148 
November 3, 190C. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
its cockney-looking trees. The natural 
habit of different trees varies, and we should 
prefer allowing them to assume their 
natural form, provided the form assumed, 
or ^any portion of it was not altogether 
erratic. For instance, if certain limbs 
were growing rampantly at the expense of 
others or to their detriment, such anomal¬ 
ous or unequal growth should be corrected, 
and the propriety of such proceedings 
ought to be apparent to every good gar¬ 
dener of taste and culture. Much bad 
pruning, however, is accomplished, and 
useful directions are here given in the text. 
The ringing of trees to make them fruitful 
finds an advocate, under certain circum¬ 
stances, in L. H. Bailey, a well-known 
authority on American horticulture. It 
must, to a certain extent, be hurtful to the 
trees in the long run, and the writer’s 
words upon it, remind one of the old saying 
that “ desperate diseases need desperate 
cures.” In any case it ought to be the last 
resort in order to render trees fruitful. 
Much instruction is furnished by the 
chapter on “ Flower-gardens and Pleasure 
grounds,” for under this heading are 
grouped such varied phases of gardening 
as the formation of a garden, sub-Tropical 
garden, hardy perennial garden, rock-garden, 
rootery, rose garden, American garden, 
lawns, bowling greens, lawn-tennis grounds, 
ornamental water, &c. The varied activities 
of modern life have made many of the above 
features necessities, so to speak, since the 
last edition of this book was published ; and 
gardeners everywhere are supposed to be 
able to construct and superintend them ; 
hence, a number of them are practically 
new features or dependencies of gardening. 
But why not add cricket grounds to the 
gardener’s domain, as well as bowling 
greens and lawn-tennis grounds ? The 
first-named require considerable skill in 
formation, and particular attention to keep 
them in order. 
The rock-garden is illustrated by a view 
of that in the gardens at Kew, as mentioned 
above ; but with that exception, no other 
illustrations are given under the heading, 
and the subject, as a whole, has but little 
space devoted to it, though the hints given 
in general terms are suggestive enough. 
The idea of rockery building is so general 
in gardens throughout the country that 
more space might well have been devoted 
to the subject, and the pages furnished with 
views of various styles of building rockeries, 
due, on the one hand, to the exigencies of 
the situation, and on the other hand to the 
idiosyncracies of the builders or their copy¬ 
ists. A good hint is given concerning the 
introduction of water to rock scenery or 
gardens ; but not every estate can command 
a supply of water from a natural stream, 
nor is it possible to secure a cascade or 
waterfall, without artificial means, in those 
districts that are flat and watered, it may 
be, by a sluggish stream or ditch. Nothing 
is .more natural, however, than water in 
association with truly alpine plants, which 
often grow on the margins of perennial 
mountain rills, and in certain cases refuse 
to grow at a distance from the same owing 
to lack of shelter and moisture. The 
writer of the chapter says that “ the 
primary object of a rock-garden should be 
to afford facilities for the cultivation of 
a beautiful and interesting class of plants.” 
Besides being ornamental in itself, a rill of 
water in a rock garden would assist the 
cultivator by enabling him to grow alpines 
that die of heat and drought during an 
English summer, though the same plants 
might be hardy enough to defy the rigours 
of an arctic winter on a mountain top. A 
mile or two of a continuous silvery cascade 
or series of cascades glistening in the 
summer sunshine, such as often occur in 
a state of nature, are sufficient to make the 
rockery builder green with envy. Fairly 
plausible imitations are sometimes accom¬ 
plished even where the supply of water 
has to come from the water company’s 
main ; and though the effect is pleasing 
enough, especially if the design is bold and 
natural in appearance, yet the channel of 
the stream is often allowed to run dry on 
account of the expense of keeping up a 
constant supply. 
The chapter on “ Hardy Ornamental 
Trees and Shrubs ” will probably be 
amongst the longest in the work, as it runs 
from p. 283 to 340 inclusive. Without its 
“ tall ancestral trees ” every homestead 
would be bleak, and its lawns, borders and 
surroundings, bald and unadorned. Trees 
and shrubs are indispensable except to the 
smallest of cottage gardens and the allot¬ 
ment holders’ plot of vegetable ground. 
Different kinds are necessary for clothing 
bare but fertile soil as well as dry, relatively 
barren and exposed positions, chalk soils, 
sea-side, and town gardens, as well as the 
wet margins of streams, ponds, lakes, and 
sheets of water generally such as the lands¬ 
cape gardener and planter may find ready 
to hand in various parts of the country. All 
have been provided for in this lengthy 
chapter. The vastly interesting family of 
Bamboos has been shown to be hardy in 
many parts of the British Isles, and many 
species and varieties have been included in 
this work, but which were scarcely dreamt 
of when the last edition was published. 
Other trees and shrubs in great numbers 
have been added to those briefly described 
in the previous edition, and are accom¬ 
panied by numerous well-executed illustra¬ 
tions. The names best known in gardens 
have been consistently followed as far as 
they are compatible with correctness ; but 
a few synonyms have been given to keep 
the reader correctly informed, where he 
might otherwise go astray. Trees and 
shrubs as well as Conifers, which are kept 
in a division by themselves, have been 
dealt with by Mr. W. J. Bean, of the Royal 
Gardens, Kew. 
Hardy herbaceous plants, the alpine gar¬ 
den, wild garden, aquatics and bog plants 
come from the pen of F. W. Burbidge, 
Esq., M.A., of the Trinity College Botanic 
Garden, Dublin, and needless to say he has 
done justice to his, favourite classes of 
plants. Lists of these plants suitable for 
various purposes are given, but herbaceous 
and alpine plants are described together in 
one alphabetical list. Some illustrations 
furnish plain hints for the guidance of those 
who would imitate nature by planting 
alpines in fissures of rocks, with reasonable 
hope of success. Very interesting are the 
illustrations of hardy and half-hardy 
aquatics; but while, in this country, we 
may be able to imitate theNymphaea pond 
at Glasnevin, it will hardly be possible 
without artificially heated water to grow 
Nelumbium speciosum and Victoria regia 
as seen in the pictures given. The long 
list of Nymphaeas which has been placed 
at the disposal of the cultivator since the 
last edition was published, constitutes a 
new and pleasing feature of this, and should 
encourage the more general formation of 
ponds (where such are possible) and the 
planting of existing ones. Bog plants 
proper receive separate attention. “ Popu¬ 
lar Hardy Plants ” follow the chapter on 
annuals, and include such varied subjects 
as Achimenas, Anemones, Asters, Auricu¬ 
las, Azalea indica, Begonias, Bouvardias, 
Caladiums, Camellias, &c. The second 
volume is thus fraught with interest for the 
gardener from end to end, and every gar¬ 
dener should strive to possess the work, for 
it is an encyclopaedia in itself. Paper, 
printing, the type, and the editing are alike 
excellent. 
Chrysanthemums seem to be as late in America 
as they are with us this year. 
Mr. A. Russell, who is leaving Lord Delamere, at 
Vale Royal, Northwich, is succeeded by his foreman, 
Mr. William Butler. 
Mr. R. McAndie, for the lvst eight years head 
gardener to W. E. O. Rutherford, Esq., of Edgerston, 
Roxburgshire, has been appointed he id gardener to 
Sir A. Berkley Milne, Bart., Inveresk Gate, Mussel¬ 
burgh. 
Mr. Richard Wilson, for the past five years head 
gardener to Lady Holmpatrick, Abbotstown, Castle- 
knock, Co. Dublin, has secured the important 
appointment as head gardener to Sir Archibald 
Edmonstone, Bart., Duntreath Castle, Blanefield, 
Stirlingshire. 
Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland. —A 
meeting of the above was held at Dawson Street, 
on Tuesday, 23rd ult. Various communications 
were read and dealt with, amongst them being one 
from Messrs. R. Hartland & Son, The Lough Nur¬ 
series, Cork, offering a Challenge Cup, value £6, 
for a competition of Begonias of thirty-six blooms, 
distinct, which was graciously acknowledged. The 
Duke of Leinster was elected a life member. Final 
arrangements were made for holding the Chrys¬ 
anthemum and fruit show at Ball's Bridge on 
November 6th and 7th. 
Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund.—It will be 
gratifying to the many personal iriends of the late 
Mr. James Martin, so long the respected manager of 
Messrs. Sutton & Sms' nursery at Reading, to know 
that as a result of the appeal made by the executive 
of the Reading and District Gardeners' Mutual 
Improvement Association for subscriptions towards 
a "James Martin Memorial,” the sum of £135 
has been raised and handed over to the Royal 
Gardeners' Orphan Fund, the committee of which 
institution acknowledge its receipt with grateful 
thanks, and will apply the sum placed at their dis¬ 
posal strictly in accordance with the object for which 
the memorial was raised. At a meeting of the com¬ 
mittee, held on the 26th ult., it was arranged that 
there should be an election of candidates at the 
annual meeting, which will take place on February 
15th next, and nominations for the same will be 
received by the secretary up to December 2ist. 
The Garden and its Worth.—This was the sub¬ 
ject of an interesting lecture delivered by Mr. H. 
Cannell, sen , at the usual meeting of the St. John's 
(Sevenoaks) Gardeners' Society, on the 25th ult. The 
chair was taken by the president, Mr. Alfred A. 
Clark, who was supported on the platform by Mr. 
Arthur C. Bailey, one of the vice presidents. The 
lecturer illustrated his remarks by a special collection 
of very fine fruit and vegetables, including Onions 
of enormous size (some weighing 3 lbs.), Parsnips 
about 3 ft. long Cauliflower, Cabbage, Beet, Leeks i 
Carrots, &c. Mr. Cannell, who is a vegetarian, 
pleaded for vegetables to have the first place at a meal, 
instead of the secondary place as at present in most 
English homes, and gave it as his firm conviction, 
grounded on experience, that we should all enjoy 
better health if we ate more vegetables and fruit 
instead of meat. To show the value of some kinds 
of vegetables in the winter, Mr. Cannell brought with 
him a dish of cooked Beans, the variety called “ the 
Czar,” a white Runner Bean. These are much 
larger than the Haricot and can be grown by anyone 
who has a garden, however small. He also brought 
a dish of cooked Gourd, the American Squash. Both 
these dishes were handed round for the audience to 
taste, and the general opinion was that they were 
excellent. Mr. Cannell spoke for about an hour and 
a half, and at the close, after answering several 
questions, was accorded a unanimous and hearty vote 
of thanks. The secretary of the society, Mr. E. 
Greenway, then proposed a very hearty vote of 
thanks to the chairman and vice-chairman, which 
was seconded by Mr. Shewbridge, and carried unani¬ 
mously and heartily. Both gentlemen responded, 
saying what pleasure it had given them to be present, 
and the meeting then terminated. 
