350 
THE GARDENING WORLD . 
April 18, 1903. 
NEWS OFJTHE WEEK. 
Mr. James Cairns, foreman at Glanris Castle Gardens,. has 
been appointed head gardener to Lord Wharncliffe, Wortley 
Hall, Sheffield. 
* * * 
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Chamberlain visited the Drill Hall 
meeting of the Royal Horticultural 'Society about 2 p.m. on the 
7th inst., and were greatly interested in the exhibits, but par¬ 
ticularly the Orchids. They were particularly struck with Odo-nto- 
glossum erispum Persimmon, which takes rank as one of the 
finest varieties in cultivation, although it was originally pur¬ 
chased for eighteenpence. 
* * * 
The Fruit anti Vegetable Committee of the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society sat as usual on the 7th inst., but found that, not a 
single exhibit was brought for their inspection. No one could 
remember such an occurrence before. Surely the advocates of 
fruit and vegetables missed a unique opportunity in not having 
brought forward something. 
* * * 
£210 for an Orchid. —A single Orchid, under the name of 
Cypripedium Priam, was sold for 200 guineas at the dispersal 
of the great Monkholme collection at Brierfield, near Burnley, 
on the 2nd inst. Another plant, Odontogdo-ssum erispum Alpha, 
realised 195 guineas ; 33 other plants produced between them 
£1,080, or an average of about £33 each. 
* * * 
A Heliotrope Poet’s Narcissus. —The scarlet Narcissus 
Telamonius plenus has now given place to a heliotrope-coloured 
Poet’s Narcissus in Covent Garden ; and anything more hideous 
it would be difficult to conceive. In any or all of the forms of 
N. poeticus the purity of the white flowers is equal to the finest 
of fine linen after it has been bleached ; but what induces people 
to buy or even admire such a travesty of Nature is utterly incom¬ 
prehensible. 
* * * 
SopiiORA tetrapteea microphylla.— Under the better-known 
name of Edwardsia microphylla some large and well-flowered 
branches of the above were exhibited by the Earl of Ilohe-ste-x 
at the Drill Hall meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society 
on the 7tli inst. They were brought up from his Lordship’s 
garden (gardener, Mr. J. Bemlbow), Abbotsbury Castle, Ab-bots- 
bury, Dorset, where they were grown and flowered in the open 
air. Both the ordinary form and S. t. microphylla are somewhat 
tender leguminous plants, which live against a wall in the 
latitude of London, but evidently thrive much better in the 
climate of Dorset, judging froim the fine specimens shown. The 
large yellow flowers are very singular-looking, notwithstanding 
the fact that they belong to the Papilionaceae or Pea flowered 
section of the order. The standard is erect and shorter than the 
keel, while the stamens are partly protruded from the latter. 
The pinnate leaves have small leaflets, and the foliage, on the 
whole, is very pretty when fully developed. The plant con¬ 
stitutes a choice and rare shrub seldom seen in bloom in this 
country, and by no means common in gardens. The large, droop¬ 
ing, clustered flowers are produced in great abundance on the 
shrub at Abbotsbury. 
* * * 
Edinburgh City Gardens.— The city gardener, Mr. J. W. 
McHattie, has prejrared this spring a delightful surprise for the 
citizens. In, the end of last year he planted 40.000 bulbs of 
Daffodils in the various gardens of the city, and at the present 
time they are in full bloom, and impart by their beautiful golden 
colour in their setting among the green grass a most pleasing ap¬ 
pearance to- those public places. The variety mostly used is the 
N. Horsfieldii. The Tulip beds of the terrace, which were so 
groat an attraction last year, are coming on splendidly, and it is 
imped that they will be about their best when the King arrives 
next month. Already they look well, set off as their green spear- 
like leaves are by the white blossom of the alpine Araibi®, and by 
plants of Wallflower, now in bloom Beds of Hyacinths of 
different, colours are .also now in flower. Earlier in the spring 
there was also a good display in some of the gardens of Snow¬ 
drops and Crocuses, the city gardener being hopeful that lie will 
be able to have this year in the public gardens a constant suc¬ 
cession of flowers for eight months. The spring flowers set out 
included, as has been said, 40,000 Narcissi of eleven sorts, 
26,000 Tulips of thirty-two sorts, 8,000 Hyacinths, 10,000 Snow¬ 
drops, 16,000 plants of Wallflower, and 28,000 hardy alpine 
flowering plants of seven sorts. At this season of the year it 
may safely be said that the public gardens of Edinburgh never 
before presented so attractive an appearance. D. R. 
The Victoria Plums, for which the district of Tuxford is so 
noted, are now in full bloom, and there is every prospeot of a 
plentiful crop this year. 
* * * 
Mr. John Fraser, gardener at Blaekbrooke, Grosmo.T, Mon¬ 
mouth, has been appointed to take charge of the gardens at 
Ottershaw Park, near Chertsey, the residence of L. L. Baker, 
Esq. We -understand that he will take over his new duties 
about the end of this month. 
* * * 
Primrose Prospects.— With the warm sunshine Primroses 
arrived in large quantities at Go-vemlt Garden during the end of 
March, mostly from the southern counties. Florists are not at. 
all enthusiastic over this state of affairs. Primroses are not 
due in quantities until about the second week in April. The 
demand for buttonholes on Primrose Day has of late years greatly 
increased. But unless the supply from the south of Scotland 
and the Orkneys this month is exceptionally large the public 
will very likely have to pay 3d. a bunch and upwards. 
* * * 
•‘Jacks.” —For the past few weeks there may have been seen 
round about the suburbs veiy seedy-looking costers with what 
at first sight look to be fine plants of Carnations. If one believe 
their yarns they are real first-class named varieties, and worth 
at the very least 5s. each. They have been sold at 30s. a pair; 
7s. 6d. each is a fair price, and as a personal favour—-well, one 
perhaps might procure one plant for 2s. 6d. They are neatly 
labelled with labels such as nurserymen attach to plants when 
sending orders out, and, as I say, they look very tempting to 
the Carnation fancier. But do not be induced to buy them upon 
any account ; 99 per cent, are worthless seedling Carnations, 
grown and known in the trade as “ Jacks.” An old grower with a 
l ife-long experience told me recently that although he has raised 
annually for many years thousands of “ Jacks,” he lias never 
known them produce a good Carnation bloom, nothing but a 
single flower useless for decorative purposes. The gentlemen 
who hawk these “ Jacks ” are the trickiest of a tricky class; 
plausible and unscrupulous, they confine themselves to these 
specially, because there is more profit with less labour when 
they do catch a fiat (I dare say some readers of “ G. W." may 
have been duped before now). They are known by growers, ami 
a sharp eye is kept upon them while in the neighbourhood, for 
they would as soon cheat or rob the grower, if opportunity 
occurred, as they do the general public. This does not apply 
to all costers or vendors of roots by any means, but to* this one 
particular class ; so keej> an eye upon the man with “Jacks.” 
—A. P. 
^ * * * 
Gardener Suffocated at Tolleshunt D’Arcy. —Mr. George 
Collins, gardener at Mr. T. G. Binney’s, Guisnes Court, Essex, 
died from accidental suffocation on March 16th. Mr. Collins' 
end was a particularly sad one. Entering his new duties at 
Guisnes Court, deceased assumed charge of the heating apparatus 
of the greenhouses. On Sunday afternoon he left the stokehole- 
as usual, and on Monday morning early, going to' bis work, he 
opened the trap-door, descended the ten steps, and was over¬ 
powered by the gas vapours. The under gardener passing by 
noticed him sitting on the bottom step drooping his head, and re¬ 
ceiving, no reply to liis questions, he went down to find him un¬ 
conscious. He called assistance, and deceased was brought into 
the air, and in a conveyance taken to- his home about, a mile 
away. Dr. Day was speedily in attendance, and with assistance 
tried -all restorative means, but without success, the poor fellow 
expiring about 9.30. Much sympathy is felt for Mrs. Collins, 
who is left with a family iof seven children. Deceased was a 
Forester, secretary to the twopenny village Club, and much re¬ 
spected. He had previously been in Mr. J. Hudson’s employ 
for 11 years. At the inquest on Wednesday a verdict of “ Acci¬ 
dental death” was given, the jury adding -a rider that in then 
opinion insufficient ventilation was provided. The funeral tool 
place on Sunday -afternoon in the village churchyard. The cere¬ 
mony was very imposing; several- hundred members of the! 
Foresters’ Order, seniors and juniors, -and the members of the! 
club of which deceased was secretary, headed the procession 
and among those who followed were the widow and six children 
and deceased’s brother, in addition to Mr. and Mrs. Binney, Mr 
Steer (agent), and the employees. Blinds were drawn through 
out the village, and at the residence -of Captain H. and Mrs’ 
West (who also attended the funeral), and at Guisnes Court flag:- 
were flying at half-mast. The service was conducted by th< 
Vicar (Rev. R. V. O. Graves), and was choral. The Foresters 
ritual was feelingly performed by Bro. G. Wombwell, secretary 
A number of wreaths and floral tributes were sent. 
