320 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 20, 1894. 
seems in such cases to be the first hunting 
ground of the family economist. Jt is no 
wonder in such instances as the present 
that far too large a proportion of gar¬ 
deners, young and old, are out of employ¬ 
ment. Then orders have to be limited 
also, so that the seed and nursery _ trade 
suffer. It is a process that from its in¬ 
ception to its end produces loss and sorrow 
over a wide area. 
It is, of course, useless to shut our eyes to 
the fact that whilst we are quiet and calm 
at home, there is far too much of strife, 
contention, uneasiness, and disturbance in 
many other parts of the world, and when 
these conditions exist there must be trade 
troubles also. Politically the world is in a 
condition of ferment, and great changes 
seem to be imminent. Still we do most 
fervently hope that very soon indeed there 
may come peace, confidence, and trade 
activity, so that all sections and vocations, 
gardening especially, may share in the 
general prosperity. 
Whe Late William Ixgram. —By the 
death, on the gth inst., of this well- 
known gardener, horticulture has lost one 
of her most distinguished sons. How many 
years has the name of Ingram been identi¬ 
fied with gardening ? Almost a century, 
for the late member came from a family of 
gardeners, men all eminent in their pro¬ 
fession, though some have added greater 
lustre to it than has the recently deceased. 
Amongst the craft, “ Ingram of Belvoir ” 
was better known than the noble family he 
served so long and so well. To us who have 
seen Belvoir, enjoyed Mr. Ingram’s hospi- 
talit}’, and admired wnth the pleasure, that 
seemed to find no language fitly to express 
how intense it was, the wondrously beauti¬ 
ful effects created by his genius, his loss 
indeed seems irreparable. 
William Ingram v/as an object of 
veneration. Belvoir had no association 
that was not identified with his name. It 
was he who made the spring gardening 
there the most beautiful feature of the 
kind to be found, possibly in the wdiole 
world. Belvoir was essentially a show 
place, but then it had peculiarities parti¬ 
cularly its own, so different from what may 
be found in the other show places of the 
kingdom. It seemed to need and probably 
was the hand of man that converted its 
comparatively dull wooded or bald slopes 
and glades into the marvellously beautiful 
garden which William Ingram gradually 
evolved. To see Belvoir in the height of 
its great beauty in the spring was a joy 
once realised never to be forgotten. 
But William Ingram was a great gar¬ 
dener also. He was a man of very wide 
and diversifiedknowledge, a prince amongst 
his compeers, and it will be difficult to find 
a man who can absolutely fill the void his 
death has created. Belvoir is indeed one 
of the prizes of the profession, and we 
hope will be filled by some one who wears 
professional!}’ as well as officially the 
mantle of the deceased gardener. It is 
very sad thus early in the New Year to 
have to record so great a loss to our 
beloved profession. 
f ARDEN Novelties. —We are now again 
in the season of novelties. Our trade 
lists overflow with them, and if they do, to 
some extent, seem to possess an element of 
sameness, we have to remember that 
progress in improvement in all things must, 
of necessity, be slow. Still for that very 
reason it is certain. It may be all very well 
to indulge in criticisms of the “novelty” 
aspect of the seed or trade lists, but we may 
remember that to those in trade the seeking 
for and securing of the very best products 
in every section of gardening is of the first 
importance for the securing of success, just 
as those for whose benefit this novelty 
catering is specially furnished desired such 
provision for their behoof, and would regard 
the absence of the novelty element as indi¬ 
cative of waning prestige or of declining 
business capacity. 
Practically the novelty lists do not in all 
cases, possibly in very few, mean to convey 
the impression that w’hat is thus offered is 
absolutely new. It may be but a selection 
of an old stock, or a well established thing 
that finds ample room for wider cultivation. 
These are, perhaps, trifling reasons, but at 
least they serve to show the high estimation 
in which a trade house may hold certain 
strains or stocks, and which, by including 
them in the novelty list, they seek to convey 
to their customers. But even if there does 
sometimes seem to be in these select lists 
some sort of resurrection of what was almost 
dead, there can be no question whatever 
but that in the bulk they illustrate that 
intense, earnest effort on the part of our 
horticultural trade to secure in many direc¬ 
tions the best possible as also the newest. 
For all this effort, even if some of it 
seems exaggerated, yet is not horticulture 
so much the richer. We have ever found 
that those who offer novelties have in them 
the most perfect faith. That is a pleasant 
feature, and one that we are gratified to 
see, because it shows that ■whatever the 
public verdict on their respective merits 
later, at least all these things are offered in 
good faith, and in good faith they should 
all be tested. 
-- 
The Deepdene, Dorking.—We understand that this 
palatial seat has been leased by Lord F. Clinton 
Hope to Her Grace Lily Duchess of Marlborough, 
and that Mr. Chamberlain, foreman to Mr. Whillans 
at Blenheim Palace, has been engaged as Her 
Grace’s head gardener. 
Mr. J. Peebles has been appointed superintendent 
of Parks at Stockton-on-Tees, in succession to Mr. 
Mann who has retired. 
Messrs. Pitcher and Manda.—We understand that 
Mr. W. A. Manda has severed his connection with 
the great nursery establishment carried on at Short 
Hills, New Jersey, U.S.A., which in future will be 
conducted under the direct personal control of Mr. 
J. R. Pitcher. 
Presentation to Miss Sander.—On the occasion of 
her marriage at St. Albans on Wednesday to Mr. H. 
G. Moon, Miss Sander was presented by her father’s 
employes with an exceedingly handsome black 
marble clock, with Corinthian columns and bronze 
mountings, which bore the following inscription :— 
'■ Presented to Miss Sander on her marriage, by the 
employes of F. Sander & Co., with hearty good 
washes from all. January lyih, 1894.” 
Royal Horticultuial Society.—The annual meeting 
of this Society will be held on Tuesday, February 
13th, when, as members of the Council, Sir A. J. 
Arbuthnot, K.C.S.I., Sir John Edwards Moss, Bart., 
and Mr. Charles E. Shea will be recommended for 
election as members of the Council, in the place of 
Messrs. S. Courtauld, D, Morris, and G. Paul. 
Manchester Flower Show.—The exhibitions of the 
Manchester Botanical and Horticultural Society for 
the present year will be held as follows :—-First 
Spring Show at the Towm Hall, 13th and 14th 
March; second Spring Show at the Town Hall, 
24th April; Grand National Horticultural Exhibi¬ 
tion opens at the Gardens, nth May; Rose Show 
at the Gardens, 21st July ; Chrysanthemum Show at 
the Town Hall, 20th and 21st November. 
Another People’s Park.—It is now definitely decided 
to spend the sum of £10,000 in suitably laying out 
land at Davenport for a people’s park. The land 
comprises some thirty-five acres, purchased by the 
Town Council at a cost of ^5,000. If the present 
proposals are carried out, there is no doubt the park 
will be one of a model character, and from the 
peculiar nature of the soil special growths of trees 
and shrubs will be general and not exceptional. The 
Local Government Board have been applied to for a 
loan of £10,000 to extend over fifty years. 
Death of Mr. W. H. Williams.—With deep sorrow, 
which will be shared in by a wide circle of friends, 
we have to announce the death, at Oakhurst, 
Salisbury, on Sunday morning, of Mr. Walter 
Henry Williams, of the firm of Keynes, Williams & 
Co., aged 31 years. Mr. Williams purchased the 
business of the late Mr. John Keynes when a very 
y’oung man, and carried it on with so much tact and 
urbanity as to gain for him the warm respect and 
esteem of all who knew him. Sad, indeed, it is that 
a young man of so much promise should have been 
taken from amongst us in the prime of life, and 
universal sympathy will be felt for his young widow 
and only child. 
The Wolverhampton Floral Fete.—The dates fixed 
for the 1894 Exhibition are July loth. nth, and i2th| 
and the schedule, liberal as it has been in large 
prizes, is still further to he augmented, an additional 
£20 being added to the la'ge groups, and special 
prizes are to be offered for groups of hardy flowers, 
and collections of Violets and Pansies are to be 
encouraged. Increased prizes are also to be given 
to collections of vegetables. There is a reser\’e 
fund of ;^i,8oo, and large sums have been con¬ 
tributed at various times from the profits of the 
Society towards the improvement of the park in 
which the exhibition is held. 
Amateur Theatricals at Norwich.—On Thursday 
the employes of Messrs. Daniels Bros, gave a 
creditable dramatic entertainment in the Assembly 
Room of the Agricultural Hall in aid of the funds of 
the Asylum and School for the Blind. Mr. A. F. 
Upstone had undertaken the arrangements, and his 
efforts were rewarded by a large attendance, the 
room being crowded in every part. The piece 
staged was the operatic burlesque, " The Illustrious 
Stranger,” in two acts. The scene was laid in an 
island off the coast of Malabar, and the leading 
character of Benjamin Bowbell, a shipwrecked 
sailor, was admirably impersonated by Mr. W. 
Hannan Elson, and W. P. Widdows, as Gimbo, the 
undertaker and embalmer to Aboulifar, the king of 
the island, left nothing to be desired. The role of 
Princess Irza was well sustained by Mr. E. Town¬ 
send, and Mr. A. F. Upstone made a capital Eastern 
potentate. An efl&cient band, under the conductor- 
ship of Mr. Mat Clarke, was in attendance, and 
enlivened the intervals by several first-class selec¬ 
tions. 
Flower Trade of thi Scilly Islands.—The extra¬ 
ordinary weather of the last few weeks has done no 
good to the Narcissus growers of Scilly. Indeed, 
the out-door growth has been sadly put back, and 
but for the quantities grown under glass—quantities 
annually increasing—the supplies to the market 
would have been considerably more limited than they 
have. As it is, prices have risen. This is unavoid¬ 
able, and the necessity regrettable. Under any cir¬ 
cumstances, the demand for choice flowers has been 
comparatively small, even with the diminished 
supply, and when the bad times are taken into consi¬ 
deration, and the fact that wholesale prices have 
risen fifty per cent., it is a bad look out for the 
growers of Scilly. Early flowers throughout Corn¬ 
wall have also suffered much from the severity of the 
weather, and the quantities likely to be exported to 
the markets this }'ear will be considerably under the 
ordinary, and at the best, very late. Violets are, it 
is true, pretty plentiful, for which there is a large 
demand. The first consignment of Scilly Narcissi, 
grown in the open took place on Tuesday this week, 
when 200 bunches were packed. Vegetables are 
looking well, and are as plentiful as cheap. Large 
quantities are being sent to the London and Midland 
markets. 
Our Season Reversed at the Antipodes.—News from 
New Zealand on the last day of November last 
would seem rather paradoxical here, particularly if 
read on the same date. Just about that time the 
Rose show, which was arranged to take place on 
December yth, was altered to take place on the fifth 
of that month. Our Chrysanthemum shows were a 
thing of the past with exception of the mid-winter 
show of the National Chrysanthemum Society. 
The information at the end of November was that 
Chrysanthemums should be put in their flowering 
pots, if they were to be grown into specimens for 
autumn decoration. Practically then it was about 
midsummer in that part of the world. The Canter¬ 
bury Times of Christchurch said that advantage 
would be taken of the moist weather to transplant 
Onions, Beet, and Parsley. For the sake of 
