134 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 16, 1877. 



the contrary ; but this I do know, that had the water, &c, not 

 been given the crops wonld have been worthless, as I think the 

 following facts, extracted from my garden diary, will afford 

 sufficient evidence. On Jnne 27th, 1868, twelve long rows of 

 Ne Pins Ultra Peas were sown in unmatured trenches. The 

 heat was intense ; no rain nor dew for several weeks. The 

 Peas came up bine and wiry. I was satisfied that nothing 

 could save them but heavy soakings of liquid manure. My 

 kitchen garden man differed. Four rows were placed at his 

 disposal for him to do as he liked with. Two of the rows were 

 not watered at all, and the Peas died when 6 inches high. The 

 other two were watered with clear water, and the Peas attained 

 a height of 3 feet, and two small dishes of Peas were gathered 

 from each. The other eight rows were soaked once a-week 

 with guano and salt water, quite filling the trenches at each 

 watering. Finer rows of Peas than these I never saw. They 

 grew luxuriantly, especially after the autumn rains com- 

 menced, and Peas were abundantly produced ; in fact the 

 crop was a fnll one, and no mildew was seen on the foliage. 

 " J. B. K." is quite welcome to consider that the guano and 

 labour was wasted, but I know the owner who had both to pay 

 for did not think so, and I am of the same opinion now as he 

 was then. 



I do not dispute that your correspondent has had some 

 practice with fertilisers, but I think he has never produced a 

 full and regular supply of fruit and vegetables for thirty people 

 from an acre of ground, and this for several years without a 

 failure, or he would not betray so much fear of poisoning the 

 vegetables or advooate homoeopathic doses of fertilisers. Such 

 limited applications may do in some soils and under some 

 circumstances, but to enable the majority of gardeners to meet 

 the heavy demands on them and the eoil they cultivate liberal 

 applications become necessary, and are the most profitable in 

 the end. 



I agree with Mr. Douglas and " J. B. K." that good farm- 

 yard manure is preferable to any so-oalled artificial dressing, 

 but how few there are who can obtain enough of it 1 I do not 

 hesitate saying that not one kitchen garden out of twenty is 

 sufficiently manured and trenched. I form my opinion on the 

 practice of the best of the London market gardeners. Your issue 

 of the 2nd inst. contains a note on the heavy manuring that 

 is adopted in the " market grounds," and the success of some 

 of Mr. Bagley's crops are alluded to. It so happens that those 

 grounds were my school for kitchen gardening; and if manures 

 are so poisonous as " J. B. E." has suggested, it is a little 

 strange that Messrs. Bagley's vegetables continue being held 

 in such high esteem. Those celebrated growers use infinitely 

 more manure than the "extravagant" quantities I have re- 

 commended, and I never knew the crops or ground poisoned, 

 except on the sites of the Mushroom beds, and there, of course, 

 the manure has lain 3 feet thick for six months. Not long ago 

 I paid a viBit to the " old school," and found them manuring 

 as freely as ever. What does " J. B. E." say to upwards of 

 80 tons of dung per acre being used at one application ? and 

 yet Mr. Bagley assured me that they used half a ton to the rod 

 (30J square yards) ; in fact, I have seen them applying it at 

 that rate. Why do they use it thus liberally ? The answer is 

 obvious, Because it pays to do so, and yet the dung has to be 

 purchased and carted six or seven miles. Soot is also freely 

 used in the market grounds in addition to stable manure, and 

 the condition of the crops tell how much they enjoy the rich 

 food. 



Instead of danger existing of poisoning the crops a greater 

 danger by far is that of starving them, and I do not withdraw 

 one word that I have written on the subject wherein " J. B. E." 

 imagines I have erred so seriously. — A Retired Gaedenek. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



The Gkeat International Fruit and Flower Show at 

 Carlisle on 6th, 7tb, and 8th of September. We are glad 

 to learn that Lady Musgrave has increased the prize offered in 

 the schedule for table decorations, and her ladyship will now 

 present a cup valued at £25 to the successful competitor. The 

 latest date for entries is now extended to the 30th of August, 

 and a spirited competition is anticipated. Lady Musgrave, 

 Eden Hall, and Lady Lawson, Brayton, have agreed to act as 

 judges in this section. 



A letter from Fulham informs us that there has not 



been such a good season for D svarf Eidney Beans and Scarlet 

 Runners for ten years past. The market gardeners are re- 

 ceiving strong orders for the former, from the large pickle 



manufacturers no doubt embracing the opportunity, as the 

 quality may not be as good for some time to come. Vegetable 

 Marrows are also a fine crop. Mr. Bagley's firm sent to 

 market in one load about 4 tons on Saturday morning. 



We have received the schedule of the twenty-second 



annual exhibition of fruit and cut flowers to be held at the 

 Crystal Palace on September 21st and 22nd. There are 

 twenty-six classes for fruit, ten for cut flowers, and two for 

 vegetables. The chief prizes are £8, £6, and £4 for twelve 

 dishes of fruit, and £6, £4, and £2 for a collection of vege- 

 tables. Besides good prizes being offered for Dahlias and 

 Asters we are glad to find that encouragement is given to 

 Gladioli growers, prizes of £3, £2, and £1 being offered to 

 nurserymen for thirty-six spikes, and the same amount to 

 amateurs for twenty-four spikes. Third prizes are provided in 

 every class ; and as the prizes are liberal without being extra- 

 vagant, a good exhibition should result in a place where so 

 many good displays have been seen in past years. 



The annual Exhibition of the Isle of Thanet Horti- 

 cultural Association is to be held this year on the 29th inst. 

 by the kind permission of Latham Tomlin, Esq., in the grounds 

 of Dane Court, St. Peter's, when upwards of 450 prizes_ will 

 be competed for. A primary object of the Association is to 

 encourage cottage gardening, and it reoeives the patronage of 

 the Archbishop of Canterbury and many distinguished ladies 

 and gentlemen of the district. C. D. Smith, Esq., 8, Marine 

 Terrace, Margate, is the Hon. Secretary. 



A correspondent forwards to us the following descrip- 

 tion Of FRUIT-GROWING ON A RAILWAY EMBANKMENT in Brittany. 



"The whole of the usually waste ground by the sides of the 

 line was planted with fruit trees, chiefly Pears and Apples. 

 They were planted about 3 feet apart each way, each tree 

 having two stems. One was bent to the right the other to the 

 left, and when these limbs crossed each other they were tied 

 together, so that the whole presented a continuous trellis of 

 fruit trees, and as they were then (first week in May) in full 

 blossom they added beauty to the scene." 



We have received from Mr. P. Mitchell, Sydenham, a 



small case containing the Colorado Potato Beetle in its 

 various stages, modelled by Messrs. Stallwerck Brothers, 

 Cologne, and for which Mr. Mitchell informs us he is the 

 principal agent. The beetle ia well shown, and the low price 

 at which it ib distributed places it within reach of all culti- 

 vators. 



■ The Committee of the National Rose Society have 



determined on publishing a " Rosarians' Tear Book," ex- 

 clusively devoted to the Rose, and to contain a full report of 

 their great show, critiques on new Roses, and other papers of 

 interest connected with the queen of flowers. 



Horticulture at the Antipodes would appear to be in 



a prosperous state, and a favourite pursuit of the well-to-do 

 population, if we may judge from the copious catalogue of 

 Messrs. Giles & Son of Magill, near Adelaide. This is a very 

 full list of trees, shrubs, and plants. Amongst the latter are 

 included the best varieties of Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, Dahlias, 

 Clematises, &e., which are found in the liBts of English 

 nurserymen and florists. It iB pleasant to notioe this instance 

 of antipodean enterprise, and the trade which evidently exists 

 with the " mother country." 



A correspondent of one of the daily newspapers recently 



observed that " it is probably not generally known that the 

 region in which General Gourko has been lately operating with 

 his Cossacks is the land whence by far the greatest quantity of 

 attar of roses comes to western Europe. Easanlik is the 

 centre of one of the most remarkable species of horticulture, 

 or rather agriculture, to be found in the whole world. Around 

 it or near it are the districts of Cirpan, Giopca, Earadshah- 

 Dagh, Eojun-Tepe, Jeni-Saghra, all of which are devoted to 

 this peculiar husbandry. The Mussulman tradition assigns 

 the origin of the Rose to the night of Mahomet's journey to 

 Heaven. The white Roses sprang from the drops of sweat 

 which fell from the forehead of the prophet himself in the toil- 

 some ascent ; the sweat of Borak, the miraculous animal he 

 rode, gave birth to the yellow ones ; while the celestial drops 

 which fell from Gabriel were the source of the red Rose. 

 Count von Moltke, who was well acquainted with Bulgaria and 

 the Balkans, has styled the valley of the Tandja ' the Cash- 

 mere of Europe, the Turkish Gulistan, the land of Roses.' 

 Roses are not grown there as with us in isolated patches in 

 gardens, but in fields and in ridges, as if they were no better 



