August 11. 1900. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
789 
Orchids at the Sale Rooms.—Some choice varie¬ 
ties of Cattleyas, Laelias, &c., made their appearance 
the other week at the Sale Rooms of Messrs. 
Protheroe & Morris, Cheapside. Cattleya gaskelliana 
alba was soon run up to io gs.; and C. gigas, with a 
huge, crimson-purple lip was run up to i4gs., but was 
not sold, the variety being too fine for the owner to 
part with at that price. There is evidently a good run 
upon C. Harrisoniae alba, a specimen of which had 
reached 25 gs. at the fall of the hammer. A good 
variety of Laelia elegans brought 5 gs. A fine 
variety of Odontoglossum crispum fetched 44 gs. It 
had a deep purple blotch on each of the sepals and 
lip, and white petals. 
Hanley Horticultural Fete.—A special meeting 
of the Hanley Town Council, and those interested 
in the organisation of the horticultural fete (see 
report in The Gardening World, p. 732, July 
14th) was held in the Town Hall on Monday, July 
30th. The reports of the finance committee having 
been adopted, votes were passed to Lady Angela 
Forbes, who opened the fete, the Mayor and 
Mayoress, the judges, and others who assisted in 
making the fete a success. Alderman Cooke pre¬ 
sented details of the expenses in connection with the 
fete. The income last year was £2,505 17s. 7d., and 
the expenditure £1,876 6s. 2d., leaving a balance of 
£629 us. sd. This year the, total receipts were 
£2,644 4 s - 2d., and the expenditure £1,843 I0S - gd-. 
leaving a balance in hand of £800 15s. 3d. 
Belfast Rose Show.—In conjunction with the 
Belfast Horse Show, held on Thursday, July 26th, 
an exhibition of Roses was held, when an excellent 
display was brought together in the north-east 
showyard. In the nurserymen's classes the prizes 
were divided between Messrs. Alex. Dickson & 
Sons, Newtownards; Messrs. S. McGredy & Son, 
Portadown ; Mr. J. Walsh, Portadown ; and Messrs. 
D. & W. Croll, Dundee. Messrs. A. Dickson & 
Sons were first in each one of the dozen classes pro¬ 
vided. In the amateurs' section most of the 
principal awards were brought to this side of the 
Channel by Mr. H. V. Machin, Worksop, and Mr. 
F. W. Tattersal, Morecambe. Besides the Roses 
herbaceous cut flowers were shown by Messrs. 
Dicksons, Ltd., of Chester; Mr. T. Smith, of 
Newry ; and Messrs. Croll, of Dundee. 
Antiquity of Agriculture.—' 1 The origin of 
agriculture " (says Prof. A. C.Haddon.in Knowledge), 
" is lost in the mists of antiquity. We know that 
in Neolithic times in Europe, eight kinds of cereals 
were cultivated, besides Flax, Peas, Poppies, 
Apples, Pears, Bullace Plums, &c.; at the same 
time various animals were domesticated. Among 
these were horses, short-horned oxen, horned sheep, 
goats, two breeds of pigs, and dogs. Professor W. 
Boyd Dawkins says that evidence goes to show that 
these animals were not domesticated in Europe, 
but probably in the central plateau of Asia. He 
also thinks that agriculture arose in the south and 
east of Europe and spread gradually to the centre, 
north, and west. A hunting population is often very 
averse to even the slight amount of work that agri¬ 
culture requires in a tropical country. The same 
holds good, as a rule, for pastoral communities. In 
all cases a powerful constraint is necessary to force 
these people into uncongenial employment. Fate is 
stronger than will, and at various periods, in different 
climes, hunters and herders have been forced to till 
the soil." This about the means of transport across 
the desert is interesting. '‘The desert, notwith¬ 
standing all difficulties of communication, offered 
more facilities than the sea to early man ; it had in 
fact, three manifest advantages over the Mediter¬ 
ranean. 1 The desert penetrates further into the 
interior of the countries. It is several times larger 
than the Mediterranean, and therefore can tap more 
countries; it reaches to precisely those richest 
countries that the Mediterranean does not touch. 
2. The desert does not oblige the pastor to seriously 
modify his mode of life. In order to traverse the 
desert it is certainly necessary to arrange the journey 
in stages, but these, stages once created, the pastor 
can live his old life. 3. A numerous troop can cross 
the desert. They travel in caravans for greater 
safety and defence against possible attacks. . . . 
Such are the reasons which caused early man to 
travel over the desert before voyaging over and 
utilising the sea." 
The Fruit Crops in the Preston District.—The 
crops of all kinds of fruit seem to be most abundant 
in this neighbourhood, Apples being a heavy crop on 
most trees, as are Pears, but with us the average is 
brought down by paucity of fruit on the walls. 
Plums, and especially Damsons, are a heavy crop, 
and sweet Cherries much better than they have been 
for years; but some that we had netted to protect 
them from birds were attacked by wasps in a most 
savage manner. Strawberries were a heavy crop, 
but in spite of the abundance of litter under them 
the rain and a few days of dull weather caused the 
fruit to damp. Many of the earliest specimens were 
lost. We only grow Royal Sovereign, Latest of All, 
and Barnes’ Prolific, a local variety, and a great 
favourite in this district. Till lately it was the only 
variety grown by market growers. Bush fruit has 
been a heavy crop. There were no adverse elements 
the past spring to prevent a successful fruit season. 
— W. P. Roberts, The Gardens, Cuerden Hall, Preston. 
Hardening §|iscellany. 
OLEARIA STELLATA. 
I was pleased to note your remarks anent the above 
(is it stellata or stellulata ? I see the latter name 
given by some) [Olearia stellulata. Ed.] It is as 
you say a very showy plant in early summer whether 
in pots or planted out doors in beds or borders 
with us in Devon. Probably it may not be classed 
as hardy. It has been making quite a good show 
here the past four weeks. As a background it has a 
very dark Weigela (I do not know its name), while 
not far away stands good clumps of Lilium elegans, 
and L. umbellatum grandiflorum, whose deep orange 
cup-shaped flowers are most conspicuous. The last 
named is by far the best variety, carrying four 
to six flowers at the apex of each shoot. Olearia 
stellata roots readily from cuttings, put in early in 
summer.— J. Mayne, Bicton. 
LINUM ARBOREUM. 
Your Wiltshire correspondent ought to find this 
free flowering plant quite hardy, if as you say given 
a sunny position and fairly sheltered from cold winds. 
With us it has stood out on a rockery facing south¬ 
west during the past four years, It makes a golden 
show when in bloom about May month. I have 
rooted, cuttings under a bell glass put in during July 
or the two following months, and stood under a north 
wall.— J. Mayne, Bicton. 
LATE KEEPING APPLES. 
Under proper conditions for storage, the following 
Apples will keep sound and good until June. The 
selection is from the display arranged by Messrs. 
Geo. Bunyard and Co., Maidstone, at the Temple 
Show, which included Vicar of Beighton, Tibbit's 
Pearmain, Woodstock Pippin. Mother, Newton 
Wonder, Tyler's Kernel, Winter Peach, Hoary 
Morning, King of Tompkin’s County, High Canons, 
Beauty of Kent, Gloria Mtsndi, Winter Queening, 
Smarts' Prince Arthur, Alfriston, Fearn's Pippin, 
Cox's Orange Pippin, Murfitt’s Seedling, Bowhill 
Pippin, Striped Beefing, Sandringham, Hormead’s 
Pearmain, Baumann's Red Winter Reinette, Caville 
Malingre, Betty Geeson, Bess Poole and Gas¬ 
coyne's Scarlet. There was also Uvedale's St. 
Germain and Directeur Alphand Pears. 
GLADIOLUS NANUS DELICATISSIMUS. 
I do not think there is a more beautiful, or more 
sweetly charming early-flowering species of Gladiolus 
than the above named. It generally is named simply 
Gladiolus delicatissimns, but the full and correct 
name is that abo^e given. It is also frequently and er¬ 
roneously termed G. Blushing Bride, this name being 
suggested by the red flushed flowers with their 
white grounding. The individual flowers are white 
but for pink and carmine flakes on the lower seg¬ 
ments, and it is these which give the flower its 
charming character. It does well in pots out in 
sunny borders, in rich friable soil.— D. 
CENTAUREA MONTANA RUBRA. 
Among the large flowering forms of the perennial 
Cornflowers, this red variety must be awarded a 
position of high favour. It flowers very early and 
is in all ways a pleasing and desirable plant for the 
hardy plant border. Besides its size and useful¬ 
ness as a cut flower, it blooms at a time when other 
herbaceous plants of a like character are only ad¬ 
vancing. The special colour of this variety is one 
not frequently found in border plants. 
CAMPANULA LATIFOLIA MACRANTHA. 
This is one of the very old garden favourites, and 
only its conspicuousness and real value as a tall 
beautiful border or rockery plant at the present 
time has caused this note to be written. There are 
always some who wish to hear and know of real 
good subjects that they may the further enquire 
about them. For these the above may be recom¬ 
mended, and as the plant is cheap, it would be wise 
for anyone to secure a crown or even seeds of it, for 
next season's planting. A rich friable soil should 
be afforded it, and an open sunny position. It grows 
3i ft. or 4 ft. high, having large violet-blue flowers 
along the upper part of its stem. 
MECONOPSIS HETEROPHYLLA. 
This is a Californian Poppy-like plant of slender 
growth, with dissected or pinnate leaves, and 
sending up long stalks terminating in solitary, 
brilliant salmon-orange flowers with a dark centre. 
The plant is easily raised from seeds sown each 
spring. A well drained position on the rockery or 
border suits it well. Everyone should give it a 
trial. 
- I -- 
VISIT TO A MARKET GARDEN. 
The appreciation displayed and verbally expressed, 
by all who witnessed Mr. Scougal’s, Eskbank, 
exhibits of excellent samples of Royal Sovereign 
and Leader Strawberries, at the Scottish Horti¬ 
cultural Association’s annual exhibition, coupled 
with a desire on my part to observe, on their native 
•soil, those plants which produced such lovely fruits, 
accounted for my visit, on a beautiful July evening, 
to this garden. Arriving at my destination, and 
stating my mission, the worthy owner, without 
demur, speedily granted my request, adding greatly 
to my pleasure by accompanying me himself. 
The garden, which is of recent origin, extends 
over an area of twenty-three acres, the whole of 
which is comparatively level, and beautifully 
situated with an excellent exposure. The soil for 
the most part consists of alluvial clay—although 
here and there the silicious constituent appeared to 
predominate—on a subsoil of red clay. Hence a 
considerable amount of tillage is necessary to render 
it fit for the growth of plants. Strawberries occupy 
the major portion, and with the exception of two beds, 
which were affected by drought earlier in the season, 
were in prime condition, as manifested by their 
broad, leathery foliage and heavy crops of handsome 
fruit. The evident care bestowed upon those beds 
prompted me to inquire of my guide, if Strawberry 
culture were a special hobby of his, to which query 
he replied in the affirmative. Three crops are the 
utmost any bed is allowed to produce, after which it 
is ploughed down and cropped for some time with 
vegetables. The beds are planted in rows 30-in. 
apart, while 12-in. is allowed between the plants ; 
by reason of an autumnal trimming between each 
plant, as well as between the rows, the individuality 
of each plant is maintained, a mode of procedure 
which I would recommend to all growers ; for they 
here repay all this attention. The varieties grown 
are Royal Sovereign, Leader, Dumbarton Castle, and 
Latest of All, a selection which is the result of experi¬ 
ments with many varieties in the vicinity. 
Around the beds of Royal Sovereign my chief 
interest was concentrated, this display of loyalty 
being due to the diversity of opinions held by Mid- 
lothain cultivators, as to its adaptability for their 
situation. Many of the market growers have dis¬ 
carded it as unsuitable. Whatever may have been 
the result elsewhere, here it unmistakable thrives, 
and the most fitting appellation which I could pro¬ 
nounce was that '• here it was Queen ! ” by reason of 
its enormous fruits, many measuring from 6-in. to 
8-in. in circumference. Leader is deserving cf 
special comment. Latest of All, which had just 
commenced colouring, gave ample indications of its 
equalling its predecessors. 
Turning my attention to the other occupants of 
the garden, I could not but remark that, although 
