864 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  23,  1DC3. 
Fruit  prospect?  were  hopeful  up  to  tlie  third  week  in  April, 
■when  the  wind  took  a  norther)!  course,  and  frost  varying  from 
5  deg  tO’Odeg  was  registered  successively  for  several  nights.  The 
effects  of  this  visitation  is  now  plainly  visible  in  the  damaged 
fruit  blossoms  and  foliage,  for  not  only  was  injury  inflicted  on 
delicate  flowers,  but  foliage  of  some  trees  as  well.  '  It  is  so  fatal 
because  it  catches  unprepared  so  many  differing  crops.  The  frost 
could  scarcely  have  chosen  a  time  when  greater  injury  could  be 
inflicted  on  the  fruit  crops,  for  the  reason  that  the  blossoms  are 
of  spontaneous  activity,  and  the  foliage  not  sufficiently  advanced 
to  give  ample  shelter.  I  cannot  remember  a  season  when  the 
general  outlook  was  sO  bad  here.-^W.  S.,  Rood  Ashton. 
Those  Terrible  Frosts. 
The  destructive  frosts  experienced  generally  throughout 
Britain  during  the  past  week  must  have  caused  bitter.,  disap¬ 
pointment  to  hosts  of  fruit  growers  and  gardeners.  Heremn  the 
Midlands  the  damage  done  cannot  be  estimated  with  anything 
approaching  accuracy.  Plums  and  Pears  have  suffered  severely, 
and  although  the  former  appeared  to  have  set  well,  the  frosts 
have  destroyed  the  bulk  of  the  young  fruitS' — except  wdiere 
situated  on  the  under  side  of  branches,  or  where  protected  with 
more  than  usual  leafage.  In  many  instances  Pears  (where  the 
blossom  had  already  fallen)  appear  on  the  surface  tO’  be  but  little 
injured,  but  in  nine  cases  out  of  every  ten  when  the  ovary  is  cut 
open  the  centre  is  quite  black ;  at  least,  that  is  my  experience, 
and  I  have  examined  many  dozens  of  flowers  or  young  fruits.  I 
thought  at  one  time  that  there  was  much  cause  for  congratula¬ 
tion  in  the  fact  that  Apple  trees  -were  not  in  flower,  although  the 
buds  w’ere  showing  a  tinge  of  colour.  Close  examination  has,  how¬ 
ever,  convinced  me  that  almost,  if  not  quite,  as  much  damage  has 
been  done  as  would  have  been  the  case  had  the  blossoms  been 
fully  expanded,  for  in  pulling  to  pieces  numbers  of  flowers  I 
found  the  pistil  completely  destroyed.  The  only  instances  in 
which  the  trees  seem  quite  uninjured  are  when  the  blossoms  have 
as  yet  shown  no  trace  of  colour  (a  strong  argument  this  in  favour 
of  varieties  which  flower  late).  All  early  varieties  of  Straw¬ 
berries  have  suffered  badly,  even  where  the  flower  trusses  have 
oiily  just  emerged  from  the  crowns  of  the  plants — and  no  petals 
are  therefore  visible ;  the  buds,  if  cut  open,  are  in  nearly  all 
instances  black  in  the  centre.  Bush  fruits  fortunately  seem  to 
have  e.scaped,  as,  so  far,  I  have  not  found  Gooseberries  injured 
in  the  least.  Currants  only  slightly.  Newly  planted  Ra.spberries 
show  no  signs  of  damage,  but  established  canes,  on  which  the 
growth  was  much  more  advanced,  are  “  nipped  ”  in  both  leaves 
and  flowers. 
Those  who  were  tempted  by  the  fine  weather  of  February  and 
early  March  to  prune  their  Roses  earlier  than  usual  have  now' 
plenty  of  shrivelled  shoots  to  mourn  over,  and  Avill  have  to  rely 
upon  weaker  buds  for  their  supply  of  flowers. — H.  D. 
The  Effect  of  9’  of  Frost. 
On  the  nights  of  the  llth,  15th,  and  16th  inst.  here  wo  have 
had  7deg,  8deg,  and  9deg  of  frost  Fah.,  after  an  unusual  spell  of 
moist,  mild  weather  during  February  and  March — the  thermo¬ 
meter,  strange  to  day,  during  those  two  months  hardly  ever 
reaching  32deg,  freezing  point.  I  should  like  to  have,  your 
opinion,  and  those  of  any  of  your  readers  who  may  have  closely 
watched  the  result  on  exisanding  or  expanded  fruit  tree  flow'ers, 
as  an  index  of  what  the  effect  may  be  on  the  coming  fruit  crop. 
There  is  no  occa.sion  to  discuss  w'hat  is  unfortunately  self-evident. 
Everything  any  way  tender,  from  early  Potatoes  just  peeping 
over  the  ground,  or  tolerably  advanced,  young  Cauliflowers,  stray 
Dahlias  left  in  the  garden,  the  hardier  Fuchsias  or  Hydrangeas, 
all  looked  crisped  or  burned  black.  What  is  not  so  plain  or 
evident  is  the  effect  on  fruit  tree  blossoms.  Apricots  against  a 
south  wall,  w’ith  me,  have  their  fruit  set,  and  some  a  quarter  of 
an  inch  in  diameter,  and  though  they  had  a  coping  over  them, 
I  camiot  say  whether  they  may  not  yet  drop.  Outdoor  Peaches 
or  Nectarines  are  not  so  advanced,  but  the  blossoms  have  fallen. 
and  fructification  may  have  taken  place  ten  days  ago.  Ytill  the 
frost  affect  them  if  so  nailed  against  a  south  wall?  -day  Duke, 
Elton,  and  Bigarreau  Cherries  have  about  half  their  blossoms 
expanded.  Will  this  9deg  of  frost  destroy  the  stamens  and  pistils, 
and  thereby  the  crops?  I  have  one  Pear  tree  of  a  most  precocious 
nature,  that  blossoms  usually  in  February — the  name  I  am  not 
certain  of.  This  had  a  portion  of  a  crop  set  a  month  ago.  Will 
the  frost  cause  this  cmbi-yo  crop  to  drop  later  on?  The  general 
crop  of  Pears,  Jargonelle,  Alarie  Louise,  Clapp’s  Favourite,  Bon 
Chretien,  Doyenne  du  Comice,  Glou  Morceau,  Louise  Bonne  of 
Jersey,  fruit  set ;  and  Beurre  d’Amanlis  are  simply  in  flower, 
with  others  not  yet  opened,  and  a.s  yet,  so  far  as  appearances  go, 
I  cannot  tell  what  the  result  may  be  so  far  as  the  fructifying 
organs  are  concerned.  Except  Irish  Peach  and  one  or  two  early 
varieties,  the  general  crop  of  Apple  blossoms  are  still  unfolded; 
may  I  calculate  that  for  that  reason  they  are  safe  ?  The  same 
may  be  said  of  Raspberries  and  Strawberries.  Plums,  both  on 
wails  and  in  the  open  garden,  have  their  blossoms  fallen  and 
fruit  set.  Will  the  frost  indicated  cause  the  embryo  fruit  to 
fall? — AV.  J.  MuuriiY,  Clonmel. 
- <«©♦► - 
Mil  nil  Sweet  Tea  Socieiy— Selection  cf  Judges. 
As  members  and  supporters  of  the  National  Sweet  Pea  Society, 
we  wish  to  register  our  emphatic  protest  against  the  exclusion  of 
professional  men  as  judges  at  the  annual  show.  Mr.  AVright,  in 
Ids  communication  in  your  issue  of  April  16,  says  :  On  no  occa¬ 
sion  has  anjdhing  been  said  or  done  that  could  possibly  bo  con- 
stnied  into  an  imputation  against  the  honesty  and  integrity  of 
the  trade.”  AVe  accept  his  assurance — the  only  conclusion,  there¬ 
fore  possible  is  that  the  reason  for  this  exclusion  is  that  the 
committee  has  some  doubt  as  to  the  capacifi/  of  tradesmen  to  act 
as  efficient  judges.  Given  “integrity”  and  “capacity,”  what 
more  is  required  in  a  judge?  If  professional  men  are  capable  of 
judging  at  the  annual  exhibitions  of  the  National  Rose,  Chrys¬ 
anthemum,  Dahlia?. Carnation,  and  Auricula.  Societies,  why  not 
at  that  of  the  Sweet  Pea?  The  fact  that  trade  members  of  the 
General  Conimittee  are  allowed  to  sit  with  amateur  members  in 
passing  judgment  on  the  novelties  of  the  year,  is  no  atonement 
or  compensation  for  their  exclusion  from  the  position  of  judge. 
As  members  and  supporters  of  the  society,  they  are  in  justice 
entitled  to  their  full  share  in  all  the  duties  and  responsibilities 
of  the  society,  and  whatever  may  be  the  private  views  or  motives 
of  the  executive  committee,  this  act  will  inevitably  be  considered 
by  ordinary  mortals  as  a  slight  on  professional  growers  of  Sweet 
Peas.  That  this  thing  has  been  done  by  the  society  in  a  previous 
year  is  no  sort  of  excuse  or  justification  for  its  repetition.  To 
us  it  appears  an  act  of  injustice,  and  we  have  yet  to  hear  of  any 
good  reason  for  its  continuance. — Issac  House  and  Son,  April  18. 
The  United  Horticultural  Provident  and  Ben  fit  Society. 
There  is  one  paragraph  in  your  issue  of  April  9  that  gave  me 
very  great  pleasure,  and  that  was  the  statement  that  the  United 
Horticultural  Benefit  Society  had  reached  1,000  members.  Tlie 
wonder  is  it  has  not  done  so  sooner.  I  heartily  congratulate  the 
committee  and  officers.  I  cannot  help  thinking  the  benefits  to 
be  received  from  membership  has  not  taken  hold  of  our  fellow 
craftsmen,  young  or  old,  as  it  ought  to  do.  Here  is  a  chance  for 
true  co-operation  to  help  one  another  and,  after  all,  benefit  our¬ 
selves,  by  .saving  what  possibly  we  .should  not  otherwise  do.  I 
joined  the  club  some  years  ago.  After  I  had  been  a  Free  Forester 
for  twenty-five  years  I  find  I  am  much  better  off  than  if  I  had 
.still  been  a  “  P’orester,”  for  I  lost  all  I  had  paid  dn  under  the 
Free  Foresters’  segis ;  but  not  so.  with  the  United  P.  and  B. 
Society.  The  money  accumulates.  I  must  say,  however,  to  my 
mind  the  age  one  has  to  reach  (sixty  years)  before  they  can 
utilise  any  of  the  money  is  too  long;  but  I  believe  the  committee 
intend  making  some  alteration  to  the  rules,  and  I  trust  they  will 
boldly  make  them  up  to  date.  I  feel  sure  many  of  our  young 
friends  cannot  do  bettor  than  at  once  become  members  of  the 
same,  even  if  they  have  to  give  up  some  other  club — union  is 
strength ;  and  we  gardeners  can  certainly  combine  on  this 
question. 
I  had  hoped,  Mr.  Editor,  that  there  would  have  been  some 
prospect  when  the  new  hall  of  the  R.H.S.  was  built,  of  there 
being  a  room  or  rooms  which  could  be  used  by  the  various  garden¬ 
ing  societies  for  their  meetings,  I  hope  it  may  be  so  even  now. 
Where  the  “United”  holds  its  present  meeting  is  very  difficult 
for  a  stranger  to  find.  I  hope  more  will  attend  the  annual  meet¬ 
ing  ;  I  felt  quite  lonely  as  a  country  gardener  at  the  last  annual 
gathering. — A.  J.  Brown,  F.R.H.,S.,  School  of  Handicrafts, 
Chertsey. 
