JQUn^^iL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, £3 Mayie.iaos. 
428 
- Gardening Appointments. —Mr. J. King, for the last nine 
years general foreman at Bryanston Gardens, has been appointed head 
gardener to H. J. G. Lloyd, Esq., Itchell Manor, Crondall, Hants. Mr. 
James Dymocb, late foreman in The Gardens, Hevonhurst, Chiswick, 
has been appointed head gardener to B. Wentworth Vernon, Esq., Stoke 
Bruerne Park, Towcester. 
- Noxious Gases and Vegetation. —We understand that an 
action brought by Messrs. Pennell & Son against the Lincoln Brick 
Company for damage to young trees in their nursery at Low Fields, 
Bracebridge, by the emission of sulphurous fumes from the Company’s 
adjacent works, and which action was postponed from the last Assizes, 
has been amicably settled, the Company agreeing to pay the sum of £100 
to Messrs. Pennell & Son. “ 
- Eucalyptus amgydalina. — A Melbourne contemporary 
states:—“ Victoria now claims the glory of holding the biggest of all 
the living big trees in the world, so far as height is concerned. In the 
Dandenong district, at Fernshaw, has recently been discovered a 
specimen of Eucalyptus amygdalina, which reaches the enormous 
height of 380 feet before throwing out a single branch, and is 430 feet 
to the top, having a girth of 60 feet at some distance above the ground. 
Some idea of what a height of 430 feet represents may be gained from 
the fact that this Gum Tree, if growing by the side of the Hcuses of 
Parliament, at Westminster, would overtop the clock tower by exactly 
100 feet.” 
- Wakefield Paxton Society. —Aid. Milnes presided, and 
Mr. J. G. Brown, of Outwood, occupied the vice-chair, at a meeting of 
this Society, held on the 4th inst. There was an unusually good 
attendance, and an exceedingly interesting meeting. Mr. T. Pitts, 
gardener to Mr. D. B. Kendall, J.P., of Thornhill House, Walton, 
delivered a capital lecture on “ Spring Bedding Plants,” in which he 
gave much valuable advice, based on practical experience, with reference 
to the best varieties of plants for spring Dedding. The lecture, which 
was delivered in a pleasant chatty style, was attentively listened to, 
and apparently much appreciated, and it provoked one of the longest 
and best discussions which has taken place at the Society for some 
time past. Both professional and amateur gardeners took part in the 
discussion, and put numerous questions to Mr. Pitts, who promptly and 
fully replied to them. The discussion had reference to the growth of 
most of the spring favourites, but it drifted mainly to the popular 
Wallflower, and it appeared that many growers of the sweet and old- 
fashioned flower had lost large numbers of plants by the strong winds 
and very severe frost of the past winter. The Auricula, Polyanthus, 
Primrose, Forget-me-not, and white Arabia were strongly recommended, 
one speaker saying that nothing looked better in spring than a bed of 
white Arabis mingled with scarlet Hue Van Thol Tulips. Many other 
kinds of pretty and sweet flowers, which can be grown at little cost and 
trouble and without glass, and are most accommodating, were also 
recommended. A vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Pitts for his 
lecture. 
- Potato Trials in Surrey.— Those of our readers who may 
be interested in Potato trials as object lessons for the people will find 
a fuller account than can be given here of what is this season being 
done in Surrey if they will turn to the pages of our contemporary, 
“ Garden-Work.” These trials form but other evidence, if such be 
needed, of the strong sympathy with gardening as a rural vocation that 
animates the Technical Education Committee of the Surrey County 
Council. They have, so far, been conducted by Mr. A. Dean, who has 
planted every tuber of the seventy-three varieties obtained, and in 
various parts of the county. Altogether some 130 rods of ground have 
been planted, the earliest planting being at Mitcham on April 19th, 
when ten rods of land, sandy, clayey, and boggy each, were got in. 
Later, in the same district, at Brandon Hill, other ten rods on chalk 
were planted, and in all cases with the same varieties and from the 
same sources. Other land was planted at Richmond ; two plots, one 
for varieties and one for manure trials ; at Chertsey on stiff land ; at 
Milford on sand; at Woking on sandy bog; at Dorking on a chalky 
marl; and last of all, so late as May 11th, because unavoidably deferred, 
at Englefield Green on a very sandy soil, yet fairly good and holding. 
In some cases the land had been dressed with animal manure, in other 
cases superphosphate, kainit, and nitrate of soda in equal parts 
were given along the furrows after planting. It is hoped that as 
most of the trials adjoin allotment groups they will excite consider¬ 
able interest, and thus enable the workers to see varieties hitherto 
to them unknown, and, no doubt, in many cases great improvements on 
older varieties. 
- Bamboo Culture. —A Charleston, North Carolina," corre¬ 
spondent believes that the Bamboo could be successfully and profitably 
grown on the abandoned Rice fields of that region; By growing our 
own umbrella handles we should have no question as to whether Bamloo 
was wood or grass. 
- Large Pumpkins. —Three enormous Pumpkins (says the 
“ Australian ”), weighing in the aggregate 392 lbs., have been exhibited 
at the door of a seedsman in Melbourne, They were grown in the 
neighbourhood, and the heaviest one, weighing 1 cwt. 12 lbs., was of the 
large yellow variety, the other two specimens being of the ironbark 
kind. 
-Carrots and Sulphur.—M y experience with the above, both 
when sowing and sprinkling the surface at various times after, has never 
been successful in preventing the flies depositing eggs and their sub¬ 
sequent maggots. Once I was in high spirits when the Carrot tops 
remained healthy until a week before the Carrots were ready for draw¬ 
ing, when, lol they collapsed suddenly before I had one good root.— 
W. T, 
- The Compensation in Nature.—I t has been noted that 
where the summer season is comparatively short, and the winter season 
long, Nature starts the earlier flowering plants in the most surprising 
way, and on the other hand runs the autumn flowers far into the 
winter season. In Siberia, says a transatlantic contemporary, a large 
number of plants will resist early frost, and continue to bloom for a 
considerable time after the temperature has fallen below freezing point. 
One of the most beautiful and gorgeous of these is the Aster tataricus— 
a plant growing some 3 feet in height, and bearing an immense profu¬ 
sion of bright purple flowers. In the writer’s garden it made a great 
show, even up to the Ist of November. The same may be said of the- 
Maximillian Sunflower, a native of the north-western part of our teni- 
tory, which was also gaily in bloom with the Aster tataricus, A 
selection of these late flowering plants, grouped in a distinguished 
manner in some large public garden, w'ould attract a multitude ol 
interested visitors. 
- The Ash and the Oak. —It is gratifying to find, so far a& 
my experience has gone, that no One has, in referring to the probable 
nature of the coming summer, introduced the old and stupid adage 
respecting these trees. As there are few of these forest trees that are 
not raised from seed we may find in them all great variation, and as 
much perhaps in the Ash, usually the latest of all trees to expand leaf 
buds, as in any others. I have this year seen the Horse Chestnut on 
precocious forms literally in full bloom, and Ash trees near with not a- 
burst bud on them. That fact serves to show how glorious a tree for 
early foliation is the Horse Chestnut. Probably not more than usual) 
except that so far the spring has been free from fierce wind storms ; but 
somehow the foliation of trees seems never to have been more beautiful 
than this year, or the varying tints of green more charming. Still, this, 
appreciation is probably most due to the fact that spring is with us the 
opening of a fresh scene in leafage. How great is our gain over that of 
a country of perennial foliage.—D. 
- The Late Mr. MacDonald. —I received the other day from 
my friend Miss Woodhead the sad news of the death of her honest and 
excellent gardener, Mr. MacDonald of Norwood Green, Hipper- 
holme. He was but little known in the horticultural world, and 
probably none of the horticulturists in the South was aware of his 
existence, and yet he had under his care one of the best collections 
of Auriculas in the North of England. When, after the death of her 
excellent brother. Miss Woodhead removed to her present abode, now 
thirteen years ago, she placed her extensive collection under 
Mr. MacDonald’s care, and well and faithfully did he carry out the- 
task allotted to him. Some years ago I made a pilgrimage to Norwood 
Green, and had the opportunity of seeing both the collection of 
Auriculas then out of bloom, and also of having a good talk with 
Mr. MacDonald. I gave an account of my visit at that time in the 
pages of the Journal, and have very little to add to what I then stated. 
Not only the Auriculas, but the greenhouse and out of door gardening 
were well managed. Mr. MacDonald—a modest unassuming man— 
seemed just the sort of person suited for the place, and enjoyed the 
complete confidence of his kind and sympathetic mistress. He died 
on April 29th, and was interred on May 3rd, exactly thirteen years 
after Mr. Woodhead—a somewhat singular coincidence. He was in 
his sixty-fourth year, and was hale and vigorous when I saw him. 
He will be a great loss to Miss Woodhead, who will find a difficulty in 
replacing so valuable a servant.—D,, Deal, 
