120 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 9. 1888 
stifling lodgings in London to which so many had come, tempted by 
higher wages to “ better themselves,” even at the risk, often a deplorable 
reality, of being half of their time out of employment. It is to the 
advantage of all to keep the workers on the land for developing its 
resources, and if this cannot be done in the best manner in large tracts 
it can be in smaller plots, and in the parishes visited the clergy were 
taking an active interest in encouraging garden culture and providing 
plots of land for their humbler neighbours. 
It was very noticeable that the offering of prizes for the best kept 
and cropped gardens was exerting a wholesome influence in stimulating 
effort. The gardens in competition were remarkably neat and closely 
cropped, and very few of the others were wholly neglected, as only the 
most careless of persons are contented to remain very far behind their 
neighbours in the condition of their home surroundings. Field allot¬ 
ments were also found splendidly cultivated, and it was pleasing to see 
that the rector of the parish (Durloy) took as much pride in them as 
did the tillers themselves. But what about the Elephants ? It is 
scarcely necessary to say that these are Potatoes. 
It is surprising how far and how widely the White Elephant Potato 
has spread. It is evidently a great favourite with cottagers. In 
northern and southern gardens we find its culture extending, and in the 
Hampshire plots it preponderated over all other varieties. Large 
luxuriant breadths were seen everywhere, and could not be mistaken, 
covered as they were with great bunches of white flowers, rising above 
the spreading walnut-like leaves, and producing in the mass quite an 
imposing effect. But do all the growers know that when the blossoms 
set and seed berries swell to maturity, that they will check the growth 
of tubers if the so-called “apples” are not removed? It will “pay” 
any cultivator to cut off the trusses when the flowers fade, and the 
sooner it is done the better the results will be. The ripening of such a 
large crop of seed takes as much plant nutriment out of the ground as 
the tubers do, while the seed is of no value, and practically represents 
waste. Clergymen who read these notes, as many will, if they have 
time and patience to do so, may do the peasantry of their parishes a 
good turn—at least those who have a heavy crop of seed on their White 
Elephant Potatoes—by advising them to take off the trusses at once. 
We now pass to another phase in these wanderings, and leave parsons, 
peasants, pigs, and Elephants to help each other in the economy of 
Tillage life. 
TWELVE HOURS OF JUDGING. 
The day that was entered on as a day of ease, lolling in a carriage, 
turned out a day of hard labour—pleasant labour, no doubt, yet ex¬ 
hausting. Does this raise a smile ? It is easy to imagine it may do so. 
Riding about from garden to garden judging hard work, pooh ! But has 
anyone who doubts tried it from half-past eight in the morning till 
beyond that time at night, rushing from parish to parish over forty 
miles of roads, pacing up and down forty-nine gardens, examining 
critically every crop, estimating its value, and recording it, finding in 
some gardens thirty varieties of vegetable and bush fruits to appraise ? 
If he has done this thoroughly, shirking nothing, he will think he has 
done a good day’s work if nobody else does, and be ready for a little rest 
at the end of it. It was most gratifying to see the admirable condition 
of many of these gardens, the careful cropping, admirable culture, the 
trimness, cleanness, and evident pride taken in them. The winners of 
the prizes were worthy of them, and it is a pity there were not a few 
more to award. 
The manner in which the judging was done may perhaps be sug¬ 
gestive to others interested in work of this nature. It is not advanced 
as by any means a perfect system, and if improvements can be proposed 
so much the better. It may be stated that, for the purpose of putting 
all the competitors on a level, the day of inspection was kept secret till 
the morning previous, on which day each competitor received a post¬ 
card, so that one evening only was allowed for trimming up. This had 
been taken advantage of, as might be seen by the freshly clipped hedges 
and general cleanliness of the paths and beds. The principle on which 
the judging was done differed somewhat from that which is generally 
followed. It is customary to give either three or six points as the 
standard of merit of all vegetables, and then as they fall from that 
standard to enter the figures accordingly. A standard of three marks 
is quite inadequate for working from, as the gradations in merit can¬ 
not be expressed with sufficient exactitude. A standard of six is far 
better ; but as all vegetables when grown in the t«est manner are not 
of equal service to cottagers, it is surely right to give more marks to 
the most useful kinds than to others that are not essential in cottage 
homes ; otherwise the man having the greatest number of varieties, 
whether of service or not, would, even if some were not well grown, 
score higher than another who grew a less number of the most ser¬ 
viceable and grew them all well. For instance, good Potatoes, Peas, 
and Cabbages are more worthy of honour in a cottage garden than 
Radishes, Beet, and Mustard and Cress. It was therefore determined 
to make eight the standard of merit for Potatoes, Cabbages, Peas, 
Broad Beans, Scarlet Runners, Onions, Turnips, Carrots, Parsnips, and 
Winter Greens, these including Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Savoys, and 
Kales, the same number of points being the maximum for order. For 
everything else, including bush fruits, six points represented the stan¬ 
dard of merit. The plan worked very well, but is open to improvement, 
if in no other way than making ten the maximum both for Potatoes and 
order, owing to their commanding importance, and probably other 
modifications might be made with advantage. The cultivation of flowers 
was encouraged by ranking them with the order of the vegetables, with' 
eight points as a maximum, a few flowers well tended making the village 
homes more bright and cheerful, though the primary object in country 
gardens is utility. The names of the prizewinners are not given, except in 
two cases, where the contest was very close for the champion prize for 
the best cropped and kept garden in the whole district. Both the gar¬ 
dens are in the Swanmore parish, and the manner in which the prize 
was won by Mr. C. Baker and lost by Mr. E. Ainsley is shown in the 
following figures, there being a difference of two points only between 
the competitors. The figures will also make clear the method of 
judging. 
' CHAMPION GARDEN PRIZE. 
The figures in the first column represent the points won by Mr, 
Baker ; in the second those won by Mr. Ainsley. 
Points of Merit. 
Varieties. 
Baker. 
Ainsley. 
Potatoes.. 
8 
8 
Cabbages 
• • • • 
2 
Teas 
10 
Broad Beans 
4 
Scarlet Runners . 
7 
I 
Onions, spring and autumn 
12 
Turnips .. ,, 
Carrots .. 
.. 
/> 
• . . . 
Parsnips.. 
.. 
.. •• 
4 
5- 
Winter Greens and Broccoli 
8 
Cauliflowers *. 
Vegetable Marrows 
• • •• 
6 
.. 
4 
Dwarf French Beans 
1 
Red Cabbage 
„ 
5 
Celery .. 
6 
Rhubarb 
1 
Cucumbers 
1 
2 
Parsley .. 
. . 
• • 
2 
Mint 
• • •• 
0 
Lettuce .. 
,, 
• • . . 
2 
Radishes .. 
1 
Mustard and Cress 
• • . . 
2 
Beet 
.. •• 
1 
1 
Tomatoes 
• • •• 
3 
Spinach .. .. 
Blackcurrants .. 
1 
4 
Red Currants .. 
• • •• 
1 
Gooseberries 
3 
4 
Raspberries 
• • •• 
0 
FlOWtTS .. 
6 
Order .. .. 
5 
5 
Shallots .. 
2 
5 
Leeks .. .. 
•• 
•* 
.. 
2 
• 
» 
121 
119 
It will be seen where the competitors were strong and weak respec¬ 
tively. It should be explained that two extra points were given for 
Peas in the first column. They were so extraordinarily fine that the 
addition was necessary in the interests of justice. Spring and winter 
Onions are added together in the columns ; in the judging Mr. Baker 
had seven points for the former and five for the latter, Mr. Ainsley 
having six and four respectively. Both men deserved medals for the 
excellence of their work. 
After spending a couple of days with Mr. Molyneux, pleasantly, and 
it is hoped not unprofitably, I thought I would go on a little exploring 
expedition to the Isle of Wight, and see if I could find Mr. C. Orchard. 
He was discovered in a delightfully situated house overlooking the Bay 
of Sandown. Another discovery was made—a ci-devant gardener, a 
gentleman who has wielded the spade and worked as hard as any reader 
of these notes, but now an alderman and magistrate, who drives his 
carriage and pair on land and runs his steam yacht on the sea, who will) 
one day be an M.P. if he can obtain votes enough ; but he is a true 
gardener still, in full sympathy with the craft, and gives its accredited 
representatives a genuine grip and greeting. Mr. Orchard is his frier.d 
and helper in a great work ; he is the master of a harbour and appears 
to be the controller of a railway, over which he gave me a free pass 
during my sojourn in the Isle—unfortunately too short, the rain driving 
me home, but only, I hope, to go again another day. But who is this 
ex-gardener ? It must suffice to say at present that he has worked his 
way upwards by his ability, high character, and indomitable perseverance,. 
I will hope to tell who he is and show what he is like another day.— 
A AVanderer. 
NOTES ON FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Auriculas. —In one sense the cold weather we have experienced 
in what is regarded as the hottest month of the year (July) has been 
favourable for a plant which, like the Auricula, dislikes heat. My 
frames, quietly ensconsed at the back of a hedge and facing north, have 
been delightfully cool, and the plants have evidently rejoiced in it - T 
but there is another side to the question. Are not the plants just grow¬ 
ing a little too well, and may we not expect a considerable amount of 
autumn blooming ? That at any rate was Mr. Ben Simonite’s opinion 
when I was talking the matter over with him at the Carnation Show, 
and I can hope that his anticipations may not be realised, but he is too 
intelligent an observer to make one think lightly of any opinion he puts 
forward. Of course greater care will be necessary in the matter of 
watering during the cold and dripping weather that we have experi¬ 
enced for so long. The plants must not be allowed to flag, but they 
should not be so liberally supplied with water as in ordinary seasons. I 
repotted mine during June, somewhat later than usual, and found in so 
