376 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  25,  1900. 
Secretaries  of  All  Cardenlngr  IVIutual  Improvement 
Societies  are  requested  to  send  address  and  title  of  their  organisations 
to  the  Editor  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  at  12,  Mitre  Court 
Chambers,  Fleet  Street,  London,  for  insertion  in  the  coming  edition  of 
the  “  Horticultural  Directory,”  which  is  published  at  the  beginning  of 
December. 
Hessle  Gardeners’  Society.'— The  above  society  held  the  first 
of  its  fortnightly  meetings  on  October  2nd.  Mr.  Leadbetter,  Tranby 
Croft,  was  appointed  chairman,  and  Mr.  Blair  vice-chairman.  The 
essayist  for  the  evening  was  Mr.  Picker,  Hesslewood,  whose  subject 
was  “Herbaceous  Plants  and  their  Culture.”  Mr.  Picker  rendered 
much  useful  information  of  the  culture  of  these  very  popular  plants  ; 
he  also  contributed  towards  the  evening’s  entertainment  by  exhibiting 
a  magnificent  collection  of  herbaceous  plants  in  flower,  which  were 
awarded  the  society’s  cultural  certificate.  The  second  meeting  was 
held  October  16th  in  the  parish  schoolroom,  Mr.  Blair  presided.  The 
subject  for  the  evening  was  “  Garden  Pests,”  read  by  Mr.  Akester^ 
North  Ferriby,  and  the  subject  proved  both  interesting  and  beneficial, 
and  was  thoroughly  appreciated  by  the  members  present. — J.  F.  D. 
Xlverpool  Crain,  Root,  and  Fruit  Show. — For  eleven  years 
this  society,  promoted  by  the  Liverpool  and  District  Farmers’  Club, 
has  continued  its  useful  and  beneficial  course,  stimulating  the  many 
very  excellent  cultivators  of  the  land  to  grow  the  best  only  of  the 
produce  sent  out  by  the  leading  seed  firms  in  the  land.  On  October  13th 
Potatoes  were  remarkable.  Mr.  B.  Ashton,  gardener  to  Lord  Lathom, 
Lathom  House,  secured  the  premier  position  in  several  classes.  Messrs. 
John  Halsall,  J.  Johnson,  James  Parker,  E.  Harrison,  B.  Bowen,  and 
W.  Forster  were  also  successful.  Special  prizes  were  offered  by  Messrs. 
Sutton  &  Sons  for  the  best  three  distinct  dishes,  and  for  the  best  dish 
of  nine  tubers  distinct,  Mr.  Ashton  winning  with  magnificent  produce. 
Messrs.  Webb  of  Stourbridge  offered  a  special  for  three  distinct  dishes, 
Mr.  J.  E.  Newton  winning.  Messrs.  Dickson  &  Eobinson’s  prize  was 
won  by  Mr.  T.  Coleman.  Vegetables  formed  a  show  in  themselves,  the 
root  crops,  such  as  Carrots,  Beet,  Parsnips,  and  Leeks  being  splendid. 
In  such  a  wonderful  fruit  year,  and  with  many  shows  to  follow  in  which 
larger  classes  are  to  be  reckoned  with  more  fully,  it  will  suffice  when 
we  say  that  the  quality  was  superb.  The  success  of  this  interesting 
exhibition  is  duo  in  no  small  measure  to  the  untiring  energy  of  the 
joint  hon.  secretaries,  Mr.  Eobert  Mawdsley,  Yew  Tree  House, 
Halewood,  and  Mr.  Austin  Peppin,  Ivy  Villa,  Moiling. 
Devon  and  Exeter  Gardeners’  Association. — The  annual 
meeting  was  held  on  October  12th  at  the  Guildhall,  Exeter,  the  Mayor 
(Mr.  H.  P.  O.  Hamlin)  presiding.  The  committee  stated  that  after 
nine  years  of  good  solid  work,  carried  on  without  interruption  on  the 
lines  originally  laid  down  by  the  founders,  they  were  pleased  to  be  able 
to  present  a  report  which  was  at  once  gratifying  as  to  the  past  and 
encouraging  as  to  the  future.  Having  reviewed  the  work  of  the  session 
the  report  went  on  to  state  that  the  essays  and  lectures  given  and  the 
general  work  of  the  association  were  all  in  strict  keeping  with  the 
furtherance  of  practical  and  scientific  gardening  in  its  modern  phases. 
Eeference  was  made  to  the  success  attending  the  annual  excursion, 
which  was  to  Lyme  Eegis,  Eousden  Seaton.  The  committee  desired  to 
record  the  continued  kindness  and  interest  shown  in  the  association  by 
their  esteemed  President,  Mr.  E.  A.  Sanders,  and  also  expressed  their 
indebtedness  to  his  Worship  the  Mayor  of  Exeter  for  permitting  the 
society  the  use  of  the  Couucil  Chamber  in  which  to  hold  the  meetings. 
By  the  help  of  the  gardening  and  local  Press  the  proceedings  of  the 
society  had  been  well  and  fully  reported,  and  that,  no  doubt,  had  to  a 
great  extent  made  the  association  well  known  and  popular.  The 
committee  on  the  whole  had  much  to  be  thankful  for — the  support 
given  to  the  association,  for  its  continued  prosperity  financially  and 
otherwise  —  and  had  every  ground  for  believing  that  there  was  a 
successful  future  before  it.  The  Mayor,  in  moving  the  adoption  of  the 
report,  said  he  did  not  know  any  pastime  more  fascinating  than 
gardening.  And  it  was  not  only  fascinating,  but  healthy,  and  afforded 
pleasure  to  one’s  self  and  one’s  friends.  Moreover,  it  tended  to  very 
great' improvement  in  the  taste  of  the  people.  Mr.  Pengelly  seconded, 
and  said  they  were  indebted  to  the  hon.  secretary  for  infusing  the 
report  with  life,  that  the  association  was  doing  a  work  in  Exeter  which 
no  other  society  was  doing,  and  that  it  had  some  influence  in  the  City 
Council,  as  indicated  by  the  care  which  was  now  being  taken  of  the 
public  grounds.  The  motion  was  carried  unanimously.  Thanks  to 
the  Mayor  for  the  use  of  the  Guildhall  and  presiding  closed  the  meeting. 
The  Fruiterers’  Company. — In  accordance  with  ancient  custom 
the  Fruiterers’  Company  presented  the  Lord  Mayor  with  an  assortment 
of  home-grown  fruits  in  the  drawing-room  of  the  Mansion  House  on  the 
16th  inst.  Mr.  Joseph  Dawson,  the  master  of  the  Company,  made  the 
presentation,  and  the  Lord  Mayor,  in  acknowledging  the  gift,  spoke  of 
the  excellent  work  done  by  the  Fruiterers’  Company  to  encourage  the 
growth  of  fruit  in  this  country. 
Shirley  Gardeners’  Association. — The  monthly  meeting  in 
connection  with  the  Shirley  Gardeners’  Association  was  held  on 
October  15th  at  the  Parish  Eoom,  Shirley.  The  meeting  was  of  more 
than  ordinary  interest,  as  Mr.  James  Hudson,  F.E.H.S.,  V.M.H., 
gardener  to  Leopold  de  Eothschild,  Esq.,  Gunnersbury  House,  Acton, 
was  present  to  lecture  on  “  Orchard-house  Trees  in  Pots.”  Mr. 
B.  Ladhams  presided.  The  lecturer,  in  the  course  of  his  paper, 
advocated  growing  fruit  and  flowers  in  pots  in  localities  where  spring 
frost  would  destroy  the  bloom.  Another  reason  in  their  favour  was  that 
they  could  be  forced,  and  that  instead  of  one  crop  you  could  get  two  or 
three  in  a  season.  In  conclusion,  Mr.  Hudson  dealt  with  the  best  time 
to  pot  the  trees,  and  said  it  was  undoubtedly  in  the  autumn,  and  added 
that  it  should  be  done  every  year.  A  discussion  followed  the  lecture, 
in  which  several  members  asked  Mr.  Hudson  questions  which  were 
answered.  The  following  members  gained  the  society’s  first-class 
certificates  : — Mr.  Jas.  Hudson,  for  a  collection  of  pot-grown  Apples 
and  Pears;  General  Nisbett  (gardener,  Mr.  E.  J.  Biggs),  for  six  dishes 
Apples,  three  dessert,  three  kitchen,  and  twelve  Tomatoes;  Mr. 
B.  Ladhams,  for  a  collection  of  cut  flowers  ;  Col.  Simkins  (gardener, 
Mr.  E.  J.  Wilcox),  for  a  plant  of  Mina  lobata  ;  and  Mrs.  Twyham 
(gardener,  Mr.  G.  W.  Othen),  for  twenty  very  fine  Pears,  Pitmaston 
Duchess.  Secondary  awards  went  to  Mr.  A.  H.  Cobbold  for  one  dish  of 
Apples  and  one  of  Quince ;  and  to  S.  M.  Marker,  Esq.  (gardener,  Mr. 
J.  Wright),  for  three  dishes  dessert  Apples. 
Early  Snow  in  Soutb  Eondon. — The  wave  of  cold  air  which  has 
come  down  from  the  northward  serves  to  remind  us  that,  in  spite  of 
the  mild  spells  we  have  had  recently,  the  winter  is  not  far  distant.  A 
week  ago  snow  fell  in  the  hilly  districts  of  North  Britain,  and  in  the 
course  of  Sunday  a  few  stray  flakes  were  observed  in  the  south-western 
suburbs  of  London.  Many  years  ago  a  writer  in  “  Symons’  Meteor¬ 
ological  Magazine”  drew  attention  to  the  singular  connection  between 
early  falls  of  snow  in  the  neighbourhood  of  London  and  the  weather  of 
the  following  winter.  Between  the  years  1810  and  1880  there  were,  it 
appeared,  only  twelve  years  in  which  snow  had  made  its  appearance  so 
early  as  October,  and  in  eleven  of  these  cases  the  temperature  of  the 
succeeding  winter  was  below  the  average.  Since  1880  there  have  been 
four  more  cases  with  snow  in  October,  and  in  two  of  these  the  following 
winter  was  somewhat  mild.  If  we  take  the  whole  sixteen  cases,  going 
back  direct  to  the  beginning  of  the  century,  we  find  that  in  no  fewer 
than  thirteen  the  early  snow  was  followed  by  a  winter  of  greater  or  less 
severity.  The  only  consolation  to  be  derived  at  present  from  so 
disconcerting  a  fact  is  that  the  snow  of  Sunday  was  so  extremely  slight 
that  it  may  not  count.  The  heaviest  October  snowfall  on  record  in 
London  appears  to  have  occurred  on  the  19th  of  the  month  in  1880, 
when  a  depth  of  2  inches  on  the  ground  was  recorded. 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Chiswick. — Taken  in  the 
Eoyal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens — height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Direction  of 
Wind. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Bain. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
Lowest 
Temperature 
on  Grass. 
1900. 
October. 
At  9  A.H. 
Day. 
Night 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
ao 
OQ 
0) 
A 
.SP 
o 
Sunday . .  14 
Monday.  .15 
Tuesday  16 
Wed’sday  17 
Thursday  18 
Friday  ..  19 
Saturday  2o 
W.N.W. 
W.N.W. 
S.E. 
S.S.W. 
W.N.W. 
N.N.E. 
N.N.E. 
deg. 
47- 1 
46-9 
43-8 
64  9 
61-9 
48- 9 
46-4 
deg. 
42- 6 
41  1 
40-4 
62-8 
49-1 
46-3 
43- 8 
deg. 
49-7 
62'2 
66-3 
63*4 
66-2 
66-3 
60-1 
deg. 
42- 8 
37-2 
31-0 
43- 8 
47-7 
45-3 
43  6 
ins. 
0-04 
0.03 
0-02 
deg. 
61-8 
49-0 
48-2 
60-1 
60- 9 
61- 5 
61-1 
deg. 
65 -0 
64-4 
63-5 
63-0 
63-3 
53-3 
53-3 
deg. 
66-2 
56-0 
65- 8 
65 -6 
66- 3 
55-1 
64-9 
deg. 
35- 8 
29-5 
21-6 
37-9 
36- 7 
42-3 
39-3 
Means  .. 
48-4 
46 '2 
64-5 
41-6 
Total 
0-09 
50-4 
63-7 
66-6 
34-7 
A  week  of  dull,  almost  sunless  weather,  with  cold  winds  and  slight 
showers  on  three  days. 
