202 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
Xovember 26, 1887. 
September they will divide into a great many. I did 
tliis with my plants at the end of September, and 
planted them out in a deeply dug bed, placing some 
good soil from the potting bench about the roots. 
They have done well ; and, despite the treacherous 
autumn weather, have grown into excellent stuff, and 
will flower early in the spring. 
I think the Pansy will always be a favourite flower ; 
but those who undertake to grow it should commence 
with a few good sorts. I am greatly in favour of getting 
plants from the north, they seem to be of such a hardy, 
vigorous constitution. Northern growers like Messrs. 
R. B. Laird & Sons and Mr. John Downie, of Edin¬ 
burgh ; and Mr. John Forbes, of Hawick, among 
others, would make a selection of a dozen or so of good 
varieties to start with. Now is a good time of the year 
to get them. Young plants would travel well wrapped 
in paper, with soft moist moss about their roots ; and, 
when received, it is well to pot them, and winter them 
in a cold frame, planting out in early spring in good 
soil, as soon as the weather will admit. Also let the 
grower endeavour to get a few good pods of seed from 
some of the best sorts, and he will find additional 
pleasure in raising a few seedlings annually, even 
though nothing should greet his eyes that will be an 
improvement upon the named varieties he already 
possesses.— R. D. 
-->X<-- 
Hardening Miscellany. 
Horticultural Societies.—I see that you hint 
at the possibility of developing a new National Horti¬ 
cultural Society out of the Chrysanthemum Society, if 
the present National Society should fall to pieces, as it 
seems not unlikely that it may do ; but do not let any 
of your readers deceive themselves into thinking that 
if the present society does fall to pieces they will ever 
see another really National Society. The work of a 
horticultural society, to be national, must embrace a 
far wider field than having a few flower shows in 
London. I have always thought that it should embrace 
more than the Royal Horticultural Society has ever 
accomplished ; but it has, nevertheless, done, and still 
is doing at Chiswick, much work of real value to horti¬ 
culturists throughout England, which I am quite 
certain that no new society would be in a position to 
undertake, and which never will be undertaken if the 
present society be broken up. You may be quite sure 
that neither I nor many throughout the country who 
have endeavoured to support and render efficient the 
present society would ever subscribe to, or take the 
least interest in, a new one. At the same time, I 
think it very probable that the present society 
may break up. It is the habit of Englishmen 
to fritter aw'ay their efforts in small independent 
bodies, rather than combine extensively for any 
large purpose, and I look upon it that the Chry¬ 
santhemum Society, the Rose Society, the Pelar¬ 
gonium Society, the Botanic Society, and all the little 
local horticultural societies are continually doing every¬ 
thing in their power to make a national horticultural 
society impossible, and I think that they have pretty 
well succeeded in doing so.— C. TV. Strickland , 
Hildenley, Malton. [We do not agree with Sir Charles 
Strickland’s opinion, that if the R. H. S. should be 
dissolved we shall never see another really national 
society ; on the contrary, we believe that a strong and 
useful national society can be established, but it will 
never be done, nor will the R. H. S. be resuscitated by 
the council of the society as at present constituted. 
We entirely agree with our correspondent as regards 
the good work done at Chiswick. It is on account of 
what has been done in the past, and the capabilities of 
the old garden for doing even better work in the future, 
if managed by a council representing all branches of 
horticulture, that so many of the old supporters of 
the society would regret that, through the collapse of 
the society, the gardens might probably be lost too. 
But does our correspondent know that the greatest 
enemies of the Chiswick establishment are to be found 
on the present council, and that there is a rumour 
afloat, which we fear is not without foundation, that it 
has been lately seriously proposed to destroy the Yines 
in the large vinery, and even to pull down the house ? 
As to the formation of the special societies, which all 
good horticulturists deplore equally -with our corre¬ 
spondent, we may ask, who is more responsible for this 
than the council of the R. H. S. I —Ed.] 
The Apprentice System. — I don’t quite 
agree with the statement made by “W. J. G.,” at p. 170, 
that young men are not qualified at the end of three 
years to be styled journeymen. It depends greatly, I 
think, on the place in which the young man served his 
apprenticeship, and also upon what sort of master he 
had. If every young man could get into a garden 
where he could get an insight into the routine of each 
department, I would quite hold with the four years 
system ; but for one apprentice who is so fortunate, 
there are twenty who serve three years in places where 
there is little glass, and who very rarely, if ever, have 
anything to do with it. I think myself it is rather 
selfish for any gentleman or gardener to engage a young 
man, and pretend to learn him the business, where the 
gardener knows there is little about the place for him 
to learn. A gardener will not engage an apprentice 
under seventeen years of age ; then the gentleman pays 
him 6s. or 7s. a week, and he must do his work with a 
journeyman or garden labourer, as the case may be. 
The most I got to do in my three years was digging, 
cleaning up rubbish, and such-like—the same thing 
over and over again. At the end of that time I was 
put out in the world to find a situation for myself, 
with the name of a journeyman. I think “ AY. J. C.” 
will agree with me that, in such a case, three years is 
quite long enough. I entirely agree with “AY. J. C.” 
as to the value of the horticultural associations ; but 
am sorry to say that six young gardeners could not be 
got to form an association in this neighbourhood. 
However, I have a good master, and he gives me very 
useful lessons, for which he will always have my esteem 
and respect. — A Young Gardener. 
Bambusa Fortunei. —The normal or green form 
of this pigmy tufted Japanese Bamboo has not been 
introduced to cultivation, and the variety most 
commonly grown under this name should be named 
B. F. variegata, or B. F. argenteo-vittata, from the 
fact that the leaves are distinctly striped with broad 
creamy or silvery white bands, varying in colour, of 
course, with the age of the young growth. There is 
also a golden yellow variety in cultivation, named 
B. F. aurea, which is also a useful plant when well 
grown. Their value is greatly enhanced by their being 
perfectly hardy in the southern counties of this 
island, while at the same time they are useful adjuncts 
to the conservatory or greenhouse, where they serve 
to lighten up the occupants of those structures when 
flowers are not over plentiful. Freely grown plants 
make useful decorative stuff for the dwelling-house in 
winter, when plants of a more tender kind would be 
ruined by a short stay. The silvery white striped 
form is grown at Rarkside, Ravenscourt Park, Hammer¬ 
smith, where Air. Aitken has to supply a considerable 
quantity of decorative material. 
The Common Berberis and the Common 
Spindle Tree. —AA T hat a pretty sight the common 
Berberry (Berberis vulgaris) has been this autumn, 
with its clusters of red coral-like berries ! The clusters 
of fruit have been more numerous than usual, owing, I 
suppose, to the fine summer we have had. Although 
only a common shrub, it is worth a place in the mixed 
shrubbery border, as bushes of it looking out among 
evergreens are very effective when in fruit. The fruit 
is said to make a very fine jelly. The common Spindle 
tree (Euonymus Europseus) is another pretty little tree 
in autumn, with its pale crimson capsules and scarlet- 
coloured covering to the seeds, and should find a place 
in the mixed shrubbery border. They both help to 
brighten up the scene when most of our flowers have 
passed away.— J. Robertson, Cowdenknowes. 
Cauliflower, Methven’s Extra Selected 
Forcing. —The remarks of Air. Dean on early 
Cauliflowers (p. 186) would lead one to suppose that 
this one is not new. I have grown it for the last two 
years as such, and have found no proof to the contrary. 
I have grown Snowball, but not for two years, so not 
having grown them together I would not hazard an 
opinion as to which was the earliest. Aletliven’s Extra 
Selected Forcing was thought the better of the two, and 
with me it was more dwarf and compact, and had 
heads more globular in shape than those of Snow T ball. 
It is of fine medium size, pure white, of the best 
quality, and is undoubtedly a fine Cauliflower.— J. 
Robertson, Cowdenknowes. 
Tuberous-rooted Begonias as Winter- 
flowering Plants. —That this section of the great 
genus of Begonia may be treated as winter-flowering 
plants we had ample evidence at Twickenham, the 
other day, when Henry Little, Esq., Baronsholt, 
Twickenham, exhibited a group of plants at the local 
show. They were comparatively young and dwarf 
specimens, well furnished with healthy foliage and 
flowering magnificently. Considering the young or 
small state of the plants, the individual flowers were 
all that could be desired in the matter of size, being 
several inches across ; but the colours were simply 
superb, and seemed to be intensified in the waning 
light of the autumn and the absence of fierce sunlight. 
AA'e have noticed the same phenomenon in brightly- 
coloured and scarlet Pelargoniums when flowered in 
winter. The liveliness and charming effect produced 
by the Begonias mentioned when the show-room was 
lit up with gas may be more easily imagined than 
described. Although the Chrysanthemum was the 
reigning queen amongst flowers in the hall, a corner 
was rendered very attractive and gay by the brilliant 
flowers of the Begonias at this unwonted season. 
Bocconia frutescens. —A'ery few of the Poppy 
family find their way into our hothouses, and this is 
one of the few that require that protection, and to 
which the favour is extended. Still less, we presume, 
of the Poppyworts are sufficiently ornamental in the 
foliage to rank as decorative plants on that account, 
although we must not ignore the beauty and utility of 
B. cordata for sub-tropical gardening. The species 
under notice has oblong-elliptic, deeply and beau¬ 
tifully lobed or cut leaves, which are glaucous on 
the underside, and clothed with coarse white hairs. 
Being a native of Alexico it requires, at least, the 
protection of a greenhouse in this country, and, from 
what we have seen of it at Tower House, Chiswick, it 
thrives admirably in a warm or intermediate tempera¬ 
ture, meriting house room as an ornamental-foliaged 
plant. The plant in question first made its appearance 
as a seedling on or amongst the pseudo-bulbs of some 
newly imported Cattleyas. Air. Bones noted the 
stranger, and, having potted it off, kept a watchful 
eye over it, until now it forms a handsome foliage plant 
of rare merit about 15 ins. in height. As yet no 
lateral branches have been developed, but the in¬ 
dividual leaves are of great size and beauty. 
Primulas at the Birmingham Show.— 
Never have I seen such a fine display of Chinese 
Primulas as those recently shown at this exhibition. 
Special prizes are offered by the rival seedsmen as well 
as those by the society; and as they are numerous and 
substantial, a good display of all the leading kinds are 
brought together. Birmingham has long been noted 
for the culture of this popular winter flower, and its 
reputation has been more than fully sustained this 
year, some 400 to 500 plants being displayed, many of 
which were from 2 ft. to 3 ft. through, and magnificently 
flowered. Unfortunately, one strong competitor’s 
plants got severely frost-bitten and were withdrawn. 
Had they arrived safely, the difficulty of making the 
awards would have been greater. Almost every good 
variety known was well represented, and it took a deal 
of time and the closest of scrutiny to make the awards. 
It is gratifying that the decision of the judges gave the 
greatest satisfaction. This they will be pleased to hear, 
for a more difficult task of judging florists’ flowers could 
not possibly have presented itself, as both doubles and 
singles were represented by numerous grand examples 
of cultivation.— Rusticus. 
Destruction of Wasps. — The past wasp 
season has been a long and very troublesome one, 
causing great destruction to fruit of all kinds. Nests 
were very numerous in the woods here, and were 
troublesome to get at. Those that could be found were 
destroyed with very little trouble by pouring about 
half a pint of gas-tar into the nest-liole, then stopping 
it up with a little cotton wadding or any other soft 
material. In this simple way the nest was effectually 
destroyed, without the trouble of digging out; but 
even after this was done, the wasps came to the gardens 
in perfect clouds, and threatened destruction to all 
fruit in the place. As necessity is the mother of in¬ 
vention, I procured a quantity of preserve bottles, and 
filled them half full of sour beer and sugar ; in this 
way I caught a great many, but a great part of those 
that went in filled themselves, and then walked up the 
sides of the bottles and escaped. To prevent this, I 
rolled a slip of tin into a tube which fitted the neck, 
and opened into the empty part of the bottle above the 
beer. The capture was then complete, for every wasp 
and fly that entered the bottle was a prisoner, with no 
way of escape. In this manner I destroyed wasps at 
the rate of three quarts a day for several days. This 
left us masters of the situation, and the dead wasps 
were turned to good account. AYe have a large pond in 
the gardens here, into which two thousand Loch Leven 
trout were put some two years since. The wasps were 
thrown in deep water from a bridge, and, being fiUed 
with sugar, they all sank to the bottom. It was a re¬ 
markable sight to see the eagerness of the fish, tumbling 
