132 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 27, 1894. 
tivation, furnishes many an object lesson in 
the mode of treatment that should be given 
to the same or allied subjects in the garden, 
and at the very lowest estimate can only 
be regarded, but not stigmatised, as a 
harmless amusement. Our pages, at 
intervals for some time past, furnished 
ample evidence of the keen enjoyment ex¬ 
perienced by several in their distant excur¬ 
sions or Saturday afternoon rambles in 
search of wild flowers. Such rambles, 
indeed, often constitute the primary and 
leading featureofa holiday ; or if the latter 
is an extended one, the inspection of flower 
shows and the visitation of gardens are 
included. These excursions enable the 
participants to see and enjoy the character¬ 
istic beauty of their own country, enlarge 
their views and give them a wider know¬ 
ledge of the ways of the world and of men. 
Such travellers may realise the views of 
the French Abbe related by Sir John 
Lubbock. The Abbe, had been very ill, 
almost unto death, and in a faint imagined 
that an angel came and asked him, “ Well, 
M. l’Abbe, and how did you like the 
beautiful world you have just left ? ” It then 
occurred to him that he had been preaching 
about heaven all his life, but had seen 
almost nothing of the world in which he 
was living. He determined to see some¬ 
thing of it if his life was spared, and later 
on he was discovered amongst the Rocky 
Mountains by a traveller on a scientific 
mission, to whom he related the reason of 
his sojourn in those distant regions. 
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Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution. —Intending 
candidates at the forthcoming election in January 
next, are notified that their applications must be 
made to the Secretary, Mr. G. J. Ingram, 50, Parlia¬ 
ment Street, S.W., on or before November 10th. 
Royal Honours to a Kelso Firm. —Messrs. Laing 
& Mather, of Kelso, have just received a Royal 
Warrant appointing them Seed Merchants and 
Nurseryman to H.R.H., The Prince of Wales. 
The Ripon Chrysanthemum Show will be held on 
Tuesday, November 20th, and not on the dates 
previously announced. 
Mr. T. W. Edmunds of the Westerham Nurseries 
and Seed Establishment has just taken over the 
Darenth Nursery and Seed business, Westerham. 
Kent, lately in the occupation of Mr. Arthur Jeffkins, 
who has retired from business. We understand that 
the seed business will be transferred to Mr. 
Edmunds’ establishment, and the Nursery entirely 
replanted. 
Frequent illustrations are to hand shoeing the 
resistless force of growing fungi. A curious case is 
reported from Torquay. It seems that for some 
time past a portion of the tar pavement was mis¬ 
placed in a singular manner, and a few days ago a 
Mushroom was plucked from between the paving 
and the kerbing. Several square feet of the tar 
paving was found to be broken off, and then it was 
discovered that it had been slowly raised by the 
growth of a large mass of Mushrooms or Toadstools. 
So completely had the spores or spawn got possession 
of the material on which the pavement was laid that 
a very considerable portion had to be taken up and 
relaid. 
Canaigre—Such is the name given to a kind of Dock 
(Rumex hymenosepalus), a native of southern Cali¬ 
fornia, and which is known to the people there as 
the “ Wild Pie plant," or “ native Rhubarb,” because 
the leaf stalks are used in the same way as Rhubarb. 
The roots contain a large quantity of tannin, and it 
would seem that an industry has sprung up in 
Arizona for the extraction of this substance. A 
writer in American Gardening expresses the opinion 
that Canaigre or ‘‘native Rhubarb" is worthy of 
introduction, and would probably improve under 
cultivation. 
North of Scotland Horticultural and Arboricultural 
Association. —The members of this Association held 
their first meeting of the session in the Christian 
Institute, Aberdeen, the other evening:—Mr. J. 
Munro, the president, in the chair. A discussion 
took place as to what means should be adopted to 
interest a wider circle in the proceedings of the 
Association, and it was ultimately resolved to 
endeavour to organise classes for young gardeners for 
the study of botany and other subjects during the 
winter. It was remitted to a Committee to arrange 
for a course of lectures on subjects interesting to 
gardeners. 
Improved Traffic Service for Market Gardeners.— 
Market gardeners in the west are looking forward 
with great expectation that the change in the district 
superintendentship of the Great Western Railway at 
Penzance will have a good effect. The old con¬ 
servative action as to the running of a limited 
number of ordinary and special trains for the con¬ 
veyance of fruit, vegetables, and fish will, it is hoped, 
be speedily broken down. Already it is announced 
that from next week a new goods train will run 
daily to London. This will be a convenience to the 
market gardeners which they have not hitherto 
possessed, and especially as the rates have been 
considerably reduced, there is some hope for the 
prosperity of the Cornish growers yet. 
Death of Mr. Robert Petfield. —We regret to record 
the death on Monday, after a long illness, of Mr. 
Robert Petfield, gardener to A. J. Thornhill, Esq., 
Diddington, near Huntingdon. Mr. Petfield had 
been at Diddington since he was twenty-three years 
of age, and was well known as a successful exhibitor 
at the St. Neot’s and other local shows. He was 
especially successful for many years as an exhibitor 
of Chrysanthemums at the National and other shows. 
His contributions to the stands put up by the St. 
Neot's Horticultural Society in competition for the 
National Chrysanthemum Society’s Trophy, greatly 
helped to bring about that Society’s numerous 
successes ; and it will be remembered that last year 
this Society won the Trophy with blooms entirely o 
Mr. Petfield’s cultivation. He was a very able man, 
and respected alike by his employer and all who 
knew him. We understand that he will be succeeded 
by his son as gardener at Diddington. 
The Hampstead Heath Firs.—Last week four of the 
trees in the splendid group of old Firs on Hampstead 
Heath, near the Spaniards’ Road were removed by 
workmen in the employ of the London County 
Council. The spot on which the clump stands is 
one of the highest on the heath, and commands a 
fine view of the Brent valley and the hills beyond. 
The trees are several hundred years old. Those just 
removed were considered to be dangerous, and some 
of the remaining ones show signs of decay. Some 
years ago, when the decay was first noticed, it 
occurred to Mr. G. S. Jealous, a Hampstead resident, 
that, though nothing could be done to save them, 
the memory of the beautiful old trees ought not to 
be allowed to pass out of existence, and, in 
accordance with his suggestion, a large picture of 
them in oils, with the view of Harrow in the distanoe, 
was painted by Mr. W. J. Callcott, the well-known 
scenic artist. This picture is now the property of 
the parish of Hampstead, and hangs in a prominent 
position in the vestry hall on Haverstock Hill. 
Great Fall in Mustard Seed Prices. —The Wisbech 
Advertiser remarks this year's first market for the 
sale of Mustard Seed on the 13th inst. was one of 
the most remarkable that has been known for many 
years. In one respect—for lowness of price—we 
have to go back to 1852 to find a parallel. This un¬ 
satisfactory state of things, from the grower's point of 
view, is mainly due to the increased quantity of seed 
that has been grown, but at the same time there is not 
wanting evidence that the growers have a great deal 
to thank themselves for, in the matter of price, in 
the indiscriminate manner in which they rushed 
their samples in front of the merchants. The 
market opened with varying prices, for while two of 
the biggest manufacturers offered 7s. and 8s. per 
bushel for the best samples, another well-known 
firm was giving 8s. 6d. and gs., which prices would, 
it is believed, have continued, had they not been 
overwhelmed with seed. 
Private Post Cards for Places Abroad. —Private post 
cards bearing adhesive stamps of the value of one 
penny, and private reply post cards with penny 
adhesive stamps on each half, may now be sent as post 
cards to places abroad, provided that they are in 
conformity with the official post cards. These 
private cards, whether single or double, must be of 
the same size and substance as the official cards, and 
must have the words "PostCard” printed on the 
address side, without the Royal arms. The reply 
halves of private double cards, which will be avail¬ 
able only for return to this country from places 
abroad, must bear in print the words “ Post Card— 
Great Britain and Ireland” and ‘‘Reply.’’ Plain 
cards, without any printed inscription, cannot be 
sent abroad as single or reply post cards. The rules 
relating to the address side of the official single and 
reply cards for places abroad apply also to private 
cards. Any infringement of these rules will subject 
private cards for places abroad to be charged as 
letters. 
Chrysanthemum Lady Selborne.—Amongst the 
numbers of varieties of the Chrysanthemum 
we possess, and their name is legion, none 
are more valuable than this beautiful sort. It is 
particularly suitable for growing for cut flowers. It 
is of medium height, about 5 ft., and readily adopts 
the true bush form, as well as of strong constitution. 
The flowers are not particularly large, and there are 
several white varieties that would beat it by a long 
way with regard to size. The florets are of good 
substance, and intermingle with each other in a way 
that adds very greatly to the charm of a beautiful 
flower. 
Begonia semperflorens gigantea.—Although many 
good varieties of Begonias of the semperflorens 
type have been given us of late, none surpass 
this one in beauty and in general usefulness. 
Taller in habit than the type it is rather more free 
flowering, and the cymose inflorescence is of a much 
looser character. The flowers are of a beautiful 
bright pink or rose, and are produced in great pro¬ 
fusion. As a summer and autumn flowering plant it 
is of the utmost service, and its easily contented 
nature, added to its great beauty, have both com¬ 
bined to make it a general favourite. 
The Grand Yorkshire Gala—Donations to Charities.— 
At a meeting of the Council of the Grand Yorkshire 
Gala, held at Harker’s Hotel, York, on the 2nd inst., 
Aid. Sir Joseph Terry presiding, it was resolved to 
recommend to the general meeting of life members and 
guarantors, to be shortly held, the following grants, 
amounting in the aggregate to ^306, to charitable 
institutions, out of the surplus in hand:—York 
County Hospital, /50; York Dispensary, £50; 
York Blue and Grey Coat Schools, £10; Yorkshire 
Society’s School, London, /21 ; York Boys' and 
Girls’ Industrial Schools, £20 ; York Association for 
the Care of Young Girls, £15 ; York Home for 
Nurses, /15; York Lunatic Asylum, £25; York 
Children’s Home, York Home for Friendless Girls, 
York Blind School, York Soldiers’ Institute, York 
Penitentiary, York Invalid Kitchen, and York 
Charity Organisation Society, £10 each. Since the 
formation of the Society in 1859 no less than £2,000 
has been distributed among the York charities. A 
general meeting of the guarantors and life members 
was held on the 19th inst., when Mr, Aid. Mihvard, 
who presided, congratulated the meeting upon having 
had a successful year. The profit for this year was 
^346 13s. 4d., and there was a balance in hand from 
the previous year of £ji 13s. 4d. For the few days 
preceding the last gala they had disastrous weather, 
the rain making the gala field in a deplorable con¬ 
dition. This caused an extra expenditure of £50. 
They had, however, a surplus of /418. He con¬ 
gratulated them on their prosperity and having been 
able to give the handsome sum of £306 to charities, 
(Applause).—Mr. Henry Scott proposed a vote of 
thanks to the Lord Mayor (Mr. Aid. Clayton). Votes 
of thanks were accorded to the Chairman of Com¬ 
mittee, Sir Joseph Terry ; to the Vice-chairman, Mr 
E. Rooke ; to the Treasurer, Mr. Joseph Wilkinson, 
who had occupied that position for thirty-six years; 
and to the Secretary, Mr. Chas. W. Simmons, for 
the admirable way in which he discharged his duties. 
The fixing of the dates for the next gala was referred 
to a committee for consideration. 
A New Heliotrope.—A new variety for the 
following year is being offered by an Italian 
nurseryman in plants. It is named Queen 
Marguerite, and is represented to be of dwarf 
and compact growth and producing immense 
clusters of deep dark coloured flowers. Can any 
good come out of the Continent to plant growers ? 
is a question worth asking one’s self. Because it 
often happens that foreign novelties are often very 
disappointing and predisposes the gardener to use 
bad language. After all this new " Cherry pie ” may 
turn out to be a prize among many blanks, but with¬ 
out vouching for it as a really good thing, I content 
myself with recording the fact that it is on sale.— 
R. D. 
