596 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 24, 1890. 
It is but a few weeks since that Mr. R. D. 
Blackmore foretold, because of the April 
frosts, the probable failure of the Pear crop, 
and was coarsely abused by a so called 
fruit culture journal. Good manners seem to 
need cultivation in that direction most. The 
prediction would appear, unless we have been 
misled, to have been amply verified, for from 
many directions comes the sad announcement, 
“ there are no Pears.” Perhaps some may 
mean but a thin crop, perhaps time may 
reveal a sprinkling; still, it would seem now 
utterly impossible that there can be many 
Pears generally this season. 
SShe Covent Garden Fete.— As these pages 
go to press, the Grand Floral Fete, in 
the Covent Garden Wholesale Flower Market, 
in aid of the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund, is in 
progress, and there is every prospect of its 
being visited by a large number of persons. 
That everything possible in the way of pro¬ 
viding a grand show of plants and flowers has 
been done goes without saying. Our friends, 
“the growers,” in Co vent Garden, are not the 
men to do things by halves, when to benefit a 
deserving charity is the object they have in 
view. They have again made the flower 
market a veritable floral palace, for literally 
the walls are of flowers, as almost is the floor 
of the A r ast building. Everjnvhere the eye 
rests on wonderful masses of flowers, relieved 
here and there by cool green foliage, and the 
air is redolent with the perfume of many 
popular, sweet-smelling blossoms. 
If the outcome of the fete be not a large 
sum for the Orphan Fund it will not be 
because the promoters have not done their 
best. Possibly, to many, the floral display 
in the Temple Gardens next week may seem 
thin and pale when compared with the vast 
bodies of bloom seen in Covent Garden; still, 
the material presented in each case will largely 
differ, and we hope to see a beautiful show 
on the Thames Embankment also, and a big 
attendance, which the promised presence of 
the Prince of Wales should help to produce. 
- -->=£<-- 
The Cheadle Floral and Horticultural Society's 
Show is announced to be held on August 15th and 
16th. 
Daphne Cneorum.—Some idea of the beauty of this 
sweet-scented, rose-pink, procumbent habited shrub 
may be gained from a couple of specimens in the 
garden of Messrs. Smith, at South Lodge, King’s Ride, 
Ascot. They each measure 17 ft. 6 ins. in circum¬ 
ference, are growing in the Bagshot sand, and have 
flowered regularly and abundantly for ten years. 
Broccoli, “April Queen.”—Mr. W. B. Hartland 
writes, under date of the 7th inst :—Allow me to 
supplement your recent note anent my April Queen 
Broccoli, by saying that I have this week had a plant 
photographed, of which the gross weight was 28 lbs., 
and the head, 18 ins. in diameter, perfectly solid and 
as white as snow. The foliage when extended spread 
out 5 ft. 
Protection of Gentiana lutea.—In the regions of 
Salzburg, where this Gentian grows wild in the Alpine 
meadows, which it beautifies during the early days of 
autumn, it is forbidden to dig up roots that are 
under f in. in diameter. By the time they have 
reached that size they are three years old. The natural 
seedlings therefore have two years to develop without 
disturbance. It may be remembered that the roots are 
much used in popular medicine, hence the object in 
digging them up in a wholesale manner. 
Hypericum Moserianum. — This is described as a 
hybrid between H. calycinum and H. patulum. The 
plant forms a bush about 1 yard in height, and pro¬ 
duces its large golden yellow flowers in great abundance 
throughout the summer. The individual blooms 
measure from 2| ins. to nearly 3 ins. in diameter, and 
are further beautified by a mass of stamens with red 
anthers encircling the ovary. There is a coloured figure 
of it in the Revue cle l’Horticulture Beige for May. 
Sutton’s Branching Broccoli.—We illustrated and 
described in The Gardening World for July 20th, 
last year, a new type of Broccoli sent us by Messrs. 
Sutton & Sons, Reading. It is characterised by its 
habit of giving off numerous branches from the base of 
the main stem, and all the lateral ones produce heads 
of usable size. They inform us that every plant in 
their trials again shows the sprouting character, thus 
indicating that the sprouting character is fixed. 
In proof of this they have sent us another of the 
giant, many-headed plants. The variety should meet 
the requirements of those who prefer a number of small 
heads to a single large one. 
A Tropical Forest Grove.—The courtyard at 18, 
Arlington Street, W., was on Monday night decorated 
in a most appropriate and exceptionally beautiful 
manner on the occasion of the entertainment of Mr. 
H. M. Stanley by Sir John and Lady Pender. The 
courtyard was transformed into a lovely tropical forest 
grove, gigantic Palms forming green canopies over the 
approach to the mansion, whilst from the centre of the 
large tent, mirrored baskets of novel design were hung, 
with electric-studded lights shining through them. 
The sides of the large teut were treated in a similar 
■way, and the boundary walls brilliantly lighted with 
various-coloured lights. The mansion itself was also 
superbly decorated with exotics, the whole of the 
decorations being carried out by Messrs. Wills & Segar, 
of South Kensington. 
Duty on Bulbs in America.—In the United States 
Circuit Court, New York, last month, Messrs. Aug. 
Rolker & Sons brought a test action against the 
American Government to recover a large sum which 
they claimed had been illegally collected from them by 
the Customs authorities, as duty on certain imported 
flower bulbs. The Customs collector had exacted a 
duty of 25 per cent., claiming that the roots imported 
should be classified as “ bulbous roots that are not 
medicinal.” The Messrs. Rolker considered that the 
bulbs should be admitted free, as they were “bulbs 
not edible nor advanced in value by process of manu¬ 
facture,” hence the action. The jury returned a 
verdict for the Government. 
A New Tanning Agent. — Under the name of 
Canaigre—sometimes corrupted to Gonagra—the roots 
of a species of Dock (Rumex hymenosepalum) have 
recently received a considerable amount of attention by 
analysts and others, to test what quantity of tannin 
the roots contain, with a view to cultivating the plant 
as a substitute for Gambier, also called Gambir, and 
Terra japonica (Unearia Gambir), a plant belonging to 
the Coffee family. This article hardly meets the 
demand, and is therefore dear and often adulterated. 
Both it and valonia, obtained from the galls of Quercus 
(Egilops and other species, are becoming a scarce com¬ 
modity, so that if Canaigre meets the greatly increasing 
demand of the article used for tanning leather, a new 
industry must spring up. The Dock in question is a 
native of Western North America, and is used in 
Texas and New Mexico for tanning purposes. Although 
recently it has received so much attention, its properties 
have been known to the natives for a great many years. 
Analyses have shown that the fleshy tuberous roots 
contain from 114 to 32 per cent, of tannin, according 
to their state, and in the dry and powdered condition 
they yield from 40 to 50 per cent. The plant is said 
to be an annual, and grows naturally in dry sandy 
regions, so that many suitable places could be found 
for its successful cultivation. 
Chrysanthemums for Easter.—A Chicago corre¬ 
spondent, writing to The American Florist, says :— 
Chrysanthemums at Easter are a novelty easily ob¬ 
tained, and we believe, from our own experience, would 
find a ready sale. The manner in which the plants 
were treated to secure this end was as follows : Young 
stock from 2-in. pots were set out on May 1st, and 
kept growing vigorously, due attention being given to 
pinching to make them sticky; by August 1st the 
plants were cut back one half of their growth, lifted 
and potted in 5-in. and 6-in. pots, the pots being 
plunged to the rims in soil or ashes. The plants now 
made a strong growth, and were well set with buds ; 
as soon as the buds were the size of a pea, water was 
withheld in order to blight them and give the plants a 
short resting season. After this was done a strong 
growth started from the roots, which was cut off as 
fast as it appeared, the object being to keep all the 
strength in the old stem. After the buds are blighted* 
water may be given occasionally, but not at any time 
enough to start a strong growth. About ten weeks 
before the plants are wanted in bloom trim them up, 
removing all dead leaves and branches, and give plenty 
of water, warmth, and sunlight if possible. We, 
however, grew quite a fine crop of blooms from plants 
[*This is a gardening term unknown to us in the sense here 
applied.—E d., G . IF.] 
under a bench, where they only received the sun in the 
afternoon, but they were much longer coming into 
bloom. The varieties we used for this purpose were 
Timbale d’Argent, Moonlight, Golden Prince, Culling- 
fordii, Golden Dragon, and Pink Perfection. — R. C. 
Bancroft, Chicago, III. 
-- 
POULETT LODGE, TWICKEN¬ 
HAM. 
Wep.e it not that this pretty river-side place has so 
long been associated with that estimable and well- 
known gardener, Mr. W. Bates, we perhaps should not 
now have referred to it. But concern for the future of 
our excellent friend induces us just now to mention 
the fact that Poulett Lodge and grounds will, on the 
29th inst., be submitted to the hammer, with what 
result, not only to itself, but to Mr. Bates, we cannot 
tell. Mr. Bates being of an active and energetic turn 
of mind, which has perhaps largely been created by 
the semi-urban position of this residence, has been 
literally from the first a member of the committee of 
the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund, for some time a member 
of the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, also for some years a member of the com¬ 
mittees of the Richmond,Twickenham, and Teddington 
Horticultural Societies, and theKmgstonChrysanthemum 
Society—pretty conclusive evidence that, horticulturally, 
our friend is no sluggard. Neither can the member of 
so many bodies be selfish, as the labour of attending 
so many committees includes also some considerable 
expense. It is, therefore, with some concern we learn 
that Poulett Lodge and its grounds is in the market, 
because changes of ownership often bring changes in 
the gardens, and it would be a matter for grave regret 
should the necessities of the case lead to the removal 
of Mr. Bates from Twickenham, where he has laboured 
so long for horticulture, and gained the esteem of 
so wide a circle of friends. 
Poulett Lodge, now the property of Mr. Nicholson, 
of Basing Park, Hants, immediately adjoins Twicken¬ 
ham Town, and is situate on the Middlesex side of the 
Thames, about midway between the famous Eel- 
pie Island and Pope’s Villa, the residence of Mr. 
Henry Labouchere, M. P. It is a large, bold house, 
the front of which faces the river, from which it is 
divided by a delightful sloping lawn, and a terrace- 
balustraded walk. The house front is charmingly 
dressed with tall, trained plants of Magnolia grandiflora 
and Ceanothus floribundus, the latter just now in beau¬ 
tiful bloom. The grounds, though not extensive on 
the river side, yet include a number of glass houses, 
devoted to fruit and flower culture, amongst which are 
stove plants, Orchids, Camellias, Azaleas, and Pelar¬ 
goniums, one house having Tropaeolum Fireball trained 
under the roof with fine effect. 
A couple of houses are devoted to Pines, chiefly 
Queens and Smooth Cayenne, one lot being just now 
in fine fruit. Melons and Cucumbers are being well 
done ; so are Peaches and Nectarines in a long range 
and an earlier house. Finally, there is the range of 
vineries, in the earliest of which are fine crops of Black 
Hamburgh, just ripening, Foster’s Seedling, and Buck- 
land’s Sweetwater. Madresfield Court is also fruiting 
well. A second house is nearly full of Hamburghs, the 
fruit swelling rapidly ; a third house is carrying a 
really fine crop of Muscat of Alexandria, the berries 
just thinned ; and a fourth, a mixed lot of Lady 
Downes, Muscats, &c., for late cutting. So that, 
altogether, the houses are admirably furnished, and 
they offer many temptations to intending purchasers to 
have a bid for so pretty a river-side residence. 
Mr. Bates has kept the place, although empty for a 
couple of years, in excellent condition, and it is shown 
to good advantage. Many are the wealthy people in want 
of a capital suburban residence within half-an-hour’s 
ride of London, commanding a fine view of the 
river Thames, and presenting ample opportunities for 
boating, garden parties, &c., who would doubtless like 
to become the owner of so desirable a property, and 
save it from the grip of the speculative builder-. The 
grounds are cut in twain by the main road to 
Teddington, which runs from Twickenham, and farther 
on skirts the river side. On the other side from 
the house are several acres of park land admirably 
timbered, and on one side bordered by an enclosure 
used as fruit and kitchen gardens. 
It has been suggested that rather than this park-like 
area should fall into the builder’s hands, it would 
be wise for the town to purchase it as a park for the 
inhabitants. For such purpose it would be a prize 
indeed, and of inestimable worth to the place. Situate 
right in the town, it would indeed be a misfortune were 
the space to be covered with houses, when it is so very 
admirably suited for a public park, and we can but 
hope, with our friend Mr. Bates, should it not fall 
into the hands of some wealthy buyer, who would wish 
to preserve it as private grounds, that no effort will 
be spared to secure it as a public park for Twickenham. 
