282 
JnURXAL  OF  HORTICDLTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  6,  1899. 
BIRMINGHAM  GARDENERS’  ASSOCIATION. 
At  the  fortnightly  meeting  held  on  the  27th  ult.  (Mr.  Walter  Jones  in 
the  chair),  a  paper,  contributed  by  Mr.  Peter  Blair,  gardener  to  the  Duke 
of  Sutherland,  Trentham  Hall,  Staffs,  entitled,  “Grouping  Plants  for 
Effect  at  Horticultural  Exhibitions,”  was  read  by  Mr.  James  Deans.  In 
his  preliminary  remarks,  the  essayist  referred  to  the  growing  popularity 
of  the  grouping  of  plants  for  effect,  both  lor  house  decoration  an.t  in  the 
exhibition  tent,  and  strongly  advised  the  decorator  to  utilise  Nature  as  the 
basis  of  his  conceptions. 
The  essayist  proceeded  ;  “  If  t  ie  earliest  races  of  mankind  had  not 
been  amazed  by  the  grandeur  and  magnitude  of  the  forests,  they  would 
have  failed  in  every  particular  to  have  been  horticulturists,  of  which 
ancient  history  confirms  that  they  were  ;  it  is  the  life  of  the  beautiful  you 
must  acquire  if  you  do  not  already  possess  it.  Unless  you  have  a  poetic 
mind,  you  cannot  realise  the  harmonious  alliance  of  form  and  colour.  A 
man  must  have  a  poetic  feeling,  and  must  be  capable  of  admiring  the 
beauty  and  grandeur  which  one  meets  with  in  the  vales  and  woodland 
scenery  ;  rough  and  wild  as  it  may  be,  it  is  Nature,  and  Art  will  improve 
Nature.  As  one  walks  through  the  woods  and  lands,  numerous  con¬ 
ceivable  designs  and  information  can  be  gained.  Study  intensely  all  you 
see,  fix  upon  whatever  attracts  your  sympathy,  and  use  all  the  art  which 
you  have  acquired  by  practice.  To  fix  your  impressions,  so  as  to  be  able  to 
reproduce  it  in  grouping  of  plants,  you  must  make  your  group  solid  and 
bright,  real  and  poetic.  The  skilful  arrangement  is,  to  my  mind,  a  feature 
quite  on  a  par  with  the  individual  merits  of  the  plants.  Only  in  the 
presence  of  such  a  vast  array  is  it  possible  to  understand  how  much  beauty 
is  conferred  upon  plants  and  Howers  by  the  fine  art  of  combination.  The 
man  who  combines  well  is  quite  as  valuable  to  the  community  as  he  who 
originates,  for  although  most  people  may  be  quick  to  recognise  the  charm 
of  a  particular  Lily  or  Rose,  even  the  most  experienced  gather  quite  new 
ideas  from  felicitous  blendings.” 
After  adverting  to  a  muliiplicity  of  plants  suitable  for  decorative 
purposes,  Mr.  Blair  continued  : — “Do  not  copy  your  neighbour,  but  try 
to  copy  Nature.  You  never  saw  two  plants  growing  in  close  proximity 
to  each  other  exactly  the  same  height,  and  you  never  saw  two  pieces  of 
natural  scenery  alike,  so  strive  to  avoid  all  similarity.  I  have  often  seen 
beautiful  groups  spoiled  by  overcrowding,  or  having  too  many  valuable 
Orchids  and  other  choice  plants  at  their  disposal.”  Such  accessories  as 
rustic  arches  and  bridges  of  cork  bark,  which  have  of  late  years  come 
into  vogue,  did  not  find  favour  with  the  essayist,  as  he  considers 
that  they  are  unnecessary  adjuncts,  which  give  the  groups  a  sombre  and 
artificial  appearance,  that  is  not  in  harmony  with  refined  taste.  Referring 
further  to  the  artistic  arrangement  of  groups,  he  pointed  cut  that  it  is 
not  always  the  choicest  and  most  valuable  plants  that  conduce  to  success, 
and  that  the  very  finest  group  he  had  ever  seen  was  quite  free  from 
pretentiousness  in  respect  of  money  value,  it  having  been  arranged  by 
Mr.  Samuel  Thacker,  of  Nottingham — an  amateur,  who  possesses  an 
inborn  genius  for  effective  grouping.  Doubtless  one  of  the  chief  reasons 
for  the  introduction  of  the  “  Cypherian  ”  rustic  arches  or  bridges  was  for 
the  more  natural  disposal  of  such  as  especially  dependent  flowering 
Orchids  and  Ferns,  and  thus  imitate  their  natural  habitat. 
An  interesting  and  animated  discussion  followed,  there  being  a 
diversity  of  opinion  regarding  the  introduction  of  cork  bark  arrangements 
in  groups. 
THE  “FLOWERS  OF  THE  WEST.” 
Some  interesting  particulars  are  given  in  the  April  ‘‘  Royml  Maga¬ 
zine”  regarding  the  flowers  that  come  from  West  Cornwall  and  the 
Scilly  Islands  to  the  London  market.  The  “  flowers  of  the  West  ”  hail 
from  two  principal  districts,  the  Scilly  Isles  and  the  region  round  about 
Penzance,  the  former  being  by  far  the  more  productive  of  the  two.  The 
climate  of  the  Scilly  Isles  might  almost  be  described  as  “tropical,”  chiefly 
owing  to  the  great  influence  which  the  Gulf  Stream  exerts  upon  it. 
and  the  Islands  are,  therefore,  admirably  situated  for  the  cultivation  of 
flowers,  which  blossom  many  weeks  earlier  than  in  England.  Far  and 
away  the  chief  of  these  flowers  are  the  Narcissi.  Gladioli  and  Wallflowers, 
however,  are  also  grown,  and  the  latter  abound  round  Penzance. 
By  Mail  and  Special. 
From  the  Scilly  Islands  the  flowers  come  by  steamer  to  Penzance, 
thence  as  a  rule  by  the  4.50  p.m.  mail,  which  reaches  Paddington  at  four 
o’clock  the  next  morning.  But  it  frequently  happens  that  in  the  height 
of  the  season  an  extra  load  of  flowers  arrives  from  the  Scillies  too  much 
to  carry  by  the  mail  train.  In  this  case  one  or  more  specials  have  to  be 
despatched.  If  over  10  tons  of  flowers  are  to  be  despatched  a  special  is 
generally  necessary.  All  the  flowers  which  leave  Penzance  do  not,  of 
course,  find  their  way  to  Co  vent  Garden.  A  large  proportion  go  to 
Manchester  and  Birmingham,  where  they  secure  a  very  ready  market. 
The  season  for  Scilly  flowers  is  roughly  slated  from  January  to  Easter. 
The  Trade  Falling  Off. 
The  following  is  a  list  of  the  number  of  tons  of  flowers  conveyed  from 
Penzance  by  the  Great  Western  Railway  during  the  last  few  years  : — 
Year.  Tons.  Year.  Tons.  Year.  Tons.  Year.  Tons  Year.  Tons. 
1894.. .381  1895. ..293  1896. ..514  1897.. .480  1898. ..296 
It  will  be  seen  that  there  is  a  considerable  falling  away  during  the  past 
two  years.  This  is  said  to  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  the  soil  of 
the  Scilly  Isles  has  been  so  taxed  with  the  production  of  flowers  that  it 
has  seriously  deteriorated. — (“Westminster  Gazette.’) 
ROYAL  GARDENERS’  ORPHAN  FUND. 
I  QUITE  agree  with  your  correspondents,  Messrs.  J.  B.  Stevenson, 
page  222,  and  ,T.  Brown,  page  242,' as  regards  the  difficulty  of  getting 
gardeners  to  take  any  interest  in  the  above  society.  I  have  asked 
dozens  to  become  subscribers,  but  have  been  met  with  the  same 
answer:  “The  Fund  is  of  no  benefit  to  me!  My  children  stand 
the  same  chance  as  those  of  subscribers !  ”  This  ought  not  to  be. 
It  is  a  good  suggestion  of  Mr.  Stevenson’s,  that  as  many  votes  be 
given  to  a  candidate  as  there  were  years  during  which  its  father 
subscribed  ;  also  if  there  be  two  children  of  one  family  elected,  they 
must  be  the  sons  or  daughters  of  subscribers  only,  and  that  only  one 
child  of  a  non- subscriber  be  eligible.  As  regards  distance  from  head¬ 
quarters,  I  assure  all  gardeners  that  is  no  object  w  orth  a  moment’s  thought. 
I  write  after  long  experience,  and  more  than  one  attendance  at  the  annual 
meeting.  Never  have  I  seen  any  of  the  so-called  “  string-pulling,”  but 
I  have  seen  candidates  living  in  Scotland  and  Ireland  elected,  whilst  those 
living  in  London  suburbs  were  left  out. 
Again  it  is  said  “We  have  no  voice  on  the  Committee,  we  have 
no  voice  in  the  management,”  but  surely  it  is  quite  plain  every 
subscriber  cannot  be  on  the  Committee  ?  I  hate  these  side  stabs. 
Let  any  subscribers  who  are  dissatisfied  with  the  working  of  the 
society  go  to  the  annual  meetings.  They  will  be  made  heartily 
welcome  by  the  Committee,  and  the  workings  of  the  society  explained 
to  the  full.  I  went  first  an  utter  stranger,  and  every  courtesy  was 
shown  me,  and  I  was  given  every  chance  to  say  my  say,  and 
made  to  feel  that  though  a  stranger  I  was  among  friends.  I  would  gladly 
learn  others’  experience  ;  but  if  we  cannot  all  meet  in  Fleet  Street,  with 
your  kind  permission  we  can  give  our  opinions  in  your  columns.  I 
would  in  conclusion,  congratulate  Mr.  Stevenson  on  his  four  subscribing 
gardeners  ;  I  have  only  two,  out  of  over  sixty  new  subscribers  that  I  was 
so  happy  as  to  enrol  in  1893.  Will  someone  with  the  good  of  the 
“  Orphans”  at  heart  try  and  beat  that  number  in  1899  ? — Jno,  Miles. 
[We  think  Mr.  Mile^,  or  anyone  else  who  obtains  over  sixty  annual 
subscribers  to  this  excellent  charity  in  a  year,  is  deserving  of  a  medal  for 
humanity  to  distressed  widows  and  children.] 
AUSTRALIAN  BLACKBERRYLAND. 
Blackberries  are  so  intimately  associated  with  leafy  hedgerows  in 
English  country  lanes  that  the  idea  of  their  growing  in  rich  luxuriance 
in  a  land  where  the  order  of  natural  history,  as  known  in  the  Mother 
Country,  is  popularly  supposed  to  be  reversed, where  the  stones  of  Cherries 
grow  outside  the  fruit,  and  trees  shed  their  bark  instead  of  their  leaves  ; 
yet  there  is  nothing  strange  or  incongruous  in  English  wild  fruits  thriving 
in  a  country  where  every  description  of  fruit  and  flower  known  in  Great 
Britain  thrives  in  perfection.  The  Sweetbriar,  such  a  favourite  in 
English  cottage  gardens,  grow*  so  rapidly  in  Australia  as  to  become  an 
agricultural  pest,  and  in  parts  of  New  South  Wales  the  Blackberry  is  so 
prolific  that  the  fruit  is  gathered  by  the  ton,  in  place  of  the  bushel  or 
hundredweight  with  which  English  Blackberry  gatherers  are  familiar. 
The  Blackberry  is  finest  and  most  abundant  on  the  coast  a  few  miles 
south  of  Sydney  ;  and  Bulli,  one  of  the  leading  coastal  townships,  in¬ 
habited  chiefly  by  miners  employed  in  the  neighbouring  collieries,  is 
rapidly  becoming  a  centre  for  the  annual  export  of  many  tons  of  the 
delicious  fruit.  Rising  gradually  from  the  coast  are  the  extensive 
Illawarra  Mountain  ranges,  and  in  not  a  few  places  on  the  slopes  of  these, 
on  the  lofty  summits,  and  in  clearings,  the  Blackberry  bushes  occupy 
many  acres  of  ground.  Paddocks  which  have  been  cleared  and  fenced, 
for  cultivation  or  pasturage,  olTer  no  bar  to  the  advance  of  the  Brambles. 
In  more  than  one  instance  owners  of  land  have  long  since  ceased  to  fight 
the  growth,  which  even  bush  fires  but  temporarily  retard,  so  find  it  more 
congenial  to  lease  their  holdings  for  a  small  rental  to  the  pickers,  who, 
as  a  rule,  have  anything  but  an  easy  time  of  it.  The  bushes  grow  in  a 
most  irregular  way,  presenting  in  most  cases  a  compact  mass  of  Thorn  and 
Briar  many  yards  deep  and  several  feet  high.  To  reach  every  part  of 
this  mass  of  entanglement  is  the  Blackberry  picker’s  aim.  Yet  he 
succeeds  in  doing  so,  and  may  spend  a  day  in  one  spot,  forcing  his  way 
through  the  bushes  as  best  he  can.  Generally,  he  will  cut  a  narrow 
track  to  the  heart  of  the  bushes,  and,  establishing  a  centre  at  that  point. 
“  work  ”  the  bushes  cleanly  and  systematically.  Billies,  buckets,  and 
tins  receive  the  fruit,  which  may  then  have  to  be  carried  some  distance, 
perhaps  right  into  the  township,  before  being  disposed  of.  Most  of  the 
Blackberry  pickers  are  coalminers,  and  they  have  the  assistance  of  their 
wives  and  families. 
In  1894  four  tons  of  Blackberries  were  sent  from  Bulli  to  Sydney'.  In 
1895  the  quantity  was  17  tons  ;  in  1897  it  had  risen  to  28  tons  ;  in  1898 
to  35  tons  ;  and  this  year  (1899)  it  was  expected  to  reach  100  tons.  The 
Blackberries  are  purchased,  as  they  are  picked,  by  a  local  dealer,  who 
finds  the  demand  already  exceeding  the  supply.  The  berries  are  collected 
in  carts  stationed  at  suitable  points,  and  sent,  packed  in  tins,  to  Sydney. 
In  some  instances  30s.  per  ton  is  paid  for  the  right  of  entering  lands  and 
picking  the  fruir.  Carting  is  estimated  to  cost  10s.  per  ton,  and  £9  Gs. 
per  ton  is  paid  the  pickers,  being  at  the  rate  of  Id.  per  lb.  That  there 
are  some  smart  pickers  in  the  district  may  be  gauged  from  the  fact  that  the 
net  gain  to  one  family  in  a  single  fortnight  has  been  £6.  Another  good 
family  of  pickers  has  delivered  400  lb  weight  of  fresh  Blackberries,  the 
result  of  one  day’s  work.  With  the  exception  of  Western  Australia  and 
Queensland,  the  bulk  of  the  jam  made  from  the  Bulli  Blackberries  is 
