November 25, 1869. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



413 



are lamentably bebindband. Nowbere, except perbaps in a 

 few places, such as tbe late Baron James Rotbscbild's, wbose 

 intercourse witb England bas led to the ioUowing of English 

 practices, is tbe forcing of frnit carried oat to any degree of 

 perfection. Those grand private establishments where the 

 owner prides himself on his Peaches, or his Pines, or his 

 Grapes, are almost unknown in France, and Mr. Meredith and 

 others have shown the foreigner that be cannot for one moment 

 compete with tbe English grower. I went to see Fromert's, at 

 Montrouge, bat was struck with tbe comparative insignificance 

 of tbe forcing, although be is distinguished as one of the chief 

 "primeun " in tbe neighbourhood of Paris. Who that visited 

 tbe fruit exhibition of the International at Paris, bat must 

 have been struck witb tbe poor display of Grapes that France 

 could produce ; while those grown on the English system by 

 Mr. Knight were considered as marvels of cultivation. The 

 out-door culture o Grapes is so small a matter iu England, 

 and so very uncertain in its results, that I do not see that any 

 practical good could result from giving any detailed account of 

 their culiivation in the neighbourhood of Paris. The same 

 maybe said of Figs. We are not, as a rule, " Bcceajicos," 

 and no one would, as a matter of profit, enter on their cultiva- 

 tion. In S:rawberries, I think, we entirely maintain our supre- 

 macy — in fact, it has only been of late years that any sood- 

 sized Strawberries were to be seen in the markets of Paris. 

 Tbe " fraiscs de quartic saisons," or Alpines, were tbe only 

 Strawberries known ; and even now the Alice Maudes and Tic- 

 torias — in fact, all large Strawberries, are known in tbe halles 

 as "fraisci uniilaiscs," wbUe I have never seen anything like 

 tbe British Queens and Sir Charles Napiers which one sees in 

 London. There is no such cultivation of this delicious fruit 

 as at Mr. Smith's, at Twi'.;keDbam, or as there used to be at 

 Mr. Myatt's, at Deptford. While I say this, I think we do not 

 suUieiently value the little Alpines, of which there are some 

 good new varieties, for often one can gather a dish of Straw- 

 berries from tbem when all other kinds are over. One has 

 often been asked how it is that from April to October these 

 little Strawberries are to be seen in Paris. The secret is 

 simply that the earlier ones are produced at Montauban and 

 other places in the south, then the centre of France supplies 

 the markets, and afterwards the neighbourhood of Paris. 

 This ii one of the advantages that France possesses in having 

 a territory that runs so far south, while its capital is in its more 

 northern part. 



It comes then, in fact, to this, that there are but three or 

 lour fruits about which anything can be said on looking at the 

 respective fruit culture of Paris and London — the Apple, the 

 Peach, and the Peir, and it is to these I shall confine my ob- 

 servations. There are one or two points which I should, how- 

 ever, like to say something about before I enter into this — 

 namely, the climate, as affecting fruit culture, and the supposed 

 greater love for and appreciation of fruit manifested in France. 

 Neither of these questions must be lost sight of in considering 

 this matter, as I believe the wrong conclusions which have 

 been drawn arise from tbe unsoundness of tbe premises laid 

 down. — D., Deal. 



NATIONAL PROMOTION OF HORTICULTURE. 



In the interest of horticulture, of which I am an earnest 

 supporter, I offer the following remarks, hopio r that wherein I 

 faii, others may supply the deficiency. If I d" nothing else but 

 raise a discussion which may lead to future h .vantages to my 

 favourite pursuit, I shall in myself be satisficJ. If a more 

 worthy or better-informed brother of the spade will come for- 

 ward and carry out more fully the ideas here embodied, willingly 

 will I give up my share in the proceeding, and work as a labourer 

 where I would rather lead. I seek only the future welfare of 

 horticulture and gardeners, and tbe benefit of the nation at 

 large, at least as regards expense. At tbe present time we have 

 many public parks and garden establishments kept up at 

 great Cjst. I hail, indeed, with delight, as an ardent lover of 

 the science, tbe great progress we have made in tbe last few 

 years ; but could not this progress be maintained at smaller 

 cost, and witb equal efficiency? I am led to these thoughts 

 especially, from the debates on the items of the budget last 

 session relating to the parks, &a., neither can I dismiss from 

 my miud tlie fear that the funds hitherto granted may here- 

 after be refused to them. 



Our parks and gardens have now either separate bouses and 

 establishments, or else are furnished at great cost by my 

 friends (and I may truly call them so), the nurserymen. Could 



we not take a lesson from our neighbours the French, and have 

 like tbem a Jardin Fleuriste to supply this want ? 



The next question is. Where shall we do this? I unhesi- 

 tatingly reply, Kew. Already Kew is a great national insti- 

 tution, it is already public property, already maintained by an 

 efficient staff, in a healthy spot, away from tbe impurities of 

 London smoke, within easy distance of the London parks. Let 

 it act as a threefold establishment — first, as a museum of plants ; 

 second, as a public rearing ground for plants for public works ; 

 third, as a college of instruction for young gardeners. Let us 

 take these points separately. 



First, as a museum. Let it be put on tbe footing of the 

 British Museum ; there everybody who writes a work deposits a 

 copy. Let the same be done by those who raise or import new 

 plants. Let a specimen be sent to Kew. Let the plants be 

 tried for three or four, or more, years ; should they then prove 

 inferior, or should superior varieties be introduced, let them be 

 discarded. Moreover, let a qaarterly journal, illustrated by the 

 best artists, and collections of all plants named in the letter- 

 press, be published every quarter. On the subject of tbe form 

 of the journal I will write farther another time, should the 

 idea receive public support. I have already broached the 

 subject to many horticultural writers, but found from tbem 

 that they demurred at tbe expense, and that tbe plan coald 

 not be remunerative ; this would certainly apply to private 

 individuals, or to a company, but not to a public institu- 

 tion. 



Second, As a public rearing ground. A portion of the park at 

 Kew could be devoted to this purpose, and I think if we copy 

 our neighbours in France, tbe carriage of plants from thence 

 to the parks need not cause us to fear for tbe safety of plants ; 

 so that being dismissed from our minds, we have only to look 

 at the relative expense. I maintain one vast estabhsbment 

 would be kept up more easily than many scattered in tbe diffe- 

 rent parks. The present system need not be greatly changed, 

 tbe Commissioners of Parks, Woods, and Forests, i-c, would 

 still be responsible. Under them the present beads and 

 directors would still take charge of the various departments, 

 and in addition be available as instructors and professors of 

 tbe gardeners' training establishment, or, if you prefer it, 

 college at Kew. 



Dr. Hooker, tbe learned botanist and Director, might act 

 as head, and assisted by the Piegius Professors of Botany at 

 Oxford and Cambridge, instruct gardeners in botany ; tbe other 

 Curators, such as Mr. Smith, at Kew; Mr. Gibson, of Battersea 

 Park ; and their worthy eollaborateurs, could each lecture on 

 the different branches of horticulture, one say take frnit, 

 another vegetable, another sub-tropical, another stove, culture, 

 and so on. Besides this, amateurs, gardeners, nurserymen, 

 and other competent horticulturists, could from time to time 

 be added as lecturers. These combined would also form the 

 council to decide on plants to be retained or discarded. 



I appeal witb confidence to all classes. First, to nursery- 

 men. The fact of sending specimens to the museum would no 

 more injure your trade than the British Museum does writers 

 and publishers ; it would, in fact, prove your copyright to the 

 variuus plants, and not being a place for sale, but only a pubUc 

 institution, could not affect yom' f:ade. Moreover, from main- 

 taining only tbe best qualities c: plants, you could clear yonr 

 catalogues of many that you yourselves consider worthless 

 varieties, and enable you to devote more time and space to the 

 cultivation of the superior. 



I appeal to the country at large, and our legislators in 

 particular, could not efficiency be maintained by this plan at 

 less cost? We should have, moreover, a public institution and 

 monument of skill such as no other country can show. Our 

 gardens and parks would be open to all as they are now, to rich 

 and poor alike. Gardeners could gain instruction. Exami- 

 nations could be held in connection with tbe teaching staff, 

 and men sent out into the world capable of undertaking any 

 branch of their profession. 



I offer these few incoherent remarks, as I believe and hope, 

 for the benefit of our art ; let abler hands now lay aside the 

 spade, and take up the pen in tbe cause. 



Before concluding, I find I have omitted referring to the 

 journals and societies that might consider their interests 

 affected. First, the societies would still bold their shows, and 

 give prizes for good productions, totally unaffected by my pro- 

 posal if carried out, inasmuch as no show and no prize would 

 be given at Kew more than there is now. The journals would 

 be unable to give the information that would come from this 

 establishment, and would still be as eagerly bought and read as 



