February 28, 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
165 
for I can point to a soil, onco unfit for the cultivation of any vegetables 
now in superb condition for the growth of flowers, fruit, or vegetables. 
Thorough drainage, followed by trenching and repeated dressings of 
farmyard manure, coal ashes, lime, and decayed vegetable matter, has 
wrought the change, and it would be difficult to find among soils a 
greater contrast than is here presented by the soil in its natural and 
cultivated condition. Let no one suppose the process of soil-improve¬ 
ment is easy, however simple it may be, and that it is simple I am 
free to own, but it can only be done thoroughly by dint of downright 
hard work and unflagging perseverance year after year. My first 
trial crops in the virgin soil of Mid-Sussex were all failures. Even 
Horseradish refused to grow, Peas only grew a few inches high, and 
then died, and the soil settled down again with the first heavy shower 
into a compact mass, so hard that it had to be thrown up in huge 
clods with spades, and then watered and beat with Canterbury hoe, 
to get it to pieces. I mention this to show that I have no occasion 
to draw upon the imagination for an illustration. 
What, it may be asked, has all this to dowith seed-sowing? Very 
much, tor without a good seed bed failure is very probable. A 
prompt and unbroken succession of seasonable vegetables is impera¬ 
tive. But how can this be achieved, when weeks of precious time 
are lost in waiting for a heavy sodden soil to become dry enough for 
the seed drills? It is high time that it should cease to be possible 
for it to be said of any garden soil that it is unfit for this or that 
crop, or that owing to unfavourable weather seed could not be sown. 
Surely the comparatively small portion of an estate that is required 
for the cultivation of vegetables might be brought into a suitable 
condition for the purpose if the urgent necessity for it were only 
understood by the owner of the garden. Unfortunately matters do 
not always work smoothly between gardeners and other heads of 
departments, and then difficulties arise about manure and other things, 
and many an earnest man finds his efforts crippled and often rendered 
futile for want of ways and means in the preparation of the soil. 
Personally I have no feeling in the matter, for as manager of an 
estate the garden with me is only a department, which it is my 
duty to see well cared for ; but having repeatedly met with cases 
where the garden was impoverished and the gardener disheartened 
simply because obstacles existed which he appeared unable to over¬ 
come, I would urge upon the attention of employers that it is clearly 
to their interest that all reasonable requests for materials or labour 
in the improvement of the soil should be complied with. May I 
also venture to ask my brother blue aprons, especially the younger 
ones who have recently risen to responsible posts, to bear in mind 
that,, however clever a man may be, he is unlikely to be fully success¬ 
ful in his calling if he lacks discretion, judgment, courtesy, and 
tact in his intercourse with others? What matters the swallowing 
of a slice or two of humble pie if that and a little forbearance 
enable you to gain your end ? 
Given, then, good soil, let us take especial care to obtain seed from 
a safe source, and never be tempted by bargains in seeds. Good 
seeds true to name, suitable soil, and skilful timely culture are our 
three indispensables here. In sowing, especially the earlier crops, 
we .must be guided in some degree by weather. In a cold wet spring 
a little waiting before sowing often proves a saving of time rather 
than a loss., the warmer drier soil at the later soAving insuring a 
quick germination of the seed and a free vigorous growth in the 
plants that well repays for the exercise of a little patience. Do not 
forget that from the moment seed enters the soil it is liable to the 
attacks of mice and birds. In walled gardens mice can be kept 
under, but without walls this is impossible. Of all means of pro¬ 
tection. there is nothing like sheets of glass laid flat upon the soil 
immediately after sowing the seed, and kept there till the seedlings 
are visible, when it is replaced by netting if there is any risk of 
birds attacking the plants. Thus far we can protect seed and seed¬ 
lings with certainty from day and night enemies ; but now comes 
the. risk of damage from slugs and snails, very few of which are 
visible by day, but after darkness falls these “ demons of the night" 
are soon busy at the work of destruction, and a few visits to the 
seed beds with a lamp enable us to catch most of them. Very thin 
seeding or early transplantion is most important for all plants raised 
in nursery beds, or they soon become drawn into a slender attenuated 
growth, which no subsequent care will improve. 
The bulk of winter Greens and Broccoli are sown and transplanted 
before hot weather sets in, and ordinary care is sufficient ; but in 
the heat of summer transplantation is attended with some risk, and 
I have frequently found it answer well to prick seedlings of 
succession crops of Lettuce and Cauliflower singly into flower pots 
holding a trowelful of soil, so that the plants may be placed in 
partial shade and eventually be turned out into the beds with such 
a ball of roots as insures to the plants full power to continue growing 
freely and to become established in the soil quickly. To avoid the 
attendant risks of transplantation in very hot dry weather seed is 
sometimes sown thinly in the rows, and all superfluous plants after¬ 
wards pulled up and thrown away ; but this is a wasteful process, 
Which also involves much extra watering. 
One word more about seed-sowing in pots. About most seeds so 
sown there is no difficulty. It is only very fine seeds, such as 
Gloxinias and Begonias, that so frequently come to nought, simply 
because so many will persist in sowing on peat, which dries quickly, 
and is not easily saturated again even by standing the pots in water. 
Avoid peat for this purpose, and sow on compost consisting of very 
old decayed vegetable matter, such as all gardens afford a supply of, 
with fine grit and wood ashes thoroughly mixed and passed through 
a very fine sieve. Let the soil be well watered before sowing, lay 
pieces of frosted or whitewashed glass upon the tops of the pots, 
and the seedlings will usually be visible before more water is 
required.— Edward Luckhurst. 
THE UNITED HORTICULTURAL BENEFIT AND 
PROVIDENT SOCIETY. 
In your report (page 125) of the annual meeting of this Society, in the 
member’s private balance sheet, of which you gave a copy correctly, 
there is an error in the figures. I had on the debtor side placed the 
figure 2 in the wrong column. Perceiving my mistake, with my pen I 
made a slight dash over it, but not sufficient to obscure it from the 
printer’s notice ; so in the deduction for sick pay it reads £2 2s. 6$d., 
whereas it should only be 2s. 6$d. The amount for the one year’s sick¬ 
ness was deducted from the members’ contribution as follows : Forty- 
three members would receive 16.?. per week each in sickness; them I 
charged 2s. 6$d. each, amounting in the whole to £5 9.?. 3 $d. Fifty-seven 
members receiving 10s. 6d. per week each I charged Is. Id. each, amounting 
Fig. 82.—PIiytoptu3 Ulbis (see page 1G4), 
in the whole to £4 10s. 3d., the total being £9 19s. GLZ. The number 
of members who received this pay was two—one, a "member of long 
standing, £1 11s. 6d .; the other had just completed paying his first 
year’s subscription, which entitled him to the Society benefits when he 
became sick, and received in the whole £8 8s. I shall receive shortly 
from the printer the public balance sheet, with list of members and 
their addresses, &c., which I will forward with the rules to those who 
have applied for them through reading the said report.—J. F. McElroy 
Secretary. 
USEFUL PLANTS. 
Poinsettia p ulcherrimA plenissima. —A very useful plant, and 
when treated to the liberal treatment usually given to the single form 
makes a good succession to that. My experience with this double Poin¬ 
settia goes to prove that it is capable of lasting a much longer time in 
bloom than the single one. Some I have known to say of this plant 
that it is no use as compared with the old form, to which I reply, 
“ Then grow it for ornament,” which it certainly is if well cared for after 
the “old form” is over. 
Sparmannia africana —Another useful plant flowering just now, 
and helping greatly to fill up the gap caused by the removal of the 
Chrysanthemums from the conservatory. In a large state this plant is 
well adapted for grouping with other plants of a dwarf nature ; it is also 
very pretty in small pots. Cuttings inserted in large 60’s shortly will make 
good plants by the autumn. 
Echeveria retdsa. —This should be grown everywhere and by 
everybody, it is the easiest plant to cultivate with which I am acquainted. 
Cuttings inserted now and grown on in a little heat will make useful 
plants for filling up the centres of flower beds if wanted for that purpose, 
and if not they should be planted out in the open ground in well-prepared 
