September 18, 1890.1 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
245 
full two centuries later than that in which Becket lived. There is 
nothing to prohibit it being true that Becket brought from Italy the 
Fig to Tarring. Ecclesiastics have introduced this fruit to more than 
one of the archiepiscopal residences. Cardinal Pole planted it at 
Lambeth, and Archbishop Cranmerat Mitcham. In both these instances 
the variety is the White Marseilles, and so is the large standard in the 
Tarring garden, which is here portraited, and that garden adjoins the 
grounds round the ancient rooms, said to have been Becket’s. 
“ The Fig garden at Tarring is three-quarters of an acre in extent. 
There are about 100 trees in it, chiefly of the Purple (Brown) Turkey variety, 
and these bear most abundantly and unfailingly. They have no pruning, 
and the knife is only employed occasionally to thin the branches. These 
interlace, for the trees are planted only 12 feet apart, and are about 
18 feet high. They form a dense grove, and nothing flourishes beneath 
them. The central walk shown in the drawing is an avenue of Fig trees 
247 feet in length. The grand old White Marseilles tree, the most 
prominent figure in that drawing, is believed to be a descendant of one 
of those planted by Archbishop Becket. Judging from other large Fig 
trees, the ages of which are known, I should conclude that it is quite 
150 years old. The circumference of its stem just above the soil’s 
surface is 9 feet, and it separates into four main limbs, each nearly 
3 feet in circumference, and the branches from them cover a circle 
field. We used to have exhibitors from the north and from the west, 
but at both of the Shows of which I now write the only exhibitions 
where the flower can be shown in London, there was one trade exhibitor 
and two amateurs—Mr. Burrell in the former class, Mr. Lindsell and 
myself in the latter, and yet I hear from those who sell the bulbs that 
there is a large demand for them, so much so that Mr. Kelway of Lang- 
port has kept adding to his culture until now he has 25 acres set 
apart for them ! And yet it is not a difficult flower to grow. It will 
thrive on most garden soils, although, like all bulbs, it dislikes a stiff 
c’ay. True, it has its drawbacks. Conns will die, and losses must be 
experienced ; but they are so very cheap that some of the best show varie¬ 
ties may be obtained for a few pence. I look to some other cause for 
their absence from the exhibition table. In the first place, they get 
but scant encouragement in the way of prizes, and at neither Show can 
the amateur obtain more than one prize. Although he may not be 
actuated by mercenary motives, yet he does like to have an opportunity 
of paying liis expenses ; but an amateur, say from Yorkshire, goes to a 
good deal of expense and trouble to come up to the Aquarium on the 
chance of winning the munificent sum of 20s. Then it is one of the 
most troublesome flowers to place properly on an exhibition table, 
especially to come up to the standard now required. I remember when 
they used to be brought up in trays and baskets, but that will not do 
Fig. 30.—THE WEST TABBING FIG GABDEN. 
•JO feet in diameter ; they would extend much further if it were not for 
the other Fig trees crowded around. They rarely ripen a second crop, 
but they did so about three years since. The first crop ripens in 
August, September, and October, and the average produce of a tree is 
twenty dozen of Figs. Mr. Lower, in his “ History of Sussex,” remarks 
that a bird resembling the beccafico or Fig-eater of Italy migrates 
hither during the Fig season. The flocks remain five or six weeks, and 
then disappear as they came—seaward. The Italian Fig-eater is known 
to ornithologists as the Sylvia naevia, but the Fig-eater of Sussex is the 
White-throat, Sylvia cinerea.” 
This must for the present conclude the record of the most agreeable 
excursion the Association has yet taken, and in returning late on Friday 
night the wish was expressed that many more of a similar character may 
be undertaken.—L. Castle. 
GLADIOLI AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE AND THE 
AQUABIUM. 
*■" It is a very disappointing experience to one who has for thirty years 
and upwards been endeavouring to persuade amateurs to cultivate and 
exhibit this most beautiful autumn flower, to find that not ODly does 
not the number of exhibits increase, but that they show an actual 
falling off. I have seen during my long cultivation of the flower many 
-coming to the front, and then after a year or two retiring from the 
nowadays. I had some boxes ma le on the late Mr. Chapman’s prin¬ 
ciple, but these are useless now. The flowers would touch one another, 
and the spikes would not go into the box. • In order to show them 
properly the spikes must be cut the day before. Each one must have 
a stalk to which it has to be tied. They have to be tied separately in 
the case for travelling, the most approved form of this being a frame¬ 
work covered with canvas ; and then when the exhibition place is 
reached they have to be taken out, each fastened again in its place in a 
tray which must be taken with them ; and after all this a chance of 
a grand prize of a pound ! These things, together with my experience 
of many years, do not make me very hopeful as to a large increase in 
the number of exhibitors. 
Mr. Burrell of How House Nurseries, Cambridge, was, as I have 
said, the sole exhibitor in the trade class at both places, and his stands 
were without doubt magnificent; in fact I doubt if ever such a col¬ 
lection was ever before set up, He showed not only some of the best 
French varieties, but also many of his own seedlings, which were quite 
equal in quality to those from abroad. Many of the spikes bad twelve, 
fourteen, and in some cases fifteen expanded blooms on them. All 
flowers that have been taken in hand by the hybridiser have shown 
great improvement, but I do not think there is one that has shown such 
wonderful progress as the Gladiolus, as a reference to the plates and 
descriptions published years ago in the “ Florist” clearly shows. Among 
the French varieties exhibited by Mess s. Burrell & Co were Baroness 
Burilett Coutts, lilac, tinged with rose and purple, a very large flower, 
