80 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 8, 1892, 
farther it supersedes the December Show, 
which falling after all the best flowers were 
over -was but a mere reflection of the glories 
of the November display, and gave blooms 
for the most part whose only merit was 
that they existed. 
But in October we have now good reason 
to look for really fine flowers. As we said 
so recentfy there is growing up a race of 
October bloomers, chiefly Japanese by-the- 
bye, that promises to give us really high- 
class flowers, and these there will be great 
pleasure in seeing even though they may 
yet fall far short of the noble dimensions, 
fine form and quality, of the November 
blooms. They will give not only something 
worth looking at but also some real promise 
of what is later to follow. 
Still farther we shall find in October 
flowering varieties something that is of 
particular value in our greenhouses and 
conservatories. They can give to us in a 
much more attractive way than the small 
and in many cases somewhat insignificant 
early bloomers do, beauties and effects that 
cannot be too highly prized. We hope to 
see very many fine new varieties at the 
coming show. 
23 Tines and Vine Culture.— The publica- 
'A tion of a new edition of Mr. Barron’s 
standard book on “Vines and Vine Culture” 
will we hope still further lead to its reading 
by young gardeners. We should like to see 
gentlemen who like their gardeners to grow 
good Grapes, not only purchasing this book 
and giving it to their gardeners if they do 
not at present possess it, but also urging 
them to read and study it, so that henceforth 
their culture of Grapes may be based less 
upon mere rule of thumb practice, and more 
upon the best theoretical information and 
practical experience. 
It is not our place to recommend this 
book specially, but we so fully recognise its 
great value as a leading work on the Vine, 
and also realise that there is still room for 
very much wider knowledge concerning 
Grape culture, that we thus urge its more 
extended perusal. Where there are some 
two or more young men in the garden it 
would be a special benefit to them were 
their employers to obtain the book for their 
edification. In how many cases could head 
gardeners get books in this way if they 
choose, and charge their cost to their em¬ 
ployers. Every good garden in fact should 
have its garden library of horticultural 
books, for it is too much to expect that 
young men can out of their scanty pittances 
purchase expensive books with a view to 
enable them to be more skilled in their em¬ 
ployers' service. 
We are passing through something of a 
crisis of Grape culture when cnly the very 
best fruits will obtain the best prices, and 
because of that some none too successful 
are convening their Vineries into Peach 
houses. We hope that there is still to be 
found not merely a profitable market for 
good Grapes, but ample skill being created 
to produce the finest examples. 
Whe Virginian Creeper.— With our great 
present wealth of climbers, both hardy 
and tender, we are often apt to forget what 
a boundless supply we have that otherwise 
might not have been ours. We always 
had the noble Evergreen Ivy, but we have 
not always had the finest and most beauti¬ 
ful varieties, and how much do we owe to 
these. But there seems 10 be hardly any 
hardy climber in existence which is so 
cosmopolitan and so adaptive to all places 
and circumstances as is the Ampelopsis. 
What now would our towns be without 
this section, and especially our suburban 
districts. 
Even in populous districts such as many 
portions of London are, do v r e see house 
after house luxuriating in a dense coating 
of the rich green leafage of the Virginian 
climbers, and of the two, whether Virginian 
or Veitchii, it is difficult to say to which 
we owe most. If one is a beautiful clother 
up of bare brick work, and presents vast 
areas or walls of leafage, or sometimes cloth¬ 
ing the columns of porticos,or the millions of 
bay windows, literally setting them in a 
framework of leafage, we yet find very 
much of beauty in the free pendant and 
almost cascade like growth of the old 
variety. 
So far during the season these grand 
climbers have done noble service, but the 
time is fast nearing when they will once 
again lose their leafage. The green is now 
turning to red and crimson. There is in 
all directions being put on a wealth of 
colour, which in the grey autumn 
sunlight is glorious to behold. All too 
fugitive is this wealth of leafy beauty. 
Then comes the long season of bareness 
and of rest, but only for a time, and then 
the spring once more clothes our houses in 
vernal beauty. 
I^arsley.— After seeing curled Parslejy 
J and sometimes a good deal that was 
very much out of curl, used freely for the 
dressing up of collections of vegetables 
when exposed or staged for competition, we 
hardly expected to have heard that a collec¬ 
tion was disqualified because Parsley being 
added made a variety beyond the numbers 
specified. Judges sometimes do very funny 
things, and therefore we may always be 
prepared for surprises. But then the ques¬ 
tion is, what is the real status of Parsley 
as a vegetable ? 
At one of the Earl’s Court exhibitions a 
Scotch collection of six varieties or kinds 
included plants of Parsley in pots, very 
good specimens, but then not used for gar¬ 
nishing, but put up as a distinct kind. 
Clearly the judges could not disqualify, and 
had to allow the Parsley what merit it 
possessed. Still, it is doubtful whether any 
southern exhibitor would ever set up Pars¬ 
ley as a vegetable. Practically it is 
employed solely for such comparatively 
insignificant purposes as garnishing or 
flavouring, and in no case as an ordinary 
cooked or uncooked edible vegetable. As 
a consequence it w r ould at the very best 
be entitled only to one point as against 
three or more to any good edible vege¬ 
table. 
The universal use of Parsley as a gar- 
nisher, even to vegetable collections, shows 
how very low it is placed in the scale of 
vegetables generally. As to general stocks 
of Parsley it is, in spite of all that has 
been done from time to time to obtain good 
stocks, still painful to see what rubbish is 
sometimes found in gardens. There is 
really no reason whatever why a single 
plant of coarse Parsley should be grown. 
In such varieties as the Dwarf Perfection, 
a very pleasing and perfect selection, the 
finest treble curled, so abundant in market 
gardens, and in the beautiful moss curled 
or fern-leaved Parsley, we have varieties 
that cannot be excelled, and no others are 
required. When coarse sorts are found a 
gardener has good reason for serious com¬ 
plaint against his seedsman. 
-►*-—- 
The Spalding Chrysanthemum Society’s Show is 
announced to take place on November ioth and nth. 
Finsbu "y Park Chrysanthemums.—The twelfth 
annual display of Chrysanthemums at Finsbury 
Park was opened to the public on Saturday last, but 
of course the show will not be at its best till towards 
the end of the month. The house will be open daily 
from to a.m. 
The Gardeners Royal Benevolent Institution. —We 
are requested to announce that the annual festival of 
this institution will take place on Tuesday, November 
15, when Lord Brassey has kindly consented to 
preside. The secretary, Mr. G. J. Ingram, would be 
greatly obliged by all who have collecting cards 
sending them in to him before that date. Mr. Ingram 
would also be glad to hear from gentlemen who may 
want tickets for the occasion. 
Garden Assessments in East Lothian. —At the 
County Valuation Appeal Court recently held at 
Haddington, Mr. Robert Macfarlane, Kingsburgh 
Gardens. East Linton, appealed against the valuation 
of £yo put on the gardens and premises owned by 
him. He stated that he returned the dwelling-house 
and part of the gardens at /30, and a cottage and 
the other part of the garden at £ 20. The assessor, 
however, had added £20 as the value of the green¬ 
houses. This, he contended, was not the practice 
followed in the case of Whittinghame, Tyninghame, 
or Broxmouth. Fruit, and other produce, from these 
gardens were sold in the same market in which he 
exposed his produce, and it was unfair to assess the 
Earl of Haddington, the Right Hon. A. J. Balfour, 
M.P., and the Duchess of Roxburgh, all of whom 
had quite as much, if not more, glass than he had, at 
a lower rate. He claimed that the glass was a gar¬ 
dener’s stock-in-trade, and that the ground was all 
that should be assessed. The total extent of his 
ground was five acres. In answer to a query, Mr. 
Macfarlane said the glass had cost him over £2,000. 
After considerable discussion, the appeal was sus¬ 
tained. 
Devon and Exeter Gardeners’ Association. —The 
annual meeting of this society was held on the 2Sth 
ult. The President (Mr. C. T. K. Roberts) presided, 
and congratulated the members on the success which 
the society had attained during last year. He had 
pleasure in moving that Mr. Lethbridge, of Court- 
lands, be elected as president for the ensuing year.— 
Air. A. Hope seconded the motion, which was carried 
unanimously. The following were elected vice-pre¬ 
sidents of the society :—Rev. Dr. Dangar, Rev. A. 
H. Cruwys, Major Tracey, Lieut. Smith, Air. R. N. 
G. Baker, Air. J. D. Cann, Air. R. R. AI. Daw, Air. 
H. C. Lloyd, Air. H. Alichelmore, Air. Ed. Sanders, 
Air. T. AI. Snow, Air. H. D. Thomas, Air. P. C. AI, 
Veitch—On the motion of Air. H. Alichelmore, 
seconded by Mr. Alann, Alessrs. A. Hope and T. E. 
Bartlett were re-elected hon. secs., and Air. Alackay, 
hon. treas. for the ensuing year, and they' were 
thanked for their past services. The following 
members were appointed as the committee for 
1892-3 : —Alessrs. W. Andrews, G. C. Crabbe, J. 
Franklin, G. B. Lansdale, J. Luxton, J. AIcCormick, 
S. Radley, W. Rowland, E. Sparkes, W. Street, J. 
Weeks, and A. Williams.—Air. Hope remarked that 
the excursion recently held was so successful that it 
would probably be held again next year. A pro¬ 
gramme had been drawn up for the session ending 
at Christmas. For the following spring session Dr. 
Dangar had promised to read a paper on “ Insects 
which are destructive to fruit crops." The society' 
had made an application to the County Council for 
a grant towards promoting technical education in 
gardening. He had received a letter from the clerk 
to the County Council acknowledging the receipt of 
the application. Continuing, Air. Hope said he 
believed the society had several good friends on the 
Council, who would assist them if possible. It was 
a much debated question whether the course which 
the society suggested, namely, that of having lectures 
on gardening, was not exploded. That, however, 
was a matter for the consideration of the County' 
Council. Whether the society' succeeded in getting 
the grant or not it w'ould certainly call attention to 
the society, as being the best medium for dissemina¬ 
ting technical knowledge on horticultural subjects. 
At one of the society committee meetings a repre¬ 
sentation was made that some men were members 
w'ho were not gardeners. They were railway men 
and others w'ho had garden plots, which they worked 
themselves. The committee thought it would be 
hard to exclude anyone who wished to join, and they 
decided to admit the men at the same rate as the 
gardeners. It had been suggested that a spring 
flower show' should be held under the auspices of 
the society next march, confined to members, and 
that no prizes should be given. They did not desire 
to enter into competition with any existing institu, 
tion, such as the Devon and Exeter Horticultural 
Society, w'hich they all wished to see flourishing. 
