April  14,  1904. 
31!) 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDEN ERo 
Royal  Hopticultupal  Society. 
The  iiext  Irnit  and  flowei'  sliow  of  tho  Royal  Horticultural 
Society’  will  be  held  on  Tuesday.  April  19,  in  the  Drill  Hall, 
Riickiuffham  Gate,  Westminster,  in  conjunction  with  which  the 
National  Auricula  and  Primula  Society  will  hold  its  annual  show. 
A  lecture  on  “  Diseases  of  the  Potato  ”  will  be  given  by  Mi’. 
Geo.  ^lassee,  V.M.H.,  at  3  o’clock. 
Ppesentation  to  Mp.  E.  Humble. 
Perhaps  this  notice  of  a  pre.sentation  which  took  place  re¬ 
cently  may  interest  your  numerous  readers  : — Mr.  E.  Humble, 
who  has  been  head  gardener  at  Tettenhnrst,  under  three  suc¬ 
cessive  owners,  for  over  ten  years,  resigned  his  charge  on 
April  2  last.  Upon  the  occasion  of  his  leaving  the  garden 
employes  presented  him  with  a  beautiful  pair  of  gold  links, 
together  Avith  an  address  and  the  signatures  of  the  subscribers, 
wishing  him  health  and  success.  Mr.  Humble  suitably  replied, 
and  hoped  they  all  would  work  successfully  rvith  his  successor. 
Hut,  alas!  .some  may  and  some  may  not,  for  the  employes  are 
being  decreased  from  .sixteen  men  to  nine!  — D.  C.,  Berks. 
Possibilities  of  the  Kent  Fpuit-cpop. 
Kentish  fruit  growers  are  vei'y  hopeful  in  regard  to  the  pro¬ 
spects  of  the  coming  season.  Since  the  abnormally  wet  period 
experienced  in  the  early  part  of  February  the  weather  has  been 
most  favourable  for  orchards  and  plantations,  and  the  opinion 
was  gejieral  among  farmei’s  attending  Maidstone  Corn  Market 
last  week  that  the  chances  of  a  good  crop  all  round  are  excel¬ 
lent.  The  cold  winds  which  prevailed  throughout  March  had 
the  effect  of  checking  the  ri.se  of  the  sap,  and  .so  keeping  back 
the  bloom,  and,  as  a  result,  the  trees  are  in  far  better  condition 
to  resi.st  late  frosts  than  was  the  ca.se  last  year,  when  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  April  found  many  kinds  of  fruit  in  full  blossom.  It  is 
recognised  that  high  farming  will  be  necessary  to  bring  the  fruit 
to  maturity. 
Kew  Gandeners  and  Opganisation. 
A  meeting  of  gardeners  employed  in  the  Royal  Botanic 
Gardens  was  held  on  the  11th  in.st,  sixty  being  present,  Mr.  J. 
Besant  occupying  the  chair.  After  a  lengthv  and  intere.sting 
discussion  of  the  tendencies  and  results  of  a.ssociated  effort,  the 
folIoAving  resolution  was  put  to  the  meeting,  and  adopted  with 
enthusiasm:  “That  this  meeting  of  gardeners  employed  in  the 
Royal  Gardens,  Kew,  heartily  snppo-rts  the  action  of  the  Pro¬ 
visional  Committee  of  the  proposed  British  Gardeners’  Associa¬ 
tion  in  its  efforts  to  secure — 
“1,  The  regi.stration  of  gardeners; 
“  2,  Regulation  of  wages,  and 
“  3,  Regulation  of  woiking  hours  ; 
And  urges  all  gardeners  and  gardeners’  .societies  to  support 
the  movement  by  every  means  in  their  power.”  Donations 
towards  the  initial  expenses  amounting  to  several  pounds  were 
subsequently  collected.  —  A.  G.,  Kew. 
Fruit  Culture  in  Ireland. 
Tho  cultivation  of  fruit  on  an  extensive  scale,  and  as  a  pro¬ 
fitable  indu.stry,  in  tbe  Soutb  of  Ireland  is  at  pre.sent  engaging 
the  attention  of  the  Irish  Department  of  Agriculture,  and  in  this 
connection  practical  efforts  are  being  made  to  encourage  fruit 
growing  on  various  farms  in  tbe  County  Cork.  In  the  district 
of  Clonakilty,  a  locality  favourably  situated  for  the  purpose, 
several  plots  of  land,  comprising  fifteen  acres  in  all,  have  been 
selected  at  the  in.stance  of  the  Department  to  initiate  the  fruit 
culture  scheme,  to  te.st  the  value  of  tbe  undertaking  financially. 
For  the  planting  of  these  plots  the  Department  has  .supplied 
free  of  cost  to  the  occupiers  2-jO  Apple  trees,  oO  Pear  trees,  40 
Plum  trees,  oOO  Goo.seberry  bushes,  500  Currant  bushes,  1,000 
Raspberry  bushes,  and  3,000  Strawberry  plants.  Tho.se  have 
now  been  cai’efully  planted,  and  the  plots  so  cultivated  are  to 
continue  under  the  supervision  of  the  Department  for  a  period 
-of  five  years,  during  which  time  the  owners  will  have  to  supply 
all  the  necessary  laboiii-.  Later  on  jam  factories  will  be  e.stali- 
lished  by  tbe  Department. 
United  Hoi’ticultui’a!  Benefit  and  Provident  Society. 
The  usual  monthly  meeting  of  this  society  Avas  held  at  the 
Caledonian  Hotel,  Adelphi  Terrace,  Sti’and,  5V.C.,  on  Monday 
evening  last,  Mr.  E.  Burge  in  tlu'  chair.  Three  umv  mendiers 
were  elected.  Nine  members  Avere  reported  on  the  sick  fund, 
the  amount  paid  out  for  the  month  being  £31  Is.  Tbe  usual 
quarterly  grants  Avere  made  to  members  on  the  Benevolent  Finul. 
Royal  Meteorological  Society. 
The  next  ordinary  meeting  of  the  .society  will  be  held  at  the 
In.stitution  of  Civil  Engineers,  Great  George  Street,  West¬ 
minster,  S.W.,  6n  'Wedne.sday,  the  2()ch  inst.,  at  7.30  p.m.,  Avhen 
the  folloAving  papers  Avill  be  read: — “The  Variation  of  the 
Population  of  India  compared  Avith  the  Variation  of  Rainfall  in 
the  December,  1891-1!)01,”  by  W.  L.  Dallas;  “The  Cause  of 
Autumn  Mi.sts,”  by  -J.  B.  Cohen. 
Polygonum  spectabile. 
This,  as  3'et  .scarce  and  high-priced,  is  a  neAV  outdoor  decora¬ 
tive  plant,  belonging  to  the  hardy  herbaceous  lAerennials.  It  is 
said  to  be  tlie  most  valuable  novelty  in  hardy  plants  sent  out 
for  many  years.  The  foliage  displays  a  variegation  in  all  the 
colours  of  the  rainboAv,  some  of  tbe  large  leaves  being  green 
AA'ith  Avbite,  red,  or  purplish  spots,  blotches  or  .stripes,  others 
half  or  entirely  puie  Avhite,  orange,  or  fiery  scarlet,  not  tAvo 
leaves  being  alike  in  colouring,  but  all  greatly  resembling  those 
of  hothouse  fancy  Caladiums.  This  Polygonum,  like  the  older 
kinds,  does  Avell  in  any  and  all  soils  or  locations,  in  a  densely 
shaded  position  as  Avell  as  in  one  exposed  to  the  hotte.st  sun. 
A  plant  of  such  great  decorative  value,  thoroughly  hardy,  and 
so  easy  of  culture,  may  Avell  be  considered  a  grand  acquisition. 
Tasmanian  Apples. 
According  to  the  opinion  of  experts  it  seems  probable  that 
the  .spring  importation  of  Apples  into  Great  Britain  from  Ta.s- 
inania  Avill  be  very  largely  increased  during  this  and  the  folloAA’- 
ing  j’ears.  For  nearly  a  ({uarter  of  a  century  this  branch  of 
trade  has  been  on  its  trial,  and,  although  many  failures  AAere 
encountered  at  first,  the  latest  methods  of  refrigerating  and 
insulating  the  fiuit  .seem  to  be  entirely  succe.ssful  in  enabling 
the  Tasmanians  to  place  their  products  before  the  British  public 
in  perfect  condition.  It  is  the  more  curious  because  the  trees  on 
Avhich  the  fruit  is  groAvn  are  mostly  of  Engli.sh  origin,  having 
been  in  the  days  of  the  old  sailing  ves.sels,  and  before  refrigerat¬ 
ing  had  been  invented,  cairied  .some  thirteen  thousand  nnies 
and  planted  in  Tasmanian  gai'dens.  Luckily,  the  bringing  of 
fruit  from  Tasmania  does  not  interfere  Avith  the  Avork  of  English 
gardeners  and  orchard-oAvners,  since  their  stock  of  Apples  has 
long  been  exhausted.  The  Tasmanian  trade  lasts  from  March 
till  about  June,  Avben  tbe  English  trade  begins  to  come  into 
competition  Avith  it.  The  American  export  of  Apples,  on  tho 
contrary,  comes  into  direct  competition  Avith  the  products  of  the 
Engli.sh  homesteads. 
Street  Trees  in  London. 
During  the  past  tAvo  or  three  years  many  of  the  principal 
streets  and  thoroughfares  of  London  have  been  planted  Avith 
trees.  Last  season  the  Avhole  length  of  Wbitehall  Avas  treated 
to  a  double  line,  and  a  number  were  planted  in  the  Strand, 
beginning  from  tbe  entiance  to  tbe  Royal  Courts  of  Justice 
along  toAvards  Wellingtou  Street.  What  Avas  then  begun  has  uoav 
been  finished  since  the  Avidening  of  the  Strand  Avas  accomplished. 
AldAvych,  so  far  as  it  is  completed,  has  also  its  complement  of 
Plane  and  Acacia  trees.  The  trees  are  large,  and  good  fibrous 
loam  Avith  some  rotted  manure  has  lieen  givmi  at  the  planting. 
The  trees  are  Avell  staked,  and  ought  to  succeed,  though  if  a 
feAV  failed  then'  Avould  lie  a  very  good  reason  in  the  fact  that 
their  roots  Avere  badly  dried  through  exposure  before  the 
planting.  AVhile  AA  i  iting  of  these,  it  is  of  interest  to  note' that 
the  finest  avenue  and  carriage  Avay  in  London  has  just  been 
completed  betAveen  Buckingham  Palace  and  Spring  Gardens 
(near  Trafalgar  Sipiare).  This  is  a  feature  of  the  Queen 
Victoria  Memorial  scheme.  The  avenue  is  as  broad  or  broader 
than  the  roadway  by  the  Thames  Emliankment,  with  handsome 
leafy  pedestrian  paths  at  either  side.  An  expansive  vista 
betAveen  Piccadilly  and  tlu'  front  of  Buckingham  Palace  tbrougb 
the  Green  Park  lias  just  bei'U  anaug'.'d.  '14)  accomplish  this  it 
has  been  necessary  to  remove  a  larg;»'  number  of  small  trees,  and 
to  ijlant-up  the  sidt's  of  tbe  vista  AAitb  others.  The  HaAvthoriis 
I'n  Green  Park  are  agam  beautiful  in  tbe  iicaa-  year’s  foliage. 
