50 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  16,  1903. 
its  identity.  I  cannot  accept  the  statement  that  vendors  in  this 
country  are  being  fathered  with  the  sins  of  foreign  competitors, 
and  at  any  rate  the  practice  is  not  of  recent  introduction,  as  it 
has  been  carried  on  by  the  firm  in  question  for  some  time,  and 
about  a  year  ago  the  matter  was  noticed  in  “  The  Gardener’s 
Chronicle  ”  unless  my  memory  greatly  misleads.  There  is  no 
doubt  corruption,  if  discovered,  will  be  dealt  with,  whether  it 
emanates  from  a  Continental  or  an  English  house,  should  the 
prospective  Bill  become  law. 
The  interesting  note  on  the  Cardiff  Castle  pot-Vines  brought 
to  mind  the  recollection  of  many  pleasant  hours  spent  in  the 
company  of  the  late  Mr.  Pettigrew.  At  one  period  none  knew 
better  than  the  writer  of  his  success  as  a  grower  of  many  things 
other  than  pot  Vines.  From  a  gardener’s  point  of  view  it  is 
extremely  regrettable  to  learn  of  the  probability  of  the  fine 
gardens  being  demolished  for  the  planting  of  bricks  and  mortar. 
In  the  extremely  useful  “  Notes  for  Exhibitors  ”  on  page  2, 
“  H.  D.”  gives  some  Avell-tried  information  upon  colouring,  or 
“finishing,”  fruit.  With  Black  Hamburghs  I  still  adhere  to  the 
plan,  taught  me  years  ago  by  a  very  fine  fruit  grower,  of  giving, 
air  night  and  day,  both  by  the  top  and  bottom  ventilators, 
immediately  colouring  commences.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that 
some  growers  have  a  tendency  to  withhold  water  at  this  stage, 
with  the  idea  that  by  so  doing  they  are  hastening  the  ripening 
process.  No  greater  fallacy  could  exist,  for  the  roots  of  Vines 
are  at  this  period  most  probably  in  a  most  active  state.  Scarcely 
anyone  will  quarrel  with  “H.  D.”  in  connection  with  his  remarks 
on  the  colouring  of  light-coloured  Grapes.  There  is,  however, 
some  risk  attached  to  tying  back  the  leaves  above  Muscats  unless 
the  cultivator  is  prepared  to  shade  the  bunches  during  the 
warmest  hours  of  the  day  during  extra  bright  hot  spells. 
The  report  of  the  dinner  of  the  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent 
Institution  tempts  me  to  make  another  appeal  on  behalf  of  this 
splendid  helper.  One  glance  at  the  yearly  disbursements  should 
convince  anyone  of  the  good  that  is  being  done  amongst  old 
and  indigent  fellow-craftsmen.  There  ought  at  least  to  be  a 
thousand  gardener  subscribers  to  the  funds;  if  this  number  could 
be  reached  there  would  be  fewer  deserving  applicants  sent  empty 
away  than  there  now  are  each  succeeding  year. — Provincial. 
The  “Daffodil  King’’  on  Tour— No.  6. 
(Continued  from  page  6.). 
Our  last  notes  were  in  the  nature  of  a  valedictory  to  North 
America,  for  Mr.  Barr  sailed  from  the  Californian  co^ast  on 
March  24,  1899,  en  route  for  “  the  land  of  the  rising  sun,”  and 
spent  one  day  at  Honolulu,  one  on  the  Sandwich  gro-up  of  islands, 
lying  less  than  half  way  between  California  and  the  Japanese 
empire.  The  chief  attraction  here,  to  one  of  horticultural  pro¬ 
pensity,  are  the  cho'ice  tropical  fruits.  There  the  Cocoanut  trees 
may  be  seen  growing  along  by  the  wayside,  though  not  in  fruit  in 
March.  The  museum  in  the  chief  town  here  stands  next  to  the 
mu.s8um,  Auckland,  New  Zealand,  for  its  collection  of  South  Sea 
Islands  relics.  Mr.  Barr  was  informed  by  the  curator  that  until 
a  few  years  ago  the  natives  could  supply  names  for  every  plant 
on  Honolulu ;  now  there  is  scarcely  one  that  they  can  give  the 
name  of.  Rice  fields  are,  of  course,  a  prominent  feature.  Hono¬ 
lulu  is  a  calling  station,  or  half-way  house,  for  ships  on  the  way 
to  Japan,  and  is  a  central  one  in  the  Sandwich  group. 
Japan. 
Arriving  at  Japan,  the  voyager  presented  himself  at  the  Club 
Hotel,  Yokohama,  being  the  one  most  frequented  by  the  British 
and  Colonials.  The  Americans  go  to  the  Grand  Hotel,  which  is 
a  large  and  finer  building,  and,  of  course,  more  expensive ;  but 
the  best  hotel  of  all,  and,  perhaps,  the  least  frequented,  is  the 
Oriental,  the  menu  being  exceptionally  good,  largely  from  the 
fact  that  a  French  chef  “  rules  the  roost.”  Mr.  Barr  visited  the 
principal  nurseries  of  Japan,  and  one  worked  by  Mr.  Enger  may 
be  called  the  European  nursery  of  Japan,  combining,  however, 
the  finest  of  the  Japanese  cultures.  This  nursery  does  a  large 
business  in  distributing  trees  and  shrubs  throughout  the  East. 
The  Yokohama  Nursery  Co.  close  by  had  an  immense  stock  of 
dwarfed  shrubs  and  Japanese  plants,  of  every  size  and  all  ages, 
one  dwarfed  tree  being  estimated  to  be  500  years  old.  The 
managing  director’s  son  stated  that  they  were:  prepared  to  give 
the  history  of  this  tree  back  400  years  to  any  purchaser. 
These  two  nurseries  are  the  principal  exporters  of  Lilies  to 
Europe  and  America.  Looking  over  their  stocks  cf  L.  longiflorum, 
Mr.  Barr  drew  attention  to  the  necessity  of  discarding  many  of 
the  varieties,  and  working  up  stocks  of  the  true  eximium  type. 
And  while  there  (as  the  bulb  can  be  distinguished  from  "the 
others)  some  80,000  were  put  out  for  cultivation  as  a  start,  so 
that  within  a  few  years  the  finest  forms  only  will  be  offered.  Of 
the  Bermuda  form  of  L.  longiflorum,  the  supply  was  not  equal  to 
the  demand,  hence  Japan  was  called  upon  to  supply  the  deficiency,, 
and  every  variety  was  sent.  As  the  Lily  does  not  grow  on  the 
mainland,  collectors  are  sent  to  the  different  islands  to  gather  the 
bulbs,  and  did  so  without  discrimination.  There  are  .something 
like  eight  distinct  forms,  which  accounts  for  the  early  importations 
sometimes  con.sisting  of  tall,  dwarf,  long-funnelled,  short- 
funnelled,  or  split-flowered  kinds.  The  .split  flower  is  a  fixed  form  ; 
not  an  accidental  thing.  Lilinm  longiflorum  multiplies  with 
great  rapidity,  so  that  in  five  years  which  have  lapsed  most  of  the 
inferior  sort.s  will  have  been  discarded. 
The  great  interest  to  the  ordinary  traveller  in  Japan  are  the 
temples,  some  of  them  of  great  magnificence,  and  all  of 
great  antiquity.  It  would  not  be  worth  while  to  fill  our  pagesi 
with  descriptions  of  these,  for  this  can  be  obtained  in  the  guide 
books  ;  but  it  may,  however,  be  of  advantage  to  visitors  in  Japan 
to  know  of,  and  read,  Mitford’s  “  Old  Japan,”  and  Henry 
Norman’s  “  Real  Japan.”  Having  read  these,  says  Mr.  Barr,  all 
other  work,s  on  Japan  are  generally  of  second  importance. 
One  must  not  forget  that  besides  the  Lilies,  Japan  is  famous 
for  its  Iris  Krempferi  (laevigata).  Mr.  Barr  is  at  present  in 
correspondence  with  Japan  to  see  whether  the  varieties  can  be 
traced  back  to  their  start  from  the  original  I.  Kaempfeiri,  a  flower 
2in.  to  Sin.  across,  and  generally  of  a  purple  colour.  There  are 
albino  varieties,  but  the  traveller  was  not  fortunate  in  seeing  any 
of  them,  and  these  have  been  ennobled  to  flowers  measuring  up  to 
15in.  diameter,  in  all  grades  of  “  doubleing,”  from  semi  to  fully 
double.  And  the  improvement  in  these  re-spects  is  being 
sedulously  followed  up  by  several  growers.  The  best  collection 
was  discovered  a  few  miles  out  from  Tokio.  The  aged  iiroprietor 
was  a  keen  florist,  and  had  his  plants  in  fine  condition,  but  he 
belonged  to  the  old  school  of  Japs,  who  had  been  early  trained 
that  it  was  dangerous  for  a  working  man  to  appear  to  possess 
property,  hence  he^  never  got  beyond  the  dress  of  an,  ordinary 
labourer,  although  considered  to  be  wealthy  in  land  and  stock. 
The  old  gentleman,  however,  has  passed  to  the  majority  since 
Mr.  Barr  visited  him  and  his  garden. 
Having  discussed  various  questions  not  cognate  to  our  pages, 
Mr.  Barr  made  a  reference  to  the  Japanese  and  their  penchant 
for  unripe  fruit.  The  Peaches  you  will  hear  them  crunching  as  a 
boy  might  eat  a  crisp  Apple.  Plums  they  pickle  and  use  a,si  a 
relish  before  meals,  and  twice  Mr.  Barr  essayed  to  try  these 
“  relishes,”  but  tw'ioe  he  had  tO‘  reject  them. 
The  suburbs  of  Tokio  are  full  of  little  nurseries,  which  have 
various  specialities,  including  the  “  manufactory  ”  of  dwarf  trees, 
most  of  wdiich  find  tlieir  w’ay  into  the  two  nurseries  already 
named,  in  Yokohama,  these  being  the  principal  outlet.  Flowering 
Plums  and  Cherries,  however,  are  grown  for  domestic  sale. 
Japan  cannot  be  called  rich,  and  our  narrator  observed  that 
the  cowkeepers  around  Yokohama  sent  out  their  womenfolk  to 
collect  suitable  grasses  for  the  cows,  as  that  of  the  districts  was 
of  an  unsatisfactory  character.  All  the  butcher  meat  has  to  be 
brought  from  the  opposite  or  wmst  side  of  the  country,  viz.,  Kobe. 
The  veteran  traveller  reached  the  northern  island  (Yezo),  and 
mentioned  that  in  Sophoro,  the  capital,  the  palace  that  had  been 
built  for  the  Emperor  wn,s  now  a  hotel.  The  botanical  professor 
in  this  city  most  favourably  impressed  Mr.  Barr,  the  former 
having  studied  three  years  at  Harvard  University,  and  did  some 
original  work  during  that  period. 
Nakasaki  is  a  very  ancient  town,  and  is  one  of  the  ports  of 
call  for  steamers  on  their  way  to  China.  While  here,  the  visitor 
was  most  hospitably  received  by  the  priests  in  charge  of  one  of  the 
temples,  and  he  wu-s  fortunate  to  secure  a  selection  of  Japanese 
drawings  in  book  form,  together  with  a  few  bronzes.  In  the 
northern  island,  Mr.  Barr  found  Pseonia  obovata. 
China  and  the  Philippine  Islands. 
Sailing  now’  from  Naka,saki,  he  next  reached  Shangai,  in  China, 
called  also  “the  model  settlement  of  the  East.”  Its  suburbs 
have  a  decidedly  English  aspect,  mainly  through  the  residences 
of  Europeans  lying  back  from  the  roads,  and  entered  by  carriage 
drives.  The  native  town  follow'S  generally  the  typical  Chinese 
plan.  Still  passing  southwards,  Hong  Kong  next  claimed 
attention,  and  here  some  days  were  spent,  particular  attention 
being  given  to  the  botanical  garden,  w'hich  is  directed  by  Mr. 
Chas.  Ford,  F.L.S.,  and  Mr.  W.  J.  Tutcher  is  curator.  Mr.  Ford 
possesses  a  considerable  knowledge  of  things  Chinese,  and  was 
busy  at  Mr.  Barr’s  visit,  surveying  the  new’ly  ceded  territory  given 
to  Great  Britain. 
Manila  lies  directly  in  the  route  of  any  passenger  to  the  north 
of  Queensland,  and  when  the  persona  of  thi.s  tour  left  Hong  Kong, 
his  next  call  was  at  this  renowned  chief  town  of  Hie  Philippine 
Islands.  It  w’as  then  full  of  America’s  citizen-soldiers,  to  one  of 
whom  he  -spoke,  and  discovered  that  the  soldier  had  once  been 
in  the  forces  of  Her  Britannic  Majesty.  Manila  is  an  old  Spanish 
town  with  nothing  specially  remarkable  about  it,  except  that  from 
here  the  Manila  hemp  is  shipped;  .so  the  sojourn  was  soon  ter¬ 
minated,  and  touching  next  at  Port  Darwin,  he  set  foot  on  the 
great  Australian  Continent,  and  his  future  wanderings  thereon 
we  shall  take  occasion  to  notice. 
