January  29,  1903. 
JOUBNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
97 
England's  Afforestation. 
The  afforestation  of  about  fifty  acres  of  land  in  the  Ogden  and 
?*Iixenden  district  by  the  Halifax  C'orporation  is  now  completed. 
About  3,000  young  trees,  Larch,  Fir,  etc.,  have  been  planted  to 
the  acre. 
Flowers  for  Railway  Cars. 
The  Pennsylvania  Railway  Company,  reports  the  special 
correspondent  of  the  “Daily  Mail,”  is  erecting  enormous  con¬ 
servatories  at  Elizabeth,  New  Jersey,  covering  twenty  aePes, 
where  flowers  and  tropical  plants  for  the  decoration  of  special 
trains,  parlour  cars,  &c.,  will  bo  grown.  The  Company  is  also 
arranging  a  line  of  railway  between  Elizabeth  and  Philadelphia 
lined  with  shade  trees,  and  will  lay  out  fine  gardens  at  all  the 
stations,  the  flowers  for  which  will  be  supplied  from  the  conser¬ 
vatories. 
A  Poet’s  ISong  of  Seed-Collapse. 
“  Pan  in  Vermont,  IJ.S.A.,”  is  a  spring  song,  or  renouveau,  by 
Rudyard  Kipling.  It  bears  at  its  head  the  quaint  epigraph  : 
“  About  the  15th  of  this  month  you  may  expect  our  Mr.  - , 
with  the  usual  spring  seed,  &c.,  catalogues. — Florists’  Announce¬ 
ment.”  The  poem  opens : 
It’s  forty  in  the  shade  to-day,  the  spouting  eves  declare ; 
The  boulders  rose  above  the  drilt,  the  southern  slopes  are  bare  ; 
Hub  deep  in  slush  Apollo’s  car  swings  north  among  the  Zod¬ 
iac.  Good  lack,  the  spring  is  back,  and  Pan  is  on  the  road. 
The  second  stanza  carries  further  the  conceit  of  spring  (by 
personification.  Pan),  quickening  the  wintry  earth,  and  leads 
tbe  reader  to^  a  really  comical  fancy,  for  Mr.  Kipling  then  pro¬ 
ceeds  to  report  the  poet’s  unfortunate  experience  with  American 
seeds : 
What  though  his  Phlox  and  Hollyhocks  are  half  a  month  demised  ? 
What  though  his  Ampelopsis  clambered  not  as  advertised  ! 
Though  every  seed  was  guaranteed  and  every  standard  true, 
Forget,  forgive,  they  did  not  live !  Believe,  and  buy  anew. 
Official  Report  of  Committee  on  British  Forestry. 
The  official  report  of  the  Department  Committee  on  British 
Forestry,  which  investigated  the  question  during  last  spring, 
has  at  length  been  published.  Among  other  things  the  Com¬ 
mittee  recommend  :  That  two  areas  for  practical  demonstration 
be  acquired,  the  one  in  England  and  the  other  in  Scotland,  of 
not  less  than  2,000  acres,  if  possible,  nor  over  10,000'  acres  in 
each  case.  We  sugge.st  that  the  Alice  Holt  Woods  in  Hamp¬ 
shire  be  made  available  as  soon  as  possible  to  serve  as  a.  demon¬ 
stration  area  in  England ;  and  that  a  suitable  estate  be  pur¬ 
chased  in  Scotland,  as  convenient  as  possible  to  Edinburgh,  for 
tlie  same  purpose.  That  additional  facilities  for  instruction  be 
afforded,  by  the  appointment  of  a  lecturer  on  forestry  in  con¬ 
nection  with  each  of  the  Univei’sities  of  Cambridge  and  Oxford. 
That  a  good  grounding  in  forestry  form  an  integral  part  of  the 
curriculum  of  the  colleges  providing  instruction  in  Agriculture 
in  Great  Britain ;  and  that  short  courses  of  instruction  suitable 
for  the  requirements  of  young  foresters  be  also  provided  there. 
That  lectures  be  given,  under  the  auspices  of  the  county  coun¬ 
cils,  in  neighbourhoods' where  there  is  a  considerable  area  under 
wood ;  and  that  scholarships  be  offered  in  such  counties  to 
enable  working  foresters  to  attend  courses  of  lectures. 
The  Weather  of  the  Week  at  Hamilton. 
The  wave  of  severe  wintry  weather  which  visited  this  district 
about  a  fortnight  ago  has  given  place,  to  the  boistei'ous  conditions 
that  filled  up  so  much  of  the  latter  months  of  the  year.  Since 
Monday  of  last  week  indications  of  a  change  were  portrayed  in 
the  dull  and  hazy  skies,  but  the  thaw  did  not  become  defined 
enough  to  make  any  marked  impression  on  the  hard  frozen  snow 
till  Thursday.  The  thaw  was  not,  however,  of  the  most  desirable 
nature,  for  it  was  attended  with  much  rain,  wdiich  never  has  the 
.same, power  in  dissolving  snow  or  frost  as  a  good  blowing  sou’- 
Avester.  Saturday  night,  all  Sunday,  and  to-day  (Monday)  have 
not  only  been  w'et  and  stormy,  but  the  wind  (especially  on  Satur¬ 
day  night  and  Sunday)  has  been  at  times  bloAving  with  the  force 
of  a  gale.  To-day  rain  has  fallen  Avithout  intermission,  and  as  a 
result  the  ground  and  roads  are  in  quite  a  puddle.  Burst  water- 
pipes  are  in  direful  evidence,  and  the  hue  and  cry,  Avherever  one 
turns  his  .steps,  are.  Where  is  the  plumber?  “It’s  an  ill  Avind, 
Ac.”  My  Aralias  (japonica)  haven’t  flinched  a  bit  for  their  ex¬ 
perience  of  31deg  of  frost  the  other  Aveek,  but  AA'liy  should  they? 
For  I  think  Lady  Bra.s.sey,  in  her  delightful  “  Cruise  of  the  Sun¬ 
beam,”  .says  that  winter  in  Japan  is  rather  severe. — D.  C. 
Foreign  FloAwers  in  Plenty. 
Immense  consignments  of  flowers,  including  Narcissi, 
Hyacinths,  Violets,  and  Anemones,  are  arriving  daily  at  Folke¬ 
stone  from  the  South  of  EuTope  for  London  and  other  markets. 
FloAwers  in  the  Market. 
Violets,  of  course,  are  largely  sold,  and  so  are  Lily  of  the 
Valley  spikes,  Avith  Tulips,  Azalea  mollis,  Chrysanthemums 
(about  a  dozen  varieties),  common  yelloAV  trumpet  Narcissus, 
Paper  White  and  golden  Polyantha  Narcissus,  Avhite  Lilac, 
Zonal  Pelargoniums,  Carnations,  Roses,  Lilium  speciosum, 
Ricliardias,  Freesias,  and  a  feAV  other  subjects. 
Boats  in  London  Parks. 
All  the  larger  London  Parks  have  an  ornamental  piecie  of 
Avater — a  lake;  and  on  these  lakes  are  boats  for  hire.  The  re¬ 
turns  lately  issued  shoAv,  as  regards  the  boats  in  Finsbury  Park, 
a  revenue  for  the  season  of  £788,  and  an  expenditure  of  £200 
only;  at  Victoria  Park,  a  revenue  of  £1,020,  and  an  outgo  of 
£311;  and  at  Battersea  Park  receipts  to  the  amount  of  £420, 
representing  a  profit  of  £250.  This  wonderful  popularity  of  the 
boats  may  be  judged  from  the  fact  that  no  le.ss  a  sum  than 
£9  15s.  has  been  received  in  penny  fares  on  a  single  day  from 
children  in  connection  Avitli  one  boat  alone. 
A  Profitable  Use  of  Cull  Apples, 
An  important  development  of  the  fruit  industry  in  W’a.shing- 
ton  State  is  reported  by  the  State  Commissioner,  AAdiich  is  destined 
to  be  of  great  financial  help  to  the  fruitgrowers  of  that  State. 
The  famous  Blalock  fruit  farm  of  Walla  Walla  county  has  demon¬ 
strated  the  profitableness  of  making  a  highly  saleable  jelly  from 
the  cull  Apples.  Last  season  manager  McArthur  imported  a 
neAvly  invented  machine,  Avhich  does  all  the  Avork  automatically. 
Apples  fed  in  at  one  end  come  out  at  the  other  in  three  minutes 
by  the  Avatch  as  perfect  jelly,  and  this  Avithout  the  use  of  any 
sugar  at  all.  The  jelly  is  all  sold  ahead  at  10  cents  a  pound.  It 
takes  71b  of  Apples  to  make  11b  of  the  jelly,  and  the  machine 
makes  2,0001b  of  the  .stuff  each  day,  and  therefore  uses  14,0001b. 
Cardiff  Gardeners’  Association. 
The  first  meeting  of  the  ncAv  year  took  place  at  the  Grand 
Hotel  on  Tuesday,  January  13,  Mr.  C.  E.  Collier  in  the  chair. 
Mr.  Thomas  LeAvis  (late  of  Messrs.  Clibran  and  Son,  Man¬ 
chester,  and  noAV  repre,senting  Messrs.  John  Waterer  and  Co., 
Bagshot,  Surrey)  addressed  the  members  on  “  Gardeners  and  their 
Grievances,”  and  considering  the  remarks  Avere  based  upon 
actual  experience,  the  many  hints  giv'en,  if  fully  grasped  and 
put  into  lAractice,  Avould  doubtless  prove  advantageous,  both  to 
employers  and  employed.  Bothy  life  came  in  for  the  most 
amu.sing  part  of  the  debate.  Mr.  LeAA’is  A\'as  cordially  thanked 
for  his  address.  In  an  open  competition  for  the  best  plant 
suitable  for  a  draAving-room  (in  a  Gin  pot),  Mr.  C.  E.  Collier 
came  first  Avith  Dendrobium  nobile,  and  Mr.  Thos.  Redclift’o 
second  Avith  Aralia  elegantissima.  A  second  class  certificate 
Avas  also  aAvarded  to  Mr.  Redcliffe  for  three  pots  of  Roman 
Hyacinths. — J.  Julian. 
Retirement  of  Mr.  James  Hunter. 
Mr.  Jas.  Hunter’s  rttirojncnt  from  the  supervision  of  the 
Lambton  Castle  Gardens  has  evoked  a  Avidc-spread  and  earne.st 
feeling  that  some  tangible  recognition  should  be  tendered  him 
for  his  eminent  .seiwices  to  horticulture  and  horticulturists,  for 
his  never-failing  courtesy  to  the  numerous  visitors  to  the 
gardens,  and  in  appreciation  of  his  good  qualities  as  a  frieml 
and  neighbour.  At  an  influential  meeting  held  at  the  Queen’s 
Head  Hotel,  Cliester-lci-Street  it  Avas  unanimously  resolved  to 
invite  the  co-operation  of  Avorking  committees  in  Edinburgh, 
Sunderland,  NcAvcastle,  and  South  Shields,  to  Avork  in  con¬ 
junction  Avith  the  Chester-le-Strcet  Committee,  thus  giving  Mr. 
Hunter’s  numerous  friends,  over  as  Avide  an  area  as  possible,  the 
opportunity  of  sboAving  their  appreciation  of  the  object  in  A'icAv 
and  by  their  subscriptions  to  bring  it  to  a  successful  termina¬ 
tion.  Subscriptions  may  be  paid  into  Lloyd’s  Bank,  Chcstor-Ie- 
Street,  payable  to  F.  C.  Bullock,  Trea.surer,  or  Avili  be  received 
and  acknowledged  by  .Air.  AV.  H.  Ala-ssie,  1,  AVaterloo  Place, 
Edinburgh;  Mr.  J.  Summers,  Florist,  laAAcett  Sticct,  Sumiei- 
land;  Mr.  Barnard  CoAvan,  Superintendent,  Harton  Cemetery. 
South  Shields’;  Messrs.  AI.  D.  Tliompson,  T.  Garnett,  Chester- 
le-Streot,  and  G.  H.  Cooke,  Lambton  Gardens,  Fence  Houses. 
