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April 6, 1912.] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



225 



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SCOTLAND. 



PHILADELPHUS MICROPHYLLUS. 



Philadelphus microphyllus (see fig. 101) 

 has not a good reputation either for hardiness 

 or for floriferousness, but in some parts of Scot- 

 land it is both hardy and free-flowering. It pro- 

 duces its fragrant, white flowers in abund- 

 ance at Poltalloch Gardens, where Mr. D. S. 

 Melville, the gardener, has care of a number of 

 choice shrubs. This part of Argyle is very 

 mild, and suitable for tender species. In a 

 South of Scotland garden also, that of Jas. 

 Davidson, Esq., Summerville, Dumfries, there 

 is a fine specimen of Philadelphus microphyllus 

 which produces annually a splendid display of 

 flowers. It is growing in an ordinary border, 

 and is unprotected. 



NORTH OF SCOTLAND COLLEGE OF 



AGRICULTURE. 



Scottish joint stock companies registered 

 the week ending March 16 includes the 

 of Scotland College of Agriculture (the 

 * Limited M is omitted by licence of the 

 of Trade) to take over the work carried 

 the Aberdeen and North of Scotland 



PAISLEY FLORIST SOCIETY. 



This society is one of the oldest, if not the 

 oldest, of all Scottish horticultural societi. 

 having been established for about 130 \« is. 



From April until Augu>t fortnightly meetings 

 axe held, and the society holds three "shows, one 

 each in spring, summer, and autumn. 



THE IRISH DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 AND THE HORTICULTURAL TRADES 



ASSOCIATION. 



The following correspondence has taken place 

 between the Irish Department of Agriculture 

 and the Horticultural Trades Association respect- 

 ing the action of the Department in respect to 



the distribution of trees at low prices to land- 

 owners and other occupiers : — 



The 

 during 

 North 

 word ' 

 Board 

 on by 

 College 

 for ins 



December 13, 1911. 

 The Rt. Hon. T. W. Russell, MP., 



Department of Agriculture and Technical 

 Instruction, Dublin. 



Sir, 



instructed bv mv Council 



of Agriculture, and to carry on a college 

 truction in and the studv and research 



drawing your attention to the very serious injury 

 which is being done to the Nursery Trade in 

 Ireland throu h the Count v Councils suDolvin^ 



Fig. ioi. — philadelphus microphyllus: flowers white. 



of agriculture, including farming, stock raising, 

 forestry, arboriculture, estate and farm manage- 

 ment, market gardening, horticulture, poultry 

 keeping, bee keeping, veterinary science, and 

 agricultural chemistry. The company is limited 

 by guarantee. 



APPLE CULTURE IN THE CLYDESIDE 



FRUIT FARMS. 



Apples are largely cultivated as a commercial 

 crop in the valley of the Clyde. The trees are 

 usually grafted on old stocks, and yield crops of 

 sound Apples, which bring high, though not ex- 

 orbitant, prices. The varieties most in favour 

 are Cambusnethan Pippin, Stirling Castle, 

 Beauty of Morav, Ecklinville Seedling, Cellini, 

 Fullwood, Norfolk Beefing, and Lord Suffield. 



ABERDEEN FLORISTS AND MASTER 



GARDENERS. 



As a development of the movement for higher 

 wages for jobbing and other gardeners in Aber- 

 deen, a proposal has been made to establish an 

 association of florists and masters of the district 

 employing jobbing gardeners. In pursuance of 

 the proposal a largely attended meeting was held 

 recentlv in Aberdeen, when it w T as unanimously 

 decided to form such an association. A com- 

 mittee was appointed to draw up a constitution 

 and frame suitable rules. 



Fruit trees, Forest trees, and even Ornamental 

 trees at very low prices to land owners and occu- 

 piers throughout the country. 



If it were a matter of assisting the poorer and 

 more ignorant part of the population to im- 

 prove their surroundings no objection would be 

 raised, but my Council understands from numer- 

 ous complaints that this is not the case, but that 

 the various County Councils are pushing th 

 business in all directions. Members of the Nur- 

 sery Trade complain that in view 1 of the fact 

 that they are compelled to make very heavy con- 

 tributions to both Imperial taxation and local 

 rates, and that they are large employers of 

 labour, thus assisting to keep the people on the 

 land, this ruinous competition is most unjust 

 and they have urged the Council of our Associa- 

 tion to make a most vigorous protest and to 

 earnestly request that steps may be taken to re- 

 strict the distribution of fruit trees and other 

 nursery stock to those who are really in need of 

 the assistance, which is now being offered to the 



public at large. 

 Trusting you w r ill give this matter your kind 



and careful consideration, 



I am, Sir, 

 For the Council, 



Your obedient servant, 

 (Signed) Chas. E. Pearson. 



Hon. Sec, 



l 4 



January 4. 1912. 



Department of Agriculture and Technical 



Instruction. Dublin. 



Dear Sirs,— With further reference to your let- 

 ter of the 13th ultimo, relative to the sale of 

 fruit trees, &c, through the County Committees 

 of Agriculture in Ireland, I am asked by Mr. 

 Russell to say that the statement in the first 

 paragraph of your letter is not strictly accurate, 

 for the ( 'ounty Committees do not as a rule sup- 

 ply fruit, forest, or ornamental trees to land- 

 owners; their operation in this direction bein 



mainly confined to small holders, cottagers an 

 labourers. 



In addition, it should be borne in mind that 

 the County Committees ot Agriculture who adopt 

 this method of distributing trees always obtain 

 competitive tenders from nurserymen in Ireland. 



The best tender, not necessarily the lowest, is 



accepted; and the ( ommittee then proceeds to 

 re-ell the trees to occupiers in the County at 

 cost price plus carria It i D scarcely be 'con- 



tended therefore that the Committees are in 



ruinous competition " with nurserymen. More 

 over, as trees are sold by the Committee* at st 

 price, the buyers paying carriage, neither the 

 rates nor the Department s funds are used for the 

 purpose of reducing the cost of the trees to the 

 purchasers, so that public funds are not used in 

 competition with private enterprise. Indeed in 

 some counties it has been found that fanners 

 can themselves obtain trees at practically the 

 same price as that at which the County Com- 

 mittees could sell them. In such counties the 

 Committees have, accordingly, discontinued the 

 practice of obtaining trees in bulk and selling 

 them to occupiers in the County. 



Another factor in the case which should not be 

 lost sight of is, that thi ;>ortion of the Depart' 

 ment's scheme has been the means of largely in- 

 creasing the sale of trees in Ireland. Over 

 600,000 trees were purchased by farmers in tin's 



manner last year, the greater proportion of which 



would probably not ha\«- been bought at all were 

 it not for the activity of the Connty Committees. 

 Under all the circumstances Mr. Russell does 

 not think that there is any ground for the ap- 

 prehensions of your Association in the matter. 



I am. 



Yours faithfully, 



(Signed) Herbi rt G. Smith. 



Messrs. The Horticultural Trades' Associa- 

 tion of Great Britain and Ireland. 



Feb. 8, 1912. 



The Rt. Hon. T. W. Russell, M.P. 



Department of Agriculture and Technical 

 Instruction, Dublin. 



Sir, — I am instructed by my Council to reply 

 to your letter of Jan. 4th, and to apologise for 

 not doing so earlier, also to explain that this is 

 owing partly to the intervals between the meet- 

 ings of the Council and partly to time necessary 

 to make fuller enquiries as to statements made 

 and obtain replies from the various districts of 

 the countrv affected. 



The result of these enquiries is to fully confirm 

 the statements made in my previous letter. 

 Correspondents from all parts of the country 

 state that these operations are not confined to 

 cottagers and small holders. I enclose three 

 lists for tender in which you will see that more 

 than half the trees for which tenders are asked 

 or orders solicited are totally unsuited for small 

 holders, such as forest trees and more especially 

 ornamental evergreen and flowering shrubs ; and 

 the question is put. " what use have cottagers 

 for Cupressus, 4 to 5 feet, LaureLs, Clematis, &c, 



A correspondent in the north gives names of 

 well-to-do land-owners who have purchased their 

 fruit trees through the Authority. Another in 

 the south says his sales of fruit-trees have been 

 reduced 90 per cent, by official competition, and 

 that in his district the County Instructors are 

 going round to every gentleman s garden and re- 

 commending them to buy their trees at the re- 

 duced rates offered. Another in the Dublin dis- 

 trict writes: " The Agricultural .. Department's 

 action in selling trees at reduced rates is hitting 

 me very hard, and in many cases supplies have 

 baen sent to places where I had the prospect of 



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