194 
March 5, 1904. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Institution and 
the Orphanage. 
When reading over your report, Mr. Editor, in your issue 
for January 3Ut-h, it occurred to me that you may give 
me room in your columns to add a thought or two respecting 
these novel institutions, knowing that you are interested in 
them, as also many of your readers. 
At the close of the election the saddest thing-to think of 
is how badly disappointed many would be to find they had not 
been successful, the more so when one comes to think that out 
of over fifty applicants not one but had a. tale of some bad 
malady to relate. Added to this, many were of advanced age. 
Surely the one to' be maintained during the coming year by 
the kindness of Mr. Sutton would rejoice ! Added to this 1 , those 
unsuccessful are relieved by the aid of the other funds. Surely 
these are splendid additions! 
But when gardeners come to think of how many applicants 
there were, and the small proportion that could be put on, and 
the ever-increasing number of applications yearly, and how 
few contribute to its funds (it is said only about 1,000), and 
the advantages' given to members of long standing, should 
induce them to contribute to it in early life. It is evident 
those that do not' do sioi will stand a. poor chance of receiving 
its aid should they need it as time goes on. 
There are few that could not afford <£1 Is. per year if they 
had a desire to do so. Some may say that it would entail 
some self-denial. I found this in years gone by, and should 
any young man rise above its needs in later life, then he 
is on the right side, and should be grateful for the good he 
may have been in helping others. 
But the question has to be faced as to how its funds can be 
increased and the knowledge of the benefits it affords made 
known. Surely something could be done by the mutual 
societies when we come to think of the number of these 
with a very large member roll collectively, and the power and 
strength and assistance these could be to these two charities if 
only they would resolve to adopt some method of raising funds 
in small amounts at stated times during the year. 
It has often occurred to me that good may be done if in large 
centres these mutual societies would give one evening in the 
year for a. paper to be read or lecture given by some able 
man, and a collection taken at the close. It may be said that 
probably in many instances some of them would be already 
contributors. I venture to think the major portion of these 
would give some small sum. Another aspect of these collec¬ 
tions is that in many of these mutual societies there are a 
number of honorary members. The charities would often 
appeal to them. I am aware of the now existing number of 
agencies there are endeavouring to assist these good societies. 
I venture tdi think our mutual bretliren have not done their 
part till they have adopted some method to show their sym¬ 
pathy with both of these good institutions. 
J. C., F., Chard. 
Plant Surgery. 
Plants have their diseases as well as animals, and just as 
in the animal world maladies manifest themselves in abnormal 
structures and outgrowths, so in the vegetable kingdom, galls, 
cankers, pustules, tumours, and other tissue formations are 
evidences of ailments. There is, therefore, a surgery of plants 
as well as of animals, and the successful treatment of plants 
is based on a thorough understanding of the pathological as 
well as of the normal anatomy of the 1 plants. 
Dr. Ernst Kuster, of Munich, w 7 ho has already distinguished 
himself by his researches on the' anatomy of galls, has just- 
published a book on the pathological anatomy of plants. 
Though the author follows somewhat too closely the termino-' 
logy of animal pathologists', he has nevertheless produced a 
work of much value to plant-growers. 
Under the head "Restitution” Dr. Kuster classifies all 
changes in growth, induced by sections and wounds, which lead 
to the new formation of the cut-off parts, or to proliferation of 
various kinds. Under the term “ Hypoplasie ” axe included 
the phenomena of arrested development of organs or parts 
due to various inhibiting reactions, which bring about diminu¬ 
tions in the number or size of the cells or otherwise change 
the tissues so that they stop short of a stage of development 
which would normally be regarded as complete. 
“ Metaplasie ” includes progressive changes due to over- 
stimulation, resulting in the cells and tissues undergoing struc¬ 
tural changes in excess of the normal, though not suffering the 
enlargements or increase in numbers dealt with under “ Hyper¬ 
trophic,” in which the cells attain dimensions more or less in¬ 
ordinate, due to excessive growth while young and turgid. 
Most galls afford examples of these cases, which are extremely 
common. 
Those abnormalities, usually enlargements and distortions, 
which owe their origin to inordinate increase in the average 
number of cells, are termed “ Hyperplasie,” and under these 
five heads the whole of plant disorders, in so far as they are 
anatomical or pathological, are classified. Botanical science 
has hitherto concerned itself chiefly with structures, but plant 
surgery is equally important, for to be able to understand the 
cause of abnormal growths and to remedy or develop them ac¬ 
cording to the needs 1 of the cultivator is to make a distinct 
advance in the knowledge of vegetable life. 
Antirrhinums for Summer Bedding. 
As the time is now upon us to prepare the various plants for 
summer bedding, I should like to give a hint to those reader’s 
of the “ Gr.W.” who have not tried the dwarf Antirrhinums for 
that purpose to do so. They are a class of plant that give a 
grand display for little trouble. 
Unlike our old friends the Pelargoniums, etc., which require 
about nine months of care in our greenhouses to give us a few 
months of. their beauty in the summer time, they may be 
raised from seed and be ready for their summer quarters in 
from three to four months. Seed can be purchased now in 
useful colours, such as Yellow Prince, White Queen, and Crim¬ 
son King. 
For small beds nothing pan be prettier tlran a bed. of each' 
colour, and for the larger beds fill the centre of them with the 
white variety, and follow on two or three times round with the 
crimson one, finishing off with the yellow one. 
I had a large bed planted in this style last summer which 
gained the admiration of all who saw it. 
Then we have the mixed varieties, which are veiy pretty in 
the borders'. These varieties give usr«a wide range of colour, 
some of them being beautifully spotted. ^ 
To raise these useful and pretty plants, sow the seed in 
February in beat, in pans o>r shallow boxes in a mixture of 
loam, leaf-mould and sand, and cover with sheets of glass and 
brown paper, removing the same when the seedlings appear. 
Keep them, near the glass, and when large enough to handle, 
prick them out into boxes in a mixture of two parts loam to 
one of leaf-mould 1 , with the addition of a little sand, giving 
them room to make nice bushy stuff. As they grow up, pinch 
out- the leads, when they will branch out- and make nice plants. 
Harden them off by the middle of May and plant in the usual 
way. Those who have not tried them, I am sure will 
be delighted with their beauty. They make a nice change, 
which is a thing we all have to study in our flower gardens. 
J. Smith. 
Caledonian Forest. —It is stated that part- of the old Cale¬ 
donian Forest is included in the park of Dalkeith Palace, which 
extends to- 1,000 acres. That forest was rather a large order, 
so that Dalkeith in its entirety might well have been included 
Mafuta Bananas. —The large acreage of Bananas put in on 
the Mafuta lands near Montpelier, Jamaica, do not promise tDi 
turn out as well as expected, writes a correspondent. Ihese. 
Bananas escaped the hurricane with- a good shaking, and at first- 
promised well, but at present the appearance of a good harvest 
is rather second rate. 
