January  31,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
93 
Recenz  Weather  In  london. — A  heavy  gale  passed  over  the 
metropolis  on  Sunday,  bringing  in  its  train  intermittent  downpours  of 
rain  and  storms  of  hail.  On  Monday  it  was  cold  and  wet  in  the 
morning,  but  the  sun  shone  later.  About  four  o’clock  snow  fell  for 
a  short  time,  and  wss  followed  by  rain  ;  the  evening  was  fine.  Tuesday 
and  Wednesday  opened  with  sharp  frosts. 
Brockwell  Park  Extension  Scheme. — The  scheme  to  secure 
an  additional  43  acres  to  Brockwell  Park,  Herne  Hill,  is  making 
satisfactory  progress.  £63,350  out  of  the  £66,700  has  been  secured 
from  various  public  bodies  and  private  donors  by  the  local  committee, 
having  for  its  chairman  Mr.  C.  E.  Tritton,  M.P. ;  vice-chairman, 
Alderman  S.  H.  Candler ;  treasurer,  Mr.  W.  B.  Doubleday,  123,  Tulse 
Hill;  and  Mr.  Albert  Larking  as  hon.  secretary.  The  provisional 
contract  for  the  purchase  was  signed  some  weeks  ago,  and  an  order 
has  now  been  made  by  the  Chancery  Division  of  the  High  Court  of 
Justice  confirming  it. 
Metropolitan  Parks  and  Gardens, — We  learn  that  the  income 
of  the  Metropolitan  Public  Gardens  Association  for  last  year,  the 
eighteenth  of  its  existence,  was  £4400.  The  expenditure  was  £4200, 
to  which  must  be  added  a  considerable  sum  for  liabilities  in  connection 
with  work  in  hand.  Trees  are  to  be  planted  at  (a  site  in  Drury  Lane, 
in  West  Cromwell  Road,  and  in  White  Hart  Square.  Trees  are  also 
to  be  offered  for  a  strip  of  waste  land  in  King’s  Road,  Hammersmith, 
and  to  grant  seats  for  the  Home  Fields  Ground,  Chiswick.  The 
association  has,  says  a  contemporary,  accomplished  so  much  useful 
work  that  we  trust  its  efforts  to  beautify  the  metropolis  will  not  be 
checked  from  insufficient  support. 
Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund. — Mr.  Wynne,  the  secretary 
of  this  institution,  informs  us  that  the  annual  general  meeting  of  the 
subscribers  will  be  held  at  the  Essex  Hall,  Essex  Street,  Strand,  London, 
W.C.,  on  Friday,  February  15th,  1901,  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  the 
report  of  the  committee  and  statement  of  accounts  for  the  past  year,  to 
elect  officers  for  the  ensuing  year,  to  elect  twelve  children  to  the 
benefits  of  the  fund,  and  to  transact  such  other  business  as  may  arise. 
The  chair  will  be  taken  at  3  p.m.,  and  the  poll  will  close  at  4.30  p.m., 
after  which  time  no  votes  can  be  received.  All  persons  becoming  sub¬ 
scribers  before  the  day  of  election  will  be  entitled  to  vote  on  that  day, 
but  no  person  can  vote  whose  subscription  for  1900  is  unpaid. 
In  the  Markets. — There  is  an  eiiormous  quantity  of  Tomatoes 
now  in  the  markets.  So  plentiful  are  they  that  costers  can  afford  to 
convey  them  to  outlying  suburbs  of  the  metropolis  and  sell  them  as  low 
as  2d.  and  3d.  per  pound,  a  price  probably  unprecedented  at  this  season 
of  the  year.  With  the  exception  of  Cauliflower,  which  continues  rather 
dear,  vegetables  have  fallen  to  normal  prices.  Cabbage,  Savoys,  Sprouts, 
Lettuce,  Endive,  and  Celery  are  all  fairly  cheap.  New  Potatoes  are 
selling  in  some  places  at  as  little  as  3d.  a  pound,  Tomatoes  about  6d., 
Spanish  Asparagus  3s.  a  bundle  ;  Paris  Green  5s.  ;  Sprue  Is.  Oranges _ 
of  several  kinds  are  very  cheap,  Lemons  two  a  penny,  Brazil  Nuts  8d 
a  pound,  shelled  Barcelonas  10d.,  Chestnuts  from  2d.  to  4d.,  English 
Grapes  from  Is.  upward. 
Prescot  Horticultural  Society. — Mr.  Norris  Mercer  presided  at 
the  annual  meeting  held  on  23rd  inst.  The  report  stated  that  the  summer 
show  was  attended  by  over  3000  people.  The  entries  numbered  630, 
as  against  555  in  the  previous  season,  whilst  the  increase  in  cottagers’ 
exhibits  was  fifty -six,  the  competition  in  every  class  being  very  keen. 
The  classes  for  Sweet  Peas  had  proved  a  huge  success,  as  had  also  the 
trade  exhibits.  The  working  committee  are  during  the  winter 
organising  entertainments  for  increasing  their  funds,  of  which  the  last 
realised  £11  6s.  5d.  The  present  balance  in  hand  amounts  to  £37  3s.  8d. 
Mr.  Norris  Mercer  was  elected  president,  Mr.  Taylor  treasurer,  and  Mr. 
W.  Case  secretary.  It  is  proposed  to  hold  a  summer  show  early  in 
July,  and  for  the  first  time  a  Chrysanthemum  show  in  November.  Lord 
Derby  has  again  kindly  placed  a  portion  of  his  park  at  the  Committee’s 
disposal. — R.  P  .R. 
Gardening1  Appointments. — Mr.  Wm.  Smith,  for  the  past  seven 
years  head  gardener  at  Mount  Cross,  Bramley,  Leeds,  has  been 
appointed  head  gardener  to  Briggs  Priestly,  Esq.,  Ferncliffe,  Apperly 
Bridge,  Bradford.  Mr.  J.  D.  Atkinson,  late  foreman  at  Willington 
Hall,  Tarporley,  has  been  appointed  and  taken  up  his  duties  as  head 
gardener  to  Lord  Ashbrook,  Durrow  Castle,  Queen’s  County,  Ireland. 
Tobacco  Culture  In  Greece. — The  “  Levant  Herald  ”  states 
that,  encouraged  by  the  success  with  which  Kavalla  tobaooo  has  been 
grown  in  Greece,  the  Hellenic  Government  has  decided  to  devote 
special  attention  to  the  extension  of  Tobacco  culture  in  the  country. 
With  this  object  large  quantities  of  seed  will  be  procured,  not  only 
from  Kavalla,  but  also  from  Trebizond,  Havanna,  and  Maryland,  and 
experts  will  be  engaged  to  teach  Greek  agriculturists  the  best  methods 
of  cultivation. 
Historic  Estate— Cobham  Hall,  Kent,  the  Bari  of  Daruley’s 
well-known  domain,  is  to  be  let  furnished,  with  the  shooting  over 
the  estate  of  8000  acres.  Cobham  Hall  is  a  noble  example  of  a 
red-brick  Elizabethan  mansion,  standing  in  a  magnificent  deer  park 
some  seven  miles  in  circumference.  It  has  been  favoured  with  visits 
by  the  Queen,  who  stayed  there  when  a  little  girl  with  the  Duohess 
of  Kent,  by  Charles  I.,  and  by  Queen  Elizabeth,  who  was  entertained 
by  William  Brooke  Lord  Cobham,  after  whom  a  room  is  named.  The 
shootings  are  chiefly  famous  for  the  extent  of  the  coverts  and  for 
the  wildfowl  preserves,  and  the  woods  and  park  are  said  to  contain  a 
collection  of  forest  and  flowering  trees  and  shrubs  second  only  to  those 
at  Windsor  Forest. 
Croham  Hurst  Preservation. — The  Croydon  County  Council 
has  decided  by  a  unanimous  vote,  to  purchase  the  whole  of  the  beautiful, 
wooded  hill  to  the  south  of  Croydon  known  as  Croham  Hurst.  Two 
years  since  successful  negotiations  resulted  in  the  acquisition  of 
35  acres,  and  public  attention  was  aroused  to  the  faot  that  the  loveliest 
portion  of  all,  the  remaining  45  acres,  was  threatened  with  spoliation 
by  the  builders.  As  a  result  of  an  open-air  meeting  on  the  top  of  the 
Hurst  on  January  22nd,  1899,  an  influential  committee  of  seventy 
members  was  formed  to  request  that  the  whole  80  acres  might  be 
devoted  to  the  use  of  the  public  for  ever.  This  object  has  now  been 
achieved,  inasmuch  as  the  Council  has  decided  to  offer  the  sum  of 
£15,000  for  the  remaining  45  acres. 
The  King  as  a  Gardener. — When  the  King  and  the  Duke  of 
Edinburgh  were  little  boys  they  were  very  keen  gardeners.  The 
boys  at  the  Queen’s  Sohool  in  Windsor  Park  had  to  cultivate  a  3-acre 
plot  as  part  of  their  sohool  training.  One  morning  the  Queen  and 
the  Prince  Consort  paid  a  surprise  visit  to  inspect  the  work  of  the 
youthful  gardeners  in  the  school  plot.  After  a  tour  round  a  portion 
of  the  3  acres,  Mr.  Horner,  the  head  master,  was  commanded  to  walk 
with  the  Queen  and  the  Princes,  and  for  twenty  minutes  had  to 
answer  questions  and  listen  to  the  young  Princes’  criticisms  and 
comments.  “  You  know,  Mr.  Horner,”  said  the  future  Edward  VII., 
we  both  have  gardens  of  our  own,  which  we  look  after  ourselves, 
and  all  the  vegetables  we  grow  we  are  allowed  to  give  away  to  poor 
people.”  Mr.  Horner,  who  now  lives,  hale  and  hearty,  at  Shepton 
Mallet,  is  fond  of  recalling  the  youthful  gardening  enthusiasm  of 
the  King. 
Tlie  Alexandra  Palace. — Colonel  Marsh,  C.E.,  yesterday  held  a 
Local  Government  Board  inquiry  into  the  application  of  the  Hornsey, 
Tottenham,  and  Wood  Green  District  Councils,  for  permission  to  borrow 
£65,620  in  addition  to  the  £75,000  which  the  Alexandra  Palace  Acqui¬ 
sition  Act  gives  them  power  to  provide  without  the  sanction  of  the 
board.  The  trustees  were  represented  by  Mr.  Henry  Burt,  their  hon. 
sec.,  and  the  details  were  explained  by  Mr.  F.  D.  Askey,  the  clerk  to  the 
Hornsey  Council.  The  Tottenham  Ratepayers’  Association  opposed, 
urging  that  the  ratepayers  had  not  been  asked  about  this  proposed  loan, 
and  that  the  amount  whioh  the  Act  allowed  them  to  raise  ought  to  be 
the  maximum,  especially  seeing  that  the  Tottenham  people  would  not 
be  in  a  position  to  make  use  of  the  Palace.  The  association  pointed  out 
that  the  trustees  were  desirous  of  adding  to  the  park  the  boating  lake 
and  some  additional  land  at  a  cost  of  £11,000,  and  this  they  had  always 
understood  to  be  included  in  the  original  purchase  scheme.  Colonel 
Marsh  pointed  out  that  the  distriot  council  was  the  proper  authority  to 
deal  with  suoh  matters,  and  that  body  had  decided  to  assist  the  scheme 
by  contributing  this  amount.  Colonel  Marsh’s  report  will  be  submitted 
at  once,  as  the  money  has  to  be  paid  over  next  week. 
