652 
THE GARDENING WORLD- June 18, 1896. 
what is being done there ; alterations and 
improvements in the gardens will let the 
old Kewites know what they may expect to 
see, should they ever return to the scene of 
their early labours. No information how¬ 
ever, is given as to the progress made with 
the new south wing of the great temperate 
house. Popular interest will be increased 
by the addition to what are known as 
garden Roses. In a paragraph on Lady 
Gardeners, Bacon is quoted once more as 
to gardening being “ the purest of human 
pleasures,” and of duties the writer might 
have added. The dignity of labour should 
apply equally to women as to men, so long 
as that labour is not too great for their 
physical capacity. “ The pity of it is 
that,” says the Journal, “in the case of 
women, marriage would terminate their 
gardening career.” We do not take it for 
granted that this would always be the case ; 
for though they could not be head gardeners, 
under the circumstances, they might prove 
useful to their husbands. We could name 
more than one who have been of great 
service to their husbands when struggling 
hard to establish a business for themselves, 
and they have been successful. What more 
or better could we say of such an arrange¬ 
ment. “ Given fair play and no favour,” 
the Journal continues, “ we do not object to 
anyone competing in the field of horticul¬ 
ture, be it prince or peer, retired army 
officer or young lady. This is a more 
favourable and reasonable view of the 
situation, than the egregious rubbish pro¬ 
mulgated in the daily papers. The much 
maligned gardener with a large family of 
young children, will also find a very 
encouraging item of information by an 
advocate in his favour. 
Here also will be found an amusing letter 
from Mr. Philip MacMahon well known to 
his contemporaries for the lively speeches 
he made at the meetings of the Mutual 
Improvement Society. During the course 
of the past session, twenty-two papers 
were read, and a longish report of the most 
widely interesting one, delivered by Dr. 
Morris, the Assistant Director of Kew 
Gardens, is here reproduced. The subject 
of it was “ Botanical Work in the 
Colonies.” A portrait of this gentleman 
forms the frontispiece to the Journal. A 
short article on the lectures delivered to the 
students, details the number ot certificates 
awarded and the names of those who 
secured the highest number of marks. 
Eight certificates were awarded for British 
Botany. Nine entered the competition. 
The best collection of dried and well 
mounted plants comprised 61 natural orders 
and 340 species. Under the heading of 
“ Marriage Bells,” a record of marriages 
among Kewites, shows that sixteen of them 
took their brides to the steps of the altar 
during 1895 and 1896, up to the time of the 
publication of the Journal. Another feature 
of this number is the article on Mr. William 
Granger, extracted from him by the cunning 
wiles of the interviewer assisted by others. 
A portrait of Mr. Granger accompanies the 
article; and we should like to know how 
many hundreds of old Kewites will read the 
article and be delighted to recognise the 
well known features of this kindly and 
fatherly old gentleman, who left the staff of 
the gardens in April, 1893, after a record of 
forty-three years’ faithful service. For many 
years previous to this he was time-keeper 
and store-keeper, so that he was and is 
known to hundreds of young men who 
served their time at Kew before becoming 
dispersed to the four quarters of the globe. 
He was sixty-eight on May 1st last, and is 
still hale, hearty and most courteous to all 
with whom he comes in contact. He com¬ 
menced life as a sailor and enjoyed the sea 
while he went cruising about South America 
in search of slavers : but owing to an injury 
to his leq, he had to give up that occupa¬ 
tion, and accepted service at Kew at the 
unpromising wage of twelve shillings a 
week, though on duty from 6 a.m. to 
7.30. p.m. Later on, his duties were of a 
most multifarious character, but in all of 
them he earned a reward of the most 
implicit trust, which must have been dearer 
to him than the low wages of those days. 
Space forbids detail of his varied duties, but 
anyone, and old Kewites in particular, may 
and doubtlessly will read the record in the 
Journal with many pleasant recollections. 
An appreciative article on “ Beautiful 
Kew ” is written by F. W. Burbidge, M.A., 
F.L.S., who is familiar to hundreds on this 
side of St. George’s Channel, having made 
Mr. Burbidge’s acquaintance while here, or 
during his numerous visits since he became 
curator of the Trinity College, Botanic 
Gardens, Dublin. At no time of the year 
are Kew Gardens more interesting than 
from the beginning of April to the end of 
June; but many of our readers make 
pilgrimages there at all seasons, and occa¬ 
sionally record their views in The Garden¬ 
ing World. Mr. Burbidge’s article may best 
be read in the original as published here. 
“ Imperial Kew ” is a high-sounding title, 
but is a just indication of the influence of 
the mother establishment on the destinies 
of that Greater Britain beyond the “ strait¬ 
laced ” and wave-lapped shores of Great 
Britain. An account of Mr. J. Theodore 
Bent’s expedition to the Hadramaut in 
Southern Arabia, is given by Mr. W. Lunt, 
who was appointed botanical collector for 
Kew. The party was informed by the 
Sultan that there had been no rain for two 
years at A 1 Katan. From this account one 
could hardly expect to find arichbotanising 
field, yet the expedition even in this respect 
was highly successful. The journey must 
have been very exciting owing to the 
hostility of the natives. 
Portraits are given of four Kewites who 
have recently died, and a short account of 
nine of them, more or less familiar to past 
and present Kew men. The list of past and 
present Kewites, with their present 
addresses, so far as they are known, is not 
the lease important feature of the Journal, 
and will be scanned by hundreds of eyes 
during the next few months. Several of 
the recent appointments have been recorded 
in our pages, and again recorded in the Jour¬ 
nal, thus showing its up-to-date character ; 
but in looking down the list we regret to 
notice that there are still numerous blanks 
even amongst those who were contem¬ 
poraries and personally known to us. Went 
to India, went to Australia, etc., are very 
vague addresses ; but other names have no 
address at all. 
— - 
Veitch Memorial Medals —Sir Trevor Lawrence 
Bart., presented the Veitch Memorial Medals on the 
afternoon of Tuesday last to the four gentlemen 
selected by the committee. The recipients were: — 
Mr. F. W. Burbidge, M.A., F.L.S., Curator of the 
Dublin Botanic Gardens ; Mr. Malcolm Dunn, of 
Dalkeith Palace Gardens, N.B.; Professor Sarjeant, 
head of the Arnold Arboretum, Boston, Massa¬ 
chusetts, U.S.A.; and M. Henri Vilmorin, head of 
the celebrated firm of Vilmorin, Andrieux & Cie., Quai 
de la Megisserie, Paris. Sir Trevor in making the 
presentation dwelt at some length upon the merits of 
the recipients of the medals, and spoke of the value 
of the services each and all of them had rendered to 
horticulture. He expressed his especial regret that 
M. H. Vilmorin, who had made arrangements to be 
present in person, had been prevented from doing so 
by the death of his wife’s mother. Professor 
Sarjeant was also unavoidably absent. Mr. F. W. 
Burbidge and Mr. Malcolm Dunn, who were both 
present, thanked Sir Trevor Lawrence and the 
company, for the honour that had been done to them 
that day. 
Elham’s Early, Flower of Spring, and other early 
Cabbages should be sown now to furnish a supply of 
young heads during the early winter months. 
As the foliage of bulbs dies down, lift the bulbs 
and after they are partly dried and cleaned, store 
them away in a cool place till planting time again 
comes round. 
Auriculas in pots should enjoy cool quarters on a 
northern aspect till the sun has again considerably 
declined in the autumn. Do not neglect them in’ 
the matter of watering. 
Mr. Frank Ashton, an old Kewite, we are pleased to 
learn from the Journal of the Kew Guild,, is now the 
managing partner of the firm of Messrs. W. L. 
Lewis & Co., Southgate, N., in whose service he has 
been for about two years. 
Oattleya gigas alba.—A newly-imported specimen 
under this name was secured for seventy-five guineas 
by Baron Schroder at the Central Sale Rooms of 
Messrs. Protheroe & Morris, on the 29th ult. As 
may be imagined, there was a spirited competition 
for the possession of this rare novelty. 
Mr. H. Bennett, for five years foreman in the 
gardens at Syon House, Brentford, three years in 
Staffordshire, and three years in Gloucestershire as 
journeyman, in all three cases under Mr. G. Wythes, 
now gardener to Earl Percy at Syon House, has 
been appointed head gardener to C. Rose, Esq., 
Hardwick House, Reading. 
Dr- Woodman Memorial Fund.—Mr. W. Napper, 
Hon. Sec. of this fund informs us that £31 15s. have 
been subscribed towards this fund. The intention 
of the committee is to erect a tombstone in memory 
of the late Dr. Woodman, at a cost of /15, and to 
give the remainder to his widow. It is to be 
regretted that the sum raised is not larger, but any 
who may still intend to subscribe, are not too late to 
benefit Dr. Woodman’s widow. Nevertheless the 
thanks of the committee are due to those who have 
subscribed. 
The Scottish Horticultural Association.—At an 
ordinary meeting of the Scottish Horticultural 
Association held on the 2nd inst., at 5, St. Andrew 
Square, Edinburgh, Mr. Hugh Fraser presiding, 
there was read a paper by Mr. J. Fraser, of The 
Gardening World, London,-on "Cross-breeding 
and the Hybridisation of Violas.” In it he stated 
that the Violas of to-day were the work of some fifty 
years or so of cross-breeding, hybridisation and 
selection. After dealing with difficulties experienced 
in raising good sorts, and relating his own experi¬ 
ence, he said that by guiding and directing Nature 
they could sooner reach any given point along a 
particular line of development than if the flowers 
were left to their own resources. On the table were 
exhibited, by Messrs. James Grieve & Sons, 
Redbraes, Edinburgh, Canna indica, new varieties, 
flowers of seed sown in the middle of March, and a 
new Sweet Pea, Cupid, white, which only grows 6 in. 
high; also, by Mr. MacMillan, Trinity Cottage, a 
collection of Chrysanthemums. 
Tomato Growing—Mr. S. Heaton, horticultural 
instructor to the Isle of Wight County Council, 
delivered a lecture on " The Cultivation of Tomatos," 
at the National Schools, Newport, on the 29th ult. 
There were about 30 students present. Heat, air, 
and moisture in due proportions were the requisites 
in growing Tomatos. If sown in a greenhouse and 
afterwards planted out, ripe fruit %vould be obtained 
in 22 weeks; but they could be had in 18 weeks if 
the plants were accorded a minimum temperature of 
45 0 , allowing this to run up to 8o° by day with sun- 
heat. Unless in very favourable seasons and situa¬ 
tions, ripe fruit could not be obtained by sowing the 
seeds out of doors in this country. Plants 12 in. 
high should be ready for planting out by the end of 
May. For pot culture, the 6oil should be pressed 
very firm or even rammed ; and 10-in. pots were the 
most suitable size. A southern aspect is the best; 
and during the early stages of growth, the plants 
may be freely syringed to promote growth and keep 
down red spider, and green fly. An average crop 
was 61 b. from a plant, and i2lb. a heavy one. After 
the setting of the blooms, a good feeding solution 
consisted of three parts sulphate of ammonia, five 
parts of mineral super-phosphates, three parts of 
kainit, and half a part of carbonate of soda, using an 
ounce in a gallon of water once a week. 
