244 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 16, 1899. 
Language of Flowers.-—Fair one : " I want to send 
him a flower that shall tell him to be gone. What 
flower will that be ? " Absurd male creature : “ I 
really don't know. Why not try him with a 
Begonia? ” — Scraps. 
National Dahlia Society.—A committee meeting of 
this society will be held by the kind permission of 
the Horticultural Club in the Club Room at the 
Hotel Windsor, Victoria Street, London, S.W., on 
Tuesday, December igtb, at 2 p.m. ~ The items on 
the agenda are the report for 1899, the schedule for 
1900, the financial statement and other business. 
Expected Too Much for the Mcney.—A man went 
to look at a house with the view of renting it. The 
owner had evidently let it get into bad repair, yet 
asked a big price for it. When going round the prem¬ 
ises, the inquirer said, " I think you are asking too 
much ; just look at the moss all over the walls.” 
“Why,’ 1 exclaimed the owner, “did you expect 
Orchids for the price ? ” — Snaggs. 
Messrs. Dobbie & Do’s New Premises.—At the 
opening of new premises by this well-known 
Rothesay firm, on Friday, December gth, they enter¬ 
tained their employes and friends in a social eveniog. 
Mr. Burnie presided, and, under warm welcome, 
spoke of the flourishing manner in which their firm 
was sailing along. Mr. Fife also spoke. An interest¬ 
ing musical programme was gone through. 
Large Purchases. —From The Canadian Horticulturist 
we learn that a Chicago fruit firm purchased so much 
as ten thousand acres of land on Maniton Island, 
Lake Michigan, and this they intended to plant up 
as one great Apple orchard. The plan has been 
abandoned, however, probably because of the de¬ 
cline in Apple values. The property will be con¬ 
verted into"a summer resort. 
Scabby Potatos. — Scab is frequently seen on 
Potatos, but it is not a dire disease, and not greatly 
to be feared. However, it is always nicer to have 
clean tubers if they can be had. The cause of scab 
is not well understood, but is thought to be the work 
of a very persistent fungus. Numerous methods of 
treatment have been adopted with more or less 
success or failure. By immersing the seed tubers 
for two hours in one pint of formalin to twenty 
gallons of water the fungus pest is fairly well 
eradicated. 
Fruit Trees for Africa. —It is reported in American 
Gardening that the U. S. Consul-General Stowe, of 
Cape Town, gives notice that a representative of a 
United States nursery had been there eight weeks, 
and that he had made very large sales. He had only 
been canvassing the city and suburbs, and had met 
with much success. Though frosts are never dread¬ 
ed at Cape Town, the great damage done to trees by 
insects which live on in perpetual glory, increasing 
in hosts, from the want of any climatic severity, 
turns the tables, and probably more damage comes 
from the latter source than from the former. The 
Consul further suggests the introduction and use of 
American spraying pumps. So here we see 
America pushing herself and establishing a power 
on a fundamental basis,one which may be establish¬ 
ed and permanent. Great Britai on the other 
hand is penetrating to the bowels of the earth for gold, 
but the glitter of gold oes not last. 
Poisonous Native Plants-—Included in the dozen 
or more native plants which are known to botanists, 
special mention deserves to be made of the Water 
Dropwort, one of the Umbelliferae. There are 
several species of this genus and all of them are 
commonly known under the name of Hemlock, though 
the true Hemlock is Conium maculatum. Like the 
Dropwort, however, the Hemlock is poisonous and 
has often been known to produce fatal results when 
partaken of by stock. The root of the Dropwort 
when partaken of acts as a narcotic poison, and has 
often been the cause of the deaths of cattle, sheep, 
aud other stock. The most dangerous of the other 
native plants are Fool’s Parsley (Aethusa Cynapium), 
Monkshood (Aconitum Napellus), Water Parsnip 
(Sium), Cowbane (Cicuta virosa), Henbane (Hyos- 
cyamus niger), Woody Nightshade (Solanum 
Dulcamara), Deadly Ntghtshade(Atropa Belladonna), 
Figwort (Scrophularia), Foxglove (Digitalis pur¬ 
purea), Meadow Saffron (Colchicum autumnale) and 
the Yew (Taxus baccata). 
The Board of Agriculture has just issued three 
leaflets for gratis distribution, post free, to all who 
may apply for them. They deal with the Canker 
Fungus, the Wood Leopard Moth, and Sheep Scab. 
The Shelves for fruit rooms in which Apples, 
Pears, and the like, are placed, should be made from 
a white wooded variety of tree such as Poplar, 
Sycamore, or Lime. It is said that Deal, Oak, Ash, 
and Elm give rather a disagreeable taste to the 
fruits. Very fresh bare shelves might, but of course, 
they do not always do so. 
Ripe Strawberries in November. —Mr. George 
Gray, of East Carmont, Dunnotar, is the proud 
possessor of a field of Strawberries in full bloom 
some of them are even bearing a crop of fruits. 
The points of comment which such phenomena 
suggest might furnish a pregnant leader or article 
for some experienced observer. 
Bute Botanical Society.—A meeting of this society 
was held in the Y.M.C.A. rooms on Tuesday, the 
5th inst., Mr. Wm. Cuthbertson presiding. Mr. S. 
Jones was the lecturer, having under discussion the 
subject of propagation. In mentioning seeds as 
being the most natural and generally far the better 
means of propagation Mr. Jones referred to the idle 
talk about mummy Peas and Wheat seeds having 
ever germinated ; no scientific man, he said, believed 
it. The manner by which runners, slips, cuttings, 
&c., were produced and prepared by the plant and 
by man, was also fully explained. Leaf propagation 
was noted, and the practice of grafting weaker or 
finer varieties of Rhododendrons, Roses, Clematis, 
Ivy and many shrubs and plants, upon more vigorous 
and hardier members of the same genus was one of 
Mr. Jones’ most interesting points. The lecturer 
was heartily thanked at the conclusion of his dis¬ 
course. "The Internal Structure of Plants” by 
Mr. Ballantyne is the subject for December 10th. 
Experiments with Brussels Sprouts.— Farmers 
around the larger of our towns and cities have found 
it a remunerative venture in these degenerate days 
for agriculture, to cultivate crops of Brassicae 
instead of cereals. Brussels Sprouts are of no small 
economic importance. From this crop it is possible 
to get £30 to £38 per acre. Mr.F.W.E.Sbrivell.F.L S., 
has for six years past been experimenting with this 
vegetable at the grounds in Golden Green, Hadlow, 
near Tonbridge, Kent. The operations have been 
directed by Dr. Bernard Dyer. The results, as 
tabulated, show what is nowadays generally known, 
that a judicious use of natural manure (dung) and 
proper chemical fertilisers are at once the cheapest 
and the most profitable mode of manuring. From 
plot “ D” the heaviest yield was taken. Here the 
manures and their quantities per acre were 
25 loads of dung, 4 cwt. of superphosphate, 1 cwt. of 
sulphate of potash, 4 cwt. of nitrate of soda, the total 
cost being put down at £8 2s. per acre. Last year 
251 \ sieves were obtained from this plot, or 321 
sieves as an average for four years. As this is the 
best result it would only be confusing to add the 
result of other trials, 
Flowery Plains and Bustards.—Mr. Harry F. 
Witherby, F.Z.S., continues his sketches upon his 
two months’ travel and hunting on the Guadalquiver, 
in the current number of Knowledge. This makes 
his fifth instalment, in which he recounts a bustard 
hunt, and what he saw of the country when so 
engaged. In the south of Spain these birds are 
still plentiful, and likely to remain so. They feed, 
live, and die in native freedom upon the great rolling 
grassy expanses, which cannot be called fields. 
White and yellow flowers grow away on all sides for 
miles. Cornfields also cover acres and acres. Mr. 
Witherby also described the peculiar phenomenon 
called “ mirage,” by which travellers are deluded by 
reflections of lakes or sheets of water, probably 
miles and miles out of reach, but which reflect light 
from their surface to the clouds, and from the 
clouds the light in the representation of gleaming 
water is reflected upon the desert beneath. Mimicry 
in Nature is also shown in the note which refers to 
the brown sand-grouse, whose coats are identical 
with the brown grass. Some of the grasses there¬ 
about grow so tall as to reach the horses' withers. 
The article is very interesting to the student of 
natural science, and valuable addition to our 
knowledge of th Guadalquiver regions. 
Mr. Cecil Rhodes is still going on with the con¬ 
struction and planting of his “ Siege Avenue ” at 
Kenilworth, Kimberle . At present there are 1,400 
natives in his employment. 
Public Gardens, Potbury.—Visitor to boy: " I hear 
there is a big and very special bug in these gardens. 
Could I see it ? ” Boy shouts to superintendent: 
" A gentleman wants to see you, please.”— Snaggs. 
OdontoglOssum crispum in Cheapside. — A fine 
variety of this cool Odontoglot was put up at the 
Sale Rooms of Messrs. Protheroe & Morris, Cheap- 
side, on the 8th inst., and was knocked down at 
roo gs. The sepals and petals were heavily and 
beautifully blotched with dark purple, the blotches 
on the petals taking the form of arches like a horse¬ 
shoe. 
The Bi-Centenary cf Sweet Pea.—With a view to 
the celebration of the bi-centenary of the introduc¬ 
tion of the Sweet Pea into Great Britain (1700), a 
preliminary meeting was held at Edinburgh, on 
September 13th last, Mr. Geo. Gordon, V.M H., 
presiding. This meeting agreed upon the advisa¬ 
bility of having some celebration. Propositions 
were put forth toward the instituting of a conference 
for the purpose of classification into groups of colour 
and form ; to make selections, and to point out various 
passages for improvement and so on. The confer¬ 
ence has been suggested for next July to be held in 
London. Prizes and awards will be arranged for in 
an exclusive Sweet Pea exhibition, papers by ex¬ 
perts will be delivered, and banquets and other 
social observances provided. A sum of about /300 
will be required to befittingly carry out the celebra¬ 
tion, towards which amount less than £20 has been 
contributed from various prominent persons, and the 
appeal is made for all who are interested in this 
charming flower to aid the fund. A strong represen¬ 
tative committee has been formed. 
The Edinburgh Seed Trade.—The assistants held 
their customary annual dinner on Friday evening, 
the 8th inst., in the West End Cafe, which was, as 
usual, attended with great success. The menu, 
which consisted of Scotch dishes in various tit-bits, 
was greatly relished. The haggis went well and so 
did the " bubblyjock.” The menu card itself was a 
work of art, and got up in splendid style by Messrs. 
Blake & Mackenzie, of Liverpool. After the usual 
loyal and patriotic toasts and the recital of Kipling's 
up-to-date " Beggar," the “ hat ” was passed round, 
and a handsome collection was subscribed for the 
Widows' and Orphans’ Fund. The programme was 
of all-round excellence and interspersed with toasts, 
in which the employers took a leading part. Speeches 
of interest were delivered by Mr. David Mitchell 
(chairman), Mr. David Syme, Mr. D. P. Laird, Mr. 
A. Milne, Mr. D. W. Thomson, Mr. M. Todd, and 
others. The veteran chairman presided with his 
usual hearty geniality, and contributed in no un¬ 
certain way to the success of the gathering, which 
was pronounced to be the most enjoyable yet held. 
Over a hundred gentlemen were present—all the 
leading houses being well represented. 
Chiswick Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society. 
—At a meeting of this society on the 7th inst., in the 
Council Room of th Royal Horticultural Society, 
Chiswick, Mr. W. . Gingell, superintendent of 
Ravenscourt Park, Hammersmith, read a paper on 
" Public Parks and Gardens.” He practically dealt 
with the London Parks and open spaces, under the 
control of the London County Council and other 
bodies, showing that London can boast of some 
17,000 acres of open spaces for amusement, recrea¬ 
tion, and other uses. No other city or town in the 
country can boast of a similar area. This, of course, 
included Epping Forest, which alone extends to 
5,500 acres, exclusive of the recent additions. He 
first compared the keeping of the parks of Paris 
with our own, then gave a summary of the leading 
features of each of the London parks and gardens. 
Victoria and Southwark parks it would seem were 
amongst the most deleterious to vegetation, on 
account of their smoky and sooty atmosphere. He 
condemned the brick burrs in the making of the 
rockeries in Dulwich Park, and said that stones 
would better have conserved moisture about the 
plants. The lake on the crown of the hill at Fins¬ 
bury Park was unnatural and out of keeping with the 
place. He was accorded a hearty vote of thanks 
after the discussion. 
