64 
THE CAREENING WORLD, 
October 3, 1891. 
Mr. Lindsay, Curator of the Edinburgh 
Botanic Garden, attracted the largest and 
perhaps the most deeply interestedaudience 
that we have seen at any of the Drill Hall 
meetings. 
Mr. Lindsay’s paper was one of great 
clearness and excellence. It laid bare all 
that is known about insects absorbing 
plants in an unpretentious but in no sense 
a dogmatic spirit. The observations which 
fell from that distinguished clerical scien¬ 
tist, the Rev. George Henslow, as well as 
from Dr. Masters, all helped to make 
patent to everyone that plants have re¬ 
markable absorbing powers as to which it 
is very possible we even yet know very 
little. Stripped of the sensationalism 
which attaches to the term carnivorous, 
the theme is one of exceeding interest and 
merits the attention of all vegetable physio¬ 
logists. 
mall Fruit Culture.— We mean by 
this heading not necessarily the cul¬ 
ture of small fruits, but rather the culture 
of fruits in a small way. Not very long 
since the council of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, being moved thereto by a resolu¬ 
tion passed at a meeting of the Fruit 
Committee, determined to issue a pam¬ 
phlet with respect to the culture of Hardy 
Fruits by small farmers and cottagers, 
giving advice as to the best sorts to grow, 
with some rules for general culture. That 
pamphlet or list has now been finally passed, 
and we presume is ready lor issue at a 
cheap rate to all whom it may concern. 
The various sorts of fruit mentioned in 
the list have been compiled after consider¬ 
able discussion, but on consultation with 
several eminent Scotch gardeners it has 
been found unsuitable to the Northern 
Kingdom, and it has therefore been deter¬ 
mined to limit the range of the pamphlet 
to England. Even in our immediate 
kingdom where we have so many different 
soils and almost of climates, the lists may 
in many cases be found unsuitable also, 
but so far as what may be called the 
general body of the country is concerned, 
there is little to find fault with. Many 
good sorts of Apples, and Pears especially, 
are conspicuously absent, but that could 
hardly perhaps have been avoided. Much 
of the cultural detail is open to criticism 
because it is only too obvious that it has 
not been written by a practical man. 
However, when issued, and we hope it 
will be circulated by thousands, there will 
still remain the burning question as to land 
tenure and security to tenants of every 
kind for tree planting; and until this diffi¬ 
culty is overcome it is hardly probable that 
poor men, whether purely cottagers, allot¬ 
ment holdersor small farmers, will purchase 
trees to plant on land which is not theirs, 
and from which they maybe ejected at any 
moment, or be compelled to pay enhanced 
rents on their own improvements. 
T&affodils. —The planting season for these 
popular spring flowers is with us, and 
large growers who have acres of ground to 
cover, and thus thousands of bulbs to 
plant, are very busy getting them in. 
Those whose plantings are so small that 
they may be done in a day will perhaps be 
in less hurry, still we know from long 
experience that it is wise to plant as early 
as possible, because roots are soon formed 
and then greater capacity to make stout 
spring growth results. 
Daffodils are very accommodating, and 
thrive almost anywhere if planted shallow 
or deep according to the nature of the soil. 
If it be heavy it is best to plant shallow, 
but in light soils the bulbs may be put in 
from five to six inches deep. Provided the 
soil be well worked and moderately good 
there is no such great difficulty in getting 
Daffodils to do well, indeed it is largely the 
very accommodating nature of the bulbs 
which has tended to render their cultiva¬ 
tion so popular. It is just possible that in 
gardens in country districts where Daffodils 
are produced only in moderate quantities, 
they are almost worshipped, and of such 
deference it is difficult to complain. The 
flowers are so varied in form—would that 
they were more varied in colour—so elegant 
and pleasing that for their sakes much may 
be excused. It is when seen in myriads 
week after week all through the spring, as 
presented so abundantly at the London 
Shows and meetings, that satiety is experi¬ 
enced. 
Daffodils generally force pretty well if 
the bulbs are potted early so as to become 
w r ell established before heat is applied. It 
is not v T eli to use many of the varieties for 
this purpose because sometimes there is 
disappointment. Still forcing by getting 
blooms fully a month earlier than would 
otherwise be the case lengthens the bloom¬ 
ing season materially. We do not care to 
encourage Daffodil extravagance or fevers, 
but taken in moderation, as the Doctors 
say, doses of Narcissi in our gardens in 
spring are beautiful and welcome. 
he Royal Horticultural Society’s 
Journal.— The latest of this Society’s 
reports bringing full account of its proceed¬ 
ings down to the end of May, is now in the 
hands of the Fellows. It has certain value 
because it is perhaps in horticulture the 
only publication of a similar kind which is 
issued from the press, but its interest is 
severely discounted because the gardening 
papers have already given to their readers 
from week to week reports of the Society’s 
proceedings which ate read, and that is 
more than can often be said for the Society’s 
reports. From their edited merits we 
would detract nothing—they are now 
always well done. 
The information given, it is true, is 
usually old, and too often it is for the 
gratification of the general reader severely 
technical. The recent issue seems to be 
specially so, as the subjects treated upon 
have very little general gardening interest. 
On the other hand the Society is not to be 
blamed because it has striven to afford a 
little of light and leading to the history, 
botanical status and culture, of such un¬ 
heroic topics as Cyclamens, Snowdrops, 
Lachenalias and hybrid Rhododendrons 
present. Still these various things form 
part of the great world of Horticulture, and 
if not of that widespread importance which 
attaches to many other things they have 
their specialists and admirers. 
The Conferences arranged to be held at 
Chiswick next week upon Sunflowers, peren¬ 
nial Asters, and on Conifers, will perchance 
not attract somuch of attention as did those 
upon Vegetables, P'ruits and kindred sub¬ 
jects, but still they have great importance. 
The subjects are technical ones, just as are 
so many others of an allied nature. We 
fear they will hardly attract many visitors 
to Chiswick, but it does not follow that 
some if not all the papers to be read may 
noc prove to be valuable additions to our 
already extensive horticultural literature. 
. ♦ . 
-- 
Royal Horticultural Society's Committees. — We are 
requested to announce that the meetings of the 
Fruit, Floral and Orchid Committees will be held at 
Chiswick on Tuesday, October 6th, at ii a.m. 
Mr. Edward Tetley, who has been in the gardens of 
Colonel Reeve, Leadenham House, Lincoln, for the 
past ten years, has been appointed gardener to J. 
Jebb, Esq., Norton House, Boston. 
The Late Mr. G. Neville Wyatt’s Collection of 
Orchids will be sold at Stevens' Rooms on October 
21st and 22nd. 
Mr. W. Silcock, lately foreman at Baxter Park, 
Uckfield, has been engaged as gardener to C. Hawk- 
shaw, Esq., Hallycombe, Liphook, Hants. 
Mr. F. Pay, formerly gardener to Lord Tennyson, 
at Farringford, Isle of Wight, has become gardener 
to R. Loveland, Esq., Barrow Point, Pinner. 
Mr. John Thorpe, well known in this country as 
having been formerly in the nursery trade at Stratford- 
on-Avon, but who h?.s for some years past made his 
home in America, has been appointed Chief of the 
Division of Floriculture at the Chicago Exhibition. 
When he took possession of the office it was quickly 
decorated with complimentary floral offerings from 
a great number of his American friends, among them 
being a basket of Roses in which were hidden three 
bottles of champagne, from the Philadelphia Florists, 
Club. The flowers were subsequently distributed 
among the heads of departments at headquarters. 
The Manchester Fruit Conference, under the aus¬ 
pices cf the Manchester Botanical and Horticultural 
Society, is fixed to be held in the Town Hall, on the 
21st and 22nd inst., at 12 o’clock each day. The 
Earl of Derby will preside on the first day, and Sir 
James Whitehead, Bart., on the second. The com¬ 
plete list of papers to be read is as follows :—Mr. 
Baillie, of Chester: “ The Fruit Growing Move¬ 
ment : Present Day Features and Prospects.” Mr. 
Cheal, of Crawley, Sussex : " The Condition, 
Preparation, and After-Treatment of the Soil for 
Fruit Culture." Mr. S. T. Wright, of Hereford: 
" Fruit Growing for Profit." Mr. Crump, of Ma- 
dresfield: "The Raising, Budding, Grafting, and 
Pruning of Apple Trees for Orchard and Estate 
Planting.” Mr. T. F. Rivers, of Sawbridgeworth : 
" Orchard House Culture." Mr. Edward Luckhurst, 
of Romford: "The Importance of Early Planting 
and Shelter in Fruit Culture." 
The Beddington, Carshalton. and Wallington Horti¬ 
cultural Society has resolved to hold an Exhibition 
and Conference on Apples and Pears, also a Chry¬ 
santhemum Show, at the Public Hall, Carshalton, 
on November 3rd and 4th. This conference will 
not take the form of an ordinary exhibition, as there 
will be no competition and no prizes ; the sole object 
being to seize so favourable an opportunity of gain¬ 
ing information, and making the meeting instructive 
and educational. Local growers of fruit will have 
in this exhibition an opportunity of naming, correct¬ 
ing, or verifying the names of their own fruit, by- 
making personal examination, and experts will give 
every possible assistance to all enquirers. 
The Sevenoaks, Westerham and Tunbridge Wells 
Gardeners' Societies. —On Tuesday of last week the 
members of these societies, to the number of about 
ninety, held a joint meeting at the Dorset Arms 
Hotel, Sevenoaks, when a very pleasant evening was 
spent. The event of the evening was the reading of 
a paper on the " Cultivation of the Potato,” by Mr. 
Garrett, of Tunbridge Wells, and there was also an 
open competition for four prizes, the requirements 
being three dishes, distinct. The first and second 
awards were taken by Mr. S. Waghorn and Mr. F. 
Galloway', both gentlemen amateurs of Sevenoaks, 
the third by Mr. F. Buckland, of Sevenoaks, and 
the fourth by Mr. Colyer, of Tonbridge. At the 
business meeting Mr. Withers, President of the 
Westerham Society, presided, and Mr. Alderman 
Clifford, of Tunbridge Wells, occupied the vice¬ 
chair. Mr. Garrett’s paper was a good one, but much 
too long for such a meeting. 
The Woolton Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement 
Society opened on Wednesday a two days’ exhibition 
of a novel character in the Parochial Hall at Wool- 
ton, near Liverpool. The President of the Society, 
Mr. Holbrook Gaskill, J.P., performed the opening- 
ceremony, and during the exhibition papers were 
read by Mr. John Cowan, of the Liverpool Horti¬ 
cultural Company, Limited, Garston, on " Orchids ” ; 
by Mr. R. J. Harvey' Gibson, M.A., F.L.S., on " Car¬ 
nivorous Plants" ; and by Mr. Norman Davis, of 
Cambenvell, S.E., on " Early Chrysanthemums." The 
exhibition embraced modern and ancient garden 
pictures, plates and photographs, modern and 
ancient garden literature, fossils, dried flowers, 
Ferns and Grasses, skeleton leaves, fruits, etc., 
novelties, rarities, and monstrosities of plant life, 
horticultural appliances, microscopes, botanical 
sections, collections of fruits, flow-ers, vegetables 
herbs, injurious insects, apiarian appliances, etc. 
