October 2, 1897. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
77 
disbudding, large trusses of brightly-coloured blooms 
are the result. These when cut with long stems 
carrying a fair amount of foliage, which, by the way, 
is healthy, clean, and of a deep green hue, are most 
effective in vases of cut flowers. In the open ground 
when exposed to the sun the flowers are apt to lose 
their colour soon, but this is only what might be 
expected when we consider the earliness of the 
season. 
■ ■»» - 
“ ICHTHEMIC ” AT YARMOUTH. 
Griffin Mills Employees’ Outing. 
The employees of the firm of Wm. Colchester, of 
Griffin Mills, Ipswich, on Saturday, held their 
annual outing, the rendezvous being Yarmouth- 
Starting by the early morning train from Ipswich, 
the party to the number of between sixty and 
seventy were accommodated with special saloon 
carriages by the Great Eastern Railway Company, 
and favoured with magnificent weather everything 
augured well for a successful day. Besides the 
members of the staff, headed by the Ipswich 
manager, Mr. A. E. Stubbs, there were the workmen 
and workwomen from the entire factory at Ipswich, 
together with several visitors who had acceded to 
the kind and pressing invitations extended by the 
firm, including Mr. G. Gilbert, of the Floral 
Nurseries, Ipswich, Mr. J. Andrews (secretary of the 
Woodbridge Horticultural Society), Mr. F. Millar 
(Messrs. Fred Smith & Co., Woodbridge), Mr. 
Arthur Sowman, formerly head gardener at Spring- 
field House, Ipswich, and now elected horticultural 
instructor, under the technical education scheme, 
and others. At the journey's end the numbers were 
augmented by M. LeCornu (the firm’s Continental 
representative), Mr. H. Douglas Fleming (representa¬ 
tive in Scotland), Mr. E. A. Cooke (Great Western 
Railway), and Mr. C. F. Hoad (Great Eastern Rail¬ 
way). 
Breakfast was found waiting for the party at the 
Bath Hotel, and under the presidency of Mr. Stubbs 
full justice was done to the meal provided by host 
Foulsham. The tables presented a very attractive 
appearance, thanks to the efforts of Mr. J. R. Chard, 
Florist, of Stoke Newington, who, by the aid of 
gracefully constructed arches and epergnes of woven 
wire, displayed with taste striking examples of the 
fertilising virtues of " Ichthemic" Guano. The 
The morning was passed in visiting the various 
amusements in which Yarmouth abounds, and at 
1.30 the party re-assembled for dinner. The manager 
again occupied the chair, Mr. R. Ennals (agent in 
charge of the Stowmarket district), Mr. J. Andrews, 
Woodbridge, Mr. C. Smout, and Mr. H. Douglas 
Fleming filling the vice-chairs. Dinner over, the 
Chairman gave the usual loyal toasts. 
Mr. Andrews next proposed the toast of the day, 
“ The health of Mr. Wm. Colchester,” the head of 
the firm. He adverted to the growth of the business, 
and the popularity of the proprietor, and compli¬ 
mented those present on their connection with so 
successful a commercial undertaking. The toast was 
accorded musical honours.—Mr. A. E. Stubbs, in 
reply, thanked those present, on behalf of Mr. 
William and Mr. Charles Colchester, for the hearty 
manner the toast had been received, and related in 
humorous terms the history of the previous outings 
of the firm, which commenced by a journey to sea on 
one of the steam tugs belonging to Mr. Colchester. 
He was delighted to be able to allude to the excel¬ 
lent understanding which had always existed 
between all departments of the firm. Their em¬ 
ployer had reached a great age, and it was his pride 
that during the seventy-eight years of the firm’s 
existence such a thing as a strike of the workmen 
was totally unknown amongst them. Mr. Stubbs 
adverted to the fine business qualities of the gentle¬ 
men whose names they had honoured. They were 
men of great energy, and had by the means of un¬ 
tiring zeal in business rendered the name a power in 
the commercial world.—Mr. Douglas Fleming gave 
" The Visitors,” which was responded to by Mr. E. 
A. Cooke (G.W.R.), and Mr. C. F. Hoad (G.E.R.), 
both testifying to the increasing business relations 
between their lines and the firm of Wm. Colchester. 
The Chairman added a toast of congratulation to 
Mr. Sowman on his appointment as horticultural 
lecturer and instructor under the aegis of the Suffolk 
County Council. Although living at Woodbridge, 
where as head gardener at the Grange he had made 
his name famous as a successful competitor along 
the country side, yet they looked upon him still as 
an Ipswich man, the town in which Mr. Sowman 
spent some period of his early life, and if his new 
duties made it necessary for him to make his head¬ 
quarters at Ipswich, horticulturists would be glad to 
welcome him back again within their borders. 
Mr. Sowman suitably responded. 
The other toasts were “ The Press,” given by the 
Chairman, and responded to by Mr. Hurrell, 
" Eastern Daily Press,” and Mr. W. F. Cornish, 
“ Evening Herald,” ” The Chairman,” “ The Ladies,” 
etc.—A capital musical programme was provided. 
M. LeCornu gave songs of his native land, Mr. A. 
E. Stubbs, Mr. F. Stubbs, and Mr. E. A. Cooke 
also sang, while Mr. C. F. Hoad recited. A vote of 
thanks to Mr. Henry Myers, one of the firms travel¬ 
lers, for the satisfactory organisation of the excursion 
and a similar compliment to Mr. Anderson, organist 
of St. Peters Church, Ipswich, who superintended 
the musical arrangements brought the toast list to an 
end, and the party re-embarked for home at 6.50 p.m. 
—-- 
Questions add Ansujens 
Will our friends who send us newspapers be so good 
as to mark the paragraphs or articles they wish us to see. 
We shall be greatly obliged by their so doing. 
[ 'Correspondents, please note that we cannot undertake to 
name florists' flowers such as Carnations, Pelargoniums, 
Chrysanthemums, Roses, nor such as are mere garden 
varieties, differing only in the colour of the flower. 
Florists' flowers, as a rule, can only be named by those who 
grow collections of them.] 
Hedge under the shade of trees. — M. M’L .: 
We are not surprised that Portugal Laurel should 
refuse to thrive under the shade of large trees. In 
the first place, the sunlight is too much obstructed ; 
and, secondly, the roots of the tress impoverish the 
soil by abstracting all the nourishment it contains, 
and by preventing the rain from falling upon it. 
The Arbor-vitae seedlings you mention should 
succeed much better than the Portugal Laurel, and 
we believe the Yew would also be suitable, because 
both these trees would thrive in a much drier soil 
than the Portugal Laurel. Very much depends, 
however, upon the density of the shade produced by 
the tall trees. It would be of great advantage to 
takeout a trench where the hedge is to be, cutting 
away as many of the roots of the trees as you dare 
without injuring them or rendering them liable to 
fall. Mix the natural soil with old soil from under 
the potting benches, leaf soil and old hot-bed 
manure, it you have any. At all events, use some 
fresh soil and vegetable matter. You could also 
top-dress the ground above the roots alter planting 
the hedge for some years afterwards. Of course, 
the trees will also root into the fresh material, but 
the latter will give the hedge a good start. 
Potaios per acre .— Omega : It 160 square yards of 
ground give a return of i,o8olbs. ot Potatos, a statute 
acre will produce 14 tons 11 cwt. 2 qr. 22lbs. 
Botanical term.— Omega : The botanical term for 
a mule flower is "hybrid,” which means a cross 
between two species such as Dianthus barbatus and 
D. superbus. 
Church decorations. — Constant Reader-. We have 
never heard of a book which deals with church de¬ 
corations. Hitherto the demand for such has been 
so small, that no one, probably, has ever conceived 
the idea of writing one. At all events no such work 
has come under our notice. We thiDk the best plan 
for you would be to pay a visit to one or more 
churches where the decorations at the " harvest 
thanksgiving” or at Christmas are well carried out. 
You could then employ your time profitably by at 
first imitating what you have seen and afterwards 
improving upon them. No two churches, probably, 
are decorated alike, and the buildings being very 
often different you would have to follow a plan which 
would best harmonise with each church you under¬ 
take to decorate. 
Practice with the Microscope.— Arthur Pentney 
The most complete book on the subject is Practical 
Botany, by F. O. Bower, and published by Mac¬ 
millan & Co., London ; but it costs about 10s. if we 
rightly remei ber. Practical Biology, by Professor 
Huxley and H. N. Martin, and published by Mac¬ 
millan & Co,, costs 6s., but it deals with a few types 
only of flowering plants, the rest being cryptogams 
and animals. Hiiifrey's Elementary Course of Botany, 
published by John Van Voorst (now Gurney & 
Jackson), Paternoster Row, would give you a con¬ 
siderable amount of information about the structure 
of stems, roots, leaves, &c. It costs 15s. The first- 
named book tells you how to mount objects. 
Morphology and Physiology, by William Ramsay 
McNab, and published by Longmans, Green & Co., 
Paternoster Row, is is. 6d Edmond's Botany by 
the same publishers is about 2s. Both would give 
you information with illustrations about the structure 
of plants, out nothiog about m unting. With the 
snull amount of time at your disposal at present we 
do not think it would be worth your while to attempt 
permanent mounting, as it is a tedious process to 
begin with, though there is nothing but time and 
patience to hinder you from succeeding. A winter 
or summer course of practical botany at a class 
would be of immense assistance. Nevertheless we 
advise you to make a start on your own account. A 
microscope, a glass slide or two, and a good razor 
are all that you want for a time. The objects could 
be mounted in water cr glycerine temporarily while 
you make notes of everything you examine. Study 
the structure of roots, stems, and leaves in transverse 
and longitudinal section, and you will soon get 
familiar with many things. When you meet with 
difficulties communicate with us again 
Book on Fruit Culture— Omega : The book con¬ 
cerning which you ask may be obtained from Mr. B. 
Wells, the Fruit Nurseries, Crawley, Sussex. The 
price is is., exclusive of postage. 
Crop of Potatos— Omega : We consider 14 tons, 
11 cwt. of Potatos a very good crop indeed. About 
6 tons is the average on many soils. On the con¬ 
trary as much as 22 tons or more have been dug 
from rich, well-tilled, and well-manured soils ; but 
this is only in the case of certain heavy cropping 
varieties. 
Sweet Pea Seeds.— M. M’L: By all means let 
them hang upon the plants as long as possible. If 
you have any particular favourites you would like to 
save you might throw a piece of tiffany or shading 
over them at night when frost threatens. When you 
are a-, last obliged to gather them do not shell them. 
A better plan would be to gather the stems and hang 
them up in bunches in a dry cool shed. The next 
better plan would be to gather the pods and put them 
thinly into pots, boxes, or baskets, placing them in a 
dry, cool place till the seeds turn black of their own 
accord. By these means the Peas will continue to 
derive sustenance from the pods or from the stems 
for some time till they get dried up. On no account 
shell them till then. If quite firm now they will 
ripen tolerably well even if gathered and treated as 
directed. 
Temperature for Ripe Grapes.— Omega : After 
the Grapes are thoroughly ripe keep them as nearly 
as possible at a temperature of 45 0 . The atmos¬ 
phere must be k ept as dry as possible by proper 
ventilation day and night. The artificial heat 
necessary will dispel the moisure so long as you 
keep the ventilators open, only a little, of course, at 
night, but sufficient to let the moisture escape. The 
borders must not be allowed to become too dry so 
long as Grapes are still hanging. 
Names of Plants.— Inquirer : 1, Aster, Novae- 
Angliae pulcbellus ; 2, Aster not recognised ; 3, Aster 
Amellus ; 4, Aster Novi-Belgii var. ; 5, Aster Novi- 
Belgii Harpur Crewe ; 6, Aster Drummondi elegans. 
— P.M. : Croton not recognised.— Omega-. 1, Enchan¬ 
ter's Nightshade (Circaea lutetiana); 2, Persicaria 
(Polygonum Persicaria).— J.C.S. : 1, Clematis recta ; 
2, the single form of Zinnia elegans.— H.C. : 1, 
Helianthus orgyalis; 2, Rudbeckia speciosa; 3, 
Helenium autumnale ; 4, Aster diffusus horizontalis ; 
5, Sedum epectabile.— T.W.: 1, Clematis Flammula; 
2, Lonicera sempervirens ; 3, Caitleya dowiana aurea ; 
4, Oncidium varicosum; 5, Cypripedium barbatum 
var. ; 6 Oncidium incurvum. 
Names of Fruits.— Salen : i, Ribston Pippin ; 2, 
Cellini ; 3, Hawthorndcn ; 4, not known ; 5, not 
known ; 6, Claygate Pearmain ; 7, Keswick Codlin ; 
Plum, Miichelsons.— James Robertson : 1, Duke of 
Devonshire ; 2, Autumn Pearmain ; 3, Scarlet 
Noupariel ; 4, Granges Pearmain ; 5, not known ; 6, 
Keswick Codlin.— J. L. : 1, Beurre Clairgeau ; 2, 
Marie Louise d'Uccle ; 3, decayed ; 5, William’s 
Bon Chretien ; 6, Dumelow’s seedling.— P.M. : 1, not 
known ; 2, Duchess of Oldenburg; early Pear, 
rotten. 
Communications Received. —E. H. Krelage & 
Son.—J. C. Clarke.—A. C.—J. MacBride.—Polton 
(see next week).—African Critic.—P. M. Cowan.— 
Joseph Darby (will communicate later).—J. Sullivan. 
—H. C. Zwart.—The House.—G.—S. R.—James L. 
—Toby.—Saxenby.—Rob.—C. L. O. 
-« » — — 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Thos. S. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham, 
London.—Bulb Catalogue of Tulips, HyaciDths, 
Crocus, Lilies, Narcissi, Iris, &c. ; also catalogue of 
Carnations, Picotees, Roses, Clematis, Paeonies, &c. 
James Carter & Co., 237, 238, and 97, High 
Holborn, London.—Carter’s Bulbs as supplied to the 
Royal Parks and Gardens of London. 
W & J. Birkenhead, Fern Nurseries, Sale, Man¬ 
chester.—Ferns and Seiaginellas. Special Autumn 
List. 
Dicksons & Co., 1, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh.— 
Bulb Catalogue. 
J. Cheal & Sons, Lowfield Nurseries, Crawley, 
Sussex.—Catalogue of Ornamental Trees and 
Shrubs. 
-< 1 < 
The Crop of Grapes of the famous Vine at 
Fontainebleau, recently sold by auction, realised 
£143. There were 137 lots of 56 lbs. each or thereby. 
The highest price for one lot was £1 15s. J his 
price has not been exceeded during the past eleven 
years. 
