Arril 18, 1895. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
333 
But chemists neglect nothing in air or soil, and physiologists 
turn their researches to effective purposes. Thus the outcome is of 
material advantage to cultivators, who are able to comprehend that 
plants appropriate nitrogen (1) as the free nitrogen gas of the 
atmosphere, (2) in the form of ammonia, and (3) in the form of 
nitrates. Free nitrogen gas costs nothing, and the stores are 
practically inexhaustible. The cultivator gathers it from the 
atmosphere by means of leguminous crop—Beans, Clover, Peas, 
Tares, and others, gets it into the soil, where it is converted by 
the action of the nitrifying micro-organisms, in presence of certain 
bases, into nitrates. These bases are essential for the activity 
of the micro-organisms within the plants or their root tubercles 
that convert free into assimilable nitrogen, so as to render it avail¬ 
able for use ; and they are equally important for stimulating those 
in the soil for effectively producing nitrates equal to the crop 
requirements. Such bases are present in most soils and in nearly 
all plants for the normal growths of the micro-organisms ; but 
they are unquestionably deficient in some soils, and, of course, 
plants for the requirements of cultivated crops. The chief of the 
elements needed by the micro-organisms in the soil or plants are 
lime and potash. Leguminous plant and soil micro organisms 
cannot act to the fullest profit to crops without the essential lime 
or potash, hence potassic manures accelerate the growth of 
leguminous crops, not by simple chemical process, but by the 
compounds formed by the action of the micro-organism duly 
supplied with food or material for manufacture into nitrates.— 
G. Abbey. 
(To be continued.) 
THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S 
EXAMINATIONS. 
This annual function is fixed for May 1st next, hence intending 
candidates have to make the most of their time, as the date is very near. 
As notice of intention to sit for this examination had to be sent in 
by the 16th inst., it is obvious that any purposing to sit, and not having 
given notice, are too late. It is very evident that stimulus toivards 
securing country candidates for the examination cannot be largely 
applied from London, and only where there exist bodies that have 
aflfinity to the object can any material interest in the examination be 
looked for. Naturally, seeing how many thousands of gardeners there 
are in the United Kingdom, and how many other persons there are 
outside of the profession greatly interested in horticulture, no difficulty 
should be experienced in securing fully 1000 candidates, yet no such 
number is looked for. Possibly they may not exceed 250 or 300. 
Then it is natural to ask why so few relatively. There is no lack of 
knowledge or of literary capacity, as ample evidence is furnished in 
other directions. Probably the comparative lack of candidates is due to 
innate modesty, lack of interest, or to inappreciation of the honour 
that passing in such an examination furnishes. But I think the chief 
cause is found in that first named, and of that we have evidence in 
the county of Surrey, because whilst that county does, as a rule, 
furnish the largest number of candidates, that result is almost entirely 
due to the County Council Technical Education Committee and the 
strenuous efforts put forth by its horticultural instructors, not only 
to diffuse gardening knowledge but also to arouse interest in the 
R.H.S. examinations. 
During the past winter lectures on flower, fruit, and vegetable 
culture have been delivered in various parts of the county, to persons 
of all classes. With a view to encourage members of the classes to 
practise the art of committing their knowledge to paper, in the form of 
answers to questions—practice most helpful to any purposing to sit 
on May 1st—a series of twelve printed questions, arising out of each 
lecture, was handed to each person present at a class ; members then 
took the questions home, and were invited to furnish replies to the best 
of their ability during the week, and hand them in at the following 
lecture, or send them by post. It was expressly desired that each 
answer have against it the corresponding number attached to the 
question, and that all writing be on foolscap paper, and on one side 
only—name, address, and occupation of the writer being also furnished. 
Some persons boldly took all the six lectures in a course, others took 
fewer, but out of the entire number of classes some 380 papers were sent 
in, about one-half coming before Christmas, and the others afterwards. 
k It need hardly be said that going through all these papers—for not 
even the poorest, some coming from lads, some from labourers, some from 
ladies, some amateurs, schoolmasters, and some from gardeners, was 
ignored—proved to be a very onerous task. Every answer, and there were 
several thousands, was fairly and impartially appraised at its proper 
worth. A tabulated statement of the results was made, and then the 
whole of the papers were returned to the numerous writers, every one 
of whom who showed fair merit—a good percentage—being afforded an 
opportunity of entering for the R.H.S. examination. More it was very 
difficult to do, but it is evident that were as much done in every county 
in the kingdom the result might be remarkable. 
Of course it is not concluded that attendance at a'course of lectures 
cn one section of horticultural work only qualifies to sit for the R.H.S. 
examination. That would be too absurd. But it is easy for any intelli¬ 
gent person going through the answers sent to the lecture questions to 
find that many of the writers had both wide and sound practical know¬ 
ledge, and if they sit must come out with honours. But then it is found, 
as a rule, that the greatest disinclination to enter is evinced by the moet 
competent, while others, who have the smallest capacity for answering 
questions intelligently, have not the slightest hesitation in giving their 
names as candidates. Another instance of the sometimes too cloee 
alliance of modesty with ability, and the reverse. In some cases tbs 
replies were excellent, could hardly have been better, but then these 
were from gardeners. Most interest attached to the work of amateur 
members of the classes, and especially to that of ladies and lads, some 
of them showing remarkable capacity and knowledge. 
It need hardly be said that the Surrey C.C. lecturers realise the vei^ 
great difference existing between tbe examinations they conduct and 
those of the R.H.S. In the local case every question is of a practical 
nature, and arises absolutely out of the lecture. There is no catch ques¬ 
tion, no botany except of the most elementary kind, and nothing abstcuee. 
Nor is there anything which has the least semblance of cramming for 
exams. The subjects chosen are those likely to be the most useful to the 
audiences, the syllabus differing entirely from that of the R.H.S., which 
would not meet the local requirements, though naturally much of the 
teaching is generally applicable. The R.H. S. exams practically demand 
much study of expensive text-books, such as very few can afford to pur¬ 
chase, and test the very widest knowledge of horticulture, theoretical 
and practical. In the other the exercise is a test of what lecturers 
teach, and that only. All the same, as a preparation for the national 
examination, no course can well be more serviceable than is that takec 
in Surrey. 
It is very probable that even greater interest would be taken in these 
county examinations were there added to them the stimulus of some 
prizes or certificates. A suggestion has been made that the Technical 
Education Committee may be induced to offer for the best papers 
another winter some prizes in the form of good gardening books. K 
need hardly be said that such course would be hailed with great satis¬ 
faction by both lecturers and members of the classes. Of course, it 
would then be needful to submit the papers of answers to lecture ques¬ 
tions sent in to some independent examiner, and also so far to divide the 
classes, that gardeners and amateurs should not in a sense compete witk 
each other. That the effect would be largely to stimulate interest in 
the lectures, and in encouraging replies to the questions arising out of 
them, there can be no doubt. But all the same, the examination that 
would carry the greatest weight, and have for successful candidates tbe 
highest honour, certainly is that of the Royal Horticultural Society.—A. E. 
I HAVE read with much pleasure and interest the remarks tff 
“ H. 0. H.” (page 290, April 4ih) in the Journal respecting the above 
subject, and can fully endorse bis views of what should constitute the 
principal abilities of a good gardener—viz., a thorough practical know¬ 
ledge, gained not by theory, but by a life spent in putting his hands te 
all the details of his vocation with a desire to attain knowledge—not 
building his hopes of success on what he knows theoretically, but ever 
bearing in mind that proficiency is the result of studious perseverance 
in observing with a keen interest all that comes under his notice 
relating to the occupation in a practical way. 
Anyone with a literary torn of mind may collect books that will 
furnish particulars enough to enable him to pass an examination on all 
branches of gardening; but all the same, that is no test of his abilities 
as a thoroughly practical man. Book learning is really necessary, and 
who is complete without it? yet it cannot take the place of sound 
practice. The present day needs men who have made gardening a deep 
study in every w’ay from their earliest time, who have brought them¬ 
selves up in all the smallest details, who have done the work and who 
know when those under them are doing the same in a practical way, to 
be able to economise and arrange matters to make up for inadequate 
labour power to meet the requirements of the case, 
I would heartily commend to the notice of every young gardener the 
last paragraph of “ IT. O. H.’s ” article, and ask everyone to peruse it 
carefully and intelligently, as it is much to the point.—A. Kemp, Cod - 
hunst, Horsham. 
j SPINACH. 
' I WAS very glad to see “A. D.’s ” remarks respecting this vegetable 
on page 298. The past winter, as most gardeners know, has been a 
severe test for vegetables, but the Spinach has come through the ordeal 
as well as any. The cause, no doubt, is that being a low-growing plant., 
the snow covering it during the greatest severity protected it well. 
1 I find that one sowing in the autumn is not sufficient. I therefore 
have for some years new found it advisable to make two. The first is 
early in August, generally in the open quarters from whence early 
Potatoes ha-^e been cleared. This gives a crop from the middle ot 
September to Christmas and onward through the winter, should the 
'weather prove open and mild. The second sowing is made the last week 
^'n August or not later than the early days of September. This will be 
of no use to pick from till the spring, but often withstands frost better 
than the plants from the first sowing, and comes in very useful from 
'April to June, when the spring-sown follows on. 
The seeds are sown very thinly in drills, and as soon as the young 
plants are through the ground they are thinned to 6 inches apart, foe 
it is of no use leaving the plants packed together if fine sweet leaves 
are required. When grown in this manner a basketful can be picked ic 
