192 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Mar  -li  3,  1904. 
Societies. 
R.H.S.  Scientific  Committee,  February  1M. 
Present:  Dr.  M.  T.  Masters,  F.H.S.  (in  the  chair):  Messrs. 
Ilennesey,  Chittenden,  Odell,  Bakei-,  Veiteh,  Michael,  Saunders, 
Bowles,  Massee,  Douglas,  and  Holmes  ;  Dr.  Cooke  ;  Revs.  W.  Wilks 
and  G.  Henslow,  Hon.  Sec. 
ColotireJ  i^hotos. — Mr.  Hickley  exhibited  some  more  miscellaneous 
transparent  photos  of  vases,  bouquets,  &e.,  by  his  new  process.  A 
vote  of  thanks  was  aceoi'ded  to  him. 
Cyclamen  malformed. — Mr.  Odell  showed  specimens  in  which 
petioles  and  peduncles  were  fused  together,  but  not  fasciated.  It  was 
remarkable  in  the  condition  having  been  persistent  for  six  years  on  the 
same  plant. 
Silver  Fir  diseased. — Mr.  Massee  showed  a  branch  badly  attacked 
by  .^^Ecidium  elatinum,  and  observed  that  the  disease  known  as  the 
Witches’  Broom,  caused  by  Phytoptus  nidis,  upon  Silver  Firs,  is 
spreading  greatly  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Kew.  The  uredo  form  is 
known  as  Melamprosella  eerastei,  as  it  attacks  members  of  the 
Caryophyllacete. 
Cypripe-iinm  malformed. — Dr.  Masters  described  an  unusual  form 
of  a  blossom,  which  had  four  sepals,  one  column,  with  two  stamiuodes, 
but  a  three-lobed  stigma.  It  was  thus  a  ease  of  increased  numbers  of 
parts,  or  an  attempt  at  forming  a  multifold  flower. 
Cineraria,  supposed  disease. — Dr.  Cooke  reported  upon  some  leaves 
sent  by  Mr.  Vose  of  S.  Norwood  : — “  I  have  received  during  the  past 
week  leaves  of  Cineraria  fi'om  a  Fellow  of  the  society  who  suspected 
them  to  be  attacked  by  some  mould.  I  examined  and  reported  on 
these  to  the  effect  that  I  could  find  no  parasitic  mould  upon  the  leaves  ; 
and  although  I  had  examined  the  tomentum  of  the  under  surface 
as  completely  as  it  seemed  possible  to  examine  such  a  substance,  I 
could  find  no  mycelium  mixed  with  the  filaments  of  the  tomentum, 
and  no  fragments  of  fungus  hyphm  or  fungus  spores.  Subsequent 
examination  of  other  leaves,  wdiich  had  brownish  and  dead  spots  near 
the  mai’gin,  furnished  from  these  spots  a  few  delicate  fungus  hyphm 
with  a  few  spores  or  eonidia,  evidentl_y  belonging  to  some  species  of 
Cladosporium.  But  as  Cladosporium  is  so  commonly  found  as  a 
•saprophyte  on  all  kinds  of  dead  vegetable  matter,  and  so  very  rarely 
as  a  parasite,  and  in  this  instance  occurred  only  upon  dead  spots,  I 
came  at  once  to  the  conclusion  that  it  Avas  not  connected  with  any 
disease.  However,  I  ventured  to  state  that  I  should  never  be 
•surprised  to  find  some  species  of  Oidium,  Avith  its  chains  of  eonidia, 
on  leaves  of  Cineraria  as  Avell  as  on  other  composite  plants.” 
The  failure  of  Beans  in  houses. — Mr.  Baker  reported  as  folloAvs 
upon  this  matter  brought  before  the  last  meeting;  Mr.  Horseley 
Avrites  that  the  plants  and  the  unsoAvn  seed  have  been  destroyed,  and 
the  eai’th  throAvn  aAvay.  I  haA'e  therefore  to  form  an  opinion  from  the 
long  record.  Assuming  this  to  be  correct,  there  is  vei’y  little,  if  any, 
doubt  that  the  failures  Avere  due  to,  first  and  chiefly,  unbalanced 
sunlight  and  fire  heat.  The  period  of  failure  Avas  the  end  of  October 
to  .lanuarv,  an  unusually  dull,  sunless  time  this  season,  even  for  these 
months,  and  it  seems  no  alloAvanee  AA-as  made.  This  has  been  a  fruitful 
source  of  trouble  this  season  elsCAvliere.  and  should  teach  the 
importance  of  regulating  the  heat  by  the  sunlight  aA'ailable.  Secondly, 
the  soil  Avas  chiefly  humus  and  too  light,  and  almost  certainly  A-ery 
deficient  in  aA'ailable  lime,  phosphate,  and  potash. 
Bristol  Gardeners.’ 
A  Avell  attended  meeting  of  the  Bristol  and  District 
Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement  Association  Avas  held  at  St. 
John’s  Rooms,  on  Thnr.sday  evening  la.st,  Avhen  Mr.  J.  Contts, 
representatiAm  of  the  Exeter  Gardeners’  Society,  delivered  an 
cxhamstiAm  lecture  on  “  Greenhouse  HardAAOoded  Plants.”  Mr. 
1*1.  Poole,  F. R.H.S,  occupied  the  chair,  and  on  behalf  of  the 
Bristol  gardeners  gave  Mr.  Contts  a  hearty  Avelcome. 
[A  paper  on  this  subject  from  Mr.  Contts  Avas  published  in 
.several  issues  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  for  April  and  May, 
11)01.— Ed.] 
Prizes  for  table  decorations  Avere  aAvarded  to  (1st)  Mr. 
Thoday.  gardener  to  Mr.  N.  C.  Dobson:  and  (2nd)  to  Mr.  J.  T. 
Curtis,  gardener  to  Mr.  W.  HoAvell  Davis.  A  special  certificate 
of  merit  Avas  recommended  for  Mr.  A.  Hall  (gardener.  Air. 
Ware)  for  tAvo  beautiful  pots  of  Freesias.  The  next  lecture  Avill 
be  held  on  Alarch  17.  Avhen  Mr.  Myers  aaIU  lecture  on  ‘‘Ancient 
and  Modern  Gardens.”  Avitli  limelight  vicAvs. 
Spekefield  Amateur  Gardeners'. 
Ender  the  auspices  of  the  above  society  a  most  instructive 
and  interesting  course  of  six  lectures  in  the  Baptist  Hall.  Speke- 
held,  has  just  concluded.  Mr.  John  Stoney,  of  Aigburth,  Avas 
the  lecturer.  The  course  included  “  Soils  and  Alanures,” 
“Tomatcfes,  Potatoes,  Ac.,”  “Chrysanthemums  for  Large 
Blooms,”  “Vegetables,”  “  FloAvers  for  August.”  and  some 
common  “Diseases  of  Plants.”  Mr.  Stoney  illustrated  his 
remarks  bj’  a  series  of  diagrams,  lantern  slides,  and  specimens, 
'riie  lectures  on  each  occasion  Avere  highly  appreciated  and  Avell 
attended.  IMany  questions  on  technical  points  Avere  asked,  and 
fully  answered  by  the  lecturer.  aaIio  made  it  a  point  of  giving 
his  hearei's  a  thorough  knowledge  of  all  the  practical  details 
combined  Avith  the  general  principles  underlying  i>ractice.  It  is 
felt  that  these  lectures  har-e  been  a  di.stinct' gain  to  tlie  society. 
A  A'ery  pleasing  duty  devohmd  upon  the  chairman  at  the  closing 
lecture  in  the  presentation  of  a  A'ery  handsome  Avalkingstick  to 
Mr.  Stoney  for  his  A'aluable  services.' — W. 
Scottish  Horticultural. 
The  monthly  meeting  Avas  held  in  DoAvell’s  Rooms,  Edin¬ 
burgh,  on  Tuesday  evening,  the  l.st  inst.,  and  Avas  vei-y  largely 
attended,  IMr.  McHattie,  president,  in  the  chair.  After  the 
usual  formal  business,  Mr.  Brotherston,  The  Gardens,  Tyning- 
hame,  read  a  paper  on  ‘‘Scottish  Plant  Names,”  and  for  more 
than  half  an  hour  highly  delighted  the  audience,  tracing  in 
a  most  interesting  manner  the  popular  names  in  Scotland  for 
many  of  our  finest  plants  and  trees,  shoAving  that  love  and 
necromancy  AAere  lai-gely  the  roots  of  plant  names,  and  that 
in  different  parts  of  the  country  different  names  Avere  appliecl 
to  the  same  plants. 
Mr.  Brother.ston  also  quoted  from  the  old  Scottish  poets 
many  associations  connected  Avith  plant  lore,  and  hoAV  various 
plants  came  to  be  associated  Avith  various  classes  or  clans  of 
the  people.  A  most  interesting  disemssion  folloAved,  in  Avhich 
many  of  the  ideas  in  the  paper  Avere  amplified.  A  most  hearty 
vote  of  thanks  Avas  aAvarded  to  Mr.  Brother.ston.  Interesting 
exhibits  Avere  on  the  table.  Beautiful  orchids  from  Mr.  Nichol, 
Rossie  Gardens;  Carnations  as  imported  fi'om  France  from  Air. 
Fortune :  a  number  of  beautiful  Hellebores,  Violets,  orchids, 
Ac.,  from  Mr.  Brotherston;  Daffodils,  Anemones,  Ac.,  from 
Mr,  Todd,  ShaiulAvick  Place.  A  vote  of  thanks  to  tlie  chaii'inan 
bi'ought  the  meeting  to  a  close. 
CardilT:  Birds. 
A  meeting  of  the  Cardiff  Gardeners’  Association  Avas  held  at 
the  Grand  Hotel  on  ’Puesday  eA-ening,  February  23,  Avhen  Air. 
H.  R.  Farmer  presided  over  a  large  mu.ster  of  members.  Air. 
J.  Alountney.  naturalist  and  preseiwer  to  the  Cardiff  and  other 
museums,  gave  a  delightful  and  interesting  lecture,  entitled 
“Our  Summer  Visitors.”  illustrated  Avith  over  thirty  specimens, 
such  as  the  sAvift,  martin,  cuckoo,  nightingale,  and  nightjar. 
The  lecturer,  in  passing  the  specimens  round  singly,  gave  a 
brief  history  of  each  one,  and  explaining  at  the  same  time,  apart 
from  their  song,  their  particular  A'alue  to  the  gardener.  Regard¬ 
ing  the  destruction  of  insect  pests,  he  .said  he  aaus  also  alive  to 
the  fact  that  they  often  caused  gi’eat  vexations  to  the  gardener 
during  the  fruit  .season.  Though  the  losses  Avere  comsidered 
great  at  times,  it  Avas  an  open  fact  that  Avere  there  no  birds  to 
keep  insect  life  under,  complete  de.structiou  among  plant  life 
Avas  bound  to  folloAv  unless  fought  against  by  artificial  means. 
A  A'ariety  of  questions  Avere  put  to  the  lecturer  during  a  long 
and  splendid  discussion,  and  the  unanimous  opinion  Avas  that 
the  .sparroAV  ought  to  be  exterminated.  The  be.st  thanks  of  the 
as.sociation  Avere  accorded  Air.  Alountney  for  his  lecture,  Avhich 
Avas  the  first  of  its  kind  that  had  OA-er  been  brought  before  the 
members. — J.  J. 
Hull :  The  Tilth  of  the  Garden. 
A  meeting  of  the  Hull  and  District  Horticultural  AAas  held 
in  the  Imperial  Hotel  on  Tuesday,  February  23,  Air.  Toyne 
acting  as  chairman,  and  Air.  Alclntosh,  of  A^ork,  being  the 
essayist.  The  subject  of  this  gentleman’s  remarks  Avas  “The 
Tilth  of  the  Garden.”  The  essay  Avas  a  skilfully  compre.ssed 
compendium  of  a  large  subject,  and  no  attempt  at  further 
abridgement  could  be  successful  in  the  bounds  of  this  report. 
Needless  to  say,  the  hints  coming  from  a  cultivator  of  long 
experience  Avere  eagerly  listened  to.  Mr.  McIntosh  favoured 
deep  cultivation  doAvn  to  2|ft  or  CAmn  3ft,  not  only  to  afford  root 
room,  but  to  admit  of  the  free  passage  of  the  necessary  elements 
— air  and  Avater. 
With  regard  to  manuring,  the  essayist  explained  his  method 
of  disposing  of  garden  nfbbish,  humorously  terming  it  the 
“  dumping  system.”  A  trench  4ft  Avide  and  2ft  deep  Avas  taken 
out  at  the  end  of  a  plot,  and  all  weeds,  vegetable  refuse,  and 
other  rubbish  (barring  sticks  and  ineradicable  Aveeds)  Avere 
“  diAinped  ”  into  it;  Avhen  full,  the  soil  taken  out  at  first  Avas 
returned  and  another  trench  of  similar  dimensions  prepared  and 
filled  in  like  manner,  so  that  in  the  course  of  time  a  rich  sub¬ 
stratum  of  Amgetable  matter  Avould  be  formed  tbroughout  the 
plot.  In  the  oi’dinary  method  of  trenching  the  humus  Avould 
be  brought  to  the  surface,  and  could  be  thoroughly  incorporated 
in  the  other  soil,  thus  doing  aAvay  Avith  the  necessity  of  manurial 
additions  for  years,  an  inch  spreading  of  lime  being  given  to 
obviate  soAirness.  The  iiAceting  terminated  by  according  a 
hearty  vote  of  thanks  to  Air.  Alclntosh.  W.  R. 
We  regret  to  be  compelled  to  hold  over  reports  of  the  Feltham 
Paignton,  IpsAvich,  and  Reading  gardeners’  societies.— Ed. 
