362 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  15,  1903. 
a  nice  display  of  early-flowering  varieties,  W'ith  a  few  specimen 
blooms  of  the  Japanese.  The  best  early  varieties  were  “  Cactus,” 
La  Pactole,  Reggie,  Carrie,  Rosie  (a  grand  buff),  Polly,  and 
groups  of  promising  single  seedlings.  In  the  large  flowered 
section,  Merstham  Yellow  was  the  most  prominent.  (Bronze 
Banksian  Medal). 
Mr.  W.  J.  Godfrey,  Exmouth,  Devon,  made  a  good  exhibit 
of  Chi-y.santhemums  in  a  cut  state.  The  most  noteworthy  decora¬ 
tive  varieties  were  Decorator  (a  promising  bronze).  Pink  Beauty, 
Safeguard,  Harry  Gover,  Mons.  Mestivier,  and  La  Pactole. 
(Bronze  Banksian  Medal). 
Certificates  and  Awards  of  Merit. 
Apple,  Middle  Green  (J.  Veitch  and  Sons,  Ltd.). — A  medium  sized, 
yellow-skinned,  odorous  dessert  Apple,  from  Frogmore  Prolific  and 
Blenheim  Orange.  A.M. 
Leelio-Gattleya  Norba  superha  (J.  Veitch  and  Sons,  Ltd.). — 
Parentage :  C.  Mossife  and  L.  xanthina.  The  sepals  and  petals  are  a 
pale  bronzy-tea  colour,  vei-y  sweet  and  pretty.  The  lip  is  fiuted, 
opening  in  front,  and  is  delicately  coloured  light  mauve-purple,  the 
throat  being  yolk-of-egg  hue.  A.M. 
Melon,  Barnes'  Fiscal  Problem  (Mr.  W.  Barnes). — A  large-sized, 
creamy  coloured,  netted  Melon,  with  deep  red  fiesh.  Excepting  for 
the  name,  we  are  full  of  praise  for  it.  A.M.  From  A.  T.  Walter,  Esq., 
Bear  Wood. 
Ncplirolepis  Mayi  (H.  B.  May,  Edmonton). — The  pinnte  or  leaflets 
are  tortuous,  and  inclined  to  become  crested.  Large  plants  will  doubt¬ 
less  be  handsome,  but  in  a  young  state  the  fronds  are  stiff  and  held 
erect.  F.C.C. 
Cardiff  Gardeners’. 
The  first  meeting  of  the  session  took  place  at  the  Grand 
Hotel,  on  Tuesday,  October  6,  when  J,  Lynn  Thomas,  Esq.,  C.B., 
F.R.C.S.,  J.P.,  presided  over  a  very  large  attendance.  Mr.  John 
Basham,  F.R.H.S.,  delivered  a  lecture,  entitled  “  Notes  on  Hardy 
Fruits,  especially  Apples  and  Pears.” 
After  addressing  the  audience  at  some  considerable  length  on 
the  history  of  the  Apple,  pointing  out  districts  that  centuries 
ago  were  conspicuous  for  their  beautiful  and  fruitful  orchards ; 
but  during  the  time  of  the  Civil  Wars  great  damage  was  done 
to  them.  Unfortunately  since  then  no  one  seemed  to  have 
replenished  these  orchard  plots.  Mr.  Basham  did  not  hesitate 
in  saying  that  better  Apples  liad  been  grown  in  the  Valley  of 
Glamorgan  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  Avorld  ;  yet,  he  said, 
people  do  not  plant,  owing  chiefly  to  the  insecure  holdings  of 
tenancy. 
Twenty  excellent  dishes  of  very  fine  Apples  and  Pears  were 
staged  by  the  lecturer,  which  illustrated  the  fact  that  they  were 
not  only  larger,  but  better  in  flavour,  than  is  generally  the  case 
with  imijorted  ones.  After  such  a  lengthy  lecture,  full  of  in¬ 
teresting  and  historical  details,  Mr.  Basham  was  accorded  the 
best  thanks  of  the  meeting,  and  was  also  unanimously  awarded 
a  First  Class  Certificate  for  the  collection  of  fruit,  Mr.  F.  G. 
Treseder  was  also  awarded  a  First  Class  Certificate  for  a  new 
type  of  Dahlia,  viz.,  a  Cactus  pompon  “Alary.”  A  unanimous 
vote  of  thanks  was  accorded  the  president. — J,  Julian. 
Scottish  Horticultural. 
The  October  meeting  of  this  association  was  held  in  Dowell’s 
Rooms  on  the  evening  of  Tuesday  last.  Mr.  Aloir,  gardener, 
Rosehaugh,  Inverness-shire,  read  a  paper  on  “  Pear  Trees  on 
Walls,”  a  paper  full  of  sound  practical  commonsense  instructions 
aS  to  his  growth  of  Pears  on  the  cordon  system,  which  he 
believed  to  be  the  best  for  general  purposes.  He  recommended 
Pears  on  the  Quince  stock.  With  such  cordons  he  gets  quickly  a 
crop  of  fruit,  and  soon  covers  his  walls.  It  matters  little  whether 
they  are  oblique  or  perpendicular;  but  for  walls  of  12ft  or  less 
he  preferred  them  oblique.  The  soil  he  recommended  is  old  turf, 
with  a  little  bonemeal,  keeping  the  roots  from  going  down  to  the 
subsoil.  He  strongly  recommended  thinning  of  both  blossom 
and  fruit,  protecting  from  frosst-,  syringing  with  some  insecti- 
side,  such  as  quassia  extract,  and  root-pruning  after  fruit  is 
gathered.  The  paper  was  of  a  most  interesting  description,  and 
was  appreciatively  listened  to.  In  after  discussion  Mr.  Grieve, 
Mr.  Johnstone,  and  Mr.  Mackenzie  took  part.  A  very  ivarm 
vote  of  thanks  w'as  awarded  to  Mr.  Moir. 
Mr.  Aloir,  in  illustration  of  his  paper,  exhibited  a  large  and 
very  excellent  display  of  fruit — Apples,  Pears.  Apricots,  and 
Peaches — which  showed  evidence  of  very  high  culture,  and  quite 
astonished  the  members  present.  For  size  and  colour  these  could 
not  be  readily  surpassed  in  any  climate  or  in  any  season.  There 
were  in  all  .sixty  varieties,  sonie  of  the  chief  of  wliich  were 
Pears:  Beurre  Spring,  Emile  d’Heyst,  Alarie  Benoist,  Pitma.ston 
Duchess  (from  pots  and  ivall).  Fertility,  Easter  Beurre,  Beurre 
Baltet  pere,  and  Uvedale’s  St.  Germain,  Apples:  Worcester 
Pearmain  (extra  good),  Peasgood’s  Nonesuch,  Allington  Pippin, 
Newton  Wonder,  Manx  Codlin,  New  Hawthornden,  Ribston 
Pippin,  &c.  ;  also  Diamond  Peach,  and  Moorpark,  Gros  Peach, 
and  Breda  Apricots.  A  special  silver  medal  and  cultural  certifi¬ 
cate  W'as  awarded  Air.  Moir  for  the  collection.  Alessrs.  James 
Griev'e  and  Sons  exhibited  a  plant  of  Alarie  Alasse  Chrys- 
ar^tehemum,  showing  a  beautiful  pure  white  sport,  which  at  the 
meeting  was  named  White  Duchess.  This  was  much  admired  and 
aw'arded  a  finst  class  certificate.  Air.  Brown,  gardener,  Silver- 
knowe,  Edinburgh,  exhibited  an  interesting  collection  of  leading 
varieties  of  early  Chrysanthemums.  Air.  Johnstone,  Hay  Lodge, 
sent  a  stem  of  Pleroma  (Tibouchina)  sarmentosa.  Air.  Todd, 
Shandwick  Place,  exhibited  a  very  handsome  bow  l  of  Harpelium 
Aliss  Alellish  arranged  most  artistically  in  a  large  sized  “  Floral 
Aid  ”  stand.  The  president  was  awarded  a  vote  of  thanks  at 
the  close  of  the  meeting. 
Beckenham  Horticultural. 
The  first  lecture  of  the  session  (“  Spraying  Fruit  Trees  and 
Packing  Apples  as  Practised  in  Canada”)  was  delivered  by 
Cecil  H.  Hooper  a  day  or  two  ago.  The  lecturer  said  that  .spray¬ 
ing  is  much  more  practised  in  Canada  and  the  United  States 
than  in  England,  one  reason  being  that  insect  pests  appear  to 
be  more  de.structive  there  than  here,  owing  to  the  very  large 
breadths  of  fruit  trees.  He  mentioned  oJie  owner  who  had 
1,600  acres  of  Apple  orchards,  trees  being  planted  at  30ft  to 
Edit  apart,  and  spraying  can- be  done  most  economically  by  using 
horse  labour.  The  lecturer  had  with  him  a  collection  of  photo¬ 
graphs  illustrating  the  various  .stages  Avhen  flower  buds,  &c., 
should  be  sprayed.  Several  recipes  lA-ere  given  (with  cost)  to 
bring  about  the  destruction  of  biting  and  sucking  insects.  Air. 
AVebster,  Kelsey  Park,  placed  on  the  table  ripe  fruit  and  foliage 
of  Alonstera  deliciosa,  ivhich  attracted  attention.  At  the  close, 
hearty  votes  of  thanks  were  aivarded  to  both  lecturer  and  chair¬ 
man. — -T.  C. 
Trenching  and  its  Advantages. 
This  W’as  the  title  of  a  paper  read  before  the  members  of  the 
Reading  and  District  Garden'ers’  Alutual  Improvement  Associa¬ 
tion  on  the  28th  ult.  by  Mr.  W.  Tumhain,  The  Gardens,  Culham 
Court,  Henley-on-Thames.  The  subject  was  treated  in  a  most 
practical  manner  under  the  follow’ing  headings :  — Inversion  of 
soil ;  Tentative  deepening  or  mixing,  and  the  usual  ivay  of  keep¬ 
ing  the  top  spit  in  its  natural  manner  on  the  top  and  breaking 
up  the  .‘Subsoil.  Special  attention  was  directed  to  the  fact  that 
trenching  was  one  of  the  most  important  operations  within  the 
whole  range  of  horticulture,  and  that  the  very  germ  and  sub¬ 
stance  of  good  trenching  was  to  add  to  the  bulk  of  the  cultivated 
earth,  and  improve  its  quality  by  converting  a  certain  amount 
of  hard  subsoil  into  porous  surface  soil.  Needless  to  say,  that 
with  .such  a  subject  a  lively  and  intere.sting  discussion  follow’ed, 
in  which  AIe.ssrs.  Powell,  Nevs,  Townsend,  Hinton,  Cox,  Tun¬ 
bridge,  Bright,  Martin,  Wilson,  Judd,  Exler,  Herridge,  Dore. 
and  Foster  took  part.  The  Society’s  certificate  was  aw’arded 
to  Mr.  E.  S.  Pigg.  Ropley  Lodge  Gardens,  Alresford,  Hants,  for 
a  group  of  splendidly-grown  plants  of  Primpula  obconioa  rosea. 
The  individual  flowers  were  very  fine,  and  of  a  deep  rose  colour. 
Mr.  J.  L.  Nash,  of  Bulinershe  Court  Gardens,  staged  a  dish  of 
splendid  Tomatoes,  Best  of  All,  and  Mr.  Durrant,  The  Gardens, 
“  Preston,”  vases  of  Dahlias  and  Chrysanthemums. 
j  - - *  — ^  ^ - 
Weather  Notes. 
Great  Bains  and  High  Winds. 
Enormous  destruction  ha.s  again  been  caused  by  wind  and 
rain  throughout  the  entire  kingdom  ivithin  the  past  week.  Rivers 
are  all  in  spate ;  low-lying  regions  are  flooded ;  corn  crops  that 
w’ere  cut  and  stacked  have  in  places  been  swept  away ;  and  as 
the  Scottish  weather  notes  show,  much  of  the  harvest  in  Noiffh 
Britain  is  still  uncut.  Within  a  few  days  the  year  1903  will  show 
the  highest  rainfall  since  the  Aleteorological  Office  was  estab¬ 
lished  in  1866.  The  highest  fall  experienced  since  that  j’ear 
Avas  in  1879,  AA’hen  in  London  it  registered  31.99. 
Notes  from  NeAston  Mearns,  near  ClasgoAv. 
i  Summer  has  entirely  gone,  that  is  to  say,  the  season  aa’o  call 
summer.  We  have  had  no  summer  this  year,  and  here  autumn 
i.s  on  us  all  at  once.  We  .scarcely  can  think  that  it  is  only  three 
months  back  Avhen  w'e  had  the  longe.st  day.  However,  in  spite 
of  it  all,  the  country  is  looking  fine  at  present.  The  fiowers  are 
noAv  gone,  and  if  it  Avere  not  for  a  good  bloom  of  a  Rose  here 
and  there,  Ave  may  say  tliat  AA’inter  is  here.  The  frost  of  tAvo 
weeks  ago  blackened  everything,  and  again  on  Saturday  last, 
.6deg  AA’ere  registered,  putting  an  end  to  those  fioAvers  fortunate 
enough  to  stand  the  spell  of  frost  preceding.  Rain  has  fallen 
intermittently  since  the  month  came  in,  and  it  is  pitiful  to  see 
such  a  large  amount  of  grain  standing  out  in  it  all.  In  some 
places  cutting  has  not  been  completed.  I  fear  that  unless  good 
Aveather  sets  in  at  once,  there  is  little  hope  of  saving  what  grain 
is  out.  To-day  (Monday,  October  12)  it  is  simply  pouring,  not 
to  speak  of  yesterday ;  and  after  Friday  and  Saturday’s  good 
weather  it  Avas  expected  that  the  harvest  would  be  continued  in 
fair  conditions,  but,  alas!  w’e  perhaps  should  say,  “Old  times 
are  changed,  old  manners  gone.” — N.  R. 
