498 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
June SI, 1894. 
THE SWANLEY HORTICULTURAL COLLEGE. 
I AM mucli indebted to Mr. H. Cannell, sen., of Swanley, for a look 
over this interesting Institution. It is situate at Hextable, a small 
hamlet a mile or so from Swanley Junction station, and lies rather 
low perhaps, but in the midst of a district that is as it were given over 
to fruit culture in fields and orchards. The subsoil is chalk and the 
cultivated surface soil not very deep, yet, as is usually the case on 
chalk, it is sweet and fertile, especially where it has been some years 
cultivated. 
The College was formerly the residence of Sir Edward Eeed, M.P., 
the eminent marine engineer, and its lecture hall, a capacious room 
capable of holding 150 people, was formerly the balancing saloon of a 
steamer built for the Channel traffic by him with the hope that oscilla¬ 
tion, which conduces to sea-sickness, would be prevented. The scheme, 
like so many others of similar nature, seems to have failed, and the 
large saloon was transferred to its present site at Swanley, where it 
makes a most useful lecture hall for the students. 
The college is now under the control of Mr. Colville Browne as 
Principal, and it would seem as if in the change made in this and other 
directions the institution had shaped for itself a more practical course 
than it previously took. In any case it is to be hoped so, as unless a 
college for instruction in horticulture be essentially in practical hands, 
the description of instruction given can hardly prove of tangible value 
to students. Of these there are, as I learned, twenty-eight males and 
twenty-five females, all young people and from the educated classes. 
The males reside in the college, and the females in a separate house, 
but all study and work together. 
In the matter of actual garden training the males seem to do the 
rougher work, such as trenching, digging, hoeing and earthing, and the 
females the lighter work as found in tying, budding, grafting. Grape 
thinning and training, with the exception of the Tomatoes, to which the 
fair sex have an invincible repugnance. 
That the College and its ground of 43 acres, much of which is under 
fruit and vegetable culture, added to which are numerous glass houses, 
contain most of the elements of a practical horticultural education 
there can be no doubt. Everything depends on the capacities of instruc¬ 
tors, and the desires or otherwise of students to acquire the knowledge 
by utilising to the utmost the facilities at their hand. It does seem 
obvious that with the same description of oversight outside that appears 
to be exercised by the present overseer of the glass department, whose 
work speaks for itself, that determined students might secure a really 
excellent garden education, especially if later it were supplemented by 
a year in a first-class private garden, a year in a fruit nursery, and still 
another year in a good market garden. 
With such a practical curriculum allied to what valuable oppor¬ 
tunities for scientific and theoretical study the College affords, very 
capable students should be turned out. All the same, gardening is 
a vocation that can only be thoroughly mastered by downright hard 
work, as all good gardeners know. Several years’ study in a college may 
eventuate in the turning out cf horticulturists a long way inferior in 
knowledge and usefulness to men whose entire education has been found 
in a series of private gardens. On the other hand, the college student, 
having such great facilities to acquire technical knowledge, such as can 
be obtained at Swanley, may if be makes the most of his opportunities, 
start in life with superior advantages to what the youth in an ordinary 
garden possesses. There is, however, no royal road to success in garden¬ 
ing. Proficiency in sports and pastimes, in cricket and lawn tennis, in 
leaping and football, will help absolutely nothing—nay, such proficiency 
constitutes very grave dangers to any student, as if the mind becomes 
centred on these things it must of necessity be abstracted from practical 
study, and the golden hours are wasted. 
I have referred to this matter because I noticed at Swanley, as is so 
common in all similar institutions, so much stress laid on recreation, 
and although I looked in early in the afternoon on a fine day, yet but 
one male student was doing any work, and only some three or four 
of the females, whilst it was obvious that everyone might just then 
have been usefully employed. The old axiom, “ All work and no play, 
makes Jack a dull boy,” is an awfully hackneyed one, and grossly mis¬ 
used, for it has been constantly quoted in favour of the wanton misuse 
of time and strength, which with youth should be far more largely than 
at present given to labour and to study. There is no form of exercise 
in the world that is at once more manly, more healthful, and more 
profitable, than is found in open air garden labour. 
But I know readers will ask. What about the crops on the ground ? 
Well of these there is a good orchard breadth of standard Apple trees, 
and of Cob Nuts, trained cup-shaped on the Kentish fashion ; also an 
undergrowth of Currants ; Strawberries in large breadths, good and full 
of promise ; cordon and horizontal trained Pears and Apples on walls 
and wire trellises ; also pyramid Pears and bush Apples, Gooseberries, 
Currants, Raspberries, newly planted standard Plums ; also Peas, Beans, 
and Potatoes, with most of which are being tested diverse forms or 
combinations of chemical manures ; good Onions, Cabbages, and other 
vegetables. This department, however, to my mind, seemed to need 
more efficient supervision. 
In the glass houses, of which there are, besides some detached, a dozen 
100 feet long span-roof structures in one block. Grapes, Peaches, Cucum¬ 
bers, Tomatoes, Melons, and some Roses, are showing as good products 
as could probably be found anywhere under similar conditions, and 
reflects the highest credit on the foreman who has charge of this 
department. That so much of the place is devoted to the production 
of material for market is rather an advantage than otherwise, as in 
such case necessity compels at once the most useful and economical 
methods of culture—all excellent training. 
There are clumps of Briar and Crab, or Paradise or Pear stocks, on 
which budding and grafting can be taught and practised, and an old 
orchard also gives ample opportunity for instruction in spraying for 
the destruction of maggot, and also in rough tree grafting. There 
seems to be one notable deficiency, so far as the females are concerned, 
a lack of instruction in the art of using flowers in floral decoration for 
vases, ^pergnes, tables, bouquets and buttonholes, all of which is of 
value for them in horticulture. That whatsoever of knowledge they 
may acquire they can even become manual workers in gardens, but 
performing hard labour in digging, hoeing, planting, mowing, and a 
thousand other forms of garden labour are, of course, quite out of the 
question with us, whatsoever may be the case with some classes of 
women on the Continent. That they may learn to discharge many 
garden duties of a lighter nature, and do them well, there can be no 
doubt. They can also at the College obtain some useful knowledge in 
connection with poultry and bees. 
In all cases here, however, with such very considerable, indeed in 
many directions excellent, opportunities for the acquiring of practical 
knowledge, everything must depend on firm, rigid discipline, in sound 
capable instruction, and in the determination of the students to 
utilise their facilities to the fullest. There is a splendid field here 
for lecture assistance by capable instructors, as all that is taught in 
the lecture room can be utilised and practised in the garden and 
orchards. Generally, I was favourably impressed with what I saw at 
the college, and though finding some things to criticise, yet do I heartily 
wish for the institution a prosperous career.—A. D. 
SARRACENIA WILLISI. 
The accompanying illustration (fig. 81) represents Sarracenia 
Willisi, an interesting plant that was exhibited by Messrs. J. Veitch and 
Sons, Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, at the Drill Hall, Westminster, on 
the 12th inst,, and for which a first-class certificate was awarded by the 
Floral Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society. This Sarracenia 
is a hybrid, being the result of a cross between S. melanorhoda and 
S. Courti. The plant is dwarf in habit, but of an attractive appearance, 
being bright in colour. The pitchers are pale green veined red, pass¬ 
ing to a deep crimson as maturity is approached. When grown in 
a pan, as was the plant from a sketch of which the engraving has been 
prepared, this Sarracenia is by no means devoid of effectiveness, 
especially if associated with plants of a harmonious character. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
June 12th. 
Scientific Committee. —Present: Dr. M. T. Masters (in the chair); 
Mr. McLachlan, Prof. Muller, Col. R. Trevor Clarke, Dr. Bona via, and 
Rev. G. Henslow, Hon. Sec. 
Lilium candidum Diseased. —Specimens were sent by Mr. G. Tebbutt 
of Mogden House, Isleworth, with the following observations “ The 
plants were attacked last year, but not to such an extent as now. This 
year the bulbs were transplanted to a fresh place, but the disease has 
become worse. It will be noticed that the bulbs themselves are strong 
and healthy, with very little sign of fungoid growth, while the stems 
and leaves are badly attacked. In the same patch of ground are 
L. chalcedonicnm, L. tigrinum, and L. Martagon, but not one of these 
show signs of the disease. Tulips which now occupy the ground planted 
with L. candidum last year have also been attacked.” Dr. Masters 
suggested spraying with Bordeaux mixture early in the season, so as to 
reach the bulbs and young leaves. Such a method would be protective, 
but not necessarily curative. The disease itself is fully described by 
Prof. M. Ward in “ Annals of Botany,” ii., page 319. 
Pears Damaged by Frost. —Dr. Masters exhibited several small 
Pears black and decayed, the result of the great frost in May. 
Droppers in Snowdrops, —He also showed specimens of this peculi¬ 
arity, which is more commonly known in Tulips. 
Monstrosities. —He also exhibited the two forms of “ Peloria ” in 
Calceolaria. 1, A true reversion to a regular “sleeve ’’-like form ; 2, a 
fourfold repetition of the “slipper;” as well as a Lselia with three 
lips (true peloria), and sub-virescent spathes of Aroids. 
Photos from Transvaal. —Dr. Masters also exhibited some illustra¬ 
tions of trees. &c., but excepting a fan-shaped Mimosa they were not 
determinable. 
Trifolium suhterraneum. —He also showed specimens and drawings 
of this Clover found at Folkestone. A full description of its method of 
burying the unripe pods and deriving nourishment by means of the 
hairs will be found in Darwin’s “ Movements of Plants,” page 573. 
Horse Chestnuts Canhered, —Specimens and photos of a badly diseased 
tree were received from the Superintendent of the Royal Victoria Park, 
Bath, with the following remarks :—“ The tree was planted (one of six) 
about sixty years ago ; three of the six have died from the same disease, 
and the others are affected more or less in the same way. It will be 
observed from the photo that the diseased growth is gradually spreading 
all round the trunk of the tree, and will eventually choke it (as has 
