458 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 20, 1897. 
It was known before the present century that each 
pool contained myriads of lower organisms, but up 
to the years 1850-60 no attempt was made to find 
out anything about these organisms. The history 
of the 25 years succeeding that period was made up 
of improvements upon the systems whereby micros¬ 
copic plants could be obtained free from weeds. 
The names of de Barry, and Professor J. M. Berkeley 
were famous in this branch of research. 
In dealing with the lower plants, as with the 
higher, it was necessary that the medium in which 
they were grown should be suitable. The spores 
had to be carefully selected and isolated, and the 
whole course of the plant traced from spore to spore. 
After many years of labour it was now possible to 
deal as confidently with organisms so minute that 
25,000 of them placed end to end only extended for 
an inch, as with Acorns, Peas, or Beans. The spores 
were taken and shaken up in gelatine, which 
becomes viscid from the warmth of the hand. The 
mixture was then poured out thinly and evenly on 
glass slides, when the spores germinated in a day or 
two. One plant was selected, and its spores sown 
until the whole batch of plants resulting were alike. 
They could then be sure that they had no weeds. 
They enclosed these microscopic plants in a miniature 
greenhouse, the light and heat of Which could be regu¬ 
lated at will. 
After all this trouble had been taken the question 
arose, is the little organism an enemy or is it a 
friend ? 
Speaking of the various ways in which microscopic 
gardening was commonly practised, Professor 
Marshall Ward spoke of the pollenising of a flower 
as an instance. The pollen grains he likened to the 
spores, placed upon a prepared bed, the stigma. 
Thus bees were amongst the oldest of our microscopic 
gardeners. Brewing was an example of the oldest 
microscopic gardening conducted by man, a special 
medium being prepared for the yeast plants to 
grow in. 
The value of the various bacteria to man was 
immense. For instance there were millions of tons 
of wood formed each year, which, but for various 
bacteria would remain in the soil. A thimbleful of 
surface soil in a garden would contain from 1,000 to 
95,000,000 of organisms. These numbers would 
decrease the deeper you went down until at from 5 ft. 
to 6 ft. below the surface there were none at all. As 
an instance of this he spoke of a fact that came under 
his own notice, when in a piece of ground that had 
been very deeply trenched, the subsoil having been 
brought to the surface, the plants which were placed 
in it refused to grow, on account of the absence of 
the necessary bacteria ; and it was only when a little 
surface garden soil was introduced that the plants 
grew. A discovery that had been made recently by 
a Russian, has thrown much light upon the move¬ 
ments of nitrogen from its free state into the plant, 
and back to the free state again. 
The lecturer dealt at some length with injurious 
fungi such as the rust of wheat, and spoke of various 
methods of combating injurious organisms, making 
special mention of the application of hot water. He 
said that on a large scale men do not apply the 
methods proved to be successes in the laboratory, 
intelligently, hence the lack of success. 
At the close of the lecture Professor Henslow 
offered a few remarks,dealing specially with the recent 
discovery as to the movements of nitrogen, and 
asking for details, to which Professor Marshall Ward 
responded. 
--afo- 
The City of Toledo, U S A., has eight public parks, 
containing a total acreage of 691 and valued at 
$825,570. 
Fertilisers in the Orchard—The use of any 
manure upon cereals and annuals generally yields 
results the first year, but an American contemporary 
is of opinion that several years must elapse from the 
date of the application of any fertiliser to orchards 
before the full effects can be determined. In North 
Carolina and Georgia the success of the Peach 
growers is largely due to their knowledge of the 
needs of the soil. At the end of June the land is 
planted with Cow Peas, expressly grown for the 
purpose of supplying nitrogen to the soil. The 
latter is thus enriched with nitrogenous substance at 
a very small cost. Heavy dressings of acid 
phosphate and kainit, or instead, muriate of potash, 
are given annually. Consistent following up of this 
programme is attended by the best results. 
GLOXINIAS. 
Years ago these beautiful plants were seldom seen, 
being grown only in large gardens where stoves were at 
command for growing stove plants chiefly. They were 
mostly propagated by cuttings and leaves taken off 
close to the stem of the plant, and inserted in pots 
in peat and sand, and kept in a moist house or frame 
where they soon formed nice tubers for another season. 
Then we used to grow some splendid plants in 32- 
sized pots in a compost of loam, peat, leaf mould, 
sand, and some well rotted cow manure properly 
dried, and rubbed through a fine sieve. Now they 
seem to have got into the hands of amateurs, and 
are so easily got from seed that they have become the 
flower of most people who have a greenhouse, or in 
many cases they may be termed intermediate house 
plants. Without doubt these plants are grown to 
tie height of perfection by these gentlemen. The 
best plants of Gloxinias I ever saw were at Wood 
Green Show last season, grown by Mr. Marmont, an 
amateur in Whittington Road, Bowes Park. His 
best plant was a splendid white with blooms standing 
boldly out from amongst some splendid foliage of 
a dark velvety-green, with serrated edges. It was 
one of the finest specimen Gloxinias I ever saw. I 
may say the flowers numbered from 80 to 100, and 
were growing in an 8-in. pot. The next best plant 
was almost scarlet and beautifully bloomed Others 
were rather lighter in colour, one a very dark 
purple, and a blue, all well bloomed, and the blooms 
standing well up out of the strong foliage, which was 
as clean and fresh as though it had never been 
moved from the house where grown. I give great 
credit to the grower. The plants were grown from 
seed supplied by Messrs. Sutton, of Reading, and 
the tubers were two years old only. We seldom see 
plants so well managed.— J. L., P. 
CLIMBING STEMS IN TROPICAL 
FORESTS. 
One sometimes hears it argued that botanical works 
are uninteresting and very dry reading, and that one 
has to stumble over a number of jaw-breaking 
names and technical terms; also that writers express 
themselves in scientific language, and formal phrases 
hard to be understood. The following from 
“ Kerner’s Natural History of Plants," may, I think 
be taken as an exception, and strikes me as forming 
an exceedingly pretty wood picture. Concerning 
leaves, he says : “ Often it happens that the name of 
a plant affects our imagination by its pleasing or har¬ 
monious sound. One associates with the name not 
merely the idea of the form of a certain plant, but 
more than this, its whole surroundings, framed in 
which it grows and flourishes. One conjures up a 
picture of a flowery meadow or scented wood with 
which the plant with pleasing name can only har¬ 
monise. It may be some far-back reminiscence is 
bound up with the pretty name, of which we may 
have read a vivid description in a book long ago." 
“ I am thinking here especially of the word 
" liane.” When this beautiful word is sounded, a 
whole series of splendid pictures stand out in strong 
relief from the twilight of youthful recollections. I 
see a dense leafy canopy, lit by a stray sunbeam here 
and there, arching over the gigantic stems of the 
primeval forest, stems which rise up like the columns 
of a spacious hall. On the forest floor the scanty 
green of shade-loving Ferns covers the remains of 
fallen trees. Further on a confused brown mass of 
tangled roots renders progress over the still dark 
ground almost impossible. In contrast to these 
gloomy depths how brilliant is the picture in the 
glades and on the margin of the primeval forest! 
Plant forms in indescribable confusion piled up into 
the thickest of hedges rise higher and higher to the 
very crowns of the giant trees, so that it is impossi¬ 
ble to obtain even a glimpse into the pillared hall of 
the interior of the forest. This is the true and 
proper home of the liane. Everything climbs, winds t 
and twines with everything else, and the eye in vain 
attempts to ascertain which stem, which foliage, 
which flowers and fruits belong to which. There the 
lianes weave and work green draperies and carpets in 
front of the stems of the forest border, there they 
appear as swaying garlands, or hanging down as 
ample curtains from the branches of the trees. In 
other places they stretch in luxuriant festoons from 
bough to bough, and from tree to tree, forming 
suspension bridges, even actual arcades with pointed 
and rounded arches. Isolated tree trunks are trans¬ 
formed into emerald pillars by the covering of woven 
lianes, or more frequently become the centres of 
green pyramids, over the summit of which the crown 
spreads out in verdant plumes. When the lianes 
have grown old with the trees on which they cling, 
and the older portion of their stems has long been 
stripped of foliage, they resemble ropes stretched 
between the ground and the tree summits, and often 
assume peculiar and characteristic forms. Some¬ 
times drawn out tightly, sometimes limp an d sway¬ 
ing, they rise up from the undergrowth of the forest 
ground, and become entangled and lost far above 
among the boughs. Many are twisted like the 
strands of a cable, others are curved like a cork¬ 
screw ; and others again are flattened like ribbons, 
hollowed in pits, or shaped into elegant steps—the 
celebrated monkey ladders.” 
“ The green garlands, bowers and festoons of 
lianes are adorned with the gayest flowers. Here a 
truss glows with flame-like brilliancy, there a large 
blue raceme sways in the sunshine, and here again is 
a dusky curtain studded with hundreds of bright 
starlike Passion Flowers. And when flowers flaunt 
themselves and fruits ripen, guests are not wanting. 
The gay assemblage of butterflies, and the joyous 
songsters of the wood regard the forest border inter¬ 
woven with lianes as their favourite rendezvous."— 
A. P. 
-- 
AYRSHIRE GARDENING. 
It is pleasant to be able to adduce that gardening is 
not in such a state of retrogression in some of our best 
Scottish counties, as reported to be in many 
districts. In many cases we deplore reductions in 
gardening establishments by reason of the depression 
in the agricultural interest. Throughout Ayrshire 
there are many noble domains which have suffered 
by the depression as indicated, but it is well for 
horticulture that there are means—varied and 
ample to maintain the cause we love—apart from 
the sister art so important to the whole community. 
At Ayr, when on a visit lately, during very stormy 
weather, I noted that it is evident that retrogression 
is unknown in the immediate vicinity of Ayr. Prob¬ 
ably there is not more enthusiasm manifested and 
support given in the north towards the maintenance 
of gardening than in this locality which Burns 
stated was famed for " honest men and bonnie 
lasses.” Suburban gardeners can be numbered by 
the score, all rendering their quota to the cultivation 
of fruits, vegetables and flowers. The latter 
especially are very popular. Let us take Sir William 
Arrol's(of Forth Bridge fame) new place as an example 
of refinement, where everything architectural and 
horticultural is rendered as complete as skill and 
opulence can make it. But shrub and tree growth 
are not likely to be "very strong points at Seafield. 
The name indicates close proximity to the sea. 
The breezes from the Firth of Clyde are irresistible, 
and protection of the most elaborate description 
cannot stem the blast when the wind blows "as 
'twad blaw its last." As an adjunct to the elegant 
new mansion there is one of the most beautiful con¬ 
servatories I have ever seen. Here there is ample 
space for exercise and retirement, when weather is 
inclement. A beautiful floor all round the oblong 
structure of mosaic is quiet and tasteful, and does 
not detract from the beauty of gay flowers or fine foli¬ 
age which are special objects all the season through. 
Huge Fuschias grown up as pillars, Palms towering 
up towards the dome, Cytisus as pyramids, in full 
flower, are interspersed with other plants, fine in foli- 
• age, and a great host of flowering plants covering the 
ground space. Bulbs such as Tulips, of many sorts, 
Daffodils, Hyacinths, Callas, Azaleas, Camellias, 
Cyclamens and Cinerarias were specially well grown 
with a great profusion of flowers on them. Primulas 
were perhaps the most attractive of the display. 
Long lines were placed by the kerb-stones of the path 
and were in first-rate form—Cannell’s Victoria, a pale 
pink was producing the finest flowers for substance 
and size I have seen, and contrasted well with pink 
crimson and pure white varieties. A beautiful 
fountain sending up fine sprays, like mist. Chairs 
of handsome form, and means to light up the structure, 
indicate usefulness as well as ornament. Such a 
retreat beside a mansion reminds us of some of those 
elegant structures which the late Mr. Marnock 
devised to act as drawing-rooms and conservatories 
combined. 
We passed on through other ranges of glass filled 
with admirably grown specimens of Cinerarias, 
