628 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
June 2, 1888. 
but the variety named atropurpurea, with deep 
violet falls and purple standards, is conspicuous 
for its richness in colouring, and superior in 
that respect. Iris pumila resembles I. Ger- 
manica in miniature, but the flowers are soli¬ 
tary, and variegated on the falls with white. 
It is now in full bloom, as is Iris olbiensis lutea, 
with yellow flowers reticulated with buff- 
purple at the base, and is dwarf, resembling I. 
pumila in habit. A little later on the fields 
will be aglow with Spanish Irises and after¬ 
wards with English Irises in great variety. 
Pseonias and Pyrethrums will make a magni¬ 
ficent and imposing display in a few weeks. 
In places like these, however, the full effect 
is lost by the continual cutting of the flowers 
as they become fit for market purposes. 
-- 
The Royal National Tulip Society.—The annual 
exhibition of this society will be held in the Botanical 
Gardens, at Old Trafford, Manchester, on Saturday, 
June 9th. 
The recent Whitsuntide Exhibition at Manchester.— 
"We understand that independent of some £3,000 realised 
by the sale of season tickets during the six weeks pre¬ 
ceding the late exhibition at Old Trafford, the receipts 
at the gate will leave a substantial surplus after 
defraying all expenses. A good show, line weather and 
good management were potent factors in securing this 
happy result. 
Dutch Gardeners in London.—The Dutch gardeners 
living in and around London formed themselves into 
an association on May 20th, with the object of pro¬ 
moting social gatherings and mutual instruction among 
their body. The second meeting of the members will 
take place at Acton on June 10th, and all Dutchmen 
following the gardening profession who would like to 
he present are requested to write to the secretary, Mr. 
S. Bleeker, 3, Kent Yillas, Swanley. 
Mansfield Horticultural Society.—The thirteenth 
annual exhibition of this society will he held on August 
6th, on the Carr Bank Grounds, Mansfield. 
Packing Flowers in Cold Weather. —Mr. Peter 
Henderson, of New York, is reported to have found the 
following method of packing the best for very cold 
weather : The box is lined with heavy paper, then pieces 
of hoard which fit in the box are placed inside, and the 
box again lined with paper over them, the boards are 
then withdrawn and the space between the two linings of 
paper filled with sawdust. An inch thickness of saw¬ 
dust is thus placed around the plants, but separated 
from them by one lining of paper. Plants so packed 
have travelled long distances without injury in the 
coldest weather. 
A Vegetable Watch Dog.—An evening contem¬ 
porary says :—“ One of the most interesting exhibits in 
the great flower show at Paris is a bed of insectivorous 
plants, exhibited by an English gardener. The idea of 
this inventive horticulturist is to plant a border of the 
insectivorous plants round beds of flowers and vege¬ 
tables which are subject to the attacks of winged 
insects. The insect which does not fly can be guarded 
against in other ways, hut for the flying insect ordinary 
harriers are of no avail. There is nothing for it hut to 
put this vegetable watch-dog on guard against him, 
whereby he will be snapped up in trying to make his 
devastating way to the flower-bed.” [!] 
Kerosene Emulsion as an Insecticide.—A corre¬ 
spondent of The American Florist writes : “Everyone 
wants some effective insecticide, and one grower gives 
kerosene emulsion as his particular vanity in this line. 
The formula is as follows : ten ounces whale-oil soap, 
one quart water, two quarts kerosene. Boil the soap 
in the water until it is thoroughly dissolved, then stir 
in the oil; it will he taken up entirely by the soap and 
water, forming a complete mixture. Use one part of 
the solution to ten of water ; it is very effective when 
used against scale. The constructor of it says that it 
will remove that thread-like black scale which sticks 
closer than a brother to most of the Palms imported 
from the European nurseries. So far, however, I have 
seen nothing that will kill this particular brand of 
scale without killing the plants too.” 
The Tuberous Mosehatel.—To the plant collector 
this insignificant wilding possesses peculiar interest, 
especially if he is acquainted with botany, owing to 
the singular structure of the flowers, which has 
rendered it difficult for the botanist to define with 
accuracy its nearest allies. The leaves are pretty 
and Anemone-like, but the small greenish flowers 
are of no value for garden purposes, except to the 
curious. The inconspicuous flowors have, however, 
a strong musky odour at night, and doubtless have 
friends in the insect world. We picked it up the other 
day near Bletchingley; but its distribution is re¬ 
markable, seeing that it extends over Britain, through 
Central and Northern Europe, Asia and America, right 
into the Arctic regions. 
Fruit Crop Prospects.—A Wiltshire correspondent 
writes :—“I am glad to say that fruit prospects in this 
locality are, up to date (May 24th), very promising 
indeed. Of Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, Plums, and 
Cherries there is a very good “ set,” and on some trees 
the fruits will have to be considerably reduced in 
numbers. It is too soon to say anything definite 
regarding Apples and Pears, further than that the 
trees of the first-named are one mass of blossoms, and 
if we are favoured with such weather as we are en¬ 
joying now for another fortnight, we may reasonably 
hope that fruit will be abundant and cheap in due 
season. Strawberries and bush fruits also look 
promising.” Mr. Fish writes from Hardwieke House, 
Bury St. Edmunds :—“ The approach of June enables 
us to sum up the fruit prospects with tolerable accuracy. 
They are by no means favourable. Apples irregular, 
and, on the whole, thin ; less than half a crop. Pears 
about the same. Plums, throughout large districts, 
none ; Apricots, thin or none ; Peaches, fair ; Cherries, 
fair ; Strawberries, erratic, some full crops, others very 
thin through loss of foliage in winter; Gooseberries 
and Currants, full crops.” We should be glad to 
receive similarly brief reports from other counties. 
The Gardeners’ Orphan Fund.—At the usual 
monthly meeting of the committee, held on the 25th 
ult., Mr. G. Deal in the chair, the honorary secretary 
reported that the sum of £34 4 s. in donations and 
subscriptions had been received during the month from 
twenty-six persons, including £7 handed in by Mr. J. 
Smith, as the proceeds of a concert organised by him 
at Mentmore, Bucks. The sum of £7 16s. was also 
collected by Mr. Howard, of Southgate, at the recent 
Temple show, and cordial votes of thanks were accorded 
to both gentlemen. The balance at the bank was 
reported to be £772 16s. 5 d., and it was unanimously 
resolved to invest the sum of £500 at once in 
“ Goschens,” making the total amount invested 
£1,000. The remainder of the business had reference 
to the evening promenade and floral fete, to be held 
under the patronage of H. R. H. Princess Mary Adelaide, 
Duchess of Teck, in the wholesale flower market, 
Covent Garden, on Wednesday evening next; and to 
the annual meeting and great social gathering of 
gardeners, to be held at the Cannon Street Hotel, on 
July 13th. The floral fete in the wholesale flower 
market (admission to which will be by invitation only) 
will commence at 9 p.m., and close at midnight. The 
standholders are entering into the spirit of the scheme 
with great energy, and it is confidently anticipated that 
what is usually considered at this season one of the floral 
sights of the world, will be even of greater beauty and 
interest, forming a perfectly unique display, which will 
be a surprise to the notabilities who have been invited, 
and who, as a rule, know no more of the market than that 
such a place exists. The band of the Royal Artillery 
will be in attendance, and ticket-holders will be 
admitted at the Wellington Street entrance only. 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution. — Sup¬ 
porters of this most deserving institution, who may 
desire to be present at the forty-fifth anniversary 
festival, upon which occasion the Right Honourable 
J. Chamberlain, M.P., will preside, should make a 
note of the fact that it will be held on July 4th, at the 
Albion, Aldersgate Street, and that no tickets will be 
sold after Friday, June 29 th. The following appeal 
for subscriptions, which we sincerely trust will be 
heartily responded to, has just been issued to the 
subscribers :—“We gratefully remember that on many 
similar occasions the subscribers have evinced their 
interest in the institution by liberal donations in aid 
of its beneficent work. Such contributions form an 
important item in the year’s revenue, and have 
materially assisted, not only to maintain the rate of 
election, but to add to the roll of pensioners, now 
numbering 126. Last year we celebrated the Jubilee 
of Her Most Gracious Majesty by making a grant of £5 
to each of the pensioners (in addition to their annuities), 
and to each of the unsuccessful candidates, and also by 
increasing the pension list to the highest number ever 
yet attained. We are unwilling to go backward ; 
“Forward” is our watchword. At the last election 
there were 27 applicants, from whom the committee 
could only recommend 12 to be added to the list, 
leaving severe disappointment to the remaining 15. 
If this number (and many other cases which have since 
accrued) can be lessened, a great boon will he conferred 
upon the poor candidates, and the work of the charity 
forwarded. The committee refer with great pleasure 
to the 126 worthy old people (the majority of whom 
are over seventy-three years of age) residing in their 
humble homes, enjoying the fellowship of those nearest 
and dearest to them, assisted by the fostering aid of 
the institution, and relieved from a sense of dependence 
often harder to bear than suffering itself. We earnestly 
beg you to help in this good work, which the chairman 
has (with all that eloquence of which he is capable) 
undertaken to advocate. The secretary will he happy 
to attend to any communication, and receive contribu¬ 
tions, no matter the amount, and we trust that our 
appeal to your kind sympathy will not be without 
its reward. Harry J. Yeitch, treasurer ; John Lee, 
chairman of the committee”. All communications 
should be addressed to Mr. E. R. Cutler, 50, Parliament 
Street, London, S.W. 
A Blue Himalayan Daisy.—The bright blue flower- 
heads of Aster Stracheyi are produced singly on stems, 
about 3 in. high, and although not strictly a Daisy 
(Beilis), the resemblance is so striking that the com¬ 
parison is by no means far-fetched. The flowering 
stems are erect and slightly leafy, while the plant itself 
spreads by means of slender, trailing, leafy, barren 
shoots, above, not under the surface of the ground, 
as most or all of the other species of Aster do, especially 
the American ones. A tuft of spathulate, entire leaves, 
resembling those of the Common Daisy, constitutes the 
centre of the plant; and the flower-heads, measuring 
over 1 in. in diameter, have rays similar in colour to 
those of A. amellus. The habit of the plant, with 
the exception of the trailing stems, is comparable to 
that of A. alpinus ; but it is altogether a more refined 
and prettier plant than the latter. It has been flower¬ 
ing for some time in the hardy plant house at Kew. 
Primula japonica alba.—Of the various forms of 
the Japanese Primrose now becoming common in culti¬ 
vation, none are more chaste or beautiful than that 
here mentioned. The flowers rise above one another 
in tiers, while the yellow zone surrounding the mouth 
of the tube of the corolla adds a charm and character 
to the whole flower. We have seen it under various 
conditions, and it seems not only as hardy, but as 
vigorous as the typical crimson or purple form. 
-- 
IVY - LEAVED PELARGONIUMS 
AT CHISWICK. 
In running down a list of the species of Pelargoniums 
that have been introduced, it is astonishing to find so 
many instances of mimicry, whereby the leaves of 
certain species resemble those of plants belonging to 
altogether different families. The Ivy-leaved Pelar¬ 
gonium (P. peltatum) has been compared to the Ivy, 
from the five blunt lobes or angles of the leaves 
resembling in no small measure those of the latter 
plant, and the trailing stems in their native habitat no . 
doubt serve to augment the illusion. On examining 
the large collection which Mr. Barron has now flowering 
finely in the Paxton-house at Chiswick, a good idea 
can be gleaned of the improvements that have recently 
been effected by the hybridist. 
These improvements consist in greatly enlarged 
flowers, in very attractive and novel colours entirely 
differing from the original, in the doubling of 
the same, and last, but not least, the greatly improved 
habit of the plants themselves. This can be demon¬ 
strated by reference to La Rosiere, Madame Crousse 
and Rosea plena, all of which have double flowers of 
some shade of pink and rose, produced in great abun¬ 
dance ; hut the stems require a considerable amount of 
training to restrain them within proper limits, and 
enable them to be grown conveniently amongst other 
subjects in a greenhouse or conservatory. In this 
respect they resemble Rollisson’s Unique amongst 
other species, which is a tall-growing and beautiful 
variety, but requires a great deal of space and con¬ 
siderable training. 
Dauk-coloured Double Varieties. 
The darkest-flowered double we observed was Fiirstin 
J. Von Hohenzollern, a deep scarlet-red variety, which, 
although distinct and widely different from the 
original type, we do not admire so much as those of 
