4o 



January i 5? is 9 8. 



fruits often suffer for want of food. Failing new soil a good mulch of decayed 

 manure now would do much good. In pruning the Lancashire varieties it is 

 necessary to adopt a different course to that practised with the smaller kinds, as 

 these trees make a weeping growth and lose wood ; here, thinning may be done 

 but a goodly portion of new wood must be retained, and in pruning it is best to 

 cut away those growths near the soil and on which the fruit would be gritty. 

 Where gooseberries are much in demand they are well worth special culture, and 

 splendid results may be obtained by giving the trees support, and protecting with 

 wire netting. North walls, often bare, may with advantage be planted up with 

 goose! >erries, but for that mode of growth I would advise the smaller berried varie- 

 ties that are noted for their high flavour, such as the Green Gage, Crown Bob, 

 and Champagne. These gooseberries, grown as double cordons and spurred hard 

 back, bear splendid crops and are readily protected, when the fruit will hang a long 

 time. Where currants have not done well it is advisable to make new quarters 

 for them. Black currants sometime? have a peculiar disease the gall mite, which 

 is difficult to get rid of, indeed, I have found it best to burn infested trees and 

 plant new ones as far away from the old site as possible. Red currants have of 

 late years received more attention, there are some fine berried kinds now and 

 Fay's Prolific and Reine Victoria are improvements on the smaller kinds. It well 

 repays cultivators who need good fruit-, and in quantity, to plant a new quarter 

 occasionally as the soil soon becomes impoverished, while the introduction of a 

 new variety is advantageous. 



Raspberry canes may now be shortened and made trim for the season. Rasp- 

 berries are most profitable, given good culture. I am not impressed with the 

 plan at times advised of growing the raspbtf*ry in the shade or under trees. The 

 best fruits are those on canes given free exposure, and though shade may be 

 advisable for late fruits, I would prefer a north border and an open position. Like 

 the other bush fruits named, the raspberry is a surface rooter, and the more it is 

 fed from the surface the better, so that a mulch of decayed manure given now is 

 beneficial, and in places where liquid manure is running to waste, these trees 

 may with advantage have a supply, as it cannot often be afforded them during 

 growth. Raspberries attended to after fruiting will need but little pruning ; avoid 

 crowding and leave three strong canes to a stool. The supports should be renewed 

 if necessary and the roots mulched ; the latter may be done at a later period, but 

 it is advisable to do any work now that will save time later. Worn-out raspberry 

 stools may be rooted up and a new plantation made, foi the advice given for the 

 other fruits is just as applicable here. Among varieties I have found Superlative 

 a profitable introduction ; it produces a fine berry, somewhat later than others, 

 but it never fails in seasons ot drought, and is a grand fruit for poor, stony soils. 

 Newly planted canes should be cut down to within nine inches of the soil before 

 new growth commences. The autumn fruiting kinds are worth space, and these 

 planted now will l>e in condition next year to crop ; they are treated differently 

 to the summer fruiters, l>eing cut down in February, and they fruit in new wood. 

 Strawberries in light soil may now receive a mulch of decayed, manure ; given at 

 this season it will encourage early root action and strong blooms. Of course, 

 this advice is not intended for small plants put out late, but those with ample 

 growths. Small plant? after severe frost often have their roots exposed, and so 

 tinning the plants would be beneficial, and I find a mulch of light material, such 

 as old mushroom-bed manures assists them greatly. Strawberry quarters not 

 manured should be Dutch hoed in dry weather, raking up the weeds and cutting 

 away leafage in a decaying condition.— G. Wytiiks, Syon Garde ns. 



R.H.S. Exam 



IN H 



Flowers and Insects —I was much interested in Professor Plateau's 

 ■bservations in relation to flowers and insects, because they not only affirm my 

 own opinion but also oppose the too common and somewhat empirical opinion 

 that colour in flower petals specially attracts insects. If in our gardens we need 

 evidence of the absurdity of the latter idea we find it easily enough in mignonette 

 there being no common garden flower which attracts insects, and especially honey 

 bees, so largely as this unpretentious flower does. That attraction is due to its 

 rich perfume and its honey deposits. Hut are not perfume and honey almost 

 identical ? ( .encrally the sweeter the perfume the greater the honey store. White 

 clover, heather, and lime, all inconspicuous-flowered plants or trees, are rich in 

 honey secretions, and all are richly perfumed. Brilliantly-coloured flowers such 

 as roses, begonia,, pelargoniums, and many others are rarely visited by honey 

 bees or smaller insects, but some moths frequent them, just as they do single 



l, : lhl,;l M " u " • :in(1 become intoxicated with saccharine J or they Care for 



giant sunflowers, attracted by sugar secretions, but not by the rich-coloured petals 

 One of our most beautiful blue garden flowers, Salvia patens, is largely visited bv 

 wild bees in search of Sugar, but the insects do little to aid fertilisation in the pro- 

 cess, because they bore holes in the flower tubes to extract the su C ar rather than 

 enter the flower mouth. Before it is further attempted to show that insects are 

 attracted to flowers to aid fertilisation through rich -coloured petals, it must be 

 shown that insects possess colour sight. So far it has been concluded that thev 

 ♦ il WC 'u Ce J tain) y tf ? e y t( > Possess remarkable power of smell, but to assert 

 that they have equal capacity to be attracted by bright colours would be a larger 

 order indeed.— A. D. * ' ™ r 



Cactus Dahlias. -In publishing the list of these flowers, now so wonder- 



S^oSaTfeS* «S ?T 5 ' Wh i Ch a P pears ° n lhree > the se <^tary of the 



National Dahlia Society has rendered useful service to growers, because there are 



myriads of dahlia fanciers outside the ranks of the society who fail yet to under 

 stand the distinctions which exist between recognised cactus varieties and those 

 commonly termed decorative. But I do not fully understand whether the list 



far conclusive that none others can be, for the 

 is varieties at the society's exhibition. That is 

 ny varieties that show cactus form in an inferior 

 included in the list would but weaken a stand 



published is intended 

 present year, admitte 

 important to know ; i 

 degree to that found 



to 



m those 



\r#^«wfc #u 11 " ov "ui weaKen a stand 



None the less, some growers may chance their inclusion, and no doubt thev would 

 ^L^SSSSiS^'^ r luS ™ W ° M di ^ li( y Then ever? 



year see 

 fully thai 

 varieties 



rieties that evidence the ideal cactus form more 

 iZZZT'ctE ul awicl J r P rc J*"cd to keep the scheduled list of recoenised 



han enou Jh for all m rSS I y ? ^eluding the best, enough and almost more 

 what cooii ire in Jir / /Jffun, if better forms arc being constantly added 



i: • ,n,tno \ ones to either trader or exhibitor? To have m mn,,/i 

 *lect hst of that descr.pt.on, would be indeed a. blessing to all interested ff£ 



But there 



old 



but certainly ^ ^S^^^cS^'L^T, *? Va " etieS if des ^, 



footing— A D. ,n P"«"<w* trader and amateur should stand on the same 



I. 



2. 



3- 



5- 



6. 



7- 



8, 



9- 



10. 



As we are so frequently receiving letters asking for information concerning th 

 annual Examination in Horticulture conducted by the Royal Horticultural Societ 

 we now publish the rules and regulations for that function, as contained in \h 

 most recent issue of the society's Journal :— ne 



1. The Council of the Royal Horticultural Society, sympathising with th 

 efforts of various County Councils, technical institutes, schools, gardeners' mutu \ 

 improvement societies, and other bodies to promote instruction in practical ho t 

 culture by means of lectures, demonstrations, &c« ; and in the hope of renderin 

 such teaching more definite and effective, have consented to hold an examine; ^ 

 in horticulture on Tuesday, April S , 1898. examination 



2. The following is an outline syllabus, showing the nature of the subject 

 to which it is considered desirable that the attention of students should be drawn $ 



Elementary Principles. 



On which Horticultural practice is based. 



Soils, good and bad : Their nature and composition : Weeds and their eradi- 

 cation. 



Requirements of growth— water, heat, air. 



Seeds : Nature of, duration of vitality in, and modes of germination. 

 Roots : Nature and functions of ; fibrils and root-hairs ; what they do, and 

 how they do it — what helps and what hinders them. 



Stems and branches : Their nature, work, and uses ; helps and hindrances to 

 their work. 



Leaves : what they are, what they do ; helps and hindrances to their work. 

 Tubers and bulbs, leaf buds and Mower buds. 



rowth and development : increase in size and changes of composition and 

 structure ; formation and storage of food materials. 

 Flowers : their component parts ; what they do ; artificial fertilisation. 

 Fruit : Changes and development during ripening ; forms and varieties, as 

 t*g. % apple, strawberry, plum, &c. 9 ' 



1 1 . Seed : Formation of. 



12. Variation and selection. 



13. Names and orders of common garden plants, trees, &c. 



Horticultural Operations and Practice. 



Surveying and landscape gardening : Elements of. 

 Choice of site for garden. 



Description and use of implements under each head. 



Operations connected with the cultivation of the land, with explanations and 

 illustrations of good and bad methods: digging and trenching; 

 draining ; hoeing, stirring the soil, and weeding ; watering ; pre- 

 paration of seed beds ; rolling and raking, sowing, transplanting and 

 thinning ; potting, planting ; aspects, positions and shelter ; staking ; 

 earthing and blanching, &c, 



Propagation. Elementary principles : Cuttings, budding and grafting, stocks 

 used, layering, division, branch pruning, root pruning; old and young 

 ^ trees and bushes. Training. 

 Fruit Culture : Open air and under gla«s ; small fruits; apples and pears ; 

 stone fruits ; gathering and storing ; packing and marketing. General 

 knowledge of fruits, and selection of varieties. 

 Vegetable culture : Tubers and roots ; green vegetables : Fruits and seeds ; 



rotation of crops, and selection of varieties. 

 Flower culture, outside and under glass. 

 Manures and their application. 



Improvement of plants by cross-breeding, hybridisation, and selection. 

 Arboriculture : Trees and shrubs and their culture. 

 Insect and fungus pests : Prevention and treatment. 



3- Students and young gardeners not having had the advantage of attending 

 lectures, but wishing to present themselves at some one of the centres for 

 examination, might with advantage consult some of the following works : 

 I rimer of Botany" (Macmillan and Co.), by Sir J. D. Hooker, K.CS.I.; 

 ^ °. tany for B e g? nn ers " and " Plant Life * (Bradbury, Agnew, and Co.), by M« 



I. 



2. 



3- 

 4- 



5 



6. 



7- 



8. 



9. 

 10. 



11. 



12. 



T. Masters M.D., F.R.S. ; "Popular Gardening," four volumes (Cassell and 

 Co.), edited by D. T. Fish ; " Epitome of Gardening ' (Adam Black and Co.), 

 l»y I> Moore and M. T. Masters; "Agriculture," parts one and two (John 

 Murray), by W. Fream, LL.D. ; " Prize Essay on Fruit Culture," by J. Wright: 

 t 1 nysiology of Plants," by Professor Sorauer (Longmans, Green, and Co.); 



.Structural Botany," by Dr. D. II. Scott (Adam Biack and Co.); "Natural 

 History of Plants," by Kerner and Oliver (Blackie and Son). 



4- The examination will be held simultaneously in as many different centres in 



C tk - and - Ireland ^ circumstances may demand. 



t itri e * amination wi ll for the most part be based on the above outline syllabus 

 ot L-lementary Principles of Horticultural Operations and Practice," U 

 arrangements will be made, as far as possible, to frame the questions so as to cover 

 the ground of any syllabus sent up for that purpose. It will, however, in all cases, 

 be absolutely essential for students to exhibit a sufficient knowledge of the 

 Elementary Principles " named in the above syllabus. 

 0. Three hundred marks will be given as a maximum. Candidates gaining 



h?* 1 aE f. ov t r wiU ** P lac «i in the first class. Those gaining 150 to 200 

 win be placed in the second class, and those gaining between 100 and 150 will 



classed 6 ** ^ C,aSS * Candidates failin S to obtain 100 marks wil1 not h 



7 : The Royal Horticultural Society will award a Silver Gilt Medal to *| 

 candidate gaining the highest number of marks, and will also, if the County Council 

 or other body promoting the lectures wish it, deliver to their candidates certificates 

 of the class m which they shall have passed. 



m,mL r nly £°, uncils » ,e cturers, &c, must send in to the Society the actual 

 numoer ot candidates at each proposed centre at least ten days before the exami- 

 nation takes place. J 



n 1 , t ^t? a i rd 4 enerSandstudcnts wishing to sit for the examination, but who have 

 «3 .1.1 any P articu,a «' series of lectures, must send in their name and address, 

 "Jl 50 ,- naniea nd address of some responsible person willing to conduct the 

 examination (see par. i 4 ), to the Secretary, R.II.S. 117, Victoria Street, West- 

 minster, at least three weeks before the date of examination. , , 

 rv.rti.ii A , s " lal1 capitation fee of 3s. will be charged for every student, in oruer v> 

 partially defray the expenses of the examination 



held in >u" aly • VV nci,s < lecturers, and others desiring to have an examination 

 ctstn^ino nei 8 nbou 'hood, must also send in the full name and address (*■* 

 who S »J T t °? Upadon > of ODe ^sponsible person for each proposed crnoj 

 rules Undertake to supervise the examination in accordance with the society 



12. The society is also wil ling to hold an examination whei ever a inagisir» te ' 



