498 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
June  13,  1901. 
NOTES 
Weather  In  London. — Thursday,  Friday,  and  Saturday,  remained 
bright,  with  a  fair  amount  of  sunshine,  and  fresh,  coolsome  breezes 
blew  briskly.  The  temperature  on  Sunday  reached  80°,  but  became 
cloudy  toward  evening  ;  little  rain,  however,  fell.  Monday  was  hot 
and  dry,  as  was  Tuesday ;  while  before  going  to  press  on  Wednesday 
some  rain  had  fallen,  and  more  appeared  imminent. 
To  Preserve  Nature. — There  has  long  been  a  feeling  in 
Devonshire  that  stern  action  ought  to  be  taken  to  prevent  the  rifling 
of  the  hedge  rows  in  the  beautiful  lanes,  not  only  by  hawkers,  but  by 
visitors.  With  Lord  Clifford  of  Chudleigh,  chairman  of  the  United 
Devon  Association  at  its  head,  there  has  been  a  movement  which  has 
culminated  in  the  formation  of  the  Western  Counties  Ferns  and  Wild 
Plants  Preservation  Committee.  Amongst  those  who  have  promised 
support  are  Lord  Morley,  Lord  Sidmouth,  Lord  Bbrington,  Sir  C.  T.  D. 
Acland,  Admiral  Parker,  Col.  Yaughan,  Mr.  W.  F.  Collier,  Captain 
Templer,  and  Mr.  W.  H.  Kitson. 
Kew  Gardens. — Every  rood  of  the  251  acres  comprising  Kew’s 
Royal  Gardens  is  parched  almost  like  the  Sahara.  The  grass  in  the 
outlying  parts  of  the  Arboretum  is  brown  and  winnowed ;  so  dry, 
indeed,  that  half  an  acre  of  it  was  burned  last  Sunday  by  the 
negligence  of  some  passing  smoker.  Long  lines  of  hose-pipes  that 
shower  forth  a  spreading  spray  are  being  used,  and  have  been,  for 
months  past,  on  the  more  prominent  glades,  vistas,  and  fore-froDt 
lawns.  Kew  soil,  is  however,  little  superior  to  pure  sand,  and  if  one 
day  the  Thames  flooded  the  whole  garden,  the  following  day  the 
surface  soil  would  probably  again  represent  dust.  The  Iris  collection 
was  at  its  best  condition  about  June  10th  and  11th,  but  drought  is 
causing  the  flowers  to  quickly  fade.  Rhododendrons,  Roses,  Cytisus, 
and  alpines  are  the  most  conspicuous  of  the  hardy  subjects  throughout 
the  grounds. 
Covent  Garden  Market. — This  great  fruit,  flower,  and  vegetable 
centre  is  as  interesting  as  a  very  good  horticultural  show  at  the  present 
time  of  year.  All  the  newest,  including  the  lesser  known,  vegetables 
are  offered  in  varying  quantities.  The  shelling  of  young  Peas  by  dozens 
of  women,  who  sit  so  as  to  form  three  sides  of  a  square,  and  throw  all 
the  shells  into  a  central  heap,  while  retaining  the  Peas  in  bowls  held  in 
their  laps,  is  amusing  and  highly  entertaining  to  anyone  unaccustomed 
to  the  sight  or  their  coster  twang.  Strawberries  and  Cherries  were 
selling  on  Wednesday  last  at  Is.  the  punnet  in  the  Central  Row.  On 
costers’  street  barrows  good  samples  of  the  same  were  freely  sold  at 
3d.  per  lb.  With  the  costers  it  is  a  case  of  small  returns,  but  quick 
and  numerous.  Good  eating  Apples  fetch  6d.  a  lb.  Bananas,  Pine 
Apples,  Pomelos  or  Grape  fruit  (3d.  each),  Limes,  Peaches,  and 
Apricots  are  all  offered  in  more  or  less  amount,  and  good.  Shirley 
Poppies,  especially  rosy-pink  varieties,  Cornflowers,  Spanish  Irises, 
and  Lilium  Harrisi  are  on  the  market  in  great  display,  besides,  of 
course,  Orchids  and  flowers  from  tender  exotics  in  lesser  quantities. 
Fruit  Prospects  around  Cardiff. — Apple  and  Pear  trees  in 
this  district  flowered  profusely  this  year.  There  was  no  frost  nor  biting 
east  winds  to  injure  the  trees  during  the  time  they  were  in  bloom, 
and  the  result  is  that  mostly  a’l  the  varieties  of  both  have  set  a  fine 
crop  of  fruit.  Notwithstanding  the  high  temperature,  long  drought, 
and  small  rainfall  (0'96  inch)  experienced  in  South  Wales  during  the 
month  of  May,  the  foliage  of  the  trees  never  looked  greener  nor  freer 
of  insect  pests  of  any  kind  than  they  do  now  in  the  gardens  here.  The 
surface  of  the  ground  for  at  least  6  feet  round  the  trees  was  heavily 
mulched  with  rough  stable  litter  some  time  before  the  new  year,  and 
they  have  not  suffered  in  the  least  by  the  drought.  The  fruits  are 
swelling  fast,  and  to  judge  from  present  appearance  Pitmaston  Duchess 
Pear  and  many  others  will  require  to  have  their  branches  supported 
very  soon,  or  they  will  be  injured  by  the  weight  of  fruit.  Strawberries 
are  a  good  crop,  the  plants  were  not  injured  while  in  flower,  and  the 
crop  is  going  to  be  heavy  ;  but  the  drought  has  been  sore  on  them 
(although  the  ground  was  mulched  with  stable  manure  between  the 
rows  before  Christmas),  and  we  have  been  obliged  to  give  them  two  or 
three  heavy  soakings  to  save  the  crop  from  being  small  undersized 
fruits. — A.  Pettigrew,  Castle  Gardens,  Cardiff. 
Excerpta  and  Variorum. — It  is  said  that  a  French  grower  has 
developed  a  Primula  sinensis  with  yellow  blooms.  *  *  A  box  of 
wild  Strawberries  has  been  picked  on  the  railway  embankment  between 
Barnstaple  and  Lynton. 
Royal  Horticultural  Society. — The  next  Fruit  and  Flower 
Show  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  will  be  held  on  Tuesday, 
June  18tb,  in  the  Drill  Hall,  Buckingham  Gate,  Westminster,  1  to  5  p.m. 
A  lecture  on  “  Gardening  in  the  London  Parks  ”  will  be  given  by  Mr. 
M.  J.  Wheatley  at  three  o’clock. 
Malformed  Apple  Blossom. — Mr.  Charles  Pocook,  of  Winoanton, 
sends  us  a  double  Apple  blossom,  with  the  following  remarks  : — “This 
monstrous  Apple  blossom  was  taken  from  an  old  espalier  tree  of 
D.  T.  Fish.  This  is,  as  you  will  see,  not  only  very  large,  but  apparently 
very  double,  and  is,  of  course,  abnormally  late,  as  the  fruits  on  the 
tree  are  already  of  good  size.  I  have  never  before  met  with  such  a 
speoimen.”  We  do  not  recall  such  a  remarkable  instance  of  doabling 
the  flowers  were  exactly  like  the  half-expanded  blooms  of  Ro3a  rugosa 
Blanc  de  Coubert. 
Tax  on  Fruit. — A  Treasury  deoision  is  required  as  to  whether 
preserved  Apricots  are  liable  to  duty  or  not.  At  Revenue  headquarters 
it  is  thought  that  they  are.  Dried  Apricots  imported  have  been  and 
are  liable  to  a  tax  of  7s.  per  owt.,  but  it  is  urged  that  tinned  Aprioots 
can  hardly  be  considered  dried  fruit,  and  there  is  a  sense  in  which 
they  are  fresh ;  no  duty  is  levied  on  fresh  fruit.  In  addition,  the 
trade  are  asking  if  Apricot  pulp  is  liable,  for,  to  be  consistent,  if  duty 
is  levied  on  tinned  Apricots  the  pulp  cannot  escape.  Californian 
fruits  and  Plums  preserved  in  sugar,  whether  in  bottles  containing  other 
fruit  or  not,  are  to  pay  a  duty  of  7s.  per  cwt ;  the  term  “Plums” 
includes  Apricots  and  Green  Gages. 
Japanese  Swarf  Trees. — The  following  are  the  prices  paid  for 
specimens  of  Japanese  dwarfed  trees  which,  for  the  moment,  form  a 
public  fad  : — A  dwarf  Juniper  tree,  eighty-five  years  old  and  23  inches 
high,  fetched  50s.  A  couple  of  Larches,  quaintly  trained  into  the  shape 
of  a  fan  and  saki  bottle,  were  absurdly  cheap  at  10s.  Better  prices 
were  realised  when  the  miniature  Cedar  trees  were  sold.  Some  of 
these  were  beautiful  specimens;  one  of  them,  120  years  old,  fetched 
13  guineas.  A  specimen  of  the  golden  variety,  150  years  old  and 
2  feet  4  inches  high,  sold  for  14  guineas.  A  “Maple  on  Stilts  ”  was 
one  of  the  most  remarkable  of  the  many  curiosities.  Some  of  its 
branches  bore  red  leaves,  others  were  covered  with  green  leaves.  The 
tree  was  raised  on  four  exposed  roots,  10  inches  high,  giving  it  the 
appearance  of  being  on  stilts.  The  plant  was  sold  for  10  guineas. 
Some  Larches,  grown  in  the  shape  of  a  Chinese  junk,  fetched  £4; 
others,  trained  to  represent  a  stork,  were  sold  for  £2 ;  and  two  other 
dwarf  Cedar  trees  were  knocked  down  at  11  guineas  apieoe. 
A  Plant  Exhibitor  In  Good  Form.— Mr.  W.  Yause  of  the 
Milveston  Nurseries,  Leamington,  has  during  recent  years  been  a 
prominent  exhibitor  at  the  leading  shows.  Starting  on  a  modest  scale, 
he  has  gradually,  yet  surely,  “  forged  ahead,”  till  he  is  now  regarded  by 
our  veteran  plantsmen  and  “groupists”  as  a  foeman  worthy  of  their 
steel.  During  a  reoent  visit  to  the  above  nursery  I  found  Mr.  Yause 
busy,  as  an  exhibitor  usually  is,  and  preparing  for  the  coming  struggle 
with  the  keenness  of  an  old  campaigner.  Conspicuous  among  the 
many  fine  plants  I  noticed  some  magnificent  examples  of  Anthurium 
Soherzerianum.  They  were  huge  specimens  with  an  enormous  number 
of  flowers.  It  was  interesting  to  note  the  various  forms  of  that  fine 
Anthurium,  some  of  the  flowers  being  great  width  and  substance 
compared  with  others.  The  best  varieties  had,  however,  been  selected 
to  form  large  specimens,  and  they  will  no  doubt  prove  of  great 
service  to  Mr.  Vause  during  the  coming  struggles.  The  plants  were 
potted  in  the  usual  open  compost,  and  immense  quantities  of  water  at 
the  roots,  and  a  moist  warm  atmosphere,  were  items  of  culture 
which  had  contributed  to  success.  Phsenocomas  are  usually  conspicuous 
objects  among  flowering  plants  at  the  summer  shows,  and  huge 
specimens  will  be  sent  out  from  Leamington.  Ericas  and  Statioe  will 
also  be  staged  in  good  condition.  The  above,  when  arranged  in 
combination  with  Mr.  Yause’s  fine  Palms  and  Crotons,  will  at  various 
seasons  form  a  series  of  most  attractive  exhibits.  I  also  notioed  there 
was  no  lack  of  suitable  materials  for  forming  groups,  and  several 
exceedingly  fine  forms  of  Lselias  and  Cattleyas  should  prove  of  great 
service  at  the  earlier  shows.  I  venture  to  predict  that  during  the 
coming  season  Mr.  Yause  will  fully  maintain,  if  not  add  to,  his 
reputation  as  a  plant  grower  and  groupist. — H.  D. 
