450 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 17, 1894. 
counteracted by several days of dull gloom, 
with perhaps rain and wind, so that Nature 
has found no stimulus in such weather 
conditions. 
Perhaps these are the best conditions too, 
for they neither encourage or check, but 
they do no harm. Were there to be a long 
spell of easterly wind with dull cloud or 
mist, the effects of such weather upon 
the blooms expanded or in embryo might 
be of the worst, because the pollen suffers 
materially in such a case and becomes in¬ 
fertile. To our ordinary vision, pollen 
consists of so many minute golden grains 
or mere dust, and little else. Pollen is, 
however, a species of protoplasm, imbued 
with the capacity to generate and perpetu¬ 
ate such as might well seem to us to be 
marvellous, were we not aware of its 
capacities without, perhaps, fully compre¬ 
hending its vital properties. Cold can, and 
does injure these vital forces, and it is in 
that way weather that is so deterrent does 
harm. 
A capital feature of our present spring, so 
far at least, is that it is rather common¬ 
place, therefore calls for no special 
comment, creates no special fears, nor ex¬ 
cites any unusual anticipations. It is true 
that a comparatively open winter, such as 
we have just passed through, is often 
succeeded by a cold spring, but it may not 
always be so. In any case it is not the 
winter after all that we have to fear, because 
that is gone, and all is well. It is the 
spring, the month of April, perhaps, that 
may after all prove like our harbour bar ; 
yet even that we may well hope to safely 
cross, and finally enter into the possession 
of a pleasant and prolific summer. 
M Minister of Horticulture. —We 
haveheard somuch oflate, arising from 
certain changes made in the composition of 
the Government, of the Minister of Agri¬ 
culture, that we are tempted to refer to what 
was once a fondly-cherished idea with some 
persons—the appointment of a Minister of 
Horticulture. It is well that such sugges¬ 
tion has had ample time to “ stew,” for it 
is as a result exceedingly doubtful whether 
anyone is now prepared to support it. 
What sort of chaos would happen in 
Government did we have a minister 
appointed to take special charge of every 
department of trade or particular industry 
goodness only knows, but at least twenty 
of such ediles would have to be found, with, 
to use a common expression, power to add 
to their number from time to time. This 
at once shows the absurdity of singling out 
any one special vocation as needing a 
minister. Of course it may be said. If 
agriculture why not horticulture ? The two 
things, however, do not run together. 
Agriculture has myriads of interests, 
especially in relation to cattle disease, im¬ 
ports, exports, railway transit, &c., that 
may render a special minister needful. On 
the other hand, no matter who may hold 
the office, can anyone honestly say that the 
existence of a Minister of Agriculture has in 
any way helped to save that industry from 
falling into a most distressful state. 
Causes are at present operating to place 
agriculture in a parlous condition, such as 
no minister can dominate. He may devise, 
with the aid of Parliament, some trifling 
ameliorations, but the real causes for the 
existing condition of agriculture lie deep in 
our social system, and time alone can bring 
the needful remedy. We point to that 
conclusion, however, not to provoke discus¬ 
sion, but to indicate the futility of having a 
Minister of Horticulture, as there is 
absolutely no room for such an official to 
render to horticulture any service. Given 
a condition of national prosperity, and 
horticulture thrives. Given national 
depression, and horticulture is depressed. 
Still, even now things hold on fairly well, 
and we have great faith in bettering. A 
rebound nationally will presently come, and 
with that rebound will come greater pros¬ 
perity to our vocation. 
RSENic ON Apples. — It needs very much 
of credulity to believe that the mere 
spraying of Apple trees in the spring, just 
about when in bloom or whilst the leaves 
are yet young, with some arsenical solution 
'can be productive of harm to the fruits when 
fully developed. Remembering that from 
the time of spraying until the fruits are 
gathered and sold there must have been 
numerous drenching rains, it seems so very 
unlikely that any of the insecticide, even 
the most minute character, can have been 
left on or become attached to the fruits. 
There is always such a readiness in certain 
quarters to raise a scare even without 
tangible grounds, simply because it makes 
attractive “ copy,” hence we have to take 
very much of the information furnished in 
the general press when of an alarming kind 
with a very big grain of salt. 
The making of mares’ nests is a vocation 
that will exist and thrive so long as the 
world endures. Probably to hosts of 
ordinary growers of Apples all these 
frequent adjurations to employ all sorts of 
poisonous compounds for the cleansing of 
trees seem absurd. They give their trees 
good cultivation and ample thinnings, and 
are never much troubled with insect pests. 
It is odd that we should hear so much more 
of the need for these dressings with insecti¬ 
cides in America than at home. The 
obvious deduction is that after all either 
their methods of culture are inferior to 
ours or else their atmosphere is more 
favourable to the production of insect life 
than is ours. 
We do not for one moment aver that 
there may not be times when applications 
to trees of potent dressings may not be 
needful, but certainly in all cases good 
culture proves to be the best preventative 
of insect attacks, just as insecticides may 
be for the time of danger the best remedy. 
It iswell that the advantages of good culture, 
keeping trees thin, the stems clean, and the 
soil about the roots free from refuse and 
fairly well fed, should be fully emphasised 
now that so much is being written about 
fruit culture. 
--*•- 
The Crewe and District Chrysanthemum Show is 
fixed to be held on Saturday, November loth. 
The Farningham Rose Show,—The date of this ex¬ 
hibition, originally fixed for June 27th, has been 
altered to Tuesday, July 3rd. 
The Highgate Chrysanthemum Society’s Show is 
fixed to be held on November ist and 2nd. 
The Abbey Park, Leicester.— We learn from Mr. 
J. Burn that a grand flower show and g-ala will 
again be held in this park, the date fixed upon being 
Tuesday, August 7th. 
Mr. A. McDonald, late of Garvald Gardens, 
Dolphinton, N.B., has been engaged as gardener to 
Cluny Macpherson, Esq., Cluny Castle, Inverness- 
shire. 
Heating by Hot Water. —We are glad to notice 
that Mr. Walter Jones’ admirable little handbook on 
“Heating by Hot Water’’ (Crosby, Lockwood & 
Son) has reached a second edition, a fact which 
bears the best of testimony to its useful character. 
The new edition has been considerably added to and 
improved in several important particulars, and 
should find a place in every collection of gardening 
books. 
New Recreation Grounds at Bedford and Willesden. 
—Messrs. William Barron & Son, Landscape 
Gardeners of Elvaston Nurseries, near Derby, have 
been entrusted by the Corporation of Bedford with 
the laying out and planting of a large piece of 
ground which lies behind the fine promenade on the 
embankment on the north bank of the river Ouse 
below the bridge. They have also obtained the 
contract for planting the new park at Willesden, 
which is being laid out by Mr. O. C. Robson, 
Engineer to the Willesden Local Board. 
Hyacinth Show at Haarlem.—Last autumn two 
show beds of Hyacinths were planted in Messrs. E. 
H. Krelage & Son’s nursery, at the Zijlweg (Over- 
veen), near Haarlem, Holland, each containing over 
600 bulbs, selected from the best, choicest and 
newest varieties. Next month these beds will make 
a brilliant show, and cannot help but prove a great 
attraction to any English visitors who may venture 
on a trip to Holland during the flowering season. 
The beds will be covered with a spacious tent during 
the flowering period of the bulbs. In consequence 
of the favourable season of 1893, Hyacinths in 
general are expected to be extremely fine this year, 
and it is anticipated that the Haarlem Show will be 
of a superior character. 
A Gardening Hero.—The last number of The 
People contains the portrait of a gardening hero 
whose claims to this distinction are thus stated :— 
" Henry Ellison, the subject of our ' Hero ’ sketch 
this week, on January 7th last, whilst skating on the 
Grand Junction Canal at Harlesden, saw three 
young females suddenly immersed in the middle of 
the canal where the water reaches a depth of 10 ft. 
Being an expert swimmer Ellison, lying face down¬ 
wards, made for the spot where the three girls were 
struggling in the midst of the breaking ice, and suc¬ 
ceeded in bringing them to the bank amidst the 
hearty cheering of the spectators. His noble con¬ 
duct was, however, well nigh going unrecognised 
until a local lady—Miss Cakebread—brought his 
gallant deed under the notice of the Royal Humane 
Society, which deservedly awarded him the society’s 
testimonial inscribed on vellum, and this was pub¬ 
licly presented to him at a crowded meeting of 
neighbours and friends held at the Green Man 
Hotel. Mr. Ellison, who saved the life of a young 
man from drowning in the Serpentine fourteen years 
ago, is head gardener to Mr. Alfred J. Baker, the 
well-known City auctioneer, at his mansion 
Harlesden Lodge.” 
Scottish Horticultural Association.—At the recent 
monthly meeting held at 5, St. Andrew Square, Mr. 
James Grieve, Pilrig Park Nurseries, vice-president, 
in the chair, Mr. S. Johnston, Sillerbithall, Hawick, 
read a paper on “ The vegetables of to-day—how to 
grow them, and how to judge them.” After com¬ 
menting on the growing feeling as to the importance 
of the science of horticulture, he glanced at the 
value of vegetables generally as articles of food, and 
went on to discuss those which, in his view, were 
most in use, and were most appreciated. The sub¬ 
ject of growing vegetables, he suggested, required 
far more attention than it got, and in this connection 
he not only emphasised the necessity there was for 
procuring good seed, but indicated what seemed to 
him to be the guiding principles of manuring, alike 
economically and profitably. Speaking of the 
potato, Mr. Johnston observed that after growing 
113 varieties, he had given the places of honour to 
“Abundance,” “Satisfaction,” and “Snowdrop”— 
the quality being first-class and the produce good. 
Regarding the matter of adjudication, he remarked 
that one required a thorough knowledge of them to 
be a judge of vegetables, and he afterwards sketched 
a plan—that of the adoption of a system of “marks” 
—whereby, in his opinion, justice might be done. 
In conclusion, he commented on the remarkable 
development there had been in recent years in the 
cultivation of vegetables. At the close—after some 
discussion—Mr. Johnston was awarded a cordial 
vote of thanks. 
Philodendron verrucosum.—This curious species 
is grown under various names such as P.Lindeni and 
P. Carderi. Although one of the climbing kinds, 
it is of moderate growth, clinging to the surface 
of some support, from which it throws out its 
large leaves with long and very curious petioles. 
The latter are densely covered with long and 
curious processes like short, stumpy and fleshy 
rootlets. They do not, however, cling to anything, 
and are quite different from the true rootlets upon 
the stems. The leaves are about a foot in diameter, 
heart-shaped, and of a velvety olive green. When 
they first expand the mid-rib and principal veins 
are greenish yellow, thus contrasting with the rich 
hue of the rest of the leaf. 
