March 23, 1871. 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



217 



growing too laxnriantly in antutan, I would rather out the roots 

 with a spade to check the growth than bury the stems in earth 

 to become blanched and tender, and soddened with wet at the 

 time frost comes on. What is the opinion of others on this 

 point ? — Thos. Eecoed, Hatfield Pari:, Herts. 



According to Mr. Adderlej's remarks on the severe frost 

 (see page 66), it appears to have had more effect on vegetables 

 in Kent than ia some parts of Westmorland. My reason for 

 delaying sending these notes has been that I wished to give the 

 plants a fair trial with the heat of the suu upon them before 

 coming to a conclusion as to which of the varieties have stood 

 the winter the best. 



Shrubs are not in the least injured here. Asparagus Kale, 

 Cottagers' Kale, Cabbage Sprouts, and Brussels Sprouts have 

 stood remarkably well. I commenced gathering Brussels 

 Sprouts on the IGth of October, Cottagers' Kale on the 20th of 

 November, and Curled Kale on the 9th of December ; I have 

 done fo daily ever since, and have still a plentiful supply. 

 Veitoh'e Late Curled Kale is very good, has borne the frost well, 

 and does not seem any the worse, but the Dwarf Green Curled 

 Kale is killed. Of the various sorts of Broccoli which we grow. 

 Knight's Protecling, Dalmeny May, and Cattell's Eclipse have 

 stood the best. The soil in which they are growing is very 

 light, they are exposed to the north winds, and have not had 

 any artificial protection. The Broccoli is all standing as when 

 planted, not laid-in. 



One of the most useful vegetables to me this winter has been 

 the Lsek, and it can be highly recommended when cultivated 

 in the mode adopted here, which is as follows :— Dig a trench 

 18 inches deep, allow 1 foot between the rows, and 6 inches 

 between the plants. By earthing-them up, a length of about 

 8 inches of the Leek is beautifully blanched, and makes a 

 useful vegetable for winter, especially in a season like this. 

 The most severe frosts, as registered by Negretti & Zambra's 

 thermometer, were, on January Ist, 20° of froet ; on the 

 26th, 18°; on the 27th, 20°; and on the 28th, 19°.— E. E., 

 Windermere. 



GARDENERS' MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT 

 SOCIETIES. 



I HEAD with much pleasure the article in this Journal re- 

 specting the Maidstone Gardeners' Mutual Improvement So- 

 ciety, more particularly as at the time I, and several others, 

 were endeavouring to organise a similar one at York. 



York stands high in respect to the patronage it bestows on 

 horticulture. It has one flower show, or, as it is termed, a gala 

 every year, and the liberal prizes offered are such, that they 

 gather together specimens which in quantity and quality can 

 scarcely be surpassed, even at the metropolitan shows. It also 

 boasts of an "Ancient Society of Florists," said to be the oldest 

 of the kind in England. This society, which had its origin 

 upwards of a century ago, has undergone many vicissitudes of 

 depression and prosperity, at times counting its members by 

 units, but at present with an enterprieing secretary and trea- 

 surer, and an intelligent committee, at the head of affairs, it 

 can almost count as many members as it is years old ; but 

 though praiseworthy, it can scarcely be called a gardeners' 

 society. It has been felt a great want by many of the gar- 

 deners in and around York, that there is no properly organised 

 Booiety to meet and discuss matters connected with their pro- 

 fession. Several enterprising men took the matter in hand ; 

 amongst the more active may be mentioned Mr. Mclnnes, gar- 

 dener to the Hon. E. Liscelles, Middlethorpe Manor, and Mr. 

 Cowl, Burton Nursery, York. Several meetings were held, and 

 it was at first proposed that a deputation should wait on the 

 "Ancient Florists," to see if an arrangement could be arrived 

 at, to connect such rules with those of that Society as would 

 meet the want felt. But the majority thought it would be too 

 much like "going a begging." So it was resolved, that they 

 should form themselves into an independent society for the 

 present ; and should an amalgamation be felt desirable at any 

 future time, both societies could treat then on an equal basis. 

 Circulars were issued to several gardeners in the neighbour- 

 hood, and a meeting was held. Upwards of twenty members 

 signed their names, when a president, secretary, and treasurer, 

 were elected, also a committee was formed to draw up rules for 

 the guidance of the society. These were formed on the basis 

 of the Maidstone rules. One important resolution passed is, 

 that the meetings shall not te held at a public house. A great 



many more persons have signified their willingness to join, 

 likewise several honorary members, and at present the Society 

 promises to be popular. From the hearty manner in which all 

 present wished it success, there is no doubt that it will prosper, 

 if the members will but act up to their promises. 



My motive in drawing attention to the subject is to induce 

 other provincial towns to do likewise. There is no reason why 

 every town and village in the kingdom that holds a flower 

 show, should not form a society of this kind, and not for each 

 to hold an isolated position, but all to join into one general so- 

 ciety. Then subjects connected with gardening and gardeners 

 could be discussed, and the conclusions arrived at put into 

 operation with better results than at present. If a few enter- 

 prising gardeners in various districts would take the matter 

 np, I believe in the majority of cases the movement would 

 be popular, consequently successful. Although the Maidstone 

 Society has not been the first to start a movement of this kind, 

 still tire state of prosperity which it has attained should be 

 imitated by every town in the kingdom. If generally organised, 

 what a grand holiday gardeners might have once a-year, if a 

 day and place should be appointed for an excursion to the 

 Crystal Palace— like the Foresters or Oddfellows — or to Kew 

 or Hampton Court, &c. "Young men from the country" 

 would have an opportunity of seeing the London parks, and 

 other places of interest to them in the metropolis. Gardeners 

 are so migratory, that it is not uncommon for them to have 

 acquaintances all over the kingdom. What congratulations 

 and shaking of hands there would be ! How many old friends 

 would meet who had not met for years ! This is but one view 

 of the benefits ; but before pleasure business, and while I was 

 led away by the pleasing dream, I forgot that a great deal of 

 business must bo done befora that pleasure is arrived at.— A 



l''0EKET. 



NEW BOOK. 



The Forester, or a Practical Treatise on the Planting, Rearing, 

 and General Management of Forest Trees. By J. Beown, ' 

 LL.D., Wood-sui-vtyor and Nurseryman, Stirling. Fourth 

 Edition. W. Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh and London. 

 Although a fourth edition it is a "new book," for we can 

 testify to the truth of this passage in the preface, " The author 

 has carefully rewritten the volume, and added nearly one hun- 

 dred new sections upon important suhjects, which were neces- 

 sary to bring it up to the advanced state of the times." Nor is 

 this all that claims approval, for Dr. Brown shows that he is a 

 trustworthy guide, by acknowledging when later experience has 

 convinced him that former opinions which he published were 

 erroneous — such wrong opinions are not many, and one instance 

 will suffice. 



" At one time I cousictered the timber of the Q. sessiliflora inferior 

 to that of Q. pedancTilata ; hut from laore extended observations on 

 the snhject of oak timber within the last ten years, I am now led to 

 state that the timber of the one sort is for all purposes as good as that 

 of the other. In some experiments which I mado recently in regard 

 to the comparative strenRth of the timber of the two kinds, I found 

 that a beam of the sessiliHora here fully a greater strain under a given 

 weight than one of equal dimensions of the pedunculata. Indeed, for 

 all purposes to which oak timber is applied, that of the scssiliflora is 

 used as plentifully as that of the pedunculata, and in old buildings its 

 durability has bee'n found to he equal to the timber of the other kind." 

 The increased size of the present volume also sustains its claim 

 to consideration as a "new book." It occupies altogether 

 850 large 8vo. pages, whereas the third edition contained but 

 700, the second edition about 500, and the first only 215 of a 

 12mo. size. That first edition was published in 1848, and ap- 

 peared very opportunely. Grent complaints had been published 

 of the mismanagement of the Eoyal Forests, and attention was 

 aroused to the fact that, although forest trees need attention 

 to the soil they prefer, the arrangement of their roots when 

 planted, draining, thinning and pruning during their early 

 growth, yet that all these needs were neglected, and the care of 

 woods and forests was committeel to men who were more capable 

 of cutting down a tree than cultivating it. 



Mr. Brown, when he first published " The Forester," held 

 that situation on the estate of Mr. Dundas, at Arniston, near 

 Dalkeith, audit evinced such a sound knowledge on the subject, 

 that when the commotion about the Eoyal Forests was made 

 effectual, he was appointed to the surveyorship of Dean Forest. 

 This was in 1854, a testimonial was presented to him on the 

 occasion, and a Foresters' Association instituted, of which he 

 was cho/en chairman. In 1861 he was wood-manager to the 



