May 10, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
505 
LAING’S BEGONIAS 
SHOULD BE TRIED BY ALL. 
THE NURSERIES, 
FOREST H ILL, LONDON, S.E . 
GRAND FLORAL FETE 
AND 
PROMENADE 
IN AID OF THE 
Gardeners’ Orphan Fund, 
On WEDNESDAY, MAY 21st, 1890, 
FROM 8 TO 12 P.M., 
IN THE 
•WBOLESALE FLOWER MARKET, COVERT GARDEN, 
SPECIALLY GRANTED FOR THE OCCASION BY 
His Grace the Duke of Bedford, K.G. 
THE LADY MAYORESS 
Has kindly consented to open the FLte. 
BAND OF HER MAJESTY'S ROYAL HORSE GUARDS. 
(By permission of Col. the Hon. Oliver Montagu ) 
Under the Direction of - - Mr. CHAS. GODFREY, R A.M. 
Admission.— By Ticket, price Five Shillings (limited to 2,000). 
To lie obtained ol Mr J. As'bee, Market Office, Covent Garden 
and of the Hon. Secretary, A. F. Barron, Royal Horticultural 
Society’s Gardens, Chiswick. 
Next Week’s Kng-agements. 
Tuesday, May 13th —Royal Horticultural Society : Meeting of 
Committees at Twelve o’clock. 
Wednesday, May 14th. -Royal Botanic Society’s Show. Royal 
Oxfordshire Horticultural Society’s Show. Sale of Japanese 
Lilies and other Bulbous and Tuberous-rooted Plauts, at 
Protheroe & Morris’s Rooms. 
Friday, May 16th.—Sale of Orchids at Protheroe & Morris’s 
Rooms. 
For Indexto Contents & Advertisements, see p. 565. 
" Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man.” —Bacon. 
SATURDAY, MAY 10, 1890. 
CURRENT TOPICS. 
IIJarket Gardeners on Strike. —"We notice 
*** that there is proceeding a movement of 
considerable force in the great market garden 
district of the west side of London, in favour 
of increased wages to market garden men 
and women workers. Whatever may have 
been the varying fortunes attending the 
various movements made in working class 
circles in favour of increased pay or shorter 
hours, there can be no doubt but that the 
influence of this agitation is spreading through 
all trades and vocations, and the market 
garden labourers have at length been brought 
within its influence. 
The weak point of the demand for increased 
pay in this field of labour is found in the 
comparatively unskilled nature of the labour 
in cpiestion, and the very moderate profits 
which now arise from market gardening. 
On the other hand, the work, if unskilled, 
does require considerable practice to make 
a really useful reliable labourer, and it is 
laborious work. To the rural agricultural 
labourer, who has to vegetate as best he 
can on a miserable pittance of 12s. to 14s. 
per week, the average weekly pay to market 
garden labourers—18s.—may seem a wonderful 
rise. The hours, however, from 6 a.m. to 
6 p.m. during the summer, are long, the labour 
hard, and rent necessarily high in all the 
metropolitan area, so that the wages are well 
earned and go none too far. 
The new demand seems to he for 20s. 
per week for men, also that the Saturday’s 
labour should cease at four o’clock. The 
demands are not at all unreasonable when 
compared with the pay and hours of labour 
found in other vocations, and the meanest 
of labour is fully entitled to. some shortening of 
the Saturday hours. As the labourers’ demand 
for increased pay seems to he based upon the 
hour time, it is obvious that shorter hours 
may be conceded without difficulty. There 
seems also to be a demand for better pay for 
women. Their hours, however, appear to 
range from 8 am. to 5, 5.30, and 6 p.m. 
under different employers. Throughout the 
whole of West Middlesex and a part of West 
Surrey, the market garden Avocation is an 
important one, and we hope the Avages dispute 
may be speedily and amicably settled. 
ffjuR Insect Enemies. —If Ave Avere to judge 
of the number of insect pests Avhicli 
abound in gardens, orchards, and fields, as 
told off in the reports furnished from time to 
time by that estimable, if prosy, lady, Miss 
Eleanor A. Ormerod, Ave might jump to the 
conclusion that during recent years these 
terrors of the gardener and farmer have 
enormously increased. Probably such is not 
the case—indeed, it may he quite the other 
Avay; but Ave have become better acquainted 
Avith these tiny creatures, and wider knowledge 
has perhaps been productive of exaggerated 
alarm. There ahvays have been myriads of 
insects to prey upon vegetation, and there 
always will be, especially when fostered by dry 
seasons. Perhaps mild open Avinters favour 
their development, as equally severe Aveather 
may help to destroy them ; but still these are 
only problematical notions, as it is exceedingly 
difficult to sIioav how far Aveather adversely 
affects insect production ; Avhilst so far Ave 
knoAv full Avell that dry parching weather does 
favour their generation. 
If Ave have learnt more about insects, so also 
are Ave Aviser as to antidotes; indeed, having- 
regard to the remedies advised or offered for 
sale, it seems wonderful that a single harmful 
insect should he left alive. We have as many 
small birds as ever, and these doubtless do 
immense good in repressing the spread of 
insect life. Could Ave net rid of sluns. Avire- 
worm, the winter moth, black-fly, and green¬ 
fly, Ave should find our Avorst enemies removed. 
All the rest seem to be comparatively small 
fry. These potent pests Ave have had with us 
from the Creation, and shall have to the 
crack of doom. HoAvever, it Avould be most 
unAvise to omit the employment of any form 
of insecticide or deterrent Avhich can be 
obtained and used with advantage. We can 
commend to the notice of readers a little Avork 
on “ Our Hardy Emits,” published by Messrs. 
Eyre & SpottisAvoode, Avhicli contains much 
information on insect pests, as also Miss 
Ormerod’s reports, respectfully urging that no 
probable antidote should he left untried, Avliere 
insects are Avorking mischief on vegetation. 
TEJancy Pansies. —There have of late been 
"*“1 brought into the London flower market, 
in large quantities, very fine and beautiful 
fancy Pansies. These, distributed in the ordi¬ 
nary two-dozen boxes all over the metropolis, 
and exposed in the shop windoAVS, have 
attracted attention and found ready purchasers. 
The plants are not merely well rooted and 
soiled, but each one is carefully grassed and 
tied, so that, kept moist, they Avould endure 
Avithout harm for a Aveek at least. Naturally, 
Avith so much care bestoAved, added to the 
remarkable size and beauty of the floAvers, the 
plants ’nave sold at good prices for ordinary 
market stuff, and been retailed at 3 d. and id. 
each. That these are good prices, Avill be 
understood Avhen it is known that scores of 
thousands of good Pansies—fancy, bedding, &c. 
—are sold at from 6 d. to 9 d. per dozen during 
the season. 
We have ascertained that, the very fine strain 
referred to is grown on the Kent side of 
London. They are raised from seed soavh 
about July, are dibbled into the best of highly 
manured soil, slightly sloping, and over these 
as the spring comes on are placed broad, Ioav 
frames and lights, keeping the plants also Avell 
Avatered ; they are brought into bloom in rapid 
succession, and the market is furnished over a 
long season. Of course the fine quality of the 
flowers is primarily due to the strain, hut some 
of the size is materially due to cultivation, 
whilst covering them Avith lights not only 
develops the blooms early, but evenly, so that 
with several ranges of frames at disposal, a long 
succession of flowers is maintained. 
The production of these beautiful Pansies is 
but another evidence of the care and fore¬ 
thought shown by some of our market growers 
in catering for the requirements of the public. 
Even the commonest of Pansies are pretty; 
but these superb fancies are grand—equalling 
the finest blooms seen on Scotch plants. We 
should like to see the strain far more plentiful, 
and the plants cheaper. The trade in them so 
far has shown that good things pay best, 
Avhilst the public prefer to be Avell served, even 
with such common hardy flowers as are Pansies. 
-- 
The Stirling Horticultural Society which was insti¬ 
tuted so long ago as 1812, ivill hold its annual exhibition 
on September 4th and 5th. 
Gardening Engagement.—Mr. W. Reeves, for the 
last seventeen years gardener to the late Mrs. Heal, of 
Finchley, as gardener to W. M. Chermery, Esq., 
Hatcliford Park, Cobliam, Surrey. 
Perfumed Essence of Jonquils and Violets.—The 
manufacture of essences from these subjects is a 
growing industry in the United States. Others are, 
of course, cultivated iu large quantities fir the same 
purpose. Iu South Carolina entire fields are planted 
with Tuberoses, at the rate of 120,000 per hectare (a 
little over acres). 
Fruit Trees by the Waysides. - Those who have 
the charge and maintenance of bridges and highways of 
the department of the Oise in France have decided to 
make plantations of fruit trees this spring, by way of 
trial, along one of the routes of their department. A 
commencement has been made by planting Apple trees 
for the production of Cider. 
The Pampas Grass as Hay.—In the neighbourhood 
of Santa Barbara, California, the Pampas Grass has 
become an important subject for cultivating on the 
prairies. At one time only a few pastures were devoted 
to it ; but experience has since shown that it gives a 
great quantity of herbage in a short time, and that hay¬ 
making requires but a minimum amount of labour. The 
popularity of this beautiful grass accordingly increases 
every year. 
A New Golden Cypress.—Under the somewhat incon¬ 
veniently long name of Chamiecyparis Boursieri West- 
ermani aurea, a beautiful new variety of Lawson’s 
Cypress is described, and a coloured plate accom¬ 
panying the description, in the Bulletin d'Arboriculture, 
de Floriculture, <L-c., for April. In this country the 
tree ivould be better recognised under the name of 
Cupressus Lawsoniana Westermani aurea. In habit it 
corresponds exactly with the type, but the foliage and 
branches present a charming and harmonious mixture 
of green, olive and gold hues, the two latter predomi¬ 
nating. We already possess a golden variegated 
variety named C. L. aureo-variegata, but certain of the 
branches or ultimate shoots only are golden ; and 
another sort named C. L. lutea, the branches and 
foliage of which are of a pale or light yellow. The 
new variety under notice was exhibited for the first 
time in the Casino at Ghent in 1888. If within a 
shade or two of being as fine as the figure represents it, 
no long time should elapse before it is plentiful in this 
country. 
.SONS. 
JOHN LAING & SOUS beg to 
t) offer Seed saved from Prize Plants. 
In illustrated packets. Choice Mixed 
Single or Double varieties, Is., 2s. Get., and 
5s. per packet. Collections, 12 named 
Single varieties, separate, 5s. Gtt,; 6 do., 3s. 
Tubers, named SiDgles, from 12s to 42s. 
01 per doz. ; unnamed Seedlings, 12s., 18s., 
'ny and 21s. per doz: Bedding, choicest. 6s. 
and 9s. per doz. ; choicest named Doubles, 
from 42s. per doz.; unnamed, very choice, 
24.s. and 30s. per doz. ; choicest Mixed, 
ISs. per doz. The best procurable. 
CATALOGUES gratis. 
