212 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 16, 189$. 
PRACnCAL AND SCIENTIFIC TEACHING. 
The depression that has long existed, and is still very acute, in 
our chief industry—agriculture—prompts me to offer some sugges¬ 
tions respecting the cultivation of fruit. Absolute experience or 
agricultural chemistry can alone decide what class of fruit is the 
best suited for the soil and climate existing in respect of the 
quantity and quality produced. Some rules, however, seem to be 
pre-eminent. Keep all fruit grounds free and open on the surface, 
and free from weeds, and never attempt to grow ground or bush 
fruit under orchard trees, or ground fruit and bush fruit together. 
Each class must be separate and distinct.— Englishman. 
[The above is only a small portion of a long letter, in which the 
writer at the outset conveys the idea that he desires to develop 
fruit culture in England, yet goes on to suggest, though he does not 
say so, that Englishmen may invest with advantage their savings 
elsewhere than at home in the production of fruit. No doubt it is 
true that some persons may do so, but as a rule those who fail at 
home are not the most likely to succeed abroad ; and we also 
suspect that at least some of the tempting invitations held out to 
small cxpitalists to invest in fruit culture in various parts of the 
world are not altogether dissociated from shipping agents and land 
sellers, and we advise the exercise of extreme caution and search¬ 
ing inquiry by persons before investing their savings in enterprises 
in distant lands, “ boomed ” as so many are by capitalists or 
adventurers. 
We do not wish to imply that our correspondent, who is a 
J.P., is animated by other than the purest motives in what he 
sends us, and which we do not publish, but we are bound to say he 
appears to us to be lacking in the “ absolute experience ” that is 
requisite for either successful working or sound teaching in fruit 
culture. 
As an alternative to actual experience he specifies “ agricultural 
chemistry ” alone as a safe guide to the cultivator. We are not 
likely to underrate the importance of scientific knowledge, but 
the acquisition of this, and nothing else, may render a scientist a 
very unsafe guide in practical work of supreme moment to persons 
who may be induced to invest their savings in it. We are 
cognisant of deductions being drawn from scientific facts and cul¬ 
tural methods advocated by savants without practice, which if 
adopted would end in disaster. Skill in the laboratory does not 
nor cannot suffice for teaching either the cultivation of fruit or 
anything else, and those students who rely on it solely will find 
themselves ill equipped for competition with men who have been 
trained in the utilitarian school of experience. 
Our correspondent, whose type-written letter we may presume 
will go the “ rounds of the press ” and possibly find insertion in 
some journal or newspaper, reveals his lack of practical knowledge 
in the last sentence we print from his letter. “ Each class of fruit 
must be grown separate and distinct.” There must then be no 
Gooseberry or Currant bushes in the vacant spaces between rows 
of Apples or Plums. It is a fact that the most profitable planta¬ 
tions to be found are arranged on the system that is so emphatically 
condemned, and this method of occupying the ground is extending 
and will extend. That the separate system will and does answer 
under good management goes without saying, but that available 
space between rows of the larger fruits may not be utilised with 
the smaller and earlier bearing is a proposition that will somewhat 
amuse those skilled growers who pursue the method extensively 
and successfully. 
There appears to be something in fruit culture that impels 
almost all sorts and conditions of men to become teachers of the 
art. They read books and newspaper articles, and think that in the 
course of an hour or two they have obtained a grip of the whole 
question and are forthwith qualified to pose as authorities, and 
they forthwith lead or mislead the public by their plausible 
expatiations. A case in point comes to hand. In a scholastic 
establishment, in which fruit culture is to be taught, a meeting has 
been held and a lecture given on the life history of the scale insect, 
and spraying with either Paris green or London purple was recom¬ 
mended by the “professor” as a remedy. It was then decided to 
spray one of the plantations with Paris green and another with 
London purple to destroy the insects. This is an instance of the 
worse than uselessness of scientific teaching alone and apart from the 
teaching of experience, because time, material, and labour will be 
wasted, the scale in the meantime increasing. The so-called 
remedies mentioned are useless against scale and also against the 
Currant bud mite they are vainly supposed to destroy. 
Teaching founded on successful experience alone is vastly more 
useful than that based on science alone, though we shall perhaps 
shock the tender susceptibilities of the scientists by the assertion. 
It is true all the same ; but science and practice should, as far 
as possible, go hand in hand ; and it would be better for their 
representatives to try and help each other than to indulge in the 
somewhat vain-glorious habit of a parade of superiority on either 
side, and thus reveal weakness rather than strength.] 
EARL’S COURT EXHIBITION, 1893. 
A REPRESENTATIVE meeting of horticulturists was held recently 
at the Hotel Windsor, Mr. H. E. Milner being in the chair. 
Among those present were Messrs. William Paul, T. Francis Rivers, 
J. Cheal, H. G. Cutbush, John Laing, Harry Turner, and several 
others. The Chairman, after having thanked those present for 
their kindness in coming, gave a brief programme for the Exhibi¬ 
tion of Gardening and Forestry to be held at Earl’s Court this 
year, which, especially as regards the Forestry Section, at present 
the most advanced, is being cordially supported by the Woods 
and Forest Department and the Agents-General for the Colonies, 
also the leading landed proprietors. Mr. Milner stated that the 
Exhibition was promoted by private enterprise ; at the same time 
he saw no reason why practical and scientific horticulture and 
forestry should not be advanced by this year’s Exhibition. It was 
mainly with this object in view that he was induced to take the 
prominent position he has, and he hoped that those present, and all 
horticulturists, would give him their support, not only in tbeir own 
interests, but also for the benefit of the general public. Mr. George 
Cadell had undertaken the charge of the Forestry Department, 
and in his capable hands he was sure that that section would be 
well represented. 
With regard to horticulture, it is proposed to hold a series of 
flower shows fortnightly, commencing on May the 13th until the 
end of September, under canvas this year, and efforts will be made 
to make the display, as far as possible, continuous in the intervals 
between the fortnightly shows. 
In the grounds it is proposed to demonstrate the planting of 
woods for cover and shelter suitable for the four main classes of 
soil, specimen of timber and ornamental trees, especially those 
usually classed as pictorial trees. 
It is also proposed that this section, which will doubtless prove 
of great interest to landed proprietors and managers of forests, 
be further supplemented by a series of representations of the best 
evergreen, deciduous trees, and shrubs suitable for London and 
town gardens, and other features likely to be of value from an 
educational point of view. Very liberal prizes will be offered in 
the competitive classes at the fortnightly shows, and, with regard 
to extraneous exhibits, it is proposed that the awards shall take 
the form of silver cups or silver plate, instead of medals ; but a 
gold medal of higher value will be awarded to exhibits of superla¬ 
tive merit. 
The proposals set forth by Mr. Milner were heartily supported 
by Mr. William Paul, who remarked that in consideration of the 
able and satisfactory manner in which the International Horti¬ 
cultural Exhibition of last year was conducted by Mr. Milner, he 
thought that he and his confreres could have complete confidence 
in his programme for this year, and should exert thems-elves to 
carry out the proposals set before them. Mr. Rivers, Mr. Laing, 
and others were also of the same opinion, and promised their best 
support. A small committee was then formed to draw up the 
schedule and carry out the details. 
H.M. Commissioner of Woods and Forests, the Trustees of the 
British Museum, the Director of the Science Division, and the 
Keeper of Zoology, South Kensington ; the Deputy Surveyors of 
the New Forest and Dean Forest, &c., have already promised their 
valuable aid and exhibits ; while under the kind permission of the 
Science and Art Department, a collection of woods from Japan, a 
country which possesses the most remarkable variety of flora in the 
world, will be shown. Although this will hardly permit a display 
of what may be called international Gardening and Forestry, the 
Exhibition bids fair to be more truly international in its character 
than others which have with less show of reason assumed the title. 
It will, in any case, unite in friendly rivalry competitors from other 
countries besides our own little island. 
SILVER MEDAL ESSAY. 
MANURES AND THEIR USES. 
By Mr. G. A. Bishop, The Gardens, Wightioich Manor, Wolverhampton, 
(Concluded from page 175.') 
Passing from manures for fruit crops we now come to vegetables 
and plants. Vegetables are grouped in sections — root crops, green 
crops, and leguminous crops, but the space at disposal does not enable 
them to be treated fully. 
