January 2, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
279 
of man, as the seeds are not eaten and disseminated 
by birds. Old Gerarde says, “ It groweth on sandy 
wastes and barren hills in England ; ” but he does 
not name the sandy wastes and barren hills where 
he found it growing otherwise than planted. Evelyn, 
the great aboriculturist of his day, appears to be also 
in error when he states, " These trees rise naturally 
at Boxley, in Kent, in abundance.” 
As commonly seen in this country, Box is either a 
shrub 8 ft. or io ft. high, or artificially dwarfed and 
only a few inches high, the leaves of a shining deep 
green colour and of a thick, leathery texture, of slow 
growth and great longevity ; it will bear clipping 
into almost any shape. There are several varieties 
of the Box, some with specific names, but they are 
believed to have had a common origin. We also 
grow an imported species — B. balearica, a native of 
Minorca, evergreen, growing in this country from 
18 ft. to 20 ft., but in its native habitat said to reach 
a height of 8o ft. 
The wood of the Box tree has long been celebrated 
for its hardness and closeness of grain, great weight, 
light colour, and as being susceptible of a fine 
polish ; these are the qualities which render it so 
valuable to the wood-engraver, the turner, the 
mathematical and musical instrument makers, and 
others. It is said the finest quality of wood, and 
that best suited to the engraver, comes from Odessa, 
Constantinople and Smyrna, being grown in the 
vicinity of the Black Sea. It comes over in logs 
about 4 ft. long, and seldom more than 8 in. or io in. 
in diameter. Like the Holly, the wood of the Box is 
very retentive of sap, and warps when not properly 
dried, though when sufficiently seasoned it stands 
well. 
Boughs of Box were used formerly for decorative 
purposes, instead of the Willow, on Palm Sunday. 
According to Herrick, it was once a time-honoured 
custom on Candlemas Day to replace the Christmas 
Evergreen with sprigs of Box, which were kept up 
until Easter Eve, when they gave place to Yew. 
“ Down with the Rosemary and Bays, 
Down with the Mistleto ; 
Instead of Holly now upraise 
The greener Box for show.” 
Box boughs were also in olden times regularly 
gathered at Whitsuntide for decking the large open 
fire-places then in vogue.— R. D. 
SOMETHING ABOUT TEA. 
Tea : Its cultivation and manufacture, with some 
account of a'planter’s life, was the subject of a recent 
lecture given by Mr. Basil Holmes (who has had ten 
years’ experience in Assam) at a meeting of the Ealing 
Microscopical and Natural History Society. At the 
outset Mr. Holmes explained that Assam was not, as 
some people supposed, somewhere in China, but was 
on the north-eastern border of Bengal, and formed 
the frontier province of our Indian Empire. Having 
described the province, and explained that it grew 
nearly every article required for food, he pointed out 
that the natives were neither industrious nor ener¬ 
getic, and as a consequence labour had to be imported 
from Bengal. Tea was discovered growing wild in 
1823 by Robert Bruce, then in 1834 the Governor- 
General appointed a committee to promote its 
development, and in 1838 Assam Tea was first sold in 
England. In 1840 the cultivation passed from the 
hands of the Government into those of private com¬ 
panies. For a time jobbery and bubble companies 
prevailed, and in 1866 a crash resulted. About 1869, 
however, prospects began to brighten, and tea culti¬ 
vation has since been steadily carried on. 
In its cultivation the first point to be considered 
was the suitability of the land, care being taken that, 
though there might be plenty of moisture, the tea 
should not actually stand in water. The land was 
very largely jungle, and the first business would be 
to clear it. There were different kinds of jungle, one 
consisting of dense forests with thick undergrowth 
another of bamboos exclusively, and a third of high 
grass. The land containing the first description 
was best, but was most difficult to clear. When 
cleared the land had to be turned over with a hoe, 
and the roots of the trees turned up and burnt. The 
land was then staked out in regular lines with stakes 
two feet long, to show where the seed was to be sown. 
The seed matured on the Tea bushes in November 
and December. The skin was split off, leaving the 
black seed, which was then removed to germinating 
beds, and in two or three weeks began to germinate 
It was then taken out of the beds, and three seeds 
planted at each stake. If left too long in the germi¬ 
nating beds it would develop a root, the slightest in¬ 
jury to which would prevent the seed developing. 
Formerly seed was imported from China, but the 
Assam seed was found to produce a far better bush as 
regarded the quantity of the leaf and the quality of tea. 
The plant was notin full bearing until the sixth year. 
The work of the Tea planter was divided into two 
parts—that of the dry and that of the wet season. 
When the bush began to yield its leaf, early in 
December, the first thing to attend to was pruning. 
If left, the plant would grow to a height of 30 ft., but 
would not yield any leaf to speak of. It was there¬ 
fore necessary to prune it, leaving it about 4 ft. high, 
the central stem being cut and the lateral branches 
encouraged. Every year one portion of the Tea 
ground would be pruned heavily and the other 
lightly. Building, road-making, bridge-making, and 
other work of that kind were carried on during the 
wet season, everything being required to be finished 
by the end of February or the beginning of March 
for the manufacturing of the Tea. The shoots at 
that time would show six or seven leaves on each, 
the top leaves not opening out, but being rolled up. 
Women were employed to pick off this tip, as it was 
called, and also one leaf and a half or two leaves and 
a half, and deposit them in baskets. Only the top 
leaves made Tea. At the axis of each leaf was a little 
bud, and by plucking the half leaf a stimulus was 
given to these, and they became shoots in their turn. 
The bushes were ready for a second plucking in 
three or four weeks, and pluckings followed each 
other in rapid succession till September or October, 
the Tea plucked in summer or autumn being better 
in quality than that gathered in the spring. After 
being plucked the leaves were spread out thinly on 
floors of matting in the leaf house, and by next morn¬ 
ing would be limp, soft, and velvety. They were then 
rolled up by a rolling machine, and when sufficiently 
rolled came out a bright green colour. They were 
next spread out to ferment, and the bright green 
colour gave place to a pink or coppery hue. 
The next process was that of drying, the leaves being 
turned over and over in the drying machine till they 
became quite crisp, dry, and black. 
After being dried, the leaves were sorted by means 
of sieves with different sized meshes, until only the 
coarser leaves were left. The Tea was then packed 
and sent to England. The quantity of Tea obtained 
from’ an acre v'ould depend upon whether it was 
grown from China or Assam seed. In some gardens 
48olbs. would be obtained ; in others there had been 
as much as 8oolbs. As to the length of time during 
which bushes existed, practically new bushes were 
made every year by the heavy pruning. The work, 
Mr Holmes explained, was done by ccolies, who 
were brought from Bengal under the provisions of an 
Immigration Act, under Government supervision, 
and were engaged under an agreement for five years— 
men receiving five rupees and women four rupees per 
month. The estates were regularly inspected by 
Government officials, the managers being required to 
prepare monthly returns for the Government, show¬ 
ing the number of hands employed and any changes 
occurring in the staff, and the number of deaths. 
The manager, he explained, was compelled to interest 
himself in all the concerns of the coolies, and to act 
with self-reliance on all occasions. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM 
NOTES. 
What is a Reflexed Chrysanthemum ? 
A question of some interest to Chrysanthemum 
exhibitors was submitted for the opinion of the 
General Committee of the National Chrysanthemum 
Society, at a meeting of that body held on December 
21st. It appeared that the Batley Chrysanthemum 
Society at its last exhibition offered prizes in a class 
for “ six reflexed Chrysanthemums,” and the exhi¬ 
bitor who was awarded the first prize was subse¬ 
quently disqualified on the ground that he had a 
bloom of Amy Furze in his stand. The question then 
arose, and this is the point which was submitted to 
the committee, was the disqualification justifiable ? 
It was argued that many growers and judges consid¬ 
ered that Amy Furze was a true " reflexed ” variety, 
notwithstanding the ruling of the catalogue com¬ 
mittee of the N. C. S., who placed it among the 
" Japanese reflexed.” It was also urged that 
being a reflexed Chrysanthemum, admitting 
that it was a Japanese, it was entitled 
to be shown in a class for reflexed blooms, if 
Japanese varieties were not expressly excluded. On 
the other hand it was pointed out—(1), that the 
" reflexed ” type was recognised in this country long 
before the Japanese varieties were introduced; (2), 
that the official catalogue recognised the 11 reflexed ” 
and "Japanese reflexed” as separate and distinct 
sections ; and therefore, (3), as Amy Furze is classed 
in the catalogues as a “Japanese reflexed" it 
cannot properly be shown as a “ reflexed ” at the 
N. C. S. shows, or at the exhibitions of affiliated 
societies, Batley being an affiliated society, the 
committee almost unanimously decided that the 
exhibitor was justly disqualified. 
VILLA GARDENING AND 
MANAGEMENT OF CONSERVA¬ 
TORY.* 
It has been truly said that gardening is the purest of 
human pleasures, and the greatest refreshment to the 
spirit of man. This much being said of gardening 
generally what an opportunity does the villa garden 
afford for the enjoyment of a recreation which com¬ 
bines pleasure of the highest order, with profit, 
instruction, and amusement. 
It is admitted by eminent writers and close 
observers that the study and cultivation of flowers 
have a most refining and elevating influence on the 
mind ; it is also a well-known fact that those engaged 
in agricultural and horticultural pursuits are as a 
rule a very healthy class. To the busy city man, 
shut up in close offices in the stifling, impure atmos¬ 
phere of our large cities for many hours in the day, 
half an hour spent in the garden affords relaxation 
to the mind, and refreshes and invigorates the body. 
It is not a useless toil, or labour in vain ; mother 
earth is lavish, nowhere stingy, and will, generally 
speaking, abundantly yield her treasures in return 
for a very small outlay; and what greater reward 
does the lover of the garden look for, than after 
time and labour expended to see his favourites yield 
their lovely blossoms ? In this way it is a profitable 
recreation, and certainly instructive. As an amuse¬ 
ment none is purer, and it is one which old and 
young alike can enjoy. That there is an increasing 
taste in this direction abundant proof is afforded in 
many ways ; the great interest taken in our horticul¬ 
tural shows by amateurs, the number of excellent 
periodicals devoted to the interests of amateur 
gardeners and last’, but not least, by the appearance of 
the villa gardens. 
I think many valuable lessons might be learnt 
by the fortunate possessor of country villa gardens. 
The suburban gardens, which, although but tiny 
patches of ground and of a very indifferent cha¬ 
racter, for plant growing (thanks to the builder) 
certainly are very attractive, and if such pleasing 
results can be obtained notwithstanding the dis¬ 
couraging and depressing influence of impure atmos¬ 
phere and fogs which produce such disastrous 
results and of which no accurate conception can be 
formed by those who have not experienced them, 
how r much more might be accomplished with the 
advantages of pure air and bright sunshine ? It is 
an undeniable fact, made more apparent after our 
recent experience of more than a week of, I think, 
the blackest and densest fog ever known, that 
gardening in the immediate vicinity of our large 
cities requires a greater amount of skill, forethought, 
observation and attention on the part of the 
gardener than in the country. 
As the limits of this paper will not permit my 
entering into the culture of fruit and vegetables 
w'hich, not many except country villa gardens can 
afford room for, I shall confine my remarks chiefly 
to suburban villa gardening and the culture of 
flowers. I have said that many lessons might be 
taken from the suburban villa gardens by those 
who can enjoy the blessings of country life, I mean 
lessons of patience and perseverance under difficul¬ 
ties, for much patience and perseverance are needed 
and disappointments are frequent, owing to circum¬ 
stances over which the suburban cultivator has no 
control. I think, too, a few lessons might be taken 
from Nature (the best of teachers) by those whose 
4 The first prize essay on “ Villa Gardening," written by 
Mr. A. Pentney, foreman at Hanger Hill House, Ealing, under 
the auspices of the Ealing and Distiict Gardeners' Mutual 
Improvement Society, the prizes being offered by the late Mr. 
J. Thornhill Harrison. 
