68 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 2, 1886. 
Amongst the new books announced for the coming 
season, we note one entitled “ Cucumber Chronicles,” 
which will be published by Messrs. Sampson, Low & Co. 
Messrs. Robert Yeitch & Son, Exeter, have been 
awarded the First Prize offered by the Town Council of 
Poole for the best design for laying out a recreation 
ground given to the town by Lord AVimborne. 
Olympia, the new National Agricultural Hall, close 
to Addison Road Station, Kensington, is to be opened 
in December, when the attraction Mill consist of 
representations by the Great Hippodrome, from Paris, 
with its entire staff of artistes, stud, &c. The building 
that has been erected covers four acres, and the ‘ ‘Gardens 
of Olympia ” will be eight acres in extent. 
A man named William Jackson, described as a gar¬ 
dener, has lately been in the habit of breaking into the 
Vineries attached to the residences of gentlemen living 
in the suburbs of Manchester, and stripping the Vines 
of the ripe fruit, which he sold at low prices in the 
city. Being brought up before the magistrates the 
other day, he was committed for trial on several 
charges. 
The Pharmaceutical Journal states that An Edible 
Fllngus, which is shown in the New Zealand depart¬ 
ment of the Colonial Exhibition (Hirneola polytricha), 
forms an article of considerable export to China, where 
it is used largely as an ingredient in soups, &c., and 
also as a dye for silks. It is imported from New Zea¬ 
land to the extent of about 100 tons per annum. This 
fact suggests that other objects of Chinese commerce 
might be worthy of cultivation in the colonies, such as 
the true Gingseng. Hirneola polytricha bears con¬ 
siderable resemblance to the Jew’s-ear fungus of this 
country, which is common on Elder trees in damp 
shady places. 
The papers to be read at the weekly meetings of the 
Leeds Paxton Society during the ensuing session, are as 
follows:—This(Saturday) evening,“The Maidenhair Fern 
and its Uses,” Mr. W. Grix, gardener to Sir Jas. Kitson, 
Bart., Gledhow ; October 16th, “Notes on Gardening : 
Some of its Difficulties,” Mr. J. Newman, gardener to 
Mrs. F. W. Kitson, Burley Hill ; October 30th, “Cul¬ 
tivation of the Pleione,” Mr. P. Massey, gardener 
to T. A. Titley, Esq., Gledhow ; November 13th, 
“General Principles of Gardening,” Mr. James Inman, 
Chapel-Allerton; November 27th, “ Mushroom Culture,” 
Mr. J. Bolton, gardener to — Walker, Esq., Hamble- 
ton House, Sliadwell ; December 11th, “ Critique on 
Molyneux’s Chrysanthemum Culture,” Mr. T. Garnett, 
gardener to Miss Mackie, St. John’s House, Wakefield. 
At a recent horticultural exhibition held in Phila¬ 
delphia, Messrs. Hugh Graham & Co. had a very large 
piece designed after the “ old mill ” at Newport, which 
was made at the request of the management. The 
stone-work was imitated by using Hydrangea pani- 
culata, which is very useful for the purpose, after it has 
become green with age. Asparagus tenuissimus was 
judiciously interspersed with the Hydrangea, which 
gave the floricultural structure a mossy-like appearance, 
and decidedly added to its]effectiveness. It is round in 
outline, 11 ft. across, and about 16 ft. high. In one 
window three wdiite pigeons were in natural positions, 
and in the other was an owl, looking down as only an 
owl can. The flowers which were used in the lower 
part of the mill were Asters, Carnations, Dahlias, and 
other showy flowers. It was placed in the centre of 
the hall, and visitors could pass in and about the design 
through the arches. 
Thomas Rivers. —I accompanied from Temple Place 
the eminent gardener, Mr. Thomas Rivers, to Leeds 
Castle, by invitation, to inspect a Peach border, in 
which the trees were in a most flourishing condition in 
respect to foliage and wood ; but they did not produce 
fruit. It was autumn, and this year my Peach trees at 
Temple Place bore abundantly. Mr. Rivers’ practised 
eye enabled him, in a moment, to name the different 
kinds. Tasting an Early Anne, he remarked, “now 
this is a Peach we consider quite second-rate, but here 
it is in perfection, and very delicious. It is ever the 
case ; fruits in high perfection, though of inferior 
kinds, will often beat the better sorts when not so well 
matured.” His knowledge of trees in general was as 
profound as his pomologieal learning. When walking 
with Mr. J. G. Waller to the Pont du Gard I gathered 
some berries of a stunted tree growing upon barren high 
ground, and laden with black clusters of fruit. The 
tree to us was a novelty, and so it was when I had 
reared it in my garden ; but the richer soil caused it to 
grow full ten feet high, and it never produced a berry. 
Mr. Rivers, in a moment, detected it in the shrubbery, 
and naming it, observed that he had not seen one for 
a long time. AYith him there were “ books in the run¬ 
ning brooks ; sermons in stones ; ” and his visits to 
me, and mine to him at Sawbridgeworth, were full of 
delight and information. AVe walked from Maidstone, 
reaching Leeds Castle early in the afternoon. After 
lunch we were introduced to the Peach border. It was 
of considerable length, and fully 8 ft. wide, stocked with 
trees of vigorous growth ; but totally without fruit. 
“I should imagine,” said Mr. Rivers, smiling, “that 
this Peach border must be a nice little annuity for some 
Maidstone gardener. I should like you, sir, to see 
Roach Smith’s Peach trees. I am not sure they have 
any borders at all; the roots of the trees are under 
gravel walks. Your trees are fed by rich earth, which 
promotes this exuberant growth of wood and causes 
barrenness in fruit. ” He then gave directions that the 
ground should be laid open ; that clay should be laid 
upon the roots after root-pruning, and that a gravel 
path should be made within a foot from the wall.— 
From Retrospections, Social and Archaeological , by 
Charles Roach Smith, F.S.A. 
-- 
PARK HILL, STREATHAM. 
This, the charming and conveniently-situated resi¬ 
dence of H. Tate, Esq., is, doubtless, veil known to 
many readers of The Gardening AA^orld, on account 
of the remarkable samples of Black Alicante Grape 
which are exhibited each year by Mr. Howe, the able 
gardener there, and the excellence of which may be 
judged from the fact of their having taken first honours 
at the Crystal Palace shows for three consecutive years. 
Having on several occasions seen the Park Hill Grapes 
on the exhibition table, I thought I should like to see 
the A r ines that produced them, and an opportunity 
for doing so recently presenting itself, I gladly availed 
myself of it, and certainly was well repaid for my visit. 
Never before have I seen so many large and beautifully 
coloured bunches on one A r ine. 
A single A r ine fills the whole house,' about 30 ft. 
long, the trunk being of enormous size, as also are 
several of the main branches that are trained at 
intervals under the roof. Some of the branches are 
pruned on the spur system, but young canes are 
annually laid in over various parts of the A'ine, which 
tend to keep it in a vigorous and healthy state, and 
also to produce some of the largest and best bunches. 
The system of gradually extending one or more Vines 
till the whole house is filled, is one that I think will be 
more generally adopted in the future, as'the splendid 
results that are obtained in this way speak volumes in 
its favour ; and it is an easy matter to plant super¬ 
numerary Vines, to be gradually cut away as the per¬ 
manent one extends. 
Many other things at Park Hill were worthy of more 
than passing notice, and during a hurried visit I had 
only time to notice those that struck me particularly 
when passing through the various structures which con¬ 
tained plants in first-rate condition, some of which were 
of such large size and so healthy in appearance, as to 
be worthy of a place among the best exhibition collec¬ 
tions. In the central bed of the stove was a grand plant 
of Davallia Mooreana, 5 ft. or 6 ft. over, and in perfect 
health, as well as several large plants of Adiantum con- 
cinnum. Growing in pots close up to the glass, was a 
fine collection of Adiantum cuneatum, with well- 
ripened fronds for cutting purposes. The conservatory 
contained many fine Palms; the most noteworthy 
among them being a very fine plant of Kentia Forster- 
iana, and another of Areca lutescens. 
Between two and three hundred Chrysanthemums are 
grown for producing large blooms, and although they 
are in smaller pots—7-in. and 8-in.—than are generally 
used for that purpose, the plants are in excellent health, 
carrying their foliage to the rim of the pots, and should 
not fail to perfect fine blooms. The flower garden, 
which surrounds the mansion, was gay with the usual 
assortment of bedding plants, single Dahlias making 
quite a display in one of the borders, and the well-kept 
lawn showing off the whole to advantage. In conclud¬ 
ing these few notes, I may state that the clean and 
orderly manner of everything’about the place bears testi¬ 
mony to the guiding hand of a skilful and systematic 
gardener.— H. Burikin. 
FRUIT NOMENCLATURE. 
The veteran American horticulturist, the Hon. 
Marshall P. AVilder, recently remarked at a meeting of 
the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, when opening 
a discussion on this subject:—In naming fruits we 
want to suppress all royal titles, such as emperor, king, 
or prince ; all political titles, such as president or 
governor ; all military titles, such as general, colonel, 
or captain ; all indelicate names, like Hogpen, Sheep- 
nose, and Big Bob ; all ostentatious names, such as 
Excelsior, Ne Plus Ultra, or Stump the AA'orld; and 
all long names like D.oyenne Gris d’Hiver, Nouveau, or 
Twenty-fifth Anniversary of Leopold the First; and 
also to strike off the hundreds of Beurres and Doyennes 
from the names of our Pears were it possible to do so, 
aud to write hereafter Anjou, Diel, and Boussoch, in 
place of Beurre d’Anjou, Beurre Diel, Doyenne Bous¬ 
soch, &c. There are, however, some instances, such 
as the old Beurre Gris and Doyenne Blanc, when the 
Beurre and Doyenne must be retained as the original 
types of certain classes. 
There are many other terms which have become un¬ 
meaning and useless, such as Pippin, applied to Apples, 
and Seedling, applied to certain varieties of all fruits, 
for all varieties are originally from seech The terms 
Favourite, Beauty, and Choice not being distinctive 
appellations, are better dispensed with in most in¬ 
stances ; but in some they must be retained, as in the 
case of Clapp’s Favourite Pear, because we have also 
the Frederick Clapp and Lemuel Clapp Pears. As 
regards Clapp’s Favourite, when it was introduced the 
Massachusetts Agricultural Club desired to possess 
the control of the variety aud give it its name, and 
authorised a committee to offer £200 for the stock ; but 
Thaddeus Clapp, who raised it, preferred to have it 
dedicated as it was, and a figure of the Pear is carved 
on his monument in Forest Hills Cemetery. 
Among Apples we have several Spitzenbergs, Russets, 
and similar names, which should be dispensed with as 
far as possible. The terms Doyenne, Bon Chretien, 
and Calebasse once had some reference to the forms of 
Pears, but they have never been adopted in naming 
American varieties, In the future we desire to use but 
one word for the name of a fruit, as with the Baldwin 
Apple, the Bartlett Pear, the Concord Grape, and other 
renowned fruits, which will be perpetually known by 
appropriate and easily remembered names. In a word, 
we desire to establish a system of nomenclature which 
shall be pure and plain in its diction, pertinent and 
proper in its application, and an example not only to 
our_own, but to other countries. 
-- 
THE ARDISIAS. 
Ardisia crenulata has long been a cultivated plant 
in gardens for decorative purposes, its compact habit of 
growth, bright evergreen leaves, and brilliant scarlet 
berries being most attractive’. It is also a favourite with 
many for room decoration, but is not nearly so much 
used for this purpose as it deserves to be. In many 
private gardens, too, the most is not made of such a 
thoroughly useful subject, the simple method of raising 
it from seeds not being perhaps sufficiently understood. 
Many propagate it by cuttings of the young shoots, 
but these do not make half such neat plants as those 
obtained from seeds sown early in the year, and grown 
on in the stove into 48-pots. The main point in their 
cultivation as'seedlings is to be particularly careful that 
they are not allowed to get dry while in the small pots. 
In some of the market gardens they are grown in con¬ 
siderable numbers in this way, but we do not remember 
to have seen a nicer lot than Messrs. J. R. Pearson & 
Sons have in their nursery at Chilwell, near Notting¬ 
ham, and which, we believe, are sold mainly for room 
decoration. There is also a white-berried variety of 
A. crenulata, but it is not much grown. 
A few years ago another handsome species was intro¬ 
duced from Costa Rica, and named, in honour of Prof. 
Oliver, of the Herbarium at Kew, Ardisia Oliveri. It 
is a handsome plant, and distinct both in habit and 
general appearance from A. crenulata, but at present is 
not much known. Another species, more distinct still 
from any others, has been put into commerce this 
season by Sir. AAhlliam Bull. This is A. picta, an in¬ 
troduction from Brazil, with prettily variegated foliage, 
the petiolate, elongate, lance-shaped leaves being of a 
dark bronze-green colour, with silvery variegation in 
the centre, as shown in the accompanying illustration. 
It is a pretty novelty, and should take high rank 
amongst fine-foliaged plants. 
