January  21,  1904. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
57 
Book  Notice, 
Australian  Gardening,* 
This  is  only  a  small  booklet,  a  brochure  one  might  call  it,  and 
comes  to  us  in  paper  covers.  Kre  dipping  into  the  matter  of  the 
book,  it  will  be  helpful  towards  the  understanding  of  it  if  we 
name  the  chapters,  which  are  as  follow: — Principles  of  garden 
architecture;  designing  gardens  to  meet  local  conditions; 
materials  available  for  the  practical  work  of  making  gardens ; 
the  selection  and  arrangement  of  permanent  plants  in  garden 
.schemes;  planning,  forming,  and  maintaining  small  gardens; 
garden  management  ;  and,  la.stly,  a  Rose  garden.  The  brochure 
includes  72  pages,  8^in  by  5.1in. 
In  his  introduction  Mr.  Bogue-Luffmann  observes  :  “  We  have 
been  here  more  than  a  hundred  years,  to  learn  little  beyond  the 
fact  that  Nature  is  stronger  than  we,  and  that  the  average  garden 
space  is  an  unsightly  and  expensive  nuisance.  We  have  not  come 
to  see  that  our  work  is  weak  and  unsuitable  to  our  surroundings, 
and  that  we  must  invent  and  be  more  thorough  if  we  would 
achieve  beautiful  and  lasting  results.  We  are  so  far  away  fi’om 
the  dignified  and  finished  work  of  the  Old  World  as  to  be  undis¬ 
ciplined,  apathetic,  and  easily  satisfied.  In  fact,  we  have  been 
busy  taking  possession  of  the  country  and  securing  ourselves, 
and  have  left  the  fashioning  of  our  gardens  to  casual  hands.  But 
we  are  settling  down  and  demanding  more  of  the  arts  and  graces 
of  life.  It  is  therefore  incumbent  upon  us  that  we  consider  the 
nature  of  our  premises  and  possessions,  and  adopt  a  system  of 
gardening  distinctly  in  accord  with  natural  conditions.” 
Chapter  I.  is  really  an  epitome  of  the  history  of  garden  styles, 
and  the  author  sums  up  by  saying  that  “  it  is  from  the  study  of 
the  different  types  of  domestic  dwelling,  and  the  countries  and 
social  life  of  the  people  which  originated  them,  that  we  shall 
obtain  a  clue  to  the  true  significance  of  gardening,  and  how  to 
design  and  practise  well  in  Australia.” 
He  then  goes  on  to  discuss  what  parts  of  the  European  styles 
of  gardening  are  applicable  to  Australia,  and  he  has  summarised 
the  leading  principles  of  garden  designing  into  rather  bald  sen¬ 
tences,  such  as  ;  “  Similarity  reduces  the  size  and  interest  of  the 
garden.  The  actual  foundation  must  provide  true  form ;  plants 
of  themselves  cannot  do  this.  Two  distinct  styles  of  gardening 
may  not  be  seen  from  one  point  of  view.  Straight  lines  are  a 
necessity  ;  curves  are  ever  most  beautiful.  Planting  high  objects 
near  to  houses  tends  to  dwarf  them.  Rocks,  mounds,  and  water 
must  show  reason  for  their  presence  ” — and  so  on. 
Mr.  Bogue-Luffmann  is  surely  original  when  he  says  :  “  For 
studies  in  design,  and  the  apportioning  of  trees  and  shrubs,  and 
such  materials  as  provide  the  outlines  of  gardens,  nothing  is  so 
worthy  of  our  notice  as  the  clouds,  on  what  may  be  termed  lazy 
evenings.”  This  chapter  he  concludes  by  naming  the  books  which 
he  believes  will  produce  “  a  right  attitude  of  mind.” 
On  page  27  we  find  this :  “  The  most  ugly  blot  on  Australian 
gardens  is  in  the  wretched  boundary  fences.  Any  man  building 
a  house  costing  £1,000  and  upwards,  and  failing  to  put  a  wall 
round  it,  should  be  put  in  gaol  and  kept  there.  No  house  is 
finished  without  a  stone  or  brick  wall,  or  an  artistic  iron  railing 
set  in  brick  or  .stone  work.  Naturalne.ss  must  be  observed  here 
fin  Australia)  as  far  as  po.ssible,  where  houses  are  of  the  Dutch, 
Gothic,  and  Queen  Anne  styles.” 
And  on  page  30  :  “  Such  gardens  as  exist  on  the  Mediterranean 
coast  at  Malaga,  Cartagena,  Nice,  Mentone,  Monte  Carlo,  and 
Genoa,  afford  the  best  subjects  for  study;  and  anyone  devoting 
him  or  herself  to  gardening  in  Australia  should  not  fail  to  become 
familiar  with  the  geographical  situation,  architectural  features, 
and  surface  plans  of  all  the  best  gardens  of  the  Mediterranean 
I'egion.” 
Our  concluding  excerpt  is  concerned  with  the  gardeners  of 
Australia,  whom  Mr.  Bogiie-Luffmann  trounces  in  general : 
“■  All-i’ound  gardeners,  full  of  resource  and  posses.sed  of  good  taste, 
are  extremely  rare  in  Australia.  The  cause  is  to  be  found  in  the 
absence  of  any  systematic  training  grounds,  for  not  one  of  our 
State  botanical  or  other  public  gardens  goes  so  far  as  to  train 
its  own  employes,  much  less  prepare  gardeners  for  the  benefit  of 
the  general  public,  and  tho.se  who  come  from  other  lands  are  so 
convinced  of  the  merits  of  what  they  already  know  that  they  fail 
to  recognise  and  work  in  accord  with  the  demands  of  local  climate. 
Here  and  there  one  sees  a  garden  well  managed  a.s  the  result  of 
an  intelligent  gardener,  but  a.s  a  general^  rule  the  men  employed 
may  be  designated  garden  robbers.  This  is  not  said  unkindly, 
but  .so  long  as  it  remains  unsaid  we  .shall  be  begging  and  waiting 
for  a  more  rational  and  better  garden.  We  see  no  attempts  to 
.stay  the  robbing  hand  of  our  summer  climate  or  any  intelligent 
appreciation  of  the  significance  of  the  Au.stralian  garden. 
“  Broom  and  barrow  men  they  are  for  the  mo.st  part,  regularly 
reducing  the  garden  area  to  unshapeliness  and  poverty.  Their 
principal  work  i.s  .sweeping  up  and  carting  off  the  vital  foodstuffs 
*  “The  Principles  of  Gardenin"  for  Australia,”  hy  G.  Boffue-Luffirann, 
Princip.al  of  the  School  of  Horticulture,  Melbourne.  Published  by  the  Book 
Lovers’  Library,  Melbourne.  1903.  Price  2?.  6d. 
and  moisture-holding  properties  of.  the  soil.  To  the  eternal  em- 
ployinent  of  the  broom  and  barrow  we  may  attribute  no  small 
loss  of  our  soil  and  wasted  efforts  in  other  directions.” 
The  booklet,  though  small,  is  crammed  with  sugge.stions  and 
logical  principles,  so  that  it  can  be  used  as  a  little  handbook  in 
thi.s  country,  quite  as  much  as  it  will  be,  we  hope,  in  Australia. 
Royal  Horticultural  Society. 
Some  Features  of  the  Annual  Report. 
The  annual  general  meeting  of  the  Fellow,s  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  will  be  held  in  the  Drill  Hall,  Buckingham 
Gate,  at  3  o’clock,  on  February  9.  The  report  of  the  council  for 
the  year  1903  has  already  been  circulated  among  the  Fellows, 
and  it  is  exceedingly  interesting.  First  there  is  an  announce¬ 
ment  that  “  to  celebrate  the  one  hundredth  year  of  the  society’s 
existence  it  has  been  decided  to  hold  a  centennial  dinner  at  the 
Hotel  Metropole  on  Thursdav,  March  3,”  to  be  confined  to 
gentlemen,  tickets  to  co.st  21s".  each. 
Secondly,  the  Horticultural  Hall  is  noticed,  but  only  briefly, 
and  we  observe  that  nearly  £24,000  of  the  £40,000  required  is 
promised  or  pa.id.  The  Wisley  garden  will  be  slov  ly  developed 
at  first.  It  will,  however,  be  necessary  to  build  “  a  couple  of 
small  dwelling-houses  for  the  superintendent  and  foreman,  a 
room  where  Hie  council  and  committees  can  meet,  and  suit¬ 
able  ranges  of  glass  houses  and  pits. 
“  There  are  many  other  objects  which  will  hereafter  be 
desirable  at  Wisley,  such  as  a  scientific  department  with  resi¬ 
dence  for  a  professor  and  laboratory  attached,  bothies  for  young 
gardeners,  rooms  for  students,  &c.  But  the  council  feel  it 
imperative  to  allow  these  matters  to  wait  until  the  Horticul¬ 
tural  Hall  is  paid  for  and  fuiuiished  and  its  upkeep  expen.ses 
provided.” 
The  exceedingly  rapid  increase  in  the  number  of  Fellows 
(l’,412  having  joined  in  1903)  has  frightened  the  council  so  much 
that  they  propo.se  a  new  bye-law:  “That  the  minimum  rate  of 
Fellowship  .should  in  future  be  rais-ed  to  £2  2s.,  except  in  the 
case  of  bona  fide  gardeners,  per.sons  living  abroad,  and 
journalists.” 
It  will  have  been  observed  by  .some  of  our  readers  that  the 
Chiswick  meteorological  tables  have  been  absent  from  our  pages 
during  the  pa.st  two  weeks.  The  rea.son  is  that  the  instruments 
are  being  taken  to  Wisley.  “  Special  thanks  are  due  to  ]\lr. 
Edward  Mawley,  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Meteorological  Society, 
both  for  his  annual  kindness  in  drawing  up  the  meteorological 
report  for  the  Journal,  and  also  for  so  kindly  superintending 
the  removal  of  the  instruments  from  Chiswick  and  their  re¬ 
erection  at  Wisley.” 
The  following  i.s  another  paragraph  from  the  report  :  —  “  The 
council  have  received  a  courteous  invitation  to  send  a  repre¬ 
sentative  of  the  .society  to  the  Jubilee  of  the  Royal  Scottish 
Arboricultural  Society,  which  takes  place  on  February  IG,  and 
they  consider  them.selves  fortunate  in  having  obtained  the  con¬ 
sent  of  Mr.  A.  D.  Webster  (Regent’s  Park)  to  represent  them 
on  this  happy  occasion.” 
A  few  items  from  the  revenue  and  expenditure  report  are 
interesting.  Under  “  E.stabli.shment  Expenses,”  £853  17s.  are 
for  salaries  and  wages;  the  rent  of  the  office  costs  £203  3s., 
wdiich  will  be  saved  when  the  hall  is  fini.shed  ;  the  Journal  costs, 
for  printing  and  postage,  £2,219  8s.  Under  “Shows”  we  find 
the  Temple  Show  costs  £71G  11s.  ;  Holland  Hou.se  Show, 
£C22  8s.  lOd.  ;  Fruit  and  Vegetable  Show  at  Chiswick, 
£405  Is.  lOd.  At  Chi.swick  some  of  the  items  are:  “Rents, 
rates,  taxes,  insurance,  £273  7s.  Id.  ;  superintendent’s  salary, 
£225;  labour,  £GG1 ;  coal  and  coke,  £225  17s.”  Wisley  .stands 
thus:  “Rates  and  taxes,  £G  Is.;  labour,  £111  lls.  ;  garden 
implements,  £24  lls.  ;  miscellaneous  expenses,  £13  2.s.  5d.  ; 
repairs,  £11  17s.  Gd.”  For  Wisley,  £12  12s.  have  been  received 
in  donations.  The  balance  for  the  year  is  £3,G41  IJls.  lOd.,  and 
the  invested  capital  now  amounts  to  £18,429  15.s.  7d. 
- «««•» - ^ - 
The  Latest  in  Tree-Felling. 
Two  new  methods  of  tree-felling  are  announced,  and  it  is 
claimed  for  each  that  it  makes  the  woodman’s  axe  a  thing  of 
the  past.  The  first  invention  i.s  a  pneumatic  saw.  which  i.s 
said  to  cut  its  way  through  the  stoute.st  of  trees  in  a  very  few 
minutes.  One  of  these  machines,  recently  exhibited  in  New 
York,  weighed  less  than  ^cwt.,  yet  wa.s  said  to  be  capable  of 
felling  150  trees  a  day,  each  tree  being  3ft  to  4ft  in  diameter. 
The  saws  are  driven  at  a  high  rate  of  speed  by  air  pressure, 
the  tubing  which  conveys  the  air  from  the  compres.sor  being 
made  of  any  length  required,  so  that  the  machine  may  be  suffi¬ 
ciently  distant  from  the  .saws  to  prevent  accident  when  the  tree 
falls.  "  The  second  method  consists  in  sub.stituting  lor  the 
ordinary  saw  a  platinum  wire,  electrically  heated.  The  wire 
cuts  through  the  tree  very  (piickly,  and,  of  couise,  pioduces 
no  sawdust. 
