March  10,  1904.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
2:9 
exerted  in  evolving  the  latest,  and  of  necessity  the  best.  What 
a  boon  for  coming  generations  of  young  gardeners  when  there 
will  be  no  dust  or  clinkers,  sulphur,  and  perspiring  brows; 
when  ladium  will  do  it  all  iso  cleanly  and  without  stokng. 
Some  months  have  now  elapsed  since  the  memorable  frosts 
of  March  and  April  of  last,  year  did  so  much  damage  among 
Iruit  tree  blossom.  At  the  time  of  the  frosts,  and  indeed  for 
some  time  later,  the  absence  of  fruit  was  attril)uted  to  frost’s 
action  absolutely.  As  time  moved  on,  other  I’easons  came  for¬ 
ward,  and  odd  though  it  must  seem  to  those  of  clearer  memory, 
the  frost  theory  was  dropped  altogether,  and  instead  of  this 
the  absence  of  sun  in  the  previous  year  was  made  the  dominating 
cause.  I  cannot  believe  the  practical  man  can  be  carried  away 
by  such  peculiarly  odd  theories  when  so  many  will  rememher 
the  frequent  elaily  pilgrimages  made  round  the  garden  to 
-examine  the  blackened  flower  and  unexpanded  flower-buds.  One 
might  almost  be  made  to  believe  that  we  had  suddenly  found 
the  British  fruit  tree  had  become  impervious  to  frost;  even  at 
the  critical  time  of  blossom. 
Were  such  a  prospect  assured,  the  foreigner  would  have  to 
seek  fresh  markets  for  his  future  Apple  crops,  because  the  homo 
grower  would  be  able  to  compete  more  even-handed.  Some 
trees  and  sorts  fruited  despite  the  absent  sun  vagaries  ;  indeed, 
with  us,  though  so  many  trees  were  bare  of  fruit,  a  few  cropped 
almost  to  breaking  point.  These  were  Apples.  Pears  were  not 
so  resourceful,  but  all  agreed  to  take  a  year’s  rest  except  a  few 
on  the  sheltered  walls.  This  idea  will  find  its  solution 
with  the  forthcoming  blossoming  time,  which  at  the  present 
moment  promises  again  to  be  so  bountiful. 
There  is  something  odd,  and,  indeed,  something  most  un¬ 
generously  enviable,  to  many  a  private  gardener  after  he  has 
gone  to  the  extra  labour  of  excavating,  draining,  and  construct¬ 
ing  the  Vine  border,  it  matters  not  what  its  size,  when  he  pays 
a  visit  to  an  e.stal)lishment  where  Grapes  are  grown  largely  for 
the  markets,  to  find  that  the  only  labour  incurred  in  border 
preparation  is  simply  trenching  to  a  given  depth,  plant  the 
Vines,  and  commence  cutting  Grapes  wholesale  the  j^ear  after. 
Our  ancestors  would  not,  I  am  .sure,  believe  it.  Some  of  these 
had  more  faith  in  the  virtues  of  a  decaying  body  of  a, horse  or 
cow  buried  in  the  Vine  border;  in  those  daj’s,  of  course,  made 
outside  the  house. 
It  is  odd  this  fascination  for  mimicry  in  the  customs  of  the 
garden ;  one  man  will  do,  or  might  I  more  correctly  say  he 
used  to  do,  a  thing  because  his  neighbour  had  done  so,  and  the 
faith  was  so  strong  that  even  making  a  cemetery  of  the  Vine 
border  was  accepted  as  a  well-woin  and  proved  neceissity.  On 
reflection  one  is  made  to  wonder  how  a  Vine  could  produce  sweet 
Grapes  from  such  unwholesome  root  environment.  Xo  doubt 
to  such  practitioners,  a  possible  extra  size  of  berries,  deeper 
colour,  or  a  suspiciously  enhanced  flavour  was  at  once  accredited 
to  the  presence  of  animal  flesh  secreted  in  the  border.  Possibly 
there  were  no  Local  Government  Board  inspectors  in  those  days. 
Although  we  have  now’  emerged  from  the  Chrysanthemum 
.season,  and  thoughts  are  turned  again  forward  to  future 
triumphs,  it  might  be  permissible  to  revert  for  a  moment  to 
the  que.stion  of  sports.  True,  the  same  value  is  not  placed  on 
the  unexplained  and  unintelligible  cu.stom  of  the  familiar 
“  Mum  ”  as  at  a  quaider  of  a  century  back,  but  all  the  same, 
a  sport  from  a  sterling  variety  still  maintains  a  value.  It  is 
odd  that  out  of  so  many  thousand  grown,  these  freaks  occur 
only  in  isolated  instances,  yet  as  far  as  is  made  known,  the 
.science  of  production  is  not  entrusted  to  individual  choice.  Yet 
with  the  regulai’itv’  of  the  passing  years  such  treasures  occur. 
Gardeners  ai’e  i-esourceful  it  must  be  admitted — at  least,  among 
the  recognised  10,000  there  are  some  such  ;  but  the  name  of  the 
one  is  yet  obscure  who  can  i:)roduce  the  Chrysanthemum  sport 
at  his  own  will  and  design. 
We  have  recognised  living  champions  in  the  several  pha.ses 
of  gardening,  but  in  the  interest  of  the  sportive  Chry.santhemum 
there  would  seem  to  be  no  representative.  It  is  .strange  that 
it  should  occur  at  all,  and  the  more  so  that  it  should  do  .so 
with  the  regularity  it  does,  and  yet  be  under  the  influence  of 
no  one  privileged  cultivator. 
One  might  continue  indefinitely  recounting  odd  customs, 
ways,  and  means  not  only  of  the  historic  pa.st,  but  also  of  our 
own  day;  but,  like  .so  many  other  subjects,  one  never  knows 
until  they  .search  or  i-eflect  on  the  illimitable  .store  there  is 
deserving,  if  not  actually  claiming,  a  brief  atom  of  passing 
thought  in  the  interest  they  entail.  Thei’e  is  so  much  fund 
that  many  chapters  could  be  written  in  dealing  with  their  varied 
interests,  but  in  this  twentieth  centujy  it  may  be  said  there 
is  no  time  for  retrospective  thought,  because  so  much  demand 
is  made  on  the  futuie.  Howevei’,  as  “  G.  H.  H.”  once  said, 
visions  of  the  editorial  blue  pencil  prompt  a  halt,  and  the 
signature  of  the  author  i-equired  without  any  further  ado  or 
comment,  and  which  is  only— W.  S. 
A  CoRRESPONDKNT  says:-  “I  thank  you  vei’y  much  for  my 
advertisement  in  the  Jaurnal  *1  Htniiculfure,  in  which  I  have 
been  successful  in  seeming  a  situation,  and  am  now  engaged.” 
Societie?. 
Royal  Hirticultual,  Drill  Hall,  Bareli  8tli. 
A  bright  and  .seasonable  exhibition  was  brought  together 
on  Tuesday  la.st.  :Me.ssr.s.  K.  and  G.  Cuthbert,  of  The 
Nurseries,  Southgate,  staged  Azaleas,  Palms,  and  .Japane.se 
iMaples.  Staphylea  colchica  made  a  .specially  fine  show.  Barr 
and  Sons,  fiom  King  Street,  Covent  Garden,  had  a  charming 
group  of  forced  Daffodils  (cut  blooms),  and  many  other  subjects, 
mcliKling  tlieii'  mauve  and  purple  Primula  obconicas.  Messrs, 
Cannell  and  Sons,  Swanley,  had  excellent  Cyclamens,  and  a 
large  collection  of  Cacti.  Ihe  iMisses  Hopkins,  of  Knutsford, 
Che.shire,  had  a  set  of  their  uncommon  (old-fashioned  but 
charming)  double  and  single  Primroses.  ^Ir.  John  Russell, 
Richmond,  staged  bu.shy  and  also  standard  plants  of  Prunu.s 
triloba  (double  pink),  also  Staphylea  and  Azaleas.  iSIr.  H.  B. 
May  had  Adiantums  Mariesi  and  Farleyense  in  perfection,  and 
other  .splendid  decorative  subjects. 
Messrs.  .1.  Veitch  and  Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea,  had  Loro- 
petalum  chinen.se.  Primula  kewensis.  Rhododendron  Veitchi, and 
their  improved  hybrid  Clivia.s.  Mr.  John  R.  Davis,  West  Wick¬ 
ham,  Kent,  brought  forward  Begonia  Gloire  de  Sceaux,  making 
Clibran  Son. 
Double  Fringed  Begonia.  (See  page  217). 
a  bright  show’  in  front  of  Messrs.  T.  S.  Ware’s  novel  cork-baik 
w’all,  w’ith  pockets  into  which  w’ere  let  Primro.ses,  ferns,  Ac. 
From  Messrs.  Cutbirsh  and  Son,  Highgate,  came  a  splendid 
set  of  cut  Carnation  flowers,  show’ii  in  their  usual  effective 
style.  The  w’hite  S.  J.  Brooks  was  here,  also  Floriana, 
carmine  (new’);  W.  H.  Cutbush,  crim.son-carmine ;  Sir  H. 
Kitchener,  and  others.  Mes.srs.  B.  S.  Williams  and  Son,  Upper 
Hollow’ay,  had  Ribe.s'  atro-sangiiineiim  album.  Azalea  mollis  in 
vars..  Guelder  Ro.ses  as  .standards  and  bushes.  Lilacs,  Ac. 
Messrs.  J.  Cheal  and  Sons  had  alpines  on  rockw’ork,  including 
the  pretty  magenta-purple  Sisyrinchiiim  grandifloriim,  and  the 
Primula  rosea.  Their  blue"  Primrose  was  perfection.  Me.ssrs. 
Bull  and  Sons  .staged  a  collection  of  very  floriferoiis  Azalea 
indica  plants ;  and  Messrs.  Cutbush  w’ere  exceedingly  strong 
in  alpines.  Shortia  galacifolia,  Tulipa  Kauffmanniana,  Primula 
ro.sea,  Saxifraga  Grisebachi,  and  Muscari  botryoides  alba  were 
very  attractive.  Lord  Aldenham,  from  Aldenham  House 
(gr.,  Mr.  E.  Beckett)  staged  sprays  of  apetalous  flowering  trees 
— Alnus  incana  pendula,  Hippophae  rhamnoides,  Alnus  cordi- 
folia,  A.  glutino.sa,  Coryllus  Avellana,  Garrya  elliptica,  Populus 
canescens  pendula,  and  S.  caprea.  Tliis  w’as  an  ”  educational  ” 
exhibit,  with  the  additional  quality  of  novelty.  Ferns  came 
from  J.  Hill  and  Son,  Lower  Edmonton.  Mr.  W.  A.  Cull,  Bury 
Nursery,  Bury  Street,  Edmonton,  staged  Pteris  Wim.setti 
plumo.sa ;  and  Mr.  J.  Douglas,  Bookham,  received  a  cultural 
commendation  for  Saxifraga  Bur.«eriana  major. 
Orchids. 
Orchids  were  .‘-taged  by  Messrs.  Hugh  Low  and  Co.,  who 
had  Coelogyne  eristata  alba,  Cattleya  Trianso  Enfieldensis, 
