October 8, 1898. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
85 
• ■ — ;— - 
Terrible Forest Fires bave been raging in the State 
of Wisconsin, U.S.A., where a vast tract of country 
has been devastated, and hundreds of acres of valu¬ 
able timber burnt. The devastating fires were still 
burning furiously up to the ist inst. 
Popular Names—There is often a great outcry for 
popular names to indicate those species of plants for 
which the public may suddenly take a fancy, and 
find nothing but botanical names attached. Before a 
plant can get what could properly be called a popu¬ 
lar name, it must, indeed, become generally popular, 
though it may appear a truism to say so. The name 
must become generally or universally common in 
order to get thoroughly established in theminds of the 
people, so that all can recognise what is meant 
when the name is used by a writer or speaker. 
Iceland Poppies apply to the varieties of Papaver 
nudicaule, and most people recognise the name 
simply by reason of its association with a widely 
recognised strain of Poppies. The name is of recent 
application. Violas are also popular, but much 
backbiting is still caused by the lack of unanimity, 
and the adoption of " tufted Pansies," by some only 
of their votaries. 
Fairmount Park, Philadelphia —The once famous, 
and still beautiful, Fairmount Park, at Philadelphia, 
embracing 2,791 acres,is fast following in the degener¬ 
ate path. It was used one year as a camping ground 
for the State Militia, with many thousands of spec¬ 
tators daily to see the drills. A large number of 
valuable shrubs were totally destroyed, and partial 
destruction was everywhere. Huge water reservoirs, 
with unattractive banks, have been placed within 
it; and, at the present time, acres of sand-filter beds 
are being talked of to be located there. A trolley 
line has been constructed through it, and more 
" ornamentation ’’ in the line of marble and granite 
is under consideration. It is do wonder that talented 
subordinates get disheartened, and try to take life as 
easy as possible. If they come at 9 a m , and go at 
3 p.m., and draw their salaries, they feel that they 
are at least keeping ignoramuses out of the place.— 
Meehan's Monthly. 
Coal in Kent.—Mr. R. Etheridge read a paper at a 
meeting of the British Association at Bristol, 
recently, relating to the connection between the coal¬ 
fields of Belgium and France, and those of Kent and 
Somerset. The Continental coalfields just mentioned 
extend east and west for 150 miles in a wavy line, 
and he had little doubt but that they extend to 
Valencienne, Conde, Bethume, and Calais, and from 
thence to Dover under the Straits. From that point 
he considers that they are connected with the 
determined coalfields of the south-eastern districts of 
Kent. Borings are in the course of construction at 
Penshurst, and Pluckley, west of Brabourne. The 
boring at Dover is 2,225 ft- deep, having passed 
through eight seams of coal, the lowest of which is 
4 ft. thick, being a thicker seam than any in Belgium. 
The boring at Penshurst, twenty-five miles west of 
Dover is 1,700 ft. The boricig at Pluckley is 1,375 ft. 
deep, having already reached the base of the Lias 
formation, and tapped red conglomerate, It will 
probably be deepened. 
Bulbs for the Glasgow Parks.—On p. 69 of last issue 
under the heading of " Bulbs for the London Parks," 
we made the remark that the London County Coun¬ 
cil had been following the tactics of the Glasgow 
Corporation, &c. This is a mistake for which the 
information sent us is responsible. We are now in¬ 
formed that all of the Glasgow Parks favour home 
industries to the extent of getting everything they 
require from the retail seed firms in the city, that is, 
So far as the desired articles are obtainable. Each 
park is supplied by a separate firm for all general 
orders. It is to the interest of these firms to supply 
a good article, and they know it and act up to it. In 
some instances there are specialities in the way of 
trees and shrubs not obtainable in Glasgow, but 
these are obtained from nurserymen north of the 
Cheviots, wherever possible. Glasgow does not even 
cross the borders for landscape gardeners. 
Under these circumstances we admit having been 
wrongly informed, and that Glasgow may be looked 
up to as a staunch supporter of home industries. 
We admire this phase of the subjest and think the 
ratepayers’ money should always be spent within the 
bounds of their city, when a few shillings is all the 
advantage to be gained by going elsewhere. 
Calculation has it that 4,200 species of plants are 
gathered and used in Europe for commercial pur¬ 
poses. 
Apples are a good crop on standard trees in the 
gardens around Kelso, N B. The early part of sum¬ 
mer was cold and backward, but after that the 
weather was really fine till the end of the first week 
in September, when it became oppressively hot and 
uncomfortable, the temperature rising to 82^ in the 
shade. The sky was overcast, and the atmosphere 
being laden with moisture, rendered the visitation 
most disagreeable. In the memory of the oldest in¬ 
habitants there has been no such heat for the last 
100 years. Fruits and vegetables as well as corn 
bave made wonderful progress, and no further com¬ 
plaints may be made about the weather, unless the 
present showery conditions prevent the ingathering 
of the corn and the cutting of the fields on the hill 
sides. Good Apples are now assured if there are no 
untimely windfalls.— G.T. 
Information for Emigrants.—The October circulars 
issued by the Emigrants’ Information Office, 31, 
Broadway, Westminster, S.W., contain a lot of infor¬ 
mation that intending emigrants should be possessed 
of if they are to save themselves a deal of trouble 
and possibly disappointment. It appears that 
" there is an excellent opening in the Colonies for 
men with a little capital who can take up land for 
fruit growing, dairying, or general farming. In 
Ontario and the North-west of Canada free home¬ 
steads are given to settlers on simple conditions of 
residence and cultivation, the 160-acre grants in the 
North-west being open land requiring no clearing. 
Western Australia is the only one of the Australasian 
Colonies which gives free homesteads. The Free 
Homestead Act in operation there dates from 1893, 
and has lately been much used; 562 of such farms 
of an average size of 151 acres, besides 54 home¬ 
stead leases, representing nearly 72,000 acres, were 
taken up in 1897. In the other Colonies land (mostly 
uncleared) can be bought from 2s. 61. per acre.’ 
Attention is drawn to the difference of farming con¬ 
ditions in the Colonies and here, and the emigrant is 
advised not to buy or rent a farm immediately on 
arrival but to work for a year or eighteen months 
with some colonial farmer until experience is gained. 
A man with a working family can cultivate a 10-acre 
block of fruit trees without hiring labour. "There 
is a demand for experienced farm hands on farms, 
orchards, and vineyards in parts of Queensland, 
Western Australia, and Ne w Zealand. In Canada 
the demand is over for this year. In South Africa 
farm labourers are nearly always either natives or 
other coloured persons. There are plenty of 
navvies and general labourers in all the Colonies, 
and any navvy or labourer who emigrates must take 
his chance with local men, and in South Africa with 
coloured labourers." The circulars also point out 
“ what free or assisted passages are now being given 
to emigrants, the rate of wages ruling in the Colonies, 
the cost of living, and other useful particulars." 
These circulars may be obtained at over 250 public 
libraries throughout the country. A new handbook 
upon the West Indies has been published to which 
a special interest will attach in view of the huge 
catastrophe that has recently overtaken these once 
prosperous colonies. 
-**•- 
Gardening Miscellany. 
TWO GOOD TOMATOS AT NEWTON ABBOT. 
Besides being an enthusiastic grower of Chrys¬ 
anthemums, Mr. A. McDonald, gardener to H. St. 
Maur, Esq., Stover Park, Newton Abbot, Devon, 
gives close attention to every branch of gardening, 
He has two very useful Tomatos of his own raising. 
One of them he has named Stover Park, which, it it 
cannot be described as new, has the merit of having 
stood the test of time and still fruits abundantly. 
This variety he raised while at Aldenham Abbey, 
Watford, Herts, some twelve years ago. The fruit 
is moderate in size, of a deep crimson-red, and 
similar in size and shape to Conference. The flesh 
is scarlet almost to the centre, juicy, solid, and pos¬ 
sesses a brisk Tomato flavour, which some would 
de'scribe as acid, but in our opinion it is a characteris¬ 
tic that should not be lost in Tomatos. There is a 
danger in selecting varieties of mild flavour, of their 
becoming entirely tasteless. A little briskness in a 
Tomato ripened by the sun we consider not only de¬ 
sirable but a recommendation for the sake of the 
variety in flavour. The other variety, named Laird’s 
Abundance, was raised from Hathaway’s Excelsior 
crossed with Challenger. It is a great bearer, and 
one that will be highly suitable for market purposes. 
The fruit is smooth, similar in colour to Stover 
Park, externally and internally, but the flavour is 
milder. The flesh is solid, of fine flavour and highly 
suitable for dessert purposes. The fruit itself is 
moderate in size, as the parentage would indicate, 
and attractive in appearance. 
RATS AND PLUMS. 
I had lately been puzzled to find a number of ripe 
Victoria Plums eaten and bitten about as they hung 
upon the trees, which are standards about 15 ft. to 
20 ft. high. As we have few wasps about they could 
not fairly be charged with so much damage. The 
real culprits turned out to be rats, which climbed 
the trees and helped themselves. My attention was 
called by one of the men who said he saw a rat 
jump from off the tree. We decided next day to 
gather what remained of the crop, and when about 
to commence we observed one of the rats perched in 
the branches about 12 ft. from the ground. I could 
scarcely have believed they would attack grow¬ 
ing fruit upon the tree, had I not seen the cun¬ 
ning joker up the tree.— A. P. 
ADIANTUM FA ULKNERI. 
Certainly one of the most notable of the many in¬ 
teresting and meritorious exhibits that were sent to 
the last fortnightly meeting of the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society, on the 20th ult,, was a batch of Adian- 
tum Faulkneri that was exhibited by Mr. Thomas 
Rochford, of the Turnford Hall Nurseries, Brox- 
bourne. In appearance this plant closely resembles 
A. lambertianum, but is more erect in habit and 
apparently more vigorous in constitution. For mar¬ 
ket purposes there is no comparison between the 
two, for the fronds of A. Faulkneri are not only very 
suitable for cutting, as they are elegant in appear¬ 
ance and stand well, but the plants themselves are 
highly ornamental. We opine that A. Faulkneri 
will prove the most redoubtable rival to A. cunea- 
tum that has yet been forthcoming amongst Ferns, 
more particularly if it proves to be easy of culture 
in all parts of the country, of which there is as yet 
no evidence to the contrary. 
PTERIS ROCHFORDI. 
Varieties of that very versatile species, Pteris 
serrulata, are legion, more especially in the crested 
and tasselled section. In the form under notice we 
have one that represents one of the most useful and 
ornamental types. It may not be quite distinct as a 
variety from other varieties, and it was probably this 
that prevented its reception of an Award of Merit 
from the R.H.S. on the 20th ult., when it was ex¬ 
hibited by Mr. Thos. Rochford. Still the plant 
embodies all that goes to make up a really good 
basket Fern, although this does not exhaust its value, 
for it is quite as suitable for pot culture. The fronds 
have a graceful droop about them, the tassels at the 
ends of the pinnae being of medium size and very 
finely divided. The constitution is vigorous, and 
certainly not the least of its merits is the easiness 
with which it may be grown. 
FUCHSIA KIRKII. 
Under this name I came across, the other day, an 
exceedingly pretty and interesting old favourite. 
Very few people indeed would recognise this plant as 
a Fuchsia, yet such it is. It makes a fine object for 
a basket in a cool greenhouse. The stems are slender 
and trailing, with minute leaves; the flowers are 
curious, being upright, with an odd mixture of green, 
yellow, pink and purple. One very strange point 
about these flowers is that they are altogether 
destitute of a corolla. But it is not the flowers alone 
which serve to make this peculiar Fuchsia so 
decorative, it is the fruits or berries. These are 
rather large, like small Gooseberries, of a coral pink 
in colour, with a lovely coat of wax. Nor are these 
berries so fleeting as are other species of Fuchsia, for 
they last on the plant a very long time. This is, 
perhaps, owing somewhat to their great firmness ot 
texture. Fuchsia Kirkii, or as it is sometimes called, 
Fuchsia repens, or F. pendula, is a native 01 New 
Zealand and as a basket plant should be more often 
grown.— Patterson. 
