June 24, 1898. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
673 
Fen Farmers and the Potato Trade—A correspon¬ 
dent writes to a daily paper:—"Owing to the state of 
the Potato market in London, some extraordinary 
transactions have just taken place with some of the 
Fen farmers. Mr. Alderman, a Thorney farmer, 
sent thirty-five tons of Potatos of good sample to a 
London salesman, and after carriage and commission, 
etc., had been deducted, the amount remaining for 
the grower was 12s. iod., or less than qjd. per ton. 
For five toDs a farmer of Fleet, near Spalding, 
secured 7s. gd.; and Mr. B. Banks, a prominent 
farmer of Gedney Dyke, near Spalding, forwarded 
two trucks of Potatos, and he was informed by the 
salesman that he was indebted to him in the sum of 
7d. on the transaction, the amount not covering cost 
of carriage and expenses.’’ It should be added by 
way of explanation that the Potatos were old ones, 
and that buyers are only to be found for them now 
among cowkeepers, bakers, and fried fish men ! 
Mildura Irrigation Colony.— It is a noteworthy, if 
not unprecedented, fact in the history of British colo¬ 
nisation that since the commencement of the irri¬ 
gation colonies on the River Murray by the well- 
known company of Chaffey Brothers, Limited, about 
five years ago, no less than 5,000 persons have 
become settled at the irrigation colony of Mildura, 
in Victoria, or have acquired property there for the 
highly profitable cultivation of products, such as 
wine, olive oil, Oranges, Lemons, Apricots, Peaches, 
Raisins, Currants or Figs, which are in immediate 
requirement by the Australian colonies and in ex¬ 
tensive demand in Great Britain and other markets 
of the world. At the sister’settlement of Renmark, 
in South Australia, the population numbers about 
1,000. 
Forestry Examinations in Scotland —At the half- 
yearly meeting of the Highland Society, held in 
Edinburgh last week, Sir Robert Menzies reported 
that at the forestry examinations, only one candidate 
came forward, viz , H. W. Tucker, Blackheath, and 
he was awarded a second-class certificate. Sir 
Robert Menzies also reparted that abaut £2,000 had 
been collected for the endowment of a Forestry 
Chair in Edinburgh. The money they had invested, 
and with the approval of that meeting, they proposed 
to pay the interest to Colonel Bailey, who was pre¬ 
sently carrying on the forestry class in the Edinburgh 
University. Mr. Fyshe, Treaton, said £30 was voted 
at the last meeting for the support of the forestry 
classes at Edinburgh. He observed that only one 
candidate came forward in the forestry section at 
the last examination, and that that candidate only 
got a second-class certificate. He thought /50 was 
rather a high price to pay for a second-class certifi¬ 
cate. Sir Robert, and others, explained that good 
results could not be expected at once, and ultimately 
the report was unanimously adopted. 
Royal Botanic Society of London —At a meeting of 
this society, held last week, the Earl of Ancaster, 
vice-president, in the chair, the following were 
elected Fellows of the society :—Mr. H. F. Arnidroz. 
Mr. G. J. Baker, F.R.G.S., Mrs. Lewis, Mr. A. E. 
Cockshott, Mr. E. Harris, and Mrs. L. Pariente. 
The donations received included a copy in six 
volumes of the “ Dictionary of Economic Products 
of India," presented by the Secretary of State for 
India ; and Professor Bentley, in moving a vote of 
thanks, referred to it as a most valuable and useful 
work, and one which was especially needed at the 
present time. A special meeting afterwards took 
place to decide the form of present to be offered by 
the Council to the Princess May. 
Influence of Electricity on Vegetation.—As related 
by L'Illustration Horticole, at a meeting of the 
National Agricultural Society of France, the result 
of experiments, quite negative, made with a view of 
determining the influence of electricity upon vegeta¬ 
tion, was made known. On each side of a border, 
two plates of copper and zinc were soldered and 
united by copper wires passing across the borders. 
Cabbages and Chicory were sown. At the end of 
three weeks it was remarked that the Cabbages 
placed between the two poles were smaller than 
their neighbours placed outside; on the contrary, 
the bad weeds, grasses, and Umbellifers were better 
developed. That experiment was made by M. 
Tallavignes, director of the School of Agriculture at 
Oudes. M. Deherain stated at the same meeting 
that the numerous experiments made during a 
century to discover the influence of electricity upon 
vegetation have only given negative results. 
The Month of May in Scotland— At the June 
meeting of the Edinburgh Botanical Society, Mr. 
Lindsay, curator of the Botanical Garden, said: 
The past month of May will be remembered as 
one of the most favourable experienced during recent 
years. No frost occurred, and vegetation had gone 
on advancing without any check. The rainfall of 
May was less than the average; still there was 
sufficient to prevent plants from suffering through 
lack of moisture. The foliage of all the ordinary 
deciduous trees and shrubs was now in perfect con¬ 
dition, being most luxuriant and healthy. Varieties 
having variegated and coloured leaves were unusually 
rich in colour, owing to the large amount of heat 
and br'ght sunshine experienced. Specially notice¬ 
able were the various Maples, Hollies, Yews, Biotas, 
and Retinosporas. The flowering of most kinds of 
ornamental trees and shrubs was above the average 
in richness and profusion of blossom. Hawthorn, 
Horse-chestnut, Laburnum, Weigelas, and Lilac 
were among the finest and most effective. The 
lowest night temperature registered at the garden 
was 33 0 , which occured on the 1st of the month; 
whilst other low readings were registered on the 2nd 
(37*), the 7th (39 0 ). and the 31st (35°). The lowest 
day temperature registered was 49 0 on the 2nd, and 
the highest 76° on the 19th of the month. The rock 
garden was very attractive during the month, from 
the large number of plants in blossom. Three hun¬ 
dred species and well-marked varieties opened their 
first flowers in May. The Chairman, Dr. W. Craig, 
asked if Mr. Lindsay had ever before reported a May 
with no frost whatever ? Mr. Lindsay replied that 
he had reported upon one or two at least without 
any frost. 
-- 
BEGONIAS AT FOREST 
HILL. 
If we may judge from the display now on view in 
the nurseries of Messrs. John Laing & Sons, the 
glorious sunshine of our early summer will have to 
be credited with having set a stamp on the tuberous 
Begonia that will help to enhance its popularity for 
some years to come. The Begonia, one cannot help 
feeling after seeing the show which the Messrs. 
Laing have provided this season, is not now “ the 
coming flower,” for it has come, and assuredly come 
to stay. Gorious indeed is the floral kaleidoscope 
which dazzles the visitor to the present exhibition, 
than which we have no hesitation in saying there has 
never been anything to equal at Forest Hill. The 
principal show house is veritably a Begonia man’s 
paradise, and we can but express our regret that we 
cannot give any adequate description of what that 
paradise is like. 
The sturdy growths made by the plants and their 
exceeding floriferousness, prove that the long con¬ 
tinued period of warm dry air has suited them 
admirably, and certainly we never saw a collection 
looking better in health and vigour. The display 
also bears witness to the fine quality of last year’s 
seedlings, especially as regards form and substance, 
and shows at a glance that there is no slackening of 
pace on the part of the Messrs. Laing in the produc¬ 
tion of high-class flowers. We note, however, with 
pleasure that there is a sensible abatement in the de¬ 
mand for monster blooms, and hope soon to see the 
undesirable craze pass away altogether. Moderate 
sized blooms of bright and pure colours, of perfect 
form, flat rather than cupped, and in substance as 
stiff as we can get them, and three or four open to¬ 
gether on a cyme, are far preferable to one great 
gawky bloom, which has only its size to recommend 
it. 
Form, substance, depth, and purity of colour in 
the flowers, allied to a sturdy growth and ample 
foliage, are the bright particular features of this 
year’s display of singles, while the doubles show a 
welcome advance in the stiffening of the flower stalks, 
and some novelty of colouration in the direction of 
what may not inaptly be termed yellow ground 
flowers, which are of the rosette type, and have 
yellow or orange at the base of all the petals. These 
are already very pretty, and will doubtless in time 
give us something more striking still. Double 
yellows and whites are making good headway, many 
of the latter being exceedingly neat and pure. 
Amongst the singles, too, the whites are singularly 
good all round. 
Mr. Laing is making a selection of variegated 
leaved forms, with a view to developing this 
particular feature. Most of those already in hand 
are of the Pearcei type, and certainly very pretty as 
seen with the bright sunlight striking through the 
leaves. Doubles are a strong order for planting 
outside at Forest Hill this season, but the drought 
has delayed planting some ten days later than usual, 
and rain will be wanted to set quick growth into 
them. 
--*■- 
THE HERBACEOUS BORDER. 
Choice plants in flower. 
Geranium armenum.— The large, crimson-purple or 
red flowers of this species are very conspicuous in 
the herbaceous border at present, or in beds where 
it is grown in that way. Owing to the earliness of 
the season, it has, in fact, been flowering for some 
time past, and if its period of duration is thereby 
shortened, it is behaving no worse than other sub¬ 
jects under the same conditions. 
Geum chiloense miniatum. —The typical form of 
this has dark scarlet flowers, and the variety under 
notice differs in having orange flowers of large size, 
thus presenting a marked contrast. There appears 
to be more than one form of it in cultivation, namely, 
with orange flowers and orange-scarlet ones, the 
latter more nearly approaching the type. All the 
forms continue to flower during the greater part of 
the season if kept moist and growing. 
Linaria genist^efolia. —In the cut state the 
flowers of this species resemble a greatly magnified 
L. vulgaris, or the common Toadflax. The flowers 
are of large size and golden yellow, with an orange 
palate ; but the leaves are relatively broad for a 
Linaria, ovate, glaucous, and therefore entirely 
different from those of the common species. The 
stems are taller, attaining a height of 2 ft to 3 ft. 
Lychnis Flos-Jovis. —Many of the old-fashioned 
herbaceous plants are still amongst the most choice, 
notwithstanding recent introductions. That under 
notice generally grows about a foot in height, with a 
flat-topped cyme of flowers terminating each stem. 
The flowers are relatively of large size, rosy-purple, 
and very attractive when in full bloom. It may be 
propagated by divisions, or more extensively by 
seeds. 
Achillea rupestris. —The stems of this species 
are dwarf and somewhat procumbent, bearing 
oblanceolate, slightly fleshy, dark green leaves. The 
whole plant would be 6 in. to 9 in. high, bearing 
corymbs of white flowers of relatively large size. It 
does not spread very rapidly, but can easily be 
propagated by cuttings and by division. Place the 
cuttings under a hand-light in a shady position. 
Saxifraga Cotyledon pyramidalis. — When 
grown under favourable conditions this sometimes 
makes a brave display in the open. It usually makes 
so many crowns or rosettes that the small ones crowd 
the flowering ones, thereby preventing them from 
making the vigorous growth which those grown 
singly in pots do. Surely it would be worth while 
for growers to try single crowns so as to induce 
a vigorous development. Plants in pots generally 
grow 2 ft. high, and flower almost to the base. 
Canpanula glomerata dahurica.— This form ot 
an old garden plant has larger and darker coloured 
flowers than the type, and is a very reliable plant to 
grow, flowering freely in well prepared soil whether 
the season is dry or otherwise. The stems vary 
from 12 in. to 18 in in height, according to conditions, 
and bear dense, terminal clusters of dark blue purple 
flowers. 
Ramondia pyrenaica.— The dwarf Mullein, as 
this is often called, was once included in the genus 
Verbascum, but is now known to be one of two 
representatives of the Gesneraceae in Europe. It is 
often grown in pots, but those who have given it a 
fair chance to become established in the crevices of 
rockwork know how beautiful a thing it is and the 
quantity of flowers it will produce. To ensure success 
like this, however, the stones of the rockwork should 
be porous and consist of sandstone if possible. The 
position should be shaded and the plants watered 
occasionally, especially in dry weather and until they 
get established. 
Dianthus Cyclops — This seems to be single 
form of the Carnation, with large purple flowers, ' 
having a zone in the centre formed of five large 
crimson-purple blotches. The foliage is glaucous, 
and the richly coloured flowers have a bold and 
telling appearance. 
