]\:jr<.h  10,  19C4. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
199 
NOTES 
Hanley  Horticultural  Fete. 
Tins  fete  and  exhil)ition  will  ])e  held  in  Hanley  Park  on 
July  G  and  7.  The  schedule  of  prizes  is  now  published,  and 
the  secretary  is  Mr.  Jos.  Kent,  Hanley  Park  Fete,  Hanley, 
Staffs. 
The  Horticultural  Hall  Fund. 
]\Ir.  Geo.  Gumbrell,  seci'etary  to  the  Ware  and  District 
Horticultural  ^lutual  Improvement  Society,  notifies  us  of  the 
fact  that  his  *society  contributed  eight  guineas  to  this  fund  on 
March  7.  This  is  a  good  example,  for  surely  it  is  to  the 
advantage  of  gardeners  and  gardening  to  have  a  strong  and 
I'ecognised  national  horticultural  society  in  London. 
Beckenham  Horticultural. 
On  Friday,  February  26,  iNIr.  Joseph  Cheal  lectured  to  a 
large  audience  in  the  Beckenham  Public  Hall  on  his  tour 
through  Canada  and  the  U.S.A.  The  lecture  proved  doubly 
intere.sting,  for  iMr.  Cheal  had  about  eighty  lanton  slides  pre¬ 
pared  from  photographs  of  his  own  manipulating.  As  these 
were  put  on  the  screen  Mr.  Cheal  imparted  the  necessary 
explanation  in  an  exceedingly  happy  way,  and  at  the  close 
was  the  recipient  of  very  hearty  applause. — T.  C. 
Appointments. 
Mr.  Frederick  Overill,  inside  foreman  at  Ayton  Castle 
Gardens,  and  previou.sly  foreman  at  Broxmouth  Park,  as  head 
gardener  to  Sir  Christopher  Furness,  Tunstall  Court,  West 
Hartlepool,  Co.  Durham.  *  *  Mr.  Horace  L.  Hirst,  for  over 
three  years  gardener  to  iMrs.  Birkheck,  Anley,  Settle,  and  the 
last  eight  months  at  Poppleton  Hall,  York,  has  been  appointed 
head  gardener  to  Major  Cradock,  D.S.O.,  Hartforth  Hall, 
Richmond,  Yorkshire,  and  entered  on  his  duties  Febru¬ 
ary  6,  1904.  *  *  ]Mr.  A.  Hepworth,  late  gardener  to  Jesse  H. 
Roberts,  E.sq.,  Fremont,  West  Derby,  Liverpool,  has  been 
appointed  gardener  to  W.  E.  Cain,. Esq.,  Wilton  Grange,  West 
Kirby,  Cheshire.  *  *  i\Ir.  H.  Jlills  has  been  appointed  as 
head  gardener  to  Jlrs.  Birt,  Lianaway  Gardens,  Godalining. 
Obituary— Mr.  R.  Jordan. 
It  is  with  much  regret  we  announce  the  death  of  Mr.  Robert 
Jordan,  which  occurred  at  his  residence,  Devon  Villa,  Farn- 
combe,  on  Sunday  last  at  the  age  of  seventy-two,  after  a 
serious  illness,  from  heart  affection.  The  deceased,  Avho  was 
a  native  of  Devonshire,  came  to  Godaiming  some  years  since, 
and  for  forty  years  had  acted  as  head  gardener  to  Miss  Hallam 
and  Mrs.  Birt  of  Lianaway  to  whom  he  proved  himself  a  faith¬ 
ful  and  devoted  servant.  He  took  a  warm  and  active  interest 
in  the  affairs  of  the  Godaiming  and  District  Chrysanthemum 
Society,  the  Godaiming  and  District  Gardeners’  Mutiial 
Improvement  Association,  and  other  similar  societies.  ]Mr. 
Jordan  actively  participated  in  the  affairs  of  the  borough, 
having  been  a  member  of  the  Town  Council  for  some  years 
until  failing  health  caused  him  to  retire  in  November,  1900. 
Notes  from  Hamilton. 
It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  inform  you  that  Hamilton 
now  includes  in  its  long  roll  of  .societies  and  organisations  a 
field  club.  This  most  e.ssential  part  of  a  toivn’s  educational 
equipment  was  formed  on  March  1  in  the  Academy.  The  club 
will  include,  I  understand,  all  natural  hi.story,  physical  science, 
archeological  and  historical  objects,  and  subjects  belonging  to 
the  district,  for  all  of  which  the  district  gives  ample  oppor¬ 
tunities.  Our  Gardeners’  As.sociation,  now  about  100  strong, 
had  a  record  meeting  on  the  night  of  March  1.  Alfred  G. 
Miller,  E.sq.,  of  Hamilton,  a  most  enthusia.stic  fern  collector, 
gave  an  interesting  lecture  on  “  British  Ferns.”  iMr.  Miller, 
who  knows  where  to  find  all  the  rare  ferns  all  over  the  king¬ 
dom,  dealt  of  course  more  minutely  with  those  of  the  district. 
And^  it  is  wonderful  how  this  coal-laden  atmosphere  permits 
the  existence  of  so  very  many  species.  The  weather  is  very 
wintry;  the  ground  is  covered  with  an  inch  of  snow.  — D.  C. 
Kew  Gardens. 
IMany  private  gai’deners  seem  to  think  that  Kew  has  un¬ 
told  .sums  of'nioney  at  iks  disposal.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  Kew 
has  its  own  nurseries  and  propagating  houses,  and  except  the 
purchase  of  novelties  it  is  .self-sustaining.  Owing  to  the  vast 
variety  of  the  methods  of  cultivation  employed,  it  affords 
unique  opportunities  of  professional  training  to  young 
gardeners.  It  is  worked  as  a  superior  technical  school,  the 
gardeners  (unmarried)  being  passed  through  the  different 
departments  during  a  two  years’  cour.se,  after  which  they  leaved 
unless  promoted  to  permanent  positions.  They  further  receive 
methodical  scientific  instruction  by  evening  lectures.  The 
Botanic  Gardens  and  Stations  in  India  and  the  Colonies  are 
mostly  supplied  by  Kew  men  on  the  nomination  of  the  Director. 
The  Promotion  of  Fruit  Culture. 
Tile  Departmental  Committee  on  Fruit  Culture,  appointed  by 
Lord  Onslow,  held  sittings  on  February  24  and  25.  The  follow¬ 
ing  members  were  present  ;  Mr.  Bcscawen,  M.P.  (chairman). 
Colonel  Long,  M.P.,  Mr.  C.  W.  Radcliffe  Cooke,  Dr.  Somerville, 
Rev.  W.  Wilks,  Messrs.  Hodge,  G.  Monro,  P.  Spencer  Pickering, 
and  Ernest  Garnsey,  secretary.  Evidence  on  behalf  of  the  Board 
of  Agriculture  and  Fisheries  was  given  by  Mr.  Rew,  of  the  Statis¬ 
tical  Department,  Mr.  Brooke  Hunt,  of  the  Education  Depart¬ 
ment,  and  Sir  W.  Thiselton-Dyer,  director  of  the  Royal  Gardens, 
Kew.  i'lvidence  of  horticultural  in-tructoi-s  for  County  Councils 
was  given  by  Mr.  Luckhurst,  Derby;  Mr.  Goring,  Sussex;  and 
Mr.  Ettle,  Somerset. 
Sussex  Weathe-. 
The  total  rainfall  at  Abbots  Leigh,  Hayward’s  Heath,  foi‘ 
the  past  month  was  4.14in,  being  1.90in  above  the  avera.ge. 
The  heaviest  fall  was  0.70in  on  the  12th  ;  rain  fell  on  twenty- 
one  daj's.  The  maximum  temperature  was  oldeg  on  the  20th 
and  21.st ;  the  minimum,  25deg  on  the  29th.  Mean  maximum, 
44.14deg;  mean  minimum,  33.19deg ;  mean  temperature, 
38.G'Jdeg,  which  is  0.22deg  above  the  average.  Similar  weather 
conditions  to  that  for  January  continued  till  the  20th,  we  then 
had  a  few  fine  days,  but  a  gradual  decline  of  the  temperature 
set  in,  and  snow  came  on  the  2Gth  and  two  following  days  to 
the  amount  of  Jin  (of  rain),  and  on  March  1  lOdeg  of  frost 
were  registered. — R.  I. 
Februar.y  Weather  at  Belvolr  Castle,  1904. 
The  wind  was  very  changeable,  the  prevailing  direction 
being  S.W.,  total  nine  days.  The  total  rainfall  was  2.87in; 
thisl’ell  on  twenty  days,  and  is  l.OGin  above  the  average  for 
the  month.  The  greatest  daily  fall  was  0.49in  on  the  3rd. 
Barometer  (corrected  and  reduced):  Highest  reading,  30.351i:i 
on  the  28th  at  9  a.m.  ;  lowest  reading,  28.533in  on  the  9th  at 
6  p.m.  Thermometers:  Highe.st  in  the  shade,  53deg  on  the 
20th  and  21st;  lowest,  22deg  on  the  29th;  mean  of  daily 
maxima,  41.75deg;  mean  of  daily  minima,  31.93deg;  mean 
temperature  of  the  month,  3G.84deg;  lonest  on  the  giass, 
17deg  on  the  29th;  highest  in  the  sun,  85deg  on  the  28th‘; 
mean  temperature  of  the  earth  at  3ft,  39.82deg.  Total  sun¬ 
shine,  G5  hours  30  minutes,  which  is  18  hours  16  minutes  below 
the  average;  there  were  six  sunless  days.— M  .  H.  Diveks. 
The  Commons  and  Footpaths  Preservation  Society. 
We  must  again  congratulate  this  most  excellent  society  upon 
the  report  of  the  Kent  and  Surrey  Committee  for  the  year  1902-3, 
copy  of  which  has  recently  reached  us.  Its  aid  has,  dining  the 
year  under  review,  been  sought  in  over  forty  cases,  involving 
the  preservation  of  commons  and  other  open  spaces,  while  no 
fewer  than  sixty-eight  cases  of  interference  with  rights  of  way 
were,  in  that  time,  dealt  with  by  the  committee.  These  would 
doubtless  have  been  lost  to,  or  at  any  rate  have  seriously  affected, 
the  public,  but  for  the  valuable  aid  afforded  for  their  preserva¬ 
tion.  Among  other  notable  instances  may  be  indicated  the  good 
work  in  which  the  society  has  been  assisting  in  the  preservation 
of  the  incomparable  view  from  Richmond  Hill  .showing  Peter¬ 
sham  meadows,  and  of  the  river  front  from  Richmond  to  King¬ 
ston,  both  of  which  beauty-spots,  so  dear  to  the  heart  of  tho 
Londoner,  are  now  preserved  to  the  public  for  ever,  by  tho 
passing  of  the  Richmond  Hill  (Preservation  of  View)  Act,  1902. 
The  so^ciety,  whose  offices  are  at  25,  Victoria  Street,  Westmiii'ter, 
will  be  glad  to  send  particulars  of  its  meritorious  work,  for  which 
it  appeals  for  necessary  subscriptions  and  donations,  on  applica¬ 
tion  to  the  secretary,  Mr.  Lawrence  V7.  Chubb. 
