JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 5, 1882. 
320 
well-to-do native too, with its spreading branches of dark green 
glossy foliage and its large Melon-shaped fruit, which is being con¬ 
stantly produced and ripened during nine months of the year. So 
prolific is the Breadfruit that a single tree will suffice to keep a man 
supplied with nutritious food for a twelvemonth. Striking up the 
mountain slope from the shore the wild Banana or Plantain every¬ 
where meets the eye. There are no fewer than twenty-five varieties 
of the Plantain found in Fiji, and as, according to estimates made, a 
pound of Bananas contains more nutriment than 3 lbs. of meat, while 
as a food it is equal if not superior to good wheaten bread, the value 
of this product to the natives of the South Sea Islands can hardly be 
over-estimated. In nearly all parts of the forest, but especially in 
the neighbourhood of the'koros,’ or villages, the graceful light 
green fronds of the Plantain, with its huge pendant branches of fruit, 
tell of the rich store of food which Nature provides for the islanders. 
One of the numerous wild varieties is the Musa troglodytarum, the 
plant from which the Manilla hemp is obtained in the Philippine 
Islands. The white Plantain, which Mr. Cooper takes to be the 
Musa textilis of botanists, is cultivated in the group, and yields a 
fine bright and strong Manilla hemp, valued at from £80 to £40 per 
ton in Sydney ; and, when proper machinery has been imported and 
set up, this export will in all probability be rapidly developed.” 
-No. 12 of Mr. Auguste Van Geert’s “ Iconography op 
Indian Azaleas” contains coloured plates of bignonireflora 
plena, a deep rose-coloured double form raised from seed by Mr. 
C. Schulz, and sent out in 1879 ; Konigin Cleopatra, a single or 
semi-double form, white, striped with carmine and blotched with 
yellow. This is another of Mr. Schulz’s varieties, and is said to 
be the result of a cross effected with Rhododendron Edgeworthii; 
and Heinrich Heine, also a seedling raised by Mr. Schulz, having 
large semi-double rich purple flowers. 
-A correspondent sends us the following relative to 
Peas and cocoa-ndt fibre :—“ This day, October the 2nd, I 
have gathered a dish of most delicious Peas—British Queen, sown 
late in June and mulched well with cocoa-nut fibre obtained 
from Messrs. Chubb, Bound k Co. of Millwall. I use this fibre 
extensively all over my garden ; amongst flowers, fruits, and 
vegetables, and find it amply repays for the outlay, the fibre 
acting well both as a mulching material and manure. I still 
expect a few more dishes of Peas.” 
- The Manchester City News as the following note :—• 
“ A Great Planter of Trees. —The Duke of Athole is one of 
the most extensive tree-planters in the world. There are already 
vast woods and plantations in Athole and Dunkeld, and as, of 
course, they exist for use as well as ornament, large numbers of 
trees have to be planted annually to maintain the woods. Indeed 
every year the Duke plants from 600,000 to a million trees. 
During this season a plantation covering 2000 acres has been 
completed. It may be remembered that the Duke of Athole’s 
plantations were thinned of 80,000 trees by the gale which de¬ 
stroyed the Tay Bridge. When the planter Duke began operations 
on a large scale in 1774 the Dunkeld Hills were almost bare. 
During his life the Duke, who may be described as a true bene¬ 
factor to his country, planted 27,000,000 trees, covering 15,000 
acres.” 
- We have received Parts 40, 41, 42, and 43 of Messrs, 
Cassell’s “ Familiar Garden Flowers,” and Parts 63, 64, 65, 
and 66 of “Familiar Wild Flowers,” both of which works 
are being continued in the same popular but instructive manner 
that has been previously noted. In the former the plants repre¬ 
sented are Lathyrus latifolius, Petunia phcenicea, Lilium croceum, 
Rhododendron ponticum, Beilis perennis fl.-ph, Iris Xiphion, Be¬ 
gonia Mont Blanc, and Campanula turbinata. The wild flowers 
illustrated are Calluna vulgaris, Trifolium procumbens, Erica 
Tetralix, Impatiens Noli-me-tangere, Bartsia Odontites, Meconopsis 
cambrica, Carduus Marianus, and Hypericum hirsutum. Many 
interesting historical particulars are given concerning some of 
these plants, and the plates are all fairly accurate. 
- Referring to the cultivation of plants in fer¬ 
tilised Moss, the American “ Gardener’s Monthly ” states that 
“Mr. C. J. Power of Framingham, Mass., made a magnificent dis¬ 
play at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Exhibition in 
Boston on the 30th of June, of plants grown in the Dumesni^ 
moss. We are not informed in what manner this moss differs 
from moss prepared by Mr. Peter Henderson, which is simply 
moss mixed with any fertilising substance. But there are large 
numbers of people in all large towns and cities who do not care 
to have the trouble of mixing fertilising substances with moss, 
or who have not the opportunity of doing so. To all these the 
ready-prepared moss will be a great boon. It is cleaner and more 
easily handled ; and those who, like Mr. Power, are making efforts 
to introduce it, by showing practically what can be doue with 
it, deserve the thanks of the community. Henderson’s fertilising 
moss was for mulching only. These plants are grown wholly in 
the moss.” 
- We have received a schedule of the Native Guano 
Company’s Show to be held at Aylesbury on Thursday, Octo¬ 
ber 19th, for farm and garden produce grown with native guano ; 
and we observe that, in addition to numerous prizes for ordinary 
farm crops, such as Mangolds, Swedes, Turnips, Cabbage, Wheat > 
Barley, Oats, and Potatoes, prizes are also offered to market 
gardeners, gentlemen’s gardeners, amateurs, and cottagers for 
vegetables and Grapes. These prizes range in value from £6 to 
2s. Messrs. Sutton & So^s offer a prize of five guineas, Messrs* 
Carter & Co. offer one of similar value, and Mr. C. L. Perry of 
Banbury one of two guineas for collections of Mangolds and 
Swedes. The Hon. W. F. B. Massey Mainwaring also offers a 
prize of £5 for the best collection of twelve foliage or flowering 
stove and greenhouse plants ; and the Company contribute a 
second prize of £2. 
- The Walsall Oh server has the following respecting a 
MODEL COUNTRY SEAT :— 
“ Harefield Grove, near Uxbridge, is one of the most remarkable 
gardens in England. It is the seat of George Webster, Esq., and lies 
about half-way between Watford and Uxbridge. The park is very 
extensive and beautifully wooded, and the mansion nestles amongst 
trees, ornamental water, and surrounding flower gardens and shrub¬ 
beries. Attached to the house is a spacious handsome conservatory 
of light construction and elegant in appearance, a model of what such 
a structure should be. It is, however, of the kitchen and fruit gardens 
we wish to say a few words. The gardens are very extensive, and 
are now under the charge of Mr. John Gough, the late able Super¬ 
intendent of the Crystal Palace Grounds, Sutton Coldfield. Through- 
oxrt the winter he had a staff of about seventy men to get the place 
into order, and to assist in forming a new fruit garden, which occupies 
13i acres, on the south side of the kitchen gardens. This ground 
was a large grass field in October last, and within three months it 
was converted into a spacious and well-arranged fruit-growing garden 
of the extent we have named. Broad grass walks, along which there 
is ample room for driving,' have been formed. In this new garden 
five thousand pyramidal Apple, Pear, and Plum trees, twenty-five 
thousand Gooseberry and Currant trees, and five thousand Filberts 
have been planted, and the whole of these trees were procured from 
the nurseries of Messrs. Richard Smith & Co. of Worcester. Passing 
from this garden underneath rustic arches or over a rustic bridge, the 
kitchen garden is entered, and here there is a town of glass. There 
are thirty-seven glass structures, eleven of which are vineries, some of 
great length, one new range being amongst the finest in the country. 
There are three long low span-roofed Cucumber houses, with beds on 
either side, each house 110 feet long, and with strong healthy fruit¬ 
bearing plants about 2£ feet apart, the foliage being most remarkable 
in size, substance, and health. Running parallel with the Cucumber 
houses is a Melon house, 110 feet long, planted on both sides, and 
the plants are in fine health. One of the Peach houses has a curvi¬ 
linear roof, is 112 feet long and 22 feet wide. Long houses over 
100 feet in length are devoted to Tomatoes, of which excellent vege¬ 
table there are nine hundred plants now growing. In addition to the 
vineries existing at Harefield Grove previous to Mr. Gough taking 
charge other spacious new vineries have been built, necessitating the 
planting of 180 strong young Vines, and this has been done since 
the 1st of March last, and they are doing well. In other houses are 
seven hundred fruit trees in pots, such as Peaches, Nectarines, Figs, 
Cherries, Plums, Pears, &c.; so that some idea of the magnitude of 
the fruit-growing operations here may be formed. Then, in addition 
to these houses there are others devoted to Orchids, one large house 
to Gardenias only, whilst others are filled with Ferns, stove plants, 
and a fine collection of other plants. The culture of forced French 
Beans is a great item here, row after row the whole length of the 
