September r, 1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 219 
applied year after year, far from being an inadequate manuring, 
is an exceedingly heavy one. It would probably be even injurious 
were it not for the very copious waterings which Mr. Taylor gives 
in the course of the season, and which, being much more than the 
soil can retain, will wash the surplus of nitrogenous products into 
the drainage. 
It is not everyone, however, who can obtain either earth-closet 
manure or farmyard dung in sufficient quantities, and even Mr. 
Taylor has been driven to supplement his supplies with Standen’s 
manure ; but between the natural and the artificial manures there 
is a distinction which it is important to keep in view. The former 
operate by degrees, as their organic matter decays, and by decay 
furnishes the soluble compounds of nitrogen which the roots take 
up. Thus there is no immediate risk from an overdose, and there 
is a continued supply afforded. But in the artificial manures the 
most active ingredients are usually extremely soluble ; they are at 
once offered to the roots, and they are entirely washed out by one 
or two thorough soakings which descend to the drainage. Those 
who use them ought, therefore, to divide them into as many doses 
as there are waterings administered, omitting them of course 
when it is desired only to moisten but not to wash the border. 
The principal manurial ingredients in Mr. Taylor’s application 
would be furnished by the following quantities per acre—sul¬ 
phate of ammonia 14 cwt. (or nitrate of soda 18 cwt.), bone meal 
4£ cwt., muriate of potash (80 per cent.) 10 cwt. These would be 
certainly hurtful quantities to apply in one dressing, but divided 
by 10 they would form a safe and beneficial application to be 
given five or six times in the season. Each would then be not 
very different from what a farmer would give once for all to a 
single crop, except that he would probably add, what might here 
usefully be done, a larger proportion of the slow-acting bones. 
Anyone can easily calculate the proportion necessary for his own 
border, but it may be taken as a little over 1 oz. of the mixture 
per square yard for each application ; but to those who cannot 
make such a mixture for themselves I can strongly recommend 
the artificial manures compounded for Vines (as well as special 
manures for other garden crops) by Messrs. Arnold & Co., chemists, 
Guernsey. They are prepared by a good agricultural chemist 
with much care, so as to contain all the elements which each 
description of plant requires at its different stages of growth, 
and they are not charged at ihe prices of fancy manures, but at 
the actual cost of the ingredients, with a moderate per-centage to 
cover the expense of mixing and give only a fair profit. Such 
combinations of artificial manures have long been called for by 
gardeners, and I am glad of an opportunity to bear testimony in 
favour of some that are trustworthy.—J. B. K. 
SELECTIONS OF SEEDS. 
Although Mr. Bartrum (page 114) may not have made his 
case quite plain, nor stated his precise requirements, yet it is 
questionable if his grievance is purely a sentimental one, notwith¬ 
standing the critical remarks of “A Parson’s Gardener” last 
week. I think it will not be denied that purchasers do pay more 
than they used to do for “exercising their right of private judg¬ 
ment” in selecting seeds ; nor can the increase in price be 
attributable altogether to bad harvest seasons, as if this were so 
the collections ought also to be dearer than formerly, which does 
not appear to be the case. Even the Peas which your correspon¬ 
dents recommends, presumably on economical grounds, were last 
year one of them Is. Gd., the other 2s., and the third 3s. per quart ; 
and I have a few years ago certainly purchased Champion of 
England for Is., and Ne Plus Ultra for Is. Gd. per quart. Other 
seeds, too, appear to have “ crept up ” in the same proportion ; 
still the collections, at least according to the vendors of them, are 
better and cheaper than ever. There must be a reason for this 
disparity, and possibly a good one, but it is not familiar to 
cultivators. 
It is, however, little use complaining. The articles are priced, 
and we do as we like about purchasing. Do we ? In my case, and I 
am not alone, I must not exceed a given sum for seeds, and I do not 
do quite as I like, or I should spend more of my employer’s money. 
According to some of the high-morality fraternity I should do 
wrong in that. But I am of opinion I do wrong as it is, for many 
a packet of seed have I bought and many a shilling have I spent 
for seeds out of my own pocket for sowing in my employer’s gar¬ 
den. This is, I think wrong, and it certainly would not be done 
except as an act of necessity, and to keep things going as 
Bmoothly as possible. It is a wrong done to avert greater un¬ 
pleasantness arising than paying a shilling or two, much as they 
might be wanted for other purposes. This is what I call “ paying 
too dear for private judgment.” 
Collections were no improvement in my case, for I got so much 
of what I did not want, and not enough of some things that were 
absolutely necessary. I eventually found a remedy, and that was 
to save seed of some crops instead of purchasing it. This I must 
continue to do so long as seeds cannot be grown and sold for 
lower prices than at present. Thinner sowing, too, will have to 
be practised, and half an ounce of seed bought instead of an ounce 
by those who either cannot or will not spend more than when 
money was more plentiful and seeds less dear. Perhaps as the 
present season has been fairly fine, the seed harvest may be better 
than usual to the advantage next year of both sowers and sellers. 
This, however, will scarcely explain the difference in price of seeds 
when selected by the purchaser and chosen by the vendor. Can 
anyone explain it for the information of—A Poor Gardener ? 
THE ETHICS OF EXHIBITING. 
When I wrote some time ago on the ethics of exhibiting I 
stated that, as far as my experience went, there was less of dis¬ 
honesty in flower shows than in most other competitive exhi¬ 
bitions ; but this opinion has been rudely shaken by some things 
which I have seen and heard this year. I have seen, for example, 
in the month of August excellent Black Hamburgh Grapes and 
Nectarines exhibited by a cottager, in which case we must either 
suppose that a very wide latitude was given to the interpretation 
of the term “ cottager,” or else that the exhibitor’s ideas of fair¬ 
ness were of a very shadowy character ; but that is nothing to 
what I now subjoin. The following letter which I send you, 
having erased the names, was handed to me by a leading nursery¬ 
man, with permission to make what use of it I liked. 
“ Dear Sir,—I take the liberty o{ asking it you are in a position to supply mo, 
on the 14th September, all set up on stands ready for show, the flowers named 
below ; and if so your price, carriage paid here. If you caunot supply all please 
quote price for those you can. Terms cash before delivery. If you have one of 
your catalogues in print I shall be glad to receive one.—Faithfully yours,- 
“ Twelve Dahlias, nine varieties ; three ditto, fancy; three ditto, fancy; six 
ditto, three varieties ; six cut Roses, six varieties ; twenty-four ditto, twelve 
varieties ; six Pansies, four varieties ; six ditto, Belgian ; six Carnations; six 
Picotees.” 
It will be readily imagined that a very straight answer to this 
was given, and in reply the exhibitor stated that it was entirely 
uncalled for, for that in the Society at which he exhibited there 
were two classes—one in which the exhibits were to be grown by 
the exhibitor, and in the other they might be obtained wherever 
he might be able to get them. I can hardly conceive this to be 
true ; but if it is, and this should meet the eye of any of its managers, 
I hope they will see that nothing can possibly tend to injure a 
society so much as such a regulation, while it must demoralise the 
exhibitor and certainly do no good to horticulture.—D., Deal. 
PROPAGATING BEDDING PLANTS. 
The time has now arrived when propagating for next year’s 
supply of bedding plants must commence in earnest, for be it 
remembered one week at the present time is worth two or three 
later on. Where the work has not already commenced not a day 
should be lost. Perhaps it would be as well to say at once that 
these remarks are not intended for the professional man, but only 
for those who keep no regular gardener of their own, who have to 
do most of their own propagating in their leisure time. 
For summer bedding first stand the Pelargoniums; and with 
these August is the best month for propagating. Not that they 
are difficult to strike at any time of the year for the practical man 
who has the necessary conveniences at hand ; but because in this 
month the wood or shoots is in the best possible condition— i.e., 
half ripened, and the temperature of both soil and atmosphere is 
such as to induce the formation of roots in a very short space of 
time. Begin with the variegated section—bicolors and tricolors. 
Many persons insert these singly in thumb pots. With choice 
kinds and where a little extra labour is no object this is perhaps 
the best plan ; but with older sorts and where the greatest amount 
of work in the shortest possible time has to be considered, the best 
plan undoubtedly is to insert a number of cuttings in 4 or 5-inch 
pots. In these they may be wintered and transferred singly 
into 60-pots in the spring. Other sorts—such, for instance, as 
Vesuvius—may be inserted in boxes about 18 inches long, 14 inches 
wide, and 4 inches deep : these when filled should contain from 
fifty to sixty cuttings each. Both pots and boxes should be placed 
on coal ashes outside till the end of September or the first week 
in October, when they should be moved into their winter quarters, 
which may be either a greenhouse or vinery, where they will be 
safe from frost. The best compost is two parts of finely sifted 
soil, one-fourth leaf soil, and one part silver sand. One good 
potsherd at the bottom of each pot will be quite sufficient. Cover 
with moss or fibry loam, and fill up with the above-mentioned 
