84 
October 7, 1899. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
productions came from Kent, Sussex, 
Devon, Hereford and Monmouth. 
On the whole the Apples were generally 
reckoned to be smaller than last year owing 
to the great drought, which prevented the 
free swelling of the fruits just prior to their 
completion of growth. Many of the above 
named samples were large of their kind, 
and amongst others we noted amongst the 
green varieties grand samples of Warner’s 
King, Bram'ey’s Seedling, Alfriston, Lord 
Derby, Dumelowe’s Seedling, Withington 
Fillbasket,and many others,chiefly culinary 
varieties. The past season has much to 
answer for as well as local irregularities 
due to thunderstorms accompanied by hail. 
Some of the largest fruits of previous years 
came from a garden in Kent, where the 
crop was partly demolished and the rest 
so bruised or indented as to be unfit to 
appear in public. This storm seems to 
have passed other gardens and orchards, 
not far off, quite unscathed. 
Notwithstanding the general deficiency 
in the Pear crop, the exhibits that turned 
up were calculated to give the uninitiated 
the impression that Pears were plentiful 
and good. On the other hand the very 
deficiency must have contributed to the 
size of the remainder. As in the case of 
Apples the largest Pears as a rule were to 
be met with in the single dish classes, where 
keen competition makes the exhibitor stage 
his best. Some of the largest and finest 
fruits included Uvedale’s St. Germain, 
Catillac (otherwiseknown as Belle de Jersey 
and Pound Pear), Doyenne du Comice, 
Grosse Calebasse, Pitmaston Duchess, 
Williams’Bon Chretien,Doyenne Boussoch, 
Beurre de Mortillet, Marguerite Marrilat, 
Souvenir du Congres, King Edward, and 
others. From Jersey came some big Pears 
as usual, including Doyenne du Comice, a 
fruit of which weighed 17J ozs., and 26 
weighed 22 lbs. ; 25 of Catillac weighed 
35 lbs. ; and 24 of the favourite Chaumontel 
weighed 19 lbs. Aheap of Belle de Jersey 
resembled a mound of small Swedes. Of 
other fruits the most notable were Bar- 
barrosa, Alicante and Muscat of Alexandria 
Grapes ; and The Nectarine and Sea Eagle 
Peaches. 
Mr. Thomas Sharpe, for the past five years in the 
Gardens, Cullen House, Cullen, N.B., the last three 
of those years as outside foreman, has been 
appointed head gardener to R. M. Lamb, Esq., 
Cleadon House, near Sunderland. 
Royal Horticultural Society.—The next fruit and 
floral meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society 
will be held on Tuesday, October 10th, in the 
Drill Hall, James Street, Westminster, 1 — 5 p.m. 
At 3 o'clock a lecture on "The Injurious Scale In¬ 
sects of the British Isles ” will be given by Mr. R. 
Newstead. F.E.S. 
Jamaica Produce and Transport Association — 
This is a Glasgow promotion, having for its object 
the establishment of a produce and fruit business, 
and the formation of a mail and fruit line between 
the United Kingdom and Jamaica. The capital is 
£320,000 in £1 shares, of which 20,000 are deferred 
shares, and the balance of 300,000 shares are offered 
to the public. The Association have entered into 
agreement with the Agents for the Colonics on behalf 
of Her Majesty's Government for the carrying of 
Her Majesty’s mails, and for the purchase and 
transport of fruit and other purposes, for which they 
will receive a subsidy. The company shall have to 
establish a business and will have to compete with 
other importers of Bananas in order to secure a por¬ 
tion of the trade. It is proposed to construct four 
steamers at a a cost of £220,000, and to expend 
£80,000 in constructing wharves and hotels, and in 
making loans to cultivators. (£80,000 won’t go far.) 
The directors include some well-known commercial 
men in Scotland, but the majority of them have no 
great interests in Jamaica. The prospectus, says 
Commerce, is not very assuring or satisfactory. 
For ornamental effects in laying out shrubberies a 
good combination of low growing plants consists of 
golden Willow, Dog-wood, the double Cherry, the 
Laburnum, and the Service-tree. 
Queen Marguerita of Italy has a passion for flowers 
and her taste is not erratic. Her favourites are the 
ever popular red Roses, Carnations, and Lily of the 
Valley. King Humbert is put about if in a morning 
his study is not bright with floral beauties, for his 
Queen makes it a point to-cull flowers for this 
purpose. 
The Duke of Westminster enjoys his leisure at his 
palatial residence and estate of Eaton Hall. He 
goes about with a pruning knife and clad in the 
plainest attire. So homely does he appear, that in¬ 
stead of being the owner of this magnificent 
place one might rather regard him as a dutiful 
gardener. 
Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland. — A meeting 
of the council of this society was held some short 
while ago at 61, Dawson Street, Surgeon-General 
Beaumont, M D., in the chair. The secretary sub¬ 
mitted a report of the autumn show held at Merrion 
Square, on August 22nd. Accounts and prizes to 
the amount of £145 were passed for payment. C. 
C. Sanderson, E'.q., Lincluden, Clontarf, was elected 
a member of the society. Judges were nominated to 
act at the show to be held at Ball’s Bridge in 
November. 
Trees in Brussels.—In a certain avenue of trees at 
Brussels, that of the Avenue Louise, the seemingly 
peculiar phenomenon of the trees at the sides next to 
the tram lines losing their leaves much earlier than 
the outer sides, has been the matter for much specu¬ 
lation among the residents of that quarter. Some 
think that the roots on the tramway side are injured 
by the electrical current from the trams. Other 
opinions have it that the cobble stones paving the 
roadway prevents the rain from descending. Pro¬ 
bably the real cause or reason is that the lines of the 
trams act in the same way as an intentionally well- 
laid drain, and thus conduct off the needed moisture. 
Some of the Planes on the High Road, Chiswick, 
nearly collapsed during the past summer owing to 
the overdraining of the soil, and the exposure of 
roots. That was before the wires for thejelectrical 
current were laid. 
Emigrants’ Information.—The Emigrants’ Informa¬ 
tion Office, 31, Broadway, Westminster, S.W., has 
sent out its quarterly report on the prospects for 
emigrants. It is now too late for the ordinary 
emigrant to go to Canada, unless he has friends to 
go to or money to keep him through the winter. 
Competent dairymen and farm labourers can gener¬ 
ally find employment in the country districts of New 
South Wales. In Victoria there are excellent 
openings for farmers, dairymen and fruit growers, if 
they have a little capital and some experience of the 
country. In Queensland, farm servants are still in 
demand. The same cry comes from Western 
Australia, and free homesteads of 160 acres are being 
offered to settlers. Intending emigrants are seriously 
warned against going to the Cape. The cities and 
the Colony all over are fully supplied and in parts 
there is congestion even. 
Bristol and District Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement 
Association. — The monthly meeting of the society 
was held on Thursday last at St. John’s Parish 
Room, Redland. Mr. C. Lock presided over a good 
attendance. The subject for discussion was 
“Salads,” and it was opened in a thoughtful and in¬ 
teresting manner by Mr. E. Binfield, gardener to 
Francis Tagart, Esq., Old Sneed Park. The aim of 
the paper was to show how a supply of the principal 
salads could be maintained during the greater part 
of the year. To this end Mr. Binfield dealt with 
the culture of Lettuce, Endive, Beet, Celery, and 
Cucumbers. He gave in each case his opinion as to 
the times most suitable for sowing to obtain a succes¬ 
sion of crops, the soil best fitted for the several 
varieties, method of after culture, and insects to 
which they were most liable. The paper, which was 
full of useful information on the important subject, 
was much appreciated, and at the close Mr. Binfield 
was heartily thanked. A short discussion, chiefly on 
the culture of Beet, and best means to clear the 
Celery Fly, followed the paper. Certificates of 
Merit were awarded Mr. Shaddock for a dish of fine 
Peaches ; Mr. White, for Pitcher Plant; and Mr. 
McCullock, a specimen of Odontoglossum grande. 
Mr. E. Rodigas, director of the School of Horti¬ 
culture of the State, Ghent, has been promoted to 
the quality of officer of the " Order of Leopold.” 
Forestry in the United States.—The Secretary of 
Agriculture is preparing for distribution at the Paris 
exhibition a publication which is to contain a resume 
of the achievements of the United States in every 
branch of science as related to agriculture in the 
Nineteenth Century. 
Death of M. Ferdinand Bergman.—This noted 
horticul turist died at Rainey (Seine et Oise), France, 
recently at the age of seventy-three. He was born 
at Dammarie-les-Lys, near MeluD, and at the age of 
twelve engaged as apprentice gardener with Baron 
James Rothschild, at Boulogne-sur-Seine. He after¬ 
wards worked with the Duke of Devonshire, Messrs. 
Lee & Paxton and the Duke of Buccleucb, in this 
country ; in Austria, with Baron Hugel, he took 
charge of the parks and greenhouses of Suresnes; 
then at Boulogne-sur-Seine, and at last at Ferriere- 
en-Brie, to which he was appointed in 1864. M. 
Bergman raised many new varieties of Coleus, 
Dracaena, Croton (C. Baron James de Rothschild), 
Anthurium, Pineapple Charlctte de Rothschild, and 
other things. In the way of literature he leaves the 
Revue Horticole, a souvenir of a meritorious practician. 
He was much liked and respected, being well known 
to many even in this country, where some of his 
Crotons and Anthuriums are still reckoned among 
the best of their kind. 
Devon and Exeter Gardeners' Association. —The 
annual business meeting of the above association 
was held in the Council Chamber of the Guildhall, 
Exeter, on Wednesday evening, October 4th, at 
eight o’clock. The Right Worshipful the Mayor 
occupied the chair. The secretary and treasurer’s 
report for the past year showed the funds in good con¬ 
dition. The balance brought forward from last year was 
£13 11s. 3d. ; at present the balance at the bank and in 
the treasurer’s hands amounts to £16 ns. gd., an in¬ 
crease of £3 os. 6d., so that after a good year’s work 
done the totals come out satisfactorily. The syllabus 
for the opening session, i8gg-igoo, includes papers 
from Mr. Fletcher, gardener to Colonel Halford 
Thompson, J.P., on “ Dahlias” ; Mr. G. Stiles, gar¬ 
dener at The Grove, Teignmoutb, on " A Practical 
Lesson on Dressing Chrysanthemum Blooms for the 
Exhibition Table ”; Mr. W. Charley, Wonford 
House Gardens, on " Garden Walks and Drives”; 
Mr. W. Mackay, Royal Nurseries, on “Cut Flowers 
and their Arrangement " ; Mr. J. Reynolds, gardener 
to Sir Charles D. Cave, Bart., Sidbury Manor, on 
“ Winter Flowering Plants—the Cyclamen, the 
Carnation, and the Euphorbia” ; Mr. L. W. E. 
Shrivell, F.L.S., Thompson’s Farm, Tonbridge, 
Kent, on “Further Experiments with Chemical 
Manures in Kitchen and Market Gardening.” 
Horticulturists at Balruddery House. — Saturday 
last, September 30th, was the occasion of a visit by 
the Dundee Horticultural Society to the estate of 
J. Martin White, Esq., at Balruddery House, Forfar¬ 
shire. The party presented a Fir tree (Abies pun- 
gens glauca) and planted it in a prominent part of 
the grounds in commemoration of, and as a testi¬ 
mony of appreciation for invaluable services ren¬ 
dered by Mr. Martin White to the society in his 
capacity as a patron. Mr. David Croll delivered the 
presentation speech, in which he enumerated the 
numerous instances of kindness which Mr. Martin 
White had shown to their society. He hoped the 
tree they had planted would flourish, and further, 
that the family tree of Balruddery would flourish 
and send forth many olive branches, which in pass¬ 
ing years would cheer the hearts of the lord and 
lady of the manor. In returning thanks Mr. Martin 
White complimented the society on having allied 
itself with the Technical Institute, and he hoped 
other associations would follow the lead, and by 
their union make the institute a powerful educational 
centre. In their tour round the world, Mr. and Mrs. 
White had been convinced that Scotland was not 
now foremost in the matter of technical education. 
He also promised to present the society with copies 
of several horticultural works he had secured in 
Japan, and from them they would see what was 
beiDg done in that country, which he regarded as 
the most artistic in the world. Mr. R. Cairns, the 
energetic and courteous gardener at Balruddery, 
escorted the party throughout the gardens, and a 
very pleasant afternoon was spent. 
