November 26, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
199 
from July till autumn, but that in the gardens at 
Falkland Park, South Norwood Hill, having been 
raised from seeds, is likely to flower for some time to 
come. 
NEPENTHES MADAGASCARENSIS. 
Although the pitchers of this species are only 
moderate in size, their beautiful form and rich 
colour make amends for deficiencies in other respects. 
The species was introduced in 1881 from Madagas¬ 
car, but has not yet made much headway in gardens. 
Some plants of it have been recently reintroduced 
by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, with whom 
they may be seen. The pitchers are still of ^mall 
size, being only about an inch long, but they have 
already assumed their bright red or crimson colour. 
They are flask-shaped, that is, broad at the base and 
suddenly contracted to a narrow neck above the 
middle. They have two prominent wings furnished 
with numerous fine fringes, and the body of the 
pitcher is mottled with pale green. The plant is 
not a very strong grower judging from the present 
appearances, but it is pretty and deserving of a little 
trouble to get it into its best form. 
TOMATO WITH WHORLED LEAVES. 
The leaves of the Tomato, as is well known, are 
normally borne alternately upon the stem ; but a 
curious freak has appeared amongst the plants being 
forced in the gardens at Hanger Hill House, Ealing. 
On the lower part of the stem the leaves were quite 
normal, bu t inserted rather closely together, say about 
an inch apart, or even less ; then followed a portion of 
stem, slightly over 4 in. in length without any leaves. 
This was surmounted by a whorl of six leaves as 
nearly on the same level as possible, and a seventh 
was carried for a quarter of an inch higher up. All 
formed a rosette at the top of the stem, and could 
hardly fail to attract the notice of the gardeners as 
an unusual occurrence. The freak may be explained 
simply as a case of the displacement of the leaves 
by uplifting ; instead of separating from the stem at 
the usual points, they had remained united with it 
and were all carried up to the same level. Tomatos 
are often very erratic in their behaviour in other 
respects. 
FRUIT CULTURE IN KENT. 
The following interesting particulars of a Kentish 
farmer’s experience in fruit culture are taken from 
the Kentish Express of Saturday last, and will be 
read with interest by all who are interested in the 
burning question of how to make the land pay :— 
Mr. W. Horne is a Kentish man, and an agricul¬ 
turist of great business capability and resource. He 
obtained his agricultural experience in Gloucester¬ 
shire, and, returning to Kent, took Perry Hill Farm, 
Cliffe-at-Hoo, in 1870. It was then principally 
arable land, but, being dissatisfied with the results 
of farming it, he turned his attention to fruit grow¬ 
ing. At that time there was not half an acre of 
fruit on the holding. He commenced with eight 
acres of Pears, planting two sorts, “ Williams” and 
Hessle’s. He gradually gave up farming and extended 
the plantations year after year, until he has now 
taken in about 100 acres, which abound with all the 
best known varieties of bush and tree fruits. 
As a producer for the market himself, Mr. Horne 
fully recognises the value of early fruits, and he 
spares no pains or expense in securing whatever is 
likely to meet with public favour. Growers have, 
therefore, come to recognise that they may rely upon 
obtaining at his sales the choicest new sorts intro¬ 
duced. A case in point is the feature of this year's 
sale—the new dessert Apple, The Beauty of Bath. 
This is the best flavoured and handsomest early 
variety in cultivation, while it is a certain and free 
cropper. Such a combination of excellent qualities 
has naturally created a great demand for.the variety, 
and Mr. Horne, having foreseen this, was amply 
prepared to meet it. This new variety, which is 
described as “ the coming Apple,” has secured high 
honours, having been awarded a First-class Certi¬ 
ficate by the Royal Horticultural Society, first prize 
at the Horticultural Exhibition, Earl’s Court, and 
by the Bath, Taunton, and Trowbridge Horticultural 
Societies. 
The system adopted by Mr. Horne in fruit growing 
is to plant the trees one rod apart, with bush fruit— 
Gooseberries and Baldwin Black Currants —under¬ 
neath. After the latter have been planted about ten 
or twelve years the standard trees require all the 
ground. The bush fruit is then grubbed, and the 
land cleaned and sown down with grass. Occasion¬ 
ally plantations are made with Strawberries and 
trees. " The bottom fruit pays the way,” said Mr. 
Horne, “ and you have the top fruit to make the 
money. When the bush fruit is done with the sheep 
keep on the grass pays the rent. 1 ’ It is evident that 
farmers are turning their attention to this branch of 
the industry as a means of improving their position, 
as is shown by the great increase in the demand for 
trees this year. 
Mr. Horne, however, does not think it would be 
wise for farmers to plunge right into fruit growing at 
once. His advice to them is “ do a little and learn. 
They should plant out a variety, and in a few years 
they would see what suited their soil. Then they 
should select the best kind and plant largely of a few 
sorts 11 What we want to do in England,” said Mr. 
Horne, " is to grow early kinds of all fruits, and it is 
my aim to get the earliest. America can supply us 
with Apples all the winter, and Australia and Tas¬ 
mania during the spring months up to June. We 
are asked to cater for three months, July, August, 
and September.” At the present time nearly all the 
English crop of fruit is consumed, as the growth is 
sufficient for but little more than three months. 
Instead of England being an importer of fruit 
only, Mr. Horne is convinced that there is a good 
opening for exportation. Attention ought, he thinks, 
to be turned to growing Cox’s Orange Pippin on a 
very large scale, and exporting them to America. 
There is not such a fruit for quality in that country, 
and the opening is, he is convinced, a splendid one. 
■■ Kent is called the garden of England,” said Mr. 
Horne, “ but I say, England should be the garden of 
the world. The industry is ours, but we have 
neglected it. Foreign fruit has a good appearance, 
but it has not the quality.” At the present time the 
demand for Cox’s Orange Pippin exceeds the supply. 
A large regular staff is employed on the plantations, 
as there is a continual round of work requiring 
attention. In the spring a special staff is kept 
employed at grafting from the end of February 
until the second week in May ; then comes the fruit¬ 
picking season. After this come the annual sales, 
and in the winter attention is engrossed by preparing 
for the following year’s sale. 
Other holders of land in the locality are now 
following Mr. Horne’s example, and are giving more 
attention to fruit .planting with trees from his nurseries. 
To give some idea of the extent to which the industry 
may be carried we may mention that one firm at 
Rainham this year grew no less than 10,000 bushels 
of one kind of Apple (Lord Suffield) alone, as well 
as thousands of bushels of “the variety known as 
Worcester Pearmain, to say nothing of Pears, 
Cherries, Plums, Gooseberries, and Red and Black 
Currants. The amount produced by sheep keep by 
the grass growing beneath the trees was no incon¬ 
siderable item, so that after deducting the cost of 
picking the fruit there must have been a very hand¬ 
some margin left for profit. 
-—j-- 
AN INCH OF RAINFALL. 
The meaning of an “ inch of rainfall ” is not under¬ 
stood, as a rule, by very many persons. A corres¬ 
pondent sends us a most interesting cutting on the 
subject, and one that may well be given here. To 
the ordinary unscientific individual, whose notions 
on the subject of rainfall are, as a rule, somewhat 
vague, an inch or two more or less of rain may 
appear a trifling matter, and 4J in. in a fortnight a 
comparatively insignificant amount. Few persons 
are aware that an inch of water over an acre of 
ground means 101 tons, or 22,623 gallons, of water. 
Accepting as correct the Registar-General’s estimate 
of the gross area of London and its immediate 
suburbs, it would therefore appear that an inch of 
rain over the London district weighs in round num¬ 
bers 45 millions of tons, and amounts to the over¬ 
whelming volume of 10,000 millions of gallons of 
water. With these figures in mind, the serious 
effects produced by a sudden downpour, such as we 
occasionally get in thundery weather, or by a long 
continued spell of wet such as we have recently had, 
do not seem at all surprising. Estimating the total 
amount of rain in London during the past fortnight 
as 4J in., and applying this amount to the above 
figures, we find that the weight of water which has 
fallen has exceeded 190 millions of tons, while in 
volume it has amounted to 42,500 millions of gallons. 
In attempting to grasp such enormous numbers, the 
mind becomes lost; but some idea of the immensity 
of the volume may be gained by imagining it all to be 
concentrated into one reservoir or basin. Supposing 
such a reservoir to be square and 30 ft. in depth, the 
sides of the square would be more than 13,000 ft. in 
length, and a walk round it would entail a journey of 
very nearly ten miles. If we imagine the water to be 
enclosed in a cubic vessel, the sides of such a recep¬ 
tacle would be each about 1,896 ft. long. These 
figures are most interesting.— Bell’s Messenger. 
--i-.- 
CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOWS. 
Edinburgh. 
The above show, promoted by the Scottish Horti¬ 
cultural Association, was held in the Waverley Mar¬ 
ket, on the 17th, 18th, and 19th inst. The formal 
ceremony of opening the show on the first day was 
performed—in the absence of the Lord Provost—by 
Bailie McDonald. The number of entries is this 
year 849, against 812 last year, and generally speak¬ 
ing reflect the highest credit on the exhibitors ; and 
from the appearance of the market the arrangement 
committee have given practical proof of great ability 
and fine taste in grouping and staging the exhibits 
and the decorations. 
On entering from the principal entrance the visitors 
are at once struck with the graceful arrangements : 
from the roof is suspended in straight lines hand¬ 
some gasaliers ; on the galleries’ fronts are draperies 
of white and gold ; and the massive pillars are also 
beautifully toned with drapery, harmonising and 
blending in with the floral Queen of Winter. Right 
in front of you is a massive group of Chrysanthe¬ 
mums and other plants from Messrs. T. Methven & 
Sod, nurserymen, which for blooms, variety of 
Chrysanthemums, and skilful" arrangement, is one 
of the features of the show. Over from this on a 
long table was the principal feature—the blooms of 
the Japanese-varieties. The association offers the 
City of Edinburgh Cup, value £20, given by the 
Corporation, for forty-eight blooms of Japanese 
Chrysanthemums (not less than thirty-six varieties). 
Eight competitors had entered the field, two of these 
staging exceptionally fine lots that were distinctly 
superior to the others, but they also made a very 
highly creditable bid for the blue ribbon. The judges 
awarded the first ticket to Mr. Richard Parker, Imp- 
ney Hall, Droitwich ; and the second to Mr. James 
C.arruthers, Hillwood, Edinburgh, his lot being a few 
points behind Mr. Parker's. 
The Scottish Challenge Cup, open to Scottish 
gardeners and amateurs only, for thirty-six blooms, 
eighteen incurved, eighteen Japanese: First, Mr. 
Alexander Watt, Blackhouse, Skelmorlie; second, 
Mr. David Nicoll, Rossie, Forgandenny. For 
twenty-four blooms (open), Mr. Richard Parker was 
first; and Mr. Blair, Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent, 
second. For twenty-four blooms, Japanese, not less 
than eighteen varieties : first, Mr. Wm. Rushton, 
Cochna, Duntocher ; second, Mr. D. Ramsay, Gogar 
Park, Edinburgh ; and for the twenty-four blooms, 
incurved, Mr. Richard Parker was first; and Mr. 
Shoesmith, Shirley Lodge, Croydon, second. The 
incurved blooms were good, some being exception¬ 
ally fine. For Chrysanthemums in pots the principal 
prize-takers were—Mr. Joseph Holmes, Winton 
Castle; Mr. D. Cavanagh, St. Edwards ; Mr. A. 
McMillan, Trinity College. For a group of Chry¬ 
santhemums there were two competitors, and the 
first pri 4 e was given to Mr. Wood, Oswald House, 
who had a splendid lot for large blooms and good 
arrangement. 
Messrs. Pitcher & Manda, United States Nurseries, 
Hextable, Kent, and Mr. H. J. Jones,* Ryecroft 
Nursery, Hither Green, Lewisham, staged lots that 
were exceptionally fine. Messrs. Laird & Sons, 
Edinburgh, also staged an excellent lot of cut blooms, 
and their Conifers and Palms had a telling effect. 
Messrs. Dickson & Sons, Inverleith Nursery, had a 
very effective group of Conifers which received first 
prize. Beyond this Messrs. Dickson & Co., Waterloo 
Place, had a table containing 100 dikhes of Apples 
and Pears from their Liberton Nurseries, arid right 
down the centre they had a row of fruit trees (young 
ones with roots), tied to a trellis. The Apples were, 
without a doubt, superb, while the trees in form of 
training ought to make grand specimens, and from 
the splendid fibres on them planting them would give 
