April  27,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
349 
Apples,  Peaches,  Plums,  Grapes,  and  other  fruits  to  be  caged  with  ec[ual 
security  the  forms  would  differ  accordingly. 
For  purposes  of  application  the  protector  is  in  two  parts,  each  with  a 
flange,  and  when  the  halves  meet  the  flanges  are  gripped  with  an  attached 
movable  .clip,  and  provision  is  made  for  the  stalk  of  the  fruit— it  can 
be  caged  in  a  moment.  So  can  many  flowers,  but  though  we  should  not 
like  to  aver  that  the  incursion  of  “foreign”  pollen  would  be  prevented, 
slugs,  earwigs,  woodlice,  and  such  like  despoilers  would  be  baffled  in  their 
attempts  to  take  the  best  bits  oS  the  best  blooms,  and  thus  putting  them 
outside  the  charmed  circle  of  prizewinners. 
That  the  new  protector  will  do  all  we  have  suggested  we  have  not  a 
doubt,  but  there  is  one  other  thing  it  may  or  may  not  do,  and  it  is  just  the 
possibility  of  its  doing  it  that  would  have  led  us,  if  present,  to  have  voted 
with  the  Fruit  Committee  of  the  R.H  S ,  that  though  the  Vicar’s  pro¬ 
tector,  or  rather  the  protector  of  other  people’s  fruit  and  flowers,  “may 
prove  to  be  the  fulfilment  of  a  long  felt  want,  it  must  be  tested  at 
Chiswick  before  any  definite  award  can  be  made.”  Our  reason  for 
supporting  such  decision  is  that  an  opportunity  m'ght  be  aflbrded  for 
noting  the  effect  of  the  encasements  on  the  colour  of  the  fruit.  II  this  is 
not  impaired  in  any  way,  the  value  of  the  protectors  will  be  enhanced. 
No  doubt  the  material — celluloid — suggests  inSammability,  but  so  do 
gauze  bags  if  placed  in  proximity  to  the  tire.  But  this  is  not  the  place 
where  protectors  are  used,  and  neither  one  nor  the  other  will  “go  off” 
spontaneously.  If  the  inventor  can  manufacture  his  unique  appliances 
so  as  to  sell  them  cheaply  and  keep  them  well  before  the  public  we  shall 
not  be  surprised  if  they  command  a  large  sale.  The  invention  is  patented 
in  Great  Biitain,  and  in  process  of  being  similarly  protected  on  the 
Continent. 
NATIONAL  AURICULA  SOCIETY. 
The  accounts  which  I  had  received  from  various  grow'crs  as  to  the 
condition  of  their  collections  did  not  lead  me  to  form  very  exalted  notions 
of  what  I  should  find  at  the  Drill  Hall  on  this  occasion  ;  more  especially 
were  the  reports  from  the  north  of  a  gloomy  character.  My  friend  the 
Rev.  F.  D.  Horner  wrote  to  me  a  few  days  before  the  show,  “  Not  only 
have  1  not  a  single  truss  in  flower  but  not  even  a  pip  open,”  and  I  knew, 
of  course,  that  this  involved  most  probably  all  the  northern  growers  ; 
but  I  certainly  was  not  prepared  to  find  that  Mr.  C.  Turner,  of  Slough, 
was  not  able  to  put  in  an  appearance,  and  it  is,  I  think,  the  first  time  that 
I  have  ever  missed  him  at  an  Auricula  Show  ;  yet  withal  one  was  a  little 
surprised  to  find  so  many  stands  staged.  They  were  not,  of  course,  com¬ 
parable  in  numbers  to  those  of  former  years,  and  many  of  the  flowers  boro 
the  mark  of  having  been  subjected  to  more  warmth  than  the  Auricula 
likes  to  have. 
There  were,  however,  some  superb  flowers  shown.  Mr.  J.  Douglas, 
of  Great  Bookham,had  an  even  and  refined  collection,  exhibiting  no  trace 
of  coarseness  ;  especially  noticeable  was  a  beautiful  plant  of  George  L'ght- 
body,  possessing  all  the  good  qualities  of  that  grand  flower.  There  were  " 
some  other  fair  blooms  also,  such  as  Mrs.  Potts,  which  still  holds  its  place 
(notwithstanding  one  or  two  defects)  among  the  sells.  Amongst  the 
flowers  exhibited  by  Mr.  C.  Phillips  was  a  beautiful  bloom  of  Mrs.  Hen- 
wood,  a  new  green  edge,  which  was  also  exhibited  in  other  collections. 
It  is  a  flower  of  superior  quality,  the  pip  being  very  round  and  flat,  the 
edge  a  bright  green,  and  the  body  colour  dark  and  soliJ.  This  flower 
has  a  curious  history.  It  was  raised  from  a  pod  of  seed  sent  to  the  late 
Mr.  Samuel  Barlow  by  Ben  Simonite  ;  it  was  at  one  time  nearly  lost,  but 
the  plants  were  sent  to  Mr.  Henwood,  under  whoso  fostering  care  it 
struggled  back  to  life  ;  and  the  fact  that  it  is  now  shown  by  several 
exhibitors  makes  one  hope  that  it  will  soon  come  generally  into  cultiva¬ 
tion.  The  Rev.  F.  D.  Horner,  as  usual,  was  frequently  shown,  and  here, 
too,  its  good  constitution  makes  it  a  general  favourite.  How  different 
from  Prince  of  Greens,  which  we  may  have  for  years  without  getting  any 
increase.  Mrs.  Phillips  and  Ruby  are  both  very  beautiful  seifs  ;  and 
although  we  have  such  fine  flowers  as  Heroine  and  Mrs.  Potts,  there  is 
still  rcom  for  others  in  this  charming  class.  There  was  a  sharp  compe¬ 
tition  for  the  premier  prize,  which  was  ultimately  carried  off  by  the  fine 
green  edge  to  which  I  have  already  alluded— Mrs.  Henwood,  that  old- 
ostablished  favourite  George  Lightbody  running  it  very  closely, 
I  have  always  maintained  that  the  Auricula  world  sustained  a  great 
loss  by  the  premature  death  of  Mr.  Woodhead,  and  I  think  this  is  more 
and  more  evidenced  every  year.  He  was  but  a  short  time  at  the  work  of 
raising  seedlings,  and  he  only  sent  out  four— Black  Bess,  Rachel,  George 
Rudd,  and  Mrs.  Dodwell ;  and  looking  through  the  lists  of  successlnl 
flowers  at  any  of  our  exhibitions,  I  And  that  these  always  take  a  leading 
position,  and  this  year  has  proved  no  exception  to  the  rule.  They  were 
in  several  of  the  winning  stands,  while  in  the  competition  for  single 
plants,  grey  edges,  the  three  first  prizes  were  awarded  for  two  of  these 
flowers,  Rachel  and  George  Rudd,  and  I  am  sure  it  must  be  a  great 
satisfaction  to  Miss  Woodhead  to  know  that  the  flowers  still  maintain 
their  position.  I  find  among  the  prizewinners  the  names  of  many  new 
flowers.  In  Mr.  Douglas’  collection  there  is  Abbe  Listz,  a  very  beau¬ 
tiful  green  edge  ;  Lady  Churchill,  Cleopatra,  James  Hannifcrd,  another 
good  green.  In  Mr.  Phillips’  stand  there  were  also  Mrs.  Phillips,  a  fine 
self,  and  Miss  Barnet.  Beside  these  there  was,  as  already  said.  Ruby, 
a  very  bright  self. 
It  would  be  ungenerous  before  closing  these  few  notes  not  to  say  how 
much  exhibitors  and  Auricula  lovers  in  general  are  indebted  to  Mr. 
Henwood  for  the  care  he  has  taken  in  advancing  the  interests  of  the 
Society,  and  for  the  way.  in  which  the  plants  were  put  up  for  the  Judges 
on  the  present  occasion.  Of  course  his  labours  were  considerably 
lightened  by  the  thinness  of  the  exhibition,  but  one  feels  that  the  same 
quiet  and  business-like  habit  would  have  equally  availed  him  had  the 
exhibition  been  much  larger. — D.,  Deal. 
FORSYTHIAS. 
Of  the  numerous  hardy  shrubs  now  flowering  at  Kew,  the  above 
mentioned  are,  without  doubt,  the  most  attractive.  At  almost  every  turn 
the  graceful,  wand-like  shoots  of  yellow  flowers  meet  the  eye.  Here  a 
group  of  F,  suspensa  8  feet  high  perfectly  covered  with  flowers,  there  a 
single  plant  of  the  same  species  rambling  over  some  other  bush,  or  again 
a  bed  of  viridissima  or  intermedia  dressed  in  gayest  costume,  all  adding 
their  share  to  form  a  really  grand  display. 
Considering  the  uses  to  which  these  three  plants  can  bo  put,  especially 
the  first  mentioned,  it  is  a  wonder  that  they  are  not  used  a  great  deal 
more  freely  in  gardens  than  they  are  at  present.  F.  suspensa  can  be 
employed  with  almost  equal  success  for  a  number  of  purposes.  Trained 
over  an  old  tree,  fence,  pillar,  or  other  support,  or  planted  in  beds,  it  is 
equally  at  home,  a  difference  in  pruning  beieg  all  that  is  necessary  to 
make  it  fit'  the  various  places.  The  other  species,  F.  viridissima  and  the 
hybrid,  F,  intermedia,  are  suitable  only  for  beds  or  single  bushes. 
To  cultivate  they  are  very  easy.  Cuttings  put  in  about  July  root  in 
a  yery  short  time,  and  a  year  in  nursery  quarters  is  sufficient  to  make 
good  plants  for  planting  out.  Any  pruning  should  be  done  as  soon  as 
the  flowers  are  over.  When  F.  suspensa  is  grown  in  beds  it  is  a  good 
plan  to  cut  the  plants  back  fairly  hard,  as  young  strong  shoots  are  then 
made,  4  to  6  feet  long,  which  bear  an  abundant  supply  cf  flowers. 
— W.  D. 
THE  ROYAL  GARDENERS’  ORPHAN  FUND. 
Aftee  “  A.  D.’s  ”  letter  on  page  302  of  your  issue  of  13th  April,  I  trust 
that  your  correspondents,  “S.,  Yorks,"  and  “A  Country  Gardener”  will 
bo  so  good  as  to  acknowledge  that  they  did  not  understand  the  working  of 
this  Society,  or  the  amount  of  work  done  by  our  Secretary.  Let  mo  ask 
“  S.,  Yorks,"  and  “A  Country  Gardener  ”  if  they  know  of  any  Society 
doing  the  same  amount  of  good  that  the  R.G.O.F.  is  doing  at,  say,  double 
the  expense  ?  In  the  town  in  which  I  live  are  two  or  three  orphanages, 
with  a  staff  of  attendants  to  look  after  their  inmates.  What  aboot  the 
salaries  of  these  attendants  and  the  sums  spent  for  the  upkeep  of  the 
buildings  in  which  they  live  ?  Must  it  not  be  that  these  heavy  expenses 
are  borne  by  the  subscriptions,  which  were  meant  for  the  maintenance  of 
poor  orphans  ?  One  hundred  guineas  would  not  go  far  in  meeting  these 
heavy  outgoings. 
But  the  R.G.O.F.  leaves  the  fatherless  ones  with  their  natural  pro¬ 
tectors  ;  amongst  their  own  kiih  and  kin  ;  and  spends  nothing  on 
bricks  and  mortar  ;  and  excepting  the  Secretary’s  modest  salary,  nothing 
for  administration  at  all  ;  but  each  farthing  given  so  generously  is  spent 
so  wisely,  that  every  subscriber  can  rejoice  in  the  sound  financial  position 
of  the  Fund,  and  the  great  benefits  it  is  conferring  on  those  who  need  and 
participate  in  it.  1  would  recommend  “  S.,  YorksI  and  “  A.  C.  G.”  to 
note  the  letter  preceding  tbeirs,  on  page  257.  That  shows  that  some 
gardeners  do  take  an  interest  in  the  Society  and  its  noble  work.  Mr. 
Cummins  makes  the  excellent  suggestion  that  the  “boxes”  should  be 
worked  more.  I  carried  one  at  our  Horticultural  Shows  and  netted 
£7  11s.  6d.  One  of  my  boys  did  the  same,  and  collected  £5,  before  he 
was  eight  years  old,  and  has  thus  become  a  life  member.  A  younger 
brother  now  carries  the  “box,”  which  has  already  nearly  £4  standing  to 
its  credit.  I  mention  these  facts  to  show  what  can  be  done  if  one  tries.  A 
little  done  this  way  is  worth  pages  of  cai'ping  criticisms. 
I  wonder  what  excuse  could  have  been  made  for  non-subscribing  if 
the  Secretary  had  not  been  paid,  which,  as  “A.  D.”  reminds  us,  has  not 
always  been  the  case  ?  Our  late  Secretary,  Mr.  Barron,  carried  on  the 
secretarial  duti  s  for  some  years  without  fee  or  reward  of  any  kind,  until 
the  Committee  thought  the  financial  state  of  the  Society  allowed  some 
small  sum  to  be  paiu  for  these  onerous  duties,  and  after  submitting  the 
proposal  to  the  subscribers  at  the  annual  meeting.  I  for  one  voted  for  it. 
With  such  a  body  of  business  men  as  we  have  at  the  head  of  the 
R.G.O.F.  I  do  not  think  those  gardeners  who  do  subscribe  to  its  funds 
need  trouble,  but  may  rest  assured  that  all  monies  are  put  to  the  very 
best  use — viz.,  to  maintain  poor  fatherless  children  in  their  own  homes. 
Not  one  farthing  is  wasted  or  misapplied.  It  is  heart-breaking  that  cold 
water  should  be  thrown  on  such  charitable  work,  especially  by  non¬ 
subscribers.  The  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund  is  a  power  for  good, 
and  does  its  work  nobly. — Anothee  Countey  Gaedexee. 
Filbeet  Cultuee  in  Italy. — It  will  surprise  many  to  hear  that 
in  certain  districts  of  Italy  the  Filbert  crop  rivals  the  produce  of  tho 
Vine  in  commercial  importance.  These  delicious  Nuts  are  grown  on 
bushes  or  shrubs,  which  are  arranged  in  groups  that  are  from  15  to 
25  feet  apart,  so  as  to  insure  the  access  of  plenty  of  light  and  air.  They 
thrive  best  in  a  deep  clayey  soil,  and  the  planting  takes  place  during 
November  and  December,  ot  slips  from  the  mother  plant.  The  bushes 
do  not  bear  fruit  until  the  third  year.  They  are  periodically  pruned, 
when  any  slips  which  have  failed  to  sprout  are  removed  and  replaced 
by  others  ;  so  that  there  are  plantations  which  remain  in  full  growth, 
although  nearly  a  hundred  years  old.  The  Filbert  is  not  subject  to  the 
diseases  common  to  other  crops,  but  it  suffers  severely  from  hailstones  and 
from  cold  winds.— (“  Indian  Gardening.”) 
