040 
IH E GARDENING WORLD. 
June 10, 1893. 
perhaps does anyone else, assume that 
horticulture needs, or would be any the more 
prosperous because of the giving of such 
honours, as we refer to. That is not the 
point. We think when such honours are 
bestowed, that horticulture is so eminently 
noble, important, and national an occupa¬ 
tion, that it merits fully the same con¬ 
sideration as any other profession or 
science receives. 
he Temple Show. —We refer to this 
great exhibition again chiefly, how¬ 
ever, to remark upon the singular unanimity 
with which the new restrictions that 
were imposed upon exhibitors and their 
assistants have been condemned, both by 
the Press and public opinion. Such 
arbitrary action is calculated to do the 
society immense harm, and those who are 
responsible so far from being its friends are 
rather its enemies. A policy'that is made up 
of meannesss and distrust can never be 
popular. That the remarkable error of 
judgment shown evoked a growl from our 
usually very complaisant contemporary, the 
Gardeners' Chronicle, shows that the fault was 
a very serious as well as an obnoxious one. 
It is evident that if attempted at any 
future show there will be a serious rebellion, 
that would only lead to a disastrous fiasco. 
The strong consensus of opinion shown 
also in regard to the arrangements of the 
show is a remarkable feature. We do not 
blame the society so much for this, still 
less exhibitors ; the fault rather lies in the 
restrictions imposed on the show by the 
Temple authorities. But no matter where 
shows be held or under what conditions, 
when as at the Temple, they consist of long, 
straight, formal tabling, lines and banks of 
flowers or other exhibits ; and if still further 
there be a large attendance of the public, it 
is certain that not only is effect lost, but 
interest is entirely wanting also. 
We trust that the grave defects so evident 
at the Temple will not be repeated at the 
Agricultural Hall, where the society should 
have a free hand. Too much stuff is a 
nuisance, and exhibitors of every class 
should have their spaces rigidly limited, 
whilst every encouragement should be 
given to effective arrangement'. A great 
flower show should not be a bazaar ; it 
should be a beautiful, graceful, effective 
spectacle. 
f AN Plants See. —We are undoubtedly 
getting on when it is admitted that 
animals are reasoning creatures, and now 
it is suggested that plants can see. As to 
the reasoning faculties in animals, these 
seem to be determined pretty much in 
the same way that they are in man, 
by the size and culture of the brain; 
and it would not be difficult to find some 
trained brains in animals that have in them 
more intelligence than have untrained 
brains of man. But when we are asked 
to believe that plants can see, we have to 
admit that it needs a large measure of 
credibility, if not of credulity. Plants not so 
long since were practically proved to have 
digestive organs and to be capable of de¬ 
composing flesh or insects as food. Hence 
came into notoriety the section, a very 
limited one, called carnivorous plants. 
It would, however, be somewhat of a 
strain on the imagination to assume that 
because these plants can thus digest 
insects or flesh they have reasoning powers, 
for if they have, as is now averred, organs 
of sight, they must have organs of 
reasoning also to enable them to use these 
eyes. But after all, on what ground does 
this new-found assumption rest ? So far 
as we can gather, simply on this : that it is 
found—a fact all gardeners have long been 
familiar with, that climbing plants have a 
supposed capacity to discern supports, and 
that they will make their growth in the direc¬ 
tion of these supports until reached. 
But it is somewhat absurd to put forth 
the theory of sight in p'ants on such a 
trifling basis. There can hardly be doubt 
but that climbing plants have a faculty to 
seek for support, but that seeking capacity 
is based on the irregular growth of the 
stems producing what is termed revolving 
nutation, and when they come in contact 
with an object their sensitiveness or 
irritability enables them to twine round it, 
just as plants stood in a roomer shaded place 
will turn to the light, not as is supposed in 
search of light, but because the light exer¬ 
cises over the leaves a force that is 
irresistible. Plants have lungs, doubtless, 
but we shall want a lot of proof that they 
have eyes to see, ears to hear, or brains to 
understand. 
asm an i an Fruit. —Whilst we are all 
agreed that hardy fruit growers at 
home have nothing to fear from the con¬ 
signments of Apples and Pears which 
come to us from Tasmania at this season 
of the year, yet does it seem as if the 
enterprising growers of that far distant 
country, so far as relates to Europe as a 
market for their produce, were somewhat 
between the devil and the deep sea. We 
have read in the daily papers a report of a 
consignment specially sent to the Imperial 
Institute from the Antipodes, though why 
sent to that sort of colonial Bastille it would 
be hard to say, as it is so evident that the 
proper place for fruit of that description is 
in one of the London markets. 
Now the experts, who, on the invitation 
of the importers, attended to examine 
these fruits, found that whilst those 
gathered when ripe were past their best, and 
comparatively poor in quality, those 
gathered before ripened were, if looking 
nice, yet wanting flavour. Having regard 
to the time which must elapse before the 
fruits can be placed on the European mar¬ 
kets, and the close and certainly objection¬ 
able conditions under which they are carried, 
it does seem as if the difficulties to any 
very generally successful trade were in¬ 
superable. 
We have that much to regret, as the loss 
is partly ours and partly that ol the Tas¬ 
manian growers. Our own Apple and Pear 
crops this season are naturally to us matters 
of the deepest concern, and we hope later 
reports will show that they are good. In any 
case fruits should be exceptionally good 
this year, because they will have an un¬ 
usually long season in which to mature. 
-.- 
National Carnation Society.—(Southern Section). At 
the committee meeting held at the Hotel Windsor on 
June 3rd it was unanimously agreed that owing to 
the exceptionally early season the date of the 
exhibition, which was to have been held in the Drill 
Hall, James Street, Westminster on July 25th, 
should be altered to July nth ; and that the exhibi¬ 
tion be held in the gardens of the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society, at Chiswick on that date. 
Mr. A. D. Webster, son of the late Mr. J. B. Webster, 
and who has for several years had charge of the 
woods on the late Earl of Derby’s estate at Holwood, 
Kent, has been engaged by the Duke of Bedford, as 
wood manager on his Woburn and other estates. 
London Parks and Open Spaces. —The appoint¬ 
ment of District Superintendents of Metropolitan open 
spaces recently engaged the attention of the London 
County Council. The Parks and Open Spaces Com¬ 
mittee recommended that two district superinten¬ 
dents of open spaces be appointed, one for the north 
and the other for the south of the Thames ; that Mr, 
Wilkie, who is at present employed as forester, be 
appointed district superintendent of open spaces 
south of the Thames at the same rate of pay as he is 
now receiving, £234 per year; and that Mr. J. 
Knight be appointed north of the Thames at a com¬ 
mencing salary of /150, rising, by annual increments 
of £5, to £200. After a brief discussion the report of 
the committee was adopted. 
National Chrysanthemum Society.—The annual 
outing of the members of this society will take place 
on Monday, July 17th. Lord Carrington has kindly 
given permission for a visit to be made to the 
grounds of Wycombe Abbey, High Wycombe, and 
among the arrangements for the day will be a 
cricket match between eleven members of the N.C.S. 
and a similar number of members of the Aylesbury 
Floral and Horticultural Society, who will be 
accompanied by a number of friends from that town. 
Arrangements will also be made for visiting Hughen- 
den Manor, and for inspecting one of the large chair¬ 
making establishments in the town* of Wycombe, 
and other places of local interest. 
Leicester and County Pansy Show. —The second 
exhibition of this society was held'in Leicester on 
Saturday last and showed a marked improvement all 
round on the previous one. In addition to the 
special flower for which the society was established 
to encourage, the show was greatly enhanced by 
loans of plants from the Abbey Park, Mr. T 
Fielding Johnson, Mr. James Wright, Mr. Biddle, of 
Loughborough, Mr. Sydenham, of Tamworth, and 
others. The prize list was a fairly liberal one, in¬ 
cluding “ specials ” given by Mr. Burns, Mr. John 
Smellie, Messrs. Biddle & Co., and others, and in 
all the classes there was a good competition. Tam¬ 
worth Yellow was the premier bloom in the 
exhibition. 
The Dee Strawberry Fields.—About two hundred 
acres of land around Farndon and Holt, Chester, on 
the Dee, are devoted to the growth of Strawberries 
The earlier sorts were ripening quickly ten days ago, 
which is quite a month sooner than last year. The 
protracted drought has been greatly against growers, 
and if it continues it will curtail the picking season. 
There are plenty of berries, but there has been an 
absence of moisture to develop the fruit, although 
the district generally has not suffered so much as we 
have in the south. 
Orch : d Men at Cricket.—The fourth annual cricket 
match between the representatives of the firms of 
Messrs. Protheroe & Morris and Messrs. F. Sander 
& Co. was played at St. Albans on Wednesday, the 
31st ult. Previous to the game being commenced 
the company, numbering about forty, sat down to 
an excellent dinner provided by Mr. Sander, and 
after justice had been done to it the health of the 
host was proposed and most cordially responded to. 
Play commenced at two o’clock. Messrs. P. & M. 
having won the toss, took the first innings and ran 
up a score of eighty-seven. The " Anguloas ” then 
defended the wickets, and their venture resulted in a 
total of thirtymine, leaving the visitors victorious on 
the first innings by forty-eight. Messrs. P. & M., 
then had a second inniDgs, and knocked up eighty- 
three, but time did not permit for the second innings 
of the “ Anguloas " to be finished. After play had 
ceased the two elevens and their friends again ad¬ 
journed to Mr. Sander’s residence, where tea was 
provided. In the absence of Mr. Sander at the 
Chicago Exhibition, Mr. Godseff and Mr. Sander, 
jun , superintended the arrangements. Messrs. P. 
& M.’s representatives then returned by the S.32 
train after having enjoyed a capital game and a par¬ 
ticularly hearty reception. 
Gardening and the Fragrant Weed. —A gentleman 
residing in a midland county, who is interested in 
the teaching of horticultural practice by means of 
the County Council lectures, thus briefly relates a 
bit of his recent experience " Four lectures were 
given on gardening, and I provided Tobacco, with 
the result that the number of men attending the 
lectures rose from 30 to 130. I then announced 
another series of interesting lectures, at which 
smoking was allowed, but the Tobacco was not 
found by me, and the numbers fell to from 25 to 30. 
The Self-regarding Orchid. —Without man’s inter¬ 
ference these extraordinary plants (Orchids) have 
developed to an extent hardly exceeded by the most 
variable of florists’ flowers—those which have 
enjoyed the fostering care of gardeners for two or 
three centuries. ... In their native homes 
they are rarely crowded. Every one seems to stand 
alone and regardless of the others. . . . They 
never fight, either among themselves or with other 
plants. They mind their own business, and leave 
others to do the same. Perhaps one of the reasons 
