518 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 19, 1890. 
of so empirical a kind as may be imagined, for 
if the head of the family brought little 
knowledge of medical science or of physiology 
to bear upon the ills of the household, at least 
there was a good deal of practical knowledge 
of the results obtainable from the application of 
this or that compound. But the other day, 
Mr, Gladstone, speaking at Guy’s Hospital to a 
very distinguished body of medical practitioners, 
mentioned that having slightly cut one of his 
fingers, and being without a handkerchief, he 
plucked a leaf from a tree, and bound up the 
wound, which all the sooner healed. The leaf 
may have possessed some of those healing 
properties the herbalist ascribes, or it may not; 
still, the act was not purely empirical, because 
the exclusion of air from the wound by the 
leaf assisted immediate healing. 
Hall for Horticulture. —As we have 
^ spoken out freely with regard to this 
proposal already, there remains at present to 
be said only that if specially intended, as 
seems to be the case, to make the Hall a 
home for the Royal Horticultural Society, it 
is important, if some regard is to be paid to 
the comfort of visitors to the Society’s meetings 
and lectures, that quietude should be assured; 
but as to whether this may be best found in 
a busy city of Loudon thoroughfare is very 
doubtful. All pleasure incidental to listening 
to the papers read in the Westminster Drill 
Hall seems to be neutralised by the rattle of 
vehicles in the adjoining streets and mews, so 
that efforts to hear are most painful. Mr. 
Ingram’s paper, in this respect, suffered greatly. 
Then, again, there must be regard for light. 
Many of the most beautiful flowers shown 
in the Drill Hall, dark hues especially, are 
literally killed by the shocking bad light to 
which they are subjected. Blowers seen there 
really cannot be recognised after being seen 
in the clear light of the country. This fact 
was always a great point in favour of holding 
the meetings in the big vinery at Chiswick, 
where an excellent light is usually secured. 
We fear the city will not prove more favour¬ 
able in the giving of light suitable for flowers 
than does Westminster. Doubtless the present 
building is as badly fitted for the meetings of 
the Royal Horticultural Society as can be; 
and one specially erected for the purpose might 
give a maximum of light relatively; but the 
smoke and fog of the city with all its sooty 
deposits are not favourable elements for the 
promotion of light through the best of glass 
roofs. 
It is made the strong point in favour of 
the holding of the Society’s meetings in the 
city, that many of the merchants and wealthy 
men of that centre would be induced to visit 
the meetings, become Fellows of the Society, 
and eventually patrons of horticulture. That 
may be so, but, on the other hand, we are 
told it is of no use to expect men whose 
business hours are short and so excitingly 
occupied, will be induced to sacrifice time, 
worth, perhaps, hundreds of pounds to them, 
to visit a small flower show. That may or 
may not be true ; we want to hear both sides 
of the question, but it would be a great 
■disappointment, especially to the horticultural 
trade, were the Hall erected in the city, and 
the high aspirations of its promoters after all 
be falsified. 
-- - 
Gardening Engagements.—Mr. Thomson, late gar¬ 
dener at Norman Court, Salisbury, as gardener to C. 
Hoare, Esq., Bignell House, Bicester. Mr. J. Doe, 
lately foreman to Mr. Rose at Lockinge, as gardener to 
H. W. Tugwell, Esq., Crowe Hall, Bath. 
Fresh Fruit as Food and Drink.—As the promotion 
of the increased use of fruit as food and drink should 
be a somewhat attractive topic for all gardeners, 
will you permit me to announce that a deputation 
of food reformers (to include ladies or working 
men if desired) will be got at any meeting within 
a radius of twenty miles of London, by any secretary 
sending a line to the London Vegetarian Society, 
Memorial Hall, Farringdon Street, E.C. It being a 
matter of the first importance for all to whom “ health 
is wealth,” to know what are the easiest plans to test 
the healthiest, thriftiest, pleasantest, and heartiest 
foods, there will be probably many of your readers 
glad to arrange for a discussion of this vital subject, say 
within the next three or four weeks, in connection with 
local horticultural or other gardeners’ societies.— W. S. 
Manning, Vanbrugh Hill, S.E. 
The Giant Dog's-tooth Violet.—The flowers of 
Erythronium grandiflorum giganteum are notable for 
their size. They are nodding, with retlexed white 
segments, more or less marked with yellow, and 
sometimes orange at the base. The leaves are 
ovate, and blotched with bronzy brow T n markings. 
This is not the case in the type, which has oblong- 
lanceolate unspotted leaves, and smaller flowers of a 
slightly different colour. Both are natives ol North 
America, but the variety under notice is perhaps 
confined to Washington Territory. There is another 
American species, but neither of them are equal to the 
old-fashioned European E. dens-canis in the rich 
colouring of the flowers, and the spotting of the leaves 
exhibited by the latter. For size of flower, however, 
none of them surpass the Giant Dog’s-tooth Violet, 
which is now flowering on the rockery at Chiswick, in 
the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society. 
United Horticultural Benefit and Provident Society. 
—The usual quarterly meeting of this society was held 
at the Caledonian Hotel, Adelphi Terrace, on Monday 
evening last, Mr. Nathan Cole in the chair. The 
committee are much pleased to be able to report that 
the society is making very satisfactory progress, fifteen 
new members having been elected at this meeting, 
making a total of thirty-two during the quarter. 
Messsrs. Lane & Sons, of Berkhamsted, have also 
joined the list of honorary members. The sick list has 
been a heavy one, chiefly owing to the influenza 
epidemic, £31 7s. 8 d. having been paid to sick members 
during the quarter ; but at the present time there is 
only one member on the sick list. A convalescent 
fund is being established to assist members to get a 
change of air after illness. 
Turnip Tops : Their Value to the Grower.—A 
discussion on Turnip tops may appear to be a small 
matter, but, says a daily paper, considering on the one 
hand the present position of the farmer, and on the 
other the fact that thousands of the poor in London 
can afford no other green food for their dinner, the 
subject is worth passing attention. A farmer at Bury 
St. Edmunds has just published his experiences in this 
connection, which are as striking as they are instructive. 
Last month he sent 150 bags of “ tops,” each weighing 
60 lbs. to 70 lbs., to the Borough Market, and they 
sold for Is. 3d. each, total, £9 7s. 6 d. ; of this sum 
the middleman appropriated £3 2s. 6(7., or at the rate 
of say 33 per cent., for commission, while £2 12s. 4 cl. was 
swallowed up for carriage, including 2s. for empties, 
leaving £3 12s. 8 d. Next he forwarded 70 bags to 
Stratford Market, which brought £2 14s. 3d. ; for 
this remunerative transaction the middleman extorted 
£1 3s. id , or nearly 50 per cent., the carriage being 
19s. 11(7., leaving 11s. For the 220 bags of “tops,” 
therefore, the farmer received cheques for £4 3s. 8d., 
against which was the set-off of 3d. per bag for gathering, 
and 20s. for carting and other labour—net result 8s. 8(7. 
Azaleas Princess of Wales and Miss Buist.— 
The first-named has pure white double flowers, the 
petals of which are broad, not very crowded, but so 
undulated as to give the blooms a considerable re¬ 
semblance to those of the double white form of the 
Pelargonium named Madame Thibaut. We noted plants 
of it in the nursery of Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, 
Upper Holloway. Alongside of them were specimens 
of a single white variety named Miss Buist. The 
flowers are beautiful in form, but rather small, and 
abundantly produced on plants about a foot high, and 
which we were assured were about seven or eight years 
old. The variety is therefore a slow-growing one, and 
might prove acceptable in collections where space is a 
matter of consideration. 
Ealing Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society.— 
The members of this society and their friends, to the 
number of seventy, sat down to dinner at the Victoria 
Hall ou Friday, the 11th inst. E. M. Nelson, Esq., 
Hanger Hill House, occupied the chair ; and after the 
usual loyal toasts had been honoured, Mrs. E. M. Nelson 
distributed the prizes to members who had been 
successful exhibitors during the session, and also to 
those who obtained the prizes for an essay on the culture 
of the Carnation. The following were successful 
exhibitors, namely, Messrs. Long, Griggs, Roberts, Cox, 
Gates, Baird, Edwards, Menidew, Simmonds, Viner 
and Chadwick. Messrs. Cooper, The Gardens, Gunners- 
bury House ; Long, gardener to E. P. Oakshott, Esq., 
Ealing ; and A. Wright, Devonhurst, Chiswick, won 
the prizes for essays on the culture of the Carnation. 
It was announced that prizes would be offered for essays 
on Villa gardening, Strawberry culture in and out of 
doors, and Trees for road and street planting. These 
essays are to be sent in to the secretary in October. 
The rest of the evening was devoted to speeches, song 3 
and recitations. 
Royal Horticultural Society.—The following are 
the details of a scheme for the affiliation of local 
horticultural societies with the R. H. S., passed by 
the Council on April 8th, 1890 :— 
Local societies subscribing £1 Is. will be entitled 
to— 
1. Two copies of the R. H. S. journal for circulation 
amongst the local society’s members. 
2. To nominate one of their members to rank as a 
£1 Is. Fellow of the R. H. S., with all a £1 Is. Fellow’s 
privileges, with the exception of the society’s journal. 
3 One transferable ticket admitting to all the 
R. H. S. meetings and shows, and which may be used 
by any memb:-r of the local society. 
4. To purchase at cost price one Silver and one 
Bronze Medal of the R. H. S. (A new Medal is being 
struck, and until that is done the price cannot be 
fixed.) 
Local societies subscribing £2 2s. will be entitled 
to— 
1. Four copies of the R. H. S. journal for circu¬ 
lation. 
2 To nominate two of their members to rank as 
£1 Is. Fellows of the R. H. S., &c. 
3. Three transferable tickets almitting to all 
R. H. S. meetings and shows, &c. 
4. To purchase at cost price two Silver and two 
Bronze Medals of the R. H. S. 
Local societies are invited to send interesting exhibits 
and specimens of plants, diseases, &c., to the R. H. S. 
fortnightly meetings of the Floral, Fruit, Orchid, and 
Scientific Committees, and to correspond with the 
R. H. S. secretary on any interesting horticultural 
subjects or events in their locality. 
The secretary of the R. H. S. will at any time be 
happy to assist the secretary of any affiliated society in 
introducing them to horticulturists or specialists able 
and willing to deliver lectures on interesting subjects 
before meetings of their local societies. 
-->£<-- 
FRUIT MARKETS AND SHOWS 
IN THE WEST MIDLANDS. 
Previous to the year 1889, in the three fruit-growing 
counties of Hereford, Gloucester, and Worcester, a 
number of local associations of fruit growers, were 
formed with much blowing of horns and sounding of 
trumpets, shows were organised, meetings held, and 
papers read, all with the object of promoting the estab¬ 
lishment of markets for the sale of fruit ; but last year 
being a bad one as regards the crops, these associations 
utterly collapsed. I should have thought that, instead 
of drying up, the effect of the bad season would have 
been to stir up greater energy on the part of those who 
promoted such associations, and rendered them more 
anxious to show their local friends, the growers, what 
sorts of fruits were the most profitable to grow, by at 
least holding exhibitions. Of course, we know that 
much of the fruit shown on such occasions is not grown 
in the same way as the ordinary fruit farmer has to 
grow it to make a profit, nor are the papers read at the 
conferences which follow of very much use to men who 
want hard facts and not mere generalities. It is a 
great mistake to expect country farmers to sit and 
listen to long, wordy, and prosy lectures on how to 
plant trees, because in most cases the farmers know 
on that point quite as much as the lecturers can tell 
them. What is wanted is combinations or associations 
of practical men to ascertain what are the best fruits to 
grow in each particular district from a paying point of 
view, and how best to market the produce to bring the 
best returns to the grower. 
As to shows, I would suggest that in the three 
counties named the same principle should be adopted 
as obtains in the case of the cathedral choirs— i.e., 
holding a great show in each city in rotation ; and as 
to markets, well, they should be established in all the 
principal towns, for I am convinced that only by so 
doing can growers get hold of any of the large share of 
the profits which now goes into the pockets of the 
middlemen. On this subject I could a tale unfold, but 
will mention one case only ; it is the experience of a 
man who rents a good orchard. He sent some Blenheim 
Oranges to Birmingham, for which he received from 
the salesman 4s. per 84 lbs. ; and going up to the 
hardware city a few days afterwards found his Apples 
being sold retail at 27s. per 84 lbs. ! This shows 
plainly the utter futility of sending fruits to a few, and 
those much congested, markets, and the great want 
there is of more local markets.— Silurian. 
