96 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 17, 1891. 
does not seem attractive, yet it is when 
cooked, after a few hours soaking, very nice 
indeed, and must prove a great boon in 
localities where green or fresh Apples are 
not obtainable. 
But just recently the Chiswick apparatus 
has been tested in the drying of Plums to 
resemble French Prunes, and we are 
pleased to find with marked success. 
Specially satisfactory were the results with 
the Poupart’s and Fellenberg varieties, and 
it is very probable that many others 
possessing fairly stout skins would dry 
equally well. The above-named Plums, 
when cooked or stewed with sugar, proved 
to be most delicious, making a grand 
preserve. We learn that seven pounds of 
fruit are reduced to two pounds only in 
the drying, but that, being stewed, a. large 
portion of the original weight is regained. 
What is evident in relation to fruit 
evaporation, if it is to become an industry 
in this country, is that we must grow 
varieties specially suited for the purpose, 
especially of Plums. Good, stout-skinned 
sorts, not too juicy, may be fully utilised, 
provided they are abundant croppers and 
thrive well generally. Of course there is 
much to be said with regard to the com¬ 
mercial aspect of fruit drying, but it ought 
to prove a profitable industry. 
ext Year’s Fruit Prospects. —We 
have had generally such fine crops of 
fruit this year, that it is not possible to 
look for full crops, or even moderate ones 
next year. Had we been favoured with 
one of the finest of autumns the prospect 
would have been better. As it is, the 
gloom and persistent rains only serve to 
make next year’s prospects exceedingly 
dull, because now well ripened wood will 
not be generally possible, buds will not 
plump up, and flowers must, almost of 
necessity, be very imperfect in the spring. 
It is too late now, even if really fine dry 
weather were to set in for some time, for 
appreciable good to be done. 
When the leaf falls, the forces of nature 
are weakened, and possess little power 
for good in plumping fruit buds or 
ripening young wood. We certainly now 
shall have to take the fruit trees and fruit 
prospects for next year pretty much as the 
present month will leave them. Generally, 
so far as ordinary forest or decorative trees 
and hardy shrubs are concerned, there is 
perhaps less to be concerned about, as 
these have little of fruit to produce. That 
all this class of material will be in a very 
good condition for transplanting there can 
be no doubt, and nurserymen probably 
will soon be busy. So far as the trans¬ 
planting of fruit trees is concerned, there 
can be little doubt that the sooner it is ac¬ 
complished the better. Some such check to 
root action as lifting and transplanting 
induces will be beneficial, and if it fail to 
ripen wood in the best sense it may help 
to stop sap creation, and thus harden the 
wood tissues before hard frosts set in. 
Apart from that particular benefit, it is 
always best to get fruit trees planted 
early, because the soil being waimer in 
October than in December, new roots are 
early encouraged and developed. It is to 
be deplored that the fiuit prospects for 
the coming year are so indifferent, but we 
have to take things as we find them and 
make the best of them. We only hope 
that the winter may be lenient, as the 
continuous rainfall indifferently prepares 
trees and shrubs for much endurance. 
Plant Distribution.—The annual free distribution 
of bedding plants will take place on October 21, at 
Battersea, Kennington, Victoria, Finsbury, South¬ 
wark, Ravenscourt, and Clissold Parks, and the 
Victoria Embankment Gardens. 
Mr. Charles P. Anderson, who has been well known 
for years as one of the leading rose growers for the 
New York market, died at his home in Flushing, L. I., 
on Wednesday evening, September 16, aged forty-six 
years. Mr. Anderson was born in Sheffield, and his 
first horticultural training was at the establishment 
of Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, from which he 
went to Kew Gardens, where he remained about four 
years. He went to America when twenty-one years 
of age. Mr. Anderson (says The American Florist) 
was a man of fine physique and commanding 
presence, of manly deportment and exceedingly well 
informed in his chosen business. He stood high in 
the esteem of his associates in the trade as a man 
of rare intelligence and sterling honour, whom to 
know was to respect. 
Jamaica International Exhibition, 1891. —Messrs. 
Carter & Co., High Holborn, have been awarded the 
highest possible Prize (a Gold Medal) for their exhi¬ 
bits of English " tested ” seeds, packed for the tropics 
in accordance with their own system. The display 
also comprised growing examples of some of the most 
beautiful varieties of Annuals, many of which origi¬ 
nated upon Messrs. Carter’s seed farms in Essex. 
Mr. B. Marks, formerly of Alfreton Park Gardens, 
Derbyshire, has been engaged by T. M. Gibson 
Cullum, Esq., to succeed Mr. D. T. Fish as gardener 
at Hardwicke House, Bury St. Edmunds. Mr. Fish 
leaves shortly, and will not seek a similar engage¬ 
ment. 
Chrysanthemums in Finsbury Park will be we 
worthy of inspection during the next seven or eight 
weeks. The collection is arranged under cover near 
the entrance to the park, and although there are 
countless blossoms yet to open, a great variety, both 
as to the character and colour of the flowers, is 
already presented. 
Mr. McKenzie, who has been fourteen years gardener 
to John Stewart, Esq., Ballechin, has been engaged 
as gardener to Mrs. Bullock, Meggennie Castle, 
Perthshire, and enters upon his new duties in 
November. 
Spirsea rotundifolia alba.—The mild and wet 
character of the weather which has prevailed for 
some time past has had the effect of starting many 
plants, whether herbaceous or shrubby, into fresh 
growth, and in many cases a second bloom. Such is 
the case with a shrubby Spiraea in the gardens at 
Kew. The stems are about 4 ft. high, and the flowers 
are produced in cymes much in the same way as those 
of S. media, better known in gardens as S. confusa. 
The flowers are as pure white as they might be in 
July or August. The leaves are roundly obovate, 
very slightly toothed, and therefore different from 
those of S. media. 
Chiswick Gardeners' Mutual Improvement Associ¬ 
ation. —The annual general meeting for the election 
of officers of this association was held on the 2nd 
inst., and on the 9th, a paper on Flowering Trees and 
Shrubs, from Mr. Dunkin, gardener to the Earl of 
Warwick, was read. On the 16th, a first prize essay 
by Mr. Smith, of the R.H.S. Gardens, Chiswick, will 
be read and discussed. Other papers are promised 
by Mr. G. Cannon of Ealing, Mr. G. Wythes of Syon 
House, Mr. A. Wright of Devonhurst, Chiswick, and 
others. As has been customary for some years past 
the association has again undertaken to organise a 
concert, to be held in the Vestry Hall, Chiswick, on 
the 29th inst., in aid of the Gardeners’ Orphan 
Fund. 
Chrysanthemum Shows.— The Bristol Chrysan¬ 
themum show will be held on November 18th and 
19th, and not on the 19th and 20th as announced 
last week. The Sheffield and Hallamshire Society 
will hold its annual exhibition on November 13th 
and 14th ; the Liverpool society on 17th and 18th ; 
the Chorley society on November 20th and 21st; 
and the Tiverton society on the 12th. 
Preston and Fulwood Horticultural Society. —At the 
meeting of this society held last Saturday evening, 
Mr. Councillor J. Brown presiding, Mr. J. Hathaway, 
gardener to the Earl of Lathom, at Lathom House, 
near Ormskirk, read a paper on “ The Cultivation of 
the Chrysanthemum,” which was to a large extent 
technical and eminently useful to practical gardeners. 
Few plants, he remarked, had made such rapid 
strides in public favour as the Chrysanthemum. 
This was hardly surprising if they bore in mind that 
it was available for decorative purposes at a time 
when scarcely any other flowers could be had. 
Chrysanthemum shows, as they knew, were always 
popular, and he hoped the time was not far distant 
when they would be having such an exhibition under 
the auspices of their own organisation. Mr. Hatha¬ 
way proceeded to give some useful hints, based on 
considerable practical experience, as to the propa¬ 
gation and general treatment of the Chrysanthemum. 
No hard and fast rule could be laid down with regard 
to compost. That must depend on circumstances, 
and he was of opinion that judicious feeding, and 
general treatment of the plants had more to do with 
successful results than the soil. For growth, he 
recommended a situation that was open to the full 
rays of the sun, and protected as much as possible 
from the wind. The plants should never be watered 
unless they required it, for too much moisture in 
their case was quite as injurious as too little. An 
interesting discussion followed, in which Mr. Kirk- 
man, a successful Chrysanthemum grower, Mr. 
Roberts, Mr. Brindle, and others took part. All 
concurred in complimenting the writer of the paper 
upon the care and attention which he had devoted 
to the subject. 
NEW § WE PIMP'S. 
The undermentioned subjects were exhibited at a 
meeting of the Committees of the Royal Horticultural 
Society at Chiswick, on the occasion of the Exhibition 
and Conference on perennial Sunflowers, Michael¬ 
mas Daisies and Conifers, on the 6th, 7th and 8th inst. 
when certificates were awarded according to their 
merit. 
Ixora macrothyrsa. —The large branching heads 
of this species, generally known in gardens under the 
name of I. Duffii, measure from 10 in. to 12 in. across 
on well-grown plants. The flowers expand of a soft 
orange, but soon change to a scarlet red; and the 
slender stalks as well as the tube of the flowers are 
of a paler red, giving to the whole a show r y appear¬ 
ance. The segments of the flowers are oblanceolate 
and of considerable length for an Ixora, but they are 
revolute at the sides near the base, making them look 
narrower than they really are. The stems are much 
stouter than those of other species in cultivation, and 
must not be stopped till they have flowered. The 
leaves are also fine, being dark green, oblong-lanceo¬ 
late, and 9 in. to 12 in. long, by 3 in. broad. A large 
truss was exhibited by Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., 
M.P. (gardener Mr. Baines), Burford Lodge, Dorking, 
and received a First-class Certificate. 
Chrysanthemum Madame Leon Colin. —The 
heads of this Japanese sort are of medium size, with 
the florets decurved, revolute at the edges, and 
yellow suffused with bronze. The stems under 
natural conditions are only 3 ft. high, and develop 
flower heads early, as some flowering plant of it 
appeared in public about the beginning of September. 
Chrysanthemum Madame Edouard Lefort.— 
For description of this new Pompon see our issue for 
September 19th, p. 35. Both this and the last-named 
variety were shown by Mr. R. Owen, Maidenhead, 
and received Awards of Merit. 
Carnation Lizzie McGowan.— About two dozen 
plants of this beautiful Carnation in 60 and qS-size 
pots were exhibited by Messrs. Pitcher & Manda, 
Hextable, Swanley. The stems were 12 in. to iS in. 
high, and well furnished with glaucous leaves. The 
flowers were mostly all open and fit to cut, pure 
white and fragrant, which is too seldom the case with 
new varieties at the present day. Although quite 
double the blooms are not at all crowded, the petals, 
however, being bi-jad and toothed at the margins. 
An Award of Merit was accorded the variety. 
Dahlia Princess Christian.— This may be 
admitted amongst Cactus Dahlias on account of its 
long, ovate, flattened and pointed florets ; but the 
medium sized heads are very compact and on that 
account show an approach to the decorative type. 
The basal portion of each floret is very dark or 
almost crimson, while the upper portion is magenta, 
shaded with purple. 
Chrysanthemum Miss Watson. —The heads of this 
Japanese variety are of medium or sometimes large 
size, and soft yellow, deepening towards the centre, 
where a few of the florets are sometimes tinted with 
bronze. The central florets are often small, but hid¬ 
den by longer ones which curve over them. The 
outer ones are recurved. Both of the last named were 
shown by Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, and 
received Awards of Merit. 
