August 18, 1900. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
805 
Roses and Paeonies.—It is all very well to say 
that June is the month of Roses, but in reality the 
Paeonia is the flower which is relied on to meet the 
June demands in many a garden. 
Obituary.—The American horticultural papers 
chronicle the death of Mr. Harry Dale, the well- 
known Canadian Rose grower, who died at his home 
in Brampton, Ont., on Sunday, July 15th, after a 
brief illness. He was born at Dorking, in Surrey, 
England, in 1851. 
Irish Crops.—Crops of various kinds, but particu¬ 
larly Potatos, in Ireland have suffered severely from 
the damp, warm weather to which the British Isles 
have lately been treated. The wind and rain storms 
have broken down the grain crops, and second crops 
of hay unharvested is said to be rotting in the 
fields. 
Tomato Jam.—For those who like Tomatos this 
is a delicious jam. The Tomatos should be sound 
and ripe. Throw them into boiling water for a 
minute or two ; then peel them. Put into a preserv¬ 
ing pan, and let them cook slowly till they are quite 
soft; then rub them through a sieve with a wooden 
spoon. Next weigh the pulp, and to each pound 
allow 1 lb. of loaf sugar and the grated rind and 
juice of two Lemons. Put all the ingredients back 
into the pan, and boil quickly till the jam looks clear. 
Put in dry jars, and cover them cold. 
Paeonies.—There are, as may be imagined from 
its great age, a thousand and one superstitions and 
leggpds connected with the Paeony. "A gallant 
herb of the sun, under the astral influence of the 
sun, under the astral influence of the lioD,” it was 
good for many diseases which are quite out of 
fashion at the moment: vertigo, to wit, and the 
vapours, morphew, and later on the blast, to say 
nothing of the incubus—the Paeony was sovereign 
against them all. It is a native of Siberia and the 
whole of Northern Asia.— Hearth and Home. 
Hamilton and District Gardening and Forestry 
Association.—The monthly meeting of this associa¬ 
tion was held in the Y.M.C.A. rooms, on Tuesday 
evening, August 7th. The Rev.S.M B. Paterson, the 
president, wa§ in the chair. Mr. Cairns, the Earl 
of Home’s able gardener, The Hirsel, Coldstream, 
read a paper on “Hardy Fruits, 1 ’ for which Mr. 
Cairns is well known as an expert, for which the 
Edinburgh shows can account. Mr. Cairns made 
mention of most of the hardy sorts and his mode of 
preparing, planting, pruning, pinching, and thinning, 
root pruning, &c., but he threw out a good hint for 
growers to be careful and select such sorts as will be 
more likely to give satisfaction in their different dis¬ 
tricts. After some comments, Mr. Cairns was 
awarded a very hearty vote of thanks from a largely 
attended meeting.— J.M. 
Cricket: Hurst & Son v. St. Stephen’s (Upton 
Park).—This match was played at Walthamstow on 
August nth, and won by H. & S. 
Hurst & Son. 
Sampson, b Searle . 
Portch, c Day, b Searle .... 
Squire, b Searle. 
Main, b Orridge .. 
Morris, not out. 
A. Cox, b Orridge. 
Delacourt, b Bustard . 
Shelton, not out. 
Payne ) 
Morecock L Did not bat. 
Foster j 
Extras .... 
16 
22 
40 
o 
6 
o 
17 
o 
10 
(6 wickets) 1 r 1 
St. Stephen’s. 
Bustard, c Squire, b Sampson 
Searle, b Sampson . 
Orridge, not out . 
Thornton, b Portch.. 
Day, c & b Sampson. 
Hutton, run out. 
Privette.b Main. 
Heasman, b Main. 
Bohamon b Main. 
Davis, b Main . 
Gardiner, b Delacourt. 
Extras. 
5 
o 
34 
4 
4 
9 
o- 
o 
2 
o 
4 
2 
64 
Wind Storm. — On Friday evening, August 3rd, a 
severe wind storm raged throughout the land. Gar¬ 
deners everywhere can point to some amount of 
damage done, and many a promising specimen tree 
or plant has been ruined. At Kew many brittle sub¬ 
jects suffered, and the large-leaved Gourds are not 
now so pretty. 
Jersey, that wonderful Potato producing island, is 
becoming somewhat worn out for this purpose, the 
land having becoming " Potato-sick.’’ It is probable 
that the raising of early Potatos on a large scale will 
be conducted in the future near St. Malo in France, 
where it appears there is a very large area of land 
in every way adapted for the purpose. 
The Preservation of Fencing Posts—Fencing 
posts are effectively preserved by steeping their base 
in creosote. Those who can go to the expense of 
preserving fencing posts in this manner will find a 
fairly effective substitute in slightly charring the 
posts to a height of 15 in. or 18 in., and then dress¬ 
ing them with a preparation made by boiling £ lb. of 
pitch and 2 oz. of sulphur in a gallon of tar. This 
dressing should be applied when quite hot. 
Fruit trees in Saxony, Prussia.—According to a 
report published in the German agricultural press, 
the fruit trees in the province of Saxony, Prussia, 
were carefully counted in the years 1897-1899, and 
it was found that they numbered 12,793,461. Of 
this total, 527 per cent, were Plum trees, 19 6 per 
cent. Apple trees, 16 8 per cent. Sweet Cherry trees, 
and io'9 per cent. Pear trees. Estimating the value 
of each tree at 190 dol., the fruit trees of the pro¬ 
vince of Saxony represent a capital of 24,000,000 dols. 
Scientific Inspection of Cereals and Root Crops. 
—A very distinguished party, chiefly of scientific pro¬ 
fessors from the different universities and colleges 
of the kingdom paid a visit of inspection on Thurs¬ 
day last to Messrs. Webb & Sons’ spacious Kinver 
Trial Grounds and Seed Farms, where were to be 
seen the most famous varieties of Wheat, Barley, and 
Oats from foreign countries, all the world over, grow¬ 
ing side by side with the most perfect examples of 
new kinds, the result of cross-fertilisation and high 
selection this country has hitherto produced. The 
party consisted of Professor Parry, University of 
Wales (Aberystwith) ; Professor Blundell, Royal 
Agricultural College, Cirencester ; Professor 
Wallace, University of Edinburgh; Professor 
Middleton, Durham University ; Dr. Hunter, Edin¬ 
burgh ; Mr. Biffen, Botanist, Cambridge University; 
and Professor McAlpine, Glasgow ; besides several 
practical agriculturists. Unfortunately heavy soaking 
rains prevailed all day, but this did not damp the 
ardour of the very keenest research on the part of 
the investigators, who gave very protracted and com¬ 
prehensive examination into the numerous interest¬ 
ing features of plant culture laid open to view. 
There were no fewer than 155 varieties of corn alone, 
by far the largest collection, as one of the professors 
declared, to be found in any trial ground in the 
kingdom. The utility of high selection was abun¬ 
dantly proved by finer ears and stouter straw having 
been imparted to some of the old Wheat, such as 
Golden Drop, but the marvels wrought by cross¬ 
fertilisation were equally apparent, especially in an 
entirely new variety of white Wheat, whose plump 
corns have only the thinnest skin-coating, while they 
are so close-set, in the heads, that in all probability 
it will prove a general favourite when brought into 
general use. Among the seventy-five sorts of Oats 
which came under view there was not one that 
apparently surpassed in heavy yielding, the 
Bosworth variety, but Dr. Hunter gave the palm to 
Newmarket, on the ground of its superior milling 
quality. According to the Dalmeney experiments, 
he said this Oat had surpassed all other kinds in 
yielding the greatest weight of flour. Some of the 
Barleys from countries so far distant as China and 
Egypt were curiosities, and the “ Naked ” varieties 
were regarded with interest, but of the best malting 
varieties Kinver Chevalier could only be surpassed 
by an entirely new sort, as yet unnamed, which 
some pronounced to be, in all probability, the 
Barley of the future. Some thirty-one trials of 
Swedes and twenty-three of Mangolds also proved 
of great interest, but it would have required at least 
another long day to exhaust examination of all the 
plant trials at Kinver. Before separating the 
savants passed a hearty vote of thanks to Messrs. 
Webb for the rare treat afforded them. 
ROOTING BEGONIA GLOIRE DE 
LORRAINE. 
In common with Mr. Mayne and Mr. Brown, I have 
tried to root this useful plant from leaves, but the 
results do not recommend this method, as only a 
small percentage produce anything like a satisfactory 
plant. A rather interesting circumstance came 
under my notice this morning which bears upon the 
discussion, and may lead to some investigation to 
first success in this method. A leaf with a short 
petiole had been dropped upon a box containing 
Fern spores, not buried in any way, but simply laid 
upon the soil. This has emitted roots from the cut 
portion of the petiole, and has formed an upward 
shoot bearing two leaves, and bids fair to make a 
nice plant. 
I only saw it accidentally just now, and I thought 
perhaps it might interest some of your readers. We 
grow a large batch for market purposes, and find 
the best method is to take stem cuttings as soon as 
obtainable, inserting them in sandy soil in shallow 
boxes, about fifty in a box. We do this for conveni¬ 
ence chiefly, and in a close frame they root very 
quickly and make rapid growth in a warm, steady 
house. Some there are who attempt to grow this as 
a greenhouse plant, but under cool treatment only 
small plants can be obtained by winter, whereas 
cuttings rooted about midsummer and grown as I 
advise will make good 48-plants, with several good 
flowering growths, by October, and will continue in 
flower till April.— A. P. 
- • - 
CAULIFLOWER MANAGEMENT. 
Many of our friends have, of late, complaints to 
make regarding their supply of Cauliflower. The 
season has certainly been against the well-being of 
many plants, but we have better Cauliflower this 
year than for many years past. The growth of the 
plants has been firm, and all are about the same size. 
We do not aim at growing large heads, but use all 
our resources to get the best quality. Often before 
the plants are turned out—say, in April, or earlier— 
they are by some growers (chiefly among the ama¬ 
teur class) rendered weak and lanky by being coddled 
under glass with too little air on, and then a check is 
sustained when the plants are turned out into the 
cold soil; growth is thus hindered and often “ bolting ” 
to seed is the result. Our treatment of the young 
plants is invariably the same. They are exposed 
freely to air night and day, except when frost is 
severe, then the handlights are closed (they are 
always grown under handlights on a sloping south 
border). They are transferred to the open ground 
with as much soil as can be carried attached to the 
roots and plants, with all the care which possibly 
can be bestowed on them, and watered before the 
soil is finished over the roots. Then the dry earth 
is drawn over the spice just watered, and little check 
is given. The preparation of the soil is an impor¬ 
tant matter. We have little vacant ground to 
manipulate during winter, but as soon as there is 
enough for the first plantation of Cauliflower to 
spare, it is well manured and thoroughly broken 
downwards but kept in ridges about 2| ft. wide and 
kept as high as possible. These ridges remain till 
the plants require “ earthing up," and by this means 
excellent shelter is given. By the middle of July 
and onward the first crop is cut, and a second plot fs 
planted where the ridges were. By a careful selec¬ 
tion one may have a succession from the same 
ground till late in autumn. Exha Early Dwarf 
Erfurt and Walcheren are favourite sorts.— M. T 
Carron, N.B. 
DAFFODIL PLANTING. 
Though it seems but a blink since the Narcissi 
were at all the flower shows in all the gardens and 
in everybody's hands, yet once again the time comes 
to start planting. In this matter, according to 
eminent bulb growers, it is better to plant too early 
than too late. A deep moist soil is what the Nar¬ 
cissi like, and those of the poeticus section enjoy the 
shade and shelter of a hedge. The poeticus varie¬ 
ties are usually the earliest to be planted; then 
comes the Burbidgei section, and toward the begin¬ 
ning of September, and on to the end of that month, 
the Leedsii or “ Star " Narcissi are planted. Along 
with these earlier mentions, N. spurius, N. Golden 
Spur, N. Horsefieldii, and others of the large 
trumpet section may be planted. The depth of 
