376 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[June 8, 1912. 



APPOINTMENTS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. whereby gardeners of all kinds and grades Institute, the Imperial College of Science 



MONDAY, JUNE 10— 



United Hort. Benefit and Prov. Soc. Com. meet. 



WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12— 



Royal Cornwall Sh. at Penzance (2 days). 



FRIDAY, JUNE 14-Richmond Horse Sh. (2 days). 



shall gain their indispensable and funda- the University of London, and, above all' 

 mental practical skill, not only the mode the Royal Horticultural Society. The last- 



by which they shall have ready access to 

 scientific knowledge ; but also the ways in 



named institution has shown itself acutely 

 alive to the need for furthering horticul- 



which the most capable men may widen tural education, and can 



Average Mean Temperature for the ensuing week 

 deduced from observations during the last Fifty Year*: 

 at Greenwich-58-2°. 



Actual Temperatures: — 



London.— Wednesday t June 5 (6 p.m.) : Max. 64° « 



Min. 46°. 

 Gardeners' Chronicle Office, 41, Wellington Street, 

 Covent Garden, London. — Thursday, June 6 

 (10 a.m.) : Bar. 29-6°; Temp. 67°; Weather- 

 Sunshine. 



Provinces.— Wednesday ', June 5: Max. 62° Cam- 

 bridge ; Min. 50° Aberdeen. 



their experience and fulfil their capacities 

 so that they may become the leaders and 



we know be 



relied upon to take as heretofore a leading 

 part in this work. If the various bodies 

 teachers of their fellow horticulturists. To just enumerated were brought together in 

 this end the existing rungs of the ladder of conference, there is little doubt but that 

 horticultural education must be put each in means for higher education in horticul- 

 its proper place and higher rungs must be ture would be devised ; but it is useless for 

 added. Assuming, however, that this not such a conference to be held unless some, 

 inconsiderable work be accomplished much at all events, of the conferring individuals 



more remains to do. The present position 

 of horticultural instructors attached to 



FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. 



TUESDAY— 



Clearance Sale of the whole of the Bedding Plants 

 and Ferns, Greenhouses, Piping, &c, Carts and Vans, 

 at 224, Hainault Road, Leytonstone, by Protheroe and 

 Morris, at 12. 



WEDNESDAY— 



Hardy Bulbs and Tubers at 2.30; Palms and Plants, 

 Ferns, &c, at 2.30 ; at 67 & 68, Cheapside, E.C., by 

 Protheroe & Morris. 



FRIDAY— 



Importations of Orchids in variety, also Established 

 Orchids, Tree Ferns, &c, at 67 & 68, Cheapside, E.C., 

 by Protheroe & Morris, at 12.45. 



Freehold Property, Durant's Arbour Nurseries, Enfield 

 Highway, with 42 greenhouses, 5,200 feet glass, 10 boilers, 

 &c, 8£ acres, at Protheroe & Morris, at 2. 



Freehold Nursery and Market Gardens, Walton-on- 

 Thames, area 44 acres, 29 Greenhouses, 3,100 feet glass, 

 17,000 feet Piping, 9 boilers, &c, by Protheroe A Morris, 

 at the Mart, London, g.C, at 2. 



are clear about w T hat they w T ant. Thus we 

 are brought to the chief consideration of 

 county councils and other public bodies is all, the part which the horticultural 

 by no means satisfactory. Their scope is branch of the Board of Agriculture must 

 limited and their careers are circum- play in this work. 



scribed. The abler among them must 

 often long for wider opportunities and 

 greater freedom. If this branch of horti- 

 cultural education were strengthened, 



The announcement of the formation of 

 such a branch means undoubtedly that 

 the Board intends to place at the head of 



the horticultural branch a thoroughly com- 



if, to give but one example, means were petent and experienced man. The head 



provided for instructors to receive training and his staff must between them not only 



in the art of teaching and demonstrating, be in touch with horticulturists and horti- 



the county and other secretaries under cultural problems, but also be in a position 



whom they work would recognise in time 

 that amateur assistance and advice and 



to take a leading part in developing horti- 

 cultural education in all its varied aspects. 



M*>»+i,*.. !+.._«■ ** is recognised on all 



Horticultural u 1 ,-. , A , 



Education, hands that the time is op- 

 portune for the organisa- 

 tion of horticultural education. Such 

 organisation, if it is to h* nrnrlnnfi'™ r»f 



control are unnecessary and the men would The branch will need to have clear under- 



have that larger opportunity and better standing and co-operation with the Board 



position, without which no capable man of Education with respect to the elemen- 



can do himself justice. Nor in this connec- tary part of horticultural education. It 



tion may the colleges which give instruc- must also play a leading part in maturing 



tion in horticulture be omitted from re- the proposals put before it by the National 



view. If we are to have collegiate institu- Institute of Gardeners, the existence of 



tions of university rank concerning them- which we regard as vital. It should also 



j pp , iii ii ,i selves with horticultural education, then take the lead in convening the conference 



good effects, must be planned on broad but those institutions must specialise. For it on higher education and research and the 



thP wiV l neS f T , i ^l^ u t0 is apparent to everybody that unless such drafting of the programme for that con- 



tiff bul J ° f excellent work which is institutions can maintain large staffs of ference should be one of its first duties. 



gardens b ^ount^ ft "* ^^ 6Xperts in a11 the branches of horticulture, Nor would its work cease here, for there 

 lr.oro* ±La vL tJ?!!ILJ^ the y cann °t aspire to teach by example as are other pressing subjects for the con- 

 well as precept the highest craft of garden- sideration of the Horticultural Branch of 

 ing. If, on the other hand, each collegiate the Board of Agriculture. We cannot 

 institution undertakes to specialise in some afford to lag behind other countries 

 department of horticulture there is no rea- with respect to phytopathological re- 

 son why the several institutions should not search, and though it is not the function of 



leges, and by Imperial institutions such as 

 Kew. Further, it must utilise to the full 

 the institutions which gardeners them- 

 selves have established in every part of the 



>ses of mutual ini- 



country tor the purp 

 provement. Above all, the gardeners, 

 county council lecturers, park superin- 

 tendents—in short the whole body of prac- 



provide shining examples of perfect art 

 and practice — allure to brighter worlds and 



a Department of State to undertake re- 

 search, it is its function to provide 



f - } , , . u - * lead the way." There is ample room for adequately for such research, and not for 



tical norticulturists-must themselves play such specialisation. For example, land- research only, but also for the safeguard- 



a large part in this organisation. If the 

 last proposition be admitted— and it is 



nor 



pressions of opinion •on the problems of attaching to research. These again are 



not simple, but complex. Some there be 

 who would maintain that research, like 



scape gardening, of which no school exists ing of the legitimate interests of traders. 



in this country, could be done better no- Therefore to build up an efficient Phyto- 

 pathological Institute with branches all 

 over the country is another of the functions 

 which it must fulfil in the near future. It 

 is impossible within the limits of what 

 must, by the nature of the case, be 

 a mere sketch, to deal with all of 

 the immediate educational needs. Nor 

 is it our purpose to prescribe schemes ; 

 but rather to indicate how ripe is 

 the time for considered, concerted, and 



difficult to believe that it will be denied —i* ±u * ^i_ « 



, n , ,, V, *r\'w uem , ea > where than in one of the colleges: uw 



at all events overtly — then it follows that ~ 1 i m i-i • ah. j. i * i * 



,n n . J . . , " lunula Mid.* could more suitable institutes be found for 



one oi the nrst essential steps toward the +i^ ™,~~~„« ~e • : • ±. j.- • n ±. 



... £ , .. ,, ^f* w > aiu me the purpose of giving instruction m the art 



organisation of horticultural education i<* * x £• j - j_ *• , 



+1 , .. . ' 1 ' cuu ^™ is f teaching, demonstrating, and carrying 



the formation of a National Institute of oufc trials of an experimental ^d 

 Gardeners. The present chaos resulting Similar i y there must be considered in any 

 from the separate and multitudinous ex- scheme of organisation the problems 

 pressions of opinion # on the problems of 

 education would be replaced, with the ad- 

 vent of such an institute, by relative order. _ ^ ^ 



The members of that institute would con- charity^ covers a ' miiltte^ oT\iiib T resoluVacTion^ 



fer both with one another and with others, but such critics have the worst faults of tions we have mentioned, and doubtless also 



and would arrive at definite and invaluable their tribe _ _ 



conclusions as to what they believe is generosity. Certain is *it, nevertheless, 



wanted in order to advance the status that research covers several different and 



of gardeners and the science of horticul- progressively graded operations, extend- Board of Agriculture, 



ture. That alone would mark a great i ng from the discovery of new principles 



step forward. But it has to be remem- to the demonstration of good practice, 



bered that horticultural education has There would appear to be no reason what- 



many aspects and involves many different ever why a start in the organisation of re- 

 things. First of these things is the train- search should not be made in England, 

 ing of gardeners, under which head have 



imm 



to be considered not only the method bourhood, we have Kew, the John Innes gardening. 



others, must play an important part; 

 but the mainspring of action must be 

 found in the horticultural branch of the 



Given a wise and 

 strong lead by the Board, it will be found 

 that there are plenty of helpers willing 

 and eager to co-operate in the ambitious, 

 yet perfectly feasible, aim of making 

 this country as supreme in all branches 

 of horticulture as it is in the art of 































