380 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
t May 10,188ft 
have ceased flowering. This may appear to be pruning with a 
vengeance, but it is not so. It is owing to the absence of vigorous 
pruning like this that so many Marhchal Kiel Roses fail to retain their 
heathiness and capacity for producing not only abundance of blooms, 
but of good qualitj' also. Directly the Roses are pruned they will be 
encouraged to break freely, and to produce even stronger and better 
growth for next season’s flowering than they have this. 
Samples of blooms have been sent you, I believe, Mr. Editor, and you 
will consequently be able to judge as to their quality and the soundness 
of Mr. Trollope's practice in Rose culture.—A Kektish Gardener. 
[The blooms both in substance and colour are all that can be 
desired. We have also seen the plants, which are most creditable to 
Mr. Trollope and his predecessor, Mr. T. W. Sanders, who planted and 
tended them in their early stages of growth. AVe have not seen better 
results after one season’s growth than as represented by these Marhchal 
Niels on Briar stocks.] 
BELGIAN WORK AND WAYS. 
More than the usual number of “ Britishers ” will probably visit Bel¬ 
gium this j’ear on the occasion of the general Exhibition that is to be 
held in Brussels through the summer. In connection with that display 
of the world’s goods a series of flower shows will be provided on the 
dates mentioned on page 339. One of these, according to the pro¬ 
gramme, appears to be of an extensive character, and may be expected 
to be fairly representative of Belgian horticulture at that period of the 
year. The gaiden-loving public who contemplate a trip across the water 
will naturally arrange the time when a floral exhibition is held in the 
beautiful city referred to. A short sojourn in Belgium is very pleasant 
for persons who have not yet travelled beyond their native shores, and 
also for those who have. To the first the experience will be totally new, 
while those who have had a previous glimpse will “ find their way 
about ” more readily on a revisit, and on that account their touring will 
not be the less agreeable. The facilities for travelling are now so great, 
and the benefits of a change of scene and society so fully recognised 
not only by the “ faculty,” but almost by everybody, that ever-increasing 
numbers indulge in short or long continental trips, according to the 
time and means at disposal, and it is well known by those who occa¬ 
sionally take long journeys at home that they can go “ abroad ” at less 
cost than by crossing from one side of the land to the other within 
our seagirt isle. 
Broadly speaking, hotel charges are somewhat lower in Belgium than 
in England, with the exception that the continentals “put it on” for 
soap when travellers do not “ find themselves ” with that indispensable 
article of civilisation. As regards railway travelling, second class fares 
do not much exceed third class in England, nor ought they, for the 
carriages are not nearly so comfortable ; and Englishmen who are 
in the habit of “ going third ” at home because there is not a fourth, 
seem inclined to raise themselves a step in the social scale abroad, and 
loll in second class carriages even if they do not luxuriate in “ firsts.” 
However, they will find polite civility everywhere, and as the railway 
fares are printed on the tickets the matter of charge is simplified when 
the value of the “ pieces ” is understood, and this is stamped on most, 
if not all of them, in francs and centimes, a hundred of the latter 
making one of the former ; so hotel and other bills are in two columns 
simply, instead of the more complex and familiar £ s. d. M’hen an 
English gardener changes £2 or £3 sterling into Belgian small silver 
coins, he seems to have a pocketful of monej', for he obtains 25 francs, 
that remind him of shillings, for a sovereign, or fifty coins of half the 
value that he can fancy are sixpences. There are also 2 franc and 
5 franc pieces in silver, and 5 centime and 10 centime coins in copper, 
and the latter also in smaller white metal. These for practical pur¬ 
poses correspond to our halfpennies and pennies, but are not quite of 
equal value. All this is very familiar to many readers, but not to all. 
and as there are always gardeners going to Belgium for the first time 
these simplicities will be indulgently passed by those who know them 
for the sake of those who do not. 
It is somewhat of a mistake in writing to suppose that everybody is 
acquainted with the trifles that pertain to a subject, hence so much 
soaring over the heads of those who really need the precise information 
that is left out. Can it be that some of those who essay to enlighten 
are fearful lest the plainness of their teaching should be taken as the 
measure of their own capacity ? If so, the sooner sueh vain notions 
are cast overboard the better into the sea of crude absurdities. I am 
practising what I preach, so just one word more about money. An English 
sovereign is a passport everywhere. It is more eloquent than the tongue 
often, and better understood in a foreign land, while any Belgian cab¬ 
man, so far as I know, will take an English shilling in lieu of a native 
franc without grumbling ; but if you in ignorance do not pay the 
coachee quite enough, and he does not understand your language nor 
you his, he will contrive to impress on you by his attitude what he 
means, and it is more likely than not that his blandishments will ex¬ 
tract from you a trifle more than he expects. You will then have the 
satisfaction of seeing a man happy. But if these useful members of 
society once get hold of money they have a habit of keeping it, and of 
course they get hold when they can. If a likely passenger is seen land¬ 
ing and hails a cab, a second man is apt to jump on the box and assist 
in a general way if he can find anything to do; but if when arriving at 
the journey’s end you pay a little extra to the coachee under the im¬ 
pression that he will pass a moiety to his friend, you may depend on it 
he will not, or at least that is the idea conveyed in expressive gosticu 
lations by the attendant, who is most reluctant to leave you. His attach¬ 
ment seems almost touching at that particular moment, but tip him half 
a franc and he smiles his adieu, and 1 believe would know you again and 
greet you joyfully five years hence if he caught you stepping on the 
shores of his native land. The point, then, to remember is this, if at 
footman out of uniform will join the coachman to see to your things, the 
plan is not to pay one what is enough for both, as you will have to- 
pay the other all the same unless you wish to keep him near you for a 
longer time than may perhaps be convenient. 
No one should cross the water without knowing where to go. Wan¬ 
dering about hotel hunting is a thankless task, and does not always 
end satisfactorily, and it is best to secure “ quarters” before leaving home. 
A choice can be found in the continental Bradshaw, which is useful to 
have when moving about. The chief cities of Belgium are not far 
apart, an express train running between any two of them in about an 
hour, so a great deal may be seen in a short time. There are various 
ways of reaching the busy little kingdom, but only one method—crossing 
the water. The timid who hesitate to do this must wait till the Channel 
tunnel is open, and wlien that will be no one knows, for there does not 
appear to be any great hurry about it. I for one would rather go over 
the sea than under it, and a journey from London to Antwerp is as safe 
as one from London to Manchester. Of course a person crossing the 
water may be a little upset, especially if he invites an attack of mal de 
mer, and perhaps if he does not, but there is a great deal in anticipation. 
If a person thinks he will bo “ bad,” and feels as if it were “ coming 
on ” before he goes aboard, he maj^ not have long to wait; but if he 
neither thinks nor cares anything about it, the probability is that he wil? 
pass over as right as the mail. 
On my last journeys out and home again, not one out of the many 
passt ngei-s, so far as I could see and hear, suSered the slightest incon¬ 
venience, and most of them appeared to have very good appetites. This 
reminds me of a table episode. Not many persons who know what a 
good dinner they can have in the saloon of a Great Eastern steamer for 
3s. 6d. will waste time in dining ashore before the evening departure 
from Antwerp. At the table was an American gentleman not in the least 
taciturn. He wanted “ more Peas,” which are not usually very plentiful 
in April, and because the dish was getting empty he somewhat rashly 
concluded there were no more aboard, and talked loudly of “ imposi¬ 
tion,” and kept talking just long enough, for at an opportune moment 
when about concluding his peroration, a dish containing enough for ten 
people was quietly set before him. He was “ done,” and knew it, as 
everybody else did, and perhaps because he knew that too his appetite 
seemed to leave him, and he thought he would go on deck and “ have a 
smoke.” There is no stint of food on a well appointed steamer, for 
there, if anywhere, the best seems most abundant, and it is quite certain 
that for once in his life our lively voyager had enough Peas. 
There is not much of Belgian work and ways in this part of the 
narrative, and, bar the Peas, little in connection with gardening. Never 
mind. Everything cannot be told at once, and besides, I once wrote some 
gossipy out-of-the-way articles of this nature, and plenty of evidence 
was forthcoming that they were at least as acceptable to a number of 
readers as dry details about digging and planting, watering and venti¬ 
lating, keeping up heat and keeping down insects. The severely prac¬ 
tical and sadly sober-minded who are only happy with their noses on 
the grindstone, can skip what they do not like in this column and turn 
to the solid fare they will find in others before and after it. A little 
light reading is a relief to many after a hard day’s labour, and as some 
of them have fully too much of land working they will not object to 
be taken to sea for a change, and to learn something of what they may 
expect to see and experience when they set sail for a short trip to the 
Continent. Desiring to see the most abroad in the shortest possible 
time from home, I, like many others, leave London at 8 P.M., rush down 
to Harwich, step on board the steamer sailing at 10, and landing at 
Antwerp after breakfast next morning, ready for a day’s ramble. By 
writing or wiring the steward beforehand you will find your berth 
reserved, this avoiding confusion that arises when a crowd of passengers 
are clamouring for room, all wanting attending to at once, and every¬ 
body first. The steamers are large and most comfortable, equalling in 
every way well appointed hotels, the electric light in every compartment, 
while the attention of the officials to the wants and even the foibles of 
passengers leaves nothing to be desired. All do not “ turn in ” at once, 
but some want this and others that, all appearing to get what they wish, 
then a march on deck, long or short, according to the weather, and one 
after another vanishes. The last trip was as smooth and quiet as a first- 
class railway carriage, and the passengers slept so well that not one was 
on deck to see the sun rise majestically as if out of the water. I was the 
first on dock for the ozone, and Flushing was in view. We had crossed 
the sea without knowing it, and henceforth our course was up the 
■■ Scheldt, the river pilot twisting his way about till the famous cathedral 
spire of Antwerp was in view, and which we passed, “ slowing” for the 
pier, an hour afterwards, every watch on board that was right on 
leaving home and had kept good time on the way, being twenty minutes 
behind. 
If you want to go to Ghent from Antwerp you land close to the 
station of the Pays de Waes line, only the start is on a steamer for 
crossing the river. If you wish to go to Brussels, it will be a wonder if 
a train is not waiting alongside. We do not step into trains in Belgium, 
but climb up. The Belgians head us in some things, especially by 
twenty minutes in the morning, but they are behind us in others, 
and have not yet provided raised platforms, and it is quite a struggle 
with some passengers to take their seats. I took mine in a cab, aiui 
