644 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 12, 1897. 
and ripen their wood well. The soil of the 
estate is a light but rich sandy loam, but 
mostly sand. 
The lake at the bottom is artificial, but 
is fed by a perennial and natural spring or 
fountain a little way up the slope. On the 
banks of the ornamental water are clumps 
and masses of Iris florentina, I. pallida, 
I. germanica atropurpurea, and various 
others in the height of their glory. On the 
level portions of the ground are large beds 
of the finest modern hybrid Rhododendrons, 
including Mrs. John Clutton, white, the 
Queen, blush ; John Walters with huge, 
compact trusses of scarlet flowers ; John 
Waterer and Charles Noble, also well- 
known ; Formosum, intense rose ; and Kate 
Waterer, with huge trusses of large pink 
flowers. Ingrami, with a great black blotch 
on the base of the upper segments, shows 
the influence of the fineiy spotted R. 
catawbiense, one of the original parents 
used in hybridising a great many of them. 
Here also are beds of Roses, standards and 
and dwarfs mixed. 
Most of these improvments have been 
effected by Mr. F. J. Thorne, and the tons 
of soil that have been moved are something 
remarkable. Improvements are still in 
progress from year to year. An account 
of Major Joicey’s Orchids will be found in 
next week’s issue. 
-■ !—- 
Mr. John Ruskin devotes some hours daily to work¬ 
ing in the garden. 
Fahrenheit, who invented the thermometer, so 
much in use in this country, and bearing his name, 
was born 211 years ago on the 21st May. 
A White Blackberry, a white Black Currant, and a 
white Red Currant are now amongst the paradoxes 
of horticultural literature and nomenclature. 
Bamboo furniture may be cleaned by means of a 
small brush dipped into a solution of salt and 
water, the salt bleaching as well as cleaning. 
The perishable products of Canada, by the cold 
storage, rapid transportation scheme, will be placed 
upon the British markets in great quantities after 
the end of June. 
The White Rhinoceros, according to African 
travellers, frequently dies from eating poisonous 
plants, whereas they are never eaten by the black 
one. The wonderful faculty of smell possessed by 
the latter may be the means of saving it. 
Rhododendron means literally rose-tree, and 
comes from two Greek words, rliodos, a rose, and dm- 
droti, a tree, the latter allusion referring to the height 
the plants attain in Asia Minor. Many of the Hima¬ 
layan species of more recent introduction than R. 
ponticum are more arborescent, forming small trees. 
Aspidistra lurida and its variegated variety prove 
the most useful, durable and easily grown plants for 
window culture. Being nearly hardy they pass 
through the severest winters, if not too close to the 
glass. No matter how arid the atmosphere of dwell¬ 
ing rooms may be, the leathery leaves are capable of 
resisting the ungenial atmosphere where hundreds of 
other plants would succumb. 
A Farm of 1 , 500,000 Acres—The largest farm in 
America, and probably in the world, according to the 
Irish Farming World, is situated in the south-western 
part of Louisiana. It extends 100 miles to the north 
and west. In 1883 it was purchased by a syndicate 
of northern capitalists who still work it. At that 
time it was simply a cattle pasture. Now it is di¬ 
vided into stations every six miles apart for pasture. 
The land is well adapted for rice, sugar, corn, and 
cotton. Portions of this vast estate are ploughed by 
means of steam engines. There are no horses on it 
except those used by the cow boys, there being 
16,000 head of cattle. There are three steam-boats 
on the estate of which there are 300 miles of navi¬ 
gable water way. 
Mr. William Arthur has been appointed gardener to 
Col. The Hon. L. P. Dawnay, Benningborough Hall, 
York. 
Kew Gardens will be closed to the public on the 
Diamond Jubilee Day, by order of the First Com¬ 
missioner of Works. The same arrangements will be 
observed as on Christmas Day. 
Royal Horticultural Scciety,r-The next fruit and 
floral meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society 
will be held on Tuesday, June 15th, in the Drill 
Hall, James Street, Westminster, 1 to 5 p.m. A 
lecture on “ The Physiology of Plants ” will be given 
at 3 o’clock by Prof. S. H. Vines, F.R S. 
The Cobham Rhododendrons. — Some 10,000 
visitors went to see the Rhododendrons at Cobham 
Hall, the seat of the Earl of Darnley, on Sunday 
last. So numerous were the vehicles that the roads 
were almost blocked although all conducted them¬ 
selves in an orderly manner. The Rhododendrons 
are grand at the present time. 
The Rabbit continues its depredations in Australia. 
Within the last seven years New South Wales has 
spent £831,457 in combating the pest, and during the 
same time has erected 956 miles of rabbit-proof 
fence at a cost of £ 50,000. Notwithstanding all this 
rabbits continue to multiply apace, and are said to 
be learning to climb trees and fences, and to squeeze 
themselves through what was considered to be 
rabbit-proof netting. 
Earlier Opening of Kew Gardens.—Visitors to Kew 
Gardens on Whit Monday were afforded an oppor¬ 
tunity outside each of the entrances for signing a 
petition for the earlier opening of the gardens, and 
it is quite likely that a considerable number of 
signatures was obtained, although, as the Daily 
Telegraph sagely remarks, those most eager to affix 
their names being those who, unfortunately, can 
only enjoy the gardens on a Bank Holiday. 
The Market gardeners of Brittany have apparently 
woke up to the fact that there is a lucrative market 
to be found here for their garden produce. Last 
year, as an experiment, a steamer plied between 
Brest and Plymouth for a period of five weexs, mak¬ 
ing two journeys weekly. She brought to Plymouth 
cargoes of Strawberries, Peas, and other vegetables. 
Evidently the experiment proved successful from a 
financial point of view for notification has been made 
that the service is to be resumed this year. Two 
steamers have been chartered for six weeks, and wil 
make a trip each day, Plymouth again being their 
goal. From thence the produce will be despatched 
per special train for the Birmingham, Liverpool, 
Manchester, and Newcastle-on-Tyne markets, only a 
a small proportion going to London. 
Royal Horticultural Society.—The schedule for the 
Great Autumn Show to be held by the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society at the Crystal Palace on September 
30th, and October 1st and 2nd, is now before us. The 
schedule itself is issued in book form as in previous 
years and runs to 28 pages, inclusive of advertise¬ 
ments. The prize list is a lengthy and compre¬ 
hensive one, and the prizes offered are very substan¬ 
tial, totalling £250 in all. Minute directions are 
given for the guidance of exhibitors so that it is 
hardly possible for them to go astray. Lists have 
been drawn up of dessert and cooking Apples, Pe.ars, 
and Plums, each variety being allotted to the section 
under which alone it will be recognised as an exhibit. 
This has been done with a view to the removal of 
the doubt and difficulties as to the distinction 
between dessert and culinary varieties, and also for 
the guidance of judges. As the notes on p. 24 of the 
schedule state, “it would be impossible to draw up 
lists to which everyone would agree as to the position 
assigned to each individual variety, and it is only by 
mutual concessions that a general working agree¬ 
ment can be reached ’’; still the council has made a 
step in the right direction in making an attempt to 
dispel the confusion that has hitherto existed between 
the two sections. In the short preface to the 
schedule fruit growers generally are reminded that 
the prospect of future annua 1 , fruit shows depends 
entirely upon the raising yearly of £100 by those 
interested in order to aid the prize fund. 
A Saturated Solution of Napthalin in carbolic acid 
is said to be an effective specific for driving away 
ants in houses. 
Mr. John Waugh, for the last 3 years, head gar¬ 
dener to The Rev. W. H. Arkwright, The Hall, 
Wirksworth, Derbyshire, has been engaged as head 
gardener to Col. Burstall, Hessle Mount, Hull, York¬ 
shire. 
A fine variety of Laelia tenebrosa turned up at the 
Sale Rooms of Messrs Protheroe& Morris on the 4th 
inst. All parts of the flower were of a dark, bronzy- 
purple. It found a bidder at 13 guineas. Amongst 
fine varities of other Orchids, Odontoglossom 
crispum was knocked down at 4J guineas ; Cattleya 
Schroderae albens at 5 guineas; and Cattleya 
speciosissima alba at 5J guineas. 
Floral Emblems.—Says the African Critic, certain 
people in South Africa—notably in Port Elizabeth— 
are anticipating “ a United South Africa ’’ by dis¬ 
cussing the floral emblem of that Union. The Aloe 
is most generally fancied, and appears to me 
eminently suitable. Meantime, in Boston and else¬ 
where in America, a debate is proceeding with regard 
to a similar symbol for the United States. It goes 
almost without saying that Columbia leans towards 
the Columbine. 
Bristol Amateur Horticultural Society.—At the 
monthly meeting held at Colston Hall on the evening 
of June 2nd, the president, Mr. G. M. Dyer, gave an 
entertaining address on “Tuberous Begonias.” 
He dealt with propagation by seeds and cuttings, and 
gave hints on bedding out. Mr. House, of West- 
bury-on-Trym, followed with “ Notes on the Pansy,” 
illustrating his remarks by a fine display of Pansies 
and Violas. Mr. House's paper was likewise of a 
very practical nature, and was much appreciated. 
Fruit as Food.—The digestibility and nutritive 
values of various fruits are dealt with in an article 
appearing in a recent issue of the Rural World. 
Apples are stated to be one of the most nutritious 
and (except in rare instances) digestible of fruits, 
but all the varieties are not equally so. Hence it 
becomes important to select veil-ripened fruit of 
sweet varieties. Ripe Pears are even more digestible, 
but are less nutritious. Grapes are excellent, but 
the seeds and skins should not be eaten ; indeed the 
skins of all fruits from their corky nature ought not 
to be eaten. Raisins are less digestible than, but quite 
as nutritious as grapes. Bananas are good in both 
respects. Oranges and Melons are too watery to be 
of much value as food, but make fine thirst quen¬ 
chers. All fruits should be eaten standing or walk¬ 
ing rather than sitting ; also grain foods must be in¬ 
cluded in a fruit diet, Apples and brown bread being 
a typical combination. 
Not so prosaic after all.—Carrots are usually re. 
garded as being very ordinary and every day sort of 
vegetables, and not the sort of thing that one would 
be likely to wax eloquent over. Sir George Bird- 
wood, in a recently published memorandum issued 
by the India Office, evidently thinks otherwise. He 
discourses upon their botanical, agricultural, and 
dietetical history and value in a manner that is 
simply — “ Birdwoodian.” Here is a tit-bit :— 
“ Between forty and fifty years ago, when the Royal 
Western Yacht Club at Plymouth had their club 
house in Mellbay, it was famous for a sweet- 
savoured Carrot pudding made by their cook, a Mrs. 
Cornish, if I remember rightly, wife of the steward. 
She boiled the roots with the tops, then pressed them 
through a sie\e, and adding a little syrup of 
Angelica, together with some stiffening stuff, such as 
isinglass, set the dainty dish to bake. The almost 
metaphysical subtleties of its simple quality were the 
v.ry ecstacy of taste. She also confected of less 
transcendental dulcitude, a soft (glace) candy of the 
chopped root, most toothsome morsels.” After this 
we are not surprised that the late huge shipment of 
seeds to India, in consequence of the famine, that 
was made by Messrs. Jas Carter & Co , High Hol- 
born, contained a large quantity of Carrot seeds. No 
less than 108 tons were shipped by this firm within 
nine days of the receipt of the order, and we are in¬ 
formed that if there had been another steamer avail¬ 
able within the time limit the whole of the quantity 
ordered (200 tons) would have been despatched. 
