304 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 16, 1892. 
do sec in the Streptocarpus great possibili¬ 
ties of development it is because we have 
the example of the Gloxinia to stimulate 
our aspirations. It may be true that the 
Streptocarpus is not so facile a flower in 
the hands of the hybridist as the Gloxinia 
has proved to be, but it is certain that the 
new strain exhibits a great advance upon 
the older varieties. Then we have, as it 
were, but of late found out how to 
manipulate the blooms so as to ensure 
diverse variety in the seedlings. Presently, 
doubtless, as a reward for persistence in 
fertilisation and selection there will come 
some distinctive breaks of colour, and 
these again intercrossed on to others may 
give what is needed for a start, fresh and 
striking hues. Then we may look for the 
production gradually of erect flowers. 
Those, of course, will not come at once, 
for no hybridist ever finds the Golden 
Apple to fall into his mouth on the first 
shaking of the tree. Still some great 
development in the Streptocarpus presently 
seems assured. 
ZTegetables.— We have noted with ex- 
■ v ceeding satisfaction the fact that the 
first of the usual lectures given before the 
Fellows of the Royal Horticultural Society 
this year was on Vegetables, and given by 
a very able cultivator and expositor in the 
person of Mr. W. Iggulden, of Marston 
House, Frome. It is well that such very 
homely and utilitarian products as 
Vegetables should sometimes receive 
fitting notice. We are far too apt in all our 
garden associations to relegate these very 
tangible and valuable products to the 
background. They always play second 
fiddle to fruits, and third to flowers, so 
that too often the very things which are of 
the first importance in garden economy 
get indifferent treatment. 
That the present series of meetings at 
the James’ Street Drill Hall should be 
led off by Mr. Iggulden's paper is indeed 
satisfactory-. We hope, in consequence, 
some effort will be made to give Vege¬ 
tables greater prominence at the meetings. 
Gardeners, or at least many of them, are 
perhaps somewhat ashamed of Vegetables. 
More’s the pity, for whatsoever may have 
been the mistakes in thus too far putting 
them into the background, it has less been 
the fault of growers than of those who 
have rather objected to soil their fingers 
with such common things. 
What a wealth of fine Vegetables we 
have, and of the best we need, with proper 
care and culture, never have any- scarcity. 
It is chieffy in the winter that we have 
need of greater variety-, but still we have a 
good selection all the same. The produc¬ 
tion of a really wide variety, and abundant 
stock of Vegetables in the winter, proves 
tobe a good test of any gardener’s capacity-, 
especially in having plenty of forced 
Vegetables, such as Seakale, Asparagus, 
Rhubarb, Cucumbers, Dwarf Beans, and 
similar and delicious products. 
eating Glass Houses. —The exigencies 
of gardening, whether for private 
purposes or for the supplying of public 
needs, all tend to the use of large areas of 
glass, which must, to be of service, be kept 
more or less heated, but in general 
considerably warmer, that rapid growth in 
plants and fruits may be produced. But 
whilst in all these cases the labour of 
creating the needful warmth is so systematic 
and admirably furnished that it creates 
little special pressure of any kind, all 
those who have mere greenhouses or even 
frames in which tender plants are housed 
for the winter are finding now the great 
need there is for some suitable provision 
for the supplying of heat, even to the ex¬ 
clusion of frost, if for no other purpose. 
That seems a small matter, and to the 
ordinary- gardener is so, but to myriads of 
amateur or cottage plant growers the work 
is one of supreme importance,as well as 
perhaps, to them, of anxiety. 
So far, too many cases even now, in spite 
cf all the publicity that has been given to 
economic methods of heating houses, there 
are too many such houses yet imperfectly 
heated, and which prove to be almost 
useless when the external cold finds out the 
weaknesses of their arrangements. It is 
only when the exigency comes that the 
negligence of better days is found out, 
and then it is too late. There are con¬ 
trivances innumerable for heating with oil 
and gas, and many of them exceedingly 
cheap, but in a general way the system of 
heating with hot water pipes is the most 
reliable and serviceable. Once such an 
apparatus is fitted up, only the grossest 
negligence would allow plants to suffer 
from frost — such negligence as would 
indeed be inexcusable. No one can wish 
to see their tender plants, preserved so far 
through the autumn and winter with so 
much interest, absolutely destroyed by 
frost just as the worst period of the winter 
seemed to be past. That, however, is not 
at ali an uncommon experience in small 
greenhouses insufficiently heated. Then 
there is the great advantage attendant 
upon ample heating powers, if the expense 
of firing be not regarded, that by keeping 
up a gentle temperature of from 45 to 50 
degrees of heat many plants such as 
Chinese Primroses, Cyclamens, Zonal 
Pelargoniums, bulbs, &c., may be had 
freely blooming when otherwise nothing 
would be in flower. 
Whe Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. —The 
— voting papers have now been issued 
to subscribers, and those who are in 
receipt of them.by virtue of their right as 
subscribers can hardly fail to feel some 
sense of satisfaction that they are entitled 
to possess so real a privilege. Those who 
do not receive them, and especially gar¬ 
deners, foremen in nurseries, or others 
similarly eligible, must feel anything but 
pleasure, and realize that a want of gene¬ 
rosity of a very humble character has de¬ 
prived -them of a privilege which every 
gardener should earnestly strive to possess. 
With those who are subscribers and now 
voters the difficulty, no inconsiderable one 
indeed, is how to give their vote or votes 
to the most worthy of the twenty candi¬ 
dates for election. 
How deplorable is it that out of these 
twenty—and all more or less worthy of 
sympathy—only eleven can be elected 
simply because the fund does not receive 
that support which it so much deserves. 
Every orphan child elected receives 5s. 
per week from the fund until it is fourteen 
years of age, and did but one thousand 
additional subscribers give but 5s. per year 
each it -would enable the Committee to put 
on not merely eleven but all the orphans on 
the fund, so that out of the twenty present 
candidates none would be left to lament 
their misfortune. We always think most 
of those who, being rejected, are bitterly^ 
disappointed. They have no further hope 
from the fund until another full year has 
passed, whereas the small weekly payment 
of 5s. to the orphan child would to the 
widowed mother prove to be a veritable 
godsend. We would that the gardeners of 
the United Kingdom would realize the full 
force of the fact that the fund is for the 
special benefit of their class, and that it is 
one of the most meritorious ever created 
on a charitable basis. 
It is to be regretted that out of the twenty 
gardeners whose lamented deaths have 
rendered these applications for the benefits 
of the fund needful, only two are reported 
as having been subscribers. Who cannot 
find 5s. per year for so good a cause? It 
is not too late yet to amend the error of 
non-subscription ; send the money on at 
once to Mr. Barron, and qualify to receive 
a voting paper. All the circumstances of 
each candidate are fully stated, and any 
intelligent person can easily find out the 
most meritorious cases. Not a moment 
should be lost in securing the right to elect 
on the Orphan Fund. 
Mr. Alexander Grant, for the last six years gardener 
to E. Beveridge, Esq., St. Leonard's Hill, has been 
engaged as gardener to Lord Henry Grosvenor, Bul- 
\vick Park, Wansford, Northamptonshire. 
The Cattleya Rex Sale at Protheroe & Morris’ 
Rooms on the 8th inst., brought together a consider¬ 
able number of buyers, and there was a keen com¬ 
petition for most of the forty-two lots offered by the 
Messrs. Linden, which realised a total of over /400, 
the prices ranging from seven guineas to thirty- 
guineas. 
United Horticultural Benefit and Provident Society. 
—At the usual quarterly meeting.held on Monday- 
last, nine new members were elected, making the 
total roll of benefit members 423. The list of 
honorary members now numbers fifty'-five, four having 
joined during the past year. It was also reported 
that four deaths had occurred during the year, and 
that the annual meeting will take place on Monday, 
March 4th, at 8 o’clock. 
The Weather in Ayrshire. —Mr. Mackie, writing 
from Montgomerie Gardens, says :—In this district 
from the 7th to the 8th inst. snowfell to the depth of 
2 J in., followed by-the lowest temperatures we have 
had this season. Yesterday morning, the 10th, and 
this morning, the nth, the reading of the self¬ 
registering thermometer indicated 20° and 18 0 of 
frost as having been the lowest from dusk the pre¬ 
vious evenings. Most outdoor work in field and 
garden is suspended. 
Death of Mr. John Dawe. —TVe regret to learn of 
the death recently from lock-jaw of Mr. John Dawe, 
gardener to Mr. Seale-Hayne, M.P., at Pitt House, 
Chudleigh, Devon. Mr. Dawe was one of the best 
known of Devonshire gardeners, and had been at Pitt 
House since 1852. He was sent there by the late 
Mr. Pince, of Exeter, to whom in 1859 he gave a 
bunch of Muscatel Grapes, from a seed of which the 
Mrs. Pince's Black Muscat Grape was subsequently 
raised. It seems that Mr. Daw-e, who v-as sixty--six 
years of age, had a fall on the night of December 
18th, and cut his thumb. He neglected to have the 
wound properly dressed at the time, v-ith the result 
that a useful life was terminated by lock-jaw. 
Torquay Horticultural Society. —At the annual 
meeting of this Society on the 7th inst., the hono¬ 
rary secretary, Mr. J. N. Whitehead, reported the 
receipt of a letter, signed by nearly all the Torquay 
gardeners, saying it was unfair to them that all 
classes at the autumn show should be open to all. 
The committee had considered that letter and had 
decided to provide classes for residents in Torquay, 
Cockington, Babbacombe, and St. Marychurch.— 
The spring exhibition was fixed for 22nd March, and 
that of the autumn for November 9th. 
The Grand Yorkshire Gala.—At the annual meet¬ 
ing of the guarantors, held recently- at York, the 
chairman of the committee, Sir J. Terry, had the 
pleasure of announcing that ow-ing to a rearrange¬ 
ment of the committee, by w-hich everyone had 
something to do, they had last year made the largest 
profit they had ever done since the gala was esta¬ 
blished in 1S59. The total number of the visitors 
to the fete from 1859 to 1S91 was 1,103,813; and 
the prize money- aw-arded during the same period 
was /i4,649 17s. 6d. Of their surpluses they had 
also given ^7,447 10s. to the York charities, and had 
invested /2,ooo as capital. The Lord Mayor of York 
was elected president for the present year, and the 
following officers were unanimously- re-elected:— 
Sir J. Terry, chairman; Mr. Alderman Rooke, vice- 
chairman ; Mr. J. Wilkinson, treasurer; Mr. 
Charles W. Simmons, secretary; and Mr. J. 
