144 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 14, 1890. 
leaves principally used are those of the Egyptian Lotus ; those of the 
Banyan by Brahmins, and the Plantain leaf. 
The leaves of Bauhinia Yahlii are used in the construction of the 
curious, rude leaf-bellows in Sikkim, with which the natives of the hills 
smelt iron. These leaves, when sewn together, are used as plates, cups, 
rough tablecloths, rain-hats and caps. The leaves are heart-shaped 
and above a foot in breadth, and the same in length. Sewn together 
with twigs, they also serve for baskets for holding pepper, turmeric and 
ginger, and are likewise used for thatching. Under the name of 
“ Chattahs,” a kind of umbrella-hat or sun-shade is made in the East of 
the leaves of the Licuala peltata and the Talipot Palm. These Chattah 
hats are much worn by the ploughmen and coolies of Bengal and Assam. 
The large fan-shaped leaves of the Talipot Palm are, like those of the 
Palmyra Palm, carried over the heads of people of rank as an umbrella, 
and are also used for making books and for various domestic purposes. 
They are also cut up into neat bracelets, worn by Santal girls in India. 
Those of Yanda Roxburghi, split, are also worn by them as anklets. 
Those of another species, Borassus aethiopicus, occur as much as 12 feet 
across, and serve also for the manufacture of baskets, mats, ropes, 
and sieves. The leaves of Nipa fruticans attains a height of 15 to 20 
feet, presenting a very handsome appearance, resembling the fronds of 
huge Ferns. This graceful eastern Palm is utilised in various ways, 
the principal being in the manufacture of thatching for house-roofs. 
This manufacture is quite an industry in itself, and affords employment 
to many natives, chiefly women, the men simply bringing cargoes of the 
fronds to the women, to be stitched with split rattans, and made up. 
Atap roofs are the best adapted for these climates, for while the winds are 
never strong enough to blow them away, they afford the coolest pro¬ 
tection against the sun of any kind of roofing known. 
The leaves of the Palmyra Palm were formerly used like paper, to 
write books on, and to this day they are applied to this purpose in 
Orissa, Southern India, and Ceylon, where an iron style is employed to 
write upon them ; in Bengal young children use them to write the 
alphabet lessons on. They are largely employed for making pans, bags, 
wdnnows, hats, umbrellas, and for thatching, &c. The leaf takes a 
dye well, and is worked up in Madras into pretty coloured patterns in 
baskets and mats. 
The slips of Talipot and other Palm leaves are coming into European 
commerce for the manufacture of ornamental braids, and in the con¬ 
struction of straw or Leghorn hats. The fibre obtained from the base 
of the leaves of the Chusan Palm is used by the Chinese for making 
hats and coarse clothing. The sale of Palm leaves for decorative pur¬ 
poses in the towns of Elche and Alicante, in Spain, produces a con¬ 
siderable income to the towns. 
Kadjan mats, manufactured out of Nipa leaves, are indispensable 
for travelling purposes ; packed up in the smallest compass when not 
required, each mat is capable of affording sufficient cover at night for 
two or three persons, either in boat or forest journeys. They also 
form, almost exclusively, the material for side walls and divisions in 
houses. The young leaf unfolded and dried, under the name of Roko, 
forms the favourite covering for cigarettes in the Malayan Peninsula 
in preference to paper. 
The large leaves of the Teak tree are used for plates, for packing, 
and for thatching. The leaves of Cordia myxa are employed as plates 
in Pegu, and to cover Burmese cheroots. In Bangalore the leaves of 
Canna indica are used by the natives in lieu of plates to serve their 
millet puddings and other dishes on. The leaves of the Papaw tree are 
employed by the negroes in washing linen as a substitute for soap. 
They have also the property of rendering meat wrapped in them 
•tender, owing to the alkaloid papain which they contain, and which 
acts as a solvent. 
For cordage and other textile purposes, numberless leaves are used, 
and they serve very generally for packing and wrapping up small 
parcels in India. In Guiana, Tibisiri fibre is obtained from the inner 
surface of the spiral leaves of the Ita Palm (Mauritia flexuosa). It is 
used by the Indians for making hammocks, &c. The leaves are cut 
before they are open, and the midrib separated by drawing each division 
of the leaf through the finger and thumb. After drying, the fibre is 
ready for use without further preparation. About a quarter of a pound 
may be procured from each leaf, and if the central leaf is left unin¬ 
jured, no evil effect is produced on the tree. Bags or matting could be 
cheaply and easily made from this fibre, as well as hats similar to those 
known as Panama .—(American Gardeners' Monthly'). 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
August 12th. 
Several very interesting plants, also imposing collections of 
flowers and important contributions of fruit furnished the tables of 
the Drill Hall on this occasion, but the attendance of Fellows was 
small, as is usual at this season of the year, when all who can do so 
appear inclined to “ take their holidays.” 
Fruit Committee. — Present : Sir C. W. Strickland, Bart., 
in the chair ; and Messrs. John Lee, R. D. Blackmore, Harrison 
Weir, T. Francis Rivers, P. Crowley, G. W. Cummins, J. 
Cheal, G. Bunyard, W. Warren, W. Bates, G. Wythes, H. 
Balderson, F. Q. Lane, A. Watkins, and J. Wright. Mr. Barron 
announced that it had been decided that the Melon which was 
certificated at the last meeting under the provisional name of Barkham’s 
Seedling should be Advance. The fruit was of distinctly superior 
quality, and an advance on all others which had been placed before the 
Committee during the season. 
Fruits of Musa paradisaica were sent by Mr. G. Wythes, Syon 
House, grown on plants from suckers planted in September last. They 
were large and well ripened, and a cultural commendation was awarded. 
It was not considered to be the true species, the fruits of which are 
larger and more slender than those exhibited. These, however, repre¬ 
sented admirable culture, and were in excellent condition. 
Mr. A. Lancaster, Holkham, Norfolk, sent two large and handsome 
fruits of a very pale green flesh Melon, grown and ripened without fire 
heat. They weighed 13 lbs., but the want of flavour did not justify any 
award. Mr. James Baldwin, Otterbourne, Hampshire, sent a *• seed¬ 
ling ” Pea, evidently a form of Ne Plus Ultra, and not equal to the true 
type of that fine old variety. Mr. A. Waterman, Preston Hall Gardens, 
Aylesford, sent very fine pods of the “ Preston Hall ” Scarlet Runner. 
The Committee recommended that the variety be grown at Chiswick, 
where a trial of Runner Beans was suggested as desirable. 
Mr. S, Mortimer Rowledge, Fareham, sent splendid fruits of his 
Express Cucumber, and a first class certificate was unanimously 
awarded. It was the opinion of the Committee that more perfect 
Cucumbers had never been placed before them than the specimens in 
question. The variety is the result of a cross between Purley Park 
Hero and Tender and True. 
Mr. T. T. MacGregor, Great Waltham, sent a good dish of Tomatoes, 
also a stem bearing bunches of fruit. He had found the variety profit¬ 
able for market, as are many others, and no award was made. A 
splendid assortment of between twenty and thirty varieties were ex¬ 
hibited from Chiswick, and a cultural commendation was accorded to 
Mr. A, F. Barron. Messrs. T. Burton & Son, Erith Road, Bexley, sent 
eight boxes of splendid Peaches grown on the heavily cropped trees that 
were referred to on page 41 in our issue of the 17th ult. The varieties 
were Osprey, Princess of Wales, Sea Eagle, Albatross, and others. A 
fruiting branch with four large fruits in a length of 9 inches was also 
exhibited. A silver medal was unanimously recommended for this 
meritorious exhibit. Mr. W. Roupell sent from his garden at Streatham 
dishes of Irish Peach, Mr. Gladstone, Peter the Great, and Red Joanet- 
ting Apples—a most creditable display from a suburban garden. The 
fruits of Mr. Gladstone were highly coloured, and very favourable 
opinions were expressed on the comparatively new Apple Peter the 
Great. A vote of thanks was accorded. 
Messrs. James Yeitch & Sons exhibited a remarkable collection of 
Gooseberries, Currants, and early Apples from their fruit grounds 
at Langley. There were eighty dishes of Gooseberries, including 
choice small dessert and large exhibition varieties; fifteen dishes of 
Currants, ten of Apples, and a good dish of Jargonelle Plums. The 
most noticeable Apples were Early Harvest, Mr. Gladstone, Oslin, very 
fine; Irish Peach, and Lord Suffield. A silver - gilt medal was 
unanimously recommended for this interesting collection. Also unani¬ 
mously, a silver medal was recommended for fifty dishes of remarkably 
fine Gooseberries, exhibited by Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt. 
Floral Committee —Present: Messrs. W. Marshall (in the chair), 
Henry Cannell, George Paul, Shirley Hibberd, H. Herbst, W. Goldring, 
W. C. Leach, G. Nicholson, H. B. May, Chas. Jeffries, Harry Turner, 
Edward Mawley, Rev. H. H. D’Ombrain, Wm. Kelway, John Fraser, 
and Dr. M. T. Masters. 
The floral section was exceptionally strong and interesting, the hall 
being well filled with a variety of exhibits, comprising both garden and 
indoor plants, also abundance of cut flowers. 
Nepenthes Burkei exeellens, exhibited by Messrs. James Veitch and 
Sons, Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, was awarded a first-class certifi¬ 
cate, and an award of merit was granted to the same firm for N. B. pro- 
lifica, also for Hydrangea hortensis fl. pi. Anthurium Le Flambeau, 
A. hybrida delicata, Begonia Marie Louise, Gymnogramma schizophylla 
erecta, and a collection of Rhododendrons javanico-jasminiflorum 
hybrids were also shown by Messrs. Yeitch. 
Mr. A. Wipf, gardener to N. Clayton, Esq., East Cliffe, Lincoln, sent 
three very fine plants of hybrid Sarracenias, one named S. Clavtoni, 
.raised from S. Drummondi alba and S. Chelsoni, received an award of 
merit. A large plant from the reverse cross had three dozen very fine 
and well coloured pitchers. This plant was considered by many to 
be worthy of some recognition. A cultural commendation was awarded 
for two fine spikes of Hedychium Gardnerianum from Messrs. J. Carter 
and Co., and an award of merit for Petunia Holborn Blue (Clematis 
section), the flowers resembling Clematis Jackmani. A bronze Banksian 
medal was awarded to Mr. G. Wythes, gardener to the Duke of 
Northumberland, for a group of well flowered plants of Campanula 
pyramidalis, blue and white. 
Gladioli were extensively shown by the great specialists, Messrs. 
Kelway & Son, Langport, Somerset, and their collection, comprising 
many very fine varieties, was greatly admired. It is not easy to make 
a selection amongst so many splendid hybrids, all worth growing, but 
the following may be noted as exceptionally fine—Lord Carnarvon, 
vermilion scarlet, white throat ; Clarence, rich red, deeply suffused 
with purple ; Lady Carrington, rosy lilac, flaked with carmine; 
Empress of Germany, creamy white, flaked crimson, very large, good 
form; Malcolm, blush, deeply suffused with crimson ; Shakespeare, 
ivory white, carmine throat ; Emperor of Germany, rich crimson, clear 
white throat, finely formed flower ; Mrs. Baines, orange red ; and Duke 
of Fife, bright crimson, white throat, well formed. Messrs. Veitch and 
Sons also had a collection of seedling Gladioli, hybrids imported from 
America. These lack the substance of the best English and French 
