576 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
May 12, 1894. 
striking, yet in many of them there is 
beauty, indeed elegance, that cannot fail 
to charm when closely observed. Were but 
some of these Chestnut spikes borne on 
Orchids we should find them almost 
worshipped, so pleasing are they. 
If our rural readers think that in spite of 
all these charms a mere avenue of them in 
bloom does not present anything specially 
worthy of admiration, we may remind them 
that the chief worshippers at the Bushey 
Park shrine are not dwellers in the country, 
but in the town,where their avenues are 
long, interminably long, monotonous rows of 
houses, where the streets are hot and noisy, 
and where there is neither verdure nor 
shade. After all we like the institution. It 
shows that, shut man up in town as we 
may, in courts or in alleys, awa}' from all 
that is beautiful in nature, the love for the 
country still clings, and his capacity to 
enjo)'' it is undiminished. 
National Chrysanthemum Society. 
—We could wish it were possible that 
more of the country members of this Society 
could attend the ordinar}'- or special meet¬ 
ings, such as the very interesting one held 
on Monday evening last, which is reported 
briefly in another column. Of course, it is 
impossible that such should be the case, as 
distance is an obstacle not easily to be 
overcome, and needing both time and 
money to cover it. Few country members, 
however, fail to see the Society’s great 
exhibitions, as these are undoubtedly great 
attractions as v/ell as great gatherings. 
But the kind of meeting held occasional!}?, 
such as that of Monday last, for instance, 
serves to show that something else than 
mere displays of flowers are regarded as 
essential in a society that aims to be 
national. The publication in the present 
year’s schedule of Mr. Pearson’s and Mr. 
Shea’s papers, as read before the members 
at various times, is a matter that cannot be 
too highly appreciated. It enables mem¬ 
bers everywhere to take part in the past 
tense in these meetings, and it shows that 
there is no direction in which the Society 
is not prepared to move, if it can be shown 
that such movement is desirable and above 
all things is for the advancement of the 
Chrysanthemum. 
The very interesting and practical dis¬ 
cussion which grew out of Mr. Shea's valu¬ 
able and suggestive paper on judging Chry¬ 
santhemums, to which we have alluded, 
will be read with exceeding interest when 
reported in full in the new Annual which 
the Society proposes to issue by-and-bye, 
because it so intimately concerns the con¬ 
ditions under which cut flowers of Chry¬ 
santhemums may be judged in the future. 
Of course, no great change can take place 
all at once, even if thought desirable. New 
methods take time to formulate, to develop, 
and finally to be generally adopted. Still 
there can be no doubt that whatsoever may 
be determined by the National will be 
largely accepted by the country, and thus 
in that way we may establish, at least so 
far as the Chrysanthemum is concerned, 
some tangible canons of judging that may 
in time be acceptable at Chrysanthemum 
shows universally. 
f oNCERNiNG GOOSEBERRIES. —These fruits 
are generally this spring very early and 
very abundant, and because so they have 
been largely gathered and sent into the 
markets, where already prices rule only 
moderate. It is somewhat unusual to have 
Gooseberries gathered near London, of good 
size, and in the market by the ist May. 
This season they were in even a week 
earlier, fetching then as we learned what 
was regarded as the satisfactory price of 
four shillings perpeck, Whitsuntide comes 
early this year, for it is due on Sunday next, 
and there will be Gooseberries and to spare 
f''r the puddings ani tarts of the nation 
then. 
Whitsun Gooseberries are old traditions, 
although sometimes, when the season is late 
and the feast is early, the tradition alone 
has to suffice. This year at least there Avill 
be for those who care for green Gooseberries 
something far more substantial. Possibly 
there may be some protests against this 
early gathering when the fruits are so 
' immature, but then it is when in that stage 
that they are so much less tart or sour, 
whilst of far more importance is the fact that 
unless the bushes are early relieved of their 
produce somewhat, they will presently 
greatly suffer, whilst still farther there will, 
too, presently be such a glut of fruit in the 
markets that prices will be very low indeed. 
It is with us a sad thing but a true one, 
that a big fruit crop seldom proves to any 
grower to be an unmixed blessing. The 
Gooseberry more than any other fruit can 
be made profitable, because starting on 
them early in a green state, the seaso.u may 
thus be greatly prolonged. 
Our readers shou'd remember that green 
Gooseberries make a delicious preserve, and 
thus they may soon begin to utilise the 
abundance of fruits ; that the Jam makers 
will take full advantage of the enormous 
crop is certain, and we may not be surprised 
if some wine manufacturers also do so, and 
thus help to the elucidation of that interest¬ 
ing problem, how it is that far more of 
sparkling wines are sold in this country than 
are imported. The recent rains have 
cleansed the bushes and helped to swell the 
fruits. We now wish for all growers a 
profitable return for their enterprise. 
--f-- 
Mr. Richard Parker, until lately gardener at 
Impney Hall, Droitwich, has, we understand, been 
engaged by the Duke of Richmond as gardener at 
Goodwood House. Chichester, in succession to Mr. 
F. Rutland, who is retiring after many years service 
at Goodwood. 
Mr. Alexandra Watts, who has been gardener to 
James Stewart, Esq , Skelmorlie, for the last seven 
years, has been engaged as gardener to James 
Arthur, Esq., Mount Charles, Ayr. ^Mr. Watts is 
well-known as one of the most successful of 
Chrysanthemum growers, and enters upon his new 
duties with the good wishes of all those who know 
him. 
Death of Mr. Joseph Rust. —We regret to learn of 
the death, at Eridge, on the 26th ult., of Mr. Joseph 
Rust, who for nearly thirty years was gardener to 
the Marquis of Abergavenny, at Eridge Castle. Mr. 
Rust was a native of Kincardineshire, but came 
south in early life, and before settling down at 
Eridge was at Caen Wood, Highgate, and Broom 
House, Fulham, where, while he was gardener to 
L. Sullivan, Esq , he raised the Thames Bank 
Peach, a yellow fleshed, late, and very ornamental 
kind, which was popular in its day, but has now 
almost gone out of cultivation. A warm-hearted, 
kindly-natured man, he was much respected by his 
horticultural compeers. 
What Editors have to put up with. —A correspon¬ 
dent writing from Gorton, Lancashire, to the Editor 
of a provincial weekly newspaper, puts the follow¬ 
ing as a request:—“ Kindly answer in the next issue 
of the-how many distinct flowers there' are, 
and if possible please name them." A very large 
order certainly. The most amusing part of the 
business is that the reqnest is made, to all appear¬ 
ance, in perfect good faith, as if a reply to it could 
be given in a dozen lines or so of an ordinary column 
of a newspaper! 
Scottish Horticultural Association. —A meeting of 
the Scottish Horticultural Association was held on 
the ist inst.. Councillor Mackenzie in the chair, 
when Mr. William King, of the Gardens, Castlemilk, 
Lockerbie, submitted a paper on winter and spring 
flowers. Mr. King in his paper, dealt exhaustively 
with various flowers, such as Chrysanthemums, &c., 
and held that it was not theory that was required to 
be brought to bear on the subject, but the living 
examples. How different it might be, he said, if 
they had had more living examples not only in 
agriculture, but in horticulture. As to flowers, let 
them have elbow room and clear light and air, wash 
them and keep them clean, and they would blossom 
and bud even though in a desert soil. Several 
exhibits were laid on the table by Mr. Boyd, 
Callendar; Mr. Chapman, Easter Duddingston; 
and Mr. Comfort, Aberdour. The secretary reported 
that, in the recent examination following on the 
scientific lectures delivered under the auspices of 
the society, the result was as follows:—i and 2 
(equal), G. G. Paton, Mortonhall, and Archibald 
Hogg, Dalkeith Gardens, with 221 points each; 
3, Wm. Milne, New Hailes, with 220 points. 
Foreign and English Fruits.—The Select Committee 
of the House of Lords on the marking of foreign 
and colonial produce met on Monday, the Earl of 
Onslow in the chair. Mr. Berry, of the Kent Fruit 
Growers' Association, gave evidence as to the mis¬ 
leading business being carried on through foreign 
fruit being brought over in English packages with 
no name on but that of the salesman, so that as it 
was brought up in the same trains as the Kentish 
fruit none but experts could detect the difference. 
The fact was, however, that this fruit was plucked 
before it was ripe, in order to stand the carriage, 
and therefore had less juice and flavour than English 
fruit. Makers of jam, some of whom used black 
currants by hundreds of tons, found that foreign 
fruit was inferior, but they had no means of checking 
it. What the growers wanted was to have the 
packages marked with the name of the place of 
origin, and that it should not be allowed to leave the 
quay without such mark. Mr. John Wood, a grower 
in West Kent, said thousands of tons of Plums came 
from Switzerland, while those in Kent would not pay 
for plucking, and were left to the birds. He would 
have all foreign jam marked as foreign. Mr. Vincent, 
another grower, gave evidence of a similar purport. 
Sir C. Mills, Agent-General for Cape Colony, said 
they sent considerable quantities of fruit to England, 
and would be quite content to have the place of 
origin marked on the packages. The Committee 
adjourned over Whitsuntide. 
Cornish M irket Gardeners and the Cornwall Rail¬ 
way Bill. —If there is one thing more than another 
which bears upon the financial means of the Corn¬ 
ish market gardener, it is the necessity of getting 
his produce into the large centres (especially 
London) at the earliest possible moment, and at the 
cheapest possible rate. Hitherto, the Great Western 
Railway has had the monopoly, and, in consequence, 
the market gardener’s efforts have been found 
considerably discounted and bis position handi¬ 
capped accordingly. During the last few days there 
has been considerable excitement all through the 
county at the fact that the select committee of the 
House of Commons favouring the Great Western 
(Truro to Newquay) Bill, against the direct desire 
for the passing of a bill which would have the effect 
of bringing about a direct through communication 
from Penzance to Truro with the metropolis, via 
North Cornwall. Thanks to efforts of a kind almost 
unprecedented, within a period of less than a week, 
a petition to the House of Commons in favour of the 
latter scheme was not only drawn up by the County 
Council and engrossed, but signed by every person 
of influence from the Tamar to Land's End, and 
presented at the House on Monday, with the result 
that the third reading of the Great Western Bill has 
been postponed until the 24th inst. This will give 
the county time to further express itself, and the 
hope is entertained that the market gardeners may 
yet get what they want. They deserve success, for 
they have worked hard indeed. 
-■ 4 -- 
JOHNSON’S GARDENERS’ 
DICTIONARY.* 
The eighth and last part of this handy dictionary 
has now been completed and published. The 
insertion of the synonyms in the text along with 
the names to which they relate is a great improve¬ 
ment upon the old method of placing them in a list 
at the end of the book. We believe that very few 
gardeners were benefited by it. In the first place, 
if they succeed in finding a name they do not trouble 
*Joh.nson’s G.^rdeners' Dictionary, New. Ed. London: 
George Bell and Sons, York Street, Corent Garden, W.C. 
