1006 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 10, 1904. 
descriptive list of forest and ornamental tree®, fruit trees, 
shrubs, climbers, etc. 
Messrs, f isher, Son and Sibray’s Catalogue. 
The catalogue issued by Messrs. Fisher, Son and Sibray, 
Ltd., Royal Nurseries, Handswurth, Sheffield, is a general one, 
including nursery stock of a great variety of kinds. The first 
part of it contains an excellent index, and then deals with 
fruit trees, illustrating the' methods of training, showing 
young trees in fruit, and giving descriptive lists of Apples, 
Pears, Plums, Apricots, Peaches, and all other useful fruits. 
Rose® are next dealt with, after which the forest and orna¬ 
mental trees, so largely and well grown by'the firm, are taken 
in hand, and many of the trees illustrated by photographs so 
as to show the peculiar forms for which they are cultivated 
for ornamental effect. Conifers, hardy hybrid Rhododendrons 
and climbing plants in great variety are next dealt, with in 
the same way. , 
Letter to the Editor. 
British Gardeners’ Association. 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sir,—I am gratified to read that numerous branches of the 
British Gardeners’ Association are in course of formation. I 
firmly believe that this endeavour to raise the status of the 
gardening profession will eventually produce far-reaching and 
excellent results. I am anxious to be of practical assistance 
to the movement, and it occurs to mei that -the establishment 
of branches of the association on the Continent, in Belgium, 
France, Germany, etc., would considerably extend the associa¬ 
tion’® sphere of usefulness. 
It is, undoubtedly, valuable for a gardener to know several 
languages; the necessity is not, of course, so great for home- 
dwelling Britishers., whosei only frontier is the ocean, but, cer¬ 
tainly, the knowledge is a valuable asset. I know personally 
s.everal British gardeners who have largely to. thank their 
knowledge of foreign tongues and Continental gardening 
methods, for the advancement that has attended them. 
Many gardeners would be glad to send their son® abroad for 
a. few years could they obtain a better guarantee of kind treat¬ 
ment, and that a good knowledge of foreign language® and 
method® of cultivation would be obtained, Were there a. 
branch of the British Gardeners’ Association in every country 
where there is much gardening, it would, I am sure, greatly 
facilitate the acquirement of an international' training, and 
would, moreover, tend to increase that international good feel¬ 
ing which so happily already characterise® gardening. 
For my part, I would be willing to do my utmost to start 
a branch in Belgium; it would be a pleasure to me to be of 
service to my numerous British friends;. Finally, I believe 
the' creation of branches of the existent British Gardeners’ 
Association to be the moist practical step possible towards 
the ultimate establishment of the International Gardener's’ 
Association advocated toy Mr. Leonard Barron. 
Louis Gentil. 
Curator - of Brussels Botapiiio Garden. 
Syndical Chamber or Belgian Horticulturists. —The per¬ 
manent committee has decided to solemnly commemorate Sun¬ 
day; February 5th, 1905, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 
founding of the Syndical Chamber of Belgian Horticulturists. 
Those who assist at the meetings of the society recall with 
emotion the grave circumstances which, at a given moment, put 
the existence of Belgian horticulture in peril, and created 
among its representatives those bonds of solidarity and stability 
which were its safety. Others will have thoughts of gratitude 
for the work of the first or early stages, and will face the results 
obtained to tie the bond more firmly, and work for the moral 
and material development of the cause. They wish to fix the 
remembrance of the past and draw up instructions for the 
future. The nature and the details of the celebration of the 
twenty-fifth anniversary will be fixed later on. The secretary 
is M. H. de Wilde, Ghent. 
Fern-Leaved Staghorn Sumach. 
Many gardeners are familial' with a cut-leaved variety of 
Sumach named Rhus glabra laciniata,, which is admired in 
the summer for the sake otf its ample and beautifully cut 
leave®, and more particularly in the autumn on account of the 
rich autumnal hues which it assume®. There i® also a 
variety of the Staghorn Sumach (R. typhina), with similarly 
cut leaves, and likewise named R.t. laciniata. The leaves of 
this variety are pinnate, and again so- deeply divided into 
linear lobes as to appear bipinnate. In these respects we 
think the leaf is more finely divided than in .the case of the 
better-known cut-leaved, smooth variety. The shrub under 
notice is described and figured in the “ Florists’ Exchange ” 
for November 26bh. 
Dublin Seed and Nursery Employees’ 
Association. 
On Saturday last, December 3rd, the above body held their 
second annual dinner and social reunion in the Gresham Hotel, 
Dublin. Mr. Jame® Robertson, J.P., presided, and there was 
an exceedingly large attendance. Immediately to the right 
and left of the chairman were Professor Houston, of the Royal 
College of Science, and Mr. F. W. Moore, Royal Botanic 
Gardens, Glasnevin. 
Congratulatory telegrams were received from the Edinburgh 
Seed Association, and Mr. Carton, of Berwick, while letter® of 
apology Avere read from those unable to be present. 
The toast of “ The King ” having been duly honoured, Mi'. 
F. W. Moore proposed “ The Dublin Seed and Nursery Em¬ 
ployee® Association,.” An association such as that, he said, 
had the sympathy of all. As to the Irish seed and nursery 
trade,, during a thirty years’ experience of it he never had 
one unpleasant experience. He had always 'had his wants 
attended to with tact, courtesy, and efficiency. If he went 
outside Ireland, he often found something wrong. Where, he 
asked, would humanity bei but for the seed and nursery trade? 
It was a, great and noble trade, and he congratulated them 
on having that association. 
Mr. J. Robertson said that during the short time the associa¬ 
tion had been established it had done a lot of good. Much 
of the credit of this was due to' Mr. McDonough, their energetic 
secretary, and also to their committee. Having impressed 
upon the younger members the importance of improving them¬ 
selves, he expressed the hope that they would uphold the 
reputation of the trade. He also pointed out that the element 
of education was never absent from any of their meeting® or 
excursions. 
In giving “ Our Employers,” Mr. J. W. Henderson referred 
to the trips which the association had made during the 
summer. Such educational work made the assistants most 
valuable' to their employer's, whom they-had to thank for the 
prizes they offered for competition in 1905. 
Mr. M. Rowan, in reply, described the employees as a most 
worthy, faithful, and intelligent class of young gentlemen. 
Mr. J. A. Rochford, in proposing “ Our Guests,” mentioned 
Dr. Pethybridge and Professor Houston, from whose lectures 
on botany they hoped to reap 1 great benefit. He also men¬ 
tioned that their chairman had been successful in starting a 
general Irish industry, by bringing Holland into Ireland. 
Professor Houston, in reply, said that all associated with 
agriculture and horticulture must be gratified by the work 
done by the association. Technical education, he said, worked 
entirely for the benefit, not only of the trade, 'but of agricul¬ 
ture and horticulture. He hoped they would retain the pre¬ 
sent position they held as nurserymen in the British Isles. 
“ The Press'.” was proposed by Mr. D. MacLeod, and “ Our 
Chairman ” by Mr. C. W. Harrison. Mi’. Robertson, in course 
of his reply, said he would do all he could to further the 
interest® of that association. 
During the evening a select musical programme was per¬ 
formed. 
