October 1899. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
91 
this romantic valley has thriven apace It has been 
truly said that if anyone made two blades of grass 
grow where only one grew before, he was a bene¬ 
factor of mankind. Such being the case, it must be 
highly gratifying to Mr. Wigan and his good lady 
to see their efforts so ably seconded by the 
parishioners, who in so doing are very consider¬ 
ably adding to their own comfort and prosperity. 
At the show held a few weeks ago, it was a treat 
to see the hardy borderers with their wives and 
families, bonnie fresh-faced country lassies, and 
sturdy lads, drawn from the surrounding districts in 
great numbers ; for the show day is now looked upon 
as a red-letter day in the parish calendar. Not only 
do flowers, fruits, and vegetables find favour, but the 
interests of the goodwives are studied as well; for a 
most meritorious and extensive industrial section is 
added, embracing such useful articles as eggs, butter, 
jam, cakes, scones in variety, cooked Potatos, trussed 
fowls, and laundry work in all its branches, besides 
knitting, crochet, and seam work, etc., for the young 
lasses. The children's section in the way of collec¬ 
tions of native wild fruits, grasses, and Ferns is in 
itself a treat worth going a long way to see, and well 
worthy of every encouragement. But I am digress¬ 
ing, only Mr. and Mrs. Wigan and Robertson show 
are so much associated that it is a pardonable 
offence, I think. 
I may add, however, that the opening speech of 
Mr. Wigan at the late show was certainly the best 
flower show speech I have ever heard, and will live 
long In the memory of those who heard it. At the 
close, he called upon his fair daughter to present the 
cup to Mr. McConnachie, which she did in a winning 
manner, amidst great cheering. Mr. McConnachie 
suitably replied, and Mr. Wigan, with his usual 
forethought, filled the cup with wine, and invited 
the unsuccessful competitors to drink to Mr. McCon- 
nachie’s health, which they did in no uncertain 
fashion. In closing, I wish to mention the herculean 
task of the genial and trusted secretary, Mr. Willie 
Murray, gardener, Borthwickshiels, who spares 
neither time nor trouble to make everything pass off 
satisfactorily, as it is greatly due to his untiring 
effort that Robertson horticultural show is so full of 
" vim," vigour, and vitality.— Borderer. 
INSTRUCTIONAL FRUIT STATIONS. 
At the Drill Hall meeting of the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society, held on September 26th, Mr. 
Edward Luckhurst sent a paper which was read by 
the secretary, Rev. W. Wilks, entitled, "In¬ 
structional Fruit Stations.” The paper as a whole 
dealt with the trials being made by the Derby C. C. r 
and which have been in operation for some seven 
years, in various parts of Derbyshire, for the in¬ 
struction of artisans and resident workers, who are 
invited to visit and improve themselves thereby, and 
from lectures, demonstrations, &c., on the proper 
management of fruit trees and bushes. As above 
stated, the D. C. C. first inaugurated the scheme of 
having fruit stations in various parts some years ago. 
The idea caught on, and Mr. Luckhurst told us in 
his paper that the workmen made ample advantage 
of their opportunities. Raspberry canes, pieces of 
Gooseberry and Currant shoots, and any amount of 
specimens having various peculiarities hailed in upon 
him to explain or advise upon. 
Questions on when to plant, prune, &c., and how 
to do these operations were so freely asked that the 
work soon became an established success and 
pointed that the institution of the Derby stations was 
a boon which had been long delayed and which 
might-well be more widely represented in other 
counties. 
The first fruit plot in his own charge was laid out 
at Duffield in T893, a second at Matlock in 1895, and 
a third at Kingston. Land has been offered for the 
laying-out of two other plots, but these were not 
accepted. It is not merely a knowledge of fruit and 
fruit trees in their outward semblances that is 
wanted. The soil and its nature both top and sub¬ 
soil ; the breaking up of the land and its effective and 
proper preparation; the drainage, irrigation, and 
aerating of the same, together with liming and 
manuring and the proper time and method of plant¬ 
ing ; distances apart, special use of pyramidal, bush 
and standard trained trees, and the principles of 
pruning ; the importance of pressure in the roots; 
and the selection of varieties and kinds of fruits for 
different districts or localities are, one and all, the 
subjects which the instructors and promotors of the 
fruit stations have resolved to pay particular atten¬ 
tion to. 
The selection of proper and suitable varieties 
proved a difficult matter in those districts where the 
workers had not previous knowledge of fruit culture. 
The plan was that of having trials of a large number 
of varieties, generally two plants of each, of trees or 
bush fruits and Rhubarb. The selection of bush 
fruits goes largely by the market value of them. 
Mr. Luckhurst dees all the pruning himself, and as 
the surface dressings are from artificial manures the 
cost for labour and other things is not mueb. Many 
of the young trees at Duffield are now 12 ft. high, 
with heads 8 ft. in diameter. But even though this 
proves good growth, there are good returns of fruit, 
for this is aimed at and not wood. The minimum 
distance between the branches is 15 ins., and 10 ft. 
from tree to tree; all the Apples are grown upon the 
Paradise stock. Some half-standard trees of Bram- 
ley’s Seedling Apple have heads 15 to 16 ft. in 
diameter, bat whether these have developed since 
the establishment of the plot we cannot say ; any¬ 
how, they will furnish capital samples upon which 
to operate. 
Some hints upon the method of treating the cut¬ 
leaved Bramble were also given. With a number 
grown at Duffield they were allowed to grow wild the 
first season, which allowed them a start. In the 
second year they were cut back to a couple of good 
buds; in the third year they were more lightly 
pruned and bore good crops ; and from having cut 
out old wood and laid in fresh canes with nourish¬ 
ment at the roots they have yielded splendid results. 
They require a good holding soil, in fact, a peaty or 
moist humic soil suits them Ar. 
The Kingston plot was primarily intended for the 
students at the dairy farm, which is another 
institution of notice. It is divided by paths into 
four sections. One of these is planted with pyra¬ 
midal Apples, 10 ft. apart. A line of Strawberries is 
planted between each two rows of Apples. Other 
divisions of the plot are planted with balf-standard 
Apples, at 15 ft. apart, leaving room for a row of 
bushes (Gooseberries or Currants) and allowing 5 ft. 
clear between these and the Apples. Damsons 
cover a third square with rows of Rhubarb between. 
In the fourth square there are Wine-berry, Logan¬ 
berry, and Blackberry plantations. There is also in, 
or around this fourth square, double cordons of 
Apples,trained diamond fashion, and also a cordon 
of Gooseberries along an opposite side. 
Thus it will be seen that there is plenty to see and 
learn in these instructional fruit stations. The work 
will have its reward, in that we shall see good trees, 
good varieties in the future ; trees and varieties of an 
inferior description will be the exception. 
Discussion followed the reading of the paper. 
Mr. Pearson, of Chilwell, Notts., who occupied 
the chair, said that living in the next county to Mr. 
Luckhurst, he knew the value of the work being 
done, and also how eager the artisans were to learn 
what they could of so profitable an employment or 
hobby. Upon a question being asked by Mr. Cook, 
of Dettling, Maidstone, about the diamond-shape 
training of Apples, Mr. Pearson said he did not ap¬ 
prove of the method because where two shoots 
crossed each other there lay daoger from friction, 
and wounds originated diseases. Then the closeness 
of the leaves was a great temptation for the harbour¬ 
ing of insects. Blackberries were mentioned as not 
bearing for the first two years, but they begin to crop 
after this and continue to increase with age up to a 
certain period. Mr. A. Dean, who also spoke, 
said he was surprised that 3 ft. had been given as the 
distance at which the Brambles were planted ; 12 ft. 
would have been nearer the mark, but of course in a 
fruit-station one would have to show a compactly 
cropped area from the start. This was, however, not 
always the best policy, and one which so far as im¬ 
pressions with artisans went, should be guarded 
against. The thanks of the audience were passed to 
Mr. Luckhurst, and another vote to Mr. Wilks for 
having read the paper brought the meeting to a close. 
-— .|. — 
From experiments it has been proved that the best 
returns come from Potato sets which are planted 
the same day as they are cut. The opinion goes 
that Potato sets are benefited by being kept for a 
day or two after being cut. 
Hardening Jiscellany. 
REGULAR FLOWERED STREPTOCARPUS. 
Whether gardeners or cultivators generally will 
ever be able to fix this character or not remains to 
be seen. It frequently turns up in collections, and the 
gardener is struck with it. He would like to fix it 
as has been done in the case of the Gloxinia ; but 
hitherto only a few stray flowers here and there 
show the anomally, which may, however, one day 
be the normal, or at least thecommon form. Mr. A. 
Pentney, The Gardens, Worton Hall, Islewortb, 
sends us the most recent specimen, which differed 
from the type in that the two upper lobes of the 
corolla were united so that the flower was reduced to 
four segments which were all of the same shape and 
colour, or nearly so. The upper segment was some¬ 
what broader than the rest, but otherwise similar. 
The violet bands running along tbe middle of the. 
lower lip extended in like manner along the upper 
one. Instead of two perfect stamens there were four, 
the two upper and usually rudimentary ones having 
become perfect. 
GLOBE ARTICHOKE AS A DECORATIVE 
SUBJECT. 
The beauty for decorative purposes, which we find 
in the Globe Artichoke of our kitchen gardens, is 
now and again proved to us by its use in this respect 
in a few gardens. The big umbelliferous plant called 
Giant or Cow Parsnip (Heracleum giganteum) makes 
a handsome woodland plant, and specimens of the 
Globe Artichoke also attain to noble proportions in 
such places. Sicily, of which the chief city was 
founded by Corinth, is said to be its original habitat. 
The Corinthians, who were amongst the most 
voluptuous and gormandising people of the ancient 
world, invented a type of column in their archi¬ 
tecture, distinguished by the graceful pattern of its 
capital. We are all along taught that the pattern 
was designed from the Acanthus leaf, but may we 
not assume that the foliage pattern of the Corin¬ 
thian capitals is that of the Artichoke ? The Acan¬ 
thus was practically a weed with these people, while 
the Artichoke was esteemed a delicacy. However, 
let these things be as they may, what we advocate is 
that Cynara Scolymus or Globe Artichoke may be 
used effectively as a garden ornament. 
ACHIMENES TUBIFLORA. 
From time to time this makes its appearance in 
gardens, where it is admired and cultivated for a 
while till the novelty of its strange looking flowers 
wears off, after which it disappears again for a time. 
A flowering stem of it reaches us from Mr. A. 
Pentney, gardener to A Howard, Esq., Worton 
Hall, Islewortb. The flower items are 2 ft. high,more 
or less, and thinly furnished with oblofig, hairy 
leaves, and bear at the apex a short raceme of 
white flowers, 3 in. to 4 in. in length. The slender 
tube is sharply bent or kneed at the base, and from 
this point the flower assumes a drooping or nodding 
habit, which enables the beholder to look the flower 
fully in the face. The cultural requirements of the 
plant are much the same as for other members of the 
genus,or as for Gloxinias. The species is also known as 
Dolichodeira tubiflora, and Gloxinia tubiflora. The 
habit and general appearance of the plant is so dis¬ 
tinct from that of other Achimenes, that botanists 
seem to have had a difficulty in fixing upon the 
proper genus to which it should belong. It is an 
introduction from Buenos Ayres. 
FREAK OF A GLOXINIA. 
What may be considered a regular Gloxinia would 
seem to be a contradiction in terms, if described 
likewise as a freak. In any case the flower sent us 
by Mr. F. G. Brewer, The Gardens, Oaklands, near 
St. Albans, is abnormal, though in most respects 
perfectly regular. It has five lobes to the corolla, and 
five, instead of four, stamens, and all with perfect, 
pollen-bearing anthers. On the inside of the tube of 
the corolla, however, are five Y shaped, colourless or 
white grooves corresponding to tbe stamens in 
position. Four of them have the arms of the Y about 
| in. long, but the arms of the fifth are J in. 
long. At the top of several of them are portions 
of anthers, and we should have regarded them as 
stamens, with the anther cells widely divergent, and 
