676 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 23, 1894. 
FliORICUliTOfJE. 
The Airedale Pansy Society. 
That the Pansy is increasing its popularity is very 
certain, the fine exhibitions of this flower at Tam- 
worth, London, and York having clearly shown this. 
The Airedale Society is a new one, their head 
quarters being in the valley of the Aire, in York¬ 
shire, and their second annual exhibition is to be 
held at Shipley, on June 30th, which place is very 
close to Bradford and the celebrated Saltaire. The 
schedule of prizes contains nine classes, with three 
prizes in a class, and is arranged to encourage the 
amateur cultivators of this flower. 
Carnations at the York Gala. 
Groups of Carnations were invited with £10 as the 
first prize, and six exhibits were staged. Mr. C. H. 
Wilson, M.P., Tranby Croft, was first with a superb 
group of Malmaisons; second, Mr. Chas. Turner, 
Slough, with a beautiful group of various kinds, in¬ 
cluding Lady Nina Balfour, a fine blush variety 
with bold petals ; third, Messrs. Laing & Mather, 
Kelso. There were special prizes also for twelve 
Carnations, and also for twelve Picotees, and Mr. 
C. Turner was first in both instances, his two boxes 
being a surprise to the midlanders, who seldom see 
such blooms at so very early a period as the middle 
of June. The Carnations were Mr. H. Riley, blush 
self; Mrs. Harris, R. F.; Jas. Douglas, P. F.; Lady 
Mary Currie, R. F. ; Mayor of Nottingham, P. F. ; 
Dr. Hogg, S. B. ; Germania; Tom Pinley, a fine 
S. F. ; Uriah Pike ; Harrison Weir, C. B. ; Edward 
Adams, S. B. ; and Tom White. Picotees.—Seedling 
Red edge ; Lucy, a fine rose edge ; Emily,Favourite, 
Sybil, Seedling, Clara Penson, Gazelle, Lady 
Gordon Cathcart, and Ernestine, some in duplicates. 
Messrs. Cutbush & Son, Higbgate, London, received 
a First-class Certificate for a fine white border 
Carnation named The Countess, of fine form and 
substance and good pod. —IF. D. 
Pansies at York. 
The exhibition of Pansies and Violas at the Drill 
Hall, London, on the 12th inst., interfered with the 
attendance of some of the exhibitors at York on the 
13th, but Messrs. Irvine, Smellie and Bailey, made 
a night journey to York, and met fresh blooms from 
their nurseries sent on to York. There was, how¬ 
ever, a goodly exhibition of Pansies in the various 
classes. For forty-eight fancy Pansies, dissimilar, 
open to all, Mr. John Smellie, Busby, Glasgow, was 
first; Mr. A. Irvine, Tignabruaich, N.B., second; 
and Mr. A. Bailey, Jr., Sunderland, third. Twenty- 
four fancies, open : First, Mr. Irvine ; second, Mr. 
Smellie; third, Mr. Bailey. Twenty-four show 
Pansies, dissimilar, open. Prizes in the same rota¬ 
tion. 
The amateur classes were also well filled, Mr. W. 
Archer, Sunderland, taking the first prize for twenty- 
four fancies. For twenty-four sprays of Violas, Mr. 
John Smellie was first, and on this stand George 
Lord and Mahogany were conspicuous ; second, Mr. 
W. Hutchinson. Some seedling Pansies were 
staged for Certificates, but only two were awarded 
to J. E. Martin, a fine yellow ground fancy, 
exhibited by Mr. Irvine; and to Mr. W. B. 
Smellie, a rich crimson and gold flower, exhibited 
by IMr. J. Smellie. The following were very fine 
in the various stands:—H. W. Clark, Maggie 
Watson, John Allen, C. B. Renshaw, W. B. Smellie, 
John Taylor, Annie Ross, Edith F. Gibb, Dr. 
Bortock, Arthur Eaton, Princess, James S. 
Irvine, Mrs. J. D. Duncan, W. G. Pye, and Andrew 
Frater.— W.D. 
-- 
THE COCOANUT AND 
ITS FIBRE REFUSE. 
[Concluded fyomp. 663.) 
Nearly all the nuts are imported in the husks or 
outer covering, from which on arrival they are 
stripped by men using two fine-pointed steel chisels, 
and who, by constant practice, become so skilful in 
the art that many are able to open 1,000 to 1,200 nuts 
per day. The nuts themselves, after being removed 
from the husks, are generally sold to wholesale fruit 
dealers, who, in turn, supply the retailers, coster¬ 
mongers, and others ; but they are likewise often sold 
under the hammer at public auction. 
After the nuts are removed from the outer covering, 
they are sorted into seven kinds or varieties, known 
respectively as large milky, middle size, small. 
starters, milky growers, green, and dry. The fruit 
which come from Trinidad are the sweetest in flavour, 
and are usually preferred by the manufacturing con¬ 
fectioners, biscuit makers, and others, though the 
Ceylon nuts run them very close in quality. Cocoa- 
nuts are largely used in the north and west of 
England, and they are also in great demand at holiday 
times, at fairs, on racecourses, and such-like popular 
gatherings. 
In reference to the preparation of the fibre, the 
husks, after the removal of the nut, are stacked in 
the open air until they are required for conversion 
into fibre. For this reason they are first passed 
through a powerful "crusher," or " breaker,” driven 
by steam power, with large revolving corrugated 
wheels, which flatten the husks, and to a certain 
extent make them more pliable; but after this 
severe pressure, so springy is the nature of the 
husks that, somewhat like a sponge, they imme¬ 
diately assume their original shape on emerging 
from the crusher. They are then thrown into huge 
stone tanks, each holding many thousands, where 
they undergo several hours’ steaming and soaking. 
Great care and skill are required to know how long 
to keep them in the tanks, husks of the nut from 
different countries requiring more or less time 
according to the circumstances—such as age, thick¬ 
ness of the .outer cuticle, substance of fibre, and 
other peculiarities known to the manufacturer. In 
the tanks the husks swell considerably, and have to 
be kept down by heavy pressure. 
When the husks are sufficiently soaked, they are 
ready for the mills, which are known as “ Teasers ’’ 
or "Devils," and consist of cylinders or drums, 
each being studded on the outer circumference with 
about three thousand fine or thick 3 in. steel teeth, 
specially tempered. The mills vary slightly accor- 
ing to certain requirements ; they are driven by 
steam, and revolve with great rapidity, requiring the 
utmost care and attention of the workmen. Each 
husk is divided into thin pieces, and each piece is 
passed into the mill separately by the workman 
between two steam rollers, the workman retaining a 
firm grip of it, so as not to allow it to pass out of his 
hand; but the few moments he holds it there the 
drum with its numerous steel teeth is revolving and 
combing out the irregular fibre and refuse. After 
one half of the slice of husk is thus cleaned, the 
workman reverses it, passing in the other half. The 
continued feeding of these mills gives such strength 
of wrist and dexterity to the workman, that what 
appears a very dangerous operation is gone through 
with wonderful rapidity, and each slice of husk is 
passed through three of these mills in succession, 
occupying but a few seconds from the time when the 
crude husk is passed into the mill, until it comes out 
a perfectly clean bundle of light brown separated 
fibres. These bundles are next laid out in drying- 
rooms on heated iron tables to perfectly dry them, 
when they are ready for making brushes and brooms 
of various kinds. 
If a Cocoanut husk is cut through transversely, 
it will be found that immediately under the outer 
woody coating the long brush fibres are deposited to 
the thickness of about half an inch ; nearer the 
centre, and immediately surrounding the nut, the 
fibres are more irregular, somewhat matted, and 
mixed with soft brown refuse. In the process of 
passing through the mill and separating, the brush 
fibre, the finer fibre, and refuse is thrown out at the 
back, from whence it is collected and placed on 
elevators, and carried automatically into the mouths 
of double rotary screens, or "willows," peculiarly 
made for the purpose, a spindle fitted with arms or 
rods running the entire length, and after many 
revolutions and much tossing about, the fibre is 
separated and falls out at the lower end clean and 
ready to be dried. The fibre is used for making 
matting by mat makers, and a great deal of it finds 
its way into the Government prisons ; and it is also 
employed for stuffing mattresses, saddles, etc. The 
refuse, by a special process, is separated into two 
different qualities, the ordinary being used for 
general horticultural purposes, and the finer for 
mixing with potting soil. 
Some firms, like that of Messrs. Chubb, Round, 
& Co., of Millwall, whose process of preparation I 
have been describing, produce enormous quantities 
of the refuse, and ic is sent to all parts of the world, 
including America. Africa, Australia, Sweden, 
Germany, France, Holland, etc., the latter countries 
using it extensively for bulb growing, and it is not a 
little remarkable that this refuse cocoa fibre should 
in some cases find its way back in a changed form to 
the countries from whence the nuts were originally 
brought.— R. D. 
THE YORK FLORAL FETE. 
The Thirty-sixth Annual Exhibition was held in 
York on June 13th, 14th, and 15th. and every tent was 
filled, there being no vacant spaces. The groups 
were excellent, Mr. M cintyre, gardener to Mrs. 
Gurney Pease, Darlington, taking the first prize. 
Stove and greenhouse plants are always first-class 
at York, and they were so on this occasion, Mr. 
Letts, gardener to the Earl of Zetland, being first, 
and Mr. Cypher, of Cheltenham, second, the latter 
being first for six grand plants. York is always 
celebrated for Pelargoniums, and the great tent was 
again filled and could not hold them all. Four lots 
of nine plants of show Pelargoniums were staged, 
Mr. Eastwood, gardener to Mrs. Tetley, Leeds, 
being first, as well as first for six, also for three 
Pelargoniums. The Zonal Pelargoniums were also 
very fine, and here, again, Mr. Eastwood was first in 
each class for twelve, six, and three plants, a wonder¬ 
ful exhibit throughout for one grower, and he was 
also first for eight and four double flowered, superb 
specimens. 
There was a grand display of Orchids, and in the 
class for ten specimens, Mr. J. Cypher, Cheltenham, 
was first, while equal second prizes were awarded 
to Thos. Statter, Esq., and William Bateman, Esq. 
Messrs. Sander & Co., St. Albans, Messrs. Hugh, 
Low & Co., Clapton, and Messrs. Charlesworth, 
Shuttleworth & Co., Bradford, had also very 
extensive displays of Orchids as honorary exhibits, 
and many new and rare kinds were to be seen in all 
the collections. Six groups of Carnations in pots 
were staged, not less than fifty pots in each. C. H. 
Wilson, Esq., M.P., was first with a very fine 
group of Malmaison Carnations, and Mr. C. Turner, 
Slough, second with several fine sorts. Mr. Turner 
was also first for twelve Carnation blooms, as well 
as for twelve Picotee blooms, and first for three 
plants of the pink Malmaison Carnation. 
The fruit was good, but not so numerous as we 
have seen at York, Mr. Meindoe, Hutton Hall 
Gardens, scoring first after some consideration. 
Excellent stove and greenhouse flowers, baskets of 
flowers, epergnes and bouquets were staged, Messrs. 
Perkins & Sons, and Mr. W. Finch, both of 
Coventry, being prize winners. 
A great lot of honorary exhibits were staged in 
addition to the Orchids. Messrs. Jas. Veiteh & Sons, 
Chelsea, had a grand display of various cut flowers ; 
Messrs. Cutbush & Son, Highgate Nurseries, London, 
had also a fine display of cut flowers and plants; 
Messrs. Birkenhead, Sale, a collection of Ferns; 
Messrs. Edward Shuttleworth & Co., Peckham Rye, 
London, hardy flowers, etc.; Messrs. Clibran & Son, 
Altrincham, hardy cut flowers and plants; Messrs. 
Hastings & Sons, Bidale, hardy flowers ; Messrs. 
Dicksons Limited, Chester, hardy flowers, etc.; Mr. 
C. Turner, Crimson Rambler Rose, and other exhibits 
also. 
Roses were numerous and a surprise, as four lots 
of seventy-two blooms, not less than thirty-six 
varieties were staged. First, Mr. Mount, Canter¬ 
bury ; second, Messrs. May, Bedale ; third, Messrs. 
Harkness & Sons, Bedale ; fourth, Mr. P'. Cant, 
Colchester. All the other classes were also well 
filled. Several Certificates were awarded, amongst 
them—to Caladium Baron Adolphe de Rothschild 
and Caladium Assunguy, from Messrs. J. Peed & 
Son, Roupell Park Nurseries, London. To Begonias, 
Triumph (double). Lady Wantage (double). The 
Princess (double), and Duke of Wellington (single), 
as well as to Gloxinia Beacon, from Messrs, J. Laing 
& Sons, Forest Hill Nurseries, London ; to Bro- 
wallia speciosa major and Bougainvillea glabra San- 
deriana, from Messrs. Sander & Co., St. Albans ; to 
White Self-Carnation, The Countess, from Messrs. 
W. Cutbush & Son, London; to farcy Pansy, J. E. 
Morton, from Mr. A. Irvine, Tignabruaich ; to 
fancy Pansy, Mr. W. B. Smellie, from Mr. John 
Smellie, Busby, Glasgow ; and to a new variegated 
decorative Cabbage, from Mr. George Hodgson, 
Hemsworth. 
-- 
THE LATE MR. FRED HORSMAN. 
We are now enabled to give a portrait of the late 
Mr. Horsman, of Colchester, whose death was 
recorded in our last issue, and in so doing take the 
opportunity of stating, as we should have done before, 
that the business at Marks Tey and Colchester will 
be carried on as usual, the eldest son, Mr. Fred. R. 
Horsman being in charge. 
