652 
June 8, 1901. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Cottage Gardening is taught to all the children at 
Lea School, the birthplace of Florence Nightingale, 
after they reach standard four. 
At a Meeting of the Linnean Society of London, 
on May 2nd, Mr. George Massee, F.L.S., commu¬ 
nicated a second instalment of his “ Redescriptions 
of Berkeley’s types of Fungi,” and explained the 
circumstances in which such redescriptions under 
higher powers of the microscope had become desir¬ 
able. A discussion followed, in which the president, 
Prof. Farmer, Mr. Daydon Jackson, and others took 
part. 
Change of Business Premises.—Messrs. John 
Menzies & Co. have effected the complete trans¬ 
ference of their business from the old premises in 
Hanover Street, to the new premises, Hanover 
Buildings, Rose Street, Edinburgh. Our readers 
may note this as Messrs. Menzies & Co. are the 
agents for The Gardening World in Edinburgh 
and Glasgow. The address in the latter city is 90, 
West Nile Street, Glasgow. Other addresses for the 
firm are 33, Blackfriars Street, Carlisle ; 76, High 
Street, Dundee ; and 3, Castle Terrace, Aberdeen. 
The Durham, Northumberland, and Newcastle- 
upon-Tyne Incorporated Botanical and Horticul¬ 
tural Society’s Flower Show.—The above show is 
to be held in Leazes Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, on 
July 23rd and 24th. If the show is as big as the 
title, it will be worth seeing. According to the 
schedule of prizes offered, if money is any induce¬ 
ment to exhibitors there ought to be plenty, as the 
awards are very substantial. In class 1, for a 
miscellaneous group of plants, £22. is offered. Many 
of the other classes have prizes over £\o. This 
show is one of the oldest in the country, being estab¬ 
lished in 1824. 
Croydon and District Horticultural Mutual 
Improvement Society.—The usual meeting was 
held in the society's room at the “ Sunflower '' Tem¬ 
perance Hotel on Tuesday evening, May 28th. Mr. 
W. J. Simpson occupied the chair. There was a 
very good attendance of members. The secretary, 
Mr. J. Gregory, gave an interesting discourse on 
“ Aquatic Plants,” dealing principally with the 
newer varieties of Nympheas and their cultivation 
in tanks, tubs, &c. The lecturer at the commence¬ 
ment treated upon the preparation and formation of 
the lakes, tanks, tubs, &c., the planting and after¬ 
management of the plants. A list of the best and 
most useful sorts for various purposes was given. 
Attention was called to the enemies of aquatic 
plants, such as the rat and vole, coarse, rank weeds, 
and conferva. The lecturer was illustrated with a 
series of photographs. A brief discussion followed 
the lecture, and on the proposition of the chairman, 
a unanimous vote of thanks was accorded Mr. 
Gregory. Messrs. J. Peed & Son exhibited a collec¬ 
tion of named Pyrethrums, also a beautiful collection 
of alpine plants in rockery. The next meeting will 
be held on June 18th; subject, "Vegetables for 
Exhibition, &c." 
A Unique Advertisement.—The following re¬ 
cently appeared in a horticultural contemporary as 
an advertisement. Needless to say, it was an 
American paper: — 
■* Spring hez kum agin bi gum, 
An i'me as glad ez i kin B, 
Fur everi thing iz ful uv spring 
From rattle snake to wiked fle. 
Yis i luve the spring time when the robbins iz 
robbin and the swollers iz a swollering, the beez iz 
beezwaxin, the butterflize iz a makin butter, and the 
flourist is makin flour. This iz the time when the 
arth puts on its green kloaze an hez a ranebo fur a 
nekti, frogs laff, and al nater luks glad. Yis i luv 
the spring for that iz the time when the flourist 
begins to fix up his houses an put in ventalatin kon- 
trapshons, and put on nu hinges what got broke, 
and then he wishes he had got the everlastin hinj 
wot i mek. A little later he begins tew think about 
a nu biler. Now u just write to me an ile send a 
kat-a-log what tells u orle about my greenhouse 
fixins whitch iz the best on arth and cheapest tew. 
Mi name iz J. D. Carmody, i live in Evansville, 
Indiana, klose to Posey County,” " We guess " 
this is the same man who recently put the follow¬ 
ing philosophical announcement in an ad. : —" By 
using one of my bilers you will save half of your 
fuel and by using two of my bilers you will therefor 
save the whole of it," 
Costly Orchid. — A finely marked variety of 
Odontoglossum crispum has j ust been sold by Messrs. 
Protheroe and Morris for £157 10s. od. 
Apple Allington Pippin.—T wo years ago I had a 
number of cordon trees sent me. Amongst them 
were three of Allington Pippin, which have not yet 
shown a single blossom. On the same wall, Stirling 
Castle, Lord Grosvenor, Lord Suffield and Golden 
Spire were all a mass of flower and fruit buds. 
Before grubbing them up, will any of your numerous 
readers kindly give me their experiences of this 
variety, so that I might give it another year's trial ? 
— William Carmichael, 14, Pitt Street, Edinburgh. 
At the Anniversary Meeting of the Linnean 
Society, on May 24th, the president announced that 
since the last meeting of the society his Most 
Gracious Majesty the King, in a letter received from 
General Sir Dighton Probyn, which was read, had 
signified his consent to become the patron of the 
society, and in testimony thereof would be graciously 
pleased to inscribe his royal signature in the 
society’s album, an announcement which was re¬ 
ceived with acclamation. 
The Great Swedish Agricultural Show.—This 
show is held usually every fifth year. This year 
the choice has been made of the town of Gefle, 
which is reached by a five hours’ journey from 
Stockholm. Prizes to the amount of 90,000 francs 
are to be awarded. There is to be a gardening 
section which will include preserves and wines dis¬ 
tilled from fruits. A forest section has also been 
arranged for, to include the products of the forests 
and the machinery and other appliances used in 
obtaining them. A committee will procure lodgings 
if application for such is made four days before the 
arrival of the applicant. The show is to last from 
July 8th to July 14th, both days inclusive, for 
further information apply to the Secretary's Office, 
Staketgaten, No. 15, Gefle, Sweden. 
The Orchid and the Bee.—Mr. R. Lloyd Praeger 
writes in Knowledge of the manner in which flowers 
are fertilised and of the many devices which are em¬ 
ployed, so to speak, by the flowers in obtaining the 
agency of the wind or of insects to produce the 
desired result. Mr. Praeger remarks that “ The 
most highly developed flowers lay themselves out 
exclusively for the attentions of the aristocracy of 
the insect world—the bees, butterflies, and moths. 
. . . Examine one of our common British 
Orchids, such as Orchis maculata or Habenaria bijolia 
—they are just coming into bloom now.” Following 
a description of the structure of the flower, Mr. 
Praeger thus proceeds : “ In the stamens and pistil 
we find an extraordinary structure. The pollen- 
grains are fastened together into two oblong bundles 
by means of slender threads, and each bundle is pro¬ 
longed into a delicate stalk, the tip of which is en¬ 
larged and coated with viscous fluid. The whole is 
embedded in the wall of the flower, over the honey- 
well, and facing the entrance, and the sticky ter¬ 
mination of the stalk alone is exposed. The stigma 
is likewise embedded, and shows a sticky surface 
below the position of the stamen. How does this 
structure work ? A bee alights on the platform and 
pushes its head into the entrance to the tube. Its 
forehead comes in contact with the sticky extremi¬ 
ties of the embedded pollen-masses, and on with¬ 
drawing, it pulls one or both of these out of the 
grooves in which they rest: the bee flies off with the 
pollen-masses sticking on its forehead like two horns. 
And now a remarkable thing happens. Owing to 
unequal shrinkage caused by drying, the stem of 
each pollen-mass curves, so that instead of standing 
upright they now project forwards. Inconsequence, 
when the bee visits another flower, arid inserts its 
head, the pollen-masses come in contact, not with 
that part of the flower which encloses the pollen, 
but with the sticky stigmatic surface below, and 
thus fertilisation is effected. The absolute accuracy 
of the method, the economy of pollen, the way in 
which the plant is entirely dependent on the visits of 
the right kind of insect for its fertilisation, show that 
here we have reached the very acme of specialisation 
in this direction. It is to be noted that along with 
the modification of the plants to suit insect-visitors, 
considerable modification in the structure of the 
insects has taken place to suit their honey-sipping 
habits, so that now many are as dependent on the 
flowers for their food, as the flowers are dependent 
on insects for their fertilisation.” 
A Lily Conference will be held by the Royal 
Horticultural Society at Chiswick in July. 
Mr. John Machar.—The many friends of Mr. 
John Machar, head gardener for nineteen years to 
Robert Mudie, Esq., of Corona, Broughty Ferry, 
Forfarshire, will be very pleased to learn that he has 
been appointed as head gardener, &c., to the Right 
Hon. the Earl of Donaghmore, Kilmanhaim Castle, 
near Clonmel, Ireland. Mr. Machar is an able 
gardener, and a well-known Chrysanthemum grower 
of many years’ standing We all wish him much 
success.— J. M. 
A Quiet Holiday Resort.—One of the most 
delightful places of retreat from the maddening 
crowds and worries of a busy life is Northernhay, a 
picturesque little place in Exeter. The dreary 
winter has been loth to go, and budding spring has 
been delayed, but at last nature has again burst into 
activity, and with the glittering sunshine and gentle 
refreshing breezes, the trees have donned their 
emerald coat, the verdant sward is rich and full, the 
flowering shrubs are in the zenith of their beauty, 
and there is on every hand the refreshing breath of 
early summer. One of the daintiest pictures is pre¬ 
sented to the eyes of the visitor to Northernhay by 
the Wallflowers, which are arranged in groups. 
Some of the most attractive are Primrose Dame, a 
very pale primrose colour; Eastern Queen, nan¬ 
keen colour; Ruby Gem, a ruby violet; Belvoir 
Castle, golden ; and Bloody Warrior, one of the best 
velvety dark reds in cultivation. The contrast 
between the Northernhay of to-day and of five years 
ago is great, and the ratepayers have good value for 
their money in the improvement effected. The 
superintendent foreman, Mr. W. Andrews, is to be 
congratulated on the neat and trim appearance of 
the parks under his care. 
Bristol and District Gardeners’ Mutual Im¬ 
provement Association.—The summer session was 
opened at St. John’s Parish Rooms on Thursday, 
May 30th, Mr. A. J. Hancock presiding over a 
moderate attendance. Minutes of the last meeting 
being read and confirmed, the chairman intro¬ 
duced the lecturer, Mr. H. R. Richards, of Horfield, 
whose paper was on the subject of “ Indoor Fruit 
Culture ’’—and those members who were absent 
have much cause for regret—the paper being most 
ably dealt with in a very practical way, claiming 
that the culture of indoor fruits was one of the most 
important of a gardeners’ training, insuring as it 
does a full crop every year, notwithstanding the 
changeable climate of England. The lecturer took 
a few of the most popular fruits, giving useful hints 
which are so often overlooked. The choice of soils 
for the various trees was a very important detail, 
the proper proportions of composts being carefully 
prepared according to the variety of tree, such as 
Vines, Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, and Figs, 
recommending wood ashes as one of the most useful 
materials to the fruit grower. He claimed for the 
Grape as being the most important fruit crop, the 
gardener producing Grapes for the table every day in 
the year, giving cultural details in a masterly way. 
Peaches and Nectarines being practically the same 
species their cultural requirements were identical, 
and like all stone fruits delighted in an abundance of 
lime, which, if not already present in the soil, should 
be added in the form of lime rubbish or slacked 
lime, and maintaining that large specimen trees can 
be safely planted if done juit as their leaves are 
turning colour. Mr. Richards also went into details 
as to the culture of Figs, and much valuable 
information was given concerning this delicious 
fruit. A good discussion followed, and a hearty 
vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Richards for his 
most able and enjoyable paper. Prizes for a 
brace of Cucumbers were awarded to:—first, the 
Lord Mayor, Mr. J. Colthurst Godwin (gar¬ 
dener, Mr. McCulloch); second, Mr. Spry; third, 
Mr. Edwards For a dish of Strawberries, first, 
Mr. A. Weedes (gardener, Mr. Ayliffe); second. Mr 
N. C. Dobson (gardener, Mr. Thoday); third, Mr. 
H. Nash (gardener, Mr. Barrow). Certificates of 
Merit were awarded to Mr. W. Howell Davis (gar¬ 
dener, Mr. Curtis), for Odontoglossum Pescatorei; 
Lady Cave (gardener, Mr. Poole, F.R.H.S.), for 
Nepenthes; Mr. Edwards, for a dish of Garaway’s 
Chemin Rouge Tomatos; and Capt. Jenkins (gar¬ 
dener, Mr. Poston), for Cucumber " Lord Roberts.” 
