January 17, 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
47 
opportunity of spending a few hours among the wonderful collection of 
plants there cultivated. I have noticed that many of the young men 
here employed are very intelligent, and all, I presume, apply for the 
appointments with the motive of availing themselves of the unequalled 
facilities for becoming well acquainted with the culture of plants. Out 
of the gardens there is every inducement for them to do as other young 
men do—viz., spend their time in a manner by no means conducive 
to the formation of clever serviceable experts such as we expect to be 
turned out by Royal Kew. I maintain that for these young men to be 
exposed to the discomforts as well as the dangers attending the class of 
lodgings many of them inevitably obtain is, to say the least, an oversight 
on the part of those responsible. It is not the want of means or of a 
suitable position that can be pleaded as an excuse for not making suitable 
provision for them, and unless I am much mistaken no great opposition 
Would be met if someone in authority took the matter up. For the good 
of all concerned I trust this benefactor will soon take the preliminary 
steps towards obviating the present unsatisfactory state of affairs, and by 
so doing gain the esteem of many present and past Kewites.—A Head 
Gardener, Somerset. 
In answer to your correspondent “ Boss,” under this head, I venture 
to say that if he had had experience of the Kew gardeners’ lodgings 
be. would not consider the matter of trivial importance, and my 
opinion is formed after several years’ service there ; for a new comer to 
the Gardens is seized upon the moment his wants are made known by 
persons who receive a trifling recompense from certain lodging-house 
keepers, some of whose tenements are by no means of an enticing appear¬ 
ance to. young men, especially those from the gardens of the nobility in 
the United Kingdom. I can further add there has been for a number of 
years a room set apart in the Gardens where the young men can rest 
assured no attractions of a fancy fair will upset their studies during 
reading-room hours. There are two resident foremen, who with the 
young gardener who acts as librarian, are responsible for the behaviour of 
attendants, but complaints are exceedingly rare. Undoubtedly similar 
measures could be adopted in a so-called barracks should the authorities 
give the matter the attention it deserves.— Another Ex-Kewite. 
WINTER-FLOWERING CARNATIONS. 
The time for propagating these has arrived if large and strong plants 
are to be had for next winter’s flowering. I find the cuttings strike very 
freely when taken off about this time and dibbled into sand in the pro¬ 
pagating house. They form roots in about ten days or a fortnight. 
When rooted the plants are placed into 2^-inch pots in-light soil, in 
which they root quickly, and are then removed into a cooler pit and kept 
near to the glass. As soon as the plants are large enough the point of 
each is pinched out, which causes them to break low down, and lays the 
foundation for sturdy-growing plants. In March they are shifted into 
4-inch pots, this time employing loam and cow dung in the proportion 
of three of the former to one of the latter. We pot rather firmly. In 
April the plants may be removed to cold frames, and in May and through¬ 
out the summer the sashes are kept off the plants. Very good plants 
may be grown in 6-inch pots. Bonemeal as fine as possible may be 
added to the compost recommended above. Again pot firmly. The 
only attention required throughout the summer and autumn is to keep 
the soil in a moderately moist condition, and put stakes to the advancing 
flower spikes as they require them. In October the plants are taken 
into their flowering quarters, and require little forcing until about 
Christmas, when we find a good heat necessary in order to induce the 
flowers to open and others to come on. 
It is through the winter months that the advantage of firm potting 
is most seen. With occasional surface dressings of artificial manure the 
plants continue making roots, which enable them to keep on forming 
buds and opening flowers in succession for several weeks. The one 
insect which I find injures the plants is green fly ; occasional fumigating 
keeps it in check.—B. 
A NOTE ON CABBAGES. 
For several years 1 have allowed the spring-cut Cabbages to start 
into growth and form several small heads, which came in very useful 
through the summer and autumn months. This is a plan which is carried 
out by very many gardeners, and in some respects it is a good one. But 
it has this serious disadvantage, that the soil is very much exhausted 
after the Cabbages are removed, and the crops that follow suffer in 
consequence. It cannot be for the want of manuring in our case, as we 
employ above the average of cattle manure, and in addition dress with 
so-called artificial manures. In future I intend to remove the plants as 
the crop is cut, an d plant more frequently. 
In order to bring the crop in quickly it is a good plan to give each 
plant a dressing of a spoonful of guano ; sulphate of ammonia is also < f 
great value as a dressing, about half the above quantity being sufficient 
Gardeners will find the latter a much better stimulant than nitrate of 
soda, which passes too quickly out of the soil, while the sulphate acts 
more slowly, and remains of utility as a plant-food for a much longer 
period. If the weather is warm in February that is quite early enough 
to employ any of these manures. Much depends on the variety grown 
whether 'we get Cabbages in quickly in spring or not, and the same 
remark applies to spring plantings to come on after the spring cuttings 
are past. One of the best I have tried is Nonpareil Improved, a medium¬ 
growing sort, which hearts very quickly, and is also good for succession 
crops. Mein’s No. 1 Cabbage is also very good for northern localities. 
One of the best from a gardener’s point of view is Little Pixie, which, in 
addition to occupying very little room when growing, turns in very 
quickly, seeds sown in March coming in for cutting in the end of 
August and later. A pinch of seed sown in a frame in the beginning of 
February yields plants that come in about as early as the larger kinds 
which are sown in autumn. I do not find Coleworts succeed in our 
northern latitudes. A late Cabbage which comes in about October and 
November is the Winningstadt. Some sow the seeds of this in autumn,, 
but I sow in early spring. Though not a Cabbage which can be recom¬ 
mended for the dining-room, it is serviceable for the servants’ table.— 
East Lothian. 
PROTECTING PLANTS FROM FROST. 
The effects of the present mild weather, with the disagreeable 
accompaniment of heavy rain and dense black fogs, upon vegetation are 
giving rise to some anxiety in the minds of many gardeners. If, after 
the spring-like mildness and excessive moisture of the winter up to the 
present, we are visited with sharp frosts and cold winds, much disaster 
will result, and that in spite of the greatest care in matters of protection 
exercised by careful cultivators. With seasonable weather we should at 
this time of year have the whole of our tender plants in their winter 
covering. The present mildness, however, forces many plants into 
activity which if continued must inevitably be followed by fatal con¬ 
sequences, unless we have no cold weather this winter, which is more 
than we dare hope. Trees and shrubs are bursting their buds, bulbs are 
pushing through their earthy covering young and tender leaves, and 
all around us we see a bursting into life which is unseasonable in the 
middle of January, and is what w T e should look for only in March or 
April. 
It will be necessary for those who are anxious to prevent any serious 
consequences to take all possible precautions against the cold winds and 
frosts. At the same time every care must be taken that we do not assist 
by too much coddling the work of destruction which cold would bring. It 
is too frequently the practice to set about the work of matting, strawing, 
and covering all tender plants as soon as the cold weather may be 
expected, and although much may be said in favour of such a practice, it 
is unfortunately too often the case that harm rather than good is done by 
it. As an instance of this may be mentioned what occurred last year 
when we were visited with weather of extraordinary mildness during the 
greater portion of the winter, followed by sharp frosts at the commence¬ 
ment of spring. As usual, the most tender plants were covered suffi¬ 
ciently to prevent severe frosts from injuring them, and this covering 
was allowed to remain all through the season until all danger of cold 
weather had passed. The result of this was, that what with the warmth of 
the earlier portion of the winter and that afforded by the covering, many of 
the plants were fatally injured, some of the most herbaceous had perished 
altogether, and the effect of the spring cold upon many others was soon 
apparent in the shrivelling of the young leaves and the weakness of the 
flowers. It was plainly evident that in our attempts to keep out the cold 
we had done much harm, and that if the plants had been left without 
covering until it was really required little or no harm would have been 
done. A little wholesome severity is often better for many plants than 
indiscriminate protection, which too often renders the plants delicate 
and incapable of bearing the slightest cold. We are, perhaps, a little too 
apt to afford protection to plants without making any allowance for the 
capacity of the plants themselves to adapt themselves to circumstances. 
Protection for plants should not be resorted to unless it appears really 
necessary. The material used for protecing plants from the effects of 
cold is too often conducive to ill results. To straw and mat, or cover 
with leaves or such material as holds water, plants which naturally have 
the whole of their branches and stems exposed to the influences of the air 
and light, is analogous to burying them, and as likely to prove injurious 
to their health as such treatment would be if practised upon animal life. 
The protection we are compelled to give many outdoor plants is a 
necessary evil, unavoidable to a great extent in this country. That 
something should be done to prevent tender plants being injured during 
severe weather must be admitted, but it should be done with due con¬ 
sideration. When such means of protection as those mentioned are used 
they should be removed again as soon as the danger has passed, and be 
replaced and removed again as often as necessary, at least in the case of 
those plants which would not stand a long covering without injury.— 
W. K. _ 
BORNEO. 
[The following is tlie substance of an instructive paper upon 
the productions and government of Borneo, read before the 
members of the Horticultural Club, Henrietta Street, Govent 
Garden, London, on the 8th inst., by Dr. Houghton, who has- 
resided in that island during the past twenty years.] 
It is, of course, fciinilicir knowledge that tlie island of Borneo 
is situate in the China Sea, about 46U miles east from Singapore, 
and is therefore a tropical country. It is supposed to be, next 
to Australia, and probably New Guinea, the largest island in the 
world, being more than 8u0 mi'es in length by about 600 miles 
in width. The total population of the island is estimated at 
nearly two millions, comprising a great variety of races and 
