May 8, 1897. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
565 
SHOW OF BRITISH GROWN FRUIT. 
I feel inclined to head my letter “ Lost, Stolen, or 
Strayed, £100,” for, though not "Lost" or “ Stolen," 
the £ioo required for the Autumn Show of British 
Grown Fruit certainly seems to have “ strayed " 
into the all devouring capacity of the many mouthed 
Diamond Jubilee projects. 
You will remember that when the autumn fruit 
show, which had been held from time immemorial 
at the Crystal Palace had fallen through, the R.H.S. 
offered to revive it as a show of " British Grown 
Fruit ” with prizes to the value of /250, on condition 
that those interested in the encouragement of fruit 
growing in this country would subscribe not less than 
£100 towards the unavoidable expenses. 
For the last few years this £100 has been forth¬ 
coming, and magnificent shows have resulted, teach¬ 
ing thousands and thousands of spectators what fine 
fruit can be grown in Great Britain, and instructing 
very many planters as to the best varieties with 
which to stock their Orchards and gardens. 
Alas ! Sir, this year of especial grace the /ioohas 
strayed—it is not—or at least, is not as yet. Letter 
after letter reaches me to the effect, " Very sorry, 
but am so bled with Jubilee projects that I cannot 
help this year." In fact Peter is to be robbed in 
order to pay Paul. 
May I be allowed to appeal to all interested in 
British fruit not to let our great annual show fall 
through for lack of £100. Immediate help is wanted 
as the schedule is all ready for issue—all ready with 
this one all important exception.— W. Wilks, Sec. 
R.H.S., Vicar of Shirley, Croydon. 
- fr - 
ORCHID-NOTES & GLEANINGS. 
By The Editor. 
Cattleya Schroderae Bandon Hill van. Nov. 
var .—This name has been given to a very delicately 
coloured and pretty variety of C. Schroderae now in 
the height of its season. Although pale colours are 
the general rule in this Cattleya, recent introductions 
show that a great amount of variation occurs amongst 
individuals. The intense colours are usually, if not 
always, confined to the lip, and consist of orange, 
purple and crimson-purple, the first named being the 
most widely prevalent. The orange blotch in the 
Bandon Hill var. is, however, of very moderate 
intensity and size, being, if anything, smaller than 
usual. All round the orange area, the lip fades 
almost to white; this in turn is surrounded by a broad 
and clearly defined, pleasing soft purple border, 
beautifully crisped at the edges. The tube of the lip 
internally and externally is the darkest part of the 
flower being- of a beautiful rose-purple, shining on 
the inner face as if polished. The sepals and broac 1 / 
ovate petals are of the palest blush lilac. The plant 
has been recently imported and is flowering for the 
first time in the nursery of Mr. J. Seeger, Bandon 
Hill, Croydon, S.E. 
GENTIANA ACAULIS. 
The Gentians generally prove difficult plants to grow 
and flower in the southern counties, so that very few 
attempt their culture, except those who may be 
looked upon as specialists or experts. Notwiihstand- 
ing this fact, Mr. H. Bailey, gardener to W. L. 
Barclay, Esq., The Briars, Reigate, has grown and 
flowered G. acaulis most successfully, as the accom¬ 
panying illustration will show. It represents one of 
six small beds planted at intervals on either side of 
a loDg Rose walk. The centre of each of these beds 
is occupied with a standard Rose, and though they 
are only 2 ft. 6 in. in diameter, the number, size, and 
rich blue of the flowers had a most striking effect, 
particularly when the sun was shining. The rich 
blue of this and several other Gentians is difficult to 
match amongst hardy plants, and never out-rivalled. 
Certainly the Gentians were much admired by 
visitors to the Briars. The accompanying illustra¬ 
tion was prepared from a photograph taken in April 
last year by Miss J. A. J. Barclay, who is merely an 
amateur at this kind of work. A first glance at the 
photograph gives one the impression that the mass 
of flowers consists of Gloxinias. 
Firm, and fairly moist soil during the summer 
months, seems to supply the most suitable requisites 
for this Gentian, as in the case of several other 
alpine species. We have seen it used as edgings to 
walks in the kitchen garden, even where the ground 
sloped to the south with a steep declivity. There 
are, no doubt, many places even in the southern 
counties where this species could be grown success¬ 
fully, if gardeners would only try to ascertain for 
themselves. The glowing blue of the flowers would 
be sufficient recompense to these who succeed. 
-- 
GARDENERS AND WAGES. 
Your leader, p. 547, is of great moment to 
gardeners of every grade, and all feel that such a 
lucid article is very relevant. Such vital force is 
welcome to a class who can give as good a record of 
themselves as any employees in this country. Your 
concluding remarks are a sequel to a deal of what 
has done so much—and is still doing—to banish 
horticultural science and practice from Scotland 
as well as England. There were few of the 
class of men described to be found in Scotland, but I 
regret to say that under a belief in (false) 
economy, the putting of men in charge of gardens 
who assume the title of " gardeners " is more common 
than it was years ago. 
Many places of note I know are now let to tenants 
(some of them very wealthy) who have nofuitber inte¬ 
rest in the gardens than to get their wants supplied. 
They make an effort to engage a man to take charge at 
the lowest wages they are inclined to offer and it is not 
long till “ Ichabod ” is stamped on all things in the 
garden. While I know many such places—and 
am sorry that they are in the majority—there is a 
brighter ray evinced now and again by humane 
employers who will not grind down deserving men, 
nor tempt them by remuneration which would not 
be accepted by a drudge in a factory. On the con¬ 
trary they offer their gardeners enough to fairly 
maintain their homes, and at the same time reserve 
the energies of their employees in the fulfillment of 
their duties in the gardens and grounds instead of 
making them scheme how to appear respectable and 
pay their way honestly. 
This is the right way to face such matters. Such 
is also humane and logical. Were I to give my 
personal experience, and that of good men^many of 
whom I have had the honour of helping to " breast 
the waves," some stories stranger than fiction could 
be told. It is regrettable that such employers as 
those “ who think that their neighbours should be 
loved as themselves" are not better represented 
numerically. 
Gardeners in Scotland, as well as in England, 
are not in every case blameless. One well-known 
nurseryman said in certain districts " gardening 
apprentices were propagated as by cuttings, and 
potted off as journeymen when they had not 
acquired a mean rudimentary knowledge of the 
profession they were attempting to follow." In 
agricultural districts youths are easily found to 
work in gardens at small remuneration to aid 
their parents in surmounting the difficulties they 
have to endure in the battle of 1 fe by receiving 
nominal payment. But where there are manufac¬ 
tories in which mechanics get good wages, such 
youths to enter gardening are difficult to find. So 
the raising of apprentices is not so common, and they, 
like journeymen, and foremen, too, have to be brought 
from a distance. We never think of offering regular 
labourers less than 21s. or 22s. per week with free 
house and other privileges, and casual workmen 
have to be paid not less than 6d. per hour. But 
such wages are looked upon as insignificant where 
such workmen as steady moulders can make easily 
from 65s. to 70s. per week. 
The system in Scotland of raising gardeners has 
many advantages over the English by the men 
being all apprentices first, learning every branch of 
gardening on the place, and entering the glass depart¬ 
ment when their superior considers promotion is 
due to the aspirant. But in English gardens there 
is much more improvement in raising “ all round " 
men than when I worked in the South.— M. Temple, 
Canon, N.B. 
—- -- 
©li’atunoa from ffjt> KDnrlti 
of Srtettrq. 
The Maple Mould.—Those who see this fungus 
or its effects for the first time, little suspect the cause 
of it. Some have set it down to a natural form of 
variegation, and such it is, indeed, but not in the 
usual acceptance of the term. The Maple Mould 
(Rhytisma acerinum) is discussed by the Rev. Alex. 
S. Wilson, M.A., B. Sc , in the April number of 
Knowledge, and makes it a plea for introducing various 
common, but interesting fungi belonging to the same 
natural order, to the notice of his readers. Rhytisma 
comes from a Greek word meaning to dye or stain, 
and those who have seen the black spots on the 
Maple (who has not ?) will admit the appropriate 
character of the name. Whether the spots are 
regarded as a disfigurement of the foliage or other¬ 
wise, we think is a matter of opinion, for we have 
seen huge old trees, almost every one of the thou¬ 
sands of leaves on which were covered all over the 
surface with black patches, and such leaves appeared 
so characteristic of Acer Pseudoplatanus as to be 
almost ornamental. The fungus cannot be of a 
deadly character, seeing that these old giants 
appeared otherwise to be quite healthy. Other 
species of Rhytisma attack such garden plants as 
Heath, Andromeda, and Willows. 
Nectria.—Most gardeners, probably, have noted 
dead sticks and wood about and in gardens, covered 
with small orange-scarlet cushions about the size of 
large pin heads. These cushions are the fruitiog- 
cups of Nectria cinnabarina. Gardeners can afford 
to lcok upon this species with more complacency 
than upon N. ditissima, the fungus which causes 
canker in Apple trees, and is so deadly and 
destructive. The former liviDg upon dead wood, 
may be regarded as a saprophyte; but the latter, 
attacking as it does, the living tree, is truly a 
vegetable parasite. The fruitmg-cups in this case 
are more assimilated to the colour of the wood, and 
seldom observed by gardeners, although the effect of 
it is almost universally recognised in gardens and 
orchards—more is the pity. Wherever the diseased 
