February 6, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
353 
Lily of the Valley at Paris.—A correspondent of the 
New York Tribune estimates the annual sale of Lily 
of the Valley at Paris at ^3,200. The larger part of 
the flowers are obtained by forcing. 
Pansies at the Great York Gala. —The schedule for 
1892 is just issued, and is, as usual, remarkable for 
the large number of money prizes offered. We 
notice that Pansies are having much more attention 
devoted to them this year, and as the exhibition is 
fixed for June 15, 16, and 17, and is a week later than 
the Midland Counties Pansy Society, but before any 
of the Scottish shows, a very large gathering of the 
northern growers may be looked for at York. 
There are open classes with good prizes for forty-eight 
and twenty-four fancies and twenty-four shows, also 
for twenty-four sprays of Violas. Good prizes are 
offered to amateurs by the Lord Mayor, also by the 
Society, and a handsome Gold Medal as first prize, 
with Silver Medals as second and third prizes, 
are offered for twenty-four new fancy Pansies, open 
to all. 
Royal Horticultural Society. —The Society’s second 
meeting this year will be held in the Drill Hall, 
James Street, Westminster, on Tuesday, February 
9th. Besides the plants, flowers, and fruit to be 
submitted to the various committees, a Silver 
Medal, presented by Messrs. Barr & Son, will be 
offered for the best collection of forced Daffodils, 
Polyanthus varieties excluded. At 3 p.m. instead of 
the usual lecture, the Annual General Meeting of 
Fellows will take place in the Lindley Library, 117, 
Victoria Street, when the report for 1891 will be 
submitted, and officers for the current year elected. 
Hyacinth and Tulip Show at Haarlem. —We learn 
from Messrs. E. H. Krelage & Son that they hope, 
in April next, to be able to show their visitors some 
parade beds of Hyacinths and Tulips of a specially 
interesting character. Their two show beds of Hya¬ 
cinths each contain over 600 bulbs of the choicest 
descriphion. They have also two similar beds of 
single and double Tulips, and all are expected to be 
in bloom about the same time as in 1889. 
Fruit of the Mango Tree. —M. Em. Rodigas states 
in the Bulletin d'Arboriculture, &-e., that Mangos have 
arrived for some time past in abundance in England, 
thanks, above all, that the English steamers actually 
effect the journey from Bombay to Plymouth in 
twenty-two days, and bring those fruits in a perfect 
state of preservation, with the aid of refrigerators. 
The Mango-tree (Mangifera indica), very widely 
spread in India, counts, as it appears, almost as 
many varieties as the Apple tree of Europe. The 
Mango is a sugary fruit, with a pulpy and rosy flesh, 
subacid flavour, and impregnated with a penetrating 
perfume. The Hindoos consume a great quantity of 
Mangos ; they are almost their exclusive nourish¬ 
ment during quite a month of the year, without 
counting that they furnish to them divers sorts of 
jellies and conserves. These fruits differ highly in 
weight according to the varieties ; that weight varies 
from 100 to 700 grammes (a gramme weighs nearly 
fifteen and a-half grains troy). The mean weight of 
the blue Mange, of a glaucous tint externally, called 
in the country Nursing-bogh (food of the god Nur¬ 
sing), is about 500 grammes. 
The Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. —At the usual 
monthly meeting of the Executive Committee, held 
on the 29th ult., Mr. John Laing presiding in the 
absence through illness of Mr. W. Marshall, the 
Honorary Secretary, Mr. Barron, announced the 
following special receipts since the previous meeting : 
•—Messrs. F. Sander & Co., St. Albans, £52. 10s.; 
Wakefield Paxton Society, ^5; Scottish Horticul¬ 
tural Association, £5 ; Mr. Geo. Monro, Covent 
Garden, £5 ; Mr. H. Herbst, £1 is.; and Mr. Dixon, 
Holland House, £1 is. Collected in money boxes ; 
'—Mr. E. Cooper, Highbury, Birmingham, 30s.; Mr. 
J. Hughes, Birmingham, 36s.; Mr. W. Iggulden, 
Marston, 20s.: Mr. Turton, Maiden Erleigh, 20s.; 
Chislehurst Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society, 
21s.; and smaller sums amounting to £5 2s. 6d. from 
Mr. W. Fernie, Amanford, R. S. O.; Mr. T. Gainer, 
Warwick; Mr. Chapman, Romford; Mr. J. Gregory, 
Northampton; Mr. A. Outram, Fulham; Mr. w! 
Brown, Richmond; Mr. A. Read, Chippenham; and 
the Tonbridge Gardeners’ Improvement Society. A 
special vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Sander 
for his generous gift. Arrangements were completed 
for the annual meeting and election to take place on 
{he 5th insf, 
INTERNATIONAL HORTI¬ 
CULTURAL EXHIBITION, 
LONDON, 1892. 
The following preliminary programme has been 
issued with reference to a great International Horti¬ 
cultural Exhibition to be held this summer at Earl’s 
Court :— 
Flower Shows. —May 7th, Groups of Plants 
(flowering and foliage) from Nurserymen; May 27 
and 28th, Great Summer Flower Show ; June 6th, 
7th, and 8th, Market Growers’ Show ; July 5th and 
6th, Roses, Table Decorations, &c.; August 1st, 2nd, 
and 3rd, Market Growers' and Cottagers' Show 
(Carnations, &c.); September 7th, 8th, and 9th, 
Autumn Flowers; October, two shows (1) Hardy 
Fruits, (2) Hardy Ornamental Trees and Shrubs. In 
addition there will be permanent displays of groups 
of Flowering Plants throughout the season, arranged 
for effect. 
Arrangements are also being made for the perma¬ 
nent exhibition during the season of the following 
subjects :— 
Group A.—Plant Houses (eg. Conservatories, 
Show Houses, Winter Gardens), Hot Houses, 
Vineries, Peach Houses, Forcing Houses, Stoves, 
Fruit Rooms, Frames, Pits, Systems of Patent 
Glazing and Ventilation, Systems of Heating, 
including Hot Water Boilers. 
Group B.—Lawn Mowers (Hand and Horse 
Machines), Garden Rollers, Water Barrows, Syringes, 
Pumps, Spray Distributors, Garden ITools and 
Cutlery, Thermometers, Barometers, Rain and Snow 
Gauges. 
Group C.—Garden Tents, Garden Seats, Band 
Stands, Flower Stands and Baskets for Conservatory 
Decoration, Rustic Summer Houses and Seats. 
Group D. Ornamental Iron Work for”Conserva- 
tories and Hot Houses, Ornamental Wire Work, 
Trellises, Arches, Apiaries, Aviaries, Borders, Fences, 
Gates,'Tree Guards. 
Group E.—Shadings (various kinds) ; Paints and 
Wood-preserving Materials ; Labels, Sticks, Bamboo 
Canes ; Cocoa Fibres, Refuse Manures and Silver 
Sand; Ropes, Lines and Twines; Russia Mats, 
Archangel, Taganrog and Petersburg ; Raffia Fibre ; 
Fumigating Materials and Processes; Insecticides 
and Weed Killers ; Horticultural Glass. 
Group F.—Orchid and other Peats; Fuel for 
general Horticultural Purposes. (Comparative 
value and enduring powers of various materials— 
Coal, Coke, Gas, Oil, &c.) 
Group G.—Ferneries, portable and permanent; 
Rock Work. Built in natural stone and artificial 
material. 
Group H.—Garden Pottery ; Statuary, Fountains, 
Vases, Edgings, &c. 
Group I.—Tree Transplanting Machines; Tree 
Tubs. 
Group K.—New or Patent Inventions amongst 
Garden Requisites. 
Group L.—Miscellaneous Decorative Requisites, 
such as Bouquet Holders, Papers, Tubes, &c., &c. 
Group M.—.Machinery for Seed Cleaning and 
Saving; and for Extracting Essential Oils; 
Perfumes ; Fruit Evaporators ; Pumps, Methods of 
Irrigation ; Practical Trials will be made in the 
various classes, where necessary, in order to arrive 
at satisfactory decisions. 
Group N.—Stands exhibiting Models of Produce 
from Seeds provided by Exhibitor; Collections of 
Flower and Vegetable Seeds ; Agricultural Seeds ; 
Grass Seeds (mixtures) for Permanent Pastures and 
Lawns, according to soil; Flower Seeds, 12 most 
popular sorts; Vegetable Seeds, 12 most popular 
sorts ; Grass Seeds, 6 sorts, distinct ; Agricultural 
Seeds, 6 sorts, distinct. 
Gaoup O.—Designs for the laying-out of a 
Typical Estate of 100 acres, enclosed by grounds, 
five miles from town in Midlands, with ground 
sloping gradually towards south; Designs for 
Improvements of Grounds to Private Residences ; 
Photographs of Trees and Shrubs ; Garden Scenes. 
Group P.—Essays on the Progress of Gardening 
since 1866; Practical Education of Gardeners, 
embracing Scheme for. a School of Horticulture; 
Practical Education of Foresters, embracing 
Scheme for a School of Forestry. 
Group Q.—Methods of determining the nature 
and fertility of Soils, with Tabulated Statements of 
ingredients required to improve under different 
cond'tions; Methods of determining germinating 
powers of Seeds; Methods of using the Electric 
Light in the growth of Plants. 
The Chairman of the Executive Committee is Mr. 
H. E. Milner, and the Honorary Secretary, Mr. 
G. A. Loveday, 11, Grocers’ Hall Court, Poultry, 
E.C. 
-«-t-- 
SMALL FRUITS. 
Strawberries. 
In the following paper it is not my intention to treat 
on all the fruits which are included under this head¬ 
ing, but only to touch lightly on the more popular 
and useful kinds, such as Strawberries, Raspberries, 
Gooseberries, and Currants. In these small fruits 
we have some of the most useful and profitable of 
all fruits to grow. They are suitable for cultivation 
by all classes, from the humble cottager with his 
small allotment to the unlimited area of a ducal 
establishment. My remarks will be confined as 
nearly as possible to the cultivation of the fruits as 
suited to private gardens. 
These fruits will all grow in almost any good gar¬ 
den soil, but will succeed best in a rather strong 
loam of moderate depth. Before planting the ground 
should be thoroughly prepared by trenching ; and 
nowhere does the old adage apply with more force 
than here : “ When thou goest to plant, be sure to 
trench deeply and mulch with good manure.” Stiff 
soil can be much improved by intermixing light 
material, such as leaves or ashes, and light soils 
should be dressed with heavier material. If the 
ground is not naturally drained, artificial means must 
be resorted to. 
It needs no apology from me for placing the Straw- 
berry first in the list, as all are agreed that it is the 
most important. Being the first fruit to ripen, it re¬ 
ceives, and deservedly so, a large amount of atten¬ 
tion, for what is more beautiful to the eye or gratify¬ 
ing to the taste than a dish of freshly gathered 
Strawberries ? The Strawberry belongs to the genus 
Fragaria, of which there are several species. F. 
vesca is a native of Britain, and the wild form can 
be found growing in the woods and hedgerows of 
several parts of the country. It requires only a 
moment’s reflection and comparison to recognise 
the wide difference and great improvement between 
the wild form and those cultivated in our gardens at 
the present day. In large establishments, Straw¬ 
berries are a very important item ; where a number 
of kinds is forced a great deal of time and attention 
are required, for no sooner is the forcing of one sea¬ 
son completed than attention must be given to layer¬ 
ing for the next. 
To be successful in Strawberry culture it is 
important to have strong-rooted plants to start with, 
and have them planted in good, deeply-worked 
ground as early in August as possible. By early 
planting a full crop can be obtained the first year. A 
good plan is to make Strawberries follow an early 
crop of vegetables, the ground having previously 
been prepared. If the first runners are selected 
and pegged into small pots of good soil, or on pieces 
of turf three or four inches square, they will soon 
root. They must be constantly tended with water, 
but if the pots or turves are plunged, it will save a 
good deal of watering in bright weather. All the 
runners not required should be pinched off as they 
appear, which will greatly assist those left. If good 
runners cannot be obtained early in the season it is 
better to put the later ones into beds about six inches 
apart, to be planted out in the permanent quarters 
early in the following spring. When the runners are 
rooted and detached from the parent, they should be 
planted as quickly as possible. Planting is easily 
done with a trowel; great care should be taken not 
to plant too deeply, burying the heart ; high planting 
should also be avoided, the neck of the plant should 
be just below the surface of the soil. The latter 
should be very firm round the plant, and a small 
basin left for water, which during dry weather. 
must be supplied freely. The ground at all times 
must be kept free from weeds by frequent hoeing. 
It will be found that two and a-half feet between 
the rows is a good average distance to plant; of 
course strong-growing varieties in good soil will re¬ 
quire more space, and weak ones might do with less 
between the rows. The young plants should be 
looked over after frosty weather to see if any have 
been raised out of the ground, and if so they must 
be firmly pressed in again. Strawberries are seldom 
very profitable after the third crop ; the finest crop 
