788 
rHE GARDENING WORLD. 
August 13, 1898. 
preparing them is too great for the mistress 
of the kitchen. Lord Suffield, apparently, 
is the only available one at this period of 
the year. The nondescript Apples foisted 
upon the market during August fetch but a 
very low price, and should not be encour¬ 
aged. Only the inexperienced grower, how¬ 
ever, is likely to invest in them, to his own 
disadvantage be it said. The writer asserts, 
on the contrary, that a good farmer, who 
attends to the proper manuring and prun¬ 
ing of his trees, will produce fruit double the 
value of those grown by a poor or neglectful 
farmer. The markets are generally good 
for all kinds of bush fruits, and Raspberries 
are often too scarce to meet the demand. 
By the first week in October most of the 
fruits have been gathered and safely stored 
under cover, only the latest of the Apples in 
Kent being still hanging on the trees. Much 
of the crop of cob-nuts would still hang on 
the trees waiting for dry weather and the 
progress of the workers to harvest them in 
suitable condition. The Apples had been 
rather thin than otherwise during last year, 
but that was an advantage rather than 
otherwise, for the fruits attained a fine size, 
and were richly coloured by the abundance 
of sunshine. The best Apples and Pears 
fetched good prices in the market, whereas 
poor samples were more in supply than de¬ 
mand. Information like the above is 
abundant throughout the book, and many 
valuable hints are given in an interesting 
way, so that we can heartily recommend it. 
Mr. Thomas Humphreys, the assistant superin¬ 
tendent at Chiswick, has so far recovered from his 
recent illness as the result of an accident, that he has 
again resumed his accustomed duties. 
Mr. W. J. Simpson, for some years past head gar¬ 
dener to C. T. Sutton, Esq., The Beeches, East 
Acton, has been appointed in a similar capacity to 
E. H. Watts, Esq , Levonhurst, Chiswick, the posi¬ 
tion vacated recently by Mr. J. Gibson as recorded 
in our pages. Mr. Simpson is a keen and successful 
gardener, usually taking the lion's share of the prizes 
at the local flower show. 
Professor L. H. Bailey, of the horticultural depart¬ 
ment, Cornell University Agricultural Experiment 
Station, Ithaca, New York, is now in London ; and 
having visited the Drill Hall, was quite delighted to 
find so many people with whose names he was 
familiar in his own country. Needless to say, a 
great many on this side of the Atlantic are also 
familiar with his name, and with his writings on 
important horticulturai topics — the results of his 
researches, experiments and original work in the 
wide domain of horticulture. It was like a meeting 
of well-known friends rather than strangers, and 
altogether pleasant for both parties. 
What is a Drummer?—Our esteemed contem¬ 
porary, The Florists' Exchange, wishing to give us 
further information about the 1 drummer,’ and Job 
(not the saint of old) has turned the light of his 
wisdom upon the subject. Thus saith Job —" The 
drummer in America is one of the most interesting 
institutions connected with the horticultural trade. 
His movements and habiliments, even to his polka 
dot tie, are of more significance to the horticultural 
world than are those of the President of the United 
States. His presence in village, hamlet, or city, is 
duly announced in the horticultural press, the smile 
he wore, and the honeyed words that fell from his 
lips being all deemed worthy of chronicle. True it 
is that he does look up business, but his progressive 
work does not end there. He is a prolific contributor 
to the horticultural press, filling column after 
column, and the familiarity with which he handles 
his subjects, the vastness of his resources, the ease 
and volubitity with which he can comment on the 
merits or demerits of plants, new and otherwise, have 
made him a sine qua non in the business. His 
musical abilities will compare very favourably with 
those of Sims Reeves or De Wolf Hopper, his his¬ 
trionic attainments are only a shade inferior to 
Irving’s or Booth’s, and his renditions never murder.” 
Many thanks to Job ; we are now fully enlightened. 
An Incongruity.—Kew Green is brown. 
Jock and Jim at the Flower Show.—Jock, after in¬ 
specting the leading classes : “ Come awa', Jim, and 
let’s have a look o’ the maiden exhibitors.” Jim: 
“ Ay, ay, I wud like to see the lady gaird’ners. Do 
they wear breeks ? ”—After inspecting the Potatos 
and the cards — ” Michty me, Jock, they style thirsels 
Mister! They leave naething a man can ca'his 
ain ! ” Jock: "There goes ane o’them.” Jim: 
“ G’ 'wa noo, Jock, yer jokin'.” Jock, feigning anger 
at the doubt expressed : " I say positively that is a 
maiden exhibitor.” Jim: " Weel, I nivver saw a 
maiden wi’ whiskers afore.” 
Ealing and District Gardeners’ Society.—The tenth 
annual excursion of this society will take place on 
Tuesday, August i6th. The new sea route from 
Charing Cross to Ramsgate, via Port Victoria, has 
been selected. Luncheon will be supplied on board 
at i2 o’clock, and tea at 5 o’clock. According to the 
time table, the gardeners must be ready to start 
from Charing Cross at 9.15 a.m., going thence by train 
to Port Victoria. A reserve carriage will be provided. 
There they will meet the steamer at 10.40 a.m..which 
will take them to Margate at 1 p.m. and Ramsgate at 
1.45 p.m. The return journey from Ramsgate will 
commence at 4.5 p.m., arriving at Margate at 
4.40 p.m., and Charing Cross at 8.15 p.m. Thus by 
avoiding the river till the estuary of the Thames is 
reached and vice versa the journey is accomplished in 
much shorter time than formerly. The expenses of 
the journey will be entirely covered by 8s. Tickets 
may be had from the members of committee; from 
Mr. H. Burgess, of Messrs. Lee & Son’s Nursery, 
who is to conduct the excursion ; and from Mr. W. 
Roberts, hon. secretary, 55, Haven Lane, Ealing. 
The Golder’s Hill Estate.—A short time ago there 
was a meeting at the Mansion House, when the 
Lord Mayor took the chair at a meeting considering 
the advisability of securing the Golder’s Hill Estate 
as an adjunct to Hampstead Heath, and to prevent 
its being built upon as it was in the market. The 
Marquis of Lome, Q.T., said there was no place 
like the Heath in the neighbourhood of London for 
excellent air, and all Hampstead had been aroused 
to prevent further encroachments of the builder. 
The Lord Mayor announced subscriptions amount¬ 
ing to ^12,841. A garden party was also arranged 
to take place at Golder's Hill, the estate of the late 
Sir Spencer Wells. A company, estimated at some¬ 
thing like 5,000 to 6,000 people, assembled on the 
the estate, which runs to thirty-six acres, to view 
the beauty of the umbrageous trees, park-like 
lawns and waters glittering in the sunlight. On the 
21st ult. the Hampstead Vestry agreed to contribute 
£ 10,000 towards the purchase of the estate, and 
other large sums have been obtained from different 
subscribers, so that the estate is now safe to be laid 
open to the public for ever, and under the mainte¬ 
nance of the London County Council. 
Insect Miners.—The August number of Knowledge 
contains a valuable contribution by Mr. Fred Enoch, 
F.L.S., the eminent entomologist upon the insects 
which'‘mine” the leaves of many plants, notably 
the Marguerite and the Chrysanthemum. The 
article is accompanied by some admirable illustra¬ 
tions of these laborious but harmful little creatures. 
The miner which selects the Marguerite as its 
especial prey is Phytomyza affinis. It is a minute, 
two-winged fly of about a twelfth of an inch in 
length, slaty-black in colour, with black bristles on 
head and thorax. After piercing the upper cuticle 
of the leaf, and inserting the oval-shaped egg, it 
seals up the aperture with saliva, numbers of eggs 
being inserted in each leaf. The egg hatches on the 
fourth or fifth day, and the maggot commences to 
bore between the cuticles of the leaf. Like all 
other insect pests, it has its parasites—minute and 
busy Hymenoptera—which are ever ready to seize 
an opportunity to insert their own eggs in the body 
of the miner. Trypeta chrysanthemi turns its special 
attention to the Chrysanthmum, as its specific name 
indicates. Squeezing the leaves between the finger 
and thumb is the best remedy, but an attempt should 
be made to catch the female insect, for one of them 
is capable of spoiling a number of plants, as she lays 
many eggs. Professor Enoch advises the use of a 
small, deep net of fine muslin, fixed on a ring of 
cane 4 in. in diameter. Several broods of each of 
the above-named flies are hatched in the year. 
Seaweed is to be used by a Norwegian engineer for 
the purpose of making paper glue, dressing gum, and 
even soap. 
The Potato Crop is a fairly good one this year, but, 
owing to the drought many of the tubers are 
well advanced towards maturity. The recent rain 
will be likely to cause a second growth to take place, 
and thus the crop will seriously deteriorate in 
quality. 
Artificial Food.—Every now and again some sen¬ 
sational scientific discovery reaches us from Vienna. 
On the last day of the Chemists Congress Dr. Leo 
Lilienfeld, of Vienna, demonstrated before an 
astounded audience how artificial albumen could be 
produced by a simple synthetic process. He con¬ 
densed phenol and amido-acetic acid with phos- 
phoro-chloric oxide. The result was pepton, a 
substance which has hitherto been supposed only 
capable of being produced by organic beings only. 
It is said to possess the same nourishing properties 
as the naturally produced albumen. Human food 
will be cheapened, and meat as well as all other 
organic products will be readfly replaced by the 
manufactured article. 
Dr. Morris as Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture. 
—Some time ago a commission of enquiry was sent 
out by the Government to the West Indian Islands 
for the purpose of ascertaining their financial posi¬ 
tion, and to remedy if possible the present bad and 
entirely unsatisfactory conditions that prevail with 
regard to the produce of the islands. The commis¬ 
sioners were accompanied by Dr. Morris, Assistant- 
Director of Kew Gardens, who has already had a 
wide experience in several of the British colonies of 
the west, and is largely responsible for the better¬ 
ment that is already visible in Jamaica. The out¬ 
come of the debate in the House of Commons on 
the 2nd inst. was that Government accepted the 
recommendations of the Commissioners to appoint 
Dr. Morris as Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture 
for the West Indies. He will take up his head¬ 
quarters at Barbados. His duties will be to deal with 
all questions of economic botany, being in fact the 
director of this new and special public department. 
We understand that Mr. David Tannock, at present 
sub-foreman in the Palm house, will accompany Dr. 
Morris as his assistant in carrying out the duties of 
his new appointment. The scattered islands and 
isolated islanders of the West Indies, we feel sure, 
will benefit by this arrangement. 
The Glasgow Public Parks.—The annual inspection 
of the Glasgow public parks took place on the 2nd 
inst. A large company of gentlemen accepted the 
invitation of Lord Provost Richmond and the 
Parks Committee, and the party was driven from 
the City Chambers to the parks on the south side of 
the river. Altogether the Corporation has charge 
of nineteen parks, representing a total acreage of 
i,022j, and acquired at a cost of ^660,000. The 
largest of the nineteen is Bellahouston, 178 acres in 
area, and purchased in 1895 for 50,000. Glasgow 
Green is the oldest, and including Polmadie Land 
is 180 acres. It has been obtained piece by piece 
since 1662. The other parks are Kelvingrove, 
85 acres; Queen’s Park and Camphill, 148 acres; 
Alexandra Park and lands of Kennyhill, 114 acres; 
Cathkin Braes, 49 acres; Botanic Gardens and 
Banks of Kelvin, 40 acres; Maxwell Park, 21 acres ; 
Springburn Park, 56 acres ; Maryhill Park, 5J acres ; 
Ruehill Park, 53 acres ; Govanhill Grounds, 4 acres ; 
Bunhouse Grounds, 6£ acres ; and Tollcross Park, 
82I acres. In addition to these there are 13 open 
spaces in various parts of the city. The visitors 
drove first of all to Glasgow Green, where the winter 
garden is the chief point of interest. Thence they 
went to the Queen's Park, skirting Govanhill 
Grounds on their way. Camphill, Maxwell Park, 
and Bellahouston Park were subsequently visited. 
Luncheon was served at the City Chambers, the 
Lord Provost presiding. After the customary loyal 
toasts nad been duly given and honoured, Sir John 
Muir gave the ‘Lord Provost, Magistrates, and 
Corporation of Glasgow.’ He praised their generous 
and far-sighted policy in acquiring land for the 
public use and good, and assure! them that they 
would have his hearty support in further operations. 
It was subsequently mentioned by Bailie Biisland 
that ex-Bailie A. G. Macdonald had offered to the 
Corporation as a gift his conservatories at Ardrossan, 
which were plentifully stocked with valuable plants. 
The generous donor expressed his hope that they 
would be removed to Tollcross Park, and that his 
offer would be accepted. 
