306 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. c September so/isso. 
chief product, and the annual harvests of them are worth many 
thousands of pounds. It is amusing to watch the activity and 
hardihood of the gardeners, who still ascend the tree to pluck the 
Dates as they did a thousand years ago. A loose rope passed 
round their waists is tightened by the pressure of their feet against 
the bark of the tree ; their hands are thus left free to help them 
in their upward climb.—( Cassell's “Picturesque Europe.'") 
In reference to the illustration of Rubus ROS/EFOLIUS VAR. 
CORONARius that appeared in our last issue, we are informed 
through a paragraph which appeared in last week’s Gardeners' 
Chronicle, that the original block was engraved by Mr. W. G. Smith 
for that paper, in which it first appeared. We obtained the block 
from the source which we acknowledged, and it was inserted 
precisely in the condition in which we received it. At the time of 
using it we had forgotten that it had long since appeared in the 
Gardeners' Chronicle, and it is too much to expect of any¬ 
one that he should remember what illustrations have appeared 
in that paper, and we doubt if anybody would care to tax his 
memory to that extent. Yet, if we have done wrong, most 
readily do we render our acknowledgments to our contem¬ 
porary. We never mutilate blocks that we, like the Gar¬ 
deners' Chronicle, occasionally borrow, and we invariably ac¬ 
knowledge the courtesy of those who favour us with the 
use of them ; if we fail to do so it is through an oversight. 
We re-echo every word our contemporary has used in re¬ 
probating those practices of which we are too often made the 
victims. There are other forms of appropriation, or misappropri¬ 
ation rather, of which we have to complain besides the purloin¬ 
ing of matter and of illustrations. One of the most flagrant and 
unfair of these from which we have suffered is at the hands of 
the Gardeners' Chronicle itself. It is no less than the adoption 
of our title. A few years ago the Gardeners' Chronicle thought 
it advantageous to remodel its title and discarded its old secondary 
distinction. It called itself “The Gardeners’ Chronicle, a weekly 
illustrated Journal of Horticulture.” Of course, a gardeners’ 
chronicle must be a journal of horticulture—even Dundreary 
could understand that. The effect of this was to cause a con¬ 
fusion between our contemporary and this Journal of which we 
have repeated instances. We do not say that this subordinate 
title was adopted for the purpose of sharing the wide popularity 
which the Journal of Horticulture enjoys, as it might have been 
done with the same inadvertence as that by which we used the 
Rubus illustration ; we hope it was so, nevertheless to have avoided 
ambiguity it would have been better if that subordinate title had 
not been adopted, but allowed to continue as the rightful property 
of the Journal of Horticulture. “ A feeling of what is due to the 
honour of journalism, as well as to ourselves, has prompted these 
remarks.” 
- The beautiful Cattleya exoniensis is now flowering 
in Messrs. Yeitch’s Nurseries at Chelsea, a small plant having 
two spikes bearing six gorgeous blooms, with two other spikes 
showing. This is one of the richest of the genus, and as it is now 
becoming tolerably plentiful it will soon find its way into many 
collections in which it is not yet represented, and where it cer¬ 
tainly should be to render them complete. C. Devoniensis is 
also flowering, and several small healthy plants of Lrelia prasstans 
are very attractive. 
- A writer in the “ Science Gossip” for October gives an 
interesting description of Anacharis Alsinastrum, the Water 
Thyme or Canadian Water Weed, introduced to England about 
forty years ago, since which time it has rapidly spread over the 
country ; and as only pistillate flowers have been observed, this 
surprising increase was supposed to have been effected solely by 
division of original plants. The writer referred to states that 
“ having examined the plant carefully in various places during 
the last two seasons, in the hope of finding either male or perfect 
flowers, I have at length been rewarded by finding the former 
growing sparingly in a pond on the Braid Hills, near Edin¬ 
burgh. This is probably the first record of their occurrence in 
Britain.” Illustrations and dissections of the flowers and plant 
accompany the remarks. 
- We have had several inquiries concerning Clematis 
tubulosa, a pretty species that is by no means so generally 
known as it deserves to be. A fine specimen is now flowering on 
one of the old walls at Kew, and the profusion of its bluish lilac- 
coloured flowers in contrast with the dark green foliage is most 
agreeable. The species is allied to and closely resembles Clematis 
Davidiana, and they are both natives of China. 
- The Cryptogamig Society of Scotland announce 
that “a grand Exhibition of Ferns, Mosses, Fungi, &c., will be 
held in the Coal Exchange Hall, 11, West Regent Street, Glasgow, 
on Thursday September 30th, and the following day. A very 
extensive collection of plants will be exhibited, comprising speci¬ 
mens of all the British Ferns, many exotic Ferns, including Tree 
Ferns, Club Mosses, British and foreign Mosses, Seaweeds, Lichens, 
Liverworts, &c. ; fossil Ferns, Horsetails, and many thousands of 
fresh Fungi. At intervals during the two days popular addresses 
in illustration of the various sections will be delivered by Col. 
B. E. S. Harington-Stuart of Torrance, Dr. Stirton, Dr. Buchanan 
White, and other gentlemen.” This is the first Exhibition of the 
kind ever held in Glasgow, and it ought to be highly interesting 
and worthy of extensive patronage. Messrs. W. J. Milligan, 
180, West Regent Street, and R. Turner, 122, Hospital Street, are 
the joint Secretaries. 
- Our correspondent “North York” writes as follows 
on Trop^eolum speciosum :—“I see from reports in the Journal 
that this beautiful plant is increasing in favour. When its culti¬ 
vation is better understood it must become a general favourite. 
I have to report very favourably of my plant, which is now 
thoroughly established. It has been in splendid bloom all the 
summer until the present time. I also am glad to say seed has 
formed, which I hope will ripen.” 
- The death is announced of Mr. Charles Johnson, who 
expired on the 21st inst. at his residence in Camberwell at the 
advanced age of eighty-nine. The deceased gentleman for more 
than forty-four years held the post of Professor of Botany at Guy’s 
Hospital. He was Editor of Sowerby’s “EnglishBotany,”author 
of “ Grasses of Great Britain,” “ British Poisonous Plants,” 
“Ferns of Great Britain,” and other valuable contributions to 
natural history. In early life he took up the study of natural 
science, being one of the first members of the City Philosophical 
Society, of which Faraday and other eminent scientists were 
fellow members. In teaching large classes of natural history he 
was perhaps the first to introduce that system of practical demon¬ 
stration with such marked success, in place of the dry formal 
lectures previously in vogue. He was a high authority on agri¬ 
culture and all subjects connected with economic botany. 
- We have received information of the following garden¬ 
ing appointments —Mr. J. Beddar, late at Beechwood, Tun¬ 
bridge Wells, has succeeded Mr. El worthy as gardener to Lord 
Leigh, Staveley Abbey, Kenilworth. Mr. C. Davies, late of Wood- 
cote, Newport Salop, has succeeded Mr. Sandford as gardener to 
C. N. P. Phipps, Esq., Chalcote, Westbury, Wilts. 
