January 3, 1895, 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
9 
- Presentation to Mr. J. D. Abbott, —A very interesting 
meeting took place at Eynsford on the 21st ult. on the occasion of 
presenting a purse and illuminated address to Mr. J. D. Abbott on his 
vacating the position of head gardener at Lullingstone Castle, the 
country seat of Sir Wm. Hart-Dyke, Bart., M.P. There was a large 
gathering of friends and neighbouring gardeners. Mr. E. Cannell was 
unanimously elected to preside, and after having explained the object 
of the meeting, stated he had great pleasure in handing Mr. Abbott such a 
high token of respect and goodwill from sixty-eight subscribers. 
Mr. Clifle, gardener to Sir Henry James, Q.C., M.P., also expressed 
similar sentiments. Mr. Abbott responded in a few well chosen words, 
thanking all most heartily for their kind wishes towards him. 
- Grapes on Open Walls in Kent. —As promised I send a 
few particulars about Grapes for the open air, south aspect. The 
following sorts for this purpose were planted in 1858 and 1862— 
Esperione, Royal Muscadine, Buckland Sweetwater, Black Hamburgh, 
and Foster’s Seedling. They were planted in the open spaces between 
wall trees, soil a light sharp loam. Long ripened canes have been 
left in pruning where space permitted, otherwise young wood was left 
from 1 to 3 feet. They were reduced from year to year, as Peaches and 
ether trees required the space. The Vines bore good crops of excellent 
bunches of Grapes up to 1893. Some have since been removed for 
alterations of the walls. The weight of some bunches as sent to the 
table were. Royal Muscadine, 1 lb.; Esperione, 1 lb. ; Black Hamburgh, 
If lb. ; Buckland Sweetwater, 1 lb., large berries; Foster’s Seedling, 
nearly 3 lbs. Grape tarts were much enjoyed by the family from the 
fruit that did not ripen well in bad seasons.— One of the Old School. 
- Potatoes in Ireland. —Details of the Government measures 
to avert an Irish Potato famine are now made known. To prevent 
delay the Government, through the Local Government Board for 
Ireland, are prepared to advance money without interest to Guardians 
for the purchase of seed Potatoes. The various Boards have received 
instructions as to the quantities of seed which may be sold to tenants 
whose land is valued at or under £15, and they have been urged to 
obtain sufficient security for the payment of the price of the seed sold. 
An abatement of one-fifth is to be made in the price of all seed which 
is paid for in cash. It is intended to propose to Parliament that the 
amounts due to the Guardians on account of any seed sold shall be paid 
by two equal annual instalments, the first of which shall be leviable as 
a special rate with the first ordinary Poor Rate made after the Ist of 
July, next, and the second instalment as a special rate a year later. 
The loan will be repayable by the Guardians to the Board of Works by 
two equal instalments in August 1896 and 1897 respectively. 
- Christmas Flowers at Belvoir. —Mr. W. H. Divers sends 
to the ‘‘Times” on the 29th ult. the following list of plants that were 
flowering in the open at Belvoir Castle on Christmas Day, 1894 :— 
Aconite, yellow (Eranthis hyemalis). Anemone blanda. Anemone 
hortensis, Aubrietia grseca, Andromeda floribunda. Antirrhinum majus, 
Arabis albida, Borago officinalis, Berberis Beali, Carnation (white seed¬ 
ling), Chimonanthus fragrans. Chrysanthemum (nine varieties), Daisy 
(single and double), Eccremocarpus scaber, Escallonia punctata. Furze 
(common single), Geranium Robertlanum, Garrya eliptica, Helleborus 
niger, Helleborus hybrids. Honesty, Iberis gibraltarica hybrida, 
Jasminum nudifiorum, Laurustinus, Lamium maeulatum, Morina longi- 
folia, Meconopsis cambrica. Magnolia grandiflora (not expanded). 
Marigold (common), Myosotis dissitiflora, Othonna cheirifolia. Polygala 
Chamaebuxus, Polyanthus (in variety), Primrose (common yellow). 
Primrose (double lilac). Rhododendron (in variety), Roses China (in 
quantity), Tea, and H.P., Scabious, Saxifraga ligulata. Snowdrop 
(common). Stock, Tussilago fragrans. Vinca minor, Violet (common 
Russian), Violet (double Lady Hume Campbell), Wallflower (Belvoir 
Castle Yellow), Wallflower (Miss Hope, double yellow). 
- Shipley Hall, Derry. —When visiting these gardens a few 
days ago I was very much astonished at the extensive alterations that 
have taken place during the last few years. With Mr. Elphinstone 
(Mr. G. M. Mundy’s talented gardener) as a guide and companion 
nothing could prove more enjoyable to a British gardener than a walk 
through the magnificent glass structures under his charge. Everything 
is the picture of cleanliness and high cultivation. The Vines, Peaches, 
and Figs are already on the move, and in one house could be seen 
thousands of Lilies of the Valley and Roman Hyacinths in full flower. 
The Orchid houses are bright with such kinds as Dendrobiums formosum, 
Wardianum, and nobile, some of the latter measuring 3 feet 6 inches 
through ; Cattleyas, Lmlias anceps and Sanderiana, Odontoglossums 
crispum and vexillarium. The Anthuriums are a great speciality, and 
Mr. Elphinstone told me that in a few years they hope to have a unique 
collection. The plants are of good size, and well grown in a tempera¬ 
ture from 55° to 60°. Amongst them I noticed A. Mundyanum, 
A. sanguineum, A. Wardi, A. Palmeri, and others. The adjoining house 
was devoted to Eucharis and Nepenthes, the latter including N. mixta, 
N. Courti, N. Chelsoni, N. lanata, and N. Morgani. The corridor and 
model fernery are as pretty as ever, and the handsome conservatory 
contains some scores of massive Palms and Tree Ferns, the back wall 
being covered with Bambusa violescens and B. virida metake, the whole 
giving a charming tropical appearance.— George Burrows. 
-Where Do Our Blackbirds Go ?—In “ Birds of the Wave 
and Woodland,” Mr. Phil Robinson says, “ They rear, in nearly every 
case, two broods a year—that is to say, there are every year five times as 
many blackbirds as the year before. According to this, starting with a single 
pair, a garden ought to have at the end of five years 1400, and at the end 
of ten years, supposing that one-half died each year, something over 
2,000,000 blackbirds. Or, supposing they only rear one brood, there 
would be over 7000. Suppose the cats eat 6000, there would still be 
the preposterous number of 1000 left. Where, then, I ask, do all the 
blackbirds go 1 It is quite certain that each pair, as a rule, hatches 
five birds, yet the number of blackbirds does not increase. So that if 
we say there are only 10,000 pairs of blackbirds in Great Britain, there 
are at least 50,000 killed or made away with every year. ‘ Then what 
are they hatched for ? ’ my child friend might ask. ‘ For cats,’ would 
be my reply. And yet it seems absurd that 100,000 blackbirds should 
be hatched every year just for cats to eat. All of which is a mystery 
to me.” 
- The Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund.— The last com¬ 
mittee meeting of the year of this admirable charity was held on 
Friday night last. There was a large attendance, William Marshall, 
Esq., the Chairman of the Fund, presiding. Contributions amounting 
to £85 11s. 9d. were announced as having been received since the last 
monthly meeting. Among the sums mentioned were £50 10s. 2d. from 
a concert at Altrincham ; £5 from the Bristol Chrysanthemum Society ; 
£5 from the Scottish Horticultural Association ; £2 from the Stockport 
Chrysanthemum Society; £7 Ss. from Ware, and £5 53. from Mr. 
Herbst, as well as smaller amounts from collection boxes. The list of 
candidates (fourteen) for the benefits of the Fund was read and 
approved, and out of these six (only six) will be elected at the general 
meeting to be held at the Cannon Street Hotel on February 8th. A 
discussion ensued as to the eligibility of the children of persons who 
had been gardeners, but who were not working as gardeners when they 
died. The decision, in such cases is, under the rules, vested in the 
Committee, and a motion to the contrary was not carried. A pro¬ 
position moved by Mr. Wynne, and seconded by Mr. Wright, that 
members of Committee to be eligible for re-election must in the future 
attend at least three meetings during the year, was carried. Mr. Richard 
Dean very properly asked if all the Vice-Presidents were annual 
subscribers to the Fund, to which the answer was “No.” Foreseeing 
that something was likely to happen, another question was quickly put, 
“ Are they life members? ” which elicited the reply of “ Yes,” and Mr. 
Richard Dean was satisfied. Mr. Richard Dean then announced a 
discovery, in tones tremulous and pathetic, of something having appeared 
in the Journal of Eorticulture “ last February ” which did not please him. 
He evidently forgot for the moment that the Journal of Eorticulture 
does not exist for the purpose of pleasing Mr. Richard Dean alone 
(though always ready to recognise any good work of his that may be 
apparent), but as the Committee took no notice of what looked like a 
solemn impeachment, Mr. Richard Dean collapsed. A commendable 
trait in the character of smart men who make discoveries of time¬ 
worn delinquencies is that which may be described as the happy collapse. 
The Chairman, in his genial way, brought the meeting to a most 
harmonious close, every member wishing success to the splendid insti¬ 
tution (which dispenses about £800 a year in supporting fatherless 
children), the Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. Yet eight widows of 
gardeners—worthy and respectable men in life—have to be denied the 
benefits of the charity, and there are by far too many others. Let all 
help them who can, and start, in some way to be locally devised, at 
once. Mr. Barron, the Secretary, believes that a large number of small 
contributions may be collected for the beneficent object in view, and so 
does the Journal of Eorticulture, whether Mr. Richard Dean likes what 
I it says or not. 
