572 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
December  24,  1903. 
Avith  tlie  uaine  of  a  favourite  individual  is  doubly  prized.  Do 
not  tb(u  forget  tbe  Roses  A\heu  gifts  are  being  ordered.  Some, 
again,  will  need  fo  think  of  elders  who  have  advanced  far  on 
life’s  journey,  and  are  able  to  spend  much  of  their  time  in  that 
finest  of  all  recreations — gardening,  The  flowers  of  their  youth 
will  probably  appeal  to  such.  Some  good  corms  of  double  and 
single  Frencli  Anemones  Avould,  perhaps,  find  special  favour  in 
instances  of  this  kind  ;  and  do  not  forget  to  include  a  few  of  the 
St.  Rrij;id  type,  Avbich  are  queens  among  Anemones  to-day. 
Some  of  tlio  best  strains  of  Primroses  and  Polyanthus  might,  in 
some  cases,  be  substituted,  aud  the  charms  of  the  Ranunculus 
should  not  he  overlooked. 
Among  the  herbaceous  plants  there  is  a  wealth  of  material 
to  select  from,  aud  an  excellent  collection  could  be  obtained  from 
prominent  growers  Avliich  would  provide  a  succession  of  flowers 
during  nine  mouths  of  the  5’ear.  Among  this  section  the 
brilliant  beauty  of  the  Preonies,  Iris,  New  Michaelmas  Daisies, 
Pyretbrums,  (Jhiysanthemums,  Hepaticas,  and  Delphiniums 
should  not  be  overlooked.  In  fact  ampng  hardy  perennial 
plants  alone  thousands  might  find  an  easy  aolption  of  their  pre¬ 
sent  puzzle  as  to  what  to  give.  .  .  .  .  , 
An  enthusiastic  Chrysanthemum  groAver  might  receive  a 
pleasant  surprise  in  the  shape  of  some  noted  speciality — ‘‘  Latest 
set;  ”  and  a  dozen  packets  of  seeds  of  the  very  best  varieties  of 
Sweet  Pea  would  set  many  an  individual  longing  for  summer 
lime,  let  us  hope  not  to  the  extent  of  being  in  too  great  a  hurry 
to  sow  the  seeds. 
The  Christmas  tree,  the  Avell  grown  pot  plant  in  the  shape  of 
either  a  Palm,  Erica,  Solanum,  or  Fern,  are  mementoes  often 
sent  round  at  the  festive  season,  so  I  need  not  dilate  upoxr  their 
merits,  but  wiil  pass  on  to  things  Avhich  have  utility  as  well  as 
beauty.  It  is  certainly  not  necessary  to  say  anything  to  add  - 
to  the  craze  for  certain  varieties  of  the  “  noble  tuber.”  Those 
who  naean  to  have  Northern  Stars  will  take  steps  to  secure 
them  independent  of  surprises  Avhich  Christmas  may  bring, 
and  it  .seems  difficult  even  by  the  aid  of  a  “  long  purse  ”  to 
secure  “  Eldorado.”  Let  us  therefore  pass  on  to  fruit  trees.  I 
can  imagine  no  more  mseful  or  acceptable  gift  to  the  owner  of  a 
garden  than  a  few  good  Apple  and  Pear  trees.  If  for  planting  on 
grass  of  course  standards,  but  if  for  the  garden  proper  Apples  on 
the  Broad-leaved  Paradise  stock,  and  Pears  on  the  Quince,  so 
that  it  may  not  be  a  question  of  waiting  years  for  fruit.  Here 
are  a  few  excellent  varieties  for  the  purpose  : — Apples,  dessert : 
Lady  Sudeley,  Quarrenden,  Cox’s  Orange  Pippin,  King  of 
Pippins,  Alliugton  Pippin,  Scarlet  Nonpareil,  aud  Charles  Ross. 
Cooking  :  Early  Victoria,  Stirling  Castle,  Golden  Spire,  Warner’s 
King,  Bismarck,  Newton  V  onder,  Lane’s  Prince  Albert,  and 
Annie  Elizabeth.  Pears:  Souvenir  du  Congres,  Marguerite 
Marrillat,  Marie  Louise  D’Lccle,  and  Do3'enue  du  Comice. 
_  The  children  should  not  be  forgotten,  as  it  is  well  to  get  them 
interested  in  Nature  s  handiwork  :  and  if  in  addition  to  their 
usual  gifts  they  receive  a  few  plants  or  seeds  for  spring  sowing, 
the  delights  of  gardening  will  grow  upon  them  as  they  advance 
in  age.  The  value  of  suitable  books  on  gardening  should  not  be 
overlooked,  for  to  either  old  or  young  such  Avill  invariably  prove 
a  source  of  delight  as  well  as  of  valuable  instruction,  and  it 
would  certainly  be  difficult  to  estimate  the  mighty  part  which 
books  have  played  in  creating  and  maintaining  the  keenest 
interest  in  our  ancient  art.  May  that  interest  increase  still 
more  as  time  goes  on,  so  that  every  individual  will  be  led  to 
look  upon  their  life  as  being  incomplete  unless  some  form  of 
gardening  enters  into  it  either  as  a  recreation  or  a  daily  calliuc^. 
V\e  can  all  do  something  through  the  medium  of  Christmas 
gilts  to  spread  the  spirit  of  gardening  abroad,  and  the  bless¬ 
ings  it  brings  in  its  train.— Onward. 
Question  Night. 
It  has^  been  customary  Avith  .secretaries  and  committees  of 
gardeners  mutual  improvement  societies  in  preparino-  their 
.sessional  syllabuses  of  es.says  and  lectures,  to  fill  up  odd  occasions 
Avitli  a  Que.stion  Night.  Again,  hard  pressed  secretaries  whoso 
tiates  of  meetings  are  more  numerous  than  the  contributors  of 
papers,  have  perforce  to  make  the  Que.stion  Night  a  stop-gap. 
We  Avoiikl  be  inclined  to  .set  aside  half  the  meetings  of  the 
se.ssion  of  almost  the  best  mutual  improvement  societies  for  open 
nights,  to  be  entirely  devoted  to  questions  and  impromptu  di.s- 
cussioiis.  There  are  .scores  of  doubts  in  all  men’s  minds,  and 
gardeners,  both  old  and  young,  have  abundant  doubts  and 
difficulties  that  continually  arise.  What  more  fraternal,  what 
more  helpful,  Avliat  more  in.spiriting  to  the  anxious  practitioner, 
than  to  put  a  question  to  an  assembled  body  of  his  felloAvs  and 
obtain  the  benefit  of  their  varied  experiences?  True,  there 
may  be  so  many  and  divers  opinions  that  a  fresh  difficulty  Avoiild 
ari.se  as  to  who  was  right,  or  AA’liom  to  folloAv  ;  but  a  logical 
mind  could  be  trusted  to  resolve  the  leading  facts. 
There  is  another  aspect  of  the  Question  Night,  for  out-of- 
the-Avay  queries  are  very  frequently  put  to  the  company,  aud 
are  indifferently  ansAvered  as  a  matter  of  course.  But  their 
usefulness  may  ultimately  double  itself  if  those  to  Avhom  it 
Avas  addressed  Avill  investigate  its  application  in  the  quietness 
of  their  own  homes  or  gardens,  or  by  a  diligent  search  in  books 
of  reference  AvhereAmr  these  are  accessible.  Could  there  not  be 
periodic  debates  on  matters  of  moment?  For  example:  The 
Proposed  National  Potato  Society ;  the  Proposed  National 
Gardeners’  A.s.sociation  ;  the  Future  of  iMarket  Gardening  and 
F’ciiit  GroAving  in  the  British  Isles,  and  many  similar  topics 
Avould  furni.sh  matter  for  discussions  of  ab.sorbing  interest 
and  of  considerable  utility. 
The  methods  adopted  at  Que.stion  Night  are  simple.  Each 
member  .should  go  prepared  Avith  a  question.  This  he  Avrites  on 
a  slip  of  paper,  to  be  handed  to  the  chairman  or  secretary. 
The  .slips  are  placed  in  a  box,  or  hat,  and  passed  round,  each 
man  taking  out  a  paper,  Avhich  he  must  try  to  satisfactorily. 
UnsAver,  or  can  call  upon  .someone  else  to  assist  him  if  it  is 
out  of  his  range  of  experience.  An  alternative  plan  is  for  the 
chairman  to  read  the  queries,  and  anyone  pre.sent  may  re.spond. 
But  the  first  method  is  the  be.st. 
- - 
The  “Daffodil  King’’  on  Tour.— No.  11. 
(^Continued  from  page  213.) 
Mr.  Peter  Barr  is  again  on  the  point  of  making  a  tour,  this 
time  to  Egypt,  Palestine,  and  Greece,  and  he  has  requested  fls; 
to  conclude,  if  possible,  the  notes  aao  still  possess  from  the  inter- 
vieAvs  enjoyed  Avith  him  after  his  return  fi'om  the  long  tour 
Avhich  this  series  very  briefly  de.scribes.  It  may  be  remembered 
that  the  last  instalment  dealt  Avith  the  conclusion  of  his  visit 
to  NeAv  Zealand,  and  his  entry  into  Tasmania.  Hai’ing  arrived 
at  Launceston,  and  been  “taken  in  hand”  by  the  Daffodil 
amateurs,  Mr.  Barr  Avorked  cloAvn  the  Avest  coast  of  Tasmania. 
This  part,  in  the  early  days  of  settlement,  provided  Melbourne 
AA'ith  Potatoes;  but  the  industry  is  noAv  almost  nil,  Tasmania 
being  thickly  populated,  and  Melbourne  being  able  to  supply  it.s 
OAvn  needs  in  this  direction. 
The  Avest  coast  region  is  remarkable  for  its  heavy  rainfall, 
though  our  traveller  enjoyed  most  charming  Aveather,  Avhich  ho 
ascribes  to  his  usual  good  fortune.  Mr.  Barr  visited  copper 
mines  here,  and  from  Hobart  made  an  excursion  to  the  fruit  groAv- 
ing  districts,  AA'hich  supply  England  AA'ith  those  handsome  Apples 
Ave  see  during  spring  and  early  summer.  He  also  journeyed  to  ■ 
the  old  convict  station,  but  previously  equipped  himself  by  read¬ 
ing  as  much  as  possible  of  the  literature  pertaining  to  the 
terrible  times  AA'hen  criminals  Avere  put  in  durance  A'ile.  Many 
a  good  man  Avas  turned  into  the  Ablest  of  the  vile,  and  it  AA'a.s 
no  uncommon  thing  for  an  escaped  prisoner  to  turn  cannibal. 
It  is  from  this  part  that  the  timber  is,  or  has  been,  cut  doAvn 
for  the  making  of  the  neAv  DoA’er  pier  and  harbour. 
Returning,  Mr.  Barr  took  the  east  coast  route,  which  is  full 
of  interest  from  its  coal  and  tin  mines,  and — its  Tree  Ferns. 
The  itinerant  stayed  at  various  centres  to  inspect  the  works, 
then  joined  the  raiRvay  back  to  Launceston. 
His  next  move  Avas  one  of  even  greater  interest  still :  cer¬ 
tainly  more  romantic.  This  move  Avas  to  Fiji,.  Samoa,  and 
Tonga,  by  the  New  Zealand  Steamship  Company.  The  boat 
Avas  charming,  the  food  Avas  good,  and  the  officers  all  fine, 
gentlemanly  men.  If  Ave  suTAmy  a  map  of  the  Southern  hemi¬ 
sphere,  Ave  Avill  find  these  islands  Ijbng  far  out  in  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  under  the  scorching  tropical  sun.  The  Fiji  group  lie, 
roughly,  1,500  miles  east  of  Queensland  (Au.stralia),  Avhich  Mr. 
Barr  also  touched,  and  about  1,000  miles  north  of  NeAv  Zealand, 
and  the  same  distance  south  of  the  Ecjuator.  The  Samoan 
group  are  1,500  miles  due  north  from  the  neare.st  point  of  Ncav 
Zealand,  being  therefore  near  the  Equator,  and  are  fully 
2,000  miles  from  Queensland.  These  distances  Avill  give  the 
reader  a  better  understanding  of  this  latest  voyage  of  Mr. 
Barr’s  tour.  The  Fiji  Islands  are  a  group  mainly  of  volcanic 
origin,  their  total  area  being  less  than  a  third  of  that  of 
Tasmania.  The  islands  were  ceded  to  Britain  by  their  nativci 
King  in  1874,  and  now  form  a  British  CroAvn  Colony.  In  pas-s¬ 
ing.  one  may  observe  that  inany  Europeans  A'oyage  here  for 
health’s  sake,  and  Mr.  McIntyre,  head  gardener  to  Sir  Charles 
and  Lady  Tennant,  of  The  Glen,  Innerleithen,  Peebles-shire, 
N.B.,  Avas  in  this  region  recently,  but  returned  some  time  ago. 
