October 11, .'8SS. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
327 
7 HATEYER divergence of opinion may have existed on the 
action of the Royal Horticultural Society in the conduct of 
its affairs, there can be nothing but unanimity in respect to the 
decision arrived at in having periodical conferences at Chiswick on 
■subjects of importance to the general community. The greatest 
success ever achieved by the Society was in holding the Apple 
Congress in the renowned Gardens a few years ago, the measure of 
that success being determined by the demand for the “ Report ” 
that was subsequently published. The Pear Congress was interest¬ 
ing and instructive, but essentially less useful, but only because of 
the intrinsic difference between the two kinds of fruits, one being 
largely a luxury for the palate, the other an important article of 
food. 
The coming Conference will be in the nature of a combination 
—a combination of excellencies it ought to be, seeing that the col¬ 
lections of fruits staged will be selections, and thus representing 
t’le best varieties in cultivation in the best manner the season 
' allows. From the nature of the conditions the exhibition cannot 
be expected to approach in magnitude its two predecessors, but it 
should excel them greatly in average of merit. Than some of the 
specimens that were staged when all varieties were invited, we 
cannot expect to see finer next week, and possibly, having regard to 
the inclement summer, the best may not equal the premier dishes 
of former years ; but an enormous quantity of inferior fruit was 
of necessity sent to those gatherings (and rightly sent considering 
their nature) that ought to be absent from the collections of the 
present year. 
The concentration of effort on the subject of fruit production 
and disposal cannot fail to be of great value, not to a section but to 
the general community. The isolated action of individuals no 
longer suffices in these competition-of-the-world days to keep us 
abreast of the times, and competent to meet the best products of 
other lands, raised and placed in our markets under a system of 
combination of resources. The old time-worn habit of personal 
and trade jealousies must no longer stand in the way of general 
advancement, but all must combine in contributing to a common 
fund of knowledge for a common object—developing the resources 
of the soil, and placing before consumers better supplies of life 
necessities than they can obtain elsewhere. That this can be done 
hi the case of many of our hardy fruits is certain, and we have no 
doubt will be done eventually, but the object cannot be accom¬ 
plished in a season. 
The great desideratum is to ascertain right lines of procedure, 
which, if followed perseveringly and systematically, can only have 
one result, and that a good one. A community of effort, though 
seemingly antagonistic to personal endeavour, is not really so. 
There will be the same scope for wholesome individual rivalry as 
before, and this will be stimulated rather than suppressed by the 
c msciousness that each knows the other's opportunities for acquiring 
information on matters in which all are interested. It is the apti¬ 
tude of turning knowledge to account in which differences will and 
must be found ; but the striving for excellence will be all the same 
stimulated, and the aggregate advantages accruing from informal, 
yet effective, co-operation cannot fail to be both seen and felt as 
time rolls on. Harmony of action amongst individuals working in 
No. 433.—Vol. XVII., Thibd Series. 
the same cause for the same eni, ombined avith personal rivalry 
are the lines on which to work if we would attain t > a position of 
supremacy as producers of life necessities for a teeming and ever- 
increasing population. 
To accomplish this we even welcome rivalry, friendly and 
pleasant, in conferences, and this we have. The Crystal Palace 
meetings have done much good, and those at Chiswick must do 
much more, and the results of both will leave us the richer, while 
neither of the agencies can be weakened by the efforts made in work 
that is in every way so commendable. 
The days of shows—bare shows-something to see and little 
more—have ceased to be satisfying, and it was a happy idea to 
associate with them meetings for the reading of essays and discus¬ 
sions thereon, and the earnestness, not to say the enthusiasm, dis¬ 
played at the first of these gatherings at Sydenham showed 
conclusively what is wanted by the horticultural community ; and 
having regard to the subjects to be advanced at Chiswick next 
week and the character of the authors an equal success may be 
hoped for in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society. 
PREPARING FOR WINTER. 
Cultivators of gardens cannot have mu eh to say in favour of 
1888. As a rule it has been unfavourable for all. The spring was 
very late and backward, and there was no real summer. The 
autumn since about the beginning of September has been better 
and vegetation has been matured considerably, but a severe winter 
would soon show that much of it was far from being in sound con¬ 
dition, and it will require careful preparation to guard against 
blanks and failures. Holly and other berries are very plentiful. 
Some say these indicate a severe winter, but I do not place any 
reliance in the assertion, as I have frequently noticed the indication 
is not verified : but on the morning of October 2nd we had suffi¬ 
cient frost to blacken the leaves of Dahlias, Yegetable Marrows, 
and Kidney Beans, and I cannot disregard what this denotes. I can 
see plainly it will be prudent to prepare for winter in good time, 
and October is the month when this ought to be done. 
Being a kitchen gardener, and knowing how important it is to 
have a good supply of vege;able3 during the winter, I give these 
attention first. Many have mistaken ideas about weeds in the 
kitchen garden. They are of opinion if the crops are well 
surrounded with them in autumn and winter that they will 
prevent the frost doing harm, but they are the worst of all 
shelters; indeed, they are injurious, as they make the plants very 
tender. The best way of guarding against the frost and wet doing 
harm is to expose the plants fully in autumn ; then they are 
hardened and matured, and it is astonishing how much they will 
stand after that. 
Dead leaves are no advantage about the plants. They retain 
the moisture around the stems, and wet plants always suffer more 
from frost than when they are caught quite dry. I therefore re¬ 
commend that the dead leaves be removed from everything. 
Some may say, Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts, Curly Greens, and 
Savoys are hardy enough, and in their case it doe3 not matter, but 
it is as important that the dead leaves be cleared from these as 
from anything else. 
Lettuces and Endive should be lifted and stored in frames. If 
the plants are small give them some good soil to grow in ; if large, 
and not likely to grow much more, plant them in sand or fine ashes, 
as they will not suffer from damp so much in these as in soil. 
Store Onions in a dry room or shed. Take up Beetroot, cut the 
leaves off about 4 inches from the crown, and store under cover 
amongst sand or ashes. The material should not be too damp, as it 
may generate decay, and if too dry it is apt to make the roots 
shrivel. Carrots may be stored in the same way, but it is only 
those that are fully grown, or the main crop, that should be stored. 
Late-sown ones that have not gained full size must not be taken up, 
No. 203 '.).— Vol. LXXIX., Old Series. 
