214 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
[ September 4, 1884. 
ing neither oiling nor any other attention whatever for months together ; 
indeedit has worked for a year without intermission or examination. The 
cost of providing this invaluable article must have been trifling in compari¬ 
son with that of the wheel and pumps; and the ram has beyond doubt 
paid for itself over and over again in the saving of labour in watering and 
the great increase in the produce of the garden that was the outcome of 
its aid. 
It was at first fixed exactly as shown in the engraving referred to—that 
is, about 5 feet below the water level of the supplying steam, and about 
15 feet from it. Though it worked like that for some years, yet the action of 
the valve was too violent—the pulsation, as it were, too rapid—that it now 
and then shook itself out of order. The supply pipe from the stream was 
then lengthened, and entered the stream at the point where it widens in 
the figure referred to, or instead of the pipe being 15 feet long it was 
about six times that length, and the “ fall ” was thus correspondingly 
lessened. The effect was magical. There was no more clashing of the 
valve and scarcely any noise, but it w'orked with the greatest ease and 
smoothness, the supply of water being unfailing and uninterrupted. 
I remember Mr. Luckhurst, who appears to have had much experience 
with hydraulic rams, stating in the Journal that a 2-iach supply pipe 
should be 100 feet long, and my experience certainly proved that his state¬ 
ment was correct, though he recommended that the ram should be 10 feet 
below the stream. He was probably quite right; for though the one under 
notice was perfectly satisfactory, inasmuch as it supplied all the water that 
was required, yet its action was rather slow, and no doubt with a deeper 
bed it would have worked quickly and forced considerably more if it were 
needed. 
The depth, however, depends on the size of the ram. Mr. Luckhurst 
has recorded that he has one fixed only 13 inches below the source of 
supply, only needing a few quarts of water per minute, which it forces to a 
height of 34 feet. That being so, it is evident that there are hundreds of 
streams in the country where a ram might be fixed, and hundreds of gardens 
parched and gardeners exhausted that might be refreshed at a trifling cost 
to the owners of those gardens. 
When 1 see, as I often have seen, a constantly running stream within 
a few hundred yards, and even much less, from a garden and the gardener 
struggling to keep his plants in health and his crops moving, and, moreover, 
failing in spite of his efforts, I always think the owner of the garden is 
ignorant of the little cost and great value of the hydraulic ram, or that he 
cares very little about his garden. Wherever a gardenia to be in an enj ly- 
able state and productive, water must be provided. It is the most impor¬ 
tant of all requisities, and often unfortunately the last to be thought about 
—or at least to be supplied, for some persons “ think ” about doing some¬ 
thing for years, but cannot make up their minds to act and finish the work 
in a week. 
The exhausting period through which we have recently passed, and the 
great inconveniences that have been experienced in keeping things alive ; 
the labour that has been expen led and strength wasted in carrying water, 
that with a little foresight and slight outlay might have been ready to 
hand, will, it is hoped, be the means of directing the attention of owners 
of gardens to the great want that exists, and to the remedy that so many of 
them can so easily procure and apply—the hydraulic ram.— Expekientia 
DOCET. 
JUDGING SPRING-SOWN ONIONS. 
In July and August there are many spring-sown Onions shown at all 
exhibitions of any importance, and the judging of these frequently gives 
much dissatisfaction to exhibitors. Many judges seem to think that these 
Onions should be quite dried up in the necks and bottoms before they 
are placed before them if they are to be worthy of a prize, and I would 
like to ask how anyone can expect spring Onions to be in this mature 
condition at the times named ? Times without number I have seen 
spring bulbs not more than 7 inches and 8 inches in circumference gained 
a first prize before others 12 inches and 14 inches round, and all because 
the former were dried up, while the latter were green and fresh. Any¬ 
body can dry Onions. It is one of the most simple operations conneeted 
with their culture, but everybody cannot grow a spring Onion to be 
12 inches or 14 inches round in July or early in August, and it is in this 
the credit lies which deserves reward. If prize lists would only state 
that the prizes would be awarded to the best-dried Onions, then ex¬ 
hibitors would understand what to do, but as it is the prizes are not 
generally awarded to the finest grown. Half-grown specimens, no 
matter how much they were dried, would never receive favour from me 
in the summer season, as the prizes would be awarded to seasonable 
productions, and above all to the best developed. I do not know when 
this common looking-out-for-the-ripest system originated, but in my 
opinion it is wrong, and should be stamped out. For instance, just now 
the best of our spring Onions, Webb’s Banbury, 14 inches round, are not 
dried up as if it was Christmas, but they are plump finely developed 
bulbs of the highest usefulness, and should anybody show such at this 
time I say they should be placed before all those taken up and dried off 
before they are half grown. Of late many exhibitors have complained 
to me of this, and I think they have just cause to grumble.—J. Muip, 
Margam. 
Wasps — Dahlia Constance. — In your last issue “J. B. E.., 
Went Essex," wishes to know how people in other parts of the country 
are faring respecting wasps. From August 4th to 29th we have taken 
ninety nests within three-quarters of a mile radius of the ga den. Tie 
blackbirds have been a great pest to the Plums ; I suppose it will have 
been owing to the dry weather, but last night (August 31st) we had a 
grand rain, upwards of an inch being registered. I am very much dis¬ 
appointed in the white Cactus Dahlia Constance. What do others say ? 
—T. Welch. 
Dahlias. — Mr. Charles Turner, Royal Nurseries, Slough, we are 
informed, proposes to make a special and very extensive exhibition 
of all the different classes of Dahlias—Show, Pompone, and single, at 
the meeting of the Floral Committee on Tuesday next, the 9th inst., in 
the conservatory of the Royal Horticultural Society, South Kensington. 
The present showery weather being extremely favourable for the Dahlia, 
a more than usually good and interesting display of fine blooms may be 
anticipated, and everyone knows that whatever Mr. Turner undertakes 
he will accomplish. The Exhibition will be continued up to and 
including Saturday the 13th inst. 
- We regret to have to announce the death of Mr. J. H. Mangles 
of Valewood, Haslemere, which occurred on the 24th ult., at the age of 
fifty-two. Mr. Mangles was an enthusiastic horticulturist, his specialty 
being the Rhododendron ; not the Rhododendron of the florist, but of 
the botanist, the various species of which he cultivated with great 
success. Mr. Mangles was an active member of the Council of the 
Royal Horticultural Society, and through his death the Society has 
sustained a very great loss. 
- The Taunton Deane Show. —Mr. Iggulden writes to say 
that he was not awarded the first prize for vegetables as stated by 
“Visitor” in his supplementary report last week, but received the first 
prize for fruit, in which there were three classes provided. The report 
of this Show seems a little difficult to get correct and satisfactory to a’l. 
- Double Tuberous Begonias.— “J. J.” writes :—“ I send you 
two Begonia blooms grown from Messrs. Laing’s strain of seed. Will 
you please be good enough to give me your opinion of them in your 
‘Notes and Gleanings ’ column of the Journal?” Our opinion is that 
the blooms are splendid, and that the plants producing them must 
have been well grown. They are brilliant scarlet rosettes, surpassing 
any Turban Ranunculus we have seen, the largest flower being exactly 
9 inches in circumference. 
- Rainfall in July. —Mr. Newmann, in reply to Mr. James 
Shearer, states that the observations with regard to the rainfall in the 
month of July were made nearly in the centre of Cheshire, at 120 feet 
above sea level, and not near any hills. So far this year July has been 
the wettest month, other months having been unusually dry. 
- Dahlia Mrs. Douglas. —This fine variety was certificated at 
the last meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society at Kensington. It 
was shown by Messrs. Rawlings Bros., Romford, but in our report Mr. 
C. Turner was inadvertently credited with it. 
- Varieties of Fruits. —“ M. S.” writes:—“We are many 
times puzzled by the question, “ How many varieties of fruits are there 
in cultivation ?” But, of course, the question is generally put by some 
one that is not aware of the number of new varieties that come out 
yearly both from our own and also from Continental growers. In a con¬ 
temporary of recent date some enthusiast has put himself to the trouble 
of ascertaining how many varieties of fruits are known at the present 
time, with the following result:—Cherries, 209 ; Apricots, 00 ; Peaches, 
239 ; Pears 1087 ; Plums, 297. Apples have not been taken into con¬ 
sideration.” 
- Lemons in the Open Air. —Mr. W. Harris, Bradiford House, 
Barnstaple, writes:—“When walking through the gardens of Water- 
mouth Castle the other day I saw a fine Lemon plant trained against a 
wall in the open, without any protection whatever, bearing a fine crop 
of fruit in every stage of development. I was informed that it has been 
planted for many years, and is rarely seen without ripe fruit and flowers 
on it at the same time, with fruit in all the intermediate stages. This 
indicates the mildness of the climate around Ilfracombe, in the imme- 
