JOURNAL  OF  HORTIGULTUllE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
March  31,  1901- 
of  tlie  i)lant.  Whether  tliis  peculiarity  is  persiste.iit  or  not  from 
the  initial  growth  of  sncIi  l)raiiche.s.  the  writer  is  not  cognisant, 
neitJier  has  ever  noticed  rudimentary  or  embryonic  flowers  or 
fruit  upon  the  same.  It  is  a  prol)lem  wortliy  of  invt stigation. 
A  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  accorded  to  Dr.  Jhiller  for  liis  highly 
entertaining  and  instructive  essay. 
There  was  a  more  than  ordinary  attendance  of  mi  mbers  at 
the  latest  fortnightly  meeting  to  hear  Mr.  R.  Hooper  Pear.son  (of 
the  Ci!ardener.s’  C'hroiiicle  ”)  discourse  on  an  interesting  matter, 
entitled  “Some  Thoughts  upon  Horticulture  and  Horticultural 
Societies."  Mr.  Pearson  necessarily  briefly  reviewed  the  progress 
of  horticulture  during  the  last  century,  and  the  names  of  a  few 
of  the  great  pioneers  of  botany  and  horticulture  generally.  The 
beneficent  attributes  of  horticultural  associations  and  exhibitions 
were  cogently  brought  under  review,  and  the  essayist  urged  that 
there  should  be  a  greater  affinity  between  horticultural  societies, 
and  more  especially  an  affiliation  with  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society,  but,  at  the  same  time,  each  provincial  society  to  retain 
its  own  management.  The  lecturer’s  suggestions  met  with  more 
or  less  approbation. 
Bristol Ancient  and  Modern  Gardeners. 
This  was  the  subject  of  a  most  interesting  lectui'O  ih'livered 
before  the  Bristol  and  District  Gardeners’  Mutual  ImprovmneJit 
Association  on  Thursday  evening  last,  hy  Mr.  iMeyeis,  of 
Pxeter.  Mi-.  W.  K.  Budgett  occupied  the  chair,  and  thme 
u  as  a  good  attendance.  M'ith  the  aid  of  about  80  lantm  ii  slides 
the  lectui'er  was  enahled  to  explain  the  difference  between  old- 
time  gardening  and  that  of  the  present.  Among  the  many 
sldies  shown  were  views  from  the  Hanging  Gai'dens  of  Babylon, 
the  old-style  Roman  gardens,  those  of  Jamaica,  Japan,  f'rance, 
and  many  others.  Beautiful  views  of  .some  of  our  English  parks 
e.ud  gaiiiens  were  very  pleasing,  notably  Sefton  Park  at  Liviu'- 
pool,  Battersea,  Chatsworth,  and  others.  Probahly  the  most 
interesting  were  those  of  lock-gardeus,  which  Mr.  Mi'vers  had 
personally  superintended  the  building  of,  in  many  instances 
liundreds  of  tons  of  .stone  being  n.sed  in  tbeir  foiination.  Great 
skill  was  required,  and  it  was  (piite  evident  that  Mi'.  Meyers 
liad  mastered  this  part  of  his  profession,  in  which  he  stands 
second  to  none.  His  lecture  was  thoroughly  enjoyed  and 
aiipreciated  by  his  most  attentive  audience,  and  on  the  motion 
of  Mr.  Budgett  he  was  coidially  thanked  for  one  of  the  most 
enjoyal)le  evenings  the  society  has  had.  A  hearty  vote  of 
thanks  to  the  chaii’inan  concluded  the  meeting.  Prizes  for  two 
Cinerarias  (kindly  given  by  Messrs.  Garaway  and  Co.)  wm-e 
awaided  to:  — Ist,  Air.  1*'.  C.  J.  Eisher  (gardener.  All'.  Shelton); 
'ind.  to  Air.  A.  Coles  (gardener,  Air.  Bird).  Certificates  of 
merii  went  to  Lady  Cave  (gardener,  Air.  Poole,  P.R.H.S.)  for  a 
collection  of  fi'iiit  and  vegetables,  including  Pineajiple  and 
Strawberries:  Air.  1’.  F.  C.  Alay  (gardener.  Air.  Jennings),  for 
Cyprijiedinm  villosnm) ;  Airs.  A.  Hall  (gardener.  Air.  AYare), 
for  Dmidrobium  Wardianum ;  and  Airs.  Henry  Derham  (gar¬ 
dener,  Air.  Skase),  for  Cypri))edium  Rothschildianum.  The 
society’s  special  certificate  was  recommended  to  Air.  AY.  Howell 
Davis  (gardener,  Air.  Curtis)  for  a  beautiful  Dendrobium 
nobile. — H.  Iv. 
Royal  Meteorological: — Water  Yaponr. 
Ihe  monthly  meeting  of  this  society  was  held  on  AA'ednesday 
evening,  the  Kith  iiist.,  at  the  Institution  of  Civil  Fngineers, 
(ireat  George  Street,  AYestminster,  Capt.  D.  AYil.son-Barker, 
president,  in  the  chair. 
Air.  Richard  H.  Curtis  delivered  a  lecture  on  “  AA’ater 
Vapour,’’  which  he  illustrated  by  experiments  and  lantern  slides. 
.After  explaining  that  water  vapour  is  water  in  the  .state  of  a  gas, 
lie  proceeded  to  speak  of  the  processes  of  evaporation  and  con¬ 
densation.  and  showed  that  the  capacity  of  the  air  for  moisture 
r  aries  according  to  the  temperature.  The  amount  of  vapour  in 
the  air  has  a  great  deal  to  do  with  our  personal  comfort.  A  dry, 
cold  air  is  not  so  unplea.sant,  and  does  not  feel  so  cold  as  a  damp 
air.  although  the  temperature  of  the  damp  air,  as  shown  by  the 
thermometer,  may  be  higher  than  that  of  the  drier  one.  But  our 
sensations  are  often  at  variance  with  the  thermometer,  and  this 
generally  so  because  of  the  way  in  which  they  are  affected  by  the 
vapour  of  the  air.  If  the  air  be  dry  a  degree  of  lieat  can  be 
enjoyed  which  would  be  simply  unendurable  if  it  occurred  with  a 
liuinid  atmosphere.  The  amount  of  vapour  in  the'  air  is  ascer¬ 
tained  by  means  of  an  instrument  known  as  a  hygrometer,  various 
patterns  of  wliich  were  shown  by  the  lecturer.'  He  then  referred 
to  some  phenomena  of  the  atmosphero  in  which  water  vapour 
))lay.s  a  loading  part,  and  ilescribed  the  formation  of  dew,  hoar 
frost,  fog,  cloud,  halos,  rain,  snow,  and  hail.  ’I  lie  lecturer  con¬ 
cluded  by  .saying  that  he  had  tried  to  show  how  a  particle  of  water 
may  be  taken  from  the  ocean  and  stored  away  inrusible  in  the 
atmosphere  above  it;  how  that  particle  mav'  travel  for  many 
mdes  to  distant  parts  of  the  globe,  and  then  by  the  action  of 
another  of  Nature’s  processes  be  changed  back  again  into  water, 
and  fall  once  more  upon  the  ground  beneath.  There  it  may 
unite  it'^elf  to  ■-'ther  similar  drops,  and  together  form  a  tinv 
stream,  which  may  gradually  grow  to  the  dimensions  of  a  river, 
and  once  again  our  drop  of  water  may  find  itself  a  constituent 
part  of  the  ocean  to  rejicat  its  pilgrimage,  and  carry  on  the  part 
it  is  destined  to  play  in  the  economy  of  Nature. 
Newport  (Mon.) Salads. 
The  usual  meeting  of  the  Newpoit  (Alon.)  Garilenei's’  Alutual 
Im])rovement  .Association  was  held  on  AYednesday,  the  23rd  ult., 
when  Air.  F.  S.  Daniels  read  an  instructive  paper  on  “Salad 
Plants,  and  How  to  Grow  'I’hem.’’  The  lecturer  commenced  by 
stating  that  salad  meant  a  food  of  raw  herhs,  and  that  a  gai- 
dener  was  expected  to  jnovide  a  salad  from  January  1  to 
December,  this  often  taxing  a  gai'dener’s  skill  and  re.source 
to  the  utmost,  especially  when  without  proper  convenience. 
Ah'.  Daniels  then  gave  the  following  list  of  plants  as  being  used 
in  providing  material  for  salad,  viz.,  Cucumber,  Tomato,  Ijet- 
tuce,  Kadish,  Fndive,  Alu.stard  and  Ci'ess,  AA'atercress,  Celery, 
Chervil,  Borage.  Sorrel.  Coriander,  Buinet,  Purslane,  Rampion, 
Chicory  or  AA'hitloof,  Dandelion,  Corn-salad,  Stachys  tuberi- 
f(ua,  and  Beetroot.  He  then  proceeded  to  give  directions  for 
growing  most  of  these  plants.  A  very  good  discussion  followed, 
in  which  Alessrs.  Harris.  -1.  Basham,  Woodward,  C.  Basham, 
Preece,  and  others  took  part.  Air.  Pieece  propo.sed  a  very 
hearty  vote  of  thanks  to  Air.  Daniels  for  his  able  paper,  seconded 
by  Air.  Tayloi',  supported  by  Alessrs.  J.  Basham  and  Harris,  and 
cariied  unanimously.  .A  vote  of  thanks  was  also  accorded  to 
Air.  AV’oodward  for  a  veiy  nice  basket  of  salad.  Air.  Duff 
jnesided  over  a  good  attendance.—  .!.  P. 
OMtuary, 
Mr.  Henmann  Henbst,  V.M.H. 
It  is  with  extreme  regiet  that  we  have  to  chronicle  the 
ilecease  of  Hei  inann  Herb.st,  A^.Al.H.,  at  his  residence  at  Stan- 
more,  Hichmond,  on  Friday,  I8th  inst.,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
four,  after  a  brief  attack  of  pneumonia  supervening  upon 
influenza.  Altbough  for  a  number  of  yeais  Air.  Herb.st  had  been 
dehai  red  from  attending  the  meetings  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society,  ow  ing  to  two  paralytic  strokes,  the  last  of  which  entirely 
disabled  him,  his  memory  will  be  long  cherished  by  all  rvho  kneA\' 
him  personally,  both  on  account  of  his  amiable,  cultured,  kindly, 
and  hospitable  dLsposition,  and  of  the  recollection  that  in  some  of 
the  chief  developments  of  market  horticulture  he  was  the  abso¬ 
lute  ])ioneer,  especially  in  the  direction  of  forced  Lily  of  the 
A’alley  culture,  and  the  introduction  of  Palms,  Adiantums,  and 
similar  exotics  on  a  wide  commercial  scale.  Cocos  AA’eddelliana, 
Iresine  Herbsti,  Dipteracanthus  Herbsti,  and  many  other  high 
class  plants  were  introduced  by  him,  either  to  this  country  or  to 
the  imblic,  and  the  popularity  of  Epiphyllum  truncatum  was 
flrst  induced  by  his  recognition  of  its  peculiar  decorative  value. 
During  his  long  career  he  travelled  much,  spending  many 
years  in  Brazil,  where  he  was  director  of  the  Botanic  Gardens  in 
Hio  de  .Janeiro,  and  going  thence  to  the  Alauritins  and  the 
Cape  by  command  of  the  Emperor  of  Brazil  to  collect  the  best 
vai'ieties  of  coffee  and  sugar  cane,  prior  to  .settling  in  this 
country  upon  the  very  ground  where  he  died,  after  a  well- 
earned  and  comfortable  retirement.  From  the  mass  of  certifi¬ 
cates  of  character  jilaced  at  the  disposal  of  the  writer  it  is 
abundantly  evident  that  his  career  from  beginning  to  end  was 
an  exemplary  one  for  the  young  and  ambitious  gardener  to 
follow.  Thoroughness  in  both  study  and  labour,  coupled  with 
intelligent  appreciation,  not  merely  of  the  plants  them.selve:^, 
but  of  their  adaptability  to  the  public  taste  cliaracterised  it 
throughout,  conjoined  with  a  keen  busine.ss  instinct  which  one 
fact  alone  bi'ings  to  light  most  jirominently. 
On  reaching  England  from  Bi'azil,  he  looked  about  for  an 
eligible  niir.seiy  site,  and  having  fixed  upon  the  selected  one  at 
Richmond,  he  visited  Covent  Garden  to  see,  not  what  was 
already  in  vogue,  but  “  what  they  had  not  got,’’  and,  as  a  result, 
commenced  to  remedy  the  shortcomings  noted  bv  the  cultiva¬ 
tion  on  a  large  .scale  of  the  .several  classes  of  plants  above  cited, 
which,  well  grown,  and  well  exhibited,  at  once  created  a  demand 
and,  to  judge  bv  a  marked  catalogue  of  an  auction  sale  bv 
A1  essrs.  Protheroe  and  Alorris  in  1877  of  some  25,000  lare  and 
new  Palms,  Ac.,  must  have  well  rei)aid  him  for  his  acumen  and 
outlay.  It  was  in  recognition  of  these  tangibh*  jmhlic  services 
and  the  high  horticultural  genius  which  underlay  them  tliat  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  selected  Air.  Herb.st  as  one  of  the 
first  recipients  of  their  A'ictoria  Aledal  of  Honour,  and  he  was 
undoubtedly  one  of  the  most  worthy  of  that  distinction. 
Prior  to  his  disablement  by  paralysis  he  constantly  attended 
the  Floral  Committee,  where,  on  account  of  his  long  and  exten¬ 
sive  knowledge,  he  was  recognised  as  one  of  the  highest  autho¬ 
rities  in  his  particular  line.  His  death  will  be  mourned  by  a 
large  circle  of  appreciative  friends.  By  his  own  desire  his 
body  was  cremated  at  AA’oking  Cemetery,  where  on  Tuesday, 
the  22nd  inst.,  this  function  was  w'ell  attended  by  many  of  tho.se 
w  ho  knew  him. — C.  'P.  1). 
