228 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 12. 1904. 
Begonia Gloire de Lorraine. —Much has been written on the 
above subject, but I wonder how many know what a useful cut 
flower thisi is for table decoration. The colour' and gracefulness 
of this variety is all one could desire, and placed in water will 
remain quite fresh ten or twelve days.—W. J. R. 
* * * 
Launch of a Fruit Steamer. —The steamship Manistee, the 
last of the new beet of special fruit steamers built to the order 
of-Messrs. Elders and Fyffes, Limited, was successfully launched 
at the yard of Swan and Hunter, Limited, Waiisend, on the 2nd 
inst. Like the other vessels of the fleet, the Manistee will be 
capable of carrying] 45,000 bunches of Bananas. 
•X- VV vr 
West Indian Produce. —For some years past more attention 
has been given to the West Indies, and recently an industrial 
association has been formed, under distinguished auspices, to 
promote the sale of West Indian fruits and other products, for 
which a good demand may be expected here. It is said that 
the Colonial Office is taking a friendly interest in the.movement. 
* W * 
A Rose Show at Bath. —As we recently indicated, the people 
of Bath intend holding a Rose Show in 1905 in aid of the Bristol 
and Bath Auxiliary of the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institu¬ 
tion. A meeting, was held on the 1st inst'. in the offices of 
Messrs. Gar away and Co'. It was resolved to affiliate with the 
Royal Horticultural Society and the National Rose Society, and 
also to issue a circular asking for vice-presidents, guarantors, 
and subscribers. 
* * * 
Essay Competition at Croydon. — 1 or some years past prizes 
have been offered for essays in connection with the Croydon ancl 
District Horticultural Mutual Improvement Society, and we 
are pleased to notice that these have been continued for 1904. 
The subjects selected on this occasion are “ Birds of our Garden 
and “Pruning and Training Hardy Fruit Trees.” In the first 
instance the first two- prizes are offered by Messrs. R. F . Bunyard 
and A. H. Naylor. The first prize for the second essay is offered 
by Mr. W. Harris. 
* * * 
Fire in Messrs. Hayward’s Building Yard. —On the 3rd 
inst. a fire broke out in the greenhouse workshops of Messrs. C. 
Hayward (F.R.H.S.) and Co,, Brockley Road, Brockley, London, 
S.E. The greenhouse workshops were destroyed before the fire 
could be checked. This will not interfere with the main depart¬ 
ment and workshops of the firm at Grafton Park, where business 
will be carried on as usual. As they have an extensive plant at 
the headquarters they will thus he able to carry on their work 
without any delay whatever. 
* * * 
A New Hibiscus. —Under the name Hibiscus Moscheutos, it 
seems that two 1 species, found wild in the Eastern United States, 
have been confused for many years past. Linnaeus was the 
author of the above name, and, notwithstanding that it is a very 
pretty and hardy Mallow, it does mot seem to be known in British 
collections at the present day, although introduced many years 
ago. Mr. N. L. Britton has been discussing the matter in the 
Journal of the New York Botanical Garden, and he says that 
the correct H. Moscheutos has pink flowers, a nearly globular 
blunt seed-pod, and triangular-ovate sepals, about as broad as 
long. The form which he wishes to separate from this under 
the name of H. oculiroseus has been passing about in American 
gardens under the name of H. albus. This has white flowers 
with a crimson eye, an ovoid seed-pod, with a long point and 
triangular-lanceolate sepals, nearly twice as long as broad. These 
distinguishing features he consider®, sufficient to warrant a 
specific name for the crimson-eyed Hibiscus under the name of 
H. oculiroseus, as above stated. 
* * * 
Arbor Day in Ireland. —Most of our readers are familiar with 
the fact that there is an Arbor Day in the United States, when 
] ar( r© numbers of people, including school children, turn out to 
plant trees in suitable situations. Tree cutting in Ireland goes 
on apace, but it does not seem to occur to the powers that be 
that young trees should be planted to take their place. We 
hear from°Cookstown that the suggestion for an Arbor Day has 
“ caught on,” and one gentleman has promised 20,000 young Fir 
trees for planting in his immediate neighbourhood. This 
patriotic act is well worthy of imitation. It is suggested that 
St, Patrick’s Day should be selected for the tree planting, so 
that the national holiday would he well honoured in this practical 
way. The idea is calculated not only to beautify the face of the 
land and add to its picturesqueness, but furnish a deal of employ¬ 
ment and cause new industries to spring up. Mr. Archibald 
Moeran strongly advocates the planting of the Douglas Fir as a 
suitable tree for Ireland. At present it is chiefly grown for orna¬ 
mental purposes. He does not think that the tree would rival 
the size of the imported timber of 300 years growth or more, 
but he thinks that a shorter rotation would suit modern ideas, 
and that the Douglas Fir of 40 to 70 years’ growth would give 
timber of equal quality. 
* * * 
A New Weather Plant. —There have been many men and 
things, from rheumatic shoulders to Viennese professors, who 
have claimed to predict the weather ; and now another vegetable 
has been pushed into prominence as a foreteller of storms, 
earthquakes, and minor temperamental disturbances. The 
Abrus Precatorius, which is the little plant’s name, is the dis¬ 
covery of Baron Fridland von Nowack, who gave a lecture on 
the 20tli ult. at a meeting of the Society of Arts. Abrus is 
best at foretelling really important events, such as the Marti¬ 
nique disaster, its prediction of which was published in 1901. 
Baron von Nowack has been in communication with our Roval 
Meteorological Society, which apparently treated him with 
scant attention. A few years ago many experiments and ob¬ 
servations were made upon the Telegraph Plant (Desmodium 
gyrans) at Kew, with the object of demonstrating its capabilities 
of foretelling similar events to the above. There are many 
plants that might be used for the same purpose. They are 
affected by the weather in their immediate surroundings, but 
that they can foretell anything at a distance is mere imagina¬ 
tion. 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
The Editor invites enquiries for reply in this column. These 
enquiries may cover any branch of gardening. Questions should be 
put as briefly as possible, and written on one side of the paper only , 
a separate sheet of paper should be used for each question. 
Readers are also invited to give their fellow gardeners the benefit 
o+ their experience by sending supplementary replies. 
Replies cannot be sent by post, even if a stamped, addressed, 
envelope is enclosed, and the return of specimens cannot be undertaken. 
Anonymous communications are treated in the usual editorial manner. 
Address letters: The Editor, “The Gardening World.” 37 and 
38, Shoe Lane, London, E.C. 
Heavy Soil for Potatos. 
According to the weather prophets, we are going to have a 
succession of wet seasons. I hope that they will be false prophets, 
but, all the same, our heavy soil is ill-adapted for Potatos, and 
wet weather in August and September causes a large proportion 
to get diseased. Could I do anything to guard against this in 
any effective way? (E. M. R.) 
You should use a strong endeavour to improve the staple 
of the soil by digging it up roughly in the autumn, exposing it 
to frost. Annually, when digging or draining, you should use 
wood ashes freely, and if the soil is not intended for Potatos 
that year, a liberal use of rank littery manure would be de¬ 
cidedly advantageous in such a heavy soil. Sea-sapd, if you 
can get it, would be highly advantageous. We should plant 
shallowly, and earth up the Potatos well, so that the ridges 
would stand high and dry, as it were, thus exposing a consider¬ 
able amount of surface to the light and air. We should also 
select heavy-cropping early varieties of Potatos for a garden 
of the nature such as you mention, and which may be lifted 
before the disease breaks out. Heavy soils should not be planted 
very early, but you can obviate that by preparing the sets so 
that whenever the soil is in proper condition the Potatos will 
be ready to grow away rapidly. Thus there are two main 
points which we should keep in view, namely, endeavouring to - 
make the soil light and porous and the use of early varieties 
that may be dug before the advent of disease. 
Tenants and Rose Trees. 
Will some reader of The Gardening World kindly answer this 
question ? Can a tenant remove Rose trees and Rhododendrons 
which have been planted a few years on leaving; residence ? 
(A. H. N.) 
If ‘they had been nursery stock we presume you would have 
been able to remove them when leaving the place. As they had 
been planted permanently, however, for the adornment of the 
place the landlord claims them after you give notice. You can- 
