288 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 7, 1893. 
There can be no doubt but that up to 
Christmas we had enjoyed a glorious 
autumn, and work had been proceeding at 
such a pace that some enforced rest for a 
week or two was in some respects welcome. 
Such frosts as we have had, occasionally 
very sharp, yet none too severe for certain 
purposes, has probably done little harm. 
What is to be feared rather is that should 
more frost ensue the repeated attacks might 
do much harm to vegetation; or, on the 
other hand, should soft mild weather follow, 
the frost may be followed by abnormal 
precocity of growth, and then very much 
mischief would ensue. We, however, 
earnestly hope to be saved from either of 
these alternatives. 
That much of the hard weather has been 
well utilised in gardens, to get out manure, 
clean up and cart leaves, prepare stakes 
and labels, and other useful work, there can 
be no doubt, so that when spring comes at 
last it is not probable that work will have 
been found materially hindered. There 
can be no doubt but that in certain direc¬ 
tions hard frosty weather, if painful to 
endure, yet does much good, and helps to 
mature or ripen in ways of which we have 
but indifferent conceptions. 
JfHE Eternal Round.— If the work of the 
^ gardener be increasing, happily it is 
not a weary round of labour. The man who 
is by virtue of his vocation always engaged 
in making or laying bricks, hewing stone 
or in some other monotonous employment, 
may sometimes complain of the weary 
round of labour and of life, which brings 
to him so little of change or variety. The 
gardener is better placed, for his labours 
if ever moving in the same direction are 
yet so very varied that his work may be no 
two days alike, and each season brings with 
it its variations and its diverse occupations. 
When the winter approaches we are apt 
to regard the coming time as of a restful 
nature, but the rest never comes, for gar¬ 
dening is an eternal round, only alternating 
and changing, but never ceasing. And in¬ 
deed herein lies one of the great charms of 
gardening, that whilst it always furnishes 
occupation it is ever on the move, ever 
changing. Thus it is always the case that 
the higher the aspect of gardening practised 
the greater the variation of labour, and 
the greater are its necessities. The poor 
labourer who does but dig and delve is but 
a hewer of wood and drawer of water for 
those ot his kind who having made in 
earlier life better use of their opportunities, 
become less artisans than artists in their 
vocation, and aided by such surroundings 
as glass-houses, frames, heating and other 
appliances can give, commands, or indeed 
controls, nature for their own objects, and 
orders her operations even when externally 
all seems to be asleep. 
Let those who understand only the old 
order but enter these glass laboratories, 
where the force of heat and light, combined 
with human skill, do control nature, and 
they will then perceive, how amidst the 
winter of our discontent perennial summer 
still reigns triumphant. Gardeners do not 
always take so lofty, we might almost say 
so romantic, a view of their profession as 
is thus propounded; but the more they 
dwell upon it, the more they comprehend 
the sweetness and beauty that attaches to 
gardening, the more will they feel disposed 
to set it upon a high pedestal amongst the 
vocations of the earth. 
Ramsons.—W hilst plenty of persons 
^ doubtless have been enjoying stewed 
French Prune Plums during the recent 
festive season, few perhaps have been 
partaking of real English grown Prune 
Damsons in a preserved state, so that they 
were as fresh and as luscious as if just 
gathered and cooked in October. A 
gardening friend of ours had a quantity of 
Damsons in the autumn, and a few gallons 
were put down in large jars, then par-boiled, 
tied down, and in that simple fashion 
preserved. The Damson alone when made 
into tarts is rather a strong flavoured fruit, 
therefore our friend prefers to partake of 
them when mixed with Apples, when the 
combination is delicious. 
One may well ask whether what is done 
in a small way so successfully may not in 
seasons of great Damson abundance be 
also largely done for commercial purposes, 
and that it may be possible to obtain a 
quart if needed of fruit and juice at the 
grocer’s in winter, just as easily as French 
dried Prunes are obtained. The Farleigh 
Prolific, the Frogmore, and the Prune 
Damson, being all very firm of flesh, are 
specially suited for this sort of preserving. 
The drying process in this country, even 
with the most modern appliances, is 
necessarily costly 7 , and at the same time 
comparatively few of our English Plums or 
Damsons seem suited for that form of 
manipulation. Perhaps the simplest 
method of dealing with Damsons is to Can 
them, but there are some natural objections 
to canned fruits of the highly flavoured 
forms found in Damsons, which is less 
observant in Apricots, Gage and other 
sweet Plums. 
Bottling may perhaps be the best pre¬ 
serving method, but in the ordinary long¬ 
necked and not very large receptacles 
commonly employed the product is small 
and expensive. Good broad-necked bottles 
holding a quart each of Damsons should be 
purchasable at very modest prices, 
especially when as often happens in abun¬ 
dant years, the fruits may be purchased 
wholesale at one penny per quart. Who 
would object to pay sixpence for a quart of 
such fruit at Christmas ? 
how Boards. —Our readers will not fail 
to have noticed that the National 
Chrysanthemum Society has practically- 
rejected the decision of the Society’s Octo¬ 
ber Conference on the subject of the 
enlargement of Show Boards, and the 
decision practically is “ as you were.” 
We believe that decision will prove 
eminently satisfactory generally, because 
the proposed alteration after a fuller dis¬ 
cussion, especially in the provinces, did not 
meet with approval. Probably the objectors 
thought that it was not the duty of exhibi¬ 
tion committees either to encourage or cater 
for very large flowers, but rather to favour 
the highest quality. The decision to forbid 
the use of wire or card supports, and cups 
of a large character, will prove most instru¬ 
mental in encouraging quality especially in 
depth of bloom, and we shall see in the 
Society’s Shows far less of crowding than 
has hitherto been evidenced. We hope 
that all committees will prior to the 
issue of their next schedules agree to 
adopt the regulations of the N. C. S. in 
connection Avith artificial supports to 
blooms, as it naturally grows out of the 
objections to enlarged show boards. 
-—i-- 
Glasgow Parks Superintendentship.— The Parks 
Committee of the Glasgow City Council, out of nearly 
one hundred applicants, have made a short leet, the 
following being the selected candidates:—Mr. D. 
Dewar, Kew ; Dr. Wilson, Edinburgh Botanic 
Garden; Mr. McHattie, Newbattle Abbey, Midlo¬ 
thian; and Mr. Whitton, Glamis Castle, Forfar. 
Death of Professor Westwood. —We regret to hear 
of the death on Monday afternoon, at the advanced 
age of 88 years, of Professor John Obadiah Westwood, 
the eminent entomologist of Oxford. A native of 
Sheffield he was educated at Lichfield, and published 
the “ Entomologist’s Text Book " so far back as 1838. 
Other important works on entomology followed, 
and in 1S61 he was elected professor of Zoology in 
the university of Oxford.' Horticulturists owe a deep 
debt of gratitude to Professor Westwood for his 
invaluable contributions on the insect enemies of 
the garden to The Gardener's Chronicle, the publica¬ 
tion of which commenced with the establishment of 
that journal in 1841. Of late years the familar 
signature “ I. O.W.” has not been seen so frequently, 
and now, alas ! we shall know it no more. 
Shropshire Horticultural Sociely. —The spring show 
of this society will be held on March 23rd, and the 
great summer show and gala on August 23rd and 
24th. 
L’Orchideenne. —In order to avoid clashing with 
the new year festivities, and the meeting at Ghent, 
the 41st meeting of this society of amateur orchidists 
has been postponed from the 8th to the 15th inst. 
The Seed Trade in Wolverhampton —The old- 
established seed and nursery business carried on by 
Mr. R. Lowe, at 32, Queen Square, Wolverhampton, 
has passed into the hands of Messrs. Tom B. Dobbs 
& Co , who have just issued their first seed catalogue, 
which is a distinct advance on anything of the kind 
which has teached us from Wolverhampton before. 
Mr. Tom B. Dobbs is a son of Mr. T. Dobbs, 
auctioneer and seedsman, of North Devon, and was 
for many years with Messrs. Hurst & Son. The 
new firm has our good wishes for its prosperity. 
Messrs. Dobbie & Co 's Employees held their annual 
social meeting at Rothsay on the 30th ult. In the 
course of the evening the senior partner, Mr. Cuth- 
bertson, addressed the gathering in cheery and 
hopeful terms. Referring to the eight hours question 
Mr. Cuthbertson said that if an eight hours day were 
universal there would not be so much difficulty in 
carrying out the principle, but if it was adopted by 
one town, or even by one country, and not by others 
he did not see hew it could be other than ruinous. 
He referred to the request made by their workpeople 
for the concession of a Saturday afternoon holiday, 
which was very unusual in the trade, but while at a 
pecuniary sacrifice they had been able to grant it f 
he believed they had not lost by it. Mr. Cuthbertson 
also expressed his belief that the horticultural trade 
was on the eve of a very great development. There 
was a cry for fruit culture, small holdings, allotments, 
&c., and it might be the duty of the horticulturist to 
take from the land that successful result which 
the farmer had failed to secure. 
Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. —At a meeting of the 
committee held on the 29th ult., Mr. H. Herbst 
presiding, the honorary secretary announced the 
receipt during the previous month of the following 
sums :—£20 from the Reigate Chrysanthemum 
Society; £9 2s. 9d. from the Rugby Chrysanthemum 
Society, per Mr. Bryan ; £20 realised from the sale 
of flowers at the Edinburgh Chrysanthemum Show 
by Mr. Tod; £j from the Midland Carnation and 
Picotee Society, per Mr. Robert Sydenham ; £2 10s. 
obtained by opening the gardens at Stanton-in-Peak, 
Bakewell, per Mr. Harvey; and the following 
amounts collected in money boxes :—Mr. Herbst, 
/3 10s. 4d.; Mr. G. W. Cummins, £2 6s. ; Mr. 
Marshall, £1 7s. 3d. ; Mr. C. Gibson, Morden Park, 
18s. ; Mr. A. Waters, Hopwood Hall, Middleton, 
15s.; Mr. R. Scott, Bradford, 5s. ; and Mr. A. 
Read, Grittleton. It was arranged that the annual 
meeting shall be held at the Cannon Street Hotel, 
on Friday, February 3rd, when an election will take 
place for eight children. The number of applicants 
is fifteen. Sir James Whitehead, Bart , M.P., w-as 
unanimously elected a vice-president. 
The Society of American Florists.—The bill to 
incorporate the Society of American Florists was 
passed in the third week in December. The society 
is incorporated for the elevation and advancement of 
horticulture in all its branches. The principal office 
of the association is to be in New York, but annual 
meetings may be held elsewhere. The association 
is obliged by the bill to make an annual report to 
the Secretary of Agriculture, who shall transmit it 
to Congress. The incorporators are : Jas. Dean, of 
Bay Ridge, N.Y.; Wm. J. Stewart, Michael H. 
Norton, and Patrick Welch, of Boston, Mass. ; 
Edward G. Hill, of Richmond, Ind.; John N. May, 
of Summit, N.J.; Wm. R. Smith, John Saul, and 
Benjamin Durfee, of Washington, D C.; Myron A. 
Hunt, of Terre Haute, Ind.; John Thorpe, Joseph 
T. Anthony, and Joseph C. Vaughen, of Illinois ; 
Robert Craig, Edwin Lonsdale, and John Burton, of 
Philadelphia ; Alexander Murdoch, of Pittsburg, Pa ; 
John M. Jordan, of St. Louis, Mo.; John T. Temple, 
of Davenport, Iowa ; Charles W. Hoitt, of Nashua, 
N.H.; Wm. Falconer, of Glen Cove, and Daniel B. 
Long] of Buffalo, N.Y.; and W. Albert Manda, of 
Short Hills, N.J. 
