August 7, 1866. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



105 



occasion to open any except those to which prizes are awarded. 

 Meanwhile, I presume, Mr. Gilby lias his book niado up from 

 the counterfoil, and finishos it as the list of prizes is given in, 

 when all appears at a glance. I wish I had the room to show 

 all the oohtmna, but tho following will give a clear idea of the 

 plan: — 



In this way tho double page of great width is divided into 

 columns, the first showing the class and the exhibitor's 

 number ; the second, the name of the exhibitor; the third, tho 

 parish in which he lives ; then follow fifty-three columns, 

 numbered accordingly, and each number appropriated to a 

 distinct class of vegetables, fruit, and flowers — 1, for Beans ; 

 2, for Beet, &c, as shown as a sample in the first six columns. 

 By running the eye along the line opposite each exhibitor's 

 name, it is at once seen what entries he has made, and under 

 what number he shows. Thus, if I had Mr. Gilby's book, I 

 should see that Job Smith enters for three kinds of Beans, 

 two of Carrots, two of Potatoes, one basket of vegetables, one 

 of Apples, four of Raspberries, two of Heartsease, and one of 

 Geraniums, making sixteen entries in all ; but as sometimes 

 the exhibitor changes his mind, the next column tells how 

 many articles he actually exhibits — viz., fourteen. Then the 

 next column shows the amount of the prizes awarded, the next 

 the total amount, and the last the person to whom the money 

 has been paid. From the six columns of the fifty-three, it will 

 he seen that Alfred Clarke has two entries for Cabbage, and 

 from the full list it would be apparent he had two entries for 

 Currants, which come under column 24. My apology for saying 

 so much on this matter is, that I have no recollection of meet- 

 ing with a plan more simple and effective. 



Lastly. A prominent feature of the Society has been the 

 awarding of prizes for the best-kept and best-cropped allot- 

 ments. Two things here are well worthy of imitation. The 

 first is, so far as I understood, that the competition as to 

 allotments is at present confined to two distinct districts ; 

 and as these districts are differently situated as respects soil, 

 situation, convenience in obtaining manure, Sas., they do not 

 compete with each other, but each district of allotments has its 

 own competition, and thus two series of prizes are awarded 

 instead of one. The second is, that the prizes are not awarded 

 by one visit of the adjudicators, there must be at least three 

 visits to the allotments, and at somewhat long intervals. 

 One gentleman, greatly interested in this matter, told me 

 that the Judges would have made great mistakes if they had 

 given the prizes as the result of one or two visits. The 

 great improvement effected was chiefly owing to the conviction 

 gaining ground that the post of honour could only be obtained 

 by continuous exertion, and not by a mere spurt now and then. 

 I have often noticed that in spring, when all is fresh and gay, 

 the most lethargic will be influenced by the season, will fresh 

 crop their gardens, trim their plants, and make the walk to 

 the cottage door and all about it neat and trim ; but the same 

 garden in the autumn and the beginning of winter will look 

 often the handiwork of the sluggard, with decaying Pea-haulm 

 and rotten Cabbage leaves polluting the air, and the paths next 

 to impassable with weeds. Continuous neatness and econo- 

 mising of materials are therefore desirable. 



Well might poets sing of the — 



" Cottage homes of England, 

 How beautiful they stand." 



And well might the painter delight in transferring to his can- 

 vas their pointed gables, their thatched, and Moss, or House- 

 leek-covered roofs, partly concealed by Eglantine and Honey- 

 suckle, so that you might well imagine them to be the abodes 

 of innocence, and happiness, and peace ; but how often would 

 a nearer view tell you that there was little of neatness and in- 

 dustry without, and still less of comfort within, partly owing to 

 the want of means, and more generally owing to the want of the 

 desire to make the most of these means. All success, then, to 

 every effort, be it directed even by a cottage garden society, that 

 •aims at promoting industry and neatness outside the cottage, 



as that will be surely fullowed by an increase of cleanliness, of 

 thrift, of comfort, and happiness inside. The state of the 

 garden, the flower-plot, or even a single plant in a pot in a 

 window, forms no bad index to the mere passer-by of the gene- 

 ral character of the occupiers. A hint to the wise is sufficient. 

 We are nono the worse for knowing that we are constantly, 

 though insensibly, furnishing the materials for others to take 

 notes of our conduct and our character. — B. Fish. 



THE REV. CHARLES MARSDEN 'S GARDEN 

 AT GARGRAVE. 



Gabqeave is very near Skipton, and about an hour's run by 

 rail from Bradford on the Midland line to Carlisle or Lancaster. 

 Those who delight in magnificent hills and valleys, and glorious 

 mountain scenery, should take a run from Leeds by way of 

 Skipton and Ingleton until tired of it, and a call at Gargravo 

 will amply repay the lover of a good garden, and a look in at 

 the most beautiful stained-glass windows of Gargrave church 

 will be a treat. 



Mr. Marsden is an occasional contributor to the Journal, 

 but under a pseudonym, and his opinions may be relied on at 

 all times, and I wish he would write a great deal more, because 

 he is the sort of man to guide amateurs; he is backed up 

 by a gardener who, to use one of our Yorkshire expressions, 

 has his head screwed on right, and I always pick up scraps of 

 information when I visit Mr. Marsden's garden. I went there a 

 few days since to see the Strawberries, and I am confident finer 

 plants and fruit could not be found anywhere. The soil is not 

 what may be honestly called good, for it is too light for Straw- 

 berries, and yet they are grown well here. Mr. Marsden treats 

 the Strawberry as an annual and biennial, rarely allowing the 

 plants to stand more than one or two years, and he has this 

 season very fine crops from British Queen and La Constante, 

 planted last August ; not small plants with three or four fruit 

 to each, but full-sized plants with an abundance of fine fruit. 

 Before adverting to the sorts, I just wish to say a word or two 

 about the treatment they receive. His gardener told me that 

 in preparing the ground for planting they keep the manure 

 near the surface, and after planting they never disturb the 

 roots, but apply manure to the surface. 



What a treat it is to see La Constante growing here ! in fact, 

 I never saw it in such luxuriant health, and some rows planted 

 in August last were wonderfully fine. Another batch of two- 

 year-old plants were also in fine trim, and full of fruit ; and 

 a small bed which had been allowed to stand for five years 

 had a heavy crop. Where La Constante can be grown, and it 

 must have very liberal growth, it is a first-class Strawberry in 

 every respect, and, as the gardener observed, so short-stemmed 

 that the fruit is covered by the foliage, and the birds do not 

 get at them so much as other kinds. Another great advantage 

 of La Constante is that it keeps up a succession, for it can be 

 gathered from as early as Prince of Wales, and as late as any 

 other kind. 



British Queen is grown to perfection here, and I saw fruit 

 such as one expects to find abont Isleworth, or at Solomon's 

 in Covent Garden, and a good old sort it is. It will be a long 

 time before it be driven out of the field. 



Crimson Queen is much grown and valued here, for it is a 

 very free cropper, bearing fine, handsome fruit, and firm for 

 travelling, just the Strawberry for market ; but it should he 

 quite ripe for flavour. 



Frogmore Late Pine is not so much prized here, as it is 

 rather tender ; Cox's Hybrid is a capital cropper and a good 

 Strawberry ; Ingram's Prince of Wales is a heavy cropper and 

 early. Other sorts are grown, but to these I shall refer another 

 time. 



I shall look in again soon to take stock of the good collec- 

 tion of Potatoes growing here. So far as I saw, Mona's Pride 

 was turning out well ; Birmingham Prizetaker was a large 

 handsome Kidney ; Lord Raglan, a good second early Kidney, 

 with a rough skin, but first-rate in quality, the gardener told 

 me; Gloucester Kidney, a second early, and Milky White, both 

 good ; and Rivers's Royal Ashleaf is one of the best earliest 

 second earlies, certainly earlier than Myatt's. Amongst vege- 

 tables I saw Beck's Green Gem Bean, tho only Broad Bean now 

 grown by many, and a delicious little variety it is, Sandricgham 

 Celery looking well, and Ivery's Nonsuch, a fine Cabbage 

 Lettuoe. 



A good collection of Pears is to be found here, and I noticed 

 a good crop on small trees against a wall of Buurre Hardy, a 



