312 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



April 20, 1912. 



^ contributed to the high 



degree of popularity which these flowers 

 now enjoy, and the advantage of simpli- 

 city of naming has not at any time been 

 more marked than now. Since 1884, the 

 year in which the Daffodil Conference was 

 lield there has been rapid and continuous 

 progress. All the finest of the varieties 

 of the period that have good constitutions 

 have been propagated in such immense 

 numbers as to have been for some years 

 past within the reach of all who possess a 

 garden, and to have rendered it possible 

 to develop an industry of considerable im- 

 portance in the production of Hovvers for 

 market. While comnu'rcial <^ultivators 

 have l)een busily engaged in tbc growth of 

 huU)s of standard varieti. s to nu^^t the re- 

 quirements of privati^ gardens and market 

 establishments, iai>er.> have increased and 

 achieved a degree ok success that renders 

 it difficult to place a proper estimate on 

 their work without suggesting some 

 amount of 



natteiy. We liavi' only to 

 glance through one <'f the ].riiici|»al trade 

 catalogues to see how nuuiy are ihv varie- 

 ties of outstanding merit that have been 

 place<l at the command of eultivatois, an<l 

 to visit an exhibition to obtain a good 

 idea of the large number of l)eautifnl 

 forms tliat will bo at tbeir disposal withiu 

 a comparatively short time. It would give 

 us mu<'h pleasure to refer to the work of 

 the principal ra'se-rs <lid space permit of 

 their having justice done them. That, 

 however, is impossible, and it must suffice 

 to mention that the presentation of the 

 Peter Barr Memorial Cup to the Rev. G. 

 H. Engleheart, V.M.H., formed a pleasant 

 episwle in the first day's proceedings. Mr. 

 Engleheart was one of the first of the 

 amateurs belonging to the present g^n^^'a- 

 tion to engage in the systematic raising of 

 seedlings, and the persistence and judg- 

 ment with which he has carried on the 

 work for so long a period fully justifies 

 the committee in presenting him with the 

 handsome cup, which will lor all time re- 

 mind daffodil lovers of tlie pioneer of the 

 cult of the daffodil, and the splendid work 

 he accomplisluHl <luring his lor - ""'^ 

 life. 



Mr. Frank W. W „ . 



superintendent of Finsbury l*ark 



the able 



affords 



His training extended over about 



an excellent proof of tlie great value of 

 a thorough training early in life, and 

 thoroughness and perseverance after the 

 probationary stage has been passed, as aids 

 to obtaining a high position in avocations 

 involving the exercise of both hands and 

 head. __ 



nine yeai-s, and during this period he occu- 

 pied positions of nearly equal length in 

 such important gardens as those of Norris 

 Green, Liverpool ; The Firs, Lewnsham ; 

 Abberiev Hall, Worcester; and Croxtetli 

 •Park, Liverpool; in all of which he would 

 be engaged in practice of them both. On 

 the completion of his training be was ap- 

 pointed gardener to Sir G. Wyatt Truscott, 

 and achieved much success duruig the occu- 

 pancy of that position. Being much in- 

 terested in the horticultural features of 

 public parks, he entered the service of the 

 London County Council, starting work m 

 the ranks at Battersea Park, under Mr. 

 Coppin. About a year later he was ap- 

 pointed as foreman at Peckham Rye Park, 

 and the success achieved obtained for him, 

 at the end of the second year, the position 

 of foreman-in-charge at Bethnal Green 

 Gardens. Aft^r a further two years' ser- 

 vice Mr. Wright was transferred as fore- 

 man to Victoria Park, and after a two 

 years' stay was appointed superintendent 

 of the Victoria and Albert Embankment 

 Gardens. The next step ^lpw^•lrds was the 

 charge of Myatts Fields, and (m the 



Embankment Gardens being raised to a 

 higher grade Mr. Wright returned to them, 

 and remained in charge five years. He 

 was then promoted to the position of super- 

 intendent of Southwark Park, and later 

 succeeded the late Mr. J. Melville at 

 Finsbury, one of the first-class parks under 

 the control of the London County Council. 

 We mention these details as showing that 

 by those possevssing the necessary degree of 

 ability and perseverance, it is possible, in 

 the case of the London parks, to rise from 

 the ranks to one of the highest appoint- 

 ments at the disposal of the Council. \\e 

 have during the past ten years or so had 

 opportunities for seeing Mr. Wright s work 

 in the various open spaces of which he 

 has had < harge, and have been much im- 

 pressed by the taste and skdl displayed 

 in carrying out the niultiferous detads in- 

 volved in park management. We remem- 

 ber with pleasure the splendid work that 

 was accomplished by Mr. AVright^s prede- 

 cessors in the provision of beaut.lul displays 

 of spring and summer flowers and exhibi- 

 tions of cbrv.santhemums. and in the in- 

 terest of the residents in the north of 

 London, and of park management gene- 

 rally, we are much gratified that they 

 should haA-e had a ^^uccessor possessing so 

 high a degree of ability. 



Entries for the Royal Inter- 

 national Horticultural Exhibi- 

 tion.— Exhibitors are reminded that 



Wednesday, May 1, is the latest date for 

 the making of ''any alterations or with- 

 drawals which mav be occasioned by exi- 



gencies 

 causes. 



Sale of 

 Daffodils. 



of weather, season, or 



other 



Rejected 



■In connection 



Seedling 



with the 



lings 



raising of new daffcxlils, it appears to ns 

 that the time has come when the 

 question of a change in the method 

 of dealing with bulbs of rejected seed- 

 might be considered with ad- 

 vantage to all concerned. As so well 

 known, the percentage of seedlings of suffi- 

 cient merit to introduce to cultivation is 

 small, and, this being so, an immense num- 

 ber of buibs have to be destroyed. This 

 represents much waste, and we suggest 

 that this might l>e avoided with advantage 

 both to raisers and cidtivators by placing 

 the bulbs at the disposal of the latter at 

 a moderate price. These seedlings, if se- 

 lected according to their class, w^ould prove 

 of interest to amateurs who are not able 

 to purchase named varieties until several 

 years after they have left the hands of 

 the raisers, and be useful for naturalising. 

 The evidence that may he derived from 

 the tuberous begonias is sufficient to show 

 that the question is worth considering. 

 From the first much success was achieved 

 in tlie hybr'disation of the several species 

 that were utilised in the creation of the 

 new race, and there w^as a brisk demand 

 for the novelties, but there was but little 

 ])t otit associated with their production until 

 tuhers that were left after tho vaiietics 

 for naming bad been selected were, instead 

 of being <lestr()yed, sold at prices i>ropor- 

 tionate to tlicir quality. The case of the 

 begonias and <iafF()(lils may not be on all 

 fours but the quest 'on is well w^orth dis- 

 cussing, as an interchange of opinion may 

 result in avoiding the difficulties likely to 

 arise. 



Presentation of the Peter 



emorial Cup. — In accordance 



with the arrangements already notified, 

 Mr. H. B. May, V.M.H., treasurer of the 

 Peter Barr Memorial Fund, presented the 

 handsome silver-gilt cup (figured in the 

 present issue) to the Rev. (J. H. Engle- 

 heart V.M.H., on Tuesday monung last, at 

 the meeting of the Royal Horticultural vSo- 

 ciety's Daffodil Committee. There was a 



gardens in a 



large attendance, when, m a few graceful 

 words, Mr. May referred to the great work 

 of the late Mr. Peter Barr among daffo- 

 dils the desire to perpetuate his memory, 

 and' the great skill of Mr. Engleheart as 

 a raiser, skill that had enriched British 



remarkable degree. Mr. 

 May said that the Memorial Committee 

 were unanimous in conferring this award 

 for the first year upon the Hev. G. H. 

 Engleheart. The famous raiser expressed 

 h:s appreciation of the honour conferred 

 upon him, but it was obvious that the 

 memories stirred by such a presentation 

 were almost overwhelming, and he con- 

 cluded with the hope that the younger 

 raisers would continue their excellent work 



on behalf of daffodils, so that in due course 

 the honour of holding the Peter Barr 

 Memorial Cup w^ould fall upon more worthy 

 shoulders than his own. MeauAvhile, he 

 was proud to be the first holder of the 

 handsome memorial to one whose pioneer 

 work had enabled others to produce the 

 lesults now so apparent each springtime. 



Rothamsted Experimental 



ion. — At a recent meeting of the 



Law^es Agricultural Trust, Mr. A. D. Hall, 

 director of \this important station, ten- 

 dered his resignation, which was accepted 

 with regret. Mr. Hall's resignation takes 

 effect in September next, after which he 

 will devote his whole time to the work of 

 the Development Commission. The com- 

 mittee of the Trust will proceed to the 

 election of a new director m June. Mr. 

 Hall has rendered splendid work in con- 

 nection with agricultural sc'ence and edu- 

 cation. He was the first principal of the 

 South-Eastern Agricultural College, \V ye, 

 when it was opened in 1894, and during 

 the eight years he occupied that position, 

 he laid down the lines on which the work 

 of the college has developed. In 1902 he 

 was appointed director of the Rothamsted 

 Experimental Station, and in this Pf ition 

 he has also done excellent work. Ihe old 

 features of the station have been mam. 

 tained, and new investigations have been 

 developed in other directions, more espe- 

 cially those connec^ted with the so ution 

 of various soil problems. Mr. Hall Has 

 been a member of the Development Com- 

 mission since its formation two years since, 

 and his appointment to a permanent posi- 

 tion under the Development Act is g^vin^ 

 general satisfaction. 



Flower Shows at Birming- 

 ham.— The Birmingham Botanical ana 

 Horticultural Society have again dec.^e« 

 to hold two flower shows during the preseni 

 summer at the Botanical Gardens, W 

 hasten. The first will be held on June 

 12 (orchids and early summer flowersj au 



the second on July 17 i^^^f.^'t'^'\'Z 

 mer flowers). Honorary exhdnts of ttoAU - • 



fruits, and vegetables will be ^ve^^^*^^^ ' 

 Particulars may be obtained f i<^i^ / 

 Secretaries, Botanical Gardens, Edgbaston. 



Extension of Wimbledon Com- 



mon.^-The committee of the ^\\^^'^^^^^^^^ 

 and Putney Commons I'^^tension Im^J''^ _ 

 issued a report on the work whicli iu^ 

 done both in securing options <>^^ jj";^^ 

 Kingston Vale and in raising the n^/^^^V^j;^ 

 funds for the ])urchase of the 1^^';^^^: f 

 original sclieme was f^>r ^he acquisit^^^^^^^^^ 

 172 acres, at a cost of £52,500. A poit 

 of the land has already been ^^^^^1^^% ,t 

 110 acres still remain to be P'^'^^^^ g'^.,ent 



a 



cost of £36,150. 



Votes 



amonuts 'ha^Tbeen made by ^arioiis p" 



bodies in the district, and f ,ort 



£19,270 has yet to be raised, i i^,,,,. 

 points ont that the burden oi P' * , .^aon 

 soription lias fallen largel}^ on 



resi<lents, who already "^''^"iV^^V.me is » 

 nion, and it is felt that tlie cause ^ 



genei 



and It IS teit tti. u p^^mon 

 ral beUef that Wimbledon Comnio 



