April  7,  190 1. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTIUIE  ARD  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
293 
Royal  Caledonian  Hopticultupal  Society:— The  Essay 
Ppize-winneps. 
This  society,  in  view  of  the  improvement  of  its  memliership 
cTiirin"  the  j)ast  two  years,  and  in  view  of  the  International 
Horticnltnrai  Show  to  be  lield  in  1905,  is  endeavouring  to  con¬ 
tinue  the  increase  of  its  membership;  and  at  a  meeting  of  the 
council  held  in  Edinburgh  on  Wednesday,  ^Nlarch  30,  thirty-two 
new  members  were  admitted.  The  essays  sent  in  in  competition 
for  i\lr.  and  Mrs.  Martin  AVhite’s  prizes  for  essays  on  “The 
Cutting  and  Preserving  of  Flowers  in  AVater,”  were  submitted 
with  the  judges’  recommendations,  and  on  opening  the  sealed 
envelopes  it  was  found  that  the  prizes  Avere  to  he  awarded  in  the 
folloAving  order: — 1st,  Mr.  R.  P.  Rrother.ston,  The  Gardens, 
Tyliinghame,  Pre.stonkii-k  ;  2nd,  Miss  Perkins,  care  of  Messrs. 
J.  and  A.  Seth,  florists,  Queensferry  Street,  Edinburgh;  3rd, 
Mrs.  E.  J.  Castle,  Fairview,  Fallshrook  Road,  Streatham  ;  and 
Miss  Mary  Grant,  Hou.se  Hill,  Nairn,  equal.  TAventy-three 
plans  have  been  sent  in  for  adjudication  in  the  Plan  Competition 
open  to  under  gardeners.  The  aAvards  Avill  he  announced  at  the 
society’s  shoAV  oh  May  25. 
Mapket  Gapdening  Notes. 
M’hite  Roses,  Hyacinths,  Camellias,  and  Spirma  are  largely 
on  the  market.  ^Vith  the  exception  of  the  latter,  these  are  all 
on  sale  at  reasonable  prices.  The  supplies  are  abundant,  and  the 
Avhite  Roses  especially  meet  a  very  large  demand,  both  as  cut 
bloom  and  as  pot  plants  in  full  floAver.  The  Spiraea  is  selling 
from  6s.  to  8s.  a  dozen  bunches.  The  English  Niphetos  Rose  is 
being  pushed  this  j^ear  for  the  Ea.ster  season.  It  is  one  of  the 
prettiest  Avhite  Roses  in  cultivation.  Its  long  buds  are  very 
striking.  The  Nai’cissi  from  CoriiAvall  are  being  distributed 
throughout  the  Midland  markets  in  great  quantities.  They  are 
remarkably  cheap,  too,  for  the  time  of  year.  In  many  city 
centres  the  Cornish  Narcissi  form  the  bulk  of  the  cut  floAvers 
disposed  of  at  Ea.ster.  The  supplies  from  Scilly  are  nearly  over, 
so  that  cheap  Cornish  blooms,  Avill  be-Avelcomed  by  the  public, 
livery  class  of  the  community  is  noAV  catered  for  at  this  season. 
Forced  floAA'er  groAvers  make  a  special  feature  of  the  Ea.ster 
trade.  The  salesmen  are  busy  daily  disposing  of  the  stocks 
AA  Inch  arrive  almost  hourly  in  the  markets. 
A  Hopticultupai  Amalgamation. 
The  sixth  annual  report  of  the  Southern  Counties  Carnation 
Society,  lately  published,  AAill  be  the  last  issued  by  that  society. 
In  the  report  the  committee  express  their  satisfaction  Avith  the 
excellence  of  the  shoAv  held  in  1903,  and  point  out  the  great 
adAmnce  in  the  culture  and  knoAvledge  of  tlie  floAver  Avhich  the 
society  has  been  .so  anxious  to  promote.  Unfortunately,  through 
the  non-success  of  the  society  financially,  a  considerable  burden 
has  had  to  be  met  personally  by  the  ban.  secretary  and  treasurer, 
Mr.  3V.  Garton,  jun.,  a  responsibility  he  felt  he  could  not  con¬ 
tinue  any  longer,  and  he  has  reluctantly  placed  his  resignation 
in  the  hands  of  the  committee.  The  report  Avinds  up  as  folloAvs  : 
— “  After  most  careful  consideration,  it  has  been  decided  to 
aceexAt  Mr.  Garton’s  resignation,  Avith  the  greate.st  regret,  and, 
as  your  committee  are  of  oxiinion  that,  under  the  circumstances, 
it  Avill  not  be  possible  to  make  the  society  self-supx)orting,  they 
have  decided  to  close  the  same  as  from  December  31,  1903.”  Since 
the  above  report  Avas  Avritten  the  council  of  the  SouthamxAton 
Royal  Horticuitnral  Society  has  been  approached  Avith  a  request 
that  they  Avould  take  up  the  Avork  of  the  late  Carnation  Society. 
The  members  of  the  last-named  society  have  been  canvassed  by 
circular,  and  a  very  large  majority  have  con.sented  to  transfer 
their  s.ub.scrixAtions  to  the  Horticultural  Society,  several  doubling 
the  amount  conditionally  upon  that  society  continuing  the  Car¬ 
nation  .shoAVS.  The  rein'e.sentatives  of  the  committees  of  the  tAvo 
societies  met  IMarcli  29,  and  arranged  satisfactory  terms  for  the 
amalgamation  of  the  societies,  and,  provisionally  on  conlirmation 
by  the  council  of  the  R.H.S.,  a  committee  Avas  appointed  to 
revise  the  schedule  of  irrizes,  to  Avhich  some  very  handsome 
donations  have  been  jAromised.  It  Avas  also  resolved  to  hold  the 
shoAv  on  the  Pier  at  the  end  of  July,  the  date  being  left  open  for 
the*  pre.sent.  The  council  of  the  society  met  on  the  folloAving 
Thursday  evening  and  unanimously  confirmed  the  arrangement 
made  by  the  committee  for  the  amalgamation.  The  special 
committee  Avill  include  Mr.  W.  Garton,  jun.,  and  several  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  late  Carnation  Society.  The  schedule  of  prizes  AAill 
be  ready  in  about  a  fortnight,  and  may  be  obtained  of  Mr. 
C.  S.  Fuidge,  the  secretary,  London  Road,  Southampton. 
The  Hailstorm  InsuraVice  Corporation. 
^^'e  1  lave  receiA'ed  a  copy  of  the  ninth  annual  report,  and  tho 
accounts  shoAr  that  the  business  of  the  company  is  iiAcreasing. 
Th(‘  ninlh  annual  general  meeting  is  to  be  held  to-morroAv 
(Friday),  at  3  o’clock  ]).m.,  at  11,  King  Street,  Covent  Garden, 
London. 
HandsAvorth  Horticultural  Society. 
The  tAventieth  annual  exhibition  and  floral  fete  of  this  society 
AA  ill  be  held  in  the  Victoria  Pai'k,  HandsAA  orth,  on  July  22  and 
23  this  year,  Avhen  upAvards  of  £'500  Avill  be  given  in  prizes.  We 
inacivertently  stated  on  page  275  that  the  Hanley,  aiid  not  tho 
HandsAvorth  ShoAv,  Avould  take  place  on  these  dates.  Hanley 
ShoAv  is  on  .Inly  6  and  7. 
Sussex  Weather. 
The  total  rainfall  at  Abbot’s  Leigh,  HayAvai’ds  Heath,  for 
the  past  month  Avas  1.22in,  being  0.69in  beloAv  the  average,  fl’he 
heaviest  fall  Avas  0.26in.  Rain  fell  on  fourteen  days;  total  fall 
for  the  quarter  10.52in.  Jhe  maximum  temperatui'e  Avas  58deg 
on  the  9th,  the  minimum  22deg  on  the  1st ;  mean  maximum, 
47.23deg;  mean  minimum,  33.26deg;  mean  temiierature, 
40.24deg,  Avhich  is  0.66  beloAV  the  average.  A  dry  month,  but 
cold;  la.st  AA'oek,  very  changeable;  thunder  on  tAvo  days,  Avith 
frequent  slioAA'ers  of  cold  rain  and  hail ;  vegetation  late. — R.  I. 
Weather  Notes  from  Newton  Mearns,  N.B. 
IMarch  has  gone,  and  Ave  can  say  “  Mai'ch  many  Aveathers.” 
It  had  not  so  many  remarkable  changes  as  February,  and  it  AA  as 
a  month  Avith  Avhich  little  fault  could  he  found,  even  by  the 
farmers.  Its  features  AA'ere — First  Aveek  : — Cold,  cloudy,  damp, 
and  sunless,  Avith  snoAv ;  Avinds  frouA  east,  shaiq)  frosts  and 
temxAerature  beloAv  average.  Second  AA^eek  ; — Absence  of  rain, 
more  snn.shine,  drying  Avinds,  high  temperature.  Third  Aveek  :  — 
Coolei-  AA-eather  set  in,  Avinds  from  north  and  north-east  Avith 
keen  frosts.  At  the  spring  equinox  on  the  21st  the  Avind  bleAV 
from  south  and  .sonth-Avest  Avith  coniiiarative  mild  Aveather, 
though  le.ss  sunshine  than  in  .second  AA'eek.  Last  AA'eek  : — Exces¬ 
sive  sunshine,  sharp  fro.sts  (12deg  to  15deg),  pleasant  Avarmth  in 
the  height  of  the  day,  Avinds  from  north,  except  on  27th  and 
28th,  Avhen  they  blew  from  south  to  south-Ave.st,  Avith  rain, 
but  on  29th  sun  agaiii  returned  Avith  a  promise  of  good  Aveather 
till  end  of  the  month.  The  rainfall  of  March  Avas  le.ss  than  the 
aAmrage,  and  there  is  no  month  of  Avhich  the  same  can  be  said 
since  the  month  of  May,  1903.  The  snoAvfall  of  March  Avas  less 
than  the  average.  As  a  I’uie  more  snoAV  falls  in  Scotland  in 
March  than  in  any  month  of  the  year,  and  it  is  in  March  we 
hear  of  the  great  raihvay  blocks.  March  has  al.so  been  noted  for 
its  absence  of  strong  AA’inds — on  no  occasion  has  the  Avind  risen 
to  the  foi'ce  of  a  strong  gale. — N.  R. 
The  Alexander  Peach  Outdoors. 
Though  so  often  disapiminting  under  glass,  this  Peach  seldom 
fails,  or  giA^es  trouble  tbrongh  bud-dropping  Avhen  groAving  out¬ 
doors  on  a  south  Avail.  Indeed,  Ave  find  that  it  sets  .so  freely 
that  a  good  deal  of  time  is  required  to  sufficiently  thin  them 
doAvn.  Unless  this  is  done  early  there  is  much  loss  in  size  and 
(piality,  the  latter  being  a  point  that  demands  a  passing  thought, 
becau.se  at  its  best  it  is  considered  only  .second  rate.  He  that 
as  it  may,  the  v«ariety  is  a  valuable  one,  particularly  in  gardens 
Avhere  there  is  not  glass  accommodation  for  forcing  Peaches. 
The  crop  ripens  in  July  early  or  later  in  the  month  according 
to  the  nature  of  the  sea.soiA,  and  the  aspect  and  shelter  afforded. 
As  a  forcing  variety  I  have  long  since  di.scarded  this  and 
Waterloo,  Avhich  is  a  similar  Peach  in  evei-y  i-esjiect.  Amsden 
June  suxiAU-sedes  it  under  glass,  and  iJo.ssibly  it  may  do  so  out¬ 
doors  ;  groAvn  side  l)y  side,  but  having  trees  alreadj-  established 
of  the  first  tAVO  named,  there  Avould  certainly  be  no  gain  in  snb- 
.stituting  the  one  for  the  other.  There  is  a  u.seful  hardiness 
about  the  Alexander,  Avhich  in  a  season  like  that  of  1903  is 
most  desirable;  then,  though  at  blo.ssoming  time  the  floAvers  all 
appeared  to  be  blackened  and  dead,  almo.st  an  average  crop 
resulted  on  this  particular  kind,  Avhile  older  standard  sorts  only 
had  an  occasional  fruit  remaining.  The  colour  develops  to  a 
high  tone  if  the  foiiage  is  kept  under  lestraint  and  the  trees 
Avell  fed,  and  if  the  crop  is  so  regulated  that  no  excess  occur  in 
numbers,  the  fruit  groAvs  to  a  large  size,  and  develoi^s  for  so 
early  in  the  season  a  most  commendable  flavour.  — V.  S.' 
