696 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
July 4, 1891. 
What is to be feared in relation to many 
of the questions is that the persons invited 
to reply will do so without real adequate 
knowledge, not having at command for com¬ 
parison or experience one-half or one-third 
even of the varieties of perennials or small 
fruits respecting which information is invited. 
It is far wiser in such cases to say nothing 
than to offer replies which may be mis¬ 
leading, and to attempt to look wise 
without accurate knowledge. Probably to 
many in receipt of the questions, not a few 
would seem hardly worth answering. However, 
apart from these matters wo hope the con¬ 
ferences of the ensuing week will be held 
in fine weather, be largely attended, and in 
every respect prove to be very successful 
and useful for horticulture. 
he Pea Crop.— There has been such an 
enormous crop of the small-podded early 
round Peas this season, that prices are very 
disappointing to the growers; the earliest 
started at from 4s. to 5s. per bushel, and soon 
dropped down to 2s. to 3s. per bushel. The 
fact is, growers make the mistake of sowing far 
too many of these small-podded sorts, and by 
the time the second gathering is made, the 
market returns are poor indeed. It is not that 
there are not plenty of good fine-podded second 
early kinds, which it would pay well to sow early 
in place of the white rounds, but growers for 
market are difficult to move, and prefer to go 
on in their old jog-trot way rather than risk a 
break away from stereotyped courses. Did 
they sow Telegraph or Telephone, or any 
similar fine-podded variety thinly, and on their 
earliest soils, in favourable weather during 
February, they would find the produce dropping 
in even before the early white rounds were over, 
and whilst getting fine pods which would soon 
fill the bushel, would also easily command a 
shilling per bushel, or even more, in the 
market. 
It is very far from wise to be constantly 
growing the sorts which all others grow. That 
course soon brings all returns to a low dead 
level. The grower who ventures a little on 
some finer variety, is sure to be repaid for his 
enterprise in the larger prices secured. The 
Pea consumer soon tires of the poor white 
rounds, for they are usually hard and flavourless. 
A good round or wrinkled marrow attracts 
attention at once, and commands a ready sale. 
Perhaps raisers of Peas have never given all the 
attention that is desirable to the production of 
specially fine early sorts; but still we cannot 
now complain that there are not many varieties 
which do not turn in fairly soon, if sown early, 
and on quick soils. The large round blues are 
best, because round seed is less liable to suffer 
in the cold soil than wrinkled seed is. 'We do 
not, however, regard the Pea grower’s interest 
alone. The consumer has to be studied also, 
and after being pretty well dosed with imported 
supplies of inferior quality, he does not find 
just the variation and change desired in the 
rather hard, flavourless first earlies which home 
growers yet supply. 
J Dansies.- —We publish elsewhere a full report 
1 of the show of Pansies held in Birmingham, 
under the auspices of the newly - formed 
Midland Counties Pansy Society, and most 
heartily do we rejoice in the success attending 
the venture. Whilst it is feared for various 
reasons that the Pansy may never again become 
a popular show flower in the south, that it will 
in time develop into one of the most widely 
grown of early-blooming hardy plants in the 
north there can be no doubt. The Pansy 
delights in a cool position, and where the sun 
does not shine out too hotly. Thus the north 
of the kingdom seems to be generally moie 
fitted for Pansy culture than is the south, 
where its season of bloom is at once earlier and 
shorter. Hot that we cannot have plenty of 
good Pansies down here, but we should require 
to exhibit them fully three weeks earlier than 
do our northern friends, for with the advent of 
summer the blooms rapidly deteriorate. 
But the chief obstacle to the successful 
cultivation of the Pansy as a show plant in the 
south is undoubtedly found in the fact that 
the florist mind, if we may so put it, does not 
characterise our southern population in the 
same way that it is found in the north. We 
may have myriads of flower lovers, but few real 
florists. The true florist seems to be a denizen 
of colder climes, hence the evident sterility of 
that faculty in the south. We were somewhat 
amused at a criticism to which the new Pansy 
Society was subject the other day. It was 
complained by a southern florist of repute, and 
a personal friend of ours also, that having 
originally fixed the Pansy show for June 10th, 
it threw his chance of exhibiting over¬ 
board when that show, for the benefit of so 
many others, was postponed to June 24th, 
and it was held that shows once fixed should be 
irremoveable. How, apart from the modesty of 
our friend in demanding the show should have 
been kept to date to suit the southern growers, 
there is something amusing in the assumption 
that committees of shows may not accommodate 
their dates to the general interest of the shows 
and exhibitors. 
It seems to us specially to be commended 
that when the committee found the original 
o 
date, because of a late season, too early, they 
displayed wisdom in at once adapting the show 
to the season, other circumstances being 
favourable. It would often be well if other 
committees were as elastic in their arrangements. 
We hope the Pansy Society will yet accomplish 
great things for this truly beautiful flower, and 
one still deeply favoured in the hearts of the 
people. 
. - 
Framlingham Flower Show will take place on 
July loth. 
The Rutland Horticultural Society’s annual exhi¬ 
bition will be held at Oakham on August 3rd. Mr. 
Morris, the energetic secretary has lately resigned, 
and received from the members a very hearty vote of 
thanks for his past services. 
The Second Flower Show at Clontarf, in the sister 
Isle, will take place on Wednesday next in Clontarf 
Castle grounds, kindly lent for the occasion by Colonel 
Yernon. 
The Topsliam District Horticultural Society has 
recently lost its able secretary, Mr. Osborne, by death, 
and at a recent meeting Mr. Gale was appointed as his 
successor. The annual show will take place early in 
August. 
Strawberries on the West Coast of Scotland. — 
The Oban Times states that Strawberries were ready to 
gather as early as the 8th of June in a garden by the 
classic shores of Beregonium. Mr. W. Birrell, nur¬ 
seryman, Glencruithen, had The President ripe on the 
13th of June. 
A. Large Mushroom.— Land and Water states that 
a splendid specimen of the edible Mushroom was found 
at Claines on Wednesday, June 17tb. The following 
are its dimensions-.—Height, 7 ins.; diameter, 11 ins.; 
circumference, 32 ins. ; and circumference of stalk, 
9 ins. Weight, 1 lb. 2^ oz. 
The Woodbridge Horticultural Society, one of 
the most successful in the Eastern Counties, will hold 
its fortieth annual exhibition on Thursday next, when 
£150 will be awarded in prizes, besides the National 
Rose Society’s Medals. We understand that next year 
a twenty-five guinea cup will be offered for Roses. 
Paper Flower Pots.—Flower pots made of paper 
have been tried at one of the American experimental 
stations, and are very favourably reported on. Their 
light weight and non-liability to breakage mark them 
as peculiarly suitable for transport purposes, and a 
severe test proved their ability to withstand the 
necessary damp. 
Hardiness of Pelargonium Seeds.—The Rev. F. 
Bingham, Horfield Rectory, Bristol, states in a local 
paper that, in spite of the very severe winter, two 
little seedling Pelargoniums have sprung up in his 
garden, in the open air, where he had a large Pelar¬ 
gonium in a pot last year. Two of the brown 
Calceolarias, supposed to be less hardy than the yellow, 
have lived through the winter in the same garden 
without any protection, and have thrown up fresh 
stems and leaves from the roots. 
The Greenhouse Building Trade. — The enormous 
growth of the demand for greenhouses, especially small 
ones, during late years is one of the most gratifying 
signs of the times, both from a social and a horticul¬ 
tural point of view. We learnt the other day that one 
builder alone—Mr. William Cooper, 751, Old Kent Road, 
S.E.—during the year ending March last, sent out no 
less than 2,149 houses, an amount of work which has 
necessitated a greater extension of premises. 
The Late Mr. Shirley Hibberd's Library was dis¬ 
posed of on Monday and Tuesday, and from a 
financial point of view was considered an all round 
good sale. The complete set of Curtis’s “Botanical 
Magazine” to date, realised £99; the “Botanical 
Register,” complete, £36 ; “Wallich’s Plantee Rariores 
Asiaticse,” £14 ; “ Turner’s Herbal ” (1568), £19 10s.; 
“Paxton’s Magazine of Botany,” £11 10s. ; and the 
“Orchid Album,” £15 10s. 
Gardening Engagements.—Mr. Hough, foreman in 
the garden of Mr. Holbrook Gaskell, Woolton Wood, 
Liverpool, has been engaged by Mr. O. O. Wrigley to 
succeed the late Mr. G. Beddoes as his Orchid grower 
at Howick House, Preston. Mr. Joseph Lee, late 
foreman at Highbury, Birmingham, the residence of 
the Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, M.P., has been 
engaged as gardener to Earl Howe, Gopsal Hall, near 
Leicester. 
Public Park for Stockton-on-Tees.— The Corpora¬ 
tion ot Stockton-on-Tees were presented some months 
ago by Major Ropner, of Preston Hall, with forty acres 
of valuable ground adjoining the borough, for the 
purpose of providing a public park for the inhabitants 
of the town. The Park Committee instructed the 
borough engineer to prepare a suitable plan, and the 
contract for supplying and planting the ornamental 
trees and shrubs for the park has been entrusted to 
Messrs. Little & Ballantyne, Carlisle. 
Producing Rain by an Explosion.—The Agri¬ 
cultural Department of the United Strtes made an 
experiment at Washington on Tuesday evening in the 
production of rainfall. A balloon was sent np into the 
clouds, where it exploded with great violence. _ Later 
in the evening a downpour of rain occurred, but 
whether this was due to the explosion remains to be 
determined. The Department will repeat the experi¬ 
ment on a larger scale. 
The National Rose Society.—The first visit of the 
National Rose Society to Hereford will take place on 
Thursday, July 16th, when, in conjunction with the 
Hereford and West of England Society, a show will 
be held in the Castle Green. The show, we under¬ 
stand, will be held in six large marquees and numerous 
small tents, and special arrangements have been made 
with the railway companies for issuing cheap tickets. 
Plants for Salads formed the subject of a discussion 
at a meeting on the 23rd ult. of the Axminster and 
District Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society. The 
Rev. J. R. Dummelow, of Membury, occupied the chair, 
and there was a good attendance. The competition at 
this meeting was for a collection of plants for salads. 
The first prize was awarded to Mr. H. Knight, of 
Axminster, and the second prize to Mr. E. Chappie, 
also of Axminster ; and an extra prize was awarded to 
Mr. W. G. King, of Coryton Park, Axminster. 
Torquay Gardeners’ Relief Fund.—Messrs. Curtis, 
Sandford & Co., the well-known Rose growers of Tor¬ 
quay, last week held their annual Rose show, in aid of 
the local Gardeners’ Relief Fund, of which Dr. R. 
Hamilton Ramsay is the president, Captain W. Fane 
Tucker treasurer, and Mr. Alfred Chandler the hon. 
secretary. Including a balance of £43 5s. 2d. in hand 
at the commencement of the year, the past year’s 
receipts amounted to £101 15s. 4 d., of which £46 lis. 
has been expended by thirty-two payments to gardeners 
in ill health and to the widows of gardeners, and there 
is now £46 8s. 4<7. in hand, the year’s expenses 
amounting to £8 16s. 
Deaths from Influenza.— We learn with deep 
regret of the death, on the 22nd ult., at Portlands, 
Shrewsbury, of Mr. Henry John Oldroyd, aged seventy 
years ; and on the 21st ult. of Margaret, his wife, aged 
seventy-two years. Mr. Oldroyd for many years 
carried on a lucrative business in Shrewsbury as a 
nurseryman and seedsman, and was much respected by 
the gardening community in the midlands and through¬ 
out North Wales, his aptitude for business, wide range 
of knowledge, and high character for honourable 
dealing endearing him to all who knew him. Both 
