THE GARDENING WORLD 
749 
July 25, 1896. 
Bad for Vegetarians.—At the present time Potatos 
cost 6d. ilb. in Johannesburg, whilst a decent 
Cabbage can be obtained for something between is. 
and is. 6d. 
Rice paper, with which most smokers are 
acquainted in the form of cigarette papers, has no 
connection with Rice at all but is obtained from the 
Bread fruit tree. 
Late Roses.—If the present droughty weather 
continues, late Roses will be small and faulty. In 
such counties as Kent and Sussex droughty seasons 
are very trying. They, however, cultivate very 
deeply, and cut some of their bushes hard back, at 
a late period of the year for this operation, in order 
to secure a supply of late blossoms. The hybrid 
Teas are stated to be coming to the front on account 
of their large size, fine form, glossy leaves and the 
facility with which they may be grown. 
The reported Potato disease in Ireland.—A corres¬ 
pondent who recently wrote to the Chief Secretary 
for Ireland, calling that gentleman's attention to the 
reported severe outbreak of the Potato disease in 
Ireland, and saying that the Government had been 
petitioned for a money grant for the sufferers, has 
been officially assured that news of no such out¬ 
break has been received, but that reports generally 
are most favourable. 
New Brighton Rose Show—A number of leading 
Rosariansputin an appearance at this Rose show on 
July nth. Messrs. Alexander Dickson & Sons, New- 
townards, were again successful in wresting the first 
prizes for forty-eight and twenty-four blooms,distinct, 
from all competitors. The firm in question has had a 
most successful season, having obtained over twenty 
first prizes for Roses in different parts of the United 
Kingdom in the first eleven days of July. 
The West of England Chrysanthemum Society 
held its annual outing on Wednesday, July 8th. 
An excursion from Plymouth to Exeter was organised. 
A visit was paid to Streatham Hall the charming 
residence of Mrs. Thornton West, the party being 
conducted through the gardens and grounds by the 
gardener, Mr. F. Franklyn. Subsequently the party 
proceeded to Bystock, the seat of J. B. Bryce, Esq. 
High Sheriff of Devon Mr. Levan, the gardener at 
Bystock, acted as guide and a pleasant time was 
spent by all concerned. 
Highgate Horticultural Society.—The thirty-seventh 
annual exhibition of garden produce was held on 
Thursday, July gth in the grounds of the Priory, 
Highgate, the property of Lady O'Hagan. In view 
of the fact that over £170 was offered in prizes, the 
lists of exhibits was a long one, upwards of 500 being 
accommodated in the two large roomy tents. 
Messrs. William Cutbush & Son, the Highgate 
Nurseries, staged a fine group of plants at the 
entrance to the larger marquee. It comprised large 
specimen ferns, palms, and some well flowered 
Liliums and Carnations. Messrs. B. S. Williams & 
Son, Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, also contri¬ 
buted a group in which Anthuriums and Crotons 
figured conspicuously. Naturally a great deal of the 
interest attaching to the competitive entries was 
centred around the groups of plants arranged for 
effect, and occupying fifty-four and sixty square feet 
in area. Mr. H. Eason, gardener to Mr. B. Noakes, 
North Hill, Highgate, came out with flying colours 
in the first-named class. This group was very tastefully 
arranged, and included Tuberoses, Liliums, Carna¬ 
tions, and many fine foliage plants in excellent con¬ 
dition. In the second class the chief honours 
lay with Mr. J. Brooks, gardener to Mr. Walter 
Reynolds, J.P., who thus repeated his success of last 
year. Roses showed a great falling off as compared 
with previous years, although Mr. Cope, gardener to 
the Rev. Edgar Smith, All Saints Vicarage, High¬ 
gate, staged some creditable samples, and carried off 
the first award in the most important class. The 
cottagers of the district made an excellent display 
with fruit and vegetables. Several gardens were 
also entered in competition for the prize offered by 
the Baroness Burdett-Coutts. The report of the judges 
deputed to examine the gardens last year was to the 
effect that they were in a most satisfactory condition. 
This year a still further improvement has been mani¬ 
fested, and it is evident that the prize offered by the 
distinguished patroness is developing a healthful 
spirit of emulation among the cottagers as to the 
management of their gardens. 
California fruit prospects are better than ever they 
have yet been, says American Gardening. Peaches 
and Almonds promise a large crop. Since a spray 
of salt, sulphur and lime have been used on Peach 
trees, curl leaf has practically disappeared. The 
compound should consist of 401b. sulphur, 30 lb. lime 
and 15 lb. of salt. The sulphur should be dissolved by 
raising it nearly to boiling point ; the lime should be 
mixed in and the salt added. 
Roman Hyacinths on the Continent were being 
lifted at the end of last month, and the evidence 
tends to show that the bulbs will be smaller than 
usual, owing to the premature ripening of the foliage 
and the fact that large breadths of undersized bulbs 
were planted in order to meet the great demand. 
The properly irrigated land could not accommodate 
the plantations, so that the ordinary fields called into 
requisition had an insufficient supply of water. 
Roman Hyacinths do not succeed in the South of 
Italy. 
Plunging of pot plants in summer.—Owing to the 
great heat and long continued drought gardeners are 
having much hard work to perform in keeping pot 
plants in the open air supplied with a sufficiency of 
water. The labour would be greatly minimised by 
plunging the pots up to the rim in coal ashes, cocoa- 
nut fibre or tanner's bark or something of that nature. 
Plants in pots exposed to the burning sun require 
six or eight times as much water as those that are 
plunged. A careless workman could soon over-water 
plunged plants ; but there is no necessity for un¬ 
thinkingly drowning his plants in this way. When 
the nights get longer and rain more prevalent then 
the pots may be lifted out of the plunging material if 
that is considered necessary. 
The cultivation of Rhea fibre.—An interesting 
memorandum on this subject has been prepared for 
the Indian Government by Mr. Ribbentrop, 
inspector-general of forests. Much valuable informa¬ 
tion is given as to the nature of the plant which is 
now of such vast commercial importance, and it is 
suggested that the government should afford special 
facilities to intending cultivators in the way of grants 
of lands, etc. An English company which holds the 
patent for the extraction of the fibre announces that 
they are prepared to take 10,000 tons of the raw 
material, annually, and at a price of £10 per ton. 
Under these circumstances it is anticipated that the 
industry will soon outrival the jute trade, which at 
present affords employment to great numbers of 
agriculturists in Bengal. 
Experiments in fumigating with the "XL. All 
Vaporiser” have proved very satisfactory in 
America. Mr. Morris, the gardener at the Hicks- 
Arnold Conservatory, Eighty-fourth Street, New 
York, tried the liquid in quantities, according to the 
directions given, but the result was unsatisfactory. 
He then doubled the quantities with excellent 
results. Not a fly is to be seen in the Orchid house. 
In another case a wine-glassful of the liquid was 
vaporised in a house of 1,500 cubic feet of space 
inside. Green fly, and mealy bug were destroyed 
except where the latter were protected by a sheath 
or the moss in the pots. Mr. Arnold has been trying 
experiments with the vaporiser at his country seat, 
and finds that black and green fly, mealy bug, and 
other insects of that ilk are destroyed with the 
fumes, while the flowers of Orchids suffer not the 
slightest injury though some of them were stood 
close to the vaporiser in order to determine what 
effect it would have upon them at close quarters. 
Brighton and Sussex Horticultural Society.—At the 
monthly meeting of this society on the 16th, a paper 
on " Filmy Ferns" was read by Mr. J. Lewis, who 
said that they were far less cultivated than they 
deserved, whether for their beauty or the ease with 
which they could be grown. Three species are 
natives of the British Islands, but nearly 200 species 
come from other parts of the world. They might be 
divided into two sections for garden purposes, 
namely, those requiring a temperature of 45 0 to 65° 
and those requiring 6o° to 8o° of heat. Our native 
Filmies would stand several degrees of heat provided 
they were plentifully supplied with moisture. No 
artificial heat would be required provided they are 
kept in a house sunk in the ground, and surrounded 
by shrubs; and they would flourish in large towns 
with the aid of moisture and a suitable temperature. 
Tropical varieties also required shade and moisture ; 
but they should not be syringed overhead, the 
atmospheric moisture being sufficient for the foliage. 
CARNATIONS AT EDENSIDE. 
Even amidst the smoke and dirt of the crowded city 
the Carnation may be seen to great advantage, 
but in the pure air and sweet serenity of the country 
its manifold charms are displayed with infinitely 
greater freedom, and we are fain to pay our tribute 
of praise to one of the fairest of the fair daughters of 
Flora. The name of Edenside is suggestive enough, 
but surely the primal Eden itself never contained a 
greater wealth of beauty than the nurseries upon 
which Mr.JamesDouglas has bestowed the soubriquet 
of Edenside. The nurseries are situated in one of 
the loveliest parts of rural Surrey, and within five 
minutes walk of the London and South Western 
Railway station of Bookham which is easily reached 
from the Waterloo terminus. Mr. Douglas has for 
long been one of the foremost exponents of the 
different branches of florticulture, and since he has 
brought the weight of his knowledge and experience 
to bear upon the cultivation and improvement of the 
Carnation and Picotee he has achieved some notable 
successes, for many of our new varieties have first 
seen the light under the influence of his care and skill. 
At the time of writing there are at Edenside three 
roomy span-roofed houses, each 100 ft. in length, 
full of specimens that could not fail to delight any 
florist and to claim his interested attention. The 
plants are mostly grown in 8 in. pots, and the strength 
and quality of the “grass” bespeaks constitutional 
vigour of no mean order, whilst their floriferousness 
is a sight to wonder at and admire. No disbudding 
is practiced, for the primary object in view is the 
production of seed, and it is found that the smaller 
side blooms produce more and better seed than the 
large terminal ones. Hence all the buds are allowed 
to remain and open as they list. Still with an eye 
to the development of the seed pods the plants are 
not shaded, and yet, even with the tropical sun of 
July, such is the strength of the calyxes, that 
very little of the objectionable pod bursting is to be 
seen. All growers are aware what a detrimental 
influence bright sun has upon newly-opened flowers, 
and how the pods split wholesale through being so 
rapidly forced on,, and the fact that the Edenside 
blooms resist this trying circumstance so well is a 
great point in their favour. Not only does Mr. 
Douglas grow a large quantity of varieties raised by 
himself, but his collection includes the best con¬ 
tributions of other florists. The Edenside collection 
is, therefore, a most comprehensive one, although its 
strongest point is possibly the yellow ground section 
which has up to comparatively recent years been 
somewhat behind the others. Thanks in a great 
measure to Mr. Douglas this weakness is now a thing 
of the past. 
Amongst self-coloured varieties which are for the 
first time offered to the public, there are some 
charming things. Her Grace is a delicate blush, 
changing when fully expanded, to pure white, with 
large and perfectly formed flowers. Nabob exhibits 
a peculiar orange buff hue, very distinct from the so- 
called apricot tints. Both there varieties were 
awarded First-class Certificates by the Royal 
Horticultural Society in June last. Seagull, a 
charming blush-tinted variety of perfect form was 
shown once last year, and then received an Award 
of Merit at the hands ef the National Carnation and 
Picotee Society. It is well worthy a place in any 
collection. Sir John Falstaff is one of the very 
largest border Carnations yet sent out. The blooms 
are light crimson in hue, and the petals of astonish¬ 
ing size and substance. Sweet Briar is excep¬ 
tionally free-flowering, and the blooms a bright 
glowing scarlet. Winifred, which throws flowers of 
a rich apricot shade, is a decided acquisition, and 
will doubtless be received v^ith a deal of favour. All 
the foregoing are seedlings raised by Martin R 
Smith, Esq. Mrs. James Douglas is the name 
bestowed upon an exceptionally free new scarlet 
self of grand form. Garville Gem, which exhibits a 
distinct shade of light heliotrope, is a distinct 
advance upon Theodore, being of much superior 
habit, and throwing larger flowers. Mrs. Patrick 
Campbell, a grand yellow, is much after the same 
style as Carunna, which it closely resembles. Mogul 
is a grand yellow ground variety heavily marked 
deep red. 
Other standard self varieties which we noted as 
being very conspicuous are Mrs. Eric Hambro, one 
of the best whites ever sent out; Lady Ridley, 
creamy white; Waterwitch, blush white, with 
prettily fimbriated petals; Miss Ellen Terry, white; 
