May  i8,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OP  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
491 
-  Myosotis  alpestris  Victoria. — I  was  pleased  to  see  in  your 
report  of  the  spring  bedding  at  Belvoir  that  mention  was  made  of  the 
above.  When  recently  visiting  Lockinge  Park  I  noticed  several  large 
beds  a  mass  of  bloom,  and  contrasted  well  with  a  double  white  Talip 
with  which  the  plants  were  intermixed.  Besides  being  later  in  flowering 
than  M.  dissitiflora,  it  is  a  deeper  and  more  intense  blae,  with  a  much 
better  habit,  and  is  sure  to  become  popular  with  all  lovers  of  spring 
bedding. — H.  W.  B. 
-  Royal  Peas. — We  are  informed  that  Messrs.  Sutton  &  Sons’ 
Peas  exhibited  at  the  Temple  Show,  and  the  acceptance  of  which  by 
Her  Majesty  we  notified  last  week,,  were  arranged  in  the  grand 
entrance  hall  of  Windsor  Castle,  and  inspected  by  Her  Majesty  the 
Queen  on  Friday  the  22ad  inst.  Messrs.  Sutton  have  received  a  letter 
from  the  Master  of  the  Household  (Col.  Lord  Edward  Pelh&m-Clinton) 
conveying  the  thanks  of  the  Queen  for  the  beautiful  Peas  and  Tomatoes 
kindly  sent  for  Her  Majesty’s  gracious  acceptance. 
-  Sherborne  Gardeners’  Society. — Judging  by  the  pro¬ 
gramme  of  the  year's  meetings  before  us,  this  excellent  Dorsetshire 
Society  seems  to  lead  a  perennial  existence,  for  a  paper,  lecture,  or  show 
seems  to  be  provided  for  each  month  of  the  year.  A  pleasing  feature 
also  is  the  offer  of  small  prizes  or  certificates  of  merit  for  certain 
specified  exhibits  at  each  gathering,  as,  for  instance,  on  the  6th  inst., 
when  Mr.  J.  Crook  of  Forde  Abbey  Gardens,  Chard,  gave  a  lecture  to  a 
large  body  of  members  on  “  Hardy  Plants  and  Bulbs  in  the  Garden,” 
and  which  was  highly  appreciated  ;  the  subjects  asked  for  exhibition 
were  Pansies,  Tulips,  and  Auriculas.  The  year’s  coarse  includes  with 
full  impartiality  flowers,  fruits,  and  vegetables.  We  cordially  wish  for 
the  Sherborne  Society  all  usefulness  and  prosperity. 
-  Wakefield  Paxton  Society.  —  At  the  ordinary  weekly 
meeting  of  the  members  of  this  Society  on  Saturday  evening,  the  16th 
inst.,  there  was  a  large  attendance.  Mr.  B.  Whiteley  presided,  and 
Lieut.  Goodyear  was  in  the  vice-chair.  The  lecturer  was  Dr.  Clark,  of 
the  Horticultural  Department  of  the  Yorkshire  College,  who  delivered 
a  very  able  and  most  interesting  lecture,  entitled  “  There  were  Giants  in 
Those  Days.”  The  lecture  was  illustrated  by  a  large  number  of  well- 
executed  photographic  slides,  which  were  cleverly  thrown  on  the  screen 
by  Mr.  Harold  Parkin.  The  lecture  dealt  with  the  monster  animals, 
birds,  and  fishes  which  existed  in  the  early  period  of  the  world’s  history. 
The  photographic  views  were  clearly  and  fully  explained  by  Dr.  Clark, 
who  imparted  a  great  amount  of  interesting  information  to  his  audience' 
-  Sechium  edule. — Although  fruits  of  this  perennial  member 
of  the  Cucurbit®  family  have  been  seen  in  Covent  Garden  Market, 
imported  here  from  Madeira,  yet  are  they  comparatively  unknown,  not 
merely  to  the  public  bat  also  to  gardeners  generally.  Commonly  called 
“  Chocho,”  these  fruits  are  green  in  colour,  Pear-shaped,  very  irregular, 
shiny,  and  of  good  size,  weighing  about  16  ozs.  each.  Cooked  whole  in 
their  coats,  with  the  latter  afterwards  removed,  and  served  up  with  gravy 
or  sauce,  they  constitute  a  dish  esteemed  much  superior  to  any  Vegetable 
Marrow.  The  plant  is  a  native  of  Central  America,  and  was  some  years 
ago  transported  into  the  West  Indies,  where  in  the  hilly  districts  it  is 
grown  freely  and  fruits  abundantly.  It  has  also  been  introduced  to 
Ceylon,  the  East  Indies,  and  Madeira.  The  other  day  we  met  with 
plants  of  it  growing  in  one  of  the  long  Palm  houses  in  Mr.  T.  Rochford’s 
famous  Broxbourne  nursery,  where  it  is  trained  from  both  sides  on  wires 
up  under  the  glass,  and  in  a  temperature  of  about  60°.  The  roots, 
which  are  of  a  thick  fleshy  nature,  are  perennial,  and  in  sufficient 
warmth  maintain  perennial  growth.  The  fruits,  I  believe,  produce 
one  seed  only,  and  when  mature  or  ripe  this  seed  will  germinate.  The 
fruits  are  then  planted,  and  new  plants  result.  The  Sechium  may  also 
be  propagated  by  means  of  cuttings  just  as  Cucumbers  are.  Mr.  Roch- 
ford  is  extending  his  culture  of  this  Gourd,  and  possibly  may  be  able 
with  home-grown  fruit  to  popularise  it  in  the  market,  Gardeners 
generally  who  can  spare  one  end  of  a  warm  house  may  find  this  Chocho 
worthy  of  attention  as  a  vegetable  product  for  table  consumption.— D. 
A  CROWNING  MERCY. 
This  spring  with  us  has  been  like  the  spring  of  childhood’s  days, 
when  the  sun  ever  shone  brightly  and  the  cold  winds  never  blew,  when 
life  was  one  long  joy  tempered  only  by  thoughts  of  the  school-room, 
happy  days  when  we  had  no  anxieties  about  weather.  Being  on  strong 
land  we  soon,  however,  learned  to  dread  Turnip  time  with  a  rainless  sky, 
but  I  fear  we  quickly  forgot  the  cloud  on  our  father’s  brow.  Oh  1  these 
days  of  April  and  May  have  been  glorious — brilliant  sunshine,  deep  blue 
skies,  with  only  slight  frosts.  You  hear  of  Italy’s  cloudless  beauty,  but 
this  has  been  more  than  Italian,  for  the  green  of  grass  and  tree  has  been 
only  what  could  be  seen  in  England. 
It  was  such  a  drawback  to  our  joy  to  think  that  this  beautiful  sun 
was  doing  harm.  And  we,  who  depend  on  the  produce  of  the  land  for  a 
livelihood,  like  Elijah  on  Carmel,  prayed  for  the  rain-cloud.  Our 
hearts  almost  failed  as  we  saw  the  work  of  the  year  in  jeopardy,  pastures 
getting  bare,  Lenten  corn  struggling  for  subsistence,  the  Mangold  and 
Turnip  seed  lying  dormant.  The  well  cultured  garden  and  forest  trees 
held  out  the  longest,  but  even  there  the  fresh  turf  was  losing  its  fresh¬ 
ness,  and  signs  of  mildew  were  on  the  Roses.  The  early  flowers 
blossomed  and  died  without  a  baptism,  and  the  Fern  fronds  could 
scarcely  uncurl. 
Monday  in  last  week  the  heat  was  tropical .  News  came  of  welcome 
showers  some  miles  away,  but  still  the  skies  were  as  brass.  Tuesday 
found  us  with  a  sudden  drop  in  temperature  with  a  falling  glass. 
Wednesday  broke  with  gusty  storms  of  wind  and  scanty  showers — scanty, 
but  so  grateful.  Thursday  the  clouds  gathered  in  masses,  travelled 
rapidly  over  the  heavens,  only  to  disappear  in  the  horizon.  Our  hope 
was  gone,  and  we  feared  had  taken  the  showers  with  it.  But,  oh  1  the 
change  this  Friday  morning ;  positively  rain  pools  on  the  road,  the 
heavy  heads  of  Lilac  and  Chestnuts  bowed  down  with  tears,  every  blade 
of  grass  sparkling,  and  the  scent  of  the  Hawthorn  overpowering.  No 
passing  shower  has  this  been,  no  promise  of  blessings,  but  the  blessing 
itself,  the  generous  gift  of  the  Giver  of  Life. 
Never  mind  the  few  drops ;  come  out  with  me  and  drink  in  the  joy 
and  beauty  of  renewed  life  and  hope.  Oar  hearts  are  fairly  ready  to 
burst  with  thankfulness.  It  is  only  those  who  wait  on  Nature  who  can 
appreciate  what  our  need  has  been,  and  who  can  enter  now  into  the 
fulness  of  our  joy.  The  ground  was  so  hard  that  bird  house-keeping 
must  have  presented  many  difficulties  ;  now  worm  and  grub  are  as 
plentiful  as  ever  was  corn  in  Egypt,  and  the  birds  do  not  forget  their  meed 
of  joyous  praise.  What  a  pity  there  is  work  indoors  when  Nature  calls 
us  to  come  out  and  enjoy  her  fragrance  and  beauty.  It  is  only  a  stern 
sense  of  duty  can  keep  me  to  my  needle;  but  as  I  sit  at  the  open 
window  and  hear  the  whirl  of  grass  cutter,  and  see  the  rain-bedewed 
faces  of  the  flowers  and  the  freshly  washed  green  leaves,  my  soul  is 
filled  with  loving  gratitude  and  heartfelt  praise. — The  Missus. 
THE  BEAUTIES  OF  MAY. 
This  is  perhaps  the  most  beautiful  period  of  the  year.  The  Sycamores, 
Beeches,  Birches,  and  Chestnuts  have  assumed  their  virginal  luminous 
hues  ;  the  bright  yellow  blossoms  of  the  pendulous  Laburnums  gleam 
amid  the  dense  masses  of  many-coloured  foliage  in  the  woodlands  with 
a  beauty  all  their  own,  and  the  waysides  are  glittering  with  millions  of 
flowers,  which  are  not  the  less  fascinating  because  they  are  so  short- 
lived.  ....... 
Every  lover  of  Nature  has  doubtless,  in  accordance  with  his  instincts 
or  his  mental  characteristics,  his  own  peculiar  favourites  among  these. 
My  own  are  the  Wood  Sorrel,  the  graceful  Herb  Robert  (Geranium 
Robertianum),  and  Scilla  maritima,  at  present  clothing  the  rocks  on  the 
West  coait  of  this  peninsular  and  my  romantic  parish  with  a  deep  blue, 
rivalling  that  of  the  encompassing  sea.  The  Wood  Sorrel  (Oxalis 
acetosella)  was  greatly  admired  by  the  late  Mr  Matthew  Arnold,  also 
by  his  gitted  poetic  contemporary,  the  Earl  of  Rosslyn,  who  wrote  that 
memorable  line  regarding  the  Gentian  in  one  of  his  finest  sonnets,  when 
he  saw  it  for  the  first  time  covering  the  Tyrolean  Mountains  with  its 
own  ineffable  loveliness  : — 
“  The  Gentian  robs  the  heavens  of  half  their  blue.” 
Another  sylvan  flower  of  great  sweetness  is  the  white  Campion, 
which,  however,  I  have  only  once  had  the  gratification  of  discovering  in 
this  district.  The  wild  white  Hyacinth,  while  equally  attractive  and 
much  more  fragrant,  is  not  so  rare,  for  it  is  discoverable  in  the  woods 
surrounding  Logan  House,  though  it  is  quite  possible  that  it  may  have 
originally  been  planted  there  by  someone,  as  Narcissus  jonquilla 
undoubtedly  was.  Nothing  could  be  more  commanding  in  artistic  effect 
than  that  picture  which  is  everywhere  at  present  produced  by  the  azure 
Hyacinth  in  our  shadowy  Scottish  glens.  It  is  only  equalled  by  the 
enowy  whiteness  and  delicate,  yet  most  penetrative  fragrance  of  the 
Hawthorn— the  bride  of  the  woodlands— which,  as  I  anticipated  in  my 
article  on  April,  is  now  making  glorious  with  its  presence  the  flowery 
paths  of  May.  ....  ... 
In  my  garden,  with  the  fall  of  the  Apple  blossoms  which  have  this 
season  been  phenomenal  in  their  luxuriance,  the  Auricula  and  Narcissus 
are  passing  swiftly  away.  The  late  flowering  florist  Tulips  still  remain 
to  gladden  our  vision  with  their  graceful,  distinctive  formation,  and 
tenderly  pencilled  hues  ;  and  Roses  are  already  beginning  to  appear  on 
such  early  flowering  and  effective  varieties  as  Souvenir  d  un  Ami, 
Homer,  Niphetos,  and  Gloire  de  Dijon.  The  reign  of  the  Aquilegia  has 
just  begun,  Coerulea  hybrida,  the  Rocky  Mountain  Columbine,  which 
has  proved  itself  a  veritable  perennial  here,  and  A.  canadensis  being  at 
present  in  full  bloom.  Ere  long  will  follow  A.  californica,  of  brilliant 
complexion  ;  A.  Stuarti,  a  native  of  Berwickshire,  somewhat  arduous  of 
culture  ;  A.  glandulosa,  from  the  Altai  Mountains  in  Siberia  ;  and  the 
Californian  Chrysantha,  of  lustrous  primrose  hue. 
The  St.  Brigid  and  Sutton  Anemones,  for  the  former  of  which  I  am 
indebted  to  Mr.  F.  W.  Burbidge,  who  sent  them  to  me  ;  also  Anemone 
fulgens  and  a  semi-double  pure  white  variety,  whose  name  (if  it  has 
any)  I  have  not  yet  discovered,  but  which,  I  may  add,  I  admire  even 
more  than  if  I  possessed  the  necessary  information  ;  these,  in  con¬ 
junction  with  the  contemporaneous  Aquilegias,  will  brighten  my 
borders  till  they  find  delicate  successors  in  the  Lily  and  the  Rose. 
David  R.  Williamson. 
