100 
THE GARDENING WORLD. October 15, 1898. 
surgical operations were also due tc bacteria 
which found their way into the human 
frame from the atmosphere when the flesh 
was laid open. By the discovery of these 
and the application of antiseptics, most of 
the dangers of surgical practice have been 
eliminated. An equally interesting if less 
important part of the lecture was that the 
higher animals might be looked upon as 
social mechanisms composed of individual 
cells or units, each of which lived a 
separate life of its own. 
The above facts apply with equal force to 
vegetable organisms ; and if it has been a 
valuable discovery to the medical world in 
its relation to men and animals, the 
botanist and gardener has also profited by 
knowledge to the extent with which he has 
made himself familiar with the facts at his 
command, and turned his knowledge to use¬ 
ful account. The individual existence and 
special life of every cell of which a plant is 
composed has been more easy to trace and 
scrutinise than in the case of animals, for 
the,simple reason that specimens are more 
easily obtainable, and can be examined 
more readily in the living state. The life of 
each cell of a plant is vastly more inde¬ 
pendent upon the life of a neighbouring cell 
than in the case of animals. The vegetable 
and animal kingdoms may be said to meet 
on common ground in the life of a cell, the 
chief difference consisting in the character 
of the material forming the covering or cell 
wall of the cell or unit of life in the two 
cases. 
A knowledge of these facts should prove 
of the greatest valve to the physiological 
botanist, but more so to the practical gar¬ 
dener, whose duty is to see that every part 
or system of the plants under his care is 
placed under the most favourable conditions 
both for their existence and continued 
development. The mere fact of the roots 
being placed under favourable conditions 
does not imply that the foliage may be dis¬ 
regarded nor vice versa. All the cells of the 
foliage may draw upon the root system as a 
whole for their supply of water and mineral 
elements taken from the soil; but each cell 
of a leaf must gather its own supply of 
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and 
every cell of the plant as a whole must be 
in a position to draw its own supplies of 
oxygen from the surrounding medium in 
order to perform its functions properly. 
The roots of land plants in a waterlogged 
soil are unable to get the necessary supplies 
of oxygen, consequently they soon become 
unhealthy, and the organism as a whole 
suffers more or less extensively, or even dies. 
Any part of a plant may, however, be 
removed without causing the death of the 
organism as a whole, so long as the connec¬ 
tion between the foilage and roots is not 
dissevered. All this helps to show the 
independence between cell and cell in plant 
life. Many useful lessons might be learnt 
from a knowledge of these facts, and put 
into practical operation. 
. British Ferns.—There is no British Fern that is not 
highly appreciated by some one or other in these 
islands, quite independently of specialists, whether 
they call themselves pteridologists or Fern amateurs. 
No class of plants is more generally amenable to the 
art of the cultivator. Asplenium Ruta-muraria, 
Botrychium Lunaria, Ophioglossum vulgatum and 
O. lanceolatum are the most troublesome, but the 
difficulties even here are not insurmountable, if the 
proper conditions are sought out and imitated. 
Some of the most tractable become intractable 
under unfavourable conditions, but the cultivator’s 
observations and experiments are at fault rather 
than that the Ferns are altogether incapable of arti¬ 
ficial cultivation. * ' 
■ . .. c* v ■ ■ . XO SUitX tl 
i. ,. * y ;• 1 ! * *. \j\i -- . l .L' vj »»c a. 
Chrysanthemums in the London Parks.—The annual 
Chrysanthemum shows in the London parks were 
opened to the public as follows:—Finsbury Park, 
October 8th ; Southwark and Victoria Parks, October 
13th ; and Battersea and Waterlow Parks, October 
15th. 
A Natural Candle. -Sarcocaulon Heritieri, a 
shrubby plant belonging to the Geranium family, and 
a native of the Cape, is certainly a vegetable 
curiosity, inasmuch as the old stems become so sur¬ 
charged with hard wax that all traces of its vege¬ 
table tissue are lost ; and the stem is so brittle that 
it may be snapped in two, as if no woody tissue 
were present. This wax, so abundantly produced, 
explains the use of the stems either in the way of 
torches or candles. 
National Dahlia Society.—The "Official Catalogue’’ 
of the society, which has been issued this summer, 
contains on some fifty pages an account of the 
Dahlia, its bibliography, selected lists of the best 
varieties of each type (show, fancy, pompon, Cactus, 
decorative and single Dahlias, the latter grouped as 
self, fancy, Tom Thumb and Cactus varieties), to¬ 
gether with an alphabetical list with name of raiser 
and date of introduction, of Dahlias of all sections at 
present in cultivation in Great Britain. Selections 
of varieties which make an especially effective dis¬ 
play in the garden are given, as well as of those most 
suitable for exhibition. The catalogue can be 
obtained from the Hon. Secretary of the National 
Dahlia Society, Gunnersbury House, Acton, W. 
(Price rs. to non-members.) 
Messrs. Wm. Wood & Sons, Ltd., of Wood Green, 
have just issued their “ Illustrated Compendium of 
Garden Specialities,’ a handy little book in which 
lists of everything that the gardener can want in the 
way of sundries is to be seen. Coal, coke, peat, 
loam, manures of all kinds, Carvita, the cure for 
Carnation Rust, the new patent Invicta syringe, 
labels, mats, tiffany, and a host of other subjects too 
numerous to mention are included. The Messrs. 
Wood also erect all kinds of glasshouses, and plans 
and estimates are got out free. A special pffer is 
made to young gardeners whereby the Messrs. 
Wood undertake to obtain for them drawing or writ¬ 
ing paper, mathematical and musical instruments, or 
anything else that they may require for personal 
use. We assume that many young gardeners will 
avail themselves of this opportunity. The Special 
Lawn Sand is also commented upon very favourably 
in a facsimile letter from Mr. H. Woodgate, Thorn¬ 
ton House Gardens, Clapham Park, in a letter en¬ 
closed in the catalogue. 
Crystal Palace.—Despite the exceptionally trying 
character of the year, the gardens and grounds of the 
Crystal Palace have, under the efficient management 
of Mr. Caselton, Mr. Head's successor, preserved 
their attractiveness. The numerous huge vases 
scattered about the terraces in front of the building 
have, as usual, been chiefly filled with American, 
Aloes which harmonise so well with the character of 
the building and their immediate environments. 
The greatest amount of bedding is to be found on 
the mound on which stands the huge bandstand 
with its unique setting of arches draped with 
climbers. Very pretty mixed borders run round both 
the outside and the inside of the fence enclosing this 
plateau, and here Roses, Pentstemons, zonal Pelar¬ 
goniums, Sedum spectabile and early-flowering 
Chrysanthemums have been very bright and gay, 
and even at the time of writing have not yet lost 
their charm. On the beds cut out on the slopes of 
the mound, from whence a series of lovely views of 
the ground can be obtained, zonal Pelargoniums, 
tuberous and semperflorens Begonias and Roses 
play an important part. Yellow and white Antir¬ 
rhinums have also done remarkably well, and even 
now are not destitute of flower. The handsome 
Veronica Andersoni variegata is in great request as 
an edging in all parts of the grounds. The basins of 
the fountains with which the Palace grounds are so 
well supplied form congenial resting places for 
Nymphaeas, chiefly the common N. alba, which 
flower freely. The deleterious effects of the popular 
fireworks upon the vegetation in the vicinity is most 
apparent in the Araucarias, none of which have 
taken kindly to their quarters. When the difficulties, 
of the surroundings are appreciated the success of 
: Mr. Caselton’s efforts are all the more noteworthy. 
11 Distribution of Plants from the London Parks.— 
The usual annual distribution of plants from 
Bethnal Green Gardens took place on October 8th 
from Royal Victoria Gardens, North Woolwich, and 
Victoria Embankment Gardens on October 12th; 
Southwark Park, October 13th ; and Battersea 
Park, October 14 th; and will be carried out at 
Dulwich and Waterlow Parks, October 18th; 
Myatt’s Field, Finsbury Park, and Victoria Park, 
October 19th ; the Island Gardens, Poplar, October 
20th ; Ravenscourt Park, October 21st; and Brock- 
well and Kennington Parks, October 26th. 
: 1 1 - / - -■ j 
Sea Salt and the Mildew of Roses.—Recently, says 
Nord-Horticole, a famous receipt for the miidew of 
Roses was given in a Swiss journal. The receipt 
was " 3 grammes of sea salt in a litre of water, 
syringe at different times, and the mildew will be 
destroyed.’’ A great Rose amateur possessed 500 
pots of Roses in sixty varieties. The whole, put in 
a greenhouse, flowered magnificently in May of each 
year. Unfortunately, on one occasion they were 
slightly attacked with mildew. The new receipt, sea 
salt, was quickly applied and in three weeks 300 
plants died; the rest survived, and the amateur now 
says, “ Mistrust sea salt in culture ; it is a poison 
for the greater number of plants. 
The Coming Trouble.—According to the calendar 
we should now be hard at work executing orders for 
Roses, Gooseberries, Currants, trees and Conifers, 
and even lifting some few Pears and Plums for 
orders. But, alas! the land is as dry as possible, 
and below the surface crumb it is as dry as a brick, 
making all this work impossible, and meantime we 
are bombarded with letters such as, “ I am told that 
now is the very best time for removing the things I 
ordered." “ If you are unable to supply what I 
ordered you should have said so at the time.” 
“ Unless my order is forthwith executed please con¬ 
sider it cancelled, that I may be better served else¬ 
where.” Well, what for a remedy ? Why patience. 
Practically, the season is three weeks late, and as no 
fibrous roots can be got out of the hard soil, my 
kind friends, trust to your nurseryman to do his very 
best. Apples are jet in full growth, and practicallv 
a week’s heavy rain is wanted before lifting time can 
be started. I send these few lines on behalf of my 
fellow nurserymen, as we, I feel sure, are only too 
anxious to do our best, and are not responsible when 
the clerk of the weather and the calendar do not 
agree.— Geo. Bunyard, Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, 
October 10 th. 
Woolton Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society.— 
We are in receipt of the 1898-9 Syllabus of this 
thriving society, and must congratulate the energetic 
secretary and treasurer, Mr. R. G. Waterman, upon 
the array of talent that he has impressed into the 
service of the society. The first meeting was held 
on Tuesday, the 6th inst., when Mr. J. Wynne, of 
Chester, spoke upon “ The Culture of Vegetables for 
Exhibition Purposes.” The meetings, which are fort¬ 
nightly, excepting during November,, are held 
through the winter and until the middle of March. 
On October 20th, Mr. H. May, of Birkenhead, is 
going to tell all he knows about Odontoglossum 
Alexandrae. On November 3rd, “The Art of. 
Dinner Table Decorations ” will be explained by 
Mr. B. Ashton, of Ormskirk. December 1st brings 
Mr. J. Heaton, of Grassendale, to the lecture table 
with "Japanese Chrysanthemums for Exhibition"' 
as his subject. Mr. J. Hathaway, of Southport,; 
likes a very practical theme, and thus he deals on 
December 15th with "Potting and Watering 
Plants.” "Notes on the Tomato at Home and 
Abroad” from Mr. A. Randall, of Aigburth, will 
doubtless find eager listeners. The annual meeting 
is the next fixture on the list, and it is set down for 
January 19th. On February the 2nd, " A Few 
Memoirs of Pioneer Plant Collectors ” will be pre¬ 
sented, doubtless in attractive form, by Mr. Frank 
Ker,of Cressington. " Notes on Exhibiting” is the 
subject for February 16th, and it is deputed to Mr, 
B. Cromwell, of Allerton, to deal with it. ■' Notes 
on My Orchid Collecting Expeditions in Brazil,” by, 
Mr. J. Cowan, of Gateacre, can hardly fail to attract 
and interest an audience on March 2nd. Mr. R. G. 
Waterman brings up the rear on March 16th with 
“ Peeps in the Emerald Isle.” The Syllabus is 
printed on a single-fold, cloth card, and is of handy* 
j pocket size. 
