January  16,  i896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
53 
Ages  of  Treks. — This  subject  is  of  great  interest,  and 
it  is  often  to  be  regretted  that  records  of  planting  have  not  been  kept 
during  the  past.  Germany  possesses  many  old  trees,  and  according 
to  Herr  Gericke,  a  celebrated  German  forester,  some  have  lived  570 
years.  The  Silver  Fir  in  Bohemia  lives  to  the  age  of  400  years  ;  the 
Larch  in  Bavaria  reaches  275  years.  An  evergreen  Oak  of  AschofEenburg 
was  410  years  old,  and  a  Bed  Beech  at  the  same  place  was  245  years 
old.  Ash  of  170  years,  Birch  of  200,  Aspen  of  220,  Maple  of  225, 
Elm  of  130,  and  Red  Alder  of  145  years  are  also  known. 
Railway  Rates.— Market  gardeners  and  agriculturists  in  the 
IV  est  are  still  determined  to  leave  no  stone  unturned  to  bring  about  a 
modification  of  railway  rates  in  eonnection  with  the  Great  Western 
such  as  have  been  made  by  other  railways  ;  and  Sir  Cameron  Gull,  M.P., 
their  champion,  is  following  up  the  scheme  with  commendable  determi¬ 
nation.  Sir  Cameron  argues,  with  much  truth,  that  the  position  of 
market  gardeners  and  agriculturists  in  comparison  to  their  foreign 
rivals  is  a  serious  grievance  of  long  standing,  and  one  to  be  redressed  by 
the  establishment  of  equality  of  rates  for  the  carriage  of  produce. 
'  Beane  Trees  in  France. — The  Plane  trees  in  some  of  the 
French  promenades  have  been  shedding  their  bark  and  drawing  to 
themselves  the  attention  of  the  police.  The  story  goes  that  a  certain 
prefect  of  police  issued  an  order  threatening  to  deal  severely  with  all 
who  should  be  convicted  of  stripping  the  bark  off  the  Plane  trees. 
Trees  thus  mutilated  present  a  most  unpleasant  sight,  observed  the 
prefect.  Notwithstanding  the  order,  says  a  contemporary,  the  bark 
continued  to  be  mutilated,  and  not  until  a  subordinate  was  consulted 
did  the  prefect  learn  of  the  habit  these  trees  have  of  shedding  large 
portions  of  their  bark  annually.  This  “order”  was  certainly  a  bi<* 
one. 
Reinwardtias. — These  are  fine,  old-fashioned  East  Indian 
mountain  plants,  belonging  to  the  Flax  family,  of  a  dwarf  shrubby 
habit,  and  producing  a  wealth  of  yellow  flowers.  Reinwardtia  (Linum) 
tiigyna  is  the  best  of  the  species  commonly  grown.  The  leaves  are 
alternate,  small,  ovate-oblong,  entire,  with  a  mucronate  apex  and  a 
smooth  glaucous  green  surface.  The  flowers  are  2  inches  across,  bright 
orange-yellow,  solitary  or  in  small  clusters  from  the  axils  of  the  upper 
leaves,  and  very  numerous.  The  delicate  petals  are  spreading  and 
connate  at  the  base.  This  beautiful  winter-flowering  greenhouse  plant 
is  easily  increased  by  means  of  half-ripe  cuttings  from  the  tips  of  the 
shoots.  They  can  be  rooted  in  a  slight  bottom  heat  in  the  ordinary  way. 
R.  tetragyna,  although  not  as  showy  as  the  first  named  species,  is  one 
of  our  best  plants  for  the  parlour  and  window  and  home  culture 
generally.  Although  quite  as  dwarf  as  R.  trigyna,  it  is  a  coarser  plant 
and,  if  possible,  it  is  easier  to  propagate.  It  has,  says  the  “  Garden  and 
Forest,”  rather  long,  broadly  lanceolate  acuminate  leaves,  with  well- 
marked  veins  and  coarsely  crenate.  The  stem  is  stout  and  erect,  and 
the  pale  yellow  flowers  are  produced  in  few-flowered  fascicles  or  singly 
from  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  These  are  rather  smaller  than  those  of 
R.  trigyna,  but  equally  numerous.  Both  species  are  low-growing,  dwarf 
plants,  and  they  form  compact  bushy  specimens  if  the  young  plants 
are  frequently  pinched  during  the  summer.  Although  the  petals  of 
these  Reinwardtias  are  fugacious,  the  flowers  are  produced  in  such 
abundant  succession  that  both  of  them  make  a  good  show  for  five  or  six 
weeks  in  midwinter  when  yellow  flowers  are  scarce. 
-  Grand  Yorkshire  Gala. — The  annual  meeting  of  the 
guarantors  and  life  members  of  the  Grand  Yorkshire  Gala  was  held 
recently  at  Harker’s  Hotel,  York,  Alderman  Sir  Joseph  Terry  presiding. 
There  was  a  large  attendance.  The  Chairman  said  that  the  Council  had 
waited  upon  the  Bootham  Asylum  authorities,  who  had  granted  the 
use  of  the  customary  field  for  the  Gala  on  the  17th,  18th,  and  19th 
of  June  next  on  the  usual  terms.  Subsequently  they  waited  upon  the 
Lord  Mayor  and  had  had  a  very  interesting  conversation  with  him.  Mr. 
Aid.  Milward  had  been  associated  with  the  Gala  for  some  thirty-six 
years,  and  had  taken  a  great  interest  in  the  annual  fete.  His  lordship 
had  consented,  as  previous  Lord  Mayors,  he  believed,  had  done  without 
exception,  to  become  the  President  of  the  Gala  Committee  for  the 
ensuing  year.  The  City  Sheriff  (Mr.  W.  H.  Jalland)  had  also  been 
interviewed,  and  had  intimated  to  Mr.  Simmons  his  willingness  to 
become  a  life  member  of  the  institution.  He  regretted  to  say  that  the 
Lord  Mayor,  Mr.  Aid.  Border,  Mr.  Councillor  A.  Jones,  Mr.  W.  S.  Sharp, 
Mr.  J.  J.  Hunt,  and  Mr.  G.  Garbutt  were  unable  to  be  present  with 
them  that  evening  from  various  causes.  Concluding,  Sir  Joseph  moved 
that  the  Lord  Mayor  be  elected  President  of  the  Gala  for  the  ensuing 
year.  Mr.  J.  W.  Craven  seconded  the  motion,  which  was  carried 
unanimously.  Mr.  Councillor  Lancelot  Foster  proposed  that  Aid.  Sir 
Joseph  Terry  be  re-elected  Chairman  of  the  Council,  and  paid  a  tribute 
to  the  admirable  services  he  has  rendered  in  years  past.  Mr.  Geo. 
Kirby  seconded,  and  the  proposition  was  carried.  Mr.  Edward  Rooke 
was  elected  Vice-Chairman  ;  Mr.  Joseph  Wilkinson,  Treasurer  Mr. 
C.  W.  Simmons,  Secretary  ;  and  Messrs.  Pearson  and  Taylor,  Auditors,  for 
the  ensuing  twelve  months.  The  Floral,  Entertainments,  and  Finance 
Committees  having  been  appointed,  the  following  grants  were  made  : — 
Floral,  £600  ;  music,  £200  ;  fireworks,  £130  (an  increase  of  £30)  ; 
balloons,  £60;  and  amusements,  £175.  On  the  proposition  of  the 
Chairman,  seconded  by  Mr.  Geo.  Balmford,  the  City  Sheriff  (Mr.  W.  H. 
Jalland)  was  unanimously  elected  a  life  member  of  the  Gala  Committee, 
and  the  proceedings  terminated  with  a  vote  of  thanks  to  the  Chairman. 
-  Agave  vivipara. — This  grows  wild  in  Bombay,  and  is  mainly 
used  as  a  hedge  plant  in  making  line  fences,  no  systematic  attempt  at 
its  cultivation  for  fibre  having  yet  been  made.  Though  the  industry 
has  been  making  progress  for  many  years,  there  are,  it  appears,  two 
drawbacks  to  any  extensive  development  of  the  industry.  One  of  these 
is  the  slow  growth  of  the  plant,  which  takes  about  two  years  before 
the  leaf  can  be  cut  for  fibre.  The  other  is  a  matter  more  easily 
remediable — the  primitive  nature  of  the  process  employed  in  extracting 
the  fibre.  The  leaves  are  cut  from  the  stem  and  split  lengthwise  into 
shreds  about  half  an  inch  wide.  The  shreds,  says  a  contemporary,  are 
generally  dried  in  the  sun  for  about  four  days,  are  bound  in  sheaves, 
and  kept  soaking  in  a  running  brook  for  a  week  or  ten  days,  and  then 
beaten  with  a  wooden  mallet  or  against  a  stone.  The  best  fibre  thus 
produced  is  worth  £12  per  ton,  and  common  sorts  £5  ;  but  samples  of 
fibre  extracted  by  machine  were  valued  at  £25. 
ROYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 
Provincial  Opinion. 
Much  has  been  written  regarding  the  manner  in  which  the  above 
Society  manages  its  affairs.  There  are  two  sides  to  this  question.  Mr. 
Barnes  (page  592)  has  taken  exception  to  the  manner  in  which  the  Com¬ 
mittees  are  formed,  but  if  we  look  into  the  matter  we  shall  find  that'the 
members  are  selected  from  a  wide  range — from  Exeter  to  Edinburgh. 
The  management  of  the  R.H.S.  appears  to  take  into  consideration  the 
distance  some  of  the  members  reside  from  the  metropolis,  and  retain 
their  names  as  members  of  Committee  with  a  view  to  making  the  bodies 
as  widely  represented  as  possible. 
If  these  bodies  were  made  up  in  greater  proportion  from  the 
provinces,  and  less  from  the  metropolis  or  its  immediate  neighbourhood, 
how  would  the  work  of  the  Committees  be  carried  out  1  Personally  1 
have  only  attended  the  ordinary  meetings  at  the  Drill  Hall  as  a  member 
of  one  of  the  Committees  twice  during  1895.  This  absence,  however,  I 
can  safely  say  was  beyond  my  control,  and  not  in  the  slightest  degree 
the  consequence  of  a  want  of  interest  in  the  Society  or  its  doings. 
When  I  say  that  I  reside  marly  100  miles  from  the  metropolis  some 
may  say  I  could  not  be  expected  to  attend  often.  Now  if  there  were 
many  members  like  myself  on  this  same  Committee  1  fear  the  Chairman 
would  meet  with  little  aid  in  carrying  out  the  fortnightly  duties. 
Instead  of  the  management  removing  my  name  they  have  again  invited 
me  to  serve,  and  I  take  it  then  they  wish  to  give  ample  opportunity  of 
a  wide  range  being  represented. — A  Country  Member, 
Presumably  the  Committees  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society 
have  been  chosen  for  the  present  year,  but  if  not  the  Council  might  do 
worse  than  consider  if  they  are  setting  the  best  example,  or  even  a  good 
one,  by  including  year  after  year  the  names  of  regular  exhibitors  at  the 
meetings.  It  is  not  supposed  they  actually  judge  their  own  produce, 
but  if  sitting  cheek  by  jowl  with  one’s  intimates  meeting  after  meeting 
has  no  “  influence  ”  then  is  sentiment  an  empty  name. 
As  a  countryman  of  the  north  it  reads  strange  to  me,  and  no  doubt 
to  others,  to  find  Mr.  So-and-so  having  a  “  remarkable  exhibit,  for 
which  a  medal  was  awarded,”  while  it  is  ten  to  one  if  we  do  not  also  see 
Mr.  So-and-so’s  name  among  the  “  members  present.” 
It  is  in  the  provinces  considered  prudent  to  as  far  as  possible  choose 
judges  of  garden  produce  from  men  who  are  not  exhibitors,  and  men 
who  have  no  interest  whatever  in  any  articles  exhibited.  It  is 
abundantly  evident  that  there  are  members  of  the  R.H.S.  Committees 
who  are  systematic  exhibitors,  and  who  seem  to  be  always  on  the  look¬ 
out  for  something,  and  certainly  do  not  always  go  empty  away.  They 
may,  and  it  may  be  conceded  do,  deserve  what  they  get,  but  that  is  not 
the  point.  The  point  is  that  they  are  “  interested  ”  in  the  exhibits  that 
the  Committees  of  which  they  form  a  part,  have  to  adjudicate  on.  It  is 
that  which  seems  so  strange  to  many  provincial  horticulturists,  and 
makes  them  think  things  that  may  have  no  existence. 
Exhibiting  plants  or  anything  else  that  may  be  really  new,  novel,  or 
of  a  generally  instructive  character,  from  time  to  time  is  one  thing,  but 
making  up  collections  of  ordinary  produce,  such  as  may  be  found  in  a 
thousand  gardens,  is  quite  another.  There  has  been  so  much  of  this,  and 
so  many  “honours”  granted  to  committeemen,  that  the  expression  is 
often  heard  both  in  public  and  private  that  “  members  of  the  Committees 
cf  the  R.H.S.  ought  not  to  be  systematic  exhibitors.”  If  there  is  a  strong 
feeling  to  the  contrary  let  it  heard,  with  reason?  — Outsider. 
