192 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 5, :69I, 
perhaps be found useful. In nine cases out of ten the occupant of a 
house in Bombay is a tenant, and his rights to the garden, out-houses, 
and other parts of the property, comprised in the compound, are to a 
certain extent restricted. *He will, as a rule, be required to employ a 
native gardener or a mallee to maintain the existing garden. lie may 
not without the landlord’s permission cut down any trees or remove 
any plants once established in the garden, nor remove any part of the 
ground, be it rock, soil, or other material. In regard to alterations of 
existing roads, drains, or water service pipes the owner must also be 
consulted. On the other hand, he is at liberty to plant whatever he 
likes in the ground, but it must be always borne in mind that, however 
much the tenant improves the garden or enhances its value by planting 
rare or choice plants in the ground, he can never claim any recompensa¬ 
tion for such additions, and the plants once in the ground will for ever 
remain the property of the landlord. It is principally owing to these 
causes, and to the frequent changes of residence, that most of the 
Bombay flowering and foliage plants are cultivated in pots or tubs, the 
only way by which the grower can secure his ownership to the plants. 
In some compounds, however, the rock is so near the surface that the 
available depth of the soil will not allow of any other way of cultiva¬ 
tion. It is therefore usual by a change of tenancy that the stock of 
plants is either sold by public auction or privately bought by the new 
tenant, who will often experience great difficulty in arriving at a fair 
valuation of such plants, especially when a new comer to Bombay. 
Another difficulty will be to secure a good mallee. As a general 
rule one mallee will be found sufficient to maintain a well-kept garden 
averaging from 5 to 10,000 square feet in area ; for a garden of greater 
extent an assistant will be required for every additional 10,000 square 
feet, while for very extensive gardens two men per acre will be found 
sufficient. Should the mallee be left entirely to himself he will soon 
become careless and negligent, and continue to do all kinds of work just 
as his father did and his grandfather before him. Unfortunately, the 
mallee is not a gardener in the right sense of the word, and he has, as a 
rule, no interest or love for his plants, which he treats quite mechanically, 
without ever thinking of them as living subjects. He will water a plant 
whether it is dry or not—that makes no difference to him ; he thinks it 
his duty to water every pot, regardless of its contents, and he often 
wastes water by continuing to water a plant that has been dead for a 
long time. He will generally know when and how to propagate plants 
or to transplant or repot them, how to clip the lawn or grass border ; 
but it is far from safe to leave him alone in any kind of pruning, or he 
is sure to disfigure the plant. He knows something about weeding, but 
his religious superstitions will rarely allow him to uproot certain plants 
as the sacred “tulsi” (Ocymum sanctum), or the holy “ peepul ” (Ficus 
religiosa), and should a plant which he knows not to be a weed happen 
to have found its way into a pot or tub containing quite a different 
plant, he will sooner allow the former to kill the latter than ever think 
of uprooting it. He has a perfect horror of caterpillars, chiefly the 
hairy ones, and it is only with the greatest reluctance that he consents 
to pick them off when told, and unless closely watched he will not 
willingly destroy them. He will seldom of his own accord think of 
supporting a plant with a stick or trellis-work before actually necessary, 
and he will then, as a rule, choose the thickest possible pole he can find, 
or the stoutest rope he can get hold of. At first he will probably, if 
you understand his language—which, by the way, is Mahratti —meet 
your remonstrances with incredulity, and use all his eloquence, which 
principally consists in varied repetitions, to persuade you that such and 
such a thing can impossibly be done in this country, that this plant 
must certainly die if you transplant it, or that that one will never 
flower any more if you prune it, and so on, until he discovers you are 
firm and knows more than himself. Then you will find that your 
labour is not wasted, and that he is willing to learn and be taught. 
One of his favourite games, which in most cases is but a kind of policy, 
is to simulate a perfect ignorance of your language, even if you talk 
Mahratti ; but if you persevere he will soon understand you, and he 
will respect you the more the less knowledge of his language you show 
him. His ideas of art are generally limited to the acquaintance with 
the straight line and its use or abuse in forming squares, diamonds, &c. 
You may find him able to draw a circle, but as a rule he is totally 
incapable of using arcs or curves in laying out gardens or fiower beds. 
As regards the arrangement of flowers and plants, you will in most cases 
find it necessary to give him a course of instruction, and he may occa¬ 
sionally attain to great proficiency in this art. The mallee is, as a rule, 
honest, sober, and very clean, his religion enforcing two or three 
ablutions daily, 
(To be continued.! 
HORTICULTURAL APPLIANCES AT THE CRYSTAL 
PALACE. 
March 3ed to 31st. 
Eeluctantly it must be admitted that the Exhibition at the 
Crystal Palace has not realised all the expectations formed concerning 
it, not from any want of merit in the exhibits there, but because the 
range is too limited. To have rendered the display thoroughly 
interesting much more might have been included with advantage, and 
was, indeed, absolutely requisite to render the Show representative of 
an important department in horticulture. Of implements, for instance, 
the display is extremely scanty, being confined chiefly to insecticide 
distributors, but there was wide scope for an exhibition of these alone. 
Conservatories and houses of various descriptions are numerous and 
good. Lawn mowers are not very abundant, but of excellent character. 
Boilers and heating apparatus come from few firms, and the remainder 
of the display is comprised within the wide term “ sundries.” No 
attempt has been made at classification, but each exhibitor has 
endeavoured to secure a good position, has paid a certain sum for the 
space allotted to him, and has there displayed his goods to the best 
advantage as he would in his own establishment. 
It must not be understood from these remarks that the Show is 
devoid of interest ; on the contrary, it is well worthy of a visit by 
professional or amateur horticulturists, who will be sure to find some¬ 
thing to tempt the money from their pockets. But it falls short of 
what was desired as an exhibition in the Crystal Palace, because it is 
too much in the style of those seen at frequent intervals at Islington, 
Possibly the experience gained will lead to better results another year, 
for it is said the experiment is likely to be repeated. 
This week we shall not be able to refer to the whole of the exhibits, 
but will give a general summary, and reserve for further comment some 
of the more important appliances that are distinguished by their novelty 
and usefulness. Taking the stands in the order they were visited, the 
first to be noted are the seed stands. 
Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Reading, have one of their elaborate and 
handsome seed cases, such as are seen at the agricultural shows, compris¬ 
ing, with seed samples, models of vegetables. Potatoes, coloured illus¬ 
trations of flowering plants, and photographs of the Reading establish¬ 
ment. Near to this is an admirable stand of similar character from 
Mr. C. W. Cousins, 13, High Street, Wood Green, in which seeds are 
very neatly displayed, together with samples of Potatoes, Mushroom 
spawn, &c. 
The Stott Patent Insecticide Distributor Company, Manchester, 
have an important exhibit comprising “sprayers,” “sprinklers,” and 
“ distributors ” of various kinds, all constructed on the principle which 
has already found so much favour. Insecticides of several kinds are 
also included. 
Messrs. Corry, Soper & Co., Iff, Finsbury St., E.C., have a large 
pyramidal stand upon which are arranged a series of artificial manures- 
and insecticides for which the firm is noted. Standen’s manure, lawn 
sand, nicotine soap, zinc labels, the useful fumigator, the letherion, 
with tobacco juice, tobacco powder, and many other useful articles. 
Messrs. Barford & Perkins, Peterborough, contribute a large exhibit 
of garden rollers and lawn mowers, amongst the latter being various 
sizes of the “ Godiva ” lawn mower, a light and efficient machine of 
proved merit. The Bowdon marker for lawn tennis and similar uses is' 
a convenient machine well adapted for the purpose for which it is 
intended. Hemingway’s London Purple Company, 60, Mark Lane, E.C., 
have samples of the substance which has been so extensively tried and 
recommended in America as an insecticide for fruit trees. An instru¬ 
ment for distributing the London Purple or Paris Green upon the trees 
is also shown. The Gwaun-cae-Gurwen Collieries show samples of 
their anthracite coal. The Standard Manufacturing Company, Derby, 
have a number of their tree and shrub pruners of various forms,, 
including the Myticuttah, the Standard, and others of a similar character, 
simple in construction, and very powerful. 
At the opposite end of the Palace Messrs. Wrinch & Sons, Ipswich, 
have one of the most extensive and important exhibits in the whole 
Show. This comprises numerous spacious and handsomely constructed 
conservatories, greenhouses of various sizes, frames, wheelbarrows, and 
garden requisities of a miscellaneous character, such as seats, hammocks, 
tables, ladders, and scores of others. Very notable, too, are the folding¬ 
chairs, strong, yet light, and occupying but little room. Benjamin 
Edgington (Limited), 2, Duke Street, London, have tents, belting, 
shading, frigi domo canvas, and innumerable other articles well 
represented. 
The Thames Bank Iron Company, Upper Ground Street, occupy a 
large square block with boilers and heating apparatus, valves, kc. The- 
Champion horizontal tubular boiler is notable amongst many others of 
diverse forms adapted for special houses. Mr. W. Cooper, 747 to 751, 
Old Kent Road, also has a large space allotted to him, and filled with 
amateurs’ greenhouses in many styles and sizes, lightly constructed, 
neat, and useful. A varied exhibit comes from Messrs. Osman & Co.^ 
132, Commercial Street, E., including sundries of all kinds, insecticides, 
manures, and tobacco paper, with dried and artificial flowers, wreaths,, 
baskets, bulb glasses, mats, netting, and syringes. In another portion 
of the Exhibition, specimens of Snow’s patent hand pump are shown, 
for which Messrs. Osman k. Co. are agents, and it deserves the notice of 
all visiting the Palace, as it appears to be a simple and easily worked 
instrument, likely to be very useful to amateurs. 
Messrs. Ransomes, Sims, & .Jefferies (Limited), Ipswich, have an 
: excellent display of lawn mowers of the chain and new automaton 
types, both machines of considerable merit. Mr. Conway G. Warne, 
Weston-super-Mare, shows ornamental pottery in a variety of forms, 
as, besides the ordinary garden pots, there are vases, baskets, and stands- 
of every imaginable form, and many extremely artistic. 
In addition to those already named the following also exhibit— 
namely, Messrs. Chadborn &; Coldwell, Thames Street, who have a 
series of their admirable lawn mowers ; E. Newton & Co., Hitchin, 
reform glazing ; W. Clark, Reading, samples of patent glazing :■ 
J. Groom, 12, King Street, Kensington Square, aviaries and wire- 
work ; W. G. lies & Co., Warner Street, Camberwell, ornamental 
pottery; Gaymer, Ipswich, samples of cider and Apples; and 
R. Hornsby & Sons, Lincoln, a specimen of the Strawsonizer. 
We may remind intending visitors that the Show remains open 
every day until March 23rd. 
