384 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 13, 1886. 
in number and variety equal to the emergency, and that without exert¬ 
ing any great strain upon the resources of the establishments. 
There has been, of course, a considerable relapse in the bedding-out 
system of late years, and a return made to the better, because more useful, 
method of filling borders with herbaceous plants and shrubs, that, from 
the variety of plants, available flowers in every month of the twelve 
can be had when the weather is mild. It is useless to attribute this 
waning of the bedding system to a change of taste, for the taste for show 
is just as strong as ever, with those that are not liable to be taxed with 
its cost. What we want, and are coming to, is a less number of beds 
better filled. It is the taste for the beautiful and sweet that has been 
given by the unobtrusive workers of floricultural art, to whom the change 
is due. Roses, Carnations, Pyrethrums, and plants of that kind are 
taking their proper place in gardens, and in the appreciation given them 
by cultured minds in homes of taste, not the least of the causes telling on 
the bedding system being the curtailment of establishments through 
reduced means of maintenance.— G. Abbey. 
COLONIAL AND INDIAN EXHIBITION. 
THE VEGETABLE PRODUCTS OF INDIA. 
The general extent and interest of the Exhibition at South Ken¬ 
sington were referred to last week, but as the vegetable products of the 
Colonies form such an important part of the contributions they merit a 
more detailed description, which it is our intention to accord them in the 
following notes. 
First in importance, and the first also that a visitor sees when entering 
the Exhibition by either of the gates nearest to the South Kensington 
station, are the Indian courts and galleries. In these are displayed an 
exceedingly choice collection of works of art, and with them are associated 
samples of the chief vegetable products, dried or otherwise preserved, 
represented by models as in the case of some of the fruits and vegetables, 
or by coloured illustrations as with some of the rare or most remarkable 
plants. It is unfortunate, however, that there are no living representations 
of the rich tropical Indian flora beyond what are afforded by the Orchids 
in the St. Alban’s House. These, it is true, are numerous and beautiful, 
but our stoves and other houses are embellished by so many handsome 
plants from the East Indies, that a house devoted to them would have 
constituted a valuable addition to the horticultural attractions. The 
Himalayan Rhododendrons alone would have furnished a house admirably, 
but probably some descendants of at least one Indian Rhododendron, 
R. arboreum, will be found amongst those out of doors that will shortly 
be flowering in the beds facing the fountains. Numerous and varied as 
are the ornamental plants from India, those distinguished for their uses 
are also abundant, and -some of these are of much importance to us, and 
are in various forms imported to the country in large quantities. It is 
strange, however, that many of the plants cultivated extensively for expor¬ 
tation are not natives of the country, though there are plenty of plants of 
economic value indigenous to India, but the majority of these are used by 
the natives for various medicinal purposes. A glance at one of the Indian 
“ shops ” in the Exhibition will illustrate this—namely, the druggist’s or 
herbalist’s, in which great numbers of dried herbs are shown, each supposed 
to possess some marvellous properties, and some undoubtedly are useful 
in disorders peculiar to the country. The other “shops” are also inter¬ 
esting, especially the fruiterer’s with the innumerable tropical fruits, 
amongst which the Bananas and members of the Gourd family predo¬ 
minate, and the grain-sellers’ with a variety of millets and lentils so largely 
employed there as food. The models of fruit and vegetables from the 
Botanic Garden, Saharunpore, are also worthy of attention, several being 
shown with which we are familiar in the London markets, such as the Litchi; 
those seldom used here, but in much esteem where they are produced, 
being the Mango and Guava, while the Pine Apple and Banana, which we 
obtain from several other sources, are included amongst these models. 
The Forest trophy, representing 3000 specimens of useful timbers, and 
the Bamboo trophy are interesting features in these courts. The latter is 
constructed in the artistic manner that characterises so much of the 
native work, two staircases having been formed with a platform at the 
top, the steps formed of strips of Bamboo arranged in a great number of 
geometrical designs, like the inlaid work of cabinet makers. It is said 
that no less than thirty species of Bambusa have been utilised in the con¬ 
struction of this trophy, and the stems employed vary in size, from the 
size of straws to giants nearly a foot in diameter. The uses of the Bamboo 
are very numerous, especially in the construction of the light airy dwellings 
and furniture of tropical India ; but there is another plant which is also 
remarkable for the multiplicity of its uses, the Cocoa-nut Palm, Cocos 
nucifera, of which a series of objects is shown near the Bamboos. About 
eighty specimens are exhibited, but these might be greatly multiplied, for 
the bare enumeration of the uses to which the different portions of the 
plant are applied would fill a small volume. Like the Bamboo the stems 
are employed for dwellings and furniture of many kinds, but in this case 
we have a nutritious fruit that is also borne in considerable quantities, the 
covering of which yields an important fibre, the leaves are used for articles 
of dress, and in a young state for food. It has been truly remarked that 
it is “one of the richest of Nature’s gifts to man, for there is no part of 
the plant that is not adapted to human necessities,” and to the inhabitants 
of many tropical countries besides India the Cocoa-nut Palm is indis¬ 
pensable. 
Of the plants the products of which are mainly sent to Great Britain 
the Cinchona merits a special note, as the culture has increased consider¬ 
ably in recent years, owing largely to the efforts of the home authorities, 
amongst whom must be mentioned those at the Royal Gardens, Kew. 
As soon as it was found that the South American Bark-yielding trees 
would succeed in the elevated districts of India, especially in the Himalayan 
region, large plantations were formed by the Government at Darjeeling 
and elsewhere with very encouraging results, and the supply of Bark 
from India has been increasing for some time, exclusive of that con¬ 
sumed in the country where its febrifugal properties can be so fully 
appreciated. There are numerous kinds of Bark, but they are grouped as 
follows in the Kew collection :—Pale Cinchona or Crown Bark, Cinchona 
officinalis, Yellow Cinchona or Calisaya Bark, Cinchona Calisaya (fig. 70), 
and Red Cinchona Bark, Cinchona succirubra. Our non-botanical 
readers may not be aware that the family to which the Cinchona belongs 
also includes the Coffee, Ipecacuanha, and Madder plants, as well as some 
of the most ornamental plants cultivated in our houses, such as the 
Gardenia, the Rondeletia, and others. The properties of the Cinchona 
depend chiefly upon the alkaloid quinine, which is present in the bark, 
and found to be a valuable tonic. 
(To be continued.) 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.— May 11th. 
A varied and handsome display was provided in the conservatory at 
South Kensington on Tuesday, the stages on each side of the building being 
filled with Roses, hardy flowers, Orchids, Rhododendrons, and other exhibits. 
The specialties of the occasion were, however, Messrs. W. Paul & Son’s 
superb Roses, Mr. T. S. Ware’s interesting hardy flowers and Tree Pasonies, 
Messrs. Lane <Sr Sons’ Rhododendrons, and the Colonial exhibits of Apples 
and other fruits. 
Fruit Committee. —Present : T. Francis Rivers, Esq., in the chair, and 
Messrs. John E. Lane, Wm. Denning, J. Ellam, W. Warren, G. T. Miles, G. 
Norman, Arthur W. Sutton, John Burnett, F. Mason, F. J. Saltmarsh, Philip 
Crowley, R. D. Blackmore, T. B. Haywood, Harrison Weir, George Bun- 
yard, and Chas. Silverlock. The collections of Apples from Australia were 
the principal exhibits before this Committee. A collection of Apples was 
shown by Mr. James Lang, Harcourt, near Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia, 
sent by request of Mr. John Carson, Melbourne, to the care of G. F. Wilson, 
Esq. They had been grown in a soil of decomposed granite, and had been 
packed in soft paper and cotton wool. The fruits were large, fresh, solid, 
and mostly of fine flavour. Northern Spy was highly commended. Reinette 
du Canada, very large, was commended, as also was'Perfection, a bright red 
Apple of medium size, very firm, and good flavour. Other notable varieties 
were Scarlet Nonpareil, Worcester Pearmain, Dumelow’s Seedling, Merritt’s 
Pearmain, London Pippin, and Cleopatra. J. T. Pascoe, Esq., sent two 
dishes of South Australian Apples, Strawberry Pippins, and Cleopatra, the 
latter being commended. The Hon. R. D. Ross, Higher Combe, South 
Australia, and R. Devonport, Esq., also sent dishes of Apples, one 
variety named Mobbs’ Royal, a large green Apple, being commended. 
G. Quick, Esq., had some fine Quinces, Mrs. Holbrook fine fruits of 
Napoleon Pears, which were commended, andT. Hardy, Esq., Adelaide, had 
samples of Brande’s Almonds. A collection of dried fruits was shown by 
Lady Davenport, Beaumont, Adelaide, Australia, comprising Currants, Moor 
Park Apricots, Raisins, Prunes, Sultanas, Napoleon Pears, Gravenstein 
Apples, and Reine Claude Plums. They were all very clean excellent samples, 
highly commended for their excellent quality. The Committee requested 
that the dried Apples and Pears should be stewed and exhibited at the next 
meeting. A collection of Apples from Canada was also shown by the 
Canadian Commissioner, representing some highly coloured varieties, Ben 
Davis, Northern Spy, Phcenix, Seek no Further, King of Tomkin’s County, 
Canada Red being some of the best. It was proposed that Knightian 
medals be placed at the disposal of the Commissioners for Australia and 
Canada and Mr. Lang of Victoria. 
Mr. W. Divers, Wierton Place, near Maidstone, sent thirteen dishes of 
Apples and Pears which had been “kept since gathered in a cold dark 
room where the temperature often fell considerably below freezing point in 
the winter,” but the samples of King of the Pippins, Hanwell Souring, 
Graham’s Russet, and Loddington Apples were fresh and good, the Pears 
Catillac and Chaumontel being moderately good. The Veitch Memorial 
prize, for a collection of forced salad plants not less than ten distinct 
kinds, was won by Mr. G. Bolas, gardener to H. Chandos Pole Gell, Esq. 
