Dkc'embeb 1, 1888.' 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



639 



stancv, great size, and fine form will ensure its 

 being in constant demand for the last-named purpose, 

 and for the rest, its ever-blooming character and 

 fine fragrance would be almost sufficient recom- 

 mendation even were its flowers less exquisite than 

 they are. Theta, 



Foreign Correspondence, 



PINKS AT RAVENNA. 



I was at Ravenna for the second time some four 

 years ago, and found not a single tree alive, bleached 

 trunks in profusion, but no seedlings — as you suggested 

 might be coming up. There is little chance of the 

 forest being re-established, as the sandy soil is favour- 

 able to the formation of vineyards and not propitious 

 for Phylloxera. Peasants were busy rooting up the 

 dead trees and planting Vines. On my first visit I 

 was struck by seeing in the forest numbers of Vines 

 which seemed to have reverted to the wild state, 

 and bore small sour black berries. ./. van Vol.ecm. 



The Kitchen Garden. 



In getting the soil ready for next year's crops, 

 and which many gardens require for special crops, 

 the aim should be, to get a soil of uniform quality 

 and fair depth, and containing the elements neces- 

 sary for successful growth. It is essential that the 

 texture should be such that it may readily be worked in 

 fine weather, and not liable to dry out quickly, or to 

 retain, on the contrary, an excess of water. There- 

 fore, the first thing to do is to obtain a good outfall 

 for the drainage, and then lay in 2-inch drainpipes, 

 not less than 3 feet deep, and from 12 to 20 feet 

 apart, according to the nature of the soil, the former 

 distance being for clay soils, and the latter for sandy. 

 The main drain should consist of 6-inch pipes, and 

 should have a regular fall throughout its length. 

 This should be laid in first, and the branches arranged 

 to join it at right angles if possible, with a good fall to 

 the main, and before rilling in the soil a good coating of 

 small stones should be placed over the top of all the 

 pipes to a depth of 6 inches. As a rule all soils 

 with a subsoil of clay require draining, in order to 

 cultivate them to the best advantage ; but if they rest 

 on gravel, sand, or are near to the rock, they are often 

 drained enough naturally to meet all requirements. 

 Where a so-called "pan" or concrete-like stratum 

 is present at a short depth, this must be removed in 

 all cases if successful cultivation is to be carried out. 

 If drainage by pipes is from any cause impossible, 

 much good may be done by opening drains as for 

 pipes and making a V-shaped bottom to the trench, 

 which may be filled with broken stones, brickbats, 

 &c. ; and if the soil be clayey fine coal-ashes, charred 

 refuse, mortar rubbish, road grit, and burnt earth 

 may be mixed with it — the last-named material 

 especially adding to its fertility. Burnt earth is 

 prepared by collecting some logs of wood with some 

 small pieces to give the fire a good start, and 

 when it is well alight give a good covering 

 of turf over all, when it should be left until 

 the fire begins to burn through at the sides ; some 

 coal refuse should then be thrown over it, and 

 another layer of turf put on and allowed to partially 

 burn through as before. The fire will now consume 

 anything in the way of garden rubbish, soil, or turf, 

 and if now carefully replenished with slack occasion- 

 ally, a large heap of burut earth will soon be made. 

 It is a good plan to trench a portion of the kitchen 

 garden each year, but only in very few cases is it 

 advisable to bring the previously untouched subsoil 

 to the top, and what is called bastard trenching is 

 therefore that most commonly employed. 



This is performed as follows : — Supposing the plot 

 of ground to be operated on is 24 feet wide, a mark 

 is cut down the centre with a spade, thus making 

 two plots, each 12 feet wide. Two spaces, each 

 2 feet wide, are then marked off at the end of one 

 of these plots, the good soil is then dug out clean, 

 from the first space and deposited on the other plot 

 of ground close at hand, or if there is room, just on 

 one side. This saves wheeling the soil to the other 

 end of the plot, which would have to be done if all 

 was taken in one strip instead of two. A good 

 dressing of manure, or whatever it is intended to be 

 mixed with the soil, should then be spread all 



over the surface for incorporating with the second 

 spit ; this layer will also often prevent the work 

 being delayed by frost. At this season of the year 

 especially, it is best to use all manure in a tolerably 

 fresh state, as its mauurial properties are apt to be 

 weakened by the winter rains and snow before the 

 ground is cropped. This having been done, the 

 portion of manure on the next 2 feet space should be 

 put into the trench that is open, and well worked in 

 among the soil of the second spit ; the good soil on 

 the next space is then placed on the top of this, and 

 the remainder treated as before. It is necessary to 

 take especial care that each trench is of the same 

 width as the first one, and if the plot is destined for 

 small seeds in the spring, or the ground is adhesive 

 in texture, it is a good plan to lay the top spit up in 

 ridges as the work proceeds, and if any manure be 

 considered necessary for the top spit, it may be added 

 when the ridges are levelled down in the spring ; 

 this, however, is only required in very poor soil. By 

 placing the bulk of the manure at the bottom of the 

 trench the roots are induced to travel downwards, 

 which gives the plants a better chance of growing 

 well should the summer prove dry and warm. W. 

 H. Divers, Ketton Hall, Stamford. 



Scotland. 



Useful Inventions, 



THE ORCHID FLOWER HOLDER. 

 It is a fact well known to growers of Orchids 

 that the plants are liable to be much reduced in 

 vigour through their 

 flowers being left on 

 them too long after they 

 have reached maturity. 

 The object of this simple 

 contrivance is to enable 

 growers to relieve their 

 plants by cutting off the 

 spikes, putting them in 

 the tubes filled with 

 water, and inserting them 

 in a natural position in 

 the pots. The wire being 

 pliable, the tubes can be 

 placed in any convenient 

 position, so that a na- 

 tural effect can be ob- 

 tained by showing the 

 flower-spikes in conjunc- 

 tion with the plants, at 

 the same time relieving 

 the latter of the heavy 

 strain upon them. 



For floral decorators 

 the Orchid-flower holder 

 will be found mose use- 

 ful, inasmuch as, being 

 made of any length, it 

 will enable them to ar- 

 range for the distribution 

 of any kind of flowers, 

 which without it could 

 not be utilised. 



The inventor is Cap- 

 tain Maxwell, of Ter- 

 regles, Dumfries, and the 

 seller is Mr. Alfred Out- 

 ram, 7, Moore Park Road, Fulham, London. 



Root Show at Hexham,— On November 26, 



Messrs. W. Fell & Co., seedsmen, Hexham, held a 

 root show. The display was very good. The results 

 were:— For twelve Swedes, 1st, Mr. W. Charlton, 

 Felt House, Wexford, Ireland. The heaviest nine 

 Turnips ware from Mr. J. A. Cowing, High Morley ; 

 weight, 10 stone 12 lb. Messrs. J. A. Cowing, J. 

 Errington, Dukesfield, and W. Charlton, took other 

 1st prizes. Protests were lodged against the exhibits 

 of Mr. Charlton, on the ground that the roots were 

 not shown with the tops on, and these were upheld 

 by the Judges so far as the classes of Swedes and 

 Mangels were concerned. Under these circumstances 

 the 1st prize for the best twelve SwedeB was awarded 

 to Mr. Glaister, Red Flatt. A dinner in connection 

 with the show was held. 



HORTICULTURAL LECTURES AT THE 

 HERIOTT-WATT COLLEGE, EDINBURGH. 



A couese of lectures on horticulture has been 

 instituted in the Heriot-Watt College for the 

 session of 1888—89, to provide systematic instruc- 

 tion in the application of certain branches of science 

 to the practice of gardening. The lectures are to be 

 delivered by Mr. John Wilson, B.Sc, of St. Andrew's, 

 at 7 o'clock every Friday evening, from the 16th 

 nit, to March 7, 1889. These lectures should prove a 

 great boon to the large number of young gardeners 

 who come from the country for employment in the 

 numerous nurseries around Edinburgh during the 

 winter season ; and the fee, 5s. for the course, is so 

 small that they all may take advantage of it. The 

 lectures will also afford a valuable source of instruc- 

 tion to the gardeners more permanently employed 

 in and about Edinburgh. The facilities which the 

 Heriot-Watt College affords to all who are anxious 

 to acquire information and instruction are inesti- 

 mable to young gardeners who are so fortunate as 

 to be within reach of such a valuable institution, 

 where all branches of modern science are taught. 

 Along with horticulture young gardeners can take a 

 course of botany, chemistry, geology, drawing, 

 mathematics, languages, or, indeed, almost any 

 branch of learning in which he may wish to be 

 iustructed. 



The subjects of instruction selected for the lectures 

 during the present session include the following : — 



1. General Principles of Horticulture. 



2. Seed, Germination, Root and Leaf Action, In- 

 fluence of Light and Heat, Soils, Manures. 



3. Propagation by Bads, Cuttings, Layers, Graft- 

 ing, Inarching. Effects of Stock on Scion. Sports 

 or Bud Variation. Formation of Flowers and 

 Fruit. 



4. General Treatment of Plants. Planting, Train- 

 ing, Pruning, and its Effects. 



5. Landscape Gardening. Formation of Gardens ; 

 Materials and Appliances. 



6. Gai'den Structures ; Heating and Ventilating. 



7. Culture of (a) Stove Plants ; (b) Greenhouse 

 Plants ; (c) Ornamental Shrubs, Alpine and Herba- 

 ceous Plants ; (d) Fruit under Glass ; (<-) Hardy 

 Flowers ; (/) Culinary Vegetables. 



8. Improvement of Plants by Crossing, Hybridis- 

 ing, and Selection. Fertilisation. Single and 

 Double Flowers. 



9. Town or Domestic Gardening, its utility in 

 affording a healthy recreation. 



10. Diseases of Plants, their cure or prevention. 

 Insecticides, &c. 



With such an excellent variety of subjects, in the 

 hands of a skilful lecturer the course must be both 

 interesting and instructive, and should draw many 

 students from all classes of society. 



The opening lecture of the course was delivered b) 

 Mr. Wilson on the evening of Friday, 16th ult., 

 and the following gentlemen were present, among 

 others, at the inauguration: — F. Grant Ogilvie, 

 M.A.. B.Sc, Principal of the College, Bailie 

 Walcot, R. Lindsay, Royal Botanic Garden ; M. 

 Dunn, Dalkeith ; D. P. Laird, A. D. Mackenzie, 

 A. Milne; R. Bell, Morton Hall; R. Grossart, 

 A. Laing, and a goodly number of young men who 

 had already entered, or intended entering, as students. 

 The Principal having formally opened the class, 

 introduced the lecturer to the students in a few 

 well-chosen remarks, in which he expressed his deep 

 interest in the subject of horticulture, and anticipated 

 a large amount of usefulness and success to flow from 

 the lectures. Bailie Walcot, who occupied the chair, 

 addressed the audience on the great educational ad- 

 vantages offered by the College, and its rise and pro- 

 gress since he attended its classes nearly forty years 

 ago, pointing out the special value to gardeners of a 

 course of study of the various branches of science 

 connected with their profession, all of which are now 

 so successfully taught at the College. 



