January t, 1898. 



GARDENERS MAGAZINE. 



■13 



1 f -„ti„ B1 ,r. r essful attempts have been made to eliminate these irregularities, 



f^t ^ 7 sSS in &e case of Messrs. Backhouses trichomanoides, and 

 fost by simple se e ction^ seedlings as in Cornubiense Fowler, and 



l fterW £ll e b L o am of Clapham. g None of them can be said, however, to have 

 uTp^rSly SccS'sful, an P d a true, constant, and perfect elegantissimum still 

 remains a desideratum. 



( To be continued. ) 



T 



INFLUENCE OF HORTICU LUTE. 



Most oeoole will agree that every human being is more or less affected by society 

 ™d surroundings independently of the individual atmosphere they create for them- 

 cTi^pc And as with the individual so with the community generally. This 



selves. And as with u.v — - * « - , 



minciDle may be termed influence. There are many such, always have been, and 

 are now at work in the world. For instance, there are the different influences of 

 town and country ; the influences of music, poetry, and painting ; the mighty 

 influence of evil, and best of all, the still mightier influence of good. 



Our present purpose is to try and state as shortly as possible the more import- 

 ant of the influences of horticulture, using the word in its usually accepted sense, 

 viz. the cultivation of fruits, flowers, and vegetables. Horticulture, as it is the 

 oldest, has always been described— and is— one of the purest, healthiest, and 

 refining pursuits anyone can engage in. In a word it is the "gentle art." Perhaps 

 I may be allowed to cite an instance or two of the influence of horticulture on the 

 individual. The case of Dr. Carey, the celebrated missionary, is one of the most 

 striking. His garden was one of the finest in India, containing some three 

 thousand species of plants. Writing home to a friend who had sent him some 

 bulbs and seeds, he says, " To make sure that nothing of your valuable present 

 should be lost, I shook the bag over a patch of earth in a shady place, and to my 

 inexpressible delight a plant of Bellis perennis of our English pastures sprang up. 

 I do not know that I ever enjoyed a simple pleasure so exquisite as the sight of 



- . - mm /v« m « - 1 • t" *% • a . 9 _ a 



ripened into a 14 ruling passion strong in death, 

 he said to Dr. Marshman, " Ah ! Brother Marshman, I have been thinking when 

 I die you will let the cows into my garden." A striking instance, surely, of the 

 influence of horticulture on the individual. 



Emerson tells us M it is simply pitiful the things by which we call ourselves 

 rich or poor. W hy, I have returned from my morning's walk feeling richer in the 

 possession of a handful of honeysuckle than if I had found a purse of sovereigns by 

 the wayside." The late Mr. Wm. Thomson, of Clovenfords, I believe, publicly 

 stated — amidst the cheers of his audience — that an Edinburgh city clergyman 

 declared when visiting the densely-crowded parts of his parish he invariably 

 received a kindly welcome from the inmates, wherever a few window plants were 

 cultivated, reminding us of Ruskin's splendid sentence — u Flowers are the 

 treasure of the cottager, and in the crowded towns mark, as with a fragment of rain- 

 bow, the windows of the workers in whose hearts rests the covenant of peace." 



In order that horticulture may have a direct influence agencies must be 

 at work, and in the very forefront I have no hesitation in placing the horticultural 

 press. As the daily press helps to form and guide public opinion in the political 

 world, so it is simply incalculable the influence of the horticultural press in the 

 gardening world, whether as professionals, amateurs, or cottagers. A very 

 eminent gardener once said, " I like to get at the bottom of things, and the horti- 

 cultural press helps me greatly." Publications, mutual improvement societies, and 

 lectures delivered in different; parts of the country by competent persons, are most 

 useful in educating the public mind in the science of horticulture. 



Our public parks and botanical gardens, especially our National Garden at 

 Kew which draws its thousands on bank-holidays, and other times, afford a striking 

 example of the influence of horticulture on the community. What can be more 

 healthful and reinvigorating to the toiling masses of London than enjoying the 

 beautiful grounds at Kew, walking in the houses and looking upon tropical 

 vegetation ? The noble palms, many of them possessing an interest and value, 

 Irom an economic point of view, little dreamt of. But perhaps it is through 

 Horticultural societies that the influence of horticulture is most clearly seen at the 

 present time ; and here I wish to do justice and give honour to whom honour is 

 cue, viz., to the Royal Horticultural Society. When constituted, and many years 



tw U n gaV , e a * 1 . m P etus to horticulture in this country totally unknown before, 

 liorticultural societies and the masses act and react on each other in a striking 

 manner. The former-springing up in all directions-could not long exist with- 



TJt ^ PP °' t ° f ^ ? iddle and workin S classes - Th e societies, by their 

 Zl? i ?mng pmeS for the best 8 arden Produce, create a healthy riv? 1 ~ 

 ;S *Z :I n B men > consequently more time and industry is spent on the gard 

 J tK abundant produce of superior quality, not o 



IhVver^tMn V^l ^ of themselvesand' families. 



,l^ thln ? wa ?ted, and we want more of it. Local horticultura 



en, 

 only 

 This is 



create i mnch k„„ c - /• n~ "~ — * t . i^uun horticultural societies 



influenced in a ?/ t 1 1 '. , l lfluenCe 5 the ver y sch ° o1 children ™ interested and 

 SSTSS^*, remarkable wa ^ they clamour for their entry cards on a 



id Jnif y onem^ t f nd ° f horticuIture on the working classes in an 



grow their IS g °f, Where th ? are Provided with gardens sufficiently large to 

 garden produce can nl [f f nd vegetables. I have heard it repeatedly said 

 "em toTmTe Ther!^ be ,^ u § ht chea P tr than g™wn. Supposing the%tate- 

 <-arden P ?X e c ' ed to ' L ? g f annot 1 ^ bought, and that is true quality, 

 and retard canno V.1 wholesal e market, recarted to the greengrocer's shop 



The vegetables onfpeuT^ * m ° ment with P roduce ^sh fronf the garden, 

 fitter. The iam^S 6 aVera S e L °ndon chop-house are tough and even 



*M> those hom the ZT™? manufa ctured by the great firms cannot compare 

 «*peri e nce. It i s 0 f tl,?m« t -/\ C -° ttage S arden ' at ^ast, that is the writer's 

 Pwple should have the V importance then, that the masses of working 



m «nt, and there need L ™ f i V™^. horticulture » whether in garden, or allot- 

 In Oxfordshire there ^ 5" ^ the influences be all forfeood. 



'«t from the produce o l u. 1° ma °y working men p^y their annual 



' tester hasflThS statS ^ 6nd of their house « The present Dean of 

 ~ t ,„„L C 1 ' stat ^ d > that sooner than lose a 



about Nottingham have nS A, t, S °i° ner than lose a cro P' the allotment-holders 

 ** fruit trees. An extrent ^ f Ms to P«>tect the blossoms of 



,,Q when people comeSft 110 d ° ubt ' but U shows what enthusiasm will 

 If horticultural ™£ , r . the lnfl uence of horticulture. 



""J point of view.a necessitv l ° C " ch ' 1 hold '* is much more > from 



SE^thwthewwk^Iil^- W ° rkin 5 P° or - And what can be more 



wers 



horticulture. 



-y-", duu ieasung their eyes on 1 

 production, which gives considerably 



Exhibitions and Meetings. 



CONVERSAZIONE OF THE SCOTTISH HORTICULTURAL 



ASSOCIATION. 



A VERY pleasant meeting of this rapidly growing society was held in the fine 

 chess-room of the Royal Hotel, Edinburgh, when about a hundred and fifty ladies 

 and gentlemen accepted the invitation of the president, Mr. Todd, for the purpose 

 of allocating the profits— ^250— resulting from the recent great chrysanthemum 

 show in the Waverley Market. Among those present were the Lord Provost, 

 Bailhes Shenlock, Anderson, and May-Mackenzie, Councillor Cranston, Mr. D. P. 

 Laird, Mrs. Laird, Mr. and Mrs. Mclntyre, Tha Glen, Innerleithen; Mr. and 

 Mrs. D. Mitchell, Mr. John Mitchell, Mr. R. W. D. Murray, Mr. G. G. Moncur, 

 Mr. and Mrs. Loney, Mr. Dunn, Mr. and Mrs. D. T. Fish, Mr. and Mrs. 

 Harrow, Mr. Laird (the secretary), and many others. 



Mr. and Mrs. Todd received their guests with much cordiality. Briefly re- 

 ferring to the use and progress of the chrysanthemum show, Mr. Todd gave great 

 credit to the Lord Provost and Town Council of Edinburgh for the use of the 

 Wavcilcy Market, which had been called the finest site for a flower show in 



Europe, for the liberal prizes, and for their constant patronage and support. It 

 was, therefore, with special pleasure that he was about to ask their treasurer to 

 hand to the Lord Provost a cheque for ;£ioo for the Royal Pavilion scheme of 

 the Royal Hospital. The Lord Provost, in gratefully and gracefully accepting 

 the handsome gift to the city, told the association that in their recent show they 

 had done three good things. They had stimulated an interest in the beautiful 

 chrysanthemum, they had given avast deal of pleasure to the citiz-ns of Edinburgh, 

 and by handing over these cheques they had placed the city under a debt of grati- 

 tude to the society. On behalf of the Royal Infirmary he thanked them most 

 heartily for that handsome cheque, and he was sure that his colleagues would be 

 very grateful when he reported it to them. Mr. Cook gratefully accepted the 

 cheque for ^50 on l>ehalf of the Sick Children's Hospital, as it would prove a 

 great encouragement to the committee amid a good many financial difficulties. 



The next speaker, Mr. D. Mitchell, in proposing the health of " The Lord 

 Provost," showed how good deeds repeat themselves, stating that the oldest horti- 

 cultural society in Scotland, the Royal Caledonian, has also determined to give 

 ^50 to charitable purposes. While writing these lines, and taking part in these 

 kindly charities, we hear that one or more venerable societies, Perth, to wit, is 

 languishing for lack of funds. Could not such devote a portion of their next 

 gains to charitable objects. For there are among men and institutions that giveth 

 and yet increase, and there are that withholdeth more than is meet, and it tendeth 

 to poverty. As stated last week, the Scottish Horticultural Association has given 

 cheques of ^50 each to the Gardeners' Benevolent Institution and the Gardeners' 

 Orphan Fund. Who among our richer societies will do likewise ? 



A delightful evening was spent in speech, song, recitation, conversation, &c, 

 and concluded with votes of thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Todd, " Auld Lang Syne," 

 and God Save the Queen. D. T. F. 



READING GARDENERS' MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT 



ASSOCIATION. 



The last fortnightly meeting for the season 1897 of the above association was 

 held the other evening in the Abbey Hall (by kind permission of Messrs. Sutton 

 and Sons), and was presided over by the president (Mr. C. B. Stevens.) A very 

 large number of members attended to hear a paper entitled " A Chat about Chry- 

 santhemums " by Mr. H. J. Jones, of Lewisham. The paper was given in a very 

 interesting manner, and was full of piactical hints and illustrations, and was greatly 

 appreciated. The paper was divided under several headings, such as propagation, 

 composts, potting, manuring watering, insects, housing, exhibiting, &c, and 

 without doubt many were benefited by the wrinkles given. A splendid exhibit of 

 flowers by the members greatly added to the interest of the meeting. Messrs. 

 Sutton and Sons sent some beautiful specimens of cyclamen, including Sutton's 

 Salmon Queen, Vulcan, White Butterfly, &c. ; Mr. Townsend, Sandhurst Lodge 

 Gardens, staged some grand plants of Primula obconica ; Mr. Bright sent dwarf 

 plants of W. H. Lincoln chrysanthemum, showing the decorative value of plants 

 grown in three-inch pots ; Mr. Bradley, Tilehurst Nurseries, exhibited cut blooms 

 of chrysanthemums and a basket of mushrooms ; and Mr. Woolford, The 

 Gardens, East Thorpe, exhibited a splendid specimen of begonia Gloire de 



Lorraine. 



Obituary. 



Mr. James Brown, gardener for over forty years at Abcrcairny, Peithshire, the 

 splendid domain of Captain Moray, died, we regret to learn, cn December 22 

 last. Mr. Brown was for many years a keen and most successful competitor 

 in the classes for vegetables and hardy fruits. At Perth, Dundee, Edinburgh, 

 and Glasgow his skill as a cultivator was strikingly exemplified. Mr. Brown s 

 services as a judge at the leading shows was much in request, and by reason oi 

 his knowledge and conscientious adjudication he commanded the respect and 

 confidence of exhibitors. His work in the fine gardens under his charge, and 

 devotion to his employer's interests, were duly appreciated by the gallant 

 Captain, who, like generations of his forbears, is highly esteemed as employer 

 and proprietor. 



S. 



Christmas Grapes.-I was rather surprised to find when a day or two 



before Christmas, visiting one of our market g-ape growing establishments where 

 there was hanging a fine lot of well-coloured Muscat of Alexandria, that only 

 blacks, such as Alicante and Gros Colmar, were being cut for market. When I 

 referred to this the grower handed me a telegram he had received from his sales- 

 man requesting that no more Muscats be sent until after Chnstmas, but wanting 

 more blacks. « We have had a good week for blacks, said the grower and so 

 it seemed, when I learned of the large number of baskets that had been sent to 

 London. The price now is not a great one, but it ts a paying one, and that 

 satisfies. As to the now hanging Muscats they will fetch a shilling per pound more 

 in Tanuarv than they have done at Christmas, and because of that the grower is 

 ^TS^A^Lg. Grown in soil of moderate quality and texture b t we 

 led from the surface, the berries are fine and plump as also well loured so that 

 they will hang well for a few weeks longer yet. Clearly we have no white grape, 

 oWor new, that can equal Muscat of Alexandria as a late one It is P^med 

 that the average Christmas purchaser of grapes is not of the wealthiest or 

 possessing the most refined taste. Muscats are a little above his price, and blacks 

 look on fhe table so much more imposing. When the best class dinner parties 

 are on, then the Muscats will be required. Ev idently market grape culture is not 

 yet in a bad way. — A. D. • 



