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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
May  16,  1901. 
Weather  In  London. — Wednesday  afternoon,  the  8th  inst.,  was 
very  wet ;  and  on  Thursday  the  streets  and  roads  were  more  than  once 
flooded.  The  succeeding  days  up  to  Tuesday  were  breezy  and  sunny. 
A  cool  east  wind  has  continuously  blown,  and  so  helped  to  modify  the 
warmth  of  the  sun.  Growth  is  advancing  steadily.  Wednesday  was 
bracing  and  delightful. 
Weather  in  the  North. — With  the  exception  of  the  7th  and  the 
10th,  which  were  dull  and  drizzly,  there  has  been  another  week  of  warm, 
summer-like  weather.  Rain  has  fallen  during  one  or  two  of  the  nights, 
and  done  much  good  to  pastures  and  vegetation  generally,  although 
s' ill  more  would  be  acceptable.  Sunday  was  like  a  day  in  June,  but 
cold,  with  easterly  wind  in  the  evening. — B.  D.,  S.  Perthshire. 
Coldness  and  the  Fruit  Blossom. — It  is  feared  that  a  good 
deal  of  damage  has  been  done  to  fruit  buds  in  some  parts  of  Devon 
by  the  heavy  hail  showers  which  fell  last  week.  Generally  speaking, 
however,  growth  was  not  far  enough  advanoed  to  admit  of  any  very 
extensive  destruction. 
Vocal  and  Instrumental  Music. — A  concert  was  given  at  the 
London  Tavern,  Fenchurch  Street,  E.C.,  on  May  8th,  by  Messrs.  Hurst 
and  Sons’  orchestral  company  and  friends.  Such  vocal  worthies  as 
Messrs.  A.  Cox,  D.  Fairley,  V.  F.  Cummings,  T.  A.  Baldwin,  J.  E. 
Dixon,  and  the  inimitable  Mr.  R.  C.  Tucker,  were  present,  and  rendered 
selections  in  their  finest  style.  Mr.  E.  Sherwood  and  Mr.  T.  N.  Cox 
conducted  the  orchestra.  Would  that  a  “  Seedmen’s  Staff  Society  ” 
could  be  formed  to  help  the  Gardeners’  Benevolent  Institution  or  Royal 
Gardeners’  Orphan  Funds. — L, 
Ardent  Amateur  Gardeners. — The  statement  that  there  are 
gardens  under  bedclothes  is  supported  by  no  less  an  authority  than 
that  of  the  Very  Rev.  S.  Reynolds  Hole,  Dean  of  Rochester.  A 
district  visitor  in  the  Midlands,  when  calling  upon  a  poor  woman, 
noticed  how  few  were  the  coverings  to  her  bed.  Upon  being  asked, 
she  admitted  that  she  had  another  blanket,  and  was  remonstrated  with 
for  not  using  it,  as  the  weather  was  bitterly  cold.  It  at  length 
transpired  that  her  husband  had  taken  it  to  cover  over  some  plants 
he  was  rearing  in  a  tiny  greenhouse,  in  the  hope  of  saving  them  frcm 
being  killed  by  the  frost.  Surely  devotion  to  flowers  could  hardly  go 
much  further  than  this. 
Lincolnshire  Gardeners  and  the  Temple  Show. — At  the 
monthly  meeting  of  the  Lincolnshire  Gardeners’  Association  on 
Wednesday,  the  8th,  it  was  arranged  to  visit  the  Temple  Show  at 
London  on  the  22ud  May,  providing  that  a  railway  excursion  is  run 
from  Lincoln.  In  the  event  of  there  being  no  excursion,  the  secretary 
(Mr.  George)  was  instructed  to  try  to  arrange  to  visit  Hatfield  and 
■St.  Albans.  It  was  felt  that  Wednesday  evening  was  an  inconvenient 
evening  for  the  holding  of  the  monthly  meetings,  and  it  was  agreed 
that  in  future  they  be  held  either  on  Tuesday  or  Thursday  evening. 
The  chief  event  of  the  evening  was  the  lecture  by  Mr.  Wipf  on  the 
“  Fertilisation  of  Flowers.” 
Edinburgh  Agricultural  College. — We  learn  from  our  esteemed 
contemporary,  the  ‘North  British  Agriculturist,”  that  the  success  of 
the  proposed  Agricultural  College  in  Edinburgh  is  already  assured. 
The  committee  of  the  Mid-Lothian  County  Council  have  recommended 
an  annual  grant  of  £400  to  the  Edinburgh  Agricultural  College.  The 
West  Lothian  County  Council,  on  the  motion  of  Mr.  Drysdale,  factor 
for  Lord  Rosebery,  voted  an  annual  grant  of  £300  to  the  college ;  and 
the  Perthshire  County  Council,  on  the  motion  of  Mr.  Andrew  Hutcheson, 
voted  an  annual  grant  of  £150  to  the  college— the  latter  county  making 
a  similar  grant  to  the  Glasgow  Agricultural  College.  The  annual 
grants  thus  given  to  the  Edinburgh  College  by  the  three  County 
Councils  in  question  total  up  to  £850,  and  as  the  Government,  through 
the  Scotch  Education  Department,  will  contribute  a  sum  equal  to  that 
raided  by  local  effort,  there  is  thus  a  substantial  annual  income  already 
secured  for  the  Edinburgh  College.  If  the  other  County  Councils  in 
the  east  and  south-east  of  Scotland  do  as  well  as  Lothians  and 
Perthshire  have  done,  the  Edinburgh  College  will  be  in  full  working 
order  by  October 
Hampton  Court  Gardens. — The  spring  flowers  at  the  Hampton 
Court  Gardens  are  now  in  their  full  glory.  Bulbs  in  the  form  of 
Hyacinths,  Tulips,  Narcissi,  and  bell-like  Fritillarias  furnish  much  of 
the  bloom,  so  also  do  Wallflowers,  Arabis,  Aubrietia,  Auriculas,  but 
especially  Polyanthuses,  of  which  there  is  no  doubt  one  of  the  finest 
shows  of  these  popular  flowers  to  be  seen  in  the  kingdom. 
Appointments. — Mr.  George  Cypher  has  been  appointed  head 
gardener  to  S.  Gatrix,  Esq.,  West  Point,  Whalley  Range,  Manchester. 
*  *  Mr.  Chas.  W.  Head,  for  the  past  two  years  and  a  half  head 
gardener  to  Chas.  E.  Hill,  Esq.,  Winnal  House,  Haywards  Heath,  as 
head  gardener  to  Mrs.  Gebhardt,  The  Rocks,  Boarshead,  Tunbridge 
Wells.  *  *  Mr.  E.  Horton,  for  some  time  deputy  foreman  in  the 
herbaceous  grounds  at  Kew,  as  foreman  in  the  alpine  and  herbaceous 
plants  department  of  Messrs.  Clibran’s  Nurseries,  Altrincham. 
Carpet  Bedding. — Many  wild  ideas  no  doubt  possess  the  minds  of 
certain  enthusiastic  gardeners,  but  perhaps  the  most  ambitious  scheme 
is  that  of  one  distinguished  amateur,  who  means  to  represent  a  map  of 
England,  set  in  a  sea  of  blue  Lobelia.  As  the  oountry  is  to  be  divided 
off  into  counties,  each  of  which,  as  far  as  possible,  is  to  be  indicated  by 
plants  of  a  different  colour,  it  will  be  understood  that  the  task  he  has 
undertaken  is  no  light  one.  Beds  representing  coats  of  arms  of  various 
noble  families  in  living  plants  are  frequently  made  the  designs  of 
“  carpet  beds.” 
Fruit  Trees  In  Cornwall. — A  correspondent  on  May  6th  writes 
to  the  “  Western  Morning  News  :  ” — “  Rarely  indeed  have  Cornish  fruit 
trees  appeared  so  backward  in  early  May  as  this  year  ;  little  blossom 
generally  is  showing  except  in  sheltered  nooks.  This  may,  however, 
prove  a  gain  in  the  end,  as  early  blossom  is  often  cut  back  by  frost  late  in 
April  and  early  in  May,  and  crops  damaged.  During  the  recent  days’ 
sunshine,  grass  and  other  green  crops  have  wonderfully  improved. 
More  grass  for  the  cattle  is  increasing  the  quantity  and  improving  the 
quality  of  milk  and  butter.’’ 
Sparrows  and  Gooseberry  Busbes. — Notes  from  Willingham 
describe  the  fruit  prospects  as  very  promising.  The  gardens  and 
orchards  are  a  beautiful  sight.  They  present  vast  sheets  of  white 
bloom  in  all  directions,  but  the  sparrows  are  a  great  plague,  for  they 
have  destroyed  at  least  two-thirds  of  the  Gooseberry  crop  in  the  gardens 
near  the  houses.  These  pests  have  now  attacked  the  blossoms  on  the 
Plum  trees.  They  nearly  nip  out  the  centre  containing  the  honey  cup, 
and  the  remainder  falls  to  the  ground,  making  it  look  like  a  fall  of  snow. 
Many  3  ears  ago  the  overseers  used  to  buy  dead  sparrows  and  sparrows’ 
eggs,  using  a  fund  derived  from  letting  the  public  recreation  ground. 
The  custom  might  be  usefully  revived. 
The  Study  of  Plant  Life. — For  some  time  past  the  London 
County  Council  has  arranged  special  beds  of  plants  in  Battersea, 
Ravenscourt,  and  Victoria  Parks,  with  a  view  to  affording  assistance  in 
the  study  of  practical  botany  to  scholars  of  elementary  and  secondary 
schools.  At  each  of  these  parks  about  twenty  beds  are  arranged  near 
the  paths,  each  bed  containing  specimens  of  a  distinct  order  of  plant, 
each  plant  being  labelled  with  its  common  name  and  its  Latin  name. 
The  arrangement  should  be  of  great  utility  to  school  teachers  and 
others  who  are  engaged  in  the  task  of  education.  In  order  that  the 
education  by  means  of  these  small  botanical  gardens  should  be  of  a 
thoroughly  practical  character,  teachers  may  obtain,  from  the  Council’s 
Technical  Education  Board,  orders  which  will  enable  them  to  secure 
such  specimens  as  may  be  required  for  teaching  purposes. 
Wolverhampton  Gardeners. — We  learn  that  the  annual  outing 
of  the  members  of  the  Wolverhampton  Horticultural  Club  will  be 
held  in  August,  and  that  Windsor,  or  failing  that,  Trentham,  will  be 
the  place  visited.  Members  of  the  Club  intend  to  stage  an  exhibit 
of  Sweet  Peas  in  conjunction  with  the  Compton  Flower  Show  this 
year.  Mr.  W.  E.  Shrivell,  F.L.S.,  lectured  on  “Manures”  before  the 
club  recently.  He  advised  those  engaged  in  horticulture  never  to 
use  sewage  on  any  vegetable  that  was  eaten  raw,  such  as  Celery  or 
Lettuce,  for  if  they  did  they  were  liable  to  spread  typhoid  fever  and 
diphtheria.  Experiments  with  Celery,  the  growth  of  which  had  been 
assisted  with  sewage,  had  proved  that  the  Celery  contained  germs 
from  the  human  body.  He  found  that  Watercress  was  extensively 
used  in  the  Wolverhampton  district,  and  he  thought  that  before  eating 
it  they  must  have  some  idea  of  its  origin.  Instead  of  using  sewage 
for  vegetables,  he  recommended  1  oz.  of  nitrate  of  soda  in  a  gallon  of 
water,  used  once  or  twice  per  week.  Nitrate  of  soda  was  a  wonderful 
manure,  but  it  had  to  be  used  with  discretion. 
