July 16, 1898. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
725 
A Mysterious Drug.—From time to time many 
curious problems connected with plants and vege¬ 
table drugs are brought before the Kew authorities 
for solution. The latest and most curious example 
is one that relates to supposed malingering on the 
part of Egyptian soldiers, several of whom have been 
admitted to hospital suffering from intense inflamma¬ 
tion of the eyes, produced, it was thought, by means 
of some drug. None of the doctors resident in Egypt 
were able to throw light upon the source of ihe mis¬ 
chief, and hence the matter was referred to Kew. 
Dr. Scott, honorary keeper of the Jodrell laboratory, 
conjectures that fragments of the paleae of some 
grass have caused the inflammation, the irritation 
thus being mechanically rather than chemically pro¬ 
duced. 
The Growth of Canada.—" The first Manitoba crop 
bulletin shows an increase of about 200,000 acres 
under wheat over last year, the estimated total 
acreage being placed at 1,488,238 acres. The total 
acreage of crops of all kinds under cultivation in 
Manitoba this year is placed at 2,212,300 acres, an 
increase over last year of a quarter-million acres. 
The year 1897 showed a very large increase over 
1896. The export of Manitoba wheat and flour, 
according to the report of the Winnipeg Grain and 
Produce Exchange, rose from 10,500,000 bushels in 
1890 to 29,000,000 bushels in 1895. The next two 
years showed a great falling-off on account of poor 
crops. The acreage of 1898, with the yield per acre 
of 1895, would give results which we scarcely like to 
put upon paper lest disappointment should ensue; 
but it looks as if Canada would this year make a 
good showing in the British markets. New portions 
of Manitoba are being opened up for settlement, and 
cattle-raising and dairying are industries of growing 
importance. A year ago nearly 2,400,000 pounds of 
butter and nearly 1,000,000 pounds of cheese were 
made in the Province. Then it is to be borne in 
mind that, great as the resources of Manitoba are, it 
is a sort of model farm on a gigantic scale, an ex¬ 
ample of what can be done in the millions of acres 
of fertile land that await the plough in the North- 
West ."—Toronto Globe, June 14 th, 1898. 
Devon and Exeter Gardeners on Holiday.—For the 
past six years it has been the custom for the Devon 
and Exeter Gardeners’ Association to organise 
annually an excursion to a place selected. Several 
interesting places in the neighbourhood of Exeter 
have been visited by the members of the society, and 
on every occasion the enjoyment has been thorough. 
The seventh of these excursions was arranged for 
Wednesday, July 6th, a goodly company going to 
Tavistock and Endsleigh, the seat of the Duke of 
Bedford. The party was accommodated by the 
London and South-Western Railway Company with 
three saloon carriages. After inspecting the most 
interesting features of the old town of Tavistock, the 
visitors proceeded in three ■ four-in-hands ’ to 
Endsleigh, where, on arrival, they were met by Mr. 
Yole, the gardener. At this princely establishment 
there are about a hundred acres of lawn and 
pleasure grounds, and a riding path of over seven 
miles in extent. The grounds are naturally varied 
and beautiful, the river Tamar winding along the 
valley far below the eminence on which the mansion 
stands. The grounds throughout are in a capital 
state of preservation. Rare and beautiful as well as 
the commoner trees and shrubs are not wanting, and 
there is more variety of this material than is usually 
to be found in private establishments. There were 
many pretty views to be enjoyed, and the party spent 
a happy time in doing full justice to them. The 
shell grotto, the dell and the cascade, and the model 
dairy embowered in climbers were all visited, and 
all found favour in the eyes of the visitors. Mr. 
Rundle, the Duke's agent, was very kind in arrang¬ 
ing the visit, whilst Mr. Hope and Mr. Mackay 
excited the admiration and earned the thanks of all 
by the excellence of their arrangements. Tea was 
served at Tavistock, and the return journey was then 
commenced. The day was gloriously fine throughout. 
The Birkbeck Building Society.—The forty-seventh 
annual meeting of the Birkbeck Building Society was 
held yesterday at the offices, 29 & 30, Southampton 
Buildings, Chancery Lane. The report adopted 
states that during the financial year just closed the 
total receipts from all sources, taken with the 
disbursements, disclosed the fact that the annual 
turnover h^s amounted to £37,488,736, being a daily 
average of upwards of £120,000 for every business 
day that the office has been opened throughout the 
year. The investments now exceed ten millioos— 
£10,773,675—and the total liabilities on subscriptions 
and deposits also exceed ten millions; whilst the 
balance of assets in excess of liabilities amounts to 
£431,984. The amount received for subscriptions 
during the year has reached the sum of £266,511. 
After allowing for withdrawals, the amount standing 
to the credit of investing members at the close of the 
year is £888,896, and the balance of deposits to 
£9.457.794. amounting together to £10,346,691, an 
increase over the past year of £1,233,236. The 
investments in convertible securities and the cash in 
hand have been augmented to the extent of 
£1,212,079, and now amount to £9,213.785, of which 
£1,542,652 is invested in Consols and other Govern¬ 
ment Securities, and upwards of two-and-a-half 
millions—£2,652,483—are inscribed in the books of 
the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, 
and £619,206 cash at Bankers. The number of 
members who have joined the Birkbeck during the 
past year is 2,924. In the Banking Department 
2,116 current accounts, and 7,377 deposit accounts 
have been opened, in all 12,417 new accounts, being 
at the rate of 1,034 P er month. The register of share¬ 
holders now contains the names of 13,601 members, 
and besides these there are 19,160 current accounts, 
and 52,333 deposit accounts ; thus making the total of 
members and depositors, 85,094—the highest number 
ever attained. The number of shares in existence at 
the close of the year was 69,611, which is also the 
highest number yet reached. Since its establishment 
the society has returned to the shareholders and 
depositors more than one hundred and ninety-four 
millions—£194,672,808, the whole amount having 
been repaid upon demand. The amount advanced to 
borrowers has been £3,559,256, the amount of interest 
and bonus paid to investors and depositors is upwards 
of three millions sterling—the exact figures beiDg 
£3,322,147—and the invested funds now exceed ten 
millions sterling—£10,778,675. 
-- 
“KITTSHAYES.” 
This is a charming little country residence, four 
miles from Budleigh Salterton, in the parish of 
Colaton Raleigh. It is nicely sheltered from all 
quarters, and stands at the bottom of a valley, lying 
between Aylesbeare Common and Sidmouth Hill; 
and I was pleasantly surprised to find such a pretty 
little place so well cared for. It was en fete at the 
time of my visit, a bazaar being held there with the 
hope of clearing off a debt in connection with the 
church bells recently placed in the above parish. 
The pleasure grounds and kitchen garden are in 
the shape of a parallelogram, about 100 yd. in 
length, and 25 yd. in width. An evergreen hedge 
shuts out the vegetable quarters from the flower 
garden proper, while a herbaceous border runs the 
entire length on one side, and was very gay with the 
queen of flowers (Roses) and Canterbury Bells of 
nearly all colours. A beautiful soft pink one caught 
the eye at some little distance. I wonder these are 
not more grown, as nothing so brightens the borders 
in the months of June and July as these do. The 
white Pink Mrs. Sinkins made a capital under¬ 
growth, planted every few yards, and the flowers 
were giving forth their delicious fragrance after a 
very slight shower. The Roses were simply grand, 
standards and dwarfs alike beiDg full of bloom and 
very free of aphis. The standards were evidently 
of many years duration, and escaped that fatality 
mentioned by your correspondent, “ W. B. G ," in 
your last issue, just at hand. On the verandah round 
part of the house I noticed a very fine Climbing 
Devoniensis Rose, by far the best specimen I have 
met with outdoors, and it wasrw masse. Conifers, too, 
appear to luxuriate here. Several good specimens, 
dotted about the grounds, of Picea smithiana, 
Pseudotsuga Douglasii, Tsuga albertiana and T. 
canadensis were well represented. Abies Pinsapo, a 
very healthy tree, A. nobilis and A. cephalonica are 
all doing well, and, I should say, have been planted 
from fifteen to twenty years. 
At the farthest end of the herbaceous border, 
before mentioned, stands the finest clump of the 
Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis) I have ever seen. A 
catch pit for water is close by, and I presume it 
often gets a bathing, or else such good results would 
not be obtained. 
In the vegetable department all was looking well. 
Some fine pyramidal Apple trees were carrying good 
crops, while on the wall I noticed an extra large 
Fig, presumably Brown Turkey, hard to beat, and 
full of fruit, partly owing, no doubt, to such good 
space being left between each branch, and the wood 
well ripened last year. Plums and a Morello 
Cherry or two were heavily laden; but a few Peach 
trees on the south wall were a sorry plight; pro¬ 
bably the soil is at fault here. The place was in ex¬ 
cellent order, scarcely a weed to be seen anywhere ; 
and the owner, Mrs. Davies, a widow lady, I feel 
sure, must be proud of her garden, every little nook 
and corner exhibiting sigus that a practised hand 
has been assisting Nature in her development. 
The above remarks are solely from memory, not 
intending to make any notes, or I should have 
equipped myself with pencil and book, but finding 
myself in such a snug little retreat I cannot refrain 
from committing to paper the good impression it left 
on me as to the way in which it is kept, and things 
in general are thriving so well. 
Kittshayes must not be confounded with Hayes 
Barton, East Budleigh, the birth-place of Sir Walter 
Raleigh, to whom lovers of the fragrant weed are so 
much indebted. There is not the least doubt that 
Colaton Raleigh, the parish before mentioned, took 
the latter name from this great traveller, in going 
there to lodge atone time. Even now tourists wend 
their way to see this old house, where Sir Walter 
took apartments, as well as his birth-place just two 
miles apart.— J. Mayne, Bicton Gardens, East Devon. 
HARDY HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 
Inula Hookerl. —This is the best of the Inulas, and 
although it has come into bloom earlier in the 
season than usual it is yet welcome, for the flower 
heads are exceedingly graceful and showy. Com¬ 
paring it with I. glandulosa, the species that is pro¬ 
bably the most commonly grown, a considerable differ¬ 
ence is manifest. The flower heads are not so large 
or coarse as in I. glandulosa, and the long, narrow 
ray florets give them an elegant and graceful appear¬ 
ance. The plant grows to about 18 in. in height, 
although in wet seasons it will attain 2 ft. It is a 
native of the Sikkim Himalayas, from whence it was 
brought to this country as far back as the year 1849. 
It is an exceedingly easy plant to grow, since it will 
do well in any ordinary garden soil. Propagation, too, 
is easy,since divisions of the roots in spring soon make 
good plants. If a great quantity is required a 
packet of seed is a good investment. 
Iris sibirica japonica —The Siberian Flag Iris 
is a very versatile species, and under cultivation has 
given rise to a considerable number of very pretty 
forms. Of these, I. s japonica is one of the 
prettiest. Like the type, it loves to have its roots in 
mud or water, and its head in bright sunshine, hence 
it is a capital plant for naturalising by the side of 
lakes and streams, where, if left alone, it forms bold, 
handsome clumps from 3 ft. to 4 ft. in height that 
bloom profusely. The falls are bright blue, striated 
and flaked with white, whilst the standards are 
violet-blue. The leaves are rather narrow for their 
length, and very graceful in pose. The plant 
flowers almost continuously through May and June, 
and by planting in a number of places, where variety 
of conditions as to shade and to sun are forthcoming 
they may be made to cover a considerable period. 
Dictamnus Fraxinella. —There is no more showy 
subject either for the rockery or the herbaceous 
border than this old favourite, which has been an 
occupant of our gardens for over 300 years. There 
is a number of varieties of it, varying in the colour 
of their flowers from pure white to shades of purple. 
All of them are easily grown, however, and do not 
take long to establish themselves. The foliage, 
moreover, is not by any means unhandsome, as it 
exhibits a glossy deep green hue that shows up well 
against the long spikes of flower that terminate the 
growths. The foliage, too, is possessed of a very 
strong, although not disagreeable, odour, like so many 
other of the subjects belonging to the natural order 
Rotaceae. This odour does not become apparent 
until the glands in the leaves are ruptured by being 
bruised by rubbing between the fingers. The correct 
name of the plant is D. albus, but D. Fraxinella is 
more usually employed in gardens, the name "albus" 
being usually applied to the white variety only. Of 
course the plant is not without its popular names, 
and it would indeed be curious if it had escaped 
