October It 1886 ] 
JOCRNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
339 
the clinker or melting doors from running at all between the bars, which 
in nearly all cases is the cause of hoisted bars. I may say that a terminal 
end saddle put in here about four years ago—which, of course, has 
ordinary fire bars set for evaporation—has more than satisfied. The bars 
are still as perfect as when new, and we have to maintain very high tempera¬ 
tures. Even were both systems equally efficient the theory of providing 
s mething like a miniature brook would, to my mind, in nine cases out 
of ten prove an obs'acle to adoption. Mr. Bardney, having doubtless 
tried his plan, may be able to remove a little of my unbelief ; but my 
object is mainly to inquire why preference is given to cold water. If Mr. 
Bardney has tried both plans I shall be glad to hear what he has to say. 
as we are at present setting another on the same system as before.— 
J3. Burton. 
A Dorsetshire correspondent wishes to thank Mr. Molyneux 
■for his instructive articles on the Culture of the Chrysanthemum, 
■which he considers will be much valued by all who are interested in 
this popular autumn flower. 
- In a note on the Salwey and Sea Eagle Peaches Mr. A. 
Toung observes “ I can fully endorse what Mr. Muir says against the 
Salwey Peach at page 315, as it must be a veiy fine season in a favourable 
part of the county where it will ripen outdoors. Sea Eagle I consider a 
very desiiable variety to plant for a late supply.” 
- Mr. J. Ferguson, landscape gardener to Messrs. Little and 
Ballantine, Carlisle, has been appointed superintendent of the public 
park, Sunderland. There were 175 applicants ; and Mr. Charles Roupe 
has been appointed superintendent of St. Nicholas’ cemetery, Newcastle- 
•on-Tyne, for which vacancy there were seventy applicants. 
- We regret to have to place on record a lamentable occurrence 
in the Suicide of Mr. William Forsyth, who was for twenty years 
gardener at Gunnersbury Park, and who had for the last sixteen years 
been in the enjoyment of a substantial pension from tbe Rothschild 
family. The deceased was found on Ealing common on the evening of 
Tuesday, the 5th inst., life being quite extinct, and there appeared to be 
conclusive evidence that his own hand applied the razor that terminated 
his existence. At the inquest, that was held on Thursday last, evidence 
was adduced to the effect that he was in a more or less depressed state for 
some days anterior to the melancholy event, and a verdict was returned 
■of “ Suicide while temporarily in an unsound state of mind.” Mr. Forsyth 
was seventy-three years of age and a widower. 
-Mr. Laxton sends in the following“ Seedling Pear Lax- 
ton’s Bergamot ; fruits from the original tree, a large pyramid, about 
eighteen years from seed, probably raised from Autumn Bergamot. The 
fiuits are fallings of the first year of fruiting, and are somewhat below 
size. The bulk of the crop not yet ripe. The tree appears fertile, and 
the fruits are not easily blown off by the wind.” The fruits are small 
but exceedingly juicy and rich—a delicious Pear. A seedling Plum 
received at the same time from Mr. Laxton was over-ripe. 
- Price of Potatoes. —At Chester Market on Saturday farmers 
were offering to sell ten hampers of sound Potatoes for £1. Each hamper 
contained 112 lbs., so that at 2s. per hamper the price[is well within 4 lbs. 
a penny. The farmers are complaining that at this price it scarcely pays 
to dig the tubers, but against the lowest price on record may be set an 
enormous crop absolutely free from disease. A Lincolnshire grower 
writes :—“About half the Potato crop is lifted in this part and turns out 
very light. I think it will not be more than half the weight of last year’s 
crop. The price is also very low, several instances having occurred in 
which growers sending Potatoes to market have had to send money after 
them to pay expenses. In most cases it was through having been taken 
up too soon and then standing in trucks several days before being sold.” 
-Mr. Walter Kruse, Yew Tree Farm, Leeds, near Maidstone, 
writes :—“ On October 6th and 11th I picked ripe fruits of Alpha Straw¬ 
berry from plants in the open, and there are a great many green berries 
nearly ripe. I have often before seen Strawberries blooming late in 
the year, but the fruit never ripened. This shows the mildness of the 
season.” 
- Mr. R. Catt, Assistant Secretary of the)CATERHAM Gardeners’ 
Society, writes :—“At the ordinary fortnightly meeting for discussion, 
held Oct. 9th, the double Dahlia, which I beg to enclose for your in¬ 
spection, was exhibited by Mr. J. Burlinson, Engineer to the East 
Surrey Water Company. The gardeners present considered it an unusual 
freak of Nature.” The flower sent is a rather unusual example of 
fasciation, apparently caused by the union of two flower stalks, each 
bearing a bud. These buds have developed into blcoms placed back to 
back with one stalk. We have seen similar examples before, both in single 
and double varieties. 
- “ The genus Solidago,” writes “ B.,” “ provides us with a 
long-continued supply of flowers which are among the best we have 
for cutting. In August the common S. Virga-aurea flowers. This is 
followed by S. flagulata, a somewhat better species; this again by 
S. canadensis, which is by far the best, and quite a gem among hardy 
flowers. For most kinds of cut flower work it is very useful, harmonising 
with many flowers. We still have plenty of the above sort, and S. Shorti 
is just beginning to opon. Though not nearly so useful, the latter is 
neveitheless well worth growing; in fact, all four are indispensable 
flowers.” 
- Mr. E. Molyneux, Swanmore Park Gardens, Bishops Wal¬ 
tham, sends some flowers of Tuberous Begonias gathered from plants 
raised from seed sown in January this year. They are very fine and 
represent an excellent strain, the flowers large, one being 5 inches in 
diameter, of good shape, and of rich varied colours. 
-Under the title of the Chiswick Young Gardeners’ Mutual 
Improvement Association a society was inaugurated on the 8th inst. 
amongst the men employed in the Royal Horticultural Society’s gardens 
at Chiswick, which promises to be very beneficial from an educational 
point of view. At the inaugural meeting above mentioned Mr. A. F. 
Barron was invited to act as President ; Mr. John Fraser of Kew, to whom 
the idea is in a great measure due, was appointed permanent Chairman 
of the meetings, and Mr. J. Barry, Secretary. A special class for those 
anxious to extend their knowledge in botany will be one of the features. 
Papers (with discussion) on the following subjects were announced to be 
read on the undermentioned dates :—October 15th, The Physiology of 
Plants, by Mr. J. Fraser ; October 22nd, The Extension of Horticulture, 
by Mr. A. Herrington ; October 29tb, The Position of the Gardener, by 
Mr. J. Barry; November 5th, Roots, by Mr. H. A. Bunyard ; November 
12th, Economic Plants and Their Uses, by Mr. A. Parsons. 
-“ B.” writes :—“ Does anyone interested in Apples know whether 
Bramley’s Seedling Apple is distinct from Warner’s King ? The 
above has not yet fruited with me, but the foliage, &c., is so like the King 
of many aliases that I am almost afraid I have been increasing my stock 
of the latter under a new name to an unnecessary number at the past 
budding season.” 
- Laburnum in October.— Mr. R. H. Adamson writes“ It 
may interest your readers to hear of what would seem to be a very pheno¬ 
menal display, as we are accustomed to it in our much-abused climate. 
In the village of Guilden Morden, Cambridgeshire, there is a Laburnum 
tree for the second time this year in full blossom. I am no botanist or 
horticulturist, but the display attracted my attention at this time of the 
year, and on inquiry I found that no one had ever seen anything of the 
kind. I begged for a few of the yellow clusters to bring home as a 
curiosity ; and, these being readily granted, I brought them up to London 
with me. On one of the small branches given me I found several of the 
old pods with seeds, remaining from the spring flowering, side by side 
with the new growth.” In some districts Primroses are flowering 
abundantly. 
- An experiment in Tobacco culture in Cumberland has 
proved very successful. Sixteen varieties were planted at the Kuowe- 
field Nurseries, and the young plants were put out on June 26th, when 
about 3 inches high. Since then they have thriven marvellously, 
one of the Missouri variety being over 8 feet in height, and bearing 
twtnty-four fully expanded leaves. The plants are very strong and 
vigorous, and of a healthy green colour.” 
- Mr. R. Lowb, Sleaford, writes to the Times:—" Owing to the 
unusually backward spring, the SWALLOWS on their arrival found so 
little food that quite two-thirds of their number died of famine. The 
survivors were so emaciated that it was late before they commenced to 
