January 28, 1899. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
341 
The Journal of the National Horticultural Society of 
France contains an account of the Chrysanthemum 
Show held at Paris last year, with illustrations of 
groups and other exhibits. 
The Society of Danish Gardeners.—The executive 
committee of this society recently passed a resolution 
to the effect that young men entering the gardening 
profession in Denmark, shall serve an apprenticeship 
of five years in not more than three situations. At 
the expiration of this term each apprentice is to 
receive a journeyman’s certificate from the society. 
Thomas S. Ware, Ltd.—We are in receipt of the 
Seed Catalogue for 1899 issued by this well known 
firm. Their nurseries at Hale Farm, Tottenham, N , 
have long been famed for rare and beautiful flowers 
of all descriptions, and we notice that seeds of many 
of the most beautiful hardy plants are offered in 
company with the more prosaic vegetable seeds, and 
seeds of florist’s flowers generally. Begonias, Chry¬ 
santhemums, Gladioli, and Liliums also find a place, 
so that the catalogue is something more than a list 
of seeds. In all there are 104 pages of text, with 
numerous illustrations which give the peruser a 
capital general idea of the plants they represent. In 
many cases short cultural notes are appended. 
Forestry in Ireland.—The abstract of forestry 
operations in Ireland during the year ending June 
30th, 1898, has lately been issued by the Registrar- 
General. It states that the acreage under woods and 
plantations varied from 304,906 in 1851, to 339.858 
in 1880. In 1898 there were 308,161 acres employed 
in this way, so that although this shows an increase 
of 11 per cent as compared with the area under 
wood in 1851, there has been a falling off since 1880. 
It appears that 1,431 statute acres were planted 
during the year, of which 283 acres are in Leinster, 
427 in Munster, 542 in Ulster, and 192 in Connaught. 
In 1897 I ' I 34 acres were planted, so that there has 
been an increase in 1898. The area returned as 
cleared is given as 1,108 acres, of which 194 are in 
Leinster, 509 in Munster, 255 in Ulster, and 50 in 
Connaught. In the year ending June 30tS, 1897, the 
area cleared was 1,102 acres. A curious discrepancy 
occurs, however, in two tables given. According to 
one, 1,431 acres were planted in 1898, and 1,008 acres 
cleared, 423 acres more being under wood than in 
1897. Another table returns the total area under 
wood in 1897, as 307,441 acres, and 308,161 acres in 
1898, giving an increase of 720 acres. The number 
of trees felled in 1898 was 671,962, of which 270,123 
were used for "propping” With regard to the 
disposal of 118,026, the information is given that 
they were " used locally "—a somewhat vague and 
unsatisfactory description ; whilst 169,799 are given 
as being “ exported ” also an insufficient statement. 
Ealing and District Gardeners’ Society..—On the 
17th inst., at the Municipal Buildings, Ealing, a 
paper was read by Mr. John Coutts, student- 
gardener at the Royal Gardens, Kew, on “Stove and 
Greenhouse Climbers.” Mr. C. B. Green presided 
over a good attendance. Mr. Coutts dealt with a 
very large number of climbiDg plants suitable for 
stove and greenhouse culture, their decorative and 
other qualities being duly weighed, as well as the 
positions they should occupy, the soils most in re¬ 
quest, and the general treatment they should receive. 
These details he considered should have attention if 
success was desired,as everything depended upon the 
initial planting. Mr. Coutts included ornamental 
Gourds among his climbing plants, and suggested 
that a visit to Kew would demonstrate their value. 
The most popular subjects, however, which seemed 
to find favour with the audience, and round which a 
good deal of discussion centred, were Bougainvillea 
glabra and its variety sanderiana ; Allamanda Hen- 
dersoni, A. Williamsi, Clerodendron Balfouri, Hoya 
carnosa, H. bella, Passiflcra kermesina, Stepha- 
notis floribunda and its varieties, etc., among stove 
plants. Cooler subjects were Clematis indivisa, C. 
i. lobata, Lapageria rosea, L. r. alba,, Solanum 
jasminoides, Tacsonia Van Volsxmii, Cobaea 
scandens variegata and such-like plants. Mr. 
Coutts condensed a large amount of infor¬ 
mation into the limited time at his disposal; gave 
very practical and satisfactory replies; and thus 
proved himself to be an observing gardener as well 
as a careful compiler of facts. On the motion of the 
chairmqp, Mr. Coutts received a very hearty vote of 
thanks. 
Science Teaching In Horticulture and in Methods of 
Answering Examination Questions.—A meeting will 
be held to arrange fees and times for a class on the 
above subjects at 2, The Broadway, Hammersmith, 
on Monday, January 30th, at 8p.ro. The class is 
intended as a preparation for the R.H S. Examina¬ 
tion. It will meet on two nights a week and will be 
conducted by Wilfrid Mark Webb, F.L.S., late 
Assistant Biologist in the successful School of 
Horticulture of The Essex County Council, Chelms¬ 
ford. 
Wells’ Chrysanthemum Calendar for 1899 .—Mr. W. 
Wells, of Earlswood, Surrey, has again issued a 
Chrysanthemum Calendar, and this second attempt 
is a distinct advance on the first, both illustrations 
and text having come out with remarkable clearness. 
The centre is occupied by a very faithful represent¬ 
ation of the new variety, the Hon. W. F. D. Smith. 
There are also large illustrations of Julia Scaramanga, 
Miss Nellie Pockett, and John Pockett, as well as 
smaller ones of Lord Ludlow, Mrs. White Popham, 
and the single Earlswood Beauty. The instructions 
given to Cbrysathemum growers are iaDged under 
each month, and as they constitute an epitome of the 
principal operations to be performed they will be 
useful as reminders. Our ordinary calendars start 
with January, but the Chrysanthemum year may be 
considered to commence with December, hence Mr. 
Wells has begun with that month, when the striking 
of cuttings is all agog. 
The Garden Annual. —That exceedingly handy * 
Almanack and Address Book, the Garden Annual, 
issued by Mr. W. Robinson from The Garden office, 
37, Southampton Street, Strand, seems to grow 
larger year by year. The alphabetical lists of the 
principal gardens in each county in the United 
Kingdom, gardeners’ names and addresses, and 
county seats are all repeated. There are also lists of 
British and foreign nurserymen, seedsmen, builders, 
and sundriesmen. The Horticultural and botanical 
societies with their respective secretaries are tabu¬ 
lated, also the public parks and gardens, with their 
curators, keepers or superintendents, as the case 
may be. A most useful feature is a list of the certi¬ 
ficates granted during the past year to fruits, 
flowers, and vegetables by the Royal Horticultural, 
the National Chrysanthemum, Royal Botanic, and 
the Auricula Societies. The colonies are not for¬ 
gotten, the various botanic establishments in India 
and the colonies, with their respective managers, 
being given. We notice, however, that there is a 
number of errors and omissions in this list. The 
price of the “ Annual ” is, as before, is. 
Shirley Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Association. 
—The monthly meeting of the above society was held 
on the 16th inst., at the Parish Room, Shirley, South¬ 
ampton, the President, W. F. G. Spranger, Esq., being 
present and also a large number of the members. 
The lecture was under the auspices of the Technical 
Education Committee, Southampton County Council, 
and was given by R. W. Stewart, Esq., D.Sc. 
London, principal of the Hartley College, South¬ 
ampton. The title of the lecture was " The 
effects of Electricity on Plants,” and the subject was 
most efficiently illustrated by a large number of 
electric experiments, diagrams and lantern slides. 
The lecturer explained the meaning of high and low 
pressure, positive, and negative electricity, and 
showed how a current might be made to pass through 
ordinary soil. He said experiments had shown that 
seeds sown in boxes through which a current had 
been passed for two hours daily showed a larger, and 
better percentage of germination than similar seeds 
grown in the ordinary manner. Reference was also 
made to experiments carried out in France, Russia, 
and in this country, at Clifton, where ou experimental 
plots of ground tall poles were erected, with a 
conductor from the top, leading into the ground, 
from which wires were carried in the ground in all 
directions, and various crops of vegetables grown on 
the soil. Comparison of the crops with similar ones 
grown on adjacent plots of land not electrically 
treated showed an increase of from forty to sixty per 
cent, in favour of the former. The lecturer con¬ 
cluded by asking his audience to try some of the 
experiments he had shown them and communicate 
the results to him. A hearty vote of thanks was 
most cordially given to the lecturer at the close of 
his most interesting and instructive lecture. 
Pineapple Fibre.—The leaves of the Pineapple 
contain a deal of fibre of a very flexible and strong 
character; but hitherto the process of extracting it 
from the tissue of the leaves has been against the 
success of its use as a commercial article. The 
individual threads are fine, and of regular thickness, 
and it is stated that bleaching will readily destroy 
their adhesion to one another, so that they can be 
spun like flax. A rope of this fibre was made at 
Singapore, and was stated to have stood a test of 
350 lb., while a rope of flax of similar dimensions 
only stood 260 lb. The fibre may be immersed in 
water for lengthy periods without rotting. 
Woolton Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society — 
The annual meeting of this society was held under 
the presidency of J ames Marsh Esq., and a large attend¬ 
ance of members,at the Mechanics'Instituteon the 19th 
inst. The report and statement of accounts was sub¬ 
mitted by Mr. R. G. Waterman, secretary and trea¬ 
surer. The report stated that the attendancethrough- 
out the year was a considerable increase on the previous 
one. This satisfactory statement was the outcome 
of an excellent programme of subjects, which was 
considered the best yet arranged by the society. A 
pleasing feature in connection with this matter was 
the interchange of lecturers of other kindred societies, 
with most pleasing results; and it was hoped that 
this portion of work might be extended. A cordial 
vote of thanks was tendered to the lecturers and the 
chairmen at the various meetings. The statement 
of accounts, including the balance from last year 
shows an income of £10 11s. 8d., the expenditure 
(chiefly for new books for the library), being £6 15s 
3d. leaving a balance in favour of the society of £1 16s. 
5d. The presidents, vice-presidents and committee 
were appointed,Mr. R. G. Waterman being retained in 
his office of hon. treasurer and secretary. A cordial 
vote of thanks was tendered to Mr. Marsh for pre¬ 
siding. 
Presentation to a Scottish “’Mum” Grower.—Mr. 
James Carrutbers, lately gardener at Hillwood, 
Corstorphine, has long been known as a keen and 
successful grower and exhibitor of “’Mums”; and 
was one of the leaders of the small but enthusiastic 
band who urged the Scottish Horticultural Associa 
tion to take the Chrysanthemum in hand for the 
Edinburgh district, and did yeoman service to the 
association in their early efforts to establish the 
Edinburgh Chrysanthemum show, which now figures 
so conspicuously in the "’Mum” world. Mr. 
Carruthers was a most successful grower of exhibi¬ 
tion blooms, and though never fortunate enough to 
gain the Edinburgh City Prize, was several times so 
near it that even the lucky ones thought he had hard 
lines and would have been pleased to see his stand 
embellished with the much coveted "red ticket.” 
Such, however, was not to be, as for two years he 
has been laid aside with severe rheumatism, and last 
autumn was obliged to relinquish his position at 
Hillwood, which he had filled with great credit for 
more than twenty years. He has now, in co-operation 
with a relative, leased a small market nursery at 
Ravelston, near Edinburgh. His friends and pro¬ 
fessional brethren took occasion of his leaving Hill¬ 
wood, to show their appreciation of his services to 
horticulture, and the high esteem in which he was 
personally held by subscribing a liberal sum in order 
to show their regard in a practical form. This was 
supplemented by a contribution from the Scottish 
Horticultural Association, by a unanimous vote at a 
crowded meeting of members. On Saturday last, the 
21st inst., a small deputation of subscribers, headed 
by Mr. R. W. E. Murray (the King of Scottish 
amateur “ 'Mum ’’growers) and Mr.M.Todd, the retir¬ 
ing President of the S.H.A., wailed on Mr.Carruthers, 
at Ravelston, and presented him in name of the sud- 
scribers with a cheque for over sixty pounds. Mr. 
Todd happily expressed the great pleasure it gave 
the subscribers to show their hearty goodwill towards 
him, congratulated him on his improving health, and 
expressed the warmest wish of his many friends that 
his strength and activity would return, and that great 
success would attend his new business venture. Mrs. 
Carruthers replying in a few brief and appropriate 
remarks, expressed his hearifelt thanks. Mrs. 
Carruthers treated the deputation to an elegant tea. 
The health of Mr. Carruthers and his fireside was 
warmly pledged in a “ wee drap ” of Scotch, and a 
very happy hour was spent. 
