20 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 7. 1905. 
The Fruiterers’ Company, it is announced, will entertain 
the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs at dinner on Wednesday, 
January 25th. 
* * * 
Scutellaria baicalensis coelestlna. —The ordinary or 
typical form of this plant is a native of Siberia, and has been 
in cultivation at Kevv for some time. A nurseryman of Italy 
is now offering a new variety under the above name. Thei 
flowers are of lai’ge size, and said to resemble those of rich blue 
Salvia patens. 
* * * 
Property of Mr. Arrow Smith.— The late Mr. Arrow Smith, 
of Darleydale Nurseries, whose death we recorded last autumn, 
was not so well known to the rising generation as he was thirty 
years ago, when frequently advertising his nursery stock and 
sending it all over the country. It is now announced that he 
has left property of the total value of £17,959 6s. 6d., including 
net personalty of £19,906 15s. 8d. 
* * * 
Small-flowered Chrysanthemums. —In view of the discus¬ 
sion amongst some of our correspondents with regard to the 
exhibition of small-flowering varieties of Chrysanthemums, or 
the growing of large ones so as to produce small blooms, we 
may say that they have been anticipated by the growers on the 
other side of the Atlantic. We do not intend to say that the 
growing of small-flowered varieties is anything new, because 
they were the first introduced to this country, and more recently 
an impetus was given to the cultivation of the favourite autumn 
flower by the introduction of a variety named the Chusan Daisy. 
On the other hand, the Americans, although not regarding 
the variety as a new one, speak of the vaiiety named Baby as 
a novelty from the cultivators’ point of view. One large grower 
raised a stock of this variety, and, after bringing it before the 
public, sold out his stock in less than a fortnight. We may 
remind our readers that the so-called Baby Primrose got ita| 
name across the Atlantic. The Baby Rambler Rose, from a 
similar source, may also be added to the list. The Chrysanthe¬ 
mum named has yellow blooms ranging from g in. to § in. in 
diameter, and all the florets are quilled. 
* * * 
Messrs. Dobbie and Co.’s Social.— Every year the members 
and employees of Messrs. Dobbie and Co., Rothesay, N.B., 
have a social evening, at which, after supplying the wants of 
the inner man, they enjoy the rest of the evening in speech¬ 
making, song, and sentiment. Councillor Fife presided, and 
was supported by his partner, Treasurer Burnie. Mr. W. 
Cuthbertson was still at Mark’s Tey, Essex, attending to the 
great trial of boiled Potatos, we presume, but he wired a 
message of remembrance to his partners at Rothesay. A large 
number of leading men in the town were present, and, we are 
pleased to notice, included Mr. James Dobbie, the founder of 
the firm. The chairman said it was nineteen years since he 
first set his foot permanently on the Island of Bute, and his 
ambition from the first was to see the business carried on by 
his friend, Mr. Dobbie, increased and widened until it should 
take rank as the first of its kind in Scotland. They were not 
confining their attention entirely to the Island of Bute, but 
had been widening their sphere and influence in the South. 
He also delighted his audience with particulars of some of the 
great seed-growing establishments which he had visited during 
the past summer. He then gave interesting particulars with 
regard to their catalogue, and, before resuming his seat, said 
he was glad to see the founder of the firm present in such 
health and happiness. Dr. Hewison also spoke, and said that 
in olden times the monks chose the fattest lands for their own, 
use, and in due time such land became manse gardens. Mr. 
Dobbie saw and acted upon that principle, for he there com¬ 
menced growing his famous seeds. The Doctor spoke at some 
length, and made various humorous remarks concerning the 
business and what could be done in Rothesay in connection 
with other industries in the town, provided they could find a 
proper man to take up the same. Councillor Buchanan and 
Treasurer Bumie also made speeches. 
Fruit Culture at Maidstone. —At a meeting of the Maid¬ 
stone Fanners’ Club the other week, Mr. George Bunyard gave 
an instructive address on the subject of fruit culture. 
* -x * 
Salad Oil from the Sunflower. —A bland oil is obtained 
from the seeds of the Sunflower which is considered very 
palatable without refining, and is admirable for salad-dressing, 
the residue of the .^eds after the oil is expressed is stated, 
after chemical analyses, to have a high nutritive value. The 
oil is largely uted in Russia, but in 19o3 about 1,490,000 lbs. 
weight of oil was imported to this country. 
* * * 
Greenhouse Burnt at Edinburgh. —On the 26th ult. a range 
of glasshouses about 30 ft. in length, and belonging to the 
Hope Trust, at Hope Crescent, Edinburgh, was destroyed by 
fire, the damage being estimated at £100 or more. A stove ‘in 
one of the houses had been lighted by the manager, and three- 
quarters of an hour later the fire brigade was called to ex¬ 
tinguish the fire. Ferns and various other plants were com¬ 
pletely destroyed before the fire was extinguished. 
* * * 
A Thornless Cactus. —Mr. Luther Burbank, of Santa Rosa, 
California, gets the credit of having introduced a valuable 
plant to cultivation in the form of a thornless Cactus. This is 
claimed as a valuable food plant, both for man and beast. It 
is stated to be as nutritious as Alfalfa, and will yield more 
forage to the acre than that of the leguminous plant. It will 
also eliminate some of the terrors of the Colorado and Majave 
deserts, where the spineless Cacti are something more than a 
nuisance. 
* * * 
Gardening in the East End of London. —Those who are 
sufficiently enthusL-stic to'attempt the cultivation of plants 
in the East. End of London, and have no flower-pots, use some 
strange substitutes. For instance, a Fuchsia may be seen 
growing in a milk-jug, a Nasturtium in a teapot, and Scarlet 
Runners in an old saucepan, while Mustard and Cress have 
been grown in a pie-dish. We cannot regard these as inventions, 
as we have seen the inhabitants of villages in rural districts 
using these expedients many years ago. 
* * * 
Variegated Carnation Mrs. T. W. Lawson. —On page 1033 
of the previous volume we recorded a scarlet sport of this 
famous Carnation. The “ Florists’ Review ” now records a 
variegated one, in which it is said that burst flowers are un¬ 
known. The stems are longer than in the ordinary type, and 
the flowers have a fine odour. The blooms open quickly, and 
also keep well, and, in the experience of the writer, it produces 
three flowers to one of that popular variety. The sport is also 
said to have secured a First-class Certificate at Boston in 
January last year. 
* * * 
The Strawberry-Raspberry. —Cultivators in this country 
still elect to speak of the Strawberry-Raspberry under the 
name of Rubus scrbifolius, though it must be very distantly 
connected with this species. The last named is, of course, 
very uncommon in this country, and very few gardeners ever 
have the opportunity of seeing it. If a relative might be men¬ 
tioned, it would be R. rosaefolius. The latter is a tall-growing 
species bearing clusters of flowers from short side-shoots, 
whereas the Strawberry-Raspberry is 12 ‘in. to 16 in. high, 
and usually bears only a cluster of flowers on the top, to be 
followed by the fruits. If the Strawberry-Raspberry is to be 
separated from R. rosaefolius, the proper name should be R. 
illecebrosus, a name given to this form by Dr. W. O. Focke in 
1899. 
* * * 
Gladiolus quartinianus.- —According to Gardening (Ameri¬ 
can), Dr. van Fleet has just described the above as a new late- 
flowering Gladiolus from the mountains of Tropical Africa. 
Our friends across the Atlantic must be a little behind date 
by regarding the above as new, except, perhaps, in America. 
It is regarded in this country as having been introduced in 
1883, and a figure of it is given in the “ Botanical Magazine,” 
t. 6739. It seems, hen ever, difficult to reconcile the descrip¬ 
tions of the two as being the same thing. The spike in Nichol¬ 
son s “Dictionary of Gardening” is said to be about six- 
flowered. Dr. van Fleet’s description of it is that the stems are 
4 ft. to 5 ft. high, and carry 25 blooms, of which five to seven 
would be open contemporaneously. In other respects the de¬ 
scription corresponds fairly closely, so that cultivation may be 
responsible for the difference. 
