482 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 81, 1894, 
home crop, assuming, of course, that be the 
cause of the greater foreign supplies, to the 
exceeding prevalence of the Onion maggot. 
Certainly during last year, because of the 
earliness of the season and the prevalence 
of warmth and drought, the Onion crop was 
unusually devastated by the maggot, which 
the dryness of the season so much fostered 
and increased. Still something was due to 
the dryness in minimising the crop at home, 
and it may have been that the warmth led, 
to greater Onion consumption. 
Still, there can be no doubt but that the 
Onion maggot did perform immense mischief 
amongst Onions, and still further it is 
evident that unless something be done to 
check its depredations we may find it to 
become an intolerable trouble and nuisance. 
Now if we could place absolute trust in the 
various preventatives and cures that are 
constantly recommended, we should soon 
extirpate the pest. Unfortunately, the 
cure that is dead certain wdth one grower 
is worthless with another, and some of the 
remedies rather fall into the category in 
which must be placed a certain manure 
which its manufacturers declare to be quite 
destructive to the Phylloxera, and which 
we can but pronounce to be humbug. 
However, here is a pretty wide field open 
for the experimentalist, especially in deter¬ 
mining what form of cure may be regarded 
as absolutely certain under all condi¬ 
tions. 
Here is very hard soil, deep trenching, 
spring dressings of manure, also soot, gas 
lime, petroleum emulsions, autumn sow¬ 
ings, sowings under glass in the spring, and 
transplanting—these are some of the advised 
remedies, but hardly two growers re¬ 
commend the same. Yet in spite of all 
these assumed remedies the Onion maggot 
was last year more destructive than ever. 
Was that the fault of the remedies, or 
because of their non use ? The question is 
indeed a wide one. 
--4-- 
Death of Mr. George Hardy. —We much regret to 
hear, as we are going to press, of the death on 
Sunday morning last, after a short illness, of Mr. 
George Hardy, Pickering Lodge, Timperley, 
Cheshire, the well-known amateur Orchidist. 
The Earl’s Court Prize Money. —We are pleased to 
learn from a well-known London exhibitor that he 
received a cheque on Tuesday night in full discharge 
of the Earl’s Court prize money for 1893. Winners 
of medals will also be glad to learn that the syndi¬ 
cate propose to distribute them on or about April 
2 ISt. 
Death of Mr. Henry Webb. —The older Fellows of 
the Royal Horticultural Society will regret to hear 
of the death on the 24th inst, at Redstone Manor 
House, Redhill, of Mr. Henry Webb, aged 85 years. 
Mr. Webb formerly practised as a solicitor at No. 
II, Argyle Street, W., and for some years was the 
much respected treasurer of the R.H.S. 
Indications of a Dry Summer in the West. —If it 
may be judged from the indications connected with 
the equinox, another dry summer seems as pro¬ 
nounced as that of last year. With the exception of 
two days, the wind has been easterly during the 
whole of the month. No rain has fallen for more 
than a fortnight. 
National Pink Society (Midland Section).—A com¬ 
mittee meeting of the above Society was held at 
Wolverhampton on Thursday, 22nd inst., when a 
liberal schedule of prizes was arranged. The show 
■will be held in connection with the Wolverhampton 
Floral Fete on July loth, nth, and 12th, and 
schedules may be had from Mr. C. F. Thurstan, 
hon. sec., Penn Fields, Wolverhampton. 
Flowers from Scilly.—This has been a remarkably 
good Easter for the flower gardens of Scilly. On 
Tuesday in last week, no less than 14 tons of flowers 
were sent to the markets, and on the following day 
9 tons 6 cwt. Some 32,000 bunches were sent from 
the gardens of the Lord of the Isles, Mr. T. A. 
Dorrien-Smith, at Tresco. Some of the growers 
are making arrangements to extend still further the 
cultivation of flowers, and in this they are being 
largely encouraged by the buyers on the one hand, 
and the railway company, by reducing the rate of 
trafflc, on the other. 
The Proposed Autumn Fruit Show. —The Council of 
the Royal Horticultural Society have had it in con¬ 
templation (with the' sanction and co-operation of 
the Directors of the Crystal Palace) to take up and 
revive the great Autumn Fruit Show, which the 
directors of the palace used to hold, but which for 
the two last years they have discontinued. The 
Council of the Society have agreed with the direc¬ 
tors on the basis of the Society holding the Show, 
the directors placing the palace at their disposal, 
and contributing £100 towards the prizes. The total 
cost of the Show would be £300. The Council will 
contribute £100, and are prepared to go forward 
with the matter, if the nurserymen on the one side, 
and the amateurs on the other, interested in fruit 
culture, are willing to provide the remaining £'s.oo. 
A few firms have already offered donations towards 
it, and if on April loth, when the Council next meet, 
£t.oo shall have been promised, the Show will be 
held, but if not it will be abandoned. Offers of 
donations towards this fund should be sent at once 
to the Secretary, R, H. S., 117, Victoria Street, S.W. 
The Dispute between Aberdeen Florists and the 
Public Park Gardeners —-At a meeting of the Links 
and Parks Committee of the Aberdeen Town 
Council on Friday, 23rd inst., the sub-committee 
reported that they had that day visited the public 
parks of the city for the purpose of interviewing the 
head gardeners with reference to the complaints 
brought against them by the florists in Aberdeen. 
The complaints had reference to the promiscuous 
lending of plants and flowers, and the dressing of 
private individuals’ gardens both during and after 
work hours by the under-gardeners. The sub¬ 
committee had gone very carefully into the matter, 
and found that if there was any irregularity the park 
gardeners were not to blame, and the sub-committee 
resolved to recommend that a book should be kept 
in which all plants lent out should in future be 
entered; that the practice of lending flowers to 
churches and to the promoters of social functions 
should be discontinued ; and that plants should be 
lent to public (functions only. It was also resolved 
by the committee that a code of regulations should 
be drawn up specifying particularly the occasions on 
which they would recommend the giving out of 
flowers and plants on loan. ’The allegation that the 
under-gardeners had been dressing private gardens 
during working hours was found to be without 
foundation. The Links and Parks Committee 
unanimously approved of the sub-committee’s 
findings. 
Birmingham Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement 
Association. —A special meeting of the Birmingham 
and Midland Counties Gardeners’ Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Association was held at the Athletic Institute, 
John Bright Street, on the 19th inst., for the purpose 
of establishing a local branch of the Gardeners’ 
Royal Benevolent Institution. Mr. 'W. B. Latham 
presided ; and there was a large attendance. Mr. 
H. J. Veitch (treasurer of the Gardeners’Royal Bene¬ 
volent Institution), Mr. G. J. Ingram (secretary), and 
Mr. Vallance, as representing the Bath and Bristol 
Branch of the Institution, addressed the meeting. 
Mr. Veitch, referring to the great advantages 
ofi'ered to gardeners, nurserymen, market gardeners, 
and their widows by joining the Benevolent Institu¬ 
tion, said that since the Institution was founded they 
had distributed ;^6i,ooo in pensions. To become a 
life member the gardener had to contribute a guinea 
a year for fifteen years, or ten guineas down. Life 
members if incapacitated for work on reaching the 
age of sixty, and not receiving an income of over 
£30 per annum, were entitled to a pension of £20 
per year, and the widow of a subscriber to ;^i6 per 
annum. The Institution’s liabilities now amounted 
to ^2,700 per annum. This year they wanted to 
raise about ;^i3,ooo, and so be enabled to increase 
the number of pensioners. Mr. Ingram also spoke 
of the advantages of the Institution, and Mr. 
Vallance gave an outline of the work done in the 
Bath and Bristol district. After some discussion, 
Mr. Pope moved, “That steps be taken to form a 
branch of the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institu¬ 
tion in Birmingham.’’ This was seconded by Mr. 
William Spinks, and carried unanimously. The 
Chairman then moved, and Mr. Crook seconded, a 
vote of thanks to Mr. Veitch, Mr Ingram and Mr. 
Vallance for attending the meeting. This W’as 
unanimously carried, and the meeting terminated.— 
Birmingham Daily Post. 
-- 
ROCK GARDENS. 
A ROCK garden, if ordinarily well managed, be it 
small or large, will afford its possessor an almost 
constant source of pleasure. It is not our purpose 
at present to describe anything large or elaborate, 
but it having fallen to our lot to occupy a house 
partly below the ground level, with a sloping bank 
down to the area wall, we determined to make the 
best use of what was a most unsightly piece of 
ground ; so having procured some vitrified bricks 
and burnt retorts from the gasworks, we formed 
with them a rockery. Some of the larger pieces 
were partially embedded into the soil of the bank • 
these enabled us to build up our structure into 
nooks and corners, and having arranged the whole 
to our satisfaction, we filled up the cavities with the 
best material we could lay our hands upon, but 
beyond a portion of lime rubbish there was little 
besides the natural soil. 
It is really surprising the variety of plants which 
can be grown on a limited space, and this is more¬ 
over a better way of growing many alpine plants 
than in the level border, even with kinds which will 
do fairly well when so planted, because they are 
brought nearer the line of sight, and can be seen 
and studied more easily. They also escape the 
injury often inflicted on many choice hardy plants 
by the careless use of the hoe and spade. To those 
who can afford good peat and loam, a small rock 
garden may be made the home of our choicest 
hardy alpines ; but for this somewhat better prepara¬ 
tions should be made, because although capable of 
enduring a far greater amount of cold than we 
usually have, they are often injured by the damp in 
winter, and to guard against this the pockets and 
cavities should be well drained. 
Those who think of making a beginning with 
these plants will do well to secure some of the best 
known and easily grown varieties, and as experience 
gives confidence they can add from time to time 
choicer kinds. Without some knowledge of the 
plants and their requirements, mistakes will occur 
in the selection of positions suitable to each kind. 
Some love sunshine, others shade. The strong growers 
ought, generally speaking, to be planted near the 
base of the rockery; the smaller, weaker growers 
higher up, and these, at least, should have some 
broken stones or potsherds and gritty matter incor¬ 
porated in the soil. I am fully persuaded that any 
one taking up the cultivation of this interesting class 
of plants will find it a constant pleasure to study 
their peculiarities, and when looking over their 
"pets ’’ they will often find something to do among 
them. Some possibly will need a change of position 
or fresh soil; the stronger ones will encroach on 
their weaker neighbours, and if these are to be pre¬ 
served, these rampant ones must be reduced 
occasionally to keep them within due limits ; and a 
sharp look-out for slugs and snails must also be kept. 
These often do untold mischief, the stones and 
plants affording them both the shelter and often the 
food they delight in. Our own greatest evil is the 
cats; they tread down and sometimes scratch up 
some of our best things. Our rockery is nearly 
enclosed with wire netting, as, were it not for this, 
nothing worth having would be left to us. To 
dwellers in towns the cats are an intolerable 
nuisance, yet in spite of this and other drawbacks we 
are well satisfied with the results, and although 
occupying only a few square yards, there is very 
much in it to amuse and attract attention ; and to 
anyone similarly situated with a forecourt not easily 
amenable to any other treatment beyond this or 
planting it -with Ivy, we would urge the formation of 
a simple rockery and planting it with Alpines. On 
a small space a most interesting and diversified coL 
lection can be cultivated successfully, and much 
more pleasure will be derived from it than from a 
similar space devoted to any other class of plants.— 
IF. B. G. 
The Carnation: its H'story, Properties and Management} 
with a descriptive list of the best varieties in cultivation. By 
E. S. Dodwell. Third edition, with supplementary chapter on 
the Yellow Ground. London: Gardening World Office, if 
Clement's Inn, Strand, W.C. is. 6d., post free, is. yd.—Advt. 
