March 25. 1905. ■ 
THE OARDEN/NG WORLD 
Tixj. : Apple Market at Manchester.— According to all 
accounts Manchester has proved a better Apple market titan 
Liverpool lately owing to the higher prices obtained. Lasl, 
year 3,086,317 barrels of Apples were shipped to British ports, 
but during the present season only 2,013,813 barrels had been 
received. 
A Green Carnation. —From Los Angeles, California, comes 
the announcement that Mr. A. C. Stillson has succeeded in pro¬ 
ducing a green Carnation. The petals are white, with broad 
stripes of bright green which radiate from the centre to the edge 
of the petals. We hope this will not prove to be another blue 
State Emblems. —Our American contemporary, “ Gardening,” 
says that the Kansas Legislature of 1903, in making the Sun¬ 
flower the State flower, legislated that “this flower has to all 
Kansas an historic symbolism which speaks of frontier days, 
winding trails, pathless prairies, and is full of the life and glory 
of the past, the pride of the present, and richly emblematic 
of the majesty of the golden future.” Dakota has made the 
wild Prairie Rose (Rosa setigera) the State emblem. 
* * * 
Scarcity of Fruit in Auckland.—I t seems that about the 
middle of January last there was a great scarcity of fruit about 
Auckland, New Zealand. This was due to westerly winds, 
boisterous and unseasonable weather when the trees were in 
bloom. The trees had been almost stripped of their young fruit. 
Peaches and Plums, especially the Japanese varieties, suffered 
most. The British Plums fared better, owing to the fact that 
the trees bloom later, and thus escape the stormy period. Apples 
and Pears will be a fair crop, and certainly sufficient to supplv 
local needs. 
Unpruned Hedges. —For some time past the magistrates in 
Ireland have been asserting their rights in compelling the 
owners of hedges alongside the public roads to have them 
properly pruned. The other week some important cases were 
brought forward, and more recently the Marquis of Lansdowne 
was summoned for the same form of forgetfulness. Needless 
to say the agent of the Marquis stated that the work would be 
commenced at once. The complaint of the authorities is that 
the hedges, when allowed to grow too tall, keej^the roads in a 
wet and bad condition, owing to the hedges preventing the rain¬ 
fall from drying up. 
* ■* * 
The Parasite of the Codling Moth. —Mr. George Compere, 
Government Entomologist of Western Australia, arrived at San 
Francisco in the first week of February from Spain. In the 
latter country he had been in quest of the parasite of the cod¬ 
ling moth, and since his arrival at the headquarters of the 
Californian Commissioner of Horticulture he has been busy 
propagating the insect for shipment to the various counties of 
the State, as is stated in “ The Florists’ Exchange.” Nine 
counties had been supplied with the destroyer, and the tenth 
jar was being sent away on February 4th. Mr. Compere stated 
that California was the only State in America that had shown 
interest in co-operative work with Australia in the matter of 
introducing the parasites of insect enemies of plants. He 
thought that the parasite would add millions to the pockets 
of fruit-growers of California by keeping the codling moth in 
check among Apple and Pear trees. 
* * ■* 
The Tax on Heather.— Some little time ago we announced 
that a man from the “Land of Cakes,” now resident in New 
South M ales, was charged duty on a bunch of Heather sent 
from Scotland, but. that after his complaint he had the duty 
remitted. His letter contained the following: “Alas! that the 
fell blast of protection, with its withering revenue-raising breath 
and sacrilegious hand, must need, in its hour of extremity, 
attack Caledonia’s choicest flower, the root of which, so full of 
devotion to the freedom of its native soil, absolutely refuses to 
become acclimatised in any other clime.” He then broke out 
in the following apostrophe : “ Shades of Scotland’s patriotic 
ancestry, the blood of whom has at times, in the cause of 
i eity dyed her Heather a deeper purple, and whose honoured 
Dones he peacefully in many a rugged hillside, this latest pro- 
anation of thy sacred right is enough to raise the spirits of 
• !? e sons i n angry dissent and fill every glen and hill 
Ml-n' t “Tstimg steel of avenging justice.” We hope the 
QnoK ^ ei °ij us * oms will not see visions during the night after 
such an address from the stalwart Scot. 
Apple Consumers’ League. There is such an institution 
the above in tho United States. Every member agrees to • 
two Apples, raw or cooked, every day during lb si m 
It a vo fruit on his table, as well as to ask for Apples in rn , 
form or other when having refreshment at a v -i nn mi 
* * •* 
Fruit Trees in Ireland. Some sales of fruit trees, shrub 
etc., have recently been held in Irvinestown and Enniskilb n 
and these, being sold by auction, have done a great deal in . u 
courage the cultivation of fruit trees and ornamental shrub- 
amongst the masses in Ireland. Both farmers and cottagers 
have been attending these sales and making purcha— for 
respective gardens and fields. 
* * * 
When is a Banana Ripe? —At a recent dinner given by Mr. 
Alfred Jones some comments were mado by Mr. Ralph Moore 
against the medical officers of health in England who had con¬ 
demned West Indian Bananas because their skins had turned 
black. The Canary fruit turned yellow when ripe, but the 
West Indian variety, not being packed in wool, but shipped as 
cut from the plant, it got bruised, and the skins turned black, 
though the inside was in splendid condition. It was his opinion 
that the West Indian fruit was most fit for human consumption 
when the skin was almost black. He thought that prosecutions 
for selling fruit when really in prime condition were seriously 
prejudicing the industry. 
* * * 
Plant Life on Sand Hills. —Professor Weiss has recentlv 
been giving a course of lectures in the Chemical Theatre at 
Manchester University, and in continuing his course on “ Sea¬ 
side Studies” in connection with the Manchester Museum, he 
took seaside plants as the first of three. Plants found in such 
situations were provided with special means for retaining 
moisture, usually very scanty in sand. The leaves of the Sea 
Holly were coated with waxy material, which enabled them to 
retain moisture. Some grasses had the power of rolling up 
their leaves in dry weather, thus conserving the moisture. Some 
seaside plants had a long tap root, and others had fleshy leaves. 
The professor also pointed out how shifting sands were held 
together by sedges, grasses, and creeping Willows. 
* * * 
Gardening in Evesham. —During recent years we have heard 
much of gardening and fruit-growing for commercial purposes 
in the Evesham district. It is now stated that the district 
hats been celebrated for its market garden produce since 
mediaeval times. A very large number of the holdings are of 
small size, and these continue to increase in number. They 
are largely occupied by tenants drawn from the labouring class. 
Some of the more ambitious of them have turned their attention 
to glass culture. A large party of them recently visited Paris 
with the object of ascertaining how the French gardeners are 
able to supply the English markets with early vegetables from 
December till March. Evesham enjoys a natural situation on 
the valley slopes of the River Avon, and, while more or less 
sheltered, lies suitably to the sun, while the soil is also well 
adapted for fruit and vegetables. 
* * * 
Supka-terrestrial Yegetation. —Some little time ago, 
"Knowledge and Scientific News” quoted statistics made'out 
by M. Virgile, Brandicourt, concerning the above subject. The 
article in question dealt with plants which grow not on the 
surface of the earth, but on walls, roofs, and trees. The oldest 
of them are those that grow on stone and brick walls. Sixty- 
seven per cent, are plants with fine seeds, including such as 
Saxifraga, Arenaria, Urtica, etc. ; 13 per cent, were plants with 
winged seeds easily scattered bj’ the wind ; 9 per cent, plants 
with fleshy fruits ; 6 per cent, plants with hooked seeds ; and 
5 per cent, plants with fruits that burst with elasticity so as to 
scatter the seeds. Plants that grow on thatched roofs are 
numerous, some of the older roofs carrying fifteen or sixteen 
species. The tops of Pollard Willows also have a characteristic 
flora, including as many as eighty-six species. A curious case 
is recorded by Dr. Magnum, in which a Mulberry tree took root 
on a,n Ash, and pushed the latter down gradually until lost to 
sight. For the sake of non-botanical readers we may state that 
most- of the plants would also and do grow upon the ground in 
places suitable to their welfare. For instance, taking berried 
fruits, we note that Gooseberries, Currants, and other fruits get 
carried to the top of dovecots and other old buildings, where 
they take root and grow to a considerable size. Conifers would 
not be regarded as wall plants, yet we have seen Thuya orientalis 
of considerable size, and which we presume had been blown on 
to the top of a wall as a seed, unless it had been accidentally 
or involuntarily carried by birds. 
