November  15,  ly(Ml. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
439 
Secretaries  of  All  Gardening:  Mutual  Improvemeni 
Socletles*are  requested  to  send  address  and  title  of  tbeir  organisations 
to  tbe  Editor  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  at  12,  Mitre  Court 
Chambers,  Fleet  Street,  London,  for  insertion  in  the  coming  edition  of 
the  “  Horticultnral  Directory,”  which  is  published  at  the  beginning  of 
December. 
Iilverpool  Horticultural  Association. — A.fter  an  absence  of 
twelve  months  the  Liverpool  Horticultural  Association  have  renewed 
their  Saturday  lectures.  Liverpool  contains  many  notable  places,  and 
the  interest  the  Corporation  take  in  gardening  matters  should  be 
sufficient  stimulus  to  the  association  to  keep  everything  of  the  highest 
importance  before  its  subscribers.  The  new  attempt  brought  a  good 
attendance,  Mr.  T.  Foster,  chairman  of  the  association,  presiding. 
The  subject,  “  Soils,  and  Their  Treatment,”  was  dealt  with  in  the  most 
practical  manner  by  Mr.  R.  G.  Waterman  of  Woolton,  who  took  his 
hearers  through  the  various  phases  of  draining,  burning,  shelter,  the 
various  uses  of  manures  and  rotation  of  crops.  The  discussion  was 
good,  and  the  usual  motions  of  thanks  passed. — R.  P.  R. 
Woolton  Gardeners’  Improvement  Society. — The  Rev.  Canon 
Spooner  presided  at  the  second  meeting  of  the  Woolton  Gardeners’ 
Society,  when  that  popular  lecturer,  Mr.  R .  W.  Ker  of  the  Aigburth 
Nurseries,  came  before  the  society.  The  subjects  he  chose  were 
“  Accounts  of  the  Sweet  Pea  Conference,”  and  “  My  Russian  Journey.” 
He  said  that  undoubtedly  the  best  exhibits  at  the  Sweet  Pea  Conference 
were  those  put  up  in  bunches  and  not  overladen.  In  his  account  of  his 
trip  to  Russia  his  hearers  could  not  fail  to  derive  many  edifying  lessons 
on  travel.  On  arriving  at  St.  Petersburg  to  adjudicate  the  only  two 
countrymen  whom  they  encountered  were  Mr.  Arthur  Veitch  and  Mr. 
Sander.  They  were  placed  in  charge  of  a  military  officer,  who  conducted 
them  round.  Of  the  show  they  were  all  loud  in  their  praises.  The 
lecture  concluded  with  some  magnificent  slides  relative  to  the  beautiful 
bedding  carried  out  in  the  public  gardens  at  Berlin. — R.  P.  R. 
Heading  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement  Society. — At  tbe 
last  fortnightly  meeting  of  the  Reading  and  District  Gardeners’  Mutual, 
Mr.  C.  P.  Cretchley,  of  the  Honey’s  Gardens,  Twyford,  and  formerly  of 
the  Royal  Gardens,  Kew,  gave  a  very  interesting  paper  on  “  Ferns, 
Their  Culture  and  Classification,”  treating  the  subject  under  the 
following  headings  :  General  appearance  and  character,  flowering,  spores, 
character  and  germination,  culture,  sowing,  stove  varieties  in  pots, 
baskets,  rafts,  general  ornamentation,  greenhouse  varieties,  propagation, 
shading,  insect  pests,  class-ification.  A  discussion  followed  in  which 
Mr.  Stanton,  Dr.  Stansfield,  Messrs.  Powell,  Blake,  Bryant,  Neve, 
Barnes,  Burfitt,  and  Pry  took  part.  A  very  unusual  but  interesting 
exhibit  was  made  by  Mr.  Stanton,  Park  Place,  Henley-on-Thames,  who 
staged  blooms  of  Aristolochia  tricaudata,  Mexico  ;  A.  elegans,  Brazil ; 
A.  gigas  Sturtevanti,  Guatemala;  and  fruits  of  Diospyros  Kaki,  Japanese 
fruit,  and  Guavas.  The  other  exhibitors  were  Dr.  Stansfield,  Fern 
Soolopendrium  orispum  grande;  Mr.  Exler,  The  Redlands  Gardens,  Lily 
of  Valley  ;  Mr.  F.  Lever,  Hillside  Gardens,  collection  of  Zonals.  A 
vote  of  thanks  was  accorded  the  lecturer  and  the  exhibitors.  Two  new 
members  were  elected. 
Bristol  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement  Association. — 
The  fortnightly  meeting  was  held  at  St.  John’s  Parish  Room,  Redland, 
on  Thursday,  November  8th.  Mr.  G.  Harding,  of  Clifton,  lectured 
upon  the  “  Migration  of  Birds.”  He  observed  that  bird  migration  was 
world-wide  in  its  operation  and  influence,  and  gave  some  details 
respecting  the  time  of  arrival  and  departure  of  the  chief  visitors  to  our 
shores.  The  reasons  for  this  migration  were  for  nesting  purposes,  need 
of  food,  and  an  occasional  impulse  to  travel.  He  also  gave  much 
information  as  to  the  great  power  of  endurance  of  birds  on  the  wing, 
the  high  altitudes  at  which  they  travel  during  the  daytime,  the  swiftness 
of  their  flight,  and  the  large  numbers  in  which  the  various  tribes 
journey  from  one  continent  to  another,  quoting  largely  from  statistics 
collected  by  the  lighthouse-keepers  on  our  coasts.  He  concluded  his 
lecture  by  claiming  that  we  could  not  exist  without  the  assistance  of 
these  feathered  friends,  who  derived  their  sustenance  from  the  insect 
life  around  us,  and  who  should,  with  very  few  exceptions,  be  efficiently 
protected.  Mr.  Harding  was  accorded  the  hearty  vote  of  thanks  of 
the  meeting  for  his  valuable  lecture.  Prizes  for  six  dessert  Apples 
were  awarded  Messrs.  Gardner,  Marsh,  and  McCulloch,  and  for  six 
dessert  Pears  to  Messrs.  Skinner,  McCulloch,  and  Orchard.  Certificates 
of  merit  went  to  Mr.  E.  Poole  for  collection  of  Fungi,  and  Mr.  Maddocks, 
two  vases  of  Violets. 
Royal  Meteorological  Society, — At  the  ordinary  meeting  of 
the  society,  to  be  held,  by  kind  permission  of  the  council,  at  the 
Institution  of  Civil  Engineers,  Great  George  Street,  Westminster,  on 
Wednesday,  the  2l8t  inst.,  at  7.30  p.m.,  the  following  papers  will  be 
read: — “An  Improved  Mounting  for  the  Lens  and  Bowl  of  the 
Campbell-Stokes  Sunshine  Recorder,”  by  Richard  H.  Curtis, 
F.R.Met.Soc. ;  “  Weekly  Death  Rate  and  Temperature  Curves,  1890- 
1899,”  by  W.  H.  Dines,  B.A.,  F.R.Met.Soc.;  “  Seasonal  Rainfall  of  the 
British  Islands,”  by  Henry  Mellish,  F.R.Met.Soc.? 
American  Rose  Society — Point-judging  Standards. — -The 
executive  committee  of  the  American  Rose  Society  met  in  New  York 
for  the  purpose  of  revising  the  schedule  of  prizes  for  the  Jlarch  show 
next  year.  This  was  accomplished  as  regards  the  regiilar  classes, 
which  remain  much  as  last  year,  but  important  alterations  and  additions 
were  made.  A  gold  challenge  medal  will  be  ofl'ered  for  the  display  of 
novelties  of  the  four  years  preceding  the  date  of  the  show,  and  a 
handsome  challenge  piece  is  instituted  for  gardeners.  Important 
additions  are  made  in  the  classes  for  pot  plants,  and  prizes  are  to  he 
offered  for  the  best  individual  bloom  in  several  named  classes  for  Hybrid 
Perpetual,  Hybrid  Teas,  and  Teas.  Perhaps  the  most  significant  action 
was  in  regard  to  a  scale  of  points  by  which  the  judges  at  the  March 
show  shall  work.  Two  distinct  scales  were  adopted  as  follows  for 
competitive  classes  : — Size,  15  ;  colottr,  20 ;  stem,  20 ;  form,  15  ; 
substance,  15;  foliage,  15.  Total,  100.  For  judging  novelties  entered 
for  certificates  : — Size,  10  ;  colour,  20  ;  stem,  15  ;  form,  15;  substance, 
10;  foliage,  15;  fragrance,  5  ;  distinctiveness,  10.  Total,  100. 
Beckenbam  Horticultural  Society. — The  members  of  this 
society  met  on  Friday  evening  last  under  the  chairmanship  of  Mr.  T.  W. 
Thornton,  P.R.H.S.,  to  receive  a  lecture  on  “  Cacti  of  the  United  States 
of  America  and  of  Mexico,  and  How  to  Grow  Them,”  by  Mr.  G.  A. 
Blogg,  Secretary  National  Cactus  Society,  illustrated  by  lantern  views. 
The  chairman  having  introduced  the  lecturer  with  a  few  well  chosen 
remarks,  the  lecturer,  as  might  be  anticipated  from  his  long  experience 
of  forty-five  years  with  Cactaceous  plants,  gave  an  exhaustive  account 
of  them.  Their  geographical  distribution,  the  treatment  of  imported 
plants,  raising  from  seeds,  cuttings,  and  offsets,  were  all  treated 
explicitly.  The  conditions  of  their  general  culture  would  be  a  porous 
soil,  good  drainage,  a  stove  temperature  with  slight  shade  from  extreme 
sun  in  summer,  and  plenty  of  atmospheric  moisture ;  a  reduction  of 
moisture  at  the  root,  and  a  dry  atmosphere  when  ripening  the  growth, 
after  that,  to  rest  them,  a  greenhouse  temperature  would  suffice,  with 
full  exposure  to  all  sunlight.  Pieces  of  slate  should  be  placed  beneath 
the  roots  to  protect  them  from  the  worms.  The  lecturer  advised  all  who 
had  not  seen  the  gorgeous  display  of  Phyllocactus  made  by  Messrs. 
Veitch  &  Sons  at  the  Temple  Show,  not  to  again  lose  the  opportunity, 
and  directed  the  attention  of  the  audience  to  a  picture  placed  on  the 
screen  showing  a  corner  of  the  Penge  Recreation  Ground  where  many 
Cactaceous  plants  and  other  succulents  formed  a  part  of  the  subtropical 
bedding.  The  thanks  of  the  society  are  due  also  to  Messrs.  Cannell 
for  the  exhibit  of  Cacti,  a  lesson  itself  in  staging,  so  smart  and  clean 
were  they,  also  a  collection  of  their  wonderful  vegetables. — T.  C. 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Cblswlck. — Taken  in  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens — height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Temperature  ot  the 
Air. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
9 
o 
■g  2  a 
* 
-2? 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
a 
®  M  2 
IS)  00. 
At 
At 
At 
H 
1-ft. 
2-ft. 
4-ft. 
November 
o 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
bfi 
x 
V 
deep. 
deep. 
deep. 
a 
_ — 
N.E. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
ins. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Sunday..  4 
49-7 
48-7 
52-6 
48  8 
0-02 
52-7 
53-1 
53 ’4 
47  to 
Monday..  6 
s.s.  w . 
50  (> 
49  8 
66-2 
49-3 
0-05 
52-5 
531 
53 '4 
48-3 
Tuesday  0 
S.E. 
52-7 
50  8 
50  G 
tO-5 
0-12 
52-5 
63  1 
5S’4 
41-8 
Wed’sday  7 
s.w. 
49  9 
4.'.'  2 
51*0 
47-5 
0-13 
62-2 
53  1 
63-4 
39'5 
Thursday  8 
s.s.vv. 
44-9 
41-8 
54-8 
39  1 
— 
50  3 
62-9 
63-4 
32-1 
Friday  . .  9 
NV . 
52  9 
48-8 
54-4 
45  0 
0-01 
50-4 
52-4 
53-4 
42-9 
Saturday  10 
vv.s.w. 
40  0 
37-9 
48-9 
35  1 
— 
47-9 
621 
53 -4 
25'i) 
Total 
39-7 
Means  .. 
r-. 
Of) 
40-6 
53-5 
45-0 
0'33 
51-2 
62-8 
03-4 
Cold,  misty,  showery  weather  prevailed  during  the  first  part  of  the 
week,  the  latter  part  being  mild  and  spring-like,  especially  Satuiday, 
which  was  very  bright  and  warm. 
