October  22,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
375 
Edinburgh  Spring  Show— Advance  Prize  Schedule. 
We  are  in  receipt  of  the  advance  prize  schedule  of  tlie  Royal 
Caledonian  Horticultural  Society’.s  show,  to  be  held  on  2.5th  and 
26th  of  Ma3^  1904.  The  secretary  is  Mr.  P.  Murraj'  Thomson, 
5,  York  Place,  Edinburgh. 
Appointments. 
Mr.  G  eo.  Burrows,  for  five  years  head  gardener  and  ba'iliff  to 
G.  E.  Beiliss,  Esq.,  The  Dell,  Kings  Norton,  as  head  gaixlener 
and  land  .steward  to  Colonel  Ralph  Peacock,  Avon  Castle,  Ring- 
wood,  Hants.  *  *  Mr.  John  Stringer,  gardener  to  the  late 
Dr.  W.  C.  Playfair,  West  Green  Manor,  Winchfield,  as  head 
gardener  to  Rowland  Barran,  Esq.,  M.P.,  Beechwood,  Roundhay, 
near  Leeds. 
The  Future  of  Thingwall  Hall,  Liverpool. 
The  Hall  itself,  with  its  ten  acres  of  land,  has  been  acquired 
by  the  Brothers  of  Charity,  a  Roman  Catholic  Brotherhood. 
The  Park  of  60  acres  is  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Rathbone,  a  well- 
known  Liverpool  architect,  and  in  place  of  the  ordinary  streets 
it  is  his  idea  to  preserve  as  far  as  possible  every  tree  standing 
at  present.  But  all  the  same  it  will  be  built  on. 
National  Dahlia  Society. 
A  meeting  of  the  committee  of  the  above  .society  will  be  held 
by  kind  permission  of  the  Horticultural  Club,  in  the  club  room 
at  the  Hotel  Windsor,  Victoria  Street,  S.W'.,  on  Tuesday, 
October  27,  at  2  p.m.  Business:  1.  To  arrange  schedule  for 
1904.  2.  Other  business.  A  meeting  of  the  OflScial  Catalogue 
Sub-Committee  will  be^  held  at  the  conclu.sion  of  the  above  meet¬ 
ing. — P.  W.  Tulloch,  Hon.  Secretary. 
Royal  Horticultural  Society. 
The  next  meeting  of  the  Fruit,  Floral,  and  Orchid  Com¬ 
mittees  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  will  bo  held  on 
Tuesdajy,  October  27,  in  the  Drill  Hall,  Buckingham  Gate;,  V  est- 
minster,  1 — 4  p.m.  A  paper  on  “  Pruning  Roses,”  by  Mons. 
Viviand  Morel,  will  be  read  at  3  o’clock.  At  a  general  meeting 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  held  on  Tuesday,  October  13, 
sixty-five  new  Fellows  were  elected,  making  a  total  of  1,206 
elected  since  the  beginning  of  the  present  year. 
R.H.S.  Examinations  in  Horticulture,  1904. 
The  Society’s  annual  examination  in  the  principles  and 
practice  of  horticulture  will  be  held  on  Wednesday,  April  20, 
1904.  A  copy  of  the  .syllabus  may  be  obtained  by  sending  a 
stamped  and  directed  envelope  to  the  Sec.  R.H.S.,  117,  Victoria 
Street,  London,  S.W.  Intending  candidates  .should  send  in  their 
names  not  later  than  March  1.  Copies  of  the  questions  set  at 
the  examinations  1893-1902  can  be  obtained  at  the  R.H.S. 
office,  price  one  .shilling.  *  *  As  we  intimated  last  week,  the 
Society  will  also  hold  an  examination  in  Cottage  Gardening  on 
Tuesday,  June  21,  1904,  for  elementary  school  teachers.  The 
general  conduct  of  this  examination  will  be  on  similar  lines  to 
that  of  the  more  general  examinaticn,  save  in  obvious  point  i  on 
Avhich  they  would  not  apply. 
Obituary:  Mr.  J.  M.  Kitley. 
We  have  to  report  the  death  of  Mr.  J.  M;  Kitley,  The 
Vineries,  Little  Over,  Derby,  who  died  on  Thui’sclay  last.  Mr. 
Kitley,  who  has  been  in  business  for  himself  for  the  past  few 
years,  was  considered  on©  of  the  best  Grape  growers  in  the  Mid¬ 
lands,  his  crops  being  always  well  worth  seeing ;  and  he  took  that 
keen  interest  in  Grapes  that  many  a  young  man  would  do  well 
to  follow.  Starting  hi.s  career  nnder  his  father — who  is  at  pre¬ 
sent  managing  the  Orchard  Co.,  Ltd.,  of  Scotby,  Carlisle— he 
made  .steady  progress,  and  eventually  took  over  The  Vineries  at 
Little  Over,  where  he  succeeded  in  establishing  a  name  for 
himself  as  a  most  successful  grower.  He  leaves  a  widow  and  two 
children  to  mourn  the  loss  of  a  loving  husband  and  father.  His 
funeral  took  place  at  Marwick  on  Tuesday. 
An  Estate  Changes  Names. 
Me  are  informed  that  the  estate  lately  named  High  Firs, 
at  Harpenden,  Herts,  is  now,  and  henceforth  will  be  called 
Aldwickbury. 
Ihe  Journal  s  Rose  Analysis. 
This  important  analysis  of  exhibition  and  garden  Roses  uill 
be  presented  in  our  next  is.sue,  October  29.  It  will  thus  be  in 
good  time,  c.specially  in  this  late  season,  for  intending  planters 
to  make  selections  by  its  guidance.  As  there  is  usually  a  great 
demand  for  the  Rose  edition,  it  would  be  advisable  on  the  part 
of  readers  to  make  .sure  of  a  copy  by  timely  notification  to  their 
newsagent.  Mr.  Mawloy  promises  an  audit  of  all  the  garden 
Roses  introduced  during  the  past  few  years.  The  number  will 
also  contain  portraits  of  leading  amateur  rosarians. 
County  Technical  liaboratories,  Chelmsford. 
The  new  buildings  in  King  Edward’s  Avenue,  just  completed 
at  a  cost  of  nearly  £12,000,  compri.se  chemical,  phy.sical,  and 
biological  laboratories  and  classrooms,  together  with  agricultural 
and  horticultural  museums  and  libraries,  and  iirovide  facilities 
for  s.y.stematic  instruction  in  agriculture  and  horticulture,  as 
well  as  in  pure  science.  There  is  a  large  dairy  for  in.struction  in 
butter  and  cheesemaking  and  the  treatment  of  milk,  and  within 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  is  the  school  garden,  three  acres  in 
extent,  and  provided  with  potting  shed  and  hothouses.  The 
laboratories  are  intended  to  be  a  centre  for  agricultural  and  horti¬ 
cultural  information  for  the  whole  county,  and  they  include  rooms 
for  the  analysis  of  soils,  manures,  foods,  seeds,  Ac.,  and  for 
other  scientific  work  carried  on  in  the  interest  of  these  industries. 
They  will  be  opened  by  the  Right  Hon.  the  Earl  of  Onslow, 
G.C.M.G.,  President  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture,  on  Friday  after- 
neon,  October  30,  1903,  at  half-past  three  o’clock.  Cards  of 
invitation  can  be  obtained  from  the  Secretary,  County  Education 
Offices,  Chelm.sford.  The  laboratories  will  be  open  for  imblic 
inspection  from  two  to  five  in  the  afternoon  and  seven  to  nine 
in  the  evening  of  the  same  day. 
Festivities  at  Lowfield  Nurseries. 
On  Saturday,  October  3,  Messrs.  J.  Cheat  and  Sons,  of  Low- 
field  Nurseries,  Crawley,  entertained  all  their  employes,  with 
their  wives  and  families,  in  honour  of  the  home-coming  of  Mr. 
Ernest  Cheal  with  his  bride,  also  as  a  welcome  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Annett  on  their  return  from  Ceylon,  where  they  were  married 
last  March,  Mrs.  Annett  being  the  eldest  daughter  and  Mr. 
Ernest  Cheal  the  elde.st  son  of  Mr.  J.  Cheal,  tliei  senior  member 
of  the  firm.  The  firm  had  arranged  for  various  sports  in  a  mea¬ 
dow  in  the  afternoon.  The  Temperance  Band,  composed  almost 
entirely  of  the  employes  of  the  Nurseries,  under  the  leadcrshii> 
of  Mr.  C.  M^  Chantler,  the  foreman,  added  much  to  the.  enjoy¬ 
ment  of  the  afternoon.  An  adjournment  was  made  at  five  o’clock 
to  a  large  marquee,  where  over  200  sat  down  to  a  substantial 
tea.  Mr.  J.  Cheal  afterwards  alluded  to  the  occasion  which  had 
brought  them  together,  and  the  family  felt  that  they  would  like 
all  the  employes  to  share  in  the  rejoicings  over  the  double  event, 
and  it  gave  them  much  plea.sure  to  meet  together  in  this  social 
manner.  Mr.  C.  M".  Chantler  voiced  the  feelings  of  the  em¬ 
ployes  in  saying  how  intere,sted  they  -were  in  the  events  of  the 
la.st  few  months,  and  how  glad  they  were  of  this  oijportunity  of 
wishing  happiness  and  prosperity  to  the  young  people  and  con¬ 
tinued  success  to  the  firm.  Mr.  Ernest  Cheal  also  replied,  say¬ 
ing  that  he  and  his  wife  rvere  gratified  to  receive  such  a  hearty 
welcome.  Mr.  Annett,  too,  respondetl.  Mr.  Alexander  Cheal 
said  that  he  should  like  to  take  this  opportunity  of  thaideing 
the  staff  and  the  employes  for  their  assistance  in  building  up 
and  carrying  on  the  bm-iuess.  He  looked  back  over  the  thirty 
years  of  hard  work  and  in  the  anxieties  and  responsibilities 
of  conducting  a  business  like  this,  it  was  everything  to  feel  that 
they  had  at  their  backs  the  able  and  willing  support  of  die 
employes.  Mr.  J.  Cheal,  later  on,  gave  an  interesting  account 
cf  a  recent  visit  to  the  United  States  and  Canada,  illustrated  by 
a  number  of  slides  prepared  from  photos  taken  by  himself.  Mr. 
Annett  followed  with  a  selection  of  slides  illustrative  of  Ceylon 
scenery  and  life,  and  the  evening  closed  with  a  number  of  snap¬ 
shots-  taken  by  Mr.  Arthur  Cheal  during  the  work  at  the 
Nurseries  and  other  home  scenes,  these  latter  exciting  no  little 
merriment  among  those  present. — (“  East  Grinstead  Observer.”) 
