362 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 18, 1894. 
- The Devon and Exetek Gardeners’ Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Association. —The following essays are to be read at the 
meetings of this Association, to be held in the Council Chamber of the 
Guildhall, Exeter, at eight o’clock prompt on the respective evenings. 
October Slst.—Mr. S. Eadley, Exeter, “ Hyacinths, Tulips, and Bulbous 
Plants for Exhibition.” November 14th.—Mr. A. C. Bartlett, Drop- 
more Gardens, “ Flowering Trees and Shrubs.” November 28th.—Mr. 
F. W. Parker, Exeter (Assistant Secretary of the Devon and Exeter 
Horticultural Society), “ The Devon and Exeter Horticultural Society, 
its History and Development.” December 12th.—Mr. F. W. Meyer, 
Koyal Nurseries, Exeter, “ Public Parks and Gardens.” 
- Sydney Botanical Gardens.— Dr. Taylor, the eminent 
English naturalist, when visiting Australia, was much impressed with 
the appearance of the Sydney Botanical Gardens, and, in a description 
of a ramble through these, he says, after describing many trees of 
special note :—" Floral parterres and patches are gay with flowers, whose 
manifold colours offer a rich feast to the eye. The rocks and rocky 
places are covered with the grotesque forms of Cactuses and Aloes. 
Climbing plants from all parts of the world have been trained to clamber 
up and festoon trees and shrubs of a less conspicuous character. All 
that botanical and horticultural art and skill can do, combined with, 
perhaps, the most picturesque situation in the world, and a most 
delightful climate, have made the Sydney gardens a place worth coming 
to the Antipodes to see.”—J. P. 
- Market Gardening- in France. —In various districts of 
France, notably in that of the West Centre, many farmers, says a daily 
contemporary, have taken to market gardening; but even this recourse 
has proved ineffective, for the reason that there is no large constant 
market except Paris, which is mainly supplied with fresh small fruits 
and vegetables from its own neighbourhood, and the local railway tariffs 
are so high as to preclude the sending of such produce to any great 
distance. Unless a region has a speciality, as, for instance, the neigh¬ 
bourhood of Hjferes, for early Strawberries and Artichokes, which sell 
at high prices, there is no opportunity for market gardeners in the 
remote provinces to contribute much to the supply of Paris. An 
additional reason for this is the fact that of the early and expensive 
garden luxuries a great part now comes from Algeria, which has an 
advantage of two or three weeks over even Southern France in point 
of climate. 
- Apple Bismarck. —Mr. George Bunyard sends us a photo of 
a maiden Bismarck Apple tree, grown from a bud inserted last year 
showing a fine fruit growing from that bud. There have been many 
similar examples in the Maidstone and other nurseries this year, the 
fruits being very large and almost resting on the ground ; yet it is note¬ 
worthy that although these fruits were necessarily shaded in the close 
nursery rows (at Maidstone they were on the north side of the rows) 
they were richly coloured. In the photograph before us blossom buds 
have formed freely on the current season’s growth, thus showing the 
early bearing character of this increasingly popular variety. There is no 
wonder it is in such great demand for growing for market. It will be 
interesting to learn if Bismarck succeeds as well in the north as the 
southern parts of the kingdom. The fruit attaining a large size early in 
the season suggests that this Apple will succeed almost anywhere where 
other varieties can be satisfactorily grown. 
- Shirley and District Gardeners’ and Amateurs’ 
Mutual Improvement Association. —The monthly meeting of this 
Association was held on the 1.5th inst. at Shirley, Southampton. There 
was a good attendance of the members, and Mr. W. H. Rogers, J.P., 
presided, the President being away from home. “ British Fungi ” was the 
lecture, very ably dealt with by the Rev. W. L. W. Eyre. The reverend 
gentleman, in the course of his remarks, pointed out the character 
and usefulness, or otherwise, of a number of examples which he had 
before him, and the class to which they belonged, cautioning his hearers 
against indulging by eating any unless first being sure of their identity. 
A long and interesting discussion followed on the distribution of the 
spores, the lecturer, in reply, expressing his opinion that they were 
carried in the air, and thus deposited in unlooked-for positions. There 
was a great display of fungi, collected in the immediate neighbourhood 
and the New Forest, representing over 100 varieties, contributed by the 
Secretary, Mr. Ladhams, jun., Mr. W. H. Rogers, Mr. E. Bartlett, 
Mr. E. J. Wilcox (forty varieties), Mr. Risbridger, and Mr. B. Ladhams. 
Mr. Wilcox also exhibited Marguerite Carnations from open border; 
Mr. Hallett, second crop, nearly ripe Victoria Plums ; Mr. Arlett and 
Mr, G. W, Othen, Pears ; and Mr, B. Ladhams, hardy perennials. 
- The Botanical Society op America. —We learn from- 
“ Nature” that this Society is about to try the experiment of admitting- 
working naturalists only to its full fellowship. By a unanimous vote 
the Society has adopted a new constitution, providing that none but 
American botanists engaged in research, who have published work of 
recognised merit, shall be eligible to active membership. Candidates- 
for active membership must be recommended by three active members 
of the Society, but any nominee may be objected to by any member,, 
and if ten members object the name will not be considered by the- 
Council. Nominees may be rejected by two negative votes in the 
Council, which numbers seven members, or by one-fifth of the votes 
cast after the name has been approved. The President of the Society 
for the present year is Prof. W. Trelease ; the Vice-President, Prof» 
N. L. Britton; the Secretary, Mr. C. R. Barnes; the Treasurer, Mr, 
J. Donnell Smith. 
- Viburnum cassinoides, — This handsome shrub, which has- 
its home in the swamps of the Northern States of America, succeeds well 
in any ordinary garden soil, and, like other members of the genus, 
deserves, says the‘‘Garden and Forest,” a larger place in parks and 
gardens than it has yet received. Just now its clusters of berries, some 
of them bright pink, some flesh coloured, contrasting in colour among 
themselves and with the dark green leathery leaves, give the plant a 
singular attractiveness. Later on the berries will be dark green and 
the foliage will assume rich autumn colours. In June it beara 
abundantly broad cymes of cream white flowers, while its vigorous- 
health and its compact habit make it serviceable at all seasons. 
V. nudum is a closely allied plant of more southern range, and like 
V. cassinoides, when taken from its native swamps into good garden 
soil, it abandons its spindling habit and spreads out into a broad mass of 
lustrous foliage that makes its worth planting even in choice collections 
of shrubbery. 
-Floral Decorations at Leeds. —When the Duke and 
Duchess of York visited Leeds on the 5th October, the route was 
decorated in a most becoming manner, the floral decorations being very 
effective, many of the principal tradespeople using natural flowers and 
foliage plants with great advantage. The Town Hall, Yorkshire 
College, Victoria Hall, and Medical School were beautifully decorated, 
specimen Palms and other foliage plants and thousands of flowering 
plants being used with telling effect. The Corporation most liberally 
threw open the Town Hall to the view of the public after the Royal 
visitors departed, thousands of persons taking advantage of the liberal 
offer of seeing the decorations, which were entrusted to Mr. Featherstone, 
Kirkstall Nurseries, Leeds. His resources were severely taxed, for over 
100 vases were used at the banquet filled with flowers and foliage. 
The magnificent bouqust presented to the Duchess by the Yorkshire 
College members was also supplied by him, and was a grand example 
of artistic floral art. It was composed chiefly of Cattleya labiata, 
Dendrobium Schroderse, Vanda coerulea, Odontoglossum Alexandrse, 
relieved with Lily of the Valley, and was the admiration of everybody, 
reflecting great credit upon the designer.—0. 
- Flcwer Beds. —When recently inviting replies to the question 
how ground should be prepared for successful culture, I could but think 
of what I saw at Hampton Court the previous day. There the summer 
denizens of the beds having been cleared off, heaps of short half-decayed 
manure had been carted on to the beds, and men were busily engaged in 
trenching them some 18 inches in depth, burying the manure well down. 
Soon the beds will be planted with Polyanthuses, and bulbs, chiefly 
Tulips, intermixed, and then in the spring the effects of the deep 
working and manure dressing will be seen. Then, ere the summer 
bedding plants are put out, the beds are again trenched even deeper. 
Thus it is that such fine bedding results are obtained, and those who see 
the fine floral display wonder why the plants do so well, when perhaps 
their own flower gardens wear so starved an aspect. In how many 
places is it ever the practice to trench flower beds and borders at all 1 
So many persons seem to think an ordinary digging and very little of 
manuring to be all that is needful. Then they entirely ignore the fact 
that about most flower gardens there are trees and the roots of these 
running out long distances in search of food, seem to scent the newly 
moved soil of a flower bed as vultures do carrion, and rush for it, 
filling the soil with fibre that is greedily devouring the plant food the 
bed furnishes, to the starvation of the summer or other bedding plants. 
The only remedy is found in deep annual or half-yearly trenching, and 
occasional exchange of soil from the beds for some from the vegetable 
quarters. That is the way to have a good show in the flower garden.— 
A. D. 
