Scptenibci'  3,  1903.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Royal  Caledonian  Horticultural  Society's  Show. 
Tlie  secretary  of  the  above  asks  iis  to  say  that  the  autuiim 
exhibition  held  by  this  society  takes  place  in  Edinburgh  (Waver- 
ley  Market)  on  September  9.  He  adds:  “I  find  sotne  people 
inquiring  where  the  Royal  Caledonian  Horticultural  Society 
holds  its  autumn  show  ”  ( !). 
A  Record  Price  for  Kent  Grown  Potatoes. 
Messrs.  Horne  and  Sons,  Cl  iff  e,  Rochester,  have  sold  to  a 
speculating  buyer  two  tons  of  Northern  Star  for  £317.  The  said 
buyer  has  refused  £400  for  them.  This  Potato  is  turning  out  all 
that  is  claimed  for  it,  strong  grower,  abundant  cropper,  good 
quality,  and  free  from  disease.  It  is  expected  Northern  Star 
will  make  £400  a  ton  before  Christmas.  There  are  plenty  of 
buyers,  but  few  sellers. 
Kentish  Flower  Shows. 
Strange  though  it  may  seem,  the  fair  gardening  county  of 
Kent  cannot  boast  of  a  single  great  flower  show.  Though  it 
enjoys  a  favourable  climate,  is  famous  for  its  fruit,  and  is  studded 
with  pretentious  garden  establishments,  no  horticultural  exhibi¬ 
tion  is  held  within  the  borders  of  the  Hop  county  that  can  com¬ 
pare  in  size  and  excellence  with  those  which  annually  take  place 
at  Hanley,  York,  Shrewsburj^,  Edinburgh,  and  elsewhere.  Close 
proximity  to  the  metropolis  may,  perhaps,  account  for  this. 
Though  attempts  have  been  made  to  establish  good  shows  in 
various  towns,  they  have  invariably  ended  in  financial  failure. 
Gardening  Appointments. 
Mr.  Richard  Roberts,  as  head  gardener  at  Mannan,  Do]geIle3^ 
*  *  Mr.  Benbow,  gardener  to  the  Earl  of  Ilchester  at  Abbots- 
bury  Castle  Gardens,  Abbotsbury,  has  been  appointed  gardener  to 
Sir  Thomas  Hanbury,  of  La  Mortola,  A'entiraiglia,  Italy.  Mr. 
Benbow  has  had  experience  of  horticulture  in  the  Riviera,  as  he 
was  gardener  for  a  time  at  Cannes,  and  also  at  the  Chateau  de 
Barla,  Nice.  It  was  this  experience  which  qualified  him  for 
taking  the  position  at  Abbotsbury,  where  there  is  so  fine  a  collec¬ 
tion  of  snb-tropical  trees,  plants,  and  flowers.  Here  Eucalyptus 
coccifera  and  E.  globulus  have  been  raised  from  home-grown  .seed, 
the  .seedlings  now  being  ten  feet  high.  The  Olive,  Olea  europsea, 
is  established;  O.  excelsa  also'  raised  from  .seed.  Seedling 
Bamboos  are  two  feet  in  height.  Acacia  dealbata,  raised  eight 
years  ago,  are  now  trees  flowering  every  year.  The  flowering 
branches  are  cut  for  decorative  purposes  as  early  as  February  ; 
and  Arundinaria  Simoni,  as  at  many  places  in  the  country,  is 
flowering. 
Mr.  W.  B.  Latham. 
A  meeting  of  nurserymen,  gardeners,  and  others  interested  in 
horticulture  was  held  at  the  Oddfellows’  Rooms,  Temple  Street, 
Birmingham,  on  Saturday,  August  22nd,  to  consider  the  best 
means  of  I’ecognising  the  many  years  of  valuable  service  rendered 
to  horticulture  by  Mr.  W.  B.  Latham,  who  is  resigning  the 
curatorship  of  the  Botanical  Gardens,  Edgbaston.  At  that  meet¬ 
ing  it  was  unanimously  resolved  to  entertain  him  at  a 
complimentary  dinner,  to  be  held  at  the  Colonnade  Hotel,  New 
Street,  Birmingham,  on  Thursday  evening,  September  24,  and  in 
the  meantime  to  raise  a  fund  for  the  purpose  of  pi-esenting  him 
with  a  testimonial  suitable  to  the  occa.sion,  and  such  that  will 
represent  the  good  wishes  of  ail  lovers  of  horticulture  in  Birming¬ 
ham  and  district.  In  addition  to  having  held  the  curatorship  for 
thirty-five  years,  he  has  been  chairman  of  the  Birmingham 
('hiw.santhemum  Society  thirty  years,  the  Gaixleners’  Association 
.seventeen  j'ears,  and  the  Birmingham  spring  flower  show  fifteen 
years,  thus  establishing  a  unique  record  of  useful  activity  in  the 
interest  of  horticulture.  A  general  meeting  of  subscribers  Avill 
be  held  at  the  Athletic  Institute,  John  Bright  Street,  Birming¬ 
ham,  on  Monday  evening,  September  14,  at  eight  o’clock,  to 
consider  and  decide  upon  the  form  of  testimonial  to  be  presented. 
— J.  Hughes,  Hon.  Secretary,  140,  High  Street,  Harborne, 
Birmingham, 
A  Correction. 
In  the  letter  on  the  Manetti  stock,  from  ”  Herefordshire 
Incumbent,”  page  194,  an  error  occurred.  Instead  of  “Cairo,” 
in  line  28,  third  paragraph,  it  should  have  read  “  Como.” — En. 
The  Gardeners’  Dinner. 
Mo  are  asked  by  Mr.  A.  Dean,  hon.  secretary  of  the  Gar¬ 
deners’  Dinner  Committee,  to  state  that  there  is  an  impression 
abroad  that  young  gardeners  are  not  expected  or  invited  to  join 
in  the  party,  and  thi.s  notion  should  be  abandoned.  Under 
gardeners,  as  well  as  their  chiefs,  are  heartily  welcomed.  Mr. 
Dean’s  address  is  62,  Richmond  Road,  Kingston. 
“  Beautiful  and  Fare  Trees  and  Plants.” 
Messrs.  George  Newnes,  Ltd.,  announce  that  they  have  in 
preparation  for  publication  the  above  work  by  the  Earl  Annesley. 
There  will  be  about  seventy  plates,  reproductions  of  original 
photographs.  The  edition  will  be  limited  to  three  hundred 
copies,  and  sub.scribers  will  be  supplied  in  the  order  of  applica¬ 
tion.  Specimen  pages  can  be  had  on  application. 
British  Rainfall  Organisation. 
The  British  Rainfall  Organisation,  founded  in  I860  by  the 
late  G.  J.  Symons,  will  henceforth  be  carried  on  under  the  sole 
charge  of  Dr.  H.  R.  Mill,  as  Mr.  Sowerby  Wallis  has  been  com¬ 
pelled  bj’  ill  health  to  retire  after  more  than  thirty  years’  con¬ 
nection  with  the  association. — W.  Sowerby  Wallis,  Hugh 
Robert  Mill,  62,  Camden  Square,  London,  N.W. 
A  Case  Deserving  Help. 
Will  you  permit  me  through  your  columns  to  solicit  the  .sup¬ 
port  and  interest  of  anyone  who  has  any  influence  w'itli  the 
governors  of  the  Rojml  Hospital  for  Incurables,  Putney,  on 
behalf  of  Mr.  James  R.  Grant,  a  paralj^sed  gardener,  re.siding  at 
Addle.stone,  Surrey,  for  the  pension  This  case  is  strongly 
recommended  by  Mr.  H.  Veitch,  Mr.  Ingram,  also  by  Dr.  Wilson, 
of  A\ej'bridge,  and  Captain  G.  A.  AVebbe.  I  hope  to  be  again  able 
to  organise  a  concert  on  behalf  of  the  Gardeners’  Benevolent  In¬ 
stitution,  and  would  be  glad  of  the  help  of  anjmne  living  within 
reasonable  distance  of  Chertsej’.  The  concert  will  be  early  in 
November. — A.  J.  Brown,  The  Gardens,  School  of  Handicrafts,. 
Chertsey. 
The  London  Dahiia  Union. 
Owing  to  the  closing  of  the  Royal  Aquarium,  AA"e.st minster, 
the  annual  grand  display  of  Dahlias  made  b^^  the  Union — wdiich 
comprises  all  the  leading  Dahlia  raisers  and  cultivators  of  the 
daj’ — will  take  place  in  the  Prince’s  Hall  of  the  Earl’s  Court 
Exhibition,  which  is  near  the  entrance  in  the  AA’^arwick  Road,  on 
AA’^ednesday  and  Thursday,  September  16  and  17.  It  is  during 
this  iiarticular  week  that  the  popular  Cactus*  Dahlia  is  seen  at 
its  best,  and  on  thi.s  occasion  there  will  be  on  view  not  only  all 
the  finest  new  varieties  of  the  present  year,  but  several  from 
abroad,  including  some  verj'  singular  and  interesting  variations 
of  the  type  of  home  and  foreign  production.  As  the  Dahlia  show 
will  form  part  of  the  general  exhibition,  it  is  free  to  all  who  pass 
the  gates,  and  the  flower-loving  public  will  have  an  opportunity 
of  witnessing  one  of  the  largest  exhibitions  of  all  types  of  the 
Dahlia  ever  seen  in  London.  The  secretary  and  manager  is  Mr. 
Richard  Dean,  A'.M.H.,  Ealing,  London,  AV. 
Tha  Late  William  Housley. 
The  numerous  friends  of  Mr.  AA'illiam  Housley,  E.R.H.S.,  of 
28,  Joshua  Road,  Sheffield,  heard  with  regret  of  his  death,  which 
took  place  some  days  ago.  Mr.  Housley,  who  was  in  his  fiftieth 
year,  had  been  on  the  staff  of  the  Sheffield  General  Po.st  Office  for 
the  last  thirty-two  years.  He  was  a  highly  respected  official,  being 
especially  popular  with  the  men  under  his  supervision.  Possess¬ 
ing  a  wide  circle  of  friends,  he  was  well  known  in  the  citj’. 
Apart  fi-om  his  official  duties,  Mr.  Housley  cultivated  a'taste  for 
flowers,  and  was  secretary  of  the  Sheffield  Chrysanthemum 
Society  for  a  period  of  fourteen  jmars.  The  success  of  the  many 
shows  held  at  the  Corn  Exchange  and  the  Cutlers’  Hall  was  in  a 
great  measure  due  to  his  energies  and  eapable  management.  His 
successor  in  this  post,  pro  tern,  is  Mr.  M.  IT.  AAillford,  of  96, 
Greenhow  Street,  AAmlkley,  Sheffield.  The  interment  took  place 
in  Norton  Cemetery,  there  being  a  large  number  of  mourners— 
late  friends  in  various  connections  of  his  business;  and  the  floral 
tributes  were  numerous  and  beautiful. 
