May  6,  1898. 
JOURNAL  Of  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
3Slt 
-  A  Geneeous  Gift. — A  botanic  garden  is  likely  to  be  founded 
at  Aberdeen,  for  we  learn  from  a  correspondent  that  Miss  Cruikshank, 
sister  of  the  late  Dr.  Cruikshank,  has  ofEered  £15,000  to  the  Aberdeen 
University  for  the  provision  of  such  a  garden  in  memory  of  her  brother. 
' -  Narcissus  at  the  Drill  Hall. — When  making  our  report 
of  the  Daffodils  at  the  Drill  Hall,  on  the  26th  ult.,  we  particularly  noted 
the  superb  collection  from  the  Chilwell  Nurseries  of  Messrs.  .T.  R.  Pearson 
and  Sons.  Not  only  were  the  varieties  numerous,  but  the  quality  was 
excellent  throughout.  By  an  oversight  we  omitted  to  record  the  fact 
that  a  silver  Flora  medal  was  given  to  this  exhibit,  and  we  may  add  that 
the  award  was  thoroughly  deserved. 
-  Fire  at  Messrs.  Watkins  &  Simpson’s. — At  a  few  minutes 
after  midnight  on  Thursday  a  fire  broke  out  in  Exeter  Street,  Strand, 
which  at  one  time  threatened  to  involve  the  whole  block  of  buildings 
■between  St.  Michael  s  Church,  Burleigh  Street,  and  Covent  Garden 
Market.  The  fire  originated  in  the  premises  tenanted  by  Messrs. 
Watkins  &  Simpson,  in  Exeter  Street,  who  carry  on  a  business  in  seeds 
and  bulbs,  the  upper  part  of  the  premises  being  used  as  a  storehouse. 
The  tire  was  noticed  by  a  workman  employed  at  Covent  Garden 
Market,  who  was  passing  by  at  the  time,  and  he  immediately  gave 
information  to  the  policeman  at  Burleigh  Street.  A  fire  escape  was 
immediately  brought  on  the  scene,  and  in  the  meantime  news  of  the 
outbreak  had  been  telephoned  to  the  various  fire  stations  in  the  vicinity. 
In  less  than  five  minutes  an  engine  arrived  from  Whitefriars  Street, 
and  quickly  got  a  hydrant  to  work  from  Burleigh  Street.  By  a  quarter 
past  twelve  live  steamers  and  eight  branches  of  hose  were  sending 
volumes  of  water  on  to  the  building.  By  this  time  the  premises  were 
enveloped  in  a  mass  of  smoke  and  flame.  Shortly  afterwards  the  build¬ 
ing  of  the  Ballantyne  Press  caught  fire,  bat  the  flames  were  immediately 
suppressed.  At  five  minutes  to  one  the  fire  was  got  under,  but  not  before 
three  floors  of  the  seed  warehouse  had  been  burnt  out.  During  the 
whole  time  engines  continued  to  arrive,  and  altogether  over  a  dozen  were 
on  the  scene.  The  building  destroyed  was  one  of  four  storeys  with  a 
frontage  of  about  35  feet.  The  cause  of  the  outbreak  is  at  present 
unknown.  Arrangements  have  been  made  to  cause  as  little  interruption 
to  business  as  possible. — (“  Westminster  Gazette.”) 
-  Cabbages  Seven  Feet  High. — A  case,  Howeroft  &  Watkins 
V.  Laycock,  was  tried  by  Judge  Lumley  Smith,  Q.C.,  in  the  Westminster 
County  Court,  on  Monday,  25th  ult.,  and  was  a  claim  by  a  Covent  Garden 
seed  firm  against  the  Rev.  G.  T.  Laycock,  of  Petersfield,  Hants,  for 
E24  Is.  6d.  for  seeds  supplied.  The  claim  was  admitted,  and  there  was  a 
counter  claim  for  £18  damages  for  breach  of  contract.  The  case  for  Mr, 
Laycock  on  the  counter-claim  was  that  amongst  the  seeds  was  a  packet 
of  seeds  for  which  2s.  6d.  was  charged.  He  ordered  Couve  Tronchuda. 
He  had  the  ground  manured,  the  seedlings  transplanted,  and  they  should 
have  grown  to  about  18  inches  high,  but  they  grew  on  and  on  until 
they  became  7  feet  high.  (Laughter).  His  Honour  :  A  Cabbage  7  feet 
high  ?  Defendant :  Yes ;  I  have  20,000  of  these  worthless  plants.  His 
Honour  :  Twenty  thousand  gigantic  Cabbages.  What  are  they  like  ? 
Defendant  produced  two  about  8  feet  high.  Each  of  the  stumps  was 
about  2  inches  in  diameter,  and  was  surmounted  by  a  tuft  of  leaves,  and 
about  twenty  clusters  of  yellow  blossoms.  His  Honour :  Are  you  sure 
they  will  not  grow  any  higher?  Defendant:  I  have  let  them  go  on 
with  the  hope  of  their  turning  into  something  useful.  (Laughter). 
Defendant  stood  the  plants  by  his  side,  and  they  stood  about  2  feet 
higher  than  himself,  the  flowers  hanging  down  resembling  Laburnum, 
He  considered  he  had  sustained  £40  damages.  Cross-examined  as  to 
plaintiffs’  “non-guarantee  clause”  on  their  invoices  and  catalogues, 
defendant  said  he  sent  eggs  of  fancy  poultry  all  over  the  world,  and  was 
of  opinion  that  he  had  to  supply  what  was  ordered,  and  no  clause  would 
exonerate  him.  For  the  sake  of  his  reputation  he  should  always  take 
care  that  customers  eventually  got  what  they  ordered.  Mr.  Barron,  late 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Gardens,  Chiswick,  said  the  plants  produced 
were  Jersey  or  cow  Cabbages.  The  stalks  were  sometimes  made  into 
walking  sticks.  Mr.  Eck,  plaintiffs’  counsel,  said  it  was  a  iSIarrow  Kale, 
and,  had  it  been  cut  five  or  six  months  earlier,  would  have  been  as  palat¬ 
able  as  that  ordered.  His  Honour  found  that  the  plant  ordered  was  a 
Cabbage  fit  for  people  to  eat.  The  plants  produced  were  not,  and  though 
he  fixed  the  damages  at  £21,  plaintiffs  were  protected  by  the  non-guarantee 
clause,  and  there  would  be  judgment  for  them.  Notice  of  appeal  was 
given  by  Mr.  Laycock.  [While  seedsmen  are  justified  in  protecting 
themselves  against  the  consequences  of  failures  which  may  be  the  result 
of  errors  by  purchasers  or  cultivators,  the  question  to  be  settled  is,  “  How 
far  a  vendor’s  non-guarantee  clause  shall  operate  ?  ”  This  is  obviously 
a  matter  of  far-reaching  importance.] 
-  Cutting  Ivy. — The  present  time  is  one  of  the  best  periods  tor 
cutting  back  Ivy  on  walls  and  buildings.  The  bareness  resulting  from 
severe  cutting-in  will  not  last  long,  inasmuch  as  new  growth  must  shortly 
start,  and  luxuriant  foliage  beautify  the  position. — S. 
-  Hlacks  in  Tomatoes.— It  is  not  a  very  lar  transition  from 
blacks  in  Potatoes  to  blacks  in  Tomatoes.  From  my  own  experience, 
and  that  of  a  neighbouring  gardener  who  grows  Tomatoes  remarkably 
well,  1  am  firmly  convinced  that  this  spot  is  first  caused  by  the  sun 
coming  on  the  moist  fruit  early  in  the  morning  before  sufficient  air  is 
admitted.  — N.  N. 
-  Steam  Lawn  Mowers. — Will  any  correspondent  using  these 
kindly  give  their  experience  as  to  their  capability  of  working  on  steep 
gradients  and  among  trees  and  shrubs  where  there  is  very  sharp  turning 
about  ]  We  have  several  acres  of  such  lawn,  and  at  present  employ  five 
small  12-inch  machines.  We  have  horse  machines,  but  cannot  use  them, 
as  there  is  no  room  to  turn,  and  the  ground  being  mostly  on  the  slope 
makes  it  worse.  Any  answer  will  be  esteemed  by — Eromegnar. 
-  Dahlias. — As  so  many  fine  exhibition  flowers  have  been  during 
the  past  few  years  produced  on  what  was  but  a  piece  of  barren  hungry 
heath  at  Farnham,  no  one  who  has  poor  soil  need  be  discouraged  when 
embarking  in  Dahlia  culture  for  show.  Occasional  trenching  and  liberal 
manuring  help  wonderfully  to  bring  even  a  very  poor  soil  into  fine 
condition.  It  is  that  treatment  which  enables  this  Farnham  heathland 
to  produce  first-class  show  Dahlia  blooips.  .lust  now  holes  are  being 
prepared  over  nearly  an  acre  of  land,  each  4  feet  apart.  Some  short 
manure  and  old  pot  soil  is  added  in  each  case,  then  when  refilled  a  stout 
stake  is  driven  into  the  centre,  against  which  about  the  end  of  May  the 
plants  are  put  out.  So  great  is  the  development  of  the  Cactus  section, 
and  so  great  the  variety,  for  all  the  best  have  to  be  grown,  these  seem  to 
rival  all  other  sections  in  area  requirements.  —  D. 
-  A  Mushroom  Martyr. — A  producer  of  light  reading  in  the 
“  Morning  Leader,”  under  the  floricultural  heading  of  “  Sub  Rosa,”  thus 
delivered  himself  the  other  day  : — “  1  once  tried  a  little  gai'dening— only 
a  little,  and  only  once.  I  saw  a  beautiful  picture  of  some  Mushrooms  in 
a  seed  catalogue,  and  the  explanation  of  how  to  grow  them  was  so  clear 
and  simple  that  I  set  to  work  ;  and  it  was  work  too.  First  of  all  I  had 
to  make  a  bed,  and  though  I  forget  how  I  did  it,  I  distinctly  remember 
that  I  felt  inclined  to  lie  on  it.  Some  may  think  I  am  lying  on  or  about  it 
now — but  I’m  not.  I  don’t  forget,  however,  that  I  had  to  spank  the  stuff 
firm  with  the  back  of  a  beastly  great  spade,  I  pounded  away  until  at 
last  I  broke  the  spade,  and  nearly  broke  my  back.  I  called  that  spade  a 
spade,  and  more  also  ;  and  as  to  my  back,  when  I  tried  to  stand  up  I 
appreciated  the  truth  of  Dudley  ’i’i^arner's  remark,  that  the  first  requisite 
for  gardening  is  a  cast-iron  back  with  a  hinge  in  it.  Nothing  resulted, 
though  1  had  obeyed  all  the  instructions  of  that  deceptive  handliook 
till  six  months  or  so,  when  one  Mushroom  with  a  blighted  appearance 
struggled  through,  and  I  believe  it  was  a  toadstool.”  It  seems  almost  a 
pity  he  did  not  sit  on  it,  for  settling  its  identity  ;  he  could  but  have 
fallen  off.  Then  he  would  ha  e  had  to  admit  “  lying”  by  its  side. 
-  Early  Tulips  at  Long  Ditton. — What  singularly  grand 
coloured  masses  do  these  present  just  now  in  ^lessrs.  Barr  &  Sons’ 
grounds  when  seen  from  the  adjoining  railway.  Seeing  them  so  distant 
recently,  I  was  anxious  to  see  them  closer,  and  went  over  for  that 
purpose  on  the  last  day  of  April — rather  a  wild  stormy  day  certainly 
but  in  spite  of  the  storms  the  Tulip  flowers  were  all  open,  and  presenting 
colouration  that  can  be  only  fitly  described  as  gorgeous.  What  a  relief 
to  turn  from  the  big  masses  of  the  pallid  Daffodils  to  the  brilliant  and 
varied  hues  of  the  Tulips  !  How  pure  and  beautiful  the  whites,  of  which 
the  old  Fottebakker  is  yet  the  finest.  Then  the  best  yellows  seemed  to  be 
Ophir  d’Or  and  Chrysolora.  Thomas  iMoore  is  a  perfect  Tulip  of  a  rich 
orange  buff  colour.  Next  in  hue  is  Duchesse  de  Farme,  orange  red  edged 
yellow,  and  more  effective  still  is  the  good  old  Keizers  Kroon,  deep  red 
edged  yellow.  There  are  lovely  rosy  tints  in  Rose  Superb,  rosy  cerise  ; 
W.  E.  Gladstone  (new)  salmon  red  self,  a  perfect  flower  ;  another,  deeper 
in  hue,  is  Proserpine,  rich  ruddy  cerise  —one  of  the  best.  Intense  reddish 
or  scarlet  crimsons  are  Crimson  King,  a  very  striking  bold  flower  ;  .Toost 
Van  Vondel,  brilliant  crimson,  slightly  veined  white  ;  Artus,  rich  crimson 
scarlet ;  and  Couleur  Cardinal,  rather  late,  deep  bronzy  crimson,  and  a 
beautiful  variety.  Very  deep,  and  a  striking  form,  is  Wouvermans. 
colour  rich  rosy  violet.  There  are  others  of  this  dark  hue,  but  one 
variety  seems  sufficient.  For  those  who  like  delicate  tinted  flowers  none 
IS  more  charming  than  Rose  Gris  de  lin  and  Rosa  Mundi,  both  rose  pink. 
These  make  a  first-class  selection.  The  grand  collection  of  late  border 
Tulips  at  Long  Ditton  will  be  at  their  best  about  the  middle  of  !May. — 
Wanderer. 
