242 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



Failure of Flower Crop of the Islands of 



Scilly. 



NEVER since the commencement of the culture of narcissus for cut 

 flowers by the Scillonians has the crop been so light as this season. 

 There are many theories about the phenomenal failure, and some people 

 are pessimistic enough to believe that the culture of flowers in the Scilly 

 Islands is doomed, concluding the soil or bulbs are entirely exhausted ; 

 others think that a change of culture is imperative, otherwise the flower 

 crop will always be light in future. Without, however, ignoring the great 

 benefit narcissus would derive through a change of soil and rotation of 

 crops, I may, perhaps, venture to say that the direct cause of this season's 

 failure is undoubtedly climatic influence. The winter of 1897 was mild, 

 though dry, and what with an exceptionally dry spring and early summer, 



together with heavy March gales, early maturity, and consequently 

 weakening of bulbs, resulted, so that I never have seen smaller and poorer 

 bulbs than last summer. In dry exposed places, of weak-growing sorts, 

 such as Narcissus poeticus ornatus or incomparabilis, the last year's flower- 

 ing bulbs have entirely disappeared, leaving only the non-flowering offsets 

 struggling on for existence. On the other hand, where properly sheltered 

 from gales and sea-spray, and in a deeper and more retentive soil, the 

 slight crop has been less apparent this season in Scilly ; but, of 

 course, here, as in agriculture, with the best of soils, unless well- 

 managed the crop is often poor in the best of seasons. 



Owing to long connection with the firm of Mr. Ware, of 

 Tottenham, who has done much to increase the flower trade of 

 Scilly, I can speak with experience, and I must say that I have 

 seen very few places where less trouble is taken with flower culture 

 than in Scilly, and the treatment is often most injudicious. The 

 bulbs are often ploughed out and again ploughed in — at least, it 

 is called ploughing ; scratching would be a better term, for the 

 soil is not moved to a greater depth than four or five inches, the 

 sub-soil being hard. As for cleaning ; well, this is done by many growers 

 not more than once a year, and should the weeds grow too freely, 

 they are simply mowed down, even when the leaves are still 

 green.. As a trial only, I saw clover sown on the beds which would 

 have to be cut long before the leaves of narcissus had turned 

 yellow; I don't suppose the same grower would like to do this with 

 his potatos, which would almost be the same ; in the one case we 

 have the bulb for next year's flower, and in the other hand the tuber 

 for food. Strong growing Narcissus Tazetta, or polyanthus forms, like 

 Scilly White, Soleil d'Or, and Grand Monarque, are often left in the 

 same piece of ground for four to six years, and if lifted are mostly re- 

 planted in the same ground. The newer hybrids of Ajax, and the Medio 

 coronatie, these should certainly never be left longer than two to 

 three years ; in some cases only for one year, and then be planted in 

 well-prepared ground, which had at least a year's change, with early 

 potatos or another crop. 



Owing to the somewhat shallow soil, which is, however, exceptionally 

 good in some localities certain sorts cannot be grown at all to be profitable 

 these should have long been discarded for sorts more adapted to the 

 islands ; but one still finds the old common Pheasant's-eye narcissus, 

 ttiflorus, Stella, Major with, others grown in localities where they have 

 not produced a crop, ever so light, for years. There are some growers 

 in Scilly who have, with a less heavy crop of flowers this season in com- 

 parison to last year's abundance of flowers, nothing to complain of, 

 especially as prices were better ; but these were invariably those who 

 take greater trouble with their culture than the majority, but even these 

 would not favourably compare with the industrious French flower-grower 

 of the South of France. With such a matchless climate as that of Scilly 

 all that is wanted is shelter against gales, strong growing sorts of 

 narcissus (early as well as late flowering), and a change of ground, with 

 a certain amount of labour to keep the beds free from weed ; I feel well 

 assured that a little more labour bestowed will greatly help to avert 

 another failure like the present one, brought about largely though it be 

 by unfavourable climatic conditions. There is still another matter I 

 wish to draw attention to, and that is the careless way some have of 

 packing flowers when not perfectly dry, or by leaving injured blooms 

 with the perfect flowers ; the bulk realising often on this account 

 very poor prices, so poor that I have known cases where the 

 price obtained was not sufficient to cover cost of carriage. The latter is 

 very heavy, but in spite of this Scilly can always hold its own on 

 account of a favourable climate. To sum up, the Scillonians should use 

 more labour and cultivate better, change crops frequently, grow suitable 

 vaneties, and pack the flowers more carefully. G. Reuthe. 



I have just noticed your article upon the daffodils of the Scilly Isles 

 m the issue of the 2nd inst and thought that perhaps a few remarks from 

 this district might be of interest to your readers. Firstly, I am rather 

 doubtful as to the failure of the Scilly crop of bloom being due to faulty 

 cultivation, though unable to speak from personal experience. At the 

 last meeting of the R.H.S. I was talking to Messrs. Barr's salesman (Mr. 

 l-ogan) who said that he had never seen such foliage in his life as he had 

 seen this season on the farms of the Scilly Islands ; he also said that one 



%I J1 T amt 5 0w to S row the variety Henry Irving in a perfectly 



healthy manner, and now had a stock of some tens of thousands. This 

 man at any rate has got a long way ahead of most cultivators. 

 th» kiwi* f ned t0 ^.that the season has had much more to do with 

 thJI™^ for this reason > na ™ly 



poor blooms 



especially with regard to the ea 

 stock certainly looks far below 



— v im - - J — • « w » -mm * W • 



and our own neighbourhood 



nor buds look really promising. This is the n 

 kinds, the later ones, such as Empress, Emperor BirnW T 

 look about as strong as usual m foliage, but the buds do not • rand * e » & 

 the numerous blooms we are favoured sometimes with l M VC P romi *rf 

 that a very mild winter is bad for the daffodil the b!iH« K 0wnopioioB » 

 into growth too early, and the blooms have not time to d* f 0mt e *aied 

 we never had finer blooms than after the severe winter r * Ctn **&l 

 that year (1805) the very first bloom to ODenwa^nr, xt l8 9* 



and we had no quantity ot bloom open" until as late as Anri i7/ March 2 >• 

 they did come out they were extremely fine. Of course « one i&IM? 

 not make a summer," and one season will not prove a theorv i ** 

 comparing two seasons which I have in my m i nd . It W0U ,J ^ 

 ing if some of your readers in other parts of the mmtt» In «r«. 

 the season is treating their daffodil The hlt^^^ ^ 

 have knocked all the life out of early blooms, the fet Cot c3OT 

 Spur, Queen Bess, Mrs. Thompson, &c, wer4 made into ^ p ^ 

 we may have a very favourable ending to the season after surh * i5 

 opening-. • 



J. Duncan Pearsok. 



Nurseries* Notts 



Gard 



Royal b 



Institution 



14 VICTORIAN ERA FUND." 



YOUR readers will doubtless remember that this fund was established last year - 

 commemorate the completion of the sixtieth year of her Majesty's beneficent ran 

 They also will recollect that its object is to temporarily assist unsuccoS 

 candidates, whilst awaiting election, who have been (or their husbands) subscribe! 

 to or life members of the institution. The total amount received up to Dece__ 

 has been invested, and the committee are glad to be able to announce that _ 

 income derivable therefrom this year will enable them to distribute the mm of 

 ^106 ios., the first half of which was sent on April i to eighteen unsuaeafj 

 candidates as follows, and has been divided at the rate of 15s. for each year the? 

 (or their husbands) had subscribed :— 



t * * 



• t « 



Byran, Andrew 

 Nixon, Francis 

 Plevy, James 



Staples, George ... 

 Wood, Caroline ... 

 Gibbons, John 

 Watt, James 



Hackwell, Elizabeth 

 Wills, George 



Years sel f 

 or husband 

 subscribed. 



13 



IJ 

 12 



II 



II 



10 



10 



9 

 9 



Amount sent 

 April i, 1898. 



£ s. d. 



4 17 6 

 4 17 6 

 4 10 o 

 426 

 426 



3 IS o 



3 IS o 



3 7 6 



3 7 6 



# t • 



Years self 

 or husband 

 subscribed. 



Barnfield, Alfred 8 

 Hatch, Annie 

 Mitchell, Lucy 

 Shearn, Joseph 

 Lee, Alexander 

 Evans, Thomas ... 

 Gould, William ... 

 Thomas, William 

 Woodward, Emma 



• ■ • 



8 



7 

 7 



S 



4 

 2 



2 



1 



Amr«niir 



Aprii 1, iftp 



£ *■ < 

 3 0 

 3 0 

 2 u 



2 12 



1 to 



0 15 



0 1$ 



0 7 



From the above it will be seen that the aggregate number of yean of sib- 

 scrip; ions is one hundred and forty-two, which at 15s. for each year gives * tottl 

 of £106 ios., the first instalment of which, as already stated, was set* « 

 April 1 last and the remainder will be sent on October 1 next. The Committee m 



very anxious to bring up the total amount of this fund to ,£5,000, to do which tkjf 

 require a sum of £ 925 ; and I should like to draw attention to the generowcii 

 made by N. N. Sherwood, Esq. (trustee), to contribute /50, provided the iMIl 

 required be raised, in response to which the following gentlemen have each kipdfy 

 promised a'similar sum : Arthur W. Sutton, Esq., Reading ; Leonard Sutton, F>; - 

 Reading ; Harry J. Veitch, Esq. (treasurer) ; and several smaller contributiottbiff 

 already been received. The Committee sincerely hope that before the do* 11 

 the year they may be able to announee that the balance to make up the jt&gw 

 has been received. They trust, therefore, that every well-wisher of the inabU ** 

 will note that the " Victorian Era Fund " is still open, and that doottiooiioi 

 will be most gratefully received. The committee also desire again to *®F*T 

 the notice which has already appeared in your columns and ^ 

 this fund is intended for the benefit of those only who have subscribe v>m 



institution. George S. Ingram, Sctrtl*j> 



Average L 



of a Potato 



With regard to the opinion of Mr. Fidler, which appeared in the g aW*> 



ic average life of the potato, wW** 



h\™ In the hm P» 



says 



cannot 



ike the Ashleaf Kidney, which cannot be beaten for ^ hn *J£" 

 and quality. This potato has been cultivated for over «f . 

 year twenty different sorts of potatos, besides eight wnews < 



but did not 

 — Tn the second 



I 



or: 



saved seedlings, which promised well for two seasons 



I find nothing to come up to the old Irish potato, the * lounaer, «*£V£ 

 or quantity ; this potato has been grown for many years, is on ^ 

 and cooks well when quite young. I grew a better crop ! ^^ r n j^ lhlt if c* 



pass 



best mid-3 



i« is a very P 



1 J — "^WW WWW ^| '/J 



variety, and as good a cropper now as ever 



; this 

 nothing 



iodS* 



disease-resi 

 introduced. 



Bonum, sent out by Messrs. 

 passed for £ 



and as vigorous a grower 



Then we have the Bruce, a splendid potato tor oiam crop ana ^ ^ j 

 quality all that can be wished for, and again tnis is a^ ^ qW &t m 



w the varieties that answer my purpose the best. * j ^ 

 ntity, for I need annually from twenty-six to ^uty vm , ^ intfl*^ 

 experience the best crooners. I do not, however, J^^o j, twehtJT: 



f !SS ho'w 0 well P^sJSi 



varieties sent out. Mr. Fidler opines the 0 



and after that age a variety loses vigour, no matter now 

 fully the seed is changed. In my opinion, when P?^T moch laftfH 

 properly stored during winter, the life of the potato is 01 

 and I for one do not believe potatos deteriorate. J ( D 



The Gardens. Castle Hall. 



