612 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
May 31, 1890. 
C M loral Debaucheries. —Even if we stand 
-R alone in the horticultural press, it is none 
the less our duty, as devoted lovers of flowers 
for their higher and purer qualities, to protest 
against the repetition of the discreditable scene 
witnessed in one of our so-called botanical 
gardens last year, and of which a printed 
schedule lies before us. It seems incredible that 
any one who claims to be truly horticultural or 
botanical in taste or sentiment can for one 
moment look with favour upon a scene un¬ 
seemly enough termed a floral parade, but 
which, because of the low and vulgar uses to 
which beautiful flowers are put, can only be 
described as a floral debauch. 
It is impossible to say one word honestly in 
defence of what we can but regard with sorrow 
and detestation. To degrade flowers by 
fantastically employing them in the decoration 
of carriages, horses, donkeys and asinine bipeds 
is a wanton desecration which must be pro¬ 
tested against. Funeral designs or suggestions 
are interdicted, they would too much resemble 
the funeral wreath at the Festival of Death ; 
and yet there would be special fitness in 
funeral designs at this feast, because they would 
indicate the death of true horticulture and the 
debasement of flowers. 
The Royal Horticultural Society professes 
to be the leader of horticulture in this country, 
and happily, with all its faults it has kept 
itself free from such absurdities and burlesques 
as have been fostered by its sister society. 
Will the Council, however, have courage to 
protest against this scandal 1 Hay, more, will 
the President of the Society, in his place in 
the House of Commons, ask whether it is 
for such scenes as these that a large portion 
of a Royal park has been granted to the 
Royal Botanic Society 1 It is time that true 
horticulturists rose in arms against what is 
as coarse and vulgar florally, as the bull-fights 
of the Continent are in humanity. 
•TS loral Beauty.— But a few weeks since 
R and we remarked upon the exceeding 
beauty'found in the expanding spring foliage 
everywhere. Now we may refer to the wondrous 
wealth of colour found in the almost universal 
bloom seen on trees and shrubs. It is not 
possible to turn in any direction where 
flowering trees and shrubs grow, without 
finding such marvellous beauty as to compel 
expressions of delight to fall even from the 
most florally satiated. Especially are ex¬ 
pressions of this kind evoked when in the 
presence of huge masses of Rhododendrons, 
Azaleas, and other of the numerous early 
blooming shrubs. The former especially give 
us such magnificent masses of glorious colour, 
that language almost fails to render full justice 
to what even the most expert of artists can 
but indifferently pourtray. How beautiful 
the entire country has been made by the 
introduction of exotic trees and shrubs ! 
A paper on these things may do a little to 
evoke interest in them, but a sight of the 
wealth found in any well-planted garden or 
in a hardy shrub nursery is worth a thousand 
papers in serving to stimulate the taste of 
the public for beautifying gardens, through 
the aid of hardy shrubs. Even in the hedge¬ 
rows the White Thorn is full of bloom, indeed 
a wonderful mass of flower. Rich and almost 
gorgeous are the crimson Thorns, even yet to 
be seen, whilst the Golden Laburnums have 
been replete with colour and heauty. It is 
worthy of note that, whilst the bloom on our 
hardy fruit trees—hardy rather more in name 
than in reality—expands in the treacherous 
spring time, and as a consequence suffers 
materially, -the wealth of purely decorative 
bloom found in gardens and hedgerows does 
not expand until danger from frost is past. 
Would that it were natural for our fruit trees 
to bloom later, and thus preserve to us their 
produce ! 
TIThe East Wixd. —Although the skies have 
been clear, and the sun shining bright and 
hot in the heavens, the wind during several 
days, and the Whitsuntide holidays especially, 
has been detestable. “ What a nasty wind ! ” 
has been the phrase in all our mouths; 
and all the same that it was so very dis¬ 
agreeable, it still blew and blew right from 
the east, sweeping over the open land or along 
the streets and roads with great force, parching 
the soil, and raising the dust in great clouds. 
In the towns the dust has been of the most 
punishing kind, blinding to the eyes and 
merciless to the flesh. Only where streets 
could be, as it were, literally flooded with 
water could the fierce pest be subdued. 
Out in the country the allaying of the 
minute particles was impossible; only a down¬ 
pour of rain would accomplish that, and the 
rain could only come when the wind had 
changed, or fallen. Such visitations from 
the east so seriously detract from the native 
charms of our spring and early summer time, 
that much that is lovely is otherwise seriously 
discounted. Enjoyment of nature, of flowers, 
of gardens, or of natural beauty of any kind 
seems impossible when a harsh cutting east 
wind prevails. Were a strict account of the 
wind’s doings kept, it would probably be 
found that it is fonder of the eastern position 
than of any other, and that in the early spring 
when west or south breezes with genial 
showers would be so acceptable for the 
welfare of our fruit crops, in cuts the evil 
genius, the Eastern Boreas, rude, bold and 
biting, and plays havoc with our fondest 
aspirations. To trace out the causes which 
operate to produce these frequent easterly 
winds would probably prove a severe task 
for the stoutest of meteorologists, and even 
did we know, there is little hope that we 
should be any the better for the knowledge. 
- ->*<* - 
Gardening Engagements.—Mr. Alexander Henderson, 
late gardener to Mrs. Banks, Jardine Hall, Lockerbie, 
N. B., as gardener to H. J. Younger, Esq., Benmore, 
Kilmun, N.B. Mr. Hugh Maxwell, foreman, Auehans 
House, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, as gardener to Lady 
Musgrave, Tourin, Waterford. 
The Northern Tasmanian Horticultural Society 
will be represented at the National Chrysanthemum 
Society’s Centenary Festival in November next, by 
Mrs. W. J. Thrower, a lady who takes great interest 
in the promotion of horticulture in that far off land, 
and who has promised to report in due time on what 
she sees at the London show. 
Osborn's Nursery, Hampton.—We understand that 
this nursery, which for some time has been in the pos¬ 
session of Mr. Turtle, has passed into the hands of 
Mr. J. Gough, who for some years past has been gar¬ 
dener at Harefield Grove, Uxbridge, that vast gardening 
establishment in which more glass has been put up 
during the last few years than has possibly been erected 
in any other private garden in Europe. Mr. Webster 
has engaged a successor to Mr. Gough, but his name 
has not yet been announced. 
Fruit, Prospects in Ayrshire.—-Mr. James Cocker, 
Lochryan, writing on Monday, says :—We have a good 
set of Plums and Cherries : and of Pears, much the 
finest set we have had since I have been here. The 
Jargonelle, Marie Louise, Easter Beurre, Beurre RaDce, 
Louise Bonne of Jersey, Williams’ Bon Chretien, 
Winter Nelis, and Swan’s Egg have all set heavy 
crops. 
Bees Swarming Early in the North of England.— 
Mr. J. Charlton, Farnley Grove Gardens, Corbridge-on- 
Tyne, writes: —It may interest your bee-keeping readers 
to know that a good swarm of bees was successfully 
hived at South Farm, Riding Mill-on-Tyne, on Saturday, 
May 1 7th, a remarkably early date for this district. 
Swarming became general in Northumberland on the 
21st inst., and stock hives are strong and healthy this 
season. With favourable weather a productive honey 
season is anticipated. 
Ware and District Horticultural Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Society.—This society has just completed its 
first session, meetings having been held fortnightly 
since December last. The meetings have been very 
well attended, not only by gardeners, but by amateurs 
and cottagers. It has been decided to hold the meetings 
monthly during the summer. Two meetings have been 
held during the past month. On the 6th of May a 
paper on “ Poinsettia Culture’’ was read by Mr. C. 
Anderson ; also on the 20th inst. a good muster of 
members assembled, the Rev. A. E. W. Lofts in the 
chair, to hear a paper on “Plants for Decorative 
Purposes,” by Mr. J. B. Riding. A lengthy discussion 
followed, to which the essayist replied, and the meeting 
terminated with the customary vote of thanks. 
The Fellow-flowered Pavia.—The trees of zEsculus 
flava, better known as Pavia flava, which are to be 
met with throughout this country, vary considerably 
in the colouring of their flowers, simply because many 
of them have been raised from seeds. The best forms 
can, however, be propagated by grafting upon the 
common Horse Chestnut. The increase or growth of 
stock and scion is not quite uniform, so that a great 
thickening often takes place at the point of union. 
This does not seem, however, to affect the health of 
the tree, for there is a specimen at Gunnersbury House, 
Acton, from 35 ft. to 40 ft. in height, with a broad 
and spreading head, now laden with its soft yellow 
flowers and orange anthers. The leaves consist of five 
lanceolate, elliptic, smooth and shining leaflets, which 
give the tree a more refined appearance than either the 
Horse Chestnut or zEseulus rubicunda, and they are of 
a lighter and more pleasing green than those of z£. 
rubra. 
Pot Vines at Gunnersbury House.—The house 
that was formerly used as a stove before this place 
changed hands, is now utilised as a vinery for the 
forcing of pot Vines. The pots were got in readiness 
and the house closed in December. The rods were of 
moderate length, so that two rows of them were put 
in to occupy the width of the house. While making 
growth they were liberally fed with liquid manure till 
the Grapes began to colour. Each rod carried on an 
average six bunches of good size and form. The variety 
used was Black Hamburg, and the first bunches were 
gathered cn the 3rd of May. 
Cercis siliquastrum.—There are comparatively few 
trees of this species in the country, of the same size as 
that grown at Gunnersbury House. As a rule it 
is tolerably floriferous, but on the present occasion it 
seems to have been more so than ever ; and the twiggy 
shoots were laden with rosy purple, pea-shaped flowers. 
The tree is grown against a wall with an eastern aspect, 
and only the main stems are nailed in, while all the 
twiggy young shoots are allowed to grow freely, so that 
masses of flowers are produced all along their length. 
Although tolerably hardy in the south, the tree is 
frequently grown against a wall. 
A Warning to Fruiterers, &c.—In the Sheriff Court, 
Aberdeen, on Thursday, the 22nd inst., before Sheriff 
Hamilton-Grierson, an action was raised at the instance 
of Messrs. Knowles & Son, gardeners and fruiterers, 
Union Street, Aberdeen, against Mr. George Jamieson, 
fruiterer, Market Hall, Aberdeen, to recover the sum of 
£1 11s. 2 d., for fruit supplied. The evidence for the 
plaintiffs was to the effect that they had been in the 
habit of supplying goods to the defendant, and that 
although the goods for the amount claimed were given 
to the defendant’s son, they understood they were for 
the defendant himself. For the defence it was brought 
out that father and son had each a stall in the Market 
Hall about the time the goods were supplied, and that 
the goods sued for were for defendant’s son, a youth of 
seventeen. The son ordered the goods, but was never 
asked by the plaintiffs whom they were for. The Sheriff, 
in giving his decision, said that if tradesmen chose to 
supply goods to people going into their shops without 
taking the trouble to acertain who they were, what they 
were, and what was their credit, they were sure to have 
hard luck whenever a question arose, and he thought 
this was what the plaintiffs would have in the present 
instance. He then found for the defendant. 
A Peculiar Practice in the Scotch Potato Trade.— 
A curious case of theft was tried in Edinburgh on 
Wednesday. A Potato merchant, having a store at 
Haymarket Station, charged another, whose premises are 
adjoining, with the theft of two bags of Magnum 
Bonum Potatos. It was disclosed in evidence that the 
complainant and another merchant had missed Potatos 
from their premises, and at six o’clock one morning 
they were watching in the store of the former when 
the prisoner opened the door, came in, and took two bags 
of Potatos. He was confronted by his fellow merchants, 
when he excused himself by saying that he had no 
Potatos in bag of the kind he wanted, and was taking 
these with the intention of paying for them afterwards. 
