February 19, 1898. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
391 
Mr. Joseph Watt, Udston Gardens, Hamilton, has 
received the appointment of head gardener to 
Arthur Armitage, Esq., Kerroughtree, Newton 
Stewart, Wigtonshire, N.B.— Gama. 
Smoking Bouts.— Waggs: " I knew a man so fond of 
tobacco that he smoked the night scented tobacco.” 
Snaggs : “ Och, that’s naething at a’. I kent a man 
that smoked a hoose, and many lives were lost, 
maistly green fly." 
Royal Botanic Society.—At the fortnightly meeting 
of this society, which was held in the Gardens, 
Regent’s Park, on Saturday, 12th inst., Mr. C. 
Brinsley Marlay in the chair, Mr. J. B. Sowerby, 
F.L.S., secretary of the society, gave the first of two 
papers upon fibre plants. He explained the char¬ 
acteristics which vegetable fibres should possess to 
fit them for the manufacture of textile materials, 
ropes, etc. Living fibre producing plants, and fibres 
in various stages of paper making, were shown ; also 
some well-flowered specimens of Coelogyne cristata. 
Orchids at the Sale Rooms.—Good things still 
command their price at the Sale Rooms of Messrs. 
Protheroe & Morris, Cheapside. A piece of Cym- 
bidium eburneum fetched 4$ gs.; fine varities of 
Cattleya Trianaei, ggs., 5jgs., and 4^ gs. respec¬ 
tively. Laelia anceps schroderiana was secured by 
Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., for 21 gs. A grand 
variety of Odontoglossum wilckeanum ran up to 
72 gs. A dark rose variety of Lycaste Skinneri had 
reached 5J gs. at the fall of the hammer. Cypri- 
pedium bellatulum album commanded 5J gs., and 
£3 for two small plants. 
Syndical Chamber of Belgian Horticulturists.—At a 
meeting of the jury of this society on the 6th inst. 
Certificates of Merit were accorded to an exhibit of 
Primula, presented by M. le Comte J. de Hemptinne 
with unanimity ; to Cypripedium Albert Hye, shown 
by M. H. Vanderstraten ; to Croton Mme. Lucien 
Linden and Dracaena godseffiana, both exhibited by 
M. A. Rigouts ; to Cattleya Trianaei, presented by 
M. J. Boelens; to Anthurium hybridum, presented 
by M. Louis de Smet with unanimity; to Croton 
Albert De Smet, presented by M. L. De Smet- 
Duvivier; to Cattleya Trianaei alba, shown by M. 
Osc. Wattecamps; to Vriesia leodiensis x fulgida, 
presented by M. L. Poelman Maenhout ; and to 
Odontoglossum Pescatorei album, Laelia anceps var., 
Cattleya Trianaei var., and Odontoglossum crispum 
Trianaei superbum, all exhibited by M. G. Vincke- 
Dujardin. The awards were made with unanimity 
in the case of the first three plants, and by acclama¬ 
tion for the last-named Odontoglossum shown by 
M. G. Vincke-Dujardin. Certificates for culture 
were awarded to Araucaria elegans compacta, pre¬ 
sented by M. B. Spae, and to Lycopodium pinifolium, 
shown by M. A. Rigouts. 
A Queen's Seedsman Speaks.—On the occasion of 
his installation as chairman of the London Farmers’ 
Club at the beginning of the present month, Mr. 
Martin J. Sutton, of Reading, delivered a most 
practical and statesmanlike addres. He first of all 
glanced briefly at the most important legislative pro¬ 
posals affecting agriculture which are to be discussed 
by the club whilst he is their chairman, and then 
proceeded to review the position and prospects of 
agriculture. He said that, owing to the really fine 
hay harvest of last year, and the corn harvest which 
succeeded it, the prospects for i8g3 were considerably 
better than for several years past. Mr. Chamberlain’s 
recent speech before the Liverpool Chamber 
of Commerce was freely commented on. Mr. 
Chamberlain’s proposed remedy for the failing sugar 
industry in the West Indies was considered as a 
hopeful sign that the government of the country 
were waking up to the fact so ably put by Mr. 
Chamberlaio, that " every country should produce, 
and should be encouraged, and allowed, and stimu¬ 
lated to produce the articles for which it is by nature 
best fitted." It was therefore cheering to hope that 
the “sauce” which Mr. Chamberlain proposed to 
apply to the “little gosling ” of sugar depression in 
the West Indies will be considered by him to be 
good enough for the “ great gander ” of agricultural 
depression in England. Mr. Sutton concluded by 
saying that “ the farmers of England wanted no 
dole," but simply justice whereby they might be 
enabled to fight without one hand being tied by the 
artificial cheapness of wheat, and meat and dairy 
produce stimulated by fiscal and other conditions 
now obtaining. 
Ashford Cottage Gardeners sat down to their 
annual spread on Wednesday, the gth inst., under 
the presidency of Mr. W. H. Coke. The toast of 
the evening : " Success to the Ashford and District 
Cottage Gardeners’ Society,” was proposed by the 
chairman, who spoke of the good done by societies 
such as theirs. In replying to the toast, Mr. Keene 
read the balance sheet. From this it appeared that 
a revenue of £45 had resulted from the summer 
show. A balance of £3 12s. i|d. remained on the 
year’s working. 
The Royal Horticultural Society of Southampton.— 
The printed report and statement of accounts for 
i8g7, issued by the Royal Horticultural Society of 
Southampton, is now before us. It contains a 
notice that the annual general meeting will be held 
in Mr. T. Midi's Auction Rooms, Hanover Buildings, 
Southampton, on Monday, February 21st, when the 
Mayor of Southampton will preside. The report of 
the council states that the financial position of the 
society has been much improved during the past 
year, the standing debt having been reduced by £62. 
The results of the summer show were, however, very 
disappointing, for the gate money was less by £265 
than that for the preceding year, and £100 less than 
the lowest recorded for the last twenty years. The 
Chrysanthemum show, on the contrary, was a con¬ 
spicuous success, both from an exhibition and a 
financial point of view. Having regard to the great 
risk involved It has been decided to abandon the 
great Summer Fetes, at any rate, for a time. 
Arrangements have been made, however, with the 
Harbour Board to hold an exhibition on the pier on 
June 28th and 2gth, at which Roses will figure con¬ 
spicuously. The council looks forward to being able 
at an early date to clear off the whole of the liability 
of the society. The statement of accounts shows a 
total income for the year of £642 18s. iod., and total 
expenses for the same period of £581 ns. id. The 
debts standing at the commencement of last season 
amounted to £198, whereas now they have been 
reduced to £137 8s. yd. 
Smoking Concert at Anderton's Hotel. - The second 
annual smoker was held here on Monday last for 
the benefit of the National Chrysanthemum Society's 
reserve fund, and the large hall, gratuitously lent by 
Mr. A. C. Clemow, was crowded all through a 
lengthy programme and evening. The great success 
achieved this year was probably due to the fact that 
a large number of ladies reponded to the invitation 
accorded them. Messrs. W. Cutbush & Son, and 
Messrs. J. Laing & Sons gave the hall a most pleas¬ 
ing appearance by the artistic display of Palms and 
pot plants, whilst Mr. D. Ingamells fairly earned the 
gratitude of the lady artistes by supplying each of 
them with a very tastefully arranged spray of Violets 
and Lilies of the Valley. Mr. James H. Veitch, a 
director of the famous firm whose name he nobly 
bears, was an A 1 chairman, and well deserved the 
encomiums tendered to him by Messrs. Richard Dean 
and Brian Wynne when they asked the audience to 
give him a vote of thanks. The programme con¬ 
sisted of some thirty items, and each executant justi¬ 
fied the good reception given. Mr. Sadleur Browne's 
songs, "Mary of Argyle," and "Evening Song," 
were .splendidly sung; also " Gipsy John,” and 
“Vulcan Song,” by Mr. W. G. Stanley Cleverly, a 
blind musician and vocalist, who has been 
certificated at the Normal College. Mr. Albert 
Bessie in his " School-boy’s SoDg,” and “ Little 
Dolly Daydreams,” created much amusement. Mr. 
T. W. Swales, so well-known to members of the 
National Amateur Gardeners' Association, was again 
most successful in his rendering of “ A Jovial Monk 
am I,” and "The King's Own,” and in spite of an 
apparently severe cold, Mr. Leonard Holmes did 
good justice to " The Soldier’s Song," and "Good 
Company.” The lady artistes, Mrs. Phil Rider, 
Miss Lily Beste, Miss Emmie Low, and Miss Aida 
Bessie, L.A.M. Med., of course, formed the great 
attraction, and the splendid manner in which each 
performed the allotted tasks will ensure their being 
asked to assist again. Two special features were : 
The recitation given in inimitable style by the Rev. 
H. Vivian Tyrell, and the guitar solo by Mr. Harry 
Hunter, of the Olympian Pierrots. Mr. Hunter also 
very skilfully accompanied on the piano. Mr. H. 
Myers, a representative of the Ichthemic Guano 
Company, most creditably acted as stage manager. 
It is expected that a substantial addition will be 
made to the reserve fund of the N.C.S., through 
this effort. 
When Botanising is dangerous —Young botanists 
should beware of going into a field after the bull 
rushes and the hedges begin to shoot. 
The Lucombe Tree. —If your correspondent, D. 
Chisholm, refers to Vol. vii., page 4go, of The 
Gardening World, he will learn much concerning 
Quevcus Cerris lucoitiheana, and its many varieties; 
for there I gave the history of this famous Oak — W , 
Napper, Royal Ashburnham Park Nursery, Chelsea. 
Was it worth the trouble? — This question must 
have been uppermost in the minds cf two litigants 
who recently appeared before Judge Williams at the 
Aberdare County Court to settle about the produce 
of a garden. The plaintiff, ex-police constable 
Thomas Moles, sued his successor, P. C. Parcaiers, 
for the value of certain vegetables aDd fruit left in 
his garden. Judge Williams held that something 
was due to plaintiff, and said that if the solicitors 
could not agree, he should have to send a third 
party to value the claim. Asked whether he would 
appoint a resident in Aberdare, His Honour said he 
didn’t know ; he might send Mr. Pettigrew, and his 
fee would be five guineas—about twice the claim. 
This should cure both plaintiff and defendant of 
going to law. 
Sutton's Farmers' Year Book —Agriculture has so 
long been under a cloud that it is refreshing to 
read the opening paragraphs of Sutton’s Farmers 
Year-Book for the current season. No doubt the 
authors have exceptional opportunities of glean¬ 
ing information from original sources, and they 
indicate some of the circumstances which justify 
the opinion that 1898 will prove a favourable year 
for farmers, should the weather be propitious. One 
striking feature distinguishes this season’s edition 
of the work from its predecessors. The illustrations 
almost exclusively represent field crops, and mar¬ 
vellous crops they are. No wonder that the owners 
were proud to have them .photographed. Although 
pulled roots must always command attention for 
their typical qualities they are but specimens and 
the proportion in any crop cannot be inferred from 
samples. But illustrations of large acreages of fine 
roots furnish convincing evidence of weil-selected 
stocks. To confirm this view some very remark¬ 
able lists are given of the honours won by customers’ 
in open competitions, and these lists of prizes are 
supplemented by reports from all parts of the king¬ 
dom giving the records of weighty crops of Mangels, 
Swedes, and Turnips. Two of the new introduc¬ 
tions have achieved an extraordinary reputation as 
prize-winners and in each case immense cropping 
power is combined with high quality in the indi¬ 
vidual roots. Messrs. Sutton again call attention to 
the advantages of sowing down land to temporary 
pasture. These short-term grass layers produce 
abundant crops of nutritious food for a few years, 
and when broken up the roots hold a valuable store 
of nitrogen for the benefit of the following crop. 
By a proper rotation of grass with corn and roots 
a supply of nitrogen is thus ensured without the 
direct outlay of a farthiDg for this costly manure. 
Those who contemplate laying down land to per¬ 
manent meadows or pastures may with advantage 
study the very practical article on this subject, 
which is written from the farmers’ point of view, 
and is made increasingly interesting by fifteen illus¬ 
trations of the most important Grasses. These 
drawings have been reduced by photography from 
the larger series published in Mr. Martin J. Sutton’s 
standard work on Permanent and Temporary 
Pastures. The merits of the different varieties 
are discussed in a popular way with the practical 
object of securing the best possible return for the 
outlay in every instance. To remedy a defective 
seeding is so difficult and expensive that the frank 
exposition of this subject by Messrs. Sutton is 
calculated to prevent a repetition of past blunders. 
In a season when the short supply of Potatos has 
created a famine in certain districts of Ireland it is 
natural that there should be an unusual demand for 
the disease-resisting varieties for which the great 
Reading firm has won a reputation. Crops that 
have been grown for table use without the attention 
necessary for maintaining purity and robustness 
will be offered without scruple as seed Potatos, and 
it is therefore of great importance to insure true 
stocks. Agriculturists will find in Sutton's Farmers’ 
Year-Book a fund of information compiled expressly 
for their use. Copies will be forwarded free of 
charge, by the publishers, Sutton & Sons, Reading. 
