704 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
July 7, 1894. 
pretty the Wild Briers are, how showy the 
Poppies, Foxgloves, the Ox-eye Daisies, 
the meadow Crane’s Bill, the sheets of 
Bluebells, the Lucerne, the Wild Camo¬ 
mile, the common INIarjorum, Wild Mig¬ 
nonette, Birdsfoot Trefoil, and numbers of 
other of our native wildings. And how 
easily could these be added to by the judi¬ 
cious sowing of a pinch or two of many 
seeds not indigenous to our soil. How 
often do we see a batch of self-sown 
flowers which have taken up their quarters 
on a high bank or cutting. A few Pansies, 
Columbines, Antirrhinums, Wallflowers, 
and others, crop up in seemingly unlikely 
places and reproduce themselves year after 
year. 
There are many of the prettiest Alpines 
which would make spots of beauty upon 
the bare chalk cuttings, with the aid of a 
little attention at first. In autumn we see 
a wealth of colour until ver}? late in the 
winter, so many various spots being 
rapidly passed by, some fully exposed, 
others much sheltered. The berries of the 
Nightshade and of the Bitter Sweet, the 
fruits of Viburnum Opulus, the hips of the 
Dog Rose, and many others, are all beauti¬ 
ful, and much more pleasing to the eye of 
the passing traveller than the intensely 
ugly advertisement hoardings. There are 
many banks of made soil, where a good 
loam has only been cut through to a slight 
depth, and which, both in the case of the 
cutting and the embankment further on, 
that could be utilised in several ways. 
Strawberries and Violets may be suggested, 
but the number is much too large to be 
enumerated here. 
--*•-- 
The Carnation and Picotee Unions’ annual exhibi¬ 
tion will take place, as usual, in the Garden at the 
Cottage, Stanley Road, Oxford, on Tuesday, July 
31st. 
Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. —At the meeting 
of the Committee on the 29th ult., a subscription of 
one guinea was announced as having been received 
from Lady Frederick Fitzroy, and a donation of 
los. from Mr. J. Friend, Northdown Gardens, 
Margate. 
Depression in Agriculture: Stolen Crops. —Mr. 
Maurice Moriarty, Sandfield House, Mallow has 
written a pamphlet on this subject, giving the results 
of many years’ experience and experiments, and 
which he will be glad to forward to anyone who will 
favour him with a stamped addressed envelope. 
Flowering of the Century Plant. —We learn from 
Mr. William Archer, The Gardens, Hill' House, 
Saffron Walden, that a plant of Agave americana in 
those gardens, believed to be about 70 years old is 
throwing up a twin spike, a most unusual occurrence, 
and this is believed to be the first instance of this 
Agave flowering in that district. 
Honours to French Horticulturists. —The name of 
M. Druez, the amiable President of the Northern 
Horticultural Society, of France, Lille, has been 
added to the long roll of Chevaliers of the Legion of 
Honour; and that of M. Saint Leger, the librarian 
of the same Society and director of the cultures at 
the Lille Botanic Garden, to the distinguished list of 
Chevaliers of Agricultural Merit. 
Eulalia japonica zebrina. —The zebra-leaved 
Eulalia, writes W.B.G , “ is one of the most beautiful 
of hardy grasses, but I wish to write not so much of 
its decorative value as of the usefulness of its 
ripened stems or culms for tying plants. They form 
neat stakes, and are most suitable for Carnations, 
Mignonette, Petunias, and many other light growing 
plants. 
A Giant Horse Chestnut.—M, Ed. Andre describes 
in the Revue Horticoh a chestnut-tree growing on the 
property of M. le Comte Montais, at Drouilly, the 
Hayes not far from Montoire (Loir et Cher), the 
dimensions of which are as follows :—circumference 
of the trunk at a yard above the soil, 25 ft. 2i in.; 
height about 70 ft. approximately 70 ft.; spread of 
the branches 214 ft. in circumstance. The tree is 
situated on sloping ground, upon the crest of a small 
ravine where the waters bring down a fertile mud. 
What garden stuff produces the best Honey ?—A 
Penzance correspondent writes :—“ After careful 
observation I lay claim to the knowledge that white 
Clover produces 501b of honey per acre every day 
that it is in bloom,” and adds that ‘‘ whether this 
calculation is above or below the mark, the presence 
of bees in the immediate neighbourhood of such a 
crop would mean, on the most improved system of 
management, loolb. more hon^y per hive in two or 
three weeks, and a very large addition to the seed- 
producing power of the crop.” 
Dickens’s Old Gardener. —Dr. Amsden, medical 
superintendent at the Essex County Lunatic Asylum, 
has reported to the Billericay Board of Guardians, 
that the old man named Barber, wbo was at one 
time the late Charles Dicken’s gardener at Gad’s 
Hill, is recovering his reason, and in a short time 
will probably be discharged from the Asylum. 
Barber has been maintained at the institution since 
the beginning of the year by the guardians, who, how¬ 
ever, declined to dispose of his property, which inclu¬ 
ded several letters from Dickens, so long as there 
was a hope that he would recover. 
The Southern Wood as a Hedge Plant.—Mr. A. 
Mackay, superintendent of the Indian Head Experi¬ 
mental Farm, in the North-West Territory, 
Canada, considers the Southern Wood or "old 
man, ” Artemesia Abrotanum, as a wind-break, by 
far the most valeable shrub planted for that purpose 
on the Experimental Farm. It is easily propagated, 
a quick grower, and making a thick mat, is equally 
as good for a wind-break as for a snow collector, 
both of which are invaluable on our open prairies. 
Thousands of cuttings were sent out to settlers last 
spring, and thousands are available for the same 
purpose the coming season. 
Cacti Show atthe Drill Hall. —Mr. Henry Cannell 
writes from Swanley :—” Our Cactus Gala day will 
take place on July loth, at the Drill Hall, James 
Street, Westminster, not far from the Army and 
Navy Stores, when we hope to be favoured with you 
and your friends’ presence, and if you will kindly 
bring a collection, please intimate to Mr. A. F 
Barron, Royal Horticultural Gardens, Chiswick, the 
space required and it will then be in readiness. 
Please let all exhibits be finished by twelve o’clock. 
I hope to be there myself, and will gladly render 
any assistance I can. Mr. Singer's lecture will take 
place at three o’clock. Immediately after it kindly 
assemble at the Windsor Hotel (nearly opposite the 
above-mentioned show) for luncheon, immediately 
after which we hope to discuss the question of form¬ 
ing a society and all matters appertaining thereto.” 
The Pansy Association of Canada.—Under this 
title the Pansy fanciers of Montreal and vicinity have 
formed an Association for promoting the better 
cultivation of this favourite among flowers. The 
promoters and office bearers are known enthusiasts, 
and under their management success is assured. 
The first exhibition will be held to-day, July 7th, 
at the residence of A. Joyce, Esq., vice-president of 
the association, and it is stated that a more fitting 
place could not be found, as the grounds there are 
among the best in this vicinity. Mr. Joyce is an 
enthusiast on all flowers, and his place is a beautiful 
sight during the summer months, being planted with 
many of the best of hardy herbacious plants, bulbs, 
and annuals. These, too, have a place in the 
schedule of prizes, and a most interesting exhibition 
is expected. 
. National Chrysanthemum Society.—At the meeting 
of the General Committee held at Anderton’s Hotel, 
Fleet Street, on Monday evening, Mr. H. Briscoe- 
Ironside, who has returned from Italy, happily 
restored to health, was unanimously elected a mem¬ 
ber of the Committee in the place of Mr. R. J. 
Hammill, who has resigned and gone abroad. Other 
routine business included the election of Mr. H. J. 
Jones, Mr. G. Stevens, and Mr. T. Bevan,as judges 
of Chrysanthemums at the Aquarium Show on the 
4th, 5th, and 6th of September; the amendment of 
several rules to be recommended for adoption at the 
next annual general meeting; and the appointment 
of a sub-committee consisting of Mr. W. Herbert 
Fowler, Mr. E. Beckett, Mr. Norman Davis, 
Mr. C. Gibson, Mr. Geo. Gordon, Mr. H. J. Jones, 
and Mr. E. Molyneux, to draw up an authoritative 
standard of rules for judging by points on the basis 
of Mr. C. E. Shea’s paper, and to report to a future 
meeting. Eight new members were elected, and the 
Crewe Chysanthemum Society admitted into aflBlia- 
tion. 
National Chrysanthemum Society’s Annual Outing 
will take place on Monday. July 23rd. The members 
will travel to Windsor by the Great Western 
Railway, embark on two commodious steam launches 
at Thames Side, Windsor Bridge, proceed up the 
river to Bourne End, and dine at the Quarry Hotel 
(on the river bank). After dinner the launches will 
steam up the river as far as possible, returning to 
the Quarry Hotel to tea, and from thence to Windsor. 
The charge for the day, including return fare from 
Paddington to Windsor and back boat, dinner, and tea 
—will be nine shillings and sixpence to members, and 
ten shillings and sixpence to non-members. Members 
joining the party at Windsor or Maidenhead will pay 
7s. fid. and non-members Ss. fid. As this is certain 
to be a highly popular trip, early application must 
be made for tickets to Mr. Richard Dean, Ranelagh 
Road, Ealing. 
A Pocket Flora for Edinburgh.—There is a certain 
amount of satisfaction in identifying wild flowers 
gathered during country rambles. To assist amateur 
botanists in and near Edinburgh to carry out this 
kind of determination, Mr. C. O. Sonntag has pre¬ 
pared a little book of handy size, viz., “A Pocket 
Flora of Edinburgh and the Surrounding Country,” 
and Messrs. Williams & Norgate have published it. 
Therein will be found, to quote the sub-title, " a col¬ 
lection and full description of all Phanerogamic and 
the principal Cryptogamic plants, classified after the 
natural system, with an artificial key and a glossary 
of botanical terms.” It may be doubted whether a 
student derives any great advantage from the 
dictionary method of classifying specimens, never¬ 
theless, he may be led through such work to higher 
studies. Another local flora, of which we have re¬ 
ceived a copy, is a " Vade-mecum to the Alpine 
Flora,” by L. Schroter and Prof. C. Schroter 
(London: David Nutt). This book is in its fourth 
edition- It contains 170 coloured representations of 
Alpine flowers, so that every bit of bloom which 
beautifies the Swiss mountainside can be easily 
indentified by tourists without any botanical know¬ 
ledge whatever. No attempt is made to describe or 
classify the plants in a systematic manner. Unlike 
Mr. Sontag’s book, that by Prof. Schroter appeals to 
the curious tourist rather than the investing student. 
The text is in English, French, and German.— 
Nature. 
An Automatic Travelling Lawn Watering Machine.— 
During last week a useful machine, patented by Mr. 
A. J. Protheroe, for watering lawns and grass grounds 
uniformly and at slow speed was tried in the Temple 
Gardens, and also put into practical operations at 
the Essex County Cricket Grounds at Leyton, where 
the ground for the match between Essex and 
Yorkshire was watered some three days previously. 
The ground-man expresses every satisfaction with 
the ease and regularity with which it was rolled 
down afterwards, and this is noticeable, as it is clear 
that ground unevenly watered would be liable to dry 
into hard and soft patches. The machine is con¬ 
structed of light iron pipes forming a carriage 
supported on three low wheels, two of which are 
driven by a small turbine or water-motor, deriving 
its water supply by an india-rubber hose connected 
to a branch from the watermain of the East London 
Company. The pressure of the water on the machine 
is equal to a head of about 45 ft. The water-motor 
is i| in. in diameter, enclosed in a case 4 in. long. 
Attacked to its shaft, two weights revolve in a 
vertical plane, tending to lengthen it, and against 
this a worm and wheel tend to shorten it, the com¬ 
bination keeping nearly constant the speed of 
progress to a rate of from 6 in. to i ft. per minute. 
The india-rubber hose is coiled on the arms of the 
carriage, and falls off as the carriage advances. 
Extra lengths can be added, but the extreme yet 
applied at the cricket ground has been 120 ft. from 
the end of the water branch. The actual sprinkler 
is a straight 18 ft. length of | in. iron pipe, with 
twelve water jets, like batswing gas burners in form, 
each throwing out a semi-circular sheet overlapping 
its neighbours. Under the above circumstances, the 
automatic action of the sprinklers would last for four 
hours without attention. The water-motor is very 
simple, and can be adjusted to other pressures, and 
probably the most general demand will be for a 30 ft. 
head of water, such as is obtainable in country 
mansions. 
