October 27, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
361 
placed them on shelf in cool vinery, hoping to get a few flowers from 
them in frosty weather when the frames could not be opened. They are 
a mass of bloom and buds now.” The flowers are very good indeed, but 
we prefer not to have their delicate fragrance overpowered by a fringe 
of sprays of the powerful Lippia citriodora; to others, however, 
the mixture might possibly be acceptable. 
- At a recent meeting of the members of the Wakefield 
Paxton Society, Councillor Milnes, one of the Vice-Presidents, was in 
the chair, and there was an average attendance. Mr. T. L. Moseley of 
Huddersfield, a well-known naturalist, and who has been engaged by the 
Huddersfield School Board to deliver lectures on natural history, gave a 
long and interesting address on “ Farm and Garden Insects : their 
Deleterious and Beneficial Effects on Produce.” The lecture was ad¬ 
mirably illustrated by a collection of sketches of insects of various kinds, 
which were exhibited by means of a magic lantern. After a little dis¬ 
cussion a hearty vote of thanks was awarded to the lecturer, on the 
motion of Mr. G. Parkin, seconded by Mr. E. B. Wrigglesworth. 
MEMORIES OF A TOUR. 
Let no one expect a series of elaborate descriptive notes of the 
nature of the series so ably contributed by Mr. L. Castle on parks and 
gardens in the north of England, or the penalty of disappointment will 
assuredly be incurred. I have visited so many gardens in my time, and 
filled so many pocket books with notes, many of which have never been 
transcribed, that I resolved to take it easy in my last ramble, trusting 
to memory for a few jottings (that may not be entirely uninteresting to 
all readers), save that on a waistcoat pocket tablet a few lines of poetry 
were inscribed from a temple at Chatsworth, and an inscription from a 
stately column on the heights of Lincolnshire. 
□ The “ heights ” of Lincolnshire will sound strangely to those readers 
who have pictured that county as a great expanse of marsh and fen, as 
level as the sea, and only one remove from a swamp ; but they will find 
something very different if they call on Mr. Tillyard at Broclclesby, and 
walk thence to the Pelham’s pillar that was erected by one of the Earls 
of Yarborough commemorative of the planting of upwards of 12,000,000 
trees on the fine estate. This was not, however, the commencement of 
my tour, or the first resting place in it, but nearly the last. 
It has in some respects been a tour of extremes—namely, from the 
extreme west of England and a little beyond it, to the extreme east; or 
from points of vantage overlooking Swansea Bay on a day that was 
misty, and the waters of the German Ocean on another day that was 
clear. It embraced in its range the largest city in the empire and the 
smallest, and involved the traversing of roads from 1000 or more feet 
above the sea to 50 or more feet below it. It afforded opportunities for 
nspecting crops in poor soil and in rich, in deep soil and in shallow, in 
trenches and on ridges. It brought under review some 10,000 Vines 
growing in a field and the crop ripening for the vintage ; then, as a 
change, a dozen or so in the greenhouse of an amateur from which all 
the bunches except a few at the top had been cut by thieves. Vines of 
all ages from one year to a hundred have been examined and chatted 
ever. Grapes “ on the spur ” have been admired that would have de¬ 
lighted Mr. Abbey ; and others on something else, we will say on the 
“ cane,” that would have made “ Experientia docet ” jump for joy, and 
claim them as a triumph in support of his views. If those contestants 
had been with me' I believe I could have made each of them believe in 
the other, and effect a reconciliation between them in a manner that I 
have also seen—the swapping of aprons. 
I have further had the pleasure of impiession on the memory Vines 
in 7-inch pots bearing at the least 10 lbs. of splendid fruit, and others 
ten times their size planted out and bearing next to nothing. Camellias 
growing in gravel walks in the open air have gladdened by their luxuri¬ 
ance, and others in pots have depressed by their dried and roasted ap¬ 
pearance in hothouses. Orange trees 300 years old have spread their 
fruit-laden branches above us, and Lemons, as happy as Lemons could 
be, were passed on the back wall of a vinery growing and fruiting 
abundantly in the shade. Pears are remembered on the free stock with 
their branches breaking down under their load of grand fruit, and others 
on the Quince prematurely dwindling away ; and not to be forgotten 
were plantations of Apple trees and Osiers planted together by the acre, 
the land in these days of falling prices being thereby increased in a few 
years more than 100 per cent., while among other things photographed 
on the mind are yellow Calceolarias, perfect cones of gold, 8 feet high, 
yet not a year old from the cuttings. 
There may be some disadvantages in trusting to treacherous memory, 
for it is almost certain that some things, and it may be several, will be 
omitted that are worthy of record, but there is a set off to this, regarding 
the matter from a selfish point of view, for if anything is told at once 
there is no excuse to go again ; and the welcome we have received, for 
there were a pair of us, was so cordial everywhere, and the hours spent 
with friends so pleasant as to make us look longingly forward to the 
possibility of another visit for picking up the fragments. There is also 
an advantage arising from forgetfulness, regarding the matter from a 
point of vi w that is not selfish—namely, that other visitors may find 
plenty to say that has not been said in a mere skimming over the sur¬ 
face of a few gardens, most of which have been heard of before and will 
be heard of again. 
We left the largest city in the empire, London, on September 15th, 
and was very near the smallest, Llandaff, the same night. Gliding 
along the Gi\ at Western Railway we had a passing glance at Messrs. 
Veitch’s extensive trial grounds and Rose and fruit nursery at Langley, 
the beds and lines of autumn flowers being still gay ; the well known 
and well furnished nurseries of “ Turner’s of Slough,” and the great 
blocks of colour, crimson Asters being most glowing, in the level 
tract of land of Messrs. Sutton’s of Reading. Onwards through the 
park-like scenery of Berks, we search for the historical white horse on 
the steep hillside, not far distant from Uffington and Shrivenham, but 
failed to find it, then drew breath at Swindon. Beyond that an impres¬ 
sion possessed us that we were in or near what we called “ Igguld-n’s 
country,” and we thought his lot had fallen in greener places than those 
left behind us—greener trees, and hedges, and fields, as if the drought 
had been less exhausting than in some other districts. We thought of 
him, as we had previously seen him industriously working, for in spite 
of himself and his critics he does wonderfully well with the resources at 
his disposal, and we vote him an excellent gardener, an esteemed friend, 
and a genial man. 
We crawl on, losing time as only trains can sometimes, and were 
forcibly reminded of the difference between an express and an ordinary 
train as defined by a son of Erin on a former occasion—“ And shure, 
sorr, the only difference that I can see is the ordinary trains stop at all 
the stations and the expresses between them.” However, we reached 
Bath, regretting our inability to see Mr. Chaffin’s Grapes and their 
accomplished, and as “ D., Deal,” has truly described him, very modest 
grower. It is a little singular that we are apt to admire virtues in 
others that we do not ourselves possess. 1 studiously try to be as modest 
as possible, but somehow fail to reach the standard of Mr. Wm. Taylor. 
I hope he will not chide us for not giving him a call. We push on to 
Bristol through a downpouring rain—as dismal an outlook as could be 
imagined for a holiday in the country ; and soon after leaving the murky 
town find ourselves sliding town into the Severn tunnel —one of the 
greatest works of modern times, a submarine monument of trade enter¬ 
prise and engineering skill. The tunnel slopes to the centre, and the 
timid might fancy the hissing that is heard is the water rushing in from 
above us, but it is only the brakes checking the downward movement 
of the train. The crown of the arch we were informed by a fellow 
passenger, who appeared to be no stranger to the locality, is 40 feet 
below the bed of the Bristol Channel, and the length of the tunnel 
4j miles and 7 chains. We were thus at the least 50 feet below the 
level of the sea. There was nothing uncomfortable in passing “ under 
the water,” though after twelve minutes’ experience of it daylight was 
welcome on the other side. 
Our course was next through a generally flat and not highly 
picturesque district, a level expanse of pastures on the left or channel 
side, but the water not visible, and on the right higher and drier ground 
with whitewashed homesteads dotted amongst the trees, and here and 
there a village, looking substantial and comfortable. Passing through 
Newport we soon arrived at. Cardiff, and were greeted on the platform by 
Mr. Pettigrew and whisked away to his pleasant and commodious 
dwelling for our first night’s rest in Wales.—A Tourist, 
(To be continued.) 
CHRYSANTHEMUM NOTES. 
As soon as October mists and frosty nights announce the arrival of 
autumn weather the Chrysanthemum interest begins to revive ; exhibi¬ 
tors watch the slowly expanding buds with some anxiety, and prepare 
their plans for the approaching campaign. An effort has been made by 
the National Society to awaken the Chrysanthemum enthusiasm at their 
early show in September, but the attractions are then dividtd with the 
Dahlias, and the latter have hitherto had somewhat the best of it on 
these occasions. The early flowering Chrysanthemums are useful garden 
plants, but they come at a time when we still have abundance of flowers 
both indoors and out, and consequently want the charm that attaches to the 
November varieties. But there are now so many early flowering Japanese 
forms, which expand freely in October, that there is a constant succes¬ 
sion from September to the end of the year. The incurved varieties are, 
however, the true November flowering type, and with them come most 
of the leading exhibition Japanese varieties. 
THE SHOWS. 
There is no sign of a diminution of interest in Chrysanthemums—on 
the contrary, there appears to be a decided increase both in the number 
of growers and admirers. Over sixty exhibitions have been announced to 
be held this year, and the majority of these take place in the first three 
weeks of November. If we consider the number of exhibitors and 
visitors at these shows, the total amount expended in prize money,and 
the receipts for admission, it will give an idea of the popularity of the 
autumn queen. Nor is this confined to one portion of England. From 
Alnwick to Portsmouth and from Cornwall to Kent, nearly every impor¬ 
tant town or district has its annual show, several being added to the list 
this year. Two have, however, been withdrawn, from lack of funds 
rather than lack of interest—namely, Richmond and Stoke Newington. 
It is difficult to understand why the Richmond (Surrey) Show should 
not have proved more successful from a financial point of view. The dis¬ 
trict is a good one ; there are numbers of experienced cultivators within 
easy reach of the town ; the position where the sliovy was held was con- 
