518 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
June  IG,  1901 
English  Figs. 
The  newspapers  liave  lately,  to  the  surprise  of  many,  been 
recording  tlie  fact  that  some  big  trees  yet  survive  in  the  central 
districts  of  London,  which  recalls  another  fact,  that  at  one  time 
the  tree  abounded  in  the  City,  yielding  good  crops  most  years. 
I  do  not  think  this  is  explained  by  the  supposition  that  onr 
climate  was  much  more  genial  than  it  is  now ;  local  changes 
seem  to  account  for  it.  The  surface  of  London  has  gradually 
been  elevated  during  the  last  500  years,  though  there  were  some 
little  hills.  The  greater  part  of  the  City  during  Saxon  and  Nor¬ 
man  times  lay  in  a  sheltered  valley,  screened  by  large  woods 
and  forests,  also  by  the  “northern  heights”  and. the  Surrey 
hills.  There  were  marsh  lands  near,  on  which  the  sun  had  full 
jday,  for  the  buildings  were  low,  hence  the  Citv,  both  warm  and 
moi.st,  approached  a  sub-tropical  clime.  Loudon  notes  that  in 
Sus.sex  at  present,  and  especially  near  the  coast,  the  Fig  thrives 
better  than  in  any  other  part  of  Britain.  At  Tarring,  near 
Worthing,  existed  a  fine  orchard  of  Figs  earh’  in  the  last  cen¬ 
tury,  and  Arundel  Castle,  the  seat  of  the  Duke  of  Norfolk,  was 
renowned  for  its  old  and  prolific  trees. — J.  E.  S.  C. 
Atavism  in  Rose  Trees. 
A  correspondent,  writing  to  the  editor  of  the  “  Pall  IMall 
Gazette,”  .says: — “I  shall  be  glad  if  any  of  your  readers  can 
give  me  an  explanation  of  the  following  curious  phenomenon: — 
Against  my  hou.se  grows  a  large  Eose  tree — a  Gloire  de  Dijon. 
It  has  been  there  many  years,  and  reaches  to  the  roof.  Last 
year  it  blossomed  freely,  but,  strange  to  relate,  the  great 
majority  of  the  Eoses  were  Dog  Eoses.  There  we]-e  new 
branches  covered  with  the  characteristic  Dog  Eo.se  leaves,  as 
well  as  blossoms.  I  did  not  prune  the  tree,  but  left  it  to  itself. 
This  year  there  is  scarcely  a  single  Dog  Eose  on  it,  but  a  large 
fpiantity  of  the  proper  Gloire  de  Dijon  blooms.  Even  the 
branches  Avhich  last  year  bore  Dog  Eose  leaves  have  this  year 
clothed  themselves  with  tb.e  regnlar  Gloire  leaves  as  well  as 
flowers.  I  can  understand  a  tree  from  some  reason  or  other 
reverting  to  the  original  typo,  but  I  cannot  understand  how  the 
characteristic  ‘  low  type  ’  branches  should  in  a  .single  season 
recover  themselves,  and  become  branches  of  a  higher  order.  I 
am  much  puzzled  by  this  cui  ions  fact,  and  I  should  like  to  know 
if  it  is  a  common  one.  I  have  never  heard  of  anything  like  it 
before.” 
• 
In  order  to  .see  what  iMr.  W.  E.  Eaillem  thought  of  the 
matter,  we  sent  the  above  to  him,  and  he  writes: — “My  sug¬ 
gestion  is  that  a  .strong  briar  sucker  grew  up  between  the  Eose 
and  the  wall — perhaps  just  behind  the  main  stem — unnoticed 
till  it  had  not  only  thrown  out  .strong  laterals,  hut  also  flowered. 
So  much  for  last  .year.  A  vaguer  sugge.stion  for  this  year  is  that 
the  jobbing  gardener  or  somebody  cut  away  as  much  of  the 
sucker  as  he  could,  but  could  not  get  at  the  whole  of  it,  so  that 
the  wild  growth  has  not  quite  disappeared.  That  any  of  the 
branches  actually  reverted  either  one  way  or  the  other  is  no 
doubt  a  misapirrehension,  due  to  imperfect  ob.servation. — W.  E. 
Eaillem.” 
Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution. 
iMr.  Harry  .J.  Veitch  wiites  to  say  that,  “  Having  consented 
at  the  request  of  the  committee  to  preside  on  June  28  next  at 
the  Hotel  Metropole,  "Whitehall,  at  the  annual  dinner  in  aid  of 
the  funds  of  the  Gardeners’  Eoyal  Benevolent  In.stitution,  I 
venture  to  hope  you  will  accept  the  accompanying  invitation,  and 
give  the  honour  and  pleasure  of  your  presence  and  suiiport  on 
the  occasion. 
“  The  in.stitution  is  an  important  national  charity,  being  the 
only  one  of  its  kind  in  the  United  Kingdom,  and  during  its 
existence  it  has  distributed  in  permanent  and  temporary  relief 
upwards  of  £100,000.  There  are  now  upon  its  funds  207  pen¬ 
sioners,  121  men  and  87  widows,  entailing  an  annual  liability  of 
nearly  £4,000  for  annuities  alone,  irrespective  of  allowances 
made  as  a  measure  of  temporary  relief  to  distressed  applicants. 
To  meet  the.se  liabilities,  the  only  assured  income  is  about  £900, 
leaving  the  remainder  to  be  raised  by  donations  and  subscrip¬ 
tions,  towards  which  object  the  dinner  is  held. 
“  I  am  also  hoping  that  additional  aid  ivill  be  forthcoming  to 
enable  the  committee  to  extend  the  work  by  assisting  more  of 
the  ever-increasing  number  of  deserving  applicants,  of  whom 
there  are  ah-eady  thirty-eight  on  the  list,  several  being  quite 
blind.  I  know  by  sad  experience  that  the  continuous  calls  upon 
the  generosity  of  the  benevolent  public  render  it  increasingly 
difficult  to  obtain  that  support  for  an  old-established  charity 
connected  with  what  may  be  termed  a  national  industry,  which 
under  ordinary  circumstances  might  reasonably  be  hoped  for, 
yet  I  earnestly  trust  my.  endeavours  on  its  behalf  may  meet  with 
much  success.  Having  been  connected  with  the  institution  since 
1867,  and  tor  the  pa,st  sixteen  years  as  its  treasurer,  I  can 
vouch  for  its  eflficient  management  and  its  good  work.  I  there- 
foi’e  particularly  commend  its  needs  to  your  kind  consideration, 
and,  should  you  be  unable  to  be  present  at  the  dinner,  I 
earnestly  trust  you  will  favour  me  with  a  contribution  to  my 
list  in  aid  of  the  cause  for  which  I  plead. — Harry  J.  Veitch.” 
Rose,  Caroline  d’Arden. 
Bad  season  or  good,  with  me,  in  a  town  garden,  this  Eose 
comes  into  the  limited  catalogue  of  “old  reliables.”  It  was 
raised  by  Messrs.  A.  Dickson  from  a  seedling  as  far  back  as  ’88, 
and  .still  continues  one  of  the  most  prolific  of  blooms,  and  very 
fragrant.  Had  I  better  .soil,  it  might  suit  as  an  exhibition 
Eose;  but,  as  it  is,  it  gives  fine  full  blooms  continuously  from 
the  end  of  IMay  for  months  in  an  exposed  position,  and  without 
any  pampering.  I  draw  your  attention  to  it,  as  I  seldom  see  it 
referred  to. — W.  J.  AIurphy,  Clonmel. 
- - 
British  Gardeners’  Association. 
In  the  report  of  the  Essex  Hall  meeting,  which  appeared  on 
page  420,  the  writer  showed  pretty  clearly  that,  although  the 
association  was  formed  by  the  votes  of  a  large  majority,  there 
was  someone  present  with  acumen  enough  to  detect  the  weak 
point  in  the  piospectus.  All  honour  to  Mr.  W.  P.  Wiight  for 
having  registered  a  xirotest  against  the  idea  of  forming  a  ring- 
fence  round  the  profession,  through  which  all  must  enter  or  be 
cut  off  fi’oni  the  benefits  in  the  future  to  be  ccnferred  by  the 
august  society.  Such  a  course  is  entirely  out  of  joint  with  the 
spirit  of  the  age,  and  instead  of  having  the  effect  of  imxn'oving 
the  lot  of  gardeners  by  encouraging  them  to  take  concerted 
action,  it  will,  if  xiersisted  in,  lead  ..a  division  in  the  camp.  Soon 
there  will  siiring  up  numbeis  of  “ring-fence”  gardeners’  asso¬ 
ciations,  each  claiming  to  represent  and  jirotect  the  interests  of 
true  gardeners,  and  the  competition  thus  engendered  betiveen 
the  members  of  the  several  societies  will  make  matters  woise 
rather  than  better.  For  this  reason,  let  me  urge  the  rank  and 
file  of  gardeners  to  fight  like  grim  death  for  the  open  door,  so 
that  a  .strong  society  may  arise,  based  on  equity  and  justice  for 
all. 
The  clause  whicli  .states  that  “  The  requisite  five  years’  train¬ 
ing  must  be  in  gardens  of  repute  ”  may  appear  harmless  enough 
on  the  surface,  but  in  reality  it  supiilies  the  xiower  hy  which  the 
society  may  be  x^i’actically  converted  into  a  gigantic  “  trust,”  for 
the  benefit  of  the  friends  of  the  “inner  circle.”  By  degrees 
the  screw  will  be  tightened,  and  then  good-bye  to  that  freedom 
of  action,  that  oxiportunity  to  rise  through  merit  alone,  that 
•should  be  the  treasuied  possession  of  every  Briton.,  Our 
Cyphers,  Findlays,  Simonites,  “  Capability  Browns,”  of  the 
latter  day,  and  hosts  of  others  prominent  in  the  world  of 
horticulture,  .served  no  time  in  “  gardens  of  repute,”  but  they 
have  added  lustre  to  the  achievements  of  horticulture  because 
of  their  native  genius;  and  I  say  emxihatically,  may -there  be 
confusion  among  all  who  would  discourage  such  men  in  the 
future,  because  they  enter  not  through  the  door  of  the  “  ring- 
fence.” 
A  .societ.y  which  begins  its  career  by  withholding  information 
as  to  its  constitution  until  the  time  for  voting  comes  is  not  likely 
to  have  either  a  long  or  a  xH'osxierous  life.  Mistakes  are  often 
made  amid  the  excitement  and  enthusiasm  of  a  xmblic  meeting, 
but  that  is  no  reason  why  they  should  remain  unadjusted  to 
Xirevent  future  useful  and  harmonious  work.  So  let  the  watch¬ 
word  go  round  : — Fight  for  the  open  door,  for  justice,  and  for 
the  advancement  of  the  men  who  make  the  best  of  their  ox^x^or- 
tunities. — H.  D.,  Warwick. 
A  cori’espondent,  writing  from  South  Lambeth  Eoad,  under 
date  June  6,  says: — “  While  syringing  a  Bay  tree  in  my  garden 
this  evening,  I  disturlied  a  very  x^erfect  specimen  of  the  Lime 
Hawk  moth.  Never  having  seen  one  so  close  in  town  is  my 
excuse  for  notifying  the  circumstance.” 
