September 10, 1898. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
21 
Banana Peel furnishes an excellent polish for brown 
boots. 
Manila Hemp is one of the most important com¬ 
mercial products of the. Philippines. Thousands of 
tons of this valuable fibre are raised annually on the 
Pacific slopes of the southern islands. The pro¬ 
bable reason of its bulking so largely in the pro¬ 
ducts of the island is that it can be raised with less 
trouble than anything else, and is very remunera¬ 
tive, having regard to the lack of expense in its pro¬ 
duction. 
A Trying Climate.—A contributor to the issue of 
the American Florist for August 13th, speaking of 
Portland, Oregon, says that " 90° in the shade is the 
regular thing there,” and that occasionally it goes up 
to 100T Everybody is irrigating, for he says it is 
either irrigate or be blown away. This is to be ex¬ 
pected at Portland, for three months of the year, it 
appears, and ” the other nine months it rains as it 
dd in the days of Noah.” This is a nice place in 
which to garden 
Stephens’ Inks—As long as the power of the 
“ pen " continues unabated so long will the position 
of its almost indispensable partner “ink” remain 
assured. Perhaps not many people stay to con¬ 
sider how much civilisation owes to the firm of 
Stephens, of 13, Aldersgate Street, E.C., for the 
splendid writing fluids with which their name is 
connected. We recently had this re-impressed upon 
our memory by a very nicely got up and illustrated 
pamphlet, giving a few particulars and views cf the 
“ works ” of the firm at the above address, and very 
interesting reading these particulars are, for they 
serve at least to give the peruser some idea of the 
magnitude of the undertaking. Stephens’ Inks are 
too well known for clearness and permanency of im¬ 
press to need other description here. A Gum 
Mucilage sent out by the firm is also remarkable for 
its great adhesive power and transparency. A pleas¬ 
antly perfumed preparation known as “ Skeevit," 
which prevents the bites of mosquitos and other 
venemous insects, is quite a blessing during this hot 
weather, when flies are so numerous and trouble¬ 
some. 
-•*>- 
Hardening Miscellany. 
KALO-ROCHEA. 
A strange bigeneric hybrid was exhibited at the 
Drill Hall on the 9th ult., under a name intended to 
record the parentage of the same, by Messrs. J. 
Veitch & Sons, Ltd., Chelsea. The mother plant 
was Kalosanthes coccinea, having rich carmine 
flowers ; and Rochea falcata, with scarlet flowers, 
was the pollen parent. The progeny was strikingly 
intermediate, the leaves being ovate-oblong, rounded 
at the apex, 1 in. to iA in. long, pruinose and 
glaucous, that is, they were densely covered with 
minute crystal globules, like particles of ice, on a 
glaucous ground. The flowers were intermediate in 
size, and colour between the parents, being of a 
bright carmine-red. The plaat had three branches, 
was about 16 in. high, and carried two terminal 
fascicled cymes of flowers. The leaves were certainly 
very singular. Both plants belong to the Crassula 
family of succulents. 
BLACKBERRIES. 
I myself, like a great many others, no doubt, did 
not pay so much attention to IV. B. G.'s remarks on 
p. 742 of your last volume, on the above subject, 
they so richly deserved ; but having a bush at the 
present time bearing such a quantity of splendid 
fruits, I cannot help bringing these few remarks to 
your notice again. The variety grown is the Ameri¬ 
can, and finer berries I have never seen. Nor have 
I ever seen the English variety under cultivation, 
but have every reason to believe the remarks made 
regarding our humble Bramble. Considering the 
little attention required and the splendid result, I am 
sure that if a few more gardeners (especially in the 
suburbs of London) would try this beautiful buit, 
they would be well pleased with the result. — W. IV. 
STRATAGEM AND WILLIAM HURST PEAS. 
The above two varieties I have found invaluable for 
a small garden, because being dwarf sorts they 
require no staking. At the end of February I sowed 
on the same day a few of each, and Stratagem came 
in to succeed W. Hurst. By sowing Stratagem as 
soon as one sowiDg comes up a succession can be had 
as long as Peas are in use. For the last sowing W. 
Hurst is the best, being earlier. They are both all 
that can be desired for flavour ; and they may be 
planted two feet between the rows, as they will pro¬ 
duce more than the tall sorts on the same space of 
ground, which is a great boon for those whose space 
is limited ; and nothing can surpass them in flavour 
and productiveness.— William Carmichael, 14 , Pill 
Street, Edinburgh. 
MELONS IN POTS. 
We occasionally read of this old-fashioned practice 
as being somewhat novel and uncommon. I have 
practised this system( with many other methods) of 
Melon growing for over thirty years. It was very 
common duriDg my youthful days to get the earliest 
Melons, Cucumbers, and Grapes from plants grown 
in pots, and I may add that the latest crops were 
often grown in that way. Cucumbers all the year 
round were imperative in many places. Melons at 
the end of April and early in May, and as late as 
November were expected, often from places where 
means were very limited. The finely finished early 
Grapes I have seen exhibited in London (and also sold 
in Covent Garden) would not in these times be con¬ 
sidered discreditable at any show. Black Prince, 
Black Hamburgh, and Sweetwater Grapes were the 
varieties forced for March and April supplies, but 
since the keeping of Grapes fresh and perfect in 
flavour so late as May is now very common, very 
early forcing is seldom seen. I never got Melons 
more easily and plentiful than from pot plants. This 
season is no exception. An excellent, early, free-set¬ 
ting, green-fleshed sort is Eastnor Castle. A good 
reliable scarlet-flesh for any season is Blenheim 
Orange. For a main-crop, green-fleshed variety we 
have found none to surpass La Favourite. It appears 
to be a worthy descendant from the good old Beech- 
wood. Others are on trial.— M. Temple, Carron, 
N.B. 
THE WEED. 
The following lines suggested themselves in conse¬ 
quence of the non-appearance in a newspaper 
of a digest of some remarks made by Professor 
Huxley in his paper on the “Use and Abuse of 
Tobacco," read at a recent meeting of the British 
Association ; and which digest the Editor afterwards 
told the writer he had never received. 
The Editor: Dear Sir,— 
Methinks you thought me joking— 
Arrant fun was poking— 
When I essayed a wee on smoking 
The weed Tobacco 1 
I was serious in my musing. 
Professor Huxley’s views diffusing, 
Advising the proper using 
Of the weed Tobacco! 
To smoke is now the fashion, — 
Young and old imbibe the passion, 
’Midst narcotic fumes they dash on, 
With the weed Tobacco 1 
By coach or railway travelling, 
On political matter cavilling. 
Nearly all appear to dabble in 
The weed Tobacco! 
Many parsons aDd professors 
Are alike in this transgressors. 
And delight in a few refreshers 
With the weed Tobacco ! 
Some men of sober thinking 
Say that smoking leads to drinking— 
An excuse for frequent sprinkling 
Of the weed Tobacco! 
When the passion becomes enslaving, 
And youths in smoke are brave in, 
Then let reason aid in saving 
From the weed Tobacco! 
If we have common sense to guide us, 
No harm would then betide us, 
When we have a friend beside us, 
Puffing the weed Tobacco! 
G. F., Manor Nursery, Lee. 
[These lines appeared in the West Kent Courier 
nearly thirty years ago. — Reproduced by special 
request. Lewisham, August, 1898.J 
A BEAUTIFUL FRONT GARDEN IN 
SOUTH DEVON. 
In connection with the Sbaldon and Ringmore Hor¬ 
ticultural Society’s show, a prize is offered for the 
best front garden, open to cottagers only. Seven 
competitors entered in this class, but that by no 
means would infer there were only that number of 
clean and tidy gardens in the district. The locality 
is a most pleasant one, with a delightful climate ; 
and many things grow with great luxuriance Bed¬ 
ding plants, usually so termed, remain out all the 
winter, and seem little the worse. 
Making a tour of inspection some little time ago, 
we found that the judges had awarded first prize to 
a most charming front arrangement, one of the most 
perfect little models I ever had the pleasure of see¬ 
ing. Mr. G. H. Bailey, Myrtle Cottage, Shaldon, 
had evidently bes'owed much time and labour on his 
plot; and as we drew near the spot the worthy pro¬ 
prietor was literally sitting under his own Fig tree 
quietly contemplating and may be, rejoicing. 
The front of the house is covered with Solanura 
jasminoides, but instead of the latter being simply 
nailed up, wires had been strung and fixed so that 
a figure of a large Union Jack flag filled the middle 
space, and V. and R. in large letters were oa each 
side. The Solanum was so trained that these de¬ 
signs came out clear and distinct, giving one at least 
the idea that a retired Daval officer of some consider¬ 
able taste and patriotism now resided here. The 
porch of the front door was covered with the yellow 
Jasmine and Solanum, a pretty combination. The 
avenue leading up to this was covered with a dense 
growth of Passiflora caerulea. Hollyhocks, clean 
and full of flowers, were tied to stakes almost close 
to the house, and were 8 ft. to 10 fr. high. The 
pathway leading to the house was in the middle of 
toe garden, and on either side were two plots simply 
full of Pelargoniums, Lilies, Dahlias, Stocks, Phloxes, 
Pinks, Carnations and Antirrhinums, the whole 
being edged with Blue Lobelia. On the right hand 
was a large standard Fig tree, with a clean stem 
some 7 ft. high, and wide spreading branches bear¬ 
ing a good crop of fruit. Beside the main stem a 
sucker, later on, would seem to have been turned 
round again and again, so that it had the appear¬ 
ance of a huge snake twistiDg round the tree. As 
stated, the worthy cottager sat here as we passed 
along, and staying for a moment or two heartily en¬ 
joyed a chat on things pertaining to gardening, &c. 
The second prize fell to Mr. J. Bowden, Cape 
Cottage, Higher Ringmore, who had a pretty and 
well filled garden, a plot on each side being bright 
and showy with all sorts of summer flowering 
plants most noticeable being the fine double Ten 
Week Stock;.— Wilsan. 
■ --— 
CARNATIONS FROM KELSO. 
A box of Carnations reached us at the end of August 
from‘Messrs. Laiug & Mather, Kelso-on-Tweed. 
N.B. All were named varieties cut from the open 
ground, the plants having been grown from layers 
planted in the open last autumn. 
One of the finest of the yellow grounds was that 
named Primrose League, which is finely lined and 
mo'tled with purple-rose. The Pa^ha is another 
beautiful colour, being of a clear salmon-orange, and 
quite devoid of the buff shading characteristic of Terra 
Cotta, to which section it would belong. Mrs. 
Scott Kerr might be put amongst the fancy yellow 
grounds, as the red colour is mostly confined to a 
broad marginal border, which runs down irregularly 
into the yellow. Magnet belongs to the same type, but 
is much brighter, with a great deal more colour and 
often distinctly marked with large red spots. We 
consider it an effective variety. Kelso Abbey on the 
other hand is much paler, with a few carmine-purple 
flakes mostly confined to the central petals. 
The brightest colour amongst the consignment 
was that of Dundas Scarlet, the broad petals of 
which were of a glowing crimson-scarlet, and had 
abroad maroon flake on some of them. Queen of 
Bedders might be described as rosy-scarlet, fading to 
a much paler hue at the base of the petals. A free- 
flowering and fragrant variety was that named 
Viscountess Melville, which has been described as 
crushed strawberry, but is a peculiar combination of 
scarlet and rose, overlaid with a shade of purple in 
such a way as to be considered a self. 
The darkest of all the varieties sent us was 
Mephisto, being of an intensely rich maroon, fading 
