ItlJ8H GARDENING 



MESSR8. Ant. Koozen A: Son, Uvei-veen, 

 Haarlem, send a copy of their autumn catalogue 

 of Bulbs and Koots for 1914. Their catalogue. 

 as usual, is full of interest, containing all the usual 

 popular bulbs for forcing and bedding, giving 

 good li.sts of Hyacinths. Tulips, and Daffodils 

 and Irises, besides these thei'e are many other 

 beautiful, but little known, bulbs which iind a 

 place in the list. The plant list is varied and 

 extensive, containing valuable i)lants for the 

 border and some for the rockery. The catalogue 

 may be obtained pos t free on ai»i)lication to 

 Messrs. Mertens & Co., 3 Cross Lane, St. Mary-at- 

 Hill, London, E.C. 



Packing of Apples 



The Board «f Agriculture and Fisheries have 

 for some time been in communication with a 

 number of representatives of Fruit Buyers" 

 Associations in order to ascertain the views of 

 the trade w-ith regard to the packing of liome 

 grow^n apples. The Board think it desirable 

 that such inforniation as they have been able to 

 obtain should be brought to "the notice of fruit 

 growers. 



Nut Weight of Fruit in each Package 

 TO BE Declared. — It appears that the point to 

 which retail fruit dealers attach most import- 

 ance is that every package should bear a tally 

 or label with the net weight or count declared. 

 The object of this requirement is to give 

 some security as to the amount of the goods 

 he is purchasing. It is said to be impossible under 

 existing conditions to estimate the amount with 

 suflficient accuracy for the purposes of retail trade. 

 The difficulty of complying strictly with this 

 requirement is not under-estimated, but the views 

 of the trade in the matter are so strong and so 

 unanimous that it seems clear that it would be to 

 the advantage of any grow-er w ho w^as in a position 

 to do so to indicate, in the manner suggested, the 

 net weight of packages of fruit sent to market. 



Initials or Mark of Grower to appear on 

 Packages.— Another point on which there 

 ai>pears to be little or no difference of opinion 

 among buyers is that the initials of the grower or 

 some distinguishing mark should appear on the 

 Ijackage. The object in view is to facilitate the 

 selection for purchase of apples consigned by 

 growers who avoid the practice of " topping.'' 

 It is alleged that much loss and inconvenience is 

 occasioned to retail buyers of fruit by this practice. 

 There is no doubt that unmarked packages of 

 fruit are in many markets viewed by buyers with 

 a good deal of suspicion, and that a grower who 

 can affix to his produce a mark which will be 

 taken by the retail dealers attending the market 

 as a guarantee that the fruit is faii-ly packed, 

 stands a much better chance than others of 

 meeting with a ready sale. The i»ractice of 

 " topping " not only defrauds the buyer by 

 leading him to pay a higher price for an article 

 than it is worth, but puts him to great incon- 

 venience because he finds liimself with a short 

 supply of apples of the class lie requires to meet 

 the demands of his particular circle of customers, 

 and at the same time has left on his hands a 

 certain quantity of inferior apples for which he 

 has no use, although in the hands of some other 

 retailer they might have been disposed of without 

 difficulty. 



Statement ok N'aiuety and Api-kuximatk 

 1>IAMetf:r. — There is also some evidence that 

 ])reference would be given by i>urchasers tr) 

 l)ackages with labels stating, in addition to the 

 net weight, tlie variety of the a])itles, and their 

 a]»])roximate diameter. 



The inquix'ies and c(»rresi)ondence relate 

 specifically to home-grown api)les, but it is 

 believed that the first two of the aljove requii-e- 

 inents apply equally to all home-grown fruit. — 

 The Journal of the Hoard of Agriculture. 



Horticulture at Panama-Pacific 

 International Exposition. 



Horticulturists will be privileged to enter a 

 rich treasure house if they visit the Panama- 

 Pacific International Ex])osition, which opens at 

 San Francisco on February 20, 1915. Not only 

 will they see some of the world's fairest prodixcts, 

 but they will have an opportunity of inspecting 

 s])ecies wiiich have only just commenced their 

 mundane existence 



The de]»artment of horticulture is under the 

 complete direction of Mr. (ieorge A. Dennison, 

 who is a horticulturist and floriculturist of 

 eminence. 



The showing under this heading at the exposi- 

 tion will compri.se many features of especial, 

 interest to Englishmen and Australasians. 



The frostless climate of California, which 

 enables plant life to obtain the highest perfection 

 of growth, will give the floricultural exhibit a 

 distinction and beauty it has not been ]>ossible 

 to secure at other expo.sitions where the seasons 

 have been short and the winters severe }\e\v 

 creations and heretofore unexhibited varieties 

 will form a unique and interesting feature, such 

 as has never before been assembled in one exhibit. 

 Leading growers and nurserymen all over the 

 world have already signified their intention of 

 participation in the general display as well as in 

 the Rose contest. The Exposition Company 

 offers as a trophy a £200 cup to the originator of 

 the finest new seedling Rose which has never 

 before been exhibited, (^row'ers of rare green- 

 house plants and exhibitors from troi)ical 

 countries will assemble in the conservatory section 

 a wealth of unrivalled exotic beauty. 



The Palace of Horticulture now being con- 

 .structed is the most magnificent building of the 

 kind in which Horticulture haa been housed at 

 any ex])osition. It will be crowned by the 

 largest glass dome ever erected. The i)alace will 

 be as ]>rominent in the eyes of the people at night 

 as during the daytime by reason of the scheme 

 for its illumination. 



Among the notable exhibits which are promised 

 are totally new varieties of rhubarb and Sweet 

 Pea, both being produced by California gardeners. 

 Tlie rhubarb stands more than a yard high and 

 si)reads in double stalks into a bu.sh six feet in 

 diameter. The new variety of Sweet IVa is 

 extraordinary for its exce})tional length of stem, 

 which is two or tliree feet long. Another charac- 

 teristic of this Pea is that it is not an annual, but 

 a perennial. A bed of these elongated blooms 

 will be in full colour on the opening day of the 

 exposition, and will be as full of fresh bloom at 

 the end of the year. They will no more fade than 

 will the green of living ivy. The new Sweet Pea 



