496 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 8, 1898. 
What it will prove to be eventually we 
shall know better six weeks hence. The old 
adage respecting fogs in March being 
followed by frosts in May has already been 
frequently quoted, and there may be much 
of truth in it. In any case, everybody 
holds that for this heat and brilliant sun¬ 
shine we shall certainly suffer later on, and 
that much is said because of the experience 
of previous years. The beautiful weather 
has brought out the Plum and Pear bloom 
gloriously, and nothing would so much tend 
to allay uneasiness on its account as would 
a change to showery weather. 
ardy Fruit Culture.— The collapse of 
the British Fruit Growers’ Association 
which has been finally registered has long 
been inevitable. Promoted with the best 
intentions, and largely employed to boom 
hardy fruit culture, it became sadly mis¬ 
managed, and after a lingering existence of 
many months has finally died. It may be 
that in its early days it did some good, 
still, so far as relates to the popularisation 
of fruit culture, we are disposed to think 
even now that the chief determining agency 
in that direction is popular demand for 
fruit, and given that, the supply is almost 
certain, at least so far as our erratic 
climate will allow. 
Very valuable work indeed is performed 
by those who labour to teach the people 
the value of fruit as food, and to induce 
them as largely as possible to consume 
fruit products. How much of room there 
is for further development in that direction 
we all know. As to the nature of the 
supply which is so much desired, that can¬ 
not be too good. It is not enough, and 
never can be enough, that persons who 
have land should be induced to plant fruit 
trees, and to market the produce with 
about the same concern as they would 
Potatos. The bulk of our growers of hardy 
fruit for market have not got very far 
beyond that method of dealing with their 
produce yet. It is not merely that there is 
so much to learn, but there is so very much 
to unlearn, and it is in that direction we 
have been taught so successfully by 
American growers of Apples, who starting 
as new settlers and growers, and unham¬ 
pered by old, negligent, wasteful methods, 
have adopted in every respect the best 
practices and beat us close to our own 
doors. Presently, no doubt we shall see 
landowners willing to let land on terms that 
will encourage the tenants to plant with 
the assured certainty that they will, if at 
any time dispossessed, receive full com¬ 
pensation for their outlay. The subject un¬ 
happily is tabooed as political, and yet it 
constitutes the very foundation of success¬ 
ful hardy fruit culture here. 
“ TEunds ” and “ Varieties.” —We hardly 
expected to find in the schedule of 
the Royal Horticultural Society for the 
autumn exhibition at the Agricultural Hall 
such an extreme misuse of the term 
“kind” as is found in connection with 
classes 40 and 41. These classes are for 
1 2 and 6 “kinds” of Grapes, and curiously 
enough the addenda appears “ Black and 
white Grapes admissible.” It is the first 
time in any case that we have seen it 
implied that both colours arenot admissible. 
But the incongruity of the wording is seen 
when compared with that found in classes 
44, 45 and 48, and which leads to the 
impression that whilst the latter were 
drafted by an experienced hand the former 
ones are the work of an amateur or novice, 
and very po <r work too for a leading 
horticultural society. 
We had alway-. thought that the dis¬ 
tinction between the terms “ kinds ” and 
“ varieties ” were clearly understood. 
According to general acceptance there 
cannot be somany kinds of Grapes, because 
Grapes of themselves only constitute a 
kind offruit, just as Apples, Pears, Peaches, 
etc., are kinds. What makes the wording 
of the classes 40 and 41 so indefinite and 
misleading also is that no mention is made 
of the number of bunches of each sort to 
be shown. That is an extraordinary 
omission, and is not found in any other 
class. The term “variety” as applied to 
Grapes in other classes is perfectly correct, 
and it does seem surprising that such a 
fact should have to be impressed on the 
minds of any one in these days. 
We are pleased to see that orchard-house 
fruits are expressly excluded from the Plum, 
Apple and Pear classes, as they have two 
classes provided for them. That will 
prevent some grumbling and heartburning. 
Vegetables should make a prominent 
feature, although the condition that the 
produce staged in the class for twelve kinds 
must be shown in flats or rounds is a most 
objectionable one, and calculated to heavily 
handicap exhibitors from a distance. Oddly 
enough the highest prizes, relatively, are 
for six Leeks, and these are offered by a 
Scotch firm. 
-—*•- 
Mr. J. W. Machattie, for the last eight years gar¬ 
dener to the Marquis of Lothian at Newbattle Abbey, 
Dalkeith, has been engaged by the Duke of Welling¬ 
ton as gardener at Strathfieldsaye. He will be 
succeeded at Newbattle by Mr. A. McDonald, at 
present gardener to John Ritchie, Esq., Middleton, 
Gorebridge, N.B. 
Royal Horticultural Society.—At the meeting'of 
this society to be held on Tuesday next, Mr. Everard 
F. im Thurn has promised to read a paper on 
“ Orchid Life in Guiana.” 
The Gardening and Forestry Exhibition at Earl’s 
Court. —The schedule of prizes for the Flower and 
Fruit Shows to be held at Earl’s Court this season is 
now ready, and can be obtained from Mr. H. E. 
Milner, Chairman of the Committee. A special 
show will be held on the opening day, May 13th, and 
the other dates fixed are as follows :—Orchid Show, 
May 18th and 19th ; Rose Shows on June 28th and 
July 12th ; Carnation and Picotee Show, July 26th 
and 27th ; Show of flowering and finefoliaged plants, 
August 9th and 10th ; Gladioli and Dahlia Show, 
August 23rd and 24th ; Dahlia Show, September 13th 
and 14th ; Hardy Fruit Show, September 17th, 
28th, and 29th. Prizes for fruit are offered at all the 
shows but the first. 
“The Flower Carriage.” —With the arrival of the 
spring flowers, passengers on the Great Eastern 
Railway see once more every Saturday what is known 
on the line as “ the flower carriage.” One of the 
compartments of the train is filled with Stock Ex¬ 
change men, each of them carrying in one way or 
another a quantity of fresh-cut flowers gathered from 
their gardens in Essex. These flowers (says The 
Westminster Gazette) are put up to auction in " the 
House ” in the course of the morning, the proceeds 
week by week being sent to one of the London hospi¬ 
tals. The amount of the donation is often consider¬ 
able, as the flowers realise handsome prices, the 
brokers and jobbers often bidding up to half-a-crown 
for a bouquet which takes their fancy. 
Mr. and Mrs. Dodwell’s Golden Wedding. --Mr. and 
Mrs. Dodwell will celebrate their golden wedding on 
the 20th inst., and it is proposed by some of Mr. 
Dodwell’s old friends who have long watched the 
work done by him in the development of the Carna¬ 
tion, and who have very pleasing memories of the 
social meetings of the Carnation and Picotee Union 
at Oxford, to commemorate this auspicious event by 
the presentation of some suitable piece of plate. In 
order that the greatest number may share in this 
pleasing testimonial individual subscriptions are 
limited to 23. 6 d. or 5s. As it is necessary that 
immediate action should be taken, it is hoped that 
the appeal now being made will be responded to 
quickly, as the subscription list must be closed by 
April 12th. Subscriptions should be sent direct to 
the treasurer, Mr. R Sydenham, 190, Bristol Road, 
Birmingham The committee formed to carry out 
this movement consists of—Messrs. W. Bacon, 
Derby; T. E. Henwood, Reading; A. R. Brown, 
Birmingham ; A W. Jones. Birmingham ; C. H. 
Herbert, Birmingham ; Tom Lord, Todmorden; 
W. M. Hewitt, Chesterfield ; M. Rowan, Clapham ; 
Robert Sydenham, Birmingham, treasurer ; and W. 
Dean, Sparkhill, Birmingham, hon. sec. 
A Willow from Napolaon's Tomb. —A few days 
ago Sir William Cunliffe Brooks, of Glen Tana, 
Aberdeenshire, wrote Mr. Peter Harper, custodian 
of the Aberdeen Duthie Public Park, stating that a 
few years ago, while abroad, he took a slip from the 
Willow at the tomb of Napoleon at St. Helena, and 
since then had propagated several young plants. One 
of these he offered for the Duttrie Park. He asked 
that arrangements might be made for having the 
plant brought to Aberdeen from Glen Tana, and 
planted on the same day. On Thursday afternoon, 
30th ult., Sir William, who visited Aberdeen, brought 
the plant along with him, and handed it over to Mr. 
Harper. The interesting gift has been acknowledged, 
and is being suitably cared for. 
The G trJens and Orchards of Cornwall are now 
a perfect picture, and altogether this has been truth¬ 
fully regarded as the most remarkable spring for 
half a century. For nearly a month the sky has 
been almost cloudless, and vegetation is fully a month 
earlier than last year. Fruit will in all reasonable 
probability be very plentiful, for the time when the 
heavy easterly winds visit Cornwall, and which do so 
much damage, is passed away. Flower growing in 
Cornwall is following the example of Scilly, and 
whereas in former days small plots' were employed, 
there are now broad acres devoted to Wallflower 
growth. 
Dendrobium nobile. —An Aberdeen correspondent 
writes :—It may interest lovers of Orchids to know 
of a plant of Dendrobium nobile at present in full 
flower in the gardens of Ex-Lord Provost Henderson, 
Devanah House, Aberdeen, the dimensions of which 
are about 3J ft. in diameter and about 15 in. high 
A most perfect specimen, carrying over 600 individual 
blooms, well developed, and well coloured. Mr. 
Proctor, the gardener, seems to have reached per¬ 
fection in the cultivation of the Dendrobium, but it 
is only fair to say that many other kinds of 
Orchids are growing and flowering exceedingly well 
under his care. I think I might venture to say that 
Mr. Proctor would be pleased to show any one inter¬ 
ested in such flowers the noble specimen above 
described. 
Pear Culture. —The last of a series of lectures in 
connection with the Horticultural Association was 
delivered on the 29th ult , in Dowell’s Rooms, Edin¬ 
burgh, by Mr. Alexander M'Kinnon, who took " Pear 
Culture " for his subject. The lecturer said that the 
Pear was in all probability .brought into this country 
by the Romans. It would doubtless be largely culti¬ 
vated by the monks in the orchards surrounding their 
monasteries, not only as an article of luxury, but also 
for the manufacture of Perry. Great attention had 
been paid in France and other Continental countries 
to the cultivation of the Pear, and the finer sorts 
grown in Britain were all of Continental origin. In 
Britain they were much behind, and this was due no 
doubt to the uncertain nature of their climate. Mr. 
M'Kinnon then dealt with the cultivation of Pears 
and the results yielded by different varieties. Mr. 
Alexander Mackenzie, who presided, said that if 
adequate attention had been paid by those present to 
the lectures delivered under the auspices of the 
Association, the members would be entitled to rank 
as men of light and leading wherever they were 
placed. Gardening was one of the most imitative of 
arts. A good gardener exercised a great influence 
upon surrounding districts, and it was with a view of 
making a gardener influence a wide district that 
these lectures had been delivered. It was much 
more profitable for a gardener to hear lectures such 
as these, than to wade through long volumes upon 
the subject, at the risk of making great mistakes in 
the selection of varieties. 
Transplanted Trees. —The effect of long con¬ 
tinued dry weather upon recently transplanted trees, 
particularly large ones, is beginning to be felt, and 
planters will have to supply the want artificially to 
prevent the trees dying. Particularly is this the 
case with Cupressus, Thuya, Pines, Spruces, and 
other Coniferae, as well as Hollies, Chestnuts, Thorns, 
and ornamental trees generally. A good soaking at 
the roots would do them good, but if the tops could 
be given a good hosing it would not only wash them, 
but keep them moist, 
