April 16, 1898- 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



2 5i 



When wheat or oats follow a corn 



^ V Kf tW^fwill be found° in nu^s ^'completely incase any 



crop the roots ot tne gram nr „ pn . tu ^mcmlks are not rich in 

 drying Pieces of ^ntfdfa that = a e present 



;fth the soil potash, phosphates, 

 ^\^Xm7t^h^ the grain feeds upon. Large piles of sawdust many 



^(n^m^S low places. The sawdust is very slow m decomposing. 



Si^^ ^^ ve s etation which mu3t obtain most if not aU ** 



,ineral food in the form of humates. 



Means of Increasing the Humates of the Soil. 



Inasmuch as both experiments and observations in the field appear to strongly 

 indShat plants have the power of feeding upon humates, it becomes important 

 JodSrmine to what extent the addition of animal and vegetable matters to the 

 soil is capable of affecting the amount of available plant food. # _ 



ExDeriments conducted at the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station 

 have an important bearing upon this question. To a box holding one hundred 

 rounds of loamy soil twenty pounds of cow manure was added. Ihe contents or 

 the box were kept moist and well mixed. At the end of twelve months the 

 amount of mineral matter combined with the humus was determined, and the 

 amount found compared with that originally in the box. Another box containing 

 an equal amount of the same soil to which no manure was added was treated in 

 the same manner. In the first case the mineral matter originally present in the 

 manure was deducted, as well as the amount 1 * 1 — - u - 



the solutions used in the analysis. 



Increase of Humates in the Soil due to Applications of Manure. 



which was only soluble 

 The results were as follows : — 



Total hu- 

 mates in 

 100 pounds 



of original 

 soil. 



Total at 

 the end of 

 12 months 



in ma- 

 nured box 



Potash 



Soda 



Iron 



Magnesia 



Alumina 



Phosphoric acid 



Grams, 

 7.25 



7.84 

 2.44 



•35 

 2.96 



11.97 



Grams. 

 9.14 

 10. 1 1 



4.13 



•54 

 464 



13.99 



Gain of 

 humates 

 frv,m s nl 

 through 

 manure. 



Total hu- 

 mates at 

 the end of 

 12 months, 

 no manure. 



Grams. 



I.89 

 2.27 

 I.69 

 .19 



1.68 

 2.02 



Grams 

 6.92 

 7.50 



2.46 

 .27 



2.75 



II.50 



Loss 



when no 

 manure 



was 

 added. 



Grams, 



o.33 

 •34 



.08 

 .21 



•47 



As will be seen, the cow manure increased the amount of mineral matter 



combined with the humus to the extent of fifteen to twenty-five per cent, of the 



original amount present in the soil. In addition to adding new elements of 



fertility to the soil, it has also resulted in changing a part of the potash, magnesias 



and phosphoric acid, as well as other solid elements, into forms more valuable as 



plant food. The manure, therefore, not only has a direct fertilising value, but 



is also useful in making the inert plant food of the soil more available. A number 



of facts in field practice also point to the same conclusion. It is well known that 



barnyard manure is among the most lasting in effect of any of the fertilisers which 



can be applied. This is undoubtedly due to the power which the manure 



possesses of uniting with the soil potash, phosphoric acid, &c, to produce 

 humates. 



It has been frequently observed that when potatos are cultivated on new 

 prairie land for three or four years in succession, both the yield and the siza of the 

 potatos decrease. When the land is seeded to a grass crop, the sod ploughed 

 under, and potatos again planted, the yield and size of the potatos are often 

 nearly the same as when the land was new. This result has been attained 

 without the addition of any manure to the land except the vegetable matter in the 

 sod which has furnished materials for the formation of humates. In the same 

 way, wheat grown continuously on prairie soil will gradually decline in yield, but 

 if grass is alternated with the wheat, nearly the original yields are restored, 

 resides performing the useful functions just discussed, which are essentially 

 cnemical in character, humus profoundly modifies the physical properties of soils, 

 l nis influence is most marked in relation to the water content and temperature of 



( To be continued. ) 



Rose Show F 



IN 1898. 



II 



II 



J* 



M 



July 



II 



(Reigate), and 



June 15 (Wednesday).— *York. 

 16 (Thursday).— Colchester, 



23 (Thursday).— Bath (N.R.S.). 



25 (Saturday).— Windsor. 



28 (Tuesday).— tSouthampton, Sutton, and Westminster (R. H. S. ). 



29 U ednesday).- Canterbury, Croydon, and Richmond, Surrey. 



30 (Thursday).— Eltham, Gloucester, and Norwich. 

 2 (Saturday).— Crystal Palace (N.R.S.). 



5 (Tuesday).— Harrow and Hereford. 



6 (Wednesday).— Farningham, tHanley, Redhill 

 Tunbridge Wells. 



7 (Thursday) — Woodbridge. 

 « (Friday).— Ulverston. 



9 (Saturday).— Manchester. 

 12 (Tuesday). -'Wolverhampton. 



, ( .^, ednest,a y)— Ipswich and *Newcastle-on-Tyne. 



FIeSuV"gh HalifaX (N - R>S - )j Canterb «y (Hospital Fund), and 



2 l (Thursday).— Sidcup. 



26 (Tuesday ).— Tibshelf. 



The nexUi« off?* thre ?„ da y s - ♦ Shows lasting two days. 



»* glad lo recdvl th^H appear Carly in Ma ^ In * he meantime I shall 



*here rcses form a il? S r f ny v r0se . shows (or other horticultural exhibitions 

 Kostta J a , ead,n g f <*ture) for insertion in that list. 



«*«*, Berkhamstcd, Herts. EDWARD MAWLEY. 



II 



II 



thu om ' nR ' L ^ lan S«age. TfonW* r CSe S ? moSt significant three words we have 



of tneir coaSEfw SffiS^ creatures > w »Jose live, have become forfeited to 

 Kd Wh " ^ n ^< ted ^ r ith feelings of sickening terror. 



In^hVF" 1 *'^ is Weed lost, when the 



Ruind f£ ^ however ^ Up ° n him in *** 



t* n * V intn, «". Thev'hav^l? \i hopc haS be ? n ?P ened > through the medium of Holloway s 



-*c>nsuuttly icceived, win prove [A mo ™ e nt, as thousands of testimonials, 



Exhibitions and Meetings. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, April 12. 



Notwithstanding the rough weather and the date of exhibition falling next to 

 Eister Monday, there was a first-rate show on the above occasion at the Drill 

 Hall. Daffodils were naturally very pi rntiful, so also were forced plants, roses, 

 and orchids. Fruit and vegetables mide up a very small show. 



Floral Committee. 



There was a splendid display before this body, and it was remarkable 

 for variety and extent. Cinerarias, daffodils, ferns, and roses were very promi- 

 nent. . ■ 



Pot roses were staged by Messrs. Paul and Son, Cheshunt, and made a good 

 display ; among the most notable varieties were Madame Hoste, Rev. Allan 

 Cheales, Antoine Kevoire, a beautiful rose, La France, Innocente Pirola, Captain 

 Hayward, Madame Chedane Guinoisseau, Bacchus, and Catherine Mermet. Mr. 

 EL B. May, Edmonton, made a pretty exhibit of spiraeas, hydrangeas, and Crim- 

 son Rambler roses, grandly flowered, set amid well-grown pterises and maiden- 

 hair ferns ; a few clematis were included. Cinerarias from Messrs. J. Carter and 

 Co. were bright, fragrant, and well grown ; the heads and flowers were both 

 large, and the specimens were not too stiff in general appearance, but showy and 

 pleasing both to gardener and florist. 



Ferns in considerable variety were staged in fine condition by Messrs, J. Hill 

 and Co., Edmonton ; maidenhair ferns were well represented, so were aspleniums 

 and pteris ; the gymnogrammas excited a great deal of attention. Mr. W. Kemp, the 

 Gunyah, Barnes, put up a group of Azalea indica in considerable variety ; the 

 plants were small but freely flowered and fine for conservatory decoration ; 

 Apollyon, white ; Theodore Reimers, purplish-rose ; and La Victoria, salmon- 

 red, were three distinct varieties. The whole group was edged with fragrant lily of 

 the valley. A group of light and elegant cinerarias, hybrid forms between the 

 garden or florist's cineraria and C. cruenta, came from Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons, 

 Chelsea ; the deep blue and the lilac forms were exceedingly pretty and effective. 

 The same firm showed Azalea obtusa alba, a dwarf white-flowered form, Rhodo- 

 dendron racemosum, Deutzia Lemoinei, and Azalea carminata splendens. 

 Streptocarpuses in variety were shown by Messrs. J. Laing and Sons, Forest Hill, 

 the flowers were of an immense size and borne freely on erect stems ; the deep 

 purple and blue varieties were especially attractive, but all were good. Mr. Miller, 

 gardener to Lord Foley, Ruxley Lodge, Esher showed a splendid lot of Marie 

 Louise violets and a few bunches of Leedsi and Ajax daffodils. Messrs. W. Paul and 

 Son, Waltham Cross, once again showed camellias, thus proving that these hand- 

 some plants and flowers are available over a long season. 



Mr. H. Walters, gardener to Lord Gerrard, East well Park, Kent, staged three 

 dozen splendid blooms of Marechal Niel roses and a few blooms of other sorts. 

 Mr. C. Turner, Slough, showed three baskets of Nepeta glechoma variegata ; this 

 makes an extremely elegant basket plant, the slender growths and prettily- 

 variegated foliage depending gracefully. Mr. R. Brown, gardener to F. Barry, 

 Esq., Windsor, sent several dozens of camellia flowers that had been produced on 

 unprotected trees. Forced laburnums, deutzias, and Staphylea colchica made up 

 a fine and showy group from Messrs. W. Cutbush and Son, Highgate. Messrs. 

 Sutton and Sons, Reading, made a pretty exhibit of cinerarias ; these were tall- 

 growing forms obtained by crossing the florist's form with C. cruenta or vice versa. 

 The spreading heads of flowers are large and graceful, fine for grouping or for 

 conservatory decoration, and in a variety of colours from palest lilac to deepest 

 purple-blue. These forms vary in height from two to four feet and are extremely 

 useful. 



Roses in quantity came from Mr. W. Rumsey, Joynings Nursery, Waltham 

 Cross ; Marechal Niel, Mrs. Rumsey, Niphetos, Ethel Brownlow, Heine Marie 

 Henriette, and Safrano were the varieties most extensively staged ; the bloon s 

 were much admired and their fragrance appreciated. A magnificent set of ten 

 dozen exquisite blooms of Marechal Niel roses was staged by Mr. J. Walker, 

 Thame, Oxford ; these were a very fine lot. Messrs. R. Wallace and Co., 

 Colchester, sent a small collection of Dog's Tooth violets, showing Erythronium 

 revolutum Watsoni, E. Hartwegi, and E. giganteum ; Tulipa Greigi, a beautiful 

 species, was also shown, as well as Iris caucasica, Fritillaria lanceolata gracilis, 

 and F. plurifolia. Mr. W. Bardney, gardener to Sir P. Walker, Osmaston Manor, 

 Derby, showed half a dozen seedling clivias, the varieties Wm. Bardney and May 

 Bardney being especially fine in shape and colour. Mr. E. Beckett, Aldenham 

 House Gardens, Elstree, sent a variegated form of Deutzia gracilis ; the foliage is 

 prettily variegated with cream and pale green. 



Narcissi. 



Daffodils were a great feature of the show, and Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons 

 staged a collection of very fine flowers chiefly large and medium crowned varie- 

 ties : Victoria, Incomparabilis Beauty, Golden Spur, Sir Watkin, Emperor, 

 Empress, Maximus, Horsefieldi, Golden Plover, Captain Nelson, Pnnceps, 

 Odorous rugulosus, and Incomparabilis Gloria Mundi were splendidly represented 



and finely coloured. ; , . . . , • 4 



Messrs. Barr and Son, Covent Garden, had a most extensive collection of 



daffodils and early spring flowers ; the leading varieties, such as Sir Watkin, 



Empress, Emperor, C. J. Backhouse, the new Victoria, Incomparabilis Beauty, 



Henry Irving, Goliath, Barri Conspicuus, Obvallans, and Michael Foster were 



represented by big full bunches of handsome blooms. Rarer sorts were naturally 



not so largely represented, but King of the Netherlands, Johnstoni Queen of 



Spain, Mrs. Walter Ware, P. R. Birr, Leedsi MM. de Graaff, Sir Stafford 



Northcote, Madame de Graaff, Weardale Perfection, St. Johns Beauty, Minnie 



Hume, and J. B. M.Camm were well shown. A few hyacinths and saxifragas, &c , 



also came from Mr, Barr. . _ ^ TT t-iu *. 



A group of seedling and hybrid narcissi from the Rev. G. H. Engleheart was 

 a great attraction to aaffodil lovers, Flamingo, Flambeau, Dorothy Yorke, and 

 Lucifer were fine medium-crowned forms. Lady Margaret Boscawen, Homer (a 

 poeticus hybrid), White Queen, Southern Star, white and scarlet crown, Torch, 

 and Sir Walter Scott, also a poeticus form, were among the best. Mr. T. S. 

 Ware, Tottenham, sent numerous varieties of narcissi, but in the majority of 

 instances the bunches were too small to be effective ; doubtless the day following 

 Bank Holiday is not the best one for a show. The leading Ajax forms were 

 staged, and there were bunches of the rich golden Maximus ; a few tulips and 

 primulas flanked the daffodils. 



Orchid Committee. 



Although not extensive the exhibits before this body were of a most interesting 

 character, and several really good novelties were on view. 



In the group staged by Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons, Chelsea, there were fine 

 specimens of the beautiful Lrelio-cattleya Pallas, Cymbidium eburneo-Lowianum, 

 one bearing three good spikes ; Lcelia Latona, with four brilliant blooms, and 

 another with five ; Cypripedium Schroderce, Lselia Euterpe, Epidendrum 



