180 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 20, 1897, 
being ^ of an acre of land. The variety 
Golden Self-blanching was planted 4 in. to 
6 in. apart in the row, and other varieties 
6 in. to 8 in. The season proved very dry, 
making the crop lighter than it otherwise 
would have been. The manures applied 
were placed in shallow furrows on either 
side of the rows, about 2 in. or 3 in. from 
the plants after the latter were established. 
This was carefully done by hand and the 
manures covered up. There were fifteen 
experimental plots, of which we shall 
mention only a few of the more striking 
results obtained. 
Seven rowsof Golden Self-blanching Celery 
were planted on June 20th, and supplied 
with 14 lbs. of high-grade sulphate of 
potash per row. Six plants of average 
size weighed 4 lbs. 1 oz., being considered 
a poor return. The manure was applied 
on the 17th July. Seven rows were treated 
with high-grade muriate of potash in 
similar quantity and on the same date as 
the above. Six plants weighed 5 lbs. 14 
ozs., the better quality of the crop being 
quite evident. One row of Golden Self¬ 
blanching received no fertiliser whatever 
and the crop Avas worthless. Three roAvs 
of the same variety Avere treated with 200 
lbs. of wood ashes on the 17th July. An 
analysis of the ashes showed 6*32 per cent, 
potash and 1-87 per cent, of phosphoric 
acid. This experiment proved the most 
satisfactory of the whole plantation. Six 
plants weighed 7 lbs. 7 ozs. 
Five rows of Kalamazoo Broad ribbed 
Celery planted June 24th, were treated 
with 100 lbs. of dissolved South Carolina 
rock on July 18th. The stalks were slender 
and the crop poor. Five rows of the same 
variety were treated Avith 100 lbs. of bone 
black (burned bones) on the same date as 
the last mentioned, and the crop was 
heavier and better. Six rows of White 
Plume planted on the 25th June were 
treated Avith 100 lbs. of sulphate of potash 
on the 18th July. The crop was fair, but 
one row Avas almost ruined by being burned 
with the manure which was scattered over 
the top of the plants. This then is an 
example of what to avoid. A row of 
Golden Self-blanching treated Avith 10 lbs. 
of nitrate of soda on the 8th July, gave a 
very poor return. Several other plots 
were planted at dates varying from the 8th 
to the 22nd July, but none of them gave 
very satisfactory results owing to the season 
being so far advanced. Wood ashes gaA 7 e 
the best results of all; and a combination 
of nitrate of soda, South Carolina rock, and 
sulphate of potash promises to do well if 
applied earlier. An analysis of the soil 
showed it to be rich in nitrogen, phosphoric 
acid and potash, but the latter was almost 
completely unavailable; hence the bene¬ 
ficial results of the application of wood 
ashes. 
--i—- 
The Mildness of the Autumn is demonstrated by 
the fact that Primroses. Wallflowers, and Polyan¬ 
thuses are in full bloom at Clearbrook in the “ West 
Countrie.” 
Visitors to the Birmingham Show—On the occasion 
of the great Chrysanthemum exhibition held in the 
Bingley Hall, Birmingham, on the 9th, 10th and 
nth inst., under the auspices of the Birmingham 
and Midland Counties’ Chrysanthemum, Fruit and 
Floricultural Society, 32,558 people passed the turn¬ 
stile. Over /600 in cash was taken at the doors. 
An Enterprising Hampshire Farmer has sought to 
tide over agricultural distress by the cultivation of 
Nuts. It is stated that an acre of his land yields 1 
ton of Nuts for which £30 can be obtained, the 
retailer disposing of them again for £6o. The great 
drawback to Nut culture on a large scale is the un¬ 
certainty of the crop, but of course a really good 
year would pay for a number of bad ones. 
Mr. David R. Bone, for the past twenty months 
head gardener at Moor Park, Kilbirnie, has been 
engaged as head gardener at Lanfine Gardens, New- 
milns, Ayrshire. Mr. John McLelland, gardener, 
South Park, Ayr, succeeds Mr. Bone at Moor Park. 
The National Chrysanthemum Society.—A very 
tastily arrranged bill has reached us announcing that 
the Annual Dinner of this Society will take place at 
Anderton's Hotel, Fleet Street, London, on Wednes¬ 
day next, November 24th, at 6.30 p.m. The chal¬ 
lenge and other trophies will be presented to the 
respective winners, and as the evening will altogether 
be well spent we hope that as many as possible of 
our readers will make early application for tickets 
(at 3s. 6d. each) to Mr. Richard Dean, the able 
secretary. 
Lawes’ Chemical Manure Company, Limited, 116, 
Fenchurch Street, London, E.C., had an exhibit of 
their Plorticultural or Garden Manure at the Royal 
Aquarium on the 9th, 10th and nth inst., on the 
occasion of the National Chrysanthemum Society’s 
great autumn exhibition. They reckon it an ideal 
fertiliser containing all the elements of plant food in 
the most available form. The manure may be 
applied in the dry state as a top-dressing for Vine 
borders, Tomatos, Cucumbers, fruit trees, Straw¬ 
berries, vegetables, &c. In the case of pot plants it 
may be mixed with the compost, or applied as a 
dressing, or in every case it may be applied in liquid 
form. All of these methods may also be employed 
in the case of Chrysanthemums. A guaranteed 
analysis is given with the manure. The company 
also had on view samples of their disinfecting fluid. 
Keep the feet dry.—Gardeners are often liable to 
get wet feet at all seasons of the year, and during 
summer may be careless or indifferent in the matter, 
but during autumn, winter, and spring they cannot 
treat the matter so lightly with impunity. It is 
neither necessary nor desirable to enumerate the ills 
to which a gardener or anybody else is rendered 
liable by wet feet during cold weather ; but whether 
they are spreading water in hothouses, wading 
amongst wet grass, or collecting vegetables in the 
kitchen garden, moisture will soak through leather 
even if normally water tight. The antidote to this 
may be found in Gishurstine which should be rubbed 
all over the boots as well as the soles. We need not 
give directions as to its use, for that is supplied with 
Gishurstine itself, by Price's Patent Candle Com¬ 
pany, Limited, Belmont Works, Battersea, S.W. 
Gishurstine has long been used by gardeners, far¬ 
mers, sportsmen, ladies and others. We have used 
it for years and find it most effectual for the purpose 
already named. It also keeps the leather of boots 
soft and pliable. 
Messrs. Proctor and Ryland, of Birmingham and 
Chester.—The present is the forty-fourth year that 
the above firm has offered prizes for the best crops 
of roots grown by the aid of their specially prepared 
manures. The judge this season is Mr. A. S. Berry, 
of Great Barr. In the class for five acres of Swedes, 
open to growers residing in the counties of Hereford, 
Salop, Stafford, Warwick, Worcester, Gloucester, 
Berks, Hants, Surrey, Oxford, Bucks, Herts, Bed¬ 
ford, Northampton, and Huntingdon, Mr. Thos. 
Williams, Slindon House, Eccleshall, Staffordshire, 
wins the first prize which is fifteen guineas. The 
average weight of his crop per statute acre is 41 
tons, 17 cwts., 16 lbs. Mr. Thos. Clarke, Knighton 
Grange, Newport, Salop, is second, his crop aver¬ 
aging 39 tons, 7 cwts , 16 lbs. per acre. Third comes 
Mr. S. B. Foxley, Chalcutt, Eccleshall, Staffordshire, 
with a crop per acre ot 35 tons, 2 cwts., 3 qrs., 
12 lbs. For a similar acreage of Swedes grown in 
the counties of Cumberland, Westmoreland, York, 
Lancaster, Lincoln, Notts, Leicester, Rutland, 
Derby, Chester, Flint, Denbigh, Merioneth, Radnor, 
Montgomery, or Anglesey, Mr. Samuel S. Raingill, 
The Grange, Ringway, Altrincham, leads with an 
average crop per acre of 49 tons, 5 cwts., 2 qrs., 
24 lbs. In a competition also for five acres of 
Swedes open to growers in England and Wales, Mr. 
F. H. Sharrod, Cherrington Manor, Newport, Salop, 
wins with a crop of 42 tons, 4 cwts., 1 qr., 4 lbs. per 
acre. Mr. John S. Billington, Batterley Hall, Crewe, 
has the finest two acres of Mangel Wurtzel, which 
yields at the rate of 66 tons, 14 cwts., 1 qr., 4 lbs. 
per statute acre. 
London Flower Girls, it is estimated, dispose of 
5,000 buttonholes and sprays daily, representing a 
value of £100. 
Royal Horticultural Society.—The next fruit and 
floral meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society 
will be held in the Drill Hall, James Street, West¬ 
minster, 1 to 4 p.m. At 3 o’clock a lecture on 
" Horticultural Exhibitions, Schedules, &c. ” will be 
given by Mr. J. Wright, V.M.H. 
Laelia pumila praestans at the Sale Rooms—The 
importation of this fine form of the species made by 
Messrs. W. L. Lewis & Co., Southgate, N., has 
proved to be rich in the choicest of colour varieties, 
thus raising the status of the species immensely. 
The varieties have been selling at the rooms of 
Messrs. Protheroe & Morris, Cheapside, at prices 
ranging from £5 to £56. The latter price was for a 
variety with white sepals and petals, and two rose 
blotches on the lip, the central portion being 
white. On the 12th inst. another fine thing turned 
up with blush sepals and petals. The lip was large 
and purple, with a median white band. It fetched 
/ 23 - 
Grapes for Maidstone—In view of the fearful 
calamity which has overtaken our county town, I am 
endeavouring to arrange for a supply of Grapes for 
the sufferers. Nearly 2,000 cases of typhoid have 
been recorded, and the distress is terrible. The 
struggle towards convalescence after attacks of this 
feverj is always a long and weary one. Solid food 
cannot be given, no matter how keen the pangs of 
hunger may be. The Mayor tells me that Grapes 
are needed, and anyone having some to spare, if only 
a bunch or two, would be performing a good act by 
sending them. Boxes sent to the Mayor, marked 
“ Maidstone Grape Fund ” will be diverted to the 
proper quarter; and both railways, S.E.R. and 
L.C.D.R., deliver such gifts free. I would gladly 
send printed labels to anyone on receipt of a post¬ 
card. I may add that kind promises of assistance 
have already been made by several well-known horti¬ 
culturists, notably Mr. Chapman, gardener to Capt. 
Holford, Westonbirt; Mr. W. H. Divers, Mr. J. 
Hudson, Mr. Martin, gardener to Lord Leigh; Mr. 
W. Taylor, gardener to C. Bayer, Esq., Forest Hill; 
and “ A Friend.” Others will be gratefully received. 
— W. P. Wright, Willesborough, Ashford, Kent. 
insects and Flowers.—At the meeting of the 
Linnean Society on the 4th inst., Sir John Lubbock, 
Bart., M.P., read a paper, “On the Attraction of 
Flowers for Insects,” which dealt chiefly with the 
points raised in three recently published memoirs 
by Professor Plateau, who had attempted to show 
that the scents and not the colours of flowers serve 
to attract insects. Sir John Lubbock explained that 
his view, like that of Sprengel and Darwin, was that 
to insects flowers were indebted for both their scent 
and colour. Not only had the present shapes and 
outlines, colours, the scent, and the honey of flowers 
been gradually developed through the unconscious 
selection exercised by insects ; but this applied even 
to minor points, such as the arrangement of lines, 
and the different shades of colour. Professor 
Plateau had recorded a series of experiments on the 
Dahlia, in which he showed that bees come to these 
flowers even when the ray-florets have been removed. 
Discussing this point, Sir J. Lubbock said it was 
somewhat singular that he should have selected as 
proving that insects are entirely attracted by scent 
a flower which had, so far as he knew, no scent at all. 
He gave several reasons for disputing the conclusions 
drawn by Professor Plateau from his experiments, 
and recorded others made by himself which 
refuted them He had selected species of flowers in 
which the scent is in one part and the coloured 
leaves in another, as, for instance, the Eryngium 
amethystinum. This flower is surrounded by 
brilliant blue bracts ; and he found that if the two 
parts were separated, the bees came more often to 
the bracts than they did to the flowers themselves. 
He maintained, therefore, that the observations of 
Professor Plateau did not in any way weaken the 
conclusions which had been drawn by Sprengel, 
Darwin, and others, and that it was still clear that 
the colours of flowers serve to guide insects to the 
honey, and in this way secure cross-fertilisation. A 
discussion followed in which Mr. A. W. Bennett, 
Mr. Grabham, and Dr. H. O. Forbes took part. 
