352 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February' 8, 1894. 
same, exhibitors, even though they found 
all their prize-money so honourably and 
promptly paid in 1892, yet must have 
realised that in exhibiting they ran risks, 
as it was but too evident that the shows 
were but so many financial speculations, to 
be rejoiced over if they were profitable, 
and to be repudiated, perhaps, if unsuccess¬ 
ful. The failure, too, on the part of the 
promoters to make good their promises 
with regard to the charities should also 
have operated as a warning. 
It was easy to see at the shows of the 
past year that the attendance of the public 
was small and unpromising, though 
undoubtedly the shows were excellent 
ones, and much appreciated by all who 
saw them. All the same, it can but be 
best when exhibitions of the nature 
referred to are promoted essentially in the 
interest of horticulture. If we except the 
Crystal Palace Company from this inclu¬ 
sion, it is because the directors of that 
noble building have ever shown a real 
desire to promote horticulture as far as lay 
in their power, and they always had the 
entire confidence of exhibitors. It is 
specially for this reason that with so many 
others we deplore the non-revival, so 
much desired, of the former fine autumn 
fruit exhibition at the Palace. 
^HE Busy Bees. —These favoured insects 
of song have reason to complain 
seriously of the measure of notoriety meted 
out to them by the members of the Horti¬ 
cultural Club. Dr. Watts, that illustrious 
hymnologist and composer of sacred as 
well as moral dogmas, made our childhood 
familiar with the habits of the bees, lauding 
them for their industr}^ skill and enter¬ 
prise. especially in improving “ the shining 
hour”—ominous phrase in these days, 
when that seems to be the function of the 
scamps and scoundrels of humanity. Not 
that the bee is one or other of these 
beings, but it is all the same ver’}' much of 
a humbug. Not, again, that the bee has 
srt up as such, but poets and scientists so- 
called have striven to set the bee on a 
pedestal of marvellous usefulness to 
humanity, and now their humbug is at last 
being found out. 
The busy bee is being dethroned from 
his pride of place, his potency as an agent 
in the production of floral fertilisation is 
not merely questioned, it is denied. 
Practically we have been, in the great 
matter of fertilisation, giving to the bee 
credit which really belonged to the pure 
forces of Nature, perfect floral structures, 
or atmospheric actions. The declarations 
antagonistic to bee uses in this direction, 
made at the Horticultural Club, shows that 
we are getting on. It does not seem so 
long since that the man who would 
question the fertilising value of the bee 
would have been consigned to Coventry as 
an entomological heretic. 
Happily now, after the publication of 
the recent discussion on this subject at the 
Hotel Windsor, we may breathe again,and 
need not dread the darts of the entomo¬ 
logists, which are sharper than the stings 
of the bee itself. It is a good thing that 
this insect fetish has thus been rudely de¬ 
throned. The eulogies of the bee as a 
fertiliser wont stand the test of observation. 
Theories established to suit fetishes wont 
long endure close practical inquir}?. 
^ARNATiONS.—Hardy and easy of cultiva- 
^ tion generall)^ as these are, there can 
be no doubt but that this popularity is 
materially affected adversely by the diffi¬ 
culty many growers of Carnations experi¬ 
ence in keeping plants through the winter 
free from the Dianthus disease or fungus. 
This trouble respects no plants or growers. 
It is alike a pest wherever conditions to its 
existence are favourable, and there are few 
varieties that are not at times amenable to 
the fungus. 
Whilst we hear constantl}'- complaints 
of the great evils resulting from the fun¬ 
gus, we also not unfrequently learn of 
stocks that escape quite unharmed, and it 
would be of the utmost value could those 
who thus suffer nothing be induced to 
clearly define, not only the conditions of 
culture, but also position and climatic 
surroundings. Thus, of plants grown 
through the winter in houses and in warmth 
we rarely hear of mischief being done, yet 
plants of similar varieties or constitutions 
kept in cool frames suffer much. Again, 
we hear of plants growing out of doors, if 
in rather flat or low lying situations, being 
much harmed, whilst others planted in 
higher situations, and where there is much 
less of humidity, being uninjured. One of 
the most remarkable batches of Carnations 
wintered in this exposed way were in pots 
standing on one side of a nursery road run¬ 
ning north and south, swept by fierce 
winds, and yet out of hundreds of plants, 
and all good sorts, not a plant was any the 
wmrse for the exposure. 
The moral of this seems to be that 
neither frost nor fungus will harm ourCarna- 
tions so long as we expose them to an active 
atmosphere,and keep them fairly dry during 
winter. If the fungus can be kept at bay 
during the period of rest, it will hardly do 
harm when the plants are in full growth. 
If the Carnation be of a somewhat alpine 
habit,should we not act wisely in endeavour¬ 
ing to furnish it in the winter with natural 
climatic conditions. Dressing with various 
materials seems so far not to have proved 
very successful, but we have not yet learned 
whether the Bordeaux mixture has been so 
far tested. 
- mtm- - 
The Croydon Chrysanthemum Society’s Show is 
announced to be held on November 6th and 7th. 
Mr. W. H. Divers, who for some years has been 
gardener to J. T. Hopwood, Esq., Ketton Hall, 
Stamford, is engaged to succeed the late Mr. W. 
Ingram as gardener to the Duke of Rutland at 
Belvoir Castle. 
Royal Botanic Society of London.—At a meeting of 
this society held last Saturday, Mr.J. Bell Sedgwick 
in the chair, some very beautiful seedling Amaryllis, 
raised by Mr. H. Perkins, gardener to the Hon. S. 
D. Smith, of Greenlands, Henley-on-Thames, were 
exhibited, and received a Certificate of Merit. 
Early Potato Planting has become general in the 
open-air among the sheltered nooks of West Corn¬ 
wall, but some seed Potatos are frosted. The bright 
warm weather which has set in at Scilly has done 
much go..d to the Narcissi crop. On light sandy 
soils the drought of last year is felt still, thousands 
of bulbs that flowered then being belated now, owing 
to the inability of the bulbs to make their usual 
growth. 
Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund —At the monthly 
meeting of the Committee on the 26th ult., the 
special receipts announced were as follows :—Mr. F. 
Capp, gardener, Newport House, Eardsley, proceeds 
of a concert, £6 ; Tunbridge Gardeners' Association, 
from sale of flowers, £2 15s. 3d.; Mr. Herbst, 
Richmond, £i is.; collecting boxes : Mrs. Wfllls, 
South Kensington, 12s., and Mr. A. J. Elphinstone, 
Henley Park Gardens, Guildford, £1 is. 6d. 
Fiuit growing in Colorado.—A Denver correspon¬ 
dent writes in a Manchester contemporary :— 
Colorado now has 45,000 acres planted to fruit and 
at least another 10,000 acres will be planted next 
spring. Although the larger portion of the orchards 
were planted within the last three years, the value 
of the fruit crop of 1893 was /5oo,ooo, with a 
certainly that in a few years the state will export 
instead of import fruit. The annual value of the 
pastoral, agricultural and horticultural produce of 
Colorado for 1893 was at least /8,000,000, t.e., con¬ 
siderably more than the entire mineral output. 
The Queen and the Wisbech Fruit Industry. —Mr. 
Richard H. Bath, of the Wisbech fruit farms, has 
forwarded to the Queen some particulars of the fruit¬ 
growing industry in the Wisbech district, together 
with a water-colour painting by Marie Low of some 
Empress pansies grown in the neighbourhood. Lieut. - 
Colonel Arthur Bigge, assistant private secretary 
to her Majesty, writes in acknowledgment : — " I am 
commanded to convey to you the Queen s thanks for 
the interesting details relating to the fruit and vege¬ 
table farms in Wisbech, and also for the painting of 
the group of Empress pansies which you were kind 
enough to offer for her Majesty’s acceptance." 
The Liverpool Cure for Rheumatism. — “ Argus,” 
writing in Land and IVaiey of the 27th ult., says :— 
A very curious proof of the efficacy of faith, came to 
my notice this week. A painter, well-known in 
London Society, and by no means undistinguished 
in his art, has suffered, as many landscape painters 
do by reason of the exigencies of their vocation, from 
rheumatism, for many years. One day he heard of 
what is called the Liverpool Cure, which consists of 
carrying a raw potato at all times in the left hand 
breeches pocket. Despite the chaff of friends the 
idea attracted him. He thought there was some¬ 
thing in it, and he adopted it. From the day he 
first wore Sir Walter Raleigh’s tuber to the present 
time he has never had a twinge. 
" Autumn Tints ” in January. —A South Kensington 
Correspondent writes to a contemporary:—I don’t 
know w’hether people who look for "autumn tinted 
foliage ’ after Christmas should be protected against 
themselves. It may, however, interest you to know 
that the demand for these artistic floral decorations 
has induced a supply which will no doubt be forth¬ 
coming all the year round. My wife, last week, 
bought some sprays of "copper beech" from a 
flower seller in High-street, Kensington, and used 
them in vases. A leaf or two happened to find its 
way into the water, which forthwith turned a delicate 
pink. Struck by this phenomenon, and fore-seeing 
a colossal fortune in a new dye, I examined the 
leaves. Under several I found a deposit of pinkish 
powder adhering, and further experiment disclosed 
the fact that the leaves had been carefully dyed. 
The Kingston Chrysanthemum Society. —We regret 
to learn that there is a possibility that this well 
known Society may lose its popular Secretary, Mr. 
George Woodgate, who succeeded the late Mr. T. 
Jackson in the office, and has done the work so 
admirably. It is very distressing to learn, after 14 
years of service at Coombs Warren, that now 
through the death of Lady Wolverton every person, 
Mr. Woodgate included, is discharged from the place, 
which until it is sold will be closed and left to take 
care of itself. That one or two gardeners should 
leave when death takes place is bad enough, but it 
is indeed sad to see so many paid off at once and 
with scant ceremony. Whilst we hope that Mr. 
Woodgate as well as his assistants may soon secure 
other situations, we realise all the same that in so 
doing the Kingston Society may lose its genial and 
excellent Secretary, a result which we are sure will 
be deplored by a wide circle of gardeners. 
Proposed Memorial to Mr. Darwin.—A public meet¬ 
ing convened by the mayor, Mr. W. L. Browne, was 
held at Shrewsbury on Tuesday afternoon, to con¬ 
sider a proposal for raising a memorial to its illus¬ 
trious native, Charles Darwin, the great naturalist, 
who was the son of a distinguished Shrewsbury 
doctor, Robert Wearing Darwin, and was born at the 
Mount on February 12th, 1809. The meeting was 
largely attended, and letters of apology for absence 
and of sympathy with the movement were read. 
The mayor said that in doing honour to one who 
had shed an imperishable lustre on his native town 
they would be doing honour to themselves. In 
addition to the suggestion that a bronze statue o^ 
Darwin should be erected in front of the old 
Grammar School, now the Public Library and 
Museum, it was proposed to found a scholarship 
to his memory, in connection with Shrewsbury 
School. The Rev. W. H. ^loss, head master of 
Shrewsbury School, moved " That Shrewsbury, as 
the birthplace of Charles Darwin, should possess an 
appropriate national memorial of him.” Alderman 
G. B. Lloyd seconded the motion, which was carried 
unanimously. It was also resolved " That a public 
meeting be held for the purpose of considering the 
best method of carrying out the proposal,” and a 
committee was appointed to make the necessary 
arrangements. 
