March 2, 1893. ] 
-Exportation of Rhubarb and Celery.—T he exportation 
of foodstuffs from England to the United States would be a strange 
reversal of the order of things now prevalent. But, according to Dr. 
Fream, it has been attempted by a Yorkshire farmer, and the experi¬ 
ment is such as to deserve success and to attract imitation. From a 
farm less than six miles from Leeds he has exported 10 tons of young 
Rhubarb, which reached New York in time for the Christmas markets. 
The Rhubarb was forced in sheds, and was packed with straw in hampers 
for exportation. Besides Rhubarb, other succulent products, such as 
Celery, afford sources of profit to farmers near the large towns of Lanca¬ 
shire and the West Riding. Much cultivation of this character is carried 
on in the neighbourhood of Selby. 
-Gooseberry Trees and Soot.—N ot far from where I live 
there is a field of 100 acres, let out in allotments of from one to 
several acres, all being under cultivation as a market garden. While 
one person devotes his whole piece to vegetable culture, others will 
grow nothing but fruit. Gooseberries are perhaps the most important 
crop, the fruit being gathered green for supplying early markets. The 
situation is well sheltered from the north-east by a wood of Scotch Fir. 
In some instances no other stimulant is given to the trees but soot, and 
so well do they look that it is no wonder the owners adhere to the 
following practice. In February the soil between the trees is forked 
over and a heavy dressing of soot given, in some cases it is spread an 
inch thick. It is allowed to lie for a week or two, when it is lightly 
forked in. If placed in contact with the roots in such quantities 
when fresh it might injure them. I have never seen trees looking so 
well. In nine cases out of ten they are never pruned.—E. M. 
- Pansies in Winter.—I am unable to write so strongly on the 
keeping properties of Pansies throughout the winter as I can of Violas, 
but I imagine that what suits the one would apply precisely to the other 
We grow several thousands of blue, white, yellow, and others, such as 
Countess of Kintore, and find no difficulty in maintaining a good stock 
by striking cuttings every year. About the end of September we take 
off as many young shoots as possible, cut each to a joint, and dibble 
them in boxes or in some slight boundary made bed. The only protec¬ 
tion they receive are the plank sides made in the shape of a frame and 
some light coverings made of Willesden prepared paper which has 
been tarred. These coverings are removed daily unless frost or ex¬ 
ceptionally wet and stormy weather prevails. By the spring we have a 
large stock of well-rooted plants, which are removed to their summer 
positions as early as possible ; they then get established and bloom all 
through the season. Many are left for the second summer, when they 
bloom early and profusely, and very rarely do we lose any. After that 
they are destroyed and younger plants take their place. Hitherto I 
have not had the least difficulty in keeping Violas, and I would recom¬ 
mend “ D., Deal," (page 130), if he is not in the habit of doing so, to 
try and root cuttings yearly about the time he would Calceolarias.— 
J. W. Moorman. 
- Cyclamens at Ham Common. — It is almost only at the 
market growers of the Cyclamen that a really fine show of these 
beautiful winter flowers can be seen. I saw such a display the other day 
at Mr. J. Walker’s market garden. One long house of 130 feet, a low 
span with 4-feet stage on either side, full from end to end, with myriads 
of plants in beautiful bloom. Whites largely predominated, although 
there were many lovely rose, cerise, and deep red flowers. The plants 
were all in the regulation 48-sized pots and in excellent health. Seed is 
usually sown in September rather early, though some growers prefer 
the month of August. However, it is of not much use to have Cyclamen 
largely in bloom until Chrysanthemums are past their best. There 
was in another house a number of seedlings, each having now about two 
leaves. These are from an early autumn sowing and are still in the 
seed pans, pots, and boxes, for these receptacles vary. Mr. Walker 
prefers sowing thinly, picking first all the finest seeds. In small 32’s 
about twelve seeds are sown thinly, and in 6-inch pans about twenty 
seeds. Thus carefully sown the seedlings come evenly and do not need 
transplanting until the spring, when they go direct into 60-sized pots. 
Later they are potted into 48’9 and then that labour is over. The base 
of the soil in the seed pans is rather turfy loam, and on that is 
laid half an inch of finer and slightly peaty soil, as this, though long in 
the pans, does not become hard set. The smaller or more imperfect 
seeds are sown separately, and on the whole these show weaker leafage. 
Many of them later are rejected. Mr. Walker rarely takes more than two 
seed pods from a plant, as he believes firmly in securing fine seeds 
rather than having double the number of weak ones.^A. D. 
177 
-Begonia semperflorens atropurpurea.—A ttracted by 
the descriptive remarks of this variety I was tempted to purchase a 
packet of seed on trial last year, and have been more than pleased with 
the results. The seed was isown at the end of February, and in due 
course the young plants were potted. The seedlings grew quickly, and 
by the end of June or early in July I had them planted on a warm 
border, where they attracted great admiration from their glossy 
metallic brownish red foliage and orange carmine flowers, the mixture 
and variation of the combined colours being something new and novel. 
After the first frost the plants were lifted, placed in 48-sized pots, and 
allotted the cool end of a warm greenhouse, where they have remained 
in good health all the winter, making short stubby growths. 
These, when taken off with a heel or at a low joint, root readily. I have 
now a fairly large stock, and intend bedding them out during the 
forthcoming season. As a packet of seed can be procured for Is. 6d. I 
strongly advise your readers who have the convenience of a warm green¬ 
house to give it a trial.—J. W. Moorman, Dulwich Park, 
- Lectures on “Plant Life.’’— Professor Denny of Firth 
College recently gave the first of a course of six lectures on this 
subject in the boys’ schoolroom. Lord Street, Park, Sheffield. There 
was a large attendance, many of the audience having to stand 
throughout the proceedings. The chair was taken by the Hon. 
Secretary, Dr. Manton, who, in welcoming the lecturer, pointed out 
that the course of lectures ought to be exceedingly interesting to 
local florists and gardeners, who were daily watching the phenomena 
of germination, growth, development, reproduction, and death. In an 
interesting address Professor Denny pointed out that no scientist, no 
matter how great, had been able to solve that mystery of mysteries— 
life. Interesting details were given with regard to the power plants 
have of accommodating themselves to circumstances, and how they 
are influenced by their environments. Illustrations of the phenomena 
of development and degeneration were exhibited and explained, and 
many interesting deductions drawn from parallel examples in the 
animal kingdom of to-day and by-gone ages. 
- Transgressing Fig Trees. —Fig trees are not altogether 
uncommon in Devon, but a couple at Croyde, near Barnstaple, have 
says the “ Western Morning News,” made themselves famous by dis¬ 
obeying the law. They have been reported for obstructing the thorough¬ 
fare, and are in some danger of suffering for their transgressions, but 
even the iron hearts of the Highway Board were touched with pity and 
admiration for the two dumb trespassers. Splendid specimens they 
evidently are of their species, and their charms have given the farm its 
name. “ We ought to be lenient with them,” urged a member, “ they 
are really natural curiosities.” Another remarked that they were 
“ splendid trees,” so that they must be princes amongst the Fig family 
of Devon. “ But they’d pull a man off the box,” urged a Philistine. 
But the Board were too much impressed with the beauties of the trees, 
and so the owner will be asked to prune them “ a little,” just as little, 
it is to be hoped, as he can. Perhaps a little tying back of the obtruding 
branches would also be useful. There will now be some pilgrimages 
to the giant Fig trees, and the owner might be able to “ improve the 
shining hour.” 
- Botanical Lectures.—M r. F. E. Weiss, Professor of Botany 
at Owens College, recently began a series of twenty lectures on botany 
at the Botanical Gardens, Old Trafford, Manchester. The lectures are 
under the auspices of the Lancashire County Council, and are intended 
mainly for gardeners. Professor Weiss pointed out how important it is 
that horticulturists should know something about the life of the 
organisms with which they have to deal. A knowledge of vegetable 
physiology was perhaps more important to them than the ability to 
classify plants in their different natural orders. After dealing with the 
general distinction between green plants which obtain their food from 
inorganic sources and colourless plants which can only live parasitically 
on organic substances, he proceeded to speak of the structure of the 
seed of flowering plants, calling attention to the seed-coat, to the stored 
up food material, and to the embryo. Some seeds, he said, were 
extremely tenacious of life. It was perhaps a moot point whether 
grain found in old Egyptian tombs retained the principle of life, but it 
was a fact that Strawberry seeds taken out of a pot of jam had after¬ 
wards germinated. He explained in detail the process of germination 
and the conditions favourable to it. 
- Frozen New Zealand Flowers at IpswiOh. —On Friday 
last an Interesting exhibition of frozen flowers from New Zealand 
was made by Mr, E. H. Fifon at the Art Gallery, High Street 
JOtJRNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
