418 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
November  8,  1900. 
Recent  Weather  In  Iiondon. — For  several  days  past  rain  has 
fallen  intermittently,  and  the  atmosphere  continues  very  mild. 
In  the  IMCarkets. — In  the  Central  Avenue  of  Covent  Garden 
Market  there  is  a  goodly  supply  of  the  new  season’s  Chinese  Lychee,  a 
fruit  much  in  favour  for  dessert.  The  Lychee  has  a  thin  serrated 
outer  shell,  which  suggests  a  nutty  affinity,  and  a  highly  saccharine 
flesh,  something  of  the  flavour  of  a  Date,  with  a  large  stone  or  seed 
in  the  centre.  The  price  of  this  fruit  is  from  Is.  3d.  to  Is.  6d. 
a  pound.  In  Leadenhall  Market  there  are  some  Custard  Apples,  selling 
at  6d.  to  8d.  each  ;  Blackberries  at  4d.  a  pound ;  and  there  are  still 
some  Golden  Drop  Plums  to  be  had  at  8d.  a  pound,  almost  the  last  of 
the  season. 
Death  of  M.  Edward  Pynaert. — One  of  the  names  most 
familiar  among  those  of  continental  horticulturists  to  this  generation 
is  that  of  M.  Edward  Pynaert  of  Ghent.  We  regret  to  chronicle  his 
decease  upon  the  28th  of  last  month  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years. 
During  the  last  ten  years  of  his  life  he  was  unfortunately  a  sufferer 
from  the  complaint  to  which  he  ultimately  succumbed.  In  addition 
to  conducting  a  large  business  he  officiated  as  professor  in  the  Belgian 
School  of  Horticulture,  and  was  a  frequent  contributor  to  the  pages 
of  the  “  Revue  de  I’Horticulture  Beige  ”  and  the  “  Bulletins  d’ Agri¬ 
culture.”  He  was,  moreover,  a  municipal  councillor  of  Ghent,  very 
active  in  all  public  matters,  and  the  distinguished  holder  of  several 
French,  Russian,  and  Dutch  orders,  in  addition  to  others  bestowed  upon 
him  by  his  own  country.  His  activity  had  made  him  widely  known, 
and  his  genial  and  magnetic  disposition  contributed  to  gain  him  a  large 
circle  of  appreciative  and  devoted  friends,  who,  in  losing  him,  feel  that 
a  life  of  much  usefulness  and  benevolence  has  been  but  too  early 
terminated. 
Horticultural  Instruction  In  Somerset. — We  are  favoured  with 
a  copy  of  the  annual  report  for  the  year  ending  March  Slst,  1900,  of 
the  Education  Committee  of  the  Somerset  County  Council,  which 
extends  to  some  65  pages.  It  is  easy  to  see  what  an  exceptionally 
wide  range  of  subjects  is  dealt  with,  as  practically  everything  is  embodied 
that  is  included  in  the  majority  of  technical  education  schemes.  The 
gardening  is,  however,  of  most  interest  to  horticultural  readers, 
and  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  much  excellent  work  is  being  done.  The 
instructor  in  gardening,  Mr.  John  Ettle,  gave  lectures  last  winter  in 
twenty-four  different  centres,  and  had  a  total  attendance  of  745  persons. 
In  addition  to  these,  outdoor  work  and  special  demonstrations  have 
been  numerous,  and  in  almost  all  cases  the  attendance  has  been  most 
gratifying.  Mr.  Ettle,  too,  has  judged  at  several  shows,  and  found  an 
excellent  average  of  quality.  The  council  has  apparently  eight  sets 
of  school  gardens,  which  are  all  proving  a  success  under  the  guidance 
of  local  instructors,  supervised  by  the  county  instructor  in  horticulture. 
Such  work  as  this,  consistently  followed  up,  cannot  fail  to  be  productive 
of  good  to  the  gardening  throughout  the  county. 
Blrmlogbam  Cardenera’  Hasoclatlon.  —  One  of  the  best 
attended  meetings  of  the  present  session  was  recently  held  at  the 
Athletic  Institute,  with  Professor  W.  Hillhouse,  M.A.,  F.L.S.,  of  Mason’s 
College  (the  president),  in  the  chair.  Mr.  H.  Stone,  Birmingham,  gave 
an  exceedingly  interesting  lecture  entitled  “  Timber  from  a  Botanical 
Standpoint,”  illustrated  by  lantern  elides.  As  a  purchaser  and  turner 
of  both  native  and  exotic  woods,  Mr.  Stone’s  intimate  knowledge 
of  botany,  and  especially  the  structure  and  nature  of  the  numerous 
kinds  of  woods  which  have  come  under  his  cognisance  commercially, 
enabled  him  to  deal  with  the  subject  in  an  exceptional  manner,  and 
which  was  further  aided  by  the  specimens  portrayed  under  the  lantern 
development.  Photographs  were  also  shown  of  fruiting  branchlets  of 
the  British  Oaks  (Quercus  pedunculata  and  sessiliflora).  Mr.  W.  Gardiner 
(the  librarian)  also  brought  branchlets  of  the  two  Oaks  to  show  their 
respective  forms  of  foliage  and  fruit ;  also  cut  examples  of  Cratmguses 
coccinea  and  orientalis  profusely  berried  from  Harborne.  At  the  close 
of  the  lecture  Professor  Hillhouse  exhibited  an  interesting  set  of 
veneers  of  woods,  and  also  in  most  appreciative  terms  testified  to  the 
highly  instructive  lecture  of  Mr.  Stone,  and  which  was  endorsed  by 
Messrs.  W.  B,  Latham  and  John  Pppe. 
Death  of  Bfir.  John  IVIorle. — We  regret  to  record  the  sudden  death 
of  Mr.  Morle,  who  for  the  past  twenty-four  years  has  been  foreman  of 
the  fruit  departments  at  Southfields,  Langley,  and  Feltham  for  Messrs. 
Jas.  Veitoh  &  Sons,  Chelsea.  Mr.  Morle  was  at  business  on  Saturday 
October  27th,  and  was  out  on  Sunday,  but  died  on  Monday,  the  29th, 
from  apoplexy. 
Agricultural  Insurance. — At  a  meeting  of  the  Bucks  Chamber 
of  Agriculture  at  High  Wycombe  recently,  under  the  presidency  of 
Mr.  W.  H.  Grenfell,  M.P.,  the  question  of  agricultural  insurance  was 
considered.  It  was  resolved,  on  the  motion  of  the  chairman,  that  an 
appeal  be  made  to  insurance  companies  to  return  to  the  former  tariff 
in  regard  to  agricultural  insurance,  and  that,  failing  such  concession, 
the  formation  of  a  Farmers’  or  Agriculturists’  National  Mutual  Insurance 
Society  be  considered  by  the  whole  of  the  Chambers  of  Agriculture. 
Hltchln  Chrysanthemum  Society. — On  Thursday,  November 
15th,  this  society  will  hold  its  annual  exhibition  in  the  Corn  Exchange. 
The  schedule  comprises  about  five  and  a  half  dozen  classes  devoted  to 
Chrysanthemums,  general  plants,  fruit  and  vegetables.  Some  of  the- 
classes  are  open  to  all  subscribers,  others  are  arranged  for  the 
convenience  of  amateurs,  while  neither  ladies  nor  cottagers  are 
forgotten.  The  hon.  secretary  is  Mr.  W.  G.  P.  Clark,  York  Road 
Hitohin. 
The  late  IHr.  John  Harper. — It  is  with  much  sorrow  that  one 
pens  a  brief  obituary  notice  of  a  good  gardener,  who  was  for  many 
years  a  reader  of  our  Journal.  Mr.  John  Harper  was  a  native  of 
Ayrshire,  I  understand.  Originally  a  weaver,  his  love  for  flowers  led 
him  to  abandon  that  occupation  when  he  had  almost  reached  the  age 
of  manhood,  in  order  that  he  might  devote  himself  to  the  work  he 
loved  so  well.  He  wisely  served  an  apprenticeship  to  the  craft,  and 
after  gaining  considerable  experience,  eventually  became  head  gardener 
at  Annick  Lodge,  in  Ayrshire.  Here  he  remained  for  several  years, 
keeping  the  gardens  in  splendid  order.  After  several  reductions 
had  been  made  in  the  staff,  Mr.  Harper  resigned  his  situation,  and 
finally  secured  a  similar  one  in  the  employment  of  R.  Maxwell-Witham, 
Esq.,  at  Kirkconnell,  Kirkcudbrightshire,  where  he  died  on  October  30th. 
His  constitution  had  been  undermined  by  serious  illnesses  during  the 
two  past  winters,  and  an  attack  of  pneumonia  had  a  fatal  termination, 
Mr.  Harper  never  lost  his  love  for  flowers,  and  it  would  be  difficult  to 
say  whether  he  cared  more  for  florists’  flowers  or  for  herbaceous  plants. 
An  old  grower  of  the  former,  he  was  an  excellent  judge  of  their  quality. 
At  Kirkconnell  he  had  a  large  number  of  these  plants  under  his  charge, 
and  the  position  they  took  at  shows  was  a  proof  that  he  was  as  good  a 
grower  as  a  judge.  His  place  will  be  hard  to  fill.  As  a  man  he  was  to 
be  admired  for  his  staunchness  to  principle.  It  was  occasionally  my 
privilege  to  go  round  the  garden  in  his  company,  and  one  will  never 
see  it  again  without  thinking  of  that  trrie  gardener  who  has  just  passed 
to  his  rest. — S.  Arnott. 
Devon  and  Exeter  Gardeners’  Association. — The  opening 
meeting  of  the  session  was  held  on  the  31st  ult.  in  Exeter  Guildhall, 
and  was  presided  over  by  Mr.  Andrew  Hope,  hon.  secretary,  the 
lecturer  being  being  Mr.  Allen  H.  Ware,  Ph.  Ch.,  lecturer  at  the  Royal 
Albert  Memorial  College,  technical  department.  His  subject  was 
“  Studies  in  Plant  Life.”  There  was  a  large  attendance  of  members 
and  students  in  botany  from  the  Memorial  College,  the  Middle  School, 
and  St.  John’s  Hospital  School,  many  lady  teachers  being  present. 
Mr.  Ware,  who  illustrated  his  lecture  by  pictures  thrown  on  a  screen 
by  limelight,  commenced  by  showing  the  structure  of  leaves,  and  the 
part  they  took  in  building  up  the  plant.  Many  interesting  examples- 
were  exhibited  to  show  the  marvellous  manner  in  which  plants  adapt 
themselves  to  their  surroundings,  protect  themselves  from  their  foes, 
and  help  themselves  from  the  larder  of  the  atmosphere  which  surrounds 
them,  occasionally  borrowing  from  their  neighbours.  A  typical  collec¬ 
tion  of  plants,  insectivorous  and  other  kinds,  was  lent  by  Mr.  Veitch 
for  the  occasion,  and  the  specimens  examined  with  much  interest  by  the 
students.  The  lecture  throughout  was  deeply  interesting  and  instruc¬ 
tive,  and  was  listened  to  with  marked  attention.  The  chairman,  in 
moving  a  vote  of  thankk  to  Mr.  Ware,  hoped  that  one  effect  of  the 
lecture  would  be  the  taking  of  greater  interest  in  botanical  study  by 
young  gardeners,  to  whom,  after  the  acquirement  of  some  of  the 
technical  terms,  it  would  prove  an  absorbing,  delightful  and  useful 
study.  It  served  to  show  how  thin  was  the  dividing  line  between  the 
animal  and  the  vegetable  kingdoms,  and  that  nothing  had  been  made 
in  vain  in  the  plan  of  creation. 
