December  10,  1903. 
JGURJSAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
535 
I  have  so  far  explained  the  reasons  vhy  the  Dahlia  Societj' 
returns  next  September  to  Sydenham  Hill.  The  arrangement  i.s, 
in  the  interests  of  the  R.H.S.,  to  be  deplored,  because  it  weakens 
at  the  outset  the  bond  by  which  it  was  .sought  to  hold  to  itself 
these  special  societies,  and  robs  the  Fellows  of  a  splendid  and 
much  enjoyed  exhibition  of  Dahlias.  The  proposals  of  the 
Council  indicate  sad  lack  of  insight  and  of  business  qualities. 
There  never  was  a  time  when  solid  business  qualities  in  a  council 
were  more  needed  than  now.  When  it  is  proposed  to  charge 
visitors  the  greatly  enhanced  fee  of  2s.  6d.  on  the  ground  that 
the  show  furnished  is  so  beautiful,  the  Council  yet  offer  the 
Dahlia  Society  not  one  penny  more  than  they  did  with  but  a 
shilling  admission  last  year.  That  is  a  very  inconsistent  act. 
Practically  it  is  proposed  to  flood  the  show  with  Fellows  of  the 
Il.H.S.,  but  to  shut  out,  by  a  prohibitory  charge,  all  those 
people  devoted  to  the  Dahlia  who  cannot  be  guinea  Fellows  of 
the  R.H.S.,  or  pay  2s.  6d.  admission. 
It  is  said  that  in  the  new  Hall  2s.  6d.  is  to  be  the  regular 
admission  fee.  If  that  be  .so,  then  must  trade  exhibitors,  the 
backbone  of  the  Society’s  meetings,  greatly  suffer,  as  it  will  tend 
to  exclude  because  the  charge  will  be  held  to  be  exorbitant  to 
many  of  the  traders’  patrons.  The  R.H.S.  never  had  to  face  a 
more  critical  period  of  its  existence  with  its  grave  responsibilities 
than  now,  and  anything  which  tends  to  check  its  popularity,  or 
to  set  up  the  backs  of  myriads  of  supporters,  would  be  suicidal. 
It  is  a  time  of  all  times,  when  everything  should  be  done  in  a 
broad,  liberal  spirit,  and  when  no  effort  should  be  wanting  to 
induce  everybody  interested  in  horticulture  to  rally  to  its  sup¬ 
port  and  maintenance. — Dahlia. 
The  Commercial  Needs  of  the  Empire. 
We  are  all  agreed  upon  the  advantages  of  increasing  the  food 
production  of  the  Einpire,  and  in  many  minds  the  question  arises 
— Can  nothing  be  done  to  stimulate  this  most  needful  of  all 
industries,  apart  from,  or  even  in  addition  to,  preferential  tariffs 
or  taxes  on  imported  food.?  Could  not  such  time  a.s  may  elapse 
before  a  general  appeal  to  the  country  be  most  profitably  em¬ 
ployed  in  ascertaining,  through  a  Royal  Commission  composed 
of  the  best  and  freshest  minds  of  the  mother  country,  and  all 
our  dependencies,  what  our  Imperial  needs  really  are  ?  Such  an 
inquiry,  under  such  auspices,  would  go  far  beyond  any  report 
yet  brought  to  us  by  individuals  or  Blue-books,  and  provide  a 
great  ma.ss  of  sterling  information  eminently  instructive  to  us 
all.  Whatever  the  upshoti  of  the  present  controversy  may  be — 
whether  we  continue  in  the  path  of  free  trade  or  not — it  cannot 
be  doubted  that  .such  a  fund  of  information  collected  from  all 
the  bOiSt  experience'  of  the  Empire  would  provide'  a  vast  amount 
of  expert  knowledge  that  might  be  turned  to  incalculable  account 
in  the  future,  whatever  the  course  of  that  future  may  be.  Might 
not  a  fully  representative  Governmental  committee  also  be 
formed  to  give  help  and  coumsel  to  our  Imperial  commerce.?  This 
ciue.stion,  among  others,  might  well  occupy  the  attention  of  a 
Royal  Commission  of  Inquiry  into  the  commercial  needs  of  the 
Empire.— James  Blyth,  Bart.,  33,  Portland  Place,  W., 
biovember  12,  1903. 
•  Protection  of  Fruit  Trees. 
Respecting  W.  J.  Murphy’s  desire  to  protect  his  trees,  why 
not  adopt  the  system  of  the  Florida  Orange  growers  ?  A  few 
years  back  they  were  visited  by  an  extraordinary  iihenomenon, 
vjz.,  a  severe  frost,  and  thousands  of  fruiting  trees  were  ruined. 
Under  such  circumstances  home  growers  would  probably  have 
been  disheartened,  but  the.se  exotic  fruit  growers  argued  that  if 
it  happened  once  it  might  occur  again.  Accordingly  they  pre¬ 
pared  elaborate  collapsible  sheds,  made  in  .sections,  of  what  they 
termed  slats.  Others  prepared  canvas  tents,  which  could  be 
erected  in  quick  time.  Large  braziers  for  burning  wood,  Ac., 
were  in  readiness,  and  every  preparation  was  made  for  fightiim 
the  frost  fiend,  should  ho  show  signs  of  appearing.  Ho  did,  and 
has  done  ever  since,  but  the  meteorological  officers  at  Washing¬ 
ton  and  elsewhere  wire  to  the  Florida  station,  and  mes.sages  are 
at  once  despatched  to  the  fruit  growers.  The  railwaymen  are 
made  u.se  of  for  the  purpose,  and  immediately  the  growers  get 
the  warning  up  go  the  sheds  and  tents,  and  under  these  canopies 
many  of  them  of  the  rough  and  ready  tvpe,  the  tree,?  are 
brought  through  safely  by  the  aid  of  fires.  Some  of  these  sheds 
on  largo  plantations  are  acres  in  extent,  but  it  undoubtedly 
p.ys.  Personally,  I  think  the  tent  .system  would  ivork  well  for 
blooming  trees  in  this  country.  The  pyramid  trees  could  be 
covered  by  bell  tent.s,  composed  of  tiffany  or  calico,  oiled  if  pre¬ 
ferred.  The.se  tents  should  work  on  wires,  so  that  they  could  be 
hauled  up  during  the  day  to  allow  fertilisation.  If  the  Florida 
market  men  can  make  it  pay  I  see  no  reason  whv  it  should  not 
do  .so  here.  [Except  high  rent  and  railway  rates!]  It  is  merely 
a  case  of  spending  a  little.  I  do  not  suppose  for  an  instant  that 
any  heat  would  be  needed,  but  a  few  smother  fires  would  help  to 
take  the  raw  edge  off  the  atmo.sphere. —  A.  W. 
Methods  of  Fumigation. 
Seeing  your  remarks  and  reprint  from  a  New  York  paper  on 
page  482  of  the  Journal  on  the  above  .subject,  it  occurred  to  me 
that  a  brief  note  a.s  to  what  is  being  done,  in  the  Royal  liotanio 
Gardens,  Regent’s  Park,  might  not  be  out  of  place.  At  the 
present  time  a  series  of  experiments  with  an  entirely  new  and 
improved  process  are  being  carried  out.  Although  too  early  for 
a  general  statement,  yet  its  value  is  practically  ensui'ed,  and 
when  properly  Avorked  out  on  a  standard  basis  and  more  generally 
understood,  it  Avill  probably  be  adopted  by  all  classe.s  of  groAvers. 
In  addition  to  this,  experiments  are  also  being  carried  out  Avith 
a  vicAv  to  ascertain  a  cheap  and  ready  means  of  destroying  insects 
in  the  soil.  Considerable  hopes  of  its  success  are  entertained. 
— Elderbert  F.  Haaves. 
Red  Spider. 
Since  the  di.scus.sion  in  the.se  columns  betAveen  iny.self, 
“H.  D.,”  and  others,  some  time  agO',  I  should  like  to  knoAA'  if 
any  Journal  reader  has  experimented  Avitli  XL  All  for  the 
destruction  of  this  pest.?  A  vinery  containing  Muscat  and  Lady 
DoAvne’s  Seedling  Grapes,  among  others,  Ava.s  again  used  for 
housing  Chrysanthemums,  and  as  green  fly  made  it.s  appearance 
on  the  “  Mums,”  vaporising  Avas  resorted  to^  The  house  Avas 
carefully  measured  and  just  sufficient  of  the  XL  All  AA^as  used  to 
kill  the  green  fly,  Avhich  it  did  easily.  But  the  fumes  of  the 
nicotine  compound  quite  spoilt  the  foliage  on  the  Muscat  and 
Lady  DoAvne’s  Vines.  This  proves  once  more  that  it  is  utterly 
impossible  to  vaporise  these  A'arieties  of  Grapes,  even  for  green 
fly  at  killing  strength,  Avithout  destroying  the  foliage  on  the 
Vines.  But  “  H.  D.  ”  in  the  issue  for  July  10,  1902,  asserts  that 
he  killed  red  .spider  on  these  varieties  of  Vines  Avith  XL  All 
Avithout  destroying  the  foliage.  Perhaps  other  readens  have 
accomplished  the  same  feat;  but  I  fail  to  kill  green  fly  even, with¬ 
out  .spoiling  the  foliage  on  these  Amrieties  of  Grapes,  and  rod 
spider  is  trebly  harder  to  kill  than  green  fly  ;  perhaps  fifty  times 
harder. — A.  Jefferies,  Moor  Hall  Gardens,  Essex. 
The  N.C.S.  Catalogue. 
I  think  it  is  not  too  much  to  expect  from  a  body  like  that  who 
is  supposed  to  be  at  the  head  of  the  central  authority  on  all 
matters  relating  to  Chrysanthemum  nomenclature  that  A\m  .should 
get  a  reliable,  interesting,  and  useful  catalogue  after  so  inany 
years  of  AA'aiting.  Can  anyone  .say  that  tlio  recently  published 
supplement  fulfils  any  one  of  these  requirements.?  I  think  a  long 
.stretch  of  imagination  Avill  be  necessary  before  I  at  least  come  to 
that  conclusion.  What  are  known  as  the  Centenary  and  Jubilee 
editions  Avere  distinctly  interesting  insomuch  that  the  raiser’s 
name  is  attached  to  the  bulk  of  A^arieties,  and  the  year  of  intio- 
ductioni  also.  These  tAVO  items  alone  serve  tO'  render  those 
publications  interesting,  and  useful  as  a  reference  at  the  same 
time.  The  present  issue  is'  simply  a  catalogue,  not  one  bit 
better  nor  so  good  than  those  issued  by  the  leading  vendors  of 
the  flower,  and  yet  the  charge  is  a  high  one  for  value  obtained. 
I  doubt  if  a  second  copy  Avill  be  purchased  by  anyone  Avho  sees 
the  publication.  At  .some  sIioaa's  prizes  are  offered  for  A’aiietios 
introduced  in  certain  years ;  hoAV  can  the  present  list  bo  used  as 
an  authority  even  in  so  small  a  matter  as  that  I  AAOuld  a.sk .? 
The  colour  description  too  is  excessively  vague  and  misleading 
in  many  instances.  At  one  sIioaa'  where  I  aaos  an  adjudicator  a 
prize  Avas  offered  for  six  Japanese  yelloAV.  Lord  Ludlow  AA-as  the 
variety  in  consideration  for  the  premier  aivard.  The  colour  of 
the  individual  blooms  Avere  as  thev  should  bo  Avhen  in  good 
condition— golden  yelloAV,  striped  and  margined  AAutli  i‘«l— 
Avhereas  the  authoritative  descriptmii  is  golden  amber.  I  ho 
consequence  Avas  the  blooms  in  question  Avere  pa.ssed,  the  variety 
coniiim  under  the  colour  description  required,  Aihereas  if  the 
catalogue  in  this  instance  Avas  not  misleading  a  disqualification 
must  have  folloAved,  No  tradesman’s  catalogue  that  I  have  seen 
describes  this  variety  in  the  same  luannor  as  the  official  publica- 
tion.  £ 
A  foAV  more  instances  aviII  sustain  my  criticism  of  accuracy  iii 
description.  For  instance,  Bessie  Godfrey,  a  variety  that  has 
been  seen  this  season  in  magnificent  condition  is  described  as 
deep  cream  ;  it  is  really  a  deep  canary  yellow.  Lord  Aldenham 
is  described  as  deep  crimson,  Avhereas  it  is  a  yelloAV  sport  from 
EdAvin  Molyneux.  Amongst  incurved  varieties  irregularities  an* 
not  so  common.  Ma  Perfection  is  giAwn  as  pearly  Avhite,  tinted 
pink,  instead  of  pure  Avhite.  ...  .■  ,i 
What  a  meagre  li.st  of  varieties  is  given  ars  representing  the 
Japane.se.  incurved,  especially  as  some  societies  encourage  (liis 
section  bv  having  classes  for  them  alone.  In  iiiy  opinion  only 
those  that  are  trul.v  incurving  under  all  conditions  should  be  so 
cla.ssed.  If  this  is'not  rigidly  adhered  to  as  the  standard. _  how 
can  exhibitors  be  expected  to  stage  t.ypical  blooms?  talvat  s  -JJ 
is  not  a  true  incurving  variety,  neither  is  Queen  Alexandra, 
W.  R.  Church.  Mrs.  White  Popham,  or  Exmouth  Crimson. 
In' the  .section  devoted  to  hairy  varieties  no  less  than  tAventy- 
tv.'o  arc  naiiiod.  I  lie  difficulty  is  to  find  t^^o  varieties  voidliy  of 
