612 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
May 29, 1886. 
then we, in common with other critics, might 
approach discussion of this theme with greater 
pleasure and confidence. Let us, however, pay 
a compliment to all the various boiler designers, 
to which they are justly entitled. They have, in 
endeavouring to excel each other, been actuated 
by one desirable purpose, viz., to secure such a 
combination as shall perform the most work in 
the best way, and at the least expense. 
In these days, when glasshouses have become 
such an important element in our social and 
business life, without doubt the man who gives 
to us the very best boiler, because most tho¬ 
roughly complying with business conditions, is 
a public benefactor ; and although the number 
of the best must he limited, whilst those found 
wanting may he legion, yet the fact that all 
designers of boilers have wished to that end, 
justifies the assertion that each and all more or 
less are benefactors. Steam, in some instances, 
has displaced hot-water as the heating medium, 
but not to any appreciable extent; whilst the 
adaptability of steam to the heating of glass¬ 
houses is at present far from being obvious, 
indeed, we may say of hot-water, as it was said 
of something else the other day, “ It still holds 
the field.” Electricity has become the spoiled 
pet of science, and in many ways has revo¬ 
lutionised systems of lighting, and partly of 
locomotion. There seems no prospect, however, 
that this wondrous element of nature, as well 
as of mechanical genius, will ever supply us 
with heat, at least, artificially. It lacks the 
combustible nature of gas, and, therefore, emits 
little heat in its operations. Boiler makers, 
and, indeed, the hot-water heating fraternity at 
large, seems to have little to dread from the 
competition of electricity; indeed, as far as 
human capacity can discern, we shall have to 
depend upon fire in the form of combustion of 
some tangible elements or products for the 
production of heat artificially till the end of 
time. 
It is possible that the decadence of coal de¬ 
posits may materially affect boiler construction 
in the course of the coming century, hut present 
generations, probably, have little to dread on 
that account, and we may trust our descendants 
to be wise enough to take care of themselves. 
Our concern in mundane matters of necessity 
must be for the present only, and we have no 
cause for complaint that either the ingenuity of 
man or the forces of nature are not wisely em¬ 
ployed for the benefit of the human family. 
Hot-water heating may be superseded some- 
when, but at present hot-water holds the field, 
and we look with some hope that the coming 
Liverpool boiler competition may prove very 
helpful for horticulture, apart from all mere 
mechanical or formal considerations. 
-- 
GARDENING MISCELLANY. 
“ My Garden.” —We are requested to state that 
Mr. A. H. Smee’s beautiful garden at The Grauge, 
Hackbridge, Surrey, will be thrown open to visitors 
every day next week, and that anyone can walk through 
on leaving their names at the lodge. “My Garden” 
is only seven minutes walk from Hackbridge Station, a 
fact which should tempt many plant lovers residing 
beyond the home district to enjoy the pleasures which 
a visit will afford. 
The Smoke Nuisance.— A case of considerable 
importance to Nurserymen and Florists, was decided in 
the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court of 
Justice, before Mr. Justice Field and a Special Jury, on 
Monday. The plaintiff, Mr, Andrews, a nurseryman 
and florist at Temple Mills Lane, Stratford, sought to 
recover damages from the Great Eastern Railway Com¬ 
pany for injury alleged to have been done to his plants, 
and consequently to his business, by smoke from the 
company’s locomotive engines, through negligent 
management at their shunting ground near to his 
premises.—Mr. Crump, Q.C., Mr. Cock, Q.C., and 
Mr. Crispe were counsel for the plaintiff ; while Mr. 
Moulton, Q.C., and Mr, Douglas Walker were for the 
defendants.—The r defendants denied negligence and 
injury, pleading that if the plaintiff had suffered any 
damage it had arisen unavoidably in the carrying on 
of the company’s undertaking, and in the exercise by 
them of the powers conferred and the duties imposed 
upon them by Act of Parliament. A considerable 
amount of evidence having been given on both sides, 
the learned Judge summed up, and the jury, after con¬ 
sidering the matter for some time, returned a verdict 
for the plaintiff—damages £500 ; and his lordship gave 
judgment for the amount, with costs. 
The Coming- Provincial Show of The 
Royal Horticultural Society. —“An Old 
Fellow of the Society ” writes : The dense cloud that has 
so long hung over the fortunes of The Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society, seemed to many as though it never would 
roll by. Yet since it became known that the council 
had decided to again renew their provincial exhibitions, 
and that Liverpool was to be the scene of the renewal, 
well wishers of the Society have taken heart, and have 
hopes that these annual gatherings would be continued 
as they deserved to be, this being about the best work 
the Society can accomplish. But to continue, these 
exhibitions must be successful, and to be successful the 
council of the Society, and the committee who represent 
the locality where the show is held, require to pull 
together in perfect harmony. This is so obvious that 
it might be supposed no sane individual could fail to 
see it. Yet it appears that one member of the council 
has taken upon himself to interfere with the work of the 
Liverpool Committee, in a way that is anything but 
calculated to promote the requisite unity of action. 
It would be interesting to know whether the gentleman 
in question represents the council in this matter, or 
only himself. The latter is the most likely ; and it is 
one more evidence of the mistake the Fellows commit 
in not taking a more active part in nominating and 
electing representatives, who can be depended on to 
work loyally for the good of horticulture. Fortunately 
for the Society, during the long course of adversity it 
has gone through, there have always been some such of 
the council to represent it. 
Australian Fruits. —Another large shipment of 
fruit from South Australia and New South Wales has 
reached the market for colonial produce held in connec¬ 
tion with the Colonial and Indian Exhibition. It was 
brought over per the Orient liner Cuzco, and proved to be 
in excellent order. The South Australian consignment 
consists of a selection of Apples, Pears, Oranges, Grapes, 
Quinces, Almonds, Raisins, Currants, &c. A case of 
eleven Pears weighed no less than 311 lbs., five of them 
being 16f lbs. They -were shown in the South Austra¬ 
lian Court on the occasion of the recent visit of the 
Queen to the Exhibition, and were much admired by 
Her Majesty, the Prince of Wales and Princess Beatrice, 
to whom a basket of the fruit was presented. The 
shipment from New South Wales comprises twelve 
cases of various descriptions of Apples and Grapes from 
the district of Orange, packed on an improved system, 
which has resulted in a complete success. Some of 
these fruits were shown at a meeting of the Fruit 
Committee on Tuesday, and were greatly admired for 
their remarkably fine quality, especially three samples 
of Belle Angevine Pears from South Australia, the 
largest of which weighed 2 lbs. 151,- ozs., while the whole 
were highly coloured, The Apples, Quinces and black 
Grapes from New South Wales were highly commended, 
and the committee recommended that a Knightian 
Medal be placed at the disposal of Sir A. Stuart. 
The Camass of North America. —At a 
meeting of the Royal Botanic Society, held last Satur¬ 
day, Dr. Cogswell read a paper upon Camassia esculenta, 
the Camass of the North American Indians, a Lilaceous 
plant, whose bulbs were once a staple food of the 
aborigines of the western slope of the Rocky Mountains, 
though now it has given place in great measure to the 
white man's corn and vegetables. The season of 
flowering was held as a high festival by the tribes that 
assembled together to dig up the bulbs, the maiden who 
collected the greatest quantity being estimated the most 
eligible for matrimony. Specimens of the plant in 
flower from the Society’s garden were shown at the 
meeting. 
Thomson’s Vine and Plant Manure.—The 
little pamphlet relating to this, which Messrs. Wm. 
Thomson & Sons, of Clovenfords, Galashiels, N. B., sends 
gratis to all applicants, will be of especial benefit to all 
who need advice in plant and fruit culture at this season, 
when some stimulant of a more reliable nature than the 
crude mixture of seeds and insect germs usually known 
as rotten dung is essential. Of such, Messrs. Thomson 
say:—“The importance to which the cultivation of 
Grapes has attained in Britain could not have been con¬ 
templated fifty years ago. Yet we question if the true 
rationale of such cultivation is so generally understood 
as might be expected. We say generally, for there are 
many cultivators who have very little to learn on the 
subject. While, however, we too often see Vine borders 
covered over with farm yard_ manure in autumn, which 
is allowed to remain on the border till next autumn, we 
note one great mistake, for this mass of litter and dung 
keeps the vivifying rays of the sun out of the border, and 
also prevents the action of the atmosphere. The pores 
of the soil get clogged up, and it becomes sour, with the 
result that the roots go deep down into the border, in¬ 
stead of keeping near the surface, where it is most 
desirable they should be. At one time we thought it 
desirable that a little well made dung should'be mixed 
rvith the soil for Vine borders, but ranch more extended 
experience lias convinced us that to do so is a mistake, 
unless where the soil is very light and sandy. There 
is so little real Vine food in farm dung, and too much 
humus and inert matter, which merely clogs the pores 
of the soil, that it is best to avoid it. As a rule it en¬ 
courages the formation of large soft young roots, which 
nearly always perish during winter, and are not able to 
supply the Vine -with nourishment when most needed ; 
hence so much shanking where the Vines are otherwise 
strong.” To remedy this matter, which is, perhaps, 
the most prolific source of failure with amateurs, Messrs. 
Thomson advance the manure used by them in the 
celebrated Clovenfords Vineyard. What is good there 
should do anywhere, and proof is given in numerous 
high class testimonials. 
The Thames Bank Iron Company, Upper 
Ground Street, S. E., who deal in everything required 
in the arranging and fixing of hot-water apparatuses, 
and a good many other things of which iron is the 
component part, have just issued a new edition of their 
trade price list, which is elaborate^ illustrated and 
otherwise replete with information of the most useful 
character to all engaged in the business of hot-water 
heating. At p. 25 we note a most useful table, which 
gives the heating power in feet of 4-in. piping of some 
thirty-nine different sorts of boilers. 
Mr. Samuel Eliott (Lucombe Pince & Co.), 
Exeter, has been granted permission by the Board of 
Inland Revenue, to make experiments in the growth 
and curing of tobacco in the county of Devon. 
Ash Trees Destroyed by Lightning-.-W.M., 
Chadwell Heath, Essex, writes :—On Sunday morning 
last a heavy thunderstorm broke over this district, 
during which the lightning struck two Ash trees at 
Parsloes, splitting them up the middle, and stripping 
the bark clean off the holes to the height of about 15 
ft., and scattering it in small pieces to a distance of 
quite 40 yds. round the trees. Heavj r showers of rain 
fell subsequently, and rain is still falling. May 25th. 
- ->£-<- - 
SENDING PLANTS ABROAD. 
At the last meeting of the Edinburgh Botanical So¬ 
ciety, Mr. R. Lindsay, curator of the Edinburgh 
Botanic Garden, read the following paper on a method 
ot transmitting living plants abroad :—“The method 
usually adopted in transmitting living plants, par¬ 
ticularly where very long journeys have to be undergone, 
is to pack the plants in Wardian cases, i. c ., cases fitted 
with glasssashes, which,when closed are nearl}-air-tight. 
This is, no doubt, the best mode of conveying plants 
safely, provided they are properly attended to on the 
journey. To do so it is almost necessary for someone 
wlio understands the requirements of plant life, to take 
charge of the case, as, when sent without any special 
attention being paid to them, the results are frequently 
unsatisfactory. The dangers attending such structures 
appear to be want of ventilation and shading. The 
plants contained in them soon become drawn up and 
weakly in the steamy atmosphere of a close fitting case, 
and often arrive at their destination in a dying or dead 
condition. 
“One of the most successful importations of plants 
that I recollect of having seen was contained in a small 
wooden box sent to the garden from Australia by Baron 
von Mueller, in 1S66. The plants had been over three 
months on the journey, but were found to be in perfect 
