•33 



HORTICULTURE 



August 5, 1905 



found that the scarlet varieties are the most popluar, 

 being largely used for decorating dinner tables. One 

 reason for their being so much in favor is that the 

 flowers last so long after they are cut. Seeds and 

 tubers are despatched by the firm to all parts of the 

 world. The method of culture is to plant the tubers 

 in August at intervals of three to six inches from 

 the crown of each. The tubers are covered suf- 

 ficiently with soil, care being taken not to have too 

 much. The soil is usually moderately drained. As 

 soon as the foliage dies down, the tubers are taken 

 up and dried in boxes in an airy shed, and planted 

 again according to the time the flowers are wanted. 

 After planting they need no attention and no cover- 

 ing of any sort is required. Mr. J. T. Gilbert is an 

 enthusiast on this branch of horticulture and he is 

 reducing his stock of bulbs in order to go in more 

 extensively for the cultivation of anemones in all 

 its forms, for he believes that the flower has a great 

 future. 



A Noted Aspar.'vgus Center 

 In the fruitful vale of Evesham in Worcestershire 

 immense quantities of asjiaragus are cultivated, and 

 heavy supplies have been distributed tliroughout the 

 country. Not only are all the leading markets in 

 London and the provinces fully supplied, but several 

 of the growers carry on a profitable trade in supply- 

 ing private customers direct. There is something in 

 the Evesham soil which is well adapted for asparagus 

 culture. Several of the growers who have com- 

 menced in a small way have built up large and 

 lucrative businesses. Although the fruit crops in the 

 Evesham district have suffered severely from the 

 adverse weather, the asparagus has done better. At 

 the asparagus show held recently, some very fine 

 specimens were exhibited. There was an entry of 

 fifty bundles, each of i 20 buds, and the total weight 

 was 674 pounds, giving an average weight of 14I 

 pounds per bundle. The heaviest prize winner was 

 a bundle weighing 20^ pounds. The prize bundles 

 were sold by auction, and averaged from 145. to 165. 

 each, the proceeds being devoted to the funds of the 

 local hospital. Growers in Evesham have in the past 

 experienced losses from the dreaded disease known as 

 rust. They are, therefore, interested in a report 

 which has been published on this side from the 

 University of California, giving the result of the re- 

 cent investigations made by Mr. Ralph E. Smith, 

 the plant pathologist of the Agricultural Experiment 

 Station. Mr. Smith lias demonstrated that sulphur, 

 either in dry or liquid form, acting largely by its 

 gaseous fumes, is a satisfactory ru.st preventive. 



Fostering the Fruit Industry 

 A Departmental Committee was appointed last year 

 by the Board of Agriculture to consider the best 

 means of improving the fruit industry in Britain. 



After hearing the evidence of many experts and 

 making tours of inspection, the committee have pre- 

 sented their report to Parliament. The chief recom- 

 mendation is that a branch of the Board of Agricul- 

 ture shall be established to deal with the fruit in- 

 dustry, with a bureau for disseminating information 

 and a farm for experimental purposes. This country 

 has hitherto been behind other nations in the amount 

 of encouragement given to fruit culture, although 

 general agriculture has had a Minister to watch its 

 interests. If the proposal is carried out it is felt 

 amongst horticulturists that greater progress will be 

 made in competing against foreign growers. An- 

 other excellent suggestion in the report is that 

 horticulture should be taught in elementary schools 

 In country districts, and that the schools should 

 have gardens attached wherever possible. The Com- 

 mittee further suggest, amongst other things, that 

 fruit growers should pay more attention to the care- 

 ful packing and proper grading of better class fruit, 

 and the selection of the right kind of fruit to plant, 

 according to the soil, and to the importance of cul- 

 tivating fewer varieties, especially of apples. 



The Growth of Fruit Culture 

 One satisfactory feature of the report is the an- 

 nouncement that the fruit industry is the only form 

 of agriculture which has exhibited any sign of pro- 

 gress in recent years. The committee have been 

 much struck with the great increase in fruit-growing 

 in the country. Whilst there have been decreases 

 in the hop and corn crops, there has been a steady 

 extension as regards fruit. The orchards have in- 

 creased from 148,221 acres in 1873, to 243,008 acres 

 in igo4, whilst small fruit has extended from 69,792 

 acres in 1897 to 77,947 acres in 1904. As to the 

 cause of the increase, some interesting evidence was 

 given by Sir William Thiselton Dyer, Director of the 

 Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. He described the 

 extraordinary growth of the taste for fruit on the 

 part of the public, a taste which in his opinion was 

 not sufficiently provided for at present by fruit 

 growers at home. Sir William considers that if 

 home grown fruit could be distributed to the people 

 more efficiently and more cheaply, it would be ab- 

 sorbed and would be profitable to the cultivator. 

 With a view to improving the present system of 

 distribution, the committee recommend a series of 

 far-reaching alterations as regards railway rates and 

 conditions, the increasing of the market facilities, 

 etc. Thereport will be discussed at a joint confer- 

 ence to be held in the autumn under the auspices 

 of the Royal Horticultural Society and the National 

 Fruitgrowers' Federation. 



>t>y. adi^. 



