May 17, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
385 
- Thk Kew Guild.—W e bave received the second number of j 
the “ Journal of the Kew Guild,” which contains much matter of 
interest to past and present “ Kewites.” A portrait of Sir Joseph 
Dalton Hooker is given as a frontispiece, accompanied by a short sketch 
of his life. Air. John W. Thomson, who it is stated is the only man 
living that was connected with the Royal Gardens in the reign of 
George III., gives some “Reminiscences of an Old Kewite,” and his 
portrait adds interest to this record of the past. Mr. Thomas Meehan 
describes “Kew, as I Knew it. Nearly Fifty Years Ago,” while Mr. 
Robert Cameron, Botanic Gardens, Harvard University, Mass., America, 
expatiates on “ Gardeners’ Prospects in the United States.” In addition 
the names and addresses of past and present “ Kewites ” are given, also 
some miscellaneous notes, from which we extract the four paragraphs 
that follow. 
- The Rhododendron Dell. —From the landscape point of 
view the great defect of Kew is its flat, unbroken surface. The only 
■diversities of level of any importance are the Wild Garden near the 
Cumberland Ga‘:e and the Rhododendron Dell in the Arboretum. Both 
■of these are artificial, and according to the “ Historical Account of Kew ” 
Kew Bulletin,” December, 1891), the latter was made during the 
reign of George III., between 1760 and 1771, by the Staffordshire 
Militia, then quartered at Kew. It is now one of the prettiest parts of 
the Garden, and its interest and beauty have recently been much 
enhanced by the thinning out and replanting of many of the Rhodo¬ 
dendrons, as well as by the introduction of several scores of the best and 
newest varieties. In addition to the better-known garden kinds the 
collection comprises all the species that are sufficiently hardy to be 
grown outside at Kew. There are also several beds of Camellias in this 
Dell, and these this spring have flowered with unusual freedom, having 
escaped the damaging effects of spring frosts, of which we have had 
little this year. 
- The Collection of Oaks at Kew has much improved during 
the last few years, not only by the addition of a number of rare species 
and varieties, but also in the improved appearance and health of the 
older specimens. Owing, it may be, to the unsuitable character of the 
soil, many of the Oaks at Kew have a strong tendency to become flat- 
topped and stunted, and to develop a dense twiggy growth rather than 
clean, strong branches. Experience has proved, however, that this 
tendency may be almost entirely overcome by pruning and manuring. 
The question of tree-pruning has been discussed a good deal lately, but 
the mistake is frequently made of confounding the treatment of isolated 
specimen trees in the garden or park with that of forest trees grown for 
profit as timber. The two methods have little in common. The 
principles of tree-pruning were the subject of a recent lecture by the 
Director at a meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society. There cannot 
be two opinions among practical men as to the necessity of pruning if 
healthy, well-balanced trees are desired. 
- Collection op Ivies. —The formation of a very compre. 
hensive collection of Ivies and the publication of a work describing and 
classifying the different varieties was one of the many benefits conferred 
on horticulture by the late Mr. Shirley Hibberd, whose well-known and 
popular figure was very frequently to be seen in the Gardens during the 
last years of his life. At his death most of his Ivies came to Kew, and 
the collection is now a very rich one, comprising over 100 named 
varieties. Up to this year, however, no proper accommodation had 
existed for growing or arranging them to the best advantage, but last 
winter the commencement of an Ivy ground was made. This is situated 
among the Chestnut and Oak collections, where, at irregular intervals, 
large tree-roots have been half buried in the earth, each one of which 
will be covered by a separate variety. The effect when finished will be 
pleasing. 
- Ghent Azaleas. — These have of late years considerably 
increased in popularity, and there are certainly no other hardy shrubs 
which, in the early summer, can equal them for producing brilliant 
masses of varied and glowing colour. Except one or two nurseries, 
where a speciality is made of these plants, the garden devoted to them 
at Kew is the most extensive, and during the month of May affords a 
delightful feast of colour and fragrance. Last winter the inside beds, 
which somewhat constricted the centre of the Azalea garden, were 
removed to the outside ; this makes the eouj) d'wil on entering much 
more effective, whilst the somewhat maze-like arrangement of the beds, 
BO charming when the plants are in flower, is still retainel. The 
alteration also brings into grea'er prominence the magnificent specimens 
of Magnolia conspicua and M. Soulangeana in the centre, which this 
Bpring have flowered more freely than for many years. 
- Early Peas. —I had thought the old notion that to obtain early 
Peas for gathering it was needful to sow seed in November hardly now 
had any footing in gardening; It was therefore something of a surprise 
to fiod that at the recent Drill Hall meeting of the Royal Horticultural 
Society samples of Pea growth shown from November sowings. It 
would not have been difficult to have found numerous instances where 
from .lanuary sowings on warm borders quite as early results might 
have been seen. I do not think it is possible to find a case anywhere 
in which November sowings are now found to possess any advantage 
over those made in January or February. Certainly we have had a 
very mild winter, one during which November-sowa Peas would suffer 
very slightly indeed. That is, however, an unmual state of th ngs, and 
not to be relied upon as generally probable. I saw William Hurst Pea 
in bloom in one garden on a warm border so early as the beginning of 
April from a January sowing.—D. 
- Cucumber Progress. —It may be said of the superb fruit of 
this new Cucumber that unanimously obtained a first-class certificate at 
the Drill Hall last week, they were as near perfection as well could be. 
Mr. Mortimer has without doubt a splendid strain, from out of which he 
evokes such beautiful samples ; but he is all the same entitled to the 
credit of being a successful grower. Those who know what Lockie’s 
Perfection is when well grown will find in Progress identical fruits, but 
fully 6 inches longer. Nomenclature in all garden things is apt to be 
somewhat contradictory and confusing. Thus it is difficult to under¬ 
stand how Progress can excel Perfection, and it also shows how very 
unfortunate it is to find appellations that indicate finality, seeing that 
so long as gardening endures there can be no finality in anything. In 
how many cases such as Potatoes, Peas, and Melons, have we found 
Perfections in a few years left a long way behind and forgotten ? We 
must not even acknowledge finality in Cucumbers, wondrously handsome 
and perfect as they seem to be.—D. 
- Hybrid Plants. —It is very difficult to get those persons 
of limited observation to believe that pollen has no immediate effect 
on fruits. It is, says “Meehan’s Monthly,” conceded that the seed 
itself—that is to say, the cotyledons—are influenced ’u-’ pollen, but 
the cotyledon is really a part of the new plant. Indian corn is an 
illustration that albuminous matter, which constitutes the greater part 
of the seed of the corn, is really a part of the new plant, just as much 
as the white of an egg is a part of the new creature to be born, and we 
see immediate effect in corn ; yet we frequently have intelligent men 
contending that fruit trees in an orchard will influence the different 
varieties by their pollen. Surely it must be known by this time that 
there are orchards of scores of varieties of Apples, vineyards with dozens 
of varieties of Grapes, experimental beds of various fruits with numerous 
varieties, and yet the fruit of all come true to their several varietal 
characters. At a recent meeting of the American Pomological Society, 
a gentleman from Florida read a paper to show how one variety of 
Orange was so much influenced by the pollen of another as to produce 
fruit of different forms and shades of colour. These are the result of 
morphological and physiological changes, with which pollen has nothing 
to do. This fact is so well known as to ba scarcely worth repetition, 
only for the fact of the pollenising thought gaining currency. 
- Stamping Foreign Fruits. —Before the Select Committee 
of the House of Lords on the Marking of Foreign and Colonial Produce, 
Mr. Berry, of the Kent Fruit Growers’ Association, last week gave 
evidence as to the misleading business being carried on through foreign 
fruit being brought over in English packages with no name on but that 
of the salesman, so that as it was brought up in the same trains as the 
Kentish fruit none but experts could detect the difference. The fact 
was, however, that this fruit was plucked before it was ripe in order to 
stand the carriage, and therefore had less juice and flavour than English 
fruit. Makers of jrm, some of whom used Black Currants by hundreds 
of tons, found that foreign fruit was inferior, but they had no means of 
checking it. What the growers wanted was to have the packages 
marked with the name of the place of origin, and that it should not be 
allowed to leave the quay without such mark. Mr. John Wood, a 
grower in West Kent, said thousands of tons of Plums came from 
Switzerland, while those in Kent would not pay for plucking, and were 
left to the birds. He would have all foreign jam marked as foreign. 
Mr. Vincent, another grower, gave evidence of a similar purport. Sir 
Charles Mills, Agent-General for the Cape of Good Hope, said that there 
was a very considerable imporcation of fruit from the Cape, which was 
increasing every year. It was sold at Covent Garden as Cape fruit, but 
as far as the retailers went he only knew of one place where it was sold 
as such. He had seen Spanish fruit exposed for sale in a shop window 
as Cape Grapes. 
