52 
rHE GARDENING WORLD. 
September 24, 1898. 
Alexandria was in every respect worthy of 
its compeers. Several of the exhibits, 
successful and unsuccessful would have 
required another ten days or fortnight to 
finish them properly in the matter of colour, 
for size was in no way lacking. The table 
exhibited by Her Majesty the Queen 
(gardener, Mr. Owen Thomas), certainly 
attracted a large share of attention, for 
visitors made their way to it in large 
numbers while the exhibition remained 
open. The Apples, Pears, Grapes, Nepen¬ 
thes, &c., were inspected and discussed by 
multitudes of people. The baskets of 
Grapes from the old vines at Hampton 
Court and Cumberland Lodge, might well 
give rise to moralising on the short lived 
character of modern Vines. This exhibit 
and that of Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, 
Chelsea, must be accredited with the 
honour of being the most valuable in the 
non-competitive class, for they were the 
only two that received Gold Medals. The 
general quality and high colour of the 
Crotons, Caladiums and Dracaenas, were 
the outstanding features of the Chelsea 
exhibit. Apples and Pears were particu¬ 
larly abundant, but most of the northern 
gardeners and connoisseurs expressed sur¬ 
prise at the lack of colour amongst the 
Apples. It must not be forgotten that the 
season all through till quite recently has 
been unusually cold and dry, and that the 
success of the show ultimately was largely 
due to the forcing and hastening weather 
which had prevailed for three weeks 
previous to the show. 
The display of hardy heibaceous plants 
was undoubtedly one of the foremost features 
of the Waverley Market, both in the com¬ 
petitive and non-competitive classes. The 
prizes offered for 50 bunches of hardy flowers 
brought out 6 entries, as they did last year 
when the class was first instituted. When 
bunches are specified we usually expect to 
see something very formal, but the 50 put 
up by Messrs. Cocker & Sons, of Aberdeen, 
were monuments of what gorgeous and 
varied effects can be produced by the aid of 
flowers that are grown in the open air and 
require little or no attention beyond keeping 
the ground clean. These gorgeous effects 
were due to Lilies, Montbretias, Sunflowers, 
Gladioli, Phloxes, Rudbeckia purpurea, 
Heleniums and other subjects well known 
and too numerous to mention. Great atten¬ 
tion is devoted to the fixing up and arrange¬ 
ment of these hardy flowers at northern 
shows so as to produce the most pleasing 
and attractive effects, and certainly they 
merit the trouble. Dahlias were very pro¬ 
minent amongst these outdoor subjects, and 
the tasteful way in which they as well as 
Chrysanthemum flowers, &c., were arranged 
in long sprays of 12 to 15 blooms, lends an 
additional attraction to the most common of 
flowers. The large collection of Messrs. 
Dobbie & Co., consisted chiefly of new 
Cactus Dahlias than which no class of 
florists’ flowers has made more progress 
during recent years. Pentstemons, Phoxes, 
Hollyhocks, &c., were well shown. Vege¬ 
tables were in strong force, all the leading 
kinds being well represented, particularly 
Potatos, Tomatos, Onions, Cauliflowers, 
and the several root crops. It was interest¬ 
ing to note the fine dishes of Peas at this 
late season of the year. One of the most 
notable varieties shown was The Gladstone, 
having curved, dark green pods of remark¬ 
able length. 
- — 
Cedrus Atlantica aure'a. — This is a very handsome 
golden form of the Atlas Cedar, and, as such, is a 
great ornament to the garden. It received a First-class 
Certificate from the Royal Horticultural Society on 
the 15th of June, 1897. 
For Wasp’s Stings.—One of the quickest methods 
of alleviating the pain of a wasp's sting is to touch 
the spot with spirits of heartshorn. 
45,000 Microbes per cubic centimetre of Water.— 
This is the present condition of the water of the 
River Lea, according to the analyst’s report. Fancy 
drinking all these twisting, wriggling microbes ! 
Erratum.—Owing to a misconception which 
occurred in our telegraphic report of the Royal Cale¬ 
donian Society’s show which appeared in our last 
week’s issue, Mr. W. F. Gunn, of Brookfield 
Nursery, Olton, Birmingham, was alluded to as Mr. 
W. U. Gut, of Oxton. 
New Melon Royal Sovereign.—We are informed that 
Messrs. Dickson, Brown & Tait, Manchester, have 
secured the entire stock of this new Melon raised by 
Mr. Thomas, The Royal Gardens, Windsor, and 
will distribute it in spring, 1899. It received an 
Award of Merit from the R.H.S. in April, 1S98, 
under the name of Lord E. Cavendish, and has since 
been re-named Royal Sovereign. 
Royal Horticultural [Society.—The Royal Horticul- - 
tural Society’s great show of British grown fruit 
takes place at the Crystal Palace on Thursday, 
September 29th and the two following days. En¬ 
tries should teach the R.H.S. office, 117, Victoria 
Street, S.W., by September 24th. On each day of 
the show after 10 a.m. Fellows of the Society (on 
producing their tickets) are admitted to the Palace 
free. 
The Sleep of Plants-—Like animals, plants seem to 
have regular periods of repose, but, unlike animals, 
their periods of sleep seem to be regulated by some 
subtler influence or influences than light and hea’, 
for some flowers open with the dawn or soon after 
daybreak, and close by noon or even earlier. Other 
flowers again remain closed all day and open only at 
night, whilst between these two extremes we have 
all sorts of gradations, so much so, indeed, that some 
fanciful persons have attempted to draw up a com¬ 
plete list of plants whereby the time of day may be 
ascertained—a sort of floral clock, in fact. Foliage 
leaves seem to be more sensitive to the effects of 
light and darkness than floral leaves, thus in most of 
the members of that great and important section of 
the natural order Leguminosae, viz., Mimosae, the 
leaves assume nocturnal positions. Again, electric 
light has been successfully employed to stimulate 
the growth of plants, thus showing that light does 
influence the behaviour of foliage leaves to a con¬ 
siderable extent. 
Once Fertile Countries now Barren.—The lower part 
of the Mesopotamian plain is now described by 
travellers as a dreary and barren plain where arid 
wastes alternate with miasmatic swamps, and the 
population has now practically disappeared. This 
silent and dismal level is still scarred with the 
gigantic ruins of a complicated system of irrigation 
works by which it was enabled to support the teem¬ 
ing population of the ancient Babylonian Empire. 
Another typical instance is Palestine. Deforestation 
and the neglect of irrigation and drainage have deso¬ 
lated a large part of the land once “ flowing with 
milk and honey.” In both these cases centuries of 
misgovernment are responsible for the disastrous 
change. The Campagna of Rome, though never 
considered a healthy district, once supported a large 
population, but successive invasions, the neglect of 
rulers, and the frequent inundations of the Tiber 
have accounted for its ruin. — Pearson's Weekly. 
Mr. Robert Sydenham’s Bulbs. — It is not many 
years ago since Mr. Robert Sydenham first em¬ 
barked in the bulb and seed business, but that time 
has proved sufficient for him to build up a big con¬ 
nection. This is not to be wondered at when we 
consider the high quality of the goods that Mr. 
Sydenham supplies. We have recently seen samples 
of the bulbs that he is sending out this autumn to 
bis customers. The Hyacinths are particularly 
worthy of commendation, for the bulbs are sound, 
large and heavy, and this in a season when Hya¬ 
cinths rule small. The first size or picked bulbs are 
really monsters, and the second size are grand 
quality. Of Crocuses we have never seen finer 
samples, and the same may be said of Scillas and 
Grand Monarque Narcissus. The possession of such 
fine stock is unmistakeable evidence that Mr. Syden¬ 
ham’s experience serves him in good stead when on 
his visits to Holland he negotiates for the purchase 
of his material. He makes a point of seeing all the 
bulbs in full growth before he buys, and is thus able 
to judge of their quality with unerring skill. 
The Vine-growing Industry in Russia. — Unfavourable 
weather, and the ravages of phylloxera, last year 
made the results of the Grape harvest in Russia 
exceedingly disappointing, but despite this the indus¬ 
try which has, during the last fifteen years, made enor¬ 
mous strides, does not seem to have been permanently 
injured; in fact, it is believed in some quarters that 
in course of time Russian wine will successfully com¬ 
pete with the products of France and Spain upon the 
markets of Europe. In the province of Odessa alone 
175,000 acres are devoted to Vines. 
Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland. — A meeting 
of the council of this society was held on the 12th 
inst., at the offices, 61, Dawson Street, Dublin, Geo. 
W. Casson, Esq., J.P., in the chair. After the 
report of the flower show held in Merrion Square, 
on August 26th, was received, the following special 
awards were made :—To Mr. H. Smallman, a special 
certificate for the new Picotee Shamrock ; to Messrs. 
Alex. Dickson & Sons, Newtownards, a first-class 
certificate for the new Tea Rose Mrs. Edward Maw- 
ley; to Messrs. Richard Hartland & Sons, Lough 
Nurseries, Cork, first-class certificates for double 
tuberous Begonias Lord Ashbrook, Lady Ashbrook 
and H. R. O’Kearney; to Messrs. A. Lister & Sons, 
Rothesay, N.B , a first-class certificate for Viola 
Blue Queen ; to Messrs. Wm. Clibran & Sons, 
Altrincham, a first-class certificate for hardy her¬ 
baceous cut flowers; to Mr. J. Forbes, Hawick, 
N.B., a silver medal for a collection of Carnations, 
and a first-class certificate for Dahlias and Phloxes ; 
to Messrs. Dummond, Ltd., Dublin, a silver medal 
for a collection of hardy herbaceous plants; to 
Messrs. Watson & Sons, Clontarf, a certificate for 
Dahlias and Violas ; to Messrs. McGredy & Son, 
Portadown, a silver medal for Begonias ; to Messrs. 
Ramsay & Son, Ball’s Bridge, a certificate for excel¬ 
lence of floral arrangements ; and to Messrs. Hogg 
& Robertson, a certificate for size and quality of 
the Daffodils and other bulbs grown by them at 
Rush. Arrangements were made for the Chrysanthe¬ 
mum Show to be held at Ball’s Bridge on the 9th 
and 10th of November. 
Apple Preservation.—To keep Apples until 
“ Apples come again,” is a much simpler matter 
than is generally supposed. It all depends on the 
conditions under which packing and storing are con¬ 
ducted. Apples are damaged by the least knock or 
pressure; that is why so much of the imported 
fruit is found to be damaged. A bruise does not 
necessarily show at the time it is sustained, but it is 
manifest after the fruit has been kept. Mr. G. 
Manville-Fenn has shown in his happy story of 
market-garden life, “ Brown-Smith’s Boy,” how 
necessary it is to handle fruit tenderly, if it has to 
have commercial value, and where such care is 
exercised and proper steps are adopted for the 
storage of the fruit, Apples may be maintained in a 
sound condition—plump, juicy, and firm—right into 
the middle of the following summer. A dry, airy 
room, free from the taint of decomposing matter of 
any kind, is the one to use, and in this a skeleton 
network of frames for the support of racks should 
be erected. The fruit racks or shelves should con¬ 
sist of slips of wood running in parallel lines with 
sufficient opening between each to prevent the 
Apples falling through. When the fruit has been 
collected, it should be arranged on the racks, the 
Apples being placed close together so as to econo¬ 
mise space, but with sufficient space between them 
to admit of air. Where increased space might be 
desired, the frames could be erected in rows along 
the centre of the room. This system of staging the 
shelves is very convenient, inasmuch as it renders 
the fruit accessible. Stagnation of atmosphere 
should be avoided without incurring the risk of 
draughts, and it is well, too, that the air should be 
kept as cool as possible. Considering the price 
realised for sound fruit in the early spring and 
summer, a little attention in the way here suggested, 
with the view of preserving part of the Apple crop, 
