August 8, 1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
781 
An Extensive Orchard—The largest orchard in 
Great Britain is that of Lord Sudley at Toddington, 
Gloucestershire. It extends to 500 acres, consists 
chiefly of Apples and Plums, and in some years 
yields its owner a profit of £10,000. 
Leeches are very sensitive to coming changes in 
the weather. When kept in bottles they will stick 
closely to the bottom if the weather be quiet, 
but if tempestuous weather is imminent they rise to 
the top, often as much as twenty-four hours before 
the change takes place. 
The Crimson Rambler Rose lasts well for decorative 
purposes when the flowers are fully developed. The 
variety is becoming very serviceable for forcing 
purposes; but to succeed with it, the shoots of the 
previous year must have been well matured, other¬ 
wise they fail to bloom satisfactorily. 
Remedy for Onion Fly.—The Glasgow Herald says 
that a thorough remedy for the maggot which infests 
Onions and Leeks is to add a gallon of paraffin oil to 
three gallons of water, and on the third day to add 
two gills of whisky and one pound of carbonate of 
soda. Stir the whole together and water the Onions 
and Leeks with the mixture when the plants are 2 in. 
long, and again once or twice during the season. 
This remedy is stated to be very effective. 
Little & Ballantyne’8 Bulbs.—The bulb season is 
now upon us and the early catalogues are now 
making their appearsnce. As years roll on, the 
catalogues for this particular class of plants not only 
get more numerous, but they endeavour to surpass 
previous issues by giving more numerous pictorial 
illustrations which appeal to the eye and act as 
graphic and instantaneous descriptions to those who 
may be totally unacquainted with the plants offered 
under name. Messrs. Little & Ballantyne, Carlisle, 
have already issued their annual " Bulb Catalogue ’’ 
giving woodcut illustrations of a large number of 
popular bulbs grown or forced under glass during 
winter or planted in the open air for spring flowering. 
Hyacinths, Tulips, Daffodils, Snowdrops, Freesias, 
Iris Kaempferi, Liliums and Gladioli are a few of 
the subjects illustrated. 
Mushroom-growing Experiment.—An experiment to 
introduce into Germany the growing of Mushrooms 
has been made in Wiesbaden, after the method of the 
Paris catacombs. A large cellar under storage 
rooms was fitted out for the purpose. The cellar is 
500 square metres, and contains three times 400 
square metres of surface for beds, as three wooden 
frames with bed surface have been placed one over 
the other. The temperature is kept as uniformly 
as possible at + 15 deg. Reaumur (or 66 deg. Fahr.) 
during summer and winter. The process of growing 
is as follows: The prepared horse manure, which 
has to ferment, is packed into the beds on wood 
frames in the cellar, then the Mushroom spawn is 
embedded into the horse manure, and it is left un¬ 
touched for three weeks, until the mycelium appears 
to view. Then a layer of earth is placed over it, 
and the entire mass is kept damp by watering ; and 
after a fortnight the picking can begin. Through a 
varying course of procedure the daily picking 
amounts to about 25 lbs .—Journal of Greengrocery. 
British Fern Society.—The fifth annual exhibition 
of the Leek and Moorlands British Fern Society was 
held in the Britannia Street Schoolroom the other 
week. The proceeds of the show were handed over 
to the funds of the Leek Cottage Hospital. The 
leading attractions were the window boxes and 
stands which were filled with a choice selection of 
Ferns. There were 123 exhibits, as against ninety- 
three last year. The Royal Fern, of which there 
were seven entries, was a conspicuous feature of the 
show. A well arranged group of plants came from 
Highfield. Mr. R. Hill was awarded a Silver Cup 
(value £2 2s.) for having gained the largest number 
of points in the show. Mr. R. Rowley also gained a 
Silver Medal for the second highest number of 
points. Mr. C. Fernybough gained the Royal 
Horticultural Society ’s Bronze Banksian Medal, for 
the third number of points. Prizes were offered for 
the best six species of British Ferns, also for 
Lastreas, Athyriums, Scolopendriums, Osmundas, 
Aspleniums, Blechnun, Oak and Beech Ferns, 
Polystichum, Polypodium, Rue, Ceterach, Tricho- 
manes, and other British species and varieties 
The Lily was the flower of the Bourbons; and 
the Violet became the flower of the Bonapartes 
during the first Empire of France. TheBoulangists 
in their day used the red Pink. 
The Indian Woodpecker.—At the Linnean Society's 
meeting on May 7th, Dr. J. E. Aitcheson, C.I E., 
exhibited some specimens of an Indian Woodpecker, 
Dendrocopus himalayensis, obtained on the Murree 
Hills at an elevation of 7,000 ft., for the purpose of 
calling attention to an unrecorded habit of this bird 
of fixing Walnuts in the bark of trees in order to 
extract the kernels. Dr. P. L. Sclater and Mr. J. E. 
Harting made some additional remarks on a similar 
habit of storing Acorns recorded of a Californian 
Woodpecker, Melanerpes formicivorus, Bonap. 
(Picus providus, Jardine). So far as had been 
ascertained, no such habit had been observed, or at 
least recorded, in the case of the European Pied 
Woodpecker, Dendrocopus major, which is closely 
allied to the Indian species. 
A lost Orchid.—The representative of the Daily 
Mail has been interviewing the Orchid King, as Mr. 
Sander, of the firm of Messrs. F. Sander & Co., is 
called. A reward of £1,000 is offered for a growing 
plant of Cypripedium fairieanum, the lost Orchid. 
The prize is beiog offered in Calcutta. He says that 
for nearly forty years this pretty lady’s slipper has 
eluded the search of the Argus-eyed collectors. 
Thousands of pounds have been spent by Messrs. 
Sander in the vain hope of discovering the species. 
Many a collector has returned home empty-handed 
after braving the dangers of swamps and malarial 
jungles. Fostermao, one of the collectors was kept 
a prisoner for several months by a wandering tribe 
of Indians, and had to fight for them in their battles. 
Reading and District Gardeners’ Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Association.—The monthly meeting of the 
above association was held on the 27th ult. in the club 
room, at the British Workman, and was well 
attended. The subjects for the evening were 
“ Carnations ” and “ Fruits in season.” The former 
subject was introduced by Mr. E. Dearlove, The 
Gardens, Brookfields, Burghfield, and the latter by 
Mr. T. Neve, the chairman of the association. The 
meeting although taking more of a conversational 
turn than usual was exceedingly interesting, the 
following members joining in the discussion :— 
Messrs. Martin, Dockerill, Burton, Woolford, Gear, 
Turton, etc. The exhibits were very numerous, 
Carnations predominating; beautiful collections 
came from Messrs. Dearlove, Turton, Neve, and 
Goddard, whilst other flowers were staged by 
Messrs. Chamberlain, Dore, and Bailey, and a 
splendidly coloured brace of Sutton’s “ Hero of 
Lockinge ” Melon from Mr. Pigg. After the meeting 
the flowers were sent to the Royal Berkshire 
Hospital for the use of the patients and were greatly 
appreciated. 
Sad death of a gardener.—A remarkable and sad 
accident occurred in Mr. Ayre's field at Potter's Bar, 
Herts, on Thursday the 30th ult., whereby Mr. 
Alfred Bennett, a gardener in the employment of 
Mr. Willows of Little Heath, lost his life, and Mr 
John Willmott, a villager of Potter's Bar, was greatly 
injured. There was to be a cricket match in the after¬ 
noon and the above two were in the meantime prac¬ 
tising. The deceased was bowling and Mr. Willmott 
was fielding. The batsman during the course of 
playing "skied” a ball and Mr. Bennett and Mr. 
Willmott were both running hard to catch it, and 
came into violent collision, whereby both were rolled 
upon the ground. Just then the Enfield Police team 
arrived upon the scene, and some of the officers who 
had the benefit of St. John’s Ambulance lectures lent 
ready assistance till a doctor was summoned. The 
latter pronounced life extinct in the case of Mr. 
Bennett, and said that Mr. Willmott was in a pre¬ 
carious condition ; later in the evening he found him 
somewhat better. The deceased was thirty-two 
years of age, and lived at Frampton Road, Little 
Heath, with his wife, who is expecting to be confined 
shortly. He was assistant gardener to Cap. 
le Blanc, Northaw House, Potter's Bar, for 
nine years and left to better himself by going to 
Mr. Willows, between three and four years ago. He 
bad previously been in Mr. Veitch's nursery at 
Chelsea. He was sober, steady, genial and much 
liked by his employer and the villagers. The cricket 
match was abandoned, and the sad termination of 
what was looked forward to as a pleasant afternoon, 
threw the whole village into mourning. 
He Beats the Farmer.—The dentist makes more out 
of “ achers ” than any farmer in England. 
The Opium Poppy was introduced to China in the 
eighth century by Arab traders ; and its cultivation 
was commenced soon after. It found a place in the 
"Imperial Pharmacopaeia ” 01973 a.d. 
The Wonersh and Blackheath Cottage Gardeners’ 
Show was held in the grounds of Wonersh Park on 
the 22nd ult., by the kind permission of Mrs. Sud¬ 
bury. Potatoes were very creditable, and the table 
decorations the best that have ever been seen at the 
show. The number of visitors and the financial suc¬ 
cess of the show created quite a record. 
National Flowers.—The Rose is the national flower 
of England ; The Thistle of Scotland ; the Shamrock 
of Ireland ; the Leek of Wales; the Fleur-de-Lis of 
France ; the Bluet or Cornflower of Germany ; the 
Linden of Prussia; Mignonette of Saxony; the 
Pomegranate of Spain ; the Lily of Italy ; the Lotus 
of Egypt; the Violet of Greece; and the Sugar 
Maple of Canada. 
--*-»- 
THE ONION FLY. 
Anthomyia ceparum, on some light soils, is one of 
the most formidable enemies the kitchen gardener 
has to battle with. We know a locality in which the 
cottagers declare it a sheer impossibility to raise a 
crop of spring Onions, owing to the maggot of this 
fly. In our own practice, a good dressing of soot 
sown broadcast over the beds, after sowing has 
generally answered very well; whereas a hundred 
yards from gardens where spring-sown Onions were 
a constant failure, deep planting, and earthing up 
have much to be said in their favour. We have 
recently come across an instance where spent hops 
have for several years been used with the most 
advantageous results, in a garden, where, for a num¬ 
ber of years no one could secure a crop of Onions. 
The hops are dug into the ground just as farm-yard 
manure would be, a liberal dressing being given. 
Since their use, most excellent crops of fine Onions 
have been obtained. The fly evidently abhors the 
hops, and the Onions luxuriate in them. We may 
add that spent hops form one of the very best 
materials for mulching garden crops; and when 
used to mulch over the hillocks of soil in a Cucumber 
house, their beneficial results on the health of the 
plants is most marked, especially during a season of 
bright sunny weather. — W. B. G. 
-- 
THE ASH (FRAXINUS EXCELSIOR). 
When viewed in a purely economic sense the Ash 
must, next to the Oak, be considered as our most 
valuable forest tree. The massive, deeply fluted, or 
cylindrical trunk, the weighty swelling branches, and 
the usually pendant masses of the freshest pea-green 
foliage, all combine to render this tree one of the 
most majestic for ornamental planting, but particu¬ 
larly so when associated with others that are of a 
darker shade of green. The Ash is indigenous to 
Europe, Northern Africa, and North America, while 
throughout the British Isles it is widely dispersed. 
It thrives tolerably well in most soils and at most 
situations, but the finest timber is produced in fairly 
sheltered sites, and where the soil is rich and open 
or freely interspersed with loose rock or stones. The 
favourite haunts of the Ash are, however, the gently 
sloping banks of a glen or valley, and where the 
roots can find ready access to a stream of water. In 
such situations the tree will attain to a large size, 
often from 80 ft to 100 ft. in„ height, and with a 
massive stem of 8 ft. or 10 ft. in diameter. In order 
to produce clean, springy timber, such as is in 
request for the making ^f tool handles and agri¬ 
cultural implements, the Ash should be planted 
thickly together in order to induce straight stems 
that are for the greater part destitute of branches. 
For black, peaty soils or that of a dampish, loamy 
character the sapling Ash is peculiarly suited, and 
where, after being cut over, it will reproduce itself 
freely. At from thirty to forty years' growth the 
Ash is most valuable for handle wood and for agri¬ 
cultural implements. 
The timber is hard, heavy, and flexible, and 
though rapidly grown it is tough and elastic above 
that of any other tree grown in this country, hence 
its universal employment for machinery and other 
special purposes where great strength, combined 
with yielding powers, are points of first consideration. 
Few timbers become useful at such an early age-as 
