558 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
June  25,  1903. 
Shirley  (Southampton)  Gardeners'  Association 
Ill  place  of  the  usual  lecture  on  the  loth,  the  Shirley  Gar¬ 
deners  held  a  Rose  show,  with  a  discussion  on  the  cultivation  of 
same.  Owing  to  the  very  wet  weather,  the  attendance  at  the 
show  and  the  number  of  exhibits  were  considerably  smaller  than 
was  expected ;  but  there  were  some  splendid  Roses  sent  by  A. 
Searle,  Esq.,  Ashton  Lodge,  Bassett  (gardener,  Mr.  P.  Nicklen), 
who  won  the  first  prize  for  six,  and  first  for  six  vases  of  garden 
Roses.  The  .second  prize  in  show  Roses  was  won  by  Mr.  F. 
Cozens;  third.  General  Nisbett,  Clarence  Lodge,  Shirley  (gar¬ 
dener,  Mr.  J.  Biggs).  For  the  six  vases  the  second  prize  went  to 
R.  C.  Bassett,  Esq.,  Berlin  Lodge,  Millbrook  (gardener,  Mr.  F. 
Snelgrove) ;  and  third,  Mr.  F.  Cozens,  Rownham.  Messrs.  B. 
Ladhams  and  Sons  had  on  view  a  good  collection  of  Sweet 
Briars,  Japanese  and  Scotch  Roses,  also  specimens  of  the  new 
single  Rose,  Reine  Blanche,  raised  by  them  at  their  nurseries, 
and  for  which  they  were  awarded  a  silver  medal  at  a  London 
exhibition.  Mr.  B.  Ladhams  opened  the  discussion.  Mr.  0. 
Nicklen  followed,  saying  that  he  always  pruned  his  Roses  before 
Christmas,  and  that  he  had  followed  that  practice  for  several 
years.  A  number  of  the  members  present  thought  that  March 
and  April  was  quite  early  enough,  but  on  the  face  of  the  blooms 
staged  they  had  to  admit  that  Mr.  Nicklen’s  method  had  beaten 
them.  After  the  meeting  thei  committee  met  and  made  final 
arrangements  for  the  annual  outing,  which  is  to  take  place  on 
July  14,  to  visit  the  gardens  at  Swanmore  Park  (of  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  fame),  by  the  kind  permission  of  W.  H.  Myers,  Esq., 
M.P.  The  party  will  be  conveyed  there  in  brakes  and  partake 
of  a  meat  tea  in  the  pavilion. — J.  M. 
Reading  Gardeners  Outing. 
The  first  summer  evening  meeting  of  the  above  association 
was  held  by  the  kind  permission  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walter  at  Bear 
Wood  on  the  12th  inst.,  and  an  exceedingly  pleasant  evening  was 
spent  by  upwards  of  eighty  members,  who  journeyed  by  various 
means,  the  cycle  predominating.  The  party  met  at  the  ‘‘  Xur- 
.s>'ry,”  and  under  the  guidance  of  Mr.  W.  Barnes,  the  head  gar¬ 
dener,  late  foreman  at  Sandringham,  the  splendid  range  of  new 
glass  houses  was  inspected.  The  first  thing  that  claimed  the 
special  attention  of  the  visitors  was  the  magnificent  crop  of 
Melons,  and  a  finer  display  of  this  luscious  fruit  would  be  diffi¬ 
cult  to  find,  in  a  private  establishment,  throughout  the  country, 
and  was  evidence  that  Mr.  Barnes  had  a  thorough  experience  in 
the  culture  of  these  plants.  The  plants  were  in  different 
stages  of  development,  and  there  were  upwards  of  one  hundred 
fruits  ready  for  the  table.  The  varieties  principally  grown  were 
a  seedling  the  result  of  a  cross  between  Eureka  and  another 
variety  of  Sutton’s  introductions  and  Ringleader.  A  house  was 
devoted  to  Tomatoes  in  pots,  and  the  plants  were  carrying  a 
heavy  crop  of  splendid  fruit.  Grapes,  Peaches,  and  Nectarines 
were  excellent  crops ;  especially  noticeable  was  a  tree  of  Royal 
George  Peach,  twentj'-seven  years  old,  which  had  never  failed  to 
give  good  results,  and  this  year  was  bearing  a  record  crop.  The 
young  Vines  planted  by  Mr.  Barnes  are  a  credit,  and  promise 
great  things  in  the  future  by  the  appearance  of  their  foliage  and 
grand  growth.  Passing  on  to  the  Carnation  house  the  members 
were  particularly  struck  with  the  healthy  foliage  of  the  plants. 
Owr  one  thousand  of  the  leading  varieties  of  Malmaisons  are 
grown,  which  were  just  coming  into  flower,  and  promise  a  won¬ 
derful  display.  In  another  house  close  upon  one  thousand  young 
Tree  Carnations  were  noted.  A  splendid  batch  of  Calanthes  is 
being  worked  up,  also  a  grand  stock  of  young  Crotons,  Caladiums, 
Palms,  Ferns,  Ac.,  grown  for  house  decoration,  which  is  a  great 
item  at  Bear  Wood.  Out  of  doors  a  batch  of  1,300  Chrys¬ 
anthemums  claimed  attention,  and  notwithstanding  the  untoward 
season  Strawberries,  Peas,  and  other  vegetables  were  looking 
well.  On  the  terrace  gardens  the  beds  of  Tea  Roses  with  a 
groundwork  of  Violas  will  certainly  make  a  brilliant  display 
during  next  month,  as  will  Sweet  Peas,  which  have  been  planted 
largely.  Bear  Wood  for  many  years  has  been  noted  throughout 
the  district  for  the  Rhododendrons;  the  late  Mr.  John  Walter 
not  only  planted  them  in  his  private  grounds,  but  by  the  wayside, 
arid  hundreds  of  visitors  wend  their  way  annually  to  the  village 
t ;  see  them.  Notwithstanding  the  frosts,  which  entirely  de¬ 
stroyed  the  Azaleas,  the  Rhododendrons  are  blooming  profusely. 
Before  separating,  the  president,  Mr.  Leonard  Sutton,  proposed 
a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walter  for  their  kind¬ 
ness  in  throwing  open  their  gardens  and  grounds  to  the  members, 
and  to  Mr.  Barnes  for  his  kind  attention  to  the  party.  As  one 
of  the  meetings  during  the  autumn  session,  according  to  arrange¬ 
ment  already  made,  will  be  devoted  to  the  criticism  or  otherwise 
of  Mr.  Barnes’  method  of  culture,  Ac.,  many  notes  were  taken 
by  the  members,  and  the  evening  will  be  looked  forward  to  with 
much  interest. 
Birmingham  Gardeners  at  Highbury. 
In  addition  to  the  usual  annual  outing,  it  has  been  re.solved 
to  have  one  or  two  afternoon  visits  during  the  summer  season 
to  some  noted  local  garden.  The  first  of  these  took  place  on  the 
17th  inst.,  when  upwards  of  100  of  the  members  and  lady  friends, 
by  the  kind  permission  of  the  Right  Hon.  Joseph  Chamberlain, 
visited  Highbury.  The  party  assembled  at  the  lodge  gates  at  five 
o’clock,  where  it  was  met  by  Messrs.  Deacon  and  Mackay  (the 
respective  head  gardener  and  Orchid  grower).  The  yucce  de 
resistance,  of  course,  was  the  Orchid  department,  and  notwith¬ 
standing  the  large  demand  for  the  cut  flowers  for  the  London 
residence  there  was  to  be  seen  an  almo.st  more  than  ordinary 
display  of  Orchids  in  vaiiety,  the  Cattleya  section  especially 
being  conspicuous.  Other  structures  were  replete  with  such  as 
Gloxinias,  Calceolarias,  and  Show  and  Zonal  Pelargoniums.  An 
admired  feature  in  the  grounds  was  the  new  Alpine  garden,  while 
the  recently  formed  adjoining  Dutch  garden,  reserved  for  bulbous 
flowers,  was  an  object  of  peculiar  interest,  the  walks  being  laid 
with  red-coloured  tiles  and  edged  with  suitable  tiles  of  the  same 
colour.  The  whole  parterre  is  enclosed  by  a  dwarf  Yew  hedge. 
Naturally,  owing  to  the  flowering  season  of  the  occuioants  being 
over,  it  was  not  seen  in  its  most  attractive  aspect. 
The  large  masses  of  Rhododendrons  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  extensive  grounds  came  in  for  a  share  of  admiration,  includ¬ 
ing  also  the  general  keeping  of  the  departments  throughout. 
At  the  close  of  the  gratifying  visit  Mr.  Walter  Jones,  the  leader 
of  the  party,  proposed  that  a  heai’ty  vote  of  thanks  be  conveyed 
to  Mr.  Chamberlain  for  his  kindness.  This  was  seconded  by 
Mr.  C.  R.  Bick  in  suitable  terms,  and  carried  with  acclamation. 
A  vote  of  thanks  was  also  accorded  to  Messrs.  Deacon  and  Mackay 
for  their  courtesy  and  interesting  information.  The  annual  out¬ 
ing  will  take  place  on  July  15,  when  Trentham  Hall  Gardens,  the 
celebrated  seat  of  the  Duke  of  Sutherland,  will  be  the  venue. 
Royal  Meteorological  Society. 
The  second  of  the  afternoon  meetings  for  the  loresent  session 
was  held  on  Wednesday,  the  17th  instant,  at  the  society’s  rooms, 
70,  Victoria  Street,  Westminster,  Captain  D.  Wilson-Barker, 
president,  in  the  chair.  Dr.  W.  N.  Shaw,  F.R.S.,  read  a  paper 
on  the  Meteorological  Aspects  of  the  Storm  of  February  26-27, 
1903.”  Between  sunset  of  the  26th  and  noon  of  the  27th  the 
British  Isles  were  visited  by  a  storm  of  unusual  severity.  Its 
most  impressive  characteri.stic  Avas  the  amount  of  damage  done 
to  trees  and  buildings  by  gales  from  the  south  or  south-west, 
particularly  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Dublin,  AAhere  vmry  large 
numbers  of  trees  Avere  uprooted,  and  in  Lancashire.  Gales  or 
strong  AA'inds  Avere  also  experienced  in  many  parts  of  the  Britisli 
Isles.  Dr.  ShaAv  exhibited  lantern  slides  shoAA’ing  the  path  of 
the  barometric  minimum  and  the  area  OA’er  Avhich  the  destruc¬ 
tion  extended.  He  also  put  foinvard  some  general  considerations 
about  barometric  depressions  and  storms,  dealing  more  especially 
with  the  distribution  of  Avinds  and  the  \mlocity  of  traA'el,  and 
concluded  by  making  some  x'emarks  on  self-recording  instruments 
and  their  management. 
A  paijer  by  Mr.  J.  Baxendell  on  “  The  Dines-Baxendell  Anemo¬ 
graph  and  the  Dial  Pattern  Non-oscillating  Pi'essure-Plate 
Anemometer  ”  Avas  read  by  the  secretary.  The  Dines  Pressure- 
tube  Anemometer  is  noAv  the  accepted  standard  instrument  for 
recording  Avind  moA'ement,  but  it  does  not  record  the  direction 
of  the  Avind.  Mr.  Baxendell  has  endeaA’oured  to  overcome  this 
draAvback,  and  in  this  paper  he  giA'es  a  description  of  the  com¬ 
bined  A'elocity  and  direction  anemometer  Avhich  he  has  designed 
for  the  Fernley  Observatory  at  Southport.  In  addition,  ,he  has 
designed  a  non-oscillating  pi’essure  plate  for  shoAving  on  a  dial 
the  maximuih  iDressure  of  the  Avind.  By  using  a  combined 
“head,”  or  A'ane,  for  the  Dines  anemometer  Mr.  Baxendell  has 
been  able  to  arrange  for  the  ncAv  instrument  to  record  (1)  the 
velocity,  (2)  the  direction,  and  (3)  the  maximum  pressure  of  tho 
wind. 
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