660 
rHE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 19, 1897 
I worked harder my appetite would im¬ 
prove.” This is probably one good reason 
why the Kew men prove good enough for 
any emergency when they go abroad. We* 
advise “ Present Kewite” to stick to it, and 
he will triumph sooner or later. 
The marriage of fourteen Kewites is re¬ 
corded under “Wedding Bells.” In the 
chapter “ In Memoriam” are recorded 
the deaths of six past Kewites, of whom 
portraits of Mr. J. Smith, Mr. W. True- 
love, Mr. Bruce Findlay, of Manchester, 
and Mr. W. G. Head, of the Crystal Palace 
are given. The two latter died compara¬ 
tively recently. The two former died some 
years ago after their retirement from Kew. 
The first is distinguished as John Smith II, 
and the following sentence will describe 
both him and his predecessor of the same 
name:—“He was remarkable rather as a 
practical gardener than as a man with 
scientific sympathies, in which respect he 
differed markedly from his predecessor 
“ Jock” Smith, who was more botanist than 
gardener.” The present addresses of many 
of the past Kewites are still represented by 
blank spaces. 
- < «- 
The Temperature at Windsor on the 12th inst., was 
127 0 in the open. 
Primula elatior.—At a meeting of the Linnean 
Society on the 17th inst. Mr. Miller Christy, F.L.S., 
read a paper on the distribution of Primula elatior. 
So great was the heat in London and the suburbs 
last Sunday that the youDg shoots of established 
Rhododendrons hung down quite limp long before 
the day was over. 
Mr. F. W. Meyer, Messrs. R. Veitch & Son's land¬ 
scape gardener has been successful in winning prizes 
for designs of Jubilee Parks, at Yeovil and Crediton. 
At Yeovil Mr. Meyer headed the list of nine com¬ 
petitors. 
A pretty Custom is still observed in some parts of 
France It was inaugurated by the Bishop of Noyon 
in the sixth century. It consists in offering annually 
to the maid of each village, who has during the year 
earned for herself the greatest reputation for 
modesty and virtue, a crown of Roses. The nomina¬ 
tion is made by the villagers, and the presentation is 
made the occasion of public rejoicing. 
Helianthemum Breweri. — I was in Anglesey last 
week, and found a plant but little known to British 
botanists, namely, Helianthemum Breweri. It 
grows some 400 ft. above sea level at the entrance 
to the South Stack Lighthouse. I am told by the 
author of the Flora of Anglesey, Mr. Griffith, who 
has done so much for botany in that part of the 
country, that this little Rock Rose was named after 
Dr. Brewer, who first dif covered it on his arrival at 
Holyhead on a walk from London to that place with 
his friend Dillenius ; and so struck was he with it 
that he made Holyhead his winter quarters so as to 
make sure of being able to gather the seed in the 
following summer.— J. C. Stogdon. 
Orchids at the Sale Rooms.—Some fine varieties of 
various things turned up at the Sale Rooms of 
Messrs. Protheroe & Morris, Cheapside, on the nth 
inst., including the beautiful Cattleya Mossiae 
arnoldiana which sold for 19 gs. C. gigas in hand¬ 
some form fetched =£ gs. A fine variety of Laelia 
purpurata went for 5A gs. At the fall of the hammer 
Laeliocattleya canhamiana had run up to 13 gs., and 
Laeliocattleya arnoldiana to 7 gs. The handsome 
hybrid Cymbidium eburneo-lowianum reached 9 gs., 
though a grand specimen of the typical C. eburneum 
only reached £3 15s. This latter shows that during 
summer while many people are away on their holi¬ 
days, and others waiting for the advent of Jubilee 
Day, fine additions can be made to a collection at 
small cost. Those commencing to get a collection 
together could not attend these sales at a more 
favourable time than the present. 
Cleopatra entertained Marc Antony in a room, 
the floor of which was covered to a considerable 
depth by Roses. 
The Greeks and the Romans loved the Rose. The 
former consecrated it to Aurora, Venus, Cupid, and 
Harpocrates the god of silence. 
Stakes and Mistakes.—I sent the boy to stake the 
Peas, but the world is full of mistakes, and he 
utilised the latter very largely.— Snaggs. 
Owners Rights.—A Brooklyn (U.S.A.) magistrate 
recently decided that a lot owner has a right to cut 
the roots of a neighbour’s tree which find their way 
into his locality. 
How to raise Vegetables.— Amateur Farmer : Don't 
know what ails these Peas; they won’t come up. 
Sympathetic Friend: Why don't you give 'em an 
emetic.— The Florists' Exchange. 
The Oldest English Glee extant contains the follow¬ 
ing lines :— 
" Summer is y comen in, 
Loud sing cuckoo; 
Groweth seed 
And bloweth mead, 
And springeth the weed new.” 
Bournemouth and District Gardeners’ Association — 
Mr. Wm. Watts of the Palace Nurseries, Bourne¬ 
mouth gave a paper on large-flowering Cannas at a 
recent meeting of the society. The lecturer gave 
hints for the cultivation and propagation of the 
plants, and concluded with a list of the best varieties 
of recent introduction. 
Paris Battle of Flowers.—The late battle of Flowers 
held in the Bois de Boulogne at Paris was a truly 
brilliant spectacle. From the Arc de Triomphe down 
the Avenue du Bois de Boulogne were crowds of 
gaily dressed people, and streams of carriages laden 
with flowers. President Faure and many members 
of the government and the diplomatic corps attended. 
Spermatozoids in Gymnosperms.—Dr. D. H. Scott, 
F.R S , F.L.S., exhibited, at the meeting of the 
Linnean Society on the 17th inst., preparations by 
Prof. Ikeno and Dr. Hirase of Tokio, Japan, illus¬ 
trating their discovery of spermatozoids in the 
Maidenhair-tree (Ginkgo biloba) and Cycas revoluta. 
If such a remarkable an'd important discovery as 
this can be confirmed, it will form a strong connec¬ 
ting link between the higher vascular cryptogams 
such as Ferns and the Gymnosperms amongst 
phanerogamous plants. 
Tiverton Flower Show.—Messrs. R. Veitch & Son, 
of the Royal Nurseries, Exeter, made a grand dis¬ 
play at the Tiverton Flower Show. A varied and 
comprehensive collection of plants was staged, in¬ 
cluding Richardia elliottiana, Cannas in varieties 
Hydrangea hortensis, H. paniculata grandiflora, 
Japanese Maples in a great profusion of forms, Roses 
and Orchids. Some of the newer Streptocarpuses 
such as Mrs. John Heal were also very interesting. 
A miniature rockery well and tastefully furnished 
with hardy plants was exhibited. Amongst the 
latter were hardy Opuntias, Sarracenias and Aster 
alpinus. Cut hardy flowers assisted the display. 
Fine samples of early vegetables were also shown by 
the firm, Lettuces, Early Milan Turnips, Tomatos 
and Cauliflowers being in excellent condition. 
The Influence of electric light on Liliums.—At a 
recent meeting of the Horticultural Club, of Cornell 
University, U.S.A. notes were presented upon ex¬ 
periments made with the electric light upon Liliums. 
The plants grown under the naked light were more 
robust, the leaves were greener and more glossy, 
and the development all round was more uniform 
than in the cases of plants which had the light 
passed through a pane of glass which cut off some of 
the ultra violet rays, or those which had the light 
passed through a black canvas curtain. From the 
results obtained it is probable that electric light will 
be used extensively in the forcing of Lilium 
Harrisii, although it will not be utilised until the 
buds are about an inch long in order to hasten their 
expansion. It was found, moreover, that the light 
must be passed through glass in order to avoid 
burning of the expanding flower segments. 
Queen of Flowers.—The title ■■ Queen of Flowers ” 
is said to have been given to the Rose by Sappho, 
the Grecian lyric poet some 200 years ago. 
The One and All National Flower Show is to be held 
at the Crystal Palace on Friday and Saturday August 
2otb, and 21st. The prizes include £350 in cash 
besides gold, silver, and bronze medals. Mr. Edward 
Owen Greening is the hon. secretary. 
Early Fruit and Vegetables at Tenby.—Mr. E. 
Griffiths, Tenby, gathered fine ripe Strawberries from 
the outdoor garden on the morning of June 4th. The 
plants had not been sheltered in any way. The week 
previous, i.e., the last week in May Mr. Griffiths also 
dug new Potatos, likewise from unprotected plants 
in the open. 
Crystal Palace Flower Show.—Amongst all the 
many Jubilee celebrations the floriculture of the 
period is not to be neglected, for the Crystal Palace 
authorities announce a grand flower show to be held 
on Wednesday and Thursday, June 23rd and 24th, 
in which the great feature will be a magnificent dis¬ 
play of the flowers and plants specially cultivated 
during the Victorian Era. 
The Couch Grass which gardeners and farmers hate 
so much, and wage an eternal war against is not 
without a use of some kind. It is stated that dog 
fanciers know well its value from a medicinal point 
of view when their pets are afflicted by either round 
or tape worms. The dogs themselves instinctively 
select this grass when they are suffering in the 
manner indicated, and the cure usually follows. It 
is recommended that a few blades of the Couch 
Grass should be chopped up and mixed occasionally 
with the soft food given to dogs and puppies. 
Horticultural Show at Cheltenham.— The Whit¬ 
suntide show of the Gloucester and Cheltenham 
Royal Horticultural Society, which opened on the 
5th inst., was satisfactory in all respects with the 
exception of Roses which were not well represented. 
Mr. James Cypher, of the Queen's Nurseries took 
the leading prizes for groups of miscellaneous plants 
as usual and in spite of some keen rivalry. The 
Mayor of Cheltenham (Col. Rogers) secured prizes 
for fruits, flowers, and vegetables. Viscount Deer- 
hurst took several prizes for fruits and vegetables 
including leading prizes in two classes for Grapes. 
, Eastbourne Horticulturists— There was a large 
attendance at the last monthly meeting of the East¬ 
bourne Horticultural Society. Councillor Sharp 
occupied the chair. Mr. Capon read a letter which 
had been received from Mr. William Camm, 
gardener to the Duchess of Cleveland, stating that 
her Grace would be pleased for the members of the 
society to visit Battle Abbey on the day selected for 
the annual excursion. The date fixed, thereupon, 
was Thursday, 8th July when the president of the 
society Mr. George Boulton will entertain the 
members to lunch at the Star Hotel, Battle. Mr. 
Capon moved that the secretary write to Mr. Milne, 
gardener to the Earl of Ashburnham, and Mr. Allen, 
gardener to Lord Brassey, to ask permission to 
inspect their respective grounds. Mr. Reed seconded, 
and the motion was finally carried. 
The Annual ‘‘ Flower Sermon ” was preached in 
the church of St. Katherine Cree, Leadenhall Street, 
London, on the evening of the Sth inst, by the 
rector, the Rev. J. Miles. The first " Flower Ser¬ 
mon " ever preached in England, was delivered in 
St. James’ Church, Aldgate, in 1853, by the Rev. W. 
M. Whittemore, D.D., the late rector of the parish. 
Since that date the practice has become an annual 
institution in various parts of the country. There 
was a large congregation of young people, most of 
whom carried a bunch of flowers which were 
collected and divided between the City Infirmary at 
Bow and one of the Children's Hospitals. *' The 
desert shall rejoice and blossom as the Rose” was 
taken as the text by the rector who engaged the 
attention of his youthful audience by the simplicity 
of his phraseology. The Rose was only twice men¬ 
tioned in the Bible, and most likely Narcissus 
Tazetta was meant rather than the Rose as we 
know it. This Narcissus is very plentiful in various 
parts of Palestine and is now generally believed to 
be the Rose to which Isaiah referred. 
