580 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 12, 1900. 
that none of them really grasped the far- 
reaching effects of the same, as they would 
have done after more mature consideration. 
Appointment.—Mr. Wm. Ussher, for some time 
foreman to Joshua J. Pim, Esq., at Brennanstown 
House, Cabinteely, has been promoted to the head 
gardener’s position. 
Death of Mr. Alfred Salter.—We regret to learn 
of the death of Mr. Alfred Salter, son of the late 
Mr John Salter, of the old Versailles Nursery, 
at Hammersmith, who did so much to introduce 
and improve the Chrysanthemum when it was still 
in its infancy in this country, and struggling for the 
appreciation of the genera! public. 
King Leopold's gift to Belgium.—The value of 
the properties comprised in King Leopold's recent 
gift to the Belgian nation, has been estimated at 
£1,200,000. They comprise three royal residences 
at Laeken, Ostend, and Ciergnon respectively. King 
Leopold is a great horticulturist, and the Orangery, 
the Winter Gardens, and the probably unique 
range of conservatories which he created, are famous 
in the annals of garden craft. The park and grounds 
extend for miles and are far more extensive than 
anything Le Notre created on the sands of 
Versailles. 
The value of a Comma.—There are some good 
stories in circulation, which illustrate the value of a 
comma ; that little “ curled thing ” which has, in its 
way, the power of a great ruler. An instance of the 
value of a comma in guidiDg the sense of meaning in 
writings, is shown by a story of a tariff bill passed 
some score of years ago by the United States 
Congress. Among the articles specified were 
“ foreign fruit plants,” &c., meaning those imported 
for transporting, propagation, or experiment. The 
engrossing clerk wrote ” fruit, plants,” &c., and as a 
result of this blunder all Oranges, Lemons, Bananas, 
Grapes, and other fruits were admitted free of duty. 
This little mistake before it was corrected cost the 
government £400,000. 
Presentations by the Queen.—Mr. David Watt, 
head gardener at Viceregal Lodge, was last week 
presented with a handsome diamond pin by Sir 
Fleetwood Edwards, on behalf of the Queen. Mr. 
R. Bell, the Duke of Abercorn's representative, who 
with the foreman gardener was despatched from 
Baronscourt, Newton Stewart, N.B., to execute the 
floral decorations which the Duke had sent for the 
decoration of the Royal Yacht at Kingstown, has had 
his efforts graciously recognised too. Every public 
department of the yacht was supplied with flowers, 
and after Her Majesty embarked on her return 
journey, she sent Sir Fleetwood Edwards to Mr. 
Bell to express her thanks, and present him with a 
handsome gold monogram pin, with a crown on top, 
in which rubies and emeralds are set. 
Plants and their Food.—Mr. H. H. W. Pearson, 
M.A., continues his facinating studies on the food of 
plants in the Knowledge for May. “ That soils differ 
from one another in a very marked manner is a fact 
easilydemonstrated. Differences,for example,between 
the stiff clays of Suffolk, the sands of Bedfordshire, 
and the Buckinghamshire chalk, cannot be forgotten 
by one who has walked over them in wet weather. 
If specimens of these soils are dried and analysed it 
is found that diversity in chemical composition is 
much less than would be expected. The same 
elements are present in them all, and in proportions 
not varying much from one to the other. The dis¬ 
tinctive characters gratuitously forced upon the 
notice of the pedestrian are due to their dissimilar 
behaviour towards water. This depends upon their 
physical properties, the relative sizes of the constit¬ 
uent particles, and not the elements the particles 
contain, for these are the same in all . . . As 
one imperfect wheel throws a watch out of gear, so a 
shortness in the supply of one food constituent upsets 
the nutrition of a plant. It seems as if the appetite 
of the plant must be partly satisfied by definite 
quantities of certain mineral components—those we 
have called ‘ essential ’—under no circumstances 
replacable by others ; at a certain stage it becomes 
less fastidious, and although it demands a further 
supply of mineral food it is able to select it from a 
wider range of substances.” 
American Plantings.—There has been a heavy 
planting of Apple stocks this season in Western 
America. 
Some specimens of Acacia verticillata in the 
Royal Botanic Gardens at both Edinburgh and 
Kew are exceedingly handsome, ladeD, indeed, with 
showers of yellow flowers. 
She is yery proud.—Mrs. Hilan : “ Did you ever 
see anybody so proud of her conservatory as Mrs. 
Shadyside ?” Mrs. Halket: “ No, she is a regular 
haughty culturist .”—Pittsburg Chronicle. 
Apple Canker.—The Apple tree canker is fre¬ 
quently found on common forest trees. The 
mycelium of the fungus attacks the bark wherever it 
can find any means of ingress. The bark cracks 
concentrically,(he area of the diseased portion gradu¬ 
ally enlarging until sometimes the whole trunk is 
girdled. Usually the diseased area is surrounded by 
a thick, irregular margin, which is also character¬ 
istic. In late autumn whitish cushions of mycelium 
come to the surface, and produce minute spores, 
while in spring, bright red cavities appear, contain¬ 
ing the asci and spores. A remedy is suggested in 
dressing wounds, whenever they are found on trees, 
with a solution of green vitriol, and afterwards with 
a coating of tar. It is also very essential that 
diseased twigs be removed so soon as they are seen 
and that the fungus (Nectria ditissima) be not 
allowed to produce spores .—The Canadian Horticul¬ 
turist. 
Horticultural College, Swanley: Women’s 
Branch.—The eighth annual report of the above, 
for the year ending 1899, has been issued. So 
assuring has the work and results of the women's 
br^ich of the college been, that in place of the half- 
dozen women students of a year or two ago, the re¬ 
port now states that there are fifty-nine students and 
three boarding houses. Through the first few years 
a considerable number went to the college " to see 
if they liked it,” and a still greater number attended 
solely to recruit their health. There are also 
women students who take a special course in graft¬ 
ing, pruning, or such like with a view to supervising 
their employees at home. New and properly 
furnished boarding houses have been added in addi¬ 
tion to those previously in use. The council in its 
reference to students and their careers, wisely ad¬ 
mits that after the two years' course preparatory to 
the Diploma, “ Some intermediate work is necessary 
before a head gardener’s position, in even a small 
place, can be expected.” Tables, which enumerate 
the number of appointments which have been made, 
what the appointments were, where to, and who 
received them, are very conveniently arranged. The 
report is candid and clear. As a recruiting station 
for tender ladies, the Swanley Horticultural College 
commends itself to us. 
NoYelties in Fruit.—We are only just beginning 
to taste the first-fruits of world-wide horticulture. 
Apart from the ease with which we can supply our 
tables with our favourite fruits out of season, each 
year sees some new and more or less delicious 
exotic finding its way to our dessert dishes. Among 
those which are now strange to us may be some 
which are destined to be sold in every insignificant 
greengrocer's shop in the land, as the Banana is, 
which but a few years ago was comparatively 
unknown. Of those which are undergoing proba¬ 
tion, as it were, may be mentioned the Persimmon, 
which has a steady sale during the season in London. 
The fruits of the Australian Passion Flowers have 
been offered to us, but it is yet somewhat premature 
to offer an opinion as to their acceptance by the 
public at large. American Cranberries, till quite 
recently, at least, were seen in goodly amount even 
in London suburban greengrocers' shops. We are 
being catered for more largely with American 
Blackberries, Wineberries, and the new Honey- 
berry of Japan. The fruit of this latter is large, 
reddish-yellow, and so glossy as to sparkle in the 
light. Besides what is being done in fruits, we are 
beginning to be supplied from the Cape and Aus¬ 
tralia with Asparagus. Japan has commenced 
“ feeling her feet ” in the struggle. And after Japan 
will come India with her wealth of stored fruits. 
Some of India’s fruits which have been tried are: the 
gushing Custard-Apple, Plantain, Mango, Leechee, 
yellow Loquat, Tipari, Guava, Kamrac, Tamarind, 
Toot, and Bair. Unlike Alexander, the British 
fruiterer has plenty of realms to conquer. 
The Queen and Balmoral.—The Queen is now 
expected to leave Windsor Castle on May 18th for 
Balmoral, where her majesty intends celebrating her 
eighty-first birthday. 
Weather in London.— Good growing weather has 
blest us throughout the past se''en days, and nearly 
everything is now in bud. Even the Ash trees have 
started growth. Sunday, the 6th inst., was dull and 
sultry, with thunder and heavy showers locally. But 
with a mild temperature and these occasional showers 
we ought to be satisfied. On Wednesday, the gth 
inst, rain fell steadily. 
New Houses at Edinburgh Botanic Garden.— 
The new propagating and Nepenthes range recently 
completed at Edinburgh Botanic Garden are light 
and very elegant. There is a good brick foundation, 
the sides of which rise about 2 ft. above the ground, 
The bottom ventilators are placed at intervals along 
the sides of these brick basement walls, and the in¬ 
going air has to pass up through the hot water pipes, 
There are two flow and two return pipes. The houses 
themselves are about 15 ft. broad, and 9 ft. or 10 ft. 
high. The top ventilators are worked from either 
end by a crauk patent. The workmanship of the 
house is well furnished. Borders of about 6 ft. in 
width run the whole length of the house, on either 
side, and these are now being planted with various 
exotics. The range, which was erected by Messrs. 
Mackenzie & Moncur, Ltd., forms a valuable and 
useful addition to the garden. 
“Tree-Night” in Philadelphia.—Not long ago 
the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society met for the 
purpose of discussing the subject of tree planting in 
cities. A full and free discussion by experts in the 
project of making a grand boulevard on one of the 
principal streets of the city took place, with the 
result that a wise selection of suitable trees and con¬ 
ditions necessary for their success was arrived at. 
The great trouble heretofore has been that every lot 
owner was a law unto himself, and the wrong sort of 
trees was selected and poorly treated when bought. 
Perhaps those who are strenuous advocates for the 
beautifying of our own public highways and cities 
might think the suggestion wise to have such matters 
discussed by prominent horticultural bodies in this 
county. Corporations might find this a safe and 
economical means of obtaining advice, and certainly 
there are plenty of men who are able to and would 
give an opinion if they were called upon. 
Reading and District Gardeners.—The last fort¬ 
nightly meeting of the winter and spring session, in 
connection with the Reading and District Gardeners 1 
Mutual Improvement Association, was held recently 
in the Club Room, Old Abbey Restaurant, and was 
exceedingly well attended. A most opportune sub¬ 
ject was chosen for the evening’s discussion, and one 
which is without doubt engaging increased attention 
amongst lovers of outdoor flower gardening, viz., 
“ Spring Bedding.” The subject was introduced by 
Mr. J. B. Stevenson, head gardener to the Corpora¬ 
tion, Bournemouth, and, needless to say, it was 
placed before the members in a very practical 
manner, spring bedding being a great feature in the 
Municipal Gardens. The lecturer said that this 
was certainly the best time to consider this impor¬ 
tant question, for it was now one could see mistakes 
in the planting of unsuitable varieties and the com¬ 
bining of colours, and to put themselves right for 
another year. He then went on to enumerate the 
various varieties of flowering plants and bulbs which 
he found by experience to succeed well in the South : 
—Wallflowers, Pansy, Viola, Arabis, Doronicum, 
Golden Feather, Alyssum, Polyanthus, Daisies, 
Sedum, Narcissi, Hyacinth, Tulips, &c., and to de¬ 
scribe the culture of each. Then followed interest¬ 
ing remarks respecting the great importance of the 
proper blending of colours with particular varieties 
to be used for obtaining this object. A discussion 
followed, in which Messrs. Stanton, T. Bowie, who 
received a hearty welcome from the members on his 
return to the neighbourhood, he having come to 
take charge of the gardens at Calcot Park (A. C. 
Harmsworth, Esq.), Townsend, Alexander, Burfitt, 
and Wilson. On the proposition of the chairman, 
Mr. Fry, seconded by Mr. Neve, a hearty vote of 
thanks was accorded to Mr. Stevenson for his lec¬ 
ture ; to Messrs. Sutton & Sons for a beautiful col¬ 
lection of Narcissi blooms, consisting of Sir Watkin, 
Horsfieldii, Cynosure, Maximus, Stella, Emperor, 
Empress, &c.,; and to Mr. Stanton for some 
splendid examples of Commodore Nutt Lettuce. 
