10 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  3,  1901. 
Soclete  Franqaise  d’Horticulture  de  Londres,  —  We  are 
informed  that  this  admirable  society  will  hold  its  annual  dinner  at  the 
Imperial  Restaurant,  Strand,  on  January  12th,  1901.  Mons.  Louis 
Gentil,  who  was  for  some  time  secretary  of  the  society,  will  preside. 
Brlxton  Horticultural  Society. — We  learn  that  Mr.  William 
Roupell  is  about  to  resign  his  position  as  honorary  secretary  of  this 
society.  An  appeal  is  being  made  to  those  who  are  interested  in 
horticulture  in  the  district  to  assist  in  contributing  to  a  testimonial  to 
be  presented  to  Mr.  Roupell  for  his  services.  N.  N.  Sherwood,  Esq., 
Dunedin,  Streatham  Hill,  S.W.,  in  acting  as  treasurer. 
Shirley  Mutual  Improvement  Association. — This  society,  with 
its  affiliations  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Southampton,  will  continue  the 
winter  meetings  during  the  next  three  months.  Upon  January  21st 
Rev.  H.  Gorham,  of  Shirley  Warren,  will  lecture  upon  “  Insects  Injurious 
to  Garden  Plants  and  Fruit  Trees,”  and  a  prize,  given  by  Mr.  Shirwell, 
will  be  awarded  for  the  best  collection  of  six  vegetables.  Upon 
February  18th  “The  Cultivation  of  Potatoes”  will  receive  unexception¬ 
able  treatment  from  Mr.  A.  Dean,  a  noted  expert  in  that  line  for  a 
generation,  and  five  certificates  adjudged  for  exhibits  of  Primulas  and 
Cyclamens.  With  this  meeting  the  lectures  for  the  session  conclude. 
Beckenham  Horticultural  Society. — On  Friday  evening,  the 
21st,  the  members  and  friends  of  the  Beckenham  Horticultural  Society 
assembled  in  the  Public  Hall  to  receive  a  lecture  from  Mr.  Gregory, 
the  secretary  of  the  Croydon  society,  on  “Walks  and  Talks  in  Kew 
Gardens,”  illustrated  by  limelight.  The  attendance  was  nob  all  that 
could  be  desired,  probably  owing  to  the  nearness  of  the  festive  season. 
That  the  absentees  lost  a  great  treat  is  certain,  for  the  lecturer,  who  is 
an  old  Kewite,  had  in  addition  to  the  pictures  thrown  upon  the  screen 
a  large  number  of  photographs  on  view  at  the  opening  and  close  of  the 
lecture,  all  beiDg  of  his  own  manipulation.  A  hearty  vote  of  thanks 
was  accorded  Mr.  Gregory,  on  the  proposition  of  Dr.  Stillwell,  the 
hon.  sec.,  supported  by  Messrs.  Burge  and  Webster,  who,  in 
acknowledging  the  same,  gave  a  humourous  account  of  his  early  days 
at  Kew.  Mr.  Thornton,  F.R.H.S.,  kindly  supplied  and  manipulated  the 
limelight. — T.  C. 
Bristol  Gardeners’  Association. — A  public  entertainment  took 
the  place  of  the  usual  meeting  at  St.  John’s  Parish  Room,  Redland,  on 
Friday,  28th,  1900.  The  chair  was  taken  by  Mr.  G.  Brook  in  the 
absence,  through  military  duties,  of  the  president;  of  the  association, 
Colonel  H.  Cary-Batten.  An  interesting  programme  had  been  arranged, 
which  was  efficiently  rendered.  Songs  were  sung  by  the  Misses  L. 
Paul  and  G.  Bishop  and  Mr.  H.  S.  Newbery,  “  Queen  of  the  Earth”  by 
Miss  Paul,  and  “  Jessamy  Town”  by  Miss  Bishop  gaining  well-merited 
encores,  which  were  kindly  responded  to.  Mr.  H.  W.  Cadway  skilfully 
played  a  violin  solo  and  Mr.  J.  Bishop  a  banjo  solo,  which  also  was 
encored.  The  duties  of  accompanist  were  ably  carried  out  by  Mr.  A.  J. 
Wakefield,  who  gave  in  addition  a  pianoforte  solo.  The  last  part  of  the 
entertainment  consisted  of  an  exhibition  of  animated  photographs.  The 
subjects  were  vatied  in  their  character,  including  “  Ox  Wagons  Treking 
Across  the  Veldt,”  “  Ambulance  Corps  at  work  at  Modder  River,” 
“  Return  of  the  C.I.V.’s  to  London,”  all  of  which  proved  entertaining, 
and  were  much  appreciated.  Prizes  offered  by  Mr.  Cary-Batten  for 
three  plants  in  flower  attracted  keen  competition,  the  awards  being  : — 
First,  Mr.  B infield;  second,  Mr.  McCulloch  ;  third,  Mr.  Ross. 
A  Plea  for  the  Dumb  Creation. — I  have,  says  Mr.  W.  J.  Stillman, 
in  “  Nature  Notes,”  a  hedge  of  Blackberries  on  one  side  of  my  ground, 
and  one  of  Raspberries  on  another,  and  all  this  summer  I  have  had  no 
interference  with  the  fruit,  though  there  is  no  other  in  the  immediate 
vicinity,  and  we  have  many  blackbirds  and  thrushes,  which  we 
encourage  in  every  way.  But  I  have  on  the  grounds  vessels  of  water 
kept  always  supplied,  to  which  birds  and  squirrels  may  come  to  quench 
their  thirst.  I  am  certain  that  none  of  the  berries  have  been  taken. 
Winter  fruits  are  often  eaten  only  for  the  seeds  in  them,  but  the  pulp 
of  Raspberries  is  evidently  no  attraction  to  the  birds  except  for  the 
juice.  The  same  holds  good  for  squirrels.  Give  them  water  in 
convenient  places,  and  they  will  not  take  the  trouble  to  get  at  the  sap 
of  the  Pine  trees.  Many  squirrels  visit  our  wood,  where  are  trees  of 
many  kinds,  but  not  a  twig  has  been  touched  since  I  began  to  lure  the 
squirrels  to  visit  us.  If  the  great  Scotch  lairds  who  complain  of  the 
squirrels  for  scotching  their  trees  would  provide  that  a  vessel  of  water 
was  kept  always  accessible  to  them  in  the  plantation,  there  would  be 
no  harm  done  to  the  trees  (though,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  have  never  found 
any  done),  and  it  would  cost  them  less  than  shooting  the  squirrels. 
Gardening  Appointment.  —  Mr.  J.  Sweeney,  formerly  of 
Leopardstown  Park,  Stillorgan,  has  been  appointed  head  gardener  to 
Mrs.  Moore,  Ashtown,  Phcenix  Park,  Co.  Dublin,  in  place  of  Mr.  Kearns. 
Mr.  William  Herbert  Dunnett,  a  partner  in  the  well-known 
seed  house  of  Messrs.  James  Carter  &  Co.,  of  High  Holborn,  London, 
died  at  his  residence,  Stourhouse,  Dedham,  Essex,  on  Saturday,  in  his 
seventy-fourth  year.  Mr.  Dunnett  had  ceased  to  take  any  active  share  in 
the  management  of  the  London  business  for  many  years.  He  was  a 
large  landowner  in  the  Vale  of  Dedham.  He  leaves  a  widow,  one  son, 
and  two  daughters. 
Poison  In  Artichokes. — From  observations  of  symptoms  of 
poisoning  after  eating  boiled  Artichokes,  German  scientists  have  found 
that  a  poisonous  bacillus  vegetates  on  the  Artichoke,  and  this  gives  it 
the  peculiar  bluish  colour.  It  is  recommended  that  Artichokes  should 
be  consumed  immediately  after  being  boiled,  and  no  portion  reserved  for 
future  consumption.  Artichokes  which  have  become  quite  blue  should 
not  be  partaken  of  at  all.  The  symptoms  produced  by  this  poisonous 
bacillus  is  something  in  the  nature  of  cramp  or  a  choleraic  attack, 
attended  by  violent  retching. 
Caryota  urens. — This  Cingalese  stove  Palm,  apart  from  its  utility 
as  a  stove  plant,  has  become  an  article  of  commercial  importance.  In 
its  native  haunts  a  series  of  fine  fibres  has  been  noticed  encircling  the 
stem  and  bases  of  the  leaves,  and  when  graded  and  dipped  in  a  solution 
of  linseed  oil  the  fibres  assume  a  dark,  dusky  brown  colour,  and  are 
softer  than  the  fibres  from  Attalea  funifera,  a  Brazilian  Palm,  and 
commercially  known  as  Piassava  Pissaba.  The  newer  product  is 
termed  kitove,  the  finest  fibres  of  which  have  been  converted  into 
stuffing  for  cushions,  thereby  displacing  hair,  which  hitherto  served  for 
this  purpose. 
The  Banana  as  a  Moral  Bvil. —  According  to  the  report  of  Sir 
H.  Johnston,  we  may  congratulate  ourselves  upon  the  fact  that  the 
Banana  does  not  grow  in  England.  The  idleness  and  the  vacuity  of 
the  lives  of  the  natives  in  Uganda  are,  according  to  him,  entirely  due 
to  this  plant.  It  practically  grows  itself,  and  once  it  is  planted  no 
trouble  nee  d  be  taken  about  it  whatever.  The  tree  grows  up,  bears  a 
couple  of  bunches  of  fruit,  and  dies  down  again  in  rather  less  than  a 
year.  However,  it  throws  shoot  after  shoot  from  an  underground 
rhizome,  and  Jthese  in  their  turn  grow  up  into  trees  and  bet-r  fruit. 
A  Banana  tree  planted  seems  to  go  on  for  ever,  and  the  only  thing  its 
grower  has  to  do  is  to  pick  the  fruit., 
A  Botanic  Garden  for  the  Seychelles. — Mr.  Chamberlain  has 
given  his  sanction  to  the  establishment  of  a  botanic  garden  in  the 
Seychelles,  whioh,  with  the  co-operation  of  the  director  of  Kew  Gardens, 
was  to  be  started  on  the  first  day  of  the  present  century.  Some  people 
have  actually  assigned  the  site  of  the  Garden  of  Eden  to  the  well- 
known  Adalbra  group  in  the  Indian  Ocean.  Every  description  of 
plant  whioh  is  likely  to  be  of  the  slightest  economic  value  will  be 
obtained  from  other  countries,  and  the  treatment  of  the  soil  will  be 
made  the  subject  of  special  experiments.  The  islands  are  in  direct 
communication  by  steamer  with  Colombo,  Mauritius,  Aden,  Zanzibar, 
and  Bombay,  a  factor  which  is  likely  to  play  an  important  part  in  the 
development  of  their  internal  resources. 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Chiswick. — Taken  in  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens — height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
H-l 
o 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
© 
N 
a 
1900. 
fl  ! 
a? 
®  & 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
d 
*3 
03 
At 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-ft. 
deep. 
g  cs  i 
tfc  J?  M 
o  o.O 
^  a  a 
December. 
Q 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
-id 
91 
CD 
.a 
b£ 
S 
£ 
© 
* 
o 
t-3 
i-ft. 
deep. 
©  o 
H 
Sunday  ..23 
N.N.E. 
deg. 
33-8 
deg. 
33  5 
deg. 
37-0 
deg. 
30-3 
ins. 
deg. 
42  2 
deg. 
46  3 
deg. 
49-0 
deg. 
24-6 
Monday.  .24 
W.S.W. 
34  2 
33  3 
50  2 
30  1 
_ 
41-8 
45-6 
48'9 
27-5 
Tuesday  25 
s.s.w. 
49'8 
48-8 
52-6 
34  3 
0-08 
42-7 
45-3 
48-7 
30-0 
Wed’sday  26 
s.s.w. 
48-8 
48-0 
51  3 
47  2 
0-18 
45-0 
45-7 
48-5 
40-6 
Thursday  27 
S.S.E. 
431 
47  T 
64  0 
41-7 
0-07 
46-0 
46'2 
48'5 
30'3 
Friday  ..  28 
s.w. 
467 
41-7 
47  2 
46T 
0-09 
45'9 
46-4 
48-3 
406 
Saturday  29 
s.s.w. 
37  0 
36-9 
45-6 
36'7 
43  7 
46'4 
48-3 
27-5 
Means  .. 
42*6 
41-3 
48  3 
381 
Total 
0-42 
43-8 
46'0 
48-6 
316 
The  temperature  continues  abnormally  high  for  this  time  of  the 
year.  The  first  two  days  of  the  week  were  very  foggy,  followed  by 
rain  on  the  four  succeeding  days,  and  a  heavy  gale  on  the  28th. 
