THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 16, 1898. 
M8 
When advised to manure the ground they 
complain that it is injurious to the Daffodils ; 
and certain varieties do indeed dislike raw 
or little decayed farmyard manure at least. 
There can be little doubt, however, that 
the fertility of the soil requires restoring, 
after such hard and continuous cropping, 
with the removal of tons of flowers annually. 
The question arises, in what form may the 
necessary fertilisers be applied. That 
would have to be determined by one or 
more experimenters upon the ground, that 
is, in the Scilly Isles themselves. Both 
soil and environment would have a bearing 
upon the question at issue. Those having 
the time, the means, and the necessary 
knowledge of these things, should set apart 
a piece of land to be divided into plots, each 
one of which should be treated with a 
separate manure or a combination of sev¬ 
eral. Farmyard manure, catch crops for 
green manuring and the chemical fertilisers, 
should all be applied to see which gives the 
best return under the ordinary continuous 
cropping. The islanders might then be 
instructed in the method that most deserves 
to be pursued. 
Several instances have come under our 
notice of continuous cropping, even by 
good practical gardeners, both in flower 
and vegetable culture. In many gardens, 
it happens that certain parts are sheltered, 
close to the principal walks (the borders of 
which have to be kept gay), and otherwise 
suitable for Dahlias, Hollyhocks, Gladioli, 
Roses, and similar flowers which are 
accordingly grown there, and successfully, 
for A great many years. We have also 
known nurserymen who have grown 
Dahlias upon the same ground for more 
than twenty years. We have known 
Onions being annually sown upon the same 
soil for more than twenty years in suc¬ 
cession, and the . crops pulled were heavy 
and the bulbs large. Successful gardeners 
often prepare a piece of ground for Carrots, 
and utilise it for this particular crop for 
years afterwards. In all these cases pro¬ 
per tillage and manures were solely 
responsible for continued successful crop¬ 
ping. Many other crops might be grown 
by the same practice, without raising a 
hue and cry about the exhaustion of the 
soil. 
—» «- 
The Tobacco Raised in Baluchistan is said to be so 
exceedingly strong that it cannot be smoked by any 
but the most vigorous white men, though the natives 
have no difficulty with it. 
The Post Office Authorities have, this Eastertide, 
contrived to irritate the public to a considerable 
degree over the carriage of boxes of flowers through 
the Pattern Po_,t. During the past few years it has 
been a common practice for people living on the 
Riviera to send boxes of flowers to their friends and 
relatives in England by Pattern Post, these flower 
offerings being especially numerous at Easter. 
Hitherto the postal authorities have chosen to 
' wink the other eye,' and the boxes have been duly 
delivered. This year a different course has been 
taken, and wi hout any declaration as to their in¬ 
tentions the postal authorities have returned from 
Dover all such boxes to the senders. Of course 
flowers are not millinery or dress fabrics, and could 
scarcely be classed under the title of * patterns,' 
strictly speaking, but in view ot the fact that they 
have been allowed to be sent thus, some warning 
that they would no longer be received was surely 
necessary. In the light of the information to hand 
this latest freak of the Post Office is nothing less 
than churlish and wantonly disagreeable. Law is 
law of course, and regulations are regulations, but 
it is possible for both laws and regulations to fall 
into disuse by tacit consent, just as the hedge that 
is often trampled over disappears at last. The 
cultivation of flowers for expedition has been taken up 
largely in the Riviera district, and it is a thousand 
pities that these cultivators should be disappointed 
of the fruit of their labours. 
Microbes to the number of 250,000,000 of various 
species are calculated to be taken into the lungs by a 
Londoner in the course of seventy years. 
No Need for Fear. —The new occupier of a farm 
went to his Potato field early one morning, and dug 
up a few of them to see how they were getting on, 
when his attention was suddenly arrested by the 
appearance of a couple of strangers at the other side 
of the field, who were preparing to follow his 
example. He was about to challenge them, when 
the reassuring words were wafted to his ear — 
" Dinna let us disturb ye, we’re stealin' a pickle 
Tatties like yerself.’’— People's Journal. 
Fruit Prospects. —As far as the present appearance 
of our fruit trees goes they are promising well for good 
crops. The blooms of Cherry trees on walls are just 
expanding ; so are those of Plums and Damsons. I 
notice some of the Pear blossom just opening, and 
every fruit tree is bristling with flower buds; and if 
frosts do not occur there is no reason why we should 
not have an abundance of fruit of all kinds in this 
neighbourhood. We escape late spring frosts fairly 
well, but the expansion of the blossom is taking place 
rather earlier this season.— W. P. if., Preston, 
Lancashire , April nth, 1898. 
Fires in the Forest of Dean. On the 3rd inst fires 
broke out at several points simultaneously at Park- 
end, Forest of Dean, by which large tracts of forest 
were destroyed on an area extending over two miles. 
The simultaneous outbreak of the several fires is 
held as a true indication that the incendiary has been 
at work. There is much uneasiness in the district, 
the belief being held that certain persons are indulg¬ 
ing in these acts of lawlessness in resentment at the 
work of the Commissioner of Woods in enclosing 
thousands of acres in the Dean Forest that used to 
be held as common land. 
Tunbridge Wells Gardeners. —At a recent meeting of 
this society Mr. H. H. Cousins, M.A., of the 
agricultural staff at Wye College, gave an instructive 
lecture upon " Garden Manures.” The lecturer first 
dealt with the chemical analysis of plant life, and the 
need of giving soils the benefit of various manures, 
such as nitrates, sulphate of ammonia, phosphates, 
and potash salts. He touched upon the needs of 
plants that were cultivated for their fruit and 
flowers. He assured his audience of the willingness 
of the County Council to give gardeners and agricul¬ 
turists the benefit of the results of scientific experi¬ 
ments carried out at Wye College, and said, more¬ 
over, that the staff there would at all times be glad 
to answer inquiries on matters that required chemical 
analysis. The meeting followed very closely the 
various points raised by Mr. Cousins, and not a few 
questions were asked at the close, to all of which 
lucid answers were given by the lecturer. 
Ealing and District Gardeners’ Society. -The tenth 
annual dinner of this society was held on the 5th 
inst., in the Princes' Hall, Ealing, the president, 
J. Harris, Esq., F.R.H.S., in the chair. Nearly 
fifty persons partook of the annual spread and other¬ 
wise enjoyed themselves during the evening. After 
the usual loyal toasts the president proposed “ Success 
to the Society,” and congratulated the members on 
the solid work done and the excellency of the papers 
and lectures given during his term of office. Mr. W. 
Roberts, the hon. secretary, in responding stated 
that the society’s finances were never in better con¬ 
dition ; the meetings had also been well attended ; 
and that the recent spring show had resulted in a 
profit of nearly ^15, wnich would be duly handed 
over to the treasurer of the Royal Gardeners’ Orphan 
Fund (applause). The distribution of prizes and 
certificates then took place, after which various 
other toasts were given and replied to, blended with 
some capital songs and an original recitation en¬ 
titled ” The Gardens of the Hesperides,” by Mr. C. 
B Green. Some very sensible speeches were made 
during the evening by Messrs A. Wright (Falkland 
Park), R. Callard, W. W. Richardson, C. Edwards, 
W. J. Simpson, D. Cooper, C. Long, R. Green, Jas. 
Gibson (Cbiswick), C. F. Harding, H. Burgess, Geo. 
Cannon, and others. After the chairman had 
retired the hon. secretary announced, amidst great 
applause, that he had received promises of £4 4s. 
from the chairman, and £2 2s. from Mr. Callard, 
besides other support. Thus ended a profitable as 
well as a very pleasant evening. 
Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill, London, have 
been extending and perfecting the floral department 
of their business, that is, the branch which deals 
with bouquets, wreaths, crosses, anchors, sprays, 
table decorations, and everything else of that nature. 
This important department of their business is 
managed by an eminent staff of west-end lady 
florists. 
A Monmouthshire Daffodil Grower.—Mr. V/. J. 
Grant, who won the Silver Daffodil Cup, presented 
by Messrs. Barr & Sons, at the spring show of the 
Royal Botanic Society oh the 30th ult., is the 
zealous organising agent for agriculture and fruit 
gardening to the Monmouthshire County Council. 
Mr. Grant’s place at Bassaleg, near Newport, has 
been gay with Daffodils and other Narcissi for some 
years past, and the present case was his highest 
flight in open competition. His collection consisted 
of sixty varieties and over 1,000 blooms, including 
fine bunches of all the leading and better known 
varieties in cultivation. 
The Alexandra Palace. —This place] of amusement 
and recreation for the people, and where some 
good flower shows—principally Rose shows— 
have been held in the past, has been more or less 
completely closed during the past ten years. It 
was again opened, however, on Good Friday 
under new management. Since the closing of 
the Alexandra Palace a large population has 
sprung up in its immediate neighbourhood, and on 
the opening day there was a large attendance of the 
public. The beautiful grounds presented the appear¬ 
ance of having been hurriedly put into order, but 
the large staff of gardeners who have been engaged 
will soon get the place into trim order agam, and 
make amends for the period of neglect. 
A New Variety of Salvia splendens. —A new variety, 
since Darned Salvia splendeDs purpurea, was raised 
from seeds in 1895, and has since proved constant in 
colour. It has the habit of Salvia splendens nana, 
its height being about 18 ins., and it comraehces 
flowering in July, at least in Italy. The spikes and 
calyxes are purple, tending towards a chocolate 
colour, and the corolla is lilac. As a variety of this 
species it is very beautiful and very interesting. Il 
Giardiniere, a Milanese periodical in 1881, gave a 
coloured plate of the typical S. splendens together 
with tour other varieties, including one dedicated to 
Signor Pirotta, and one to Countess Maria Teresa 
Olgiati. The other two were S. s. flore albo and S. 
s. violacea. The variety under notice as well as S. 
s. pucciana, with a white calyx and rosy corolla, are 
newer and commented upon by a writer in the 
Bullcttino della R. SocUta Toscana di Orticultura for 
March last. He also describes five others, including 
S. s. rosea, also known as Apple Blossom. 
Memorial to the late M. Jean Linden.— On the morn¬ 
ing of the death of Jean Linden, some friends con¬ 
ceived the project of perpetuating the remembrance 
of the celebrated explorer, the learned botanist 
whose loss the horticultural world deplores, and 
whose innumerable discoveries have enriched the 
flora of our greenhouses and gardens with so many 
marvels. The idea of raising a monument to his 
memory was bruited and found numerous adherents. 
The monument would be erected at Brussels, where 
M. Linden passed the greatest part of bis life. To 
realise this object a committee has been formed 
under the presidency of M. le Comte de Kerchove de 
Denterghem, president of the Royal Agricultural 
and Botanical Society of Ghent. M. Kegeljan, presi¬ 
dent of the Royal Horticultural Society of Namur, 
Belgium, was very willing to accept the function of 
treasurer, and subscriptions in the form of postal 
orders, payable at Namur, may be addressed to him. 
M. Lubbers, secretary of the Royal Floral Society 
of Brussels, consented to become secretary. It has 
been decided that an appeal should be addressed to 
botanists, amateurs of horticulture, horticulturists, 
public establishments, and scientific societies both 
Belgian and foreign, inviting them to co-operate in 
the manifestation, and to give it an international 
character. The services rendered to horticultural 
science by M. J. Linden are universally known and 
appreciated, so that those who are interested in 
botany and horticulture should join in raising a 
fitting memorial to the great traveller and plant col¬ 
lector. 
