January 1, 1898. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
277 
Source of Mistleto —The supply of this evergreen, 
which from a commercial point of view might be 
described as an annual, has been obtained from the 
Channel Islands, but more largely from Brittany, 
St. Malo, Cherbourg, and other parts of France. It 
was somewhat dearer than usual this season. 
Clevedon Chrysanthemum Society.—The committee 
of this society dined together at Sweet’s Restaurant 
on Saturday evening, December i8th. Mr. H. S. 
Newnham presided. After an excellent repast, Mr. 
Wm Jones proposed “ Success to the Clevedon 
Chrysanthemum Society," and coupled with the 
toast the names of the chairman (Mr. F. Spangle), 
and the hon. secretary (Mr. J. H. Hart), bath of 
whom responded. Mr. S. Dyer gave the exhibitors, 
and Messrs. W. Jones and W. Austin replied. Other 
toasts followed, interspersed with songs, and in this 
way a very pleasant evening was spent. 
Social meeting of Messrs. Dobbie & Go's Employees. 
—The annual social gathering of Messrs. Dobbie & 
Co., Rothesay, took place in the New Public Hall of 
that town on the 23rd ult. The platform was 
decorated with plants and flowers, while appropriate 
mottoes adorned the walls. About 200 sat down to 
table under the presidency of Mr. William Cuth- 
berson, the senior partner of the firm, who was 
supported by Mrs. Cuthertson, Mr. James Dobbie 
(the founder), Mrs. Dobbie, Mr. Robert Fife, Mr. A. 
M. Burnie, Mrs and Miss Burnie, Mr. Andrew 
Mitchell, Mrs. Mitchell, Rev. Frank Matthews, Ex- 
Bailie and Mrs. Burness, and Mr. A. G. Christie. 
The chairman read a telegram from the employees 
at Orpington wishing success to the social gathering. 
Being an evening for enjoyment and not for speeches 
he would not detain them long. The firm with 
which so many of the audience were connected still 
enjoyed good health, and he took the opportunity of 
expressing the gratitude of the firm to those who 
took such a conscientious interest in their work, the 
members who did so being neither few nor small. 
The firm did not as yet see any limit to the develop¬ 
ment of their business. Quite recently Lord Inver¬ 
clyde had urged him to develop an American busi¬ 
ness where there was a large field, as floriculture 
was not so forward as in Britain. At present they 
had enough to do with their own country, though 
they had a satisfactory clientele on the Continent, in 
America and Australia. He was sure they would be 
glad to see their hale and hearty friend, Mr. Dobbie, 
with them. Mr. Fife had also come from Orpington, 
a distance of 450 miles to be with them again. Of 
Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Burnie (the other members of 
the firm) he would say nothing, as they were always 
with them. On behalf of the staff, Mr. R Free¬ 
land, said that the workers desired to be honourably 
represented on the programme, and that the con¬ 
tinued success of the firm was a source of great 
gratification to them. Some of his fellow workers 
had died and others had left for new spheres for 
their activity. An Agricultural Seeds Section had 
been added to the business, and this being the first 
time that Mr. Mitchell, the manager of that depart¬ 
ment, had come amongst them as a partner of the 
firm,the employees would offer him a hearty welcome 
and their warmest congratulations. The business 
had been founded in 1865 by Mr. Dobbie on half an 
acre of ground, and looking at the extent of their 
land no v and the number of employees, one could 
not help being struck with the rapidity of growth 
of the 6rm. Mr. Robert Fife said he could hardly 
realise that it was four years since he had been 
amongst them, but hoped they were doing their 
best to guard the reputation of the firm. He had 
recently been at a banquet in London, where one of 
the toasts bore strongly upon the firm, and the way 
in which it was received showed that the firm was 
well known and appreciated. In describing what 
they were doing at Orpingto 1 he indicated his ex¬ 
periences as to extremes of climate with which 
their seed growing had tocontend. They had been 
able to maintain the quality of their strains of seed, 
and that was something. During the evening 
many popular songs were rendered by ladies and 
gentlemen. A male voice choir, as well as a choir 
of young girls and boys, also contributed to the 
evening's enjoyment. After an amusing dramitic 
sketch, dancing to the music of Mr. Maitland’s 
band was engaged in till an early hour. 
Birmingham Gardeners’ Association—At the fort¬ 
nightly meeting of this society, which took place at 
the Athletic Institute, John Bright Street, Birming¬ 
ham, on December 20th, a paper contributed by Mr. 
H. Dunkin, late gardener at Warwick Castle, on 
“ The Cultivation of the Strawberry,” was read by 
Mr. J. Hughes. Some interesting statistics of the 
enormous quantities of Strawberries produced by the 
Kent fields were given. An instructive discussion 
followed, in which Messrs. W. Spinks (Solihull), 
Snead, J. Hughes, W. Jones, and C. R. Bick took 
part. 
Income-Tax Grievances.—The year now drawing to 
a close has been remarkable for the great increase in 
the agitation throughout the United Kingdom 
against the methods adopted by those whose busi¬ 
ness it is to administer the Income-Tax Acts. While 
there is no doubt ground for complaint in many dis¬ 
tricts, we are bound to say that, with very few ex¬ 
ceptions, we have at no time had any cause of com¬ 
plaint against the Inland Revenue Officials. The 
reason why so many fail to obtain relief is that they 
either will not take the trouble to prepare proper 
accounts or else they have neglected to keep any 
accounts of their business transactions. If proper 
accounts be kept, or even if a proper cash account 
be presented (which is very simple by using the 
" Taxpayers' Cash Book ”), there is but little diffi¬ 
culty in establishing a claim. Apart altogether 
from the Income-Tax question, it is most necessary 
that all persons engaged in business should keep a 
proper record of the busicess done. Many persons 
have drifted into bankruptcy through ignorance of 
their financial condition, who would have been able 
to have retrieved their position, had they been aware 
of it in time. As most of your readers who are en¬ 
gaged in business are now ascertaining the amount 
of their profits for the past year, will you allow us to 
remind them that, if such profits show a diminution 
they may be entitled to the repayment of a consider¬ 
able portion of the Income-Tax paid in respect of 
the same, and to point out the importance of making 
the claim forthwith. Thousands of people pay tax 
for which they are not liable, more particularly those 
whose incomes are derived from property and in¬ 
vestments where tax is deducted before being paid to 
the recipients, even when dividends are paid “ free 
of Income-Tax.” Claims can in many cases now be 
made fcr four years, and the sum repayable might in 
the case of private incomes alone exceed £42 up lo 
the end of the current financial year, to say noihing 
of tax a'lowed in respect of Life Insurance premiums 
even when the income exceeds /500. We shall be 
glad to advise any of your readers gratuitously 
whether they can make a claim, if they send us full 
particulars of their incomes and a stamped addressed 
envelope. —The Income-Tax Adjustment Agency, 12 &• 
13 , Poultry, London, E.C., December 28 th, 1897 . 
--oC - 
A PIED OR SPRECKLED BLACKBIRD. 
It is nearly twenty-five years ago since I ob erved a 
similar freak of nature in this bird. I made a note 
of it at that time in the columns of The Gardeners' 
Magazine, adding by way of a foot-note to Mr. 
Hibberd," Be cautious with what cognomen you head 
the note, for fear of Punch.” 
I knew not then how to explain the thing, and am 
still about in the same embarrassing position. Yet 
the question at issue is typical of the two gentlemen 
when passing unripe Blackberries, one remarking 
how ridiculous it was to call them blackberries when 
they were red. Of course, the other was equal to 
the occasion by retorting that Blackberries were 
always red when they were green. 
In asking one of the men the other morning 
whether he had also noticed the spreckled blackbird, 
he blushed red, and, I presume, wondered if the 
questioner was green too. He has since qualified 
the statement, having seen it, and is busy prospecting 
the whereabouts of its roosting place, with a view to 
its death and transference to the taxidermist. I hope 
any such chance may be foiled, having a great 
abhorence for the extermination of any rare birds.—- 
B. L. 
P.S. —Since writing the above I notice a white 
blackbird has also been seen in Kensington Gardens 
recently. I enclose the cutting :—“ On Tuesday, a 
white blackbird, presumably a male, judging from 
its size, was seen in Kensington Gardens. It had all 
the characteristics of an albino, being perfectly white, 
with the exception of the eyes, which were of the 
typical pink hue. Such an oddity is said to be very 
rare in England, although it is averred to be com¬ 
paratively common in Northern Europe, especially 
in the Black Forest.” 
>» 
SELECT LIST OF CACTUS DAHLIAS. 
The undermentioned varieties of Cactus Dahlias 
have been selected by the National Dahlia Society 
as being the best and most select for the year 1898. 
Many have been omitted which find favour with a 
large section of growers, but those given supply 
infinite variety in the matter of form and colour. 
The number of varieties of this section alone in 
commerce is an indication of the great popularity 
which Cactus Dahlias have acquired within the last 
decade :— 
Alfred Vasey 
Annie Jones 
Annie Turner 
Arachne 
Beatrice 
Bertha Mawley 
Britannia 
Capstan 
Chas. Woodbridge 
Cinderella 
Countess of Gosford 
Cycle 
Daffodil 
Delicata 
Earl of Pembroke 
E. J. Deal 
Fantasy 
Fusilier 
Gloriosa 
Harmony 
Harry Stredwick 
Iona 
Island Queen 
J. E. Frewer 
Juarezii 
Keyne’s White 
Lady Penzance 
Mary Hillier 
Mary Service 
Matchless 
May Pictor 
Miss A. Nightingale 
Mrs. A.'Beck 
Mrs. A. Peart 
Mrs. Barnes 
Mrs. Gordon Sloane 
Mrs. H. Cannell 
Mrs. John Goddard 
Mrs. Leopold Seymour 
Mrs. Montefiore 
Mrs. Wilson Noble 
Night 
Regulus 
Robert Cannell 
Starfish 
Tillie 
Violet Morgan 
♦ 
ORCHID NOTES & GLEANINGS. 
By The Editor. 
Laelia anceps Whififeni and L. a crawshay- 
ana.—On a former occasion we compared these two 
fine varieties together (Gardening World, VoJ. 
XII. p. 674) when we had not flowers of each to note 
their peculiar and distinctive characteristics. Now 
we have seen flowers of boih and find them distinct 
in colour and form, the latter being very decisive 
under the best of cultural treatment. L anceps 
Whiffeni has lanceolate, acuminate petals, of a rose 
colour and darker towards the tips. The lip is 
. intense purple with a very small white disc at the 
base of the Lmina. On the contrary, the petals are 
ovate, very broad and similar in type to that of L a. 
Dawsoni. Both they and the sepals are lilac-rose. 
The side lobes and the lamina of the lip are crimson, 
with a pale, nearly white disc of considerable size at 
the base of the crimson. Tne tube is paler, but 
lined with rich crimson internally. Both flowers are 
large, but those ot L a crawshayana are heavy and 
rounded, with broad blunt petals. We are indebted 
to De B. Crawshay, Esq., Rose field, Sevenoaks, for 
an opportunity of comparing the two varieties above 
mentioned. 
Cypripedium Calypso Falkland Park var.— 
The parents of this variety were C. spicerianum and 
C. vtllosum Boxaili, the former being the seed 
bearer. The dorsal sepal is broadly elliptic, but so 
strongly revolute at the side as to appear obovate, 
this character being derived from C. villosum Box¬ 
aili. The basal portion is apple-green, thickly 
spotted with crimson, the rest being white and finely 
spotted or mottled with rose, except at the apex and 
sides; the midrib is claret-purple. The lateral 
sepals are free, partly reflexed, diverging and 
whitish-green, with a few spots at the base. The 
petals are heavily spotted with rich brown on the 
lower half, and more suffused with that hue on the 
apical portion. The lip is bright browD, with a 
yellow mirgin. The whole flower is of great size, 
with a glossy lustre as if polished, and very hand¬ 
some. A large plant in the collection of Thos. 
McMeekin, Esq., Falkland Park, South Norwood 
Hill, bearing a number of flowers, has the lateral 
sepals free almost to the b ase. Mr. A. Wright, the 
gardener, is confident that this character will prove 
permanent. Tne interior of the lip is more highly 
and more brightly coloured than the exterior. 
