272 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
December 29, 1888. 
Auricula and Carnation Societies contemplate 
similar conferences at their usual exhibitions, 
and yet more of similar gatherings may he 
heard of ere the year is far advanced. 
The latter conference, which can hardly he 
otherwise than interesting, would have been 
a far more promising gathering if held at 
Chiswick also, but the decrees of the executive 
have been against the proposal. If the Rose 
Show and Conference at Chiswick should 
prove to be the success its promoters anticipate, 
then we believe there will be less hesitancy 
on the part of other bodies to follow the 
example of the National Rose Society. But 
these conferences mark something more than 
the year’s progress, they evidence an awaken¬ 
ing on the part of the horticultural community 
to the fact that mere exhibtions, however 
pleasing to our egotism, have not been so helpful 
as could be desired in promoting a taste for 
real horticulture. Competitions gratify pe¬ 
cuniary aspirations ; conferences may be assumed 
to satisfy our intellectual needs, or if not 
fully satisfying, they at least help to that 
end. We hope the conferences will not be 
too much occupied with the discussion of 
hackneyed topics, but rather that they will 
be made the means of introducing new ideas, 
and shedding new light upon some of the 
most interesting subjects in horticulture. 
-- 
The Hull and West Riding Chrysanthemum Show 
next year is fixed to be held on November 14th and 
15 th. 
Gardening Engagements.— Mr. Geo. Beaton, 
gardener at Style Hall, Gunnersbury, as gardener and 
bailiff to Spencer Chadwick, Esq., Highfield, Shoreham, 
Scvenoaks. Mr. C. J. Mills, for some time foreman at 
Dropmore, Bucks, as gardener to Colonel Pole- 
Carew, Antony House, near Devonport. Mr. C. 
Martin, foreman at Holker, Lancashire, as gardener to 
Lord Dacre, at Kimpton Hoo, Welwyn, in succession 
to Mr. Merritt, who is going into business at Harpenden. 
Grand Horticultural Exhibition at Berlin. — An 
exhibition of great extent is to be held at Berlin for 
the advancement of horticulture in the Prussian States. 
A provisional programme has been drawn up stating 
that the exhibition will be opened on the 25th April, 
1890, and continue till the 5th of May following. 
It comprises horticultural products of all kinds, plants, 
flowers, bouquets, trained fruit trees, pomology, market 
garden culture, plans of gardens, architecture, and 
garden sundries ; also scientific horticulture, including 
morphology, anatomy, physiology, microtomy, fung- 
ology, the science of fruits, the geography of plants, 
and horticultural literature. In all, there are classes 
for no less than 950 kinds of exhibits. 
Proposed International Centenary Chrysanthemum 
Show in Edinburgh.—A meeting of the Council of the 
Scottish Horticultural Association was held on the 
13th inst., to consider the propriety of holding an 
International Centenary Chrysanthemum Show next 
year, under the auspices of the association, in Edinburgh. 
It was unanimously decided to proceed with the project, 
and that a three days’ show should be held in the 
Waverley Market in November next. It was further 
proposed that a guarantee fund should be opened in 
support of the undertaking, towards which a sum of 
about £60 was subscribed by the members of the 
Council present. A small committee, consisting 
of Messrs. Robertson Munro, secretary ; McKenzie, 
treasurer ; D. P. Laird, and M. Todd, was appointed 
to conduct preliminary matters, and a meeting of the 
Council was arranged to be held on an early day to 
receive its report. 
A New Zealand Moss.—Mosses of various kinds are 
found useful in garden economy, but seldom do gardeners 
take the trouble to grow them specially for 
decorative purposes as they would a filmy Fern, a 
Selaginella, or even a Club Moss. That under 
notice is a true moss, namely Hypopterygium filiculae- 
forme. Both the generic and specific names will, no 
doubt, by the gardening fraternity generally be con¬ 
sidered rather cumbersome'and unpronounceable. The 
plant itself is, however, neat and interesting, resembling 
as the specific name implies, a little Fern. The main 
stem rises to the height of some inches, and from this 
point short branches are given off, radiating all round 
in one plane, as if it were a peltate frond. The small 
leaves are in three ranks, but one of them is much 
smaller than the other two, ■which give the little 
branches a finely pinnate appearance. A plant may be 
seen in one of the filmy Fern cases at Kew. 
New Pears.—It may be considered by many growers 
that we already have a sufficient number of Pears in 
cultivation. More attention is given to the raising of 
Apples, or of obtaining new kinds in this country ; but 
on the Continent, as well as in America, new varieties 
continue to be raised. Some half-dozen kinds are 
described in the Bulletin d’Arboriculture, d-c., for 
November ; but although the half of them are described 
as of first-class quality, and the remainder have also 
some qualities to recommend them, none of them 
possess a property that is very desirable in this country 
at present, namely, that of keeping in good condition 
till Christmas, or onwards into spring. Some of them 
have been raised from seed of "Williams’ Bon Chretien, 
and, as might be expected, ripen very early. Those 
that keep longest do not extend the season beyond 
October or November. But as early and mid-season 
fruits, they may equal or even excel some of the sorts 
already in cultivation for quality, judging from the 
descriptions. 
Cypripediums.—Within'the last ten years or so the 
increase in the number of forms of this genus has been 
something remarkable. Some five years ago the 
number of species, including Selenipediums, was set 
down by our leading authorities at fifty, with the 
statement that some of them were scarcely distinct— 
that is, they were not all good species. Before 1878 
the number of species, varieties and hybrids recorded 
in gardening books was about eighty. Now we have 
before us a catalogue issued by Messrs. J. R. Pitcher & 
W. A. Manda, The United States Nurseries, Short 
Hills, N.J., which is entirely devoted to Cypri¬ 
pediums, which these gentlemen believe to be the 
coming flowei for greenhouse and stove collections both 
in Europe and America. Taking species, varieties and 
hybrids together, they enumerate 358, giving the 
native country of species and varieties and the parentage 
of hybrids. In these respects the catalogue would be 
a useful one to collectors generally who are interested 
in the history and cultivation of this beautiful class of 
plants. Those that are named as varieties have been 
imported generally from the same country as the type, 
and by way of illustration we may mention that under 
C. barbatum twenty-four varieties are recorded, twenty- 
four under C. insigne, ninejmder C. Spicerianum, and 
five under C. venustum. Under the hybrid C. Harrisi- 
anum fifteen other hybrids, obtained'from it as one of 
the parents, are given. 
Fruit Culture in the Australian Irrigation 
Colonies. — We learn from the Adelaide Observer 
that an English nobleman,'the Earl of Ranfurly, has 
become a large landed proprietor at Mildura, and 
speaks confidently of a great future for the Australian 
irrigation colonies. With those who are interested 
with him in the development of these colonies he has 
already planted about 30,000 vines, 950 lemon, 1,500 
apricot, 500 fig, and 4,000 orange trees, and next year 
they hope to go in more extensively in the same direc¬ 
tion. Lord Ranfurly has gone to California in order to 
see the irrigation colonies there and their mode of 
cultivation, and also with the object of procuring fruit- 
trees never yet introduced to Australia. He will 
subsequently visit England, and hopes to return to 
Mildura next May. His intentions then are to stay in 
Australia for a few months, and after increasing the 
area of land leave a partner or another of his acquain¬ 
tances to manage the business. 
Plant Leaves and Sunlight.—At the usual monthly 
meeting of the Manchester Horticultural Improvement 
Society, held on the 20th inst., Mr. A. Stansfield pre¬ 
siding, Mr. W. Birkenhead, of Sale, read a paper on 
the function of the leaves of plants and trees under the 
influence of sunlight. He said that the leaves of plants 
in the aggregate constitute the workshop or factory in 
which the sun does the great work of forming out of 
crude materials all the floral beauties which delight the 
eye, all the fruits which give pleasure to the palate, and 
the perfumes which make the air delightful to breathe. 
He went so far as to say that the activities of life would 
cease if vegetation were swept off the earth, and nothing 
were supplied to take its place. To put the matter in 
another form, if, through the absence of sunlight, the 
function of leaves were permanently stopped, human 
existence would soon be a thing of the past. Mr. 
Birkenhead discussed his subject in a very exhaustive 
way, and, in conclusion, expressed a hope that the 
result of their meeting that evening would lead to that 
respect for the foliage of plants which their importance 
entitled them to. Messrs. W. Plant, W. Elkin, 
W. B. Upjohn (honorary secretary), and Hadtield 
joined in the discussion which followed. At the next 
meeting of the society, on January 10th, Mr. R. Tait, 
junior, will speak of Liliums and Cyclamens. 
The Midland Counties and Birmingham Chrysan¬ 
themum Society.—The annual dinner of this society 
took place at the Bell Hotel, on Tuesday evening, 
December 18th. The chair was occupied by Mr. 
Latham, the much-respected curator of the Birmingham 
Botanical Gardens, who was supported by upwards of 
fifty members and friends, among the visitors being 
Mr. R. Parker, of Impney, the champion Chrysanthe¬ 
mum grower of the Midlands ; Mr. J. R. Petch, of 
Worcester; and Mr. Alfred Outran!, of Holloway. 
The toast of “The Society’’ was proposed by Mr. 
Outram, who, in a few well-chosen words, congratulated 
the members upon the great success which attended 
their exhibitions, the management of which reflected 
great credit upon all concerned. The shows were 
highly appreciated by the Birmingham public, and he 
trusted that they would continue to be supported in the 
future in the same liberal manner. Messrs. Cooper and 
Dyer responded for “The Exhibitors,” and the latter 
gentleman proposed “The Officers of the Society,” 
coupled with the name of Mr. Hughes, the energetic 
secretary, and Mr. Jones, the treasurer. Mr. Hughes 
stated that it was the intention of the executive to give 
a handsome prize for cut blooms of Chrysanthemums 
next season, in the hope of inducing the southern and 
northern growers to compete. Mr. Walter Jones, the 
treasurer, read a statement with reference to the 
financial affairs of the society, and it was gratifying to 
hear that there was a balance on the right side. “ The 
Nursery and Seed Trade ” was proposed by Mr. Cooper, 
and responded to by Messrs. Pope and Spinks ; and 
Mr. Pope proposed “The Earliest Promoters of the 
Society,” which was responded to by Messrs. Gilbert 
and Lea, who were among the first to assist in estab¬ 
lishing the society upwards of thirty years ago. “ The 
Visitors” was proposed by Mr. Redfern, and responded 
to by Mr. J. R. Petch and Mr. Sydenham. “The 
Chairman and Vice-Chairman” was proposed by Mr. 
J. Crook, and both, in replying, spoke most hopefully 
of the future prospects of the society. 
The Glasnevin Botanic Gardens.—We learn from 
the report of the curator, Mr. F. W. Moore, for the 
year 1887, which has only recently been published, 
that there was a decrease of 10,170 in the number of 
visitors in that year, as compared with 1886. Com¬ 
pared, however, with any one of the ten years preceding 
1886, there was a substantial increase in both Sunday 
and week-day visitors during 1887. Of the total 
number of visitors, amounting to 362,634, 19,780 were 
present at the musical promenades. 
--->X<-- 
NEW VEGETABLES. 
Possibly because so few opportunities offer to exhibit 
their powers—perhaps because just then in a fit of good 
nature—certainly the Fruit and Vegetable Committee 
of the Royal Horticultural Society seemed to confer a 
favour with indifferent cause when it gave a Certificate 
of Merit, at the last meeting, to a vegetable called 
Asparagus Chicory. So far as I can learn, this same 
vegetable is but the ancient Chicory, or Succory, of 
gardens—an edible product which had its reputation 
ere the fine garden vegetables of more recent years had 
elbowed out the astringent plants which were in great 
request 100 years ago. 
Chicory was then grown largely, and blanched as we 
should Sea Kale, and consumed. Thus treated, the 
astringency of the leafage was corrected, and the 
product was, as vegetables then went, very good ; but 
we do not now require to equip our dinner tables with 
the tops of Nettles, the blanched leaves of Dandelion or 
Chicory, or the acid leafage of Sorrel. We have fallen 
upon better times and products, and it does seem as if 
we had a hankering after the days of semi-civilisation, 
when we give a Certificate to the tops of Chicory. It 
was rather odd also, that whilst the committee in¬ 
variably require of any new vegetable that it shall be 
tried at Chiswick first ere the Certificate be granted, 
that in this case the Chiswick experience, which was in 
direct opposition to the committee’s opinion, should 
have been disregarded. 
In your notice of this Chicory, you say that whilst 
its roots can be obtained for forcing purposes, those of 
Dandelion cannot be so procured. Permit me to ask, 
Why not 1 Dandelions seed abundantly, and if sown 
in a bed of good soil as soon as saved, and the seedlings 
properly thinned, will give an abuudance of roots the 
following winter to lift for forcing. Happily, we do 
not want such a vegetable. All the world caters for us 
in the matter of vegetables, and there is little need for 
us to revert to the crude garden products of our fore¬ 
fathers. —A. D. 
