April 13,1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
285 
synonym with Jean Ducher, and I am more than ever convinced of 
the fact now. 
Although the N.R.8. enumerate several varieties, the list is by no 
means exhausted. While we have such a number of so-called new 
Roses introduced each season (many of which are by no means improve¬ 
ments upon existing kinds), and while there is such a mania for 
imagining most seedlings of only medium merit as quite distinct and 
worth introduction, we are likely to extend the list of “ too-much-alike ” 
Roses. Many which are not actually synonymous certainly bear too 
close a resemblance to be styled distinct. A hundred or so names 
might be mentioned, all of which are fully represented in one-third 
of the number. 
The practice of renaming a Rose after it has won honours under a 
first one, can only tend towards greater confusion. We have two 
recent instances of this in Turner’s Crimson Rambler and Belle 
Siebrecht. We are not so likely to get confused in the former as in the 
latter, because The Engineer did not “ take ” so well at first as Mrs. W. J. 
Grant. It was under the latter name that we first became acquainted 
with that grand Irish production of Messrs. Dicksons’, and which is now 
being sent out by an American firm under the appellation of Belle 
Siebrecht. Many of us remember the flowers staged at the Crystal 
Palace and at Chester, as well as at various other places during 1892. 
It even won the gold medal at Chester under its original name, and now 
we are to forget Mrs. W. J. Grant and install Belle Siebrecht in her 
place. Such changing of names can do no good, and must result in 
considerable confusion if extensively indulged in.— PRACTICE. 
NOTES FROM HAM, SURREY. 
Narcissus poeticus ornatus. 
Mr. j. Walker, of Ham, Surrey, is probably the most considerable 
grower of this or perhaps any other popular market variety of Narcissus 
in the kingdom. His beds cover very many acres, and when ornatus is 
in full bloom they resemble fields of snow. But then the variety is not 
naturally a first early bloomer, and as it is so much in demand in the 
market, not only are enormous numbers of it forced in the huge range 
of Peach houses at Ham, but many thousands of bulbs are planted in 
rows close under the warmest sides of the houses. Then from the open 
fields there are gathered, so fast as the buds seem matured, immense 
numbers, and these set thickly in water in a warm greenhouse, open not 
merely soon, but well. I saw in this house last week probably 20,000 
gathered buds in all stages of opening, whilst the actual product of 
blooms of this one variety alone must almost reach to millions. No 
wonder Daffodils are so abundant and so cheap. 
Early Dutch Tulips. 
How wonderfully beautiful these flowers are is admirably demon¬ 
strated at Ham when planted in beds some 300 yards long, and 
running away somewhat undulatingly from the spectator, and in 
numerous colours, the effect is indeed charming. The Tulip is a some¬ 
what formal flower, but gives to us exceeding brilliance in colour. In 
that respect it is as great a contrast to the Daffodils as it is in form or 
absence of gracefulness, yet it is far more effective planted in lines or 
masses, especially when in great abundance, as here, so as to give striking 
results. Tulips do not seem to be nearly so popular in a cut form as do 
the Narcissus, in spite of their rich colouration. The season has been 
peculiarly favourable for Tulip flowers, as there has been absence of 
rain and snow and frost, visitations that sometimes come to mar the 
beauty of onr earliest spring flowers. There is no need to mention the 
varieties of Tulips in bloom at Ham ; they are many, and are so 
beautiful as to command the warmest admiration. 
Peaches akd Nectarines. 
In the nine huge span houses, all planted with Peaches and Necla- 
rinei, there is the promise of a wonderful crop. The earliest of all, 
Alexander, has here, in a few cases given some trouble in bloom 
dropping, apparently an innate defect of this excellent variety. Still 
there is on most of the trees a good set. On all others there is abun¬ 
dance. Such a variety as Dr. Hogg is a tremendous setter, and beneath 
the thinned fruit lie thick as hail. It is not a case of a tree or two, but 
a large number, running down perhaps the entire side of a house ; grand 
trees, in many cases, now on tall clean stems, and heads that cover large 
areas. Mr. Walker wishes he had more of the Dymond, as it is a most 
useful variety. Stan wick Elruge, Lord Napier, and Pine Apple seem to 
be favourite Nectarines, and really are more profitable to grow than are 
some Peaches, as they come large and have rich colour. There are 
numbers of Peaches and Nectarine trees in pots, every one carrying a 
good crop. It is a huge area of these fruits, and literally tens of thousands 
of fine ones must be gathered from these houses during the ensuing 
summer. 
Surrey Sand for Fruit. 
Accepting the porous sandy loam, which constitutes the soil at Ham 
Common, as typical of the County of Surrey, most conclusive evidence 
of its adaptability for fruit culture is produced on Mr. Walker’s farm. 
His fruit trees, now they are in bloom, present a splendid object 
lesson in fruit culture. To a certain extent it is a natural system, for 
artificiality in training or pruning is peculiarly absent. It is a sample 
of fruit culture for market, worth much more than the examples found 
in private gardens, where cultural and training methods are often 
so artificial. When one variety of Apple or Pear turns out satisfac¬ 
torily, not merely as a grower and cropper but as a market variety, then 
Mr. Walker plants about 400 of it. Apples, Pears, and Plums, all of the 
very best sorts for market, are here blooming magnificently. The trees 
are on diverse stocks to thoroughly test usefulness, and the weather 
being kindly there must be a grand fruit crop. A visit to Ham Farm 
during the fruit season is a liberal education on fruit growing.—A. D. 
THE WARMINSTER GARDEN EXPERIMENTS. 
Very elaborate indeed, and costly, is the published report of these pro¬ 
ceedings. It rather leads to the inference that the Wilts County Council 
has plenty of means at its disposal, and there comes from this inference 
the belief on the part of some, if not of many persons, that a little more 
real cultural instruction and a little less dabbling in experimental science 
would probably have been productive of more tangible results. Costing 
Is. per copy, the report is hardly likely to fall into the hands of the 
myriads of cottagers, allotment holders, and others engaged in gardening 
or desirous of doing so, in whose interests the experiments conducted 
were presumably instituted. 
The report deals with certain experiments conducted in connection 
with Potatoes .and Onions. Ic opens with a dedication as it were to the 
Technical Education Committee by its Secretary. Then comes analytical 
reports by Dr. Munro on the properties of certain soils on which the 
experiments in question were conducted. All very learned, but of no 
appreciable cultural use ; indeed it is hard to refrain from smiling on 
reading, at the conclusion of the elaborate analysis of the soil of the 
Christchurch allotment station, “that it is a free working loam, with 
fair reserves of fertility, and should yield Potatoes of good quality.” 
Any observant labourer could easily have inferred so much by sight and 
noting the nature of the crops growing on the ground. There is also 
furnished by Dr. Munro an analysis of the complete Potato manure used 
in the various Potato experiments, which shows it to have consisted of 
5'37 nitrogen, 4 2 soluble phosphates, and 4-0 of potash per cent. The 
proportion of nitrogen is however rather greater than is usually advised 
for Potatoes, 
We get to close quarters when the report reaches the experiments, 
first in relation to winter and spring planting. Now it is really a matter 
for surprise that in these days anyone should for one moment assume 
that any possible advantage could result from winter planting. It is 
so opposed to common sense, and certainly did not need any experiment 
to lead to its determination. Certain sorts of Potatoes were planted on 
December 16th, 1892. Result—one-half the sets failed through frost, 
and the consequent crop very moderate. A similar breadth of ground 
planted with similar sorts and quantities on March 16th, 1893, gave 
more than double the produce. If, says the reporter, certain weather 
had been experienced certain other things might have resulted. What 
virtue there is an “if,” but why should anyone have thought the “ if ” 
had any virtue ? The autumn planting fad was dissipated years ago. 
Then next we come to the result of “ close and wide planting.” 
Three perches, otherwise rods, being planted with sets at 22 and 
15| inches, and the same area with sets at 31 X 17^ inches, the result 
being seven per cent, in favour of the close planting. A much 
better medium for field culture of the variety used, Reading Giant, 
would have been 16 by 30 inches, and that difference would have 
given better results. A width of 22 inches only between the rows is 
very thick planting. The previous year the wider planting gave the 
best results. This part of the report starts with the well established 
truism, “ It is doubtful if a continuation of this experiment will lead 
to aay definite conclusions applicable to all conditions ; and it is evident 
that different varieties require different distances, according to habit 
of growth.” All that we knew, like the autumn planting, very many 
years ago. 
Now comes an experiment as to the results in Potatoes obtained from 
“hand labour in cultivation,” presumably, though not stated, as com¬ 
pared with ploughed ground. The three perches of soil hand-worked 
were trenched 16 inches in depth, not very deep trenching that, cer¬ 
tainly. The subsoil, too, was brought to the surface, which, in the case 
of soil not previously aerated, was bad practice. In any case the product 
vras a crop 10 per cent, heavier on the trenched soil than from the 
corresponding three perches of shallow worked soil. The reporter seems 
to think that the additional cost of trenching the ground was not repaid 
by the moderate increase of crop ; but whilst the bringing the crude 
subsoil to the surface seriously discounted the otherwise good results 
that should have followed the deeper working, it has been entirely over¬ 
looked that trenching, even so shallow as 15 inches, proves to be very 
beneficial to several successive crops, so that the cost must be cast over 
several crops rather than over one only. 
Next follows experiments with “ large, small, cut, and uncut tubers 
as seed Potatoes,” the results justifying what has long been held—that 
uncut tubers, if well stored and preserved, give better crops than do cut 
sets of equal weight. Similar results were obtained on a larger trial 
by a Mr. Jones of Warminster, who gives in each case of Imperator, 
Masterpiece, and White Elephant all in favour of uncut seed. Of 
course, it sometimes happens that seed tubers must be cut, rather than 
they be planted needlessly large and wastefully. To my mind, a far 
more useful experiment than this—for opinion in favour of uncut sets 
has long been existent—is that sets of equal size, and number also of the 
same sorts, be planted; some having been so well stored that the 
shoots, if made, have been fully preserved, then thinned before planting ; 
whilst the others, having been stored in pits or clams, shall be planted 
