124 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 15, 1894. 
botany, chemistry, natural history and its branches, such as ento¬ 
mology, and languages. These are all subjects which young 
gardeners dally with, and perhaps something can be done with 
each by a gradual course of study. 
Natural History. 
This is a subject containing so many branches that one might 
spend a lifetime of study on that alone ; and there must be some 
concentration. My strong advice to anyone would be, not to begin 
with any dry text-book, but rather with a few works of general 
interest; and the reason for this suggestion is a double one. In 
the first place, it is in every way desirable to take up a study with 
one’s heart in it, with the mind inspired by the wondrous story of 
the world as a few great minds have taught it ; and secondly, a 
grasp of some general principles will enable details to be pieced and 
dovetailed together with a clear object and grasp. There are many 
works which could be named that would admirably fulfil these 
wants, but it is not necessary to read them all, and I should, for 
more reasons than one—time and expense being two of them—thin 
them down to two or three. First, without a moment’s pause, may 
be placed Darwin’s great and inspiring work, “ The Origin of 
Species” (John Murray), a book of transcendent interest and 
fascination, and with it might be linked the same author’s “ Ferti¬ 
lisation of Plants ” (Murray). A third book which could be read 
by no one without the deepest interest and delight is Lubbock’s 
“ Beauties of Nature ” (Macmillan), in which the accomplished 
naturalist takes us on to an eminence for a survey of Nature in all 
her marvellous and varied aspects. Quite as much could be said in 
favour of Huxley’s “Physiography” (Macmillan), and one or all, 
according to means, should be read. 
The study of these works cannot fail to broaden the reader’s 
mind, instil into him higher conceptions of the planet on which he 
ds so small an atom, and cause to spring up in him a burning 
desire for knowledge. Then is the time to turn to hard practical 
work, studying the form and life history of insects and fungi, the 
structure of plants and many other allied subjects. As a text 
book on insects. Miss Ormerod’s “Manual of Injurious Insects” 
.(Simpkin) may be strongly recommended, and Mr. Worthington 
G. Smith’s work on “ Fungoid Enemies of Crops ” (Macmillan), 
would be a valuable help to the student. 
Botany. 
The works I have mentioned above will awaken a keen interest 
in botany as well as in natural history generally ; but there is still 
another that I should recommend, and that is “ Flowers and Their 
Pedigrees” by Grant Allen (Longmans). This is a most fasci¬ 
nating little book, and bears the impress of close botanical 
observation on the part of one who is now one of the most 
prominent figures in the literary world. It dives back into the 
remote ages of the past, and paints the developed and perfected 
flowers of to-day as they were when leaf was developing into 
stamen and pistil into petal. And having read it, the student will 
be eager to pursue an inquiry into botany and vegetable physiology 
generally. Finding himself thus situated, let him start on 
Hooker’s “Botany Primer” (Macmillan), and follow it up with 
^Masters’ edition of “Henfrey’s Elements of Botany” (Macmillan). 
Chemistry. 
Entomology, botany, and kindred subjects have so distinct a 
^bearing on practical gardening work that I place them first. 
Chemistry should follow them closely. It is a subject of great 
interest, and also one which tends to give practical help. 
“ Science,” wrote Mr. G. W. Johnson in the “ Cottage Gardener ” 
years ago, “ is the torch that lights the pilgrim upon the path of 
progress.” It was a fine and true sentence. Chemistry teaches us 
the mystery and majesty of the elements around us, and enables 
us to illuminate practical work with the cheering light of know¬ 
ledge and understanding. Many a tedious task is beguiled by the 
reflections which chemical and botanical knowledge enable the 
worker to enrol around it, for before his mental vision are 
unfolded the strange and beautiful processes by which Nature’s 
simplest ends are gained. Text books—Koscoe’s “ Chemistry 
Primer ” and the same author’s “ Elementary Chemistry,” both pub¬ 
lished by Macmillan. 
Shorthand. 
I place shorthand lower on the scale than many advisers might, 
not because I recognise no usefulness in it, but because it is a 
mere mechanical accomplishment. In assigning it a subsidiary 
position I had better state, to avoid misunderstanding, that it is 
not because I am ignorant of the “ winged art ” that I do so, but 
for the opposite reason. Shorthand is good for young gardeners 
to know, but less important, I consider, than the subjects here 
placed before it. Text books : Pitman’s “ Phonographic Teacher ” 
and “ Phonographic Manual,” with keys. 
Languages. 
A knowledge of languages is a source of pleasure as well as 
benefit, but enjoyable though it is to be able to read Alphonse 
Karr in the pure pellucid French which he wrote so charmingly 
and with so gay a wisdom, or to pierce through the nebulous 
clouds in which Goethe loved to enshroud his ripest thoughts, a 
young gardener would, I think, be in error to place a study of 
French and German before those to which priority has here been 
accorded. But I would dissuade no one from endeavouring to 
acquire some knowledge of Latin, for it is very helpful in all 
scientific studies, and will be valuable when the modern languages 
are being taken in their turn. 
Summary. 
To summarise this attempt to throw light on the path of those 
who recognise that there is a second aspect to culture, let us not 
pursue a hesitating and variable course, dabbling with this subject 
and toying with that, but rather take them up one by one, and 
deal with each thoroughly before coming to tbe next. Let us also 
exercise a wise discrimination by placing the subjects in the order 
of their immediate usefulness and benefit, first giving attention to 
those which have a direct connection with practical work, and then 
coming to others, which, though good to know, have a less intimate 
bearing on our avocation. Finally, let us remember that know¬ 
ledge for its own sake is valuable, and that even where no imme¬ 
diate tangible benefit may be visible from mental improvement, 
there is a rich reward in the happiness that it brings, and the gilding 
that it imparts to the commonest things of life.—W. P. W. 
FORCING NARCISSUS TELAMONIUS PLENUS. 
Surely Messrs. Collins Bros. & Gabriel (page 107) do not possess 
all knowledge, while gardeners as a class are ignorant. I think as much 
reliable information has been spread broadcast by the latter as ever 
emanated from the former. The charge they make against me only 
displays their ignorance of facts, and is not worthy of a passing thought, 
because it carries no weight with it to those who know me and my 
work. If inspected, my work would compare favourably with that of 
your correspondents, who are evidently afraid somebody should rob 
them of some credit in forcing Narcissi. One thing struck me in a 
moment—namely, if they are as careless in forcing Daffodils as they 
appear to be in reading the Journal of Horticulture, there is no wonder 
that I can manage to get the old common Daffodil in bloom long before 
they are capable of doing so. I repeat what I have already said, that 
there is no difficulty in having the old favourite in flower in abundance 
early in January, and I should not hesitate to undertake to have them 
in bloom by Christmas. If your correspondents intended to gain infor¬ 
mation on this subject, all I can say is that they have a queer way of 
soliciting it. 
The boxes actually measured 2 feet 3 inches in length, and 14 inches 
in width. In penning my previous note (page 88) I was writing from 
memory. The boxes of this size contained, without counting every one, 
from 130 to 140 bulbs. We anticipated putting 150 in them, but the 
bulbs being large they would not hold them, and probably no two boxes 
contain exactly the same number. 
The bulbs were grown by my father at Donington, near Spalding, 
in Lincolnshire. I had several thousands from him, and picked out the 
largest for forcing, while the remainder were planted in various parts 
of the pleasure grounds. That the bulbs were remarkably fine there 
can be no question. I never had better, and the representatives from 
two large firms said they never saw better, and wanted to purchase the 
remainder of the stock, but they were too late. 
I do not think that a single bulb produced less than two flowers, tbe 
majority had three, and many had four fine large blooms; the boxes 
were one mass of flower. I have too much to do to count the exact 
numbers, but a box is still here, and Messrs. Collins Bros. & Gabriel, 
or anybody else if they doubt my statement, can come and count both 
the bulbs and the flowers that have been cut. What more can I say 
fairer on that point ? We had a large dinner party the first week in 
January, and the groundwork of the table was filled with 150 blooms 
of the common double Daffodil, with its own foliage arranged in small 
glass globes. After removing this number from the box it was difficult 
to tell where they had come from. I have a number of boxes of a 
smaller size, and filled with bulbs, which I am trying to keep back. 
These have come into flower in a cold house, and are equally as full of 
bloom ; they can be seen by anybody up to the 17ch inst., when the 
bulk of them will be cut. I always regarded N. obvallaris as the earliest, 
but it forces no better, and is no earlier than the old common Daffodil, 
and there is no comparison between the two for bulk and beauty. As 
an early single obvallaris is certainly useful, and worth growing. 
I have seen many bulbs ruined by the method they are forced, but 
the observant learn from failures as they proceed. None of these 
failures ever trouble me now. I have not forced 150,000 various 
Daffodils in one season, but for nine or ten years I forced something 
like 80,000 a year of various bulbs, and therefore ought to know, if I do 
not, something about the matter. For the same employer and in the 
same garden I had to have Lily of the Valley by the 5th of November. 
If Messrs. Collins Bros. & Gabriel do that they will find it not easily 
