486 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Jiine 15, 1893. 
CUCUMBERS AND MELONS AT ROWLEDGE. 
The village of Rowledge lies about two and a half miles from the 
famous Hop town of Farnham, in Surrey, and is situated on a high 
heathy common. Many years ago squatters took possession of small 
portions of this wild area, built huts, and in time developed into 
small, and perhaps poor landowners. Thus it is that now, although 
there is poor sandy common everywhere, there are scores of cultivated 
plots, and small houses dotted about. It might have naturally been 
thought a most unpromising spot in which a gardener should settle 
down and found a nursery ; but that is what Mr. Mortimer did a few 
years ago, and if he were on the one hand daunted by the miserable 
barren poverty-stricken look of the soil in its unregenerate state, 
certainly there were about in all directions ample evidence that 
persistent cultivation could do wonders in the work of regeneration. 
Thus it has come about that a soil, presumably dear at £5 per acre, has, 
under trenching and manuring, become capable of sustaining fruit trees 
admirably, vegetables. Dahlias, Coniferm, indeed is fast becoming first- 
class soil, because it has, in spite of its apparent poverty, yet in it the 
elements of undoubted profit. Of course the nature of the external soil 
has little to do with the production of Cucumbers, Melons, Tomatoes, &c., 
under glass ; but no nursery can succeed unless the ground be utilised 
to the utmost, and that is the case at Kowledge. The soil being sandy 
though shallow, it is readily pulverised, and thus is always somewhat 
moist. Even now, after many weeks of persistent drought, just 
beneath the sandy surface there is a delightful cool condition of 
moisture, such as could not be found in many deep retentive but still 
baked clay soils. After what is seen at Rowledge, no one should assume 
that any soil, however hungry it may seem, is too poor for cultivation. 
Could some of the waste millions of gallons of sewage poured into the 
Thames from London be utilised on these sandy heaths, the ground might 
soon be converted from barrenness into a condition of high fertility. 
Mr. Mortimer makes the production of Cucumbers and Melons for 
seed purposes a great speciality, and his many famous varieties of the 
former, certainly some of the best in the kingdom, speak volumes for his 
skill as a raiser. Tomatoes are also very largely grown, but chiefly for 
market fruit purposes. In a long span-roof house is a batch of a seed¬ 
ling Cucumber the product of a cross between Telegraph and Matchless. 
This occupies about 50 feet run on one side only. Seed was sown early 
in January. The plants are some 5 feet in height, carrying on the 
wires two stems only. Every fruiting shoot is rigidly pinched just 
beyond the fruit. This batch has many grand fruits, now from 22 to 
24 inches long, almost ripening, whilst others are coming on in rapid 
succession. The fruits all show the true Telegraph form, but are much 
darker and handsomer. In the next division of 50 feet is another cross¬ 
bred variety. Telegraph x Lockey’s I‘erfection. This, which gives 
rather shorter but very handsome smooth fruits, is a profuse bearer, 
many fruits being borne in pairs. It should make one of the finest 
possible market Cucumbers. The plants are only IS inches apart, 
growing on a bed formed from the natural soil, slightly hollowed to a 
trough form, 30 inches wide, and some 8 to 9 inches deep. All along 
the entire length of the other side of the house are grand plants of 
Stephanotis. There are four of these growing in beds 3 feet square. 
Each one covers a length 25 feet by 6 feet of roof, blooming profusely, 
and growing luxuriantly. It seems an odd combination this of Stepha¬ 
notis and Cucumbers, but it answers well. 
In a second similar span house the entire first half is full of similar 
plants of Success, as originally named, or now by the Messrs. Sutton and 
Sons named Peerless. These plants were put out the second week in 
March, are now some 5 feet in height, having splendid leafage, and are 
fruiting profusely. The stock is remarkably true to character. The 
second half has more of the same Cucumber, and then all one side and 
one-half the other is filled with twenty-five sorts of Melons in pairs. 
Seed of these was sown early in March. All are restricted to one stem, 
and are planted like the Cucumbers 18 inches apart. The plants 
are now from 5 feet to 6 feet in height, and fruiting freely. The trial, 
which is being conducted solely for an eminent seed firm, should prove 
to be of exceeding interest. In this house cuttings of Fuchsias, of which 
many thousands are annually raised for sending out in small plants, are 
rooted with great success in pure common sand alone, placed in boxes, 
each box holding eighty cuttings. In this they make strong roots, and 
lift from it most readily. In another house there are growing Per¬ 
fection, Plentiful, Conqueror, Maincrop, and other Tomatoes, plants 
about 4 feet in height, planted in 2i-teet beds, and 18 inches apart. All 
of them are fruiting heavily. Mr. Mortimer does not take great pains 
to fertilise the flowers. He finds every purpose answered by giving the 
sticks supporting the plants occasional sharp raps, which suffice to 
liberate the pollen. In this house there are large numbers of small 
bush Fuchsias in 48-pots to give cuttings for stock. Some of these have 
been in the pots for four years. They get an annual top-dressing of 
fresh soil. 
Another house of 60 feet is devoted to Melons grown precisely 
as before mentioned. As this is a span-roof and the plants are heavily 
fruiting it will present a remarkably fine sight a little later. The 
varieties are Hero of Lockinge and Express. These are planted in wooden 
troughs 20 inches broad and 7 inches deep, with open bottoms, practi¬ 
cally resting on the two flow pipes on each side. Then comes a long 
100 feet house full again of Tomatoes Magnum Bonum. Conqueror, 
Earliest of All, &c., yet another same length of Melons Hero of 
Lockinge, Sutton’s Al, Golden Perfection, Empress, and others. These 
are in shallow wooden troughs as before, the plants some 6 to 7 feet in 
height, and fiuiting heavily. Seed was sown first week in January, 
moving badly at first, were planted out the middle of February, no 
water allowed to come within 3 inches of the stems. The general appear¬ 
ance of the plants is superb. Occasional dressings of Thomson’s Vine 
manure, and regular waterings with clear weak soot water are given. 
Other houses are devoted to Dahlias, of which a large stock of all the best 
sorts is grown, and Zonal Pelargoniums, ordinary flowering plants, a few 
Vines, and Peaches. Everything is well done, the seed specialities par¬ 
ticularly so. Seed of the beautiful Nemesia Strumosa Suttoni sown in 
boxes in one of the houses were germinating at the time of my visit. 
This will be planted out to give seed stock for the Reading firm only. 
This annual grew most luxuriantly here last year. 
In the grounds I saw numerous good bushes of Whinham’s Industry 
Gooseberry growing and fruiting most abundantly. Mr. Mortimer is 
most favourable to it, not only because of its neat habit and free 
precocious fruiting, but also because so hardy. That is a special at¬ 
tribute of the highest importance to an early Gooseberry.—D. 
ORNITHOLOGY IN RELATION TO AGRICULTURE. 
AND HORTICULTURE.* 
The subject of agricultural and horticultural economics, considered 
in the relations of birds and insects to the produce of the soil, is one 
which, till recent years, has been singularly neglected in this country 
In France, Belgium, and especially in America, as well as in other 
civilised countries, the most careful and practical investigations, under 
the assistance of the State, have led to the accumulation and diffusion 
of much valuable information on this and kindred subjects. In England, 
the researches of Miss Eleanor A. Ormerod are recognised as of great 
value in enabling the farmer and gardener to detect the various insect 
pests which take tithe of his crops, and in teaching him how best to 
apply suitable remedies for their prevention or extirpation. 
Mr. John Watson has brought together a series of useful papers and 
notes by various naturalists, whose names are a sufiScient guarantee of 
the high practical value of the opinions expressed, in connection with 
ornithology in its bearings on agriculture and horticulture. The book 
is divided into twelve chapters, under the various headings of Hawks 
and Falcons, Owls, Wood Pigeon, Rook, Starling, Miscellaneous Small 
Birds, Game Birds, and an appendix, with notes and additions. No less 
than five chapters are devoted to the sparrow, those “rats of the air,’’ 
“ ruffians in feathers,” whose mischievous and destructive character are 
recognised and acknowledged by farmers and gardeners over half the 
world. 
The larger birds of prey, buzzards, kites, goshawks, harriers, and the 
noble peregrine are now virtually extirpated in England, and the smaller 
hawks and falcons, and also owls, are far less numerous than formerly. 
There are at present large districts in England where you may wander 
all day without seeing a single bird of prey. This has been brought 
about by the excessive rage for game-preserving. As a class, game- 
keepers, considering the great opportunities at their disposal, are pro¬ 
verbially ignorant of natural history, and seem quite incapable or 
unwilling to discriminate, even from their own narrow standpoint, 
between the good and the bad. The natural result, therefore, of so 
much misplaced zeal has been an enormous increase in wood pigeons, 
sparrows, rats, and mice, which, now that their natural enemies, the 
birds of prey and weasels, hare been destroyed, flourish and multiply 
unchecked, and yearly destroy great quantities of valuable cereals and 
other farm and garden produce. 
In the five chapters relating to the sparrow, the evidence for the 
prosecution greatly outweighs that for the defence. It is clearly shown 
that the depredations of this pest on fruit tree buds, to fruit farmer*, 
florists, young crops of vegetables, and more especially to corn in 
autumn, is enormous, and far in excess of any benefits conferred by the 
consumption of injurious seeds and noxious insects. They entail also 
direct harmful consequences by their pugnacious and self-assertive 
nature in driving off useful insectivorous birds from the neighbourhood 
of their haunts. Yet it is by no means clearly proved that an utter and 
complete extermination of the sparrow nuisance would be a benefit, for 
when man upsets the balance of nature, he very often has to pay for it 
in some form or other. 
The sparrow certainly requires no Act of Parliament to protect him, 
and the plea of sentimentalists and humanitarians that he should be 
allowed to increase and multiply unchecked, will certainly never be 
listened to by those country folk who are best able to form a judgment 
in the matter. 
There can be no doubt that, during the last half century, the wood- 
pigeon or ringdove (Columba palumbus) has increased to an enormous 
extent. The causes of this increase are, doubtless, the killing off of the 
falcons and hawks, which are the natural enemies of the race, the 
increase of woods and plantations, especially those of Fir, and the 
abundance of winter food in Turnips and other green crops. It is quite 
certain, too, that in the autumn the ranks of our local birds are greatly 
increased by immigrants from the Continent. In the autumn wood 
pigeons congregate and attack the ripening corn, particularly in those 
spots where it is storm-laid, devouring great quantities, and crushing 
and trampling the heads to near the ground, so that in a wet season 
much becomes hopelessly sprouted. In winter they commit serious 
ravages in the Turnip crops by eating the leaves, thus exposing the bulb 
to frost. They are also very partial to the young Clover plant. The 
* Ornithology in Relation to Agriculture and Horticulture. By various writers. 
Edited by John Watson, F.L.S., &c. London : W. H, Allen & Co., 1893. 
