768 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
August 5, 1893. 
Practically the Society does nothing out of 
London, and not much there. 
To arrange an annual excursion and 
social gathering on the lines of that pro¬ 
moted by onr Scotch friends is out of the 
question. We most heartily wish for our 
visitors fine weather and a cFlightful time. 
They will see many ancient and noble trees, 
many grand forest breadths, and will very 
probably return wondering that, after all, so 
little promotion of modern forestry should 
be accomplished here. 
edals as Prizes. —A very amusing case 
came under our notice the other day, 
in which a medal awarded to a trade house 
as a prize in one case, was offered by this 
same firm as a prize in another direction. 
If anything could turn to ridicule and con¬ 
tempt the practice of giving medals as 
awards at Shows, it certainly is a fact of 
this kind. Medals may be all very well in 
their way, if of real value, a valu-% in fact, 
that makes them at least worth keeping ; 
but when silver medals are awarded, the 
actual value of which, relative to current 
coin, is two shillings and sixpence, and to 
the market value of silver is about one 
shilling and sixpence, we marvel that any 
one having regard to their reputation should 
offer them, and still more, that any one 
should accept them. A bronze medal of 
the metal value of one penny is a mon¬ 
strous insult to offer any one. 
But whilst we sympathise with the 
recipients of these worthless medals, so far 
as they are not to blame, we think they 
should refuse them, or at least decline to 
compete for them, on the ground that they 
are so utterly worthless ; still further do we 
sympathise with the second recipient in the 
case referred to, who, thinking he has value, 
is disgusted later to learn that he is but the 
winner of what someone else thus cheaply 
disposes of, because so worthless. 
Why do not exhibitors, to whom a silver 
medal can never be made a tangible recom¬ 
pense, honourably decline to receive any¬ 
thing whatever, except it be paid in hard 
cash ? Whilst a few pounds will cover the 
cost of a score of silver medals, it would 
not, however, go far to cover the cash pay¬ 
ments. Perhaps of all improprieties the 
granting of a medal of silver gilded over to 
represent gold is the worst. Such a prac¬ 
tice should be regarded as an imposture 
and illegal. 
f HRYSANTHEMUMS. —It is a far cry yet to 
November, but even now those growers 
of Chrysanthemums who exhibit for prizes 
are beginning to find their earlier prognos¬ 
tications with regard to the timing of the 
b'ooms somewhat discounted, because of 
the entire change in the weather which we 
have experienced for some three or four 
weeks. The change has had a marked 
effect on vegetation generally, and has not 
left Chrysanthemums alone, even though 
growing in pots. That through the very 
hot, dry weather, the plants did very often 
get dry at the roots in spite of all the vigi¬ 
lance displayed in frequent watering there 
can be no doubt, and that dryness did check 
the growth materially, causing the stems to 
harden early, and leafage to shrink. 
To this rock drought,was also to be added 
atmospheric dryness, so that the plants 
manifested a precocity in the direction of 
bud production that was rather alarming. 
Now all is changed. Plenty of root mois¬ 
ture, amp'e atmospheric moisture, and 
some appreciable shade by clouds have 
been productive of renewed, almost 
luxuriant, growths, so that it is now just 
possible that the bloom will be late rather 
than early, and all earlier calculations are 
now out of the reckoning. Naturally the 
hardening of the lower stems, which was 
effected by the drought, should presently 
have some influence on the new growth, 
but the rebound has been great, and will 
take a little time to tone down. 
Really everything now depends upon the 
nature of the weather we shall experience 
during the present month, and if that is 
fairly fine then things will soon right them¬ 
selves. That being so, we shall venture 
even thus early to forecast a very fine 
blooming season, and shall indeed be sorry 
should it prove otherwise. TheClmsan- 
themum season for fine blooms is all too 
sho t, and disappointment in such a case is 
hard to bear. 
T^edding Verbenas. —We were charmed 
the other day to see in one of our 
public gardens a very beautiful bed of 
mixed Verbenas. Such a sight carried our 
mind back to the time—some years ago— 
when named Verbenas were popular bed¬ 
ding plants—the days, in fact, of the Tom 
Thumb Pelargonium, of Cuph“a planty- 
centra, of Gazania splendens, of the yellow 
Calceolaria.oftheold-fashioned Heliotrope, 
and other bedding plants which of late have 
fallen into disuetude. Well, it was a real 
delight to see in tlie garden in question, 
not merely Verbenas, but Heliotiopes, 
Fuchsias, and some other of the old- 
fashioned bedding plants used largely, and 
with such striking effect ; for combinations 
of white Fuchsias and crimson Begonias, 
dark Heliotrope and Roses, etc., are indeed 
beautiful, and are far away more pleasing 
than are the too commonly flat combina¬ 
tions yet so frequently seen. 
But the Verbenas constitute the subject 
of our remarks, and well did they merit all 
praise. The plants were all from seed, and 
herein do we see a marked change from the 
Verbena bedding of some thirty or forty 
years ago, as then seedling plants were 
seldom found, and propagated ones alone 
employed. Seedling strains are now so 
good that named plants have almost become 
absurdities. In the beds we have referred 
to it would have been easy to find half-a- 
dozen varieties of the finest quality and 
form, such as a few years since received 
Certificates of Merit. 
Presently, perhaps, we shall recognise 
the fact that seed strains in many of our 
popular flowers have not only rendered 
naming individual plants undesirable, but 
almost absurd. Verbenas lend themselves 
to the production of effective yet somewhat 
informal masses of colour most naturally. 
They need very little attention, only mode¬ 
rately rich soil, and, if needed, can always 
be increased readily by cuttings. 
--i—- 
Bulbs for the Royal Pants —We understand that 
the order for supplying the bulbs for St. James's Park, 
Regent’s Park, Hampton Court Gardens, St. Mar¬ 
garet’s Square, &c., has this year been placed with 
Messrs. William Cutbush & Son, of Highgate. 
Visit of Dutch Horticulturi ts to Swanley.—A 
party of members of the Dutch Horticultural Society 
have arranged to pay the establishments of Messrs. 
H. Cannell & Sons a visit on Saturday the 12th 
inst. 
Blackbirds and Fruit.—A correspondent writes 
“ If those who appreciate the exquisite song of the 
blackbird will soak any crumbs and odd bits of crusts 
there may be to spare in their household, and throw 
them out to the birds, they will find that the black¬ 
birds will come for them with unfailing regularity, 
and prefer them to fruit We have proved this to be 
true this dry season.” 
East of Scotland Union of Naturalists' Societies.— 
The annual conference of this association was 
held last week, at Kirkcaldy, when the societies 
comprised in the union were well represented at the 
council and general meetings. At the first meeting 
Professor D’Arcy Thompson presided, and subse¬ 
quently vacated the chair in favour of the new 
president, Mr.~ James'Shephard. A number of 
interesting papers were read, and the next meeting 
was fixe i to take place in Dundee. 
Death of Mr. William Thomson, Junr.—With deep 
regret, which will be shared in by all friends of the 
family, we have to record the death, early on Sunday 
morning last, at his re.-idence at Clovenfords, of Mr. 
William Thomson, Junr., eldest son of Mr. William 
Thomson of the Tweed Vineyard, in his 44th year. 
Mr. Thomson, who was born at Wrotham Park, 
Barnet, while his father was gardener there, and 
subsequently resi led at Dalkeith before settling down 
at Clovenfords some twenty-five years ago, was a 
man of fine physique and active mental and physical 
capacity, taking a keen interest in the business with 
which he was assoebted, and of a most kindly, 
and hospitable nature. He patiently endured a long 
illness, and died of pleurisy following an attack of 
influenza which he had more than a year ago. His 
remains were buried on Wednesday in the little 
churchyard at Clovenfords on the banks of the Gala 
water. Plis widow and four young children are left 
to mourn their sad bereavement. 
Ch-irkley Court on Leatherhead Downs, the mansion 
of Mr. Abraham Dixon, was on Wednesday evening 
of last week set on fire by lightning while the family 
were at lunch. A considerable portion of the 
mmsion was destroyed, although three local fire 
brigades were speedily on the scene. The water 
supply was indifferent. The valuable paintings and 
other costly articles acquired by Mr. Dixon during 
his varied and extensive travels were saved by people 
from the surrounding districts, who flocked to the 
scene. 
Smoking at Flower Shows. —A Liverpool corres¬ 
pondent writes:—‘‘May I be allowed to ask the 
executive of the late Liverpool Show what induced 
them to break through the universal rule in this 
country at flower shows of any pretension to first- 
class rank, of not allowing smoking in the show tents. 
On the Thursday evening there could not have been 
less than two hundred persons smoking in the large 
marquee, and rendering the atmosphere most objec¬ 
tionable to non-smokers. The Liverpool show 
deserves more consideration than to be brought down 
to the level of an ordinary smoke room.” 
Dutch Horticultural and Botanical Society.—At the 
meeting of the Floral Committee of this Society held 
on July 8ih, first-class certificates were awarded to 
Messrs. De Graaff Bros., Leyden, for Delphinium 
grandiflorum florep eno; to Mr. C. G. Van Tubergen, 
Junr., Haarlem, for Cienkowskia Kirkii ; to Mr. J. 
W. Dandey, Haarlem, for Begonia tuberosa fl. pi.; 
and to Messrs. Groenewegen & Co.. Amsterdam, for 
Coreopsis grandiflora. Botanical certificates were 
accorded to Messrs. E. H. Krelage & Son, Haarlem, 
for Hippeastrum reticulautm and Me'asphaerula 
graminea ; and to Mr. H. D. Willink Van Coller, 
Breuken, for Veratrum Maacki and Ligularia macro- 
phylla. 
Death of Anne Pratt.—The death is announced as 
having taken place recently, at the advanced age of 
S7 years, of Mrs. John Pearless, better known to 
readers of botanical literature as ‘‘Anne Pratt.” She 
was a devoted student of Nature, and a capable 
artist, and published her first book, *• Flowers and 
their Associations,” sixty-five years ago. Other 
works from her pen were :—“ Pratt’s Catechism of 
Botany,” "The Field, the Garden, and the Wood¬ 
land,” “ Wild Flowers,” “ Poisonous Planis," 
“ Common Objects of the Seashore,” and ‘‘The 
Flowering Plants and Ferns of Great Britain,” a 
work in 5 vols., with coloured plates, which was 
published by the Society for the Promotion. of 
Christian Knowledge. 
Death of Mr. E. Seward — We regret to hear of the 
sudden death, at Huntingdon, on the 21st ult., of 
Mr. E. Seward, florist and seedsman, of Godman- 
chester. He was for some years gardener to P. E. 
Tillard, Esq., of Godmanchester, and it was with 
him, as a sport, that the Golden Feather Pyrethrum 
originated. Unfortunately, before discovering its 
value for carpet bedding, he passed it on to the late 
firm of E. G. Henderson & Son, of the Wellington 
Road Nursery, St. John's Wood, who sent it out. 
All the world knows what a marvellously popular 
bidding plant it subsequently became, but it may 
be news to many to know that though the Golden 
Feather quickly “ caught on ” and has been raised 
by millions, it never received a Certificate from the 
Floral Committee of the R.H. 5 . Neither, by the 
