270 THE GARDENER. [June 



NOTES ON WATERING. 



Some one, of high standing in the gardening profession, has said that 

 a great number of the gardeners of the present day require the erron- 

 eous ideas ''pumped out" of them before they can be really useful 

 and clever members of the profession. We will not attempt to 

 discuss this question here, but rather proceed to notice what ap- 

 pears to be, if not an erroneous idea, a practical mistake of the 

 greatest importance to those engaged in the plant-growing. Probably 

 there is not one who reads these lines but knows it to be a funda- 

 mental principle, both of animal and vegetable physiology, that the 

 chief means for supplying food to the system of either is by the 

 agency of water. Just as nothing which is insoluble in water can be 

 taken up by the absorbent system of the animal, so with the vegetable. 

 Everything in the shape of plant-food must be first dissolved in water, 

 and taken into the cellular tissue in a fluid state ; hence the importance 

 of keeping the soil in which the absorbent system or the roots of the 

 plants are, continually in a moist condition. If this simple fact 

 were acted on, as a matter of practice, by all gardeners, there would 

 be a marvellous diminution in the quantity of plants which, if not 

 miserable, are most miserable-looking. Who does not remember 

 the consumptive appearance of the different sections of Geraniums, 

 popularly so called, at those places where this starving-for-want-of- 

 water system is carried out? Peter Grieve would be apt to be 

 overlooked as such by that gentleman, whilst Queen Victoria and 

 Prince of Wales are like anything but themselves ; Leonidas is 

 shorn of his glory, the Clipper appears a misnomer, and Grand-Duke 

 a caricature ; the praises of Luna seem all moonshine ; Sceptre 

 d'Or's gold has become tarnished, and the blushes have vanished from 

 Her Majesty's face ; Victor Lemoine looks the shadow of himself, 

 whilst all his brethren keep silently yet eloquently appealing for their 

 "bread and water." They want their meals regularly, and in time, but 

 they are regularly "put off" till they suffer for the want of it ; then, 

 when the roots are desiccated, and the spongioles for the time being 

 annihilated, water comes in profusion, but only to make matters 

 worse, for the large quantity required to thoroughly moisten the soil 

 becomes hurtful, on account of the roots being unable to perform the 

 functions of absorption — and thus they are treated, now with their roots 

 in dust, and anon in a puddle. Or turn to the Chrysanthemums, and 

 those bare stems, leaves shrivelled up, and "growing points" seem- 

 ingly undecided on remaining contentedly in the position they have 

 gained or on trying to attain a higher, tell the same tale of faulty 

 watering. Look at those Melons, with leaves eaten up with red-spider, 



