



90 



THE GARDENERS 



ON 



[February 10, 1912. 



Archibald Bu 



Electricity and Plant Culture. — Sir 



n, Hepburn, sends us the 

 fellow ing extracts on this subject from the 

 Scott's Magazine for 1747, these, being amongst 

 the earliest references to a subject that is occupy- 

 ing much attention at the present day, will be 

 read with interest:—' 4 ScctCs Magazine for 1747, 

 Caledonian Mercury, February 20. Mr. Demain- 

 bray's Experiments in Electricity. Edinbro', 

 February 19. Sir,— On the 17th of January last 

 Mr. Boutcher favoured me with two Myrtles of 

 the greatest equality of growth, vigour, et cetera 

 he could chouse ; these I placed in the same room 

 and allowed them an equal quantity of water. 

 On electrifying one of them, it has produced sev- 

 eral shoots full 3 inches long, the other shrub 

 which I did not electrify hath not shown any 

 alteration since I first had it. As the business of 

 my school (a boarding school for ladies) does not 

 allow me the necessary time of attending this 

 now certain discovery I submit it to those whosa 

 whole leisure will permit them to pursue a hint 

 that may hereafter be highly beneficial to society. 

 —Yours, Stephen Demainbray." " Electiical 

 Queries and Experiments. Proposed Office of Or- 

 dinance in the Tower. London, March 10, 



1746-47. Electricity as appears by all experi- 

 ments is a kind of fluid lambent fire produced by 

 collecting and giving a vibrative motion and new 

 direction to the fluids of *ther and air, which 



being the two catholic agents of nature whereby 

 the generation, growth, and corruption of all 

 bodies are affected, there is no doubt that the 

 said general causes properly applied will serve as 

 the only best universal means for preserving the 

 health, and curing of the diseases of animals and 

 vegi tables. Some of the probable uses of this 

 wonderful power of nature are hereunder sug- 

 gesttMl, but as the truth thereof must be discov- 

 ered by experiments the following are proposed 

 to the curious. — Yours, D. Stephenson." " No. 

 1. — If all plants that grow in pots, boxes are 

 daily and frequently electrified, will they not 

 have a better circulation, growth, and nutrition, 

 and their flower, fruit and seed, be more perfect 

 than those not electrified, and will not this prac- 

 tice greatly advance all the branches of gardining, 

 as the nursery, greenhouse, et cetera? No. 

 2. — Although such vegitables and trees as are 

 rooted in the ground cannot be made to retain or 

 confine the setherial fires, yet as it may be deter- 

 mined so as to produce strong instantaneous 

 notions and concussions therein, will not the 

 applications of such shocks, either to the trunk 

 or the whole trees, or any of its branches con- 

 tribute to its vegitation? No. 16. — The surpris- 

 ing great force of the authorial fire, when col- 

 lected is sufficiently manifest from the effects of 

 thunder and lightening, is it not therefore pos- 

 sible with a proper apparatus to collect, condense 

 and accumulate this elementary fire in such quan- 

 tities as to acquire a power therefrom capable of 

 surmounting any resistence and producing any 

 effects of force, such as raising water? '* 



IRELAND. 



APPLE GROWING IN IRELAND. 



The Rt. Hon. T. W. Russell gave some in- 

 teresting statistics recently at the meeting of the 

 Irish Agricultural Society. He said that in 19C0 

 the output of Apnles from Ireluid was slightlv 

 over the value of £20.000. In 1909, after the Irish 

 Agricultural Society had amalgamated with the 

 Horticultural Society, and sent its missionaries far 

 and wide through Ireland to instruct the farmers 

 how to grow Apples for market, the total income 

 was well over £3,000,000. This is a very gratify- 

 ing result, but it can be still improved upon, for 

 there are thousands of acres which could be 

 utilised for fruit-growing, and the climate equals 

 any other in the world. When the Irish farmer 

 awakes to this fact, and he will sooner or later. 

 we shall find that Ireland will produce as good 

 Apples, both for dessert and cooking purposes, as 

 now come to Britain from Canada and elsewhere. 

 W. A. Maxwell, Coolfin Gardens, Banagher. 



HOME CORRESPONDENCE. 



(The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for 

 the opinions expressed by correspondents.) 



A National Institute of Horticulture. 

 — The leader in your issue of February 3 (see 

 p. 72) appeals to me to indicate that at last we, 

 as horticulturists, are awaking to a sense of re- 

 sponsibility. In spite of many appeals from those 

 who are anxious to advance the cause of horti- 

 culture, and obtain for its advancement a just 

 share from our national funds, but little head- 

 way has been made. I think that the ideas 

 outlined by the article in question are thoroughly 

 practical. We have ideal positions or centres 

 in almost every county for the advancement of 

 agriculture, so why, in all justice, should not 

 similar help be forthcoming in the case of the 

 sistei science of horticulture? When the vast 

 market establishments, the huge quantities of 

 produce put on the markets, and the ever-in- 

 creasing demand for a greater supply are con- 

 sidered, there can be but one opinion, namely, 

 that a golden opportunity for increasing horticul- 

 tural efficiency is lost through lack of organisa- 

 tion. Why is this so, and how is it that horticul- 

 ture suffers so much neglect? The answer is that 

 agriculture is represented powerfully in both 

 Houses of Parliament by large land owners, who 

 work for one common cause, namely, the ad- 

 vancement of agriculture. The essential require- 

 ment at the present time is united action on the 

 part of all interested in the several branches of 

 horticulture. John Donoghue, Bard on Hill Gar- 

 dens, Leeds. 



Sweet Peas for the Garden.- Sweet Peas 

 are so consistently recommended from the ex- 

 hibitor's standpoint, and so many people w T ant 

 them solely for decorative purposes at home, that 

 I am tempted to make some notes relating to the 

 subject. Size is not essential. Thus we find that 

 Zephyr, Nettie Jenkins, and Zarina are selected 

 by the flower-gatherer when varieties of nearly 

 the same tints, though larger, are left. Then there 

 is the question of colour, which causes a serious 

 limitation. The striped varieties do not appeal 

 to the best taste, nor the so-called carmine John 

 Ingman and its associates, nor the Fancies, such 

 as Charles Foster, and last the chocolate-coloured. 

 Some of these I do not object to, personally, but 

 I know that they prove distasteful to others. 

 There is yet another point. In the N.S.P.S. 

 classification list we find varieties arranged in 

 order of merit which, for the purposes of which 

 I write, should be at least equal in merit, and 

 in the case of those who have space, and require 

 a large assortment in some cases, might very well 

 be all grown. For instance, Clara Curtis, Para- 

 dise Ivory and Isobel Malcolm are tabulated as 

 above noted. Now it is clear that all three are 

 worth growing. Certainly the two. first varieties, 

 which are quite distinct. So with the salmon 

 shades, of which four are named. Melba, placed 

 third, is so distinct and so much to be preferred 

 for its colour, that whatever may be said of the 

 others, it certainly ought to stand on an equality 

 with any of them. One can quite understand how 

 a judge might pass it over on account of its colour 

 being less bright than some, but then it is a tone 

 that is most excellent on account of its soft 

 quality for decoration. Elsie Herbert and Mrs. 

 Townsend afford other instances in which both 

 varieties should be grown. Of the cream section, 

 I find that some prefer Mrs. Routzahn and others 

 Mrs. H. Dickson ; the former variety is, I think, 

 the more neat in form. Constance Oliver is 



ntial. 



Dobbie's Duplex, which I grew 

 last year, was cut so persistently that when 

 the firm wrote me for any seeds there were 

 to spare, only a few pods could be obtained, 

 while many other varieties were carrying 

 heavy crops. I was very much pleased with Mav 

 Campbell, another of Dobbie's novelties, but of 

 the others, I do not care to hazard an opinion ; 

 meanwhile. Elfrida Pearson bids fair to out to 

 rout all the other blush and pink varieties: yet 

 there are still those who enjoy the blushes of the 

 old Glad\s Unwin. M.nie Christie, Queen of Nor- 

 way, Etta Dyke, Dorothy Eckford, Edrom 

 Beauty and Evelyn Hemus are indispensable 

 varieties. For a crimson, there is either Maud 

 Holmes or Sunproof Crimson. Thomas Stevenson 

 is one of the most brilliant varieties, and 

 those who care for chocolates or maroons should 

 secure Nubian. I grow one or two varieties so 



badly fixed that on that account many would con- 

 sider them of no value. Audrey Crier is one and 

 Syeira Lee another. Both, wnen true, are ex- 

 tremely beautiful. Besides the varieties already 

 mentioned, the old Lord Nelson, Janet Scott, 

 Lady Grisel Hamilton, and Rose du Barri are 

 valuable for decorative work. E. P. Brothers- 

 ton. 



The Protection of Plants in Cold 



Frames.— Our frame ground sljpes to tiie north, 

 is distant from the Thames about 50 yards, and 

 occupies a very cold and exposed position. The 

 frames are raised some 6 inches above the level 

 of the ground, and the interior foundation for 

 the plants consists of rough stones levelled with 

 ashes to prevent surface water reaching the roots. 

 We grow quite a large variety of plants suitable 

 for beds and borders, and among other tender 

 subjects about 1,500 Zonal Pelargoniums in 

 variety. These were struck singly in small " 60 " 

 pots in the open frame at the end of August, 

 and progressed but slowly until the cooler con- 

 ditions of October prevailed, but they have 

 since developed into very vigorous and healthy 

 plants. During October wire netting supported 

 by Larch stakes was placed around the three 

 higher sides of a six-light frame containing the 

 Pelargoniums. The netting was the same height 

 as the frame and 18 inches from it. Into this 

 space we put dry Plane leaves as they w r ere col- 

 lected, treading them well down, until the space 

 was quite full. During the recent severe weather 

 Archangel mats were put six thick over the top 

 of the frame, also spreading lightly between the 

 third and fourth mat a half bundle of meadow 

 hay. For a full week previous to the 6th inst. the 

 plants w 7 ere not uncovered ; on examination they 

 were found to be quite uninjured by the frost. 

 The Plane leaves, in conjunction with the dry 

 mats and hay, thoroughly protected them. Plants 

 wintered in frames may be planted out earlier 

 in spring, and they make a quicker and better 

 start than those grown in heat. Fog and frost 

 are the only conditions which cause us to close 

 the frames. Last spring the planting of the beds 

 and borders was completed by May 15. On the 

 19th we registered 5° of frost on the ground. 

 Among other things, 500 tuberous Begonias were 

 planted out, and a dozen plants only were 

 affected by the cold. In connection with the 

 storage of plants, the methods related above have 

 been our practice for the past nine years, and 

 we have every reason to be satisfied w 7 ith the re- 

 sult. J. G. S. 



Colour in Apples.— No one can claim that 

 the addition of rich colouring adds to the edible 

 quality of Apples; indeed, the richer the 

 colour, the drier the flesh and the more inferior 

 the flavour. In the majority of cases those 

 varieties with brown or russety skins are 

 amongst the most juicy and pleasant -flavoured 

 of Apples. These rarely show even a tinge 

 of colour externally. As to cooking Apples? 

 many of our finest and best, such as Royal 

 Jubilee, Warner's King, Lord Derby, Horrnead 

 Pearmain, Golden Noble, and Bramley's Seed- 

 ling, seldom or never develop red tints. Some 

 popular varieties, such as Bismarck, Emperoi 

 Alexander, Peasgood's Nonesuch, Prince Albert, 

 and Newton Wonder, develop colour in some cir- 

 cumstances, but no one will claim that such fruits 

 keep better, are more juicv, or better flavpurea 

 than less brilliant examples. I have fruits oi 

 Newton Wonder unusually highly coloured ana 

 others without colour, but the former eat ta 

 drier, and are cf less value for either cooking ■ o 



If colour and superb quality 



dessert purposes 



were synonymous terms, then there 



good reason for seeking to secure colour. Let 



would b e 



first learn why ordinary highly-coloured varieti 

 alwavs colour, even though not an atom 

 potash is given them. Then let us learn wto su 

 many ordinary creen, yellow or russety ApP 

 never put on ruddy tints. A. D. 



Habenaria conopsea alba.— n respect 

 Mr. Bowles's article in the Gardeners 9 Ohr^» 

 for February 3, on Habenaria (or as it is . s0 y 

 times called Gymnadenia) cononsea alba, it ^ 

 interest readers to know that this plant has 

 been found in Surrev. I collected a specimen 

 that county in June, 1908; a solitary V m ' 

 It is an 'interesting fact that in 

 vicinity I collected a specimen of Orchis py 

 midalis alba. J. B., Ketv. 



the same 



