July 23, 1904. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
60d 
Mr. James Pelling, gardener to tbe late Colonel H. W. 
Gordon, of Eltham, died on the 8th inst., at the age of 74 years. 
Mr. Pellmg had been gardener at the same place for over 40 
years, and was consequently well known in the district. 
* * * 
Fruits and Vegetables from Boulogne. —Mr. Farmer, Eng¬ 
lish Vice-Consul at Boulogne, states in his annual report that 
during the past twelve months 1,073 tons of flowers, 16,961 
tons of fruit, and 14,614 tons of vegetables were shipped from 
Boulogne to Folkestone Harbour for the London markets. 
During the same period 110,753 passengers crossed the Channel 
between the two ports. 
* * * 
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 
of their experience bp 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: Tbe Editor, “Tbe Gardening World,” 37 and 
38, Shoe Lane, London, E.C. 
A New Potato from a Carse Farm.- —At Benvie Farm, Long- 
forgan, a new “ tattie ” of astonishing vigour may now be seen 
growing. It was raised by Mr. W. L. Thoms, the enterprising 
son of the worthy tenant, and experts are agreed that it is a 
tuber quite by itself for all-round good qualities, This is its 
fourth season from the trial stage, and it occupies about two- 
thirds of an acre. 
* * * 
Window Gardening at Manchester. —A Children’s Window 
Gardening Society is established in Manchester, and last year 
the results were very successful, but the promoters recognised 
the fact that the children from densely-populated parts scarcely 
got fair play when made to compete with those from more open 
situations. This year each of the 30 schools in Manchester 
included in the scheme will have its own show for plants raised 
from seeds. For plants there will be one central exhibition. 
The seed for over 4,000 pots was supplied through the 
generosity of Messrs. Dickson, Brown, and Tait, of Manchester. 
* * * 
Old Walnut Tree at Bossington. —The latter is an old- 
fashioned country village in the land of “ Lorna Boone,” on 
Exmoor. To tree lovers one of the most interesting sights of 
the village is an old Walnut tree of great age and size. The 
tree has a very short, massive trunk, above which it branches 
into several gigantic limbs, as if it had been pollarded at this 
point in its early history. It has the appearance of being a 
natural growth, however. Some years ago, when) the late Mr. 
Gladstone was staying with Sir Thomas Acland, the former was 
so interested in the tree that he measured its girth, thereby 
greatly adding to the local reputation of the tree. 
* * * 
California’s Big Tree Dying. —The “ Telegraph’s ” New 
York correspondent sends the melancholy news that California’s 
most famous tree, with which the pictorial Press has made the 
world familiar, is dying. The sap of the giant is ceasing to 
flow, and the tree is beginning to topple. The advice of the 
best arboriculturists is being sought with the object of pre¬ 
serving the life of the veteran by artificial means, and the 
question of fertilising the roots, thus arresting senile decay, 
is discussed. Meantime, to prevent the tree,- which is 244 ft. 
in height and 109 ft. in circumference, toppling down, huge 
wire cables will be utilised. 
* * * 
Presentation of Prizes at Swanley College. —At the annual 
distribution of prizes won by the students at Swanley Horti¬ 
cultural College on July 11th, the prizes were presented by the 
Right Hon. the Earl of Onslow, G.C.M.G. The Silver Salver 
■was won by K. Barratt. Amongst third-year students prizes were 
gained by J. Fotheringham and A. Yaszowska. Second-year 
students who gained prizes were J. Villiers Stuart, who had six 
prizes, M. Britten, A. Ince, S. Hartley, A. Eley, I). Stephen¬ 
son-Peach, and M. Hewetson: The previous two belonged 
to the colonial branch, and M. Hewetson took four prizes. 
Amongst the first year students were N. Lucas, J. Bath, K. 
Pattison, K. Murphy, H. Marchetti, E. Bennett, and M. 
Ritchie. Prizes were also awarded for table decorations, 
bouquets, buttonholes, and practical work, a number of Certi¬ 
ficates being granted for the latter. A very large number of 
visitors were present on invitation, about 350 of them sitting 
down to tea on the lawn under the trees. At this function Lord 
Onslow made a very interesting speech. Interesting informa¬ 
tion about the Colony of Natal was given by Sir Henry 
McCallum. Besides the distribution of prizes, the visitors 
inspected the colonial branch. South Bank, the college gar¬ 
dens, conservatory, exhibition of fruit, vegetables, bottled fruits, 
and jams made by the college, also the dairy, the jam-making 
shed bee tent, and the exhibition of snapshot photographs made 
. v students. Altogether this proved a very interesting day 
in the annals of the college. 
Raising Seedling Potatos. 
Is it difficult to raise new varieties of Potatos from seed? The 
prices 'asked for new varieties would make one believe so-. Would 
you kindly describe the operation? (E. T. W.) 
In the ease of some varieties it is not difficult to raise seedlings 
from the Potato Apples by gathering the latter when ripe and 
removing the seeds, which should be mixed with dry sand to dry 
up the pulp, and preserve it till spring. You could, on the other 
hand, wash the seeds, as is done -in the case of Tomatos. The 
seeds ^flight be sown in boxes in a gentle heat, and afterwards 
placed under cooler treatment-, then hardened off and planted 
out in the beginning of June > like half hardy annuals. When 
in the rough leaf the seedlings migjbt be .transplanted into other 
boxes, and the operation will strengthen the seedlings. In 
manipulating the flowers it isi quite a different- operation. Sup¬ 
pose you intend to cross different varieties, you must select two 
having qualities which you wish to- combine. In doing this you 
will meet with many difficulties. Some varieties produce bud-s 
which drop before -expansion, and others drop after blooming 
without producing any seed. With those which produce fruits 
or Apples under ordinary field or garden culture you will be 
more likely -toi obtain results. To make sure of effecting a cross 
you must remove the anthers of the intended mother parent 
before they shed their pollen. Then, when the stigmas of the 
seed-bearer are fully developed, get pollen from the other parent 
and dust the stigmas with a camel hair pencil. To keep away 
insects from the flowers operated upon it would be advisable to 
cover them with thin pieces of muslin. This -might be- done as 
soon as the flowers of the seed-bearer first, expand. As soon as 
the flowers drop the muslin, may be removed and the stems and 
trusses staked to prevent accident till the Apples are fit to 
gather. 
Trap for Catching Slugs. 
I have heard tell of a trap for -catching slugs which is said 
to be very effective. Gan, you say what it is like and where to 
get it ? Now that dry weather has set in the slugs are taking 
to the Cucumbers and other things in frames. (T. H.) 
We have not heard of anything specially constructed for 
trapping slugs, but various things are laid about in their haunts 
for the purpose of trapping them. These we have frequently 
mentioned. In frames, however, we believe that very good use 
has been made of wide-mouthed bottles, glass and other jars, 
which are sunk in the soil in frames till the rim is on a* level 
with the soil. A handful of fresh bran is then placed (in the 
bottom of these vessels, and the slugs find their way inside in 
large numbers, where they may be caught in the morning. If 
the slugs are at ali plentiful in the frames, you will catch many 
of them by such simple means. By the sense of smell or some 
other faculty the slugs are attracted to the bran. 
curious Grubs on Beach Leaves. 
I send you some curious-looking black grubs I found on the 
leaves of Peaches on a wall. They must eat something, but 
are they really harmful to Peaches, and what remedy would you 
apply? (D. W. R.) j r 
The so-called grubs you send are the larvae or young of lady¬ 
birds (Go-ccinella), which are friends, not enemies, of the har¬ 
dener or the trees. They are sometimes known as alligators 
xrom their shape. They certainly are not attractive like their 
parents, but you should spare them on all possible occasions, 
hey feed on aphides, and if you had examined the young Peach 
eaves carefully, you would have found aphides or their remains 
where the black grubs were at work. In syringing with an in¬ 
secticide or dusting with insecticides you cannot avoid harm¬ 
ing or killing them, perhaps, but you can endeavour to avoid it 
as much as possible. c 
Propagating Calceolaria. 
Being a reader of The Gardening World, I have a Calceolaria 
which i have had m bloom these six weeks, and I am at a loss 
to know what), to do with it and what it would be best to do. 
