628 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
June 2, 1900. 
do with the absence of a crop ; and if any 
of those evils could be remedied, gardeners 
would no doubt be eager to put the remedy 
into execution. 
Overcropping can certainly be prevented, 
and that remedy would be universally 
adopted provided it gave the desired results. 
If a fruit tree can produce a heavy crop one 
year the question arises, why it should not 
do so every year. If the tax upon its 
resources is too great then surely something 
could and should be done to supply the 
needful in as far as an adequate amount of 
food is concerned. We have seen Peaches 
under glass fruit heavily for several years 
in succession ; and given a sufficiently high 
temperature to ripen the wood the previous 
autumn, with a sufficiency of plant food, 
trees in the open ought to bear well 
annually, provided the blossom in spring is 
not destroyed by frost. If trees can only 
bear heavily at intervals of some years, the 
fact would suggest that they can and do 
store the materials with which to develop 
and mature a crop of fruit. Another fact 
which suggests the lack of food as the ex¬ 
planation of a failure to bring a crop to 
maturity, is that trees often cast or drop 
a large number of fruits that have set. 
This is due to a lack of moisture in many, 
but scarcely, we think in all, cases. 
A close examination of many trees tends 
to show that they produce a much greater 
quantity of blossom than is necessary to 
give a sufficient crop for them to bring to 
maturity. The extra blossoms may be in¬ 
tended to ensure plenty of pollen for the 
proper fertilisation of the remainder. Many 
of the blossoms may be functionally only 
males, and the pistil so far imperfect as to 
be incapable of fertilisation. The Straw¬ 
berry in America is a good instance of this. 
It has also been proved there that the pollen 
of many Pear trees is incapable of fertilising 
the flowers on the same tree. The flowers, 
in such a case, would be functionally uni¬ 
sexual. When we turn to Pyrus Maulei, 
we find that a large proportion of the flowers 
are purely male, the pistil being in a very 
rudimentary condition, and incapable of 
fertilisation. A large number of the flowers 
of Apples and Pears may be in the same 
condition, though the fact is less obvious 
than in the case of Maule’s Quince just 
mentioned. Experiments might be made 
in this country to prove or disprove these 
facts. It could be done with much greater 
certainty under glass than out in the open. 
The above remarks deal with the question 
from a utilitarian standpoint ; but the senti¬ 
mental aspect of the subject, or what appears 
to be merely sentimental, is worth con¬ 
sideration. A wealth of foliage and blossom 
in the springtime appeals to a large section 
of the community, and leads them into the 
open air and amongst the trees and bushes 
to examine more closely those subjects 
which attract them from a distance. This 
form of health-giving recreation is certainly 
a great deal beyond mere sentiment ; and 
to those of delicate constitution, the 
possession of such trees and shrubs, or the 
means for enjoying them, is, indirectly, 
more priceless than rubies. To most people, 
whatever their age or constitution, the in¬ 
ducements to spend a considerable portion 
of their time in the open air are worthy of 
the fullest consideration ; and if trees and 
shrubs can do this, their possession is 
certainly much more than a mere sentiment. 
Peaches and Almonds were among the 
earlier attractions, to be followed by the 
snowy clouds of white blossom on the Pears 
and Cherries, including the double varieties 
grown purely for ornamental purposes. 
The rosy, pink and red blossom of the 
Apples, Crabs and other species of that ilk 
soon put the memory of the white-flowered 
trees in the shade. Now we have Cytisus, 
Genistas, Laburnums, Wistarias, Clematis 
montana, and the white, rose and red Haw¬ 
thorns, the latter a host in themselves, 
giving colour to the landscape everywhere. 
The Horse Chestnuts are magnificent, both 
the white and the red ones, the former pre¬ 
ponderating greatly in numbers. The 
Lilacs range from the purest white to the 
darkest violet-purple, and appeal to the 
masses everywhere. White Beam trees, 
the Mountain Ash, Spiraeas and Barberries 
in great variety, add their quota to the 
general display that declares May and June 
to be the gayest months of the year as far 
as trees are concerned. Though less strik¬ 
ingly conspicuous, the young expanding 
foliage of the various trees is scarcely less 
ornamental in giving colour to the land¬ 
scape. The soft green of the Beech con¬ 
trasts handsomely with the amber and 
bronze of the unfolding leaves of the Black 
Poplars, Oaks and some varieties of the 
common Sycamore, for some produce 
bronzy and others yellow leaves when they 
first expand. Landscape gardeners would 
do well to study the effects of foliage in the 
landscape at the present time. 
Flower Sales.—It may come as a surprise and 
wonder to many to learn that from £ 5,000 to £6,000 
worth of cut flowers are sold daily in London. 
£30,000 worth is the average weekly sale. 
Mr. James Shennan, for the last five and a half 
years foreman in the gardens, Houston House, Ren¬ 
frewshire, N.B., has been appointed head gardener to 
W. C. Cooper, Esq., Whittlebury Hall, Buckingham¬ 
shire. 
Beckenham Horticultural Society.—Sent out in 
a charmingly pretty cover is the schedule of the 
classes and prizes to be competed for at the Becken¬ 
ham Show, to be held on Wednesday, July 25th, in 
Croydon Road Recreation Grounds, Beckenham. 
Attention is directed to the “ Rules for Exhibitors " 
and the regulations. The sections of the prize 
schedule embrace fruits, flowers, vegetables, and de¬ 
corations, and good money prizes are offered. The 
Hon. Sec. is Mr. G. R. Stilwell, Stanmore House, 
Southend Road, Beckenham. 
Mr. Robertson Munro, after being head gardener 
to Col. Stephen Alley, Langside House, Renfrew¬ 
shire, for the past eight years, has been appointed in 
a similar capacity to T. McLaurin, Esq., Milliken 
Park, Renfrew, N.B. He was at one time very 
prominent amongst Scottish gardeners, having been 
one of the originators of the Scottish Horticultural 
Association, also one of its councillors and president, 
after which he was secretary to the Association for 
many years, including the year of the great Chry¬ 
santhemum Centenary show. Mr. Munro is also an 
associate of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, an 
honour conferred principally owing to the numerous 
experiments performed for the late Charles Darwin 
(see "Animals and Plants under Domestication.”) 
He has, therefore, been very active during his past 
career, both in the cause of scientific and practical 
horticulture, and we hope that he still has many 
years of a busy, happy and useful life before him. 
A natural check to Carnation Rust.—Only those 
who have the Carnation Rust in their plants know 
how assiduously it must be fought against to pre¬ 
vent its spreading, and how persistently it breaks 
out if strict vigilance is for a time neglected. A 
writer in Gardening (American) shows that the rust, 
a prey itself, has enemies which are parasitic upon 
it. During a visit to a Carnation nursery in March, 
on some plants of the variety Daybreak were observed 
rust which was not of normal appearance. A careful 
examination showed the unusual appearance to be 
due to the presence of a second fungus, Darluca filum 
(Biv.) Cast. The two fungi are closely interwoven 
within the tissues of the Carnation, the rust drawing 
its nourishment from the plant, the Darluca taking 
its sustenance from the rust. Thus the effect of the 
Darluca is to weaken the rust and destroy its power 
for producing spores. The same fungus attacks rust 
of several other plants, especially that of Asparagus. 
The writer above noted, suggests that Darluca spores 
may be sprayed over rusted plants. 
Un Paradox Parfait.—"Oh! father, look at the 
pink Bluebells.”— G. 
Royal Horticultural Society.—The next fruit 
and flower show of the Royal Horticultural Society 
will be heid on Tuesday, June 5th, in the Drill 
Hall, James St., Westminster, 1—5 p.m. A lecture 
on “Some of the Plants exhibited” will be 
given by the Rev. Piof. G. Henslow, M.A., at 3 
o’clock. 
The R. H. S. Temple Show.—Upon reaching 
Messrs. Sutton & Sons’ stand H. R. H. the Prince 
of Wales showed great interest in the Early Giant 
and Bountiful Peas staged by the Reading firm, and 
His Royal Highness graciously intimated to Mr. 
Sutton his willingness to accept some for his own 
table. It will be remembered that on a previous 
occasion the Peas exhibited by Messrs. Sutton & 
Sons were by command of The Queen sent to 
Windsor Castle for Her Majesty's inspection, and 
served at the Royal Table, and also, that two years 
ago baskets were forwarded from the Temple Show 
by the command of the P rince of Wales for use at 
the Derby dinner given by His Royal Highness 
Portrait of Linnaeus. —It should be good news to 
all plant lovers and botanists to know that a full 
length portrait of the " Father of Modern Botany ” 
has been presented to the Academy of Natural 
Sciences of Philadelphia, through the generosity of 
a Mr. Charles Smith, of that city. It was well 
known that an original portrait of Linnaeus was 
somewhere in existence, but no one knew exactly 
where, so, according to Meehan's Monthly, Mr. Smith 
made an active search for it, with the result that a 
picture was found in the possession of Baron Ver- 
schoer, of Holland, and in his country home at 
Verschoer, near Haarlem, twenty-three miles from 
La Hague. By the courteous consent of the Baron 
an eminent artist was engaged to take a copy of it, 
and it is this copy which is among the most valued 
of the treasures of the famous Philadelphia 
Academy. 
Kew Guild Dinner.—Acting upon a proposition 
made at the annual general meeting of the Guild, the 
Kew Gardens authorities, with Mr. Charles H. Cur¬ 
tis as secretary, agreed to have a Kew Guild Dinner 
in London on the eve of the great Temple flower 
show, and this event they carried through as an un¬ 
qualified success. At the dinner, which was held at 
the Holborn Restaurant, on the 22nd ult.,over 100 of 
the past and present Kewites sat down, under the 
presidency of the Director of Kew Gardens, Sir W. 
T. Thiselton-Dyer. Old friends now situated in 
Germany, France, Belgium, Scotland, Ireland, and 
all parts of England, once more met personalities for 
some time parted, and in social concourse with 
merry song and music sweet they passed a happy 
evening. The programme was (pianist excepted) 
sustained throughout by the Kewites, which means 
all who have worked at Kew. From Sir William 
downwards, everyone was highly gratified. 
The Turnip Fly.—Though the information will 
be of greater service to the agriculturist, yet there 
are many of our readers not agriculturists who may 
find the following lines from the North British Agri¬ 
culturist of service to them. They contain statements 
of the system followed by Mr. Fisher Hobbs, and 
described by him before the Council of the Royal 
Society :—“ One bushel of white gas-lime fresh from 
the gas-house, 1 bushel of fresh lime from the kiln, 
6 lb. sulphur, and 10 lb. of soot, well mixed together, 
and got to as fine a powder as possible. The above 
is sufficient for two acres when drilled at 27 in. It 
should be applied very early in the morning, when the 
dew is on the leaf, a broadcast machine being the most 
expeditious mode of distributing it, or it may be 
sprinkled with the hand carefully over the rows. If 
the fly continues troublesome, the process should be 
repeated. By this means 200 acres of Turnips, 
Swedes, and Rape have been grown on my farm 
annually without a rod of ground losing plants. 
Numerous other plans have been tried, and amongst 
them I recommend the following in ordinary cases: 
—Fourteen lbs. of sulphur, 1 bushel of fresh lime, 
and 2 bushels of road scrapings per acre, mixed to¬ 
gether a few days before it is used, and applied at 
night either by means of a small drill or strewed 
along the rows by hand. I have known sulphur, 
mixed with water, applied in a liquidate state by 
means of water-carts during the night, and the 
horse-hoe immediately following the water-cart. 
This has succeeded admirably.” 
