1: G 
HIE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 22, 1898. 
questionable whether a general lack of 
moisture at that period is not as pre¬ 
judicial or more so to the welfare of fruit 
trees as a rainy autumn. The fact is all 
established trees extend their root system 
to a far greater extent during the rains of 
autumn and winter than is generally 
imagined. While their growth is restricted 
during summer owing to the dry and im¬ 
penetrable state of the soil, it is encouraged 
in autumn by the reverse of these conditions. 
While the growth of the branches and 
shoots is declining with the falling tem¬ 
perature, the material which has been 
manufactured in the foliage goes to the 
thickening of the trunk and the extension 
of the root system. Gardeners are only too 
familiar with the results of keeping the 
inside borders of Peach trees dry in the 
autumn ; for in proportion to this evil 
so is the evidence of it revealed by the 
falling flower buds, even before they reach 
the stage of expansion in the following 
spring. Applying this idea to trees in the 
open it becomes a moot question as to the 
safety of the flower buds of fruit trees and 
the prospective crop of fruit next season. 
To transplant trees in this condition would 
only be to augment the evil; therefore, we 
advise would-be planters to refrain for the 
present. 
he Rust of Chrysanthemums. —The 
rapid extension of the fungus to which 
the name has now been given of Chrys¬ 
anthemum-rust, during the past twelve 
months, is another remarkable instance of 
the many evils attendant upon plant cult¬ 
ure. When we consider the forced culture 
to which Chrysanthemums are subjected, 
both in the matter of excessively rich feed¬ 
ing, and the rapid propagation of new 
varieties, together with their dissemination 
through the length and breadth of the land, 
we cease to wonder at the apparent inno¬ 
vation of a new and destructive disease, 
especially when informed that the fungus is 
no foreigner, but an accredited native. The 
surprise is rather that the fungus failed to 
discover this rich pasturage till just recently. 
From the discussion that took place at the 
conference held by the National Chrys¬ 
anthemum Society on the nth inst., we 
gather that more than one of the speakers 
were of opinion that the heat and drought, 
not only of the past season, but of previous 
ones, must have fostered the beginnings of 
the attack and subsequently strengthened 
it. In a word it was considered that dry 
weather favoured this particular fungus, 
contrary to the Potato fungus, whose 
special weakness was a wet season. The 
weight of these remarks was sufficiently 
counterbalanced by the expressions that the 
spores of the Chrysanthemum-rust would 
fail to germinate on a leaf in the absence of 
moisture, but that if the latter were present 
the spores would germinate in two hours, 
and make considerable growth practically 
between any two meals of the grower. 
An optimistic view of the situation was 
that the disease might be got rid of during 
winter when the leaves are off the plants, 
because the fungus cannot penetrate the 
stems, and only the resting spores can 
renew the disease in spring. An obvious 
question to ask is whether the fungus need 
go to rest at all while there is material in 
which the Uredo or rust stage can develop 
and multiply. Although the flowering 
stems are finally cut down, suckers with 
green leaves are all the time springing up 
from the rootstock. Chrysanthemums 
never are entirely at rest, for cuttings are 
being rooted long before the old stems are 
cut down ; and their soft and thin leaves 
must be peculiarly liable to infestation. 
We had, in fact, a box of cuttings sent us 
last winter from propagating cases where 
they were being decimated by the rust to the 
great annoyance and alarm of the grower. 
Theie may be some hope of the fungus 
becoming played out in the course of a few 
years, so that its attacks will be less virulent, 
as in the case of the Hollyhock disease. 
There is the fact to face, however, that the 
Potato disease still maintains its virulency, 
even after the lapse of more than half 
a century, whenever the season proves 
propitious to its rapid development. The 
prophets declare that they can tell to a day 
when it will put in its appearance as lively 
as ever, apparently taking their auguries 
from atmospheric conditions. Nevertheless, 
it behoves every Chrysanthemum grower 
to take the precautions so plainly set forth 
by Mr. George Massee at the conference. 
(See p. 124.) 
-«#.- 
Royal Horticultural Society.—The next fruit and 
floral meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 
25th, in the Drill Hall, James Street, Westminster, 
one to four p.rn. A lecture on " Experimental Hor¬ 
ticulture ” will be given by Mr. Geo. Gordon, 
V.M.H., at three o'clock. 
Commercial Fruits at Munich—The principal com¬ 
merce in fruits at Munich, the most important 
German market for fruit, consists in the buying and 
selling of Apples from Italy and the Tyrol, Currants 
(dried grapes from Corinth), Oranges and Citrons 
coming from Spain, Italy, and above all from 
Sicily. 
Curious Taste in Bedding.—It seems that the 
Americans have not only got the carpet bedding 
craze, but they evidently carry it to greater extremes 
than was ever done in the Old Country. For 
instance, last year, the Michigan Central Railroad 
Company, in their grounds at Ypsilanti, produced a 
representation of the Niagara Falls with whirlpool 
rapids shown by living plants, in a very realistic 
manner, we are told. This season they have pro¬ 
duced the " Maine ” one-sixth actual size. The 
bed (?) was 53 ft. by 10 ft, with masts 24 ft. high; 
four guns are used with a display of flags and 
pennants. Altogether this queer specimen of bed¬ 
ding has taken 117,000 plants. Of course, this is 
good for the florists, but we sincerely hope for no 
such gardening in England.— Patterson. 
Shirley Gardeners' Mutual Improvement Association.— 
The monthly meeting of the above society took place 
on the 17th inst., at the Parish Room, Shirley, 
Southampton, Mr. B. Ladhams, F.R.H.S., presiding 
over a fair attendance of the members. Mr. J. Miles, 
The Gardens, Portswood Park, opened a discussion 
on the " Best Apples for the District." He gave a 
list of those which he had found by experience to do 
fairly well, but a few good varieties canker too much 
on the gravelly subsoil which constitutes a large part 
of the district area. There was a lively discussion 
as to the qualities and the adaptability of some of 
those mentioned, and also the methods of increasing 
stock. One gardener recommended the planting of 
pips from good varieties, as a very good hobby, and 
in the hope of obtaining new varieties. At the close 
of the discussion a hearty vote of thanks was 
accorded to Mr. Miles. There was a very nice 
display of fruit contributed by the members. 
Bute Botanical Society. —There was a capital 
attendance on the evening of Monday, the 10th inst., 
of members ofthis society in the Y.M.C.A. room, at 
Rothesay. Mr. W. Cuthbertson, who occupied the 
chair for the evening was subsequently elected presi¬ 
dent. Messrs. Ballantyne and Burgess are to take 
care of the secretarial duties. It was agreed to meet 
fortnightly until, the new year for the study of 
elementary botany. In addition to Mr. Ballantyne's 
teaching, a representative plant of some natural order 
will be taken up each evening, so that members may 
become thoroughly familiar with typical plants. Mr. 
Cuthbertson made an interesting speech in which he 
said that the structure of the different parts of 
plants was the result of the accumulated experience 
of ages. Useless parts had been discarded, and use¬ 
ful ones developed and strengthened. The forms of 
to-day were the offspring of a long chain of yester¬ 
days, and they were the parents of those that will 
exist to-morrow. In every direction the student had 
scope for original work, and he commended this fact 
to their notice. 
Spring and Summer Foliage.—A teacher was ex¬ 
plaining to a little girl how the trees developed their 
foliage in spring. “ Ab, yes,” said the girl, “ I un¬ 
derstand ; they keep their summer clothes in their 
trunks." 
The Common Myrtle in Ross-shire.—Having a com¬ 
mon Myrtle plant, Myrtus Communis, which was 
rather too large for the greenhouse here, I planted 
it on a south border at the bottom of a parapet wall 
in the month of June last year, not expecting it to 
make much growth in this north-west part of Scot¬ 
land, nor even to stand the winter of 1897 and 1898. I 
did not take the precaution to cover it in any way. 
Nevertheless it came through all right, and to-day, 
14th October, it is in full flower, and looks very well. 
I would like to know if any gardener in the north of 
Scotland has ever tried an experiment of the kind.— 
D. M. 
Messrs. George Bunyard & Co.’s Centenary Show.— 
Many of our readers will still remember that the 
centenary show of this Maidstone firm was cele¬ 
brated just over two years ago. A memento of it 
is now before us in the shape of a book measuring 
15 in. by 11 in., a size that compensates for its not 
running to a great number of pages. It is published 
for private circulation only; and is handsomely 
bound in cloth, with shagreen leather back and 
corners, with gilt lettering. The memento is dedi¬ 
cated to Mrs. George Bunyard, and finishes up with 
a testimonial from the employees of the firm ex¬ 
pressive of their congratulations, and good relation¬ 
ship with their employers. The body of the work 
is occupied with numerous reports of the centenary 
show that appeared in different papers, horticultural 
and otherwise, at the time the show was held in the 
Corn Exchange, Maidstone. By thus bringing 
together the various details concerning a show that 
can only happen once in a century, those interested 
will be able to picture to themselves at any future 
time the appearance and character of the show. The 
work might have been done before, but we take it 
for granted that the constant routine of daily atten¬ 
tion to pressing work prevented this from being 
accomplished. The frontispiece consists of a full 
page photographic reproduction of the judges who 
officiated on that auspicious occasion, and who are 
all well known in horticultural circles. This well- 
executed picture is followed by another representing 
the " fruit trophy car ’’ which was set up afresh at 
the show, after the pattern of the one that appeared 
at the Lord Mayor’s Show some years ago in London. 
It also occupies a whole page and is admirably 
executed. 
International Horticultural Exhibition at St. 
Petersburg.—The third International Horticultural 
Exhibition, organised by the Imperial Horticultural 
Society of Russia, is under the august patronage of 
His Majesty the Emperor of Russia, and is to be 
held on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the 
society, at the Palais de la Tauride, St. Petersburg, 
from the 17th to the 27th May, inclusive. As we 
announced on a previous occasion, the foreign 
section will be under the presidency of M. A. 
Fischer, of Waldheim, the director of the Imperial 
Botanic Gardens. The secretary of this section 
is Mr. W. Ender. We may as well remind our 
readers that Mr. James H. Veitch, of the Royal 
Exotic Nurseries, Chelsea, has been appointed 
Commissioner for Great Britain and Ireland, so that 
enquiries from this country may be addressed to 
him. The secretary, however, sends us a schedule 
of the exhibition, and in it we note that large, medium¬ 
sized, and small Gold Medals, as well as three sizes 
of Silver Medals, are offered for competition in 210 
classes. The exhibition as a whole is organised much 
on the same lines as we are familiar with in France 
and Belgium. Ten classes are set apart for new 
plants. Nineteen classes are set apart for flowering 
stove and greenhouse plants. Dwelling room plants 
also receive attention, as well as subjects that are 
specified by their families, genera, and species, such 
as Ferns, Cycads, Palms, Pandanus, Aroids, Dra¬ 
caenas, Crotons, Conifers, Cacti, Bamboos, Orchids, 
Lilies, Tulips, Hyacinths, Cinerarias, Calceolarias, 
Primulas, Cyclamens, Indian and deciduous Azaleas, 
Camellias, Roses, fruits, vegetables, and a host of 
other subjects. Technical objects, such as models 
of glasshouses, plans of gardens, heating appliances, 
tools, manures, &c., are also provided for. 
