February  26,  1903.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE-  GARDENER. 
187 
Cslery,  Sutton’s  Solid  White. 
Allow  me  to  add  a.  word  to  what  was  said  by  Mr.  Yates  on 
•page  168  in  favour  of  this  excellent  variety.  I  have  had  ooiu- 
inents  passed  during  the  season  both  by  my  employer  and  by 
gentry  staying  in  the  house,  respecting  its  fine,  delicate  flavour 
and  good  eating  cxualities.  Like  your  corresimndent  it  was 
entirely  free  from  bolting,  and  has  kept  well. — William  Benbow, 
Overcross  House,  Ross. 
Old  Favourite  Roses. 
The  remarks  which  have  recently  fallen  from  W.  R.  Raillem 
and  '■  H.  D.,”  plainly  show  that  with  Roses,  as  with  many  other 
inmates  of  gardens,  tastes  differ.  In  a  garden  in  the  Midlands 
which  I  visited  during  last  summer  all  the  old  pets,  condemned 
by  Mr.  Raillem  as  merely  summer  flowering  Roses,  had  room 
found  for  them,  in  addition  to  many  of  the  finest  exhibition 
varieties,  and  though  these  latter  were  highly  appreciated,  it 
is  certain  they  did  not  occupy  the  same  place  in  the  affections 
of  the  owners  of  the  garden  as  did  some  of  the  older  types.  If 
we  condemn  Roses  for  the  short  time  they  possess:  of  producing 
flowers,  it  is  certain  we  must  make:  up  our  minds  to  dispense  with 
some  of  the  luost  lovely  forms  of  climbing  Roses  we  possess. 
Not  alone  Blairii  2,  but  nearly  the  whole  of  the  Rambler  section 
have  but  a  brief  period  of  blooming.  The  same  may  be  said 
of  Paul’s  Carmine;  this,  with  its  clean,  free  growth  and  gloriously 
tinted  flowers,  is,  I  think,  one  of  the  most,  beautiful  Roses  we 
possess.  Yet  the  blossoms,  jiroduced  in  early  summer,  are 
almost  painfully  fugitive,  and  their  production  is  curtailed  to 
a  pitifully  short  time. — J.  W. 
- - 
The  Saturday  Half-Holiday  for  Gardeners, 
The  Journal  has  at  all  times  been  true  to  its  original  motto, 
which  is  printed  weekly  above  the  leading  article.  W©  have  seen 
lately  how  it  marshalled  the  plea  for  better  bothies  for  under 
gardeners,  and  did  not  desist  till  plans  of  a  suitable  structure 
were  presented  through  its  pages,  and  now,  in  the  above  title,  I 
have  ventured  to  use  its  influence  on  behalf  of  the  half-holiday 
for  gardeners.  The  lame  excuses  advanced  in  antagonism  to 
the  half-day  off  have  never  been  worthy  of  one’s  contempt,  much 
less  one’s  consideration,  and  I  only  hope  that  by  dinging  away 
at  a  well-worn  subject  our  desires  may  eventually  be  universally 
granted,  as  they  already  have  been  in  many  instances,  and  which 
would  not  have  been  but  for  agitations  evolving  from  the  Press. 
Last  century  will  for  ever  remain  celebrated  in  the  history  of 
the  world  for  its  uniform  march  of  progress.  This  applied  in 
very  marked  measures  to  the  emancipation  of  those  whose 
destiny  it  was  to  be  yoked  to  the  trappings  of  thraldom,  and  all 
this  was  mainly  due  to  the  sentiments  of  a  God-fearing  nation, 
such  as  nowhere  under  heaven  exists  but  in  our  own  loved  country, 
the  Isles  of  the  Sea.  And  yet  in 'some  umbered  corners  of  the 
land,  while  that  progress  was  inteiTuptedly  proceeding,  leaving 
its  unmistakeable  impress  on  every  art,  science,  and  profession, 
its  effects  have  barely  touched  the  fringe  of  the  social  conditions 
of  gardeners.  Gardening,  like  most  other  arts,  has  felt  and 
benefited  from  its  impulse  in  no  unstinted  measure,  but  the 
conditions  of  the  workers  themselves  have  practically  remained 
unaltered.  •  ■ 
The  housing  problem  has  stood  the  brunt  of  the  universal 
progression  with  a  stoicism  and  rigidity  worthy  of  a  piece  of 
masonry  of  mediaeval  construction,  and  is  only  now  on  the  eve 
of  receiving  that  attention  it  demanded  a  century  ago.  Wages 
have  only  advanced  in  miserable  and  tardy  driblets,  and  are 
unworthy  of  comparison  with  those  of  other  arts,  trades,  and 
professions.  But  in  the  regulation  of  the  hours  of  labour  there 
has  been  no  tangible  change,  and  at  this  very  hour  the  prospects 
of  general  amelioration  are  a.s  far  distant  as  they  may  have 
appeared  in  the  age  of  William  the  Conqueror.  But  gardening 
is  an  edifying  factor  in  the  general  elevation  of  a  nation’s  people, 
und  on  that  account  alone  it  is  politic  to  contribute  to  those 
elements  which  will  place  its  operatives  on  an  equal  footing 
with  their  fellow  citizens.  That  so  few  efforts  to  do  so  has  been 
attempted  by  the  worker  himself  is  largely  owing  to  the 
inv'incible  conservatism  of  employers  and  “chiefs”  of  the  old 
school.  Every  gardener  and  employer  surely  knows  that  better 
house  accommodation,  better  wages,  and  better  working  hours 
will  not  only  bring  better  work,  but  will  make  immensely  better 
men.  So,  employers  who  esteem  your  gardens  (those  who  do  not, 
deserve  to  have  none),  and  gardeners  who'  resiiect  your  men, 
pause  for  a  moment  and  consider  the  sign  of  the  times. — 
SCOTIC'US. 
- - 
The  Horticultural  Hall. 
The  Council  of  the  R.H.S.  are  doubtbss  bent  on  carrying  out 
their  scheme  for  the  above,  as  exemplified  in  the  plans  illustrated 
in  the  Journal  of  HnriicuUure,  and  other  publications.  To 
reopen  criticisms  upon  those  plans  would  now  be  useless,  but  I  may 
be  iiardoned  for  saying  that  had  the  opposition  been  better  pre¬ 
pared  and  organised  some  modification  as  to  the  internal  arrange¬ 
ment  of  the  proposed  hall  might  have  been  insisted  on  at  the 
la.st  general  meeting  of  the  Society.  It  only  remains  for  all 
Fellows  and  friends  of  the  institution  to  aid  as  far  as  it  is  in 
their  power  to  raise  the  necessary  fund.s  towards  the 
£22,000  still  required,  so  that  no  incubus  of  debt  may  hamper 
the  progress  of  a  now  flourishing  Society. — Gloucester. 
- - 
Reflexing  tlie  Petals  of  Chrysanthemums. 
I  have  been  much  interested  in  the  articles  which  have 
appeared  in  the  Journal  on  the  reflexing  of  Chrysanthemum 
petals,  and  I  congratulate  Mr.  Jefferies  and  Mr.  Roberts  on  the 
efforts  they  have  made  through  these  pages  to  stop  this  iiractice. 
In  my  opinion,  no  comparison  can  be  drawn  between  dressing 
a  true  incurved  bloom  and  reflexing  a  Japanese-incurved.  For 
dressing  an  incurved  flower  we  are  assisting  Nature  by  removing 
short  and  deformed  petals,  thereby  making  room'  for  those 
which  we  know  will  develop  properly,  and  by  so  doing  form  a 
neat,  well-built  flower.  But  by  reflexing  the  petals  we  are  work¬ 
ing  against  Nature,  and  mutilating  the  bloom  beyond  recognition. 
True,  in  most  cases  we  get  additional  colour;  but  that  hardly 
compensates  for  the  unnatural  and  rigid  look  a  reflexed  bloom 
always  shows.  Granting  we  gain  colour  by  the  practice  (and 
colour  on  a  stand  of  blooms  means  points  won),  how  would  a 
stand  of  naturally  grown  blooms  far©  beside  one  reflexed?  From 
a  judge’s  point  of  view  it  would  be  a  difficult  matter  to  decide, 
unless  the  National  Chrysanthemum  and  other  societies  form 
rules  dealing  with  the  matter,  and  state  definitely  whether  it  is 
allowable  or  not.  I  should  like  to  see  some  of  our  leading 
exhibitors  take  the  matter  up,  and  give  us  their  views  on  the 
subject. — W.  L.  Bastin. 
Echoes  from  Hamilton. 
The  Weather. — The  past  week  has  been  very  mild,  but  the 
latter  jiart  of  it  was  stormy  and  wet.  Saturday  was  considerably 
colder,  hail  showers  taking  the:  place  of  rain.  Ihe  wind  was 
also  high  and  boisterous.  Gardening  and  farming,  nevertheless, 
are  proceeding  fairly  well.  Very  remarkable  is  the  extreme 
green  ajppearanco  which  all  fields,  lawns,  and  grass  land.s  have  at 
so  early  a  time  of  the  season.  I  have  before  noticed  this  super¬ 
vene  a  heavy  snowfall,  such  as  visited  the  district  some  time 
ago,  but  I  have  not  yet  been  able  to  decide  for  myself  whether 
the  effects  are  due  to  the  ammonia  carried  down  by  the  snow, 
or  those  of  the  warmth  conveyed  to  the  soil  by  the  snow  covering. 
Dr.  Wilson. — I  was  glad  to  see  an  old  friend  and  teacher  in 
the  person  of  Dr.  Wilson  receive  the  prominence  he  so  deservedly 
merits  in  the  Journal.  Like  the  writer,  I  too  had  the  good 
fortune  to  be  a  student  at  Watt  College,  under  Dr.  Wilson’s 
tuition,  and  will  always  look  back  with  satisfaction  on  the  well- 
appointed  course  of  instruction  received,  and  view  with  a  reason¬ 
able  amount  of  pride  the  certificate  of  distinction  I  hold  as  the 
result.  But  my  chief  reason  in  referring  to  this  matter  is  to 
give  yet  another  instance  of  Dr.  Wilson’s  keen  perception  of 
things.  Most  gardeners  are  aciiuainted  with  the  peculiar  con¬ 
struction  of  the  inflorescence  of  the  Aspidistra,  and  how  utterly 
impossible  it  i.s'  for  fertili.sation  to  take  place,  except  by  the 
intervention  of  extraordinary  means.  Dr.  Wilson  suggested  to 
me  many  years  ago,  how  this  became  possible  through  the 
agency  of  slugs.  Since  then  I  have  more  than  once  found  his 
sugge.kion  confirmed  by  the  presence  of  a  slug  in  the  floral 
cavity  after  eating  its  way  through  the  integument  which  so 
jealously  guards  the  organs  of  reproduction.  I  have  semi  this 
idea  in  print,  but  I  think  it  could  be  traced  to  Dr.  Wilson’s 
suggestion.  .  ■.  o 
The  Pharmaceutical  Society. — Messrs.  A.  C  ross  and  bons, 
seedsmen,  Glasgow,  were  charged  before  Sheriff  Davidson,  on 
Friday  last,  for  selling  arsenic  in  the  form  of  Ballykinraiu  Ant 
De'^troyer  as  a  contravention  of  the  Pharmacy  Act.  The  prose- 
cutioii'was  at  the  instance  of  the  registrar  of  the  .society.  The 
case  was  adjourned  till  March  6.  Me.ssrs.  t  ross  are  also  chenucal 
manufacturer.'-’. — D.  C. 
