180 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 28, 1903. 
65 deg., receding to 55 deg. or thereabouts by the morning. 
Test the border every few weeks as to moisture, and apply 
water if any way on the diy side; and this remark applies 
with equal force to succession houses, which, if allowed to suffer 
on that score during the resting period, is the chief cause of 
bud-dropping during early spring. Another house may be 
closed, affording a night temperature of 45 deg. to 50 deg., 
using no fire-heat unless cold weather sets in, or frosty nights 
occur. Keep unheated structures wide open until the flowers 
begin to expand, and well syringe the trees with quassia or 
fumigate one or two evenings successively if the trees are 
troubled with black fly, the most damaging of all to fruit 
growers. 
Pineapples. — If not already attended to, a general overhaul 
of the plants should be made. Many of those that have been 
rested will quickly respond and show fruit, with extra bottom 
heat and more moisture at the root. Fruiting plants should 
have a division to themselves, and each plant should stand 
20 in. to 24 in. asunder when replunging the same, and if tan 
be the medium, it is best to mix some of the old material with 
the new, or the roots are apt to get burnt unless the greatest 
care is exercised. Those who employ freshly-collected leaves— 
and we are amongst them—do not often find they get too hot, 
but a test stick should be placed in each bed and examined 
every few days, and if it is found uncomfortable to the hand, 
pull away the heating material from around the pot for a few 
days, or until the heat subsides a bit. A bottom heat of 
80 deg. will do no harm, and the temperature of the house 
should range from 68 deg. to 70 deg. at night, advancing 5 deg. 
by day with fire-heat, or 15 deg. from sun-heat, closing about 
2 p.m. with plenty of moisture about the beds and -walks. 
Succession plants should have a bottom heat of 70 deg. to 
75 deg., and a top heat of 60 deg. at night, with a rise of 
10 deg. during the day when fine, admitting air cautiously, not 
to lower the temperature, but prevent it getting too high. Pots 
and soil should be got in readiness for potting purposes next 
month, washing the former if any way dirty, also the drainage. 
Bicton, Devonshire. J. Mayne. 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. Exigencies of space at times compel delay in the insertion of many interesting Letters. 
A National Guild of Gardeners. 
To the- Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sir,—A s one of the rank and file, who has long had a hazy 
notion of a union ambng those of us who depend on horticulture 
for a livelihood, I should be grateful for a little space in your 
excellent journal to express my views, such as they are. In the 
first place I must confess that I had a little difficulty to define 
exactly what Mr. Burbidge was driving at. In his first article, 
p. 63, lie says : “ I should shudder to think of gardeners belong¬ 
ing to an organisation . . . the paid and, to some extent, 
irresponsible secretary of which should decree a general strike on 
any named date.” Now, sir, that statement, ill the face of the 
plea for logic mentioned in the same column, looks a little 
strange. We will not believe that the secretary—paid, certainly 
—would be an irresponsible one ; that would be an insult to- the 
intelligence of each one of us. No ; as Mr. Burbidge indicates in 
his second article, p. 117, a guild for purposes higher than mere 
wages is to be desired, and its consummation depends chiefly on 
two things. 
The first and most important is the kind indulgence of the 
gardening press to “air” the subjects, and the next thing is 
whether We are ready to unite our best energies for one common 
aim, namely, greater efficiency in our calling, so that our em¬ 
ployers would need no' humiliating threats of strikes to prompt 
increased wages. I would advise all, young men especially, at 
the outset to be quite sure of the fact that a union or guild 
founded for the sole object of higher wages is bound to fail. To 
draft a practicable scheme and to get into touch with an adequate 
number of sympathisers will entail a deal of hard work and 
expense ; but if Mr. Burbidge or any other competent person 
came forward he would not long be alone in the field. Wishing 
the subject success.— I am, sir, Nursery Hand. 
The New Sweet Pea Countess Spencer. 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sjh, _I see in your last issue you have a letter from Mr. J. 
McJ., who imagines that this lovely variety is likely to go out 
of existence. I am very pleased to inform him and your readers 
generally that he is under a very wrong impression, for I have 
secured the original stock of this Pea, and am now having it very 
carefully grown abroad by my special Sweet Pea grower, and I 
have every hope of having stock enough for all average wants 
in 1904. 
Your reader was quite true in saying Mr. Gole was not fortunate 
enough in saving many seeds last year, for I saw his three or four 
rows of nearly 70ft. long, and there was hardly a pod formed in 
any. of them, but he was more fortunate than was anticipated, and 
was able to save a sufficient number of seeds to warrant my 
hoping to have all I shall want in 1904. 
Thanking you in anticipation of inserting This letter.— 
Sincerely yours, Robert Sydenham. 
First Flowering of the Mangosteen. 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sir,— -In your issue of the 14th inst., p. 141, I noticed a very 
good representation of the fruit of Garcinia Mangostana, and was 
surprised to find no mention of the fact that this plant was 
fruited for the first time in Europe by Algernon, the fourth Duke 
of Northumberland (whose widow, the Dowager Duchess, is still 
living at Stanwick Park, Yorkshire). 
I held an appointment under his Grace at Syon House at the 
time the plant bloomed and fruited there in 1854-5. The plant 
was introduced there by his Grace’s brother, the third Duke, in 
1833. They were both great patrons of gardening in even- 
branch, and the Syon Gardens possessed a very line collection of 
tropical plants, but of recent years the structure lias been appro¬ 
priated to the purposes of a vinery. 
I generally made notes of any special occurrences in the 
gardening world. The enclosed copy, from my diary relating to 
this plant, is at your service if at all interesting on this subject. 
I should have written you on the publication of the issue 
referred to, but I could not lay my hands on the book. 
“ Saturday, November 18th, 1854.--The Mangosteen (Garcinia 
Mangostana) in the Tropical House at Syon bloomed here to-day, 
being the first ever bloomed in Europe. This plant was brought 
to the late Duke of Northumberland, at Syon House, by Captain 
White from Calcutta, in the year 1833. There are five flower 
buds upon the plant, one of which expanded to-day. The fruit 
of this plant is said to be without an equal in the world. 
“Monday, November 20th, 1854.—Sir William Hooker, 
director of the Royail Botanic Gardens, Kew, at Syon in the 
morning sketching the bloom of the Mangosteen. 
“ Tuesday, December 5th, 1854.—The Duke and Duchess 
D'Amaule and suite at Syon to see the Mangosteen. 
“ Wednesday, December 13th, 1854.—The Duke down to see the 
Mangosteen. 
“ Sunday, April 15th, 1855.—The first ripe fruit of Garcinia 
Mangostana fell off the plant in the Tropical House at Syon 
during Sunday night. 
“Friday, April 20th, 1855.—The first fruit of the Garcinia 
Mangostana cut open by her Grace the Duchess of Northumber¬ 
land at Northumberland House, in the presence of the Duke, 
Professor Bindley, Sir Thomas Herbert, R.N., and Mr. Ivison 
(head gardener), and pronounced to be equal in flavour to native 
growth. ” 
To the best of my recollection the fruits were distributed as 
follows : —One to Her Majesty the late Queen ; one to the 
Dowager Duchess of Northumberland, widow of Hugh, the third 
Duke, in whose lifetime the plant was introduced to the gardens 
at Syon ; one to Sir William Hooker, director of the Royal 
Gardens, Kew : one was retained for examination at Northumber¬ 
land House, as above stated, by Algernon, the fourth Duke ; and 
the fifth, I think, was an immature fruit. 
An illustration of the plant with the fruit appeared in the 
“ Illustrated,London News ”• about the date. 
Jus. Moore. 
