256 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  19,  1896. 
-  Gardening  Appointment. — Mr.  Lewis  Warne  has  been 
appointed  head  gardener  to  Harry  Qailter,  Esq.,  Bryanston  Manor, 
Mitcham,  Surrey. 
-  Pear  Nain  Yert. — This  is  not  suitable  for  double  grafting  ; 
the  growth  is  too  restricted,  and  the  graft  does  not  produce  a  tree 
robust  enough  to  be  anything  but  a  dwarf  curiosity.  It  will  produce 
fruit  of  a  good  size  for  a  time.  I  remember  the  late  Mr.  Andr4  Leroy 
when  on  a  visit  here  saying,  with  some  glee,  “  Ah  !  I  have  found  a 
dwarfing  stock  much  superior  to  the  Quince.”  These  were  seedlings 
from  the  Nain  Vert,  but  he  was  disappointed  in  the  experiment ;  the 
stocks  were  dwarf  enough,  but  they  were  of  no  practical  value.  My 
father  thought  as  M.  Andre  Leroy,  and  grafted  strong-growing  sorts  on 
the  Nain  Vert,  but  to  no  purpose.  The  Nain  Vert  Pear,  like  the  Nain 
Aubinel  Peach,  is  a  curiosity,  and  nothing  more. — T.  Francis  Rivers. 
-  Milled  Carrot  Seed. — It  is  a  question  if  beyond  making 
the  seed  easier  to  handle,  that  any  advantage  accrues  from  depriving 
Carrot  seed  of  its  natural  beard,  because  the  machine  used  for  the  purpose, 
unless  carefully  manipulated,  is  apt  to  bruise  a  good  deal,  especially  if 
new,  and  interfere  with  its  germination.  Much  of  the  Carrot  seed  grown 
in  dry  foreign  climates  loses  its  beard  during  the  process  of  harvesting, 
and  if  our  moist  element  permitted  it  this  natural  removal  is  preferable 
to  artificial  methods ;  however,  while  there  is  a  demand  for  milled  seed 
it  must  be  met.  We  have  a  machine  that  will  clean  1  cwt.  in  ten 
minutes,  and  it  has  just  lately  dressed  one  parcel  of  15  tons. — James 
Carter  &  Co.  [As  Polly  says  on  the  bird  seed  posters,  “  Good  old 
Carter,”] 
-  The  New  Forest, — I  suppose  Mr.  Rivers  was  but  indulging 
in  a  little  joke  when  he  asked  what  nurseryman  in  William  the 
Conqueror’s  day  planted  the  New  Forest.  We  might  ask,  who  was  it 
many  hundreds  of  years  ago  that  planted  the  then  undiscovered  forests 
of  America,  India,  and  of  the  Australias  ?  How  these  wonderful  tracts 
became  originally  afforestated  would  indeed  be  interesting  to  learn,  but 
certainly  no  nurseryman,  other  than  old  Nature,  had  a  hand  in  the 
work.  I  expect  very  much  may  be  said  with  regard  to  the  New  Forest, 
and  that  what  portions  were  afforested  in  the  days  of  the  Norman  kings 
were  so  by  seed-sowing  rather  than  by  planting.  The  tradition  as  to 
the  death  of  King  Rufus,  however,  shows,  if  it  be  true,  that  the  forest 
practically  existed  at  the  time  of  its  afforestation.  No  doubt  it  was 
chiefly  owing  to  the  existence  of  vast  areas  of  woods  at  the  time  that  it 
was  so  set  apart  as  a  Royal  forest.  Howsoever  formed,  certainly  there 
was  no  reason  to  assume  that  Nature  did  not  in  its  creation  play  the 
same  important  part  that  it  played  with  such  wonderful  success  in 
prehistoric  days,  when  forests  existed  far  beyond  what  can  be  seen  to¬ 
day,  or  within  the  borders  of  history.  I  should  add  that  an  immense 
portion  of  the  area  included  in  the  New  Forest  is  not  forest  at  all,  but 
mere  expanses  of  Gorse,  Heather,  Bracken,  and  Grass.  It  is  these  non¬ 
forest  areas  which  render  army  manoeuvres  possible. — D. 
-  Reading  and  District  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improve¬ 
ment  Association. — Mr.  T.  Neve,  Chairman  of  the  above  Association, 
presided  over  a  largely  attended  meeting  on  the  9th  inst.  to  hear  a  paper 
on  “  Some  Little  Grown  but  Meritorious  Hardy  Flowers,”  by  Mr.  Frank 
Tufnail,  which  proved  to  be  of  an  exceedingly  interesting  character. 
Mr.  Tufnail  began  by  saying  that  in  selecting  this  subject  for  the  members’ 
consideration  and  discussion  it  was  not  his  intention  to  give  the  names 
of  plants  that  were  going  to  revolutionise  the  present  flower  garden  and 
displace  well  known  favourites,  but  rather  to  bring  to  their  notice  some 
little  known  or  rather  little  grown  hardy  flowers  deserving  of  equal 
favour  and  culture.  He  went  on  to  say,  “  Some  are  of  recent  introduc¬ 
tion,  others  are  kinds  which  once  graced  the  gardens  of  our  forefathers 
and  were  banished  by  the  carpet  bedding  craze  ;  but  the  pendulum  of 
fashion  is  happily  swinging  in  the  opposite  direction,  and  herbaceous 
and  other  hardy  subjects  are  being  looked  on  with  greater  favour,  so 
that  in  a  few  years  we  may  hope  to  see  more  of  the  ‘  good  things  ’  that 
give  our  old-fashioned  gardens  so  great  a  charm  during  the  most  pleasant 
months  of  the  year.  Many  of  the  kinds  which  I  shall  bring  to  your 
notice  are  especially  selected  for  cutting  and  table  decoration,  which  at 
the  present  time  is  becoming  an  important  feature  in  the  life  of  the 
gardener,  others  are  chosen  for  certain  situations  and  seasons,  but  all  are 
worthy  attention,  being  simple  of  culture,  require  no  coddling,  pinching 
or  pruning,  and  if  left  to  Nature  and  to  the  gardener’s  eye  will  beautify 
and  give  an  air  of  distinction  to  many  a  spot  in  the  garden.”  The 
lecturer  concluded  by  advising  those  present  to  grow  a  dozen  of  the 
kinds  which  they  had  not  yet  tried,  as  he  felt  sure  they  would  be  more 
than  pleased  with  the  result. 
- Amygdalis  Davidiana  alba. — At  the  time  of  writing  this 
hardy  flowering  tree  is  in  full  bloom.  The  flowers  are  large,  pure  white, 
and  therefore,  apart  altogether  from  its  undoubted  value  as  one  of  the 
earliest  of  all  spring  flowering  plants,  it  would  be  a  desirable  tree  to 
cultivate  even  if  it  had  flowered  at  any  other  season.  It  is,  comparatively 
speaking,  a  novelty,  but  it  is  certain  as  its  good  qualities  become  known 
to  become  very  popular  as  an  ornamental  lawn  tree. — B. 
-  Mr.  Martin  Hope  Sutton. — We  learn  on  the  best  of 
authority  that  this  gentleman,  founder  of  the  firm  of  Messrs.  Sutton  and 
Sons,  Reading,  reached  the  age  of  eighty-one  years  on  the  14th  inst.  The 
authority  is  a  letter  written  by  himself  to  Mr.  Turner  of  Slough,  for  a 
Camellia  fimbriata  that  was  required  on  the  festive  occasion.  The 
letter  is  written  in  a  style  which  for  firmness  and  clearness  many  a 
young  man  might  envy,  and  it  carries  our  thoughts  to  past  times,  for 
Mr.  Sutton  observes  : — “  I  had  almost  written  to  Mr.  Charles  Brown, 
your  predecessor,  and  well  remember  him  and  Glenny  conducting 
Queen  Adelaide  through  the  Dahlia  show  at  Salthill.”  Many  must  be 
the  friends  who  will  wish  for  the  hale  and  active  octogenarian  still 
“  Many  happy  returns  ”  of  his  natal  day. 
-  Winter  Moth  Caterpillars. — As  there  is  every  probability 
of  a  renewal  of  what  a  few  years  ago  was  properly  described  as  the 
“  caterpillar  plague  ”  again  in  the  coming  season,  fruit  growers  should 
be  alive  to  the  great  importance  of  early  action,  before  the  bloom  is 
open,  when  there  is  the  least,  if  any,  danger  of  damage  with  Paris  green 
to  foliage,  or  on  account  of  the  bees.  As  I  annually  keep  a  quantity  of 
eggs  of  Cheimatobia  bruraata  for  experimenting  and  observation,  I  may 
say  that  to-day  (March  9th)  I  casually  looked  at  a  glass  bottle  (honey 
jar)  and  found  hundreds  of  the  lively  little  loopers  climbing  aDout,  and 
I  usually  find  that  there  is  only  about  a  week  difference  in  hatching  out 
on  trees  in  the  open.  The  Plum  aphides  are  increasing  from  the 
viviparous  females. — J.  Hiam,  Astwood  JBanli. 
-  Certificated  Apples. — As  the  single  objector  to  the 
granting  of  a  first-class  certificate  to  Apple  Blue  Pearmain,  as  shown  at 
the  Drill  Hall  on  the  10th  inst.,  the  variety  having  previously  received 
an  award  of  merit,  which  I  regarded  as  quite  equal  to  its  merits,  I  would 
point  out  the  somewhat  anomalous  position  of  the  Committee  in 
relation  to  a  later  award  of  the  same  merit  only  to  a  distinctly  superior 
Apple  in  flavour,  texture,  appearance,  and  keeping  qualities  named 
Goodwood  Pippin.  Such  an  Apple  as  this  forms  an  admirable  addition 
to  our  late-keeping  dessert  varieties.  As  shown  on  the  10th  the  fruits 
were  distinctly  superior  to  Blenheim  Pippin  grown  and  kept  under 
precisely  the  same  conditions.  With  such  a  wonderful  abundance  of 
good  Apples  first-class  certificates  should  be  granted  only  to  those  of 
the  highest  excellence. — A.  Dean. 
_  Wakefield  Paxton  Society.— Programme  of  meetings  for 
the  first  quarter,  session  1896  : — March  21st,  “  ManxlaDd,  illustrated  by 
lantern  views,  Mr.  H.  S.  Goodyear  ;  March  28th,  “  Compost  Heap,” 
Mr.  J.  Eastwood,  Stanley  ;  April  4th,  “  Spring  Flowers,”  Mr.  W.  Hudson  ; 
April  11th,  “The  Borderland  of  the  Animal  and  Vegetable  Kingdoms,” 
Mr.  J.  W.  D.  McPherson,  B.  A.;  April  18th,  “Hardy  Herbaceous  Plants 
for  Cut  Flowers,”  Mr.  J.  Thomas  ;  April  25th,  “  British  Columbia,” 
Rev.  J.  C.  Kemm,  Normanton  ;  May  2nd,  “  Weeds,”  Mr.  J.  Burton  ; 
May  9th,  “Hardy  Deciduous  Flowering  Shrubs,”  with  specimens, 
Mr.  Ed.  Skinner;  May  16th,  “There  were  Giants  in  Those  Days,” 
Mr.  J.  Clark,  M.A.,  PhD.,  Yorkshire  College  ;  May  23rd,  “  Calceolaria,” 
exhibition  of  specimens,  Mr.  G.  Hudson  ;  May  30th,  Tulip  exhibition. 
The  Honorary 'Secretaries  are  Messrs.  G.  W.  Fallas  and  T.  H.  Mountain. 
_  The  Drill  Hall  Shows.— Although  these  Drill  Hall  gather¬ 
ings  are  termed  meetings,  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  they  also  fully 
merit  the  term  of  exhibitions.  The  last  one  without  doubt  included 
enough  of  material  to-have  made,  could  it  have  been  effectively  grouped 
and  fully  displayed,  a  first-rate  show.  If  this  be  the  state  of  things 
early  in  March,  what  may  not  be  looked  for  later  on  ?  Two  things  seem 
specially  to  merit  the  attention  of  the  Council.  The  first  is  the  putting 
of  some  moderate  limitation  on  the  table  space  allotted  to  each  exhioitor, 
so  as  to  insure  that  all  are  equally  treated  ;  and  trie  sec  nd  is  acquainting 
the  general  public  with  the  probable  nature  of  the  show,  so  that 
greater  numbers  may  be  induced  to  attend.  At  present,  but  for  the 
gratuitous  announcements  in  the  gardening  papers,  nothing  respecting 
the  meetings  would  be  made  public.  Surely,  there  are  hundreds  of  persons 
in  London  who  would  gladly  pay  a  shilling  to  see  such  beautiful  flower 
shows.  In  respect  of  these  matters  the  Council  seems  to  be  somewhat 
— well,  not  quite  up  to  date. — F.  R.  H.  S. 
