Jnne 21,1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
501 
Btraine. A span-roofed house is planted out with Callas, and the 
experiment is to be tried of resting them in these quarters for an early 
start. Other houses of Spiraea, Liliam Harris!, Tomatoes and Cucumbers 
savour of the smartness of market growers, but much that we see is that 
way intended. A long border of Lettuce under an ancient Plum wall 
is all but cleared at remunerative prices. Outside the garden is a 
series of earthworks, parallel mounds about 15 feet long, 4 feet high, 
placed at right angles to the wall; Brother J. throws off a mat and 
dives among the straw covering. What! Mushrooms ? yss, thirty-nine 
such beds, but the grower will not take any compliments, merely says 
“ I was in Chester twelve months ago, and they gave me Wright’s 
Book on Mushroom Culture.” Right well has he profited by it. Made 
a start last year and sold £35 worth. 
We hardly realise the antiquity of this place till brought face to face 
with a venerable Walnut, “ St. Maelruen’s tree,” which tradition says 
was planted by the Saint, who died here, A.D. 787. Split by the great 
storm on January 6th, 1839, the trunk and its limbs were spread out to 
the ground, from which the tops have again ascended full of life and 
vigour, covering an enormous area of ground. During the Crimean 
war an offer from Government was made to purchase it for gun stocks, 
but it is still peacefully shooting here on this spring day. Long may 
it do so I Entering the lofty building we are ushered into a spacious 
reception room, where kind thought provides the cup that cheers and is 
welcome to us interviewers. After admiring the fine paintings in this 
room we made for home as the deep tones of a bell calls Brother J. 
to other duties.—E. K., Dullin, 
ON THE ANALYTICAL DETERMINATION of PROBABLY 
AVAILABLE “MINERAL” PLANT FOOD IN SOILS. 
Such is the title of a pamphlet (reprinted from the Journal of the 
Chemical Society, vol. Ixv., March, 1894) by Bernard Dyer, D.Sc, 
[Lond.]. Professor Dyer makes the somewhat startling announcement 
at the commencement of his very scientific researches or record thereof, 
that “ The chemical analysis of soils, which in the early days of agricul¬ 
tural chemistry was looked upon as likely to be of very great practical 
use in agriculture, was soon found to be, as ordinarily practised, of very 
limited value. Determinations in the soil of the total quantities of the 
more important mineral elements of plant food have been long recognised 
as affording useful information only in exceptional cases, and even in 
these exceptional cases the results obtained have rather afforded 
probable indications than absolute information.” 
After this one naturally asks. What is the value of an analysis of the 
soil to an ordinary cultivator ? Surely if the analysis shows the soil 
contains much less phosphoric acid than is contained in average soils it 
needs phosphatic manure, or if a soil is much poorer in potash than 
average soils it needs potassic manure. On the other hand, when a soil 
contains large proportions of phosphoric acid or of potash applications 
to such soil of phosphates or of potash would be superfluous. “ But,” 
Dr. Dyer says, “ in the great majority of cases a soil analysis, as usually 
carried out, leaves us really in the dark except as to broad (and 
admittedly valuable) general facts, as richness or poverty in lime, pre¬ 
ponderance of sand or clay, or peat, &c.” 
This decrepitude is explained in the fact that an ordinarily 
made analysis “ shows the total per-centage of its constituents, or, at 
any rate, the per-centage dissolved by strong mineral acids, without 
reference to the fact that only a small proportion of this total may be 
available for plant use.” 
The pamphlet proceeds to state at length, and in a number of tables 
from a number of sources, why such things should be and are, also how 
to determine the available resources of soils in phosphoric acid and 
potash by new and better methods. The agent used was citric acid 
solution, and the per-centages of solvency are in ratio to that of the 
acid employed. The idea of using citric acid is based on the circum¬ 
stance “ that the chief solvent agent for soil ‘ minerals ’ is the root sap 
of the plant,” and it is shown “ plants help themselves to a part of their 
mineral food by means of the solvent action of their acid root sap on 
the particles of soil with which the rootlets come into contact.” 
Reference is made to Sachs and Philip Miller (gardener to the Society 
of Apothecaries in 1733) as classical and practical observers of the 
acidity of root sap. 
Then follows tabulated statements of 100 root-acidity determinations, 
the plants being taken from twenty different natural orders, in terms of 
hydrogen and terms of crystallised citric acid. The table is very 
interesting, and shows that “ fine roots,” in all cases, have more sap 
acidity than “ thick roots.” This inculcates the importance of active 
feeders—abundance of fibrous roots, which are accelerated by surface 
dressings. The tables also show the difference in the capability of plants 
to help themselves to the minerals, and thus supply themselves with 
phosphoric acid and potash. Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) has 
acidity, per cent., in roots (in moist state) equal to 0'81 ; Celery, 0-93 ; 
Forget-me-not, 0 81, which is suggestive, as they are moisture-loving 
plants, of their deriving the acidity directly from the soil. Thrift has 
1-61 per cent, of acidity in its root sap ; Evening Primrose, 1 54 ; Straw¬ 
berry, 1'53 ; Geum, 3 69 ; Alyssum, TOO; White Clover, 1 00 ; therefore 
root-sap acidity cannot possibly be derived from the soil, but is manu¬ 
factured in the plants for the express purpose of dissolving: minerals and 
supplying themselves with phosphoric acid and potash. The pamphlet 
also treats of agricultural soils, both|manured and unmanured, and with 
different manures, showing the available, the amounts of phosphoric 
acid and potash as ascertained by treatment with a 1 per cent, solution 
of citric acid. 
The availability or otherwise of phosphoric acid and potash in soils 
as food for plants is really the grand secret to unravel, so as to be able 
to manure economically, and at the same derive the most value from the 
applications of phosphates and potassic manures. This appears to be 
clearly determinable by the citric acid solution test—the method of 
Tolleus and Stutzer, and so ably experimented on and exemplified by 
Dr. Dyer, who says in conclusion, “A 1 per cent, citric acid solution 
appears then to give indications fairly bearing out the manurial pro¬ 
perties of phosphatic materials as recognised by experience in the field ; 
it approximates fairly well to the average strength of the natural 
solvent (root-sap) used by the plant itself ; and, tested by the result it 
gives on soils of known history and condition, it appears likely to afford 
a not unreliable means of gauging, as regards the available mineral 
constituents, the probable fertility of the soil itself.” 
Such result means the saving of millions of money, for it must be 
conceded that manure is strewed on land in many cases for no well 
ascertained reason, and in most, for a very problematical object.— 
G. Abbet. 
UMBERSLADE HALL. 
On a hot day last autumn three Warwickshire gardeners had by 
common consent made bold to leave the crisp fast falling leaves, 
browned lawns, and even the engrossing Chrysanthemums of their own 
locality, to see how things fared with a brother gardener of the county, 
from whom a hearty invitation to “come and see” had been recently 
repeated. A short ride by rail brought us to Knowle station, which is 
situate about midway between Birmingham and Warwick. Here we 
found a conveyance to take us to Umberslade, the residence of G. F. 
Muntz, Esq., which is four miles distant from Knowle station. We 
started on our pleasant drive through a country not remarkable for bold 
rugged hills or extensive landscapes, but incomparably pretty in the 
graceful flowing outline of its undulating surface, which was marred only 
by the grey brown colour of the pasture, at a time when they should 
have formed a verdant setting for the fast-changing tints among the 
trees. 
As we approached the main entrance a fine view was obtained of the 
many stately specimens of Wellingtonia gigantea which the soil at 
Umberslade evidently suits. The trees are planted on each side of the 
carriage drive at great distances apart; they vary in height from 40 
to 60 feet, and being perfect in outline from base to summit, add a 
feature to the surroundings which will continue to increase in promi¬ 
nence as growth proceeds, till in time they will form a conspicuous 
landmark for miles around. Each tree is surrounded by a substantial 
fence, and there are plenty of evidences to show they were well planted 
and have been well cared for since, the result being that few places can 
boast of so many fine specimens, of which their owner may be justly 
proud. 
Following a fine belt of trees which skirts the park on one side we 
came to the gardener’s cottage, in front of which a plot of really green 
lawn came as a welcome surprise after seeing the browned pastures 
around, and helped to show up to advantage the brightly coloured flowers 
in the window boxes and nooks near by. Under the guidance of Mr. T. 
Pritchard we proceeded at once to the kitchen garden, which is one 
having advantages many may have wished for during a summer 
like the past. It is oblong in shape, running almost due north 
and south, with a walk edged with a neat grass verge going 
from each end to a large sunk circular tank in the centre ; 
side walks, which cut the ground up into convenient quarters, 
also converge to the same point. The great feature of this garden 
is that it slopes regularly from each end to the central tank and 
the walks which run on cither side of it. Both north and south aspect 
are thus obtained, the benefit of which all practical gardeners will at 
once perceive. During the past season this advantage was more 
pronounced than usual. Many crops, which were obviously suffering 
greatly through drought on the southern slope, were on the opposite 
one in a much more flourishing condition. A notable illustration of 
this disparity was afforded by a bed of Cauliflowers ; on that portion of it 
which received the full glare of the midday sun the plants lacked 
that sturdiness and vigour which, during ordinary seasons, they possess. 
The leaves were, moreover, too blue in colour to be satisfactory. From 
the very point that the bed commenced to ascend the northern slope a 
marked improvement in the vigour and colour of the leaves was 
apparent, and towards the centre of the slope the plants were in better 
condition than any I have noticed last season. Fine heads of Early 
Warwick Cabbage were also ready for cutting in an adjoining quarter. 
Standard Apple trees were carrying very heavy crops of well-coloured 
fruit. Pears on walls and pyramids being also plentiful. One branch of 
Louise Bonne of Jersey grafted on an old strong growing variety was 
especially satisfactory. Mr. Pritchard is a great believer in adopting 
that practice with this favourite variety. Pears grown as oblique 
cordons find much favour here. Grown on this system I saw in the 
fruit room fruits of Pitmaston Duchess weighing 1^ lb., Duchesse 
d’Angouleme gathered some time previously being almost as heavy. 
Fruit and Plant Houses. 
The glass houses are arranged at each end of the kitchen garden. 
Direct communication is obtained between them by means of the 
