Jannary 19, 18S8. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
45 
substantial return in a few years if properly planted and the trees not 
left to ruin each other through overcrowding. 
Sevebal letters have appeared denoting a little uneasiness among 
under gardeners, while some of the •“ heads ” do not seem to be alto¬ 
gether comfortable. It is no use mincing matters nor attempting to 
hide existing facts. There have always been a few greedy and exacting 
gardeners out of the many who are just the reverse, and there have 
always been namby-pamby youngsters who think they “do all the work” 
while everybody else gets all the plums and the praise. I could relate 
some rather curious experiences on this subject. I have heard of one 
generous member of the craft winning a valuable cup and a good round 
sum giving the money to his youthful helper ; and’ of another—well, I 
will not say just now exactly what I have heard about him—but to put 
it mildlj', he does not treat his subordinates with half the consideration 
that his master shows towards him. In my opinion, and I have had 
experience on both sides of the question, when a gardener is allowed to 
make all he can at shows, and keep it, he should not press on his 
assistants too hardly nor work them excessively in season and out of 
season for his own profit, and these in turn should not indulge in “ great 
expectations,” but be content ■with a little of the encouragement that 
may and should be given, and which in many cases is readily granted 
in some form or other, this at the same time stimulating to further 
effort and sweetening labour. This is a subject on which very calm 
reflection is needed on both sides, and each should endeavour to grasp 
all the circumstances of the case, then act in accordance with the spirit 
of the grand old rule, the fairest and the most just that can be adduced, 
of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. If the 
men could think the matter over fully from the master’s standpoint, 
and the masters look at it from the men’s position, no harm could be 
done, while there would at least be the possibility of good resulting. 
JEDGING from what is not infrequently heard, I think I must be a 
little differently constituted from some who have a good desire to share 
in the literature of gardening, inasmuch as while they “ cannot find 
anything to write about,” I can find a great deal more than I can deal 
with. Here I am, not half way through one issue of the Journal, and 
must stop my pen, even with one of the best articles before me—that on 
packing fruit by Mr. Pettigrew. It is rare indeed to find a subject, 
however ably handled, exhaustively treated and leaving nothing more 
to be said. Thought gives birth to thought, and mind influences mind, 
impressions being formed either in harmony with or antipathy to those 
recorded, for reasons which if adduced would add to the common stock 
of knowledge. But this cannot be done without effort, at least I cannot 
“ knock off ” a series of notes, however simple they may be, without 
some deliberation, and I only regret that more cannot be given very 
often for reducing their crudity. I am not a believer in the “ born 
genius ” theory. With the exception of about one in ten millions a 
man is what he makes himself, whether a genius or a fool, or the im¬ 
personality of any grade between, and there is not an intelligent 
aspirant who reads these notes who cannot, if he tries, not fitfully, but 
perseveringly, soon reach what many a ripe gardener has attained—a 
higher grade in the ranks, the fighting ranks if you will, of the army of 
horticulturists, than is occupied by—and here is the new and neutral 
sign manual for 1888—Spectatob. 
P-S. — In reference to the observations of a leading gardener 
on page 27 last week, and my thoughts thereon, let me say that I have 
often noticed when a judge in summing up a case highly compliments 
one of the advocates at the outset, the flattered man is almost sure to 
lose in the end, and therefore I shall not be surprised if I have to play 
second fiddle to this same leading gardener before the year is out. 
Let us hope we shall both, and all others, keep in tune.—S. 
HYBRIDISING AND CROSS-FERTILISATION. 
CARNATIONS. 
Refebbing to your report of the American Commission at Chicago 
on the above subject, which appeared in your issues of the l.oth and 
29th ultimo, Mr. C. T. Starr speaks of the Carnation in particular and 
his experience in cross-fertilisation in America, allow me to confirm 
some of his notes as to the same work on this side the Atlantic. Follow¬ 
ing upon the scientific researches of Professor Charles Darwin and the 
hints given in that able work of Dr. J. E. Taylor’s “ Flowers, their 
Origin. Design, &c.,” I noticed the most able natural fertilisers of the 
Carnation are the humble bees (Bombus terrestris). It seems as 
far as I have noticed that the hive bees have not power sufficient to 
open the petals to get to the nectaries. Whether the night moths 
(lepidoptera) work these flowers with their powerful long probosces or 
not I have not been able to ascertain, but it is evident to me it would 
require more than the .strength of the hive bee to do so. It is certain 
that after the visit of the humble bee to a flower it is no use for show, 
for it makes a hole in the centre, disarranging the petals so much that 
they cannot be re-arranged by dressing. Having raised twelve 
seedlings of some merit during the last five years from purchased seed, 
and having a dark crimson “ Gipsy King ” of a strong robust constitu¬ 
tion, smooth, stout petalled, very florifetous, and throwing grass so 
early that layers struck as soon as flowered in August may be hloomed 
as early as the end of November under glass, equal to the summer 
bloom ; I made this the male and took “ The Governor” as the female 
plant. Three days after fertilising I found the petals of the female 
beginning to curl, and they soon became disarranged, and having con¬ 
cluded that they were no longer needed, the power of the sap having 
been diverted to the growth of the seed and supplying nutriment to 
the ovaries, I removed the petals, a few daily, soon leaving the seed pod 
freed from any material likely to cause it to damp ; on the other hand 
I left a few others with the petals in them. The result was that the pods 
of the latter damped, but the others soon developed into large pods of 
seed. I gathered six pods of this same cross on the 1st October, three 
of which I fertilised on one division of the pistil, and the other three 
on both, and these I am keeping distinct, as I anticipate a different re¬ 
sult. I sowed the seed after exposing it three days on a sunny shelf, 
and in four days after sowing I was surprised to find nearly every seed 
had germinated, and have now nearly 400 plants, 2 inches high, pricked 
off into boxes and placed on a top shelf near to the glass in a cool 
house, where they continue strong and sturdy, I intend potting singly 
in February and removing to a cold frame, and expect them to bloom 
from August to October this year. This would bear out Mr. Starr’s ex¬ 
perience. except that I am in advance of Mr. Starr by four months, and 
I may add the experiment was upon plants in the open ground and 
not under glass. The result I shall be pleased to send you in Sep¬ 
tember, and by then be able to accord a cross with “ Mary Morris,” a 
plant raised last year, just bloomed, deeper in colour, larger, and of the 
two more robust. I append a few short notes as to growth, &c., for 
amateurs. 
How TO Gbow and Show Cabnations and Picotees.— Soil .— 
Stiff loam or decayed turf three parts, leaf mould one part, mix road 
grit or coarse sand to render it open. 
Potting. —Pot in the above, keep them in a cold frame during winter, 
giving air in open weather, plant in border (or shift into larger pots) in 
April. 
Staliing. —Use two sticks, tie round same with bast, resting the stem, 
between. 
Water. —They should never want water. In dry weather water 
twice a day (if needed). In continuous dry weather put a little moss 
or cocoa-nut fibre refuse round the roots to produce continual 
humidity. 
Manure. —When buds are forming the only manure should be liquid 
from sheeps’ droppings or cowdung twice a week. Avoid .all artificial 
manures. These and strong liquid make the colours run. 
Preparing for Show. —Preserve a leading bud, pinch off second and 
third so as to force strength into first bud. If buds begin to split, cut 
the calyx down slightly at each division to kelp equal bursting. 
Bressmg. —But little is needed to a good flower. The guard petals 
should be flat, smooth, and flower round, the others should be arranged 
evenly to overlap the divisions of the under ones. Bone tweezers are best 
for this purpose, which should be made warm as the dressing is done. 
Quality of Flowers for Show.—l, Roundness. 2, Smoothness of 
petal. 3, Even colour. 4, Brightness of colour. 5, Depth of flower. 
The inner petals should be well up. 
Showing.— Show on cards 3 inches in diameter, with round holes cut 
to the centre. Some put a second ring not quite so large, and cut in 
slits in the centre, and this if forced up over the lower part of the 
calyx will set the flower up off the box. Flowers should be equal in 
size (if possible), the largest (if any) in the back row. The box must be 
made sloping 4 inches high at the back, 3 inches at front, holes for cups 
3J^ inches apart each way. Arrange the colours so that one does not 
mar the others. 
Crossing. —If in pots, these should be at least 6 inches over. If out 
of doors in border (it is best to have some of both), see that the ground 
is turned in winter to be seasoned by frost and mix in leaf mould, 
cow dung, and road grit or burnt ashes (or turf if the ground is light).— 
W. Gilbebt, Bishop's Waltham. 
WHITE CUCUMBER. 
I BEG to bring to your notice a white Cucumber, which I have 
grown this last summer. It is known that the Vegetable Marrow will 
produce both green and white fruit from the seeds of a green fruit, or 
vice versa; but I am not aware th.at this peculiarity in the origin of 
different coloured fruits has been shown to occur in the Cucumber 
plant. But this last summer, as I have said, I had the satisfaction of 
seeing the seeds of a green Cucumber give rise to plants which bore 
white and green fruit; and the following are the facts connected with 
that occurrence. 
For several years I have grown the long prickly Cucumber out of 
doors, and have" obtained seed for the following year. In 1880 the seed 
was obtained as usual ; but the plants springing from it yielded this last 
summer both green and white fruit in about equal proportion, and of 
equal size. I allowed one of each kind to ripen, and with the seed of the 
white one I shall experiment next season to see whether the plants will 
yield only white fruit, or mixed white and green fruit, or whether the 
fruit will revert to the original type—the green Cucumber. 
Probably this sport of Nature may not be new to you, though it is un¬ 
common to me ; but I forward to you some seeds of the white sort, by 
which experiments can be made by anyone who his an interest in 
watching the result.—G eo. Vineb Ellis. 
