502 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Jnne  16,  1898, 
-  The  Scent  of  Tulips. — Your  note  legarding  the  fragrance 
of  T.  macrospila,  appended  to  my  remarks  on  late  garden  Tulips  in  the 
•Tournal  of  June  2nd  (page  460)  has  been  left  unnoticed  on  account  of  my 
absence  from  home.  T.  macrospila  is  one  of  the  comparatively  few 
fragrant  Tulips,  and,  as  such,  deserves  to  be  more  largely  grown,  even  if  it 
were  less  beautiful  than  it  is.  It  would  be  interesting  to  know  what  Tulips 
are  really  fragrant.  T.  suaveolens  should  be  sweet-scented,  and  is  so,  but,  I 
think,  to  a  less  degree  than  macrospila.  There  is  an  old  brown  one  I 
have  here  which  is  distinctly  fragrant,  but  I  have  no  name  for  it,  although 
I  think  it  is  only  an  old  garden  “  breeder,”  which  must  have  remained 
unbroken  for  many  years. — S.  Aenott. 
-  Wakefield  Paxton  Society. — Programme  of  meetings  for 
the  second  quarter — Session  1898.  June  11th,  Visit  to  Hebden  Bridge  for 
Hardcastle  Graggs;  18th,  “Hardy  Flowers ’’—choice  and  interesting 
kinds,  with  some  specimens,  Mr.  John  Wood,  Kirkstall ;  25th,  Wild 
Flower  Exhibition,  Mr.  Rd.  Ainley,  Morley  ;  July  2nd,  “Symbiosis  and 
Parasitism,”  Mr.  J.  W.  D.  McPherson,  B.A.,  Wakefield  ;  9th,  “  The 
Strawberry,”  Mr,  J.  G.  Brown,  Wakefield  ;  16th,  the  Rose  Exhibition, 
Mr.  G.  Bott,  Walton  ;  23rd,  Visit  to  Askern  and  Campsall  Hall  ;  30th, 
“  The  Ganna,”  Mr.  Arnold  S.  Nicholson,  M.S.A.,  Wakefield  ;  August  6th, 
the  Garnation  and  Picotee  Exhibition,  Dr.  Hein,  Wakefield  ;  13th,  the 
Pelargonium  Exhibition,  Mr.  J.  Thomas,  Wakefield;  20th,  “The  Lily 
Order,”  Mr.  W.  H.  Yere,  Milnthorpe  ;  27th,  Visit  to  Rishworth.  For  full 
particulars,  apply  to  Messrs.  T.  H.  Mountain  and  A.  S.  Nicholson,  the 
Hon.  Secs. 
-  Messrs.  Sutton  &  Sons’  Excursion,— The  annual  excursion 
given  to  the  employes  of  Messrs.  Sutton  &  Sons  of  Reading,  the  Queen’s 
seedsmen,  took  place  on  Monday,  The  destination  chosen  was  South¬ 
ampton  and  the  Isle  of  Wight,  travelling  by  way  of  Newbury,  and  then 
over  the  Didcot,  Newbury,  and  Southampton  Railway  to  Southampton. 
The  weather  was  wet  on  the  journey  down,  but  fortunately  it  cleared  on 
arrival  at  Southampton,  and  the  rest  of  the  day  was  fine,  and  the  trip 
most  enjoyable.  Two  steamers  were  chartered  by  the  firm  to  convey  the 
party,  which  numbered  670,  to  different  parts  of  the  Island.  The  first 
left  for  Ryde,  Sandown,  Shanklin,  and  Ventnor,  and  the  second  for 
Trinity  Wharf,  Gowes  (for  Osborne),  Tolland  Bay,  and  Ryde,  Her 
^Majesty  the  Queen  graciously  arranged  for  the  members  of  the  party  to 
visit  Osborne,  and  they  were  shown  over  the  grounds  by  Mr.  Slater, 
agent  of  the  Osborne  estate,  and  Mr.  Nobbs,  head  gardener.  A  fine  view 
was  obtained  from  the  terrace  at  Osborne.  The  following  members  of 
the  firm  and  their  relatives  accompanied  the  excursion  : — Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Martin  John  Sutton,  Mr.  Arthur  W.  Sutton,  Mr.  Leonard  Sutton,  Mr. 
M.  H.  F,  Sutton,  Miss  Jessie  Sutton,  Miss  Kathleen  Sutton  and  Master  Phil 
Sutton,  Master  Arthur  Pym  Sutton.  By  the  liberality  of  the  firm  every 
one  of  the  employes  had  tickets  free,  each  married  man  had  a  ticket 
for  his  wife,  and  every  employd  was  provided  with  money  for  refresh¬ 
ments  during  the  day.  The  return  train  left  Southampton  at  eight  o’clock, 
arriving  in  Reading  about  ten  o’clock,  aU  having  spent  an  enjoyable  day 
at  the  seaside. 
-  IVlANGOSTEENS  FROM  THE  WEST  INDIES. — Plants  of  this  Well- 
known  and  delicious  tropical  fruit  have  been  widely  distributed  from 
Kew  to  the  West  Indies.  The  Mangosteen  is  a  native  of  the  Molucca 
Islands,  and  is  cultivated  in  the  Straits  Settlement,  Java,  and  in  one 
or  two  localities  in  India  and  Geylon.  The  fruit  is  regularly  shipped 
from  Singapore  to  the  Galcutta  market.  The  first  West  Indian  fruits 
were  produced  at  the  Botanic  Gardens,  Trinidad,  in  1875.  In  September, 
1891,  the  Governor  of  that  island  forwarded  some  West  India  Mangosteens 
for  presentation  to  her  Majesty  the  Queen.  The  Mangosteen  fruited  for 
the  first  time  in  the  Jamaica  Botanic  Gardens  in  1886  (“Kew  Bulletin,” 
1895,  page  79),  Last  year  a  box  was  received  at  Kew  from  Mr,  J.  H. 
Hart,  F.L.S.,  of  Trinidad,  containing  nine  fruits  of  Mangosteen,  which 
were  perhaps  the  first  to  reach  this  country  in  a  condition  to  allow  their 
merits  to  be  appreciated.  Each  fruit  was  separately  packed  in  a  compart¬ 
ment  with  pine  wool.  Owing  to  the  firm  consistency  of  the  outer  wall  of 
the  fruit  it  appears  to  travel  well.  The  fruits  were  distributed  to  the 
Secretary  of  State  for  the  Golonies  and  others.  The  reports  received 
were  uniformly  favourable.  One  fruit  was  sent  to  Mr.  George  Munro, 
one  of  the  leading  fruit  merchants  in  Govent  Garden,  to  obtain  an  opinion 
as  to  prospects  of  shipments  of  Mangosteens  to  this  country,  Mr.  Munro 
reported  : — “Yours  to  hand.  I  cut  open  the  fruit  and  showed  it  to  some 
of  my  best  customers,  and  they  think  with  me  that,  if  they  came  in  good 
condition,  and  not  too  many  at  first,  a  business  could  be  worked  up  in 
them.  At  any  rate  I  should  like  to  try  some,  and  if  sent,  will  do  all  I 
can  to  get  a  trade  for  them.  They  appear  to  be  a  fruit  that  would  carry 
well,” — (“  Kew  Bulletin.”)  • 
-  Evaporated  Vegetables. — These  form  an  industry  carried 
on  by  Mr.  F.  A.  Pulleine  of  Lobethal,  South  Australia,  who,  according  to 
an  Australian  contemporary,  is  “  making  a  name  for  desiccated  vegetables 
and  fruits  ;  and,  although  several  others  are  in  the  habit  of  evaporating 
fruits  on  a  large  scale  and  make  a  first-class  article,  he  is  the  only  one,  so 
far  as  we  know,  who  deals  with  vegetables  during  the  off  season  for  fruits  . 
Garrots,  Parsnips,  and  Potatoes  are  reduced  to  about  one-eighth  part  of 
their  original  bulk  and  weight ;  Onions  are  brought  down  to  one-twentieth 
part.  Reduced  thus  in  bulk  and  weight,  vegetables  can  be  transported 
to  distant  parts  at  a  very  moderate  cost,  and  they  will  keep  perfectly 
good  for  two  or  three  years.  When  required  for  use  the  articles  are 
soaked  in  five  or  six  times  their  weight  of  water  for  twenty-four  hours, 
when  they  are  ready  for  cooking  like  fresh  vegetables.” 
-  Birmingham  Gardeners’  Association.  —  At  the  recent 
monthly  meeting,  for  a  display  of  specimen  plants  and  cut  flowers,  Mr.  W. 
Dodd,  gardener  to  A.  Ghance,  Esq.,  Edgbaston,  exhibited  a  seedling  small 
specimen  of  Coleus,  which  attracted  considerable  attention  from  its 
distinct  characteristics.  It  was  of  robust  habit,  and  the  large  leaves 
suffused  with  two  shades  of  green  and  yellow— the  latter  predominating. 
The  plant  was  about  a  year  old,  and  proved  to  be  the  only  plant  possessing 
the  colour  in  question  out  of  scores  of  others  from  the  same  packet  of 
seed,  crossed  by  himself.  As  exhibited  the  plant  should  lend  itself  for 
decorative  purposes,  and  to  “groups  for  effect.”  Messrs.  John  Pope  and 
Sons  contributed  cut  blooms  of  several  hardy  shrubs,  as  did  Mr.  C.  R. 
Bick,  gardener  to  Walter  Chamberlain,  Esq.,  Harbome  Hall,  Harborne  ; 
whilst  Mr,  Walter  Jones,  Edgbaston  (the  Chairman),  had  a  tray  of  very 
good  Calceolarias.  The  proceedings  were  rendered  additionally  inter¬ 
esting  and  instructive  by  the  discussion  of  various  matters  pertaining  to 
floriculture  amongst  several  of  the  members  present. 
-  The  SeedIGase — Howcroft  &  Watkins  versus  Laycock 
— An  Important  Decision. — A  few  weeks  ago  the  Rev.  G.  T.  Lay- 
cock,  Terwick  Rectory,  Petersfield,  was  summoned  in  the  Westminster 
County  Court  for  payment  of  an  account  for  seed  ordered  as  Couve 
Tronchuda,  but  as  supplied  proved  to  be  the  tall  Jersey  or  “Walking- 
stick”  Cabbage,  and  therefore  worse  than  useless  for  the  purpose  for 
which  the  plants  were  grown.  The  vendors  appear  to  have  relied  on  the 
terms  published  on  their  invoices  : — “  Howcroft  &  Watkins  give  no 
guarantee,  express  or  implied,  as  to  description,  quality,  productiveness, 
or  any  other  matter  of  any  goods  they  send  out,  and  will  not  be  in  any 
way  responsible  for  the  crop.  If  the  purchaser  does  not  accept  the 
goods  on  these  terms  they  are  at  once  to  be  returned.”  The  vendors 
practically  won  their  case,  but  the  purchaser  appealed  against  the  verdict 
of  the  County  Court  Judge.  The  case  was  argued  before  Mr.  Justice 
Day  and  Mr.  Justice  Lawrence  on  the  6th  and  7th  inst.  The  former. 
In  giving  judgment,  was  of  opinion  the  County  Court  Judge  was  misled. 
When  a  thing  commercially  known  as  Couve  Tronchuda  was  ordered, 
that  must  be  sold,  and  not  something  else,  or  there  would  be  an  end  of 
contracts,  and  a  new  law  created  by  vendors.  To  that  he  could  not 
agree,  and  as  Mr.  Justice  Lawrence  concurred  the  appeal  was  allowed, 
and  judgment  given  for  Mr.  Laycock,  with  costs  in  both  actions.  An 
appeal  was  asked  for,  and  granted  on  the  terms  that  the  appellant  should 
be  indemnified  as  to  costs.  It  is  undoubtedly  an  important  case,  and 
further  developments  are  awaited. 
PRIMULA  TRAILLI. 
Having  had  another  year’s  experience,  I  can  now  speak  with  certainty 
as  to  Primula  Trailli.  I  heard  from  my  Indian  botanical  friend  that 
he  had  met  the  collector  of  the  seed  sent  me  as  that  of  P.  Trailli,  and 
had  shown  him  the  gardening  papers  which  I  had  sent  to  India,  with 
figures  of  the  plants  bloomed  here.  These,  he  said,  were  quite  different 
from  P.  Trailli,  that  he  had  collected  other  Primula  seed  at  the  same 
time  as  P.  Trailli,  that  the  seed  was  mixed,  and  that  P.  Trailli  had  not 
come  up.  I  think  the  best  name  for  the  Primula  which  I  exhibited  would 
be  P.  Monroi  or  P.  involucrata  major.  It  is  utterly  unlike  the  form  of 
P.  Monroi  or  P.  involucrata,  which  I  have  grown  for  years.  It  has  when 
grown  close  to  the  glass,  and  so  free  from  any  tendency  to  be  drawn  up, 
stems  above  18  inches  high  with  long  leaves. 
Probably  several  of  the  Indian  Primroses  have  different  forms.  Some 
years  ago  I  exhibited  before  the  Floral  Committee  a  giant  form  of 
P.  capitata,  which  I  suggested  should  be  named  P.  capitata  major. 
This  received  a  first-class  certificate  on  9th  October,  1886  ;  and  some  time 
afterwards  a  nurseryman  exhibited  a  giant  form  of  this  Primrose,  which 
I  suppose  the  Committee  considered  different  from  mine,  as  this  also 
secured  a  certificate  or  award.  The  Committee  only  followed  the  usual 
precedents  in  rewarding  a  fine  distinct  new  form  of  Primula  in  the  case  of 
P.  Trailli,  but  I  think  the  name  should  be  changed,  and  the  fact  recog¬ 
nised  that  P.  Trailli  has  still  to  be  introduced. — George  F.  W ilson. 
