724 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
July 14, 1888. 
Mr. E. R. Cutler.—We regret to hear that the 
estimable secretary of the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent 
Institution had a nasty fall at the Cannon Street 
Station on Monday, by which his left side and shoulder 
were injured so much as to necessitate confinement to 
his house for some days. 
Growing Crops.—These, as a rule, need all the 
moisture they can get. Yet we often hear the remark, 
“I wonder why my Strawberries look so poor and 
stunted ? ” forgetting that the large tree standing some 
three or four hundred feet away may be the cause, for 
it has been shown that such a tree is capable of evapor¬ 
ating all the moisture out of a quarter-of-an-aere of 
land. This is why some city gardens are so nearly 
ruined in the neighbourhood of large trees growing in 
the streets .—Ainerican Paper. 
A New Scarecrow.—An ingenious apparatus for 
scaring crows has just been made by a Radnorshire 
watchmaker. The contrivance, says the North British 
Agriculturist, takes the form of a wooden representation 
of a sportsman with a gun in his hands. At his feet, 
enclosed in a watertight box, is the motive power, in 
the shape of a strongly-constructed piece of clockwork, 
which causes a drum containing cartridges to revolve, 
and a hammer to fall on a pin in connection with the 
cartridge. A loud explosion results from this me¬ 
chanical striking of the cartridges, and the duration 
between each discharge can be-regulated at will. As 
the time approaches for the hammer to fall, the gun 
is mechanically raised into a shooting position, and 
dropped immediately after the cartridge has been 
exploded. The contrivance is very ingenious, and 
should prove most effective in minimising the damage 
done by our feathered friends without killing them. 
Visit of Eastbourne Horticulturists to “ The Home 
of Flowers.”—On "Wednesday, the 4th inst., some 
twenty-seven members of the Eastbourne Horticultural 
Society, accompanied by their president, G. Boulton, 
Esq., Mayor of Eastbourne, paid a special visit to 
Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons’ nursery, at Swanley. Mr. 
H. Cannell, Senr., met the party at the station, and 
gave a hearty welcome to his old friends. Refreshments 
having been partaken of in one of the glass houses, 
the party roamed through the many plant houses and 
nursery quarters for about three hours, and were very 
much pleased with all the good things they saw. After 
partaking of a cold collation, admirably served at the 
Temperance Restaurant, Swanley, the party visited the 
Strawberry-picking district, which interested them 
much, and one field of fifty acres, wholly planted with 
Strawberries, was a source of great astonishment. 
Subsequently, Mr. Philip Ladds’ large establishment 
near the station was visited, and much surprise was 
expressed at the magnitude of the glass houses, and the 
enormous quantities of Grapes, Tomatos, Roses, kc., 
there grown. The party started on their return j ourney 
at six o’clock, much delighted with what they had 
seen. 
United Horticultural Benefit and Provident Society. 
—The quarterly meeting of this society was held at the 
Caledonian Hotel, Robert Street. Adelphi, on Monday 
evening last, Mr. George Wheeler being in the chair. 
Two new members were elected, making an addition 
this year of thirty-nine. The list now stands at 291, 
including honorary members. The committee are 
pleased to state that the society is in a very healthy 
condition, both financially and physically, for there are 
no members on the sick list at the present time. In¬ 
formation respecting the rules can be obtained on 
application to the secretary, Mr. W. Collins, 5, 
Martinhoe Terrace, Martindale Road, Balham, S.W. 
Aluminium in the Ashes of Plants.—At a late 
meeting of the Scientific Committee, Professor Church 
contributed a summary of his highly interesting and 
important researches upon the presence of aluminium 
in the ashes of plants. This substance, instead of being 
peculiar to the species of Lycopodium, as once supposed, 
is found in minute traces in the ashes of very many 
others, a circumstance not to be wondered at, con¬ 
sidering the abundant distribution of the element in 
many soils. It occurs in all the species of Lycopodium 
examined, except those which are of epiphytic habit, 
and which consequently do not derive their food from 
the soil. It does not occur in the allied genus, Selagi- 
nella. It occurs in the ashes of some tree Ferns in 
large proportions, sometimes forming as much as 20 
per cent, of the ash, as in Alsophila australis and 
Cyathea medullaris ; while from others it is all but 
absent. In the British species of Ferns little or no 
alumina has been found. 
The Weather: Snow' in July.—The unseasonable 
weather recently experienced over England must surely 
have reached its culminating point on "Wednesday. At 
eight o’clock in the morning the thermometer stood no 
higher than 44°, or considerably lower than any July 
reading on record for that particular hour of the day. 
Later in the day the thermometer in London rose to a 
maximum of 54°—a very respectable reading for a 
February afternoon, but a miserable level for July. 
During the night snow fell on the higher mountains in 
Cumberland, and also in Aberdeenshire. "Writing on 
"Wednesday from Salisbury, a correspondent says: 
“Last night snow fell here, and to-day we are all 
wearing our overcoats with the collars turned up. Ho 
rain so far, but even that would be better than this 
extreme cold.” Another gentleman writing from Dum¬ 
friesshire says : “I have seen some Potatos which have 
this week been frosted beyond recovery, and I hear it 
is the same in Cumberland.” “The vicissitudes to 
which our climate occasionally exposes us have seldom,” 
says The Daily News, “been more strikingly ex¬ 
emplified than in the tremendous contrast which has 
existed between our recent weather and that of last 
summer. Comparing the meteorological records for the 
two seasons, we find in the first place that the mean 
temperature of the past five weeks over England has 
been from 5° to 7° lower this year than it was during a 
similar period in 1887. Last year there were in 
London eighteen days in the course of the five weeks 
with a maximum temperature exceeding 75°, ten days 
with a maximum of over 80°, and two with a reading of 
over 85°. This year we have had during the same 
period only two days with a temperature above 75°, 
only one with a reading exceeding 80°, and none at all 
reaching 85°. The records of bright sunshine tell a 
still more remarkable tale, the aggregate amount of this 
very desirable element recorded during the present 
summer being less than half the amount registered last 
year. In our midland and southern districts, including 
London, the sunshine experienced during the past five 
weeks has not amounted to more than one-quarter of 
the possible quantity. Last year in the metropolis we 
had 53 per cent, of the possible amount, while in the 
midland counties they had 58 per cent., and in the 
eastern districts as much as 61 per cent. In the matter 
of rainfall, the contrast between the two seasons has, 
of course, been exceedingly marked. During the early 
part of last summer a severe drought prevailed over the 
kingdom, and in the five-week period under review the 
total amount of rain experienced in London and over 
the home counties generally was less than \ in. This 
year we have had in the same localities from 4 ins. to 
5 ins. Last season rain fell in London on three only 
out of the thirty-five days ; this year it has fallen on as 
many as twenty-four.” 
The Seed Trade and the Non-warranty Clause.— 
A meeting of representatives of the North British seed 
trade was held in Edinburgh, on the 4th inst., to con¬ 
sider a resolution passed a month ago disapproving of 
the non-warranty clause. Mr. James "Watt, of Messrs. 
Little & Ballantyne, Carlisle, who occupied the chair, 
said his firm had never used a non-warranty clause in 
their retail business, but gave a special guarantee. 
They had a clause in their wholesale business, but that 
would be withdrawn or regulated according to the 
resolution of that or some future meeting. The large 
London firms seemed determined to stand by the 
clause ; and, that being so, he suggested that they 
should raise subscriptions throughout the trade to 
carry the case of Messrs. Smith, Aberdeen, to the 
House of Lords, to see if the decision of the First 
Division of the Court of Session could be reversed. As 
the case stood at present, middlemen, such as the retail 
merchants, were put in an awkward position by having 
to become responsible to the farmers, while they 
had to take the seed from the wholesale houses 
without any guarantee whatever. The fact of his 
having presided at the former meeting of the trade, 
and again that da)', showed that he did not approve of 
the clause as adopted by the London merchants. 
Having read a letter from Mr. Tait, Manchester, 
president of the Seed and Nursery Trade Association, 
offering a subscription of £10 towards the expense of 
an appeal in Messrs. Smith’s case, the chairman said 
his firm would contribute a similar amount. After a 
lengthened discussion, in which Mr. Elder, Haddington, 
Mr Robson (of Messrs. Smith & Son), Aberdeen, Mr. 
Pir , Haddington, Mr. Ireland, Edinburgh, Mr. Carter, 
Berwick, Mr. Taylor, Dalkeith, Mr. Cross, Leith, and 
others took part, it was unanimously agreed “ That a 
strong recommendation be made to ail the trade to buy 
their root seeds from those merchants only who do not 
use the clause.” It was also decided to remit to the 
secretary of the Seed and Nursery Trade Association 
the question of raising a fund to assist Messrs. Smith 
6 Son in carrying their appeal to the House of Lords, 
with the request that he would bring the matter before 
his association. 
A DAY IN CLONMEL AND ITS 
SUBURBS. 
A visit to this town is a pleasure I had for some time 
been looking forward to. Pressure of business, however, 
prevented me availing myself of my good friend, Mr. 
W. J. Murphy’s, invitation until the 29th ult., when 
accompanied by Mr. Morris, a retired veteran gardener 
resident at Clonmel thirty years ago, we left our 
cabin in the mountain at 5 a.m. ,'and after a drive of 
four miles to the station, and a ride of two and a half 
hours’ duration by rail, we were warmly welcomed by 
that enthusiastic horticulturist, Mr. Murphy, under 
whose guidance we started, my friend to renew, and I 
to make an acquaintance with Clonmel. With the 
proverbial national hospitality, we were first taken to 
refresh the inner man, after which we proceeded to 
view Mr. Murphy’s plant treasures. 
First we noticed magnificent Roses, fit to grace any 
exhibition board. Here we found a complete collection 
of Gaillardia, but only one variety was then in flower— 
viz., G. hybrida splendida. They will, however, 
shortly make a grand display, as will Carnations, 
which are largely grown, as well as large quantities of 
seedlings (these, if I remember rightly, are of Mr. 
Murphy’s own saving). Iris, Pyrethrums, with masses 
of Gladiolus Colvilli The Bride, and other rare her¬ 
baceous plants also abound on every hand, and I must 
not omit mentioning some beautifully marked Lavatera 
arborea variegata. This is a capital plant for amateurs, 
being both showy and easy of cultivation. We were 
anxious to see as much as possible during the few hours 
at our disposal, but to our extreme regret, owing to 
unavoidable circumstances, Mr. Murphy could conduct 
us no further, and we were therefore placed nnder 
the guidance of Mr. Cuban, head gardener at Minella, 
who discharged the duty in a highly creditable 
manner. 
Our next move was to Manfield, the residence of 
J. Bagwell, Esq., where we found the remains of a once 
splendidly kept garden. The pleasure grounds, flower 
garden, and the beautiful wooded domain are well 
worth a visit, the former containing some good clumps 
of Rhododendrons ; they were, however, past flowering 
at the time of our visit. Here we noticed some grand 
examples of Rhus cotinus, the best I have ever seen. 
The flower garden contains Pelargoniums, and the usual 
summer bedding plants. Many large beds are planted 
with Roses, looking remarkably well, and herbaceous 
Phloxes, Paeonies, &c., in masses; these must make a 
very effective show in their seasons. In a conservatory 
attached to the mansion is a fernery very tastefully 
arranged, the remainder of the structure being occupied 
with Palms, Ferns, Zonal Pelargoniums, tree Carnations, 
and two immense Brugmansias. Fruit of all kinds is 
abundant in the kitchen gardens. 
Returning through the town, passing well-kept villa 
gardens on our way, we found ourselves at Minella, the 
residence of Mrs. Malcolmson. The mansion is 
beautifully situated about 100 yards from the river 
Suir, but at a considerable height above the river, the 
intervening space being terraced, and bounded by a walk 
at the water’s edge, interspersed with walks here and 
there through the well-kept lawn and pleasure grounds. 
All the walks are bounded with choice trees and shrubs, 
the whole of which were in the pink of health, and without 
the loss of a limb. They consist chiefly of Hollies, 
Cupressus, Acacias, Retinosporas, Abies (all in variety), 
and Araucaria imbricata. In the flower garden the 
borders on either side are filled with a good collection 
of herbaceous plants, while the beds in the centre are 
filled with Verbenas, Petunias, Violas, Pelargoniums, 
Begonias, &c., in variety. At the extreme end is the 
Rosery. I am inclined to think this must be famous 
loam for Roses, for nowhere else have I seen such large 
blooms as in this locality. What the Rose growers 
here were about that they did not exhibit their blooms 
at the Royal Horticultural Society’s show in Dublin, on 
the 28th, I am unable to comprehend. The collection 
of Roses at Minella comprises all the standard varieties, 
together with novelties on trial. 
The kitchen garden, containing the glass structures 
and the model residence of the head gardener, is 
situated on the opposite side of the main road. The 
first range of houses consists of two vineries, the back 
walls being covered with Peach trees, carrying fine crops 
of fruit. The Vines are planted unusually wide apart 
to admit abundance of light to the Peach trees. I am 
no advocate for growing Vines and Peaches in the same 
house. In this instance I should consider it a more 
rational plan to devote one house to Grapes and the 
other to Peaches, as it is almost impossible to do justice 
to either when combined. Better crops might be 
