180 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  4,  1897. 
-  Gardening  Appointments. — Mr.  R.'  Scott,  late  of  Steep 
Hill  Castle,  Isle  of  Wight,  has  been  appointed  to  succeed  Mr.  T.  H. 
Crasp  as  head  gardener  to  the  Right  Hon.  F.  J.  S.  Folijambe,  Osberton 
Hall,  Worksop,  Notts.  Mr.  Frederick  Cockell,  for  the  past  four  years 
foreman  in  the  gardens  at  Sand  Hutton,  York,  has  been  appointed 
gardener  to  Mrs.  Fleming,  Normanby  .Hall,  Middlesbro’-on-Tees.  Mr. 
Herbert  May,  formerly  head  gardener  at  Markree  Castle,  Collooney, 
Sligo,  has  been  appointed  head  gardener  to  G.  Gatehouse,  E  q.,  West- 
wood  Noctorum,  Oxton,  Birkenhead. 
-  Electric  Trees  in  Dakota. — On  January  4th,  during  the 
worst  of  the  great  wind  and  snowstorm  at  Huron,  the  air  was  heavily 
laden  with  electricity.  The  Cottonwood  trees  in  front  of  the  Chicago 
and  North-western  offices  presented  a  very  strange  and  novel  appearance. 
The  trees  were  buried  in  snow  almost  to  their  tops,  but  at  the  end  of 
each  twig  on  every  branch  in  sight  was  an  electrical  spark  about  as 
large  as  a  common  field  Pea.  On  taking  hold  of  a  twig  the  spark 
extinguished,  but  on  withdrawing  the  hand  the  spark  reappeared. 
Dispatcher  Wilson,  who  wore  a  glove  with  a  hole  in  the  thumb,  took 
hold  of  a  twig,  and  the  spark  transferred  itself  to  his  thumb  and  back 
to  the  twig  when  he  let  go.  There  was  no  shock  experienced,  says  an 
American  contemporary,  in  handling  the  twigs,  and  the  light  did  not 
waver  or  tremble,  but  was  quite  steady.  The  trees  looked  as  if  a  colony 
of  fireflies  had  settled  upon  them  for  the  purpose  of  an  illumination. 
-  The  Midland  Carnation  and  Picotee  Society.— We 
have  received  the  annual  report  of  this  Society  for  1896,  and  schedule 
of  prizes  for  1897.  It  is  a  remarkably  complete  production,  indicative 
of  life  and  prosperity.  The  exhibition  for  1897  will  be  held  at  the 
Botanical  Gardens,  Edgbaston,  Birmingham,  on  Thursday  and  Friday, 
August  5th  and  6th;  or  should  unforeseen  circumstances  necessitate 
any  alteration  in  the  date,  notice  will  be  sent  to  all  subscribers  not  later 
than  July  15th.  Open  to  the  public  on  the  first  day  at  2  p.m.,  and  close 
at  8  p.m.  ;  on  the  second  day  at  10  A  M  ,  and  close  at  6  p.m.  Honorary 
exhibits  of  other  flowers  will  be  accepted  from  subscribers  to  the 
Society,  and  the  Society’s  silver-gilt  medal  will  be  awarded  to  the  most 
meritorious  honorary  exhibit  in  the  exhibition,  the  Society’s  silver  medal 
to  the  three  next  best  honorary  exhibits  if  of  superior  excellence,  and 
the  Society’s  bronze  medal  will  be  awarded  to  any  other  exhibits  recom¬ 
mended  by  the  judges,  after  the  style  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society 
in  London.  Any  further  information  can  be  obtained  from  Mr.  Robert 
Sydenham,  Mr.  H.  Smith,  or  any  member  of  the  Committee.  Total 
value  of  prizes,  challenge  cups,  medals,  &c.,  about  £160. 
-  Cider  and  Food  Apples. — In  an  interesting  lecture  delivered 
before  the  Society  of  Arts  on  Wednesday  evening  this  week,  Mr.  George 
Gordon  remarked — “  From  the  Apple  orchards  the  hundreds  of  inferior 
varieties,  whether  belonging  to  the  table,  cooking,  or  cider  sections, 
should  be  swept  away  and  replaced  with  others  that  are  sure  bearers 
and  produce  fruit  of  good  appearance  and  high  quality.  I  would  advise 
also  that  the  area  of  many  cider  orchards,  which  in  the  western  counties 
form,  it  is  computed,  about  four-fifths  of  the  whole,  be  reduced  by 
grafting  the  trees  with  dessert  or  cooking  varieties.  Cider  is  an  excel¬ 
lent  beverage  when  properly  made,  but  we  are  now  concerned  with 
making  the  orchards  as  profitable  as  possible,  ai  d  it  is  obvious  that 
Apples  worth  from  £10  to  £20  per  ton  are  more  profitable  to  grow  than 
those  which  will  not  realise  more  than  from  £1  to  £5  per  ton.  It  is 
also  evident  that  to  obtain  a  full  return  from  their  orchards  farmers 
must  grow  both  late  and  early  varieties,  and  adopt  some  inexpensive 
method  of  storing  the  fruit  of  the  former  until  after  the  early  supplies 
have  become  exhausted.  The  most  profitable  of  the  cooking  varieties 
are  Bismarck,  Ecklinville,  Dumelow’s  Seedling,  Gascoyne’s  Scarlet, 
Golden  Spire,  Lane’s  Prince  Albert,  Lord  Suffield,  Newton  Wonder, 
Potts’  Seedling,  Tower  of  Glamis,  and  Warner’s  King.  Then  of  the 
dessert  varieties  I  would  recommend  Blenheim  Pippin,  which  is  slow 
in  coming  into  bearing  when  planted  as  an  orchard  standard,  but 
grafted  on  large  trees  it  quickly  becomes  productive,  and  the  fruit,  by 
reason  of  its  handsome  appearance  and  high  quality,  invariably  com¬ 
mands  a  good  price  ;  Cox’s  Orange  Pippin  is  one  of  the  most  profitable 
of  dessert  Apples  in  districts  favourable  to  it,  and  when  the  fruit  is 
properly  marketed  ;  Duchess  of  Oldenburg,  an  early  variety  which  has 
a  short  season  ;  Devonshire  Quarrenden,  useful  for  planting  within  a 
short  distance  of  the  market ;  King  of  the  Pippins,  and  Worcester 
Pearmain.  These  form  but  a  small  proportion  of  the  Apples  in  the 
catalogues,  but  before  we  can  make  our  orchards  profitable  we  must 
follow  the  example  of  the  American  growers,  and  instead  of  planting 
two  or  three  trees  each  of  a  hundred  varieties  we  must  plant  a  hundred 
trees  each  of  a  few  varieties,  and  these  of  the  very  best.” 
-  February  Weather  at  Driffield. — Meaa  temperature  at 
9  A.M.  (corrected),  89  27°.  Wet  bu’b,  38-32°.  Mean  maximum,  45  48°  p 
mean  minimum,  35-12°.  Highest,  56  4°  on  the  22ud  ;  lowest,  24  8°  on 
the  1st,  Mean  of  maxima  and  minima,  40-30°.  Mean  radiation 
temperature  on  grass,  29  76°.  Lowest,  12-8°,  on  the  1st.  Rainfall,  2  565- 
inches.  Number  of  rainy  days,  fourteen.  Greatest  amount  on  one  day, 
0'88  inch  on  the  5th.— W.  E.  Lovel,  Observer,  York  Road,  Driffield. 
-  Koelreuteria  paniculata. — This  beautiful  Japanese  tree 
is  not  nearly  as  much  appreciated  in  ornamental  gardening  as  it  deserves 
to  be.  Nurserymen  generally  say  that  the  orders  for  it  are  com¬ 
paratively  limited.  It  is,  says  “  Meehan’s  Monthly  ”  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  of  our  small  trees,  having  striking  characteristics  at  all 
seasons.  When  in  the  springtime  of  its  growth  few  Fern  fronds  are: 
prettier  than  the  leaves  of  this  tree,  while  at  midsummer  it  is  a  complete 
mass  of  golden  beauty,  while  in  the  fall  of  the  year  its  rich  crimson 
foliage  vies  with  many  American  trees  that  have  been  celebrated  in 
this  respect.  Even  in  the  winter  time  the  characteristic  growth  of 
the  branches  is  particularly  striking.  The  whole  head  of  the  tree,  in 
fact,  presents  beautiful  outlines  that  would  be  admired  by  any  lover  of 
artistic  rules. 
-  Cutting  Down  Trees  on  Commons.  —  The  adjourned 
summons  against  Lady  Saunders,  the  wife  of  Sir  Edwin  Saunders,, 
residing  at  Fairlawn,  Putney  Common,  for  aiding  and  abetting  her 
gardener,  Abraham  Newell,  in  wilfully  damaging  a  Birch  tree  growing 
on  Putney  Heath  came  on  for  hearing,  together  with  the  summons 
against  the  gardener  himself  for  his  participation  in  the  matter.  The 
tree  was  cut  down  on  Christmas  Day,  as  her  ladyship  found  that  it 
obstructed  the  view  of  the  common  from  her  house.  The  Magistrate 
now  received  an  intimation  that  Sir  Edwin  Saunders  had  paid  £5  5s.  to- 
the  fund  for  the  maintenance  of  the  common,  as  was  suggested  when  the 
case  was  first  before  the  Court,  but  the  Conservators  were  not  satisfied 
with  the  undertaking  given.  Sir  Edwin  wrote  that  he  would  take  care- 
that  no  one  engaged  at  his  house  should  re-open  the  subject.  Mr.  Francis 
thought  Sir  Edwin  should  undertake  that  there  would  be  no  repetition 
of  such  conduct.  As  to  the  gardener,  he  had  simply  acted  over-zealously, 
and  in  the  interests  of  his  employer.  Mr.  George  Bell,  who  represented 
the  gardener,  said  although  he  had  pleaded  guilty  he  was  not  the  man 
who  actually  cut  down  the  tree.  Mr.  Birkett,  for  the  Conservators, 
pressed  for  an  adjournment  to  give  Sir  Edwin  an  opportunity  of  carrying 
out  the  undertaking.  Mr.  Francis,  while  sanctioning  this  course,  said 
he  would  look  upon  any  repetition  as  a  serious  offence,  and  should  not 
deal  with  it  with  the  same  leniency. — (“  Garden.”) 
-  The  Height  of  the  Redwoods. — It  has  usually  been 
considered  by  the  students  of  American  trees  that  the  Sierra  Sequoia 
was  the  tallest,  as  it  is  the  largest,  tree  in  North  America.  Professor 
C.  Sargent,  writing  of  the  Redwoods  in  “  Garden  and  Forest,”  states 
that  “three  individuals,  each  325  feet  high,  have  been  measured  in  the 
Calaberas  Grove  ;  and  these,  so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  learn,  are  the 
tallest  American  trees  whose  heights  have  been  authoritatively  recorded. 
On  the  7th  of  September,  1896,  however,  General  Henry  L.  Abbot, 
Mr.  John  Muir,  and  I  were  on  Eel  River,  near  the  lumber-camp  at 
Scotia,  California,  and  measured  a  Redwood  which  had  lately  been 
felled,  and  which  led  us  to  suppose  that  this  species  grows  to  a  much 
greater  height  than  any  other  American  tree.  This  particular  individual 
was  only  662  years  old,  with  a  trunk  diameter  of  10  feet  5  inches  at 
6  feet  above  the  ground,  and  of  9  feet  15  feet  above  the  ground  ;  it 
measured  230  feet  to  the  first  limb,  where  the  trunk  was  2  feet  9  inches- 
in  diameter,  and  340  fe*>t  to  the  top  of  the  stem.  In  trunk  diameter  it 
was  smaller  than  the  average  Bize  of  the  trees  in  this  particular  forest,, 
which  extends  without  a  break  for  about  twenty  miles  along  both  banks 
of  the  Eel  River  ;  its  height  was  not  exceptional,  and  may  be  taken  as 
the  average  height  of  the  trees  in  this  forest  ;  and  the  men  in  this  camp 
who  pass  their  lives  in  working  among  these  trees  were  confident  that 
individuals  100  feet  taller  than  the  tree  we  measured  could  be  found. 
This,  perhaps,  is  not  improbable,  as  Redwood  trunks  from  15  to  20  feet 
in  diameter  are  not  rare,  and  occasional  trees  with  trunks  from  22  to 
25  feet  in  diameter  can  be  found.  Judging  by  the  fact  that  the  Eel 
River  trees,  which  had  grown  in  a  deep  alluvial  deposit,  had  only 
attained  a  diameter  of  10  feet  5  inches  in  662  years,  some  large  Red¬ 
woods  must  have  lived  through  several  centuries  and  reached  a  much 
greater  height.  Of  other  trees  measured  in  this  forest  one  was  43  feet 
in  circumference  at  5  feet  above  the  ground  ;  another  was  45  feet  in 
circumference  at  the  same  height,  and  another  52  feet  5  inches.  The 
trunk  of  another  measured  4  feet  3  inches  in  diameter  180  feet  above- 
the  ground.” 
