November 1, 1S77. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



339 



plant bo well grown. I wrote for information as to the treat- 

 ment it received ; and Mr. Lanchlan Black, who haa potted 

 most of Mr. Foreshaw's plants for the last three years, writes 

 as follows : — 



" I consider this to be one of the easiest plants to grow with 

 which I am acquainted. Some persons fancy that it can be 

 grown in a greenhouse, or even with the protection of a cold 

 frame, but it will not thrive under such circumstances. The 

 best compost to grow it in is very fibry peat, sphagnum, pot- 

 sherds, and lumps of charcoal, and the sphagnum ought to be 

 enoouraged to grow on the surfaoe. It does best in a shallow 

 pan well drained. The plant is now at rest and will make but 

 little growth until the early spring months, and as soon as 

 growth commences shake all the old potting material from 

 amongst the roots and divide the mass of plants into single 

 crowns. The potting material should be raised above the rim 

 of the pan in the centre, then the strongest crowns should be 

 planted in the centre and the smaller plants nearer the edge. 

 The best temperature in winter is one from 50° to 55°, but as 

 soon as the plants are potted in the spring the pan should be 

 removed to a warmer house ; a Cucumber house with a night 

 temperature of 70° answers as well as any. During the whole 

 of the growing season a plentiful supply of water is required. 

 During the winter season enough water should be given to 

 prevent the sphagnum from dying. The plant should not be 

 placed in a draughty place, and it succeeds best in a still, 

 warm, and moist atmosphere." 



Such is the result of Mr. Black's experience, and I can con- 

 firm it from some little experience of my own. I grew a plant 

 during the summer in a case with Filmy Ferns ; it is now in 

 the Cattleya house, where it will remain until the spring, and 

 will then be potted as above and be transferred to the Cucum- 

 ber house. — J. Douglas. 



WINTER CUCUMBER CULTURE AT EASTNOR. 



When visiting Earl Somers' renowned garden recently — re- 

 nowned not more by the great taste and liberality of its owner 

 than by the well-proved ability of the gardener — I was struck 

 with the excellent condition and great promise of the winter 

 Cucumbers. The Grapes were nearly all cut, the Melons on 

 their " last legs," the Fig trees barren — the barrenness of 

 October, and the Pines appearing as if halting between two 

 seasons — summer and winter. They are grown with an object, 

 and for a time, and that time for ripening, not now ; but the 

 Cucumbers had the appearance of having enjoyed a genial 

 spring and were entering on Bummer instead of having been 

 guided through autumn and on the eve of winter. They were 

 so fresh, clean, strong, and springlike aa to demand a note, a 

 note of high commendation ; a seasonable note too, for do they 

 not teach an useful lesson at a seasonable time ? 



A mere sight-seer, I mean one of the many who admire flowers 

 and enjoy fruits even when growing, but who are not initiated 

 into the modes of cultivating what they inspect, would per- 

 chance see little to admire in the Cucumber house at Eastnor 

 in October. Even the young enthusiastic professional im- 

 patient to make a name and a mark, might not be entranced 

 with the steady, yes steady (mark the word), practice of a 

 Coleman in growing Cucumbers oa the threshold of winter. 

 Probably when tho ardent youth lived at BO-and-Bo, had full 

 charge there, the trellises were laden with fruit at this season 

 of the year, but at Eastnor only a few Cucumbers were to be 

 seen ! That is just the point, the important point too, in 

 winter Cucumber culture. Better, far better, than a crowd of 

 fruit was the stout natural-looking foliage and the thinly- 

 trained shoots : more attractive than a fruit-laden trellis were 

 the vigorous white roots creeping out of one turf and into the 

 next, so active that in fancy one might almost see them move. 

 That is the condition in which Cucumbers should be now 

 from which fruit is expected from November till March. 



Strong early growth, a well-covered trellis, yet the shoots 

 thinly disposed, leathery foliage bright and cleaD, active 

 healthy roots bridging air spaces between turfy soil, and little 

 or no fruit, should be the October standard for winter Cucum- 

 bers. That was their state at Eastnor on the 22od ult. Evi- 

 dently the temperature, ventilation, and atmosphere had been 

 well managed : the soil, too, was simple yet effectual, and for- 

 bearance had been exercised in restricting the bearing cf the 

 plants. Precocious fruitfulness is the bane of winter Cucum- 

 ber growing. The resources of the plants require to be hus- 

 banded now so that they may have a store of strength for the 

 dark days, not expended in producing an early sensational crop, 



and consequently weakened when the strain upon them is at 

 its maximum- 

 It is some time Bince I saw the soil used for Cucumbers so 

 simple and so good — that is, so rough, as at Eastnor. In its 

 roughness consists its chief excellence. It ia simply turf, turf 

 no doubt pared from good soil, yet simply turf and used just 

 as it was dug in large square junks. It is surprising how little 

 of such soil is required to grow Cucumbers when it is rightly 

 used. There overhead was a large trellis quite covered with 

 shoots and foliage of the most eatisfactory kind ; below a 

 narrow ridge of turves, the roots protruding through them in 

 all directions asking for another thin casing of the same sus- 

 taining and enjoyable food. Periodical layers of turves, and 

 liquid manure when the plants are heavily worked, are all the 

 food required by Cucumbers. All they ask for is to have the 

 turfy soil " little and often," and rough. 



In the next house, a succession house, the plants were in 

 very large pets and the growth had nearly covered the trellis. 

 In these pots they will remain, and their rooting medium will 

 be rougher, far rougher, than even rough turves. What can it 

 be, do you ask? Answer, bricks, yea bricks, or perhaps half 

 bricks, for the Cucumbers are not particular so loDg as it is 

 rough. The large pots are placed on a layer of " good stuff" 

 over the hot-water pipes. By-and-by the roots will not only 

 be encouraged to the surface of the pots, but over them. They 

 will be enticed over them by rich rough food. Bricks and 

 turves will then be packed round the pots. Water will be 

 regularly poured in, and down the roots will go to the heat, 

 moisture, and food below, gathering sustenance as they de- 

 scend ; their moist, warm, dark, rugged path, and liquid 

 manure ad lib. will do the rest. That is what Cucumbers like 

 — aerated food. What they do not like is a huge masB of close 

 soil " given all at once and done with." They do not like 

 alternations of heat and cold, dry draughts and cold fogs, nor 

 especially to be heavily cropped when young. They may be 

 young and willing, but the man is not wise who permits them to 

 exhaust themselves to make a grand show during the early 

 days of autumn and winter. Mr. Coleman at least does not 

 allow them to do so, and the Eastnor plants before the winter 

 is over will prove his practice correct. — J. Weight. 



COMPANY SHOWS. 



Under the above heading you have published some remarks 

 about which there may be some difference of opinion ; indeed 

 I know the subject alluded to is regarded differently by different 

 people, and the remarks of an " Old Exhibitor" on page 303 

 if they are acquiesced in by many are not by all. It was 

 suggested in the letter referred to that special horticultural 

 societies practically " sold themselves " to " companies " who 

 had no real sympathy with horticulture, or any branch of it 

 which they bought for the " time being and made the best of." 

 That is rather strong language, not pleasant to many, yet I 

 fear that it contains some truth. 



The special societies of a horticultural nature now established 

 are one and all calculated to do considerable good by advancing 

 the culture of that particular flower or vegetable with which 

 they are identified. The officers of such societies are generally 

 disinterested men, who labour to advance their object and not 

 to trade upon it. With the supporters of those societies the 

 case is different. It is obvious that many of them have an 

 " eye to business." What, then, can the few disinterested 

 managers do in such a case ? They are in a dilemma. Most of 

 their supporters " mean business " on the one hand, and the 

 managers of companies, such as the Aquarium, " mean busi- 

 ness " on the other. It is their duty to attract custom, and 

 they make liberal, even spirited, bids for popularity. The 

 special societies of a horticultural nature must have money, 

 and their supporters would not support them if their com- 

 mittees " threw such chances away " as the " companies " from 

 time to time offered. That is the real difficulty. 



By many this state of things is considered unsatisfactory, 

 and they are brought face to face with another real difficulty 

 when seeking a remedy. Not many special societies are Btrong 

 enough to be really independent, and consequently they eater 

 into alliances which are to a certain extent incongruous. They 

 are induced to patronise a place of public entertainment, first 

 because of the "consideration" offered, and secondly because 

 there is the chance of a large number of visitors inspecting 

 the show, some of which may perchance become specialists 

 themselves and supporters of their new hobby. 



It is very easy to over-estimate the influence of mere num- 



