June  2,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
469 
Ipis  squalens. 
A  collection  of  bearded  Irises  is  an  ornamental  feature  in 
any  garden,  and  one  may  very  safely  say  that  no  genus  of 
liardy  plants  excel  in  the  graceful  beauty  of  their  flowers,  those 
of  the  Irises.  The  fine  old  species  that  we  figure  on  page  481  is 
now  just  opening  its  earliest  blossoms.  The  falls  are  bright 
lilac-purple,  with  a  conspicuous  yellow  beard,  while  the  erect 
and  rather  crisped  standards  are  dullish  lilac  and  brownish 
yellow. 
Eincomium  on  Belvoir  Castle. 
The  compression  necessitated  in  the  descriptive  notes  of 
Belvoir  in  the  last  week’s  Journal  debarred  the  inclusion  of  the 
poetic  verses  written  at  Belvoir  by  that  supreme  actress  Fanny 
Kemble  during  two  separate  visits  there,  in  praise  of  its 
beauties  and  nobility.  The  first  construction  was  w'ritten  in 
1842,  and  the  second  followed  after  forty  years. 
March  26th,  1842. 
Farewell,  fair  Castle,  on  thy  lordly  hill. 
Firm  be  thy  seat,  and  proud  thy  station  still ; 
Soft  rise  the  breezes  from  the  vale  below  ; 
Bright  be  the  clouds  that  wander  o’er  thy  brow. 
O’er  the  fair  lands  that  form  thy  broad  domain. 
Short  be  the  winter,  long  the  summer’s  reign. 
Pilgrim  of  pleasure  to  thy  stately  towers. 
Fain  would  I  leave  among  the  friendly  bowers 
Some  votive  offering— and,  ere  on  my  way. 
With  many  a  backward  glance  I  turn  to  stray. 
Bid  virtue,  strensrth,  and  honour  crown  thy  walls, 
Joy,  love,  and  peace  abide  within  thy  halls. 
;  While  grateful  mirth  and  noble  courtesy. 
As  now,  for  ever  hold  their  seat  in  thee  ; 
,  And  still  upon  thy  lordly  turrets  rest 
The  grateful  blessing  of  each  parting  guest. 
Two  things  remain  unaltered  in  this  place. 
Though  forty  years  since  I  came  here  are  told  ; 
The  lovely  aspect  of  fair  Nature’s  face. 
And  the  fine  spirit  of  kind,  courteous  grace. 
Which  still  presides  here  as  it  did  of  old. 
March  29th,  1883.  Fanny  Kemble. 
A  Treatise  on  Manures. 
For  a  good  many  weeks  this  book,  or  the  new  edition  of  it, 
to  be  correct,  has  lain  before  us  awaiting  a  brief  notice.  So 
well  known  is  Dr.  A.  B.  Griffiths’  “  Treatise  on  Manures,”  and 
so  highly  valued  is  it  for  its  explicit  tables  showing  the  in¬ 
gredients  of  various  chemical  fertilisers,  and  of  crops,  and  the 
effect  that  the  divers  manures  have  when  applied,  that  it  is 
not  necessary  to  write  at  length  about  the  book.  The  argu¬ 
ments  and  the  language  employed,  together  with  the  very  full 
statements  of  the  subjects  brought  consecutively  under  notice, 
are  such  that  beginners  can  follow  the  chapters  intelligently 
from  end  to  end.  The  present  edition,  however,  would  seem ' 
to  have  been  left  unrevised  in  parts,  and  appendices  have  been 
written  to  bring  information  up  to  the  state  of  present  know¬ 
ledge.  As  an  instance  of  our  conclusion  in  this  respect,  we 
notice  that  the  Potato  disease  (Phytophthora  infestans)  is  still 
named  Peronospora.  The  cost  of  the  book  is  7s.  6d.  from 
Whittaker  and  Co.,  2,  White  Hart  Street,  Paternoster  Row, 
E.C. 
Ware  Hoptieultural  Society. 
The  monthly  meeting  of  this  society  was  held  in  the  Vicar’s 
Room  on  May  26,  when  Mr.  F.  Noyce,  head  gardener  at  Pres- 
dales,  read  a  paper  on  the  growth  of  Carnations.  Mr.  Noyce 
grows  over  500  pot  Carnations  at  Presdales,  and  has  frequently 
exhibited  some  handsome  flowers  ait  the  meetings.  The  ex¬ 
hibits  of  the  evening  were  the  finest  ever  seen  at  an  ordinary 
meeting  of  the  society.  There  were  no  less  than  thirty-five 
altogether,  the  most  noteworthy  being  four  handsome  Cala- 
diums  from  Mr.  G.  Fulford ;  a  collection  of  flowering  shrubs. 
Irises,  Pansies,  and  Clerodendron  from  Mr.  F.  Noyce ;  Pelar¬ 
goniums,  Asparagus,  and  Cucumbers  from  Mr.  J.  Spencer ; 
Pelargoniums  and  Pmonies  from  Mr.  A.  Wheatley ;  Iris, 
Asparagus,  Cabbages,  and  Lettuces  from  Mr.  W.  Godfrey ;  some 
fine  Malmaison  Carnations  and  ferns  from  Mr.  F.  Welch ; 
basket  of  Sijinach  from  Mr.  T.  Brighty ;  Geraniums  and  Goose¬ 
berries  from  Mr.  J.  Page ;  Calceolarias  and  Lettuces  from  Mr. 
J.  Smith  and  Mr.  J.  Rule;  Broccolis  from  Mr.  C.  Brazier;  a 
very  handsome  plant  of  Genista  fragrans  from  Mr.  T.  Knight ; 
and  Lilac  and  handsome  Strawberries  from  the  secretary  (Mr. 
G.  Gumbrell).  The  usual  vote  of  thanks  was  accorded  the 
judges  (Messrs.  W.  Phillips  and  Bates),  the  exhibitors,  and  the 
cli  airman. 
The  President  of  the  National  Potato  Society. 
Sir  J.  T.  D.  Llewelyn,  Bart.,  has  kindly  consented  to  become 
l^resident  of  the  National  Potato  Society. 
Sale  of  the  Oakwood  Orchids. 
The  amount  realised  by  the  sale  of  the  duplicate  orchids 
from  the  collection  of  Mr.  Norman  C.  Cook.son,  Oakwood, 
Wylam-on-Tyne,  at  the  rooms  of  Messrs.  Protheroe  and  Morris, 
Cheapsjde,  on  Tuesday  last,  amounted  to  £5,600.  Record  prices 
were  thrice  broken. 
Calceolarias  from  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  &  Sons. 
The  Chelsea  firm  have  sent  us  a  selection  of  flowers  from 
their  Calceolarias,  which  illustrate  the  brilliant,  and  in  some 
cases  remarkable,  colours  and  combinations  of  colours  now 
obtainable.  One  is  rich  bright  golden ;  others  are  buff  or 
orange,  or  chestnut,  and  bronze,  red,  crimson,  puce,  and  almost 
black,  represent  shades  in  others.  The  pouches  are  large,  and 
where  spotted  they  are  very  pretty.  Some  new  shades  are 
seen  in  the  various  yellows ;  and  some  have  large  and  small 
spots  intermixed  on  the  same  lifi. 
Bristol  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement  Association. 
The  opening  meeting  of  the  summer  session  was  held  at  St. 
John’s  Rooms  on  May  26,  Mr.  P.  Garnish  occupying  the  chair. 
The  evening  was  devoted  to  reviews  of  the  past  twelve  months’ 
work,  prizes  being  offered  for  the  best  review  by  Messrs.  Parker 
and  Son,  Queen’s  Road.  There  were  three  competitors.  On 
the  votes  being  taken,  the  awards  were 1st,  Mr.  W.  Eilis 
Groves ;  2nd,  Mr.  J.  T.  Curtis ;  3rd,  Mr.  H.  Kitley.  Prizes  for 
pots  of  Calceolarias  went  to  Mr.  A.  Coles  (gardener,  Mr.  Bird), 
and  Mr.  F.  C.  J.  Fisher  (gardener,  Mr.  Shelton).  A  certificate 
of  merit  was  awarded  to  Mr.  J.  T.  Curtis  (gardener  to  Mr.  W. 
Howell  Davis).  A  special  certificate  of  merit  being  recom¬ 
mended  for  Mr.  Shelton  (gardener  to  Mr.  F.  C.  J.  Fisher). 
Hopticultupal  Instpuction  in  Massachusetts. 
The  Department  of  Horticulture  and  Landscape  Gardening 
in  the  Massachusetts  Agricultural  College  has  arranged  its  work 
so  that  students  matriculated  in  the  regular  four  years’  course 
may  occupy  the  junior  and  senior  years  almost  exclusively  with 
landscape  gardening  and  closely  related  branches,  a  thorough 
foundation  for  these  special  studies  having  been  laid  during  the 
freshman  and  sophomore  years.  The  studies  of  the  junior  year 
include  agriculture,  horticulture,  botany,  engineering,  free¬ 
hand  drawing,  mechanical  drawing,  geology,  chemistry,  ento¬ 
mology,  English  and  economics,  in  addition  to  the  landscape 
gardening.  During  the  senior  year  the  student  may  elect  prac¬ 
tically  his  entire  course,  and  can  arrange  to  spend  a  large  part 
of  his  time  in  landscape  gardening.  The  landscape  gardening 
proper  includes  the  general  theory  of  design  as  applied  to  this 
particular  art ;  the  knowledge  of  trees,  shrubs,  and  flowering 
plants,  and  their  use  for  decorative  purposes ;  the  propagation, 
cultivation,  and  care  of  such  plants.  Engineering  includes 
earthwork,  construction  and  maintenance  of  roads,  drainage,  &c. 
Besides,  this,  the  student  receives  instruction  in  such  closely 
related  matters  as  surveying,  freehand  drawing,  mapping,  Ac. 
From  the  beginning  the  work  is  largely  practical,  and  calculated 
to  give  every  student  actual  experience  in  the  different  opera¬ 
tions.  In  the  field  the  student  propagates,  handles,  and  plants 
out  the  trees  and  shrubs.  Every  spring  the  Department  of 
Horticulture  has  a  large  amount  of  planting  out  to  do,  much  of 
which  is  done  from  scaled  plans ;  and  the  students  take  part  in 
this  work.  In  surveying  and  engineering,  the  work  is  likewise 
carried  on  largely  in  the  form  of  practical  field  exercises.  In 
the  landscape  gardening  drafting  room  the  student  begins  by 
copying  classic  designs  from  the  masters  of  landscape  gardening, 
just  as  students  of  painting  or  sculpture  begin  by  making  copies 
from  the  classic  works  in  their  respective  fields.  At  first  only 
•  small  details  are  copied,  such  as  the  design  of  a  simple  gate,  or  a 
park  entrance.  Gradually  more  complicated  subjects  are  taken 
up,  until  the  student  finds  himself  able  to  make  an  intelligible 
drawing  of  any  landscape  gardening  construction.  The  student 
then  passes  to  original  exercises.  Here,  again,  the  simplest 
problems  come  first,  but  those  of  greater  complexity  are  taken 
up  as  raindly  as  each  student’s  ability  justifies.  The  student  is 
now  ready  for  larger  undertakings,  such  as  involve  location  of 
buildings,  drainage,  grades,  drives,  various  constructions, 
planting,  Ac. 
