208 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
A  Land  of  Disused  Orchards. — The  Monmouthshire  County 
Council  have  undertaken  to  remedy  the  lack  of  fruit  culture  in  the 
distriot  under  their  control.  They  propose  sending  fruit  trees  to 
different  centres,  and  will  appoint  an  expert  to  show  how  they  should 
be  planted,  pruned,  and  tended.  Glamorganshire  and  Monmouthshire, 
it  is  stated,  contain  more  disused  orchards  and  fruit  gardens  than  any 
two  c  'unties  in  Wales.  The  mistaken  notion  that  it  is  impossible  to 
compete  with  imported  fruit  seems  to  have  much  to  do  with  this 
laggard  ness. 
Amateur  Gardening:.  —  On  Saturday  evening,  the  2nd  inst., 
Mr.  C.  H.  Herbert  gave  a  lecture  to  the  members  and  friends  of  the 
Spark  hill  and  District  Amateur  Horticultural  Society  of  Birmingham 
at  the  Sparkhill  Institute.  The  subject  chosen  was  “  Cyclamens  and 
Primulas,  and  How  to  Grow  Them.”  Several  fine  specimen  fl  >wers 
were  shown  on  the  lecturer’s  table.  Mr.  F.  S.  Jenks  presided,  and  a 
large  accession  of  members  was  announced.  It  is  interesting  to  add 
that  the  society  established  a  summer  exhibition  two  years  ago, 
and  upwards  of  £100  in  prizes  are  offered  for  exhibits  at  the  show 
to  be  held  in  August  next. 
Mearns  Rose  Society. — The  “Year  Book”  of  the  Mearns  Rose 
Society  (Valley  of  the  Clyde)  is  now  published,  price  6d.,  and  contains 
discursive  articles  of  an  interesting  and  useful  nature  for  northern 
cultivators  of  the  Rose.  Mr.  A.  Dickson  of  Newtonards  discusses  the 
newer  Roses,  and  mentions  the  American  variety  Liberty  ;  also  Bessie 
Brown,  Shandon,  Mrs.  Edward  Mawley,  Sunrise,  and  others.  “  Notes 
on  the  Weather  of  the  Parish  of  Mearns  ”  is  dealt  with  by  Mr.  J.  B. 
Murdock  of  Capelrig,  while  “Rose  Reminiscences”  form  a  subject 
which  Mr.  A.  Sweet  digests.  The  editor  of  the  “  Year  Book  ”  (Mr. 
W.  M.  Melville)  furnishes  a  valuable  paper  on  “The  Rose  Season  of 
1900.”  The  Mearns  Rose  Show  will  be  held  on  Saturday,  July  20  h, 
and  the  secretary’s  address  is  Mearns  Rose  Society,  Newton- 
Mearns,  N.B. 
Sheffield  Chrysanthemum  Society. — The  annual  dinner  of  the 
Sheffield  Chryi-anthemum  Society  was  held  at  the  Cambridge  Hall  on 
Tuesday  evening,  12  h  inst.,  and  was  very  successful.  Each  guest  was 
the  recipient  of  a  very  pretty  buttonhole,  a  pleasant  surprise  to  most  of 
them.  Aid.  S.  Roberts,  D.L.,  the  new  president,  was  in  the  chair,  and 
there  were  also  present  Mr.  C.  E.  Jeffcock  (vice-president),  Messrs. 
John  Maxfield,  H.  J.  Jones  (London),  J.  G.  Newsham  (treasurer), 
W.  Housley  (bon.  secretary),  and  other  members  and  delegates. 
The  president,  on  the  conclusion  of  dinner,  submitted  the  toast  of 
“The  King,”  which  was  drunk  with  great  heartiness.  Mr.  M.  H. 
Willford,  in  proposing  “  The  Visitors  and  Kindred  Societies,”  referred 
to  the  fact  that  this  year  they  had  a  new  president,  arid  that  they 
would  have  to  find  fresh  quarters  for  their  annual  show  in  future.  Mr. 
C.  E.  Jeffcock  then  presented  to  Mr.  Housley,  the  hon.  secretary,  a 
beautiful  marble  cock  and  an  umbrella,  with  a  silver  tea  urn  for  Mrs. 
Housley.  Mr.  Jeffcock  was  pleased  to  have  this  opportunity  of 
expressing  his  appreciation  of  the  great  work  done  for  this  society  by 
the  hon.  secretary.  It  was  gratifying  to  know  that  the  work  of 
seventeen  years  had  been  crowned  with  such  success.  (Applause ) 
Mr.  Housley,  in  accepting  the  gifts,  said  though  it  was  true  he  had 
woiked  hard  for  the  society,  that  work  had  been  made  easy  by  an 
excellent  committee.  The  society  was  established  in  1885,  and  while 
its  first  balance-sheet  showed  an  expenditure  of  £121,  the  last  one 
showed  £4S7.  The  society  had  a  balance  in  hand  of  £81,  and  a  reserve 
fund  of  £53.  “  The  President  and  Vice-Presidents  ”  was  the  next  toast, 
proposed  by  Mr.  Little  wood.  The  president  responded.  He  first 
expr  ssed  regret  at  the  absence  of  Mr.  Milner  through  illness,  and 
,  announced  that  that  gentleman  had  telegraphed  expressing  the  hope 
that  they  would  have  a  very  pleasant  evening.  Speaking  to  the  toast, 
Aid.  Roberts  said  he  must  first  thank  them  for  eleoting  him  their 
president.  Their  society  had  during  recent  years  gone  up  by  leaps  and 
bounds ;  its  membership  had  advanced  only  recently  from  100  to  300. 
They  did  not  work  in  opposition  to  other  societies,  but  merely  in 
friendly  iivulry.  The  cultivation  of  flowers  was  refreshing  and 
elevating,  and  in  such  large  cities  as  Sheffield  it  was  well  to  encourage 
this  pursuit  amongst  the  people.  In  conclusion,  he  expressed  the  hope 
that  the  next  exhibition  at  the  Cutlers’  Hall  would  be  as  successful  as 
any  (f  i  s  predecessors.  (Applause.)  Mr.  John  Max6eld  proposed 
“  The  Sheffield  Chrysanthemum  Society,”  whioh  was  responded  toby 
Mr.  Newsham.  Mr.  A.  S.  Jarvis  gave  “The  Nurserymen  and  Non-, 
competing  Exhibitors,"  to  which  Mr.  Artendale  and  Mr.  JoneB  (London) 
i  <  replied.  J 
March  14,  1901. 
Proposed  National  Sweet  Pea  Society. — Mr.  Peroy  Waterer 
presided  over  a  meeting  held  on  Tuesday  afternoon  at  Winchester 
House  to  consider  the  desirability  of  forming  a  National  Sweet  Pea 
Society.  There  were  some  thirty  persons  present,  and,  on  the  motion 
of  Mr.  Scrutton,  seconded  by  Mr.  Zankey,  it  was  almost  unanimously 
decided  that  such  a  society  would  be  welcome. 
Society  Schedules  and  Reports. — We  have  received  the  first 
annual  report  and  schedule  of  prizes  of  the  National  Auricula  Society 
(Midi  tnd  section)  ;  also  of  the  National  Carnation  and  Picotee  Society 
(Southern  section),  to  both  of  which  we  shall  refer  next  week.  The 
schedules  of  the  Ancient  Society  of  York  Florists,  Shropshire  Horti¬ 
cultural  (Shrewsbury),  and  Richmond  Horticultural  Si 'cieties  amongst 
others  have  reached  us,  but  the  pressure  for  space  detains  us  from 
reviewing  these  this  week. 
Scottish  Horticultural  Association. —  The  syllabus  for  session 
1901,  and  the  twenty-fourth  annual  report  of  the  above,  has  been  sent 
out,  though  none  of  these  reports  have  as  yet  been  sent  to  this  office. 
The  publication  this  year  is  bulkier  than  usual.  That  is  a  good  thing, 
for  full  reports  of  good  essays  are  better  than  mere  summaries.  The 
report  states  that  the  present  membership  is  over  1U00 ;  and  sucoess  is 
likely  to  be  greater  because  of  the  increased  strength  to  the  ranks. 
Last  session  saw  129  ordinary  members  added  to  the  previous  list. 
Birmingham  Gardeners’  Association. — “  The  Cultivation  of  the 
Hippeastrum  ”  was  the  subject  dealt  wi  h  at  the  recent  meeting  of  the 
above,  illustrated  with  flowering  plants,  by  Mr.  Alfred  Cryer,  gardener 
to  J.  A.  Keurick,  E-q.,  Berrow  Court,  E  Igbaston,  and  who  has  for 
several  years  past  taken  special  interest  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
Hippeastrum,  the  collection  being  the  result  of  hybridisation  by 
the  essayist,  originated  from  first-class  varieties  purchased  some 
years  since.  After  a  few  apropos  introductory  remarks  anent  the 
history  and  nomenclature  of  the  Hippeastrum,  they  were  followed 
by  a  concise  and  thoroughly  practical  exposition  regarding  the 
hybridisation  and  cultivation  of  the  plants.  Additional  value  was 
afforded  by  the  admission  of  the  failures  experienced  by  the  lecturer; 
and  a  special  lesson — disappointment — which  he  had  never  forgotten, 
was  that  he  inadvertently  cut,  for  decorative  purposes,  fl  twering  scapes 
of  two  or  three  seedlings  of  superior  quality,  and  from  which  it  was 
intended  to  cross-fertilise,  and  which  mishap  he  ascribed  to  neglect  of 
special  marking  or  naming.  Mr.  Cryer’s  (who  has  for  the  last  fourteen 
years  been  a  successful  local  exhibitor  of  “groups  i  f  plants  for  effect,” 
and  an  especially  excellent  cultivator  of  vegetable  )  practical  remarks 
were  listened  to  with  marked  attend  n,  re-uling  also  in  an  animated 
discussion,  whilst  a  first-class  certificate  of  medt  was  worthily 
awarded  the  collection  of  H  ppeastrums,  including  a  well-flowered 
plant  of  Dendrubium  nobile  Leechianum.  A  vote  of  thanks  was  also 
accorded  Mr.  George  Stacey,  Hai borne,  for  a  large  dish  of  excellently 
kept  and  well-coloured  Lane’s  Prince  Albert  Apples  from  a  cool 
cellar.  In  addition  to  the  gradually  increasing  accession  of  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  craft,  several  others  at  the  close  of  the  meeting  were 
incorporated,  arid  the  chairman  (Mr.  W.  B.  L  itharn),  in  conjunction 
with  the  lecturer  (this  being  the  latter’s  first  essay  during  his  member¬ 
ship  from  the  inception  of  the  association  some  sixteen  years  ago), 
expressed  the  wish  that  others — especially  the  younger  members,  might 
also  be  induced  to  aff  ird  practical  papers  and  enter  more  freely  into 
the  discussions  at  the  meetings. 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Cblswlck. — Taken  in  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens — height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Direction  of 
Wind. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Bain. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
Lowest 
Temperature 
on  Grass. 
1901. 
March. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2- ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
-13 
m 
© 
Si 
bL 
5 
43 
CO 
© 
* 
o 
H-3 
Sunday  ..  3 
Monday . .  4 
Tuesday  6 
Wed'sday  6 
Thursday  7 
Friday  . .  8 
Saturday  9 
S.S  W. 
s.s.w. 
s  s.w. 
s  s.  w. 
s.s.w 
N.N.iD. 
N.N.E. 
dee. 
,43  8 
41  7 
49  9 
,4b -9 
41-8 
41  6 
38  3 
deg. 
39  9 
405 
48-7 
42-4 
40  0 
39  8 
367 
deg. 
48  6 
63-9 
651 
47  4 
48-0 
46-4 
43-6 
deg. 
37  9 
35  2 
41-5 
40-2 
40-1 
36-8 
35  0 
las 
0.07 
o  '5 
o-ot 
0  23 
0  12 
0  08 
deg 
42  0 
410 
43-1 
42-7 
42-0 
42-4 
42-1 
deg. 
42  8 
427 
427 
43-2 
43-0 
43-1 
43-2 
deg. 
43-5 
436 
43  9 
43- 9 
44- 0 
44  7 
44  1 
deg. 
29-5 
2b ‘4 
40  0 
33  0 
34*0 
34  9 
29-3 
Means  .. 
' 
43-4 
41*1 
48  9 
387 
Total 
0-69 
42  2 
430 
43  9 
32  4 
,T.  r 
A  week  of  very  squally  weather,  hail  and  raiu  falling  on  six  days. 
.  «  -j-v-.t  >x  "v 
