•788 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
August 10, 1895. 
The Hampton Court Vine, now 127 years old, is at 
present furnished with 1,200 bunches of grapes, the 
average number it produces. 
Wheat is believed to have been originally a native 
of Mesopotamia. To the east and west of Western 
Asia it has probably never existed but as a cultivated 
plant. 
Best kept Gardens —The Horticultural Sociey of 
Banchory, N.B., has just awarded prizes to the 
cottagers of the district for the best stocked gardens, 
the best kept gardens, and window boxes. 
Coffee Planting promises to be the great industry 
of British Central Africa. The export for 1895 is 
expected to equal or to be close upon 380,000 
pounds. It has been doubling itself annually for the 
past three years. 
A Sugar Maple, measuring 21 ft. in circumference, 
in Wayne county, Maine, has been furnishing the 
Davis family with sugar for the last fifty-six years. 
Royal Horticultural Society—The next meeting of 
the Royal Horticultural Society will be held on 
Tuesdav, 13th August in thh Drill Hall, James 
Street, Victoria Street, Westminster. At 3 o'clock 
a paper by Mr. A. B. Freaman-Mitford on “Hardy 
Bamboos " will be read. 
Acton Show.—We are given to understand that 
the financial results of this show are unprecedented. 
There were 3,000 visitors, and the entrance money 
amounted to ^28. This is believed to be due to the 
innovation of athletic sports in conjunction with 
the show; a large number of tickets was sold 
previous to the day. 
Importations of Lilium Harrisii bulbs are now 
coming in to the United States from Bermuda with 
every steamer. The vessel arriving on the 17th 
ult., brought over a thousand cases. The bulbs are 
in splendid condition, surpassing the quality of 
previous years, and appear to be well cured and 
ripened. 
Forthcoming Floral Fete at Duthie Park.—Arrange¬ 
ments for the Aberdeen Royal Horticultural 
Society’s Show, which is to be held in Duthie Park a 
few weeks hence, are now completed, A large 
number of attractions to is be provided, and a 
display of fireworks will be given in the evening. It 
has been decided to hand over twenty-five per cent, 
of the nett profit for the benefit of the Hospital for 
Sick Children. 
Rats, Mice, Voles, and Microbes.—Last year, and 
at the beginning of the present year, the laboratory 
of Parasitology of the Paris Commercial Exchange 
commenced experiments for the extirpation of 
rodents as mice, rats, field-mice, etc., by means of a 
virus the nature of which will propagate amongst 
these animals the germs of a special and always fatal 
disease. The results given by these experiments 
prove that with very rare exceptions, owing to im¬ 
perfect use, the virus gives the expected results. 
The O' Mara Water Lily.—A year or two ago Mr. 
Peter Bissett, of Washington, raised a new hybrid 
tropical Nymphaea, and named it in compliment to 
Mr. P. O’Mara, of New York. It has a fine, sturdy 
constitution, and produces large, showy, red flowers 
with the greatest freedom. Mr. John McElvery, of 
Flatbush, who has had it in constant bloom for 
nearly a year, and with whom we saw it in fine form 
last winter, regards it as one of the best Nymphaeas 
extant .—Gardening [American.) 
Golden Wedding Decorations.—At a farm house in 
the neighbourhood of New York recently, a fine 
effect with inexpensive materials was obtained by 
the use of the native Maidenhair fern on a table, in 
the centre of which was a mass of several hundreds 
of Coreopsis lanceolata. The table was outlined 
with the fern, and Roses and Carnations were freely 
used before the arrival of the guests. The vivid 
yellow of the Coreopsis was subdued by the fern, so 
that the general effect was rich without being start¬ 
ling. 
Bury Botanical Association.—On the 21st ult., the 
members of the Bury Botanical Association held a 
meeting at the Woolfold Liberal Club, Mr. Lonsdale 
presiding. Mr. Ackroyd, assisted by Mr. Daven¬ 
port, classified and named a number of plants and 
explained their medicinal properties. Among the 
plants were included members of the families 
Ranunculaceae, Labiatae, Scrophularineae, and 
Umbelliferae in abundance, mostly gathered by the 
members of che club. A short lecture on fertilisa¬ 
tion was afterwards given by the secretary. 
The Marguerite Centaurea. —This charming Cen- 
taurea is a variety of C. suaveolens, and originated 
a few years ago in Italy, where it received a special 
award from the Horticultural Society of Florence. 
The blooms are pure white with beautifully fringed 
florets, sweet scented, and about the size of a border 
Carnation bloom. They last well in water in a cut 
state. 
Eradicating Charlock.—A farmer in Durham 
entered upon a new place some four years ago and in 
the month of June found that his fields of corn were 
becoming yellow with Charlock or Field Mustard. 
He finally engaged six Irishmen to pull up the weeds 
and they placed themselves abreast in touch with 
one another and pulled up all the Charlock as they 
went, depositing it at the ends of the field. The 
following year the field was in Beans, and in the 
next was sown with Turnips. In both cases the 
Charlock was easily kept down, and the farmer now 
hopes he has got rid of it. Time alone can tell; for 
the seeds retain their vitality a long time. 
Colorado Wild Flowers —The National Educa¬ 
tional Association has been in session during the 
second week of July, in Denver, Colorado. The 
town has been crowded with nearly fifteen thousand 
of^these guests, ranking from the College president to 
the country school marm. The decorations were in the 
hands of a N.E.A. committee, and efforts were made 
by them to use the Colorado wild flowers and foliage 
as much as possible. The Colorado Blue Spruce 
formed the back-ground, and hung in festooning 
around the sides and from the ceilings of the rooms. 
On the mantels and tables were placed graceful 
bunches of Columbine (the state flower) and other 
flowers peculiar to our Rocky Mountains. 
Brookfield Horticultural Society.—The nth annual 
exhibition of flowers, fruit, and vegetables in con¬ 
nection with the Brookfield Horticultural Society 
was held on the 27th ult. at Highgate, in a field 
lent by Mr. Burdett Coutts, M.P. Amongst the 
early visitors to the show was the Baroness Burdett 
Coutts, the patroness of the Society. The exhibitors 
numbered 115, who between them sent in over 500 
entries. The first prize bouquet was presented to 
the Baroness Burdett Coutts by the exhibitor, Mr. 
Cram, who had grown all the flowers of which it was 
composed in his allotment garden. 
Serpentine District Horticultural Society.—An 
interesting feature of the recent gathering of this 
seciety at St. Ruan Rectory were the lectures given 
under the direction of the Helston District Technical 
Committee by Rev. C. R. Sowell, vicar of St. Goran 
The first lecture given dealt with the culture of bees, 
and was listned to with great interest by a good room¬ 
ful of people, many of whom already knew something 
of the production of honey, which should be a pro¬ 
fitable industry in such a flower-bearing district; 
but even the most inexperienced could not but be 
stirred by the evident interest felt by the lecturer in 
his subject and by the appeal made to the eye by the 
admirable illustrations provided by the British 
Beekeepers’ Association. A second lecture, this time 
on “ Gardening,’’was given in the show tent, and 
was followed by a select audience of practical 
gardeners, who greatly encouraged the lecturer by 
the intelligence of the questions they put to him. 
Such lectures should greatly advance the objects for 
which these horticultural societies are formed. 
Roses in North Dtvon. —Florists have it that this 
year has been exceedingly favourable to the pro¬ 
pagation of flowers of all kinds, but foremost of all, 
Roses. In some country districts Roses have 
flourished in abundance. No brighter sight, nothing 
more delightful to the eye, that to see the walls of 
some rustic cottage aglow with the lovely tints of 
the queen of flowers. During the month of June, 
the growth of Roses was exceptional. Wear Gifford 
is as famous for its Roses as the luxurious Straw¬ 
berry. The dazzling glory of the summer has not 
left us, though we have the varying changes. In 
this "garden of England,” whilst it has been 
pleasing to see what is regarded as the national 
flower in such rich profusion, it is a singular re¬ 
flection that no definite homage is paid to it. The 
Irish pay due respect to the shamrock on the day 
devoted to the memory of St. Patrick, and why 
should not the Rose be worn in England on a 
specified day ? 
Royal Botanic Society.—The 56th annual meeting 
of the Royal Botanic Society will be held in the 
Gardens Inner Circle, Regent’s Park, on Saturday 
afternoon the 10th inst. at one. The meetings 
have been held on the same date since the Society 
was founded in 1839, but if they were to take place 
at a more convenient period of the year a much 
larger attendance of the Fellows would undoubtedly 
be secured, and it is thought by many that in this 
and in other matters the Charter might now with 
advantage be revised. The business to be trans¬ 
acted includes the election of eight members 
of the council, the presentation ot the council 
and auditor's reports, and the consideration of a 
resolution to be moved by Mr. J. S. Rubinstein con¬ 
gratulating the society on the great success of the 
experimental opening of the gardens to the public on 
the Bank Holidays and other days this year, and 
recommending the council to admit the public to 
musical promenades to be given next season on the 
afternoon and evening of every Monday and 
Saturday. 
Grimsby Gardeners and Amateurs’ Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Society. —On the 22nd ult., the final meeting of 
the first session took place in Ripley’s rooms, Mr. 
Johnson occupying the chair. After routine business 
had been disposed of, the chairman introduced Mr. 
Flemming, gardener at Weelsby Hall, who read a 
paper on “ The Culture of the Cineraria." The 
essayist, in an able and practical manner, dwelt 
upon seed sowing, kind of compost required, treat¬ 
ment of seedlings, and potting in its various stages, 
enlarging fully with regard to stimulants required in 
order to promote sturdy growth and largeness of 
bloom. He also gave his experience regarding the 
various pests which attack the Cineraria, and 
explained how best to eradicate them. A good deal 
of lively, interesting, and instructive discussion took 
place, and the essayist -was cordially thanked. 
Before separating it was announced that the 
president, G. Marshall, Esq., had received a few 
days ago the Silver Medal of the London Royal 
Horticultural Society for a staging of Orchids 
submitted by his gardener, Mr. J. Johnson. 
A Terrific Cyclone.—The various American 
journals, dated 20th July, give an account of a 
terrible storm of wind, hail, and rain, variously 
described as a cyclone, and tornado. The hail or 
lumps of ice were as large as a hazel nut, and 
destroyed much glass as well as growing crops in 
New Jersey, Massachusets, Winconsin, and the 
nothern part of New York City. Some of the crops 
were only fit for plowing down after the storm. The 
tornado that struck the region of Ridgewood, New 
Jersey, on July 13th played havoc and peculiar 
pranks with gardens, orchards, and especially with 
the ancient and modern ornamental trees, shrubs, 
and vines. Whatever escaped destruction by the 
wind was battered into shreds by the hail which 
accompanied it. Hailstones as large as medium¬ 
sized hen's eggs were abundant, and could be 
gathered by the bushel two hours after the storm 
had passed. The greatest destruction of fine old 
ornamental trees occured on the Grayden place, a 
half-mile north of the station. These grounds are 
quite extensive, and were laid out and planted about 
forty years ago with the choicest kinds of trees and 
shrubs obtainable at that time. Now all are gone— 
the evergreens broken up fine enough for kindling 
wood, aud the deciduous kinds turned out by 
the roots. 
Bornemouth Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement 
Society. —The seventh annual excursion in connec¬ 
tion with this Association took place on Tuesday, 
when a visit was paid to Henstridge, where the 
hospitality of Lady Theodora Guest rendered the 
gathering one which will long be remembered by all 
who were fortunate enough to take part in the 
excursion. The members, to the number of between 
fifty and sixty, left Bournemouth West Station by 
the 7.25 a.m. train, Henstridge being reached about 
