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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 20, 1891. 
columns, the middle of which was laid out as a garden, and beyond this 
lay the private garden, also surrounded by columns. Pliny’s “ Natural 
History ” was published about 77. On intimate terms with Vespasian, 
his knowledge may be said to embrace that of the world known at that 
period. 
Columella’s book on gardens, already alluded to, contains the 
most correct information on Roman horticulture of the first century A.D. 
Martial, born at Bilbilis in Celtiberia, 43 a.d., went to Rome when 
young, where he continued to reside during the reigns of Nero, Galba, 
and Domitian, the latter making his circumstances easy, showing the 
importance the Roman emperors attached to horticulture and agricul¬ 
ture. But though Martial treated of Roman horticulture, he was a 
native of Spain, and the first civilised nation who made a descent on 
the peninsula and founded settlements were the Phoenicians. The first 
inhabitants in historic times appear to have been Iberians, extending 
beyond the Pyrenees into Gaul as far as the Rhone, and to these after¬ 
wards were joined certain tribes of Celts, who succeeded in making a 
settlement for themselves, and in process of time the two races amal¬ 
gamated into one, and were named Celtiberians, of which Martial was 
a representative. Columella also was of the some stock, and Pliny, as 
already stated, was Procurator of Spain, and it is significant that these 
are the most important, except the learned Varro of the Roman writers 
on husbandry; in fact Columella makes no secret of the fact that Roman 
arts in tilling the soil was derived from the Carthaginians, and their 
invasion of Spain took place about 238 b.c. Spanish national literature, 
however, does not begin until the twelfth century, therefore we must 
accept the conclusion that Rome attracted all the famous of its time, 
and stood foremost in knowledge and experience in the horticultural 
art—gleaned it, no doubt, from other countries. Just as Herodotus, 
who explored all countries between Egypt and the Straits of Gibraltar, 
brought knowledge of Carthaginian soil and its tillage to the Greeks to 
appear in Hesiod, so the Roman Senate, by its edict to translate all 
Carthaginian works into Latin, brought tillage of the soil to the Romans, 
and preserved to us in the writings of Columella. Carthage dates 878 
B.C., was founded by the Phoenicians, and, according to tradition, Dido, 
fleeing from Tyre, came to this country, whose inhabitants agreed to give 
her as much land as could be compassed by an ox-hide. Dido cut the hide 
into small thongs, with which she enclosed a large piece of land. Thus 
Carthage bears a close resemblance in her rise to our colonies. The 
immediate wants of the city must be provided for by the cultivation of 
the surrounding territory. So it was at Carthage, so it is with all 
emigrants—they must live, and they cannot subsist without tilling the 
ground. 
Rome ceased to rely on its own soil, deriving supplies from savage 
Britain, and with neglect of cultivation Roman soil products declined. 
It got into few r hands, became labour-starved. The Empire marked the 
climax of its prosperity and the beginning of its downfall, but in its hey¬ 
day Rome was famous for its gardens. Its population in the reign of 
Augustus 1,300,000, in that of Trajan 2,000,000. 
The open spaces in ancient Rome were numerous, and set apart for 
various purposes. What concerns our subject is the campi, open places 
covered with grass, which served for popular assemblies, public pro¬ 
cessions, for the exercise of the youth in arms, and for the burning of 
the dead bodies. Except for the latter, and by substituting play for 
arms, the Roman campi correspond to our parks ; but arese applied to 
open spaces generally, and put to no particular use, as squares in front 
of palaces and temples. Campus Martius was outside the city, the 
seven-hilled of Servius Tullius, the upper bend of the Tiber enclosing a 
large alluvial flat, and the most celebrated, the Campus Esquilinus 
being on the east of the town, and converted by Mecaenas, in great part, 
into pleasure grounds attached to his palace. 
The most magnificent gardens were those of Lucullus, already 
mentioned; Julius Cassar had splendid gardens, also Maecenas and 
Heliogabalus. Campania, a province of ancient Italy, on account of its 
natural curiosities, including Vesuvius, the Phlegraean fields, the Lake 
of Avernus, and the fertility of its soil, was a favourite resort of the 
ancient Romans. There they built grand country houses and had 
■splendid gardens, with Vines forming a canopy overhead, and everything 
beautiful, delightful, and fruitful borne by its fertile soil. “ There,” 
exclaims Goethe, “ it is worth while to till the ground.” That is the 
recorded verdict in all time, whether wealthy citizens have resort to it 
for health and recreation, or poor emigrants for a living. Our emigrant 
progeny in the United States and most every colony settled from this 
country “ till the ground” so effectively that its products are placed in 
our markets at prices starving out the home grower ; more, the small 
holder of land in France, Belgium, &c., places butter, eggs, and fruit at 
the command of consumers on more acceptable terms than the large, 
labour-starved holdings of this country. These need the emigrant—the 
“ tiller of the ground.” That is w y here Rome failed. She founded no 
colonies—no United States, no Australia—secured none in tilling the 
•soil and reaping the reward of their labour.—G. Abbey, 
(To be continued.) 
FAVOURITE FLOWER BEDS. 
It unfortunately happens that the majority of bedding plants 
which produce showy flowers lack perfume, without which they 
cannot be really perfect, and the charms of any flower garden are 
greatly enhanced if, while the eye feasts on the glowing colours 
around, the delightful fragrance of scented flowers mingles with 
the air. This can be accomplished to a certain extent by having 
small beds at intervals filled with scented flowers; but I think 
there is plenty of room for improving upon that plan, by planting 
more mixed beds, in which sweet-scented and showy flowers are 
judiciously combined. Two large beds planted on that principle 
in the flower garden here are much admired and appreciated. 
They were sown with Mignonette in May, and at bedding-out time 
the seedlings were a couple of inches high. Thinking so large a mass 
without any blight colour near to enliven it would rather spoil the 
effect of the flower garden as a whole, we planted good examples 
of Henry Jacoby Pelargonium at intervals of 20 inches among the 
Mignonette, and as the young seedlings increased in size a few 
were removed so as to give the “Geraniums” plenty of room, and 
any shoots that showed signs of growing very strongly were stopped. 
As soon as the Mignonette began flowering, a number of sweet- 
scented Mignonette spikes were obtained for filling glasses. These 
were removed from places where they were becoming crowded, and 
from around the Pelargoniums. All points considered these beds 
are quite a success, and I would advise others to give them a trial 
next year. It would be interesting if several readers of the Journal 
would describe what they consider favourite flower beds.—D. W. 0. 
A GIGANTIC VEGETABLE AND FLOWER SHOW. 
The Show held at the Crystal Palace last Saturday in connection 
with the annual Co-operative Festival was not only of extraordinary 
magnitude, but of remarkable excellence. The tables were not quite so 
crowded as they were last year, but the products were decidedly better; 
indeed, taking into account the extent and quality of the exhibits it is 
questionable if such a show has ever been seen. It is also difficult 
to imagine any other building than the Crystal Palace capable of 
affording accommodation for such a display and the enormous throng 
of visitors who assembled on the occasion. A length of 2400 feet of 
tabling was provided for the exhibits, the entries numbering upwards 
of 4500. 
The exhibits from the gardens and allotments of working people 
numbered over 3000, those of members of the Agricultural and Horti¬ 
cultural Association about 1000 ; the rest were honey and miscellaneous 
exhibits. The Show afforded evidence of the great variety of vegetables 
cultivated by cottagers. Although Potatoes headed the list in the 
industrial classes with 243 exhibits (many of them collections), other 
vegetables were adequately representel, as may be seen by the following 
summary:—Beans, 231 entries; Carrots, 126; Peas, 118; Onions, 102; 
Beetroot, 97 ; garden Turnips, 85 ; Lettuces, 81; Vegetable Marrows, 76 ; 
Shallots, 61 ; Cucumbers, 54 ; Celery, 49 ; Parsnips, 39 ; Cabbages, 36 ; 
Tomatoes, 33 ; Cauliflowers, 21 ; Radishes, 20 ; and Leeks, 6. There 
were besides thirty-eight collections of vegetables showa by cottagers. 
In flowers the exhibits by cottagers numbered 1358, and their fruit 
exhibits 240. Roses headed the list in flowers, Apples and Gooseberries 
in fruit. 
It would be impossible to speak too highly of the produce in the 
various classes. Vegetables of all kinds w r ere apparently as good as 
they could be, while all the flowers usually seen in gardens were repre¬ 
sented, and there was a creditable display of fruit. Some hundreds of 
prizes were awarded, and the fourteen experienced Judges found it no 
easy task to complete their work in the prescribed time. It was not 
quite finished at the time for opening the Show, as the exhibits could 
not be ready at the time for commencing. The crowd broke through the 
barriers, but Mr. O. E. Greening was equal to the occasion. He promptly 
made Mr. D. T. Fish Chairman, and asked him to address the multitude. 
He mounted the chair and spoke with his usual fluency, concluding by 
asking Mr. J. Wright to open the Show, and he in turn kept the 
attention of the huge audience till his colleagues brought the judging to 
a close. Mr. Greening, Mr. Broomhall. Mr. Head, and all who shared in 
the organisation and arrangement, as well as the cultivators, are to be 
congratulated on the great success that was undoubtedly achieved. 
STRAWBERRIES IN 1891. 
The severe frost of Whit-Sunday cut all the king flowers of the 
earlier sorts, so that we only began picking on 24th, as against the 13th 
June in 1890, and finished August 5th, so that for earliness we cannot 
make decisive notes, while as a natural consequence the early fruit came 
smaller than usual. John lluskin proves precocious, but it lacks flavour, 
and is only fit for a few early berries in the forcing house, while owing 
to the want of bright warm days and, still more, w r arm nights, all kinds 
have wanted flavour. Those which have withstood the weather best and 
proved of average merit are 
Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury, Goliath, Victoria, Eleanor, La Grosse 
Sucr6e, Aromatic ; while British Queen, Dr. Hogg, Lucas, and Countess 
have been extra fine in size and flavour ; Elton Pine, Filbert Pine, 
Kimberley, Aberdeen Favourite were, with Waterloo, better than for 
some years. 
King of Earlies, President, James Veitch, Noble, Jubilee, and Napier 
suffered from the want of finer weather and rotted off, those with dwarf 
