834 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 25, 1896. 
We are interested in the Guildhall, inas¬ 
much as the Devon and Exeter Gardeners' 
Mutual Improvement Association hold 
their bi-monthly meetings, read and discuss 
papers on horticultural subjects, in the 
Council Chamber of the Guildhall. It is 
with pleasure we note that the association 
have devoted a night of the present session 
to ventilating the benefits and advocating 
the claims of the Gardeners’ Royal Eenevo- 
lent Institution, and that Mr. Harry Veitch, 
of Chelsea, Mr. Geo. J. Ingram, secretary 
of the Institution, and Mr. J. H. Vallance, 
Honorary Secretary and Treasurer of the 
Bath and Bristol Auxiliary, have promised 
to be present. Mr. C. R. Collins, J.P., the 
President of the Gardeners’ Association 
will preside. It is hoped that the Torquay 
Gardeners’ Society will also lend a helping 
hand. It is highly satisfactory to note that 
the gardeners of modern Exeter are fully 
alive to the movements of the times and in 
the van of progress. March qth is the date 
of this important meeting. 
The mildness of the climate of Devon, 
and the rich soil overlying the Old Red 
Sandstone, are favourable to gardening, 
and have been for ages past, so that we are 
not surprised rhat it should have thriven in 
Exeter, and the surrounding neighbourhood, 
which teem with gardeners and gardening 
establishments in all directions. Here is 
situated the Royal Nursery of Messrs. 
Robert Veitch & Son, which we notice on 
another page. The well-known firm of 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, had its 
origin here; and about that time valuable 
ornamental trees and shrubs were intro¬ 
duced from various parts of the world to 
enrich the gardens of Britain. The city of 
Exeter itself, and its parks are well supplied 
with many fine trees. Magnolia grandi- 
flora was cradled here, as were Thuya 
gigantea, Sequoia gigantea, Araucaria 
imbricata, and many others. It is not 
surprising, therefore, that many private 
establishments at the present day should 
owe much of their landscape beauty to the 
fine old trees whose home was originally in 
Exeter. For the compilation of Loudon’s 
works, in so far as they related to trees and 
shrubs, much valuable information was 
obtained from Exeter. The Lucombe Oak 
a semi-evergreen form of the Turkey Oak, 
originated with the old and now defunct 
firm of Messrs. Lucombe, Pince, & Co. 
We have already referred to the splendid 
arboretum at Bicton in a previous issue, 
and need only state that its development 
must have been greatly fostered by its 
proximity to the rich collections at Exeter. 
Tree planting and real English landscape 
gardening were never more popular than in 
those days when Loudon and Don wrote so 
much about trees and horticulture generally. 
Naturally, the results of such activity show 
their effects, even at the present day. Streat- 
ham Hall is notable for its fine Palm house, 
built on much the same lines as that at 
Kew. Rockwork is introduced with fine 
effect in this building, and Palms, Ferns, 
and other subjects introduced amongst the 
large boulders in a very natural way. Down 
the valley of the Exe, but on the west side 
and on rising ground, stands Powderham 
Castle, a picturesque and conspicuous, 
castellated building that may be seen from 
a great distance from certain parts of the 
country. Some grand old Camellias in the 
open air here used to furnish over 500 
blooms about Christmas; and Eucalyptus 
coccifera stands about 70 feet high, and is 
doubtlessly the tallest of its kind in this 
country. 
More inland from the estuary of the Exe, 
and not far from the old-fashioned village 
of Chudleigh, is Whiteway House, the 
residence of the Dowager Countess of 
Morley. This place is notable for its wild 
garden, situated in a goyle, where many 
plants, native and exotic, are cultivated. 
Haldon House, theseat ofT. B. Bolitho, Esq., 
is situated on Haldon Hill. The grounds 
are beautifully wooded and contain some 
fine trees of the Cork and the Turkey Oaks. 
The hill itself is well wooded ; but fine 
views may be obtained from the top as we 
witnessed as long ago as 1884. Exeter, 
with its fine cathedral, seems but a short 
way off. In the intervening space lies the 
antique village of Kennford, and close by it 
is Kenn Church with its curious, square, 
castellated tower. British wild flowers in 
this neighbourhood are highly interesting. 
-- 
Primroses were picked in a field at Abbotskerswell 
on the 8th inst. 
Not a botanical description.—Pat: " Don't you 
know that Blackberries are red when they’re 
green ? ” 
Mr. Janies Kerman, late of the Royal Gardens, 
Kew, has been appointed as gardener to W. Watson, 
Esq., Holme Eden, Carlisle, Cumberland. 
The late Dr. Siemens, by means of electric light of 
5,000 candle-power, ripened Raspberries in 75 days, 
and Grapes in two months and a half. 
Ten millions of vines were planted in 1894 by the 
Government of South Australia. Seventeen 
hundred hogsheads of wine were imported into 
England last year, from that country. 
Cheap Roses in Winter —For weeks past the beau¬ 
tiful salmon and yellow, sweet-scented Tea Rose 
Safrano has been hawked about the streets of 
London by the flower girls at the price of a penny 
for one to four blooms. They seem as fresh and 
sweet as they would be at mid-summer. They come 
from Nice and other parts of the South of France, 
hence their cheapness at this season of the year. 
The Williams Memorial Medals.—At a meeting of the 
Williams Memorial Trustees, held on January 2nd, 
Dr. Masters in the chair, it was decided to offer :— 
Two Memorial Medals at the Grand Jubilee Celebra¬ 
tion of the National Chrysanthemum Society at the 
Royal Aquarium, Westminster: one Memorial 
Medal at the Exhibition of the Cardiff Horticultural 
Society ; two Memorial Medals to the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society to be competed for at the Temple 
Show, and at the grand fruit show to be held at the 
Crystal Palace in the autumn. 
Dr. Morris and the Bahamas.—The visit of Dr. 
D. Morris, C.M.G, the Assistant Director of Kew 
Gardens, to the Bahamas, is to be made an event of 
some importance to the commercial development of 
that Colony. Official recognition has been given to 
his visit, and it is anticipated that much benefit will 
be derived from the advice and information which 
he will impart to the Colonists. During his stay 
Dr. Morris will give a series of public addresses upon 
subjects of great interest to the people of the 
Colony. 
“ American Gardening.”—Our energetic and admir¬ 
able contemporary, American Gardening , has made a 
brave advance in its laudable endeavour to be abreast 
of the times. It is the sole survivor of a number of 
horticultural papers which run back in connected 
series to July, 1S46, when the Horticulturist was 
first launched on the horticultural world under the 
able editorship of A. J. Downing, the father of 
American horticulture and landscape gardening. 
When we first made its acquaintance under the name 
of the American Garden, it was still a monthly 
periodical, but in 1892 its name was changed to that 
which it now bears, and was a made a semi-monthly 
in 1893 by its present owners who, on the 4th inst., 
issued the first weekly number. The new face to it 
we like much better than the old, and its weekly 
appearance in touch with current events, at the 
former price of a dollar a year will be appreciated by 
its old readers and will gain new ones. A free 
specimen copy may be had from the publishers, 
R. O., Box 1C97, New York, by sending a postal 
card. 
The common Clove is the unexpanded flower bud of 
Eugenia caryophyllata. 
The question for discussion at a recent meeting of 
scientists was: "Which travels the fastest—heat or 
cold ? " It was decided in favour of heat, as many 
had often been able to catch cold 
Onion Seed saved in England during the past year 
has a splendid appearance. The hot weather in 
September last enabled the seeds to be harvested 
earlier than is customary in our fickle climate. 
China Asters have turned out uncommonly well. 
The Giant Water Lily sent home to the Queen by 
Messrs. Searl & Sons was frozen in a block of ice 
weighing 6 cwt., and forwarded to London by the 
Orient liner Ophir, which left Sydney on July 15th. 
On arrival of the Ophir in London the block of ice 
containing the bouquet was placed in a cool store 
for presentation to the Queen on her return to 
Windsor, her Majesty being at the time in the 
Highlands. 
Penzance Chrysanthemum Society.- The old notion 
that Chrysanthemum shows cannot be made to pay 
must now be regarded as having exploded. For 
some three years or more, owing to varied circum¬ 
stances, the Penzance Society have not held an ex¬ 
hibition, but with the recommencement last 
November there is every reason to believe there will 
be a long continuance, for not only were the 
exhibits of a first-class description, and the extent of 
public patronage all that could be desired, but the 
actual profits made, after paying all expenses, 
amounted to £100. This result for a small show 
beats the record. The next show is fixed for 
November 3rd and 4th. 
Potatos in the North.—The big crap o' Taties was 
a’ vera weel doon Aiberdeen way last sizzin ; but 
they are fetchin michty fyou baubees for the pooch 
Maincrap is maist in deman’ and brings 32s. to 35s. 
a ton near a toon, but farer awa’ the cairtage hauds 
doon the price. The Bruce was a bigger crap than 
Maincrap, but the price is only 30s , or less if grown 
oot in kintra places. There’s nae deman’ frae 
Ameriky, owin’ nae doot to oor gettin’ in a funk wi 
oor freens and brithers across the water. Judging 
frae my ain domestic experiences at hame, we may 
be the better for the tiff aifter a time. I'm nae 
basin' my argyment on this, but pittin’ this an’ that 
thegither, I maun say we sudna pit a’ cor Taties in 
ae basket. The Bruce is a fine Tatie and turns oot 
a gran’ crap, but seeing it winnae hae ony truck wi' 
the disease, we canna eat or sell the produce. It’s 
michty consolin', hooever, that we’ll hae plenty 
o' seed in spring, and mair than ever will be plantit, 
I sud advise abody onyway to gang in for mair 
variety, for cheenges are lichtsome, and a cheeDge in 
the name maks a wunnerfu’ difference to the sellin' as 
weel as the eatin' o’ them, I fancy.— Geordic Tam. 
Royal Horticultural Society.—The " Report of the 
Council ” for the year 1895-6, the " Arrangements " 
for 1896, and " Rules for Judging and Suggestions to 
Schedule-makers, Judges, and Exhibitors," are now 
before all the fellows of the society. The last-named 
pamphlet we intend to notice more fully in a later 
issue. For the benefit of our readers we cull a few 
notes from the “ Report." The new superintendent, 
Mr. S. T. Wright, is to have a free hand at Chiswick, 
for the first year, subject to the control of the Council 
alone. During the past year the Floral Committee 
awarded 22 First-class Certificates against 71 in 
1894; 174 Awards of Merit against 225; and no 
Botanical Certificates against 3. The Orchid Com¬ 
mittee granted 48 First-class Certificates against 68 
last year ; 98 Awards of Merit against 234 ; and 72 
Botanical Certificates against 21. The Fruit and 
Vegetable Committee gave 8 First-class Certificates 
against 15 ; and 44 Awards of Merit against 12 last 
year. All this implies a more rigid censorship, and 
the awards should gain in value accordingly. 
Individual research in obtaining new plants by 
importation, hybridisation, or otherwise is to be 
encouraged by ottering the society's medals as 
prizes. An examination in the principles and 
practice of horticulture was held under the auspices 
of the society on May 1st last, and we are pleased to 
note the encouragement given to the cause of educa¬ 
tion by the proposal to hold a similar examination 
on May 6th next. 
