THE GARDENING WORLD. 
487 
April 5, 1890. 
subject in hand, I have no doubt the matter could be 
arranged, and much good done both to gardeners and 
to the society. 
I would further suggest that wherever gardeners’ 
mutual improvement associations are formed, they 
ought to be in connection with the local horticultural 
society, if there is one, as by this means plants and 
other interesting subjects could be exhibited at the 
meetings, and thus not only make the meetings of 
wider interest, but be the means also of bringing new 
and rare plants before the members. Horticultural 
societies would in this way do far more good than they 
do now by holding one exhibition during the year. 
The rapid way in which these mutual improvement 
associations are spreading throughout the country may 
be taken as a sure sign that they are supplying a felt 
want, and if it could be so arranged that a meeting of 
delegates from the different associations could be held— 
say, in London—to discuss the best means of carrying 
on such associations, with a view to doing the greatest 
amount of good to gardeners and gardening, it would 
be of the greatest advantage. 
I trust you will open your columns for the free 
ventilation of this subject, when, I have no doubt, some 
valuable suggestions will be brought forward. As most 
associations are now winding up their winter session, 
there is time to thoroughly discuss the whole subject 
and make arrangements for the coming season. I trust 
you will give us the advantage of your wide experience, 
and be able to suggest what should be done in order to 
bring the gardeners mutual improvement associations 
into closer union.— A. W. [We shall be happy to open 
our columns to a discussion of this subject, if those 
who may have suggestions to offer will confine their 
remarks within reasonable limits. We regard these 
associations with the greatest favour, because if properly 
conducted nothing but good can result from them to 
the gardening community. The suggestion thrown out 
by “A. W.,” as to the affiliation of the associations 
with some central society, is a good one, though we do 
not agree with him that the Royal Horticultural Society 
is the one that should be invited to take the matter in 
hand. We have no faith whatever in the disposition 
or ability of the Council of that society, as at present 
constituted, to carry out any scheme for the real benefit 
of gardeners or gardening. The society is not in touch 
with the great mass of practical gardeners, nurserymen, 
and florists in the country—the real backbone of British 
horticulture—and we see no hope at present of its 
becoming so. We believe that gardeners, if they will, 
can themselves establish such a union cr federation of 
associations as “A. W.’s” remarks would seem to 
point to, and if managed by representatives of their 
own body, we should have some hope of it becoming 
numbered among the useful institutions of the 
country.—En.] 
-- 
THE SCOTCH THISTLE. 
"Various conjectures have been made as to what species 
of Thistle represents the true national emblem of 
Scotland. The consensus of opinion seems to be con¬ 
centrated on two species—namely, Carduus lanceolotus 
and Onopordon Acanthium. The former is most 
likely to be the true one, although heraldic figures 
represent something different, and what is more, 
probably distinct from any native or exotic species. 
From a botanist’s point of view the heraldic figures 
would probably be regarded as ideal rather than real. 
Onopordon Acanthium is the Cotton Thistle of the 
botanist, and is hardly likely to have been regarded as 
the national emblem in ancient times, from the fact 
that it is seldom if ever seen in Scotland in a truly 
wild state, but rather as an escape from cultivation, 
and liable to occur on rubbish heaps, particularly in 
the vicinity of gardens and in waste places. It is 
cultivated in some places, or simply allowed to come 
up from self-sown seeds. In rich soil, and when 
allowed plenty of room to develop, it becomes a truly 
noble object, with much branched stems, reaching a 
height of 5 ft. to 6 ft. or even more, each shoot being 
terminated by a large purple head of flowers. One 
may sometimes see it exhibited at local flower shows in 
summer or early in autumn. The best effects are 
moreover obtained by growing the plant in the open 
ground, then by lifting and putting it in a tub on the 
morning of the show. Prizes are sometimes offered for 
the best Thistle, thus creating not only some local 
interest but some amount of excitement on account of 
the novelty and unwonted character of the exhibit. It 
may here be stated that the true remark is sometimes 
made that growers or cultivators “have never been 
able to improve the Scotch Thistle.” 
The Spear Thistle (Carduus lanceolatus) of the 
botanists is more likely to be the true Scotch Thistle 
than any other species, inasmuch as it is widely spread 
throughout every part of the country, and although 
not so tall as the Cotton Thistle it is an equally bold 
and striking object when allowed to attain its proper 
dimensions, say about a yard in height and as far 
through. It is a biennial, producing the first year a 
rosette of leaves so well armed with prickles and spines 
that the bare-footed Dane who trod on it, giving rise to 
its being used as the national emblem of Scotland, must 
have shouted out in real agony. 
In many parts of Scotland Carduus lanceolatus is 
popularly termed the Burr Thistle, in allusion probably 
to the unopened flower heads being like those of the 
Burr or Burdock (Arctium Lappa). Although of no 
value from an agricultural point of view, but rather the 
reverse, it is not an uncommon sight to see colonies of 
the Burr Thistle thriving luxuriously and unheeded in 
the midst of rich pasture fields, and which had been 
left untouched by the cattle. That this species was 
regarded as the national emblem of Scotland as far 
back as the eighteenth century we have evidence from 
the pen of Burns, the national bard, who wrote as 
follows : — 
“ E’en then, a wish, I mind its power— 
A wish that to my latest hour 
Shall strongly heave my breast, 
That I, for poor auld Scotland’s sake, 
Some usefu’ plan or beuk could make, 
Or sing a sang at least. 
The rough Burr-thissle spreading wide, 
Amang the bearded bear, 
I turned the weeder-clips aside, 
And spared the symbol dear ; 
Ho nation, no station, 
My envy ne’er could raise ; 
A Scot still, but blot still, 
I knew nae higher praise',” 
-F. 
-- 
THE CHINESE SACRED LILY. 
I think Mr. W. J. Murphy is inclined to be a little 
too dogmatic in his assertion when he states that the 
variety of the Polyanthus Narcissus, sent to this 
country under this name, is not P. N. Grand Monarque, 
but quite distinct from it in growth and flowering 
characteristics. Not long since I was at Messrs. Barr 
& Sons, King Street, Covent Garden, when a case 
which had just arrived from China was opened in my 
presence, and Mr. Peter Birr gave me two bulbs, which 
I planted in an ordinary white basin, placing some 
lumps of charcoal at the bottom, some good potting 
soil on that, then the bulbs, which I buried half-way 
up with the same soil, pressing it firmly about them. 
They soon began to put forth signs of growth, and then 
I kept the soil quite moist. Both are in flower; one 
appears to be in all respects similar to the old Grand 
Monarque, and the other a double form of it. They are 
blooming very freely, and I hope to be able to keep the 
flowers over until the Daffodil Congress on the 11th 
inst. ■ 
The flowering of the types of Polyanthus Narcissus, 
both as to the size of their blossoms and the freedom 
with which they produce them, is very much a question 
of culture. If you would have fine blossoms, then the 
plants must be grown in rich soil, and be liberally fed 
with liquid manure. It is in this way such fine forms 
as are sometimes seen at horticultural exhibitions are 
obtained. If they be grown in poor soil, fine flowers 
will not be had. I saw during the last two months 
several examples of the so-called Sacied Lily being 
grown within doors exactly as directed, and generally 
the complaint made was that so few flowers were pro¬ 
duced. The bulbs were grown under conditions that 
naturally led to such a result, and I think there are 
several forms of the Polyanthus Narciss which, if they 
were placed in a temperature of 50° during the first 
week in December, would be in bloom by the end of 
January, though Mr. W. J. Murphy asserts that this 
result will not be attained by any ordinary Narcissus, 
no matter how forced ; and I take further exception to 
the statement made by Mr. Murphy, that Grand 
Monarque would utterly fail if treated like the Sacred 
Lilies.—it. D. [The flowers we have had from bulbs 
obligingly sent us by Messrs. Carter & Co. and Messrs. 
Barr & Son lead us to differ from both our correspon¬ 
dents. In form the single variety comes nearest to 
Her Majesty ofj all the Dutch-grown sorts of Poly¬ 
anthus Narcissus, but has less substance than that 
variety, and is therefore not so good. Mr. Barr, who 
has watched the behaviour of the bulbs very closely 
this season, is of the same opinion, but considers, with 
one of the largest Dutch growers, that the sort is not 
exactly matched by any of the N. Tazetta group. We 
have one bulb producing double flowers, and very pretty 
they are—much more interesting than the single form, 
and better worth keeping. The double variety appears 
to be well known in China, though stated not to be so 
common as the single one ; still, it is curious that no 
mention of the bulbs being mixed should have been 
made by the agents who sent them over.— Ed.] 
-—> 2 <—- 
AGRICULTURAL AND HORTI¬ 
CULTURAL EDUCATION. 
We give below the text of a Bill entitled the “Agri¬ 
cultural Education Bill,” which was down for second 
reading in the House of Commons on Wednesday, but 
which was not reached before the House adjourned. 
The Bill is intended to provide for the teaching in 
public elementary schools of agricultural and horticul¬ 
tural subjects, and for the practical illustration and 
application of such teaching. In order to secure the 
continuation of instruction in these subjects for children 
in rural districts, who leave school at an early age, and 
to give the like instruction to allotment holders and 
others of the rural population who need it, the Bill also 
provides for the establishment of continuation classes 
to be carried on in the evenings, Saturday afternoons, 
or at such other times as the school managers may deem 
most suitable to secure the object in view. 
A Bill for Industrial Agricultural Education in 
Public Elementary Schools. 
Whereas it is expedient that due provision should be 
made whereby children in public elementary schools, 
and persons who have left school, should obtain practi¬ 
cal instruction in the subjects of agriculture and horti¬ 
culture, and matters pertaining thereto : 
Be it therefore enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent 
Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the 
Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this 
present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of 
the same, as follows : 
1. This Act may be cited as the Elementary Agricul¬ 
tural Education Act, 1S90. 
2. On and after the pissing of this AM any school 
board, or managers of any public elementary school, 
may provide an l maintain means and facilities for the 
purpose of giving instruction in any of the subjects set 
out in the schedule of this Act, or in such other 
analogous subjects as may be sanctioned from time to 
time by the Committee of Council on Education or by 
the Science and Art Department; and for these 
purposes school boards and school managers shall have 
the power to provide or contribute to the provision of 
such school gardens, allotments of land, workshops, 
tools, and appurtenances as may be necessary for carry¬ 
out the provisions of the Act, and the expenses of such 
provision or contribution on the part of school managers 
shall be deemed to be a contribution to the annual 
expenses of the school. 
Provided always that such schools shall be subject 
to the inspection of the officers of the Committee of 
Education or of the Science and Art Department. 
3. A special grant not exceeding 50 per cent, shall 
be made by the Committee of Education or Science and 
Art Department for the expenses of providing such 
allotments, school gardens, buildings, fittings, tools, 
and appurtenances as may be necessary to provide in¬ 
struction under the provisions of this Act. Provided 
always, that the cost of and full particulars of the same 
shall be submitted to, and sanctioned by the Committee 
of Council or the Science and Art Department. 
4. Notwithstanding the definition of an elementary 
school in section three of the Elementary Education 
Act, 1870, and the amending Acts, the Committee of 
Council on Education and the Science and Art Depart¬ 
ment shall have power to give grants on such conditions 
and regulations as they may lay down for all and any 
of the subjects taught and expenses incurred under the 
provisions of this Act. 
5. The Committee of Privy Council shall make such 
alterations in the code of regulations as will admit of 
special instruction in agricultural and horticultural 
subjects being given in public elementary schools. 
6. In the event of any school board or managers of 
any public elementary school providing and maintain¬ 
ing evening or other continuation schools and classes 
for the purpose of giving instruction in any of the 
subjects set out in the schedule of this Act, or in such 
other analogous subjects as may be sanctioned from time 
to time by the Committee of Council or the Science and 
Department, the Committee of Council on Education 
or Science and Art Department shall have power to 
give grants to these continuation schools or classes in 
the same manner as to public elementary day schools. 
These continuation schools and classes shall be open 
to children who have left school, to young persons, and 
adults : provided always, that such continuation schools 
and classes shall be subject to inspection by the. 
Committee of Council on Education or the Science and 
Art Department. 
7. This Act shall not extend to Scotland or Ireland. 
Schedule. —Emit, flower, and vegetable growing ; 
poultry, bee, and pig keeping ; budding, pruning, 
planting, and propagating ; rotation of garden crops ; 
nature and properties of soils ; use of manures ; know¬ 
ledge and choice of seeds ; structure and life of plants ; 
action of birds and insects on crops ; choice and use of 
simple tools; packing fruit, vegetables, &c,, for market. 
