58 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Januar}'  21,  IQC'!. 
Cacti  at  Handsworth,  Birmingliani. 
It  will  be  witliin  the  recollection  of  the  readers  of  the 
.Journal  of  Horticulture  that  in  the  reports  of  the  Handsworth 
and  the  Birmingham  Chrysant^mum  Shows,  mention  was  made 
of  the  attractive  and  interesting  collections  of  Cacti  exhibited 
(not  for  competition)  by  Mrs.  J.  G.  Thompson,  of  Handsworth, 
and  a  photgravure  of  which  is  here  reproduced.  As  an  amateur 
grower  Mrs.  Thompson  and  her  daughter  are  most  assiduous  in 
their  attentions  to  the  healthy  and  fresh-looking  assemblage  of 
the  prickly  and  formidable  noli  me  tangere  succulents,  and 
several  of  the  specimens  present  a  grotescpie  effect,  the  result 
of  grafting  three  or  four  kinds  on  one  stock. 
A  meritorious  feature  is  the  correct  nomenclature,  the 
names  being  neatly  written  upon  small  labels,  which  was  parti¬ 
cularly  observed  by  Miss  Thompson  in  her  neat  and  effective 
arrangement  in  Bingley  Hall  Show’.  It  may  be  remarked  that 
the  fair  culturists  do  not  affect  to  introduce  those  gigantic 
species  which  require  a  high-roofed  structure,  though  there  is 
no  knowing  to  wdiat  extremes  their  enthusiasm  will  lead  them 
to.  The  following  are  a  few^  of  the  choicer  kinds  favoured  by 
the  twain  devotees  :—Mammillarias  phellosperma,  nivea 
longispina,  Pfeifferi,  macromeris  Greggi,  cerrifera  longi.spina, 
and  nogalensis.  Opuntia  microdasys ;  Echinocactus  Wisleyeni, 
E.  “  Le  Conti,”  E.  hexoedrophorus  major;  Echinocereus  Engle- 
manni  albinospinus ;  Anhalonium  (correctly  Mammillaria) 
Leweni  and  A.  Williamsi  (the  latter  tw’o  spineless,  and 
resembling  the  tuber  of  the  Globe  Artichoke). — W.  G. 
Societies. 
Sheffield  Chrysanthemum :  Annual  Meeting. 
The  annual  general  meeting  of  the  above  was  an  important  one, 
as  the  selection  of  a  secretai’y  and  other  officers  was  rendered 
necessary  by  the  death,  a  few’  months  ago,  of  Mr.  Houseley,  who 
had  held  the  office  for  many  years.  There  was  a  very  good 
attendance,  and  the  accounts  for  the  past  year  were  .submitted. 
Tliese  showed  a  loss  on  the  year’s  working  of  about  £31,  brought 
about  chiefly  by  the  heavy  rent  paid  for  the  Cutlers’  Hall  for  the 
annual  show’  (£/30).  The  .subscriptions  were  some  £5  in  excess  of 
last  year,  but  the  prize  money  amounted  to  about  £14  more  than 
in  1902.  Then  again  the  gate  money  was  some  £18  less,  the 
amount  taken  for  admission,  including  tickets  sold,  amounted  to 
£181  10s.,  which,  considering  the  weather,  must  be  considered 
satisfactory.  A  saving  in  expenditure  had  been  effected  on 
various  heads,  but  owing  to  inability  to  obtain  a  hall  on  more 
satisfactory  terms,  a  loss  was  inevitable.  The  “  Sheffield  boys,” 
however,  have  some  grit,  and  intend  making  another  bold  effort 
to  ensure  .success  financially,  as  well  as  from  a  floral  point. 
A  resolution  w’a.s  unanimously  passed  expressing  appreciation 
of  the  service  rendered  by  Mr.  Willford,  who  had  acted  as  secre¬ 
tary,  pro  tern,  and  this  gentleman — whose  address  is  96,  Green- 
how  Street,  Sheffield' — was  elected  secretary  of  the  society,  with 
a  verj'  encouraging  expression  of  goodwill.  Mr.  J.  G. 
Newsham,  M.B.P.S.,  was  re-elected  treasurer,  and  was  also 
elected  as  the  society’s  representative  to  the  R.H.S. — an  honour 
well  deserved.  Messrs.  R.  Gascoyne  and  H.  Slaney  were  re¬ 
elected  trustees,  and  J.  Dixon  and  G.  H.  Reader  auditors.  The 
office  of  librarian  was  rendered  vacant  by  the  election  of  Mr. 
Willford  as  secretary,  and  Mr.  W.  Lewendon  was  elected  to  this 
office.  Mr.  Brewer  was  again  elected  curator,  and  Mr.  Carlton 
collector.  S.  Roberts,  Esq.,  M.P.,  w’as  re-elected  president, 
the  judges  for  1904  being  Messrs.  Jones,  Crane,  Weeks,  and 
Welch.  The  annual  dinner  will  be  held  on  the  29th  inst. 
Beckenham :  New  Fruits. 
On  Friday,  December  8,  the  members  and  friends  of  the 
Beckenham  Horticultural  Society  experienced  a  great  treat 
(one  that  has  been  looked  forw’ard  to  for  some  time  wutli  great 
interest)  when  Mr.  George  Bunyard,  V.M.H.,  gave  a  lecture  on 
“New  Fruits.”  The  chair  was  taken  by  A.  J.  Baker,  Esq., 
L.C.C.,  w’ho  in  his  opening  remarks  certainly  did  not  flatter 
the  suburban  gardener  for  his  hardy  fruit  culture.  Mr.  Bun- 
yard,  who  was  enthusiastically  received,  commenced  by  correct¬ 
ing  a  remark  that  fell  from  the  chairman,  to  the  effect  that 
trees  to  succeed  should  be  obtained  from  a  soil  similar  to  that 
to  be  planted  on.  This,  said  Mr.  Bunyard,  was  one  of  those 
theories  hard  to  kilt.  There  was  nothing  whatever  in  it.  The 
advice  w’as  given  to  procure  trees  with  first-class  roots,  and  the 
soil  theory  might  be  dismissed.  The  lecturer  then  took  the 
fruit  in  alphabetical  order.  A  few  of  the  good  things  were 
Allington  Pippin  Apple  (this  is  hardier  than  Cox’s  Orange,  and 
''  1 1  where  Cox’s  fail);  Nectarine,  Cardinal;  Grape  for 
wall  (hardy),  Reine  Olga;  Gooseberry,  May  Duke,  earliest  and 
best  for  gathering  green ;  Giant  Prune  (Burbank’s) ;  Straw’berry, 
Given’s  Late  ;  Daw’s  Matchless  Rhubarb ;  and  the  Loganberry 
(as  many  as  301b  of  fruit  has  been  gathered  from  a  single  stool). 
These  and  many  others  had  the  very  best  of  characters  from 
Mr.  Bunyard.  Very  many  valuable  cultural  hints  were  also 
given.  At  the  close  the  hearty  thanks  of  the  meeting  were 
accorded  both  lecturer  and  chairman. — J.  C. 
National  Chrysanthemum. 
A  meeting  of  the  executive  committee  was  held  on  the  11  th 
inst.,  Mr.  Thomas  Bevan  presiding.  After  the  reading  of  the 
minutes  and  some  correspondence,  a  draft  financial  statement 
was  submitted,  showing  a  balance  in  hand  of  £69  9s.  lid.  on  the 
year’s  working.  With  a  good  sum  as  reliable  assets,  and  with  but 
a  small  amount  as  liabilities,  this  was  considered  very  satisfac¬ 
tory’,  and  the  statement  w’as  passed  for  audit.  Tlie 
report  of  the  Finance  S'ub-Cbmmittee  recommending  that 
the  sum  of  £50  be  added  to  the  November  schedule  of  prizes, 
was  accepted.  A  draft  report  of  the  committee,  prepared  by  the 
secretary,  was  read  and  passed  for  presentation  at  the  annual 
general  meeting  on  February  1.  A  census  of  Japanese  and  in¬ 
curved  blooms  shown  at  the  Crystal  Palace,  prepared  by  Mr. 
Young,  of  Dulwich,  was  accepted  and  ordered  to  be  printed 
in  the  annual  report,  and  Mr.  Young  was  thanked  for  the  same. 
It  was  reported  that  no  reply  had  yet  been  received  from  the 
Crystal  Palace  in  reference  to  the  dates  of  the  show’s  in  the 
present  year,  and  the  secretary  was  instructed  to  write  and 
request  that  definite  dates  as  proposed  by  the  committee  may  be 
at  once  fixed.  Mr.  Joseph  Lake  was  nominated  for  election  as 
auditor  at  the  annu.al  general  meetng.  Arrangements  W'ere  made 
for  a  meeting  of  the  Schedule  Revision  Sub-Committee  on  the 
18th  inst.  A  vote  of  thanks  was  passed  to  the  chairman  for 
presiding. 
Chester  Paxton :  Living  Organisms. 
A  well-attended  meeting  was  held  in  the  Lecture  Theatre  of 
the  Grosvenor  Museum  on  Saturday,  under  the  presidency  of 
Mr.  N.  F.  Barnes,  Eaton  Gardens,  when  Mr.  J.  D.  Siddall  deli¬ 
vered  a  lecture  entitled  “  Living  Pictures  of  Living  Organisms,” 
which  was  profusely  illustrated  by  microscopic  slides  and 
kinematograph  pictures.  The  first  organism  dealt  with  Was  the 
American  Water  Weed  (Anacharis  Alsinastrum,  Bab.).  .  Mr. 
Siddall  described  very  fully  the  introduction  of  this  plant  into 
Great  Britain,  the  how  and  why  of  its  success  and  defeat,  as 
well  as  its  adaptation  of  structure  to  habitat.  By  the  aid  of 
microscopic  slides  and  kinematograph  pictures,  the  lecturer 
was  enabled  to  show  his  audience  the  iilant  in  all  its  various 
stages  of  growth  ;  but  the  cause  of  its  gradual  disappearance 
from  Great  Btitain  was  admitted  to  be  an  unsolved  mystery. 
The  fresh-water  Hydras  were  dealt  with  in  a  similar  manner, 
the  lecturer’s  remarks,  as  well  as  the  slides  and  pictures,  being 
greatly  appreciated.  Cheese  mites,,  and  mites  generally,  came 
next  in  order,  the  concluding  subjects  dealt  with  being  the 
chameleons  and  toads,  both  of  which  proved  to  be  excellent  sub¬ 
jects  for  the  kinematograph,  the  “  living  pictures”  of  these  being 
most  perfect  and  most  natural  in  every  respect.  Judging  from 
the  frequent  and  hearty  applause,  it  was  evident  that  both  the 
lecture  and  the  pictures  were  highly  appreciated  by  all  w’ho'  were 
present.  On  behalf  of  the  members,  Mr.  John  Jackson  pro¬ 
posed,  and  Mr.  John  Wynne  seconded,  a  very  hearty  vote  of 
thanks  to  Mr.  Siddall  for  the  great  trouble  he  had  taken  with 
his  subjects,  and  it  was  generally  admitted  to  be  one  of  the  most 
interesting  and  most  entertaining  evenings  in  the  history  of  the 
society. 
Birmingliam  Gardeners’  Association. 
The  annual  meeting  for  the  presentation  of  the  society’s 
report  and  balance-^sheet  for  the  past  year  was  convened  on  the 
11th  of  January.  There  was  an  exhibition  of  cut  Chi-ysanthe- 
mums,  in  competition  for  the  prizes  offered  by  the  society.  Mr. 
W.  B.  Latham  occupied  the  chair.  The  report  and  balance-sheet 
bore  favourable  comparison  with  former  audits,  though  there  was 
a  slight  decrease  amongst  the  honorary  members.  Professor  Hill- 
house,  F.L.S.,  of  the  Birmingham  Fniversity,  was  again  elected 
as  president  for  1904,  as  also  were  the  officers,  whilst  there  w’ere 
two  or  three  changes  in  the  committee,  chiefly  owing  to  repeated 
non-attendances.  Mr.  Walter  Jones,  gardener  to  Tho.s.  Glad¬ 
stone,  Esq.,  Kelton,  Edgbaston,  was  worthily  accorded  the  first 
prize  for  three  vases  of  Chrysanthemum  blooms:  and  Mr.  J. 
Sceany,  gardener  to  Alderman  Lawley  Parker,  Edgbaston,the 
second  prize  for  very  good  examples.  Certificates  of  merit  were 
awarded  to  the  following  non-competitive  exhibitors,  viz.:  — 
Mr.  F.  Dedicott,  gardener  to  W.  W.  Wiggin,  Esq.,  Griffin’s  Hill, 
Sellyoak,  for  an  excellent  exhibit  of  Cyclamens;  to  Mr.  Palmer, 
manager  to  Messrs.  Simpson  and  Sons,  Chadvalley  Nursery, 
Edgbaston,  for  vases  of  Chrysanthemums;  and  to  Mr.  A.  Snead, 
gardener  to  E.  M.  Sharp,  Esq.,  Edgbaston,  for  a  small  collection 
of  well-keiit  Apples.  At  the  meeting  to  be  held  on  the  25th  inst. 
Dr.  A.  B.  Reginald  Buller,  of  the  Birmingham  University,  is 
scheduled  for  an  address. 
