412 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AXD  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
May  12,  1901. 
Book  Notice. 
Old  West  Surrey.’ 
•  • 
We  have  before  u.s  a  dainty  volume,  which  wdll  be  delightful 
to  many  a  Londoner  or  resident  in  Surrey  suburbs,  and  of 
interest  to  all  who  admire  the  beautiful  scenery  of  our  island, 
and  are  fascinated  by  its  old  memories.  Surrey  is  one  of  the 
Home  Counties.  The  name  is  expressive,  for  these  are  nearest 
the  heart  of  England,  the  pvdsations  of  which  are  felt,  indeed, 
all  the  world  over.  Much  of  the  Metropolis  is  in  that  part  of 
the  county  lying  along  the  Thames.  Early  in  Queen  Victoria’s 
reign  people  could  see  the  Sinrey  hills  from  Belgravian  houses, 
though  the  view  is  now  blocked.  For  centuries  it  has  been 
a  joy  to  Londoners  seeking  a  change  that  the  hills,  heaths,  com¬ 
mons,  and  copses  of  Surrey  were  many  of  them  easy  of  access. 
Tlien,  pretty  nooks  and  by-ways  abounded,  which,  as  Miss  Jekyll 
remarks,  might  liave  been  one  or  two  hundred  miles  from  the 
big  city.  Trains  and  cycles  have  brought  visitors  in  swarms, 
spoiling  many  of  the  remnants  of  Old  England.  Naturalists, 
artists,  photographers  have  been  busy,  and,  since  the  craze  for 
collecting,  also  the  hunters  of  curios,  such  as  we  find  depicted  in 
Miss  Jekyll’s  book,  which  some  villagers  are  tempted  to  part 
with,  often  getting  far  le.ss  than  the  proper  value. 
The  domestic  and  social  hi.story  of  England  is  distinctly 
enriched  by  Miss  Jekyll’s  book  on  ‘‘Old  West  Surrey,”  and  it 
appeals  also  to  the  gardener,  the  farmer,  and  the  scientist. 
Though  the  authoress  acknowledges  indebtedness  to  some  friends 
it  is  herself  we  have  chiefly  to  thank  for  reminiscences  of  a 
locality  she  knows  so  thoroughly  and  loves  so  well.  Miss  Jekyll 
is  skilled  in  the  art  of  describing,  and  uses  the  best  words 
possible  to  convey  her  ideas.  A  heartiness  characterises  this 
book,  as  it  lias  others  from  her  pen,  due  to  the  sympathy  Miss 
.Jekyll  has  with  the  little  world  around  her.  Some  people  were 
puzzled  by  former  books  of  this  lady,  having  doubts  as  to  which 
county  was  the  scene  of  her  story.  Hamp.shire_  Sussex,  and 
Surrey  were  conjectured  ;  it  is  really  in  the  third,  but  very  near 
the  other  two,  and  exhibiting  similar  scenery  to  theirs. 
Fifty  jmars  .since,  or  less,  perhaps,  it  was  almo.st  an  unknown 
land  except  to  the  few  whose  business  took  them  in  that  direc¬ 
tion.  Time  has  changed  all.  No  longer  are  the  cottages  full 
of  the  curious  furniture  and  domestic  articles  figured  in  this 
book ;  most  have  been  carried  off  to  make  place  for  cheap 
modern  goods.  Some  of  these  were  old  heirlooms,  some  pur¬ 
chased  by  the  village  folk  at  sales,  to  which  there  came  down  no 
Imndon  bidders.  Numerous,  and  often  singular,  were  the 
varieties  of  chairs  that  “  Old  We.st  Sui  rey  ”  covdd  produce,  some 
of  which  are  figured,  and  a  few  may  still  be  discovei’ed.  Sundry 
other  antique  articles  remain,  such  as  “  cots  ”  for  warming 
muffins  or  cakes,  rushlight-holders,  standing  toasting  forks, 
skillets  on  legs,  toby  jugs,  and  so  on. 
So  many  raisces  in  M.tvcIi, 
So  mafiy  fro^tes  in  May. 
Thus  runs  a  Surrey  saying,  at  la.st  as  old  as  the  days  of 
Chaucer,  “mist”  and  “frost”  being  made  words  of  two 
syllables.  The  same  thing  is  noticeable  with  other  words.  If 
true,  it  is  encouraging  this  year,  for  on  the  whole  we  had  a 
breezy  March,  fairly  free  from  vapour,  though  there  were  some 
in  April.  Some  V^est  Surrey  local  names  are  peculiar,  and 
these  may  still  remain.  The  Ash  is  commonly  called  “  twig- 
bean  ”  ;  the  fruits  of  the  Sloe  or  Blackthorn  are  “  winter- 
pickets,”  and  the  fern,  very  conspicuous  about  the  county,  is 
always  farn.  This  appears  in  such  local  names  as  Farnham, 
also  in  several  personal  ones. 
Amongst  birds,  the  wagtail  is  a  “  dish-wa.sher,”  the  swift  is 
a  “squeaker,”  the  wryneck  is  “  rining  bii’d,”  because  it  comes 
when  the  oak  is  stripped  or  rined  of  its  bark.  Old  fashions  of 
dress  linger  amongst  the  West  Surrey  folk,  wheu’e  we  may  yet 
see  the  smock-frock,  relic  of  what  De  Quincey  calls  the 
immeasurable  Roman  toga.  The  shepherd’s  crook  is  extant, 
and  the  sheep-bell.  Two  of  the  notable  local  industries  are 
lurch-broom  making  and  that  of  wattle  hurdles.  Many  of  the 
cottage  gardens  are  almost  crammed  with  flowers  in  the  summei’, 
Roses,  Canterbury  Bells,  and  Everlasting  Peas  being  great 
favourites.  Containing  330  illustrations,  and  printed  on 
excellent  paper,  this  volume  is  a  marvel  of  cheapness. 
The  “  Ageicultitral  Economist  ”  for  May,  1904,  contains 
among  others  the  following  noteworthy  articles :  Mr.  E.  O. 
Greening,  the  editor,  continues  his  survey  of  motors  and  their 
probable  influence  in  agriculture;  Mr.  J.  Darby  (“  Agricola  '  of 
“The  Field”)  contributes  an  article  on  the  effects  of  the  fine 
spring  on  agriculture.  Memoir,  late  Mr.  W.  F.  Collier,  J.P. 
*  “Old  West  Surrey,  Some  Notes  aud  Memories.’’  By  Gertrude  Jekyll 
B'  nt;mans,  Green,  &  Co.,  39,  Paternoster  Eow,  London.  13s.  net. 
Mandeyilla  suaveolens. 
I  should  be  glad  if  you  could  spare  me  a  little  space  for  a  few 
notes  on  the  history  and  culture  of  a  beautiful  greenhouse  plant, 
namely,  Mandevilla  suaveolens.  It  was  named  in  honour  of  Mr. 
H.  J.  Mandeville,  formerly  British  Minister  at  Buenos  Ayres. 
The  Mandevilla  here  was  for- many  years  growing  in  a  Tin  pot, 
throwing  up  occasionally  a  poor,  weak,  and  sickly  growth,  per¬ 
haps  two  in  the  course  of  twelve  months.  Two  and  a-half  years 
since  my  employer  thought  he  would  try  it  planted  out  in  a 
south  border,  in  one  of  our  greenhouses  ;  a  hole  2ft  in  depth  by 
2|ft  wide  was  dug,  one  foot  of  brick  rubble  being  placed  at  the 
bottom  for  drainage  ;  the  comnost  consisted  of  light  loam,  peat, 
and  mortar  rubble  in  equal  parts.  In  this  it  is  now  well  estab¬ 
lished,  and  manure  w’ater  is  given  frequently  through  its  growing 
season.  I  have  never  seen  such  a  beautiful  and  luxuriant 
climbing  greenhouse  plant  as  the  Mandevilla  under  the  above 
treatment. 
It  commences  flowering  in  early  spring,  throiving  forth  from 
the  newly-made  growths  clusters  of  its  pure  white  flowers,  which 
are  trumpet-shaped,  and  continues  in  bloom  until  the  end  of 
December.  It  is  then  pruned  hard  back,  in  the  same  manner  as 
the  Vines.  It  is  now  covering  a  space  on  the  roof  10ft  by 
17ft.  and  looks  charming. — A  Norfolk  Gardener. 
[he  plant  alluded  to  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  green¬ 
house  climbers.  The  flowers  are  pure  white  and  exquisitely 
fragrant,  and  they  are  produced  very  freely  during  early 
summer,  when  the  plant  is  in  good  condition.  The  shoots  must 
be  trained  in  a  position  where  they  will  be  well  exposed  to  light, 
and  it  is  advisable  to  allow'  some  of  the  young  growths  to  hang 
free,  as  the  plant  then  has  a  more  graceful  appearance.  Care 
is  needed  to  keep  the  plant,  as  insects  are  frequently  rather 
toublesome.  During  winter  comparatively  little  water  is  needed, 
giving  only  sufficient  to  keep  the  soil  moderately  moist.  Plants 
may  be  readily  raised  from  seeds  sowui  in  spring.] 
- ♦-o-^ - 
Societies. 
R.H.S.,  Scientilic  Committee,  May  3rd. 
Present:  Dr.  M.  T.  Masters,  F.E.S.  (in  the  chair) ;  Messrs.  Odell, 
Sutton,  Worsdell,  Saunders,  Massee,  Holmes,  Douglas  and  Chitten¬ 
den  ;  Drs.  Cooke  and  Eendle;  Eevs.  W.  Wilks  and  G.  Henslow 
(Hon.  Sec.). 
Rocltets  attacked  hy  insects. — Mr.  Saunders  reported  upon  plants 
sent  to  the  last  meeting  by  Mr.  Holmes  :  “  The  Eockets  are  attacked 
by  the  caterpillar  of  a  small  moth,  one  of  the  Tineina,  probably 
Plutella  porrectella,  w'hich  Stainton  says  is  a  quiet  garden  insect, 
always  to  be  found  amongst  Hesperis  matronalis.  The  moth 
measures  rather  more  than  half  an  inch  across  the  wings  when  they 
are  fully  expanded ;  the  wings  are  whitish,  streaked  with  brownish 
yellow'.” 
Arahis  alhida,  proliferous. — Mr.  Chittenden  showed  sprays  illus¬ 
trating  this  form  of  “doubling,”  in  which  the  calyx  and  corolla  only 
are  repeated  on  an  elongated  axis.  It  was  mentioned  that  such 
occurred  also  in  Eanunculus  amplexicaulis,  Heliantheum  sp.,  the 
“  Harper-Crewe  ”  yellow  Wallflower,  Mr.  Balchin’s  Mignonette,  &c. 
Capsicum  without  pungency. — ^Mr.  Holmes  exhibited  a  depressed 
globular  form  of  fruit  from  Spain,  the  usual  form  being  oblong ; 
though  possessing  the  scent  of  cayenne  pepper,  it  has  none  of  the 
pungency. 
Bulhophyllum  saurocephalum. — Mr.  Odell  showed  a  spike  of  this 
remarkable  Orchid,  as  the  stem  is  very  thick,  fleshy  and  purple, 
carrying  small  sessile  flowers. 
Osmanthus  ilicifolia,  dimorphic. — Dr.  blasters  showed  a  branch 
bearing  both  entire  and  spinescent  leaves,  proving  that  they  were 
not  different  species,  as  some  had  supposed.  The  Holly  not  infre¬ 
quently  is  similarly  dimorphic. 
National  Auricula,  Northern  Section. 
'  This  society  held  its  thirty-first  annual  show'  at  the  Coal 
Exchange,  Manchester  on  Saturday,  April  30.  There  was  a 
good  muster  of  growers,  although  nobody  from  the  South  or 
Midlands  put  in  an  appearance.  The  Stage  Auriculas  w'ere  not 
as  good  as  last  year,  being  rough  in  many  cases,  consequent 
upon  the  lateness  of  the  .season.  As  far  as  they  were  concerned 
the  show  would  have  been  better  a  w'eek  later,  but  there  was 
a  surprisingly  good  and  large  display  of  Polyanthuses ;  and 
alpine  Auricidas  were  numerous  and  good. 
There  w'ere  not  many  novelties  of  note  among  the  Stage 
Auriculas.  Mr.  Midgley’s  Letitia,  which  is  to  be  let  out  this 
year,  w'as  there,  and  Mr.  Stelfox  had  a  good  new  grey  edge, 
whicli  looked  like  a  ci'oss  between  Traill’s  Beauty  and  Geoi’ge 
Rudd.  Mr.  Simonite  show'ed  his  green  edge  Dr.  Hardy,  and 
