THE GARDENING WORLD 
509 
April 10, 1897. 
Platycerium alcicorne, etc. They also had plants in 
flower of Spiraea, Azalea mollis, Rhododendrons, 
Doronicum, and Primula cashmeriana, vases of cut 
Tulips, Narcissus, etc. They showed a tasteful 
floral design in form of an anchor, showing a chaste 
and artistic combination of colour. 
Mr. John Downie, Nurseryman, 144, Princes 
Street, Edinburgh, has made his circular table a 
most impressive display, as usual. It contained 
standard and dwarf Azalea mollis, A. indica, double 
and single Ghent Azaleas, standard and dwarf 
Lilacs, Staphyleas, Kalmias, Boronias, Genista 
andreana, G. praecox, and Acer Negundo variegata. 
The whole were most effectively arranged, and 
attracted close attention. 
A plate of 18 specimens of the Fungus Gyromitra 
esculenta from John B. Boyd, Esq., Cherry-tree, 
Kelso, attracted considerable attention, owing to 
their most peculiar construction. 
Messrs. Ford & Co., Princes Street, Edin¬ 
burgh, again show a most choice assortment of 
decorative art pottery, in pedestals and pots ; also a 
new coloured glass for cut flowers, styled " Clover- 
green," in all shapes and sizes. This is a pleasing 
change from the monotonous dark green, so long in 
use. 
Messrs. Thos. Methven & Sons take one of the 
four big circular tables for a collection of Kalmias, 
Lilacs, Acers, and Azaleas (mollis and indica), with 
a very fine lot of flowering Lilium Harrisii. These 
are prettily staged, "and interspersed with Ferns, 
Palms, and other foliage plants. 
- 
THYRSACANTHUS RUTILANS. 
Among what may be called soft-wooded stove plants 
adapted for general decorative purposes during the 
winter months, this is certainly worthy of a wider 
cultivation. It is a really beautiful, easily grown 
plant, yet seldom met with in good condition. Plants 
from twelve to eighteen inches in height, grown in 
five inch pots, will carry about a dozen racemes of 
flower, eighteen inches in length, of a beautiful 
scarlet colour. To show it off to the best advantage 
it requires elevating, otherwise the racemes of flower 
which are slender and pendant will not be seen. In. 
conjunction with Poinsettias, winter-flowering 
Begonias and Apbelandras, a most tasteful and 
beautiful arrangement may be made. Plants are 
easily raised by rooting cuttings taken from the old 
plants in spring, on a brisk bottom heat, potted off 
and grown on into 4 in. and 6 in. pots by June. 
Harden them off during that month, and keep in a 
cold frame, giving abundance of air and sunshine till 
early autumD, so that the wood gets well-ripened ; for 
upon this depends that through ripening of the wood, 
which is essential for the production of flowers. A 
peaty soil, with some loam and coarse silver sand 
will make a suitable compost.— W. B. G. 
«>» 
OBITUARY. 
Mr. W. G. Head. 
It is with much regret that we have to announce the 
death of Mr. W. G. Head, the chief of the Crystal 
Palace Company's garden staff, and superintendent 
of the flower shows. He has been afflicted with a 
grievous ailment for some months past, being 
entirely under medical care; and passed away on 
Saturday morning last at ten minutes past five 
o’clock. 
Mr. Head was born in the Worthing Nursery, 
where his grandfather, about sixty-six years ago, 
erected the first glasshouse in the neighbourhood for 
grape culture. The subject of these notes was sent 
to Arundel Castle as a young man under Mr. 
McEwan in 1853. I Q 1856 he went to Shrubland 
Park, Suffolk, in the wake of Mr. A F. Barron of 
Chiswick. Here it may be noted that Mr. Head's 
old master, Mr. McEwan, preceded Mr. Barron at 
Chiswick. The former sent Mr. Head to Mr. J. 
McIntosh, at Drumlanrig Castle, in 1857, to act as 
foreman in the glass department. After a stay of 
four years, he was appointed head gardener at Castle 
Dykes, in Dumfries, where he put up a great 
quantity of glass. 
While at Castle Dykes his health failed him, and 
giving up his situation, he returned to the south in 
the spring of 1863, and accepted a foreman’s place at 
Abernant in South Wales. From thence he moved 
to Arundel as foreman to the late Mr. J. Wilson. In 
1867 we find him on the staff of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society at Chiswick. When the late M r - 
Woodbridge moved from Kew to Syon House, Mr. 
Head took his place as foreman in the greenhouse 
and plant furnishing department in the Royal 
Gardens at Kew. Not being very strong, his 
medical adviser recommended him to go to Calcutta 
for the benefit of his health. Here he laid out a 
garden and nursery for the Agri-Horticultural 
Society of India. After a period of six years he 
returned to England in 1878, having regained his 
wonted health and energy. 
About 1879 or 1880 he was appointed garden 
superintendent at the Crystal Palace, where he con¬ 
tinued the management of the extensive gardens and 
dressed grounds till laid up by the illness which 
carried him off last week Here he made a large 
number of personal friends and acquaintances. The 
garden staff at the Palace was a small one consider¬ 
ing the extent of the place, but Mr. Head, by un¬ 
tiring industry and energy, managed to keep the 
gardens iu a beautifully neat and enjoyable con¬ 
dition. Notwithstanding the great crowds of people 
continually frequenting the place, the turf was 
Then make up a compost of good soil from under 
neath the pottiDg benches, or anywhere you can get 
it, mixing the same with wood ashes, lime, some 
bone meal and some nitrate of soda. Failing the 
latter, or any of the other manures, jou might chop 
up some well rotted farmyard manure, and mix with 
the soil. Spread the compost over the lawn, 
scatter it about with a birch broom to break the 
knots, and then scatter some grass seed over the 
bare places. Give the ground a raking to settle the 
grass seeds, and then go over the whole once or 
twice with the garden roller to make the whole sur¬ 
face even and firm. The principal things necessary 
to prevent moss are to see that the ground is 
properly drained naturally or artificially, and then 
to feed the grass to get it to make good growth. 
Hot Lime for the Kitchen Garden.— D. W. D. 
We consider your peaty soil would derive consider¬ 
able advantage by a top-dressing of lime. In the 
case of Potatos we should do the planting first and 
then scatter the lime over the surface, giving it a 
scuffle with the rake, merely for appearance sake, the 
object being to keep the lime near the surface as it soon 
gets deeply enough into the soil. In thecase of Onions, 
Carrots, Beet, &c., you may give the ground a dress¬ 
ing in the first place, then rake it over, take out the 
trenches or drills, and sow immediately. It is 
Mr. W. G. Head. 
always in excellent order, well upholding this 
country's reputation for the maintenance of a green 
sward that has always been the envy of foreigners. 
The flower beds on the green slopes of the Palace 
grounds at Sydenham were also kept in excellent 
trim notwithstanding the limited number of workers. 
As carpet bedding became less fashionable, tuberous 
and other Begonias largely took the place of it. 
Mr. Head was laid to rest in Chiswick churchyard 
on Wednesday last at two o'clock. 
---S*—- 
Questions ano ansoieRs 
*,* Will our friends who send us newspapers be so good 
as to mark the paragraphs or articles they wish us to see. 
We shall be greatly obliged bv their so doing. 
[ Correspondents, please note that we cannot undertake to 
name florists' flowers such as Carnations, Pelargoniums, 
Chrysanthemums, Roses, nor such as are mere garden 
varieties, differing only in the colour of the flower. 
Florists’ flowers, as a rule, can only be named by those who 
grow collections of them.] 
Moss on the Lawn Tennis Green.— D. W. D. : 
We should imagine your lawn is wet below, if not 
above. In that case it would be well to drain it. 
The next thing you should do is to give it a good 
harrowing with an iron rake to remove the moss, 
immaterial, however, for you might even scatter the 
lime on the ground some time after the sowing was 
made, if you liked; but it looks better to have the 
lime raked in to make the ground appear of its usual 
colour. The lime will do no harm if there is nothing 
growing on the ground at the time of applying it. 
Insect amongst Roses. — A. Robb : It is one of 
the Ichneumon-flies belonging to the great family 
of Hymenoptera, and not likely to do your Roses any 
harm. The fact (of its being seen amongst Roses 
in the perfect or winged form does not imply very 
much, as it might simply be wandering about or 
resting in the position where you found it. It is 
moderately common. 
Fruit to name. — Kenton, Louth : On p. 44r, in the 
issue for March 13th, you will find that an Apple 
was named Dutch Mignonne to a correspondent 
under the nom deplume of 11 Subscriber." There were 
three Apples sent on that occasion, which may have 
been yours ; otherwise your consignment did not 
reach us. We have a recollection, however, that 
those Apples came from Gloucestershire ; but it is too 
long ago to be certain. 
Water Lilies.— M. M'L. : We have written to 
make enquiries concerning the plants you mention, 
and should feel very much annoyed if it is otherwisa 
than a mistake. As it is we cannot understand it 
but will let you know the result of our enquiries. 
The address you supplied us with is quite correct. 
