29(3 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  September  26,  1901. 
<(“E  isays,”  ii.,  p.  5),  as  having  existed  there  probably  from  the  sixth 
century.  The  Monasterv  of  St.  Columba  was  founded  there  A.D.  566 
(“Gibb  >n’s  History  of  Home,”  c.  xxtvii.).  Camden  and  Leland  also 
mention  various  other  instances  in  England.  The  Vine,  we  have 
seen,  was  introduced  by  the  Romans,  and  was  particularly  admired 
and  attended  to  by  the  carousing  population  of  that  age,  if  for  no 
other  of  its  qualities  than  theliqnid  yielded  by  its  fruit.  Guin-wydden, 
Guin-bren,  Guin-ien,  or  Fion-ras,  its  names  in  the  Welsh,  Cornish, 
Armoricin,  and  Irish  dialects,  ij  iiterally  the  wine  tree.  Vineyards 
were  flourishing  here  at  the  commencement  of  the  eighth  century,  ab 
is  testified  by  Bede  (“Ernies  Hist.”  b.  i.,  c.  1)  ;  and,  in  the  year  962, 
we  find,  in  a  deed  giving  lands  near  Southampton,  from  Edgar,  “  King 
of  all  Britain,”  to  tbe  Monastery  of  Abingdon,  a  clause  stating  that 
tne  gi.t  includes  “a  vineyard  situated  near  Wsecet  together  with 
the  vine-dresss^rs  ”  (vineam  circa  Waecet  sitam,  cum  vinitoribus 
■(“  Historia  Monasterii  de  Abingdon,”  321). 
(To  be  concluded.) 
Societies. 
Studley  (Warwick)  and  District  Allotment  Association. 
The  winter  session  for  discussing  subjects  in  horticulture  was 
commenced  on  Thursday  last';  Mr.  H.  Ingles  presided,  and  there  was 
a  good  attendance  of  members.  The  opening  subject  was  “  Gathering 
and  Storing  Fruit,”  by  Mr.  James  Hiam  of  Astwood  Bank,  who  has 
been  judging  and  naming  fruits  at  five  shows  in  the  locality  lately. 
Mr.  H.  gave  some  useful  and  practical  advice,  laying  particular  stress 
on  the  fact  that  many  people  spoiled  fruits  (from  what  he  had  met 
wiih)  in  careless  gathering,  pulling  the  stalks  out,  and  causing 
premature  decay  from  the  wound  set  up,  and  much  of  the  fruit  was  said 
to  “  keep  bad,”  and  no  wonder.  Some  of  the  best  samples  of  Apples, 
Peasgood’s  Nonesuoh,  the  best  dish  of  fruits  at  Redditch  Show,  he  said, 
were  spoiled  in  this  way.  Earwigs  also,  it  was  pointed  out  by  samples, 
caused  much  mischief  from  small  wounds,  and  such  fruits  required 
careful  observation  and  putting  aside.  A  useful  and  interesting 
disoussion  followed  Mr.  Hiam’s  address,  and  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks, 
followed  with  musical  honours,  wound  up  a  pleasant  meeting.  Mr. 
Hiam  consented  to  give  the  next  address  on  “  Wasps  and  Hornets.” 
Shirley  (Southampton)  Gardeners’  Society. 
The  members  of  this  society  who  attended  the  usual  monthly 
meeting  on  Monday,  had  a  treat  in  Mr.  Edgar  Eady’s  lecture  on 
“  Fertilisation  of  Flowers,”  a  subject  to  which  he  has  devoted  a  good 
deal  of  time  as  a  scientific  hobby.  In  the  absence  of  the  chairman, 
Mr.  B.  Ladhams,  F.R.H.S.  (who  has  not  yet  recovered  from  his  acoident 
at  Shirley  Flower  Show),  the  ohair  was  taken  by  Mr.  J.  Jones,  vioe- 
chairman,  who  called  on  Mr.  Eady  to  enlighten  them  on  some  of  the 
mysteries  of  Nature. 
The  lecturer  in  the  oourse  of  his  remarks,  which  were  made  very 
clear  by  diagrams,  showed  that  the  main  object  of  the  production  of 
flowers  is  the  perpetuation  of  the  plant  by  seed.  The  great  variety 
and  beauty  of  the  oontrivanoes  of  Nature  to  effect  was  the  subjeot  of 
their  consideration.  He  also  showed  the  wonderful  structures  in  some 
plants,  as  with  the  Violet  to  prevent  self-fertilisation,  and  he  referred  to 
a  number  of  interesting  experiments  by  Darwin  and  others.  In  the 
course  of  his  remarks  Mr.  Eady  emphasised  the  need  of  cross,  rather 
than  self- fertilisation  for  the  production  of  strong,  vigorous  seeds,  which 
were  calculated  to  sustain  the  future  of  the  plants,  and  he  pointed  out 
the  ingenious  contrivances  of  Nature  to  seoure  this  result,  although,  on 
the  other  hand,  there  was  provision  for  oold  and  unfavourable  seasons, 
when  the  plant  was  unlikely  to  be  visited  by  bees,  to  secure  self¬ 
fertilisation.  Illustrating,  by  means  of  a  flower  of  an  Orchid,  Mr.  Eady 
showed  exactly  what  took  plaoe  by  the  insect  trying  to  get  at  the 
nectar,  and  with  a  fine-pointed  pencil  he  removed  the  pollen  and  showed 
it  to  his  audience.  He  also  commented  upon  the  marvellous  adaptations 
of  some  West  Indian  flowers  to  secure  the  processes  of  Nature,  and 
showed  that  there  was  a  beautiful  harmony  in  insect  forms  and  habits 
answering  thereto. 
There  was  a  good  discussion,  taken  part  in  by  Messrs.  Jones,  Wilcox, 
E.  Ladhams,  &c.,  the  latter  mentioning  the  difficulties  he  met  with  in 
crossing  certain  plants.  Mr.  B.  Ladhams  had  a  very  fine  collection  of  her¬ 
baceous  cut  blooms,  some  of  the  best  being  Gaillardia  (Shirley  novelties), 
which  have  been  shown  from  the  open  ground  at  every  meeting  sinoe  last 
May,  showing  what  a  fine  plant  this  is  for  border  work.  The  far-famed 
Heliopsis  B.  Ladhams  was  included  in  the  collection.  This  hardy  and 
beautiful  flower  will  last  quite  fresh,  when  out,  for  a  fortnight  in  water. 
Nelson  Ward,  Esq.,  Blighmont  (gardener,  Mr.  J.  Thomsett),  exhibited  a 
fine  collection  of  Dahlias,  which  were  very  highly  commended.  Four 
new  members  having  been  enrolled,  a  vote  of  thanks  to  the  leoturer, 
chairman,  and  exhibitors,  closed  the  meeting. — J.  M. 
Tlje  Kew  Botanical  Repository. 
Comparatively  few  realise  that  at  Kew  we  have  the  great  botanic 
headquarters  of  the  empire,  that  within  its  herbarium,  library,  an 
museums  the  whole  of  the  earth’s  vegetation,  as  far  as  it  is  known  to 
science  and  research,  is  brought  under  observation,  and  oarefully 
classified.  This  aspect  of  the  place  as  a  “central  depot’  and  a 
“  clearing  house  ”  is  brought  vividly  forward  in  the  bulky  Blue-book 
recently  published  >  , 
With  the  technical  details  of  the  subject  which  called  the  Koyai 
Commission  together  the  general  public  are  not  concerned ;  but  most 
people  will  agree  with  the  majority  report  that  the  herbarium  of  dried 
plants  now  at  the  British  Museum  should  be  transferred  and  added  to 
that  of  Kew.  Sir  William  Hooker  founded  the  Kew  Herbarium  and 
Museum,  the  former  with  his  own  private  collection.  His  son  and 
successor,  Sir  Joseph  Hooker,  happily  still  with  us,  added  his  valuable 
specimens  collected  in  Antarctic  and  Indian  travels ;  and  it  has  been 
further  enriched  with  the  collection  of  John  Stuart  Mill,  with  the  special 
collections  of  Orchids,  Mosses,  Lichens,  and  fungi  of  other  individuals. 
From  Kew  go  forth  a  constant  succession  of  men  to  take  up 
botanic  work  in  India  and  in  every  part  of  the  Empire,  and  the 
authorities  are  in  communication  with  correspondents  in  all  Part®" 
the  world.  A  Customs  officer  in  Southern  China  has  sent  some  13,000 
specimens,  many  hitherto  unknown  and  unnamed  to  botanists.  The  flora 
of  Southern  Africa  is  almost,  if  not  entirely,  classified  ;  but  some  of 
the  most  touching  parcels  received  last  year  were  from  soldiers  at  the 
front,  who,  after  a  battle  may  be,  have  noticed  strange  plants,  and  have 
sent  them  to  Kew.  Scattered  on  the  tables  ranged  between  each  row 
of  cabinets  will  be  found  heaps  of  unmounted  specimens  sent  by  various 
persons — a  private  traveller,  a  gentleman  in  charge  of  an  ornithologioa 
expedition,  a  Government  official,  amissionary  or  merchant,  who  in  like 
manner  are  eager  either  to  know  the  names  or  to  benefit  science.  If  the 
specimen  has  hitherto  been  unmet  with,  there  comes  the  arduous  task 
of  christening.  Of  course,  the  plants  of  Europe  are  best  known,  and 
the  plants  of  that  land  which  has  been  least  traversed  are  propor¬ 
tionately  unknown.  But  it  may  be  guaged  that  Great  Britain,  with  her 
colonies,  owns  one-sixth  of  the  world’s  flora ;  India  is  rich  in  varied 
plant  life,  possessing  as  it  does  such  a  range  of  climates  and  altitudes. 
One  melancholy  proof  of  the  necessity  to  our  colonies  of  such  a 
botanical  centre  as  Kew,  said  Mr.  Baker  to  a  “  Daily  Chronicle 
representative,  is  seen  in  looking  over  the  once  flourishing  countries 
which  supported  the  great  nations  of  antiquity.  Persia,  Palestine, 
Asia  Minor,  Greece,  Northern  Afrioa,  Cyprus,  have  all  been  changed 
through  man’s  ignorance  and  improvidence.  Fertile  corn  land  has  been 
turned  to  sandy  desert,*  mountains  covered  with  forest  changed  to  stony 
ridges,  water  springs  dried  up,  alluvial  soil  kept  in  place  by  tree  roots 
swept  away  by  rains,  perhaps  never  to  return.  Under  the  guidance  of 
Kew  this  is  impossible  in  modern  days,  and  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
botanical  facts  is  the  way  in  whioti  soience  has  caused  the  change  of 
and  extension  in  the  area  of  the  growth  of  common  economic  plants. 
At  one  time  the  United  States  had  a  monopoly  in  raw  cotton. 
Now  India  exports  yearly  many  millions  of  pounds  worth.  China  had 
the  monopoly  of  tea.  Now  India  supplies  us  almost  exclusively.  So 
with  the  West  Indies  ;  its  natural  products  were  becoming  exhausted. 
Kew  stepped  in,  and  the  colony  has  received  a  fresh  lease  of  life  in 
developing  new  cultures  like  the  Banana  and  Orange,  of  immense 
commercial  value. 
- o#.* - 
The  Construction  of  a  YerandaR.” 
Verandahs  are,  I  believe,  very  much  more  common  in  America, 
Australia,  and  the  Cape  than  they  are  in  England,  but  with  this 
difference,  that  there  they  are  for  coolness;  whereas  in  England,  I 
think,  they  should  be  regarded  more  as  shelters,  enabling  us  to  sit  out 
of  doors  in  spring  and  autumn — sometimes  quite  into  the  winter,  and 
often  till  late  at  night — rather  than  during  the  very  height  of  a  hot 
summer’s  day.  In  England,  as  a  rule,  we  want  to  lengthen  out  our 
summers,  both  at  their  beginning  and  at  their  ending,  rather  than  to 
lessen  the  sultriness  of  a  very  seldom  occurring  over-hot  day,  on  which 
rare  occasions  a  shadv  tree  is  more  suitable  than  a  verandah.  There 
seems  to  me,  therefore,  to  be  this  essential  difference  between  a 
verandah  in  a  hot  country  and  in  England,  the  one  is  for  coolness,  the 
other  for  shelter,  I  might  almost  say  for  warmth.  I  would  never, 
therefore  recommend  a  verandah  on  the  north  side  of  a  house  nor  on 
the  east.  It  should  always  run  round  the  south  and  west  sides — 
round  both,  mark  you — so  that  when  a  cold  wind  happens  to  set 
along  one  side  you  may  bask  in  the  sun  upon  the  other.  For  the 
same  reason  the  east  end  of  the  south  side  and  the  north  end  of  the 
west  side  should  always  be  closed  in  with  glass.  How  useless  a 
verandah  is  on  the  north  side  of  a  house  I  can  testify  from 
experience,  as  my  vicarage  has  one,  but  I  have  never  once  sat 
under  it  in  twenty  years,  and  only  retain  it  for  appearance  sake,  a3 
*  Contributed  by  Rev.  W.  Wilks,  M.A. ,  Secretary  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society,  to  the  Society’s  Journal,  vol.  xxvi.,  parts  1  and  2. 
