32 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
September 15, 1888. 
How many of our southern gardeners are 
there who would not enjoy some similar 
gathering here ! Can the committee of the 
association organise something of a similar 
character 1 We have no doubt that many 
nurserymen and gardeners in England would 
be only too pleased to follow in Mr. Fairgrieve’s 
footsteps ; but there must be a distinct end 
in view, and that end must be the production 
and cultivation of hardy fruits in this 
country. It may be well also to study a 
little more than is at present the case the 
dietable value of fruit, and to welcome the 
assistance of the food reform bodies in their 
useful efforts to render fruits more completely 
the real food of man. 
Horticultural Sales. —The formidable list 
of sales by auction near at hand of nurseries, 
nursery stock, private-grown plants, bulbs, &c., 
would almost lead to the inference that we 
are approaching a time when what is now 
termed legitimate trade will be all transferred 
to the auctioneer. It does seem obvious 
that there is some slackness in the ordinary 
nursery trade, and it is feared that numerous 
sales will hardly conduce do a better state 
of things. Of course, ail classes want to 
live, and the man who has a stock for sale, 
and is unable to dispose of it through the 
usual course of trade, naturally flies to 
auction sales as one means of getting rid 
of that which otherwise may become on his 
hands a serious incubus. Therefore, on the 
principle that half a loaf is better than no 
bread, the aid of the knight of the hammer 
is evoked, and through his help the other 
members of the trade and private growers 
secure stuff at a very trifling cost. Were 
these solitary examples all might be well 
eventually; but somehow such is far from 
being the case, and the list of auction sales 
rather increases than diminishes. 
Naturally it may be asked have we been 
producing nursery stock of all kinds in con¬ 
siderable excess of the ordinary needs of the 
nation ■ or, on the other hand, have the 
wants of the nation in the direction of 
trees, shrubs, plants, &c., materially declined 1 
Possibly some member of the nursery and 
plant trade can answer the question. On 
the other hand, there may be a demand for 
plants, &c., in diverse directions — that the trade 
is, in fact,. passing into the hands of others, 
who, watching the fashions and fancies or, 
perhaps, the genuine changed tastes of the 
public, have catered to satisfy those changed 
desires, and are thriving. That the old 
order changeth is a recognised axiom, which 
may not unnaturally be applied to gardening 
as to other things. Just as we should 
prefer to see fewer requests for situations, so 
would we rather see fewer sales, if such sales 
signify bad trade. If, on the other hand, 
they constitute but a new development of 
the nursery trade, and are profitable to the 
trade, then all is well. 
Chrysanthemums. —Growers of these plants, 
for the production of exhibition flowers, have 
been looking upon the late continuous rainfall, 
low temperature, and cloudy skies with some 
considerable apprehension. Last year it was 
hard work to keep the plants duly provided 
with Avater, so rapidly did the soil in the pots 
dry up. Generally, flowers Avere very good, 
because the wood became so Avell ripened • 
but the Japanese flowers Avere the best on 
the whole, the heat and drought having pre¬ 
vented appreciably the full development of 
the incurved blooms. This year the chances 
of getting wood ripened seems remote, unless 
growers have some charm Avhereby they can 
dispense Avith sunshine, and yet secure good 
results. That is, lioAvever, it is to be feared, 
difficult, if not impossible. Of course, plants 
in pots, even in such seasons as the present, 
are much less affected by excessive rainfalls 
than are plants in the open ground, and the 
very limited area of soil exposed to the rain 
reduces the injurious effects which, out-doors, 
flow from so much moisture in the soil. 
To obtain ripening warmth in the same 
way, however, is a much more difficult 
matter. Possibly something may be done 
by housing the plants earlier than usual, and 
if it be that under the ordinary conditions 
of exposure to which plants in pots are 
usually subjected, blooms would come late 
then it will be incumbent upon growers to 
house early. Naturally, Avhilst individual 
growers are contemplating their own chances, 
now so much discounted by adverse weather, 
committees of Chrysanthemum societies are 
all concerned lest with sternly fixed dates for 
their shows, they should find them too early 
for the flowers. Possibly the necessity for 
a little inside ripening, combined with a 
little pushing, may help in the end to pro¬ 
duce more than ordinarily good flowers—at 
least, we hope it may be so, for any falling 
off in quantity at our coming Chrysanthe¬ 
mum shows would be a misfortune, which 
we are sure growers will labour to avoid. 
Fruit-growing Profits.—W e regret to find 
that in some remarks on this subject published 
on p. 19 of our last issue, we inadvertently 
erred in stating that the editor of a horticul¬ 
tural contemporary had in one of the daily 
papers proclaimed the possibility of making 
£250 per acre out of fruit culture, and Ave 
hasten to correct the error. What the Avriter 
in question did say Avas, that if five acres were 
planted Avith fruit trees “ the net yearly result 
Avhen in full bearing should be £250.” 
-—>'X<-- 
The Bath Floral Fete. —At this interesting show 
last week we are informed that a pretty display of 
annuals and florists’ flowers from Messrs. Sutton & 
Sons was one of the most attractive features. A special 
Certificate was awarded to the exhibit as a whole, and 
five additional certificates for several novelties, including 
Sutton’s new Gloxinias, Her Majesty, pure white, and 
a beautiful distinct netted variety. 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution_We are 
pleased to hear that by permission of Lady Bateman 
a fete was held recently in Oakley Park Garden, Scole, 
Suffolk, for the benefit of this institution, with the 
result that though the weather was unfavourable Mr. 
A. McMillan, the gardener, has been able to forward 
to Mr. Cutler £18 1 7s. 6d. as the profits of the fete. 
Chrysanthemum Shoivs. —The annual exhibition of 
the Pembrokeshire Chrysanthemum Society will take 
place on November 9th and 10th ; that of the Winchester 
Horticultural Society on November 13th and 14th ; 
and that of the Ancient Society of York Florists on 
November 14th, 15th and 16th. 
Landscape Gardening in India.— We understand 
that Mr. William Goldring has just received a com¬ 
mission from His Highness the Maharajah Gaekwar of 
Baroda, to go out to India to design and lay out some 
extensive gardens in the English style around his new 
palaces at Makarpura and Laxmilvilosa, at Baroda, 
and some public parks and gardens in other parts of 
his highness’s dominions. For the' next three years 
Mr. Goldring proposes to spend three winter months 
(December, January and February) in India, so that he 
Avill still be able to continue his home practice. 
CliisAvick Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Asso¬ 
ciation.— The gardeners of the Chiswick district 
associated together for professional improvement, and 
who hold their meetings through the kindness of the 
council of the Royal Horticultural Society in the well- 
known gardens of the society, being desirous of 
rendering some tangible support to the Gardeners’ 
Orphan Fund, propose to hold, on October 17th a 
soiree, at the Chiswick Vestry Hall, when in addition 
to offering to gardeners and other friends a specially 
favourable opportunity for social intercourse and en¬ 
joyment, the committee also hope to obtain from the 
proceeds a handsome sum towards the Orphan Fund. 
Hybridisation in the Genus Citrus. —The super¬ 
intendent of the Trinidad Botanic Garden, in his 
annual report for 1887, states that “There is little 
doubt in the mind of old residents in the West Indies 
that the genus as a whole (if the various species are 
intermingled or planted side by side) do not produce 
plants true from seed. The large number of varieties 
partaking of the character intermediate between those 
which are considered distinct species, that are to be 
found in all districts in the West Indies, especially in 
Jamaica, leads to the conclusion that there is much to 
be said in favour of the theory of hybridisation. How 
else can we account for a fruit partaking of the 
characters of both the Lemon and the Orange, and 
apparently intermediate between the two ?— between 
the Lime and the Orange, so marked that we cannot 
tell whether sweet or sour until we taste, the fruit 
possessing the skin of the Orange, while the quality of 
the juice is that of the Lime and cannot be mistaken ? 
Other fruits are to be found intermediate between the 
Shaddock and the Orange, while some Avith a skin 
resembling the true Lemon are sweet and luscious. 
The true Lemon and the true Citron are, however, rare, 
but the worthless spongy varieties between the two are 
innumerable. Having had considerable experience in 
raising plants from seed, I am able to say Avith some 
certainty that Oranges do not generally come true from 
seed, unless the trees producing the seed are isolated 
from other species of the genus, on account of hybridi¬ 
sation occurring among them.” 
The Conference of Fruit GroAvers_ The conference 
which took place in the dining saloon at the Crystal 
Palace on the 7th and 8th inst., was well attended on 
both days by practical gardeners and others interested 
in the development of fruit cultivation. On Friday 
the papers read were on “ Fruit Culture for Profit,” by 
the chairman, Mr. T. Francis Rivers ; “ Packing Fruit ” 
(seep. 34), by Mr. James Webber; “Packing, Carriage, 
and Marketing of Fruit,” by Mr. S. Rawson ; and on 
“ Improving Orchards by Grafting,” by Mr. J. Miller ; 
also “ Land Tenure in Relation to Fruit Cultivation,” 
by Mr. Albert Bath, &c. The discussion which 
ensued was initiated by Mr. A. Dean, and con¬ 
tinued by Mr. A. H. Pearson, Mr. J. K. Fowler, Mr. 
Peter "V eitch, Mr. Reed, Mr. H. James, Mr. D. T. 
Fish, and Mr. G. Bunyard. On the following day, 
Mr. D. Tallerman read a paper on “The Science of 
Fruit Distribution, and Mr. Manning one on “ Fruit 
as Food.” Mr. J. Cheal commenced the discussion, 
which was continued by Mr. Alderman Chaffin, and 
Mr. T. W. Beach. Mr. J. Cheal proposed a resolution 
to the effect that it was desirable an association of fruit 
growers should be formed for the promotion of 
profitable fruit cultivation, and to improve the methods 
of distribution, the Executive Committee of the con¬ 
ference being requested to prepare a report on the 
subject, to be submitted to the next meeting at the 
Crystal Palace on October 11th. Mr. Fowler seconded 
the proposition, which was carried nem. con. A vote 
of thanks to the chairman was carried by acclama¬ 
tion. The meeting was adjourned to the date above 
mentioned. 
-- 
ENGLISH CLIMATE, FRUIT 
CULTURE, AND FOODS. 
As noticed in The Gardening World of last week, 
the Fruit Conferences constitute an excellent move for 
bringing out papers on some of the most important 
questions of the present day, and as remarked, there is 
a very wide field opened out, which no doubt will evoke 
considerable discussion. Fruit cultivation and fruit 
consumption, like anything else, is interconnected with 
other causes. If broad plantations of fruit trees were 
distributed over the land by the waysides, on commons, 
and on railway embankments, and if field hedgerows 
were composed of bush fruits instead of Thorns, &c., 
then indeed nature would put on a clothing of green 
shady trees, bespangled through the season with their 
amber and golden fruits. Landed proprietors and 
farmers should take this into consideration. Would it 
not also be the means of making our climate more 
regular, and also the rainfall to be more equal than 
now ? The foliage would check a too rapid evaporation 
and floods would not be so sudden. Our seasons are 
either too wet or too dry ; regularity of climate would 
secure regular crops and less imports. 
This is well so far as it goes, but in order to pay the 
grower, it may be asked, What is he to do with it when 
grown, either in a fresh or preserved state ? This Avill, 
of course, be regulated by the law of supply and 
demand and other incidental matters ; but what is the 
demand upon the human system for fruits and vegetables 
as foods ? Taking the facts and the laws of nature by 
which we are governed, could we, as vegetarians, in a 
cold temperate climate, keep up that bodily heat in 
a\ inter requisite to our latitudes ? As countries recede 
from the equator northwards, the more heat-giving 
