1054 
THE GARDENING WORLD , 
December 24, 1904. 
Financial id to Mb. Luther Burbank. —For ten years ;y 
sum is to be paid annually by the committee of the Carnegie 
Institute of New York to Mr. Luther Burbank, in order that 
he may carry on his work of developing new varieties of fruits. 
•H- * * 
Early-flowering Chrysanthemums at Regent’s Park.— 
Messrs. Dobbie and Co., Rothesay, have been awarded a Gold 
Medal for a collection of early-flowering Chrysanthemums grown 
for trial in the gardens of the Royal Botanic Society, Regent’s 
Park. 
* * * 
Exceptional Mildness. —Mr. Francis George Heath, writing 
from Underwood, Kew Gardens, under date the 15th inst., 
picked on the date mentioned, in his open garden, the common, 
green garden Euonymus (E. japonicus), fully in leaf, 3 in. 
long, and Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum), 1 in. long. 
* * * 
Protection for Wild Flowers. —The Devonshire County 
Council have passed a bye-law prohibiting„the practice of strip¬ 
ping the wayside banks, hedges, etc., of their floral treasures 
by people who dig them up wholesale for the purpose of send¬ 
ing them to Covent Garden for sale. At the same time, nothing 
is being done to prevent botanical students from plucking the 
flowers, nor those who gather the same merely for pleasure. 
* * * 
Fruit at Newcastle.— Apples, owing to shortage in deliveries, 
are from 6d. to Is. per barrel dearer, but this does not affect 
the retail buyer. Cooking varieties are making Is. 6d. to 2s. 6d. 
per stone, eating 3d. and 4d. per lb., and Newtowns 6d. per 
lb. Oranges, too, are inclined to be a little dearer, Valencias 
selling at two, three, and four a penny, Jamaicas Is. to Is. 6d. 
per dozen, and Jaffas the same. 
* * * 
Botanical Gardens, Truro. —A conversazione was held at 
the Central Technical Schools the other week with the object 
of obtaining funds for furnishing and beautifying the botanical 
gardens adjacent to that institution.. There is no fund avail¬ 
able for this purpose, and the expenses have already been very 
heavy As a proof of its good work, the superb display of 
Tulips last spring was undoubtedly the finest ever seen in the 
county. The exhibitions included demonstrations with radium,, 
Geisler tubes and musical sand figures, a fine series of Oriental 
sleight of hand tricks entitled “ Mystic Art from the Flowery 
Land,” a musical programme, a whist drive, and various de¬ 
monstrations and exhibitions of scientific Or general interest. 
* * * 
Primrose Meadows, Sheffield.- The field known by this 
name is at present a muddy waste, with little or nothing to 
suggest the fitness of the name or the presence of Primroses. 
The River Sheaf makes a bend in the form of a fretsaw handle, 
and practically ruins the land it encloses. The municipal 
authorities are cutting a new bed for it, so that it may flow 1 
in a straight line across the meadows. The work is being 
executed by the unemployed of the town. The meadow will 
then be cut into two unequal portions, the smaller of which 
will be surrounded by the Sheaf and a watercourse for some 
of the local works. The land is to be laid out as a recreation 
ground. A new street is to be constructed alongside of the newly- 
diverted portion of the stream. 
* * * 
Pleasure of Growing Orchids. —A lecture was given the other 
week at Newcastle by Mr. J. Bidgood, B.Sc., F.R.H.S., onl 
the subject of “ Orchids,” before a. large audience. Mr. Bid- 
good said the origin of the fashion of Oi'chid growing was due 
to a former Duke of Devonshire, who sent collectors to all parts 
of the world to secure specimens. Proceeding, the lecturer ex¬ 
plained some of the root and leaf characteristics of the won¬ 
derful plants. He said there were 8,000 species of Orchids, 
and 2,000 of them had been introduced into Europe. Then he 
told of the curious methods of fertilisation of some of the 
specimens, the beauties of the flowers being splendidly illus¬ 
trated by lantern slides. Some of the plants, he said, required 
the care bestowed on delicate children. Samples were shown 
which were worth £1,500 a plant. Some of the wonderful 
results obtained by Mr. Cookson, of Wylam, and specimens pro¬ 
duced by Air. Chapman, of this neighbourhood, were also illus- 
trated. Some of the outcomes of hybridising that the lecturer 
showed and explained were most interesting and instructive. 
Columbia, of South America, said Air. Bidgood, was a very 
paradise of Orchids. Concluding, he remarked that, whether 
regarded aesthetically or scientifically, there was no occupation 
so delightful as that of growing Orchids and getting such 
beautiful flowers and specimens as lie had shown. 
I he Weather in the Glasgow District. —During the last 
week the weather has been very inclement—a decided improve¬ 
ment, notwithstanding, on the wintry weather of the previous 
week. The frost and snow had disappeared early in the week 
and once again we are face to face with mild, though more or 
less wet, weather. Friday was an extremely stormy and wet 
day. The rain came down in one continuous drizzle all day. 
* * * 
Woburn Fruit Farm.— The Duke of Bedford and Mr. Spencer 
U. dickering, F.R.S., have published a popular description of 
the experiments carried on at the Woburn Fruit Farm in the 
form of a book. This deals with the best means of producing 
Apples, Raspberries, Gooseberries, Currants, and Strawberries. 
Soil and manure to be applied are two of the features of the 
book. It is stated that the chemical composition of the soil 
is but a poor guide to manurial requirements, judging by the 
different behaviour of different trees in the same soil. Arti¬ 
ficial manures had most effect upon Currants and Raspberries, 
although it may be noted that these two kinds are planted on 
the richest part of the grounds. 
* * * 
A Forest Area in Ireland.— The Irish Department of Agri¬ 
culture has purchased the Avondale Estate, county Wicklow, 
and intends to establish a station for forestry, which will be a 
school for practical forestry. Apprentices will be taken on 
for a period of years and trained in the management of keeping 
woods and plantations, whether for timber or ornament. It 
seems that the apprenticeship may last for one, two or three 
years, according to the industry and capabilities of the student. 
Apprentices will be required to work in the woods during the 
whole of the working day, and will receive pay according to 
their experience. At present they will be expected to pass 
an examination in English and arithmetic, though it does not 
seem that scientific study will form any part of the course. 
« 
* * * 
German Gardening Done by Women. —Alost travellers to 
Germany go to the principal cities, see as many sights of art, 
architecture, and scenery as possible, and return without having 
the chance to stop on the waysides and learn of the real home- 
life of the people. No existing guide-books lead to such roads. 
Mecklenburg-Schwerin, with its little sister State Strelitz, is 
only 28 German miles long and 14 broad, but it is one of the 
most fertile agricultural districts existing. Every family has 
a garden, and the work in it is done exclusively by women. In 
the villages, where a minister resides, who always has a big 
farm to cultivate as his support, his wife is the leading spirit 
in the garden. In other places, perhaps the wife of the school¬ 
master or forester takes the lead. Often there is a friendly 
contest to see who shall have the first Peas and Carrots for the 
table; of course, everything grows in open air. There is great 
rivalry amongst the women as to who will have the' earliest 
produce. 
* * * 
Presentations at Harrow. —A meeting of the members of 
the Roxeth and Harrow Allotment .Society was held in the Alis- 
sion House, West Street, Harrow, on the 12th inst., when F. E. 
Marshall, Esq., the retiring president, occupied the chair. The 
latter introduced the new president, Mr. Vassal 1, and described 
him as a keen gardener and botanist of high order. He then 
vacated the chair for the new president, who addressed the 
meeting. Mr. Vassail said they all regretted that Mr. Marshall 
and Mr. Page were leaving the district. None would miss the 
retiring president more than the allotment holders. Air. J. 
Smith (lion, secretary), after the president concluded his speech, 
presented Mr. Alarshall with an illuminated address bearing 
an inscription setting forth that it was presented by the members 
of the Harrow and Roxeth Society on his leaving the district, 
and as a slight recognition of their obligations to him for past 
services as president and treasurer from 1894 to 1904. The 
address was signed by the new president and a large number of 
the members of the committee. Mr. Marshall thanked them 
for their token of respect and goodwill, and said that when he 
took up the work it was his first experience of working men 
managing their own affairs. The secretary then presented Air. 
D. Page with a beautifully upholstered easy chair. In doing so 
he. wished to thank Mr. Page for past services as committeeman 
and judge, and hoped that he would have many an easy hour in 
the chair amongst the hills and lakes of Cumberland, where he 
was going. Mr. Page, in reply, thanked the holders for the 
present, and urged them to go in for high-class cultivation. 
Under the new president he thought there was a good future 
for the society. Both gentlemen were then made vice-presidents. 
