164 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 15, 1890. J 
c Mmployer or Gardener 1 — Very odd are the 
differences of opinion which exist in 
connection with flower shows as to the proper 
amount of honour to be given to exhibitors 
on the show cards—in other words, who 
should be named, the employer or the gardener 1 
Ordinarily, the rule is to credit the exhibit 
to Mr. Smith, gardener to Lady Jones, hut oc¬ 
casionally the rule is varied by attributing the 
exhibit to Lady Jones, and in one corner of 
the card, modestly retiring, is found “Gardener, 
Mr. Smith.” Having regard to the fact that 
in the majority of cases the gardener is the 
real exhibitor, that his skill creates the objects 
exhibited, and that but for his special desire, 
as well as exertion, the competition would not 
take place, it seems but proper that such 
honour as may be given should place the 
gardener in the premier position. 
We were greatly amused the other day 
when reading in a provincial paper a report of 
an autumn show held in the West of England, 
which gravely announced that in one class the 
Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells had won a prize 
of 5s., and in another one of 2s. 6d. Doubtless 
the long rolling title formed honey in the 
mouths of the committee and reporters in this 
case, but we may well imagine the chagrin 
of “ my Lord Bishop ” on reading that he had 
received a prize value 2s. 6(7. It was cruel to 
publish the amount of the prizes, but it was 
even more cruel to award them to the Bishop. 
Had the name of his lordship’s gardener only 
been permitted to appear in the prize list, 
none would have cause to complain, although 
some may think that prizes of the value of 
half-a-crown were hardly meat for such high 
game. 
Still, the publication of this fact, so absurdly 
comic in its nature, should arouse the com¬ 
mittees of horticultural societies to consider 
the manifest absurdities which their odd 
methods of procedure in relation to awarding 
honours to employers in preference to the gar¬ 
deners sometimes involve. It doubtless looks 
big to be enabled to announce that Lord Some¬ 
body or the Duke of Something exhibited 
so-and-so, but as a matter of fact it is 
notorious that these noblemen, as a rule, are 
absolutely ignorant of any such shows or 
competitions. 
utumn Colour in "Foliage.— Truly beau¬ 
tiful has been the autumn tints in 
foliage during the past few weeks. A long- 
run by rail last week into the West of 
England enabled us to take note of the 
marvellous beauty found throughout those 
districts where trees mostly do congregate, 
although nowhere, perhaps, were the autumn' 
hues richer or more beautiful than in Surrey, 
the gravel sub-soil of that lovely county 
producing colour of the most exquisite kind. 
These tints were also rendered all the more 
striking where, as is the case in Surrey, they 
are so largely associated with the dense, solid 
green of the Scotch and Spruce Firs. Long 
belts of these Firs intermingled with the gold 
of the dying Larch leaves and the rich 
crimson of the Beech leafage were indeed 
beautiful. 
Too seldom, we fear, do landscape gardeners 
regard autumn effects in their planting; and 
yet what a world of colour and beauty may 
be created by simply taking thought, and 
grouping trees so as to produce striking- 
comparisons and combinations of colour in 
the autumn months! Elms seem to be 
commonplace trees, but large heads clothed 
literally as it were in golden sheen, especially 
when lit up with the glow of sunlight, are 
indeed glorious to behold. The early frosts, 
though momentarily sharp and causing large 
leaves to fall quickly, yet left the smaller 
foliage comparatively unharmed, but at the 
same time to some extent it promoted 
simultaneous fading, the result being found 
later in a perfect wealth of beauty. 
The Beech has given to us grand colouring, 
sometimes the trees presenting literally a 
blood-red aspect, whilst with others the shading 
has ranged from crimson to yellow, through 
many pleasing and beautiful gradations. 
Travelling over the southern districts of 
the kingdom has this year been specially 
delightful, none the less that the pastures 
have been clothed with grass as green as the 
emerald. There is in our own land after all 
a wondrous wealth of beauty if only sought 
for. 
‘HI'ild Berries. — If the coming Christmas 
decorations do not prove to be bright 
with Holly berries, it will not be for the lack 
of them, because, generally, the trees and 
bushes are marvellously fruited, and in some 
cases the trees literally glow with colour. 
We were amused to read in a daily paper 
recently a revival of the old story as to an 
abundant wild berry crop indicating a severe 
winter. Like most old-world axioms, this 
one is extremely foolish. There is not, nor 
can there be, the least connection between the 
existence of the crop and the weather that is 
to come. What is the case is that we have 
had weather in the past eminently suited to 
promote wood ripening and bloom production, 
and with that also great fruitfulness. 
Birds are naturally disposed to feed liberally 
upon the wild fruits of our hedge-rows, and 
rarely wait for hard weather to begin feasting. 
The rich tints of the berries attract attention, 
and when other foods have become scarce, the 
berries eventually are rapidly consumed, even 
if not the first attacked. There are at present 
no indications that a hard winter is in store. 
Did we judge by appearances, we should rather 
infer that a mild one was before us, as the 
autumn so far has been singularly soft and 
open—only one severe frost having so far 
marred its beauty. We have had many 
autumns when berries have been scarce, which 
have been of much more winterly aspect than 
the present one, and there is no reason why 
the winter should not partake of the nature 
of the autumn, in spite of the foolish prog¬ 
nostication about wild berries. 
We are concerned about the berry crop, 
because we wish to see the wondrous beauty 
the berries create in our rural districts pro¬ 
tected, and as long as possible perpetuated. 
The rich red tints of the pips on wild Rose 
bushes, the deep crimson haws on the Thorn, 
the Snowberries and Mistleto, with the 
Holly, all help to make the leafless deciduous 
trees and bushes gay and pleasing during the 
dullest months of the year. 
-—>££-<-- 
Term Day in Edinburgh.—On Tuesday, Term day 
in Edinburgh was an exceptionally busy one in the 
nursery and seed trade, arranging exchanges of situ¬ 
ations among journeymen and foremen gardeners. 
From accounts to hand, we are justified in saying that 
at least 500 young men passed through the city to new 
places. 
The Croydon Chrysanthemum Society announces 
its 1891 show to be held on November 11th and 12th. 
The Late Guildhall Fruit Show.—Mr. Richard 
Dean writes :—“It may interest many of your readers 
to know that Messrs. J. Russell & Co., photographers, 
17, Baker Street, Portman Square, were successful in 
taking a series of admirable views of this famous 
exhibition, and that anyone desirous of having them as 
a souvenir of the occasion, should apply at the address 
given above.” 
Gardening Appointments.—Mr. J. Richards, seven 
years foreman at Mount Edgcumbe, Plymouth, as 
gardener at the same place in succession to the late 
Mr. Brighton. Mr. W. Rushton, late gardener at 
Clerewood, Corstorphine, as gardener to W. A. 
Donaldson, Esq., Dumtocker, Dumbartonshire. Mr. 
E. Sparks, late of Howden Court, Tiverton, as 
gardener to the Earl of Iddesleigh, Pynes, Exeter. 
Manchester Horticultural Improvement Society.— 
The first meeting for the session of 1890-91 was held on 
Thursday evening, November 5th, in the Memorial 
Hall, and there was a very good attendance of 
members, the president, Mr. B. Findlay, being in the 
chair. Mr. Hicks, from Owen’s College, read an 
excellent paper on “ Chlorophyll Corpuscles,’’ his treat¬ 
ment of the subject being lucid and most interesting, 
carrying his hearers along with him in rapt attention 
from beginning to end. A short discussion ensued, in 
which Messrs. Birkenhead, Plant, Stansfield, Edwards, 
&c., took part, after which the meeting tendered a very 
hearty vote of thanks to the lecturer. 
Birmingham Gardeners’ Association.—At the last 
meeting of the association, Mr. Burberry, Orchid 
grower at Highbury, near Birmingham, read a very 
instructive paper on Masdevallias and Disas. In the 
course of his remarks, he stated that “ Although the 
Masdevallia is an Orchid which adapts itself readily to 
cool house culture, I find a lean-to house having an 
east, west, or north aspect suits it best, anywhere so 
long as it is well sheltered from the sun. On no 
account must it be a south aspect, for the Masdevallia 
is a cold and moisture-loving plant, and therefore 
requires shade. ” Ventilation and other cultural points 
were briefly touched upon, and the culture of the 
Masdevallia made easy was proved by Mr. Burberry’s 
remarks, the result of experience in the cultivation of 
this plant. 
North of Scotland Root, Fruit, and Vegetable 
Association.—The annual show of this association, 
which was held on Saturday, 1st inst., at Inverurie, 
was smaller than it has been for several years. It was 
supposed that the stormy unsettled weather which 
prevailed in the early part of last week prevented the 
full number of exhibits of field products being brought 
forward—at any rate, there was a pretty large falling 
off as compared with last year. In other respects the 
show was a great success, there having been seldom a 
better all-round display, taking into account the 
quality of the exhibits. The exhibition does good in 
the way of bringing competitors together to talk of 
their successes and failures, and so from the experience 
of neighbours light is often thrown on difficult 
problems in the horticultural art. In a season of 
such abundant crops as the present, it was not sur¬ 
prising to find there was a splendid display of field 
products. 
The Stirling Gardeners’ Association.—This associa¬ 
tion held their annual social gathering on Thursday 
evening, 31st ulto. The company, shortly after seven 
o’clock, sat down to supper, Mr. N. W. Ritchie, of 
Polmaise, acting as chairman, and Mr. Peter Drummond 
as croupier. The chairman subsequently congratulated 
the members on their presence in such satisfactory 
numbers, but regretted that the attendance during the 
year had not been as great as they could desire, but 
still they had managed to get along with a measure of 
contentment, and he had to thank those members who 
had contributed papers at the various monthly meetings 
during the session. The secretary followed, stating 
that he believed the monthly meetings had proved of 
considerable service to all who had attended, holding 
that even the more learned could not but get some 
good from their less-informed brethren, if they were but 
open to receive it. In response to the chairman’s 
request, several of the members contributed to the 
enjoyment of the evening by speech, song, and 
recitation. 
A New Enemy of the Vine.—Our contemporary, the 
Bulletin d’Arboriculture, dc Floriculture, Ac., says 
that after Phylloxera came mildew, and after mildew an 
insect called the Cochylis. It is a kind of small grub 
or caterpillar, which made its entry into the vineyards 
of the country last year, destroying the vintage upon 
more than a thousand hectares. This small micro¬ 
scopic grub is armed with mandibles powerful enough 
to bore a hole into each seed of the berry, introducing 
the fore part of its body. It avoids the soft contents 
of the seed, and goes from one to the other until it 
completely riddles the berry. Abut 2,000 of these 
insects could be counted on a Vine, and multiplying 
this by 30,000, the number of Vines in a hectare, 
it gives 60,000,000 of the grubs per hectare. 
When brought to the press, the berries were replaced 
by moving masses which could be lifted by the shovel. 
The insect takes refuge upon the Vine poles, and the 
design is to prepare pole-traps, upon which covers are 
to be placed to entrap it. The Cochylis also hides in 
the soil, and it will therefore be necessary also to 
attack it there by means of carbon. 
Brussels Chrysanthemum Show. — An English 
correspondent in Brussels writes:—“We had a nice 
exhibition here to-day, November Sth, of Chrysan¬ 
themums and Orchids. I am not much of a “Mumist,” 
and was most interested in the Orchids, of which for 
