544 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 29, 1893. 
5?The Frost and the Bloom. — How 
^ anxiously do we look for reports as to 
the general effects of the recent too severe 
frosts upon the bloom of hardy fruit trees. 
It may seem an incongruity to dread the 
effects of spring frosts upon hardy trees, 
but we have no tree in cultivation, or even 
wild, which has flowers absolutely frost 
proof. So far there can be no doubt but 
that the Apple bloom has been unharmed. 
It is in its full glory some three weeks 
earlier than often has been the case, and if 
it should, in spite of such precocity, yet 
escape uninjured now, we should have 
early Apples, very early, and late Apples of 
great size and very fully developed, as the 
fruits would have such a long season to 
develope in. 
We are told that the Plum bloom has 
not materially suffered. That may be, and 
we hope that it is so, but it is yet early to 
tell how far the germs of the fruits have 
been harmed. We had a truly grand fruit 
bloom, as we had a marvellous bloom on 
the Blackthorn ; but then all the sterner 
for the short time it lasted was our unvari¬ 
able Blackthorn winter. However, there 
should be a good Plum crop all the same. 
Pears, because the bloom is so erect, 
seem to have very much suffered in places, 
and especially in the Western counties. 
Perhaps in some others, so erratic is often 
the action of frosts, no harm has been 
done. Still we look for the worst results 
■with these fruits. Cherries too have 
suffered a good deal. A few weeks will 
show how much the hardy Gooseberry and 
Currant, too, in low-lying places have been 
severely handled, but higher up little harm 
has been done. It would seem everywhere 
that a low-lying place brought danger, just 
as a higher elevation brought comparative 
safety, to most kinds of fruit bloom. 
Insect Pests. —We now find on every 
hand so many forms of insecticides and 
so many diverse methods of applying them, 
that if all be bond fide there should be little 
difficulty in soon fully exterminating all 
our insect enemies, and ridding vegeta¬ 
tion, and especially fruit, of the greatest of 
troubles. Somehow there arises a rather 
sceptical doubt as to the virtues or capaci¬ 
ties of all these diverse articles to accom¬ 
plish all ascribed to them, and that belief 
is supported by the fact that in spite of 
tens of thousands, literally, of specifics for 
the physical ills which afflict humanity, 
such ills seem to be just as plentiful as ever. 
We believe there are some persons so 
sceptical as to have grave doubts whether 
insects are, after all, so harmful as repre¬ 
sented. These of course can have no faith 
in anything, and may be disregarded. But 
at least we may not forget that if insects 
be our bane, hitherto the small birds 
which many are so fond of destroying, 
have proved to be the best antidote. It 
may be that these insect pests have been 
elevated into a notoriety they do not alto¬ 
gether merit. All the same there is much 
wisdom in the old adage, prevention is 
better than cure, and if by making certain 
applications or using various compounds 
it be possible to entirely prevent the 
attacks of the pests, it is in such case very- 
much wiser so to do than to wait until the 
evil has been done and then strive to 
cure it. 
Of course, all these diverse insecticides 
and methods of application are very much 
on their trial even now, for if in a few years 
it be found that harmful insect life is as 
abundant as ever, then must the reputa¬ 
tions of these compounds suffer appreciably. 
We have a right to anticipate that in time 
constant applications of insecticides will 
insect life. Certainly it is of the 
first importance, and especially in relation 
to fruit culture, that such should be the 
case, as few things serve so much to keep 
down fruit-growing enterprise as does the 
fear, which is now very natural, that insect 
pests may prove too strong antagonists. 
|Tudging Auriculas. —Whilst we are quite 
content to leave to our readers the dis¬ 
pute concerning the application of heat to 
the growth of show Auriculas, which has 
such capable advocates as the Rev. F. D. 
Horner, premier grower, and Mr. R. Dean, 
premier critic, we do think that something 
should be said as to the grave objection 
taken by the latter to the using of one 
well-known northern grower, and not in¬ 
frequently exhibitor, by an official of the 
Auricula Show as an active helper, and 
then setting him to judge the very? flowers, 
in company with others, which he has 
helped to dress and stage. 
It is an excellent axiom—one we are sure 
that Mr. Horner will not dispute the 
wisdom of—that it is better to avoid not 
only evil but even the appearance of it. 
Now if there be one thing more than 
another which has from time to time raised 
troubles and disputes in connection with 
horticulture,it is this verysubject of the com¬ 
plete impartiality of judges, and all wise 
committees have felt that it is better to err 
on the side of pure impartiality than to 
seem to favour bias of any kind. What is 
so generally good all round seems to us to 
be equally good for the Auricula Society, 
and to that belief we must adhere, notwith¬ 
standing the special pleading of personal 
friends. 
We do not for one moment assume that 
he is biassed. What we do say is that if 
competitors in the classes heis called upon 
to judge feel aggrieved, the practice of 
making him at once a friendly helper and 
dresser first of one competitor, and then a 
judge of the merits of all the other com¬ 
petitors’ flowers, stands condemned. Our 
estimate of the practice comes late. What¬ 
ever may be done this j ear, we hope at 
least no other cause will be offered to com¬ 
pel further similar reflections. 
-- 
Epping Forest. —We have already announced that 
Mr. Frank M'Kenzie, the third son of the late Major 
M’Kenzie, was a candidate for the appointment of 
Superintendent of Epping Forest, in succession to his 
father, since whose death he has performed the duties 
of the office. Last week Mr. M’Kenzie’s application 
was successful. The new superintendent had assisted 
his father for the past thirteen years, and for the 
last two years has held the office of assistant-super¬ 
intendent. 
Allotment Gardening in Cornwall. —Cornwall isjust 
now being pointed to as the county where may be 
seen the advantage of cutting up large farms into 
smaller allotments for the cultivation of fruit and 
vegetables. It is not always that these small allot¬ 
ments are cultivated for the sake of pleasure either, 
and many an industrious miner, after the toils in the 
bowels of the earth are over, finds, with his family, 
his time fully occupied in the garden, with the result 
that not only does the produce pay the rent but 
something besides. There are many Strawberry and 
fruit allotments, and in others nurseries for plant 
growing and vineries, and Tomato and Cucumber 
frames are a source of income which maintain many 
a thrifty family, and all this is constantly going on 
and being yearly enlarged upon. It is a fact that in 
Cornwall it pays the landlord better to cut up a farm 
into allotments than to let it as a whole. 
Euphorbia heterophylla. —This sub-shrubby species 
of Euphorbia was introduced to European gardens 
from South America in 1806, but has never been 
extensively cultivated, if at all, outside of botanic 
gardens in this country. L’Illustration Horticole 
states that it merits a place as an ornamental plant 
in the greenhouse. The stems are shrubby, and if 
properly attended to in the matter of pruning in the 
early part of the year it forms a neat branching bush 
and flowers in September. The flowers are green, 
but they are surrounded by bracts of a beautiful 
carmine. It is all but hardy, if not quite so, in the 
south of England, but may not flower very freely in 
the open air. 
Primroses and Polyanthuses at Bedfont. —We had 
an opportunity to see Mr. R. Dean’s stock of these 
lovely spring flowers in glorious blcom the other day. 
They are indeed beautiful, and also in wonderful 
quantity. Generally the plants carry large heads of 
bloom, indeed, it is not until they are some eighteen 
months old that they show the true nature and 
wondrous beauty of these hardy flowers. It is the 
rule to sow seed in the autumn, house the seedling 
plants in frames all the winter, and then dibble them 
out into the open ground in the spring. So treated 
they make really splendid clumps the following year, 
and masses of several thousands of these present a 
charming sight. The Bedfont quality is well know-n. 
It is of both Primroses and Polyanthuses, unequalled, 
and the colours are wondrously varied. When it is 
understood that by sowing seed anyone can scon 
have these flowers in quantity we expect to see them 
everywhere. 
The Golden Wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Dodwell.— 
Mr. Dodwell writes : “ Will you kindly allow me in 
your column for personalia, on behalf of my wife 
and myself, to return our most grateful thanks to 
our many friends for their congratulations and 
gracious sympathy on the occasion of our golden 
wedding. Very devoutly we thank them and thank 
God for this pleasant sunlight of our evening days, 
and we hope we shall be permitted to have the joy 
of personally tendering our thanks to a large com¬ 
pany on August ist (will they kindly note the date), 
the day appointed for our Annual Carnation Feast, 
Stanley Road, April 21st, 1893. 
Aristolochia gigantea.—A double page and coloured 
illustration of this huge flowered Aristolo.chia is 
given in L'Illustration Horticole, PI 171—172. It is a 
native of the Guianas and Bolivia, where it has 
recently been rediscovered by M. FI. Claes, an old 
student with a diploma from the School of Horticul¬ 
ture of Ghent, and one of the collectors sent out by 
L'Horticulture Internationale. It came originally 
from the provinces of Bahia and Minas Garaes in 
Brazil. The flowers are of huge demensions, heart- 
shaped, and measuring 22 in. in length and 18 in. in 
width. In colour they resemble those of A. gigas 
Sturtevantii, but are entirely devoid of the long tail 
characteristic of that species. In order to avoid 
confusion in the names of the two species it has 
been suggested that the species under notice should be 
recognised as A. grandiflora, which is really its pro¬ 
per name by right of priority. 
The White Ground Picotee. — I note at page 515, a 
contributor writes, “ The White Ground Picotee of 
the present day, with its heavy or narrow laced 
edge, has been refined and brought to its present 
state of perfection from the old pounced or spotted 
Picotees within the last twenty years." This is 
scarcely accurate in point of time. We had attained 
the refinement and precision of markings in the late 
forties and earliest fifties—say forty years ago. It 
is not of much moment, but I know you would like 
your historical record to be accurate." 
Gardener’s Royel Benevolent Institution: A New 
Departure. —On Friday evening last a meeting 
was held at the Redland Park Hall, Bristol, 
for the purpose of advocating the claims of the 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution. Mr. J. H. 
Lockley (late High Sheriff for the county), presided, 
and was supported by T. Walls, Esq. (Town 
Councillor), Dr. Shaw, E. Webley, Esq., and many 
others. It was explained that Mr. Harry J. Veitch 
(treasurer of the society), who had been announced 
to deliver an address, was unable to be present 
through pressure of business. The chairman in his 
opening remarks said Mr. Veitch had shown bis 
sympathy with the society in a practical way, and 
they had his wishes for a very successful meeting. 
He pointed out the advantages offered by the society 
in its provision for old-age pensions. He said he 
admired the thrifty man who endeavoured to make 
provision for old age without assistance, although, 
of course, he knew there were many people who 
had not really the power to set aside sufficient to 
procure for them at an advanced stage of life an old- 
age pension. The Gardeners’ Institution stepped in 
