180 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 17, 1894. 
supply is often far from being adequate to 
the demand. The fact that it grows spon¬ 
taneously in the fields and is therefore wild, 
doubtless induces hundreds of people to 
collect it, heedless that they are trespassing 
knowingly on the property of others. 
Something like 782 species of Agarics are 
native to Britain, but of all that number 
it is remarkable how few of them are eaten. 
The fact that they include both mushrooms 
and toadstools, that is, edible and poison¬ 
ous species, and the accidents that occasion¬ 
ally occur, doubtless prevent the masses 
from experimenting upon other species with 
a view to determine their toothsome 
qualities. It is more than probable that 
many of the species yet unattemped would 
either prove wholesome and savoury under 
the treatment of good cookery, or, on the 
other hand, harmless. The proof of the 
pudding is in the eating, says the old 
proverb, but few experimenters are yet pre¬ 
pared to follow the American precept that 
says, “ Eat it and if you live it was a 
mushroom, but if you die it was a toad¬ 
stool.” Even amongst scientific men 
there are few who care to make experiments 
such as some one or several must have 
done in ancient times to prove the whole¬ 
some qualities of the common Agaric. 
Several species of mushroom are eaten in 
Italy, but that which is so much 
appreciated by the British, is rejected as 
suspicious by the Italians. 
Mr. H. French, late of the Royal Gardens, Kew, 
has been engaged as gardener to Joseph Yorke, Esq., 
of Forthampton Court, Tewkesbury, Gloucester¬ 
shire. 
The Society of Arts Programme for the ensuing 
session includes a lecture on Forestry, on December 
19th, by Lt.-General J. Michael, C.S.I., and three 
lectures on Commercial Fibres (March 18th, 25th, 
and April 1st) by Dr. Morris, Kew. 
Legacies to Servants.—In accordance with the will 
of the late Mrs. Lyne Stephens, of Lynford Hall, 
Norfolk, who died a short time ago, all the gar¬ 
deners, gamekeepers, woodmen, and farm labourers, 
together with those members of their families who 
were employed on her estate at the time of her 
decease, in the villages of Lynford, Cranwich, Mund- 
ford, and West Tofts, have each received a legacy of 
£20. 
Apple Imports. —The arrivals of Apples at Liverpool 
from United States and Canadian ports up to the 
27th ult. were 191,961 barrels, as compared with 
1,663 l ast season ; and on Wednesday the Allan Line 
steamer, " Laurentian,” arrived in the Mersey 
bringing some 7,000 barrels of Canadian Winter 
Apples in splendid order. The present value of 
Canadian Apples ranges from 12s. 6d. to 23s. per 
barrel, according to variety and quality. 
Feeding Apples to Cows.— There has long been an 
opinion among farmers that while sweet Apples 
might be fed to cows with satisfactory results, sour 
Apples were very injurious to them, but this opinion 
has been founded upon very slight actual knowledge 
of the real feeding value of Apples. Experiment 
stations have so far given but little attention to 
analysis of the Apple to ascertain its feeding value. 
At the Vermont station Apple Pomace, ensilaged and 
used supplementary to and in part as a substitute 
for Maize ensilages, was found to be relished by 
cows, and the results of four tests found it to be 
about equivalent in feeding value to corn ensilage. 
At the Massachusetts station Dr. Goessmann found 
Apples to contain about 80 per cent, of moisture, 
the Apples having been gathered October 6th. The 
further advanced Apples are towards maturity the 
more sugar is found in them, and their feeding value 
depends largely upon the amount of dry matter 
which they contain. Laboratory tests show that the 
feeding value of Apples is somewhat higher than 
that of an equal weight of Turnips. Apple Pomace 
is said to be equal to Sugar Beets, it being a some¬ 
what singular chemical fact that the Pomace is 
richer in nitrogenous matter than the Apple from 
which it has been made.— Bell's Messenger. 
Birmingham Amateur Gardeners' Association.—The 
meeting of the above Association held on Wednesday 
evening, the 7th, at their rooms, 116, Colmore Row, 
was much better attended than the past few meet¬ 
ings. Mr. Arthur Roe occupied the chair. Mr. T. P. 
Cope gave a short lecture on that much discussed and 
often much abused subject, “Judging.” He described 
the various principles to be taken into account by 
judges, and enumerated the many ways adopted by 
judges to secure fair awards. In amateur societies 
he thought particular attention should be paid to 
the locality where the exhibits had been grown. A 
good discussion followed the paper, in which Messrs. 
E. B. Clark, J. Child, W. B. Child, W. B. Griffin, 
W. H, Peake, A. Roe, and W. H. Wilks, and others 
took part. There was a strong competition for two 
prizes offered by Mr. Albert Sydenham, Acocks 
Green, for six blooms of Chrysanthemums. Mr. E. 
D. Clark was the winner of the first, an electro¬ 
plated inkstand ; and Mr. W. A. Sarsons was the 
winner of the second, a pair of electro-plated ash 
trays. Messrs. W. England, Hy. Beech, W. Chap¬ 
man, and M. Moss, also exhibited. 
Scottish Horticultural Association.—At a meeting of 
this Association on the 6th inst., in 5, St. Andrew 
Square, Edinburgh, the Secretary read a paper by 
Mr. William M'Conochie, gardener, Doonside, Ayr, 
on “ Soils.” The writer of the paper described the 
various kinds of soils, and said that in clay soils the 
drains should never exceed 30 in. in depth, nor more 
than from 9 to 10 ft. apart. Beyond that depth no 
healthy root action could take place. Sandy soils 
containing less than one-tenth of clay were easily 
worked, but their great defect was their non-reten¬ 
tion of moisture. They could be gradually improved 
by the application of clay vegetable refuse. Good 
cultivation and intelligent management were essential 
in all cases. Soil properly cultivated would never 
" run out; ” while by a course of injudicious cropping 
the most fertile soil in the world would in time 
become barren. It was therefore of the utmost 
importance that a rational course of rotation should 
be carried out. In the discussion which followed, 
several members took exception to Mr. M'Conochie’s 
view as to the depth of drains. A malformed Potato 
sent for exhibition by Dr. Paterson, Bridge of Allan, 
was examined with interest by the members. 
Unfair Railway Rates.—A correspondent of Bell's 
Messenger calls attention to a fact which is 
exceedingly instructive in connection with railway 
rates. Some time ago he purchased some foreign 
potatos on board a ship in Hull Docks, and ordered 
them to be forwarded to him by rail. The railway 
company sent to the docks, brought the potatos, put 
them in their trucks and delivered them at his sta¬ 
tion, charging him 7s. 6d. per ton for carriage. 
Shortly afterwards he again visited Hull with the 
intention of buying a similar lot of potatos, but 
found a local farmer in the market who was prepared 
to sell him the quantity he required at the same 
price as the foreign potatos and in somewhat better 
condition. Naturally he closed the bargain, and the 
seller agreed to deliver them to the railway company. 
In this case the company had not to send for the 
Potatos, but had them actually placed in their own 
trunks, sent them by train and delivered them at the 
same station as the previous consignment. The 
purchaser assumed that the carriage would be 
slightly less, as the company had no carting to do to 
get the goods into their trucks, and therefore he was 
much surprised to find that, instead of 7s. 6d. per 
ton, he had 10s. to pay. He declined to do this ; but 
after a long correspondence and a good deal of 
trouble, found it better to hand over the money and 
have done with the matter. 
Testimonial to Mr. William Dean, Birmingham.— 
Mr. Robert Sydenham and Mr. W. B. Latham met 
Mr. Dean on the evening of Wednesday, November 
7th, and formally presented him, in name of the 
Committee of Subscribers, with a handsome silver 
watch bearing the following inscription :—“ Pre¬ 
sented to Mr. Wm. Dean, along with fifty guineas, 
on his 70th birthday, as a mark of esteem. 
Subscribed for by florists and friends in all parts of 
the country.” The following are the names of the 
subscribers:—Messrs. S. Arnott, W. Adams, W. 
Bull, Birmingham Amateur Gardeners’ Association, 
W. D. Bason, H. A. Burberry, F. W. Burbidge, T. 
Beddard, — Black, A. Brown, — Bubb, Cocker & 
Sons, Rev. J. T. W. Claridge, H. Cannell, H. B. 
Croscomb, W. Crump, A. Coombes, A. D. Christie, 
Dobbie & Co., J. Downes, J. Egginton, H. Eckford, 
W. Earp, A. Friend, R. Featherstone, W. Finch, R. 
H. Griffin, R. Greenfield, W. A. Green, J. Grice, W. 
G. Head, Dr. Hogg, R. M. Hogg, C. H. Herbert, J, 
Hughes, T. Hewitt, S. Hearn, — Hobson, A. Irvine, 
J. M. Johnstone, W. Jones, A. W. Jones, B. F. Kelly, 
Laing & Sons, P. Lutz, G. Lakin, W. B. Latham, — 
Lambert, S. M’Kee, Dr. Masters, A. Medhurst, W, 
Miller, F. M. Mole, — Morley, — Mansell, — Maw- 
ley, F. Nokes, A. Outram, Paul & Sons, S. Pye, J ( 
Pope, T. Perkins, J. B. Riding, A. J. Rowberry, W, 
Robinson, J. Rickards, Sutton & Sons, J. D. Stuart, 
R. Sydenham, C. T. Saunders, C. Turner, O. 
Thomas, “ Viola," Veitch & Son, Rev. D. R. Wil¬ 
liamson, B. Wynne, J. Wright, J. Wills, W. Wardill, 
W. Wright, J. H. White. Geo. M’Leod, Hon. 
Treasurer, Wm. Cuthbertson. Hon. Secretary, of 
Committee. 
GARDENERS AND THEIR 
HOLIDAYS. 
(Concluded frontpage 172.) 
Leaving Bournemouth by an early train the 
following morning on our way to Southampton, 
and thence to Alresford, as we were desirous of 
seeing 
The Grange, 
the seat of Lord Ashburton. Mr. Allen, the gardener, 
met us at the station, and drove us to the gardens, a 
distance of about four miles. Our worthy friend 
knowing the district well pointed out all objects of 
interest on the road, which were by no means few. 
In one place the Juniperus communis grows so 
luxuriantly that it, together with Ligustrum vulgare, 
had taken possession of the country. Here the wild 
rabbits made their home, for they were to be seen by 
hundreds in all directions. On the top of one hill is 
an old Roman camp, from which a fine view of the 
surrounding country can be seen. On our arrival at 
the gardens, Mr. Allen, who has no mean reputation 
in the Horticultural world, conducted us round, and 
as there were so many interesting things to be seen 
we made the most of the time at our disposal. The 
grounds are extensive and are bounded on one side 
by a fine piece of water, along the banks of which 
are to be seen, here and there, bold clumps of Cornus 
sanguinea, while some noble trees of various kinds 
are dotted about the grounds. Fagus asplenifolia 
was very fine as also was the common Ash. There is 
also an avenue of limes on which the Mistletoe had 
established itself in great profusion, through which a 
road leads from the mansion to a new church built 
by the late lord. The ground is undulating and 
well wooded, which adds wonderfully to the beauty 
of this charming place. The mansion is a large one 
and contains a fine collection of oil paintings, which, 
for the most part, occupy a large room that was 
formerly a conservatory. The kitchen garden is in 
keeping with the other part of the establishment, it 
however, lies rather low, and on that account is sub¬ 
ject to early and late frosts. Tender vegetables had 
suffered more here than any other place we had 
seen. A fine range of glass covers one wall. 
The first house we entered was devoted to a fine 
fig tree, which covered the whole space under the 
roof. It is the finest specimen we ever saw, and when 
in fruit must be truly grand, for it covers no less 
than 1,000 square feet, thousands of fruit being 
gathered from it each season. The variety, we were 
informed, is Brown Turkey. In another house we 
found a plant of Guava, Psidium Cattieyanum, 
which covered the partition between two houses. It 
is an evergreen plant, having fruit somewhat re¬ 
sembling that of the Japanese Rose, (Rosa rugosa), 
of a dull purple colour and agreeably flavoured. 
The plant at the time of our visit was covered with 
ripe fruit. It is a wonder that this is not more culti¬ 
vated, as its fruit makes a splendid dessert during 
autumn months. On a shelf in an adjoining house 
we noticed a fine lot of ripe Strawberries; plants 
too, were grown, particularly Cattleyas, of which 
there was a goodly number. We noticed that the 
Peach wall was covered with a very serviceable 
glass coping about three feet wide. Brackets were 
fastened to the wall and lights were made to swing 
by being hung in the centre. This we considered a 
very good plan, as the lights could be lifted from the 
trees during hot, sunny weather. Time, however, 
was passing, and as we had a long drive to the sta¬ 
tion, were obliged to leave, our kind friend Mr. 
Allen accompanying us as far as Alresford Station, 
from which we took train to Liphook, as we were 
desirous of visiting— 
