660 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 16, 1894. 
piiOI^ICtlliTURE. 
The Pansy and Viola Show. 
Although the meteorological vicissitudes of the last 
month have been sufficiently trying to Pansy growers, 
and prevented some, including the extensive 
Rothesay cultivators, Messrs. Dobbie & Co., from 
staging any blooms at all, they were much more 
fortunate in their annual exhibition at the Drill Hall 
on Tuesday than were their fellow florists, the 
“Pink ’uns" [!] who could not show any of their 
thoroughbred stock on the same day, and thus a 
good display of the florists' laced Pinks still remains 
a dream of the future. 
All things considered, the Pansy and Viola 
exhibitors are highly to be congratulated on their 
display, however much they could have wished to 
have done more, for of Violas and fancy Pansies 
there was a really excellent representative display ; 
but we could not help feeling sorry that there was 
not a larger exhibit of the true show Pansy, which 
more than ever seems to be lingering in the cold 
shade of neglect. We can quite understand why the 
" fancies " appeal more to the popular taste than do 
the old flames of the exacting florists, but we cannot 
understand why the latter neglect their old favourites. 
Howev'er, so it is, and we could wish that another 
year the Society would originate some more classes 
specially for them. 
The class for forty-eight fancy Pansies brought 
Mr. M. Campbell, High Blantyre, N. B., and Mr. J. 
Smellie, Busby, near Glasgow, into competition with 
capital collections, and the first named secured the 
premier award. For twenty-four fancies, the contest 
was again confined to Scotch growers, this time the 
highest award going to Mr. A. Irvine, Tighnabruaich, 
who was followed in the order named by Mr. J. 
Smellie and Messrs. W. Paul & Son, of Bridge-of- 
Weir. Air. Irvine also had the best dozen distinct 
Fancies, Air. Smellie being again second, and Air. AI. 
Campbell third; but Air. Smellie was more fortunate 
with a similar number of blooms of one variety, his 
stand of Mrs. W. Watson, purple with creamy yellow 
belting, deservedly taking first honours. 
In the ATola classes confined to trade growers the 
premier award for twenty-four sprays went to a 
beautiful lot of blooms made up in long tapering 
sprays from Alessrs. J. Cheat & Sons, Crawley ; Air. 
J. Smellie coming in second with sprays which were 
more triangular in outline, and to our thinking the 
more pleasing style ; while Aliss Kate Hopkins, Alere 
Cottage, Knut.'ford, was third. The Alessrs. Cheat 
had also the best dozen sprays, a very fine lot of 
blooms, including Duchess of York, Duchess of 
Sutherland, Trentham Purple, Profusion, Evelyn, 
Countess of Kintore, Alax Kolb, Annie King, 
Ardwell Gem, etc. Air. Smellie had the best rayless 
Violas of the Violetta and Sylvia types. 
In the amateur classes the competition was not 
generally exciting, and Air. A. J. Rowberry, South 
Woodford, secured the largest number of first 
prizes for Violas. Air. AV. Penson, High Street, 
Newport, Salop, took the leading awards for twelve 
and six fancy Pansies, showing capital blooms of 
W. AVatson, J. Ashton, David Rennie, Archie 
Buchanan, Donald Alorrison, Ellen Paterson, Lord 
Hamilton, James Campbell, Dusty, &c. For a 
blooms of one variety Air. Rowberry was first with 
David Rennie ; and Air. H. A. Needs, AVoking, had 
the best six fancies. For a dozen sprays of Violas, 
distinct varieties. Air. Rowberry took the highest 
award with a very pretty exhibit on a half 
circular board covered with very dark velvet. His 
selection of sorts was a good one, and included 
Duchess of Sutherland, Goldfinch, Accushla, 
AVilliam Niel, Duchess of Fife, Lemon Queen, 
Peter Barr, Sylvia, Archie Grant, Blue Gown, Ard¬ 
well Gem, and J. B. Riding. Air. H. A. Needs had 
the best six. Air. AAA Beeching being second. AA’ith 
six sprays of Violas, three blooms in a spray, Air. E. 
Fuller, Kelvedon, Essex, came in first with Duchess 
of Fife, Rosine, AV. Niel, J. B. Riding, Goldfinch, and 
a grandly mottled sport from Skylark. Air. E. R. 
Smith, Aluswell Hill, was a good second. AVith six 
sprays. Air. Rowberry beat Air. Bence Cook and Air. 
AV. Belching, both of Chingford, having capital 
blooms of Gipsy Queen, Archie Grant, Craigie, 
Lemon Queen, Princess Beatrice and Bullion. Air. 
Rowberry was the only exhibitor in classes for six 
sprays of rayless Violas of the Violetta and Sylvia 
types, having of the former Picotee, Violetta, Blush 
Queen, and George AI'Leod, which was not con¬ 
sidered to belong to the Violetta section ; and of the 
Sylvia race, George Aluirhead, Christiana, Sylvia's 
Rival, Blue Gown, and Sweet Lavender. 
Mr. AI. Carhpbell contributed to the miscellaneous 
class a large collection of show and fancy Pansies, 
fine well-coloured blooms; and Mr. S. Pye, Gatterall, 
Garstang, had a neat stand of two dozen bunches of 
Violas, all fresh and bright. 
The Southern Pink Society. 
Pinks are generally at their best in the south about 
the 20 th of June, and in an ordinary season it would 
be considered folly to expect to have any good blooms 
at a show fixed for the izth ; but the past spring was 
not an ordinary one, and when this date was fixed it 
was thought by most growers that the best blooms 
would be quite a week earlier, hence the early date 
selected and the temporary discomfiture of the pro¬ 
moters on Tuesday when it was found that there 
were but few blooms available for exhibition, and 
those only of the hardy border and perpetual bloom¬ 
ing types, not a single flower of the laced varieties 
being entered. Thanks to Mr. B. Ladhams, of 
Shirley, Southampton, and Mr. R. Dean, of Ealing, 
who staged some good bunches of fine border 
varieties, the show was saved from utter failure. 
Under the circumstances the Committee wisely de¬ 
termined to repeat the schedule on June 26 th, when 
it is hoped that all sections will be represented in the 
manner most to be desired. 
Mr. B. Ladhams secured all the first prizes 
awarded but one, having the best dozen bunches of 
garden Border Pinks, not less than six distinct and 
eight blooms in a bunch ; the best six bunches dis¬ 
tinct ; the best bunch of any white Pink ; and the 
best seedling border Pink not in commerce. He 
also contributed a capital miscellaneous collection. 
Among his best sorts were Queen of the South, a fine 
white ; Ernest Ladhams, Lizzie Duval, rose-pink; 
Percy, a very neat and taking flower, pink ground 
and dark coloured base ; and Caroline, white, all of 
the perpetual blooming section; and Fimbriatum 
major, white, fringed; Airs. Sinkins, white; 
Paddington, black and rose ; and Charles, maroon 
base and rose-pink ground, very large, a little 
coarse as shown, bat the strongest growing Pink in 
the Shirley collection ; Queen of the South was his 
best white variety. Air. R. Dean being second with 
Alba magna also called Fimbriata major. 
The best bunch of any coloured border variety 
came from Air Dean, and was a new sort named 
Ladas, a very good black and white ; Air. Ladhams 
being second with Percy. Air. Dean also had good 
examples of Mrs. Sinkins, Sir Hugo, black and rose ; 
Lilacina, lilac rose, fringed; Darling, bright rose 
fringed ; Charmer, maroon and rose, fringed ; Rosy 
Morn, deep rose, fringed, and the second best 
coloured seedling not in commerce ; Delicata, white, 
fringed ; Hetty Dean, rosy-lilac, and the old-fashioned 
Derby Day. 
Certificates of Alerit of the first class were awarded 
to Air. Ladhams, for his fine white seedling perpetual 
bloomer. Queen of the South; and the very natty, 
smooth-petalled Percy, which will make a fine 
bunching variety. 
- 
LEAVES OF TREES 
AS FODDER. 
The United States Consul at Chemnitz, in a recent 
report, describes the experiments, made by farmers 
on the Continent last year to feed their cattle on the 
leaves of trees. The French, he says, have taken the 
lead in the movement. They recommend exclusively 
the leaves of the Hazel, Aspen, Ash, Elm, and AVillow. 
The leaves, after being gathered, are spread on the 
barnfloor to the depth of three to four inches, and 
are turned once a day. They dry in from three to 
five days, according to the weather. AA’hen dry they 
are piled up ready for use. It is profitable to prepare 
each day's supply twenty-four hours beforehand. 
There is mixed with the leaves to be served each day 
a small amount of chopped-up Turnips, leaving the 
whole to ferment. Just before feeding. Clover, Hay, 
or Lucerne is sometimes added. This food has been 
found especially good for milch cows. A^oung shoots 
and branches of trees, with their new leaves, are 
picked off every five years and fed to sheep. These 
animals are very fond of the Aspen, because of its 
resinous and sweet buds. AVillow leaves and bark 
mixed with Oats are regarded as a very pleasant, 
nutritious, and strengthening food for horses. 
It is not good to feed the leaves green ; in fact, the 
cattle prefer them dried. Again they should be served 
only with other fodder. AA'hen the leaves are young 
they contain a large quantity of nitrogen. As the 
s^tason advances this grows less, as do also their 
nourishing properties. It is said that July and 
August, when the leaves are full grown, is the best 
time for harvesting them. Experiments were made 
with Potato leaves, but the results were unsatisfactory. 
They should be used only in times of greatest 
scarcity, and only then to save the live stock. The 
Potatos deprived of their leaves suffer much more 
than is made up by their leaf value for fodder. The 
Consul concludes : — " -All this trouble in Europe is 
taken to find substitutes and to save cattle, and yet 
2 , 000 , 000.000 bushels of the best food for man and 
beast burden the granaries and barns of the United 
States. AVhy do not the European farmers take cur 
Alaize ? It is infinitely better than their best substi¬ 
tute, is one-third as dear as Rye or AVheat, and, in the 
testimony of their own chemists, almost as nutritious ; 
though twice as dear as Potatos, it is more than four 
times as nutritious.”— T/ie Times. 
- --i*- 
HARMONY IN THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
This is of much greater importance than many 
would seem to tnink, if we are to judge from the 
gaudy examples one so frequently comes across. A 
large amount of glowing colours cannot make a good 
show in themselv'es unless judiciously handled; in¬ 
deed, many gardens are utterly spoilt by the lavish 
use of glaring flowers. Not only is this an expense 
entirely unnecessary, but the results soon pall upon 
one’s taste. Some spots of brightness are all very 
well, but why endeavour to make the whole into one 
glare of loud colours ? Verbenas, Petunias, annual 
Phloxes, Violas, and many annuals will give pleasing 
varieties of colour without that impression of loud¬ 
ness far too prevalent. A judicious contrasting of 
flower and foliage, neatness throughout the whole, 
and more attention to edgings and lawns, would 
heighten the effect at very little cost. The number 
of suitable subjects is legion, and it is so simple to 
use one as a suitable foil to the other ; while for 
background scarcely anything can surpass a well- 
kept border or belt of shrubs. During the early 
spring these may be very gay by interspersing a few 
flowering shrubs, such as Guelder Roses, Thorns, 
Crabs, Prunus, Deutzias, Spireas, Lilacs, &c , and 
will still answer the desired purpose as a background 
to the gayer beds or borders during summer and 
autumn.— Experience. 
-- 
PYRUS FLORIBUNDA. 
Those who are on the outlook for something that 
will supply a bright bit of colour in the spring when 
the leaves begin to unfold, will find in this miniature 
Crab something that is both choice and attractive. 
It forms a low shrub or dwarf tree 3 ft. to S ft. high, 
with a broad spreading and often drooping head. 
The branches are long and slender, so that the 
addition of foliage and flowers or fruit is sufficient 
to weigh them down. They are inclined to bear 
spurs very numerously all ajong the shoots, so that 
a profuse mass of blossom is produced all along 
them. The flowers, while in bud, are of a brilliant 
crimson, but when expanded they are rose and 
white, very much like rosy Apple blossom. They 
are succeeded by small round fruits about the size 
of a marrow Pea, and, unlike the Apple, these 
miniature Crabs drop the calyx. The tree may be 
planted in the shrubbery, but is most effective when 
placed in a position where it can be seen on all 
sides. For this reason a bed or clump of shrubs on 
the grass is more suitable for showing it off to 
advantage than a mass of vegetation, where it would 
be hidden except from certain points of view. For 
the matter of that it might be isolated as a single 
specimen, or in groups upon the grass in some 
prominent position in the pleasure grounds. The 
fruits are not so showy as those of the Siberian 
Crab, but the latter is a taller tree with large white 
flowers that are less noticeable or effective because 
so many trees have white blossoms about the same 
time. The accompanying illustration will give an 
idea of the profusion of bloom even on small shoots. 
Hardy Ornamental Flowering Trees and Shrubs, by 
A. D. Webster. A valuable guide to planters of beautiful 
trees and shrubs for the adornment of parks and gardens. 
Price, 3s.; post free, 3s. 3d. Publisher, Gardeninq AVorld, 
I, Clement’s Inn, Strand, London, W.C. 
