Jannary DO, 18S8. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENBB. 



for discharging, to separate the grease from the peat before it will 

 oalciue. The cover of the iron vessel must have a double rim, 

 to be filled at top with water to keep it air-tight. The most 

 Ukely place now to procure peat charcoal will bo in Dublin. 

 Write to Jfr. .1. Smithson, Messrs. Gouldiug's Manure Manu- 

 factory, Dublin. If particulars are required for manufacturing, 

 I shall be happy to afford them in detail. — H. Okilvn-, Grins- 

 dale Manure IVorks, Carlisle. 



LEEDS PROFESSIONAL GARDENERS' 

 FRIENDLY BENEFIT SOCIETY. 



Some time ago the advisability of establishing a gardeners' 

 friendly benefit society met with several advocates in the 

 columns of the Journal. It also received the support of the 

 Editors, who kindly took the trouble to publish a code of rules 

 for the guidance of such societies ; notwithstanding which, the 

 project fell through. The want of such a society has long been 

 felt in this neighbourhood, and to meet it several of the leading 

 gardeners around here met ami adopted the necessary measures 

 towards establishing one, and drew up for its guidance the 

 rules I herewith beg to forward you. 



I scarcely expect that the rules will have your entire ap- 

 proval, for, in the first place, they do not conform to a gradu- 

 ated scale of contribution, as insisted on in your code. That 

 important matter, I believe, received due consideration at the 

 formation of the society ; but the conclusion come to was, that as 

 the society was to consist entirely of professiDnal gardeners, and 

 the majority of the older members being head gardeners whose 

 wages are very rarely stopped during temporary sickness, they 

 would not, therefore, relatively be so likely to apply to the 

 society for assistance as the younger members, the majority of 

 whom are under gardeners who have not generally the same 

 consideration shown them by their employers. Tho society is 

 now having some proof of the soundness of the above reasoning. 

 There are at the present time three or four members sick who 

 might lay a just claim for assistance ; but only one who is an 

 under gardener has the necessity to do so, and his is a case of 

 extreme prostration. Vv''hilst, therefore, admitting the equity 

 of a graduated scale in almost all other benefit societies, ours 

 has some cause to show why it should be an exception. 



Some of the above reasons also apply as regards our rates of 

 contribution being lixed lower than with most other societies. 

 An additional one is, that we shall have a much larger propor- 

 tion of honorary members. We already have nearly 10 per cent. 

 of such without having made any solicitation ; but when, as we 

 intend doing soon, we bring the objects of the society before 

 the notice of our employers and others, and solicit their support, 

 we have every confidence of meeting with a very liberal re- 

 sponse from them. 



It has been thought .advisable to alter Eule 2(5, so as to admit 

 younger members. Originally members were not admitted 

 under twenty-one years of age, and they were required to sign 

 a declaration that they had worked five years successively as a 

 gardener ; whereas now members are admitted at eighteen 

 years of age, providing they can affirm that they have worked 

 three years in the capacity of a gardener. 



I also wish to call attention to the rule which gives members 

 the privilege of bringing any extraordinary flowers, fruits, or 

 vegetables before the President, who submits them to the notice 

 of the meeting, and invites any remarks or discussion there- 

 on. We have found it greatly to enhance the pleasure and 

 instruction to be derived from attending the meetings of the 

 society. 



It is also proposed to invite members to contribute short 

 papers or essays on subjects connected with our profession, 

 and to read them at our meetings after the usual business be- 

 longing to the society has bean transacted. By so doing it is 

 hoped that some inducement will be afforded young men to 

 join, partly for the instruction to be gained therefrom. To aU 

 of us it will make the meetings more interesting, and tend to 

 make the society a worthy one, around which all may rally, 

 and from which shall emanate both help to the aged and af- 

 flicted, and pleasure and instruction to the young and strong. 



The society has now been established a little over twelve 

 mouths, and the first annual dinner was held on t'ne loth inst. 

 at the Leopard Inn, Briggate. A very large number of the 

 members were present. Mr. M. Baynes presided, and the vice- 

 chair was occupied by myself. " Success to the Society" was pro- 

 posed ; and the Secretary, Mr. W. Sunley, in responding, stated 

 that the Association was formed in 18C7, and that the rules 



were passed and registered under tlio Friendly Society's Act ia 

 March of that year. Each member paid JJrf. per week, and in 

 siokuesa received 10.?. per week for half a year, and 5.s-. for the 

 remainder of his illness. At the death of a member £10 were 

 paid over to his widow or relatives, and on the decease of the 

 wife of a member £7 were paid over. A levy of Is. each is 

 made at the death of a member, and of i>d. each at the death 

 of a member's wife, towards tho funeral allowance. When the 

 society commenced there were 70 members, and at present the 

 number was 10,3, exclusive of six of the honorai-y class. The 

 funds had a balance of .£51 9s. id. now at the credit of the 

 society. — E. Featherstone. 



BROCCOLtS MALFORMED AND NOT TRUE. 



Something appeared a short time ago in the Journal about 

 the malformation cf Winter Broccolis, I am sorry to have to 

 complain of the same evil. Instead of having heads in the 

 form of Cauliflowers, a great many of mine have degenerated 

 into a kind of branching Broccoli, not equal to Lee's White 

 Sprouting. Now, this is very provoking after being at the 

 expense of seed, labour, and land, to say nothing of the dis- 

 appointment, and it is not the ease only with Snow's Winter 

 White and Backhouse's V/iuter Protecting, but with other kinds 

 as well. 



I am beginning to think that the Broccoli tribe is fast de- 

 generating. Often from an ounce of seed I can scarcely see 

 half a dozen plants alike. I think these diversities ought not 

 to be. When I order a certain kind of Broccoli, I am inclined 

 to think that I ought to have something Uke what I order, and 

 what its name implies. There must be a fairlt somewhere, but 

 where it lies is not for me to say ; whether it is with the 

 grower, the importer, or the seedsman, I am not prepared to 

 decide. The seedsman must sell such as he buys, the grower 

 must sell such as he grows, and the importer such as he 

 imports. 



When I was a yor.th we could procure Miller's Dwarf Broccoli 

 and Dwarf Russian Broccoli something like themselves — little 

 compact subjects about 1 foot in height when grown on a north 

 border, and ready for cutting in April and May, but now they, 

 though called by the same name, reach much nearer the sun. 

 Perhaps they are called the " Improved ! " 



I am afraid that I must say to the original of the above 

 " farewell." For sixteen years I have tried, but tried in vain, 

 to procure Miller's Dwarf as it was twenty-five years ago. I 

 have a kind sent bearing the name, but that is all ; what should 

 have been Miller's Dwarf, has merged into some giant form, 

 and I am as usual doomed to disappointment. It ia time that 

 some one came to the rescue. — M. H., Acklam Hall, Middles- 

 horough-on-Tees. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



The Proprietors of The Jouun.\l of Hokticultuke have 

 determined on offering at the Royal HoRTicnLTUKiL Societt's 

 Show, at Leicester, to be held on July IGth and following 

 days, Special Prizes of the same value and for the same sub- 

 jects as they did last year at the Bury St. Edmund's Show — 

 viz.. Two First Prizes of the value of Ten Guineas each for 

 the two best Desserts, consisting of not less than Seven kinds 

 of Fruits of 18(18, arranged as for the table, combining Quality 

 of Fruit with Taste of Arrangement. These prizes are to be 

 competed for by Gentlemen's Gardeners and Amateurs only, 

 and but one prize to he taken by the same person. 



CORDON TRAINING. 



[Contimted from page 73.) 



Fig. 5 is from a photograph of an upright trained tree, with 

 five vertical cordons springing from a common base. Trees 

 may be purchased already trained in this form, but the double 

 horizontal cordon may at pleasure be changed into this form 

 by selecting strong sheots at regular intervals, fastening them 

 to stout stakes, and summer-pinching them as practised for 

 oblique cordons. No central stem should be permitted in an 

 upright trained cordon ; it wUl absorb an unfair proportion of 

 the strength of the tree. 



Fig. G is a fan cordon, and the advantage of the simple 

 method of summer-pinching will at once be seen. Instead of 

 a iwall being perforated all over with nails, a few only are 



