Hay 2, 1891. 
THE GARDENING VvORLD. 
ASTERS FOR CUTTING. 
The very best of white Chrysanthemums can hardly 
hope to find much favour when in competition with the 
pure white flower of the Mignon Aster. I notice that 
“K. D.” writes approvingly of Quilled Asters for late 
cutting, and they are very good ; but I am sure the 
new white Mignon, which is a tall grower, yet pro¬ 
ducing medium-sized, flat-petalled, and very full double 
flowers in great profusion, stands quite at the top of 
the tree for the production of late white flowers. This 
Aster may be sown about the middle of May in good 
soil in the open ground, may be transplanted early in 
July into good soil which is not too fully exposed to 
the sud, and may be lifted and potted in trios into 
large pots, or singly into smaller ones, for blooming 
under glass up to the end of October ; later than that 
it is hardly worth while to have them. 
This Aster comes very true and good from home- 
sowed seed, as I have tested it. It has other colours 
also, but the white is the best. Specially good is it for 
cutting, because the blooms have good large stems. 
For the production of seed the plants should be raised 
fully a month earlier, be planted out on warm early 
borders, and have all but about five flowers to each 
plant cut away. Some show even finer form than 
others, these should be specially marked for selection. 
Not a bloom so far as I have yet seen comes open and 
hollow-eyed, all being dense and full. I have found no 
other Aster so admirable for the purpose named ; 
indeed, for furnishing cut blooms all through the 
autumn it is one of the best things of recent intro¬ 
duction.— D. 
-»>3=o- 
DAFFODILS FROM IRELAND. 
A fine box of Daffodils comes to us from Mr. W. 
Baylor Hartland, 24, Patrick Street, Cork, who says 
that the flowers are nearly over there, with the exception 
of the Bicolor and Poeticus sections. The under¬ 
mentioned kinds, however, were in excellent condition 
as to size and colour. John Nelson is something in 
the way of Emperor, but is darker in colour, with the 
inner segments somewhat twisted ; the trumpet has six 
overlapping lobes at the mouth. Mr. Brouwer is a 
smaller flower with paler segments and a short, wide 
trumpet. Rev. J. B. M. Camm, on the contrary, is a 
Daffodil of the Empress type, but of greater substance. 
The segments are broad, spreading, and white, but the 
crown seems to be coloured with a dark and light shade 
of lemon. Mrs. J. B. M. Camm differs by having the 
inner segments distinctly twisted, while the trumpet 
is of a beautiful soft or pale lemon. 
Some of the Moschatus type sent us were in grand 
form. The pale lemon crown of Albicans was 
of great length, but quite equalled by that of the 
white segments. Cernuus pulcher, on the contrary, 
was notable for the shortness and breadth of all parts 
of the flower, and the wide-mouthed and lobed crown 
was notable for its bicolorous condition—the outer 
surface being pale lemon and the inner creamy white. 
A new white Swan’s-neck Daffodil, raised by Mr. 
Hartland, he names Helen Falconer. See the accom¬ 
panying illustration kindly lent by him. It has the 
broad segments of Cernuus pulcher, but the crown is 
longer, narrower, and of the same creamy white hue on 
both surfaces. 
A fine sample of N. Backhousei had broad imbricated 
sulphur-coloured segments with a darker edge, and 
barely exceeded the wide trumpet in length. N. tri- 
dymus S. A. de Graaf showed a great advance on the 
type in point of size, and the broad sulphur-coloured 
segments were slightly longer than the golden yellow 
crown. There were two flowers on a stem and they 
were distinctly fragrant. A meritorious and very 
distinct type of N. incomparabilis is semipartitus, with 
broad sulphur segments and a golden yellow six-parted 
crown. 
PRESENTATION TO A GARDENER 
AFTER FIFTY YEARS OF SERVICE. 
It is given to comparatively very few men to complete 
fifty years of service on one estate, but when such a 
circumstance does occur it is but right that it should 
be fittingly commemorated. Air. W. Stocking has 
recently completed his fiftieth year of service as 
gardener and forester on the estate of W. A. Tysen 
Amhurst, Esq., M.P., at Didlington Hall, Brandon, 
Norfolk, and his co-workers on the estate, to the 
number of 120, presented him with a handsome marble 
eight-day clock and an illuminated address com¬ 
memorative of the event. The presentation was made 
by Mr. W. Ford, the agent, who has known Mr. 
Stocking during the whole period of his service at 
Didlington, and bore testimony to the high respect 
and esteem in which he was held. Mr. Stocking 
suitably acknowledged the compliment, and heartily 
thanked his friends for their kindly expressions of 
good will. 
It is not often that such “jubilees” occur among 
gardeners, and I am glad to say in connection with 
this instance that Mr. Stocking is still in the enjoyment 
of good health, and able to discharge his manifold 
duties. There are a good many men now holding 
important positions who have served under Mr. 
Stocking in the gardens at Didlington, and who will 
be pleased to hear of this celebration, for he was held 
in great respect by all. — Con. 
THE AMORPHOPHALLUS 
FRAUD. 
My attention has been called to an article in your issue 
of February 7th (p. 357), regarding Amorphophallus 
campanulatus, in which you accuse the one who is 
advertising it in England, of fraud. This must refer to 
me, as I know of no one else who is advertising it. As 
regards my firm being one which practises deception I 
would only say that between the present date and the 
first day of January of the present year we have received 
and filled 130,000 separate orders, representing 
customers in all parts of the world. This is a larger 
business than has been done, I feel sure, by any other 
house in our line in the world, and I think is a 
sufficient guarantee that we are not in the swindling 
line. By inquiry you will find that our house stands 
at the head of all American seed and florist concerns, 
and it seems to me that your broad accusation of fraud 
on our part is a hasty and ill-advised comment. I 
procured 15,000 bulbs of Amorphophallus campanu¬ 
latus from a well-known and reliable collector and 
botanist, who furnished me description of same, and 
I have every reason to believe that it is correct. 
The bulbs when received weighed on an average 
about 1 lb. each. But they came to hand in 
bad condition, being affected with dry rot, and we 
have been obliged to decline orders for them. 
All that were at first sent out we are returning 
money for, and are returning money for all that are 
ordered now ; so that no one has been in any wise 
defrauded. 
It seems absurd to accuse a paper like your own of 
being in error about the description of any plant. Still, 
I know I have read a description of Amorphophallus 
campanulatus which tallies with the one I give which 
was furnished by my collector .—John L. Childs, Floral 
Park, New York, April 11th, 1891. [Mr. Childs is 
entitled to the right of reply to our comments, which, 
however, as he has thought well to withdraw the tubers 
from sale, would appear to have been neither hasty nor 
ill-advised. We must point out to Mr. Childs that 
neither the extent of his business nor its position in 
relation to other American seed and florist concerns 
justified him in attempting to push the sale (in England 
at all events) of one well-known plant by applying to 
it the description of another and still more remarkable 
one, whatever information he may have received from 
the “reliable collector and botanist.” That sort of 
thing in England is characterised as a Fraud.—E d ] 
- 
PROLONGING THE SUPPLY OF 
HARDY FRUITS.* 
The importance of prolonging the supply of hardy 
fruits cannot be over-estimated where fresh supplies are 
in demand for home consumption. Each year increases 
our knowledge of the value of fresh fruit as food for 
man, and hence the gardener is called upon to supply, 
not only fruit in greater abundance, but in greater 
variety, and continuing over a longer season. This is 
by no means an easy task, when the numerous enemies 
the gardener has to contend against are taken into 
consideration. Birds are one of the greatest pests that 
attack ripe fruits, but we must not on this account 
destroy our feathered songsters, as they amply repay 
us for their share of the fruit by their song and the 
destruction of insects. Instead, then, of destroying 
the birds, rather try to keep them at bay when the 
fruit is ripe, and for this purpose various methods are 
tried. Old herring nets are largely used, and when 
properly employed are a great protection. The birds 
are sure, however, to effect an entrance in time, and it 
is surprising the quantity of fruit carried off. Matting 
the bushes up is another means often adopted in the 
case of Red and White Currants, Gooseberries, &c., but 
it entails much labour and material, and in the end is 
not quite satisfactory. It is remarkable that birds 
very soon discover where good fruit is to be had, and 
they can also pick out the best. Again, in dry seasons 
birds become bolder, due no doubt to the scarcity of 
wild fruits or the short season in which they can be 
obtained. In order to guard against this evil, I would 
strongly recommend the erection of wooden structures 
covered with wire netting. A house of this description 
costs very little, and serves its purpose better than 
anything I know. It can also be covered with 
roller blinds to protect the trees when in flower from 
frost, and when the fruit is ripe they can be used to 
shade it from bright sunshine, and thus help to retard 
and prolong its season. 
* First prize essay by Mr. A. Wright, Devonhurst, Chiswick 
Chiswick Gardeners’ Association. 
