May 5, 1900. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
565 
Yictoria Regia.—The Victoria house, or rather 
the bank in which this imperial Lily grows at Kew, 
is being prepared to receive this year’s plant. 
Herbert Spenser, the greatest living exponent of 
the “Theory of Evolution,” celebrated his eighty- 
first birthday on Friday, April 27th, 1900. 
Bulb Exporters’ Association.—The bulb growers 
and dealers of Holland have established an Associa¬ 
tion for the promotion of the trade interests of its 
members, collection of debts, &c. The secretary is 
J. Spoor, 24, Wilhelmina Street, Haarlem, Holland. 
Weather in London.—The weather on the whole 
has been propitious. Though some days have been 
bright with a deal of sunshine, there has at the same 
time been a deceivingly cold air amoving, with light, 
drizzling rain. As we go to press, the day is very 
warm. 
Herbaceous Plants in Bloom Indoors.—A cor¬ 
respondent refers to Doronicum plantagineum excel- 
sum, Iberis tenoreana, I. sempervirens, I. gibral- 
tarica, the Moss-Pink, and Phlox subulata as being 
extraordinarily fine when grown in small pots for an 
early show. 
New Gardens for the Royal Horticultural 
Society.—For the purpose of giving full effect to the 
decision of the general meeting of the society, held 
on April 25th, requesting the Council to examine 
further sites for the new gardens of the society, the 
Council request any Fellow who knows of a suitable 
position to be so kind as to send at once to the office 
of the society detailed particulars of the acreage, 
distance from London, nearest railway station, 
aspect, nature of soil, name of owner or agent, and 
price.—W. Wilks, Secretary. 
Cheap Holiday Tours.—Every year sees new 
routes and fresh scenes opened up and described for 
tourists. The Great Eastern Railway Company has 
done, and is still doing, great service in this con¬ 
nection. The routes to the Continent via Harwich 
and Antwerp are the most direct to any part of Bel¬ 
gium, central, and north Germany. The company has 
just published a little pamphlet, written by Mr. 
Percy Lindley, which describes, in an interesting 
manner, holidays in the old Flemish cities and the 
Ardennes. Most of the especial points connected with 
these cities and items of necessary information are 
therein detailed. Remarkably cheap tourists’ tickets 
are offered. Further information may be obtained 
from the Continental Traffic Manager, Liverpool 
Street Station, London, E.C. 
The Nurserymen, Market Gardeners’ and 
General Hailstorm Insurance Corporation, Ltd.— 
The fifth annual general meeting of the above cor¬ 
poration was held at the new offices of the corpora¬ 
tion, 41 and 42, King Street, Covent Garden, 
London, on Tuesday, April 24th, 1900. Mr. H. B. 
May presided (in the absence of Mr. Harry J. 
Veitcb, who was in Palestine), and there was a good 
attendance of shareholders. The chairman gave 
some interesting figures, showing the growth of the 
premium income and business as follows :— 
Year Policies Premium Square feet Value Claims 
in force Income covered Insured Paid 
’895-6 ...235... £681 1 9...10,408.161...£135,215 16 o...£ 2S3 17 4 
’896-7 ...346... 889 n 5...13,886.095... 179366 11 1... Nil 
'897-8 ...550... 1,360 17 0...20,098.104... 263,560 19 1...1532 17 5 
'898-9 ...749... 1,736 0 6...25,619,760... 343,439 7 8... Nit 
’899-' oo ...825„. 1,962 0 i ...28,855 076... 301,202 15 4 .. Nil 
The working expenses had been reduced from 
£40 10s 3d. per cent, of the income of 1895-6, to 
£18 3s. 6d. per cent, in 1899-1900. The report was 
unanimously agreed to, as was the recommendation 
of directors, that a dividend at the rate of 5 per 
cent., and a bonus of per cent, per annum be 
paid, and that £800 be placed to the reserve fund, 
and the balance, £375 10s. 4d., carried forward. 
A further issue of 5,000 shares of £5 each had been 
made in May last, at a premium of 4s. per share. 
The issue had been more than subscribed for and 
applications for shares were received too late. £1 
per share had been called up, received and invested. 
The subscribed capital was now £50,000, and the 
paid-up capital £10,000. The premiums on new 
issue had been placed to the reserve fund after de¬ 
ducting the cost of the new issue. Since the 
financial year had closed, a claim for damage to 
glass by hail had come in from Kirkwall, Orkney 
Isles, and had been promptly paid. 
Staking.—Do not omit to place a neat stake to the 
flower-spikes of Crown Imperials, Hyacinths, Daffo¬ 
dils, or aught else which, at the present time, may 
require such aid 
A Three-Legged Ash Tree.—At Trinity College, 
Edinburgh, there may be seen a natural curiosity 
in the form of a large Ash tree having a central and 
two branching side boles or trunks. The trunks are 
of an equal diameter, and their point of soldering 
into the central axis is smooth and even. The sup¬ 
position given on inquiring for the origin of the 
freak, was that two saplings had been inarched at 
opposite sides to the mid-stem. 
The Agricultural Holdings (Amendment) Bill.— 
I would remind your readers that this Bill has been 
referred to the Standing Committee on Trade and 
Agriculture, and that therefore no time should be 
lost by those wishing to get the Bill amended so 
that compensation may be claimed for the improve¬ 
ment to the land by poultry, as is already provided 
for in respect to cattle, sheep, pigs, and horses. The 
forms indicating the information required are now 
ready, and will be sent to anyone forwarding a stamp. 
I should be happy to enclose a copy of the Bill if two 
additional stamps are sent. Owing to the compara¬ 
tively small number of farmers who keep poultry sys¬ 
tematically on their land it is absolutely necessary 
that a large proportion of those who do so should 
give their own actual experience as to the great im¬ 
provement to their land arising from the stocking of 
poultry upon it. The success of the efforts made by 
the Utility Poultry Club is entirely dependent on the 
evidence it can bring in support, and I therefore 
sincerely trust your readers will help us by applying 
for some forms at once, and either fill them in with 
their own experiences or obtain the evidence of 
others who perhaps have heard nothing of this 
appeal.— B. W. Horne, Hon. Sec. and Treasurer. 49, 
Gloucester Gardens, Hyde Park, London, W. 
“ The Rural Exodus ” and “ Back to the Land.” 
—The Howard Association was instituted under the 
patronage of the late Lord Brougham, for the pro¬ 
motion of the best methods for the treatment and 
prevention of crime, pauperism, &c. There-peopling 
of the rural districts and villages is considered one 
of the most important means to this end. The asso¬ 
ciation states that the moral, social and economic 
disadvantages which have resulted, both to town 
and country, from the movement which has been 
termed the “Rural Exodus,” are more obvious than 
their means of remedy. They have been caused by 
depression of agriculture, extension of railway facil¬ 
ities, attractions of city pleasures and occupations, 
and the absence of an educational system adapted 
to excite a real interest in rural pursuits. The ex¬ 
cellent example of Denmark has been cited to show 
that it has been able rot only to stay the “ Rural 
Exodus,” but to reverse the current of population 
towards the country. In spite of foreign competi¬ 
tion and loss of territory by German conquest, Den¬ 
mark is now more populous than formerly. She is 
the second country in the world in regard to the 
average wealth per head of population. Wiihin 
a few years she has reclaimed about 2,000 square 
miles of what had been waste land, and regarded as 
almost worthless. About five-sixths of her territory 
is owned by small freeholders and peasants. Den¬ 
mark sends to the British market more than 
1,000,000 cwts. of butter, about as much bacon, 
200,000,000 eggs, and many thousands of live 
pigs, cattle, and horses, for which she gets millions 
of English sovereigns in return. All this might be 
kept at home, if our countrymen could be induced to 
live upon the land and follow similar pursuits. 
Danish farmers and dairy owners have formed co¬ 
operative societies for the collection, sale, and export 
of their produce. The peasantry have established 
some 400 banks, chiefly under their own manage 
ment. The Danish University and college students 
have instituted free lectures and evening lessons for 
the working classes, and committees have promoted 
cheap literature, offices for legal advice, &c. Nearly 
100 People’s High Schools have been established in 
various parts of the country. Young men and 
women of the working classes from eighteen to 
twenty-five years of age receive instruction and 
board for months at a time, especially during winter, 
at a cost of 10s. per week, at these schools. The 
offices of the “Howard Association” are at 5,Bishops- 
gate Street Without, London, E.C. The secretary 
is Mr. William Tallack. 
ECHINOPS (GLOBE THISTLE). 
These beautiful hardy perennials are, I think, some 
of the most interesting of our border plants. There 
is such a distinction in the thistle-like appearance of 
the flowers from the rest of hardy plants that one 
cannot fail to admire them. All the well-known 
varieties flower in the summer months, and have a 
very handsome appearance in the flower border, or 
grouped in a mass by themselves, teaching a height 
of between 5 ft. and 6 ft in ordinary garden soil. 
They are easily propagated by seed or root division 
in March, and quickly become established. E. Ritro 
ruthenicus is one of the best, flowering in July with 
a large head of blue globular flowers, and very 
handsome foliage. E. persica forms a pleasing con¬ 
trast to the above, and has large white flowers. E. 
sphaerocephalus is a distinct variety, with pale blue 
flowers lasting a long time in perfection. For cutting 
they are very useful, one of the prettiest vases I saw 
last summer being done with E. ruthenicus in the 
centre, and Eryngium planum in the bottom. A 
strong stake is necessary to keep the plants from 
breaking down, and they should be well watered 
in the hot weather. Where bees are kept the 
Echinops should be largely grown, as they are very 
partial to these plants, and do not spoil their beauty 
in any way.— A Thatcher, Aldenham House Gardens, 
Elstree, Herts. 
- -®g*»-— 
DEUTZIA CULTURE. 
There are few gardeners who do not know the 
value of Deutzias for forcing in the early spring for 
decorative purposes, and when so much cutting of 
white flowers can be obtained at a time when they 
are so much in demand. It seems strange how little 
is done in many places to improve upon them for 
the ensuing season. Generally they are put outside 
and left to stand, only receiving a little water, till 
taken in for forcing or protection from hard frost. 
A very good method which I have seen, and which 
proved very satisfactory, is the following. After the 
plants are done flowering, repot them in a com¬ 
post of rough loam, leaf mould, sand and some 
rough wood ashes. Thin out the old wood, being 
careful not to injure the tender growths, and making 
sure to leave the strongest shoots for flowering the 
following spring. Place in a vinery until the growths 
are about 2 ft. or more in lengih, syringing them 
overhead twice daily, which helps to make them 
break more freely ; then harden them gradually off 
before placing them in a sunny position on a gar¬ 
den walk, where a weak liquid watering may be 
given them twice a week, which will help to swell the 
buds for the ensuing spring. I am sure any one who 
may put himself to the little extra labour on 
tb&se valuable forcing shrubs will find his work 
amply repaid with better plants and much larger 
flowers.— Walter Hogarth, The Gardens, Norton 
House, Ratho, Midlothian. 
FORCING IRIS. 
The bulbous species of Iris will readily force, and 
produce abundance of richly coloured bloom early 
in spring, which will be found most convenient for 
the decoration of the conservatory or plant house. 
They should be potted up into 8-in. or 10-in. pots 
early in March, using a compost of good fibrous 
loam, peat, and leaf-soil, with the addition of a little 
coarse sand, and placed in a cool vinery until growth 
commences, when they may be moved into a warmer 
house to encourage them to throw flower spikes. As 
the plants become well rooted, a little stimulant may 
be afforded them in the shape of liquid manure or 
some good artificial preparation. As soon as the 
flowers show signs of opening they should be shifted 
into a cool house, where they will last much longer. 
For cut flowers they are invaluable, as they natur¬ 
ally throw a fairly long spike, and, in a cool, airy 
position last a good time in water. A batch of the 
plants placed together to show their flowers to the 
best advantage in the conservatory would, in my 
opinion, look as pleasing as anything I could name. 
When the plants have done flowering they may be 
removed out of doors, either planting out or letting 
them remain in the pots. The varieties are, perhaps, 
too numerous to mention here ; but they are ail 
more or less effective at a time when other flowers 
are scarce, especially outdoors.— R. Thatcher, Lock- 
inge Gardens, Wantage, Berks. 
