November 15, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
165 
the season there was a display worth going many miles 
to see—and all the growth of one exhibitor, Mr. A. A. 
Peeters, of this city. This gentleman was awarded 
four Gold Medals, and had on view amongst other 
good things a group of about fifty plants of Odonto- 
glossum grande, many with live to seven spikes, with 
from five to eight flowers on each—a very remarkable 
display. I noted also Epidendrum Wallisii, with 
eight good flowers ; Cattleya labiata autumnalis, the 
light and dark forms ; Odontoglossum Pescatorei, from 
Pescatore’s collection ; Cymbidium Hookeri, Oncidium 
crispum Warocqueanum, a very dark and compact 
variety; a fine variety of Oncidium Forbesii, Odonto¬ 
glossum crispum guttatum, a good form of 0. Insleayi 
splendens ; O. crispum, with a large branching spike 
of thirty-six flowers ; Cypripedium Argus, deeply 
spotted ; C. bellatulum, good and well spotted; C. 
Arthurianum, C. Schrodene, C. Sedeni, C. candidulum, 
and C. politum.” 
Gardeners’ Orphan Fund.—At the first meeting 
after the recess, held by the Executive Committee at 
the Hotel Windsor on the 31st ult., Mr. W. Marshall 
presiding, it was unanimously resolved that the sub¬ 
scription list for the Deal Memorial should be closed 
on the 22nd inst. A long discussion took place on the 
subject of altering the date of commencement of the 
financial year from the 1st of July, as at present, to the 
1st of January, and that of the annual meeting from 
July to February. It was urged in favour of the 
proposal that great inconvenience arose from the 
accounts being closed at the end of June instead of 
December, that some loss of subscriptions had occurred 
through misunderstandings arising out of the present 
arrangements ; and which also involved much unpro¬ 
ductive secretarial work, that would be avoided by a 
change of date. It was generally agreed that the 
change must be made sooner or later, and that a more 
favourable opportunity than the present for making 
the alteration may not again occur.' Under these cir¬ 
cumstances the committee unanimously resolved to 
call a general meeting of the subscribers for Tuesday, 
December 9th, at the Cannon Street Hotel, at 6 p.m. 
to make the necessary alterations in the rules. If the 
subscribers at this meeting approve of the action taken 
by the committee, the alteration will take effect on 
January the 1st next, and all subscriptions paid since 
the 1st of July last will be considered as paid for 1891. 
It was also resolved that in future the committee meet 
■at 7 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. for the greater convenience 
of the members residing at a distance. 
The Health Value of a Hobby.—The Hospital says :— 
A business man, working hard in an office all day, too 
often lives in a continual state of hurry and excitement. 
He hurries to different appointments, he hurries to 
catch the train to and from his office, he hurries home 
to a dinner party, and so the day is spent. Ho wonder 
the heart and other organs give way under the strain. 
How-a-days there is too much of a race for wealth at 
the expense of health, and haste to make money 
produces far more harm to the individual than any 
amount of quiet, steady, congenial labours. Persons 
who allow themselves to be involved in the vortex of 
the world’s whirlpool never realise, and can therefore 
never enjoy, the perfection of happiness. Men and 
women who are wise will so arrange their work that no 
one pursuit is allowed to monopolise more than a reason¬ 
able proportion of each day. Variety in work is true 
recreation, and without it no one can continue healthy 
or happy. Hot only is a change of work essential, 
but a proper provision for recreation will be made by 
those who desire to enjoy the perfection of happiness. 
There is no sadder sight than that of a person who 
having worked hard all his life in one narrow and 
confined groove, finds when the necessity for work is 
over that he has no resource left but to continue at 
work, or to suffer an intolerable boredom. Dr. Wilkes 
advises young people to encourage a hobby. “If you 
cannot find pleasure in the study of the very many 
wonders that surround you, if you care not for geology, 
natural history, or astronomy, collect walking-sticks, 
buy and cherish old and cracked china, fill up albums 
and scrap books, or even gather together autographs 
and postage stamps—anything sooner than be idle.” 
Dr. Wilkes is right. True recreation requires a 
thorough change of work and also of thought. 
The Scottish Horticultural Association and the 
Waverley Market.-At a largely attended meeting of 
the members on the 14th inst., Mr. P. W. Gray called 
attention to the agitation in connection with the 
proposed railway scheme in Edinburgh, saying that, as 
citizens and horticulturists, they were interested in the 
Waverley Market and the amenity of Princes’ Street 
Gardens. He would like an expression of opinion on 
these two matters. The chairman considered that the 
subject might safely be left to the Council if the 
meeting saw fit. There was no reason, he remarked, 
why they should stand aside and see the beauty of 
Edinburgh injured. Mr. Todd said he had no doubt 
that whatever steps were taken, should be taken by the 
Council, but it would be well if that meeting expressed 
the opinion that, as far as they could see at present, it 
would probably be very detrimental to horticulturists 
and citizens generally if they were deprived of the 
Waverley Market. Up till now there had been no 
mention of any substitute that could be found for the 
Market. He moved that they regret the attempt being 
made to take the Market, and that they remit to the 
Council to take such steps as they might deem 
necessary for its preservation. Mr. Morris, Hay Lodge, 
Trinity, seconded the motion, which was carried, it 
being understood that the Council would meet tor that 
purpose on an early day. ‘ At the same meeting a 
paper was read by Mr. Wm. Smith, Oxenford Castle, 
Dalkeith, on “The Pear,” and Mr. Ivison Macadam 
afterwards delivered an address on “ The Chemistry of 
the Soil,” in which he followed up the discussion 
opened by Mr. Smith on the nature of soils for the 
cultivation of Pears and other fruits. The exhibits on 
the table included two very fine stands of Chrysan¬ 
themum blooms, shown by Mr. Rushton, Clerewood, 
Corstorphine; varieties of Pernettya, from Messrs. 
Methven & Sons ; fruit of a Passiflora, from Castlemilk, 
Dumfriesshire ; and Margarita Carnations, from Fir. 
Todd, Maitland Street. 
-- 
RAMBLING REMARKS ON Hor¬ 
ticultural SUBJECTS. 
On Saturday, November 1st, the Galashiels Horticul¬ 
tural Society opened its winter session, proceedings 
being commenced with a paper, entitled as above, and 
read by Mr. John Thomson, of Clovenfords. Mr. 
Thomson touched upon a variety of subjects of 
momentary interest to horticulturists, and we regret 
that pressure on our space this week precludes our 
inability to give more than the following extracts 
Fruit Growing for Market. 
Sometimes “croakers” complain that the art of 
gardening is on the wane, and that the race of 
British gardeners has vastly deteriorated. But British 
supremacy in commerce, in shipping, in exploration, 
was very marked, and it was not less marked in horti¬ 
culture, as was proved by the enterprise displayed in 
the large nursery and seed establishments that abound 
in our land. Fruit-growing for the market was being 
entered upon on a scale hitherto undreamt of, and an 
enormous amount of capital was being sunk in the 
erection of glass-houses for flowers, Grapes, Tomatos, 
&c., for London, and other towns. One disadvantage 
that these cultivators had to compete with was produce 
sold from the gardens of gentlemen and noblemen who 
felt the pinch of rent reduction and bad times. Perhaps 
this would be only a temporary condition, and when 
better times came, gentlemen and noblemen might, as 
formerly, send their surplus to hospitals and to the 
sick, who would appreciate the kindness. At present 
enormous quantities of fruit, flowers and vegetables 
were grown for the British market in the Channel 
Islands and many other quarters of the globe. Covent 
Garden indicated somewhat the extent of this trade, 
and the outskirts of the great metropolis contained 
huge establishments of glass, which were always being 
multiplied, in which were grown Grapes, Tomatos, 
Cucumbers, ornamental plants of all kinds, and flowers 
for cutting, in quantities that twenty years ago were 
undreamt of. 
A Vineyard at Roubaix. 
In the previous week he visited a friend at Roubaix to 
see his establishment for the production of Grapes, 
Peaches, Tomatos, and Chrysanthemums for the Paris 
market. Six years ago that gentleman had been in 
Covent Garden, and saw some Grapes which surpassed 
all others in size. He asked where they were grown, 
and was told at Clovenfords. He visited Clovenfords, 
and what he saw there induced him to erect a number 
of fine vineries at Roubaix, Last year he bought some 
land at Bailleul, forty miles nearer Calais than 
Roubaix, and there he had erected a splendid block of 
glass houses—no fewer than twenty-two, each of them 
250 ft. long, by 24 ft. wide, 13 ft. in height, all span- 
roofed and finely built, and all connected by a grand 
corridor. Next year his friend proposed to erect other 
twenty houses, each 250 ft. long and 36 ft. in width, 
all connected with the existing one. At Roubaix the 
principal range consisted of a corridor 420 ft. long by 
21 ft. wide, with eight houses connected with it, four 
of them 120 ft. long, and the other four 180 ft., all 
finely built, and filled with healthy Grapes—Gros 
Colmar, Black Alicante, and some Lady Downes. At 
Bailleul most of the houses were planted with Gros 
Colmar and Alicante ; but in addition to Grapes, 
Peaches, Tomatos, Strawberries, and Chrysanthemums 
were there grown. From one variety of Peach, called 
Alexandra, an American variety, they managed to have 
fruit ready by the end of March, for which they got 
good prices in Paris. Of Strawberries they had forced 
100,000 plants, and they had 12,000 Chrysanthemums 
growing, mostly carrying from four to six splendid 
blooms, which they could sell at 10 d. each in the Paris 
markets. 
The Building Fever. 
On his way home from France he called on a friend at 
Finchley who grew enormous quantities of Grapes, 
Tomatos, and Cucumbers for Covent Garden Market. 
His friend was putting up what he called “a small 
addition ” to his glass houses—viz., seven houses, each 
400 ft. long and 36 ft. wide. This season this friend 
had produced 14,000 dozen Cucumbers, and Tomatos 
were grown in large quantities. I here were other 
establishments much larger than this—some quite 
overwhelming—and yet there was no abatement of the 
building fever. One result of all this was that Grapes 
and other products could now be bought at much 
lower prices than formerly. In Paris he was much 
struck with the poor quality of the plants for sale 
in the shops and markets ; and he thought the British 
could easily beat the French in cultivation of plants for 
sale. Flowers were varied and nice, but not more so 
than in Covent Garden. The Jardin des Plantes at 
Paris contained a lot of glass, devoted to a varied 
collection of plants, but he saw nothing very striking 
in them. In the laying out of gardens and public 
parks, the French displayed fine taste, and in some 
things could give us a lesson, but in general all-round 
cultivation, he thought the British gardener had no 
reason to fear a comparison. Their lines of trees along 
their streets might be followed by us with advantage. 
Grape Culture at the Cape. 
Within the past few years attempts had been made to 
send fresh Grapes from Cape Colony to London, but as 
yet the attempt had not been very successful, the 
voyage of twenty days taking off the fresh appearance 
of the fruit. He had been told that no such Grapes 
could be grown in the vineyards of the Continent as 
could be produced in some parts of Cape Colony. Two 
years ago he resided five weeks at the Cape among the 
eastern vine-clad slopes of Table Mountain, and had an 
opportunity of tasting the various kinds there grown. 
Some of them were really fine-flavoured, and good in 
bunch and berry. In the form of Raisins they might 
be successfully exported to this country. At an 
exhibition there he saw some twenty-two tons of 
Raisins, and splendid-looking fruit they were. In 
the manufacture of wine the Cape farmers were 
making great progress, the Government of late years 
having secured the services of European experts to 
teach the best methods at the famous Constantia 
Vineyard. The Canary Islands were likely in the 
near future to send large supplies of Bananas, Tomatos, 
&c., to our markets. With good climate and rapid 
steam communication there seemed almost no limit to 
such supplies. In many other countries efforts were 
being made to increase the export to this country of 
fruit, flowers and vegetables. Among the causes tend¬ 
ing to increase the demand for decorative flowers and 
plants, was the spread in this country of the taste for 
decorations in warehouses, workshops, offices, schools 
and public buildings of all kinds—many of which were 
now regularly supplied with Palms and other orna¬ 
mental plants. The production of these was a branch 
of horticulture which certainly seemed destined to 
increase in the future. 
Our Fickle Climate. 
After describing the abundant and varied flora of 
Madeira, as he saw it during a half day’s call in coming 
home from the Cape, Mr. Thomson referred to the 
fickleness of our climate, which demanded great 
attention, but he said he thought it was a matter of 
legitimate pride that our gardeners succeeded, not 
because ol our climate, but in spite of it. In recent 
times, cultivators of flowers, through the enterprise of 
nurserymen and plant collectors, had had a largely 
increased stock of material to choose from. Immense 
sums were expended in collecting plants and flowers in 
foreign countries, and the hybridists had also done 
good work in securing varieties. In consequence of 
this, orchidaceous and other beautiful plants had been 
brought within the reach, he might say, of all who 
