392 
THE Q ARDEN IN Q WORLD 
May 7, 1904. 
Mr. M’Donald, Wilton, the veteran fruit-grower of Blair¬ 
gowrie, has been summoned to London to give evidence on fruit 
culture, before the Committee at present sitting in London. 
* * * 
Mr. R. Martin, for the past two years general foreman at 
Castle Boro’ Gardens, Enniscorthy, has been appointed head 
gardener to E. Tigh, Esq., Woodstock Park, Inistioge, co. Kil¬ 
kenny, where lie will take up his duties on the 11th inst. We 
wish him every success. 
& 
Apples at St. Lons.—Cold storage of fruits at the l niversal 
Exhibition like that now being held at St. Louis, U.S.A., is some¬ 
thing new in the 'history of fruit. An immense cold storage ware¬ 
house and refrigerating plant is kept in full operation on the 
grounds, we are told by “ American Gardening, l* ruit growers 
in any pant of the United States are thus able to send then 
choicest Apples in perfect condition. Apples have also been sent 
from the farm of the late Cecil Rhodes in South Africa. They 
were placed in cold storage on ships, and from thence transferred 
to refrigerator cars and carried to the cold storage warehouse 
oil the exhibition gounds in St. Louis. The South African Apples 
will thus be shown in as perfect condition as on the day they 
were picked from the trees on the other side of the world. As 
the Missouri mule, invaded South Africa, during the Boer war, so 
now the South African Apple invades Missouri, so as to round oft 
matters in a peaceful competition. 
* * * 
Lectures to Teachers at Chelmsford. The other week theie 
was a large gathering of teachers and others interested in educa¬ 
tion at the County Technical Laboratories, Chelmsford. Addresses 
were given by Professor H. E, Armstrong, of the Centra] Tech¬ 
nical College, S.W., and Mr. A. E. Brooke-Hunt, of the Board 
of Agriculture Professor Armstrong said that the object ot 
teaching boys and girls was to enable them to become self-helping 
individuals. The scholars must be allowed to experiment tor 
themselves, and otherwise make good use of their observations 
while carrying out practical work. Mr. Brooke-Hunt dwelt on 
the educational value of school gardens. Gardening, lie said, 
crave scholars the power of drawing forth, training, and exercising 
mental and other faculties in no ordinary degree. Different 
branches of gardening also taught, the workers matnematica 
accuracy One of the chief qualities required by a gardener was 
foresight. Mr. E. C. Horrell, County Council staff biologist, 
said that school gardens in the county were few, and carried on 
by the teachers at their own initiative and at their own expense. 
The authorities hope to have school gardens hi future, in connec¬ 
tion with most or all of the day schools. They intended, first of 
all t,o train teachers. Mr. Wakeley also spoke on the subject. 
It ’was intended to have a course of instruction for teachers in 
August next. 
° * * * 
a Flora and Sylva.” —The May number of this high-class 
periodical contains a beautiful illustration, of two hybrid Irises 
which recently appeared at. meetings of the Royal Horticultural 
Society. These are I. Sindjar-persica and I. purpureo-persiea, 
the names being compounded of their parents. There is also a 
beautiful plate° of Rhododendron Smithii aurea,. There is an 
article upon the London parks which will please some and dis- 
please others. The writer refers, to, hanks of earth that aie being 
made in many of the London parks that, are not at all in accord¬ 
ance with good landscape gardening. The nature of the ground 
does not lend itself to, this form of gardening. In some cases 
mounds of earth have been piled up against trees. In Hyde 
Park we know that a circular mound has been raised to mask 
the presence of the new range of glasshouses to take the place 
of those recently pulled down in Kensington Gardens. The 
writer of this, trenchant article also disagrees with many other 
practices pursued in our London parks, and asks what is the 
excuse for the present injury to the park. He answers this 
by saying, “ to grow a number of bedding and annual plants in 
order to°’make a summer show by Park Lane, weather per¬ 
mitting.” He says it is not right to criticise without offering a 
suggestion for the betterment of the park, and that is to plant 
the park as a whole with beautiful hardy things and on an 
enduring system. He considers that energy is being wasted 
in the meantime on ephemeral plants. The soil and surface 
of Hyde Park are better than those at Kew, though he considers 
the latter more instructive. Many other hints and suggestions 
are madel that are well worthy of consideration on the part of 
all concerned. 
The Great Beech at Langarrock. —Two centuries ago the 
enormous Beech at Langarrock was already known as the 
“ great tree.” More than once in its history it has beer 
threatened with destruction, and was, indeed, pollarded in its 
early days. It was cut down last summer, and will no longei 
be a menace to the church near which it stood. 
* * * 
Floral Displays at Eastbourne. —There is nothing whicl 
adds to the attractiveness of the Eastbourne front more thai 
the choice floral displays in the ornamental gardens on tin 
Grand Parade. Both the wonder and delight of visitors these 
with their seemingly perpetual bloom, rich fragrance, and tin 
skilful blend of colour. The head gardener is Mr. Josepl 
Smith. 
* * * 
Dried Bananas.. —Mr. Worrell, an American, points out tha 
dried or evaporated Bananas, while retaining the flavour am 
the nourishment, only weigh one-nintli of the ripe fruit, am 
are excellent for cakes, puddings, ice-creams, rations for sol 
diers, travellers, etc. He thinks a profitable drying industr 
might be started with sufficient capital. The dried Banana 
ought to be packed in insect-proof cases. The suggestion migh 
be useful to West Indian planters. 
* * * 
Cave Under a Garden. —While attending to a flower-bed i: 
his garden, Mr. Woodliffe, of the Cliff, Ferryside, disappear 
owing to a sudden subsidence of the ground. Fortunately 
friends were at hand, and he was quickly extricated. Diggin 
disclosed a cave some 15 yards long and about 16 ft. deep, tel 
minating in a recess 9 ft. square cut in the solid earth, withou 
any support whatever. An old house called the Smugglers 
Cottage was demolished here 16 years ago. 
* * * 
Oranges in America. —The consumption of fruit in Americ 
is enormous, yet it is expected that in a very short time sli 
will have to find another market for much of the Orange cro 
produced in California and Florida. About 12,000,000 boxe 
annually are contributed by the two States, 10,000,000 bein 
the output of California alone. The Orange groves in Florid 
are again getting well established since they were destroyed b 
frost a few years ago, and when in full bearing the quantit 
of fruit will be enormous, 
* * * 
Wild Asparagus. —It is a point of interest to know that tli 
edible Asparagus is a native of Britain. In the last centur 
it was found growing on Asparagus Island, Kynance Covt 
Lizard, but as a wild plant it has long been exterminated 
When Asparagus as a cultivated plant came 'into existence j 
not quite clear, but Gerard, writing in 1597, states that tli 
garden Asparagus comes up the size of a swan’s quill. Wit 
the advance of the times the old-fashioned laborious method c 
Asparagus culture has become a thing of the past. 
* *■ * * 
Floral Displays at Liverpool Botanic Gardens. —Alderma 
J. Ball (chairman), who presided at a meeting cf the Corpor; 
tion Parks and Gardens Committee, held on the 27tli ult. f 
the municipal offices, referred to the Amaryllis show at tli 
Botanic Gardens, and remarked that it reflected great cred 
on the committee and the curator (Mr. J. Guttridge). Tli 
exhibition, which was the finest of its kind held in these ga 
dens, had already been open two months, during which time 
had been visited by about 100,000 people, a total never pi' 
viously known'in connection with any show at Edge Lane. T1 
display would be continued until the second Monday in Ma; 
and preparations were being made for a succeeding exhibitio. 
of Fuchsias, Gloxinias, and Begonias, which would, in view < 
the manner in which the Amaryllis had been appreciated, 1 
open for inspection on Sundays from 10. a.in. until 5 p.u 
Colonel Whitney, as a new member of the committee, coi 
gratulated his colleagues on the splendid collection 1 
Amaryllis, and expressed jileasure at the fact that the dispb 
had been thrown open for so many hours on Sundays, therel 
giving the working classes the opportunity, which they had mi 
on other days, of enjoying the beautiful blooms. Dr. Uttii 
remarked that the large attendances at the present show acce: 
tuated in a most remarkable degree the demand which hf 
been made by the committee fpr the erection of addition 
propagating houses, which might be used for display purpos 
as the seasons came round; and he-thought the commit! 
ought, either in their next estimates or at an earlier date, 
bring forward some scheme for extending the facilities at tlj 
Botanic Gardens. 
