  of  the  trade  to  act  as 
censors,  and  their  representatives  are  usually  considered  the 
best  informed.  Were  the  financial  sipport  cleriA'cd  from  the 
trade  AvithdraAvn,  the  SAveet  Pea  Society  Avould  at  once  collapse. 
The  income  of  the  SAveet  Pea  Society  in  1902  Ava,s  about  £186  ; 
of  this  sum  the  trade  contributed  about  £78  as  special  prizes, 
donations,  and  subscriptions,  and  in  the  schedule  of  prizes  for 
1903  it  Avill  be  seen  that  the  trade  contribute  nearly  half  the 
sum  offered  as  prizes.  No  information  is  forthcoming  that  those 
AA’ho  object  to  the  trade  acting  as  judges  object  also  to  the  trade 
giving  .special  iirizes;  but  thfy  should  do  so  in  order  to  be 
consi.stent.  No  class  of  men  are  better  qualified  to  act  as 
judges  at  an  exhibition  of  SAveet  Peas  than  tho.se  avIio  conduct- 
extensive  annual  trials  of  the  floAver  for  our  large  Avholesale  and 
retail  seed  houses;  but  they  are  excluded.  In  the  end,  certain 
persons  Avere  appointed,  but  there  appeared  to  be  but  little 
knpAvledge  of  the  qualifications  of  some  of  them.  As  the  com¬ 
mittee  is  to  form  the  Floral  Committee  to  adjudicate  upon  the 
new  varieties,  the  trade  representatives,  Avhich  form  about  one- 
half  of  the  number,  cannot,  of  course,  be  excluded. — R.  D. 
Cardiff  Gardeners’. 
The  annual  general  meeting  took  place  at  the  Grand  Hotel, 
on  Tuesday,  March  2Ith,  Mr.  C.  E.  Collier  presiding.  Mr.  P. 
Malpass.  hon.  treasurer,  produced  the  balance  .sheet,  and  re¬ 
ported  upon  the  financial  affairs  of  the  association.  The  balance 
in  hand  Ava-s  considerably  more  than  had  been  the  case  for  many 
years  past.  The  hon.  secretary’s  report  dealt  chiefly  upon  the 
management,  Avhich  reflected  great  credit  upon  the  committee 
for  the  manner  in  Avhich  they  had  devoted  their  time  towards 
matters  of  interest  to  the  association,  Avhich  now  placed  it  on  a 
sounder  footing  than  has  been  the  case  in  the  past.  The  chair¬ 
man  then  thanked  the  members  for  their  hearty  co-operation 
during  his  tenure  of  office.  The  election  of  cfficer.s  for  the 
ensuing  year  Avas  as  folloAvs — the  folloAving  named  gentle¬ 
men  Avere  unanimously  re-elected  to  their  re.spectiA'e  ofifioes : 
President,  J.  Lynn  Thomas,  Esq.,  C.B.,  F.R.C.S.,  J.P.  ;  the 
whole  of  the  list  of  vice-presidents;  hon.  treasurer,  Mr.  Thomas 
Malpass :  hon.  secretary,  John  Julian;  elected  chairman,  Mr. 
H.  R.  Farmer;  A'ice-chairman,  Mr.  W.  J.  Pro.sser,  and  a  strong 
representative  committee  of  eight  members.  Vote.s  of  thanks 
to  the  “retiring  officers”  and  “the  Press”  concluded  the  pro¬ 
ceedings. — J.  Julian.  " 
Reading  Gardeners’:  “Buttonholes  and  Sprays.” 
The  meeting  of  the  Reading  and  District  Gardeners’  Mutual 
ImproA’ement  Association,  held  on  the  16th  ult.,  AA’as  veiy 
largely  attended,  about  120  members  being  present,  Mr,  W, 
Barnes,  of  Bear  Wood  Gardens,  presided.  The  subject  for  the 
evening  AA’as  “  Buttonlioles  and  Sprays,”  by  the  chairman,  of  the 
A.ssociation,  Mr,  J,  T.  Powell,  Before  giving  his  practical 
demon.stration  of  this  art,  he  said  that  this  AA’as  one  of  the  pha.ses  of 
gardening  Avhich  gaA’o  much  delight  and  pleasure  to  the  employer, 
and  it  Avas  a  great  deal  of  credit  to  the  garden  staff  if  the  sprays 
and  buttonholes  re{]uired  could  be  made  in  the  garden  instead  of 
ahvays  having  to  send  to  the  florist.  Mr.  PoAvell  then  shoAA’ed 
hoAv  floAvers  should  be  Avired,  describing  Avith  great  clearness  the 
right  and  Avrong  Avay  cf  doing  the  Avork,  also  shoAving  Avhich  Avas, 
in  his  opinion,  the  proper  foliage  to  be  used  Avith  particular 
floAvers,  The  folloAving  Avere  then  made  up  in  front  of  the  audi¬ 
ence,  explanation  being  given  as  the.Avork  proceeded:  Button¬ 
hole  of  Violets;  Lady’s  dinner  or  ball  spray  of  Daffodils;  Lady’s 
spray  of  Primulas;  A  “Carnation”  buttonhole  made  Avith  pink 
Pi’imula.s ;  Lady’s  spray  of  General  Jacqueminot  Roses ;  and 
Lady’s  spray  of  artificial  Geraniums  Avith  natural  foliage.  Many 
questions  Avere  asked  during  the  proceedings,  and  many  useful 
hints  Avere  giAmn  by  the  lecturer,  as  Avell  as  by  Messrs.  Stanton, 
Gibson,  Barnes,  Wilson,  Burfitt,  Bassel,  Winsor,  Tunbridge, 
Judd,  Exler,  Alexander,  Hinton,  Cretchley,  &c.  The  only 
exhibit  Ava^s  a  magnificent  display  of  floAvering  bulbs  by  Mr,  F, 
Lever,  'I'he  Garden-s,  Hillside,  Reading,  This  Avas,  Avithout 
exception,  one  of  the  best  groups  of  Narcissi  and  Tulips  yet  staged 
at  these  meetings  ;  and  as  it  Avas  entered  for  the  Certificate  of 
Cultural  Merit,  the  judges  had  no  difficulty  in  aAA’arding  the 
same,  Taa  o  neAA’  members  Avere  elected. 
The  subject  for  discussion  at  the  meeting  of  the  above  as.so- 
ciation  on  the  23rd  ult.  Avas  “The  Anemone  and  Its  Culture,” 
and  Avas  introduced  by  Mr.  D.  Harris,  of  Mapledurham  House 
Gardens.  The  paper  was  Avritten  in  an  excellent  style,  and  gave 
the  cultural  details  of  .the  A’arious  varieties  in  a  most  clear  and 
practical  manner.  Among  the  sorts  dealt  Avith  Avere  Anemone 
japonica,  A.  fulgens,  A.  coronaria,  A.  apennina,  A.  blanda, 
A.  .syli’estris,  and  the  St.  Brigid.  Although  the  attendance  Avas 
small,  oAving  to  the  very  rough  and  Avet  Aveather,  yet  the  dis¬ 
cussion  Avas  livelier  and  more  members  took  part  in  it  than  at 
meetings  Avhen  the  attendance  has  been  three  or  four  times  the 
size.  The  debate  Avas  sustained  by  Messrs.  PoAvell,  Fry,  Cox, 
Wilson,  Exler,  Neve,  Alexander,  Burfitt,  Lever,  Cretchley,  D. 
Dore,  Kercher,  SandAvith,  Ac.,  and  much  valuable  information 
Avas  brought  out  Av’ith  regard  to  this  loA’oly  floAver,  A  very 
hearty  vote  of  thanks  Avas  accorded  to  Mr.  Harris  for  his  in¬ 
teresting  paper. 
