56 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 28, 1895. 
prolific, but the fruits were passing out of 
season in the fruit room. The less highly- 
coloured Cox’s Orange is less conspicuous, 
but the enormous crop on quite small trees 
was a perfect eye-opener. We have never 
seen a richer harvest of this particular 
variety anywhere. If orchards of it were 
planted in districts where it succeeds there 
should be little to fear from foreign compe¬ 
tition while this excellent British fruit held 
the market. Its lack of bright colour no 
doubt keeps the British public in ignorance 
of the deliciously rich and highly-aromatic 
flavour hidden behind a bronzy and 
relatively unattractive exterior. Those who 
are let into the secret never forget it. 
Yonder again the magnificent fruits of 
Stirling Castle, Lord Derby, Cox’s Pomona, 
Newton Wonder, and Lane’s Prince Albert 
are enough to make the fruit cultivator 
crazy, where the climate, soil and other 
circumstances are against him. Here the 
heaviest and by far the most highly-coloured 
fruits are obtained from trees grown entirely 
in the open. Last year’s trees of Stirling 
Castle are loaded with fine exhibition 
samples. Trees of Bismarck, practically 
only eighteen months old, are carrying, at 
a fair estimate, ten or a dozen of their 
noble fruits. Worcester Pearmain is well 
known for its richly-coloured Apples, 
though only of moderate size. In Middlesex 
and the counties lying to the north of it we 
have been accustomed to regard Lane’s 
Prince Albert as a green Apple, but here it 
assumes a considerable amount of colora¬ 
tion which enhances the effect of its 
polished skin admirably. The purple-red, 
Plum-like fruits of the Dartmouth Crab 
render it highly useful for ornamental 
purposes. A fuller account of what we 
saw and noted in the Allington Nurseries 
will be found in another column. 
-- 
A Chrysanthemum Show is this year to be held at 
Forres, N.B. Mr. A. M. Inglis is secretary. 
Mr. Edward Gristwood, lately foreman at Stough¬ 
ton Grange, has been appointed to the charge of 
the gardens of J. L. Ward, Esq., Belgrave House, 
Leicester. 
Edinburgh and Glasgow Shows.— We are much 
obliged to various readers for their favourable com¬ 
ments upon our special Scotch numbers, which con¬ 
tained the reports of Edinburgh and Glasgow from 
our special correspondent. 
A Big Sunflower.—I noticed in your paper on 
September 14th a remark about a big Sunflower. I 
have one that is 19 in. across, stands 8 ft. high, and 
has leaves on it that measure 24 in. across.— 
Didsbury. 
Strawberries in the Market.—As an instance of the 
extraordinary weather which has prevailed in 
Cornwall this summer, it is stated that Strawberries 
were on sale in Penzance Market on the 21st inst. 
One gardener informed a correspondent that he had 
gathered a fourth crop this season. Apple trees 
bearing fruit are also in several instances still 
blooming. 
Marriage of Mr. W. P. Laird, of Dundee.—On 
Wednesday, the 25th September, was solemnized the 
nuptials of Mr. W. P. Laird, head of the well- 
known seed house of Messrs. Laird & Sinclair, Dun¬ 
dee, and Miss Swan, of Inverpeffer, Carnoustie. 
The wedding took place at Arbirlot Church, the 
charming bride being given away by her father. 
The ceremony was performed by the Rev. E. T. 
Vernon, assisted by Rev. Edwin Heath, and in ten¬ 
dering our congratulations to the happy couple we 
shall, we are sure, but re-echo the good wishes from 
many thousands of readers with whom the house of 
Laird and the interests of horticulture have so long 
been associated. Mr. and Mrs. Laird left later in 
the day for Wales, where the honeymoon is to be 
spent. The presents were costly and numerous, and 
included tributes of regard from a very large num¬ 
ber of private friends, as well as from many business 
acquaintances. 
A Prolific Apple Tree. —Mr. A. Lennie, of St. 
Ronan's Hotel, Innerleithen, N.B., has cut from a 
tree in his garden a large bunch of Apples—twelve in 
number, and weighing over a couple of pounds. 
Big Sunflowers. —Mr. David Barker, of Marquis 
Road, Stroud Green, has some Sunflowers in his 
garden. One bears a bloom 14 in. in diameter on a 
stem 12 ft. high. The largest plant has leaves 20 in. 
long and broad. 
Stealing from Allotments. —At the Kingston-on- 
Thames County Police Court on the 18th inst., 
William Andrews and Edward Brooks, chimney 
sweeps, were fined 20s. or fourteen days, for 
stealing Potatos from working men’s allotments at 
Surbiton. 
Gooseberries, whether English or varieties of native 
growth, do not succeed well in the United States of 
America, owing to the prevalence of drought and 
the ravages of mildew. Try again, American cousins; 
plant in cool, fairly moist situations. 
The Windsor Elms. —The Elm tree is one of the 
most graceful trees in nature. There is an avenue 
of Elm trees at Windsor Castle three miles long. 
These trees were planted as memorials of the acces¬ 
sion of Charles II. to the throne. A curious feature 
is their number, 1660, the year in which they were 
planted. 
Pollockshields is able to boast of an excellent 
flower show. The annual exhibition held a few days 
past was announced for Maxwell Park, but owing to 
inclement weather the marquees suffered consider¬ 
ably overnight, and an adjournment was made to the 
local hall. Mr. Jno. Coats, the secretary, in this, as in 
other cases, showed himself to be the right man in 
the right place when an emergency has to be dealt 
with. 
Vegetation and Sunshine.—Herr J. Weisneir has 
come to the conclusion that all luxuriant vegetation 
is produced under conditions of comparatively 
feeble, and especially of diffused, daylight. Intense 
sunlight is not an advantage to a plant growing in 
unfavourable conditions, and especially in poor, dry 
soil. Tropical plants receive more sunlight than 
temperate ones on the whole, yet the latter receive a 
more intense light than the former in the spring¬ 
time. 
Elgin and Morayshire Horticultural Society. —At 
the annual meeting of this society on the 13th inst., 
a satisfactory financial report was submitted. On 
account of the success of the industrial department 
at the recent show, it was agreed to alter the name 
of the society to the Elgin and Moray Horticultural 
and Industrial Society. Colonel Johnston of Les- 
murdie was elected President of the Association, in 
room of the late Mr. Cameron; Mr. J. E. Gordon, 
M H., was chosen a Vice-President; and Mr. 
Jameson was re-appointed Secretary and Treasurer. 
Anyone visiting Buffalo and who is interested in 
tuberous-rooted Begonias, will be well repaid by tak¬ 
ing a trip out to the main park, where there are two 
borders, 50 ft. by 4 ft. running parallel to a walk 
leading to Assistant Superintendent Jas. Braik's cot¬ 
tage. The tubers are started in a frame early in the 
spring,with a little warm manure to keep out the cold; 
then at the proper time they are lifted and planted 
in their permanent quarters. The borders are 
partly shaded in the afternoon by trees ; in the fore¬ 
noon they are fully exposed to ffhe sun .—American 
Gardening. 
Fruit Essay Competition—In consequence of the 
excellence and equality in merit of two of the essays 
on the " Commercial Aspects of Hardy Fruit Grow¬ 
ing in the United Kingdom,” the Council of the 
Royal Horticultural Society increased the prize 
money originally offered, and Mr. L. Castle, Manager 
of the Duke of Bedford's experimental fruit farm at 
Ridgmont, with Mr. S. T. Wright, Glewston Court 
Gardens, Ross, have had the honour of being 
awarded equal first prizes. One of these essays will 
be read at the Crystal Palace Fruit Show, and 
both will presumably be published as soon after¬ 
wards as possible. The adjudicators were Mr. A. 
F. Barron, Mr. J. Wright, and Rev. W. Wilks. 
Devon, Somerset, Gloucester, Hereford, Worcester 
and Kent contain nearly two-thirds of the orchards 
of Great Britain. 
A gorgeous display of 1,000,000 Gladioli in bloom 
might have been seen in Floral Park, Chicago, 
about the middle of August last. 
A Chestnut Tree at Torworth, the residence of the 
Earl of Doucie, near Bristol, is reckoned to be 1,000 
years of age. If this could be proved, it would go 
far to remove the doubt existing as to its being truly 
a member of the British flora. 
The Hurst & Son CC. —This well-known seed 
trade cricket club has now closed a most successful 
season with the following result:—Eighteen matches 
arranged, eight won, six drawn, and four lost. 
Amongst the victories the most important were 
those obtained over Messrs. Sutton & Sons and 
Messrs. Carter & Co. The batting average goes to 
the captain, Mr. S. N. Sampson, and the bowling 
average to Mr. F. C. Swinfen. 
Messrs. Dobbie & Co., at Edinburgh. —Through 
some mistake or oversight our correspondent failed to 
notice the fine group of cut flowers exhibited by 
Messrs. Dobbie & Co., of Rothesay, N.B., at the 
show recently held at Edinburgh, and for which they 
were deservedly awarded a Silver Medal. Their 
group occupied a space of 200 square feet, and being 
set up in their usual tasteful style, constituted one of 
the two best displays of cut flowers in the exhibition. 
The bright appearance of the herbaceous plants of 
all the leading autumn-flowering kinds, both tender 
and hardy, showed that this pushing firm is fully 
alive to the times and determined to keep everything 
relating to gardens and their adornment fully up to 
date. The number cf varieties set up was very 
extensive and in prime condition. 
Bristol Amateur Horticultural Society. —On the 
14th inst. the members and friends paid a visit to 
the Gardens of Goldney House, Clifton, kindly 
thrown open to them by Mr. Lewis Fry, M.P. The 
grotto proved the great attraction, but the houses 
and grounds were thoroughly inspected, under the 
guidance of Mr. Howell, the head gardener, to whom 
a hearty vote of thanks was awarded. At the usual 
monthly meeting held at Colston Hall, the president, 
Mr. J. Walls, F.R.H.S., in the chair, a paper was 
sent by Mr. F. Nash, of Bath (who was unable to be 
present), on ‘‘Garden Pests,” the reading of which 
was undertaken by a member of the committee. The 
writer dealt with the subject in a most exhaustive 
manner, and, in moving a vote of thanks, the 
President expressed the hope that Mr. Nash would 
allow the paper to be printed, as it would un¬ 
doubtedly prove a valuable addition to the literature 
on the subject. The competition for Ferns proved 
one of the most popular of the season, and, owing to 
the number and quality of the exhibits staged, the 
judges had some difficulty in coming to a decisiou. 
Insurance. —Every profession, trade, or occupation 
is attended with a greater or less degree of risk to 
the health of those who follow it, and garden¬ 
ing is by no means an exception to this rule. 
How many gardeners have to deplore constitutions 
impaired by exposure to all kinds of weather, 
rheumatism and its attendant evils racking the 
sufferers day and night. Constant working in hot 
steamy houses, and frequent popping out into the 
cold air, without, perhaps, the exercise of due pre¬ 
caution as to covering up, cannot fail to exercise a 
prejudicial effect upon those who practise it. It 
behoves every gardener, therefore, to prepare for 
the time when through illness or accident he may 
be incapacitated from work. An important and 
commendable departure has recently been made by 
the Accident Insurance Company, 10, St. Swithin’s 
Lane, E.C., whereby policies may be taken out in¬ 
suring against loss of work either by accident or 
disease. The company possesses an excellent 
record, having disbursed over £1, 000,000 in com¬ 
pensations for accidents alone, and is well worthy the 
attention of hard-working gardeners who wish to 
make some provision for those dear to them in 
case of their partial or complete disablement. 
