4-30 
JOUUXAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AXD  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
May.  14,  1903. 
Tulips  In  Lincolnshire. 
At  Marehani-Ie-Fen.  in  Lincolnshire,  may  he  seen  the  magnifi¬ 
cent  spectacle  of  ten  thousand  cardinal  coloured  Tulips  in  one 
bed,  belonging  to  Mr.  T.  Kime,  a  bulb  grower,  who  has  no  less 
than  half  a  million  bulbs,  and  no  fe^ver  than  116  kinds  of  Tulips 
on  three  acres  of  land. 
Decorations  in  Paris  Streets  at  the  King's  Visit. 
Our  contemporary,  “  Le  Jardin,”  in  its  issue  of  May  5, 
devotes  a  column  to  descriptions  of  the  flora!  decorations  in  the 
Paris  stVeets  pour  la  reception  du  “  Roi  d’Angleterre,”  or, 
correctly,  as  “  Le  Petit  Parisien  ”  prints  it,  “  roi  de  la  Grande- 
Bretagne.” 
‘  Flora  and  Sylva.  ” 
The  second  part  of  Mr.  Robinson’s  monthly  publication  has 
been  published.  It  again  contains  two  coloured  plates  and  otlier 
illustrations,  the  chief  articles  being  those  on  the  genus 
Geranium,  Government  Neglect  of  Forestry,  the  Camellia  as  a 
hardy  shrub,  Seashore  planting  and  gardening.  Garden  design, 
and  recent  writings  upon  it.  “  Flora  and  Sylva  ”  is  well  spoken  of. 
Celebration  of  500th  Anniversary  of  the  Battle  of  Shrewsbury. 
The  Battle  of  Shrewsbury  was  fought  on  July  21,  1403,  and 
was  not  only  an  important  event  in  the  history  of  England,  but  has 
received  an  imperi.shable  record  from  the  pen  of  Shake.speare. 
It  is  proposed  in  the  coming  July  to  celebrate  the  500th  anni¬ 
versary  on  a  scale  which  shall  be  worthy  of  the  event  and  of 
the  county  in  which  it  took  place.  For  this  purpose  a  com¬ 
mittee  has  been  formed,  consisting  of  members  of  the  County 
Council,  the  Borough  Council  of  Shrewsbury,  and  the  Council  cf 
the  Shropshire  Archaeological  Society,  under  the  chairmanship 
of  the  mayor  of  the  countj'  town,  and  the  movement  in  its 
preliminary  stage  has  already  been  taken  up  warmly.  A  sketch 
programme  of  what  has  been  already  arranged  is  issued,  but  it 
it  hoped  that  it  will  be  possible  to  add  to  it  in  the  direction  of 
popular  amusement  in  the  shape  of  old  English  sports  in  the 
Quarry  grounds.  This,  however,  will  depend  on  the  funds 
available,  and  we  are  requested  to  solicit  kind  co-operation.  The 
bon.  secretaries  are  Messrs.  Adnift  and  Naunton. 
Devonshire  Horticulture. 
In  the  County  Council  gardens  at  Warberi-y  Lane,  Torquay, 
after  the  recent  severe  frost,  I  took  many  P-ear  buds  from  the 
trees  perfectl.v  rotten  through  the  action  of  frosfs  and  winds. 
At  Allen  Vale  Potteries’  gardens,  the  Pear  trees  were  served  even 
worse,  being  planted  on  low-lying  ground.  Early  Apple  blossoftis, 
I  am  informed,  in  Topsham  district  are  destroyed.  Topsham  is  a 
large  fruit  district,  very  much  of  the  fruit  coming  into  Exeter. 
If  other  parts  of  the  country  suffered  as  the  above  have,  the  con¬ 
sumers,  as  well  as  the  growers,  will  find  a  greatly  reduced  supply 
of  fruit  and  early  vegetables. 
Newly  grafted  trees  may  suffer  from  so  .severe  cold.  I  hope 
to  return  to  this  great  loss  of  fruit  buds  after  a  journey  round 
the  south  of  the  county,  including  Plymouth,  and  a  part  of  Corn¬ 
wall.  I  can  only  hope  that  we  shall  have  heavy  crops  of  late 
opening  Apples.  The  severe  .spring  of  1902  destroyed  much  of 
our  usual  Apple  crop.  The  trees  were  recovering  nicely,  when 
the  latest  run  of  frost  played  havoc  with  Pears  and  Plums. 
The  sixteen  practical  gardens  under  the  Devon  County 
Council  Technical  Education  Committee  were  very  late  in 
beginning  work,  owing  to  continued  rain  over  the  whole  county. 
Tills  work  is  more  difficult  here  than  in  many  counties,  because 
we  have  44in  of  rainfall  in  the  year.  The  quick  growth,  perhaps, 
compensates  to  some  extent  a  late  season,  the  sun’s  action  being 
powerful.  In  1902  I  had,  however,  200  Tomato  plants  in  the 
open  at  Torquay,  and  they  failed  to  return  any  fruit.  The  plants 
were  well  raised,  hardened  off,  and  properly  planted.  The 
Atlantic  winds  played  havoc  with  the  .stems  and  foliage,  and  then 
with  the  first  blossoms.  Afterwards,  insufficient  sun,  cold  days, 
and  windy  nights,  rendered  the  plants  usele.ss.  I  am  about 
planting  in  the  same  experimental  garden  another  200  plants. 
Not  since  1888  (if  I  remember  what  a  Devon  gardener  told  me) 
have  w’e  had  so  cold  a  summer  as  last  summer.  Bte  not  dis¬ 
couraged,  market  growers;  depend  not  upon  one  thing.  I  notice 
everywhere  that  when  pigs  .sell  badly  in  anj'  given  season,  men 
say,  “  Oh,  we  shall  not  breed  so  many  in  the  coming  year.”  There 
lies  the  real  reason  why  a  good  man  should  say  to  hiimself  (not 
to  every  neighbour,  perhaps !),  “  I  shall  breed  a  larger  number, 
for  next  year  they  will  sell  well.  Tomato  growers,  note! — X. 
Register  of  Nurseries,  &c. 
Mps.^rs.  Protheroe  and  Morris,  67  and  68,  Chcapside.  London, 
E.C.,  have  issued  their  quarterly  register  of  nurseries,  market 
gardens,  farms,  florists’  seed  businesses  and  partnerships  to  be 
let  or  sold.  For  this  list  applications  should  be  made  to  the 
firm. 
Royal  Meteorological  Society. 
At  the  ordinary  meetirig  to  be  held  in  the  rooms  of  the  Society, 
/O.  \  ictoria.  Street,  Westminster,  S.W’.,  on  Wednesday,  the 
20th  inst.,  at  4.30  p.m.,  the  following  papers  will  be  read  :  “  The 
Relation  of  the  Rainfall  to  the  Depth  of  Water  in  a  Well,”  by 
Charles  P.  Hooker,  L.R.C.P.,  F.R.Met.Soc. ;  “  The  Frost  of 
April,  1903,”  by  William  Marriott,  F.R.Met.Soc.  Tea  and  coffee 
will  be  served  from  4  to  4.30  p.m. — Willi.\m  Marriott,  Assi.stant 
Secretary. 
A  Wet  Week. 
Outdoor  gardening  has  been  much  hindered  by  the  continuous 
rain  which,  without  an  interval  of  one  day,  continued  from  the 
evening  of  Saturday,  April  25,  to  Sunday,  May  3,  the  amount  for 
each  day  being  as  follows  : — 
Indie  =. 
Sunday  . o  63 
.Monday  . 0'49 
Tuesday  . 0‘37 
U  edne.sd.ay . 0’60 
— W.  Strugnell,  Rood  A.shton. 
Indies 
Thursday . O'Ri 
Friday  . 0'14 
Saturday . 0'23 
Sunday,  9  a.  in . 0'42— 3  04 
The  Weather  at  Hamilton, 
Cold,  dull  weather  with  east  winds  predominated  here  during 
the  whole  of  last  week.  Everything  is  late,  and  growth  of  any 
kind  is  exceedingly  slow.  Grass  itself  is  far  from  being  so 
luxuriant  as  is  its  wont.  We  had  5deg  of  frost  this  morning 
(11th),  and  about  as  many  yesterday  morning.  The  rawne.ss  of 
the  air  yesterday  was  simply  phenomenal.  Young  and  old  could 
be  seen  moving  about  in  their  heavy  winter  coats.  I  hope  for 
the  pleasure  of  King  Edward’s  visit  to  Glasgow  this  week  that 
we  shall  be  favoured  with  “  King’s  weather.” — D.  C. 
Sheffield  Floral  and  Horticultural  Association. 
There  was  a  capital  attendance  of  members  at  the  monthly 
meeting,  when  a  paper  was  read  by  Mr.  W’illford  on  “  Grouping 
and  Plants  for  Grouping,’*  in  which,  he  dealt  with  plants  suitable 
for  grouping,  blending  of  colours,  and  general  arrangement.  The 
paper  was  much  appreciated.  Some  good  flowering  plants  were 
exhibited  by  amateurs.  First  being  a  grand  Calceolaria,  second 
a  splendid  Gloxinia,  and  third  a  white  Azalea.  A  cultural 
certificate  was  awarded  to  Mr.  F.  Cook  for  a  white  Cyclamen, 
there  were  about  fifty  to  sixty  flowers  on  a  bulb  fourteen  years 
old.  Some  fine  Spineas  were  also  shown.  It  was  announced  that 
his  Grace  the  Duke  of  Norfolk  would  open  the  annual  show,  a 
statement  wliich  gave  great  satisfaction. 
Reading  Horticultural  Society. 
The  last  meeting  of  the  winter  session  in  connection  with  this 
association  was  held  on  April  20.  Mr.  J.  T.  Powell  presided 
over  a  large  attendance.  The  subject  for  the  evening  was 
“  Tropical  Plant  Life,”  by  Mr.  F.  Keeble,  of  the  Reading  College, 
and  although  dealt  wdth  in  a  scientific  manner,  yet  it  proved  a 
very  instructive  and  interesting  lecture.  His  remarks  were 
based  chiefly  upon  the  plant  life  in  Ceylon,  divided  into  three 
sections,  viz.,  Plant  life  in  the  desert  region,  in  the  part  where 
wet  and  dry  seasons  are  experienced,  and  where  there  is  a  con¬ 
tinuous  moist  atmosphere.  The  discussion  which  follow’ed  turned 
chiefly  to  the  cultivation  of  plants  in  “  tropical  ”  houses  in  Eng¬ 
land.  As  it  was  known,  at  “  hospital  ”  night,  a  departure  which 
might  w’ith  advantage  be  followed  by  other  kindred  associations, 
the  exhibits  consisted  exclusively  of  cut  flowers  arranged  in 
bunches,  which  were  forwarded  oh  the  following  morning  to  the 
patients  of  the  Royal  Berkshire  Hospital.  Over  one  hundred 
bunches  were  staged,  consisting  of  Liliums,  Arum  Lilies,  Lily  of 
the  Valley,  Wallflowers,  Daffodils,  Tulips,  Geraniums,  Spiraeas, 
Deronicums,  Polyanthus,  Lilac,  Mignonette,  Auriculas,  Primula 
obconica.  Star  Cinerarias,  Schizanthus,  Primroses,  Ageratum, 
Iberis,  Jonquils,  Ac.  Those  contributing  were  Messrs.  Powell, 
T.  Nash,  D.  Dore,  W.  Townsend,  Lever,  Durrent,  Butcher,  E.  J. 
Dore,  Bailey,  Hinton,  Hatton,  "W.  F.  Dore,  Alexander,  Exler, 
Godwin,  Judd,  Murby,  Viner,  Clinch,  Wilson,  Fry,  Ac.  A  hearty 
vote  of  thanks  w’as  given  to  Mr.  Keeble  and  to  those  members 
who  had  contributed  to  such  a  splendid  display  of  cut  flowers. 
