June  18,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
537 
Protection  of  Alpine  Plants. 
The  Prefet  des  Hautes-Alpes  has,  according  to  “  Le  Moniteur 
d’Horticulture,”  issued  an  order  forbidding  the  collecting  and  sale 
of  tho.se  plants  which  are  the  ornaments  of  the  Alps,  such  as 
Edelweiss,  Gentians,  Cjmlaniens,  Rhododendrons,  Orchis,  Oplirys, 
Clematises,  Anemones,  &c. 
A  Specimen  Magnolia  stellata 
The  latest  of  the  “Flori.sts’  Exchange”  (New  York)  weekly 
■supplements,  entitled  “  Our  Gallery  of  Fine  Specimens,”  is  a 
handsome  half-tone  illustration,  9in  by  7in,  of  the  star-flowered 
Magnolia,  from  a  photograph  of  tivo  bushes  at  Fairmount  Park, 
Philadelphia.  They  are  close  together,  seeming  like  one  plant, 
and  are  10ft  high. 
Plants  in  Flower  at  Kew. 
Among  the  plants  in  flower  at  Kew’  just  now  ai'e  Moraea 
caenilea,  Solanum  Wendlandi,  Cymbidium  rhodochilum,  Amor- 
phophallus  dracontioides,  Isolomas  in  variety.  Cape  Pelargoniums, 
Ochna  multiflora,  Richardia  Rehmani,  Jefferies’  hybrid  Calceo¬ 
larias,  Mitraria  coccinea,  Tillandsia  hybrids,  and  Jatropa  podo- 
grica.  Puya  languinosa,  sent  from  the  Temple  Show  to  Kew,  has 
at  last  run  its  course,  and  is  almost  totally  withered.  In  the  rock 
garden  the  chief  subjects  are  Gladiolus  segetum.  Primula 
sikkimensis,  Lilium  Hanksea,  Orchis  latifolia,  Dianthuses,  and 
Cypripedium  .spectabile.  The  Penzance  Briars  are  fully  in  flower 
in  the  grounds,  in  company  with  hardy  Rhododendrons  (notably 
too,  R.  fragrans),  and  the  bearded  Irises  are  now  at  their  best. 
Luther  Burbank  Honoured. 
Luther  Burbank,  of  Santa  Rosa,  California,  the  “Wizard  of 
Horticulture,”  has  received  the  semi-centennial  gold  medal  from 
the  California.  Academy  of  Sciences.  The  medal  was  pre.sented  to 
the  State  Horticultural  Society  by  a  former  Mayor,  James  D. 
Phelan,  and  is  awarded  semi-centennially  to  the  person  who  has 
advanced  the  interests  of  agriculture  to  the  greatest  degree  by  the 
application  of  .scientific  principles  and  by  his  investigations.  The 
medal  is  inscribed  as  follows :  “  California  Academy  of  Sciences. 
Awarded  to  Luther  Burbank  for  Meritorious  Work  in  Developing 
New  Forms  of  Plant  Life.  May  18,  1903.  1855-1903.”  Figures 
of  Pomona  and  Flora  crowning  with  a  laurel  wreath  a  man  en¬ 
gaged  in  budding  a  young  fruit  tree  occupy  the  reverse,  side  of 
the  medal.  Santa  Rosa’s  citizens  are  greatly  pleased  by  the  dis¬ 
tinction  which  has  come  to  Mr.  Burbank. 
The  Gardeners’  Reception  and  Dinner. 
The  prospects  of  making  this  function  a  material  sucoe.ss  seem 
to  be- excellent.  A  very  largo  number  of  replies  to  the  800  circu¬ 
lars  recently  issued  have  been  received,  representing  ninety  per 
cent,  mo.st  favourable.  Already  over  one  hundred  tickets  have 
been  sent  out,  and  it  is  expected  that  later  there  will  be  a  great 
rush.  The  number  printed,  however,  is  limited.  With  each 
ticket  goes  out  a  card,  on  which  the  holder  is  invited  to  inscribe 
his  name  and  address  to  secure  correct  announcement  at  the 
reception.  Also  is  sent  a  leaflet  giving  full  instructions  as  to  the 
most  direct  ways  of  reaching  the  Chiswick  Show  from  the  various 
railway  termini,  and  getting  to  the  Holborn  Restaurant  from 
Chiswick.  With  respect  to  the  admission  of  ladies  to  the  dinner, 
to  which  some  persons  took  exception,  the  committee,  after 
giving  the  matter  the  fullest  con.sideration,  unanimously  resolved 
to  adhere  to  their  original  intention  to  admit  the  fair  sex.  It  is 
thought  that  some  country  vi.sitors  may  bring  their  wives  with 
them,  and  would  desire  their  company  at  the  dinner.  The 
popular  nursery  firm  of  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  and  Sons,  Chelsea,  have 
most  generously  offered  to  decorate  the  dinner  tables,  an  offer 
which  the  committee  vei-y  gratefully  accepted.  The  toast  li.st 
has  been  arranged,  and  in  nearly  every  case  gentlemen  invited  to 
speak  to  them  have  consented.  The  committee  have  the 
strongest  anticipation  that  the  reception  and  dinner  will  be  a 
great  success.  Persons  requiring  further  information  or  tickets 
should  communicate  direct  to  the  secretary,  Mr.  A.  Dean, 
G2,  Richmond  Road,  Kingston-on-Thames. 
HorticuUural  Sundrlesmen  and  the  Holland  House  Show. 
From  various  sources  we  have  learned  of  the  dc'siro  possessed 
by  bona  fide  horticultural  sundriesmen  (including  makers  of 
insecticides  and  garden  syringes)  to  be  allowed  to  stage  small 
exhibits  at  Holland  House  (R.H.S.)  Sliow,  and  at  other  of  the 
larger  meetings.  It  is  objected,  we  believe,  by  the  Council,  that 
these  exhibitions  are  not  purely  for  the  purpose  of  business;  but 
they  are  very  largely  so,  and  the  sundriesmen  ought  to  be  allowed 
some  of  the  privileges  of  the  nurserymen.  More  than  this,  a 
very  instructive  and  interesting  exhibition  of  the  various  new  in¬ 
ventions  and  improvements  in  gardening,  fruit-bottling,  and  other 
apparatus  could  be  arranged  in  a  special  marquee  set  apart — if 
that  was  found  desirable.  At  any  rate;  we  believe  that  the 
matter  will  in  time  be  considered,  and  that  the  sundriesmen  will 
be  allowed  admittance. 
The  Late  William  Oates. 
To  some  of  your  older  readers  who,  in  the  late  fifties  and  six¬ 
ties  were  interested  in  Hollyhocks  and  Gladioli,  the  above- 
named  gardener  will  be  well  known.  Ho  passed  away  on  Juno  10 
at  Wighill  Park  Gardens,  near  Tadcaster,  after  a  long  and  pain¬ 
ful  illness,  aged  sixty-eight  years.  At  the  time  mentioned  he 
was  gardener  to  the  Hon.  and  Rev.  Edward  Hawke, 
who  then  resided  at  Willingham  Rectoiy,  in  Lincolnshire.  On 
succeeding  to  the  title  of  Lord  Hawke  ho  came  with  his  family  to 
Wighill  Park.  William  Oates  had  served  the  present  Lord 
Hawke  and  his  father  for  forty-eight  years.  He  was  a  good 
practical  gardener,  and  it  was  very  interesting  to  hear  him  re¬ 
count  his  experiences  as  exhibitor  of  the  flowers  mentioned,  at 
the  then  famous  Bishop  Auckland  and  other  exhibitions.  The 
late  Lord  Hawke  was  at  that  time  one  of  the  mo.st  enthusiastic 
cultivators  of  these  and  other  florist  flowers  in  the  country. 
After  coming  to  Wighill  some  new  vineries  were  erected,  and 
splendid  crops  of  Grapes,  especially  Black  Hamburgh,  have  been 
produced  on  them  for  many  years  past.  With  the  exception  of  a 
hou.se  of  Hamburghs  I  .saw  at  C'oombe  Abbey  in  1864  and  ’65,  the 
ones  at  Wighill  were  the  be.st  I  have  seen.  The  funeral  took 
place  at  the  pai’ish  church  on  the  13th.  A  successor  is  appointed. 
— H.  J.  C. 
The  Great  Rainfall. 
Probably  quite,  sufficient  notice  of  the  extraordinary  rainfall 
in  the  soutliern  parts  of  these  islands  has  already  appeared  in  the 
daily  newspapers,  and  we  must  be  content  to  .simply  register  the 
above  title  by  way  of  a  reference  for  the  guidance  of  future 
meteorologists  who  may  explore  the.se  pa.ssing  volumes  of  this 
journal.  The  rain,  it  seems  has  been  very  general,  but  London 
and  the  south  have  had  more  than  their  fair  share.  Loudon’s 
great  rain  ended  about  midnight  on  Monday,  having  lasted  with¬ 
out  an  appreciable  break  through  sixty  hours,  the  total  fall  during 
this  period  amounting  to  2.9in,  or  an  inch  more  than  the  month’s 
average  quantity ;  while  the  total  for  seven  days  from  the  previous 
Tuesday  morning  reached  4.82in.  A  drive  through  the  heart  of 
Essex  along  the  valleys  of  the  Chclmer  and  the  Blackwater  rivers 
revealed  scenes  of  fearful  havoc  among  agricultural  crops.  Wheat. 
Barley,  Potatoes,  Mangolds,  and  other  roots  being  in  many 
places  washed  away  by  the  strong  currents  of  the  swollen  rivers. 
All  roads  in  the  hollows  are  impassable,  and  the  floods  in  the 
valleys  are  said  to  be  the  worst  known  for  fifty  years.  Floods  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  St.  Albans  have  wrought  considerable 
damage.  The  road  from  London  to  the  north  is  under  water  for 
a  long  distance,  and  passengers  are  being  conveyed  through  the 
floods  at  the  price  of  a  penny  each.  In  Canterbury  there  was  a 
deluge  of  rain  soon  after  noon  yesterday.  Hail  fell  very  heavily 
and  will  tend  to  damage  the  fruit  crops,  which  previously  had 
been  pronounced  the  worst  in  Kent  for  twenty  years  past.  Straw¬ 
berries  and  Raspberries  have  thus  far  looked  better  than  any¬ 
thing  else,  but  the  cold,  wet  weather  is  causing  the  Strawberries 
to  rot  instead  of  ripening.  The  floods  in  and  around  Bucking¬ 
ham  are  most  extensive.  In  the  town  Ford  Street  is  totally 
impassable,  and  the  water  has  entered  the  houses  in  Bridge 
Street.  The  low-lying  gardens  are  covered  with  water,  and  miles 
of  meadow-land  are  submerged.  The  loss  to  the  farmers  will  be 
very  considerable.  In  North  Bodford.shire,  Biggleswade,  Sandy, 
Potton,  Shefford,  and  other  places  all  the  low  lands  are  flooded, 
and  great  damage  ha.s  been  done  to  all  the  early  maiket  garden 
produce.  Some  of  the  hay  crops  have  been  swept  away,  and  the 
rest  are  almost  spoilt. 
