JOURNAL  CF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  31,  1903. 
G('-C) 
Societies. 
National  Potato. 
Si'.MMARY. — A  society  has  been  formed.  Earl  Rosebery  will 
be  invited  to  become  president.  Mr.  A.  D.  Hall,  of  the  Rotham- 
.''toad  Experiment  Station,  is  chairman  of  the  executive  com¬ 
mittee,  and  Mr.  W.  P.  Wright  is  honorary  .secretary.  There  will 
he  trial  plots  in  a  large  number  of  counties.  The  membership 
subscription  is  2s.  Gd.  per  annum. 
Till'  meeting  which  had  been  called  at  the  Hotel  Windsor, 
W('st;nin.ster,  London,  on  Wednesday  last,  was  presided  over  by 
Mr.  A.  D.  Hall,  Director  of  Rothamstead,  and  over  forty  persons 
from  the  north,  .south,  east  and  west  attended. 
The  speaking  was  left  to  a  few — not  that  there  were  not  plenty 
of  willing  speakers,  but  the  formation  of  the  society  was  a  fore¬ 
gone  conclusion,  requiring  no  argument,  and  the  objects  were  so 
embracively  included  in  Mr.  Walter  Wright’s  resolution  that 
further  discussion  at  the  moment  was  superfluous.  The  Chairman 
having  spoken  at  .some  length,  the  proposer  of  the  resolution  took 
the  floor,  and  what  with  quotations  from  a  huge  bundle  of  letters 
which  he  had  received  from  representative  men  in  all  parts  of  the 
kingdom,  he  occupied  the  attention  of  the  meeting  for  over  half 
an  hour. 
We  can  only  allude  to  a  few  leading  points.  It  was  stated  that 
we  imported  £2,000,000  of  Potatoes  during  the  pa.st  year  that 
might  be  grown  at  home.  Then  there  ai-e  other  and  newer 
diseases  than  the  familiar  and  dreaded  Phytophthora  blight, 
which  demand  special  attention.  There  is  also  the  que.stion  of 
better  classification  of  varieties  for  exhibition  purposes,  and  a 
central  body  for  appeal  in  cases  of  doubt  or  dispute.  Then, 
again,  much  time  and  money  woidd  be  saved  to  market  men  and 
other  growers  if  new  varieties  were  authoritatively  tested  in  many 
different  soils  and  localities.  These  things  the  society  proposes 
to  keep  in  view  and  to  work  upon. 
The  resolution  was  to  the  following  effect  — That  this  meet¬ 
ing  is  of  opinion,  having  in  view  the  importance  of  the  Potato  as 
a  cropping  plant  yielding  food  product,  and  the  diseases  to  which 
it  is  .subject,  also  the  need  for  classification  and  trial  of  varieties, 
that  it  is  desirable  to  form  a  society,  and  agrees  to  the  formation 
of  the  same. 
Mr.  Wright  also  included  in  the  resolution  the  names  of  the 
officers  who  were  thereafter  elected  as  follows :  ■ — EXECUTIVE 
COMMITTEE  :  Me.ssrs.  A.  D.  Hall  (chairman).  Geo.  Gordon  (vice- 
chairman),  E.  Beckett,  Lewis  Castle,  A.  Dean,  H.  Dunstan,  Dr. 
Ma.sters,  Prof.  Percival,  and  —  Foster.  The  superintendents  of 
trial  .stations  who  collectively  form  the  TRIAES  COMjVHTTEE 
are  :  Messrs.  Berry  (Northumberland),  R.  Cock  (Staffs.),  A.  Dean 
(.Surrey),  H.  Dunkin  (Warwick),  H.  Ettle  (Somerset),  Goring 
(Sussex),  Howman  (Glos.),  S.  Heaton  (Oxford),  D.  Hou.ston  (Dub¬ 
lin),  Illot  (Cornwall),  Mann  (Bucks),  Neald  (Cheshire),  Redding 
(Yorks),  J.  B.  Riding  (Essex),  T.  Sharp  (Wilts),  Smith  (Midland 
Agricultural  Institute),  J.  Udale  (Droitwich),  Walkley  (Chelms¬ 
ford),  J.  Weathers  (Middlesex),  J.  Wright  (Surrey);  also  Mr. 
Newsom  and  the  Cambridge  Hort.  C.C.  Instructor. 
Newport  (Mon.)  Gardeners’. 
The  usual  meeting  of  the  above  association  was  held  on 
Wednesday  evening  last,  when  Mr.  T.  H.  Jarvis  read  a  paper  on 
“  The  Duties  of  a  Qualified  Gardener.”  In  the  first  part  of  his 
paper,  which  was  of  a  very  humorous  character,  Mr.  Jarvis  gave 
what  he  considered  to  be  the  necessary  duties  of  a  thoroughly 
((ualified  gardener,  these  duties  extending  over  a  very  wide  range. 
He  then  proceeded  to  give  what  gardeners,  especially  in  single- 
handed  places,  were  often  expected  to  do,  causing  much  amuse¬ 
ment  to  those  present.  A  spirited  discussion  followed,  in  which 
Messrs.  Harris,  Jones,  Powell,  Woodward,  Duff,  Pegler,  Wiggins, 
Daniels,  Basham,  Dodds,  and  Prcece  took  part.  Mr.  Jarvis  was 
accorded  a  very  hearty  vote  of  thanks  for  his  very  entertaining 
paper.  Mr.  J.  Duff  was  awarded  the  .society’s  certificate  of  merit 
for  six  Alba  jjlena  Primulas,  which  were  splendidly  grown  and 
flowered.  Mr.  Duff  presided  over  a  good  attendance. 
Hull :  Essay  on  Hippeastrnms. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  Hull  and  District  Horticultural  Associa¬ 
tion  on  Tuesday,  December  15,  with  Mr.  Tattersall  in  the  chair, 
an  essay  on  Amaryllis  (Hippeastrnms)  was  read  by  Mr.  J. 
Donoghue,  of  Bardqn  Hill,  Headingley,  Leeds.  The  e.ssayist 
dwelt  on  the  popularity  and  possibilities  of  this  gorgeous  bulbous 
plant,  traced  its  history,  and  explained  that  although  gardeners 
clung  with  grim  tenacity  to  the  more  euphonious  name  of 
Amaryllis,  it  was  nevertheless  botanically  inaccurate.  Authori¬ 
tative  extracts  were  read  to  substantiate  this. 
The  varieties  existing  about  the  beginning  of  last  century 
were  recapitulated,  and  from  thence  was  shown  the  pedigree  or 
origin  of  the  many  different  forms  now  grown  amongst  us. 
Coming  into  a  more  familiar  sphere,  Mr.  Donoghue  ably  detailed 
the  culture  from  the  .seedling  or  offset  to  the  flowering  of  the 
bulb  in  the  third  year.  Seedlings,  he  contended,  were  more 
robust  (chiefly  owing  to  the  infusion  of  fre.sh  blood)  than  were 
offsets.  Thin  sowing,  gentle  heat,  even  atmosphere,  constant 
plunging,  prudent  manipulation  of  syringe,  and  in  the  early 
stages  entire  absence  of  the  water  pot,  comprise  briefly  the 
advice  given  for  the  first  year’s  treatment. 
The  essayist  also  commended  gradual  drying  off  and  repotting 
just  before  the  commencement  of  root  action.  If  flowers  de¬ 
veloped  during  the  second  year,  it  was  at  the  expense  of  the 
vigour  and  constitution  of  the  bulb. 
The  discussion  was  joined  in  by  Messrs.  Tattereall,  Pickers, 
Wilson,  Posthill,  Lawton,  and  Horsfield,  each  of  whom  ex¬ 
pended  words  of  praise  on  both  the  essayist  and  the  es.say. 
— W.  R. 
National  Fruit  Growers’  Federation. 
The  position  of  the  Federation  continues  to  improve  steadily. 
The  increase  of  its  membership,  though  not  so  rapid  as  might  be 
wished,  is  constantly  going  on,  especially  in  Kent,  which  county 
is  now  its  stronghold.  The  Council  have  been  lately  engaged  in 
work  of  a  more  useful  than  ornamental  or  sensational  character. 
For  instance,  the  new  disease  which  has  appeared  amongst 
Potatoes  has  been  carefully  inquired  into,  and  efforts  are  being 
made  to  induce  the  Board  of  Agriculture  to  take  steps  to  prevent 
it  from  spreading.  A  most  instructive  paper  was  read  by  Mr. 
W.  Horne,  of  Cliffe,  near  Rochester,  on  the  Oodlin  moth,  and  an 
interesting  discussion  took  place  at  a  subsequent  meeting  upon  it. 
Such  questions  as  the  danger  to  public  health  from  the  use  of 
vegetables  grown  on  sewage  farms,  and  the  increase  of  assessment 
to  local  rates  and  income  tax  on  the  ground  of  farm  land  being 
planted  with  fruit,  are  now  also  occupying  the  careful  attention 
of  the  Council. 
Reijorts  of  a  number  of  societies’  meetings  are  unavoidably 
held  over. 
- - 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Chiswick. 
Taken  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens  at  Chis¬ 
wick,  height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Direction  of 
Wind. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
1  Bain. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
Lowest 
1  Temperature 
on  Grass. 
December. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
Highest. 
Lowest. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Ins. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Sundav  ...20 
E.S.E. 
57'5 
36-8 
40  6 
37  3 
— 
428 
44  7 
47  1 
36-8 
Monday  ...21 
N.E. 
39'7 
39  4 
49-3 
37 '0 
42  7 
44-7 
47  1 
30-3 
Tuesday  ...22 
S.S.E. 
48-5 
47'0 
49  9 
39  5 
— 
43-4 
44-8 
471 
39-8 
Wed’sday  23 
E.S.E. 
42-5 
41-6 
43-5 
42-5 
— 
44-2 
45'0 
471 
37-5 
Thursday  24 
E.S.E. 
39  7 
38-9 
40  3 
36  5 
— 
434 
45-2 
47T 
36  7 
Friday  ...25 
N.W. 
38-3 
37  2 
40  9 
36  4 
— 
42-7 
45  0 
47T 
29-5 
Saturday  26 
E.S.E. 
36-7 
35-8 
40-5 
36  5 
42  3 
450 
47T 
314 
Total. 
Means  ... 
40  4 
39-5 
43  6 
380 
— 
43  1 
44  9 
47T 
34  6 
The  weather  has  again  been  dull  and  very  darle. 
Young  Gardeners’  Domain. 
An  Old  Boy  s  Greeting. 
From  a  literary  point  of  view'  it  is  bad  taste  to  address 
readers  personally.  From  my  own  point  of  view  I  would,  as 
we  all  step  together  over  the  threshold  into  the  unknown  of 
another  year,  voice  a  cheery  word  through  the  pages  of  “  our 
Journal”  to  each  and  all  in  Bothydom.  Even  to  us — old 
heads — comes  a  freshness  and  hopefulness  as  we  reach  another 
milestone  on  life’s  journey,  udiich,  possibly  we  are  not  justified 
in  feeling  when  looking  back  at  the  many  which  stretch  away 
behind — away  into  the  dim  perspective  of  our  own  dear  old 
bothy  days.  To  you,  young  brothers  of  the  craft,  who  have 
not  the  prerogative  of  a  past,  it  is  all  that  it  is  to  us  and 
more  also,  being  infinitely  more  important,  for,  as  George 
Eliot  says,  it  makes  a  considerable  difference  whether  •  one 
has  half  a  century  before  them  or  behind  them.  Hence 
would  I  at  this  opportune  time  give  you  an  encouraging  word 
to  fight  on  manfully,  perseveringly,  yet  consistently,  to  the  end 
of  winning  good  positions  in  the  gardening  world,  and  that 
these  earlier  new  years  of  life  may  be  for  you,  -when  looking 
back  at  some  future  time,  what  Tliackeray  called  The  Happy, 
The  Bright,  The  Unforgotten. 
