March 1,1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
1G5 
- We learn from the “ North British Agriculturist” that the 
Lancashire County Council have decided to take over a farm at 
Penwortham, at an annual rental of £400, on a lease terminable at five, 
ten, or fifteen years, for the purposes of agricultural experiment and 
instruction, 
- John Bull Asleep. —Under the above heading “American 
■Gardening ” says :—In a list of the gardening periodicals of the world 
published recently in a London gardening paper “we notice among 
those credited to America the names of some old friends that have been 
dead and buried for years. Of course, several of the youngsters that 
have been born or re-christened since John went to sleep are not 
included.” The list of English papers was inaccurate too. 
- Exeter Gardeners’ Association. — On Wednesday, 
February 21st, Mr. George, formerly head gardener to Lady Rolle at 
Bicton, and now a lecturer under the Devon County Council, related 
his experience as a lecturer, and referred to the good which he believed 
would result from the lectures on horticulture. He exhibited a number 
of diagrams of trees and insects, and showed the difference between 
good and bad pruning of fruit trees. The lecturer also had present a 
number of specimens to show the best mode of grafting. An instructive 
and interesting discussion followed. 
- Granite Scrapings for Walks. —There are two objections 
to this material for walks ; first, its dull colour, always objectionable in 
a garden ; and second, its tendency to become soft and sticky after rain 
or frost. Now admitting that it has capital binding or hardening 
qualities when laid on paths as a surfacing, I recommend that to impart 
a brighter hue, and also to prevent stickiness when wet, that burnt 
clay or well broken red brick, made quite small, be thinly cast over the 
surface when partially set, then well rolled. That will make the paths 
bright and a first-rate walking surface. This material for the burnt 
clay resembles the broken brick, forms a capital surfacing. It is 
enduring, and the cement-like nature of the scrapings would bind it 
thoroughly.—A. D. 
- Lady Gardeners. — The daily contemporary which asserts 
that there are 6000 women engaged as professional gardeners in 
this country, has doubtless counted women labouring in market 
gardens and bouquetists in florists’ shops. It would be very interesting 
to learn of any women who really are superintending gardeners, and 
what sort of work they perform. Men find it very difficult to obtain 
employment now as gardeners, and can hardly be disposed to look 
calmly upon the contingency of having women as competitors. The 
men know that only hard work, which women never could perform, has 
fitted them for the positions of gardeners, and they realise that the 
glibness of speech so characteristic of some pushing women cannot at 
all compensate for lacking capacity to do hard work, and of experience. 
We should like to have more reliable information.— Gardener. 
- Injudicious Tree Planting. —Having for many years been 
closely connected with timber and forestry, I naturally read Mr. A. D. 
Webster’s article (pages 140-41) with much interest. I have found in 
my experience much timber “ pumped ” through defective drainage. 
Where there is stagnant water in the subsoil, although not apparent on 
the surface, trees may flourish for a few years, but ultimately decay 
long before the trees reach maturity. The roots soon penetrate pipe 
drains in plantations and choke them. My opinion has recently been 
asked regarding some unhealthy trees planted thirty years ago. Firs 
Oaks, and other trees are stunted and useless. Poplars cankered, but 
Willows large and healthy. My advice in this case was to make arti¬ 
ficial ravines, as deep as they could be cut. This practice I feel certain 
would in many cases well pay for the labour involved in the work.—W. T. 
- University of Cambridge—Agricultural Examina¬ 
tions. —Examinations for the Diploma in Agricultural Science and Prac¬ 
tice will be held in Cambridge during the first week of July, 1894. These 
examinations will be open to persons who are not members of the 
University as well as to members of the University. Part I. will be in 
Botany, Chemistry, Engineering, Entomology, Geology, and Physiology, 
all with reference to Agriculture ; and in Book-keeping. Part II. will 
be in Agriculture and in Surveying. The fee for admission to Part I. 
will be £1 Is. and for admission to Part II. £2 23. The names of can¬ 
didates must be sent to the Registrary of the University on or before 
June 13th, 1894, and the fee transmitted at the same time. The 
Diploma will be granted to every eandidate who has passed both parts 
satisfactorily. For further information application may be made to 
Professor Liveing, Cambridge. 
- “ Cansellarys.” —I was amused at Mr. S. Arnott’s rendering 
of the corrupted name of Calceolarias. About a dozen years ago a 
four-year-old girl of mine heard the name somewhere, and used it so 
persistently that it was difficult to get her to abandon it. Is not “ Can¬ 
cellary ” common among cottagers in some localities 1 —Reader. 
- Nymph^a odorata in Miniature. — A correspondent 
writing to a transatlantic contemporary says that there is a variety 
of Nymphaea odorata growing in a mill-pond at Hyannis Port, 
Massachusetts, which is an exact copy of the type, except that -it is in 
miniature. Flowers of this little Water Lily are only half an inch in 
diameter, and the leaves, while they are perfect in s’aape, colour, and 
venation, are only IJ inch across. 
- Money in Grapes Yet.—I have not had the pleasure of 
writing you since October, 1891, when you kindly told me what was 
the matter with our Muscat Grapes. I am pleased to tell you that I 
have not been troubled with “ spot ” since, and I attribute it chiefly to 
the advice given from time to time in the Journal of Horticulture, and 
acted upon. Our Muscats have sold well this past season. We obtained 
as much as lOs. per lb., and 8s. fora great number of lbs, during December 
and January. But they were not wanted in very large quantities at the 
former.— S. Biqwood. 
I • I 
- Roath Park, Cardiff. —The Mayor and Corporation paid 
an official visit of inspection to this fine new park on Friday last, and 
expressed satisfaction with the progress made by Mr. Harpur, the 
designer, and Mr. Pettigrew, the superintendent. The park is 120 
acres in extent, and about thirty acres of it is formed into a garden of 
pleasure and education, All classes of hardy plants are to be grown, 
arranged in their natural order. The Royal Gardens, Kew, have, we 
think, very appropriately contributed of their surplus in the interest 
of botanical and floricultural education, to be conducted by the able 
“ old Kewite,” Mr. W. Pettigrew. 
- Grittleton Gardens. —On] Saturday, the 17th, Mr. Read, 
who is leaving Grittleton, the seat of Sir A. W. Neeld, Bt,, was 
presented with a beautifully illuminated address and silver inkstand 
by the garden employes, and at the same time he was the recipient of 
a handsome marble clock, subscribed for by the farmers and tradesmen 
of the neighbourhood. The address, which was suitably replied to by 
Mr. Read, conveyed the warmest expressions of esteem, and of regret 
at his resignation. It is to be hoped that a gardener of Mr. Read’s 
well-known ability will soon meet with a suitable appointment. He is 
succeeded in the management of Grittleton Gardens by Mr. John Pitts, 
foreman at Witley Court, Worcestershire. 
- Certificating Apples. —The communications received from 
Messrs. Young and Iggulden show how justified were those members 
of the Fruit Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society who objected 
to the proposal to send any persons to examine a tree of a supposed new 
Apple which was thought to be so like to the Cobham. The objection 
was baaed on the belief that the persons in question might know nothing 
of the true Cobham both in tree, in growth, and fruit. Really there 
is no other right course in a case of doubt of this sort but to have 
grafts sent to Chiswick (if there be no young trees) for working, 
and there let the Fruit Committee as a body determine how far the 
variety may be new or otherwise. But the mere fact that the fruits 
bear so close a resemblance to those of the Cobham that experts can 
hardly detect any difference, naturally leads to the conclusion that 
with our existing wealth of fine Apples there is no necessity whatever 
for varieties that are if really distinct, yet little better than repro¬ 
ductions of old kinds. It is a serious matter enough to “ hall mark ” 
an Apple with an award of merit, although that simply means that 
it appears to be a meritorious variety. To give any sort the mark 
of a first class certificate is, however, far more important, because 
whilst perhaps adding nothing of appreciable value to our already 
overburdened Apple lists, is practically presenting to the vendors 
of the variety so many pounds sterling. Is it not, therefore, 
needful that any award to an Apple should be only to merit of 
the most exceptional kind, something that renders it an actual 
improvement on existing sorts? Mr. Young’s final sentence, “Too 
much care cannot be taken in awarding certificates to Apples,” I 
most heartily agree with, and for one Apple of exceptional merit we 
see forty or fifty, probably many more, placed before the Committee 
that are only of ordinary worth, I cannot see why every Apple 
thought worthy of an award of merit should not be grown at 
Chiswick and fruited before any farther award is made.—A. D. 
