November 11, 1905 



HORTICULTURE 



Imps in eastern England. Mr. Remington thinks that 

 this may be due to two causes. The merchants in the 

 north of England as a M-hole are a class keenly interested 

 in their business, and are ever ready to take advantage 

 of any new idea if they see that it can efEect an improve- 

 ment. The growers in the northern districts take a 

 greater interest in tlie preparation and cultivation of 

 the land than in other parts of England, and this neces- 

 sarily causes both the wholesale and retail seed-mer- 

 chants to supply genuine seed, and also to use scientific 

 knowledge as an aid to accomplish this end. Sometime 

 ago I found that a leading London seed house was about 

 to have a new seed-testing apparatus installed, and there 

 are other firms who have now their testing stations. 

 This in a great measure may account for the fact that 

 many of the British firms have not availed themselves 

 of the excellent facilities offered at the Aynsome station, 

 which from personal experience I know to be conducted 

 on the most up-to-date lines. 



SOME NKW GLADIOLI. 



Messrs. Kelway and Son, of Langpont, Somerset, have 

 made a name from the excellence of their gladioli, of 

 which they cultivate about 25 acres in their noted West 

 of England Nursery. The firm has made a specialty in 

 the hybridizing and cultivation of this variety for the 

 last half century. They have secured a large number 

 of awards, including a gold medal at the St. Louis 

 exhibition. Their blooms are particularly in demand at 

 this season for the harvest festival decorations at the 

 churches. The latest varieties now being offered include 

 Valdora, flesh-tinted pink, yellow centre, which received 

 a first-class certificate from the Eoyal Horticultural 

 Society; Princess Mary of Wales, flesh tinted, flaked 

 with yellow spot ; Abercoon, lilac, flaked with violet spot ; 

 Agalla scarlet, white speckled centre; His Grace, crim- 

 son, white sjjeckled centre; Leslie Carter, mauve, yellow 

 spot, orange blotch on lower petals; Libanius, crimson, 

 yellow-speckled centre; Mafra, scarlet crimson, dark 

 spot, yellow tips. A standard work on the culture of 

 this variety is "Gladiolus Gandavensis," from the pen 

 of the late Mr. James Kelway, a former member of the 

 firm. The fields of gladioli at Langpont are a picture 

 when in full bloom. This usually lasts from late in 

 July to the middle of October and in favorable seasons 

 even later than this, and is the admiration of everyone 

 journeying to this delightful spot. 



A woman's violet nursery 

 Women have demonstrated that they are able in 

 Britain to successfully engage in various branches of 

 nursery work. In the south the Misses Allen-Brown 

 are conducting a violet nursery. They have transferred 

 to English soil, in their picturesque Sussex gardens, the 

 French method of violet culture. The number of plants 

 is about seven thousand, and the chief varieties in cul- 

 tivation are Parme de Toulouse, Mario Louise, Neapol- 

 itan, Princess of Wale.^, Mr. D'arcy, and ^Irs. Arthur, 



the last two being new sorts. Amongst whites Comte de 

 Brazza is found the most useful. From early in October 

 an extensive business is done in sending away boxes of 

 violets l)y post, and quantities of the roots are also dis- 

 posed of. The Misses Brown, with the aid of a lad of 

 15, do the whole of the nursery work, and the watering 

 of the plants alone, in the summer months is by no 

 means an easy task. The land is kept perfectly clean 

 by jjerpetual hoeing, and as it is essential to prevent the 

 plants from making runners, in order to secure big 

 flowers with long stalks, constant vigilance has to be 

 shown. In severe frosty weather the frames are cov- 

 ered with Archangel mats, and these are removed in the 

 day-time to secure every possible ray of sunshine. Work 

 is usually commenced at 5 A. M. in the summer, so that 

 it is no more ornamental display which is associated 

 with the Misses Brown's work. One of the sisters was 

 in a poor state of health when she started, but she is 

 no\s- able to comfortably perform ten hours of steady 

 toil — a testimony to the value of the "simple life" theory. 



organizing the fruit industry 

 British fruit growers in the past have had little done 

 for them by the Government, although the farmers have 

 had a Board of Agriculture to watch over their interests. 

 This policy of cold indifference is now likely to be 

 changed. A Departmental Committee appointed by the 

 Board of Agriculture recently made a full investigation 

 into the present position of the industry, and their rec- 

 ommendations have been incorporated in a valuable 

 report. These proposals were discussed at a conference 

 held this week under the auspices of the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society, and the National Fruit Growers' Federa- 

 ation. It was recognized by several of the speakers tliat 

 this country is far behind America and Canada in the 

 efforts made to give instruction in the best methods of 

 growing and distributing, in the investigation of insect 

 j>ests and diseases, and in the furtherance of the fruit 

 growing industry of Government aid. Various pro- 

 posals were adopted for securing needed reforms in the 

 culture and distribution of fruit, and these expressions 

 of opinion from the leading experts will be very valuable 

 in directing the trend of legislation. The fact that the 

 fruit growers in the past have neglected to avail them- 

 selves of the advantage of combination, and making their 

 wants known in a united voice, is due, in a great 

 measure, the apathy shown towards their interests by 

 the irovernini; authority. 



London Eng. 



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