April 13, 1901. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
521 
Whirlwind in Victoria Park.—On the morning 
of March 24th a whirlwind in Victoria Park, Lon¬ 
don, raised a pillar of dust 60 ft. to 70 ft. in height 
and 25 ft. to 30 ft. in circumference. 
Spring is Coming. — First Urchin: “ Garn, there 
are no Bluebells hout yet ; it is too cold.” Second. 
Urchin: " Yuss, there are. I saw some blue belles 
hout larst night, quite blue with the cold. 1 ’— 
Tommy. 
Laelia jongheana Kromeri.—Mr. Ed. Kromer, 
Roraima Nursery, Bandon Hill, Croydon, informs 
us that Laelia jongheana Kromeri, described in the 
first column of p. 510, received a First Class Certifi¬ 
cate from the Royal Horticultural Society, not an 
Award of Merit. 
A Catalogue of Cacti.—While fashions come and 
go in the course of a century, it is astonishing with 
what persistency and consistency some firms stick to 
specialities which they have once taken in hand. 
Cacti, succulents, and seeds thereof, have been a 
speciality of Frederic Adolph Haage, Jun., Erfurt, 
Germany, since the foundation of the firm in 1822. 
The catalogue he issues extends to seventy pages, 
and is abundantly illustrated throughout with Cacti 
of all kinds, and other succulents belonging to various 
natural orders, and which can very appropriately 
be associated with Cacti both on account of habit, 
appearance, and cultural requirements. Several 
species of Echinocereus have been depicted while in 
full bloom, and it must be admitted that some of 
them are showy at certain times of the year as well 
as beiDg peculiar and interesting at all periods of the 
year. On the other hand many of them are decidedly 
formidable, including Cereus pugionifeius, and most, 
if not all of the Echinocacti. The various methods 
of growing them are illustrated, including the graft¬ 
ing of odd things on to oddities. One of their chief 
recommendations is the ease with which all of them 
may be cultivated by attending to the few wants 
really necessary to their existence. Another thing 
is that no end of time may be pleasurably spent in 
studying the very numerous forms in existence, and 
their respective peculiarities, by those whose taste 
inclines towards this special class of plants. All 
classes of growers are catered for, both amateur and 
professional. It is also shown how they may be 
grown in specially constructed frames, some of them 
no bigger than hand-lights ; and how they may be 
used for room and table decoration. The agent in 
this country for the firm is Mr. H. N. Ellison, 
F.R.H.S , 3 and 3a, Bull Street, West Bromwich, 
Staffordshire. 
Syndical Chamber of Belgian Horticulturists.— 
At the monthly meeting of this body in conjunction 
with the Royal Agricultural and Botanical Society of 
Ghent, at that city on March 3rd, Certificates of 
Merit were accorded to Cypripedium spicerianum x 
villosum aureum, and C. callosum x superbiens 
Demidoff, exhibited by M. L. Draps ; to Cypripe¬ 
dium Rosa Bonheur (with unanimity), C. duvivier- 
ianum (with unanimity), C. Memoire d' Edouard 
Pynaert, C. coloris nova, and Odontoglossum Sur¬ 
prise (by acclamation), all exhibited by M. L. de 
Smet-Duvivier; to Laelia anceps billiana var., and 
Odontoglossum crispum var., both shown by the La 
Lys Society, of Deynze; to Cypripedium leeanum x 
villosum Madame Joubsrt, presented by M. Stepman 
of Brussels ; and to Odontoglossum Adrianae, shown 
by M. M. Verdonck. M. le Marquis of Wavrin 
exhibited a large number of varieties of Cattleya 
Trianaei, Certificates of Merit being granted to C. T. 
Lindeni, C. T. henryana, C. T. Matador (with 
unanimity), C. T. lucida, C. T. eminens, C. T. 
Triomphe, C. T. Mars, C. T. le Tsar, C. T. elatior, 
C. T. illuminata (with unanimity), C. T. Transvaal, 
C. T. rubens (with unanimity), C. T. formosa, C. T. 
princeps (with unanimity), C. T. Veronique, C. T. 
Annae, C. T. Genevieve de Wavrin (with unanimity), 
C. T. Lucienne (with unanimity), C. T. gloriosa, C. 
T. gemma, C. T. major, two unnamed varieties of the 
same Cattleya, also Odontoglossum Cervantesi 
lilacina, Laelia jongheana (with unanimity), Epiden- 
drum armstrongeanum (with unanimity), E arm- 
strongeanum (with acclamation), and Zygopetalum 
Perrenoudi. The same exhibitor received Certifi¬ 
cates for Culture and Flowering for Phalaenopsis 
bornensis and Dendrobium speciosum (with accla¬ 
mation and the congratulations of the jury); also a 
Certificate for the variety for the Phalaenopsis. 
Honourable mention was accorded Odontoglossum 
hyb. Dr Struelens, shown by M. L. P. de Langhe- 
Vervaene. Certificates of Merit were awarded to a 
lot of Cineraria, shown by M. Firmin de Smet (by 
acclamation); and a Certificate for Culture and 
Flowering to Barosma floribunda shown by M. E. 
Bedinghaus. Honourable Mentions were also ac¬ 
corded to several other plants. 
Hints for Emigrants.—The April circulars of the 
Emigrants’ Information Office are being published 
and distributed from 31, Broadway, Westminster, 
S.W., and show the present prospects of emigration. 
This is the best season for emigration to Canada. 
There is a good demand for competent farm 
labourers in nearly all parts, except British Co¬ 
lumbia. There is a good demand for female servants 
everywhre, both farms and in towns. There is also 
a demand for female servants, carpenters, painters, 
&c., in New South Wales, at Lithgow. At Sydney 
men out of work are being provided with employ¬ 
ment on government works at 7s. a day, the result 
being that it is almost impossible to get good farm 
hands in certain country districts. Owing to the 
drought and scarcity of employment in Queensland, 
emigrants, ether than female servants, are not re¬ 
commended to go there at present, unless they 
receive nominated passages, or take a little money 
with them. Assisted passages have recently been 
stopped. In Western Australia, unskilled labour was 
better employed than in the year before, and first- 
class labourers found no difficulty in obtaining 
regular employment at good wages. The demand 
for farm workers was considerably beyond the 
supply. Domestic servants were in constant demand 
throughout the year; the fifty emigrant girls who 
arrived from England last July were all engaged in 
one day. In Auckland, New Zealand, there is good 
employment for bricklayers, carpenters, general 
labourers, &c. ; also in Taranaki. At Dunedin, 
among other industries, the freezing works, saw 
mills, and flaxmills, have been busy. In country 
districts the harvest has been giving [plenty of em¬ 
ployment to farm labourers, for whom there is a 
good demand. Persons are again warned against 
going to South Africa at present in search of profes¬ 
sional or manual work, unless they have ample 
private means to meet the very high cost of living. 
They will not as a rule be allowed to proceed up 
country. There are already large numbers of 
persons in South Africa at the present time who are 
out of employment. Candidates for the new South 
African Constabulary should appply to The 
Recruiting Officer, 1, Chapel Place, Delahay Street, 
Westminster, S. W.; they must be good riders, good 
shots, single, strictly sober, and from twenty to 
thirty-five years of age ; they will be given free 
passages to South Africa. 
CURIOUS RESULT OF CROSS- 
FERTILISING. 
When visiting the garden of an enthusiastic amateur 
friend iu Girvan, Mr. P. Paterson, to wit, some half 
a dozen years ago, I was so much pleased with the 
appearance of a Brussels Sprout plant bearing a 
magnificent crop of firm sprouts, that I urged him 
strongly to preserve it for seeding. I pleaded guilty 
to having a selfish end in view here, which has been 
frustrated by the “ busy bee.” The advice was duly 
carried out, the seed being sown in due course. 
When the young plants began to appear my friend 
suspected an enemy had been at work, as a great 
number of green Kale were appearing, which he 
diligently weeded out, till he thought as he was likely 
to have few sprouts, he might as well secure a few 
“ curlies.” He did so, and the other day I was 
called in to assist him to select a few plants of greens 
for seed. The plants were all good, and I chose two 
of as fine Kale as I ever saw. These, he afterwards 
informed me, were the produce of my fine " Sprout.” 
I may state that he had no member of the Brassica 
family flowering in his garden, but his neighbour 
had a fine lot of greens in bloom. 
In the above instance, as well as in many others, 
Scotland was not behind, as there were several 
representatives of the old “ Scotch Kale " among the 
first crop of plants. My friend informs me that the 
flavour is excellent, partaking somewhat of the 
Brussel Sprout; the plant is also lender to cook, yet 
very hardy in constitution. It also gives evidenceof 
its origin by sprouting fretly up the stem. These 
develop rapidly after the head is cut. When I was 
assisting to make the selection referred to above, I 
should have stated that he had specimens of another 
noted strain growing beside the offspring of the 
" Sprout ” ; this I was not aware of till the selection 
was made. 
Mr. Paterson must be congratulated on the success 
of h<s experiment, for it was experimenting keeping 
what most of us would consider good-for-nothing 
mongrels, and fit subjects for the rubbish heap. He 
now keeps an eye on his neighbour’s garden, how¬ 
ever, and tries to arrange that none of the Brassica 
family are flowering when he is intending to save 
seed, as a further cross might not result so satisfac¬ 
torily. The moral is that the pollen bearing subject 
has more influence on the future plant than the seed 
bearing one. Hybridisers know this well, however, 
and need no hints.—" Brightspade 
FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTS 
FROM OTHER LANDS. 
(Concluded from p. 511.7 
Kola or Kola nut has within recent years come into 
favour as a beverage; and if not always used alone, 
it is at least employed along with cocoa. Kola is 
prepared from the seeds of Cola acuminata, R.Br., 
a native of West Tropical Africa, from where the 
first exportation took place about 1877. The general 
aspect of the Cola, which grows to 60 ft. in height, 
resembles a Chestnut tree. Besides being found 
largely between Sierra Leone and the Congo, it also 
grows in the hot, moist woods of Venezuela. Recent 
researches and experiments with the nuts prove that 
a chocolate can be made from them. The nuts are 
highly valued in the Soudan. They are employed to 
clear and sweeten muddy water ; and as an allay to 
hunger. It has been successfully introduced into 
the East ladies, Seychelles, Ceylon, Demarara, 
Mauritius, Zanzibar, and Sydney. The French 
have also introduced the plant to many of their 
colonies. One of the most remarkable properties of 
Kola is that of enabling people to withstand fatigue 
for a prolonged period ; furthermore they are said to 
be sure preventives of dysentery, and to aid the 
liver. 
Nutmegs are the Kernels of the fruits of the Nut¬ 
meg tree (Myristica fragrans). a beautiful tree of the 
Moluccas, but of course now widely scattered for 
commercial purposes. The complete fruit is Pear- 
shaped, ruddy in colour, and consists of four parts— 
the outer fleshy part, under which is the membran¬ 
ous substance (aril) covering the shell of the Nutmeg, 
and known to commerce as 11 Mace,” then the shell, 
and finally the kernel or actual Nutmeg. Other 
species of Myristica are now used in soap making. 
About 250 tons of Nutmegs are annually imported 
into this country from abroad. 
Plums and Prunes arrive from Bordeaux and 
neighbouring districts of France, about September 
and October in a dried state. We learn that the 
finer sorts are all plucked before the sun has risen ia 
the mornings, and are separately laid on Vine leaves 
in baskets, wtrra they are exposed to the suu 
and air for three days. The commoner fruits are 
simply shaken from the trees and are dried in ovens, 
or in specially prepared drying machines. Plums or 
Prunes, whether they come from Bosnia, Servia, 
Hungary, Germany, or France, are all simply 
varieties of Prunus domestica, L. When we wake 
up to the fact that thousands of pounds could be 
gained by drying our own English varieties of Plums, 
perhaps we shall then set about investing in the 
necessary machines. 
Rice, as is pretty well known, is the seeds of one 
of the most beautiful of tropical Grasses, botanically 
named Oryza sativa, L. This plant may be culti¬ 
vated in pots wherever there is a Water Lily, or 
other suitable house. Rice forms the staple food of 
about one-half the human race, and is cultivated in 
enormous quantities in China, Burmah, and the 
West and East Indies; also parts of Africa and 
tropical America. Rice requires damp, or even 
marshy land, and in China along by the banks of the 
rivers the great Rice-fields are often submerged even 
while the plants are growing. Artificial flooding 
and irrigation is resorted to where the supply is not 
naturally plentiful enough. When Rice is still in the 
husk it is called " paddy.” 
Sago. —It is also generally known that Sago is the 
soft pith of some species of Palms cultivated in the 
larger islands of the Straits Settlements and else¬ 
where. Those most especially employed are Metro- 
