JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 26, 1883. ] 
335 
profitable crops to grow and the best way of growing them ; 
indeed they are straining every nerve to excel us in the 
growth of agricultural produce, and we, 1 think, must look a 
little more to our own interest in ihat way if we do not wish 
to be left behind other countries in the race. A Minister of 
Trade and Agriculture would, I think, be of service to the 
country at the present time. He would be the proper person 
to communicate with on the Potato disease subject, but at pre¬ 
sent there does not appear to be any recognised authority to 
whom we can write on the subject with any prospect of its 
being attended to.— Fredk. Bravender, The Firs, Cirencester. 
THE VALUE OF DRAWING TO YOUNG 
GARDENERS. 
I will endeavour to the best of my ability to give “G. A. B.” 
an answer to his question on drawing (page 294). The 
knowledge of drawing, if not an actual necessity for a gar¬ 
dener, is often very useful. For instance, he may have to lay 
out a garden—in such a case he would find geometry valuable. 
In carpet bedding, again, it is almost indispensable. Doubt¬ 
less such work has been and is done by men who have never 
studied geometry, but I should say a man with a knowledge 
of geometry, provided he knows the habit of the plants he 
is using, would do the work easier than a man with an equal 
knowledge of plants but not of geometry. He may also 
want to have a glass house erected. With a knowledge of 
building construction he would be able to furnish sectional 
plan and vertical section, which a builder would understand 
better than if he told him what he wanted. These are only 
a few of the many cases I could name where drawing is a 
great help. 
I think all young gardeners who live within reach of a 
science and art school or class should join it. By doing so 
they have the benefit of a qualified teacher, and of course 
learn quicker than if they have to teach themselves. They 
have also the chances of Queen’s prizes, certificates, and value 
of marks in books or instruments. If young men in bothies 
would join these classes I can assure them they would find it 
a most useful as well as a healthy way of filling up their long 
evenings in winter. Let one in a bothy join such, I feel sure 
he would soon have company. 
I will mention some of the inducements offered to students 
by Government. In the art subjects, which comprise freehand, 
geometry, perspective, and model drawing, there are two 
classes of certificates—viz., “Excellent” and “Good.” With 
the former you have a Queen’s prize value from 7s. to lbs.— 
you are allowed to choose your prize. For “ Good ” you 
have certificate only. Then, if you send up the work you do 
at school to be examined you get the value of Is. 6d. for each 
mark, awarded in books or instruments of your own choosing. 
For the science subjects, which are too numerous to mention, 
there are first and second-class certificates awarded. With a 
first-class you have a Queen’s prize value 7s. G<7. in the 
elementary stage. There are also marks awarded for school 
work in some of the science subjects if there is any drawing 
connected with it. 
May I be allowed to mention here that the writer of this in 
three winters underwent seven examinations, and was awarded 
six certificates with three Queen’s prizes, and with teacher’s 
prizes and marks has upwards of £6 worth of books and 
instruments ? But there are many who are not within reach 
of these advantages ; but that is no reason why they should 
remain ignorant of the art subjects at least. To any such I 
say, Procure Rawde’s book on geometry (second grade), Is., 
and a corresponding set of class sheets by the same author, Is. 
Good instruments are rather expensive. A box of fairly good 
ones of German make may be bought at a pawnbroker’s for 
10s. or 12s., but if you want the cheapest buy those of English 
make, which cost double. Drawing-board and T square cost 
about 3s. 6<7. Set squares, protractors, and scale are generally 
included in the box. Knight’s “ Second Grade Perspective,” 
Is., is very good, as also are Burchett’s and Dennis’, each 2s. 6cZ. 
I think. I have made out rather a large outlay for a young 
gardener, but remember it is property that does not depreciate 
much in value. 
For freehand and model drawing little expenditure is required. 
For copies for freehand (hey have only to look through the pages 
of the Journal of Horticulture. What could they have better 
than figs. 71 and 72 in the issue beside me? For models 
many household utensils may be used—circular canisters for 
cylinders, square ones for prisms, ornaments, chairs, books, 
buckets, watering cans, flower pots, and plants and flowers 
that have bold outlines. I should mention a knowledge of 
the laws of perspective is very useful to anyone drawing from 
models. 
Of the science subjects botany and chemistry are the most 
useful to a gardener. I have mentioned building construction ; 
I must mention applied and theoretical mechanics, or the parts 
of them that treat of water and uses of various kinds of timber 
and metal. I will give one instance. Suppose he wanted to 
put up a rod of iron that w r as to bear a tensional strain. In 
such a case he would have been taught to use wrought iron 
and not cast. Suppose the case was the reverse, and the bar 
had to bear a compressive strain ; then he would use cast in 
preference, cast iron being six times stronger in compression 
than in tension. 
Anyone who has studied these subjects at home and would 
like to stand the Government examinations, can do so by 
giving a few months’ notice to a school where there will be 
an examination Held, so that the authorities of the school can 
apply for papers.—A Gardener. 
PLANTING SEAKALE. 
The time has now arrived for planting Seakale, one of the 
principal crops in a kitchen garden. In selecting the sets, which 
should now be starting into growth, great care should be taken 
not to plant any that are showing the least signs of decay, for 
these never produce satisfactory crowns. Pieces about the size of 
a tobacco-pipe stem or a little larger are the best to insure good 
crowns if properly cared for after planting. Larger sets produce 
larger crowns, but, when forced, as a rule they throw up a straight 
flower stalk without any leafstalks. 
The ground for Seakale should be well enriched with mode¬ 
rately decayed horse or cow manure, and should be made firm, 
especially light soils, either by treading or rolling. Plant the sets 
1 foot apart in rows about 15 inches asunder. Another method I 
have found good, especially where the garden is sometimes 
scarcely adequate to produce a supply of vegetables for the 
season, is to plant them between rows of Cabbages for pulling for 
early use before the headed spring Cabbages come in. This 
system answers admirably, as the Cabbages shelter and keep the 
soil moist about the young sets, although care must be taken not 
to tread on the crowns of the set^ Plant every set firmly, and 
let the crowns be level with the surface—better a little below 
than above the surface. When large enough the sprouts should 
all be removed except one, selecting the strongest. No further 
labour will be required, with the exception of keeping the crop 
hoed until the foliage covers the ground ; then the less done amongst 
it the better, as it is not good to damage the foliage.—J. P. 
CULTUREj of melons. 
On page 271 I remarked that Melons are amenable to various 
methods of culture, and I now propose to further discuss that part 
of my subject relating to house culture. According to my ex¬ 
perience one of the most frequent causes of failures or partial 
failures with Melons is a deficiency of bottom heat. This is 
especially the case where heating material has to be relied upon. 
In numerous places well-prepared stable manure, or this and 
leaves added, are made into hotbeds or disposed in pits, and the 
heat usually lasts long enough to give the plants a good start; 
but by the time the crops are near the ripening period the heat 
has subsided, the beds being in fact much corner than even the 
night temperature of the house. In some instances a single, or 
may be two hot-water pipes are either chambered over or are 
covered with rubble with the motive of maintaining a brisk bottom 
heat for the Melons ; but the question is, Are they so efficacious as 
they are supposed to be ? I believe not, or at any rate not to so 
great an extent as generally imagined. If the heating apparatus 
is well under control—that is to say, if so arranged as to admit of 
those in charge turning off the top heat in various houses, includ¬ 
ing the Melon house, so as to direct the heat from the boiler 
entirely into the bottom-heat pipes, the case might be different. 
As it is in our case, and in many others, in hot sunny weather the 
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