Maivli  3,  1904, 
JOUllNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AHD  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
183 
The  Journal's  Dahlia  Analysis. 
This  j'early  featui’e  of  our  pages  will  appear  in  the  issue  for 
March  24.  Mr.  E.  Mawley  is  the  compiler  of  it. 
Annual  Dinner  of  the  G.R.B.I. 
The  annual  festival  dinner  of  the  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevo¬ 
lent  Institution  takes  place  at  the  Hotel  Metropole  on  June  28 
next,  when  Hariy  J.  Veitch,  Esq.,  will  occupy  the  chair. 
Edinburgh  Chrysanthemum  Show. 
The  secretary  of  the  Scottish  Horticultural  Association  re¬ 
minds  us  that 'the  Chry.santhemum  show’  of  that  society  will  be 
held  on  November  17,  18,  and  19.  These  dates  have  been  added 
to  our  list  of  fixtures. 
Guide  to  Battersea  Park,  London. 
A  very  interesting  and  useful  guide,  costing  only  Id.,  has 
been  prepared  by  the  Clerk  of  the  London  County  Council, 
under  the  direction  of  the  Parks  and  Open  Spaces  Committee. 
This  first  edition  was  issued  in  January  this  year.  The  little 
pamphlet  contains  historical  and  botanical  notes,  as  well  as  notes 
with  reference  to  the  games  allowed.  There  is  a  photo  of  the 
w’ooden  bridge  from  which  the  children  throw  crumbs  to  the 
fishes  in  the  Avater.  This  spot  is  called  the  Lady’s  Pond.  Also 
a  valuable  double-page  plan  of  the  entire  park.  If  all  the 
London  parks  are  treated  in  the  same  Avay  we  shall  have  here 
a  valuable  series. 
Cactus  Dahlias  in  Canada. 
To  be  correct  we  must  say  Prince  EdAvard  Island,  Canada, 
for  from  that  address  Mr.  G.  H.  Haszard,  nurseryman,  Char¬ 
lottetown,  sends  us  his  catalogue,  and  his  remarks  anent  prize- 
Avinning,  shoAv  that  Dahlias  are  as  keenly  appreciated  by  our  trans- 
Atlantic  kinsmen,  as  they  are  amongst  ourseh’es.  Our  columns 
have  also  borne  evidence  of  the  cult  in  Tasmania,  so  that  Dahlia 
growing  is  practically  a  hobby  in  every  temi>erato  climate.  Mr. 
Haszard  says  he  is  always  adding  to  his  grand  stock,  and  Avill 
catalogue  from  time  to  time  only  those  of  superior  quality,  dis¬ 
carding  those  which  have  been  beaten  in  the  race  by  neAV 
varieties.  Goods  in  all  cases  are  sent  by  mail  or  express,  and 
are  packed  as  lightly  as  possible,  so  that  packages  to  most 
distant  points  liave  very  small  charges.  In  the  past  he  has 
sent  Dahlias  as  far  as  California,  and  they  have  arrived  in  good 
condition. 
Sterilising  Greenhouse  Soils. 
In  Bulletin  No.  186  of  the  XT.S.  Department  of  Agriculture 
Profes.sor  G.  E.  Stone,  of  the  Massachu.setts  Experiment  Station, 
has  shown  that  sterilisation  of  the  soil  by  heating  (w’ell  knoAvn  to 
all  gardeners)  is  a  very  effective  means  of  preventing  or  con¬ 
trolling  the  worst  of  the  enemies  of  greenhouse  plants,  and  this 
method  is  now  used  Avith  success  by  many  large  market  gar¬ 
deners.  The  method  as  worked  out  by  Professor  Stone,  in 
experiments  extending  over  a  number  of  years,  is  especially 
effective  in  case  of  Lettuce  drop,  timber  rot  of  Cucumbers, 
rhizoctonia  of  Lettuce,  Cucumbers,  &c.,  “damping  off,”  and 
nematode  root  disease,  all  of  AA’hicli  are  common  diseases  in  green¬ 
houses.  As  would  be  expected,  the  treatment  is  effective  only 
with  diseases  tran.smitted  through  the  soil,  and  is  without  in¬ 
fluence  on  diseases  disseminated  through  the  air.  But  Avhat  of 
the  soil  bacteria? 
■Weather  Notes  from  NeAston  Mearns. 
If  January  has  surpassed  all  other  Januarys  for  mildness, 
February,  I  think,  has  done  likeAvise  in  regard  to  its  OAvn  month, 
though  not  so  mild  as  the  former.  We  have  had  frosts  register¬ 
ing  12deg  to  Ifideg  on  succeeding  mornings,  and  falls  of  snoAv 
on  three  different  occasions,  but  as  the  month  has  left. us  Ave 
can  only  now  reflect  on  its  goodness.  It  is  seldom  Ave  liaA’e  a 
February  when  so  much  outdoor  labour  has  been  accompli.shed 
Avith  plea.sure.  Although  February  has  been  an  exceedingly  dry 
and  delightful  month,  yet  Avith  the  aid  of  keen  frosts  Ave  have  had 
checks,  and,  so  far  as  A’egetation  is  concerned,  at  the  present 
moment  avo  cannot  saj^  that  things  are  forAvard  (Snowdrops  bloom, 
but  Crocuses  are  not  yet  shoAving).  We  are  glad,  however,  to 
see  Nature  still  asleep,  and  should  the  present  climatic  conditions 
prevail  for  another  AAcek  or  tAVO  as  they  are  iust  noA\- — viz.,  raAv 
and  very  cold — there  Avill  not  be  much  fear  of  spring  frosts  doing 
as  much  damage  as  hitherto  has  been  done  in  pa.st  years,  as 
A’egetation  will  not  be  so  far  forward  as  to  alloAv  any  great  damage 
being  done. — N.  R. 
United  Horticultural  Benefit  and  Provident  Society. 
The  annual  meeting  of  this  society  Avill  be  held  at  the 
Caledonian  Hotel,  Adelphi  Terrace,  Strand,  on  Monday  even¬ 
ing,  XIarch  14,  at  eight  o’clock.  Xlr.  H.  J.  AViight  has  kindly 
con.sentod  to  preside  on  this  occasion. 
Weather  in  South  Perthshire. 
The  greater  part  of  the  past  Aveek,  from  the  22nd,  Avhich  Avas 
exceedingly  fine,  Avas  cold  and  Avet  Avith  recurring  sleetj'^  shoAvers, 
the  26th  being  especially  disagreeable  in  the  earlier  part.  Satur¬ 
day  and  the  afternoon  of  Sunday  Avere  again  bright  and  pleasant. 
On  the  morning  of  Sunday  5deg,  and  on  Monday  morning  lOdeg 
of  frost  Avere  registered.  The  hills  continue  thickly  covered  Avith 
snoAv. — B.  D.,  S.  Perth.shire.  ' 
Veitchian  Medals  for  Mr.  J.  Wright  and  Mr.  T.  Challis. 
At  an  adjourned  meeting  of  the  trustees  of  the  A'eitch  Memo¬ 
rial  Fund,  held  on  the  23rd  ult.,  it  Avas  decided  to  offer  the  large 
.silver  medal  for  distinguished  .service  in  horticulture  to  Air. 
John  Wright,  A^'.M.H.,  in  recognition  of  his  long  and  persistent 
efforts  to  diffuse  among.st  the  industrial  classes  a  practical  knoAv- 
ledge  of  the  cultural  requirements  of  the  vegetables  and  fruits 
most  necessary  for  gardens,  and  as  an  author  Avho  has  Avritten 
several  valuable  treatises  on  .subjects'  relating  to  horticulture. 
Also  a  similar  medal  to  Mr.  Thomas  Challis,  of  Wilton  House 
Gardens,  Salisbury,  for  his  long  and  many  services  to  garden¬ 
ing,  especially  in  reference  to  his  improved  cultivation  of  hardy 
fruits. 
Irish  Gardeners’  Association. 
A  meeting  of  the  Irish  Gardeners’  Association  was  held  on 
February  23  in  the  X.L.  Cafe,  Grafton  Street.  Air.  F.  W. 
Aloore,  the  president,  occupied  the  chair,  and  in  his  opening 
remarks  said  that  the  Association  Avas  making  good  progress. 
Its  objects  Avere  to  bring  gardeners  into  closer  as.sociation  and 
communion  Avith  each  other,  to  strengthen  their  position,  and 
to  help  them  in  every  Avay.  The  society  also  aimed  at  helping 
them  in  the  time  of  sickne.ss  or  distress.  He  appealed  to  em¬ 
ployers  to  assist  the  society,  as  by  so  doing  they  Avould  be  better 
.served  by  a  better  clas.s  of  men.  Mr.  David  Hou.ston  then 
delivered  a  lecture  on  the  .subject,  “  The  Living  Soil,”  Avhich  Ava.s. 
illustrated  by  a  large  number  of  lantern  vieAvs. 
The  Rarer  Woodland  Plants  of  Scotland. 
At  the  monthly  meeting  of  the  Edinburgh  Field  Naturalists’ 
and  Microscopical  Society,  Mr.  D.  S.  Fish  read  a  paper  on  “  Thq 
Rarer  Woodland  Plants  of  Scotland,”  in  Avhich  attention  was 
draAvn  to  the  varying  character  of  the  undergroAvths  of  Avoods. 
The  plants  composing  the  lowest  forest  carpet  fell  into  tAvo 
groups — those  that  cleriA’ed  adA’antages  from  the  presence  of  the 
forest,  and  those  that  did  not,  the.se  latter  con,sisting  chiefly  of 
light-demanding  intruders,  whose  place  AA  as  properly  the  Avayside, 
meadoAV,  and  moor.  Pine  forests — often  the  site  of  former  sphag¬ 
num  SAvamps — contained  on  their  floors  a  flora  of  their  OAvn,  and 
it  AA’as  chiefly  here  that’AIoneses,  Pyrolas,  Trientalis,  and  Linnsea 
Avere  found,  the  first-named  being  by  far  the  rarest.  Such  Pine 
forests,  AA'ith  their  carpets,  w’ere  not  peculiar  to  Scotland.  Cover¬ 
ing  large  tracts  of  ScandinaA’ia,  they  spread  north  and  east,  ascend¬ 
ing  the  mountains  as  they  approached  the  Alediterranean.  In 
the  northern  countries  of  the  great  Western  Continent  they  re¬ 
appeared,  slightly  varied  in  form,  and  accompanied  in  some 
districts  Avith  other  genera  unknoAvn  to  European  Avoods. 
Aloneses,  a  dAvarf  evergreen,  Avith  pure  Avhito  drooping  flowers, 
did  not  occur  in  England,  and  Avas  one  of  Scotland’s  most  beau¬ 
tiful  and  rare.st  floAvers.  Not  increasing  by  seed  here  so  freely 
as  abroad,  it  Avas  also  much  exposed  to  suppression,  Avhen  the 
forest  AA’as  felled  or  opened,  by  plants  of  stronger  groAvth,  for¬ 
merly  excluded  by  the  shade  ca.st  from  the  leafy  canopy. 
The  paper  Avas  illustrated  by  lantern  vioAVS  of  trees  inimical 
to  undergroAvths,  and  of  Pine  forests  in  Scotland  A\ith  true  carpet 
plants  and  their  intruders.  Air.  James  Fra.ser  exhibited  mounted 
specimens  of  about  250  “alien”  plants  Avhich  he  collected  last 
year,  chiefly  in  the  Avaste  grounds  at  Leith  Docks,  and  at  seA’oral 
other  points  throughout  the  county.  He  dfscussed  the  various 
agencies  by  Avhich  the  seeds  of  tlie.se  plants  Avere  cotiA’cyed  from 
their  natiA’e  country’  to  their  neiv  habitats,  and  the  likelihood 
of  their  being  able  to  establish  themselves  among  our  native 
plants,  and  mentioned  a  feAV  Avhich  might  be  considered  quite 
de.sirable  additions  to  our  flora. — “Scotsman.” 
