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HOKTICULTURi: 



September 29, 1906 



British Horticulture 



IIOirriLLLTlKE IX THE SCHOOLS 



The work of the Society of American Flori-ts in 

 encouraging the spread of horticultural knowledge 

 amongst the young has its counterpart in this country. 

 In a chat with Mr. Walter P. Wright, the Hon Sec. 

 of the Horticultural Education Association, I gathered 

 that encouraging progress is being made in the depart- 

 ment of horticultural instruction at elementary schools. 

 In many countries garden plots are attached to the 

 schools and the scholars are induced to vie with one 

 another in tlie successful cultivation of tlieir gardens. 

 The plots are inspected by the Horticultural Superin- 

 tendents appointed by the various County Councils. 

 There is now a keen desire in several centres to equip 

 the teachers for giving instruction in gardening sub- 

 jects. A party of masters have lately undergone a 

 course of instruction at the South Eastern Agricultural 

 College, at Wye, whence tliey liad the advantage of the 

 experienced "coaching" of ^Ir. W. P. Wright, tlic Hor- 

 ticultural Superintendent. The Horticultural Education 

 Association are endeavoring to induce the oduotional 

 authorities to give increased facilities for this branch of 

 study at the schools. The Departmental Committee 

 appointed by the President of the Board of Agriculture 

 to deal with the fruit industry, reported in favor of 

 greater attention being paid to horticultural teaching in 

 all the elementary schools, and it is hoped that this 

 will eventually be acted upon. 



DISE.iSE AJIO.NGSr TUE HOLLYHOCKS 



Many of the hollyhocks both in private and in nui- 

 serj' gardens liave this year been the victims of a viru- 

 lent disease. It is the same pest which some years ago 

 was prevalent in this country, and almost drove the 

 hollyhock out of cultivation. Then it was eventually 

 suppressed, and these attractive flowers have since 

 become very extensively cultivated, but it appear= that 

 we have not entirely surnmunted tlie difficulty. A 

 friend who makes a feature of hollyhocks this .-eason 

 found that all his plants were almost l(>afless. and the 

 few leaves which came were spotted and blotched. They 

 sho^yed some signs of disease wlien they were planted 

 last autumn, but as the result of a heavy dressing of 

 artificial fertilizers they improved so much that it was 

 hoped they were cured. In the hot dry weather of 

 June the disease made a serio\is havoc, the leaves quickly 

 disappearing. The difficulty i- tliat it develops inside 

 and not outside the tissues, consequently no fungicide 

 sprayed over the foliage can reach it. Spraying is futile 

 to cure an infected plant. All that is possible is to pn-- 

 vent the spread of the disease to plants still healthy. 

 For many years the hollyhock has been a popular hardy 

 plant in British gardens. Unit' a century ago, Messrs. 



Ivelway & Son, with the late Lord Hawkc and one or two 

 other growers, increased its popularity by the splendid 

 specimens exhibited at the leading shows. 



A NEW ROSE 



Messrs. Wm. Paul & Son of Waltham Cross, have 

 made an acceptable addition to the long list of roses in 

 introducing I Earl of AYarwick, a new H. T. ItT par- 

 entage is The Queen of Souv. de S. A. Prince crossed 

 with Mrs. W. J. Grant. The latter is a very great favor- 

 ite rose, known in America as Belle Siebrecht. Earl of 

 AVarwick has found many admirers at this year's shows. 

 It is of splendid growth, hardly as late as Mme. Abel 

 Chatenay. The shapely blooms are carried well on the 

 stems, frequently in threes, but sometimes in singles 

 or clusters. As a standard this new-comer will evi- 

 dently become exceedingly popular. The new variety is 

 of a salmon tint with bold shell-shaped petals. It has 

 stood the present unfavorable season remarkably well, 

 and it is regarded as a serious rival to such well-known 

 varieties as Mme. Abel Chatenay and G. ISTabonnaud. 

 There is no lack of novelties amongst the varieties which 

 will be offered by our leading rosarians. This continued 

 activity in raising new kinds must tend to increa.e the 

 number of those who show allegiance to the "Queen of 

 Flowers." 



yt^H. c{Mt^. 



A Beautiful Tree 



I'rnf. Hansen wlio for years has been superintendent 

 of tlio State Experiment Station of South Dakota has 

 recently introduced a fine tree from Eussia wliich he 

 has named the Niobe willow. 



Tiie professor is a great rambler. He often takes a 

 camping outfit and goes hundreds of miles to hunt up 

 the best types of sand cherries, native berries and wild 

 plums. When he goes to Eussia his eyes are opan for 

 anything that is hardy and beautiful. He discovered a 

 weeping form of the Bussian golden willow and imme- 

 diately coinmenced ]iropagating it. What we have long 

 needed is a weeping willow of a hardy type suitalle for 

 the East and West, and for the bleak northern regions. 

 The Wisconsin, Kilmarnock, Babylonia and Thurlow 

 « illows are not always hard}', but this seems a success 

 every way. We ha\e about 1000 growing at the State 

 Experiment Station here in York, Nebraska, and though 

 this has been a very hot and dry summer yet they have 

 done remarkably well. The clear and rich yellow of the 

 bark in winter with the graceful pendulous habit make 

 tiio frep very attractive. 



(^SltiVll^M^ 



