580 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 12, 1888. 
The Gardeners’ Orphan Fund.—We are pleased to 
hear that the Duke of Bedford has kindly given his 
consent for an evening fete to be held at an early date 
in the Flower Market, Covent Garden, in aid of the 
funds of this charity. We hope to be able to give 
further particulars in our next. 
The Eceles, Patricroft, and Pendleton Chry¬ 
santhemum Show is announced to take place on 
November 16th and 17th. 
The Italian Exhibition. — We understand that 
Messrs. Carter k Co., who supplied the Grass seeds 
that produced the beautiful lawns at the American 
Exhibition last year, have been requested to supply the 
whole of the requirements at the forthcoming Italian 
Exhibition. The same firm’s Invicta Lawn Seeds are 
also being sown exclusively at the Anglo-Danish 
Exhibition, South Kensington, to be opened on Monday 
by Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. 
A High-priced Orchid.—At the sale of the first 
portion of the late Mr. John Day’s collection, at Messrs. 
Stevens’ Booms on Wednesday, a plant catalogued 
as Cypripedium Stonei platytsenium, with two leads 
and twelve leaves, was sold for 152 guineas ; but 
as there was a doubt as to its genuineness Mr. Stevens 
gave a guarantee that should it flower within three 
years and prove not to be true, it can be returned. So 
far as we know, this is the first instance of an Orchid 
being sold under similar conditions. 
The Late Mr. Day’s Collection of Orchids.—■ 
At the sale of the first portion of the Tottenham 
collection at Stevens’ Rooms on Wednesday, besides the 
high-priced Cypripedium above alluded to, good prices 
generally were realised for the various lots, the best 
perhaps being the following :—Cattleya exoniensis, 11 
guineas ; C. Skinneri, 10 guineas; C. Reineckiana, 
11 guineas ; C. Wagneri, £15 4s. 6d. ; Cypripedium 
Morgan®, £35 14s. ; Yanda Lowii, 10 guineas ; 
Cypripedium orphanum, £29 ; C. Sallieri, £14 ; C. 
Curtisii, 14 guineas; C. osnanthum, 11 guineas; C. 
preestans, 20 guineas ; C. Charles Canham, £34 13s. ; 
C. Curtisii and C. Harrisianum superbum, £20 ; and 
C. Arthurianum, 20 guineas. 
The Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, M.P., visited 
the show—or what was so-called—of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society, at the Drill Hall, Westminster, 
shortly after four o’clock on Tuesday afternoon last. 
The attendance was then—as it had been all day—very 
scanty, not more than forty persons being present, and 
the right hon. gentleman had inspected half the 
exhibits before he was recognised. Mr. Graham, the 
assistant secretary, was the only representative of the 
governing body present, and his attention being called 
to Mr. Chamberlain’s presence, the statesman was taken 
in charge. Having regard to the general ignorance of 
his person shown, and also to the moderate character of 
“the show,” allied to the scanty attendance, Mr. 
Chamberlain may well have ejaculated, for himself and 
the society, “ Such is fame.” 
Spring Flowers in London Gardens.—Londoners 
may not have the rural character of the country in their 
parks and public gardens, but they have at least very 
much of garden beauty, no equivalent for which can 
be found in woods, commons, or country lanes. Much 
of this, too, they have at the cost of the entire nation, 
whilst other towns have to maintain their own parks 
and gardens from local charges. We particularly draw 
attention to the beautiful display of Tulips seen in 
Palace Gardens, Westminster, during the last week or 
two ; grand beds of Proserpine (rosy lake), Vermilion 
Brilliant, Yellow Prince, Joost van Yondel (rosy red), 
Keizer Kroon (scarlet and yellow), Comte de Mirabeau 
(pure white), and Globe de Rigaud (purple and 
white), having made a beautiful show. Similar dis¬ 
plays might have been seen in several public parks in 
the metropolis, and in the gardens on the Thames 
Embankment, where the beds of Hyacinths, during the 
last fortnight, have especially been grand. 
The Moon’s Influence upon Vegetation.—A com¬ 
mittee has been appointed by His Excellency Sir Wm. 
Robinson, K.C.M.G., Governor of Trinidad, to de¬ 
termine what influence (if any) the moon exercises on 
plant life during its different phases. The light, heat, 
and gravitation of the moon are taken into consideration, 
and also whether it has any influence on the diurnal 
variations of electricity. Members of this committee 
are—and others, if they feel so inclined—to submit 
papers on the subject for discussion. The sun is calcu¬ 
lated to give 618,000 times as much light as the moon, 
but only 82,000 times as much heat. Seeing that 
plants can accommodate themselves to a considerable 
variety of temperature, it cannot be conceived that 
17 millionths of a centigrade degree would influence 
them very much ; yet this is all the heating power 
exercised by the moon during its first quarter. When 
the moon is full, the temperature is raised 94 millionths 
of one degree. With regard to moonlight, it is sug¬ 
gested to make experiments by sowing seeds in the 
dark, and exposing the plants to the light of the moon 
only. So far, the results of the inquiry have not shown 
that the moon has any material influence on vegetation. 
FertUisation of Tigridia and Hippeastrum.—At 
the meeting of the Scientific Committee, on Tuesday, 
a paper was read on this subject from Dr. Bonavia, in 
which he described how bees search for the nectar 
under each edge of the inner petals of Tigridia ; but 
as they do not touch the stamens and pistil they 
must have discovered the concealed glands through 
scent, and so rifle the flower, just as ants do, without 
pollinating it. Hippeastrum is fertilised by pollen¬ 
seeking bees or bee-like insects in India. One kind 
of bee balances itself on the wing opposite the tuft 
of anthers, and then, suddenly making a sort of 
somersault among them, brushes off the pollen with 
the hairs of its body, when the stigma gets dusted 
all over with pollen. A second kind after balancing 
itself, by a sudden movement brushes off the pollen 
with the hairs of its legs. Lastly, a third kind of 
bee settles on the anthers, scoops out and devours 
everv grain of pollen. After alluding to the fact that 
some flies are also pollen-eaters, the author suggests 
that certain humming-birds provided with feathers 
on the feet may possibly be the true fertilisers of 
Hippeastrum in its native country. In the course of 
a discussion which followed it was pointed out that 
humming-birds hover over the flowers and perforate 
them with their beaks, and hence that the tufts of 
feathers on the legs of some of the species are not likely 
to act as pollen-brushes. Mr. Morris related how in 
Jamaica the humming-birds, which at first had not 
attacked the flowers, suddenly began to split the tubes 
of the Cinchona flowers, and thus ensured the fertili¬ 
sation of the flower. Mr. Burbidge called attention to 
the fact, that in South America the Scarlet Runner 
does not set its fruit, but in this country it fruits freely 
owing to the bees, which bore through the base of the 
flower —a curious illustration of a foreign flower 
rendered fertile by the agency of British bees. 
-->=eo- 
VEGETABLE COOKERY.* 
"We are indebted to the Messrs. Sutton & Sons, of 
Reading, for a copy of their valuable little essay on 
The Art of Preparing Vegetables for the Table, which 
being largely extracted from their Amateurs’ Guide of 
several years since, and now published in book form, 
cannot but prove a very useful aid to the cook and 
housewife, in enabling them to understand fully the 
first principles of cookery as applied to vegetables. 
Although we have termed the book an essay, yet it is 
rather a series of culinary excerpts under the respective 
headings which each vegetable supplies. Very useful 
especially are the references to many vegetables seldom 
used in ordinary cookery, chiefly, perhaps, because 
their methods of treatment in the kitchen are little 
understood. All cooks claim to know how to cook 
Potatos, Peas, Beans, Cabbages, &c., because they are 
common garden products ; but all, by no means, know 
how to treat them so as to preserve their flavour and 
freshness to the utmost. 
Few things are more pleasing when properly cooked, 
and none are more wholesome as food, than well- 
prepared and admirably-served vegetables; and in 
these days of schools of cookery, when too much 
attention is being given to meats, soups, puddings, 
stews, &c., it is well that some simple but emphatic 
testimony should be borne to the value of cookery as 
applied to garden products. We may, perhaps, disagree 
with the book when it advises the cooking of Potatos 
in their skins, as apart from the astringent flavour of 
the latter, which affects the Potatos, the paring of the 
tubers after they have been cooked is an objectionable 
practice. A practical cook can always dish up good 
Potatos when peeled before cooking as a vegetable fit 
for a king. However, this is a small matter as compared 
with the generalised information which the book gives, 
for some fifty kinds of vegetables are referred to, and 
their proper preparation described. The Messrs. 
Sutton & Sons deserve great praise for this little pub¬ 
lication, and we hope they will find ample reward in 
the popularity of the book. 
* The Art of Preparing Vegetables .for the Table. By 
Button & Sons, Reading. 
THE CULTURE OF TOMATOS. 
As a profitable enterprise, Tomato culture can be strongly 
recommended, the demand for the wholesome and 
appetising Love Apple being far in excess of the home¬ 
grown snpply. A minimum amount of trouble only is 
required to bring them to perfection, whether in houses, 
frames, or planted out of doors, and no great skill is 
necessary to grow them, although, be it remembered, 
without care and attention success cannot be achieved 
—care when the plants are young and tender, and 
attention when they are fruiting and growing freely. 
Their requirements are not many, good soil and a 
plentiful supply of water during the warm weather 
being the most important. 
If grown under glass in span-roofed or lean-to houses, 
pot culture or the planting-out system can be adopted. 
In pots they need more attention as regards watering ; 
indeed, it is well-nigh impossible to apply too much in 
the summer months, so unlimited are their needs. 
Trellises or wires are the best for training them on, and 
10 ins. to 12 ins. apart will not be too little, provided 
the single-stem system be practised, which is the best, 
although two or three shoots are often allowed to grow. 
Pinch all the side-shoots out, and shorten the leaves 
about a third of their length, which will cause a 
quantity of sap to return to the remaining part of the 
leaf, increasing the strength of the stem and benefiting 
the fruit likewise. Soil composed of loam, with some 
rotten manure and a little charcoal will suit them 
admirably. Too rich soil is not advisable, as it causes 
them to make rank growth, often at the expense of 
fruitfulness. 
With glasshouses it is possible to have Tomatos 
all the year round, although the ripening process 
during the winter months must be necessarily slow. 
Cuttings struck in August and grown on will furnish 
good plants for this purpose. These can be succeeded 
by others from seed sown in January and February, 
which should now be swelling their fruits considerably. 
Later batches can be potted, when ready, from 60’s 
into 32’s, then into 12-in. or 14-in. pots, which will be 
found a convenient size. A temperature of 55° to 60° 
at night, rising to 75° in the day, with sun heat, will 
suit them. Close the house in good time, utilising 
the sun-heat and thereby dispensing with fire-heat. 
It is only in favourable localities and situations in 
this country that Tomatos planted outdoors can be 
relied upon. The best position is along a south wall, 
where they will do well ; but much depends on the 
character of the season. Some good loam must be 
added to the border previous to planting. Plants 
raised in heat, potted on into 32’s and hardened a 
little, give better results than those not treated in this 
way, as they have a fair start, and, unless checked in 
some way, will be certain to flourish. The fruits 
should be exposed to the. full rays of the sun to ensure 
quick ripening ; and, necessarily, the borders will need 
much water in dry weather, so that the advisability of 
a good mulching is obvious. 
Tomatos are sometimes grown in trenches, the shoots 
being trained almost on a level with the ground, and 
the plan seems to succeed. They have, of course, 
enemies to contend with. A fungus sometimes attacks 
them, which resembles the Potato disease, and in such 
a case the leaves afflicted should be destroyed. Green¬ 
fly is another enemy which, if allowed to make head¬ 
way, will speedily cripple the plant. Fumigation must 
resorted to, or dust with Tobacco powder. There is 
also a white fly which appears on the plants under 
glass, but which will not survive out of doors. 
Many varieties of Tomatos have been raised, and 
many more will follow ; but for general purposes those 
named here will give satisfaction : Dedham Favourite, 
Hackwood Park Prolific, Hathaway’s Excelsior, Vick’s 
Criterion, Large Red, and Conqueror, the two last named 
being extensively grown for market purposes.— F. II. S. 
-- 
HARDY PLANTS IN FLOWER. 
Adonis vernalis. 
For the rock garden this is undoubtedly a charming 
spring flower that merits recognition at the hand of 
every lover of hardy plants. A somewhat moist and 
light rich soil is that which is most conducive to its 
welfare, and when once established it should not be 
disturbed, as it increases but slowly. It produces 
large golden yellow flowers on the apex of the stems 
from 6 ins. to 9 ins. in length, and the blooms appear 
encircled by a tuft of finely cut leaves that are crowded 
together there. The annual A. autumnalis is better 
known in gardens, but is far inferior in value, and 
has only small but deep red flowers with a black eye, 
