September  19,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
277 
Boston  arid  District  Dahlia,  Sept.  12tlj. 
Boston,  like  Wellingborough,  can  get  together  a  very  attractive 
Dahlia  show.  Like  Wellingborough,  it  is  also  dependent  upon  the 
southern  growers,  and  therefore  certain  leading  classes  are  open  to 
competition  among  all  comers,  while  several  classes  are  reserved  for 
local  amateurs  and  cottagers.  The  show  was  held  in  the  Corn 
Exchange  on  the  12th  inst.;  the  building  was  quite  filled,  and  the 
arrangements  made  by  the  secretary,  Mr.  Frank  Waite,  a  well-known 
seedsman  in  the  town,  were  excellent.  The  top  of  the  hall  was 
occupied  by  a  very  large  and  representative  collection  of  Dahlias,  the 
Cactus  type  predominating,  sent  by  Mr.  J.  Green  (Hobbies  &  Co.), 
Norfolk  Nursery,  Dereham,  in  which  could  be  seen  several  fine  new 
Cactus  varieties,  and  also  some  dwarf  growing  varieties  with  distinct 
quilled  centres  and  a  fringe  of  ray  florets,  like  an  Anemone-flowered 
Chrysanthemum.  The  silver  medal  of  the  National  Dahlia  Society 
was  awarded  to  this  exhibit.  Mr.  T.  B.  Dolby,  nurseryman,  Boston, 
had  a  collection  of  Dahlias ;  Messrs.  H.  H.  Small  &  Co.,  nurserymen, 
Skirbeck,  Boston,  had  a  collection  of  hardy  flowers,  early  Chrys¬ 
anthemums,  Gourds,  &c. ;  Mr.  E.  J.  Disbrowe,  a  local  specialist  in 
flowers,  had  a  choice  collection  of  Phloxes,  Asters,  Pentstemons,  &o. 
There  were  four  entries  of  twenty-four  blooms  of  Show  and  Fancy 
Dahlias.  Mr.  John  Walker,  Thame,  was  a  good  first,  the  blooms 
generally  showing  an  improvement  in  quality  over  those  staged  at  the 
Crystal  Palace.  Such  varieties  as  the  Rev.  J.  B.  M.  Camm,  Victor, 
Dr.  Keynes,  R.  T.  Rawlings,  J.  T.  West,  Shottesham  Hero,  Mrs. 
G.  R.  Jefford,  Florence  Tranter,  Buffalo  Bill,  Maud  Fellowes,  Shirley 
Hibberd,  &c.,  were  in  excellent  form.  Mr.  S.  Mortimer,  Farnham, 
was  a  close  second,  also  with  blooms  showing  manifest  improvement ; 
and  Mr.  Seale,  Sevenoaks,  and  Mr.  Geo.  Humphries,  Chippenham,  were 
equal  third.  With  twelve  blooms  Mr.  Geo.  Humphries  was  first  and  Mr. 
J.  Walker  second,  both  with  very  good  flowers. 
The  class  for  twelve  b  uncbes  of  Cactus  Dahlias,  six  blooms  in  a 
bunob,  brought  capital  competition,  and  Mr.  S.  Mortimer  was  placed 
first  with  very  fine  bunches  of  Floradora,  Viscountess  Sherbrooke, 
Zephyr,  Mrs.  Carter  Page,  Spitfire  (new),  bright  pale  red  ;  Uncle 
Tom,  Mrs.  J.  J.  Crowe,  Lyrio,  J.  F.  Hudson,  J.  Burn  (new),  bright 
crimson,  extra  fine,  &c.  Mr.  John  Walker  was  placed  second.  He 
had  Canary  (new),  pleasing  soft  yellow ;  Lord  Roberts,  Debonair,  Mrs. 
Carter  Page,  Baden  Powell,  J.  W.  Wilkinson,  Lucius,  &o.,  also  a  fine 
display;  Mr.  Seale  was  third.  With  twenty -four  blooms  of  Cactus 
Dahlias  shown  on  boards,  there  was  a  spirited  competition.  Mr.  S. 
Mortimer  was  first  with  highly  developed  blooms  of  Mrs.  J.  J.  Crowe, 
Mrs.  Carter  Page,  Cornucopia,  Radiance,  Lucius,  Uncle  Tom,  Jealousy, 
Chas.  Woodbridge,  Mrs.  Walton  White,  Mary  Service,  Monarch,  Mrs. 
Castle,  &o.  Mr.  J.  Walker  was  second,  having  most  of  the  foregoing, 
but  in  addition  Canary  (new),  Innovation,  Debonair,  Stella,  The  Clown, 
Rosine,  Vesta,  &o. ;  Mr.  W.  Baxter,  Woking,  was  a  very  good  third  with 
twelve  blooms.  Mr.  Mortimer  was  again  first  and  Mr.  J.  Walker  second. 
There  were  some  excellent  collections  of  Pompon  Dahlias.  Mr- 
Seale  was  first  with  perfect  flowers  of  Doris,  Donovan,  Douglas,  Daisy, 
Jessica,  Phoebe,  Ganymede,  Nerissa,  Tommy  Keitb,  Buttercup,  &c. 
Mr.  Geo.  Humphries  was  a  close  second,  and  Mr.  J.  Walker  third.  Some 
very  attractive  vases  were  shown  by  Messrs.  Walker,  Seale,  and  Martin, 
the  prizes  going  in  the  order  of  their  names.  Cactus  Dahlias  were  used, 
mingled  with  foliage.  Dahlias  were  creditably  shown  by  amateurs 
and  cottagers,  and  every  year  witnesses  an  improvement  in  the  quality 
of  the  flowers  they  stage. 
The  leading  growers  present  formed  themselves  into  a  floral 
committee,  and  certificates  of  merit  were  awarded  to  the  following 
varieties  : — Cactus  John  Burn  (Mortimer),  Canary  (Walker),  Mrs.  H.  A. 
Needs  (Baxter),  Queen  of  Hearts,  and  Sailor  Prince,  both  from  Hobbies 
and  Co.;  and  to  singles  Beauty  of  Sevenoaks,  Maid  of  Athens,  and 
Royal  Sovereign  from  Mr.  Seale. 
Sparkhill  and  District  Horticultural. 
At  a  recent  meeting  of  this  new  and  enterprising  association,  Mr. 
W.  Gardiner,  Harborne,  Birmingham,  gave  a  dissertation,  entitled 
“  A  Chat  upon  British  Ferns.”  Mr.  S.  Issett  occupied  the  chair,  and 
there  was  a  good  attendance  of  members  and  their  lady  friends,  the 
latter  especially  being  much  interested  in  this  beautiful  and  interesting 
division  of  the  vegetable  kingdom.  The  lecture  was  illustrated  by  a 
numerous  collection  of  freshly  cut  fronds  and  dried  specimens.  The 
history  and  legendary  lore  of  Ferns  formed  the  introductory  portion  of 
the  discourse,  with  also  an  explanation  of  a  few  of  the  more  familiar 
technical  characters  and  etymology  of  the  generic  names. 
In  acknowledging  a  vote  of  thanks,  Mr.  Gardiner  intimated  that,  by 
the  unanimous  request  of  the  meeting,  he  should  have  much  pleasure 
in  continuing  the  subject  at  some  future  time.  There  was  a  keen 
competition  for  the  prizes  offered  for  out  flowers,  plants,  &c.,  usually 
offered  at  the  meetings;  and  one  member,  Mr.  Charles  Fox,  Oakwood 
Road,  Sparkhill,  exhibited  a  very  interesting  collection  of  hardy  Ferns 
in  pots,  grown  in  a  Bhady  small  greenhouse.  The  collection  contained 
well-grown  plants  of  Polypodium  cambricum,  P.  Dryopteris,  and 
Adiantum  Capillus. Veneris. 
Forest  Trees  In  Scotland. 
Mr.  W.  N.  Niven  read  a  paper  at  the  British  Association  on  “  The 
Distribution  of  Certain  Forest  Trees  in  Scotland,  as  shown  by  the 
Investigation  of  the  Post-Glacial  Deposits.”  He  said  he  had  derived 
his  information  from  about  seventy  volumes.  The  following  trees  had 
been  discovered  : — Hawthorn,  Elder,  common  Ash,  Birch,  Alder, 
Hazel,  Oak,  Willow,  Yew,  and  Fir,  all  of  which,  with  the  exception  of 
the  Ash,  were  considered  natives  of  Scotland.  The  cones  of  the  Silver 
Fir  had  been  dug  out  of  the  peat  in  Orkney,  but  this  tree  was  not 
now  indigenous  to  Scotland.  Several  shrubs,  including  the  Juniper  and 
Raspberry,  as  well  as  many  flowering  plants,  had  also  been  discovered. 
There  were  few  parts  of  Scotland,  however  treeless  at  the  present  day, 
that  were  not  in  remote,  and  even  in  comparatively  recent  times 
covered  with  woodlands.  This  was  also  shown  by  the  place  names. 
As  regarded  the  special  trees,  the  Oak  was  very  widely  distributed.  Its 
most  northern  occurrence  was  Caithness-shire,  and  it  was  recorded  in 
every  other  county.  It  had  even  been  found  in  the  peat  bogs  in  the 
now  treeless  islands  of  Lewis  and  Tiree.  It  was  interesting  to  note 
that  many  of  the  Oaks  had  been  found  at  high  altitudes,  800  feet 
above  sea  level,  in  the  parish  of  Croy,  Inverness-shire,  and  of  con- 
siderable  size — 70  feet  in  length  at  Drumcrief.  The  Soots  Fir — 
probably  Pinus  sylvestris — was  another  widely  distributed  tree.  It 
was  common  in  the  northern  oounties,  in  the  Orkneys  and  Lewis, 
in  all  the  midland  counties,  with  the  exception  of  Forfar  and  Fife,  but 
in  the  southern  counties  it  was  only  recorded  in  Renfrew,  Edinburgh, 
Roxburgh,  Dumfries,  and  Wigtown.  The  Hazel  had  been  found  in 
submerged  forests  and  in  many  other  parts  of  the  mainland,  as  well  as 
in  the  Orkney  and  Shetland  Islands,  and  in  many  of  the  Western  Isles. 
No  record  had  been  found  of  its  occurrence  in  Sutherland,  but  through¬ 
out  the  midlands  it  was  fairly  plentiful,  and  in  the  lowlands  it  had  been 
noted  in  all  the  counties,  with  the  exception  of  Haddington, 
Linlithgow,  Selkirk,  Dumfries,  and  Wigtown.  The  Birch  was  recorded 
in  the  Orkney  and  Shetland  Islands,  and  in  the  majority  of  the  counties 
from  Caithness  to  Wigtown.  Regarding  the  other  trees,  few  reoords 
had  been  discovered.  The  Alder  was  recorded  from  Lewis,  Banff, 
Aberdeen,  Kincardine,  Perth,  Fife,  Argyle,  Lanark,  and  Edinburgh. 
Willows,  species  unknown,  were  noted  in  both  Caithness  and  Sutherland. 
They  had  also  been  obtained  from  the  peat  bogs  in  Renfrew,  Lanark, 
and  Roxburgh.  The  Ash  was  generally  regarded  as  a  probable  native 
in  the  south  of  Scotland.  Hugh  Miller,  in  “  Edinburgh  and  its  Neigh, 
bonrhood,”  made  reference  to  finding  “  what  appears  to  be  Ash  ”  in  the 
brickclays  of  Portobello.  It  was  also  recorded  from  the  mosses  in 
Ballantrae,  Ayrshire,  and  Bowden  Parish,  Roxburghshire.  Then,  again, 
many  of  the  implements  found  in  southern  orannogs  were  reported  to  be 
made  of  Ash  wood,  but  it  must  also  be  regarded  as  indigenous  in 
northern  Scotland,  if  they  accepted  its  occurrence  in  the  Bay  of  Keiss, 
Caithness-shire,  mentioned  by  the  writer  on  Caithness  in  the  “  New 
Statistical  Acoount.”  The  only  reoords  of  the  occurrence  of  the 
Hawthorn,  Yew,  and  Elder  had  been  obtained  from  Edinburghshire. 
The  evidence  which  was  obtained  by  the  examination  of  the  various 
postglaoial  deposits  indicated  in  a  very  dear  manner  that  the  trees 
recorded  should  be  considered  truly  indigenous  to  Scotland. 
- - 
Some  Uses  of  tl\e  Lemon. 
Women  particularly  would  find  a  more  general  use  of  Lemons  as 
simple  remedies,  where  ordinarily  dootors’  medicines  are  employed, 
efficacious  and  economical.  One  of  the  most  pleasing  baths  is  made  by 
slicing  three  or  four  Lemons  into  the  water,  which  should  be  drawn  half 
an  hour  before  using,  so  that  the  juice  of  the  fruit  may  have  a  chance 
to  permeate  it.  The  sense  of  freshness  it  gives,  and  the  suppleness  and 
smoothness  it  imparts  to  the  skin,  are  very  luxurious.  In  the  West 
Indies  often  the  Lemon  is  used  instead  of  soap,  and  when  the  natives 
wash  their  hands  they  squeeze  the  juice  over  them  and  rub  them 
briskly  in  water  until  they  are  clean. 
The  Lemon  is  invaluable  in  its  effects  on  the  complexion.  A  few 
drops  in  the  water  in  which  the  face  is  washed  removes  all  greasiness, 
and  leaves  the  skin  fresh  and  velvety.  A  little  Lemon  juice  rubbed  on 
the  cheeks  before  going  to  bed,  and  allowed  to  dry  there,  will  remove 
freckles  and  whiten  the  skin,  besides  giving  a  delightful  smoothness, 
and  if  the  treatment  is  persisted  in,  eventually  it  will  carry  off  all 
unsightly  blemishes  that  are  not  caused  by  internal  trouble. 
Lemons,  says  “The  Canadian  Horticulturist,”  are  very  useful  in 
the  care  of  the  teeth.  A  few  drops  squeezed  into  a  glass  of  water  for 
rinsing  the  mouth  make  a  tonic  for  the  gums  and  render  them  firm.  In 
washing  the  hair,  if  a  Lemon  is  used,  it  will  cleanse  the  scalp  and  give  a 
soft  fluffiness  to  the  hair  that  women  like. 
•  »  » - 
Eucliarls  Lowl. — The  very  distinct  Eucharis  illustrated  on  another 
page  was  introduced  by  Messrs.  Hugh  Low  &  Co.,  Bush  Hill  Park 
Nursery,  Middlesex,  about  a  dozen  years  ago.  The  flowers  are  as  large 
as  those  of  Euoharis  grandiflora,  and  exceedingly  beautiful.  The 
flowing  sinuous  lines  of  the  segments  incurve  in  a  distinctive  manner, 
and  are  pure  white,  with  yellowish-green  where  the  stamens  join  the 
corona.  “  The  leaves  are  borne  on  tall  footstalks,  and  are  similar  in. 
shape  to  E.  Candida,  though  considerably  larger.” 
