244 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER .  March  21, 1901. 
Kent  Hop  Gardens. — The  rains  have  been  the  means  of  greatly 
retarding  tillage  operations  on  the  Hop  plantations.  The  ground  has 
remained  sodden  now  for  some  time,  and  the  Hop  grower  anxiously 
awaits  some  nice  dry  weather. 
Golden  Wedding  of  a  Scottish  market  Gardener. — Mr.  and 
Mrs.  David  Brown,  Newlandrig,  Gorebridge,  recently  celebrated  their 
golden  wedding,  when  a  number  of  their  friends  and  well-wishers  took 
advantage  of  the  occasion  to  present  them  with  a  purse  of  sovereigns. 
A  Novelty  Garden  of  25  acres  is  being  established  by  tbe 
United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  to  be  filled  largely  with 
plants  and  seeds  sent  on  by  collectors  of  the  Federal  Government  from 
foreign  countries  in  all  portions  of  the  world.  This  garden  on  the 
Potomac  Flats,  near  Washington,  D  C.,  probably  already  contains  more 
varieties  and  species  of  gaiden  and  farm  plants  than  any  other  tract 
of  its  size  in  the  country. 
Flowers  for  the  Hospitals. — On  all  week  days,  but  especially 
on  Sundays,  a  great  many  flower  sellers  are  to  be  seen  waiting  at,  or 
nearly,  the  entrances  to  the  various  London  hospitals.  At  this  season 
Narcissi  are  mostly  offered,  though  Violets  and  Lily  of  the  Valley  are 
also  largely  sold.  It  is  very  touching  and  nice  to  see  how  even  the 
poorest  never  pass  to  visit  their  sick  relatives  without  purchasing  some 
beautiful  flowers. 
DaMem  Botanical  Garden.  —  An  extensive  botanical  garden 
has  recently  been  laid  out  at  Dahlem,  a  village  within  easy  distance  of 
Berlin,  which  possesses  some  novel  features.  It  is  situated  in  very 
rough  country,  and  unique  advantage  has  been  taken  of  this  fact  by 
reproducing,  as  far  as  possible,  the  natural  scenery  from  which  the 
various  specimens  of  Flora  have  been  collected  from  all  parts  of  the 
world.  By  this  means  a  more  comprehensive  idea  is  obtained  of  the 
native  habitat  of  the  plants  and  trees,  and  the  conditions  under  which 
they  thrive. 
Public  Meteorological  Posts. — In  several  German  and  Swiss 
towns  (says  the  “Globe”)  there  are  public  meteorological  posts; 
little  obsei  vatories,  in  fact,  having  a  thermometer,  a  barometer,  and 
a  hygrometer,  which  the  inhabitants  consult,  especially  if  they  are 
likely  to  travel.  AmoDg  the  instruments  employed  are  some  as  yet 
unfamiliar  here — for  example,  the  poly  meter,  thermo-hygroscope,  and 
weather-telegraph  of  Herr  Lambrec.ht,  a  well-known  instrument  maker 
of  Gottengen.  His  hygrometers  with  a  bundle  of  hairs,  not  a  single 
hair,  are  very  accurate,  and  the  “polymeter”  is  a  combined  thermo¬ 
meter  and  hygrometer,  with  numbers  giving  the  dew  points,  and  tbe 
maximum  and  minimum  tensions  of  water  vapour  in  the  atmosphere, 
corresponding  to  the  readings  of  the  two  instruments. 
Beet  In  the  States. — The  Americans,  with  less  than  their  usual 
celerity,  have  aw  akened  to  the  fact  that  there  may  be  money  in  Beet 
sugar,  but  now  they  have  discovered  it  they  are  going  ahead.  According 
to  statistics  the  United  States  consumes  “  a  quarter  of  the  whole  sugar 
product  of  the  woild.”  We  rather  question  the  statistics  if  they  show 
this,  but  at  any  rate  it  is  evident  the  States  can  consume  enough  to 
give  the  Beet  grower  his  necessary  market.  According  to  Herr  F.  O. 
Licht,  the  well-known  sugar  expert,  the  consumption  of  sugar  per  head 
of  the  supposed  populations  of  the  principal  countries  places  the  United 
Kingdom  a  long  way  ahead  of  any  other  nation.  We  have  a  consumption 
of  91'75  lbs.  per  head  per  annum,  the  United  States  coming  next  with 
65'28  lbs.,  and  Denmark  third  with  54'86  lbs.;  while  Sweden  and 
Norway  follow  with  38'27  lbs.,  France  with  37  lbs.,  Germany  with 
33  92  lbs.,  Holland  with  32  48  lbs.,  Russia  with  14  lbs.,  and  Italy  at  the 
bottom  of  the  list  with  6  09  lbs. 
A  Standard  Nomenclature. — The  scientific  names  of  plants  are 
a  great  bother;  unfortunately  they  are  necessary.  It  is  a  pity  that 
they  are  always  changing;  no  lover  of  plants  likes  to  pay  good  money 
for  an  old  plant  under  a  new  name.  The  synonyms  are  endless,  and 
the  nurseryman  and  gardener  cannot  always  tell  which  name  to  use. 
Many  people  blame  the  botanists  for  the  present  state  of  anarchy.  The 
trouble  is  largely  with  the  plants  themselves.  Botany  is  not  an  exact 
science,  ai  d  never  can  be.  As  the  knowledge  of  the  vegetable  kingdom 
extends,  the  names  of  plants  are  bound  to  change ;  the  best  that  can 
be  done  is  to  fo  low  the  best  authority.  The  best  authorities  for  the 
purposes  of  English  gardeners,  says  “  The  Florists’  Exchange,”  are  the 
“  Index  Kewensis  ”  and  Nicholson’s  “  Dictionary  of  Gardening  ;  ”  but 
for  America,  Professor  Bailey’s  “  Encyclopaedia  of  American  Horti¬ 
culture”  must  now  be  preferred. 
Beef  or  Jam  ? — According  to  Mr.  James  Boyle,  United  States 
Consul  at  Liverpool,  the  natural  diet  of  the  Englishman  is  now  jam,  and 
not  beef.  Here  is  good  news  for  fruit  growers  ! 
Fossil  Discovery. — A  remarkable  discovery  of  fossils  of  the 
Permian  age  of  geology  has  been  intimated  from  Sokolki  (Vologda), 
Russia,  by  Professor  Amalitzki,  of  Warsaw.  The  discoveries  show  that 
as  far  north  as  60°  of  latitude  there  was  at  the  Permian  era  a  fauna 
and  flora  which  was  thought  to  be  localised  in  India  and  Africa. 
Boston  Sweet  Pea  Show.— The  recent  ripple  amongst  the 
patricians  of  the  beautiful  but  humble  Sweet  Pea  has  brought  somewhat 
vividly  to  notice  the  fact  that  Boston,  Lincolnshire,  is  to  enjoy  a  large 
Sweet  Pea  show  on  the  24th  and  25th  of  July  this  year.  Messrs. 
W.  Johnson  &  Sons,  Ltd., the  large  seed-growers  there,  are  inaugurating 
the  exhibition,  which  will  also  include  culinary  Peas.  This  is  the  second 
annual  show  arranged  under  their  auspices,  and  last  year  so  many  as 
700  bunches  of  Sweet  Peas  were  staged. 
Horticultural  Societies. — Speaking  before  the  members  of  the 
Rhode  Island  (America)  Horticultural  Society,  President  Farnum  said 
that  horticultural  societies  are  too  slightly  appreciated.  They  should 
be  at  once  recognised  as  agencies  for  the  welfare  of  all  the  people,  and 
ought  to  be  richly  endowed.  He  would  like  to  have  horticultural 
societies  in  every  county  of  Rhode  Island,  with  buildings  of  their  own, 
and  holding  large  exhibitions  at  suitable  seasons.  The  result  would  be 
to  greatly  stimulate  a  love  for  horticulture,  and  promote  the  culture  of 
health  and  pleasure-giving  fruits  and  flowers. 
Sunday  in  the  Iiondon  Parks. — On  Wednesday,  March  12th,  a 
debate  took  place  at  the  meeting  of  the  London  County  Council  on 
the  proposition  of  the  Parks  Committee  to  pass  a  regulation  prohibiting 
the  playing  of  games  in  the  Council’s  parks  on  Sundays.  Protests 
were  made  against  the  Council  passing  such  a  recommendation,  as 
this  was  inconsistent  with  their  policy,  seeing  that  they  provided  bands, 
let  out  boats,  and  allowed  bicycling  in  the  parks.  A  member  said 
that  it  should  be  recognised  that  London  was  not  Sabbatarian,  and 
also  that  the  Council  was  not  Sabbatarian.  Mr.  John  Burns,  M.P., 
pointed  out  that  the  Committee  made  the  recommendation  for  the  sake 
of  old  people  and  young  children,  to  save  them  the  risks  they  would  run 
if  football  and  cricket  were  allowed. 
American  Irrigation  Project. — It  is  announced  by  President 
Wheeler,  of  the  University  of  California,  that  a  Department  of  Irrigation 
will  be  added  to  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture.  Prof. 
Mead  has  been  appointed  to  the  head  of  this  nevr  department.  Lectures, 
demonstrations,  and  field  classes  will  form  part  of  the  scheme,  the 
object  being  to  qualify  young  men  in  the  important  matter  of 
irrigation,  so  that  they  may  be  able  to  introduce  their  knowledge  to 
stations  along  the  Pacific  coast.  Water  storage  and  supply,  and  forest 
conditions,  are  subjects  of  growing  importance  in  California,  and  there 
seems  no  reason  to  doubt  that  this  new  departure  of  the  University 
will  be  heartily  approved  and  cordially  supported  by  the  public  and 
the  State.  Perhaps  the  Australian  Commonwealth,  and  those  who 
devote  attention  to  South  Africa’s  interests,  may  take  a  hint  from  the 
United  States  Government. 
Rose  Show  Fixtures  In  1901. 
June  12th  (Wednesday). — Colchester  and  Yorkf. 
„  26th  (Wednesday).  — Richmond  (Surrey),  N.R.S. 
„  29th  (Saturday). — Canterbury  and  Windsor. 
July  2nd  (Tuesday). — Drill  Hall  (R.H.S.)  and  Southampton*. 
„  3rd  (Wednesday). — Croydon  and  Hanley*. 
,,  4th  (Thursday). — Temple  Gardens  (N.R.S)  and  Norwich. 
,,  9th  (Tuesday). — Gloucester,  Harrow,  and  Wolverhamptonf. 
„  10th  (Wednesday). — Great  Stambridge  and  Worthing. 
,,  11th  (Thursday). — Bath,  Brentwood,  Eltham,  Helensburgh,  and 
Woodbridge. 
,,  13th  (Saturday). — Manchester. 
„  17th  (Wednesday). — Ulverston  (N.R.S.)  and  Cardiff*. 
„  18th  (Thursday). — Halifax. 
„  20th  (Saturday). — Newton  Mearns. 
„  23rd  (Tuesday). — Tibshelf. 
*  Shows  lasting  two  days.  +  Shows  lasting  three  days. 
The  above  are  the  only  fixtures  definitely  arranged  that  have  as  yet 
reached  me.  I  shall  be  glad  to  receive  the  dates  of  other  Rose  shows 
(or  horticultural  exhibitions  where  Roses  form  a  leading  feature)  for 
insertion  in  future  lists.— Edw.  Mawley,  Rosebank,  Berkhamsted,  Herts. 
