118 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 21, 1899- 
Textile Fibres.—There are three natural fibres 
from which varieties of textile are made. Theseare 
wool, cotton and silk. Wool and cotton possess a 
highly-organised or cellular structure, whereas silk, 
being merely a solidified liquid has no special 
internal formation, but rather resembles a thread of 
glass. From this latter fact it is thought that the 
artificial manufacture of silk will open up a field of 
experiment for the chemist. Given a requisite liquid 
he suffered terribly, so much so that for a week on 
end he never slept. He asked for opium, but a friend 
dissuaded it. Then his wife suggested:—"Won’t 
you eat Strawberries.” It was the season for them. 
Linnaeus, in the spirit of an experimental philoso¬ 
pher, replied that he would make a trial. He did 
so and soon after he fell asleep. He waked re¬ 
freshed. He tried more, and went to sleep a second 
time, not waking until the morning. Then he ate 
Apple Charles Ross. 
it would not be an insoluble problem to produce 
from it a fibre resembling silk in every respect. 
The Detroit Convention.—The society of American 
Florists have an annual convention which sits for a 
certain period in one or other of the large American 
cities. This year Detroit was the meeting place, and 
and next year New York will be favoured. Business 
and pastimes both had their turn in the proceedings. 
Mayor Maj bury of Detroit gave the opening speech 
of welcome, to which Ex-President Robert Craig, of 
Philadelphia, responded. The objectsof the S.A.F. are 
to stamp out from the profession that which is dele¬ 
terious to it ; to commend and retain whatever is 
good ; and to point out and obtain that which is 
lacking. Trade exhibits are numerously grouped at 
these cor.venti n=. New officers are at this time 
appointed for the ensuing year. Indeed, the aims 
and objects of American Florist conventions are just 
the same as are the conferences of our Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society of England. 
Smilax Leaves Spotted —The peculiar spotting 
sometimes seen on Smilax leaves is the result of an 
bisect which belongs to what is commonly known as 
the flea-beetle family. Just as soon as we have 
cooler weather these insects cease their ravages. 
How to annihilate this pest so that it will not bother 
Smilax or other plants in summer time is a hard 
problem to solve. Among Potatos growing on some 
parts of America, a near relative of this insect causes 
much havoc among the Vines, and in many cases 
seriously impairs the crop. The now quite well 
known Bordeaux mixture answers a double purpose, 
if freely used in the case of Potato growing, by 
checking insect injury and fungus diseases. One of 
the tricks resorted to by these troublesome insects 
for the ir self-preservation, is to dodge beneath the 
leaves—side s ep, as it were—upon the slightest agi¬ 
tation of the Vine, It is thus difficult to hit the 
enemy with what is known as contact insecticides, and 
to use poison for internal application would be ex¬ 
tremely risky and might prove dangerous. 
Strawberry Cure for Gout-—In a contemporary we 
are furnished with an instance—an experiment by 
Linnaeus himself, no less—of how Strawberries were 
instrumental in curing the pains of sciatica. In 1750 
all he could get, and on the subsequent morning was 
able to say that he no longer felt pain. Gouty pains 
returned at the same period next year, and again the 
Strawberries acted the cure, as also in the third year. 
Linneaus died soon after, so the experiment ceased. 
Is the story feasible, and have Strawberries any 
special properties in gouty cases? 
--- 
EDGING PLANTS OF VALUE, 
In the London parks one finds a certain number of 
plants which are more or less used as edging plants 
by nearly all the superintendents. One of those 
most frequently used is Gnaphalium lanatum, the 
Cudweed (Syn. G. japonicum). To gaze at it from a 
few yards it represents a band of bright gray, 
crimpled stems and foliage, for the plant is a pro¬ 
cumbent and spreading grower. The foliage is 
tough, each leaf being about an inch long, cordate at 
the base and obtuse or rounded at the apex. It is 
fairly hardy, and in favoured parts may be left in the 
beds permanently. To propagate it cuttings are 
resorted to. Young shoots of the current year are 
what is wanted and these strike freely enough under 
hand-lights in pots, or in light soil under frames. It 
is a recommendable plant for use in edging beds 
with a high centre because of its binding roots and 
close top growth. Chlorophytum elatum variegatum 
is another bright and useful plant for edging. It 
differs altogether in constitution and habit from the 
Gnaphalium. Its use is principally for “ heavy " 
bedding. Heavy bedding, as we know it, implies 
such large plants as specimen Coleus, Iresines, huge 
Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, and such plants. It is 
allied to the Anthiricums, and is sometimes used as 
a greenhouse plant. A stock can be maintained from 
suckers, seeds, or best of all, by division of the plants 
in springtime. Coprosma taueriana variegata is 
used mostly for large circular beds, being pegged 
down for the purpose. The leaves are oval, leathery 
and shining, with a green and yellow variegation. It 
is readily propagated at this time of the year from 
cuttings. The plant, however, is an evergreen (much 
resembling Euonymus japonicus variegatus), and can 
be kept in pots or boxes during severe winter 
weather. It is also used as an edging plant in win¬ 
dow boxes. Then again, we have Lobelia Emperor 
William. It is one of the most useful little edging 
plants for summer flower gardens, and few plants are 
more numerously used or more fitting for the pur¬ 
pose. This variety of the dwarf Lobelias does not 
grow in a loose and straggling manner, but, indeed, 
keeps up a compact line, which is a gain over many a 
sort. The light centre of the blue flowers also lends 
it additional attractiveness. 
ORCHID NOTES & GLEANINGS, 
By the Editor. 
A choice Cattleya hardyana var.—Many fine 
varieties of C. hardyana have already found their 
way into cultivation; but it is evident that there are 
still surprises in store, perhaps many. One of these 
surprises turned up at the Sale Rooms of Messrs. 
Protheroe & Morris, Cheapside, on the 13th inst. 
The sepals and petals were pure white, thus contrast¬ 
ing with the lip, which was rosy-purple fading to a 
broad lilac border, and having a dark band running 
down the centre of the tube. There was a large 
white and yellow blotch at the base of the side lobes, 
where an eye-like spot occurs in the ordinary forms, 
and crimson lines extended on to the base of the 
yellow. It turned up in a batch of C. dowiana aurea, 
collected by Mr. John Carder, for Mr. Thos. Roch- 
ford, of Turnford Hall, near Broxbourre. From the 
latter it was bought in a lot of imported plants (that 
is, unflowered) for a small sum by Mr. H. A. Tracey, 
of Twickenham. It was a very small piece, and 
after it had been coaxed to open its solitary flower, 
it turned up at the Sale Rooms on the above occa¬ 
sion, when Mr. Rochford bought it back for 60 gs., 
and was delighted with his bargain. 
--- 
APPLE CHARLES ROSS. 
On September 12th last, an Apple was brought up 
to the meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, 
by Mr. Charles Ross, gardener to Captain Carstairs, 
Welford Park, Newbury, Berkshire, when an Award 
of Merit was accorded it under the name of Thomas 
Andrew Knight, in compliment to the first president 
of the society. At the above-mentioned date, the 
Apple was still unripe, so that its merits could not 
be fairly tested. It was brought up again to the 
meeting of the 10th inst , when its merits were more 
fully recognised, and a First-class Certificate 
accorded it. In the interval between tbe two meet¬ 
ings, Colonel and Lady Aiice HoubloD, the owners 
of Welford Park and employers of the gardener, Mr. 
Charles Ross, came to hear of the merits and success 
of the new Apple, and desired to have it named after 
Charles Ross, the raiser, so that is the name it will 
have to bear. 
Mr. Ross has raised same hundreds of seedling 
Apples, some of which we-e of considerable merit; 
but that under notice is his crowning success. 
Report already has it that it is the Apple of the 
century. It was raised from a cross between Cox’s 
Orange Pippin and Peasgood’s Nonsuch, between 
which it is intermediate in size and colour, while it 
possesses the shape and general contour of Cox's 
Orange, though twice the size of a good sample of 
that splendid Apple. The fruits are widely conical, 
smooth in every part, with a wide open eye, seated 
in a shallow and almost smooth cavity. The skin is 
now of a rich shining yellow, as if polished, and 
much splashed,marbled,and shaded with bright red on 
the exposed side, the red extending over the greater 
portion of the surface, as grown at Welford Park 
this year. The short stalk is set in a deep cavity, 
much covered with russet. 
The flesh is yellow, tender, crisp and sweet, so 
that when eaten it melts away in the mouth, so to 
speak, leaving no woody residue behind, as in the 
case of many Apples enjoying a high reputation. 
The core is remarkably small, but not seedless, as 
some would seem to imply; for the specimen given 
us by the raiser, and from which the accompanying 
illustration was prepared, contained nine good seeds 
out of a possible ten, the full complement with which 
Nature has endowed any true Apple or Pear. The 
Charles Ross Apple is one of the most handsome of 
dessert Apples in cultivation, and is sure to be 
extensively planted during the next few years. The 
whole of the stock of this grand new variety has been 
secured by Mr. W. Horne, Cliffe, near Rochester, 
Kent. 
