252 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 21, 1895. 
ing apparatus and specially-equipped forcing 
houses enable private gardeners, as well as 
the growers for market, to keep up a supply 
of the most varied classes of flowers all the 
year round. The third and most recent aid 
to the securing of such results is that of 
retardation. We speak of it as an aid 
rather than a means of securing flowers at 
midwinter, because the plants have after¬ 
wards to be subjected to heat or forced in 
order to induce them to bloom at unnatural 
times. This process of retardation is noth¬ 
ing new, although it has been brought 
somewhat prominently before the public 
recently by our contemporary, The Times. 
The 2o,oco sprays of Lily of the Valley 
used in the decorations at the wedding of the 
Duke of Marlborough, in November last, 
seem to have been the means of eliciting 
such conspicuous notice for the process of 
retarding not only Lily of the Valley, but 
also several other kinds of plants, both 
shrubby and herbaceous. 
The process of freezing Lily of the 
Valley crowns has long been known to the 
horticultural trade as exercising a beneficial 
effect upon the crowns, inasmuch as they 
come away more kindly and quickly after 
having been so treated than when protected 
from frost. The freezing has been secured 
in various ways ; and gardeners in private 
establishments have utilised their ice¬ 
houses for the purpose. Since the operation 
could be effected by such humble means it 
was simply a second thought for growers 
on a large scale to adopt some modern appli¬ 
ance to effect the same, and on a more 
comprehensive scale. The aid of the 
refrigerator has been called in, and 
although a firm of horticulturists near 
London are said to have paid about £1,000 
to have a refrigerator erected, the money 
will, doubtlessly, soon be recovered if the 
forcing of plants so treated is fairly exten¬ 
sive. 
Solomon’s Seal and Lily of the Valley 
used to be rather uncertain in their 
behaviour when subjected to forcing before 
Christmas, but this has been largely 
remedied since the freezing and retarding 
operations have been adopted previously to 
placing them in heat. The last-named may 
now be had in bloom at any period of the 
year, and equally at mid-summer as at mid¬ 
winter. Whereas thirty per cent, of 
flowers used to be obtainable in the early 
part of winter by the old method, the more 
recent process of retardation enables the 
growers to produce ninety-five per cent, of 
flowers from the end of summer up till 
Christmas. When the growth of certain 
plants has been retarded by keeping the 
latter in a cold or freezing atmosphere, it 
is more easily induced to become active at 
unseasonable periods by the application of 
artificial heat. Flowers are not alone in 
being so treated, for have not Potatos been 
retarded in cool cellars in order to induce 
them to form young tubers late in the season, 
when they could not otherwise be obtained? 
The process is similar in kind though some¬ 
what different in detail. In all this we 
see the hand of man controlling climate and 
seasons, so to speak, on a small scale, for 
his own special advantage. All these 
operations have been gradually growing 
and extending in comparative silence for 
years past, and are, therefore, not new. 
-- 2 -- 
In Christmas Week The Gardening World will 
bs published on Friday instead of Thursday. 
Mr. G. Vanderbilt, an uncle of the Duchess of 
Marlborough, has for some years past been con¬ 
structing a palace ia the mountains near Asheville, 
North Carolina. He has bought n.ooo acres of 
mountain and forest, and is having drives made 
through them. 
A bamboo church organ is the latest novelty at 
Shanghai. It is said to be superior to those con¬ 
structed of metal. 
Weeds are at a discount just now, owing to the 
continuance of the mild, wet weather, except in the 
case of choice samples of the weed from Havana 
Virginia, Turkey, and Egypt.— Snaggs. 
Wild Strawberries in Devon.—As an instance in 
proof of the equable climate at Falmouth, it may be 
mentioned that on the 7th inst., wild Strawberries 
were picked in the vicinity of the Recreation Ground. 
Is Mars inhabited?—Ludus: “The wise men of 
the West are always telling us something about the 
red vegetation or the inhabitants of Mars. Why 
don’t they tell us whether any gardeners are wanted, 
and what their duties would be ? ” Jocus : “ That 
would be too practical a question for a wise man to 
speculate upon.’’ 
Messrs. Carter and their employees.—On Saturday 
last the employees of Messrs. James Carter & Co , 
The Queen's Seedsmen, High Holborn, London, 
held their annual soiree at Bloomsbury Half. A 
most enjoyable evening was spent ; the attendance 
was larger than on any former occasion, the capacious 
building being filled to overflowing. A fine selection 
of songs, both humorous and otherwise, were ren¬ 
dered in excellent style by various members of the 
staff, as were also several pianoforte solos, duets, &C., 
which delighted an appreciative audience. The 
dancing was vigorous, and well maintained at 
intervals during the evening. 
Arbroath Horticultural Society.—The committee of 
the Arbroath Horticultural Society supped together 
in the Imperial Hotel, on the 29th ult. Supper was 
purveyed and served in excellent style by Mr. S. 
Aitken, the tables being beautifully decorated with 
flowers and the menu of a first-class order. Mr. 
William Stewart, vice-president, occupied the chair 
with his usual geniality, while Mr. W. F. Anderson, 
the secretary, fulfilled the duties of croupier in a 
most pleasing and efficient way. Later on ex-provost 
Keith proposed the toast of the evening, “Success 
to the Arbroath Horticultural Society,’’ which he 
said was a very old institution in Arbroath, as he 
understood it was seventy-two years since the inau¬ 
guration of it. The society had had many ups and 
downs. He had seen it in a flourishing state and he 
had seen it almost collapse, and that not many 
years ago. He was glad to see it was in such a 
flourishing condition as at present. The chairman 
said that the society was not in such a flourishing 
condition as ex-Provost Keith seemed to think. The 
Rose and Pansy show was very popular, but the 
public had not supported the Chrysanthemum show 
so well as could be desired, and there was some idea 
of giving that show up. That was a subject that 
would have to be considered. A very pleasant and 
harmonious evening was spent. 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution Concerts at 
Altrincham.—The members of the Altrincham and 
District Gardeners’ Improvement Society have 
always taken the deepest interest in the welfare of 
the Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund and Gardeners’ 
Royal Benevolent Institution, and the efforts put 
forth on behalf of these deserving institutions have 
been supported in a generous manner by the public. 
The concerts were commenced in 1892, and have 
been continued annually since. This year it was 
decided to give two concerts, this special effort being 
put forward with the object of establishing a local 
orphan fund for the purpose of granting immediate 
relief if occasion required. The attendance on both 
evenings (Dec. 3rd and 4th) was very large, every 
available portion of the large hall of the Literary 
Institute being occupied. Programmes of more than 
usual excellence had been prepared for each evening, 
and the services of several capable artistes retained. 
The committee was also fortunate in securing the 
services of the Sale and Ashton Amateur Orchestral 
Society of forty performers and the Veronese 
Mandoline and Guitar Band whose selections were 
quite a feature of the entertainments. The amount 
realised, after paying expenses, was a little over £56, 
forty guineas of which goes to the Gardeners’ Royal 
Benevolent Institution, and the remainder retained 
for the local orphan fund. Since 1892 the amount 
of £161 has been raised in this way, £105 of which 
has been sent to the Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund, 
—not a bad record fora small country town. Other 
Gardeners' Improvement Societies please make a 
note.— Clms. Hewitt, [Hon. Sec. and Treasurer). 
" Old Christmas comes,” they say, “ but once a year; 
But why should Fogy bring such foggy cheer ? ” 
—Snaggs. 
A Golden Eagle was recently noticed near near St. 
Lawrence in Kent, and shot as a matter of course, 
as in the case of all other rare and beautiful birds. 
It measured 65 ft. across the expanded wings, 3 ft. in 
length, and weighed nine pounds. Rare birds like 
rare plants are being ruthlessly exterminated. 
The work of two gales.—During a tempest, a gale 
of wind lifted off the sash of a greenhouse and 
smashed it; a few minutes later another gale lifted 
it on again making it secure.— Snaggs. P.S.—I 
neglected to state in my note that the second gale 
was Mr. Gale, the carpenter.—S. 
The Floral Committee of the National Chrysan¬ 
themum Society assembled for the last time this year 
in the Royal Aquarium, on Wednesday, December 
nth. Thematerial presented for their judgment was 
very limited in quantity—as might have been expected 
from the advanced state of the season. Mr. Robert 
Owen, of Maidenhead, was the most conspicuous 
exhibitor, sending some five or six dozen large 
blooms in excellent order. Among these we noted 
Mrs. C. E. Shea, Boule d’Or, Bellem, Mdlle. Paul 
Lacroix, J. W. Richardson, Madame Hammond, and 
Exposition d'Arras, besides a number of unnamed 
seedlings of some merit. 
A good gardener gone wrong.—At North London 
Police Court on thegth inst, before Mr. Paul Taylor, 
Arthur Smith, 31, gardener, Willow Cottages ( 
Spring Lane, Clapton, was charged with theft and 
malicious damage. The prisoner, it was shown, is a 
discharged servant from the employ of Captain 
David Gibbs, of 10, Springfields, Clapton. On 
Saturday evening Frank Woolmington, the present 
gardener, locked up nine greenhouses on Captain 
Gibbs' estate, but on Sunday morning he found that 
seven of the houses had been entered and most 
reckless damage done—vines cut, Orchids wrecked, 
Palms, Acacias Gardenias, Ferns, and other 
plants destroyed—the damage being estimated at 
over /150. There were footmarks on the garden 
ground outside the houses, and the gardener’s coat 
was missing. Suspicion fell upon the prisoner, and 
he was found by Detective-sergeant Bowers at the 
Children's Hospital in Hackney Road. The 
prisoner denied all knowledge of the affair, but when 
his house was searched the coat that had been taken 
from the greenhouse was found in his possession.— 
Inspector Bonner, who corroborated as to the great 
damage done, said Captain Gibbs was eighty-four 
years of age, and unable to come to Court, but the 
captain bad-told him (witness) that when he dis¬ 
charged the prisoner for drunkenness he told him he 
would give him a character for competency, but not 
for sobriety.—The prisoner, notwithstanding the 
finding of the coat, protested his innocence, but Mr. 
Paul Taylor committed him for trial at the Sessions, 
aud offered to accept bail.— Morning Post. 
Dinner of the Southgate Chrysanthemum Society.— 
This function took place on the 12th inst., in the 
Village Hall, Chas. Deakin, Esq., one of the vice- 
presidents, being in the chair, supported by the 
Vicar and several other gentlemen. Altogether 
some seventy members and friends sat down to an 
excellently-served menu, the table being also graced 
with the handsome trophy won in the Affiliated 
Societies’ Competition at the N.C.S. Show, in which 
the blooms furnished by Mr. W. H. Lees, of Trent 
Park Gardens, played so important a part. Naturally 
enough, the trophy, well won as it was, formed the 
subject of much congratulation, and in connection 
with the toast of “ The Southgate Chrysanthemum 
Society,’’ the Chairman commented upon the added 
interest to their proceedings, which this trophy was 
bound to foster and encourage. The Southgate 
Show itself had this year been the most successful 
that had been held, and he hoped that these two 
factors would awaken still more enthusiasm in the 
membership. Mr. James, the secretary, gave some 
encouraging statistics, and specially quoted the 
excellence of the vegetables exhibited. He 
declared for a policy to apply the Society’s surplus to 
the prize list, so that that fund might be augmented 
in 1896, recognising the fact that it was to their 
exhibitors they owed the hard work, which had 
resulted in so successful a show. Some suggestions 
were made with regard to the formation of a Mutual 
Improvement Society, and the project was one that 
met with the general approval of those present. 
