412 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
[ November 4 , 1886. 
simple reason that the water in its natural descent would soon cause the 
speedy cohesion of the former, and thereby render the passage of water to 
the drain impossible. What is wanted in this case is shallow draining, 
say 2 feet deep, or sufficient to carry off the superfluous water at that 
depth, and judicious trenching—that is, deep cultivation without reversing 
the positions of the soils and subsoils until the latter has been improved 
by the disintegrating agents referred to by me on page 317. Such a 
rational method of treating clay soils is bound to prove the most advan¬ 
tageous in the long run on account of their greater depth and fertility. 
Then as to the unworkable nature of the soil over the stokehole drain. 
May I ask why your correspondent allowed such ungenial material to be¬ 
come mixed with the surface soil to such an injurious extent ? Surely he 
does not mean to identify a case of this kind as being similar to the effects 
produced by judicious trenching. If so, his views of the latter are de¬ 
cidedly of an unorthodox type. 
There are two ways of trenching, as in doing other matters, the right 
and the wrong, and I emphatically challenge anyone to disprove the 
fact that undertaken in a rational and judicious manner it has ever proved 
otherwise than beneficial. If I mistake not, Mr. William Taylor had, 
when in charge of the gardens at Longleat, almost if not nearly the same 
class of soil to contend with as Mr. Iggulden, yet he did not practise the 
surface-tickling system, but deep cultivation by trenching and burning of 
the subsoil, and all to excellent effect. This, too, in the same neighbour¬ 
hood, and if I am not right in my assumption on this point I am open to 
correction. 
With regard to gardens on a level with a river, it is stretching a point 
to bring in an illustration of this kind on either one side or the other, 
because such examples are altogether exceptional, and cannot be classed 
with those of the ordinary type to which this discussion has all along 
been confined. Exceptional cases demand exceptional treatment, but 
your correspondent’s individual case bears no analogy whatever to that 
just referred to, therefore it will be going beyond the legitimate bounds 
of this discussion to refer further to it. 
I cannot accept the statement that the deep cultivation of farm land 
by the steam plough has proved a failure, and especially on the reasons 
given—the great cost of machinery, and the ultimate appearance of the 
owners in the bankruptcy courts. My observations on this point in the 
counties of Worcester, Sussex, Hertford, and Kent have been of a de¬ 
cidedly opposite character to those of your correspondent’s, for in every 
case I have found that capital judiciously expended in deep steam culti¬ 
vation has improved the land fourfold. There is something beside the 
deep soil, and that is the intelligent cropping of it afterwards, that leads 
to ultimate success. Not far from my district there is an enterprising 
farmer who has perhaps more steam cultivators than any other man in the 
kingdom, and is also the holder of several large farms. This gentleman 
devotes the greater part of the land on these farms to growing fruit for 
preserving, especially Strawberries, and whenever he takes to new land— 
that is, such as has been employed in the usual way of farming, he sets his 
tackle to work, and the best possible evidence of the wisdom of this 
practice is the excellent character of the plants and the quantity and 
quality of the hundreds of tons of the fruit which he preserves in bis own 
factory. Again, on the estate of the late Earl of Dudley in Worcester¬ 
shire a few years ago tenant after tenant began to give up their farms, 
being unable to make the land produce by their shallow cultivation 
system profitable crops, and when such of these holdings came into his 
lordship’s possession, a year of deep steam cultivation wrought wonders, 
as the now increased rentals of more than one of these farms will testify. 
Given capital and an intelligent use of the subsoil plough, farm land is 
greatly improved, and with a slight additional outlay and judicious 
trenching garden soils will be permanently benefited. 
I am accused by your correspondent of making garbled quotations 
from his own articles to suit my own arguments. This I respectfully 
deny, having only given what I apprehend to be the substance of his 
arguments in order to prove that he is opposed to trenching in any form. 
I have referred to his first article on the subject in a back volume of the 
Journal, and there is no other evidence to justify me acknowledging 
having made any statement in reference to his early views in an incorrect 
form. The fact is our friend has, to use a vulgar phrase, worked him¬ 
self into a corner, and to extricate himself has had, as more correspon¬ 
dents have indicated, to admit that trenching on some soils is beneficial 
—to wit, the admissions in his last article, which afford the very best 
possible proof of deep cultivation. 
As pointed out by Mr. “ Thinker ” and myself, the Celery ridges afford 
the highest proof and illustration of the value of trenching, and how 
your correspondent can draw an analogy between his shallow surface 
system and this I cannot imagine. The two principles are as widely 
divergent as the poles are asunder, and if the Celery crops are grown in 
deep trenches at Marston, and the Beans and Lettuce he referred to grew 
thereon, there could not be better evidence that the soil there would be 
improved by the adoption of the very system he so strongly opposes. No 
one need be surprised for a moment of either “Thinker” or any other 
intelligent person solving the problem as they did. It shows conclusively 
that soil deeply worked has a greater chance of absorbing heat and of 
producing the most satisfactory crops in hot weather ; and that trenching, 
judiciously peiformed, is the best and most durable method of keeping 
soil in a fertile condition with the least amount of subsequent labour and 
manure.— A Kentish Gardener. 
FLAT ONIONS. 
“‘Thinker’ hat h's thoughts aid I have the Onions,” was my 
obseivat'on to e friend on this question, and I think you will adu it that 
so long as we have the produce we can laugh at our critics. “ Thinker’s” 
remarks, however, have a slight appearance of being correct, as some 
kinds of flat Onions are by no means a desirable type, more especially the 
white ones, as they split before they are fully grown and decay prematurely 
in many cases ; but there are flat Onions and flat Onions, and those well 
selected yellow ones, of which Webb’s Banbury is a good type, do not 
show any of this disposition as a rule, while they possess the valuable 
advantage of growing quicker than any conical Onion I know, and they 
are also milder and more tender when cooked than the tapering Onions. 
In some of my previous writings in these pages on Onions I have recom¬ 
mended the Banburys for use in autumn and throughout the early part of 
the winter, and my experience leads me to assert that from August until 
February there is no Onion grown to equal them, but the more conical 
ones come in after that in the form of James’s Keeping, Bedfordshire 
Champion, and others.—J. Muir. 
FORCING BULBS. 
Last year I tried what to me was a new plan in forcing Hyaoinths, 
Tulips, and Narcissus, and with the best results. After potting and a 
thorough watering given the pots were placed in a Melon frame which had 
not long been cleared of its summer occupants. The dry soil of the bed 
was heaped over them to a depth of 6 inches. The lights were kept 
closed for six weeks, at the end of which time I uncovered the pots and 
found that the Hyacinths and Tulips had made a healthy, sturdy, and 
uniform growth of about 2 inches. The Narcissus had not made the same 
progress, being naturally of slower growth. The whole were gradually 
inured to the light, and, maintaining their original sturdiness throughout 
their subsequent growth, produced blooms of exceptional merit. I 
attribute the success I attained with these bulbs to the mild heat of the 
decaying Melon bed. As far as my experience goes, this plan is much 
superior to the ordinary method of plunging in cold ashes out of doors or 
in cold frames.— Thomas Richardson, The Gardens, Simonside Hall, 
South Shields. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM NOTES. 
Belle Paule—Taking the Buds. —Replying to Mr. E. Moly- 
neux’s notes anent Belle Paule, as stated before, I have grown this 
variety three years, and always failed to obtain good flowers from crown 
buds, but never failed in having good flowers from lateral buds, and 
plenty of them. Though a little later in opening, I maintain that the 
proper time to judge a variety— i.e ., if late or otherwise, is to allow it to 
expand its lateral buds. Many late varieties can be made to flower early 
by selecting the summer or crown bud and disbudding and stopping all 
growth afterwards. How does Mr. E. Molyneux reconcile the fact of 
Belle Paule flowering two years in succession during the months of 
December and January when left the greater part to Nature and only 
partly disbudding the small buds from the sides? I differ from Mr. E. 
Molyneux in selecting crown buds of this variety for the best flowers, 
and maintain that better blooms and less failures will occur by selecting 
lateral buds both for exhibition blooms or otherwise. There are many 
other varieties that produce better blooms (and at their proper season) by 
selecting lateral in preference to crown buds. What does Mr. E. Moly¬ 
neux think when November and December varieties are made to flower in 
September (see Journal list of varieties shown at Aquarium in September), 
and in good condition, and October varieties in splendid condition in 
January, is not that forcing them out of their true season of flowering ? 
Very few varieties perfect their crown buds when left to Nature, but 
always perfect their lateral bud-', if not injured, hence my time of select¬ 
ing late varieties from early. Does Mr. E. Moiyneux infer that, taking 
the first buds that appear on a Chrysanthemum and making it expand its 
bloom, that it mu-.t be an early or midseason and not a late variety ? 
If employers were to allow their gardeners to select only crown buds 
on their plants, the flowering period of Chrysanthemums would be very 
much shortened. By selecting good lateral growths the period of bloom- 
img could be extended well into January. There are other motives for 
cultivating the Chrysanthemum besides growing them for exhibition. 
Princess of Wales.—A great deal has been wri'ten about White Princess 
of Wales. Well, what is White Princess of Wales but Mrs. Heale ? Mrs. 
Heale is said to be a sport from Princess of Wales, and if Princess of 
Wales produces white flowers in place of ro s e-tinted lilac blooms it must 
be Mrs. Heale. I had Princess of Wales perform this freak of nature 
more than once, and Mrs. Heale changed to Princess of Wales, there¬ 
fore no White Princess of Wales exists, or is known to the craft. Why this 
controversy about these two distinct varieties ? An old bloom of Mrs. 
Heale may deceive a judge, as it changes colour with age to lilac, but an 
old bloom of Princess never changes to white, but often deepens in colour. 
Princess of Wales in most catalogues (I think without reference), the 
National catalogue included, places it (syn) with Beauty of St. John’s 
Wood and Princess Alexandra. The latter may be Princess of Wales in 
the flesh, but not in the Chrysanthemum. I have the two distinct in 
form and colour. Princess Alexandra has tubulated florets, and much 
lighter in colour. This variety I received when at Liverpool about twenty 
years ago from John Salter, late of Versailles Nursery, Hammersmith. 
Robt. Owen, Floral Nursery, Maidenhead. 
Belle Paule.— Mr. Owen is a peculiar critic. He thinks I must 
not have the tiue variety of this because his, without being stopped and 
for some time housed, are 6 or 7 feet high, while mine stopped and grow¬ 
ing against a fully exposed Bouth wall are only 4 or 5 feet high. I 
believed with Mr. Molyneux, (ne of the causes of failure to grow this 
