72 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Jaimtry 27,1887. 
soon as they have hail a change of treatment they have grown as well 
as could be wished. In dealing with an unhealthy plant I commence 
by turning it out of the pot and shaking away the soil, placing it in a 
smaller pot with good damage. The soil I use is strong loam with about a 
sixth part of old manure, with a liberal quantity of sand. This is 
pressed down quite firmly in the pots ; in fact, a stick should be used to 
ram it with. Water is given very sparingly until new growth is being 
made. February is a good month to take them in hand, as they then 
get a long season to make their growth. If the plants are old crowns 
they should be divided, and the older portions of the crowns cut away, 
as they are invariably weak, and produce but small fronds. When it is 
seen that the roots are taking to the new soil give more water, and 
when they commence throwing up their new fronds, and a few of them 
are fully developed, they may be shifted into larger pots, carefully 
drained and have them clean, using the same kind of soil as before, 
being careful not to damage the young roots in the potting. They 
succeed in an ordinary stove temperature, but I find they succeed best 
in a much lighter position than they usually have. I like to have them 
as near the glass as possible, with no more shade in summer than 
ordinary stove plants require, and I am careful not to syringe them too 
much ; but if they are near the glass with plenty of heat and light they 
rarely damp, especially if the fronds are opened out with a few neat 
sticks, but they should be so placed as not to interfere with the natural 
habit. When they are well rooted, I find they are much benefited by 
being watered with liquid manure. By this treatment I have no difficulty 
in inducing them to grow in a most satisfactory manner. They succeed 
much better without peat, growing much more strongly without it, 
Great care in watering unhealthy specimens is necessary, but when they 
are thriving they are not so likely to have too much.—W. Simpson. 
Prescot. 
We regret to have to record the death of the Earl of Chester¬ 
field, better known, perhaps, as Sir Henry Scudamore Stanhope, 
Bart., of Holme Lacy, Hereford. His Lordship, who had for .a long 
time been in failing health, expired at St. Leonards, in the sixty-seventh 
year of his age. Lord Chesterfield was an earnest horticulturist, and 
had a fine collection of fruit, and his beautiful gardens, which have been 
fully described in this Journal, were opened to the public weekly during 
the summer. 
-It has been announced that the inhabitants of Sheffield have 
decided to commemorate the jubilee of the Queen by enlarging the 
Botanic Garden, and purchasing adjoining land as a public recrea¬ 
tion ground. 
- Mr. X. Davis of the Chrysanthemum Nurseries, Lilford Road, 
Camberwell, has been joined by Mr. H. J. Jones of the Hope Nurseries, 
Lewisham, and in future the business will be carried on under the name 
of Davis & Jones. 
- Clydesdale Fruit Growers.—A correspondent writes that, 
“ The fruit farmers upon the Clyde, have, like many others for a long 
time past suffered from the effects of foreign competition, the boilers 
of fruit using fruit unfit for consumption in making jam, to which 
glucose and other ingredients are added, thereby lowering the value of 
home-grown fruit. The fruit growers have for some time past been 
discussing the question how to better their condition, and place before 
the public a genuine and wholesome article of food free from adultera¬ 
tion, and have now resolved to form a limited liability company, and in 
the future manufacture their own fruit into jams and other confec¬ 
tionery, and place themselves beyond the influences of merchants and 
boilers.” 
-Messrs. Webb & Sons’ Staff. —On Saturday last - Messrs. 
Webb & Sons’clerks, numbering about fifty, had their annual dinner 
at the Mitre Hotel, Stourbridge, and, after full justice had been done 
to the excellent dinner provided, Mr. J. P. Hitchings took the chair, 
and a varied programme of vocal and instrumental music was carried 
out in a very creditable manner. The toast of the evening, proposed 
by Mr. Berrington, was Success to Messrs. Webb & Sons,” and the 
enthusiasm with which it was honoured testified to the good feeling 
existing between Messrs. Webb and their staff. Mr. Hitchings 
responded on behalf of the firm. 
- Some time since it was hinted that an official publication from 
the Royal Gardens, Kew, giving particulars respecting the work carried 
on in that important national institution, would be useful. The matter 
has been carefully considered, and as a result the first number of the 
Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information has just been issued. In 
the introductory notice Mr. W. T. Thiselton Dyer observes “ It is 
proposed to issue from time to time, as an occasional publication, notes 
too detailed for the annual report on economic products and plants, to 
which the attention of the staff of the Royal Gardens has been drawn in 
the course of ordinary correspondence, or which have been made the 
subject of particular study at Kew. It is hoped that while these notes 
will serve the purpose of an expeditious mode of communication to the 
numerous correspondents of Kew in distant parts of the empire, they 
may also be of service to members of the general public interested in 
planting or agricultural business in India and the Colonies.” 
- The first part of the “ Bulletin ” contains several letters con¬ 
cerning an Abyssinian Cereal, Teff, Eragrostis abyssinica, which is 
said to be very useful for cultivation at high elevations, and seed has 
been collected for distribution to botanic gardens in India and the 
Colonies. The following extract is given from Bruce’s Travels ” as 
illustrating the quality of the cereal “ This grain is commonly sown 
all over Abyssinia, where it seems to thrive equally on every sort of 
ground ; from it is made the bread which is commonly used throughout 
Abyssinia. The Abyssinians, indeed, have plenty of Wheat, and some of 
it of an excellent quality. They likewise make as fine Wheat bread as 
any in the world, both for colour and for taste ; but the use of Wheat 
bread is chiefly confined to people of the first rank. On the other hand, 
Teff is used by all sorts of people, from the king downwards, and there 
are kinds of it which are esteemed fully as much as the Wheat. The 
best of these is as white as flour, exceedingly light, and easily digested. 
There are others of a browner colour, and some nearly black ; this last 
is the food of soldiers and servants. The cause of this variation of 
colour is manifold ; the Teff that grows on light ground having a mode¬ 
rate degree of moisture, but never dry ; the lighter the earth is in which 
it grows the better and whiter the Teff will be, the husk, too, is 
thinner. The Teff, too, that ripens before the heavy rains is usually 
whiter and finer, and a great deal depends upon sifting the husk from it 
after it is reduced to flour by bruising or breaking it in a stone mill. 
This is repeated several times with great care in the finest kind of bread, 
which is found in the houses of all people of rank or substance. The 
fruit or seed is oblong, and is not so large as the head of the smallest 
pin, yet it is very prolific and produces these seeds in such quantity as 
to yield a very abundant crop in the quantity of meal.” Some particu¬ 
lars respecting the Oil of Ben obtained from the seeds of Moringa 
pterygosperma are also given. We anticipate that this publication will 
be welcomed by many persons who are interested in the useful work 
performed at Kew. 
- M. Bruant of Poitiers announces as a novelty SOLANUM 
ALBIDUM Poortmani, a distinct variety found by M. Ed. Andre in 
South America. It is said to grow in the Andes at an altitude of about 
6000 feet, and is described as forming little trees 12 feet high. It is 
very vigorous, with large irregularly lobed leaves of a distinct green hue, 
tinted with metallic blue in some places. For sub-tropical gardens and 
parks it seems likely to be extremely well suited. 
- The annual dinner of the Ancient Society of York 
Florists was held on the 19th inst. at the White Horse Hotel, Copper- 
gate, and a large number of members and friends responded to the 
following quaint invitation : — " Brother,—You are desired to meet the 
Fraternity of the most Antient Art of Gardening at the annual Feast 
of the Royal Society of Gardiners and Lovers of a Garden within the 
City and County of York : kept this Year at Mrs. Marshall’s House, in 
Coppergate, the 19th Day of January, to dirfe with them, at Six a Clock : 
where you will be earnestly expected and kindly received by, Yor. 
humble Servts, T. E. Abbey, G. Cowper, G. Lamb, Stewards.” The 
letterpress was surmounted by the national arms, flanked by the 
Gardeners’ Arms and the York Arms, and was a fac-simile (with the 
exception of names) of an ancient plate presented to the York Florists 
Society by Mr. Henry Mills, late President, the 19th February, 1829, 
and renewed and presented by J. H. Carr, Secretary, 1874. The Lord 
Mayor presided, and a number of city officials were present. The usual 
toasts were proposed and responded to, and it was stated that the Society 
has a balance of over £100 to its credit. Upon another page is given a 
