30 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  14,  I9f 4. 
vendors  ladieve  that  land  tax  is  not  payalde,  bnt  this  is  not 
"uarantood.” 
No  one  visiting  Oakwood  in  Septiinbcr  could  fail  to  be 
greatly  attracted  with  the  breadths  of  Gentiana  asclepiadea, 
wliieir  grows  2ft  to  3ft  high,  bearing  nnnierons  bluebell  flowers 
on  the  slightly  inclined  stems.  There  is  a'so  a  white  form,  and 
as  this  graceful  plant  dies  down  out  of  sight  in  winter,  there  is 
no  trouble  whatever  witli  it.  Oakwood  seems  to  suit  it 
imme  nsely.  The  Goldcm-rayed  Lily  of  Japan  has  been  naturali.sed 
be.side  other  Lilic's  back  in  the  shady  glade  of  the  wood;  while 
out  in  the  open  sunshine  there  was  a  mass  of  the  charming 
Antholiza  panicidata,  with  orange  scarlet  flowers.  Long  lines 
of  Saponai'ia  officinalis  fl.-pl.  call  for  note,  as  being  one  of  the 
fine.st  of  the  old-fashioned  plants  of  our  gardens.  A  novel 
feature,  too,  is  the  ditches  that  line  either  side  of  the  winding 
paths  wherever  one  goes,  and  these  are  given  over  to  dwarf 
ferns  and  suitable  moi.sture  loving  plants.  They  tend  to  keep 
the  paths  well  drained. 
Mr.  ¥/ils!on  was  a  lover  of  birds  as  well  as  of  flowers,  and 
here  and  there  as  you  walk  along,  an  artificial  nesting  cot 
perched  10ft  high  on  an  upright  pole  comes  into  view.  These 
were  placed  there  f(»r  the  tits,  the  woodpeckers,  and  other 
useful  little  feathered  denizens.  But  mice,  which  wrought  such 
constant  damage  amongst  tlie  bulbs  in  the  woodland  grounds, 
were  trapped  daily.  Moscpritocs  are  another  pertinacious 
plague  to  the  men  as  the.v  weed  or  perform  other  work  in  this 
part  of  tliG  garden.  So  terribly  troublesome  are  they  that  the 
gardeners  have  to  light  fires  around  themselves  in  order  that 
the  smoke  may  drive  the  iu'-octs  ofl’.  It  is  a  ca.se  of  choosing  the 
lesser  of  two  evils,  for  the  smoke  itself  is  far  from  being  agree¬ 
able. 
Again,  it  is  of  interest  to  note  that  sheltered  corners  were 
formed  in  divers  parts  of  the-  garden.  These  shelter  corners 
were  made  of  wicker  hurdles  in  the  fir.st  instance,  forming  a  kind 
of  corral  1  within  which  the  less  hardy,  or  doubtfully  hard.y, 
sub,iect.s  were  planted  until  they  had  become  established  and  in 
a.  mea.sure  acclimatised.  The  hurdles  might  then  be  less  neces¬ 
sary.  The  Sikkim  Rhododendrons,  the  Ph.vUostachys  and  Bam- 
busas,  together  with  scores  of  Lilium  superbum  seedlings,  all  in 
the  open  air,  were  robust  and  ver.v  interesting.  Alas!  that 
Oakwood  is  so  far  away. — J.  H.  D. 
- - 
Larch  and  Scots  Pine  in  Roxbnrghshire. 
Some  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  ago  I  assisted  (by  way  of 
youthful  recreation  onl.y)  at  the^  planting  of  the  European  Larch 
and  the  Scots  Pine;  (wrongly  called  Fir),  on  the  hill-lands  of  the 
Houseb.vres  Farm,  near  Gaiashiels,  and  which  is  farmed  by  Mr. 
Thoma',  31.  Young.  A  great  part  of  the  land  was  what  I  would 
probabl.y  now  term  bleak,  upland,  but  which  nevertheless  pro¬ 
duces  a  fair  good  herbage  (I  write  from  memory),  and  in  places 
enormous  growths  of  Bracken  Fern.  The  district  is  famous  for 
its  good  farmers — men  who  till  both  knowes  and  hollows  just  as 
the.v  do  the  level  ground,  and  who  take  drove.5  of  heavy  “  knowt  ” 
(i.e.,  cattle)  to  St.  Bb-Stvell’s  Market.  Sir  YJalter  Scott,  too, 
in  his  novel,  “The  Monastery,”  has  informed  the  Avorld  and  his 
wife  about  Glendarg  Castle.'  and  the  Fairy  Deane,  and  the  River 
Twec'd,  and  the  rest  of  those  beloved  haunts;  and  Housebyres 
ma.y  be  mentioned  too,  though  I  do  not  remember.  But  it  was 
the  trees  I  wished  to  write  about. 
So  far  as  memory  serves:  the.v  were  planted  rapidly  and 
roughly  in  cold  weather,  and  in  a  recent  reverie  it  occurred  to 
me  to  write  and  ask  Mr.  Young  what  success  had  attended  them. 
.He  ])rcmptl.y  sent  a  most  interesting  rejaly,  which  I  print  as 
follows:  - 
“  Your  letter  to  hand  this  morning  (January  9,  1904).  "With 
reference  to  the  trees,  we  think  they  have  done  very  well,  especi¬ 
ally  the  Larch.  They  have  been  twice  thinned  for  net  and 
fencing  stakes.  I  think  they  grew  too  cjuickly,  as,  when  dry, 
the  stakes  are  too  light  and  of  poor  quality,  as  if  the.y  had  .shot 
up  too  rapidly.  The  Larch’  are  now  perhaps  twent.y  feet  high 
(rough  gues.s),  and  the  Spruce  and  Scots  Pine  are  a  little  less, 
'fhe.v  received  very  httle.  attention,  and  in  some  places  the 
Bracken  choked  them  out,  as  it  grows  from  four  to  five  feet  in 
•some  spots.  If  you  wish  any  further  particulars  I  will  try  to 
supply  you  if  you  let  me  know.” 
Well,  that  is  very  satisfactory.  In  the  Journal  pages  the 
editor  hopes  shortly  to  bring  prominentlv  l)efore  the  notice  of 
his  readers  the  merits  of  the  Japanese  Larch  (Larix  leptolepsis). 
I  m?ty  remark  that,  low  though  the  price  is  at  present  for  Scots 
Pine  (4.1d.  per  foot),  yet  huge  tracts  of  young  forests  line  the 
hills  within  view  of  the  railway  between  Inverne.ss  and  Dornoch  ; 
and  surely  if  it  pays  to  bring  this  and  similar  white  wood  from 
•Xorway  and  Sweden,  it  ought  to  in  our  own  land.  In  Sussex  I 
know  of  plantations  of  Corsican  and  Scots  Pine  that  have  grown 
r.p  twenty  feet  in  ten  years.  The  trees  were  planted  a  few  feet 
apart  as  tin;,'  se:'dlings  (thousands  Aveve  packed  in  a  small  box 
and  sent  from  Normandy,  and  were  almost  heated  on  the  wa.y), 
and  as  yet  they  have  not  b.^en  thinned.  The  lower  branches,  of 
<  onrs(>,  are  dving  off,  Imt  the  .stems  are  stout  and  .straight. —D. 
The  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund. 
Sir  Trevor  Lawrence,  Bart.,  K.C.V.O.,  President  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society,  has  kindly  con.sented  to  preside  at 
the  next  annual  festival  of  this  fund,  which  will  take  place  at 
the  Hotel  Cecil  on  Tuesday,  Ma.y  17. 
Potato  Spirit  v.  Petrol. 
In  a  letter  Mr.  H.  Dunkin  says  :  “  I  think  that  you  will  find 
that  although  the  quantity  of  Potato  spirit  ma.y  just  at  present 
be  too  small  to  make  it  a  commercial  commodit.y,  yet  during  the 
present  glut  it  will  come  I'apidly  into  prominence,  as  a  factory 
is  now  being  erected  for  its  manufacture.” 
Royal  Meteorological  Soe'ety 
The  next  ordinary  meeting  of  the  Societ.y  will  be  held  at  the 
Institution  of  Civil  Engineers,  Great  George  Street,  Westminster, 
S.W.,  on  Wednesday,  the  20th  inst.,  at  7.30  p.m.  The  annual 
general  meeting  will  be  held  at  7.4.1  p.m.,  when  the  report  of 
the  Council  will  be  read,  the  election  of  officers  and  Council  for 
the  ensuin.g  year  will  take  place,  and  the  President  (Capt.  D. 
Wilson-Barker,  F.R.S.E.)  will  deliver  an  address  on  “The  Pre¬ 
sent  State  of  Ocean  Meteorology.”  During  the  meeting  the 
S.ymons  Gold  Medal  will  be  presented  to  Hofrath  Dr.  Julius 
Hann. 
'Veitch’s  Nursery  at  Chelsea 
Freciuenters  of  Messrs.  Yeitch’s  Ro.yal  Exotic  Nnrser.y  in  the 
King’s  Road,  Chelsea,  will  in  future  remark  a  change  in  the 
front  entrance.  The  glass  erection  where  the  Palms  used  to  be 
staged  has  been  demolished,  thus  leaving  an  open  space  before 
the  walls  of  the  office,  which  therefore  now  look  on  to  the  street. 
The  visitor  to  the  nursery  will  find  less  in  fl.ower  than  there  was 
a  little  while  ago,  l)nt  the  Camellias  and  early  spring  flowers, 
together  with  Dendrobium  aui’eum,  Cattlej'as,  Cypripediums  (all 
in  excellent  health),  Moschosma  riparium.  Coleus  .thyrsoidexis, 
and  Jacobinia  chrysostei^hana,  enliven  the  houses. 
Fatal  Accident  to  a  Yorkshire  Gardener, 
On  December  29  last  Mr.  .John  Findley,  head  gardener  for 
3lrs.  Heywood  Jones,  of  Badsworth  Hall,  near  Pontefract,  met 
with  a  fatal  accident  whilst  driving  home  from  Pontefract.  Mr. 
Findle.y  was  a  faitldbd  .servant  and  a  keen  horticulturist,  the 
gai'dens  and  glass  houses  under  his  care  being  always  a  credit 
to  him.  Frnit  could  often  be  seen  in  grand  condition,  and  his 
Calanthes  and  3Ialmaison  Carnations  were  a  fine  feature  when 
in  their  season.  Poin.settias  and  pot  Roses  were  also  well 
grown  at  Badsworth,  and  the  general  collection  of  plants-under 
his  charge  showed  care  and  good  cultivation.  Chrysanthemnms 
were  also  a  special  feature,  and  manv  times  Mr.  Findley  figured 
as  a  successful  exhibitor  at  several  of  the  local  shows.  He 
was  highl.v  respected  'b.v  all  the'  gardeners  in  the  snrronndin;'!; 
district,  and  his  loss  to  the  village  of  Badsworth  will  be  keenly 
felt.-G.  T.  B. 
The  Gardeners'  Royal  Benevolent  Institution 
The  sixty-fifth  annual  general  meeting  of  the  members  and 
subscribers  of  this  institution  will  be  held  at  the  Covent  Garden 
Hotel,  Southampton  Street,  Strand,  London,  W.C.  (adjoining 
Covent  Garden  Market),  on  Thursday,  January  21,  1904,  at 
three  p.m.,  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  the  report  of  the  com¬ 
mittee  and  the  accounts  of  the  institution  (as  audited)  for  the 
year  1903,  electing  officers  for  the  year  1904,  and  for  the  election 
of  twelve  pensioners  on  the  funds.  Tlie  chair  will  be  taken  by 
Harry  J.  Veitch,  Esq.,  treasurer  and  chairman  of  committee,  at 
three  o’clock.  The  poll  will  be  open  at  3.15  and  close  at  4.30 
precisely,  after  which  hour  no  voting  papers  can  be  received. 
Yoting  papers  have  been  issued.  Anj'^  subscriber  entitled  to  vote 
who  has  not  received  a  copy  should  communicate  with  the  secre¬ 
tary  at  175,  Yictoria  Street,  Westminster,  S.W.  The  annual 
friendly  supper  of  the  friends  of  the  institution  will  take  place 
at  the  same  place  on  Thursday,  -January  21,  after  the  general 
meeting  and  election.  The  chair  will  b?  taken  at  six  p.m.  by 
Leonard  Sutton,  Esq.,  of  Reading. 
