340 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 1, 1890. 
as a rimy frost disappeared, and here might 
be found a form of disease.” How this sort 
of blackness has been found equally after 
falls of snow, rime frosts and den§e fogs, for 
years past, when there have been no epidemics, 
but still only within a certain radius of smoky 
towns, and is but our dirty but still harmless 
old friend, Soot, pretty well washed out. Can 
it be possible that a so-called scientific teacher 
does not know this 1 Why, the very fact of 
the influenza having been as rife relatively 
beyond the range of town fogs as within 
them ought to have suggested it to him. 
Professor Symes Thompson also related to 
his hearers that a farmer had told him 
“his Cabbages and Cauliflowers had for 
some reason been in a poor, flabby condition,” 
and further stated that “in London conserva¬ 
tories plants had been in a peculiarly un¬ 
healthy condition.” Of course they have, 
but every gardener knows the cause, and it 
is not influenza. All plants within the fog 
radius have suffered from the absence of 
sun-light for so long a period, that when 
the sun does shine out warmly, most of 
them flag, and in that condition certainly 
do look peculiarly unhealthy. As to the 
farmer’s Cabbages—well, it is possible they 
were suffering from “ club.” In any case, 
we have no general evidence that Cabbages 
elsewhere have been under the influence of 
the influenza. This twaddle is too absurd, 
and simply evokes laughter. Happily we 
have some professors who would not trot 
out such broken-winded notions as these. 
‘TIIewly Planted Trees. —It is well for our 
"*x newly planted trees, and indeed for most 
ordinary trees, that they are at this wild and 
inclement season of the year leafless. As God 
is said to temper the wind to the shorn lamb, 
so also do the trees seem to be prepared for 
the wild hurricanes of winter by being stripped 
of their foliage in the course of nature ere 
■winters begin. But for that the mischief done 
amongst trees, when the. wind careers madly 
and furiously over the face of the earth, as it 
has done’of late, is comparatively slight. As 
it is, many newly planted trees must have 
been sadly disturbed at the roots, if nothing- 
worse has befallen them, because of the terrible 
force of the wind, unless well protected. We 
fear that not all planters think at the right 
time of the need there is for some support 
being given to trees when planted, or immedi¬ 
ately after. 
It is a pitiful spectacle indeed to find 
a fine breadth of young, valuable, newly 
planted forest trees twisted and turned out of 
all form and regularity, because the simple 
precaution of staking them at the right time 
has been omitted, and the hurricane has come, 
and like a destroying angel, worked incredible 
mischief, simply because the saving grace of a 
stout stake to each tree was lacking. Whilst the 
stake should be stout, and calculated to endure 
some two years at least, and should also be 
securely fixed in the' soil, it is not at all 
needful that the stems of the trees should be 
too firmly secured by ties to the stakes. A 
somewhat soft flexible tie is best, as it gives 
the young trees some play and leave of motion 
to the head, and yet keeps it free from harm. 
Perhaps the wisest course is to fix the stake 
firmly in the ground before the tree is planted, 
so that no harm happens to the roots. Still, 
with neatly-pointed round stakes little harm 
need be done, if only ordinary care be taken in 
fixing them in the soil. 
pfHE Council of the R. H. S.—We are in 
^ grave doubt whether any general interest 
attaches to the announcement we made last 
week as to the change to be made, on 
February 11th, in a portion of the Council 
of the Royal Horticultural Society. When 
out of the large number of Fellows of the 
society not one outside the Council puts 
forward a single person for election as a 
member of that body, it is evident that 
either the annual election excites no interest, 
or that there is entire satisfaction with the 
Council and its nominations. With the 
exception of Mr. Sherwood, who is without 
exception one of the best known and most 
highly esteemed members of the seed trade, 
and a very fitting representative of that 
section of horticulture on the Council, we 
doubt if any of our readers know anything 
of the horticultural record or qualifications 
of the other two intended new members. 
Against these we have to set the undoubted 
loss to the Council of so distinguished an 
amateur horticulturist and scientist as Mr. 
Smee, and of so worthy a representative of 
his class as Mr. Coleman. The retirement of 
Mr. Coleman is greatly to be regretted, and 
all the more so as no other gardener is 
nominated to take his place. With respect 
to Mr. Bourne, the Duke of Bedford’s agent, 
it was notorious that he was put on the 
Council to represent the market-garden interest, 
but as we believe he has attended but few, 
if any, of the Council meetings, and the 
market gardeners have not rallied round the 
society in such numbers as were anticipated, 
the expectation of support from that quarter 
has been disappointing, and no more will be 
heard of alliances with Covent Garden. 
-- 
The Reading Horticultural Society’s Shows are 
announced to be held on June 4th and August 27th. 
Gardening Engagements.—Mr. J. Pindcr Bower, as 
gardener to J. D. Bland, Esq., Kippax Park, Castle- 
ford, Yorkshire. Mr. J. Leicester, late foreman at 
Hillborough Castle Gardens, co. Down, as garlener to 
Lord Farnham, Farnham Plouse, co. Cavan, Ireland. 
The Veitcli Memorial Fund.—At a meeting of the 
trustees of this fund, held on the 23rd inst., present 
Dr. Hogg (in the chair), and Messrs. T. B. Haywood, 
G. F. Wilson, and H. J. Veitch, it was decided to 
give four prizes, consisting of four bronze medals and 
£5 each, at the Chrysanthemum Centenary, which 
opens on November 11th ; and also a special silver 
medal each to Mr. Bruce Findlay, of Manchester, and 
Mr. David Thomson, of Drumlanrig, in recognition of 
their valuable services to British horticulture. 
Preston and Fulwood Horticultural Society.—At 
the twenty-eighth monthly meeting to be held in the 
Large Room of the Castle Hotel, Market Place, Preston, 
this (Saturday) evening, Mr. William Bardney, of 
Norris Green, near Liverpool, will read a paper entitled 
“Notes on Fruit Culture : Extension v. Restriction.” 
Gladiolus, Snow-White.—A subscriber, writing from 
Halifax, Canada, with reference to this new variety, 
which is being sold in Europe this season for the first 
time, as mentioned by “ Rusdeus” at p, 268, siys :— 
“It should be stated that this variety is of French 
origin, and that the stock of it changed hands once or 
more before it became the property of the present 
distributors.” 
Reinwardtia tetragyna.—The leaves of this species 
are elliptic, serrulate, of a deeper green, and much 
larger than those of the well-known R. trigyna, 
generally spoken of by gardeners under the Dame of 
Linum trigynum. Both species differ from a true 
Linum in having large serrulated leaves, whereas 
those of the latter are always narrow and entire. 
The flowers of R. tetragyna are larger and paler 
yellow than those of R. trigyna, and the plant is of 
somewhat different habit, so that both might he 
grown for winter-flowering purposes. - 
Irish Apple—Gibbon’s Russet.—There has been 
so much written lately in the horticultural press 
on the merits or demerits of numerous well-known 
Apples, that I venture a word in praise of this little 
known sort. Hitherto it has been localised in the 
south of Ireland, and it is quite possible that neither 
scions nor trees have yet reached England. I may be 
wrong. Can you, Mr. Editor, or any of your readers 
give me the information ? — CorJconian. 
Correa Harris!.—The Correas, although members 
of the Rue family, bear a close resemblance to 
some of the members of the Ericaceae, owing to 
the way in which the petals cohere by their 
edges, a circumstance due to the dense felt of 
hairs on the back of each. The corolla then, instead 
of four free petals, appears to consist of one tubular 
piece. It is scarlet or red, and suspended singly from 
the axils of the leaves. The latter are cordate or 
ovate, and more or less felted on the under-surface with 
stellate hairs, as in other kinds. The plant is a 
garden hybrid much after the style of C. cardinalis, 
which was one of the parents. 
Jasminum gracHlimum.—The facility with which 
this stove plant can be grown,and the quantity of 
flowers it produces during the winter months, should 
be a sufficient guarantee to insure to it an extended 
cultivation ; yet it seems to be grown but sparingly, 
and not in quantity for cut flowers as it might be. 
Although not a climber in the same sense as J. 
officinale or J. revolutum, yet large plants may be 
grown in a somewhat similar way, training them to 
wires or up the rafters of the house. Dwarf spreading 
bushes may also be grown and flowered in pots if 
allowed a little room to spread, because on these lateral 
shoots long sprays of bloom may be expected. The 
flowers, produced in dense axillary and terminal clusters, 
are white and sweetly fragrant. The corolla is cut up 
into seven to ten segments, a much larger number than 
prevails in most of the hardy species. J. gracillimum 
is a native of Northern Borneo, and was introduced 
about nine years ago. 
Hardy Fruit Culture in Scotland.—The first meet¬ 
ing of the third session of the literary branch of the 
Royal Horticultural Society of Perthshire was held in 
the hall of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science, 
Perth, on January 24th, and was well attended. Mr. 
A. M’Kinnon, Scone Palace Gardens, who occupied the 
chair, read a paper on “Fruit Farming for Profit.” 
Mr. M’Kinnon examined the subject in its many and 
varied bearings, and came to the conclusion that soft 
fruits, hardly affected by foreign competition—viz., 
Strawberries, Raspberries, Currants, Gooseberries and 
Plums—could, to a moderate extent and under favour¬ 
able circumstances, be grown profitably ; but to lay 
out Apple and Pear-tree orchards would prove most 
precarious and unprofitable. An animated and inter¬ 
esting discussion followed the reading of the paper. 
While all admitted the ability with which Mr. 
M’Kinnon had treated the subject, some of the members 
in favour of “fruit orchards” pointed out that home 
Apples for cooking and preserving purposes fetched 
higher prices than the foreign Apples. A hearty vote 
of thanks was accorded to Mr. M’Kinnon for his valu¬ 
able paper. Mr. William Sharp, of Freeland Gardens, 
exhibited a splendid bunch of Grapes of the variety 
Trebbiano. The next paper was announced on the 
“Rose,” by Mr. Simpson, of Messrs. Croll, Dundee, 
on the 5 th February. 
(Echmea glomerata.—The length of time during 
which the inflorescence of this species remains in 
presentable condition is one of its great recommendations. 
The petals themselves are blue, and comparatively of 
little consequence, owing to the small amount that is 
protruded from amongst the bracts ; but the latter are 
deep red or scarlet, and of the greatest importance 
owing to their number and persistency. The flower 
stem rises to the height of 3 ft. to 3^ ft., and 
bears short lateral branches which are broadly 
conical in outline, and densely clothed with bracts so 
firmly crowded together that the flowers are just able to 
push from amongst them. The leaves are ligulate, 
rather distantly spiny at the margin, deep green, and 
from 18 ins. to 2 ft. in length. A flowering plant 
is well adapted for large stoves and warm conservatories, 
because it occupies a considerable amount of space, but 
there it will present a striking and distinct appearance 
amongst more familiar plants. Propagation is effected 
by suckers, which are thrown off from the base of the 
plant, although not in large numbers. 
A Substitute for Oak Bark in Tanning.—Mr. 
Merry, an American official, who was lately in Australia 
on special service for the State Department at Wash¬ 
ington, in a recent report, describes “a vegetable 
product which will become a ready and perfect sub¬ 
stitute for the rapidly vanishing Oak of our owu 
country.” This is the Australian Wattle, which 
belongs to the widespread family of Acacias, and which 
is cultivated extensively in New South Wales and 
Victoria, where it lends a charm to the scenery both 
by its fragrant blossoms and its exquisite foliage. The 
two varieties most cultivated are the black and the 
broad-leaved Wattle, and both are indigenous to an 
exceedingly dry climate and a poor soil. The black 
Wattle produces a larger amount of tannic acid. Its 
value for tanning will be understood when it is 
mentioned that hides can be readily tanned in a bath 
of liquor made from blaGk Wattle in forty-seven days, 
