352 



THE 



GARDENERS' 



MAGAZINE. 



June 



4, 1898. 



also 



• u a «mA m the vccetable would be speedily increased only for the growth ot flowers, but 



Wise, the area devoid to the v <fi*£ ^ ^ ^ > Qf _ prolonged summer dr0 ughts require a considerable amount of irrigauon * 



tenfold. Asparagus has a great 6 should do well together so long M the fruit ^ 



are not allowed to prnw 



bles grown for market, inasmuch as its value ms much g rea ter ■ « 1 propor- . nterfere ^ rf ^ ^ 



tion to its bulk, and can therefore be sent long d.stances at a relative 1 ' sma 11 ' should fce remembered t J he 



cost Consequently it is specially adapted for cultivation in districts where, ... bloom in the 



owing to the distance from the markets, the more bulky vegetables cannot 

 be profitably grown, a fact which cultivators in remote districts ought 

 not to overlook. In suggesting the desirabihty of largely extending the 



asparagus 



mending it as a crop adapted for all soils and situations, and to prevent dty kst year> has received tne order ot Mente Agricole. Mr. Jurgens not o n l • 

 any misapprehension upon this point wc distinctly state that its culture Jaid out the grounds, but by his geniality and ready advice contributed in no sr> 



early spring, when the fruit trees have no foliage, and that the flowe^pUms^ 

 allowed to die down in the summer, when the water, which is available a'l T- 

 year round can be used for the benefit of the fruit trees. J 



Mr. Jurgens, the distinguished landscape gardener of Hamburgh, who 

 responsible for the preparations of the grounds for the great exhibition held in that 

 city last year, has received the order of Merite Agricole. " 



degree to the pleasure of English horticulturists who visited Hamburgh during 

 time the exhibition was open 



tor market should be commenced only where the soil can at a small cost 

 be prepared for the formation of plantations. Rich alluvial soils, such as 



are to be found in many of our valleys, are the best for asparagus, but Exceptional Rainfalls.— Notwithstanding the heavy rainfall of the past 

 any moderately deep and naturally rich, well drained loam will be found f ew days, it is of interest to mention in this connection that the average of the 

 suitable, as no heavy outlay will be involved in its preparation, or in rainfall registered at thirty-three of the principal towns in England during the 

 maintaining it in a fertile condition. An admirable object lesson in week ending May 28 was only 0-57 inches. We have not by any means had an ex- 

 asparagus culture is given by the growers in the Evesham district. A ceptional fall. So far as annual rainfall is concerned the Khasia Hills lead the way 



- with 600 inches ; Padupola, in the central province of Ceylon, has a mean average 



rainfall of 230*85 inches ; while in the northern province, at Nedunkeni, the 

 average fall is 6470 inches, though the total for 1897 was 121-85 inches. A cor- 

 respondent to Nature points out that at Nedunkeni there was an exceptionally 

 heavy rainfall on December 15-16, 1897, when in twenty-four hours 3176 inches 

 was registered. It will be interesting to point out here that the highest rainfa' 



quarter of a century ago some of the market gardeners began to plant 

 asparagus, and finding that under a liberal system of cultivation produce 

 of the highest class was obtained, they made themselves familiar with 

 the best method of marketing, and, as the result, obtained good prices. The 

 asparagus' crop has, indeed, been found so profitable in this fertile valley 



n 3[J aia b uj u T , , ^ r was registered, it win De lniercsung 10 punu out nere cnat me Highest rainfalls 



that there has been a continuous extens.on of the area, and at the present «j ^ at Joyeuse> France> 3ri7 inc hes in twentytwo hours; 



time it is estimated that there are upwards of four thousand acres under £ Q ^ ^ fa twenty . six hours . at Gibraltar> 33 w inches in 



asparagus, giving an annual yield of sixteen thousand bundles. What has sJx hours . on the hHls above Bombay , ^.qq inches in one night . and on the 



been accomplished at Evesham should be attempted in other districts Khasia Hills, India, 30 00 inches on each of five successive days, 



where similar conditions obtain, for the demand for fresh gathered pro- The Artificial Colouring of Cut Flowers is now becoming only » 



duce of high quality is so great that the supplies must be enormously in- ]Me , ess genera , than the provision of odour> by means of essences, for (lowers tbt 



creased before they can seriously affect prices. have i ost tne i r fragrance while travelling from the producer to the retailer. In this 



- - connection M Dogberry," in writing to the City Press, remarks that : Spring flowers 



■ - k " „ T . , , . , . „ >»*„,.• have been plentiful in the streets and shops of the City during the pist few weeks, 



Castle Ashby.-W.th the current issue of the Gardeners Magazin* fa ^ Qf ^ ^ beauty . Thing3 are , however not al ways wha , 



presented a special supplement containing an illustrated account ot Lastle Asnby 



favourite flower in a shop window, went in to purchase a bunch. While doing so 



M. Jules Hye's Orchids.— We greatly regret to learn that the very valu- he inquired w h e ther the plants could be obtained, and was obliged to rest satisfied 



able orchids exhibited by M. Jules I lye, of Ghent, at the Temple Show, dis- with t h e assurance that they were an exclusive cultivation. A few days after 



and its gardens, and a separate two* page plate of the mansion 



appearance 



appeared on the closing day of the exhibition, and so far no trace can be ascer- 

 tained of their whereabouts. They were seen by their owner soon after nine p.m. £™j florist 7 Then he "learned the secret 

 on the Friday, but an hour later they had been removed from the position they 

 had occupied, and he is naturally much distressed at having lost them. The loss 



pro 



painted 



rather, " improved " by the application of chemical dyes I Alas, what has not 

 modern chemistry to answer for ? A gentleman who occupies a high position as a 



of such valuable orchids as these is a very serious matter, and we trust that if they p^i^i chemist tells me that not a week passes without his receiving an applies- 

 were removed by mistake they will be at once returned, and that if they have lion for ft dye tQ make something or ot her look like something else j but I did not 

 been stolen they will be speedily recovered, Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons 



(Limited) inform us that any person giving such information to them as will lead ^ as 



to the recovery of the orchids will be handsomely rewarded. 



The Beauties of the Thames Valley can scarcely be overrated at this 



season of the year, though, unfortunately, the chilly winds that prevail, and the 

 prospect of frequently recurring storms, render a full appreciation of hill and 

 valley, water and island, trees and flowers, impossible at present. Given an hour 

 or two of fine weather, however, a walk from Kew Bridge to Richmond along the 

 riverside provides a treat for anyone, and especially for those who spend much 

 time in the City. The fragrance and beauty of the hundreds of white thorn rees 

 along the towing-path alone compensate for the time occupied in the walk, but 

 added to these there are golden cascades formed by the laburnum, bending by 

 reason of the weight of blossoms over the boundary wall of the Royal Gardens. 

 The stately chestnuts are grand pictures, their myriads of erect panicles standing 

 out in bold relief against the background of ample foliage ; rhododendrons in the 

 gardens and the Queen's Cottage ground add to the general beauty, while one 

 cannot but admire the breadths of elegant white-flowered umbellifers that skirt 

 the margin of the moat and the Old Deer Park. To the beauty of the flowers all 

 around must be added the beauty of form in the trees from the slender willow, the 

 towering poplar, and the massive horse-chestnut to the stately elms, elegant ash 

 trees, gnarled oaks, and quivering birches ; neither can one omit to note the 

 charming tints of the leaves from the beautiful green of the young oak leaves to 

 the more sombre hue of pine and yew. 



A Chrysanthemum Congress at Lille will be held on November 10, 



when the following subjects will be discussed : (i) The soils and manures most 

 suitable for chrysanthemums ; (2) The best insecticides and fungicides for 

 chrysanthemums ; (3) Influence of climate on varieties ; (4) Dimorphism of 

 he chiysanthemum and the causes producing sports. 



Floriculture at Nice —The decision of the English Post Office authori- 

 ties no longer to admit cut flowers from abroad by sample post has caused a good 

 deal of apprehension on the part of the Riviera flower growers. Even Consul Sir 

 J. C. Harris, in hi* report for 1897-8, says that however justified the decision may 

 be by the abuse which appears to have been made of the privilege, it is certain to 

 be very harmful to the export trade in flowers, to which so large an extension has 

 been given in the Nice district of late years by the much increased facilities of 

 irrigation. In order to give an idea of the large place flower culture has attained 

 to in these days when the keiroun insect has ravaged olive yards and rendered 

 them unproductive, and the phylloxera has equally damaged the vineyards, he 

 •'ate* that at the recent meeting of the agricultural society the only subject treated 

 of by successive speakers was the horticultural exhibition which has lately taken 

 place at Nice, and which, indeed, deserved all the r raise bestowed upon it. 



_ ppears 



I have heard of flowers being artificially scented, but the ftaioim: t 



them will not, I hope, become a common practice. 



The First Rose of Summer.— In a postscript to a letter written on 



June 1, that genial rosarian, the Rev. A Foster- Melliar, writes: My daughter, 

 gathering the first outdoor rose to day in this very cold wind, suggested, June 1st: 



" Tis the First Rose of Summer, 



I heard it complain 

 You have waked me too soon, 

 I must slumber again." 



has steadily 

 ting of dates 

 ahnut fifteen 



years ago. Consul L. A. Forbes states that in 1896 the greater part of the : coinr ry 

 was inundated by unprecedented floods, in which it is reported over a million 

 palms were destroyed ; these trees, it is believed, have been alt replaced b >' >°^J 

 ones, but still it will take six to ten years before the latter produce fruit in»j 

 quantity. The high prices which are now obtained by the growers for tnel ^* he 

 have rendered the possession of date gardens most valuable property, an 

 culture of the date palm receives from the Arabs great care, attention, ana expe ^ 

 ture of capital in manuring and irrigation, which is not the case with 1 an ^ ^ 

 any other form of produce. Vinegar is manufactured from dates, and it is P"*^ 

 that whisky could be made from them, as " arak," the native spirit, is 01 

 exclusively from dates. . , ■> 



Gardeners' Royal Benevolent lnstitutlon.-We have _ to reml °. n ° b . 



readers that the fifty-ninth anniversary festival dinner of this in f tltu " ke ^ 

 held on Wednesday next at the Hotel Metropole. We trust that tne^ J ^ 

 Portland, who presides, will be well supported, and, having re^ar ^ 

 heavy claims upon this excellent charity, we hope the subscription us ^ 

 occasion will be a liberal one. The Dean of Rochester has promised to ^ 

 and those of our readers who desire to attend should communicate »i 

 retary (.Mr. G. J. Ingram), at 50, Parliament Street, S.W. » of * 



Mr. J. Gray, late of Bodorgan Gardens, Anglesea, was the ICCi ^° og tlK 

 of handsome carvers subscribed for by the under gardeners betore ^ 

 service of Sir George Meyrick, Bart. It is over twelve years since . r ^ ^ 

 charge of these gardens, during which time he has much improved ^ ^ f 

 them up in a high state of efficiency. General regret was expressed y - 



Society 



p . — 1 uebcrvta an tne praise cestowea upon it. *-i»«tc, icccivea oa ine occasion ot tne socie 



e consul perceives, however, a tendtney to utilise the built-up terraces not decoration of an Officer of Public Inst'tu'ion. 



man, secretary ot tne «aiu».« " ranJ , 

 occasion of the society's recent exhibition « 



of 

 the 



