2 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 7, 1892. 
manure heaps, turning and separating that required for immediate 
use from the rougher materials which are useful for making hot¬ 
beds, The pruning of fruit trees can often be done at times un¬ 
favourable for some other operations, A general survey of bedding 
plants ought to be taken, so that any kinds which are rather scarce 
may be prepared for propagation at once, and any varieties of 
Pelargoniums, Alternantheras, or similar kinds which happen to be 
in a backward state should if possible be given warmer quarters to 
supply cuttings, or become thoroughly established by bedding-out 
time, 
“ Any alterations yet to be eilected about the grounds, if pushed 
on with all possible speed, will allow the fullest benefit to be 
derived from the labour at command on the approach of more 
springlike days, when so many affairs require prompt attention. 
All these things may appear simple, and perhaps to some readers 
scarcely worthy of serious thought. Many fortunate gardeners 
who have had throughout their career plenty of labour at their 
command at all times may not have felt the need of a thoroughly 
systematic control of the labour they direct ; but having by experi¬ 
ence and observation proved on many occasions how much may be 
accomplished by system and perseverance, I am fully convinced of 
the importance of grasping these facts afresh at the beginning of 
each year, and of making a determined effort to keep the work of 
the year well in hand as each season comes round. Infinite pleasure 
may be derived from performing any gardening operation at the 
right time, but very little satisfaction is felt when the chances of 
success are ruined by procrastination," 
EDUCATION IN GARDENING, 
With the object of stimulating effort for the acquirement and 
dissemination of knowledge in gardening, or, in other words, for affording 
encouragement to gardeners who are members of horticultural or mutual 
improvement societies to contribute in the best form to the literature of 
gardening, a limited number of large silver medals will be presented by 
the Journal of Horticulture during the present year. 
These medals will be granted for essays which shall be deemed the 
best by competent adjudicators on subjects that will be proposed to the 
members of societies through their secretaries respectively. The medals, 
already struck, are of a superior character, and as they will only be 
adjudged for meritorious productions they will, it is hoped, be accepted 
as evidence of ability on the part of the wiimers by those who may 
require the services of intelligent and capable men. 
The Journal of Horticulture medals for garden literature wdl not be 
so widely scattered as to become common, as not more than twelve will, 
as a rule, be offered in one year. 
When a medal is placed at the di-posal of a society, or to two or 
more societies as may be specified, in a district, on’y members of the 
society or societies so specified shall be eligible as competitors. 
The nom de 2 >lunt^ of each competitor must be plainly written on the 
top of his M,S,; his name and address, with motto, to be sent under 
seal in a separate envelope. The envelope containing the essay to 
be marked on the top left hand corner with the words Medal Essay,” 
The envelopes containing the names of competitors will not be 
opened until the award has been made, and essays (except the suecessful 
one) will be returned to those writers of them who send stamped 
directed envelopes for that purpose within one month after awards in 
each case are announced in the Journal of Horticulture. 
Intending competitors should give in their names to the secretaries 
of their various societies, who shall inform the Editor of this Journal a 
month before the annual meeting how many have entered, and, at the 
same time, state the date of the meeting. The competitors must 
send their essays direct to this office one month before the said 
meeting. 
Contributors of essays are at liberty to consult books to enable them 
to acquire what in their view is the best information, but every book 
from which knowledge is gained for their objoct must be mentioned at 
the foot of the essay, and every extract made must be placed under 
inverted commas, and the source fully acknowledged. 
Non-compliance with any of the conditions indicated will disqualify 
for competition. 
The essays must be in the handwriting of the authors of them in 
black ink on one side only of white foolscap paper, and mustjjcontain 
not less than 3500, nor more than 4500 words, exclusive of the lists of 
books consulted. 
Sketches may be included when these are requisite or considered 
elucidatory by the contributors. 
The literary ability displayed by the writers will be taken into con¬ 
sideration in the adjudication, but the information conveyed must be of 
a sound, practical, useful character. 
The adjudicators will have power to withhold the medals when the 
essays do not justify the awards. 
ALLOTMENT GARDENS. 
There can be no doubt as to the increasing demand for such 
gardens in the vicinity of towns, the larger ones especially. 
Kenilworth, in Warwickshire, is fast becoming a great centre for 
horticultural market produce, and they have also a flourishing 
horticultural society, with its annual exhibition. This led to a 
demand for allotment gardens, and the Kenilworth Allotment 
Association was formed in the early part of 1891. A field of 
rather more than 2 | acres was secured for this purpose, but owing 
to the lengthened period of frost and snow last winter nothing 
could be done in breaking up the ground until after Good Friday. 
The soil is of a rich loamy character, and the allotments were so well 
cultivated and cropped that at an October Exhibition held by the 
Association a quantity of fine vegetables were exhibited. As every 
allotment was at once taken up more ground was sought for, and 
an application was made to the Earl of Clarendon for two adjoining 
field-", and these have been secured—in all nearly 8 acres, each 
allotment consisting of one-eighth of an acre, at an annual rental of 
10s, each. There are sixty-one allotments, and there were sufficient 
applications for all in the new plots of ground, and in order that 
all the applicants may be on a level balloting was resorted to. 
Rule 2 of the Association provides that in the event of any 
allotment holder leaving the town, and having planted upon his 
allotment any fruit or other valuable trees that become non-remove- 
able the As; ociation may, but shall not be bound in any way, to 
have a proper valuation made, and may make an allowance of a 
sum, not exceeding the amount of the valuation, to the outgoing 
tenant, and charge the same to any future applicant for the ground. 
In the neighbourhood of Birmingham there a-’e many hundreds 
of allotment gardens, and more are wanted ; but the difficulty lies 
in getting permsnent sites so close to the rapidly extending city, 
and this will be the case in other large manufacturing centres,—D. 
SIMPLE MOUSE TRAPS. 
Nothing can be more simple, cheap, and effectual than what is 
known in gardens as the figure-4 mouse trap. It only requires 
a brick and three strips of wood about half-inch wide and one- 
eighth inch thick. There are three lines in a printed figure 4, occu¬ 
pying vertical, oblique, and horizontal positions, hence for the sake 
of brevity and clearness we will name the three sticks vertical, 
oblique and horizontal, ani these terms will of course indicate the 
position of the sticks when the trap is set. The length of the 
sticks are as follows :—Vertical, 4^ inches ; oblique, 62 inches, and 
horizontal, 9 inches. Cut the vertical stick level at one end and 
bevel off the other; half an inch from one end of the oblique stick 
and on one of its fiat surfaces make a notch by pressing the knife 
straight in for about one sixteenth of an inch, and then cut a piece 
out by making a slan'ing cut upwards ; the other end of this 
stick should be bevelled off from the under side, that is, the opposite 
side to the notch. A notch should be cut in one end of the 
horizontal just as described for the oblique. Keep this notched 
side upwards, and pointing towards you; then 5 inches from it, and 
on the left side of the stick, make a notch in the following way : 
Press the knife straight into the side for about a quarter of an 
inch, then cut a piece out in a slanting manner, the slant to 
be about 1 inch long and made from the notched end. The other 
end of this stick is where the bait is tied on and is under the brick 
when the trap is set. Care should be taken not to use a thick 
hard bait, or it may take the weight of the brick instead of the 
mouse. 
If the trap has to be set on soft ground a piece of slate should 
be laid down to set it on, or the ground should be made hard and 
level and a small p’ece of slate placed under the vertical stick. The 
best way to set. this trap is to first set the square end of the 
vertical stick on the ground, or wherever it is required, and its 
bevelled end into the notch of the oblique stick, and whilst boiling 
the other end of the oblique stick in the left hand, place the under 
edge of one end of the brick so that it just rests on the notched 
end of the oblique stick, it will thus form a leverage or balance to 
