136 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
November 2, 1895. 
all praise, and might well be adopted by 
other investigators on similar occasions. 
The questions discussed were not confined 
to Potatos as human food, but other 
industries dependent upon them were 
briefly reviewed. Other uses may still be 
discovered, so that the total area of land 
devoted to the production of tubers would 
under those circumstances necessarily 
increase. 
No doubt some of the audience regarded 
the experiments of grafting Potatos or 
Tomatos, and vice-versa, as a species of 
harmless amusement if not a positive 
waste of time; but that way of throwing 
cold water on innovations has probably 
existed from the dawn of cultivation, and 
will continue to the end of it. We ex¬ 
amined these experiments at Reading in 
July last, and were surprised as well as 
interested to see a fair crop of Tomatos 
ripening upon stems deriving their nourish¬ 
ment through the medium of Potato roots. 
The latter produced tubers in the pots con¬ 
taining them. On the other hand Potatos 
were thriving and flowering on Tomato 
roots, and later on they developed tubers 
in the axils of the leaves above the soil. 
Thus then the stems bore a crop at either 
end, and which was certainly most impor¬ 
tant in the case of Tomatos above and 
Potatos below the soil. “ Cui bono ” 
exclaims some one, but that remains to be 
determined. Should the sleepy disease of 
Tomatos increase to any alarming extent 
in the future, it does not take a wide 
stretch of imagination to conceive that 
Tomatos may be profitably cultivated upon 
the roots of the Potato, should such a con¬ 
tingency arise. The like has been before. 
The Peach is a case in point, and it may 
not be out of place to observe that we do 
not get a crop of Peaches above, and a crop 
of Plums below, the ground as a recom¬ 
pense for the trouble that grafting and 
budding entails. 
-—*■- 
Special issue of “ The Gardening World.”—Our next 
number will contain a full report of the National 
Chrysanthemum and Crystal Palace Shows. For 
advertisement see p. 135. 
Mr, William McGuffog, foremen at Norton, Ratho, 
Midlothian, has been engaged as gardener to the 
Countess of Selkirk, Balmae, Kirkcudbright. 
Great Jubilee Exhibition of Chrysanthemums.—We 
are informed that this celebration of the National 
Chrysanthemum Society will take place on November 
3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th, 1896. 
Strawberries again. —Mr. Bonner Smith, of 
Lenham, Kent, has been picking large and beauti¬ 
fully shaped Strawberries, grown without the aid of 
glass, from his Strawberry plantation up to the 
present time. On the nth ult., he picked 5 lb. of 
Strawberries, and on the previous two days 16 lb. and 
12 lb. respectively. 
National Chrysanthemum Society.—At a meeting 
of the General Committee of this society, held at 
Anderton’s Hotel on Monday evening, Mr. B. 
Wynne presiding, a strong resolution was passed 
unanimously and ordered to be sent to the Royal 
Aquarium authorities, remonstrating against the 
bad lighting of the building on the occasion of the 
Society’s exhibitions, between the hours of three and 
seven p.m. The prize money awarded at the late 
October show was announced as having been paid, 
and the awards of the Arbitration Committee made 
at the same show were now confirmed. An interim 
report was submitted with reference to the progress 
being made in connection with the Jubilee celebra¬ 
tion in 1896 which was considered to be eminently 
satisfactory, and following the precedent set on the 
occasion of the Centenary Celebration the com¬ 
mittee resolved to present a Bronze Jubilee Medal 
to all the affiliated societies for competition at their 
next year's exhibitions. The annual dinner was 
fixed for November 27th, when the president, Sir 
Edwin Saunders will again take the chair. 
The Tuberous Artichoke. —Mr. J. Cowie, gardener 
to V. L. Oliver, Esq., Whitmore Lodge, Sunningdale, 
says he has never seen the tuberous Artichoke grow 
to such a height as it has this season. The stems 
are 10 ft. high or more, and a large proportion of 
them bears a solitary terminal flower each. 
A remarkable Dahlia —A Dahlia of gigantic pro¬ 
portions was grown in a most unexpected quarter, 
namely, in the yard of the Olive Street Bridewell, 
Liverpool. The flower was planted by Mr. Cooke, 
the Bridewell-keeper, and so congenial was the prison 
atmosphere to this particular Dahlia that it attained 
the abnormal height of eleven feet, and was still grow¬ 
ing till the recent frost. During the summer it 
flowered abundantly. 
Raspberries.— A new instance of this extraordinary 
season may interest our readers. Quite recently 
Mr. A. S. Walford, Ilford, had for desert a dish con¬ 
taining three pints of fresh Raspberries, grown and 
ripened in the ordinary way from his kitchen garden. 
They were from the new wood made during the 
summer and were large and sweet, though perhaps 
with not quite so fine a flavour as if ripened beneath 
a July sun. This, for the county of Essex, on the 
18th of October, is certainly a novel production. 
Thegreat Chrysanthemum Fete and Show of the year 
by the National Chrysanthemum Society will be a 
unique exhibition. The whole of the great building 
and galleries of the Royal Aquarium will be devoted 
to fruit, flowers and vegetables. Some idea of its 
extent may be gathered from the fact that there 
will be 10,000 cut blooms on view. The magnificent 
Japanese varieties of Chrysanthemums will be the 
best ever seen. A remarkable feature of the show 
will be a great gallery of table decorations, whilst 
the specimen plants wiil beat the record. To these 
must be added an unpredecented display of fruit 
and vegetables. 
Royal Gardeners' Orphan Fund.— At the first meet¬ 
ing of the Committee after the recess, held at the 
Hotel Windsor, on October 25th, Mr. W. Marshall pre¬ 
siding, the following special receipts were announced : 
Legacy from Mr. T. Taplin, Havant, £5 5s. ; Rev. A. 
Low, proceeds of a collection at Harvest Thanks¬ 
giving service, per Mr. J. Bennett, Burton-on-Trent, 
£6 6s.; moiety of receipts from sale of Orchids at 
Messrs. J. Crispin & Sons’Show Rooms, per Mr. J. H. 
Vallance, Bristol, £5 5s. ; Mr. A. Miles, Dudley 
Villas, Southampton, £2 3s.; collected at Woodford 
Flower Show by Mr. W. W. Willoughby, £2 ; Brad¬ 
ford Paxton Society, per Mr. R. Scott, 30s. ; Mr. T. 
Burn, Abbey Park, Leicester, 25s.; The Misses Evans, 
Wimbledon 17s.; Mr. H. Burbage, Westgate, ios.6d.; 
collected by Mr. W. G. Head, at the Crystal Palace, 
£3 15s. 8d. ; Mr. J. Selway, Betteshanger, Dover, 
£4 5s.; Mr. J. Mclndoe, Hutton Hall, Guisborough, 
£4 ; Mr. C. Sutton, Chevening, Sevenoaks, £1 12s. ; 
Mrs. H. B Smith, Ealing, 7s. 5d. ; Miss McRonald, 
The Nurseries, Chichester, 7s. ; in small sums 
received by the Editor of The Gardeners' Chronicle, from 
October, 1894, t0 October, 1895, £2 4s. The other 
business brought forward was of a merely routine 
character. 
Technical Education for Scotland. —Mr. Long, 
President of the Board of Agriculture, visited Edin¬ 
burgh on the 23rd ult., and received a deputation 
from the Royal Scottish Arboricultural Society in 
reference to various matters affecting the develop¬ 
ment of forestry in Scotland. In his reply he held 
out no hope that the State would take such a new 
departure as was involved in the establishment of 
forest areas ; and with regard to forestry education 
generally he thought that something more might be 
done in that direction by the County Councils with 
the money they obtained from Government. Later 
in the day Mr. Long attended a conference of 
agriculturists held under the auspices of the Scottish 
Chamber of Agriculture. Although the State may 
not be disposed to undertake the task of acquiring 
farms and forests in order to show how farming and 
timber-growing can be conducted with profit, the 
Minister for Agriculture favours the idea of greater 
encouragement being given to institutions for 
bestowing instruction in agriculture and forestry, 
and thinks that this education could be made 
experimental as well as theoretical. Altogether Mr. 
Long’s visit and his words are of good augury to 
distressed agriculture. He raised no vain hopes, 
he promised nothing that cannot be granted with 
safety and advantage to the whole country, as well 
as to agriculture. 
National Chrysanthemum Society. —The duties of 
the Floral Committee of this Society, which assem¬ 
bled together at the Royal Aquarium, on Wednes¬ 
day, October 23rd, were somewhat numerous. Most 
of the large trade growers sent a number of blooms, 
many of which were of great merit. White flowers, 
especially, were in great force, and the number 
of certificates granted was unusually large. Taking 
it all round the display augured well for the quality 
of the material to be expected at the forthcoming 
grand November show. 
Woking and District Horticultural Society —In the 
absence of Mr. J. Orlando Law, President, Mr 
Taylor presided at the monthly meeting of this 
society, held in Messrs. Dowsett and Mann’s auction 
mart. Mr. Shoesmith showed a fine collection of 
Chrysanthemums, for which he was awarded a 
Certificate of Merit at the recent show at the 
Aquarium. Mr. Jackman had consented to read a 
paper on Roses, but, being away from home, Mr. 
Shoesmith dealt with the subject. Questions having 
been answered by Mr. Shoesmith in regard to the 
planting of trees, etc., he was thanked for his paper. 
The exhibits of the members at the meeting were 
judged by Messrs. Baxter, H. A. Whitburn and 
Savage. The judges awarded a Certificate of Merit 
to Mr. Shoesmith for his Chrysanthemums. For 
Mr. Askham’s prize for a collection of vegetables 
there were six entries. Mr. Davis, gardener to Mr. 
Jones was first; Mr. Haddow, gardener to Mr. Tait, 
second ; and Mr. West, a cottager, third. Exhibits 
for points towards the society's medals consisted 
chiefly of fruit and vegetables. In the gardeners’ 
section Mr. Davis and Mr. Seabrook continue their 
neck-to-neck race, each again securing a Certificate 
and equal points. Mr. H. A. Needs was awarded a 
Certificate for a splendid dish of Pears in the 
amateurs' section. 
Shirley Gardeners’Mutual Improvement Association. 
—Two meetings, held under the auspices of the 
Hants County Council, were held on the 25th and 
28th inst., Mr. E. Molyneux, Swanmore Park Garr 
dens, being the lecturer provided by the Council. 
The first was held at Highfield, Southampton, and 
the subject " Hardy Fruit Culture for Cottage Gar¬ 
dens and Allotments,” was dealt with in the 
most practical manner, the principal points, such as 
planting, training, grafting, pruning, &c., being illus 
trated with living specimens; and reference was 
also made to certain diseases and their remedy. A 
good display of fruit was made by two of the mem¬ 
bers. The meeting on the 28th was held at Nursling, 
Southampton, The Cultivation of Fruits and Vege¬ 
tables for Exhibition, and Some Hints on Packing 
for Transit” being the subject selected. The varieties 
of fruits and vegetables most suitable for the exhibi¬ 
tion table were given, and the character of the speci¬ 
mens most likely to win prizes indicated by examples, 
the lecturer pointing out that very large specimens 
often failed to obtain prizes, because they usually 
lacked qualities of more importance than mere size. 
There was quite a big show of high-class fruit and 
vegetables contributed by the local gardeners, and 
also a good attendance. Hearty votes of thanks 
were accorded to Mr. Molyneux at the close of each 
lecture. 
A Captious Shipping Company.—An action was 
brought by The Little Western Steamship Com¬ 
pany against Wm. Colchester, chemical manure 
manufacturer, Ipswich, to recover £7 2s. 6d. for 
freight on bags and bales of guano. The case 
occupied more than one day at the Ipswich County 
Court, before His Honour Judge Hugh Eardley 
Wilmot, and was settled on Thursday, October 17th. 
Counsel for the defendant admitted the claim but 
said that there was a counter claim of £3 16s. 2d. 
for damages sustained by Mr. Colchester through a 
breach of contract made by the plaintiffs whereby 
they undertook to carry for him about two tons of 
guano from London to Torquay. After various 
evidence had been given, Mr. S. A. Notcutt 
(Messrs. Notcutt and Sons), who represented the 
Little Western Steamship Company, pointed to the 
correspondence to show that the goods were alluded 
to as being addressed to Pickford and Co., to the 
