290 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 2 . 1904. 
Me. Ernest Pinciiin, for several years foreman, has been 
promoted as head gardener to Sir Thomas Brock!©bank, Bart., 
Springwood, Wool ton, Liverpool. 
* * * 
Early Strawberries. —During the past week or so the piioe 
of forced Strawberries in London has coune down from 3s. to 
Is. 61. per basket of six berries. They are being retailed at 
this price, but 31. for some-of the berries offered will not induce 
many patrons. 
■X* ■X' ■K' 
Scilly Flowers and Volcanic Dost.— During the past week 
or so it has been noticed that the flowers in the Scilly Isles are 
covered with an almost imperceptible black dust. The hands of 
the flower gatherers and flyers become quite black after working 
amongst the flowers for a. time. The cans© of this is supposed to 
be a 'fall of black rain, or even, volcanic dust, about the time 
the earthquake shock was recently felt in Cornwall. 
* if * 
High Price for Orchids.— -A sale of surplus Orchids was re¬ 
cently conducted at the residence of E. Ashworth, Esq., H-arefield 
Hall,' Wilmslow, by Mr. G. H. Morris, of Messrs. Protheroe and 
Morris, Oheapside. The highest price obtained was. 340 guineas 
for a small plant of Odontoglossum criepum ashworthiauum. This 
was bought by Mr. McBean, of v ooksbridge, Sussex. In another 
instance 200 guineas Ivas obtained for .a Cattleya, but there seems 
to be some difference of opinion as to the variety which, fetched 
tins price. One record has it as G. amethystoglossa, Sanderae, 
and another that it was C. guttata Prinzii. 
* * * 
Botanic Gardens, Liverpool. —A feature of one of the glass¬ 
houses just now in the Liverpool Botanic Gardens is a bank of 
200 plants of Amaryllis arranged on one of the side stages. Must 
of the plants carry two spikes of bloom, and some have three. 
In colour the varieties range from nearly white to darkest 
crimson. The display is expected to continue for six weeks or 
more. Other spring flowering bulbs, Cinerarias, Azaleas, and 
Rhododendrons, also, make a fine display. 
* * * 
Botanical Gardens, Manchester. —At a, meeting held on the 
24th nit. in the Lord Mayor’s Parlour, Manchester Town Hall, 
Mr. John Bowden moved that the trustees be authorised to mort¬ 
gage the gardens and the property of the society owning them 
for the purpose of increasing the hanking facilities of the society 
to the extent of £12,000, by depositing the title deeds with the 
bankers. The motion was seconded by Alderman Gibson, who 
said that there was ample security in their property for £12,000. 
They had only to pass the resolution or close the gardens. Mr. 
T. C. Horsfall moved as an amendment that the gardens be 
offered to the Manchester Corporation as a gift, on condition that 
the liability be taken over with them. Mr. B. Carver suggested 
that they had no power to, discuss the question then, as they 
were called upon merely to pass or reject the resolution to mort¬ 
gage the gardens. The, amendment was then withdrawn. The 
resolution, was adopted without further opposition. 
* * * 
Fruit and Flowers v. Fish in Dundee. —There is nothing 
fishy about the fish market in Craig Street now that it has 
undergone a cleansing to the tune of £200, and been transforme 1 
into an emporium for the sale of fruits, flowers, and vegetables. 
The florists and gardeners are no longer at the mercy of the 
weather, storms, and wordy warfare of the Greenmarket, but 
are comfortably boothed, stalled, and canopied in this now 
splendid hall, which was formally opened on Friday, 25th nil., 
by Councillor Perrie, under favourable auspices, when nearly 
every available booth and stall was occupied with a display of 
seasonable flowers: and produce, each vendor vicing with his 
neighbour for something to take the eye and command a ready 
sale. There can be no denying the fact that in the new market 
a long-felt want has been supplied, and the civic fathers of 
Dundee, as well as the promoters of the idea (Messrs. Storrie and 
Storrie) deserve the thanks of the community and the gratitude 
of the gardeners. There is one good thing I notice, that the 
building, although .spacious enough for the present, lends itself 
easily to extension, and as ample ground extends eastward, let 
us hope to see present success crowned by extension in future. 
—James Bethel, Westwood Gardens, Newport-on-Tay, N.B. 
Tasmanian Fruit Season.— The first steamer to load fruit 
at Hobart this season was R.M.S. Arcadia, which took on board 
approximately 12,290 cases and sailed for London on Februarv 
20th. Arrangements were also made for loading 24 other 
steamers for the British market. 
* * * 
Crocuses at St. Leonards. —Residents and visitors to St. 
Leonards-on-S©a have been delighted for some time past with a 
splendid display of Crocuses at Quarry House, the residence of 
W. F. M. Copeland, Esq. The grassy banks and borders of his 
grounds have been planted with something like 25,000 conns 
of Crocuses, including such species as C. vernus, C. aureus, C. 
lagenaeflorus, and others. The owner, with characteristic 
courtesy, has, thrown open his grounds for inspection by the 
people. His collection is a very fine one, and_ has been added 
to from time to: time for some years past. 
* * * 
Malicious Tree-topping. 1 — A remarkable case of this has just 
been tried, on the 15th ult., at Lewes. The defendant was Win. 
Luff, a gardener in the employ of Mr. Reginald Blacker. The 
complaint was that be cut off the- tops of three Fir trees and two 
evergreens. When this came up for trial it proved that the 
trees have been .getting so tall as to obstruct a view from the 
windows of Mr. Blaeker’.s house. The latter had made application 
to the chairman of the Highways and Works Committee to have 
the tops cut off. Permission to do this could not be given, as 
t he trees belonged to the Corporation, and were growing on land 
belonging to that body. Mr. Blacker gave instructions to his 
gardener to cut off the tops of certain trees. Colonel Noblett, 
living in the other semi-detached house belonging to the same 
property, gave the above-named gardener directions to cut 
another of the trees in question, and for the same reason already 
given. After the trial the Bench decided to inflict a penalty of 
£2, together with 9s. costs and the amount of the damage. 
£3 10s. The Chairman added that the Bench wished him to 
say that there had been unwarrantable interference with Corpora¬ 
tion property. 
Society and Association Notes. 
Royal Horticultural, Society.— The next meeting of the 
committees will be held on Tuesday, April 5th, in the Drill Hall, 
Buckingham Gate, Westminster, 1.5 p.m. A lecture on “Villa 
Gardens ’’ will be given by Mr. H. P. C. Maule. At a general 
meeting held on Tuesday, March 22nd, fifty-six new Fellows 
were elected, making a total of 407 elected since the: beginning i 
of the present, year. 
* * * 
Longton Dahlia Society.— The interest in the Dahlia as an 
exhibition flower appears, to be growing in the Midland dis¬ 
tricts, for a Dahlia society has just been formed at Longton, 
Staffs., and an exhibition is arranged for Monday, Sep¬ 
tember 12th.. The secretary of the society is Mr. H. Boulton, 76, 
Caroline Street, Longton. Fifty years ago there were several 
flourishing nurseries in this district of Staffordshire in which 
florists,’ flowers were much grown, but they had to, give way 
before the expansion of these busy neighbourhoods. 
* * •*' , 
Handswortii Horticultural Society. —The twentieth annual 
exhibition of the above society will be held in the Victoria Park, 
Handswortii, near Birmingham, on July 22nd and 23rd. Over 
£500 will be spent in prize money, and should ensure a very suc¬ 
cessful exhibition. Last year tire show was a success in every 
way, and the society seems to be embued with a desire to forge 
ahead vigorously. The secretary is Mr. John Edwards, 24, - 
Stafford Road, Handswortii, Birmingham, to whom applications 
concerning the show should, be made. 
* * * 
London Dahlia Union. —The annual exhibition by the union 
will beheld in the Prince’s,Hall of the London Exhibitions, Ltd., 
Earl’s Court, on Thursday and Friday, September 15th and 16th. 
One feature of more than ordinary interest will be the com¬ 
petition for some special prizes offered by Mr. T. G. Gledstanes 
for six vases of Cactus, Dahlias, three blooms of each, of varieties 
best adapted for garden decoration ; and no supports .will be 
allowed to tire stems. This class will have an educational value. 
The seeretaiy is Mr. Richard Dean, Ealing, London, W. 
* * * 
Linn ran Society of Lonhon.— The next meeting of the above 
society will be held on Thursday, April 7th, when Mr. C. E. 
Jones, B.Sc., F.L.S., will read a paper on the “Morphology and 
Anatomy of the Stem of the Genus Lycopodium.” On the same 
