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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  January  28,  19C4. 
well  hi\-aking  up  the  bottom.  Mr.  Picker  atlvi.sed  good  farmyard 
manure  as  the  best  top-dressing,  and  remarked  that  in  splitting 
up  plants  .such  as  Aster.?,  Phlox,  Ac.,  the  outsides  .should  be  used 
as  being  the  younger  portions.  A  reserve  ground  was  also  advised 
as  being  essential  to  renew  plants,  which,  even  under  the  best 
treatment,  will  unaccountably  go  off.  Everi  the  briefest  .synopsis 
of  the  able  gardener’s  paper  is  impossible  in  the  small  space  at 
disposal.  The  paper  met  with  some  criticism,  but  not  of  an 
adverse  nature," and  the  vote  of  thanks  accorded  to  Mr.  Picker 
was  of  a  very  hearty  character,  high  tribute  being  paid  to  his 
practical  gardening  abilities. — W.  R. 
Cardiff:  Lecture  on  Manurial  Waste. 
The  opening  meeting  of  the  Cardiff  Gardeners’  Society  for 
tlie  new  year  took  place  at  the  Grand  Hotel  on  Tuesday,  January 
12.  Mr.  H.  E.  Farmer,  head  gardener,  Cardiff  Castle  presiding. 
A  lecture  entitled  A  Meeting  of  Fruits  and  Vegetables,  Protest¬ 
ing  against  the  V’aste  of  Their  Food,”  was  delivered  by  Mr.  E.  H. 
Battram,  manager  of  the  sewage  farm,  Abercynon  (and  for  many 
years  previous  head  gardener  at  Cyfarthfa  Castle,  once  famous  for 
Beckenliara :  The  Strawberry. 
On  Friday,  the  loth,  Mr.  Lyne,  of  Foxbury,  Chislehurst,  gave 
a  lecture  before  the  Beckenham  Horticultural  Societj'  on  The 
Strawberry.”  Mr.  Lyne  said  that  he  had  not  prepared  a  written 
essay:  he  preferred  to  dispense  with  that,  and  in  an  extempore 
way  detail  his  own  practice  without  saying  it  was  the  best,  but 
which  certainly  gives  him  very  satisfactory  results.  The  outdoor 
culture  was  first  dealt  with  thoroughly,  trenching  ami  manur- 
iirg  being  the  fir.st  step.  A  special  bed,  expressly  for  the  pro- 
*  dnetion  of  runners,  was  a  further  important  step.  These, 
layered  into  5in  or  Gin  pots,  three  in  a  pot,  when  ready  are 
planted  in  their  permanent  quartei’s  intact,  3ft  by  2ft  apart, 
and  not  to  .stand  longer  than  three  years.  Mr.  Lyne  advised 
doing  away  Avith  and  planting  an  equal  number  annually.  All 
cultural  details  Avere  filled  in  as  the  lecturer  proceeded. 
The  same  advice  for  plants  for  forcing  held  good  as  to  layers. 
Mr.  Lyne  prefers  laying  in  triplets,  advancing  a  saving  of  labour 
in  Avatering,  and  the  plants  not  so  likely  to  suffer,  if,  through 
press  of  Avork,  they  have  to  stand  over  a  short  time,  as  they 
would  do  in  smaller  pots,  and  no  ill  results  acciire  from  dividing 
A  Formal 
Rose  Garden. 
its  supplies  of  garden  produce).  The  lecture  Avas  rich  in  details 
regarding  the  Avaste  of  seAvage,  so  often  driven  into  the  sea,  pollut¬ 
ing  the  Avaters,  thus  rendering  the  consumption  of  shell-fish 
dangerous  in  the  extreme.  All  this  could  be  avoided,  Mr.  Bat- 
tram  added,  by  turning  it  into  better  and  more  profitable  account 
by  constructing  seAvage  beds.  The  lecturer  pointed  out  A'arious 
Avays  of  preparation  before  returning  it  to  the  garden  or  laml. 
A  liA'ely  discussion  folloAved,  and  numerous  questions  of  Aaried 
importance  Avere  put  to  the  lecturer.  Mr.  Basham,  jun.,  fruit 
.specialist,  Basalleg,  in  discussing  the  remarks  of  the  lecturer, 
.said  that  he  was  in  a  po.sition  to  confirm  AA'hat  had  been  said  in 
regard  to  the  use  of  sewage  applied  to  fruit  in  a  prepared  form,  to 
be  absolutely  true,  and  eAuni  necessary  toAvards  successful  fruit 
culture*.  When  called  upon  Mr.  Battram  ansAvered  the  cjuestions 
in  a  genial  and  .striking  manner,  to  the  sati.sfaction  of  a  large 
assembly.  The  best  thanks  of  the  meeting  Avere  accorded  Mr. 
Battram  for  his  instructive  and  humorous  lecture,  to  Avhich  he 
briefly  replied,  and  thanked  them  for  their  courteous  attention. 
Mr.  E.  W.  DaA'y,  gardener  to  J.  J.  Neale,  Esq.,  Penarth  (and 
Avho  supplied  the  Chamberlain  party  Avith  buttonholes  and  .sprays 
of  orchids  recently),  Avas  aAvarded  a  first  class  certificate  for  orchid 
Cymbidium  Tracyanum,  Avhich  carried  a  remarkably  long  spike 
of  floAA'ers. — John  Jn.i.vx. 
them  at  the  final  potting.  Mr.  Lyne  urges  that  if  forced  Straw¬ 
berries  are  a  special  requirement  a  small  Ioav  house  should  be  pro¬ 
vided  for  them,  results  justifying  the  outlay.  Mr.  Lyne,  jun. 
(Avho,  by  the  Avajq  is  a  groAver  of  StraAvberries  for  market),  like 
a  dutiful  son  accompanied  his  father,  and  supplemented  his 
lecture  Avith  some  extremely  pithy  and  A’aluablc  remarks.  Both 
gentlemen  Avere  the  recipients  of  the  hearty  thanks  of  the 
meeting. — T.  C. 
Ipswich:  Heating  aid  Ventilating. 
At  the  opening  meeting  of  the  .session  on  January  7,  Mr. 
C.  H.  Curtis,  of  the  “  Gardeners’  Magazine, gave  a  lecture  on 
“  Kcav  Gardens:  Their  History  and  Attractions.”  The  lecture 
Avas  highly  appreciated,  and  serimd  to  recall  the  pleasant  excur- 
sicn  undertaken  by  the  society  to  ChisAvick  and  Keiv  three  years 
ago.  The  second,  meeting,  held  on  January  21,  Avas  cleA’oted  to 
the  discussion  of  three  inniortant  phases  of  indoor  gardening, 
viz.,  “Heating,  Ventilating,  and  Shading.”  Mr.  M  anier, 
engineer,  of  IpsAvich.  opened  the  discussion  on  heating,  giving 
some  A'cry  practical  hints  on  hot-Avater  apparatiis  and  its  _mauaQ:.'^_ 
ment.  The  discussion  on  the  remaining  subjects  AA'as  initiated 
by  Mr.  E.  C’reek,  and  sustained  by  Messrs.  Cotton,  Kcdgely, 
