378 



JOURNAL OF UOKTICULTUItE AND COTTAGE OARDBNEB. I NoT«nl«r u. tan. 



in the yard, or more generally carted into a heap just inside 

 the gate of the field for which it is intended. If Mi in the 

 yard it ii well placed to receive a good supply of water when 

 the first heavy rain falls. Part of this water, after passing 

 through the manure and being well impregnated with ils valu- 

 able saline matter, will find its way into the nearest ditch or 

 into a neighbouring horsepond ; the remainder, held in suspen- 

 sion by the manure, must be carted as an additional and useless 

 weight into the field. The loss in a well-made heap will be 

 less than in an open yard, but it is generally considerable. 

 The loss of saline ingredients is attested by the fact that for 

 years corn is spoilt, being laid and mildewed where the manure 

 heap stood, and often for a considerable space around it. That 

 there has been a loss of gaseous matter during the fermenta- 

 tion and spreading of the fermented manure, few will deny. 



Now, if the idea that unfermented manure spread thinly 

 over a field in dry weather can be injured by sun and wind be 

 erroneous, surely it requires little argument to prove the erro- 

 neous idea mischievous. If it has caused me to reduce consi- 

 derably the bulk of what is mechanically useful in opening 

 clay Boils, if the manure has been lessened in value by the loss 

 of saline matters and valuable gaseous products, if in place of 

 carting dry and light manure on dry land I have carted wet, 

 heavy manure on wet land, surely my horses, carta, men, land, 

 and pocket have been sufferers by the mistake. In the case of 

 the heaped manure twice filled and twice emptied, the increased 

 laboar incurred is very obvious. 



To prove an erroneous idea miscLievons, will by many be 

 considered labour lost. Is it not always so? The question is 

 after all. Is it erroneous ' I have in roy previous papers tried 

 to prove it to be so, and there has not been yet any attempt, 

 either on the part of our friends the Editors, or any of their 

 correspondents, to refute the arguments advanced. It cannot 

 be that the subject is unimportant to horticulturists, though it 

 has been considered with reference to agriculture. Why, then, 

 this reticence? Having to the best of my ability stated my 

 view of the subject, I think those who take a different one 

 ought to give us their reasons. — J. Peah.son. 



rWith the statements relative to the preparation and appli- 

 eation of manure contained in this communication we for the 

 greater part concur, but we do not concur in the recommenda- 

 tion implied in our correspondent's statement at page 221, 

 that he had acres covered with manure as dry as wind and sun 

 can make them. He asks, " What has it lost besides water ? " 

 We reply that it has lost much more. II the manure had been 

 either fermented or was impregnated with urine it lost by such ' 

 exposure to the sun and wind ammoniaoal compounds and 

 carbonic acid, which would have been absorbed and retained 

 in the soil if the manure had been ploughed in as scon as it 

 was spread. Top-dressing is the only mode in which solid 

 manure can be applied to grass land, but if it could be applied 

 in a liquid form so as at once to be absorbed by the soil it 

 would save much of its valuable constituents from being passed 

 away in the air. That this waste happens to a great extent 

 in the case of sheep droppings is certain. If they could be 

 collected, made into liquid manure, and applied iu that form 

 •«o the soil, much waste would be avoided. We are of opinion 

 that the most economical practicable mode of preparing and 

 applying stable manure is to allow it to decompose in brick- 

 lined pits, covered over thickly with earth, with wells to receive 

 the drainage; that some of this drainage should be poured 

 over each load as it is taken to the place to be manured, and 

 that the manure be dag or ploughed in the day that it is carted 

 on. Fresh guanos — that is, the excrements of seafowl, are richer 

 in ammoniaoal salts than those long exposed to the sun, juft as 

 fresh pigeons', sheep's, and fowls' dung make a liquid manure 

 richer than do similar quantities of the same dungs when old. 

 In considering stable or farmyard manure, we must remember 

 that its most valuable constituent is the urine of the animals 

 who formed it, and that most of the ammoniaoal constituents 

 of that urine are dissipated by exposure to the sun and winds ; 

 whereas they are all absorbed and retained by the earths of the 

 «oil if covered by it. We have not published our opinions 

 before — opinions sustained by Davy and Professor Johnston— 

 because wo wished to hear from practical men the results of 

 tkeir experience — Eds] 



good Potatoes of the same late kind ; the prodnoe, dng October 

 15lh, was 201 Potatoes of all sizes, twelve of tbem diseased— a 

 small percentage, but enough to create a doubt. It appears 

 that all kinds of late Potatoes are more or less diseased ; there- 

 fore I shall try again next year by planting them four or five 

 weeks earlier. — W. Kebl. 



STOKE NEWINGTOX CHRYSANTHKMUM SHOW. 

 TiiK twontj-third aonail Show of the Stoke Newington Cbrrsaa- 

 thoninm Society optned yesterday at the New Assombly Kooan, i>efo« 

 Koad, Stoke Kowiogton. and will be continned this day. It well 

 maintain!! its rcpntation as the mother of the Chrysanthemnm sbowa 

 round London. The specimen plants of the large .flowering kinds are 

 especially good. Mr. Forsyth, of the Bmnswick Nnrsery, is first with 

 fino specimens of Christine. Prince of Wales, Lady Harding, Annie 

 Salter, Dr. Shnrpe, and Mrs. George linndle, the last vorj' fine. 

 Messrs. Drain, I)e BeaOToir Town, aro second with White Christioe, 

 Ahna, Dr. Sharpe, Prince of Wales, and Beverley. These, too. aro 

 very good. In the class for three plants Mr. Forsyth is also first with 

 Mrs. G. Rnndle, Dr. Sharpe, and Prince of Wales, all of which are 

 excellent specimens. Messrs Drain are second, and Mr. Batcher, 

 gardener to C. Ballance, Esq., Lower Clapton, is third. 



With three Pompons, Mr. Howe is first with Bob, General Can- 

 robert, and Cedo Nulli, each very well grown, and full of bloom. Mr. 

 Forsyth is second with Bob, Golden Anrore. and While Cedo N'nUi, 

 also excellent ; and Mr. Xorth, of Lee, is tljird. The best six 

 standards come from Mr. James, of the Roch<;8t«r Castle, and also 

 the best collection, Mr. Batcher being second. 



The best six Pompons, and excellent indeed they are, come from 

 Mr. Forsyth, and consist of Cedo Nulli, Golden Cedo Nnlli, Lilac 

 Cedo NnlU, Sainte Thais, Bob, and Andromeda. Mr. North is 

 second, with large plants, bnt somewhat rough, and Mr. Monk, gar- 

 dentr to W. A. Smee, Esq., Woodbury Down, third. 



Of cut blooms there is an excellent show, though perhaps the com- 

 petition is not so keen as in former years. The best twenty-foar come 

 from Mr. Rowe. Roehampton, who has Mrs. G. Randlc, Dr. Brock, 

 Prince of Wales. Princess Beatrice, Jardin des Plantes. Empress 

 EuK'-nie, Antonelli, Lady Slade, White Globe, Golden Dr. Brock, 

 John Salter, Lady Talfoard. Lady Harding, Gloria Mandi, Venns, 

 Marrchal Doroc. Novelty, Plntus, Prince Alfred, Empress of India, 

 Rev. J. Dix, and Cherub. Mr. Berry, Roehampton, is second. 



For twelve cut blooms Mr. Berry, Roehampton, is first with fine 

 examples of Mrs. G. Rundle, Lady Harding, Empress of India, Gene- 

 ral liainbrigge, Jardin des Plantes, Prince Alfred, Queen of England, 

 Venus, Cherub, Princess of Wales, Novelty, and Prince of Wales. 

 Mr. Howe is second with a very good stand. Messrs. Goddard and 

 Beadle also take first and second prizes for stands of twelve blooms. 

 The first prize for six was awarded to Mr. Howe, Shacklcwoll, Mr. 

 Berry being second ; and in another class for the same number the 

 prizes go to Messrs. Beadle, Goodenongh, and Goddard in the order 

 in which they are named. 



The best twelve large Anemone-flowered varieties are furnished by 

 Mr. Rowe and Mr. Forsyth, who take eqnal first prizes ; and for 

 Anemone-flowered Pompons, Mr. Howe is first, Mr. Forsyth second, 

 and Mr. James third. 



In addition to the Chrysanthemnms, Mr. Trushell and Mr. W. J. 

 Smith contribute good Apples, Pears, and Nuts. Mr. James sends 

 bouquets of dried flowers, as well as a Prickly Cayenne Pine Apple, 

 Muscat Grapes, and Apples ; and Mr. Heard, gardener to Mrs. A.. 

 Grosvenor, large Uvedale's St. Germain Pears. 



Several new varieties of Chrysanthemums are shown, but these have 

 all been noticed before, except a Pompon, called Cavoction, with 

 large purplish rose flowers, which comes from Messrs. E. G. Henderson 

 and Son, and which received a first-class certificate. 



IS THE POTATO DISEASE HEREDITARY? 

 In No. 422 of The .Tocrnai, of Horticultdke you inserted 

 a few lines from me relating to the Potato disease under the 

 above heading. On the lUh of last April I planted twelve 



GROWING CELERY IN BEDS. 

 Haviko a large family to supply from a small garden, I am 

 obliged to emplov every means I hear or think of to increase 

 the amount of its produce. This year, for the first time, I 

 grew most of my Celery in beds G feet wide, with five rows in 

 each bed, the soil of the bed being taken out li^ inches deep, 

 and then replaced with a foot of good manure. Manure water 

 was also copiously supplied during the summer. The plants 

 were kept tied up, their suckers cleared off, and in due time 

 they were earthed up. Now for the result : from first to last 

 the two outside rows were much dwarfer and of greater sub- 

 stance than the others, which I ascribe to these rows being 

 most exposed to the sun and air ; while the three inner rows 

 shot away at n remarkable rate. This being a new system in 

 cur part of the country, it was the admiration of all who saw 

 it, and again and agaiu I was called by my better-half to give 

 the necessary information respecting it, and all pronounced 

 the system a great economy. For myself, however, I thought 

 this questionable, and when takingup time came, the outside 

 rows had thick, solid, crisp stalks, while the middle three 



