December 2P, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
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COMING EVENTS 
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Ibt Sunday after Christmas. 
THE CLOSING YEAR. 
LT HOUGH the year that is now approaching 
its termination has not been one of the best 
that has been experienced by gardeners and 
horticulturists, it has been brighter and better 
than some of its predecessors. The most 
important food crops have been good when 
high cultivation has jirevailed, and no season 
°f recent years has shown the necessity for 
high culture more conclusively than the exhausting 
summer of 1887. Imperfectly worked and impoverished 
land has been comparatively barren, the crops collapsing 
during the heat and drought, while on land deeply yet 
intelligently tilled and enriched they passed through the 
trying ordeal to which they were subjected, and as times 
go, gave a satisfactory return for the outlay expended in 
their production. The lessons that gardens afford in this 
respect ought not to be lost on agriculturists, and it is 
certain if they were appreciated and applied as far as is 
jiracticable the earth would yield a far greater increase 
than it does now. to the advantage of every section of the 
community. 
In glancing back over the past months, and it is desir¬ 
able that all should do so, there will, it is hoped, be much 
that is pleasant for the mind to rest on—good work done 
by able and earnest men, and approved by appreciative 
masters; prizes won by those who have striven for. them, 
and honours bestowed lor well deserved success; obstacles 
surmounted by perseverance on right lines that brings a 
reward sooner or later; differences reconciled by the 
exercise of good judgment; reconciliations effected between 
men of different views; and confidences restored that 
had temporarily lapsed. These are some of the episodes of 
the season, on which many minds will reflect with satis¬ 
faction as agreeable reminiscences of the closing year. 
Well is it if they are in the majority. 
But granting the existence of a large amount of satis¬ 
faction enjoyed by owners of gardens and their managers, 
it is equally certain that disappointments have been in¬ 
curred and circumstances happened during the year not 
conducive to general content. Difficulties have presented 
themselves of a nature that could not be immediately 
subdued, and some of them not anticipated. Accidents 
are contingencies of life, and when not the outcome of 
negligence that might have been easily avoided, should 
be accepted as what they are. It is useless to waste time 
and strength and to lose temper over untoward and 
practically unpreventible occurrences that may be incon¬ 
venient and something more, as it is to quarrel with a 
thunderstorm. The year, however, that is now approach¬ 
ing its termination has not been characterised by storms 
No. 392 .—Vol. XV., Third Series 
of that nature and the heavy downpours consequent 
thereon ; but by the exact ojiposite—the absence of rain 
duung the summer months, that gardeners amongst others 
are not likely to forget. 
Adequate provision is often made, but not always, for 
a supply of water for domestic use, while the necessity 
yT, cultural purposes is overlooked. No one knows the 
difficulties attending a scarcity of water in gardens but 
those who have to endure it, nor the anxiety of mind 
experienced by gardeners when they see the crops on 
which they relied dwindling away—time, labour, and 
forethought being wasted in their production. An excess 
of rain cannot be jirevented, but a water famine may in 
most, if not all, cases be averted by a well devised system 
of water storage when it is in excess of immediate re¬ 
quirements. One of the great wants of the times is the 
provision of receptacles for water capable of holding all 
that falls from the roofs of buildings in and near gardens 
in localities where the natural supply is apt to fail, and 
pi ovision is not made to meet that very serious contin¬ 
gency. If the necessity is forced on the minds of pro¬ 
prietors of gardens, and steps are taken to prevent waste 
in times of plenty, the disappointment of the past will 
vanish, and assurance be felt of safety for the future in 
respect to this most important matter. 
Another source of misunderstandings has not been 
absent during the year—indeed, it has possibly been more 
pronounced than before—namely, the realised value of gar- 
den produce. From causes not far to seek the commercial 
spirit is abroad, and a widespread desire has been evinced 
by owners of gardens to endeavour to either make them 
self-supporting, or to substantially reduce the outlay 
expended in their management. Reports have been read 
of extraordinary crops of fruit, and market prices have 
been consulted in estimating its value, a feeling of “ Why 
cannot we do the same?” becoming established in conse¬ 
quence. “ I see we have so many bunches of Grapes in 
this house weighing so many pounds, and these at Covent 
Garden prices will fetch so much money; sell the crop, 
or what we do not want, but don’t let the best go.” That 
is not an unfamiliar instruction to gardeners; but what 
is the result ? This : Retaining the best and selling the 
relatively inferior brings down the real value of the pro¬ 
duce. so low that it is scarcely worth sending to market, 
and instead of 2s. or 3s. a pound expected, perhaps 4d. 
or 6d. is returned, or even less if the market is over¬ 
stocked. 
Yery much the same disappointing results have been 
experienced by the sale of flowers and vegetables as re¬ 
presenting the surplus of private gardens. It is not suffi¬ 
ciently comprehended that such produce as a rule is 
below, and often far below, the best grades grown pur¬ 
posely for market, and only the best can bring even fairly 
good prices. It should also be remembered that garden 
produce of whatever kind may look well at home, but 
when placed by the side of that of the best trade growers 
in Co vent Garden loses value seriously by comparison, 
and may be and often is practically unsaleable. 
It requires to be further stated as a matter of con¬ 
siderable moment to “private growers” and tbeir 
employers that the published prices of wares in Covent 
Garden cannot be taken as a safe basis of computing the 
value of crops at home. Granting that the prices are as 
accurately recorded as possible, there is such an extra¬ 
ordinary difference in the merit of consignments when 
placed on sale that it is quite impossible to estimate their 
value in advance. And not only so, but the supply 
No. 2048.—Yol. LXXYH., Old Series. 
