December 17, 1898. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
245 
About 12,000 acres of the Sahara Dessert have been 
rendered fertile by means of artesian wells. 
Shipley Hall, Derby.—We very much regret to hear 
that Mr. Elphinstone has had to leave these well- 
known gardens, and to enter an asylum. He is 
suffering from paralysis of the brain, and has a 
mania for music. The employer, E. M. Mundy, 
Esq., J.P., has settled an annuity of £ioo upon Mr. 
Elphinstone. We understand that Mr. J. C. Tallack, 
Livermere Park, Bury St. Edmunds, succeeds to the 
charge of the gardens. 
The Heirs of Charles Van Geert, Calmpthout (lez 
Anvers), Belgium, have ceded their horticultural 
establishment to the Societe Anonyme Horticole de 
Calmpthout, or, as we should say, to the Calmpthout 
Horticultural Company, Limited. The business, 
including the horticultural establishment and the 
nurseries, and all liabilities in connection with the 
same, are taken over by the new company, and 
will be carried on as formerly by the company, 
whose director is M. Antoine Kort. 
Belgian Horticulturists. —The monthly meeting of 
the Chambre Syndicate des Horticulteurs Beiges et Societe 
Royale d'Agriculture et de Botanique de Gand took 
place, as usual, at the Casino, on the 4th inst. Mon¬ 
sieur Paul de Schryver presided. The * following 
subjects received awards according to merit :— 
Dieffenbachia Leoniae, Maranta major and Pepero- 
mia metallica, shown by M. A. Rigouts ; Odonto- 
glossum crispum var. Paulina, Cattleya saintlegeri- 
ana (C. intermedia x C. walkeriana), and C. labiata 
Mme. G. Vincke, shown by Mr. G. Vincke-Dujar- 
din; Azalea Mme. V. Vermeersch, from MM. 
Vermeersch et de Baerdemacker; a hybrid Anthu- 
rium andreanum, from M. C. Petrick; Poinsettia 
pulcherrima variegata, and a hybrid Lomaria (L. 
gibba x Blechnum brasiliense), from M. L. de Smet- 
Duvivier, were all awarded Certificates of Merit. 
M. A. Rigouts obtained a Cultural Certificate for 
Croton Madame de Smet-Duvivier, Anoectochilus 
petola, and Croton Georges Lesneur. An " honour¬ 
able mention ” was made of a seedliDg Dracaena,sent 
by MM. Vermeersch et de Baerdemacker, and a 
fine batch of Cocos weddeliana contributed by M. 
Alloncius. 
Root-growing Competition in Ireland.—The results 
of the root competition that was recently held in 
West Cork, under the auspices of the Carberry 
Agricultural Society, are interesting in that they 
serve to show the importance of applying suitable 
manures if the most is to be got out of the soil, and 
remunerative crops obtained. There were eight 
entries for Mangels, the produce exhibited having 
come from a large area. The first prize was carried 
off by Dr. Wm. Jennings, Skibbereen, the weight of 
the crop being 66 tons per acre, where the land 
had been manured, and 51 tons where it had 
not. The manures applied were 30 tons of farm¬ 
yard manure per acre, just before the time of sowing, 
and 3 cwt. of nitrate of soda per acre, after the 
plants were thinned. The second prize was won by 
Mr. R. Connell, Castletownshend, the weight of the 
crop being 62 tons per acre on the manured land, 
and 43 tons per acre on the unmanured. The 
manures used were, per acre, 35 tons of farmyard 
manure, 4 cwt. of superphosphate, just before sow¬ 
ing, 1 cwt. of nitrate, after the crop had been 
thinned, and 1 cwt. of nitrate a month later. Mr. 
William T. Bennett, Riveen, came third with 61 tons 
on mannred land, and 52 tons on unmanured. The 
manures used were, per acre, 30 tons of farmyard 
manure, before sowing, and 3 cwt. of nitrate in two 
dressings, after the crop had been thinned. Mr. J. 
Shannon, of Riverview, carried off the leading 
honours for Turnips, with 34 tons to the acre for 
manured land, and 24 tons for unmanured. The 
manures were, per acre, 30 tons of farmyard 
manure, 5 cwt. of superphosphate, at the time of 
sowing, and 1 cwt. of nitrate of soda, after the crop 
was thinned. Mr. R. Connell, Castletownshend, 
came in second with a 22-ton to the acre crop for 
manured land, and a 16-ton crop on unmanured land. 
He used 30 tons of farmyard manure, 3 cwt. of 
superphosphate, at the time of sowing, and 1 cwt. of 
nitrate, after the crop was thinned. Taking it all 
round the value of nitrate of soda, as a manure, was 
abundantly demonstrated, since, as the result of an 
application of from 2 cwt. to 3 cwt. per acre, an 
increase of from 10 tons to 20 tons per acre in the 
crop may be expected. 
The best Pineapples of foreign growth are S3id to 
come from Cuba. Little capital is required to 
commence their cultivation, and previous experience 
is a matter of no importance. 
Chemical and other Manures.—The fertiliser 
usually associated with the name of Mr. William 
Colchester, Ipswich, is Ichthemic Guano, but a 
pamphlet published by him on manures shows that 
he concerns himself with manures of all sorts suit¬ 
able for the farm or garden. Bones in all the usual 
commercial forms take their place beside the special 
preparations requisite for Potatos, Barley, Oats, 
Wheat, Flax, Mangold, Turnips, Swedes, Bea-ns, 
Peas, Grass, Sugar Beet, &c. Of course, the ferti¬ 
lisers that are suitable for Peas and Beans are also 
adapted for any other leguminous crop, in private and 
market gardens, as well as for the larger cultures on 
the farm. A special mixture is recommended for 
the use of market gardeners in the growing of 
Tomatos, Cucumbers, Grapes, and other crops. A 
few illustrations of farm crops that have been 
grown with fertilisers are interleaved with the text. 
The Difference between Harmony and Contrast in 
the Arrangement of Plants and Cut Flowers.—A paper 
on this subject was read at a meeting of the 
. Broughty Ferry Horticultural Association by 
William Kennedy, of which the following is a con¬ 
densed account:—The appreciation of harmony and 
contrast in the arrangement of plants and cut 
flowers, like the appreciation of music, is a good deal 
an inherited gift, and those who have this gift in a 
high degree start a long way ahead of those who are 
less gifted ; yet with study and practice the less gifted 
can improve. In trying to explain the difference 
between harmony and contrast, I will take contrast 
first. A good contrast in plants would be a tall slen¬ 
der stem, finely cut leaves of bronzy hue, with grace¬ 
ful habit of growth (e g.) a Japanese Maple, set in 
opposition to a plant of short spreading growth with 
large entire leaves of glacus hue, ( e.g.) Musa Caven- 
dishii. Or again, a wild or natural flower garden set 
in opposition to a modern well kept flower garden ; 
or a bright blue flower set in opposition to a bright 
yellow flower. Or a tall girl with auburn hair, blue 
eyes, and fair skin set in opposition to a short girl 
with black hair, dark eyes, and dusky skin. In each 
case the individual beauty of the one throws into 
greater prominence the indvidual beauty of the other. 
It is not a good contrast if this effect is not produced. 
Harmony is the just adaptation of forms or colours 
of plants and flowers to each other, (e g.) a group of 
plants arranged for effect; each plant may be perfect 
in itself, but its individual beauty is subordinated 
to making a perfect collective picture, and to take 
away any of the plants would mar the harmony of 
the whole group. When the whole group gives per¬ 
fect satisfaction to the trained or gifted eye, that is 
harmony. Shortly, in contrast the one plant or 
flower reflects the beauty of the other ; in harmony 
the one plant assists all the others in making a beau¬ 
tiful group. I will now try to show how closely con¬ 
trast is related to harmony in the arrangement of 
plants and cut flowers—in fact, it might be con¬ 
sidered a subsection cf harmony, because in nearly 
every arrangement there is contrast, and if the 
arrangement is well balanced, harmony is produced. 
In the arrangement of a stand of Chrysanthemum 
blooms, if there is a Molyneux beside a Carnot, a 
Louise beside a Lord Brook, or a Dorothy Shea be¬ 
side a Duchess of York, there are sharp contrasts 
in colour; but if the whole stand is well arranged, 
and a perfect balance of these contrasts maintained 
throughout the stand, then as a whole, we have har¬ 
mony—a harmony of contrasts—each bloom is help¬ 
ing to make a perfect group, the removal of one of 
them spoiling the harmony of the stand. A very 
good example of the relation between contrast and 
harmony was shown in the group put up by Mr 
Davis at the Dundee Chrysanthemum Show. There 
were towering blooms with long stems arranged in 
tall vases, contrasted with stemless blooms arranged 
on stands in little nooks; there were large blooms 
contrasted against small ones; whilst the colours 
blended in some cases and contrasted in others; the 
whole arrangemen being so harmonious that nothing 
seemed to be wanting—not a jarring note. The effect 
produced on my mind when I looked at it was some¬ 
thing the same as hearing a splendidly trained choir 
singing that beautiful hymn " Lead, Kindly Light. 
Willows in the Hebrides. — In the western islands 
of Scotland where trees are very scarce, there is not 
a twig, even of the meanest Willow, but is turned to 
some useful purpose by the inhabitants. 
Galls on the Roots of Agrostis alba. — Prof. J. B. 
Farmer, M. A., F. L.S., at the meeting of the Linnean 
Society, on the 1st inst..exhibited and made remarks 
on some galls on the roots of Agrostis alba, and with 
the aid of lantern-slides demonstrated their mode of 
formation and development. Mr. Carruthers, F.R.S , 
made some observations. 
The Smithfield Show.—The Smithfield Club held 
its centenary show at Islington last week, when the 
value of prizes offered (£4 965) was the largest ever 
recorded, and the collection of cattle is said to have 
been the finest seen at this important fixture. 
Amongst numerous exhibits of various implements, 
&c., were the usual purveyors of roots, seeds, 
Potatos, &c. Messrs. Sutton & Sons staged enormous 
heaps of Mangels, Turnips, and Swedes, collected 
from the fields of royal and noble customers, whilst 
their famous disease-resisting Potatos were repre¬ 
sented by quantities of Sutton’s Reliance, Sutton’s 
Windsor Castle, Sutton’s Supreme, Sutton’s Ideal, 
The Sutton Flourball, Sutton's Satisfaction, Sutton’s 
Triumph, Sutton’s Ninety-fold, Sutton's Reading 
Russet and Sutton’s Magnum Bonum. Messrs. 
James Carter & Co. had a grand display of 
agricultural produce, including their Windsor 
Mangel, Elephant and Kangaroo Swedes, Snow¬ 
ball, Magnum Bonum and Goldfinder Potatos, 
Record Onion, &c. Messrs. Edward Webb & Sons, 
sustained their reputation by staging collections from 
the prize crops in their recent annual root competi¬ 
tion. The Potato “ Motor,” which this firm 
introduced in 1897, has already become recognised 
as one of the best, whilst Industry and Progress 
suggest suitable names for two others. Messrs. 
Harrison & Sons, Messrs. Dicksons, Limited, Messrs. 
Proctor & Ryland, Mr. John K. King, Messrs. Tidier 
& Sons, Messrs. Jarman & Co., Ltd., and Mr. Alex. 
Blatchford, all sent the usual fine samples of produce. 
Mr. A. Findlay staged Potatos, including Klondyke, 
British Queen, Hibernia, and Eighty-fold. Messrs. 
E. W. King & Co. were up-to-date with a Potato 
called “The Sirdar,” which was very big and ugly. 
Mr. W. Horne had Apples in variety, as also bad 
Mr. B. Wells. Messrs. W. & J. Brown had a 
splendidly-coloured Apple, called Bamach Beauty, 
which is said to be good for kitchen or dessert, solid, 
juicy, in use from August to April and well worthy 
of much more prominence than it has yet attained. 
This firm has already brought out several of our best 
Apples, Peasgooo's Nonsuch being a notable 
example. 
- I- - 
CULTURE OF THE PEAR. 
The Pear is one of our best dessert fruits, and easily 
grown. The old fashioned mode of training in the 
horizontal and fan shape is now quite superseded by 
the cordon system. Double the fruit may be 
obtained from the same space, and the fruit is much 
finer. I was much struck with a wall of cordon 
Pears at Arundel Castle, also at Petworth, Sussex. 
The trees were loaded with fruit like strings of 
Onions. The trees were mostly all worked on the 
Quince and planted below the bud, and 2 ft. apart. 
Being so planted they are one mass of roots in a dry 
season, and will require a good supply of water. 
The leaders must not be shortened until they reach 
the top of the wall. The pruning is very simple; 
merely pinch back the shoots in the first week in 
July and again in September. 
We have by far too many kinds of Pears which are 
perfectly useless. Many sorts get rotten at the core, 
and a great number are only fit lor the kitchen, such 
as Dojence Boussock, Pitmaston Duchess, Beurre 
Clairgeau, Beurre Diel, &c. The following list I have 
proved to be all first-rate to keep up a succession :— 
Bergamotte d'Esperen, Beurre d'Amanlis, Beurre 
Hardy, Beurre Superfin, Brockworth Park, Con- 
seiller delaCour, Emile d’Heyst, Hacon’s Incompar¬ 
able, Jargonelle, Louise Bonce de Jersey, Marie 
Louise, Passe Colmar, Seckle, William's Bon 
Chretien, Olivier de Serres, Princess (River’s), 
Doyenne du Comice, Winter Nelis, Easter Beurre, 
Nouvelle Fulvie, Prince CoDsort, Passe Crassane, 
and Ne plus Meuris. 
