April 24, 1897. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
541 
small supply of which was reached at 89 ft. Since 
then much work has been done, and in December, 
1894, there were thirty bores completed, nine in pro¬ 
gress, and sites selected for twenty-three others. Of 
those completed, twenty yield a daily supply 
from artesian source* of somewhat over 7,0:0,000 
gallons- Ten bores tap a sub-artesian supply, and 
by pumping give a daily yield of 500,000 gallons. In 
one instance only has the search for water been 
entirely unsuccessful. In June, 1895, there had been 
completed by private enterprise ninety bores, all 
yielding serviceable water ; of these, seventy-three 
gave a combined daily flow[which may be approxi¬ 
mately stated at 30,000,000 gallons, and from the 
other seventeen a supply was being pumped. At 
one of the Government bores, that at Pera, an 
irrigation colony has been established, there being 
ten selections of twenty acres each, and a Govern¬ 
ment experimental farm of 78 acres. The country 
in which Pera is situated is in the dry season the 
triumph of desolation. Yet in this isolated locality 
there are spots with beautiful flowing water, gardens 
in the richness of successful cultivation, a delightful 
homestead, and splendid baths. This is the trans¬ 
formation that has been effected by the Pera bore. 
The bore sends out 700,000 gallons a day, all of which 
is at the disposal of the settlers, and of those who 
choose to follow their example. 
Vegetables are grown in considerable quantities, a 
ready market being found at Bourke, a few miles 
distant. Fruit-growing has every chance of success, 
and the settlers are planting Apricots, Peaches, Figs, 
and Prunes, chiefly for drying purposes, the local 
articles being said to be far superior to those 
imported from other countries. This little colony 
is not only blessed with a market at its door for all 
the vegetables and produce it can raise, but a firm in 
Sydney has agreed to take all the broom Millet the 
settlers can grow, and convert it into brooms. 
Samples of these brooms have already been exhibited 
at various agricultural shows, and have met with 
high approval, and it is stated that “ Pera brooms ” 
will be a familiar household article in a few years. 
Another firm has offered to take all the dried fruit 
produced at the settlement. The water supply shows 
every indication of being not only permanent, but 
also of increasing in volume. Each settler is entitled 
to 21,000 gallons a day. 
About forty of the Date Palms, specially obtained 
through the services of the French Government, 
from Algiers, have been planted on the Government 
experimental section at Pera, and they have done 
very well, and are flowering this year. Next year it 
is expected that they will bear fruit, the district being 
admirably suited for the growth of Dates. Indeed, they 
grow wild from seeds scattered about. It is expected 
that by cultivating the fine Algerian variety it will 
develop into a paying industry. There are also nine 
acres of Lucerne on the Goverment section doing 
admirably Lucerne does so well there that every¬ 
body has a little patch of it planted. Cotton is 
another crop which it is anticipated will prove 
payable under irrigation, as the Bourke climate is 
said to be very well adapted for this plant. As the 
cretaceous formations are known to cover the greater 
portion of the so-called “dry country," extending 
into Queensland in one direction and into South 
Australia iu another.it shows that what was until very 
recently regarded as the least valuable portion of 
the colony is destined to become a land figuratively 
flowing with milk and honey .—John Plummer, Sydney. 
-- 
Hardening Jiscellany. 
ERICA CANDIDISSIMA. 
Several of the heaths of a bygone popularity 
continue to be grown in greater or less quantity ; but 
those which find most favour belong to what 
gardeners term the soft-wooded class, that is, those 
which are most amenable to the cultivator's art. 
They must grow pretty freely and admit of pruning 
so that they may be kept in shape and produce 
shoots of good strength and flower freely in a sort of 
compound raceme. The subject under notice 
readily conforms to this sort of treatment and comes 
in handy for conservatory decoration at the same 
time as Erica ventricosa coccinea minor, E. spencer- 
iana, E. persoluta alba, and others of that class. 
The flowers are pure white as the name would indi¬ 
cate, but larger than those of the last named and 
abundantly produced in loDg racemes similar to 
those of E. hyemalis, but different in shape. Some 
plants of beautiful and bushy habit may be seen in 
the nursery of Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Ltd., 
Chelsea, where they have been conspicuous f r 
weeks past. 
NARCISSUS JOHNSTONI QUEEN OF 
SPAIN. 
It would be hard to overpraise the beauty and 
refinement of this Daffodil, which was found by Mr. 
Barr during one of his wanderings in Spain, and 
brought here to grace our gardens 'neath the 
alternate shower and sun of our fickle Apiil. In 
form it is distinct from the ordinary trumpet 
Daffodil, for the trumpet though long is narrow, and 
may well be described as tubular. The shape 
varies slightly in some of the flowers ; thus while in 
the majority of cases the tubular trumpet is ex¬ 
hibited, in others the mouth is spreading. The 
perianth segments are narrow and abruptly reflex, 
the whole flower being of a soft golden yellow and 
of medium size but far more than medium elegance. 
PRIMULA DENTICULATA. 
A batch of seedlings of this Himalayan Primrose 
was planted on a piece of ground bordering the right 
of the path leading from the economic to the Palm 
house at Kew. The plants made good growth, sur¬ 
vived the winter and have been flowering beautifully 
for some weeks past. Many of the plants are still in 
prime condition. They are dotted about on the out¬ 
skirts of the collection of hardy Ferns, and received 
no protection whatever. They have probably done 
better in this exposed position than if they had been 
planted in a sheltered position on the rockery. 
Several of the Himalayan Primroses are very much 
inclined to bloom in the autumn particularly if 
sheltered ; and when this happens they are almost 
sure to perish during winter by the rotting of the 
crowns. If full exposure will prevent them from 
doing this, horticulture wjll gain thereby, for the 
dense globular heads of lilac or purple flowers of P. 
denticulata are both ornamental and by no means 
common. On the opposite side of the path is a large 
batch of P. elatior, also raised from seeds, and which 
has been flowering well during the same period as 
the above. 
LEPTOSPERMUM BULLATUM. 
This pretty little Myrtaceous plant is naturally 
possessed of a dwarf compact and shapely habit, and 
as it flowers freely during the earlier months of the 
year should not be overlooked by those who have 
conservatories or greenhouses to furnish. The 
leaves are small and elegant, and when the branches 
are covered with the small white or pinky-white 
flowers there is no gainsaying the beauty of the 
plants. Shapely little specimens in 48's or 32's 
exhibit their character at its best. Considerable use 
is made of this Leptospermum at Kew, and we 
noticed a nice stock of it at Bush Hill Park when 
looking round Messrs. Hugh Low & Co's Nurseries 
at that place. 
--fr.- 
OBITUARY. 
Col. Trevor Clarke. 
To those who have only recently been in the habit of 
attending the Drill Hall meetings of the Royal 
Horticultural Society, Col. Clarke will be little 
more than a name; but those of the older fellows of 
the society will greatly regret to hear of the death of 
this renowned horticulturist on the nth inst , in the 
84th year of his age. He served on the council as 
well as on the Scientific Committee, and was much 
liked by those who had the 'privilege of coming in 
contact with him. He was also a frequent exhibitor, 
for those who love plants and improve various 
garden subjects can seldom resist the pleasure of 
showing them to his fellow men. He had a wide 
experience and knew something of horticulture, 
botany, entomology and chemistry, all of which have 
a considerable bearing on practical horticulture. 
He well established his claim as a cultivator, 
hybridist and cross-breeder of plants. He had a 
hand in the hybridising of Begonias, belonging both 
to the shrubby and tuberous sections ; and though 
many of his achievements in the early days of the 
latter are now forgotten, it is only what might have 
been expected when one considers the vast improve¬ 
ments that have been effected in the tuberous race 
during the last thirty-three years. B. Clarkei, one 
of the tuberous species was named after him. He 
received it from Messrs. E. G Henderson & Son, of 
Maida Vale, as a plant from Peru, and was the first 
to flower it in Europe, in 1867. The species, how¬ 
ever, like several other of the tuberous-rooted ones, 
was not much used as a parent in the development 
of the race which has now obtained the supremacy. 
B. weltoniensis, one of the shrubby species will long 
live to recall the name of Col. Clarke’s residence at 
Welton Place, Daventry. This beautiful leaved 
hybrid is useful as a pot plant for conservatory or 
greenhouse decoration, or for summer bedding. We 
have seen it used as a window plant at places as 
remote as the most northern part of Aberdeenshire, 
and at Eastbourne in Sussex. 
A good and useful variety of Celery raised by him 
still bears his name. Commercially and otherwise, 
the most important of the work accomplished by 
him was the cross-breeding of various varieties of 
the Cotton Plant, with a view of raising improved 
forms. This cost him a large amount of time, 
labour, and money during the years he carried on 
his experiments. His method of procedure con¬ 
sisted in getting pollen from wild forms such as he 
could procure, and in applying the same to cultivated 
varieties. The improvements Were obvious from 
the very first. A house was erected at the South 
Kensington exhibition of 1872 for the growing and 
exhibiting of various kinds of Cotton Plants 
(Gossypium). In recognition of the value of his 
labours he was awarded the Gold Medal of the 
Cottoa-supply Association of Manchester. He was 
also the recipient of a special gift from the 
reigniDg Czar of Russia ; and of a Veitchian Medal 
in 1894. 
Mr. Phillip Ladds. 
To market gardeners aud growers for market 
generally Mr. Ladds has been well and widely 
known for many years past as an extensive grower 
of Grapes, Cucumbers, Tomatos, &c., for market, 
but particularly the first named, of which he put 
many tons on the market annually. He died on the 
1st inst., at the age of fifty-five, and was buried at 
Bexley Heath Cemetery on the 7th inst., amid every 
manifestation of respectful sympathy, by a large 
assemblage of mourners from Meopham, Swanley 
Junction, and Bexley Heath, where he had extensive 
areas of glass for market work. The mourners in¬ 
cluded a large number of relatives, employees, and 
others who came in contact with him in business. 
Many of these sent beautiful wreaths as a last 
tribute to their departed friend. 
-- 
Questions ado adssjsrs 
•/ 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 by 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 
row collections of them.] 
Carpet Bedding.— Diagram : Your design is 
rather complicated for the size of the bed, so that 
you must keep the various occupants of the bed well 
trimmed during the summer to preserve the neatness 
of the whole. Where the four half circles join in the 
middle you might plant a good sized Echeveria 
metallica. The diamond shaped figure, formed by 
the eight plots marked 1 and 2, might with advantage 
be elevated about 3m. above the rest, even if the 
slope is gradual so as not to interfere with the di¬ 
viding lines. That, however, we leave to your own 
discretion. No. 1, we should fill with Iresine 
Wallsii ; No. 2, with Sedum glaucum; No. 3, with 
Alternanthera magnifica or some other dark variety, 
not yellow; No. 4, with Mentha Pulegium gib- 
raltaricum ; No. 5, with Mesembryanthemum cordi- 
folium variegatum; No. 6, with Golden Feather; 
and No. 7, with Echeveria secunda glauca, for 
dividing lines. This makes use of all the plants of 
which you furnished the names. Nos. 4 and 5 must 
be made distinct because they touch at four points in 
the bed, with exception of the dividing lines. You 
did not wish to use much Alternanthera, but if you 
fill the four plots. No 3, it will just make its presence 
felt. Golden Feather will clash slightly with 
Mesembryanthemum in No. 5, but it cannot be 
helped unless you leave it out and use Sedum 
glaucum or some of the small Sempervivums in 
No. 6. 
Peas and Sparrows — J-, Gosport : Stick in a few 
pegs on either side of the rows, and run a single 
black cotton thread from one to the other, about 
