640 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
August 6, 1904. 
class Certificate ; from Mr. J. C. Dick, The Gardens, Ohamp- 
fleurie, Linlithgow, three vases of seedling border Pinks ; from 
Mr. John Downie, Beech Hill Nurseries, Edinburgh, Helenium 
pumilum magnificum, Rubus fruticosus fl. pi. albo, Budclleia 
variabilis ; and from, Messrs. Grieve and Sons, Redbraes Nur¬ 
series, Edinburgh, several varieties of seedling Carnations and 
Pinks.— Chas. Comfort. 
Two Crops of Strawberries. —By irrigation it has been pos¬ 
sible this season to produce two crops of Strawberries in Texas. 
* * * 
Eating Seeds of Laderntm. —Six children have been treated 
at the Southern Hospital, Liverpool, for poisoning caused by 
eating Laburnum seeds off the trees in Sefton Park. After 
being attended to, their parents were allowed to take them 
home. 
* * * 
Bttlb-growing in Britain.— It is said that 500,000,000 bulbs 
are required for flowering every year in Britain, and that we 
import them to the value of £5,000,000 to £8,000,000 annually. 
The spell of dry weather in June and July was very favourable 
to the ripening of bulbs grown in this country, so that some 
very good samples of home growth should now be obtainable. 
* * * 
Sweet Pea with Six Blooms on a Stalk.— About two years 
ago we gave an illustration of a Sweet Pea carrying six flowers 
on a peduncle, instead of the usual two or three. A similar 
specimen has just been picked in a garden at Lebanon, Cupar, 
Fife. Growers should save seeds from accidental cases of this 
kind, with the view of getting seedlings carrying an extra 
number of blooms, if possible. 
* * * 
St. John’s Gardens, Liverpool.— Notwithstanding the pleas¬ 
ing circumstances under which these gardens were opened to 
the public recently, there is a great outcry against the statuary 
placed there, according to “The Liverpool Post.” A writer in 
the latter speaks about the quantity of ugliness which has been 
massed together there. He also states that the bronze statues 
in front of St. George’s Hall are being blackleaded. Another 
writer is even more scathing, and describes the statues as the 
“ ugliest conglomeration of decorative atrocities ” ever com 
structed. He thinks that we are suffering from atavism, and 
reverting to the stone age. 
* * * 
Artificial Elowers in Dublin Museum.—A correspondent in 
the “ Irish Times ” discusses the question of utilising marine 
shells for the purpose of making artificial flowers of Dahlias, 
Apnle Blossoms, and other flowers. He says that they may be 
made to assume a fanciful approximation of these flowers, and 
they may be looked upon as artificial flowers, though he cer¬ 
tainly would not consider it art. The shells have been collected 
and selected with a great amount of trouble in order to match 
them in colour, and the result may be beautiful, though he 
thinks that, the legitimate way of making artificial flowers is 
to model the petals in some plastic substance, such as wax. 
These can be made to assume the exact forms of the flowers 
they were intended to represent, and that he would consider a 
more suitable way of modelling flowers for a serious art museum. 
* * •* 
Monograms or Initials on Fruits. —There seems some evi¬ 
dence that in certain quarters a fashion is arising of placing per¬ 
sonal monograms or initials upon fruit to be brought to table. 
For instance, when an Apple is nearly ripe, a cloth envelope 
is made to cover the fruit entirely, and on a suitable place 
initials or a monogram are cut out of the cloth. The portion 
covered after some days becomes quite pale, while the initials 
or monogram retain the high colour of the fruit, whatever 
that may be. Pears may be treated in the same way. Another 
method sometimes adopted is to cut out a monogram or initials 
in black paper, and paste this upon the skin of the fruit. When 
the fruit is ripe, the portions covered by the black paper will 
have become pale, while the rest of the fruit retains its natural 
colour of green, pink, rose, or red. 
Eldorado Potatos at Spalding. —The rains during the past 
week have wrought remarkable changes in this famous Potato 
the plots that are being grown in this district have improved 
marvellously, and are now looking exceedingly well. Wonders 
have not yet ceased in connection with the Eldorado. A 1-oz. 
tuber which was supplied from the Spalding district has pro¬ 
duced 600 plants in the home counties, whilst 3^ oz. which were 
sold at Spalding are now growing 2,000 roots in the South of 
England. These are facts which, startling as they may appear 
are very easy of verification. 
* * * 
Root Fungi in Orchards.- —Dr. Cooke reported on samples 
received by the R.H.S. Scientific Committee as follows:—“The 
specimens were pieces of bark of an Apple tree, from near 
Bristol, permeated with mycelium. The fungus normally pro¬ 
ceeds fiom decaying wood in the soil, as Pholiota squarrosa. 
1 here is no known method of saving the trees. If the roots are 
only slightly attacked, they may be cleaned and pruned, then 
washed with some fungicide. Infected trees in an orchard 
shouM be trenched round, the soil cast up, sterilised, and all 
old wood burnt. All toadstools in orchards should be thoroudilv 
destroyed in the young state.” 
* * * 
A New Park at Bltth, Northumberland, for which the 
ground was given by Lord Ridley, was opened on the 27th ult 
The park has been prettily laid out, and includes a lake, a 
bowling-green, and a bandstand. Lord Ridley opened the orates 
m the presence of some 8,000 people, with a gold key presented 
to him by Blyth Town Council. He said he had had much 
pleasure m giving to the people that ground for ever in order 
that, they might have something more attractive to view than 
the prospect afforded by the railway embankments all around. 
It was at one time thought that Blyth might become a seaside 
^residential place, but the development of shipping facilities 
had prevented that. 
* * * 
M ILL OF THE Rev. C. Wolley-Dod. The Rev. Charles Wollev- 
TTi ’ ^’ tester, M.A., J.P., assistant-master of 
Eton College for 28 years, and well known as a horticulturist 
: laving won the Jubilee Gold Medal of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, who died on June 14th last, aged 78 years, son of the 
Rev. J. Wolley-Dod, of Beeston, Notts, left estate of the gross 
value of £47,632 16s. 2d., including personalty of the net value 
if £33,801 11s. 2d. The testator bequeathed £100 each to his 
outler (Thomas Thelwall), his gamekeeper (Thos. Jones), and 
his gardener (George Edwards), if respectively in his employ at 
the time of his decease, and he left his estate in Derby upon 
trust to bis wife, Mrs. Frances Lucy Wolley-Dod. 
* * * 
Scholars and Plant Growing at Preston. —This year a 
scheme for the cultivation of plants by scholars at the public 
elementary schools of Preston was inaugurated by the Preston 
and Fulwood Horticultural Society. During the spring and 
summer lecturers have gone the rounds of the schools giving 
instruction upon the cultivation of the plants. One of the 
lecturers, Mr. Wood, is agreeably surprised at the progress made 
at some of the schools. In order to still further encourage the 
children, the Mayor (Alderman Craven) has offered a silver 
championship shield to be suitably inscribed and mounted on a 
polished oak stand. Prizes will be awarded at the annual ex¬ 
hibition of the society. Scholars attending thirty-four schools 
will attend the show on the second day. The competitors will 
have a iirivate view on the evening of the opening day. 
* * * 
Edgbaston Botanical Gardens. —The annual meeting of the 
members of this institution was held on the 27th ult., when the 
secretary, Professor Hillhouse, mentioned that several very 
important alterations had been completed since the annual 
meeting last year. He said that the committee were raising a 
horticultural fund, which it was hoped would amount to £2,000, 
of which sum £1,370 had already been promised. The object 
of this fund was to carry out some very essential work that was 
needed. The Water Lily house had been in a bad state of 
decay, and had been re-erected upon the same walls. The 
Rosery, which was quite worn out, had been remade upon old- 
fashioned lines. A broad herbaceous border had also been 
made along the eastern side of the Rhododendron ground. 
Other improvements were in contemplation, but that would 
depend upon the finances, and he appealed to the members to 
aid them with practical help. After the re-election of officers 
and the appointment of a trustee, the meeting adjourned to in¬ 
spect the improvements. 
