June  27,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
515 
Shirley  and  Districts  Mutual  Improvement. 
The  monthly  meeting  of  the  above  association  was  held  at  the 
Parish  Room,  Shirley,  on  Monday,  17th  inst.,  Mr.  B.  Lad’nams,  F.R.H.S., 
in  the  chair.  Minutes  of  last  meeting  were  read  by  the  hon.  sec., 
Mr.  J.  Miles,  and  confirmed.  The  Chairman  then  called  on  the 
lecturer,  Mr.  J.  Weathers,  F.R.H.S.,  Silverhall  Nursery,  Isleworth  (late 
assistant  secretary  to  the  R.H.S.,  lecturer  to  the  Middlesex  C.C.),  to  give 
his  lecture  on  “Is  it  Necessary  to  Grow  Plants  in  Pots  under  Glass  ?  ” 
Mr.  Weathers  started  by  saying  that  there  were  more  ways  than  one  of 
killing  a  cat,  and  that  people  were  beginning  to  wake  up  to  the  fact 
that  there  more  ways  than  one  of  growing  plants.  The  lecturer  opened 
up  quite  new  ideas  with  regard  to  plant  culture,  speaking  from 
experiences  gained  at  Kew,  Chiswick,  and  on  the  Continent.  He  gave 
the  members  his  experience  in  the  planting  oiit  system  as  practised  at 
his  nursery  at  Isleworth,  saying  that  all  gardeners  would  have  to  use 
their  own  discretion  in  the  matter  of  potting  versus  planting  out.  Whilst 
the  advantage  of  the  latter  plan  was  admitted,  where  it  could  be 
resorted  to,  it  was  considered  that  pots  could  not  be  altogether  dispensed 
with.  A  good  discussion  followed,  in  which  Messrs.  Jones,  Mitchell, 
and  the  chairman  took  part.  The  following  awards  were  made  for 
twelve  cut  Roses,  not  less  than  six  varieties  :  First  prize,  J.  W. 
Fleming,  Esq.,  Chilworth  Manor  (gardener,  Mr.  W.  Mitchell)  ;  second 
prize,  Mr.  F.  Cozen,  Rownbams ;  first-class  certificate,  Mr.  G.  Gardner, 
twelve  Roses,  and  Mr.  B.  Ladhams,  collection  of  Pinks.  Four  new 
members  were  admitted.  A  vote  of  thanks  to  the  lecturer,  chairman,  and 
exhibitors  closed  a  very  enjoyable  evening.  The  subject  for  next  lecture, 
July  15th,  “The Cultivation 
of  Liliums,”  by  Mr.  E. 
Ladhams,  Shirley  Nurseries 
— J.  M. 
Royal  Institution,  June  8th. 
Professor  J.  B.  Farmer 
gave  the  second  and  last  of 
his  lectures  on  the  “  Biologi¬ 
cal  Characters  of  Epiphytic 
Plants”  at  the  Royal  Insti¬ 
tution  last  Saturday.  Some 
plants,  he  explained,  began 
life  as  epiphytes,  and  later 
made  connection  with  the 
earth.  The  seed  of  the 
common  Indiarubber  Fig 
usually  germinated  in  the 
fork  of  a  tree ;  the  roots 
grew  down  the  trunk  to  the 
soil  and  were  firmly  glued 
to  the  bark  by  a  cementing 
substance;  any  excess  of 
cement  was  reabsorbed,  the 
roots  coalesced  and  soon 
enclosed  the  tree,  causing  its 
death.  The  Fig  continued 
its  existence  as  an  indi¬ 
vidual.  In  one  epiphytic  An- 
thurium  the  leaves  formed 
a  sort  of  funnel  in  which 
vegetable  detritus  accumu¬ 
lated,  sometimes  to  the 
amount  of  20  or  30  lbs., 
and  in  this  solid  matter 
the  roots  ramified.  In  a  Fern  called  Drymoglossum  the  root  hairs  stood 
absolute  drying  up,  and  when  moistened  new  root  hairs  sprung  from  the 
bases  of  the  old.  In  Polypodium  quercifolium  one  kind  of  leaf  manu¬ 
factured  carbohydrate  food,  while  another  kind  resembling  Oak  leaves  were 
adpressed  to  the  bark,  forming  pockets  in  which  humus  accumulated, 
and  in  which  the  roots  ramified.  Platycerium  also  bad  two  sorts  of 
leaves  ;  one  for  assimilation,  and  one  which,  though  becoming  dead 
and  brown,  collected  nutriment  and  water.  Liverworts  showed  very 
diverse  adaptations,  and  occurred  wherever  there  were  epiphytes; 
they  covered  leaves  or  even  grew  on  one  another.  In  Gottschea  the 
leaves  folded  over  one  another  and  held  water  by  capillary  attraction. 
In  one  species  of  Physiotium  the  leaves  consisted  of  two  lobes ;  one, 
acting  as  a  gutter,  conveyed  water  into  the  other,  whioh  was  hollowed 
out  and  provided  with  a  valve  to  prevent  the  escape  of  water.  In 
Physiotium  acinosum  there  were  large  sacs  at  the  apex  of  the  stem, 
which  in  most  species  contained  the  spore-bearing  organisms,  but  had 
here  become  for  the  most  part  water  reservoirs.  Frullania,  in  addition 
to  ordinary  leaves,  had  pitcher-like  leaves,  which  held  water,  and  in 
which  small  organisms  lived.  Lichens  endured  unlimited  drying,  and 
very  little  moisture  served  to  swell  them  out  and  make  them  gelatinous. 
Only  plants  with  small  seeds  or  spores  could  attain  to  an  epiphytic 
existence.  After  Erakatoa  was  blown  up,  the  whole  island  was  covered 
with  red  hot  cinders.  Three  years  after  these  were  overgrown  with  a 
gelatinous  alga,  in  whioh  new  vegetation,  chiefly  Ferns,  had  taken  root. 
The  spores  had  had  a  distance  of  twenty-five  miles  to  cover,  and  only 
the  smallest  kinds  could  be  borne  so  far.  Few,  even  of  small-seeded 
plants,  could  become  epiphytes ;  success  depended  upon  the  adapta¬ 
bility  of  the  individual  to  change  of  environment. — (“The  Times.”) 
College  Gardens,  St.  John’s,  Oxford. 
The  springtime  is  considered  by  many  to  be  the  prettiest  time  of 
the  year.  The  gradual  development  of  the  manifold  forms  and  hues 
of  the  foliage  of  the  varied  trees  lends  a  charm  to  the  eye  and  a 
picturesqueness  to  the  landscape,  with  a  freshness  and  beauty  that 
cannot  be  described.  On  an  inspection  of  the  above  gardens  a  few 
weeks  ago  Nature  seemed  to  have  put  forth  her  very  best  efforts,  the 
varying  hues  of  foliage,  and  huge  towering  Chestnuts  in  full  bloom 
overhanging  a  magnificent  and  well-kept  lawn,  with  an  array  of 
herbaceous  plants  in  bioom  in  the  borders  and  beds,  presented  an 
indescribable  picture. 
The  following  are  some  of  the  things  which  are  of  interest  to  lovers 
of  gardening,  and  which  are  to  be  seen  at  St.  John’s  in  the  highest 
form  of  cultivation  : — Tulips  galore  !  Amongst  the  many  varieties  we 
may  note  Sunset,  Early  Dawn,  Barbara,  Semiramis,  Lydus,  Royal 
White,  Firefly,  Dorothy,  Rose  Queen,  Prince  George,  Violet  Queen, 
Lord  Duncan,  Zandrowitch,  Salmon  King,  Mabel,  John  Morley, 
Phidias,  Joseph  Chamberlain,  Gengiskhan,  Rev.  H.  Ewbank,  Wm. 
Wilson,  Mrs  Moon,  Zephyr,  Columbus,  Martin’s  Rectified,  Hamlet, 
Apricot,  vitellina,  Cordelia,  Ruby,  Attraction,  corona  lutea,  and 
Nora  Ware.  Of  species  Didieri  lutescens,  linifolia,  and  persica. 
Amongst  the  hundreds  of  kinds  of  herbaceous  plants  grown,  some  of 
which  are  represented  by 
a  score  of  varieties,  the 
following  are  of  especial 
interest  to  the  visitor ; — 
Achillea  argentea  and  A. 
tomentosa,  Act  sea  spicata, 
Adonis  vernalis,  Ajuga  rep- 
tans  purpurea,  Alchemilla 
srgentea,  Arabis  alpina, 
A.  alpina  flore-pleno, 
Armerias,  Arnebia  echi- 
oides,  Asarum  europseum, 
Asphodelus  luteus,  A. 
ramosus,  Astrantia  major. 
Ranunculus  aconitifolius, 
Camassia  esculenta,  Cen- 
taurea  montana,  Cheir- 
anthus  alpinus,  Dryas 
octopetala,  E  pi  medium 
colchicum,  E.  macranthum, 
E.  niveum,  E.  pinnatum, 
Eremurus  robustus,  Erinus 
alpinus,  Fritillarias,  Gera¬ 
niums,  Geum  coccineum, 
G.  Eldreichi,  Globularia 
trichosanthes,  Heuchera 
sanguinea,  &c.,  Hieracium 
aurantiacum,  Hippocrepis 
comoBa,  Hutchinsia 
alpina,  Iberis  coriifolia, 
Iris  Fieberi,  I.  pumila,  I. 
Florentina,  Lithospermum 
prostratum,  Megassea 
crassifolia,  Morisia  hypogsea,  Omphalodes  verna,  Onosma  tauricum, 
Ornithogalum  nutans,  Orobus  vernus,  Phlox  Nelsoni,  Polemonium 
coeruleum,  P,  himalaicum,  P.  repens,  Ramondia  pyrenaica,  and  many 
other  choice  plants  which  it  would  be  wearisome  to  name  in  detail. 
The  effective  arrangement  of  the  trees,  shrubs,  and  herbaceous 
plants  must  have  entailed  much  forethought,  and  reflects  great  credit 
upon  the  garden  superintendent,  the  Rev.  H.  J.  Bidder,  an  ardent  and 
enthusiastic  horticulturist.  He  is  most  ably  supported  by  Mr.  W.  R. 
Bowells,  the  head  gardener,  who  is  thoroughly  conversant  with  the 
requirements  of  the  various  plants  under  his  care.  The  condition  of 
the  garden  at  this  season  testifies  to  the  intelligence  and  care  lavished 
upon  it  by  those  responsible  for  its  keeping,  as  it  forms  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  of  the  many  lovely  College  gardens  which  so  embellish 
and  distinguish  the  University  City. — S.  Eaton. 
- - 
Town  and  Country. — Everyone  is  crying  out  in  the  country  for 
rain — rain  for  the  crops,  rain  for  the  hay,  rain  for  the  flower  garden. 
Ladies  in  London  who  want  to  wear  their  pretty  summer  frocks  rejoice 
when  day  after  day  the  streets  are  dry,  the  sun  shines,  and  they  can 
take  air  in  open  carriages.  At  the  fruiterer’s  they  may  make  their 
choice  of  beautiful  fruit;  at  the  florist’s  they  can  buy  flowers,  dear, 
perhaps,  but  perfect  and  odorous,  and  it  is  only  when  perchance  they 
pay  a  visit  to  the  country  that  they  note  the  want  of  rain.  The  town- 
dweller  forgets  the  seasons ;  they  are  pretty  nearly  all  alike  to  him, 
such  are  the  resources  of  civilisation  and  the  possibilities  of  oommeroe. 
The  Gardens  of  St.  John’s  College. 
