December 4, 1897. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
215 
Scilly Isles is a good instance of the development of 
the industry in remote parts of the kingdom. The 
first consignment of flowers was sent to London in 
1865, and fetched exactly £1. In 1896, 496 tons of 
flowers, and 59 tons of Tomatos left the Isles, chiefly 
for the London markets. On the busiest day this 
year i,6oo boxes came to London from ihence. 
Lilies, Roses, Gardenias, and Orchids are all grown 
in tremendous quantities to supply the market. The 
practice of retarding Lily of the Valley crowns by 
freezing them in order to lengthen the season has 
met with abundant success. 
The market gardener of to-day occupies a high 
position, and there is no doubt that his skill and 
energy will still further advance both him and his 
chosen industry, but, said Mr. Assbee in conclusion, 
I must add a word of caution, just as the agricul¬ 
tural crisis through which we are even now passing 
is due not only to foreign importation, but also to 
the fictitious value imparted to farms by the rushing 
in of retired capitalists who thought farming a 
delightful occupation to fill their time, I am afraid 
that something similar may happen to the production 
of garden produce for market. The signs are not 
wanting of such a development, and I would there¬ 
fore advise a cautious policy. 
An interesting but not lengthy discussion 
followed the reading of the paper. 
Mr. Roupell remarked that Mr. Assbee had made 
no allusion to the invasion of Apples from the 
Antipodes. He also said that the growers of Victoria, 
Australia, are on the look out for a new early Apple, 
and he suggested someting after the style of King of 
the Pippins or the new Allington Pippin. He alluded 
to the splendid way in which Mr. Peter Kay grew 
Grapes at Finchley, particularly Cannon Hall 
Muscat, for, continued he, bringing into play a most 
extravagant comparison, there are numbers of 
bunches as big as hors es' heads. 
Mr. Bunyard referred to Mr. Assbee’s recommen¬ 
dation to grow more Currants. He said the diffi¬ 
culty was in the prevalence of the mite that, during 
the last few years, had attacked the Black Currant 
bushes, to the dismay and loss of the growers, since 
no remedy had been found. His only advice was in 
such a case to cultivate highly and keep in as much 
young wood as possible. With regard to Peaches, 
he was of opinion that many people send their fruit 
to the market too ripe. Large fruits always fetched 
a good price, but it would pay a grower better to 
keep the rubbish at home than to send it to market. 
In replying to the questions raised, Mr. Assbee 
said that the influx of Antipodean fruit did not 
affect the market for British fruit, since the season 
for the latter was over before the former came in. 
He also said that Mr. A. Bloc, of Santa Clara, was 
making arrangements to send over large quantities 
of fruit to this country in cool chambers. 
After a cordial vote of thanks to Mr. Assbee for 
his comprehensive and interesting lecture the con¬ 
ference terminated. 
-- 
PLANTS RECENTLY CERTIFICATED. 
The Floral Committee of the National Chrysanthe¬ 
mum Society, which aseembled at the Royal 
Aquarium on the 15th inst., awarded First-class 
Certificates to the Chrysanthemums mentioned 
hereunder. 
Master H. Tucker.— This is a large rich crimson 
Japanese variety. The florets are long, heavy, 
incurve considerably, and have a reverse of crimson- 
gold. The bloom is not of great depth and is rather 
flat. Mr. H. Shoesmith, Claremont Nursery, 
Woking. 
Georgina Pitcher. —A huge Jap with massive 
incurving, ribbed florets. The colour is rich yellow. 
It is a first-class show variety. Mr. W. Wells, 
Earlswood Nurseries, Redhill. 
Mdlle. Lawrence Zede is a rosy-lilac Japanese 
bloom with heavily incurving and inter-twisting 
florets. The reverse is silvery. Mr. W. Wells. 
Earlswood Beauty.— This is the latest addition 
to the ranks of the single-flowered section. In this 
form there are two or three rows of long, slightly 
drooping white florets. The length of the latter 
gives the bloom a large size. Mr. W. Wells. 
Mdlle. Lucie Faure. —This is one of the 1897 
introductions of M. Calvat, of Grenoble, and is cer¬ 
tainly one of the finest of them. It was certificated 
as an incurve, but it undoubtedly has a great deal of 
Japanese blood in it. The size is tremendous, and 
leaves the old type of incurve far behind. The 
colour is creamy-white, and the florets are long, 
pointed, and have divided apices. Mr. W. J 
Godfrey, Exmouth, Devon. 
Ernest Cannell. —This is another instance of 
the larger type of incurves that has been so strongly 
pushed of late. The flordts are broad and massive, 
and the bloom is of globular shape. The colour is a 
pretty shade of buff-yellow. Messrs. H. Cannell & 
Sons, Stanley, Kent. 
Mrs. G. Carpenter. —A very handsome Japanese 
flower, although occasionally inclined to coarseness. 
The colour is rich lilac, shading to purple-lilac at 
the base of the florets and towards the centre of the 
flower. The reverse is silvery. Mr. Carpenter, 
West Hall, Byfleet. 
The following varieties were commended : — 
Matthew Hodgson.—A dull crimson Japanese 
bloom with gold reverse. Mr. J. Ollerhead, Wim¬ 
bledon House. 
Mrs. Egan. —An incurve of medium size, the 
colour lilac, shading to white. The bloom is much 
after the style of Hero of Stoke Newington, but it 
has rather more colour. Mr. R. Owen, Maidenhead. 
Madame Ferlat. —Another of M. Calvat’s ’97 in¬ 
troductions. It belongs to the large flowered 
modern incurves. The colour is dead white, and the 
bloom is striking enough from its very size. Mr. W. 
Wells. 
Lady Northcote —A large Jap with long, droop¬ 
ing, tubular outer florets. The colour is light lilac, 
shading to white in the centre. Mr. W. J. Godfrey. 
Philip Mann.—A medium sized Japanese flower. 
The colour is the chief feature, for it is bright purple, 
and very handsome, but the flower is not large 
enough for a show variety—at least at present. Mr. 
W. J. Godfrey. 
Chrysanthemums. 
The following received First-class Certificates from 
the Floral Committee of the N. C. S., at the meeting 
held at the Royal Aquarium on November 22nd ;— 
Joseph Chamberlain. —A magnificent Japanese 
variety. The colour is crimson-red, with a gold 
reverse; in fact, much the same colour as Edwin 
Molyneux. The florets are long, drooping, and of 
medium width. This is one of the finest dark 
varieties exhibited this year. Mr. H. Weeks, The 
Gardens, Thrumpton Hall, Derby. 
Julia Scaramangv. — A large Japanese form, in 
colour bronze-terra-cotta, with a paler reverse. The 
lower florets are exceptionally long and quilled, thus 
giving the bloom great depth. Mr. W. Wells, Earls¬ 
wood Nurseries, Redhill, Surrey. 
Mme. Ferlat. —One of the large modern types of 
iacurves. The colour is pure white, the florets 
stout and substantial with acute apices. This is a 
very handsome flower when well grown. Mr. W. 
Wells. 
A commendation was bestowed upon the under¬ 
mentioned variety. 
Don de la Madone. —A medium-sized reflexed 
Japanese variety with white blooms of great solidity. 
It is much after the style of Avalanche. M. Anatole 
Cordounier, Roubaix, France. 
(Meanings J'rnmtije iPinlh 
nf Snettrq. 
The subjects mentioned hereunder were brought up 
for the consideration of the Scientific Committee of 
the Royal Horticultural Society on the 9th ult. 
Cattleya labiata, Sport.—Dr. Masters observed 
that sports similar to those produced at the last 
meeting, in which two sepals were more or less 
resembling the labellum, had been sent to him from 
numerous localities this year. The species was 
introduced some fifty years ago, and subsequently 
lost; but it has been lately rediscovered in, and in¬ 
troduced from, Pernambuco. 
Carnation Leaves with Horn-like Marginal 
Outgrowths,—Mr. Michael reported that no trace 
of acari could be seen, as suggested as a possible 
cause. Dr. Muller observed that a plant of Solanum 
jasminoides was covered all over with born-like 
excrescences. Dr. Masters suggested that they were 
probably spongy outgrowths from the epidermis. 
Stocks, See., Attacked by Beetles.—Mr. 
Michael observed that Stocks, Virginia Stocks, and 
Nasturtiums in his garden were attacked and utterly 
spoilt in a fortnight by thousands of beetles eating 
the flowers of the two former plants, but the leaves 
as well of the last-named. They do not entirely kill 
the plants, which renew both leaves and flowers 
after the beetles have disappeared. A partial 
remedy was found in shaking the plants over a basin 
of hot water. It appears to be Phyllotreta atra, one 
of the numerous "flea beetles.” Miss Ormerod, to 
whom they were sent, suggests " trying a mixture of 
equal parts of fresh gas lime and quicklime, with a 
much smaller proportion of soot, and about half as 
much sulphur as of soot. These should be powdered 
up together very finely, well mixed, and dusted on 
to the foliage when the dew is on it, morning or 
evening. Just a sprinkling is enough. It usually 
acts well if applied as above, so as to adhere to the 
beetles and foliage.” She was under the impression, 
however, " that lime similarly applied would do 
equally well. 1 ' 
Ivy Attacked by Dodder,—Mr. Chas. Herrin, 
of Dropmore, sent specimens of Ivy badly attacked 
by a Cuscuta. He remarks, " This parasite has 
established itself on the west wall of our church, 
destroying the Ivy with which it is covered. It has 
been thoroughly destroyed, Ivy and all, once, a few 
years ago ; but now that the Ivy has begun to grow 
nicely again, half covering the wall, it has again 
appeared, and is destroying it.” As the seeds must 
germinate in the ground, or perhaps in the chmks in 
the wall as well, the aim must be to kill them before 
germinating. If the ground by the wall receive a 
good dressing of slaked lime, such might prove 
effective. 
Cox’s Orange Pippin Apple Striped.—Mr. G. 
Swailss of Beverley, sent an Apple, mostly red, 
but striped with green on one side, the latter 
colour being on the most exposed side. The 
cause was unkno.vn. Dr. Masters suggested the 
possibility of accidental crossing haviag been the 
cause, for Darwin had described similar resul s 
in an Orange pollinated by a Lemon ("An. 
and PI. under Dom.” I., p. 399). Mr. Wilks 
mentioned that a Beurre d' Amanlis Pear in his gar¬ 
den had thrown out a green striped sport, also a 
bough bearing golden foliage. 
Gall on Jessamine.—Mr. Henslow exhibited a 
large globular gall which he hal taken from the 
stem of this plant. As no fungus was present, it 
was sent to Mr. MacLachlan for examination. 
Composition of Potatos.—Prof. Church gave 
some account of the late recent researches of MM. 
Coudod and Bussard on the distribution of the 
constitutents in Potatos. They found that a 
slice of a Potato revealed three zones; the 
external one beneath the epidermis contained 73 
per cent, of water, the central holding about 80 to 
84 per cent.; that the central part contained the 
greater amount of nitrogen, the exterior the greater 
quantity of starch. This accounted for the " burst¬ 
ing’ in a floury Potato, which is relatively more free 
from albuminoid matters. The cause of the interior 
portion being more consistent is that the starch cells, 
though bursting, are held altogether by the curdling 
of the albumiioid matters during cooking. The 
same peculiarities appear in the thirty-four varieties 
examined. The intermediate zone was also of an 
intermediate character with regard to its structure 
and cell contents. It was to be regretted that the 
authors did not distinguish between the true albumi¬ 
noids and the amides in estimating their per-centage 
of nitrogenous matter. As a rule the former amount 
to 13 in Potatos, but they had estimated them from 
the total niirogen as from r8 to 2 5. Dr. Masters 
remarked that these observations corresponded with 
the stem-structure of the Potato, which would have 
the cortex as a starch reservoir as it is in trees, 
while the deeper layers would correspond with 
the phloem or proteid-holding sieve tubes. 
Ribes aureum in Fruit.—Dr. Masters, at a 
recent meeting of the Scientific Committee of 
the Royal Horticultural Society, exhibited a branch 
bearing a raceme of ripe purple-black berries, 
of this common shrub. Though introduced by 
Mr. Douglas from California,the fruit has rarely, 
if ever, been seen before. It was received from Mr. 
Veitch. 
