November  22,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
465 
Seereta?les  of  illl  Gardenlngr  nxatnal  Improvement 
Societies  aie  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. 
lee  and  Blackbeath  Horticultural  Society.  —  The  winter 
meetings  of  this  society  include  papers  on  the  following  subjects  : — 
November  30th,  “  Stove  and  Greenhouse  Bulbous  Plants,”  by  Mr.  J. 
Pearce;  December  21st,  “Economy  and  Efficiency  in  Manuring 
Gardens,  ’  by  Mr.  E.  Owen  Greening ;  1901,  January  25th,  “  The  Green 
Leaf  and  its  Work,”  by  Mr.  George  Gordon,  V.M.H.;  February  22nd, 
‘  Gardening  as  a  Profession,”  by  Mr.  T.  W.  Sanders;  and  March  29th, 
discussion  on  “Culinary  Vegetables,”  to  be  opened  by  Mr.  F.  Fox. 
Blrmlngliam  Gardeners’  Association. — At  the  usual  fort¬ 
nightly  meeting,  held  on  the  12th  inst.  at  the  Athletic  Institute, 
Mr.  Walter  Jones  in  the  chair,  Mr.  William  Spinks  (manager  to 
Messrs.  Hewitt  &  Co.’s  nurseries)  was  responsible  for  an  entertaining 
address — the  third  annual  one — pertaining  to  comments  on  some  of  the 
principal  exhibits  at  the  recent  grand  Chrysanthemum,  fruit,  and 
vegetable  exhibition  held  in  the  spacious  Bingley  Hall.  The  subject 
was,  as  usual,  looked  forward  to  with  considerable  interest  by  the 
members  of  the  association,  and  was  admirably  dealt  with.  In  the 
animated  discussion  which  followed  various  suggestions  were  advanced 
by  several  of  the  members  present. 
Otley  Gardeners’  Society. — The  fourth  annual  show  of  the  Otley 
and  District  Fruit  and  Vegetable  Society  was  opened  in  the  Mechanics’ 
Institute  on  Wednesday  last  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Duncan,  M.P.  There  was  a 
large  attendance  of  the  public.  The  competition  amongst  the  exhibitors 
was  much  keener  than  at  any  previous  show,  and  the  quality  of  the 
exhibits  was  superior.  The  awards  were  : — Group  of  Chrysanthemums. 
— First,  Colonel  W.  C.  Dawson,  Weston  Hall  (gardener,  Mr.  R.  Craigie). 
Second,  Mrs.  Constable,  Manor  House,  Otley  (gardener,  Mr.  W.  H. 
Aldridge).  Third,  T.  A.  Duncan,  Esq.,  Westbourne,  Otley  (gardener,  Mr. 
J.  Phely).  Cut  blooms,  eighteen  Japanese  Chrysanthemums. — First^ 
Mr.  T.  Duncan.  Second,  Mrs.  Constable.  Twelve  Japanese,  dissimilar. — 
First,  Mr.  T.  Duncan.  Second,  Mr.  T.  Bird,  Windhill.  Six  Japanese, 
dissimilar. — First,  Mr.  T.  A.  Duncan.  Second,  Mr.  T.  Bird.  Third, 
Colonel  Dawson.  Six  incurved,  dissimilar. — First,  Mr.  T.  Bird. 
Second,  Mr.  T.  A.  Duncan.  The  principal  winners  in  the  classes  for 
exhibitors  residing  within  a  radius  of  five  miles  of  Otley  were  Messrs. 
T.  A.  Duncan,  T.  Duncan,  H.  Barraclough,  J.  Waring,  F.  H.  Fawkes, 
Farnley  Hall ;  E.  A.  Brotherton,  H.  Barker,  J.  Pickles,  Colonel  Dawson, 
T.  Aston,  Rawdon  ;  H.  Pnllan,  F.  Bartle,  A.  Hollings,  R.  Gatecliffe, 
W.  Shelton,  R.  Lofthouse,  A.  and  S.  Ives,  H.  Ives,  F.  Driver,  A. 
Youngman,  S.  Hartley,  W.  Marston,  J.  Longstaffe. 
National  Amateur  Gardeners’  Association. — An  interesting 
paper  on  fragrant  trees  and  plants  was  read  by  Mr.  Donald  M ‘Donald 
at  the  recent  meeting  of  the  National  Amateur  Gardeners’  Association. 
Sir  G.  C.  M.  Birdwood  presided.  Mr.  M'Donald  gave  a  brief  account  of 
the  early  uses  of  fragrant  plants,  and  enumerated  the  various  places  of 
their  origin,  mentioning  that  it  was  not  until  the  times  of  the  Crusaders 
that  any  particulars  about  fiowering  plants  and  garden  trees  were  to  be 
gleaned.  Some  of  the  customs  of  distributing  sweet-smelling  herbs 
about  churches  and  other  public  places  were  in  force  in  the  present  day 
in  the  City  of  London.  In  recent  years  the  cultivation  of  plants  and 
flowers  in  large  areas  had  attained  to  important  dimensions  wherever 
the  climate  gave  them  sufficient  intensity  of  odour  for  profitable 
extraction.  In  England  there  were  the  Lavender  and  Peppermint 
fields  at  Wallington,  Mitcham,  and  Canterbury,  and  the  herb  fields  in 
Cambridgeshire  and  Lincolnshire.  Many  thousands  of  acres  in  the 
south  of  Franco  were  devoted  to  flower  growing  for  commercial  pur¬ 
poses.  The  enormous  demand  for  scents  and  perfumes,  as  shown  by 
statistics,  gave  rise  to  the  question  whether  it  would  not  be  advantageous 
to  the  community  in  general  to  develop  the  production  of  such  of  the 
raw  material,  consisting  of  essential  oils  extracted  from  flowers,  fruits, 
herbage,  wood,  and  roots  of  plants,  as  could  be  grown  in  this  country 
and  its  colonies.  While  our  climate  would  not  admit  of  the  cultivation 
of  Orange  blossoms  as  a  commercial  crop,  there  was  no  reason  why 
such  plants  as  Lavender,  Peppermint,  and  Camomile  should  not  be 
grown  on  a  greatly  extended  scale,  and  be  much  more  profitable  than 
were  many  crops  now  put  on  the  land.  The  lecture  was  illustrated  by 
a  number  of  limelight  views,  and  various  fragrant  plants  and  seeds  were 
shown  on  the  platform. 
Gardening  Appointment. — Mr.  John  Wright,  for  some  years 
head  gardener  to  Edwin  Ellis,  Esq.,  Summersbury,  Shalford,  Guildford, 
has  been  appointed  in  a  similar  capacity  to  H.  Chandos  Pole-Gell, 
Esq.,  Hopton  Hall,  Wirksworth,  Derbyshire. 
Wargrave  Gardeners’  Society. — At  a  fortnightly  meeting  of 
the  above  association  Mr.  J.  Caswell  read  a  paper  on  “  Crotons  and 
their  Management.”  After  naming  the  different  varieties  of  this 
ornamental  foliage  plant,  he  gave  full  directions  in  cultivation.  The 
various  insect  pests  were  noted  and  their  eradication  discussed.  The 
exhibits  were  of  good  quality. 
Galnsborougb  Chrysanthemum  Society. — The  annual  exhi¬ 
bition  of  this  society,  held  on  Wednesday  last,  was  a  distinct  advance 
upon  previous  ones.  In  the  open  classes  for  Japanese  the  chief  prize- 
takers  were  Col.  Hutton,  Gate  Burton  ;  Mr.  S.  Kelsey,  Marton  ;  Mr. 
R.  C.  Bacon,  Willingham  Hall;  Mr.  J.  D.  Sendars,  North  Sandsfield. 
Col.  Hutton  also  secured  the  special  prize  for  the  best  bloom  in  the 
show,  a  magnificent  Mrs.  C.  H.  Payne.  In  the  large  group  competition 
Mr.  F.  M.  Burton  secured  the  first  prize,  Mr.  J.  W.  Connell  second,  and 
Col.  Hatton  a  special  third.  Mr.  S.  Gray  took  the  first  prize  in  the 
small  group  competition.  The  chief  bush  prizes  went  to  Colonel  Hatton. 
In  the  amateur  classes  Mr.  R.  W.  Forrest,  Marton ;  Mr.  F.  Mercer 
North  Warren  ;  and  Miss  Swift  were  prominent. 
The  Rain. — How  soon  the  public  generally  and  individually 
grumble  when  the  weather  assumes  a  wet  aspect.  Possibly  it  tends  to 
show  that  after  all  humanity  is  a  fair  weatherbird.  It  rejoices  in  and 
crows  lustily  when  it  is  victorious.  It  is  enraged  and  howls  vindictively 
when  it  is  beaten.  Just  so  it  is  with  the  weather.  Let  it  be  fine  and 
dry  and  everything  is  then  pleasant,  but  if  it  rains  then  is  the  weather 
horrid,  unbearable,  detestable.  Of  course  such  growlings  are 
absurd.  We  could  not,  as  a  people,  exist  without  these  wet  days,  and 
but  for  the  rain  vegetation,  the  life  blood  of  our  food  supply,  would  be 
exterminated.  Really  were  we  less  cross  and  pettish  and  more 
philosophical  we  should  welcome  these  continuous  rainfalls  as  of  the 
greatest  blessings  we  can  enjoy.  How,  under  hot  continuous  sun  heat^ 
when  the  earth  is  parched  with  drought  and  all  vegetation  hangs 
listlessly,  as  though  in  pain  or  in  death,  do  we  sigh  for  the  moisture 
to  relieve  us  and  all  nature,  for  the  rains  then  so  welcome  but  now  so 
annoying.  The  heat  and  drought  does  good  in  some  way,  the  rains 
do  good  in  nearly  all  ways,  and  they  invariably  do  much  at  this  time 
of  the  year.  We  have  had  on  the  whole  a  good  summer  and  autumn, 
and  now  that  the  winter  is  here  with  its  rains  and  snows,  frosts,  and 
winds,  it  is,  indeed,  folly  to  repine  or  complain  because  the  weather  is 
not  that  of  summer.  Gardeners,  as  much  as  those  of  any  vocations,  suffer 
inconvenience  from  continuous  wet  weather,  but  they  recognise  its 
great  value  and  bear  with  it  in  a  wise  and  sensible  spirit.  All  our 
trees  and  shrubs,  our  general  crops,  our  land,  our  streams,  water¬ 
courses  and  rivers,  will  alike  benefit  from  the  present  rains,  and 
whilst  their  interference  with  human  comfort  or  emjoyment  will  be 
but  brief,  their  effects  on  vegetable  life  will  be  enduring. — A.  D. 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Chiswick. — Taken  in  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens — height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Direction  ot 
Wind. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
.2 
’3 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
!  Lowest 
1  Temperature 
1  on  Grass. 
1900. 
November. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
— 
At 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Dry  Wet 
Bulb.  Bulb. 
Ad 
QQ 
OJ 
43 
5 
Lowest. 
dee.  dee. 
dee 
dee. 
ins 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Sunday..  11 
S.S.E. 
35-6  '  32-8 
46-3 
27  -2 
0-01 
44-3 
51  1 
53-2 
19-4 
Monday.  .12 
S.S.E. 
42-7  41-5 
56  T 
31-9 
0-13 
431 
49-8 
53-2 
23-6 
Tuesday  13 
s,  w. 
56-3  54-9 
57-0 
42-5 
0-07 
47-2 
49-2 
52-8 
420 
Wed’sday  14 
vv.s.w. 
45  7  ‘  45  4 
50-6 
34  9 
0-09 
40*5 
49-9 
52-4 
27-5 
Thursday  15 
S.S.E. 
47-1  46-2 
53-8 
39-2 
0.0 -i 
40-5 
49-8 
62-2 
31-4 
Friday  . .  16 
S..N.E. 
45-7  44-6 
481 
40-3 
0-36 
45-7 
49-5 
52-2 
29-5 
Saturday  17 
N.N.E. 
46  i)  46-3 
1 
480 
42  5 
0-00 
46T 
49-3 
51-9 
37 -6 
Total 
Means  .. 
1 
45-5  j  44-4 
51-4 
36-9 
0-80 
45-6 
49-8 
62-6 
30-1 
A  sharp  frost  occurred  on  the  morning  of  the  llch  inst.,  destroying 
Dahlias,  Pelargoniums,  Marguerites,  &o.,  which  were_flowering  profusely. 
Rain  fell  more  or  less  every  day  during  the  week,  and  on  the 
16th  inst.  was  accompanied  by  a  dense  black  mist,  the  water  on  the 
ground  being  the  colour  of  ink. 
