692 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
July-5, 1890. 
prepare papers, hut also for the benefit of those 
who attend to listen. 
Having regard to the fact that the conference 
was specially called to deal with Strawberries 
and their culture as a market fruit, it was odd 
that none of the market growers were invited 
to present a paper on the subject. The form 
of selecting readers which now prevails is open 
to considerable objection, because it is not the 
way to secure the sympathy and support of the 
fruit-growing interest. So far, the lion’s share 
of the paper preparation has fallen to the 
newspaper and nursery interests, and it is 
about time these particular interests took a rest 
and left the field open somewhat to outsiders. 
When a medting intended to be of some two 
hours duration has its time occupied by a long 
preliminary paper from the chairman, and four 
other papers of some thirty to forty minutes 
duration, it is obvious that no time is left for 
discussion, whilst the patience of the listener is 
early exhausted. 
Henceforth we advise that the chairman’s 
remarks be brief and to the point, that the 
papers be limited to two at any one meeting, 
and of consecutive and coincident character. 
That reform will greatly help to render the 
conferences of the association more popular and 
practical. 
(ijfjEJiENTO mori.— There hangs before us a por- 
trait group of famous horticultural worthies 
which is of special interest just now because 
of the rapid passing away from life of those 
who form the sitters. The group is that 
of the committee of the Great International 
Horticultural Exhibition of 1866, an event at 
the time of exceeding interest, and which is 
not likely to have its position as the chief 
exhibition of the latter half of the nineteenth 
century contested by any similar show prior to 
1900. We referred last week, in our notice of 
the death of Mr. Benjamin S. Williams, to 
his connection with this committee, and a 
capital-portrait of our late friend, as he was 
then, is seen immediately above that of Dr. 
Masters,' who is still happily with us. 
It was in the working out of such a grand 
show as that of 1866 that Mr. Williams 
revelled. Of the twenty-one persons whose 
portraits are included in this very interesting 
memento of a great event in ; horticultural 
history, death has- carried off the large majority. 
The chairman, Sir C. Wentworth I)i4ke ; Ms 
right hand supporter, Thomas MoOre; James 
Veitch, Thomas Osborn, John Standish, Charles 
Turner, Charles Lee, Robert Fortune, John 
Fleming, Charles Edmunds, and last of all 
B. S. “Williams, and one or two others, of less 
note have departed this life. Of those'still with 
us Robert Hogg, Maxwell T. Masters, Professor 
Bentley, Harry J. Veitch, the venerable John 
Lee, William Bull, William Paul, Richard 
Dean, and. Sir Daniel Cooper, the. esteemed 
treasurer, figure prominent in the picture, and 
long may it be ere it shall be our duty to record 
the passing away of any of them. 
Probably could this most interesting group 
be reproduced, as it might be under our modern 
photographic capacities with ease and excellence, 
copies would be in considerable demand, as 
many gardeners would like to secure so 
interesting a memento,, and which^gMijsPin 
melancholy importance" as Hie years roll on. 
The group was photographed in the grounds of 
the Star and Garter Hotel, Richmond, soon 
after the close of the exhibition. 
-- 
Veitch’s Manual of Orchidaceous Plants.—We have 
received a copy of Part vi. of this useful publication, 
which is devoted to the genera Arundina, Bletia, 
Broughtonia, Calanthe, Coelogyne, Chysis, Diacrium, 
Epidenarum, Ipsea, Nanodes, Pachystonia, Phaius, 
Phaiocalanthe, Pleione, Spathoglottis, Thunia, and 
Triehosma. 
Heath of Mr. Francis N. Dancer.—We learn with 
regret of the death at Ea.ling, on the 29th ult., of 
Mr. Francis IST, Dancer, in his seventy-fifth year. 
Mr. Dancer, who was a member of the old Fulham 
family of that name, was a market gardener for many 
years at Little Sutton, Chiswiek, and was well known 
in his day as one of the most skilful cultivators of 
hardy fruits in West Middlesex, a man of high intel¬ 
lectual attainments, and much respected. He was for 
a long time a member of the Fruit Committee, hut for 
some years past he had been a confirmed invalid, and 
practically dead to the horticultural world, and the 
hulk of the land he cultivated has long since passed 
into the hands of the builders. 
Pliacelia eampanularia. —This lovely deep blue 
hardy annual is a most attractive subject on the warm 
sunny borders of St. John’s College, Oxford. It seems 
impossible to say too much in praise of the lovely blue 
of its chalice-sliaped flowers. It is of dwarf growth, 
and throws its flowers quite erect, and in shape they 
resemble a Whitlavia or a Nemophila. Its stems are 
unfortunately rather fragile, which prevents it from 
being utilized to any extent for floral decoration. To 
do it full justice the seeds should he sown in a light 
warm soil in a sunny position. I do not think we have 
any blue hardy annual to touch it for depth and 
brilliancy. 
Clove Culture.—The Clove Tree was introduced into 
Zanzibar about the year 1830, and its cultivation now 
forms the chief industry of the islands of Zanzibar and 
Pemba. The chief supply of cloves is obtained from 
these islands. Consul Pratt, who has lately written a 
report on the Clove culture of Zanzibar, says that a 
ten-year old plantation should produce an average of 
20 lbs. of cloves to a tree. Trees of twenty years 
frequently produce upwards of 100 lbs. each. Mr. 
Pratt reports that the yield of the present season will 
probably exceed that of any previous season, and 
amount to 13,000,000 lbs., averaging a local value of 
10 cents per lb.— Society of Arts Journal. 
The Late Mr. W. H. Baxter.—We are indebted to 
a correspondent for the following note respecting this 
most estimable old gentleman, whose recent death was 
briefly recorded in our last issue : —“Previous to coming 
to Oxford, the late Mr. Baxter laid out and afterwards 
superintended a botanical garden at Bath. He held 
the Curatorship of the Oxford Botanic Garden about 
forty years. In 1886 he was appointed Superintendent 
of the University Parks, at the same time retaining his 
position at the Botanic Gardens, which he held until 
December last, when he retired on a pension of £100 
a year from the University. He prepared the supple¬ 
ments to Loudon’s Hortus Britannicus and Bncyclo- 
pcvdia of Plants, and laid out several gardens in the 
neighbourhood of Oxford—notably the gardens and 
pleasure grounds at Headington Hill Hall. He also 
subsequently compiled a most interesting descriptive 
handbook of the trees and shrubs, &e., there planted.” 
Insect and Weed Destroyers.—A few weeks ago we 
.received samples for trial of the “Swift and Sure” 
Insecticide and “Perfect Weed Killer,” manufactured 
by the Horticultural and Agricultural Chemical Co., 
97, Milton Street, Glasgow, and are now enabled to 
give a good word for both. The Weed Killer was tried 
on a patch of unusually strong plantains and docks 
mingled with grass ; in three days they began to look 
poorly, and in four or five days the plantains resembled 
brown paper, and the grass was as yellow as a guinea, 
pretty good proof of the effectiveness of the composi¬ 
tion. The “Swift and Sure Insecticide” is one of the 
several paraffin emulsions now in the market, and a 
very good article too. It is safe and effective when 
applied with a syriDge at the strength indicated by the 
manufacturers, and when made a little stronger for 
washing plants with a sponge is death to all the herd 
of common iusect pests which infest plants. Horti¬ 
culturists owe a great deal to the late Dr. Newington, 
for his discovery of the value of paraffin as an insecticide, 
and to the chemists who now prepare it for use iu a 
safe and easy manner. The Horticultural and Agri¬ 
cultural Chemical Co. also make a horticultural shading 
preparation, which has stood the drenching showers of 
the last week or two with remarkable persistency. 
A Baml of Hope for Bees.—“An Alarmed One” 
writes : That there is a strong necessity for some such 
movement as this is seen from the following extract 
from The Scotsman newspaper. It is headed “Bees 
Getting Drunk,” and the writer states, “Near my 
present ‘diggings,’ as the students say, there is a 
species of Willow-tree, which is at present in flower. 
Attached to these flowers (which resemble an old- 
fashioned bottle-brush), ape to be seen a number of ‘ big 
black bumbees ’ of schoolboy days. They remain a 
whole day sipping the extract or juice, and then drop 
helplessly to the ground, hardly able to move, and nest 
morning are almost dead from exposure. One was 
observed to climb a vertical board of a few inches, and 
when near the top throw out its legs spasmodically, 
and then fall back trembling to the ground. The 
correspondent thinks that the juice of the willow 
stupifies or intoxicates the bees, as overdoses of alcohol 
or distilled spirits do in the ease of creatures placed 
higher upon the biological ladder.” Will someone tell 
us who are bee-keepers what this dreadful tree is, that 
we may at once take immediate steps to keep our bees 
from contact with it? Can yon suggest some means of 
administering to the bees the total abstinence pledge ? 
Or can legislative action be taken with a view to 
cutting down every tree of this species of Willow which 
lifts its head on high in any part of the laud ? 
The Late Mr. B. S. Williams.—The mortal remains 
of the late Mr. B. S. Williams were consigned to their 
last resting-place in the Highgate New Cemetery, on 
Monday last, in the presence of the several members of 
the family, the whole of the employes in the nursery, 
and a large number of personal friends, amongst whom 
were Mr. H. J. Yeitch, Mr. Hugh and Mr. Elward 
Low, Mr. F. Sander, Mr. H. J. Cutbush, Mr. E. 
Shuttleworth, Mr. W. Coomber, Mr. B. Wynne, Mr. 
W. Burton, Mr. W. H. Gower, Mr. Segar, Mr. J. N. 
Fitch, Mr. T. Baines, Mr. G. T. White, Mr. W. H. 
Protheroe, Mr. E. Sawyer, Mr. Minns, Mr. W. J. Brewer 
(Messrs. H. M. Pollett& Co.), Mr. Comlie, Mr. Davey, 
and Mr. W. Collins, representing the United Horticul¬ 
tural Provident and Benefit Society. The coffin was 
completely hidden in wreaths and other memorial floral 
devices, mainly composed of Orchids, and most con¬ 
spicuous among which was a large anchor, composed 
entirely of the finest Orchid blooms that could be 
obtained, and bearing the letters B. S. W. worked out 
in blooms of Epidendrum vitellinum majus. It was a 
beautiful specimen of the florist’s art, made by Mr. 
Storey, the firm’s able decorator, and was the employes’ 
token of esteem and regard for the old master. At the 
conclusion of the ceremony, the employe— about 100 
in number—passed round the grave, and dropped on to 
the coffin a small bunch of Pansies, the good old man’s 
first love in floriculture. A general desire has since 
been expressed by many of the personal friends of the 
deceased that a memorial should be raised to perpetuate 
his memory in connection with the Gardeners’ Orphan 
Fund. A more appropriate form of memorial could 
hardly be suggested, and we hope the movement will 
soon take a tangible form. 
The Birmingham Gardeners’ Association.—This 
society—now a very strong one—holds its fortnightly 
meetings from September until the end of April, and 
in the summer time the members have not hitherto 
met, except for the annual outing in July. It was 
thought advisable to alter the practice a little, and 
have two special meetings—one in June for cut herb¬ 
aceous plants, and another at the end of August for 
Dahlias, Hollyhocks, and other autumnal flowers. The 
June meeting took place on the evening of the 24th 
ult., in the Midland Institute, Birmingham, the head¬ 
quarters of the association, anti a few leading culti¬ 
vators were asked to send a few specimens of the choicer 
kinds, when a generous response was accorded. The 
committee had the flowers nicely arranged in bottles in 
the separate groups from each exhibitor, and it proved 
to be the largest and best display of cut hardy herb¬ 
aceous plants ever seen in Birmingham. There was a 
good attendance of members. Time was allowed for an 
inspection, and one of the committee drew attention to 
the leading kinds, when a discussion followed. Messrs. 
Harkness & Sons sent a good collection, containing 
many fine kinds. Messrs. Backhouse & Sons also 
kindly contributed a very interesting batch of plants, 
including some beautiful Pamnies ; and Mr. T. S. Ware 
sent a large collection, amongst which were some fine 
Liliums and other most useful kinds. Messrs. Kichard 
Smith & Co. sent a nice assortment of choicer kinds 
and superb Peonies, Messrs. Sutton & Sons contributing 
new Sweet Peas, herbaceous plants, and some splendid 
Gloxinias. Messrs. Hewitt k Co. sent an excellent 
stand of choice herbaceous plants, and very line seed¬ 
ling Begonias ; Mr. Child, Acock Green, also showing 
an excellent stand ; while two local gardeners—Mr. 
Jinks and Mr. Cryor—contributed valuable displays of 
hardy cut flowers. The meeting was such a genuine 
success, and evidently so interesting to the members, 
judging from so many taking notes, that the autumn 
gathering is looked forward to with great interest. The 
flowers were afterwards sent to the hospitals. 
