4&6 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 9, 1901. 
source is when the newly expanded blossoms 
of almost any kind of fruit tree have been 
wetted by falhng rain during the day and 
then frozen at night while still in this satu¬ 
rated condition. Only the stigmas or tips 
of the pistils may be affected at first if 
closely examined, but the injury extends to 
the base, the whole of the pistil becoming 
black as it dies, even although the petals may 
remain fresh and uninjured. As soon as the 
petals drop,however,the young fruit falls like¬ 
wise sooner or later, generally at an early 
period. Even when the injury is so slight 
as to damage the stigma only fertilisation 
ean never afterwards take place, and the 
unfertile fruits are bound to fall. Yet 
another cause of injury is mentioned, namely, 
rain after the expansion of the blossom. 
Rain may wash away the pollen or cause it 
to stick together, making it too heavy for dis¬ 
persal by the wind, or preventing its proper 
dissemination by bees, by keeping them at 
home. It may destroy the vitality of the 
pollen by keeping it in a sodden condition 
and at a low temperature, or in the latter 
case by preventing the pollen tube from 
germinating until it has lost that power. 
Rain may also injure the stigmas by wash¬ 
ing away the secretions which enable the 
pollen grains to germinate. Cold and dry¬ 
ing winds in spring may also destroy the 
blossoms by lashing them about, or by 
drying up the juices of the stigma. In this 
country we have noticed injury to many 
things in March owing to the prevalence of 
cold and arid east winds for days or weeks 
together, but even under these conditions 
we have noticed Peach trees on walls at 
least setting good crops of fruit. The con¬ 
ditions on the continent of America are no 
doubt often more severe than in our island 
climate where the Peaches may withstand 
several degrees of frost with impunity, 
simply because the blossom and the atmo¬ 
sphere are dry, thus favouring the dispersal 
of the pollen, and at the same time escaping 
injury from frost. 
The causes of self-sterility are not due to 
any of the above external agencies, some 
of which are preventible in the case of 
valuable wall trees at least. Self-sterility 
may also be remedied to a considerable 
extent by human agency, so that the subject 
is deserving of some attention. In large 
orchards where extensive plantings of one 
variety of tree are effected it may happen 
that the trees blossom regularly every year 
yet fail to fruit. A self-sterile variety is 
one which is unable to set fruit when grown 
at a distance from any other variety. The 
samples of self-sterility here mentioned do 
not seem to be cultivated in Britain, but 
many of our fruit trees many possibly be in 
the same condition if the matter were pro¬ 
perly investigated. The pollen on the one 
hand and the pistil on the other might be 
perfect and the pollen capable of fertilising 
the pistil of other varieties or vice versa, yet 
it might be incapable of fertilising the ovaries 
on the same tree or those on other trees of 
the same variety. On the other hand both 
may perform their respective functions per¬ 
fectly by reciprocity with other varieties. 
The remedy for this self-sterility is to plant 
only a few rows of one variety of fruit tree 
together, the contiguous rows on either side 
being occupied with others that are known 
to give the desired results. Which trees 
will fertilise those of another variety in 
proximity to them can only be discovered 
by experiment. As far as this country is 
concerned, the subject might be undertaken 
by some party or society with the means of 
experimenting at hand, and this might well 
be undertaken by the Royal Horticultural 
Society. Hand or artificial pollination 
might be undertaken in order to prove which 
varieties are self-fertile and self-sterile 
respectively, and at the same time which 
varieties are capable of fertilising the self- 
sterile ones. Such information placed at 
the disposal of the Fellows; first and the 
public afterwards might result in rendering 
our orchards and plantations of fruit trees 
more or less productive every season in¬ 
stead of once in every three to five years. 
Two varieties might be partially or wholly 
self-sterile when planted at a distance from 
one another and from others, yet might be 
heavily productive if planted in contiguity. 
The subject is worthy of investigation. 
-— < i »- 
Models of Plants.—At the meeting of the Linnean 
Society of London on the 7th inst , Mr. H. E. 
Smedley, F.L.S., exhibited collections of models of 
Fungi, Nepenthes, Saracenia, and Aroids, and models 
of sections of Flowers. 
United Horticultural Benefit and Provident 
Society.—The annual meeting of the above society 
will be held at toe “ Caledonian ” Hotel, Robert 
Street, Adelphi Terrace, Strand, W.C., cn Monday 
evening next, March nth, at 8 o’clock. W. Roupell, 
Esq , will preside. 
Royal Horticultural Society.—The next fruit 
and flower show of the Royal Horticultural Society 
will be held on Tuesday, March 12th, in the Drill 
Hall, James Street, Westminster, r-4 p.m. A lecture 
on “ Climbers for Pergolas, Verandahs, and Walls " 
will be given by Mr. G. Davison, at 3 o’clock. 
The Wood Leopard Moth.—As my note on the 
ravages of the caterpillar of the above moth amongst 
the trees in the London parks, has caused a consider¬ 
able amount of public and private correspondence, 
might I ask you to state that I have forwarded to 
the Forestry Museum, Surveyors Institution, 
London, specimens of tunnelled wood, showing 
caterpillar and chrysalides of this destructive moth ; 
also old borings tenanted by the blue bottle fly.— 
A.D. Webster. 
Begonia Culture.—This was the subject of an 
exceedingly practical paper read by Mr. F. Lever, 
The Gardens, Hillside, Reading, before the members 
of the Reading and District Gardeners’ Mutual Im¬ 
provement Association at their last meeting. The 
president, Mr. Leonard G. Sutton, occupied the 
chair, and there was a large attendance. Mr. Lever 
dealt very fully with the subject under the following 
headings:—Seed, soil, preparing for sowing, sowing, 
treatment, shading, air, pricking off the seedlings, 
potting, planting out, labelling, lifting, seedlings for 
pot culture, starting old tubers, tubers for planting out 
in beds, fibrous rooting for bedding, division of roots, 
preparing the beds, propagating double tuberous 
varieties from cuttings, seed saving and fertilisation, 
storing tubers, winter-flowering Begonias, Rex 
varieties, jnsects and rust. A very interesting dis¬ 
cussion followed, in which Messrs. L. G. Sutton, 
Hinton, Bright, Wilson, Fry, Wicks, Neve, Town¬ 
send, Harris, Macdonald, Cretchley, Pigg, G. Smith, 
Alexander, and Barnes took part. A feature of the 
meeting was the numerous exhibits staged by the 
following members :—Mr. F. Lever, Calla elliottiana, 
Odontoglossum, Begonia manicata, Rex Begonias 
from seed ; Mr. A. F. Bailey, The Gardens, Leopold 
Lodge, batch of Primula stellata in small pots ; Mr. 
H. House, the Gardens, Oakfield, Lachenalias, and 
Narcissus cydamineus ; Mr. E. S. Pigg, The Gar¬ 
dens, Samoa, Orchids; Mr. F. Fry, The Gardens, 
Greenlands, Alfriston and Newton Wonder Apples 
(splendid samples for the time of year) ; Mr. H. 
Wilson, The Gardens, Lower Redlands, Begonia 
hydrocotylifolia ; Mr. W. Townsend, The Gardens, 
Sandhurst Lodge, blooms of Begonia manicata; and 
Mr. F. Bright, The Gardens, Whiteknights, some 
wonderfully grown Lachenalia Nelsoni. The former 
four exhibitors entered for the society’s certificate of 
Cultural Merit, and the judges’ awards were to Mr. 
F. Lever, for his Odontoglossum, and to Mr. F. 
Bailey for his beautiful batch of Star Primulas. A 
hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the lecturer 
and to the exhibitors. A warm discussion took place 
with regard to tfe electing of a lady gardener as an 
“ ordinary ” member of the association, but being 
put to the vote 90 per cent voted in favour of the 
lady being elected as an ordinary member. 
Histology of Plants —At the meeting of the Lin¬ 
nean Society of London on the 21st. ult., Mr. H. E. 
Smedley, F.L.S., exhibited with the aid of the 
lantern a series of photomicrographs illustrating the 
histology of various types of plants. Mr. Smedley 
also showed some fossil remains of Balaena from the 
Crag, with other undetermined bones, on which 
some remarks were made by Mr. Lydekker. 
French Beans for Market.—Long lists of vege¬ 
tables are never recommended for market use. Beans 
are simply Beans when gathered and placed on the 
stalls and benches for sale. For early use, that is, 
for forcing, Ne Plus Ultra, Canadian Wonder, and 
Syon House, are recommended. Surely Osborne's 
Prolific would also prove useful as it is largely 
grown, and gives great satisfaction in private 
establishments. 
Ealing Gardeners’ Society.—On the 26th ult., 
Mr. C. Edwards, Oakshott Gardens, St. Stephen’s 
Road, Ealing, talked about " Herbaceous Calceo¬ 
larias ” before a very good attendance of the mem¬ 
bers. Mr. C. B. Green presided, and stated that 
in consequence of a disarrangement of the pre- 
gramme, Mr. Edwards had kindly come forward at 
a few hours' notice to fill the vacancy. Mr 
Edwards, however, needed no excuses ; he is a well 
known local grower of herbaceous Calceolarias, and 
brought half a dozen specimens to show the members 
the condition they ought to be in at this season. Mr. 
Edwards gave a little history of the plants, spoke 
about the various strains in the market, and recom¬ 
mended the Golden Mean as regards height and 
size. Veitcb s strain, he thought, fulfilled this con¬ 
dition—at least he was well pleased with the results 
he invariably obtained from this source. The plants 
exhibited were sown in the first week of August last, 
the soil used being Ealing loam, Oak leaf soil, old 
mortar rubbish, and some charcoal. Mr. Edwards 
insisted on cool treatment and an occasional fumiga¬ 
tion with XL-A 11 ; the plants must be kept clean and 
grown on as freely as possible, and if manure was 
requisite Icthemic Guano seemed to suit those 
requirements. Mr. Edwards was complimented on 
his address and the condition of his plants. An 
excellent discussion ensued, in which Messrs. Geo. 
Cannon, H. Burgess, Holloway, Long, Chaffer, 
Frubrey, Wood, Wait, and the chairman took part. 
On the motion, which was very complimentary, of 
Mr. Long, seconded by Mr. Burgess, Mr. Edwards 
received the Society s thanks. 
Liverpool Horticultural Association. — On 
Saturday evening last a most instructive and enjoy¬ 
able lecture was delivered by Mr. R. W. Ker on the 
“ Sweet Pea Conference ” and “ My Russian 
Journey," both subjects being illustrated by many 
well executed lime-light views. The Sweet Pea was 
introduced in an able manner by the lecturer, giving 
many details of its history, and the initial steps of 
the conference held at the Crystal Palace under the 
able chairmanship of Mr. G. Gordon. The exhibi¬ 
tion and conference was declared to be a great 
success, surpassing the expectations of the hard 
worked committee. Views of the various exhibits 
were thrown on the screen, and greatly enhanced the 
information of the lecturer. The staging, it was 
stated, was done in a variety of ways, but the most 
successful was that where the flowers were lightly 
interspersed with their own foliage. A group of 
workers in connection with the show was much 
appreciated, that of Mr. Eckford being received 
with applau e. The "Journey to Russia" was de¬ 
tailed in a pleasing manner, the difficulties, in many 
cases amusing, were surmounted. A description of 
the gigantic show at St. Petersburg was fully de¬ 
scribed. The Roses, Palms, Rhododendrons, Lilacs, 
Orchids, and many other plants gave evidence of the 
highest culture, and being in huge quantities made a 
most effective combination. The run of 500 miles 
for a hasty peep of Moscow showed how well the 
time of the Bros. Ker was spent. The pictures were 
of great merit, showing many palaces, churches, and 
other buildings of great beauty and architectural 
grandeur. Other calls were made at Berlin and 
Potsdam, making a charming three weeks’ tour. 
The large attendance of ladies and gentlemen present 
followed the lecturer with rapt attention, and the 
chairman, Mr. T. Foster, in tendering the thanks of 
the meeting to Mr. Ker,was supported by prolonged 
applause. 
