18 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 2, 1904. 
for these products within the State, but will give an. enormous 
impetus to the export trade of Mildura fruits, which has already 
received some encouragement. 
* * * 
Pineapples and Bananas.— Pineapples are taking the place of 
St. Michael Oranges from the Azores. The hurricane in Jamaica- 
spoiled the Banana, crop there, ibut the loss has been made good 
by supplies, from Costa Bida and the Canary Islands. Bananas 
are therefore plentiful, and it is to he hoped that Jamaica will 
soon recover from the effect of the hurricane last summer. 
* 
Trees Interfering with Meteorological Instruments. —Mr. 
Hathaway, the superintendent of Hosketh Park, Southport, has 
just received instructions to remove two. Sycamore trees near the 
rain-gauges by the Observatory to- some part of the. park. Ii 
seems that the instruments had formerly been placed about in 
different parts of the park, but that they had subsequently been 
removed to Observatory Hill, which had previously been planted 
with trees. A plantation of trees was removed at the time the in¬ 
struments were concentrated on the hill, but others that have 
since grown up are now interfering with the accuracy of the rain 
gauges. The trees on the hill ought to be moved while still quite 
young, and shrubs, of which there are plenty, planted to cover 
the nakedness of the bill. 
* * * 
Why Orange Blossoms '? —The “ Family Doctor ” says that for 
many centuries tire recognised thing for a bride has been a 
wreath of Orange blossoms. But why Orange blossoms? The 
question is especially interesting when yoiy note the fact that 
in many countries the Orange Blossom is entirely tabooed. The 
German bride wears Myrtle ; the girl of the Black Forest takes 
the flower of the Hawthorn—when she can get it. The brides 
of Italy and the French provinces of Switerland use white Boses. 
Spanish brides go. in for Pinks, Carnations, and red Boses, In 
Norway, Sweden, and Servia the bridal crown is of silver; in 
Bavaria and Silesia, glass, pearls, and gold wire are used ; in 
the islands of Greece, Vine leaves ; in Bohemia, Bosemary ; and 
so on. The Boman bridal wreath was of Verbena. Holly 
wreaths were sent as- tokens, of congratulation, and wreaths of 
Parsley .and Bue were given under the idea that they were the 
best preventives against the influence of evil spirits. Why, then, 
the Orange blossom wreath ? 
* * * 
Fruit Culture in Ireland. —The Department of Agriculture 
for Ireland has published a scheme for the encouragement of 
fruit culture in the sister isle under suitable conditions. The 
Department will supply trees under certain conditions, and 
otherwise assist farmers who may .be desirous of entering upon 
fruit culture under businesslike conditions, and in suitable dis¬ 
tricts. A 'condition, is that at least twenty fanners, in any one 
given district near a railway station must each undertake to. find 
and plant a statute acre with fruit trees and supply labour, 
materials, and manures, as well as to. plant and manage the 
trees as directed by an expert, to be provided by the Depart¬ 
ment. The experiment is to be carried on for five years, 
during which time, in addition to. the above advantages, advice 
is to be given as to tlie best markets, and half the cost of carriage 
to any market in the United Kingdom is to be refunded by the 
Department. The intention is to. begin at once with at least 
four centres. Notwithstanding the expenses that must be in¬ 
curred in establishing these orchards, it is believed that they 
will more than repay all expenses, before the probationary five 
year's have expired. Information concerning the experiment 
may be obtained at the office of the- Department of Agriculture 
for Ireland, 4, Upper Merrion Street, Dublin. 
TV * * 
New Park for Hove. —A park .has just been acquired by the 
town of Hove, near Brighton, and a plan for laying out this has 
been submitted by Messrs, J. ('heal and Sons, Crawley, Sussex. 
The plan was prepared in the early part of the year, and pro¬ 
vides for drives, terrace gardens, ornamental water, and im¬ 
proved principal entrance, tennis and croquet lawn®, lodge and 
greenhouses, planting of trees and shrubs, a flag tower with a 
rustic terrace-, and Bose garden, etc. In connection with the 
formation of a park it seems that .a, public right of way, para¬ 
doxical as it may seem, presents the most, serious difficulty. 
The right of way must be kept open at all times, whereas the 
park must be closed at certain hours according to the regula¬ 
tions. Some local inhabitants suggest that a light steel suspen¬ 
sion bridge should be erected to carry this road overhead across 
the lower part of the valley. On the higher ground it seems 
that.an unclimhahle fencing, with gates, to be kept open during 
the day and closed at night, is tire moist feasible way out of the 
difficulty. Tire park is sufficiently large to admit of diversified 
ornamental planting of different kinds quite apart from that 
portion nearer the town, which may have to be kept more neat 
and gay with flower beds. It is considered that the higher 
positions would be suitable for clumps of Gorse, Broom, 
Heather, and other subjects which lend such interest to the 
natural heaths. Whatever the Hove Town Council may decide 
upon, the Messrs. Cheat are competent to carry it out to the 
best advantage 
* * * 
A Boyal Appointment. —Mr. George Watson, youngest son 
of Mr. William Watson, of Barnack, has just been appointed 
head gardener to the Duchess of Argyll (Princess Louise), at 
Boseneatli Castle, Dumbartonshire. 
* * * 
The Scarcity of Potatos. —One of the largest Potato dealers 
in London says there is not more than one-tenth of the usual 
supply of English Potatos on the market. Hundreds of acres 
are not raised yet. 
* * * 
“ Corner ” Formed in Pears. —The failure of the Pear crop 
this, year in nearly every European country has given America 
an opportunity of forming a ‘ comer” in this kind of fruit- 
ail exceptional occurrence. It is stated that more than 1,000,000 
boxes of Pears have been kept in store in the 1 United States. 
* * * 
The Glastonbury Thorn. —-The legend which attributed the 
planting of the Holy Thorn, .at Glastonbury to St, Joseph of 
Arimathaea has long been given up, but it is interesting, both 
climatically and because of the antiquity of the legend, to learn 
that a Glastonbury Thorn is now in flower near .the Street Inn, 
which is adjacent to Glastonbury. 
* * * 
British Hothouse Grapes. —Never have finer Grapes been 
marketed for the. Christmas trade than on this occasion. The 
weekly s.ujiply, including that from, the Channel Islands, was 
about 10,000 packages. This is."a small amount compared with 
the 50,000 to 80,000 barrels sent weekly from Spain so far as 
mere weight is concerned, but the fact remains that for quality 
British-grown Grapes have no rival. 
# # 
Gardener Killed by a Traction Engine.— Mr. Thomas 
Mills, of Sharnford, a. gardener employed at Croft House, Croft, 
met his death by misadventure through getting crushed by a 
traction engine while cycling home from his work in company 
with a mate. The road was very narrow, and, the night being 
dark, his tricycle seems to have got Caught by the front wheels 
of the engine. 
* * * 
W eal th of Flowers at Nice. — The display of flowers at the 
Christmas markets has been simply glorious, and the celebrated 
flower market at Nice is a. wonderful sight, the Boses, Carna¬ 
tion, white Lilac, Lilies, Mignonette, and Violets being literally 
piled up in large fragrant heaps, and selling at a. few pence for 
a large bundle. Here and there a small fragment of Mistleto 
or Holly lias, been seen, and these rare Samples have brought 
enormous prices. The glut of flowers is so great that of the 
hundreds, of thousands of baskets of cut blooms which are sent 
daily to the railway station for despatch to Baris, London, and 
the northern markets many hundreds are left behind for lack 
of room in the trains. 
* * * 
Market Gardeners in Scotland and the Bailway Com¬ 
panies. —Some weeks ago the railway companies in Scotland, 
headed by the North British Bailway, intimated to the market 
gardeners that the companies would decline to carry perishable 
produce under one ton weight by goods train except at, the 
owners.’ risk. This is .serious, enough for the market gardeners, 
inasmuch a.s perishable produce might be rendered useless by 
delay in transit, while, the companies would not hold themselves 
liable for such loss. The gardeners at first sought the aid of 
the Scottish Chamber of Agriculture. The Board of Agriculture 
then came to their aid. The Board sent- an inspector to inter¬ 
view most of the more prominent market growers, and were able 
to obtain a large amount of information, concerning the matter. 
The Board ultimately disappointed the gardener’s by plainly 
telling them that they must fight their own battle. The prin¬ 
cipal suggestion the. Board made was that the market gardening 
industry should watch .the proceedings of the railway company, 
and take advice as to whether the facilities provided for the 
carriage of small consignments are reasonable. Another point 
is whether consigners are to sign an owners’ risk note when the 
goods are sent at the existing ordinary risk rates ; and a third 
is whether the signature of and owners’ risk note is of any legal 
effect in cases where the goods referred to in the note are carried 
at the ordinary risk rates of vegetables. 
