June 18, 1898. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
661 
A Rare Tree.— Botanist: “ That seems a rare tree, 
Pat; what kind is it ? ”— Pat: “ Begorra ! I think it is 
a wooden one, but will have.it cut down to see.’’— 
Snagqs, K.B.A. 
The Royal Domain of Laeken. —For some time 
past important works have been carried on upon this 
estate by the command of the King of the Belgians, 
who has recently added some new lands to the 
domain of Laeken. He is building no less than 
fifteen vineries, each 30 metres long by 8 metres 
wide, and 21 plant houses for flowers, 30 metres long 
by 6 wide. Amongst these plant houses will be a 
block of three, destined to house all the plants of the 
Congo. The whole of these glass buildings will be 
surrounded by a large gallery intended as a new 
orangery. 
The Language of Fruit and Vegetables.—We have 
all heard of the language of flowers, although we 
may not all be initiated into its mysteries. Here is 
a sample of the way fruit and vegetables talk which 
lately appeared in the New York Herald. Out of 
consideration for our readers, we only give the first 
verse:— 
I will " Beetroot ” to thee, my dear, 
My love will never change ; 
A happy 11 Pear ” we’ll be, my dear, 
To wed, '• Lettuce" " Orange.” 
Do not " Turnip ” that pretty nose, 
Excuse, I pray, the hint; 
But kindly list while I propose, 
My offer is well " Mint." 
Fruit in Queensland.—The colony of Queensland 
is well adapted for the culture of tropical and sub¬ 
tropical fruit. In the warmer northern districts the 
Mango, Banana, and Custard Apple come to perfec¬ 
tion, as well as various other more or less luscious 
and valuable fruits of tropical countries. Queensland 
supplies Victoria and New South Wales with 
Bananas. About 17,059,124 dozen bunches of this 
useful fruit were grown in 1896, and mostly disposed 
of to these latter colonies. The children of the 
white settlers live to a great extent upon Bananas, 
which make excellent meals and an appetising dish 
when stewed. Even the skins constitute nutritious 
food for pigs, and, where the latter are kept, can be 
turned to profitable account. The Orarge and other 
fruits of temperate countries grow luxuriantly in the 
southern districts of Queensland, from whence an 
experimental consignment of Oranges is about to be 
despatched for London, where it will arrive when the 
ordinary supply is exhausted. It may be re¬ 
membered that this is practically the reason for the 
success of Apples in the London markets from 
Victoria, Tasmania, &c. This cannot affect the 
home grower in any way, as the British grown fruits 
were exhausted long ago. 
Tree labels in the Brussels Botanic Garden.- Some 
years ago the authorities in the Botanic Garden of 
the Belgian capital must have been impressed with 
the idea of doing the thiog thoroughly in the matter 
of labelling the trees. The labels consist of iron 
plates about 6 in. square or thereby, and though they 
are still suspended on many of the trees, there seems 
to be no recent work of the kind. The botanical 
name is first given, then follows the name in French, 
aad Flemish. Below this is a small map of the 
world showing the localities or countries of which 
the particular species of tree is a native. The sea is 
painted green, the land white, and the parts inhabi¬ 
ted by the tree picked out in red. Sometimes the 
labels mention the uses to which the wood, fruit, 
&c., of the tree are put. The White Beam tree (Pyrus 
Aria) is named Sorbus Aria, Grantz. Then follow 
the synonyms, such as Pyrus, Sorbier Alouchier, and 
Meelbesselaar. The native countries are Europe, 
Asie Mineure, Altai and Chine, these being in 
French. In like manner the Horse Chestnut is fur¬ 
nished with such names as Aesculus Hippocastanum, 
Marronnier d’lnde, and Wilde Paardekastanjelaar, 
the latter being the Flemish name. The map of the 
world shows that it is a native of Greece and the 
Caucasus. The name Sorbus Aria is now rather 
antiquated a name for the White Beam tree, but 
otherwise the information furnished is very good, 
and well calculated for the instruction of the visitors. 
Something similar would not be wasted labour in 
this country, but we do not seem to be progressing 
vary fast in this respect. 
The Plants of the Arctic Regions, numbering some 
762 species, have mostly white or yellow flowers. 
Apples, according to an eminent doctor, have the 
power of curing confirmed drunkards of their craving 
for drink. They should be eaten at every meal, and 
if eaten in quantity, the drink craving gradually 
subsides. 
A Bouquet that Miscarried.—In connection with the 
visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to the 
gardens of the Royal Botanic Society at Regent’s 
Park on the occasion of the Floral Fete of Friday, 
10th inst., it was arranged between Messrs. 
Russell of Richmond and Mr. J. B. Sowerby for the 
Botanic Society that a bouquet should be made by 
the Messrs. Russell and presented to the Princess of 
Wales. The bouquet, which was composed of 
Cattleyas, Odontoglossums, and Asparagus, was 
accordingly made, but owing to some unfortunate 
hitch was never presented to the royal visitor, 
although it was promptly delivered to time. 
Fruit and Vegetables in South Devon.—In a com¬ 
munication to us, Mr. A. McDonald, The Gardens, 
Stowe Park, Newton Abbot, South Devon, says he 
has been digging Potatos in the open since the end of 
the third week in May, and commenced pulling Peas 
last week The Apple is a very fair crop, as is the 
Plum. Pears and Cherries are even a better crop, 
being very good. Peaches and small fruits are all 
bearing good crops ; and Strawberries never looked 
better. Raspberries are not at all promising, and do 
not seem to succeed well in that part of the country. 
Mr. McDonald, when he has had time to look round 
and study the subject under the conditions, which 
are new to him, may succeed in raising fine planta¬ 
tions of this useful fruit in the course of a year or 
two. 
The buried Romano-British City at SiIchester—This 
celebrated ancient city has for many years been 
identified with the Calleva or Calleva Attrebatum 
that occurs in the Antonina Itineraries. Casual 
excavations during last century revealed the presence 
of antiquarian and archaeological treasures. Exca¬ 
vations were inaugurated by the Duke of Wellington 
in 1864 and continued more or less intermittently 
till 1890, when the Silchester Excavation Fund was 
established to carry out the work systematically. 
The finds for this year have been on view to the 
British public for some time up to the 15th inst. 
in the rooms of the Society of Antiquaries, 
Burlington House, Piccadilly, London. Some 
pseudo-Samian ware shows that even in the 
lime of the Romans considerable advance had been 
made in the art of pottery. Clay of various degrees 
of fineness was the material used, and the potter had 
even then discovered the value of putting his stamp 
on the pottery, his name being as legible now as it 
was 1,400 years ago. Some of the red and glazed 
vessels were finely decorated in the Grecian style 
with leaves and scroll work. We noted what was 
evidently copied from the leaf of the Vine ; but some 
other leaves were evidently conventional. Hunting 
scenes were also clearly represented. Wine casks 
after being drained of their contents were utilised for 
lining wells in the city, those on view being in a 
wonderfully sound and firm condition, more so in 
fact than some of the iron utensils and tools that 
were very much rusted. The iron shoe of a wooden 
spade suggested that the Adam of those days had to 
dig his garden or plot with a wooden spade, merely 
bound round the edges with iron. His modern 
representative, we fear, would grumble very much, 
particularly the lady gardener, if sent to trench the 
kitchen garden with a wooden spade. The site of 
the walled city occupies about 100 acres. The city 
seems to have died a peaceful and natural death by 
decay, as there was no store of anything in the 
houses. 
ORCHID NOTES & GLEANINGS. 
By the Editor. 
Odontoglossum crispum rubellum, Nov. var. 
The sepals of this extremely pretty variety are 
purple, shaded with brown in places, and white at 
the edges. The petals are jagged at the edges, with 
broader white margin than the petals, but otherwise 
similarly coloured. The lip is beautifully spotted 
with rich brown. This pretty variety was exhibited 
at the Temple Show by Messrs. Linden, Brussels. 
Cattleya Mossiae magnifica. Nov. var.—k 
flower of this grand variety reached us the other 
day from Mr. P. McArthur, 4, Maida Vale, W. It 
measured 9 in. across the petals without being 
spread out flat, and the latter were 2% in. wide, 
crisped at the edges and rosy. The lip was 3J in. 
long, deep orange in the throat, and rich violet lower 
down the tube, with white, forking veins forming a 
handsome contrast. The side lobes and the lamina 
of the lip are all beautifully crisped and marbled 
A'ith a rich violet-rose. A narrow white edging is 
continued from the lamina round the side lobes, 
making a pleasing finish to the flower. At this sea¬ 
son of the year the houses would appear bare if the 
numerous fine forms of C. Mossiae and C. Mendelii 
were removed. 
-« i» 
PRIMULA TRAILLI. 
Having had another year’s experience, I can now 
speak with a certainty as to Primula Trailli. I 
heard from my Indian botanical friend that he had 
met the collector of the seed sent me as that of P 
Trailli, and had shown him the gardening papers 
which I had sent to India, with figures of the plants 
bloomed here. These, he said, were quite different 
from P. Trailli; that he had collected other Primula 
seed at the same time as P. Trailli, that the seed was 
mixed, and that P. Trailli had not come up. I think 
the best name for the Primula which I exhibited 
would be P. Monroi or P. involucrata major. It is 
utterly unlike the form of P. Monroi or P. invol¬ 
ucrata, which I have grown for years. It has, when 
grown close to the glass and so free from any ten¬ 
dency to be drawn up, stems above 18 in. high, with 
long leaves. Probably several of the Indian Prim¬ 
roses have different forms. Some years ago I ex¬ 
hibited before the floral committee of the R.H.S. 
a giant form of P. capitata, which I suggested should 
be named P. capitata major. This received a First- 
class Certificate on 9th October, 1886, and some 
time afterwards a nurseryman exhibited a giant form 
of this Primrose, which, I suppose, the committee 
considered different from mine, as this also secured 
a certificate or award. The committee only followed 
the usual precedents in rewarding a fine, distinct 
new form of Primula in the case of P. Trailli, but I 
think that the name should be changed and that the 
fact be recognised that P. Trailli has still to be 
introduced .—George F. Wilson, Heatherbank, Weybridge 
Heath. 
-- 
ROUND DONCASTER. 
I was charmed with the compact and horticulturally 
resplendent grounds of Mr. John Athron, in Avenue 
Road, Doncaster, the other day. The whole covers 
but barely an acre, but every available spot is 
utilised with plants or glass structures—everything 
well grown, vigorous, and free flowering in the beds— 
a plenitude of bloom in great variety in the houses, 
the latter being well constructed and adapted for 
plant culture without a doubt. The wonder to me 
was, however, Mr. Powell the gardener there could 
possibly, singlehanded, do such infinite credit to him¬ 
self, for he told me he has but an occasional help. 
Certain it is that his heart must be in his work, and 
that he has an abundance of good taste at his com¬ 
mand, not to touch on the good experience Mr. 
Powell has had, which fact generally shows itself in 
one’s handiwork. 
There is nothing here to lend itself to the 
gardener's art, no natural background or breaks of 
trees or shrubs, but the whole effect has been pro¬ 
duced in a very short time in a very skilful manner. 
The quaintly shaped iron receptacles on the little 
lawn in the front of the bouse, which is gained 
through an iron gate of orthodox style, rather add 
than detract from (as is so often the case) to the 
effect of the bedding plants and ornamental shrubs 
that are planted therein. Art and nature is well 
diversified on the front of the house, represented in 
the former by statuary work in good taste, and in the 
latter by happily blended beds comprising Aubrietia 
Leichtlini, Arabis, Pelargonium Flower of Spring, 
Marshal McMahon, Mrs. Douglas, and other good 
zonals, &c. Inside the iron palisades I observed 
some grandly furnished specimens of Ilex Silver 
Queen. Passing through a portion of the conserva¬ 
tory, which is so arranged as to be the only ingress 
