534 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 26, 1890. 
change of fancy, and Daffodils will give place 
to some other flower. Some persons can only 
exist when in a state of ecstatic craze, so that 
when they are tired of Daffodils, they will 
find other "floral worlds to admire, and perhaps 
to conquer. 
-- 
Mr. Stuart Low, senior partner of the firm of Hugh 
Low & Co., Clapton, is, we regret to hear, seriously ill. 
Mr. George Deal, chairman of the Gardeners’ 
Orphan Fund Committee, is also, we are sorry to hear, 
on the sick list, having had an apoplectic fit at 
Gloucester Road Station about ten days ago. 
Railway Charges for Vegetables.—Mr. W. Baylor 
Hartland, writing from Cork on the 19th inst., says :— 
“ I have this day sent in a basket to London, via 
North Wall, three heads of Broccoli, for which I paid 
charges 5s. This seems an enormous price to pay for a 
basket of vegetables containing only three heads, as 
stated. I have often dined in Mark Lane, and the 
quantity sent would be partaken of by three ordinary 
diners.” The charge does appear to be very high, but 
we presume it is the regular small parcels rate. It 
does not pay to send small quantities of vegetables long 
distances by rail, even when the receiver pays for the 
carriage only. 
Presentation of Yeiteli Memorial Medals.—At the 
afternoon meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society 
on Tuesday, Sir Trevor Lawrence, as president of the 
society, and on behalf of the Veitch Memorial trustees, 
presented large Silver Medals to Mr. David Thomson, 
Drumlanrig, and Mr. Bruce Findlay, of Manchester, 
in recognition of the distinguished services they have 
rendered to British horticulture. The claims of both 
gentlemen to the honour conferred upon them were 
alluded to by the president, Mr. Thomson having been 
practising horticulture all his life ; has been gardener 
to the Duke of Buccleuch, at Drumlanrig, for nearly a 
quarter of a century, where he has been uniformly 
successful in all branches of horticulture, and has 
published valuable works on gardening, such as A 
Practical Treatise on the Cultivation of the Pine Apple, 
Fruit Culture Under Glass, and the Handy Book of 
the Flower Garden. Mr. Bruce Findlay’s name would 
ever be associated with the Manchester Botanical 
Garden^, for which he had made a world-wide re¬ 
putation, and with the promotion of horticultural 
pursuits in the northern counties, at which he had 
laboured for many years. Both gentlemen suitably 
acknowledged the honour conferred upon them. 
Albinism in Plants.—Mr. A. H. Smee communi¬ 
cated the following note on this subject to the 
Scientific Committee on Tuesday : - “Some nine years 
ago when experimenting with flowers and plants placed 
in a weak solution of silicate of soda, I noticed that the 
plants and flowers were affected by the solution accord¬ 
ing to their colour. The colour I found disappear in 
the following order : blue, lilac, red, and brown, whilst 
yellow was the most persistent. Greens behaved 
according to whether blue or yellow predominated in 
the composition. It has occurred to me whether the 
whole varieties of flowers are not found among plants 
in a similar order. We have an example in the 
blanching of the old flowers of Franciscea latifolia. 
Then, again, in the poor varieties of Vanda ccerulea, the 
petals are almost white, with very pale blue veining. 
In Cattleyas, the colour of the petals and lip disappears, 
leaving the yellow throat ; and the pale pink tints 
which so often spoil a white Cattleya from a florist’s 
point of view, are the remains of the red tint in the 
mauve colour ; therefore, as yellow is so persistent we 
cannot expect that a white Cattleya eitrina or Odonto- 
glossum polyanthum will turn up among our white 
varieties. The white Odontoglossum crispum marks 
the disappearance of the brown blotches, leaving only 
the yellow markings, and in the case of the yellow 
Odontoglossum triumphans exhibited, which is a poor 
form of the ordinary variety, the brown blotches are 
either absent or in process of disappearance into white. 
The only pure white form of Orchids are Ccelogyne 
cristata alba, Dendrobium Kingianum albidum, and 
Saccolabium Heathii.” 
The Advantages of One Eye.—At a recent meeting 
of the Manchester Arts Club, Mr. Samuel Barlow, of 
Stakehill, Castleton, entertained the members by 
relating a series of anecdotes and incidents illustrative 
of Lancashire life and character, in the art of which 
Mr. Barlow is a past master, as all know who have the 
pleasure of his acquaintance. Some of his best garden¬ 
ing stories have already been published in our columns, 
but the following is new :—“Some of the gentlemen 
present, no doubt, know Prestwich Park—Drink water’s 
place. Drinkwater was an early riser, being out and 
about in the grounds sometimes between three and 
four o’clock, and seldom was about later than five. He 
had a very good gardener, who was blind in one eye. 
No matter what time Drinkwater was up, he always 
found this man at his post. He was one of those 
gardeners whose business was a hobby and a pleasure. 
Drinkwater one morning, a little before four, remarked 
to his gardener that he must have very little sleep, 
seeing that he always found him in the garden, what¬ 
ever time it might be. The man replied, ‘Yes, aw do 
get some sleep. Yo’ see I’ve only one eye, and only 
need half the sleep as yo’ do.’ ” 
Ornitliogalum nutans.—In many of the species 
of Ornithogalum at present in cultivation there is a 
green stripe down the back of the segments of the 
perianth, but in that under notice the stripe covers 
nearly the whole segment, leaving the margin and the 
upper surface white. The flowers are of large size for 
the genus, and pendulous in a few-flowered raceme, so 
that the outer and green surface only is shown. They, 
however, present a peculiar and unwonted appearance 
from the satiny gloss that pervades them, and the 
plant never fails to interest lovers of hardy flowers, 
notwithstanding the absence of gay colours. It is a 
native of South Europe, but has been an inhabitant of 
British gardens for many years, and has even become 
naturalised in some places. There is a variety named 
0. n. Boucheanum which is dwarfer, with large and 
ornamental flowers. The type may now be seen in 
the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society at 
Chiswick. 
The Wildsmitli Memorial.—"We have much pleasure 
in announcing that the amount required to put a child 
on the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund, as a memorial of the 
late Mr. W. Wildsmith, of Heckfield, has now been 
raised, and in appending the final list of subscriptions. 
Amount previously acknowledged... 
John Noble, Esq. ... . 
Horticultural Club. ... 
Friends (per Mr. C. llott) ... 
Mr. and Mrs. Evans and Family ... 
Collected by Miss E. Butler 
Mrs. E. Quartermaine and Friends. 
Torquay Horticultural Society 
Mr. J. Ollerhead . 
Mr. E. Nichols . 
Mr. A. Outram . 
Miss F. Tate 
Mr. J. H. Rose 
Mr. T. Jones . 
Mr. B. Cromwell ... 
Mr. W. J. Novell. 
Mr. Chas. Turner. 
Mr. J. George . 
Mr. C. Ross ... 
Captain Tucker . 
Mr. C. Denning . 
Mr. J. Davidson . 
Two Friends (per Mr. G. Stanton).. 
J. Omer Cooper, Esq. . 
Mr. A. Blazey . 
Mr. G. Seymour . 
Miss Tate . 
Bournemouth Gardeners’ Association 
Mr. J. Moffatt 
Mr. E. Butts . 
T. Francis Rivers, Esq. 
Alfred Palmer, Esq. 
Mrs. R. Cook . 
R. Benyon, Esq., J.P. 
The Misses Newen(perMr. J. Bowly) 
Messrs. Lane & Son, Berkhamsted... 
Messrs. W. Thomson & Son 
MissMarson ... 
Mr. J. Crook. 
Mr. T. "Weaver . 
Mr. J. Bowerman ... . 
Mr. H. Swansborough 
Mr. W. Chown . 
Amounts under 10s. ... 
£ s. d. 
91 9 6 
2 2 0 
2 0 0 
14 0 
1 10 0 
1 10 0 
1 11 6 
1 1 0 
110 
110 
1 1 0 
110 
10 0 
10 0 
10 0 
0 10 6 
0 10 6 
0 10 6 
0 10 6 
0 10 0 
0 10 0 
0 10 0 
0 10 0 
0 10 0 
0 10 0 
0 10 0 
0 10 0 
0 10 0 
0 10 0 
0 10 0 
0 10 0 
2 2 0 
10 0 
1 0 0 
10 0 
110 
10 0 
10 0 
0 10 0 
0 10 0 
0 10 0 
0 10 0 
0 10 0 
5 6 6 
Total 
£133 13 6 
The Culture of Onions.—Permit me to thank your 
correspondent, “ B. L.,” for kindly answering my 
questions on this subject. I fully understand his 
meaning now, and shall do my best to carry out his 
instructions. I have tried tying the necks with 
matting, but still kept on with the watering-pot. I 
feel convinced that over feeding has been the cause 
of my failures, combined with deep planting in soil 
not naturally suited to growing spring Onions.— A. B. 
- - >X< —- 
THE PROPOSED HORTICUL¬ 
TURAL HALL. 
The meeting of the horticultural trade called for 
Tuesday last, was held in the rooms of the Royal 
Horticultural Society, and though but few representa¬ 
tives of the nursery and seed trade were present, there 
was a good attendance of gentlemen interested in the 
movement. Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P., pre¬ 
sided, and Baron Schroder stated the objects for which 
the meeting had been called, and the advantages which 
he considered would accrue to the trade from the 
possession of such a building erected in some central 
position. In the first place, they wanted the loan of 
£40,000 free from the payment of interest, and for 
which the trustees—himself, Sir Trevor Lawrence and 
Mr. Hambro—would give bonds, and a certain number 
would be paid off annually. The Royal Horticultural 
Society would have nothing whatever to do with the 
investment, the spending of the money, or the repay¬ 
ment of the sum lent. It was proposed That of the 
£40,000 raised (and it was not his intention to attempt 
to carry any scheme with a less amount), the greater 
part would be invested in first-class securities, and the 
remainder would be spent in erecting the buildings, for 
which the Society would pay rent, and the rent and 
the interest received from the capital sum previously 
invested would suffice for the payment of the ground 
rent. 
The sum to be applied annually to the redemp¬ 
tion of the bonds it was hoped would be obtained by 
letting the basement and the great hall for various 
purposes when not required by the Society itself ; and 
so soon as the bonds shall have been paid off the office 
of the trustees will cease, and the building will become 
the absolute property of the Society. The Society 
would really be the centre of the horticultural life and 
industry of the country, and his idea was that in the 
proposed hall they should have permanent exhibitions 
of implements, seeds, flowers and shrubs j'roomsfor all 
sorts of meetings connected with the trade; homes for the 
two charitable institutions maintained by horticultur¬ 
ists ; and that they should also provide accommodation 
for the numerous smaller societies holding exhibitions 
in London. He believed such a hall would be a success 
in every way, but unless every one interested in the 
movement put their hearts into the work it could not be 
carried out. 
Mr. William Bull moved, “ That the representatives 
of the horticultural trade present, having heard Baron 
Schroder's explanation, approve of the scheme, and 
pledge themselves to support it to the utmost of their 
ability ” ; and in so doing, remarked that it was a 
disgrace to them as horticulturists, that while horti¬ 
culture was one of the leading industries of the country, 
in the chief city of the Empire they had no decent 
place in which to show their products. The resolution 
was seconded by Mr. G. Bunyard, supported by Mr. 
Geo. Paul, Mr. N. N. Sherwood, and Mr. Bruce 
Findlay, and carried unanimously. 
Mr. Henry Williams moved, “ That the following 
gentlemen be requested to act as a committee (with 
power to add to their number) to collect promises of 
monetary support for the scheme, viz. :—Messrs. 
Dickson, Chester ; Ker, Liverpool; Backhouse, York ; 
Smith-Carrington, Worcester ; Williams, Holloway; 
Sutton, Reading ; Turner, Slough ; P. Yeitch, Exeter ; 
Low, Clapton ; Watt, Carlisle ; Garraway, Bristol ; 
Tai:, Manchester ; Sibray, Sheffield ; Sanders, St. 
Albans ; Bull, Chelsea ; and Cheal, Crawley.” Mr. Geo. 
Paul referred to the omission of Mr. H. J. Yeitch’s 
name from the list, and this having been added, Mr. 
J. Cheal seconded the motion. The meeting broke up, 
however, and it was not put for adoption. 
-*»=£■*.- 
VINE BORDERS: EXTERNAL 
AND INTERNAL. 
A strong argument in favour of planting Vines inside, 
and preparing a border outside afterwards, in which 
the roots can find nutriment and scope to develop 
when tho inside borders have been well filled with 
feeders, may be found when the Vines require help in 
the shape of renovation of the borders. The inside 
border can be replenished after the roots have been 
carefully lifted. They are then laid out and covered, 
and when the growing season begins, the roots will 
