800 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
August 20, 1892. 
over the Saturday, there will be 
what we hope to see a genuine success, a 
great Gardeners’ Dinner at Eari’s Court, 
and at a price so moderate as to come 
easily within the reach of all. The 
dinner, at which that veteran horticulturist, 
Mr. W. Thomson, of Clovenfords, will 
preside, should be essentially an interesting 
social function, for all may feel pleasure m 
attending a gathering that will be, it is 
hoped intimately associated with the 
gardening fraternity. Of course there are 
numerous other attractions at Earl’s Court, 
so that the opportunity for visitors from 
the country to spend a lively week in 
London is one that can hardly be other 
than largely availed of. 
Vejtch Firm.— Any acts in celebra¬ 
tion of the interesting event, which, as 
mentioned last week, just recently occurred 
to Mr. Harr}' Veitch and his esteemed wife, 
than those which are recorded, and more 
honourable on both sides could hardly have 
been conceived. Feeling deeply grateful 
for the happiness and prosperity which has 
followed upon 25 years of wedded life, Mr. 
and Mrs, Veitch munificently exhibited it 
by their generous gifts to our Horticultural 
Charities. On the other hand the numer¬ 
ous friends of Mr. Veitch and associates of 
thefirm found most fitting expression of 
their congratulations and kindly sentiments 
in various liberal methods also. 
We cannot doubt but that universally 
there must be a deep sense of gratification 
amongst horticulturists that we have in our 
trade a house or firm which shows at once 
such high benevolence, and secures such 
high and wide spread recognition. The 
honours done to Mr. Veitch are honours 
given to horticulture. 
We are proud of the firm, of its prosper- 
lty, of its popularity, and of its high status. 
We are proud to know that we have in 
horticulture many firms, or houses, that 
would do credit to any trade or occupation 
in ttie kingdom. They are legion. They 
conduct trade honourably ; they aspire to do 
the best in the best way, and with the best 
of products. If in no inconsiderable way 
the house of Veitch leads in this trade 
connection it is because it has attained to 
that high position by business enterprise, 
high integrity, and earnest perseverance in 
securing all that is good for the benefit of 
its patrons. 
Something perhaps is due also to geogra¬ 
phical position, for the head of the London 
trade necessarily becomes a great leader 
in the national trade of horticulture. 
Elappily so much of what is said of the 
famous Chelsea firm may be said most 
truly also of many other houses ; and thank¬ 
ful we are that gardening can produce such 
distinguished traders. 
YTuchsias.— We made last week a passing 
— reference to the paper prepared by that 
veteran florist Mr. G. Fry, and read before 
the fellows of the Royal Horticultural 
Society at its recent meeting. The Fuchsia 
was the subject, and very fully was it dealt 
with ; yet, oddly enough, in enumerating the 
various persons who had been associated 
with the raising of new varieties, one who 
has made so prominent a mark as Mr. 
James Lye was ignored. Now, from 
either an ordinary decorative or exhibition 
aspect, few raisers have done so much 
for the Fuchsia as has that esteemed Wilt¬ 
shire gardener. 
As a first-class grower of specimens,for he 
has produced some of the finest ever seen, 
Mr. Lye found that the range of varieties 
that would travel well to and from shows 
was limited. Many were very fine and 
beautiful when in bloom, yet the flowers 
would, all the same, fall plentifully during 
transit, and the plants would wear at the 
end of the journey a most disappointing 
appearance. Their glory had indeed de¬ 
parted. To raise, therefore, a class of 
Fuchsias, which had a good habit of growth 
were free bloomers, and would carry their 
flowers well through a journey became Mr. 
Lye’s object, and all who have grown his 
beautiful Fuchsias must admit that well 
has he carried it out. Our reference to 
the charming collection of Fuchsias now 
blooming at Chiswick showed that very 
many of these were of Mr. Lye’s creation. 
The absence of plants at the recent meet¬ 
ing was much to be deplored, especially 
that some very fair prizes were offered to 
amateurs to bring them. 
It would have been far wiser to have 
offered some one or two trade growers a 
few pounds to pay the expenses incidental 
to bringing to the meeting good represen¬ 
tative collections, and we hope, as far as 
possible, that course will next year be taken, 
if papers are still to be read, and illustrative 
products are required. We should very much 
like to see a revival of experimental Fuchsia 
culture in pots. Certainly the Fuchsia has 
become a popular summer bedding plant. 
ignonette. — There is perhaps no 
flower that gives to us in an unpre¬ 
tentious way such strong yet delicious fra¬ 
grance as does Mignonette. Masses of this 
plant in full bloom may not be, so lar as 
colour is concerned, attractive, and yet few 
flowers are held in higher esteem, few are in 
gardens more grateful,and if colour be want¬ 
ing, at least on a bed of Mignonette there is 
no lack of life and motion, for the insects 
which feed so greedily on the honey concen¬ 
trated in the flowers give an air of vivacity 
to the mass that perhaps no other plant can 
produce. 
It would seem as if there were some 
people ,who should know better, who yet 
have little knowledge of the fine varieties 
that are in existence. A gardener, whose 
rural life may perhaps excuse ignorance, 
placed before the Floral Committee of the 
Royal Horticultural Society at its recent 
meeting a bunch of the giant red Pyramidal 
Mignonette as a new variety. It was but 
identical with what has been grown for 
many years in the market trade, and may 
be seen in big masses in some of our seed 
grounds quite as full in every respect as was 
the sample referred to. It is one of the finest 
of pot varieties and blooms profusely. Those 
who like a spreading white flowered form get 
what they desire in Parson’s giant white, a 
grand variety for spreading and blooming. 
It also may be made to produce large 
specimen plants. Mr. Molyneux grows of 
it every year very fine standards in pots 
from seedlings from spring sowing. These 
when properly treated are very attractive 
plants. 
The yellow flowered vaiiety Golden 
Queen whilst not robust growing, is when 
of a good strain, a very pleasing variety. 
The three named are probably the best, 
but our seedsmen are ever on the alert to 
secure either distinct new varieties or else 
such selections as shall eventuate in im¬ 
provement and distinctness. Happily the 
Mignonette is everybody’s flower. It comes 
readily enough from seed, and whether in 
pots or in the open ground can be had as 
fine in the cottage garden as arywhere 
else. 
--- 
The Hampton Court Vine.—The great Vine at 
Hampton Court, which is the largest in England, and 
is about 125 years old, has done very well this year. 
It bears nearly 1,200 bunches of ripe Grapes. The 
bunches are of a good size, though not so large as 
those of many a younger Vine. 
A large Holly.—A correspondent of The Surveyor 
gives the dimensions of the stem of a Holly standing 
near to Mr. Colman's mansion at Gatton Park, 
Surrey, as exceeding 77 in. in girth at 3 ft. from the 
ground. The soil is gravel over a substratum of 
chalk. Do any of our readers know of larger stems 
than this ? 
A Cheap Filter. — Mr. J. Carter Bell, the county- 
analyst of Cheshire, draws attention in a recent 
report to a simple form of filter which deserves, says 
The Surveyor, for its cheapness and its efficacy, to be 
widely known. The suggestion arose out of analyses 
of Cheshire water, which, Mr. Bell asserts, was in 
some cases “ not equal in purity to the effluent from 
the Salford sewage.” After this it need not be 
matter for wonderment that disease and death 
closely track the footsteps of the water-drinker. 
Mr. Bell’s filter is simply a flower-pot, some sand, 
and some magnetic oxide of iron or polarite, w-hich 
can be bought for about id. per pound. Cheap and 
simple as this filter is, Mr. Bell has proved, by ex¬ 
periments on the foul waters of the Irwell, Irk and 
Medlock, that the purification it effects is something 
like 90 per cent. 
New Worcester Hops.—The first pocket of this 
year's Worcester Hops passed the public scales on 
Friday, the 12th inst. They were grown by Mr. 
H. T. Taylor, of Showle Court, Ledbury, and 
purchased by Messrs. Edward Webb & Sons, Hop 
and Seed Merchants, Wordsley, Stourbridge, who 
sold them to Air. Benjamin Ehvell, of the Delph 
Brewery', Brierley Hill, at £10 per cwt. 
Employees’ Pic-Nic. —The employees of Messrs. 
Laird & Sinclair, Dundee, had their annual pic-nic on 
the 10th inst. The place chosen was the Den of 
Airlie, and between fifty and sixty left Dundee in 
brakes. After a pleasant drive the party' arrived 
about mid-day. Dinner was served, and then the 
younger members of the party engaged in a variety 
of games, while the others strolled about the beauti¬ 
ful walks. A start was made for home about six 
o’clock, and Dundee was safely reached after spend¬ 
ing a most enjoyable day’. Mr. David Smith pro¬ 
posed a hearty vote of thanks to Messrs. Laird & 
Sinclair, who had contributed handsomely to the ex¬ 
penses of the excursion. Mr. J. W. Laird, in reply¬ 
ing, said it afforded the firm much pleasure to assist 
in making the holiday a pleasant one. 
Exhibition and Conference on Begonias, British 
Ferns, Apricots, and Plums. —On Tuesday and Wed¬ 
nesday next, August 23rd and 24th, the gardens of 
the Royal Horticultural Society at Chiswick will be 
enlivened by a great exhibition of Begonias, Apricots 
and Plums, in addition to which growers of British 
Ferns will contribute specimens of our native 
Cryptogams by way of showing what beautiful forms 
and varieties may be obtained by patient cultivation 
and careful hybridisation. All the committees will 
meet in the gardens at 11 a.m. precisely, on Tuesday, 
August 23rd, and there is no doubt but that two of 
them—viz., the floral and fruit will have a busy time 
of it. Every amateur grower of Begonias, Apricots, 
Plums, and British Ferns should endeavour to take 
part in this exhibition and should at once, if it has 
not already been done, communicate the nature of 
their exhibit to the garden superintendent, Air. 
Barron, so that due provision for space &c., may be 
made in good time. In accordance with the policy 
inaugurated a few years ago, the society will hold a 
conference in the great vinery on each of the above- 
mentioned days at 2 p.m. The subject of the first 
day’s conference will be Begonias. Air. Harry J. 
Veitch, F.L.S., has consented to take the chair and 
open the conference, after which papers will be read 
by Messrs W. Watson, J. Laing, and H. Cannell, on 
the “ Cultivated species of Begonia,” “ Tuberous 
Begonias,” and “ Winter flowering Tuberous 
Begonias ” respectively. On the second day, August 
24th, the conference on Apricots and Plums will be 
presided over by Dr. R. Hogg, F.L.S., and Messrs. 
T. Francis Rivers, and J. Smith, will read papers on 
“ Dessert Plums " and ‘‘ Cooking and Market Plums ” 
respectively, while Alons. F. Jamain, of Paris, will 
contribute a paper on “ Apricots.” Besides the ex¬ 
hibition of flowers and fruit which will be brought 
together on this occasion, it may be stated that the 
gardens themselves look extremely beautiful at 
present and will well repay a visit, not only from 
gardeners but also from ladies and gentlemen in¬ 
terested in the promotion of horticulture. 
Fair Patron. —-“ Those Alorning Glories you sold 
me are no use.” Seedsman— 11 What s the matter, 
ma’am?” “They never open." "Those seeds, 
mum, was imported direct from China, mum, and it 
bein’ day over there when it’s night here, I suppose, 
mum, they do their bloomin' after you get to sleep. , 
—New York Weekly , 
