808 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 15, 1887. 
residing in them; whilst good roads attract 
visitors, and in that way promote the prosperity 
of the localities. Our best and most prosperous 
towns have the best kept streets, our best and 
most effectively governed of rural districts have 
the best kept highways; indeed, we may take 
it for granted that roads of any kind form a 
fair criterion of the condition of local govern¬ 
ment in the locality, and, perhaps, also of 
the average amount of intelligence which 
governs it. 
Our present system of road management is 
of the most chaotic form, because in the hands 
of such diverse bodies, and so many. In rural 
districts, where the parishes of a union have 
formed themselves into a highway district, a 
fairly competent surveyor has the control; hut 
in parishes managing their own roads, the work 
is in the hands of some farmer, or two, who 
simply patch and mend as best they can, and 
are always guided by motives of economy, they 
being, perhaps, the largest ratepayers. Local 
boards and corporations manage their roads, 
and county authorities have control over bridges 
and certain other appurtenances to highways ; 
in fact, we find road management to be as 
mixed as the most ardent lover of confusion in 
government can desire. Of course, roads are a 
somewhat heavy burthen upon ratepayers ; and 
so long as the cost is laid upon the rates, it is 
but fair that the ratepayers should have control. 
As evidence, however, of the varying and 
irregular methods of maintenance, we may point 
to the Government subsidy, constituting one- 
fourth of the entire cost of maintaining old 
disturnpiked highways, provided such highway 
is accepted by the county surveyor, the county 
authority upon receipt of his certificate paying 
also from the county rates one-half the cost. 
Hence the parish direct has to provide but one- 
fourth the cost of the highways, the rest coming 
in this piecemeal and roundabout fashion. 
Highway rates form a somewhat heavy 
burthen upon land, although land derives a 
very appreciable benefit from good roads. 
Eealising this burthen, a former Government 
gave the sum of £250,000 annually towards 
the cost of maintenance of disturnpiked high¬ 
ways, until some broad national scheme for 
local government becomes law ; and when that 
is the case, it is hoped that certain taxes may 
be allocated in relief of rates as a preferential 
method of dealing with local expenditure to 
granting subsidies from the imperial revenue. 
The various highway authorities which exist, 
show, amongst other things, how desirable it is 
that some tangible and thoroughly representative 
system of local government for the rural districts 
should be established. 
As horticulturists, we may be assumed to 
have little to do with the general character of 
roads, or with their various methods of manage¬ 
ment ; but there are elements of management, 
nevertheless, which merit our attention. Good 
hard clean roads, and broad, well-faced foot¬ 
paths, are essential features, but in any locality 
they are hard features; indeed, few things, 
perhaps, are more wanting in beauty or pic¬ 
turesqueness than hard, straight, level roads. 
But the gardener’s art could lend some charm 
to them, especially those running through flat 
monotonous districts. First, the gardener de¬ 
sires to see on either side broad expanses of 
green herbage, which give relief to the glare of 
the dusty road, and adds a pleasant touch of 
nature. Perhaps the gardener, being endowed 
with a love for tidiness and order, would prefer 
to see neatly-trimmed hedgerows bordering the 
highways ; but the sluggard’s untidy, un¬ 
trimmed, overrun, and wild-looking hedgerows 
would, by the laws of nature, be pronounced 
the most pleasing. Bat hedgerows of this 
latter kind seldom assist in the preservation of 
good roads, whilst promoting vermin, and pro¬ 
voking mischief and damage. 
But all gardeners, and, indeed, all lovers of 
beauty, would desire to see our roads, where- 
ever possible, partly sheltered and pleasantly 
decorated by trees, which obviously must be in 
lines, but whether straight or otherwise must 
be dependent necessarily upon the form of the 
road. Sinuous or curved roads, whilst the 
most pleasing, are far from being the most 
useful, as the more direct the better for the 
objects of travellers. Still, something is due 
to our innate love of the beautiful ; and sinu¬ 
osities and undulations, if annoying to those 
in a hurry, are yet very pleasant to those who 
use roads for the purpose of enjojung the beauty 
of the country. It may be that so far we have 
done little in the past to assist the traveller 
who is in search of pleasure in this way. How 
many objects of interest or of special charm 
do high hedges or other useless interpositions 
shut out from the eyes of seekers after the 
beautiful 1 Were earnest efforts made through¬ 
out the kingdom, in any new syste'm of road 
management whilst improving the roads, to add 
to their charms, and form them so as to enable 
travellers to see beautiful objects or scenes, 
how much might thus be done to attract our 
wealthier classes to seek for pleasure in holiday 
seasons in perambulating the rural districts of 
their own country, rather than in seeking for 
the pleasures and excitement of danger amidst 
foreign scenery. 
Roads leading over wastes, heaths or com¬ 
mons too often display only dreary desolation; 
these judicious planting might beautify. Roads 
running through meads, woods or forests abound 
in natural beauty, but still would in numerous 
cases become of greater interest if the gar¬ 
dener’s art were employed in thinning trees, 
bringing out prominent specimens or groups, or 
in developing beautiful objects or scenery. 
The gardener’s art is a broad one, and may well 
embrace even road management. 
-- 
Mr. Edmund P. Dixon, founder of the nursery and 
seed business at Hull, so long associated with his name, 
died on the 2nd inst, aged 82 years. 
Me. James Watt, of the firm of Messrs. Little & 
Ballantyne, Carlisle, has been elevated to the dignity 
of a magistrate for the city of Carlisle. 
Mr. H. J. Jones, of the Hope Nursery, Lewisham, 
has joined Mr. Norman Davis, of Camberwell, in part¬ 
nership, and the new firm will trade under the title of 
Davis & Jones. 
The nursery business at Edinburgh, formerly carried 
on by Messrs. Peter Lawson & Son, and subsequently 
by the Lawson Seed and Nursery Co., is in the private 
sale list. 
Mr. Edwin Lonsdale, who was for some time at 
Enville under Mr. S. Taplin, and who went to America 
a few years ago, has recently been elected recording 
secretary to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. 
The dates of the three exhibitions of the Royal 
Oxfordshire Horticultural Society, to be held 
this year, have been fixed as follow's :—June 21st, 
July 28th and September 8th. 
Mn. Watson, sub-curator of the Royal Gardens, 
Kew, sailed from Southampton, on Thursday, for the 
Cape. Mr. Watson is taking the trip for the benefit 
of his health, and we sincerely trust that the holiday 
may have the result desired. 
Messrs. Edward Webb & Sons, Wordsley, offer 
Special Prizes for competition this year at no less 
than eighty-three horticultural societies’ exhibitions in 
various parts of the country, and some eight classes 
are allocated to the Royal Horticultural Society. The 
prizes range in value from 63s. to 5s., and, with one or 
two exceptions, are offered for vegetables. 
Thursday was a wretched day for enjoying the 
beauties of Orchids, nevertheless there was a good 
show of well-flow'ered plants at Stevens’ Rooms. 
Specially fine were the many varieties of Lselia aneeps, 
Odontoglossum crispum and O. Rossii majus. Among 
the O. crispums was a small plant, with nicely rounded 
richly spotted flowers — a very pretty tiling. 
At the meeting of the Fruit and Floral committees, 
at South Kensington, on Tuesday, votes of condolence 
were passed to the family of the late Me. Thomas 
Moore ; and it was also agreed, with the consent of 
Mrs. Moore, that a monument to his memory should be 
erected in Brompton Cemetery. The subscription is 
to be limited to one guinea, and Mr. Harry Yeitch has 
kindly consented to act as treasurer, and Dr. Masters 
as secretary. 
A Surrey paper records the fact that Mr. Waite, 
gardener to the Hon. Col. Talbot, Glenhurst, Esher, 
won at various exhibitions during last year, no less than 
108 prizes, and many of them, especially in vegetable 
classes, against strong competition. These include 
fifty-six first prizes, thirty second, twenty third and 
two fourth. Glenhurst is not a large place, but this 
remarkable run of luck, if it may be so termed, shows 
pretty well that the cultivation given must be of the 
best, for in many of the competitions only the highest 
quality W'ould have won. 
On Tuesday next, the first general meeting of the 
recently formed Bilston Gardeners’ Association 
will be held, w'hen prizes will be awarded for four 
dishes of vegetables, three Leeks and three Parsnips 
respectively; and in the evening, a lecture on the 
cultivation of Potatos for exhibition, will be delivered 
by Mr. J. H. Knight. 
Window Dressing is alluded to in a recent issue of 
a Manchester evening paper as an interesting and 
valuable industry that has sprung up ; and after the 
draper, says the writer, the man who has the best 
opportunities is the market gardener. There is a 
wealth in vegetation which, as a rule, is put to the 
best use. The gardener w'ho has a thoroughly intelli¬ 
gent appreciation of his profession is one of nature’s 
artists ; he has chances of study of colours which no 
other man can rival, and he is able to give that true 
rendering of what all artists struggle after—representing 
the real. Of all men of an artistic temperament the 
horticulturist is to be envied. 
At a committee meeting of the National Auricula 
(southern section), Primula, and Picotee and Car¬ 
nation Societies held on Tuesday, the Rev. H. H. 
D’Ombrain was unanimously elected chairman of com¬ 
mittees, in place of the late Mr. Thomas Moore ; and 
Dr. Hogg was appointed auditor in conjunction with 
Mr. Harry J. Veitch. The prizes offered by the trustees 
of the Turner Memorial fund were accepted with 
thanks ; but the suggestion that something he done 
to commemorate the Jubilee year was not adopted, as 
it was thought best to leave the matter to be dealt 
with by the Royal Horticultural Society. The balance 
in favour of the National Auricula Society was stated 
to be £27 Is. id. ; that against the Carnation and 
Picotee Society being 16s. 1(7. 
We are informed that the usual monthly dinner and 
conversazione of The Horticultural Club were held 
on Tuesday last, at which there was a large and 
influential gathering of the members. The Hon. and 
Rev. J. T. Boscawen was chairman, and the subject for 
discussion was the Royal Horticultural Society. A 
very animated discussion followed the introduction of 
the subject by the chairman, who stated that he was 
sure that the utmost confidence might be reposed m 
the council. A very strong desire to be of use to the 
society was expressed by all present, and a sub-com¬ 
mittee was appointed to take the whole matter into 
consideration, to consist of Mr. H. J. Yeitch, chairman ; 
Mr. A. H. Pearson, vice-chairman ; Dr. Masters, 
Messrs. Geo. Deal, Arnold Moss, H. J. Pearson, 
Francis Rivers, H. Herbst, and Wm. Bull, with power 
to add to their number. 
The Sheffield and West Riding Chrysanthemum 
Society held its second annual dinner on Tuesday 
evening the 10th inst., at the Clarence Hotel, Sheffield, 
Mark Firth, Esq., president, being in the chair. Lip- 
wards of fifty members and subscribers sat down to an 
excellent dinner, after which an enjoyable evening was 
spent. Mr. W. R. Woodcock, the honorary secretary, 
read the annual report and balance sheet, which showed 
that the society was in a favourable position. The 
next show was fixed for the 18th and 19th of November, 
in the Corn Exchange, and Mr. Firth and Mr. Jeffcock 
each promised £5 towards the prize list. It is the 
intention of the committee to offer, in addition to the 
money prize, a Challenge Cup in the open class for cut 
blooms. Mr. Broomhead, the treasurer, informed the 
