June 20, 1895. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
551 
is the loss of the spongioles. How 1 By being bitten off by leather 
jacket grubs in the soil. Having an attractive bed of Calceolarias in full 
flower, I was curious to know the reason why a few plants here and there 
were drooping and withering beyond renovation. I pulled them up. 
The roots seemed healthy, but all the extremities were gone, cut clean 
off. I searched the soil and found specimens of this grub, which I doubt 
not is the cause of the destruction. This, to me, is a convincing proof 
of the immense assistance the spongioles are to plants as feeders and 
sustainers of life. 
I think I have demolished “ Header ” on this point, but I will 
concede him his correction on the fertilisation of the Pea flower, 
thanking him for the information. 
With reference to answer 4 I should not advise, when deeply moving 
soil by trenching, the practice of burying all the good surface soil and 
bringing the barren inert material to the top. I would rather keep the 
layers of soil in their original position. There is, however, I consider, 
no harm in bringing up a little of the subsoil, even if it is poor, and 
mixing it with the rich surface. 
“ Header ” does not say what he would style an Onion. Perhaps he 
would term it a bud containing future growth in embryo. The question 
expressly states, “ What organs of the plant are represented by an Onion, 
&c. ? ” Strictly speaking, then, an Onion bulb represents all the organs 
of the plant stored up within itself in an embryonic state. I admit that 
many of the questions could be amplified to a considerable extent, 
but this, I take it, is not the object of the framers of the questions. 
They need plain, brief, and condensed answers.—B. D, S. 
HOLDING SOIL. 
In the common acceptation of the term, holding or retentive soil is 
that which is stiff or clayey. That it is well entitled to that description 
in wet weather or in the winter there can be no doubt, but how often is 
the term a misnomer in drought such as of late has been so severely 
experienced. Only those familiar with stiff soils know how hard baked 
they become under drought, and how rapidly, because of that baking, 
they part with their reserve of moisture. That arises very much from 
the natural tendency of all soil of a stiff nature in baking to contract, 
and thus produce fissures or cracks all over the surface and running 
down several inches. It is in such cases impossible for soil to retain 
moisture long. Of course were the surface freely hoed or stirred these 
cracks would be filled or covered, but that hoeing or stirring is one of 
the things next to impossible once stiff soils are parbaked. Literally 
they are as hard as ordinary roads. 
As this is the normal state of stiff soils under drought, it is not 
correct to term them holding, seeing that they fail to prove so at the 
most trying periods of the summer. Even watering of such soils so long 
as rain and cloud are absent, and the sun manifests great heat, only 
leads to making matters worse than before, unless the moistening can be 
deep and thorough, and then the surface being stirred, it is covered with 
a mulch of manure. In that way not only is baking checked, but 
moisture is retained. But whilst light or sandy soils are not termed 
holding or retentive because they do not retain moisture as clay does in 
the winter, yet it is found in heat or drought such soils are far more 
retentive of moisture than are stiff ones. This arises first from the 
practical incapacity of soils of sandy nature to bake or contract; and, 
second, because of the great ease with which a loose surface can be 
obtained. 
We have had in the home district a period of drought of unusual 
duration. Practically there has been little or no rain worth mention 
for fully five months. We have, too, had of late great heat, accom¬ 
panied by very drying winds, hence the moisture-holding nature of 
soils under crops has been well tested. In the spring I planted at 
Mitcham, in each case on soil having about equal manurings in 
previous seasons, ten rows of Potatoes in many sorts, and on three 
diverse soils; sand, lying high, and fully exposed to sun and wind ; 
black bog, where slightly shaded ; and clay, also very slightly shaded. 
A few days since I examined these respective plots, and found on the 
sand capital growth in each case, and the soil beneath the loose surface, 
which was of course very dry, apparently nice and moist, indeed much 
exceeding in that respect my expectations. 
I found a similar state of things on the black or bog ground, which, 
too, had a light surface, whilst on the clay the growth was in all cases a 
week later, the soil being terribly hungry, and very dry. Now these 
conditions exactly reflect what is ordinarily found on similar soils 
of fair average depth. That being so, we should not refer to these stiff 
clay soils or holdings, as they seem to be the first to give out under 
drought. Certainly nothing tends so much to the retention of moisture 
in heat as being enabled to produce a loose friable surface.—A. D. 
ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY. 
Floral F£te. 
The above fSte was held at Hegent’s Park on Wednesday, June 12th, 
and as a large number of the exhibits came direct from the H.H.S. 
meeting held at the Drill Hall on the previous day the display of bloom 
in the large tent was an exceptionally fine one, there being magnificent 
collections of Hoses, Orchids, and hardy flowers. 
Messrs. F. Sander & Co., St. Albans, sent an excellent group of 
Orchids and rare stove plants. Many of the Orchids and other plants 
received certificates of merit, including Odontoglossum mulus 
Sanderianus, Phaius Owenianus, Miltonia vexillaria F. W. Moore, 
Thunia Veitchi, Dracaena Sanderiana, Begonia Hajah, and others. Mr. 
B. H. Davies, Yeovil, staged an effective group of double tuberous 
Begonias arranged with Maidenhair Ferns. From Messrs. H. Wallace 
and Co., Colchester, came Irises in quantity and Mariposa Lilies. Mr. 
Frank Cant, Colchester, staged a fine display of cut Hoses, as also did 
Mr. G. Mount, Canterbury. Messrs. Sutton, Heading, staged Gloxinias, 
well grown and in great variety. Messrs. J. Cheal & Son, Crawley, sent 
a collection of hardy flowers, which included Poppies, Violas, and others. 
Another effective group, comprised of Pseonies, Irises, Liliums, and other 
hardy flowers, came from Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. 
Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill, staged hardy flowers in great 
variety, and also a fine miscellaneous group, wbich contained Crotons, 
Palms, Caladiums, Ferns, Begonias, Orchids, Gloxinias, and others, all 
tastefully arranged. Messrs. Barr & Son, Covent Garden, were repre¬ 
sented by a fine group of Pseonies and other hardy flowers, the effect 
of which was exceedingly bright. Mr. H. B. May, Edmonton, sent a 
group of Gloxinias tastefully arranged with Ferns. A large collection 
of hardy flowers came from Mr. T. S. Ware, Tottenham, conspicuous 
amongst which were Lilium colchicum, Papaver nudicaule, Saxifragas, 
and Campanulas. 
A large exhibit of Pseonies, Delphiniums, and other flowers came 
from Messrs. Kelway & Son, Langport, the effect of which was fine and 
varied. From Messrs. Laxton Brothers, Bedford, came several boxes of 
Strawberries, containing excellent examples of Monarch, Sensation, and 
Hoyal Sovereign. Fine well-bloomed Gloxinias were staged by Messrs. 
J. Carter, High Holborn. Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., Clapton, exhibited a 
handsome group of Orchids, containing Cattleyas, Odontoglossums, and 
others, with Ferns, Caladiums, and Palms. From Mr. Chas. Turner, 
Slough, came a group of Fancy and Show Pelargoniums, thickly covered 
with bloom, together with a fine exhibit of Hoses. Messrs. W. Paul & Son, 
Waltham Cross, made a fine display with Hoses, both plants and cut 
flowers, containing many beautiful varieties. Mr. H. Scott, gardener to 
Miss Foster, The Holme, Hegent’s Park, staged a large and handsome 
group of plants, comprised of Liliums, Caladiums, Ferns, Spiraeas, Palms, 
Begonias, Coleus, and others. Another effective group was exhibited by 
Mr. J. C. Clarke, gardener to Ludwig Mond, Esq., Regent’s Park. A 
handsome group of Caladiums and other foliage plants—arranged with 
Spiraeas, Heliotropes, Hydrangeas, and others—came from Messrs. J. Peed 
and Son, Norwood. 
Floral Parade. —In spite of the threatening appearance of the 
weather the Children’s Floral F^te was a great success. The presence 
of Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales, the 
Duchess of York, and the Duke and Duchess of Teck, was suflScient 
to insure a large gathering of well dressed ladies and gentlemen. The 
prize for the best exhibition on the parade was awarded to Mrs. Bernard 
for a pony and carriage tastefully decorated with flowers and Grasses. 
Many other charming arrangements were also noticed in the shape of 
mail carts, pony carriages, and Sedan chairs, dressed with Daisies, Pinks, 
Marguerites, red Roses, Irises, and other flowers. 
The groups of children representing different subjects, such as “ The 
Festival of Flora,” “ Stolen by the Fairies,” “ Buttercups and Daisies,” 
and “ Lalla Rookh,” were much admired, as also were other designs 
representing “ Britannia ” in Oak leaves and Roses ; ” Oxford and 
Cambridge,” in the shape of a young lady on horseback, dressed with 
blue Cornflower trimmings ; “ Wild Poppy,” and “ Forget-me-not.” 
FRUIT GROWING ON A LARGE SCALE. 
The excellent paper on this subject, contributed by Mr. Charles D. 
Wise to the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society, has been pub¬ 
lished in pamphlet form by Messrs. Spottiswoode & Co., and will be 
acceptable to many. The author, as manager of the celebrated fruit 
plantations at Toddington, is well entitled to be listened to, and this is 
what he says :— 
Owing to the great increase in the fruit-growing industry a good deal 
has been written during the last few years on frait farming and the 
enormous profits to be made. The bulk of these reports is greatly 
exaggerated, although under certain conditions, which I will endeavour to 
set clearly before you, fruit growing yields a fair return on capital 
expended. Many people think that fruit trees have merely to be planted, 
and that profitable returns in due course are assured; and it is only by 
experience, and in many cases by loss of capital, that they find that fruit 
growing is a business and a science, and that, as is the case in other trades, 
the apprenticeship has to be gone through and the business thoroughly 
studied—I do not say learned, as the fruit grower learns something new 
every day, and his lessons will never be over. 
Why do not farmers go in for fruit growing ? This question is asked 
again and again. I think the simple answer is that, even if they felt 
inclined to do so, they do not know how to set about it, and not only do 
they not understand the business, but where is the necessary capital to 
come from ? and even should that be forthcoming, it is not on every farm 
that land adapted for fruit culture is to be found. 
We have also these important considerations :— 
1, There are only selected areas where you can hope to succeed so 
far as soil, shelter, and situation are concerned. 
2, Fruit growing, especially on a large scale, should be within 
reasonable distance of a good market or railway station. 
3 The tenant must be prepared to stand out of his capital for 
certainly four years, or perhaps longer, before a fair return is obtained; 
and no tenant should plant on a large scale except under a lease of at 
least twenty-one years, and with compensation for improvements fully 
assured at the end of his tenancy. 
