100 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Oct. 18th, 1884 
the best kinds as seed-parents, the blooms being 
fertilized with a strong infusion of English 
pollen. Hence the splendid sorts which now 
decorate our show-tables, and have made our 
garden crops so abundant. The American blood 
in Potatos is said to be largely inherited from 
Solanum Fendleri, whilst the British tubers have 
more of the original S. tuberosum blood in 
them. Now, home raisers by intercrossing 
American with English kinds not only marry 
very distinctive strains, but also the products 
of distinctive species ; hence we find splendid 
results. We have now a race of Anglo-Ameri¬ 
can Potatos so fine, handsome, productive, and 
of superb quality, that neither our old sorts nor 
pure Americans have any chance for present 
popularity. Baisers still continue their efforts, 
and we are lost in wonder as to when and where 
their labours will end. 
The Mountain Ash. —The singularly attractive 
manner in which trees of the Mountain Ash are 
this season crowded with bright scarlet berries, 
to such an extent indeed that the branches are 
borne down by the weight they carry, is worthy 
of comment/ It is a tree that is much planted 
in forecourt gardens in London and its suburbs, 
and whether in flower or bearing its brilliant 
fruit it is of great value as a decorative agent. 
The Mountain Ash is Pyrus Aucuparia, and it 
is the llowan or Poan-tree of the Northern 
Counties. The name is supposed to be derived 
from the Danish or Swedish ronn, a charm, from 
its being supposed to have power to avert the 
evil eye. “ The most approved charm against 
contrips and spells was a branch of the Rowan 
tree planted and placed over the byre. This 
sacred tree cannot be removed by unholy fingers.” 
The French call this tree the bird sorb, its fruit 
being a favourite fruit of many of the winged 
inhabitants of the air. In some parts of the 
North of Europe, the berries, bruised in water 
and fermented make a rather pleasant drink, 
from which it is said to be possible to distil a 
kind of brandy. No tree, stands rough winds 
better than the Mountain Ash, hence it is well 
adapted for exposed situations and to afford 
shelter for other trees. 
The Spyebs’ Memoeial. —As the result of 
this fund, of which Dr. Maxwell T. Masters, 
F.B.S., was Treasurer, and Mr. James O’Brien, 
Secretary, £218 was obtained. A substantial 
freehold seven-roomed house has been built for 
the widow at St. Albans, under the supervision 
of Mr. Sander, the Orchid Importer. Only 
about £50 has been expended beyond the sum 
originally subscribed, and a good part of this 
has been promised by members of the Committee. 
It speaks well for the Orchid-growing fraternity 
that they should so kindly join in conferring a 
lasting benefit on the widow and children of one 
who was such an enthusiastic worker among 
them. 
- f ■ -^ 1 '— 
National Aubicula and Carnation and Picotee 
Societies.— At a meeting of the Executive body 
of the Southern Section of these Societies, held at 
South Kensington on Tuesday last, the officers and 
committee for 1885 were elected as follows :—Francis 
Whitboum, Esq., Great Gearies, Ilford, President 
of the Auricula Society; and J. T. D. Llewelyn, Esq., 
Penllergare, Swansea, President of the Carnation 
Society; Mr. Eolt, of Wimbledon, Treasurer, and 
Mr. James Douglas Secretary of both Societies, with 
the following gentlemen as members of the commit¬ 
teesDr. M. T. Masters, F.E.S., Dr. Hogg, Thomas 
Moore, Esq., Shirley Hibberd, Esq., James McIntosh, 
Esq., Mr. Charles Turner, Mr. B. S. Williams, Mr. J. 
James, Mr. T. S. Ware, and Mr. Hill, Tring Park, with 
power to add to their number. Mr. Hibberd and Mr. 
Turner were appointed to draw up a set of rules for 
the government of the Societies, with a view to 
providing them with what they have not yet had—a 
proper constitution. 
(§ aliening IPfettlfam 
The Floral Committee of the National Chrysan¬ 
themum Society, will meet at the “ Old Four 
Swans,” Bishopsgate Gate, E.C., on October 30th, 
November 27th, and December 11th, at 7 p.m., to 
adjudicate upon the merits of any new varieties of 
Chrysanthemums which may be sent for that purpose. 
We regret to hear that Mr. Harrison Weir, the well- 
known artist and naturalist, met with a serious 
accident on the night of the 8th inst. While passing 
along the Strand he was knocked down by a cab, and 
was so seriously bruised that he was taken to Charing 
Cross Hospital. Mr. Weir is now progressing satis¬ 
factorily towards recovery. 
Bln. W. Leach being about to leave Oakley, Fallow- 
field, all his stove and greenhouse plants, except the 
Orchids, will be sold by auction on the premises on 
the 29th. 
“ The Chrysanthemum ; its history, culture, classi¬ 
fication, and nomenclature ” is the title of the latest 
addition to horticultural literature from the pen of 
Mr. F. W. Burbidge. It is published at The Garden 
office. 
The Annual Chrysanthemum Exhibition held in 
Finsbury Park will be opened to the public to-day. 
The Monthly Journal of Forestry has changed 
hands, and will we believe in future be published in 
Edinburgh. 
A-new Chrysanthemum Society has been formed at 
Havant, in Hampshire, of which Sir Frederick Fitz- 
ygram is President. The first Exhibition will be 
held on November 7th and 8th in the Town Hall, 
under the management of a General Committee com¬ 
posed of eighteen gardeners and nurserymen. 
A “ Life ” of the late Charles Darwin is in prepara¬ 
tion by his son, Mr. Francis Darwin, and will be 
published by Mr. Murray, probably in the course of 
next year. 
The Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Works and 
Public Buildings intend to distribute this autumn, 
among the working-classes and the poor inhabitants 
of London, the surplus bedding-out plants in Battersea, 
Hyde, the Eegent’s and Victoria Parks, and the Eoyal 
Gardens, Kew, and the Pleasure Gardens, Hampton 
Court. If the clergy, school committees, and others 
interested will make application to the superintendent 
of the park nearest to their respective parishes, or to 
the director of the Eoyal Gardens, Kew; or to the 
superintendent of Hampton Court Gardens, in the 
cases of persons residing in those neighbourhoods, 
they will receive early intimation of the number of 
plants that can be allotted to each applicant, and of 
the time and manner of their distribution. 
Meissonier as a Horticultural Joker.— The 
following story in connection with the painter, 
Meissonier, reminds one of the joke of Congressman 
Welsh, in planting a real rat for a specimen of the 
rat-tail cactus, now many years ago. In his employ, 
not many years back, he retained a middle-aged 
gardener, who was a remarkable botanist, but was an 
incorrigible wag. He piqued himself on his knowledge 
of seeds, and Meissonier was always trying and always 
failing to puzzle him. “ I have got him now! ” said 
Meissonier to some friends at a dinner party; and 
he showed them a package of the roe of dried 
herrings. He sent for the gardener. All the 
guests smiled. The gardener arrived. “ Do you 
know these seeds ? ” Meissonier asked. The 
gardener examined them with great attention, 
“ Oh, yes ! ” said he, at last. “ That is the seed of 
the polypus fluximus, a very rare tropical plant.” 
“How long will it take the seed to come up?” 
“Fifteen days,” said the gardener. At the end of 
fifteen days the guests were once more at table. 
After dinner Jean was announced. “ M. Meissonier,” 
he said, “ the plants are above the ground.” Fully 
anticipating the success of his joke, but a little 
bewildered, the great painter and his guests went into 
the garden to behold the botanical wonder. The 
gardener lifted up a glass bell, under which was a 
little bed, carefully made, and in which three rows of 
red herrings were sticking up their heads. The laugh 
was against Meissonier. He discharged the gardener, 
but took him back the next day.— Gardener’s Monthly. 
HARDY FRUIT CULTIVATION. 
Planting. —One of the chief causes of failure in 
the cultivation of hardy fruits in olden times was, 
and unfortunately is still, the injudicious selection of 
unsuitable sites for Orchards. In former days, when 
safety and not suitability had first to be considered, 
when from necessity rather than from choice, Orchards 
were planted in the cold damp valleys near to residences, 
there was a reasonable cause for so doing; but that 
cause no longer exists, and yet the same foolish 
practice is still pursued, either because we do not 
estimate the value of the produce of our hardy fruit 
trees sufficiently high, to afford them the best soil and 
site, or else because we are satisfied to copy and repeat 
the mistakes made by our forefathers without having 
their reasonable excuse for wrong-doing. In saying 
this I do not wish it to be understood that I would 
hastily condemn all low and sheltered positions, 
except where they are naturally cold and damp, and 
which can be easily determined beforehand by a few 
simple observations. Nor would I, on the other hand, 
advocate as the most suitable site for an Orchard, a 
very elevated position, where the trees would be 
constantly exposed to rough winds; but even this 
would be preferable to the former position, because 
protection might in many instances be easily pro¬ 
vided by planting trees and shrubs, but to improve 
a low-lying, cold and damp valley is almost impos¬ 
sible. 
In the Midland, Western, and Southern Counties a 
gradually-sloping hill-side, inclining towards the east, 
is unquestionably in most cases the most favourable 
aspect and position, but in the Eastern and Northern 
Counties a southern or south-western slope would, I 
think, prove more satisfactory. There may exist in 
some instances local conditions which would tend to 
modify these conclusions ; but they are not likely to 
be numerous nor so complex as to prevent even the 
most casual observer from understanding and taking 
advantage of them. In respect to soil our hardy fruit- 
trees do not appear to be at all particular, provided 
the situation is favourable. Whether planted on the 
old or new red sandstone, the London clay, the Kentish 
rag, the chalk, or the green sand formation, they 
nearly all of them succeed well, provided the climate 
and seasons are favourable. To stone fruits, however, 
there is no doubt that a soil containing a large 
proportion of calcareous matter is advantageous, and 
where a soil is found to be naturally deficient of it, 
means must be taken to remedy the defect. 
A deep rich, somewhat adhesive loam, resting upon 
a moderately porous subsoil, is perhaps the best 
calculated to produce health and fertility, but un¬ 
fortunately there are so few proprietors and occupiers 
of land who can be induced to believe in the real value 
of hardy fruits, that they refuse to appropriate their 
better lands to this purpose, but still prefer to grow 
wheat or other comparatively unprofitable crops on 
the whole, while the despised orchard-trees are 
consigned to the worst possible soils and situations. 
A short time ago, I was consulted by a large occupier 
of land as to the best and most profitable kinds 
of fruit to cultivate, his intention being to destroy 
six acres of moss-covered, cankered, and otherwise 
diseased Cider Apples, and other fruit-trees occupying 
a piece of poor land nearly level with a river, and to 
replant the same with the best kinds for the benefit 
of himself and future generations. I ventured to 
suggest (for I was not consulted on this head) that 
the old Orchard should be in future appropriated to 
roots, and the new Orchard formed on a rich piece 
of sloping land at a higher elevation then occupied 
with corn. This suggestion was ridiculed at first, 
but after considerable discussion and delay, I was 
gratified to see the suggestion had been accepted, the 
Orchard was planted, and although but few years have 
elapsed, a very fair return has already been made on 
the outlay, and the trees are annually increasing in 
fertility and value, and bid fair to be in a few years 
time the most profitable crop on the farm. 
Having selected the proper site for an Orchard, the 
next thing is to arrange the proper distances at which 
to plant the different kinds of trees, and to arrange 
them in such a manner as to prevent any injury from 
shading each other when they eventually become 
fully developed. In deciding this, not only will the 
nature of the soil and its tendency to produce 
exuberant growth have to be considered, but what 
