September  ii,  1902.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
245 
Royal  Horticultural  Society. 
The  next  fruit  and  flower  show  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  will  be  held  on  Tuesday,  September  23,  in  the  Drill  Hall, 
Buckingham  Gate,  Westminster,  1.5  p.m.  A  lecture  on  “Some 
Lesser  Known  Japanese  Trees  and  Shrubs.” — specimens  of  which 
will  be  exhibited — will  be  given  by  Mr.  James  H.  Veitch, 
F.R.H.S.,  at  three  o’clock.  At  a  general  meeting  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society,  held  on  Tuesday,  September  2,  thirteen 
new  Fellows  were  elected,  making  a  total  of  898  elected  since  the 
beginning  of  the  present  year. 
A  Catalogue  with  Illustrations  only. 
Messrs.  Vilmorin-Andrieux  and  Co’s  “  Album  de  Cliches  ” 
presents  a  host  of  stereotyped  plates  of  plants,  flowers,  and  vege¬ 
tables,  with  quotations  in  French  and  English  money  values, 
beneath.  The  names  of  the  subjects  are  supplied  as  well,  but 
otherwise  there  is  no  text.  As  a  trade  guide,  it  must  be  very 
useful,  but  retail  prices  do  not  appear.  Potatoes,  Cabbages, 
Carrots,  Oats,  annual  flowering  plants,  Ac.,  are  included  in  this, 
the  second  edition,  supplement  August  6,  1902.  The  firm’s 
address  is  4,  Quai  de  la  Megisserie,  Paris. 
The  Gardens,  Ragley  Hall. 
On  Thursday,  September  4,  by  the  kindness  of  The  Marquis  of 
Hertford,  the  beautiful  gardens  and  pleasure  grounds  at  Ragley 
Hall,  were  thrown  open  to  the  general  public,  and  an  opportunity 
was  again  given  the  visitors  to  contribute  to  the  funds  of  The 
Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution.  The  inhabitants  of 
Alcester  and  neighbourhood  gladly  availed  themselves  of  the 
opportunity  to  inspect  the  thousands  of  bedding  plants,  specimen 
Coniferse,  Ac.  Great  interest  was  manifested  in  the  pyramids  of 
Plumbago,  Zonal,  and  Ivy-leaved  Pelargoniums,  of  Gf t  in  height. 
A  novel  and  attractive  feature  of  the  carpet  beds  was  that  of  the 
designs  reminding  one  of  this  eventful  Coronation  year,  crowns, 
coronets,  and  stars 4  Warm  thanks  were  expressed  for  the  kind¬ 
ness  of  the  Marquis  of  Hertford  in  granting  the  privilege  of  a 
special  day  on  behalf  of  the  G.R.B.I.  Thanks  were  also  ex¬ 
tended  to  Mr.  R.  D.  Christie,  the  Head  gardener,  for  his  efforts 
to  further  the  pleasures  of  the  visitors.  A  good  amount  was 
collected. 
Horticulture  at  University  College,  Reading. 
University  College,  Reading,  was  founded  in  June,  1892,  at 
the  instance  of  the  House  of  Christ  Church,  Oxford.  It  was 
incorporated  in  1896.  By  authority  of  decrees  of  the  University 
of  Oxford,  a  joint  committee,  consisting  of  representatives  of  the 
Oxford  Delegacy  for  the  extension  of  teaching,  of  the  University 
College,  Reading,  and  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society,  super¬ 
vises  the  horticultural  instruction  and  examinations,  and  awards 
certificates.  The  college  consists  of  departments  of  letters  and 
science,  agriculture  and  horticulture,  music,  and  the  fine  arts, 
and  provides  teaching  for  about  1,000  day  and  evening  students. 
In  addition  to  lecture  and  class-rooms  it  contains  zoological, 
botanical,  chemical,  physical,  and  bacteriological  laboratories,  art 
studios,  students’  library,  and  common  rooms,  and  there  is  a 
garden  for  horticultural  instruction.  The  college  advises  in  the 
adjoining  counties  with  regard  to  insect  pests,  plant  diseases,  the 
identification  of  plants,  and  the  manuring  of  soils.  With  regard 
to  the  Department  of  Horticulture,  the  eleventh  session  (1902- 
1903)  commences  on  Thursday,  October  2.  The  horticultural 
course  extends  over  forty  weeks,  which  is  ten  weeks  longer  than 
the  ordinary  college  session.  The  courses  of  study  are.  arranged 
to  meet  the  needs  of  those  young  men  who  are  preparing  for  the 
Oxford  and  Reading  Joint  Committee’s  certificate  in  horti¬ 
culture  ;  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  examinations ;  or  who 
intend  to  be  instructors  in  horticulture  to  County  Councils. 
Further,  those  who  may  desire  (as  the  prospectus  puts  it)  “to 
manage  their  own  gardens,”  may  - here  receive  some  necessary 
useful  training.  Practical  instruction  is  given  in  the  College 
garden,  to  the  superintendence  of  which  Mr.  W .  H.  Patterson,  an 
able  gentleman  of  varied  training,  has  lately  been  appointed. 
Mr.  Patterson  is  also  the  lecturer  in  horticulture.  The  director 
of  this  department  of  the  College  is  Frederick  Keeble,  M.A. 
(Caius  College,  Cambridge),  who  is  the  exponent  of  botany  to  the 
students.  The  subjects  of  the  curriculum  are:  Horticulture, 
chemistry,  botany,  entomology,  soils  and  manures,  bacteriology, 
bee-keeping,  book-keeping,  and  meteorology.  Those  who  are 
desirous  of  further  particulars  should  communicate  with  Mr. 
Francis  H.  Wright. 
Notes  on  Hollyhocks. 
Few  of  our  garden  flowers  have  undergone  such  vicissi¬ 
tudes  of  popularity  as  the  Hollyhock.  It  is  really  not  so  very 
many  years  ago  that  there  existed  collections  of  choice 
varieties  in  many  gardens  of  note  throughout  the  country  ; 
while  they  were  treated  as  florists’  flowers  by  many  admirers. 
Then  came  the  dreaded  disease  (Puccinia  malvacearum)  that 
in  a  few  years  swept  the  great  majority  away,  leaving  only 
those  with  the  most  robust  constitutions.  At  this  period 
the  stately  Hollyhock  was  indeed  under  a  cloud,  and 
remained  so  for  many  years  ;  in  fact,  Mr.  Editor,  it  really  has 
not  yet  recovered  the  popularity  it  once  held  in  our  esti¬ 
mation,  and  for  this  reason  I  am  penning  these  notes,  in  the 
hope  that  I  may  persuade  a  few  more  people  to  take  up 
their  cultivation,  or  at  least  find  room  for  a  few  of  these 
stately  plants  in  their  gardens.  They  may  do  so  without 
fear  or  trembling,  for  the  Hollyhock  of  to-day  is  quite  a 
different  being,  as  it  were,  when  compared  with  the  weaklings 
of  a  fewT  decades  ago.  The  modern  strain  have  good, 
vigorous  constitutions,  and  escape,  more  or  less,  the  attacks 
of  the  fungus.  This  desirable  fact  has  been  brought  about 
within  the  last  few  years  by  a  few*  specialists  who  have 
raised  seedlings  annually,  and  by  cross  fertilisation  have 
achieved  some  remarkable  results  without  destroying  the 
vigour  of  the  plants.  So  much  so,  that  at  the  present  day 
we  have  varieties  and  colours  that  are  worthy  of  a  place  in 
every  garden,  whether  on  the  flower  borders,  or  in  shrub¬ 
beries,  or  in  any  other  suitable  position. 
Personally,  I  am  no  advocate  for  named  varieties,  which 
have  to  be  propagated  by  cuttings  or  division,  it  being  a 
well-knowm  fact  that  seedlings  come  pretty  true  to  colour  and 
character,  and  in  such  plants  A\*e  get  the  health  of  the  seed¬ 
ling.  Good  collections  can  now  be  obtained  giving  a  wide 
range  of  colours,  from  pure  satiny  Avhite  to  cream,  pink, 
rose,  red,  reddish  purple  to  almost  black,  the  latter  being 
a  very  deep  maroon,  so  there  is  a  good  selection  of  colours 
to  choose  from.  While  mixed  seedlings  can  be  purchased 
more  cheaply,  and  if  obtained  from  a  reliable  source  they 
are  sure  to  be  good. 
I  should  now  like  to  draw  attention  to  the  single  forms 
that  were  always  despised  in  the  days  of  our  fathers  ;  but 
now*  that  single" flowers  are  so  much  in  vogue  we  can  admire 
the  tall,  stately  form  of  a  single  flow*ered  Hollyhock  without 
being  thought  to  be  a  “bit  of  a  crank,”  and,  after  all,  they 
are  lighter  in  appearance  than  the  double  forms.  During 
the  past  few  years  they  have  been  very  much  in  evidence  in 
all  our  suburban  districts,  and  with  their  varied  colours  they 
make  a  beautiful  display,  while  their  hardiness  and  adapt¬ 
ability  to  almost  any  soil  make  them  general  favourites 
w*herever  they  are  grown. 
As  to  cultural  details,  they  are  simple  in  the  extreme. 
If  planted  in  good  garden  soil  they  will  take  care  of  them¬ 
selves,  for  they  are"  so  hardy  now  that  the  old  method  of 
lifting'  them  and  Avintering  them  in  frames  is  no  longer 
necessary.  If  growm  without  the  aid  of  strong  manures  or 
fertilisers,  one  has  little  to  fear  from  the  fungus.  If  Ave 
desire  to  keep  special  colours,  it  can  be  accomplished  by 
propagation  from  cuttings,  or  division  of  the  stock  after 
flowering.  Those  A\*ho  are  more  ambitious,  and  desire  to 
improve  the  already  existing  forms,  can  do  so  by  carefully 
crossing  them  and  raising  the  seedlings.  The  first  cross  will 
not  give  the  result  one  requires,  but  if  the  seed  is  again 
soAvn  from  the  first  cross  the  desired  results  are  often  obtain¬ 
able.  This  has  been  so  several  times  to  my  knovyledge 
Reliable  strains  of  seeds  can  noAv  be  obtained  cheaply,  and 
if  soAA*n  in  the  spring  will  make  fine  plants  for  floAvering  the 
following  year.— An  Old  Contributor. 
Summer  Bedding:  Plants  and  Arrangements. 
( Continued  from  paye  219.) 
Another  of  the  sAveetest  beds  in  Hyde  Park  was  that  where 
dark  blue  Viola  had  been  used  to  carpet  the  bed,  and  flesh 
floured  Carnations  were  over  this.  There  was  no-  edging,  but 
le  contrast  had  a  telling  effect.  A  rectangular  bed  contained 
ghtv-four  evenly  grown  plants  of  Fuchsia  Marinka,  each  pro- 
isely flow  ered.  Coreopsistinctoria  and Nierembergia  gracilis  w  ere 
?ed  to  impart  further  grace,  the  carpeting  being  of  Leucophvi  on 
rowni  a  grev,  trailing,  Aviry  stemmed  plant.  I  he  edge  was  of 
blique  alternate  bands  of  this,  and  Alternanthera  amabilis,  each 
