40 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 21, 1895 . 
The " Stars in Heaven ” is the high sounding title 
applied to the Aster-like Boltonia latisquama in 
America. 
Monster Marrows. —There has has been gathered 
from the Rev. A. W. Parke’s garden at Uplyme, 
Devonshire, a Vegetable Marrow 2 ft. 2 in. in 
length, 3 ft. in circumference, and 38 lb. in weight. 
There are many others in the same garden very 
nearly as large. 
The Massachusetts Horticultural Society held a show 
on the 20th August, at which one of the most 
interesting features was a specimen of the rare 
Agave Kerchovei in bloom. It had a flower stem 
igj ft. high, and which developed in the course of 
three weeks. Mr. Robert Cameron, an old 
Kewite, and now superintendent of the Harvard 
University Botanic Garden, was the exhibitor. 
Beddington, Carshalton, and Wallington Horti¬ 
cultural Society.—The above Society, in conjunction 
with the Surrey County Council, have arranged to 
hold a special exhibition of vegetables, fruit, etc., 
and also a very large representative collection of 
Potatos, from trial plots in various parts of the 
county, grown under the Technical Education Com¬ 
mittee, showing not only varieties but also effects of 
diverse soils, at the Public Hall, Carshalton, on 
October 16th and 17th. Addresses will be given by 
Surrey County Council's Instructors on “ Horticul¬ 
ture," on “Fruit and its Cultivation," and “The 
County Potato Experiments.” A few prizes will be 
offered for local cottagers' produce, whilst provision 
will be made for honorary collections of both vege¬ 
tables and fruit from the trade and private growers. 
County Council Certificates will be granted for 
specially meritorious products exhibited. Further 
particulars may be obtained from Mr. G. W. 
Cummins, Hon. Sec., The Grange, Carshalton, 
Surrey. 
James Grieve & Sons, Nurserymen, Redbraes, 
Edinburgh. —For thirty years Mr. James Grieve was 
with Messrs. Dicksons & Co., and we welcome the 
acquisition of this firm to the ranks of our nursery 
growers. Mr. Grieve’s reputation as a grower is so 
well known that success for his new venture is 
assured, and associated with him are his two sons 
and eldest daughter. This firm is strong in Violas, 
and their new seedling Apple, named James Grieve, 
is one that will become in large request. To the 
cultivation of hardy herbaceous plants considerable 
attention is also paid, in addition to the general 
nursery work in all its branches. The excellence of 
their new seedling Apple was shown by various 
exhibitors at the recent Edinburgh show from all 
parts of Scotland, and the variety of soils upon 
which it has been grown shows it to be a fine all¬ 
round fruit. It is said to be a good keeper, and as a 
dessert Apple will probably hold its own. The 
raiser tells us it is a cross between Portsea Seedling 
and Ribston. 
The Crystal Palace Fruit Show. —On Thursday, 
Friday, and Saturday, September 26th, 27th, and 
28th, the Royal Horticultural Society’s great show 
of British fruit will be held at the Crystal Palace, 
and promises to be even a greater success than that 
held last year. The exhibition will be opened by 
the Lord Mayor, Sir Joseph Renals, at 12.30 on 
September 26th, when he will be accompanied by 
the Sheriffs and the Master and Warden of the 
Worshipful Company of Gardeners. A public 
luncheon will be held the same day at 1.30 in the 
Grand Saloon, and will be presided over by Sir 
Trevor Lawrence, Bart. Lectures will be given each 
day of the show in the Garden Hall at 3.30 as 
follows:—September 26th, “ New fruits of recent 
years,” by Mr. G. Bunyard; September 27th, 
“Pruning Fruit Trees," by Mr. A. H. Pearson; 
September 28th, Prize essay on “ The commercial 
aspect of Hardy Fruit Growing.” Nurserymen and 
others are particularly requested to exhibit under 
schedule. By direction of the council exhibits out¬ 
side the schedule will only receive cards of 
commendation according to merit. Vegetables other 
than Tomatos are not allowed to be shown. With 
reference to exhibits outside the schedule, exhibitors 
should bear in mind the new rule adopted at the 
suggestion of the fruit committee, viz.“ All collec¬ 
tions of fruit are limited to 100 dishes or baskets, 
and all dishes or baskets must be of distinct varieties 
of fruit, no duplicates being allowed.” 
Let Onions be thoroughly dry before storing them ; 
store thinly. 
Weeds are merely plants gone astray ; pull them 
up and take them to the rubbish heap. 
Large Potatos.—Four unusually large tubers may 
be seen in the window of Mr. Robert Robb, Bridge 
Street, Ellon, Aberdeenshire. One specimen weighs 
two pounds, and the aggregate weight of the four is 
seven pounds. They were grown by Mr. Williamson, 
Turnerhall. 
Magnolias at Windsor.—The superb specimens of 
Magnolia grandiflora on the East Terrace at Windsor 
Castle are in fine flower, and their opulent fragrance 
pervades the air, and makes its way even into the 
dismantled apartments which are occupied by the 
Court when in residence. Since his appointment to 
the keepership of the Royal Gardens, Mr. Thomas 
has introduced a more precise organisation than 
previously obtained, and he is able, without any 
trouble, to meet all the demands of the Royal 
household, even when resident in the Highlands. 
At the present juncture his department is exception¬ 
ally busy, making arrangements for the stocking of 
the immense new conservatory now in course of 
erection at Frogmore. This, it is hoped, will be in 
good condition, and have lost its appearance of 
newness by the time Her Majesty returns south. 
But, as in the case of the Magnolias there are some 
plants under the care of Mr. Thomas that cannot 
easily be replaced, and he has still to rely in this 
and other directions upon the work of his predecessor 
for some of the choicest constituents in the gorgeous 
cornucopias of flowers that are despatched from 
time to time to adorn the Royal board. 
An Important Seed Case —At the borough police- 
court, Southampton, on the 12th ult. a case of 
importance to seed growers and nurserymen was 
decided. The defendants were Messrs. Toogood & 
Sons, the Queen’s seedsmen here, and they were 
summoned by Mr. Shephard, of Stockbridge, for 
selling Shephard’s Kale seeds by a false description. 
Mr. Tristram prosecuted for the Trade Marks Pro¬ 
tection Association, and Mr. H. D. M. Page defended' 
The real question involved was as to whether 
seedsmen could sell Shepherd's Kale, which is a 
variety of Kale of which the complainant was the 
original producer, without having bought the seed 
from him. It was contended that no authority had 
been given to the defendants for the sale of the seed. 
For the defence a large amount of expert evidence 
from various places was given to show that in the 
trade throughout the ocuntry it was usual for seeds¬ 
men to sell seeds to which a personal name was 
attached, although the seeds had not been grown by 
the individual from whom they took the appellation. 
After a lengthy hearing the magistrate agreed with 
with this view, and dismissed the case, with costs. 
As the case is considered to be important to the 
trade, an application for leave to state a case was 
made and granted. 
The British Association.—The president of the 
botanic section, wich meets at the Masonic Hall, 
Ipswich, is Mr. W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, M.A., F.R.S. 
C.M.G.,C.I.E., director of the Royal Gardens, 
Kew, and in his presidential address that gentleman 
paid an extended tribute to the work of the late 
Professor Henslow. Few men of this century had 
indirectly more influenced the current of human 
thought, for in a great measure it would not be con¬ 
tested they owed Darwin to him, “ My dear old 
master in natural history ” Darwin called him, 
and to have stood in that relation to Darwin was no 
small matter. The singular beauty of Henslow’s 
character, to which Darwin himself bore noble 
testimony, would count for something, but would not 
in itself be a sufficient explanation, nor was it that 
intellectual fascination which often binds pupils to 
the master’s feet, for Darwin says, “ I do not suppose 
that anyone would say he possessed much original 
genius.” The real attraction seemed to be in 
Henslow’s possession in an extraordinary degree of 
what may be called the natural history spirit. 
Henslow’s method of botanical teaching and the vast 
improvements he effected in museum arrangement 
were also dealt with. Whilst by no means ignoring 
the merits of the old school of natural history the 
president said the founder of modern teaching in this 
country in both branches of biology was undoubtedly 
Carpenter. 
Cl ematis Davidiana has been attracting a consider 
able amount of attention at Chiswick recently on 
account of its pale blue, fragrant, and Hyacinth-like 
flowers. It is also very popular in the United States 
of America. 
Strobilanthes Dyerianus, planted in an open border 
at Kew, has given ample evidence that it is well 
adapted for bedding purposes. In some of the 
public parks at Washington, U.S.A., it would soon 
smother the other bedding plants if it had its own 
way, and looks best when frequently pinched back, 
or closely pegged down. 
Floral decorations at Glasgow.—At the ball of the 
Gordon Highlanders, to be held on the 24th inst. at 
St. Andrew’s Hall, Glasgow, for which we understand 
a thousand invitations have been issued, the entire 
decorations have been entrusted to Messrs. J. & R. 
Thyne, the well-known floral decorators, St. Vincent 
Street, Glasgow. By the courtesy of that firm we 
have been able to view the scheme of decoration 
which will be unique in character and one of the best 
in effect that this firm has ever undertaken. In the 
supper room a novel feature is to be introduced on 
the way of hanging baskets by means of wires 
extending across the breadth of the room. The 
whole treatment will present to the onlooker a 
canopy of floating verdure, and the entire floral 
decoration of the halls on the occasion in question 
will be one of the choicest it is able to imagine. 
Shirley Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Association. 
—The monthly meeting took place at the Shirley 
Parish Room, Southampton, on the i6thinst., when 
there was a very good attendance of the members, 
the president, Mr. W. F. G. Spranger, taking the 
chair. The subject before the meeting was a paper 
on “ The Cultivation of the Fuchsia,” the contributor 
Mr. E. J. Wilcox, gardener to Col. W. S. Sinkins, 
Aldermoor House, being especially well qualified to 
speak, he having gained first honours both at the 
late Southampton and local shows for six plants. 
Mr. Wilcox dealt with the subject in a most exhaus¬ 
tive manner, commencing with the cutting and ending 
with the finished plant, illustrating his advice with 
living plants in various stages of growth, including 
an immense and perfect specimen plant. Questions 
on feeding, potting, and the use of the Fuchsia for 
beds and borders were asked by Mr. E. Molyneuxand 
others, ready replies being given. A hearty vote of 
thanks was unanimously accorded to Mr. Wilcox. 
There was a good display of cut Dahlias, herbaceous 
plants, &c., made by the members, which tends to 
brighten the proceedings. 
A NEW SWEEPING MACHINE. 
Every gardener, from the apprentice or garden boy 
to the head man of an establishment, knows the 
extraordinary trouble occasioned in keeping lawns 
neat and clean during the shortening autumn days, 
when leaves are constantly falling and littering the 
place, and worm casts are disfiguring the place every¬ 
where. A want has long been felt for something that 
would save the tedious process of constant sweeping 
by hand, and which entails an amount of labour that 
can ill be spared, while the results are anything but 
satisfactory. Messrs. Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies, 
Ltd., Orwell Works, Ipswich, are prepared to meet 
this want with machines termed Ransome’s Lawn 
Sweeper (Davis' patent), in two sizes. The smaller 
one is 5 ft. long, weighs about 2 cwt. sweeps a 
breadth of 2 ft. as it is pushed and pulled along, and 
is intended to be worked by two men. 
The larger machine represented in the accompany¬ 
ing illustration lent us by Messrs. Ransomes, Sims 
and Jefferies, is adapted for horse power, and 
capable of getting over a much larger area of ground 
in a given time. In parks and pleasure grounds of 
any extent, a machine of this description becomes 
indispensable for sweeping up the fallen leaves, Fir 
cones, Pine leaves, stones, worm casts, and other 
rubbish of that description that tend to keep the 
grass untidy in autumn. The machine is SJ ft. long, 
5 ft. wide, and sweeps a width of 4 ft. It weighs 
8 cwt., aDd, notwithstanding its length, can 
be turned in limited space by reason of the 
swivel wheel fitted in front; by the latter means, 
the brushes can be lowered or raised to any desired 
