212 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 5, 1896, 
Sweet William is a corruption of the French Oeillet 
de poete (Pink of the poet), as applied to Dianthus 
barbatus. Oeillet first got changed to Willy, then 
William, and Sweet was afterwards added. 
Kingston Chrysanthemum Society.—In speaking of 
the past, present, and future prospects of this society 
Mr. A. Dean says that he carefully went over the 
names of the exhibitors at the recent show, and 
found only two or three that liyed outside Surrey. 
He accounted for this by surmising that the Chry¬ 
santhemum is not only more generally grown in the 
county, but on the average better grown than in 
any other county in the kingdom. 
Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen.—At a 
meeting of the directors on the 23rd alt., a number 
of applications for the post of secretary were sub¬ 
mitted, and it was unanimously agreed to appoint 
Mr. James Barclay Rennet, C.A., as interim 
secretary. A resolution of condolence with the 
relatives of the late Mr. A. M. Byres was also 
passed, and instructions given for copies to be sent 
to the relatives of the deceased. 
Lectures on Fruit in Cornwall —Mr. Illot instructor 
and lecturer for the County Council of Cornwall, 
gave a series of lectures and demonstrations on fruit 
culture in the neighbourhood of Helston during the 
last week of October. He thought that much of the 
land was favourable for fruit and garden produce. 
Strawberries and Asparagus especially would pay, if 
brought on a week earlier than growers in other parts 
of the country did. The Cornish climate was 
suitable for this. He considered that grafting, 
pruning and Apple culture required improving. 
National Chrysanthemum Society.—Some good 
blooms turned up at the Floral Committee meeting of 
the above society on November 25th, at the Royal 
Aquarium. Only two varieties received First-class 
Certificates, for particulars of which see another 
column. A plant and some cut blooms of the single 
Ethelwhynn were submitted by Geo. Gosney, Esq., 
Elmfield Lodge, Southall, and a verdict cf 
‘•Commended" was given. The variety in question 
exhibits a delicate shade of lilac, and the ray florets 
are long, narrow, and straggling. Mr. W. Wells sent 
good samples of Miss L. D. Black and the new 
decorative Lady Hanham. Mr. W. J. Godfrey i 
Exmoutb, had fine blooms of The Egyptian and Lady 
Northcote. Mr. R. Owen, Maidenhead sent blooms 
of Bynum Schiltez for classification. The commitee 
decided that it was a Japanese incurved. 
The Ship Canal and Fruit. —Since Manchester 
became a seaport, through the medium of its canal, 
many new businesses have sprung up, including the 
sale of cargoes of fruit by auction. Steamers arrive 
almost daily from the South of Europe laden with 
fruit, which is at once disposed of from samples, and 
railed, barged, or carted from the quays to its places 
of destination. The sales are conducted in the 
Corporation's Commercial Sale Room, Deansgate, 
and are attended by all the principal buyers from 
Manchester and elsewhere in the surrounding 
districts. Purchasers of American and Canadian 
Apples who used to have to go to Liverpool can now 
buy at Manchester. A steamer has been berthed at 
Halifax, Nova Scotia to ship Apples direct to Man¬ 
chester. A market for dried fruit was established 
recently. 
Juno Cycles at the Crystal Palace.—The Metro¬ 
politan Machinists’ Co. at their stand opposite the 
Grand Organ at the Crystal Palace, will have a large 
and representative exhibit of their well known Juno 
Cycles, at the National Cycle Show, from December 
4th to 12th, 1896. Though the main lines on which 
the Junos are built are now tolerably well fixed, there 
are numerous improvements in detail which will not 
fail to commend these machines. Several Juno 
Lady Safeties will be on view, including both straight 
and curved tube designs, a very light and graceful 
one of the latter scaling 26 lbs. Juno Diamond 
Roadsters will be in evidence, one o.f the race horse 
type, weighing 20 lbs., and a Light Roadster, 24 lbs. 
Heavy-weight riders are catered for in the Juno 
Safety No. n., a new design machine, which, though 
only scaling 35 lbs., will bear riders up to 18 stones. 
A new model for 1897, the Juno Tricycle, will be 
on the stand, a machine that has come into vogue 
during the past season, owing to its stability, light¬ 
ness, and speed. 
“The Average New England Farmer," says the 
Boston Globe of October 9th, “ is wondering now how 
he is ever going to dig his farm out from underneath 
the Apples." No doubt old England will help 
him. 
Rude Rebeccas is a name applied by many of the 
rural population of Devonshire to several yellow 
flowers of the Sunflower type. To those who think 
the fairies have been at work, it may be said that 
the name is a corruption of Rudbeckia. 
The Orange Trees of Florida, it maybe remembered, 
were very much destroyed a few years ago by a 
memorable frost in spring. They are rapidly 
recovering, and it will not be long before they are 
bearing again as heavily as ever. 
Water Rate for Gardens. —Surprise and a consider¬ 
able amount of indignation has been aroused amongst 
water consumers in South London on account of the 
way the Southwark and Vauxhall Water Company 
had been pushing a demand for 4s. per house in 
respect of garden watering. The company has a 
right to make this charge if there is any pipe, tube, 
or apparatus fixed in the garden for obtaining more 
than the usual supply but not otherwise. 
Tree Planting at Brighton. —The head gardener to 
the Brighton Corporation has been recommending 
the removal of some trees that have been causing 
inconvenience and the planting of others on the 
opposite side of the road. The Recreation Grounds 
Committee approved the recommendation and also 
that of the removal of a few Poplar trees in Clevedon 
Road, and the planting of thirty-three Elm trees. 
Kniphofia Nelsoni.—A native of the Orange Free 
State has been flowering freely in the open air at Kew 
till quite recently. The stems of the plant were ft. 
to 3 ft. high, bearing graceful spikes, of drooping, 
slender tubular flowers of a fiery orange-red, dying 
off to a soft orange as they became fully developed, 
and the anthers shed their pollen. The effect was 
handsome at the fag end of the flowery season. 
Lecture on Hard-wooded Plants. —The other week 
Mr. James Hudson, gardener to Messrs, de 
Rothschild, Gunnersbury House, Acton, delivered a 
lecture to the members of the Beckenham Horti¬ 
cultural Society, the subject being “ Hard-wooded 
Flowering Plants.” He said they included some of 
the finest flowering plants, and advocated a wider 
cultivation, notwithstanding the fact that their 
popularity had somewhat declined in recent years. 
He mentioned the great amount of beauty and 
variety to be met with amongst Heaths alone. The 
plants varied in habit as the flowers in form and 
colour. Some species were slow growing plants, 
and others rapidly got too tall to be easily 
accommodated. He concluded by going into practical 
details of cultivation. Peat, he said, was the staple 
soil in which to pot these hard-wooded or New 
Holland and Cape plants. He did not favour the 
use of manure for them in any form whatever. A 
little soot water might be used with safety if without 
sediment. The second week of September was the 
time to house the plants, and dry flowers of sulphur 
or syringing with sulphur in water were the best 
antidotes to mildew. 
Dr. Dallinger on Plants and Animals. —A lengthy 
and eloquent lecture on 11 Plants that Entrap and 
Prey upon Animals," was delivered by Dr. Dallinger 
at the Union Chapel, Islington, on the 3rd ult. His 
discourse was illustrated by limelightjviews. Amongst 
Other things demonstrated by investigation, not the 
least was the biographical relations existing between 
plants and animals. It was inaccurate to suppose 
that the universal distinction between plant and 
animals was that of locomotion. Some plants were 
endowed with movements, having the grace and 
freedom of the swallow, all their lives. On the con¬ 
trary there were animals such as sponges and 
coral animals which were entirely devoid of 
locomotion throughout their lives. He then 
dealt with the movements and fertilisation of aquatic 
plants, the movements of Mimosa, Victoria regia, the 
leaves of the Drosera, with their sensitive tentacles, 
the Sarracenias of North America, the pitchers of 
Nepenthes and other plants capable of entrapping 
and digesting or absorbing their prey. Some plants 
could be intoxicated like animals, paralysed with 
opium or chloroform, or killed by the electric 
spark. 
Edinburgh Botanical Society.—At an ordinary 
meeting of the Botanical Society held on the 12th 
ult , at 5, St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Dr. A. P. 
Aitkin, president, who occupied the chair, stated that 
there had been no change in the number of honorary 
fellows since 1895, but two foreign fellows had died. 
The number of British resident fellows, 126, 
remained unaltered, and of the 139 non-residents 
two had died. One of the corresponding members, 
two non-resident fellows, and one associate had also 
died. The number of lady associates remained one, 
and of lady members five. He expressed the hope 
that an effort would be made to increase the member¬ 
ship. Next he read a paper on " The Nitrogenous 
Food of Plants." Mr. A. D. Richardson afterwards 
gave an account of the meteorological observations 
at the Royal Botanic Gardens. It showed that the 
mean temperature in' the shade during July was 
58 2° ; August, 56 5 ; September, 537 ; and October, 
437 ; while the lowest temperature was on the 23rd 
October, 27 9. The radiation thermometer had 
showed there was frost on the grass on one day in 
July, one in September, and on eighteen days in 
October. The sunniest day in July was the 28th, 
when the sunshine amounted to twelve hours; in 
August, the 5th, 12-2 hours ; in September, the 15th, 
92 hours; and in October, the 8th, seven hours. 
During July the greatest rainfall was on the 8th, 
1.105 m.; August, the 23rd, 0.565 ; September, the 
1st, 0 850 ; and October, the 7th, 0 850 in. 
Interesting Presentation—On Wednesday evening, 
November 25th, an interesting ceremony took place 
at the residence of Mr. George Bunyard, of the 
Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, when a representative 
committee of the employees,composed of the heads of 
the various departments, assembled to present their 
employer with a testimonial to celebrate the 
centenary of the firm's existence. In the presence 
of Mr. and Mrs. Bunyard and family, Mr. Buss, as 
chairman of the committee, made the presentation, 
accompanied by a few suitable remarks, followed by 
some supplementary explanations by Mr. Wells, 
secretary. The testimonial took the form of a hand¬ 
somely illuminated address on vellum, comprising a 
sketch of the Maidstone offices and heraldic and 
other designs, and set in a massive carved oak frame 
of convential Oak leaves, the dome-shaped top being 
flanked on either side by cornucopias or horn of 
plenty beautifully worked in relief, the wording of the 
address terminating with the names of the su bscribers, 
numbering nearly 100 being as follows :—-“ We, the 
employees ofthe firm of GeorgeBunyard and Co. .desire 
to offer our congratulations to our employer, Mr. 
George Bunyard,on theattainment ofthe centenary of 
the firm’s existence, and we ask his acceptance of this 
testimonial as a slight token of our sincere respect 
and esteem. We trust that Mr. and Mrs. Bunyard 
may with their family long enjoy the fruits of the 
firm's prosperity, and that their sons may so follow 
in the footsteps of their father, that the year 1996 
may witness the celebration of the bi-centenary of 
the champion fruit nurseries of the world.” The 
address having been inspected and admired 
by all present, Mr. Bunyard expressed his 
appreciation of the gift in a few well-chosen words, 
and the proceedings terminated. The illumination 
was executed by Mr. H. C. Westgate, of Ipswich, 
while the frame was the work of Messrs. Pryer, 
horticultural and other builders, of Maidstone. 
- 
CALANTHE VESTITA, C. VEITCHI, &c. 
These will be fast opening their flowers now, and it 
should be the growers' aim to keep them in good con¬ 
dition as long as possible ; for what is better to cut 
for tall glasses at this season than these lovely 
Orchids, especially C. Veitchii. If not already 
removed from their summer quarters, or the 
temperature reduced, they should be placed in a 
house that keeps about 6o°. If the night has been 
cold 55° in the morning will do no harm. I place 
mine among the Ferns in our fernery, where they 
unfold their flowers satisfactorily and keep a very 
long time; of course, the syringe is kept from them, 
and on dull days very little water is thrown about 
the house unnecessarily. I have known them to last 
three weeks in the house, when cut, and the water 
changed every few days, and the end of the stem 
shortened an inch each time. If Mr. Editor thinks 
it would be instructive, I should be pleased to give 
cultural details of these most lovely winter-flowering 
gems in a subsequent issue.— J. M., B. 
[Please do. Calanthes are now in season.—E d.] 
