January 7, 1899. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
293 
The Babylonian Willow is still believed by many 
to have been been first planted in England by Pope, 
the poet. 
N. C. S. Smoking Concert. —We hear that the 
smoking concert, associated last year with the feast 
of St. Valentine, will this year be held in March, 
and will be in aid of one of the gardening charities. 
The venue proposed is the Holborn Restaurant, 
and the hon. stewards committee will be called 
together during the present month. 
A decoction of Belladonna and Ammonia was drunk in 
mistake for whisky by a wood-turner named Fletcher 
and his wife, at Londonderry, on Christmas Day 
Antidotes were administered after the discovery 
of the mistake, but the victims bad to be removed to 
the County Infirmary, where they remain in an 
unconscious condition. 
Death of Mr. Thos. Shingles. —We regret to an¬ 
nounce the death of Mr. Thos. Shingles, who for 
twenty-three years had been head gardener to the 
Earl of Ducie, Tortworth Court, Gloucestershire. 
Mr. Shingles was at one time foreman of the glass 
department at Bicton, DevOD, when Mr. James 
Barnes held the reins there, and who was a noted 
Piae grower as well as an exhibitor in those days. 
Wild Flowers at Ottery St. Mary.—The mildness of 
the season is evidenced by the presence of many 
wild flowers in the hedges and waysides about Ottery 
St. Mary at present. They include such as the wild 
Strawberry, Red Campion, Hedge Vetch, Periwinkle, 
Hazel, Gorse, and many others of a more humble 
kind. The hedges of Devon are "fearfully and 
wonderfully made," particularly the former, seeing 
that they are of no certain shape or description, but 
contain samples mostly of every British tree and 
shrub, including Oak, Hazel, Beech, Black and 
White Thorns, Willows of many species, &c. They 
are always interesting to plant lovers, and the Ferns 
are perennial in their attractiveness. A more in¬ 
teresting case occurs on the hill above Ottery St. 
Mary, where the rain and the high temperature has 
forced the Whortleberry into bloom, the pinkish-red 
and yellow tipped bells being very pretty. Only 
some of the buds have developed their tufts of leaves 
and flowers, the latter singly or in pairs, so that 
some fruits may yet be expected next summer for 
those who gather and make them into tarts in this 
neighbourhood. 
In Uhrysanthemumiam. —The following abstract 
from the New York Sun, which appears in the Weekly 
Florists’ Review, will take a lot of beating for bombast. 
It is headed " In Chrysanthemumiam," whatever 
that may mean : — 
" Say there ! 
You rosy buds 
And Lily pads 
And Sweet Peas 
And Daisies 
And Geraniums 
And all you others 
Miss Nancies of the flowering world 
Will you please go sprinkle yourselves. 
And turn your eyes on Me ? 
Me 
The effulgent and iridescent full back 
Of the Floral Field. 
The only blooming 
Football player 
In the whole botanical business. 
There's nothing 
Of the modest little Violet style 
In my ornate 
And flocculent physiognomy. 
And when it comes 
To throwing bouquets, 
I rather fancy 
I'm a whole plate 
Of cold slaw 
Myself. 
Don't I seem 
To strike you that way ? 
I am also 
A shredded sunburst of glory, 
And when I rise and shine 
There is but one light 
By which the footsteps 
Of the fleet and fading Flora 
Are guided; 
That’s 
The Chrysanthemum ! ” 
Animated Annual Meetings are evidently not entirely 
restricted to London. The Ipswich Horticultural 
had a good one the other day, a short report of which 
appears in another column. That " sweet reason¬ 
ableness " amused us. 
Birch Bark.—Mr. Stogdon writes: "I am not at 
all sure that your paragraph as to Birch Bark in last 
week’s issue (p. 276), is generally correct. No doubt 
Birch Bark is the bark used for tanning Russian 
leather ; but I know of no pleasant odour that it im¬ 
parts, nor do I know that it protects the leather 
from insects. Some insects live on Birch; the 
caterpillars of the Birch Mocha moth (Ephyra pen- 
dularia), and a species of Phytoptus that produces 
the witches’ brooms are examples. The production 
of the odour is, I believe, a secret process belonging 
to the Russian Government." 
Messrs. Ed. Webb & Sons.—A very hardy annual 
came to hand last week in the shape of the 
Catalogue of Flower and Vegetable Seeds for 1899, 
issued by Messrs. Ed. Webb & Sons, Wordsley, 
Stourbridge. This publication makes its appearance 
this year in very pretty azure blue covers hand¬ 
somely lettered in gold, outlined with light blue upon 
dark purple-blue ground, and also in light blue upon 
purple-blue or gold grounds, this combination of 
colours being both rich and striking. There are 174 
pages of text, with an alphabetical index. Illustra¬ 
tions, both of flowers and vegetables, are very 
numerous. These illustrations have all been pre¬ 
pared from photographs, and instance the highest 
standard of the representation of flowers and vege¬ 
tables that we have yet reached. Both printing and 
paper are first-rate, and taking it altogether the 1899 
catalogue is a most creditable production. In addi¬ 
tion to the standard varieties offered novelties are 
not wanting, and these will be eagerly snapped up 
by those who, like the men of Athens, are ever on 
the look out " to see some new thing.” The cultural 
directions given with each subject offered are 
wonderfully good, and put into surprisingly little 
space a lot of valuable information that it is to the 
advantage of every gardener to be possessed of. 
Income Tax Repayments —As most of your readers 
who are engaged in business are now ascertaining 
the amount of their profits for the year 1898, will 
you allow us to remind them that, if such profits 
show a diminution, or are less than the amount 
upon which they have been assessed for income tax, 
they may be entitled to the repayment of a consider¬ 
able portion of the income-tax paid in respect of the 
same, and to point out the importance of making the 
claim forthwith. Many traders and others submit 
to overcharges because they feel that it is hopeless 
to appeal against their assessments, having failed on 
previous occasions to get the same reduced. In most 
cases that have come under our notice we have found 
the reason why they have failed is that they have not 
furnished the commissioners with proper accounts, 
which are absolutely necessary to enable them to 
satisfy themselves that the assessment is excessive. 
Others, again, have neglected to keep any accounts 
of their business transactions. If proper accounts 
be kept, or even if a proper cash account be pre¬ 
sented (which is very simple by using the " Tax¬ 
payers’ Cash Book "), there is but little difficulty in 
establishing a claim. The increase in the abate¬ 
ments now allowed in respect of incomes not 
exceeding £700 per annum renders it well worth 
while to take the little trouble necessary to keep a 
proper record of business transactions, as the relief 
granted to persons with small incomes is consider¬ 
able. Thousands of people pay tax for which they 
are not liable, more particularly those whose incomes 
are derived from property and investments where 
tax is deducted before being paid to the recipients, or 
when dividends are paid “ free of income-tax." 
Claims can in many cases now be made for four 
years, and the sum repayable might in the case of 
private incomes alone exceed £42 up to the end of 
the current financial year, to say nothing of tax 
allowed in respect of life insurance premiums, even 
when the income exceeds £700. We shall be glad 
to advise any of your readers gratuitously whether 
they can make a claim, if they send us full particu¬ 
lars of their incomes and a stamped addressed 
envelope.— The Income Tax Adjustment Agencv, 12 and 
13, Poultry, London, E.C.; December 28th, 1898. 
Lady in the greenhouse, to gardener. —"What’s 
that interesting looking plant there on the roof?" 
" Lapageria rosea, Ma’am." " Ob, yes, I know. Is 
it the white one ? 
Death of the Duke of Northumberland. —We regret 
to learn of the death of His Grace Algernon Percy, 
sixth Duke of Northumberland, at half-past two 
p.m. on Monday last, at Alnwick Castle. The his¬ 
tory of the Percys of Northumberland includes 
many renowned warriors, extending back to the 
time of William the Conqueror, the founder of the 
English branch coming from the village of Percie, 
in Normandy, in the train of that monarch. The 
late Duke had a number of seats, including Alnwick 
Castle, dating back to Saxon and Norman times, 
also Keilder, Warkworth, and Prudhoe Castles in 
Northumberland ; Syon House, Brentford. Middle¬ 
sex ; Albury Park, Guildford, Surrey, and several 
others. Fine gardens are attached to Alnwick 
Castle, Syon House, and Albury Park. The first- 
named was the headquarters of the family, but the 
Duke having practically retired from public service as 
a politician some years ago, spent most of his time at 
one or other of his country seats or at his town resi¬ 
dence in Grosvenor Place, London. Syon House 
was gifted to his eldest son, Earl Percy, a few years 
ago, but even before and since then a considerable 
amount of horticultural activity has been kept up at 
the place. Albury Park came into the family on the 
death of Henry Drummond, M.P., the late Duke 
having married the heiress to the estate in 1845. He 
spent much of his time at this beautiful Surrey 
home, and the deepest sorrow was evinced by the 
villagers at the news of his death, His Grace being a 
most generous landlord, and very benevolent towards 
local institutions. He is succeeded in the family 
honours and titles by his eldest son, Earl Percy, 
who was one of the representatives of North North¬ 
umberland in the House of Commons from 1868 to 
1885, and was summoned to the House of Peers in 
1887 under the title of Baron Lovaine. The late 
Duke, having been born in 1810, had completed his 
88th year. He had been ailing for some time past, 
but passed away peacefully and rather unex¬ 
pectedly. 
Information for Emigrants.— The periodical budget 
of information and advice to intending emigrants 
sent out by the Emigrants' Information Office, 31, 
Broadway, Westminster, S.W., contains many par¬ 
ticulars that should be known to all those who in¬ 
tend to cross the seas in search of another home. 
“ It is too early in the year to emigrate to Canada." 
In New South Wales matters relating to trade, 
labour, and industry are improving, and land 
settlement is increasing. The dairying industry is 
largely on the increase, and more factories are being 
built. The numbers of unemployed in the colony 
have decreased. The only government work now 
carried on is scrub-cutting at West Bogan, the 
average wages there being 5s. 6d. The effects of the 
long drought, and of serious disputes between capital 
and labour have, however, made employment pre¬ 
carious in many cases. In Victoria farmers have a 
good chance to do well. In South Australia a 
Government Labour Bureau has lately been 
established. The Bureau is situated in Victoria 
Square, Adelaide, and a register is kept of all per¬ 
sons applying for employment. A year’s residence 
in the colony is required to qualify a person for re¬ 
gistration. In Queensland, notwithstanding the late 
severe drought, which caused great losses in the 
western and central districts, settlements on grazing 
farms by practical men are steadily increasing, 
especially in the north and north-west. The tick 
disease in the north has considerably abated. It is 
proposed to spend a sum of £22,500 during the 
financial year in promoting immigration, and of this 
amount £15,000 is to be employed f:r reducing the 
cost of immigrants’ passages. In Western Australia 
there is a good demand for farm labourers, more 
particularly in the south-west of the colony. The 
demand for labour is brisk in Tasmania, and will 
continue to be so, for as the mines develop more 
land is taken under cultivation and cropped with 
vegetables, which fetch a good price. Ordinary 
labourers will be able to find employment in country 
districts in New Zealand at this time of the year,but 
they are advised to avoid large towns like Auckland 
Wellington, Christchurch, Timaru, and Dunedin. 
There is very little call for farm labourers in Cape 
Colony or Natal at the present time. 
