August 13, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
129 
to say. They play a most important part in producing good 
crops. However, we may be allowed once again to point out the 
danger (which the present summer has done so much to emphasise) 
of relying entirely upon these as so many farmers do. It would 
be safe to say that not 10 per cent, of the artificial manure put 
into agricultural land in this district will ever be returned to the 
farmer. For the want of rain to present it to the roots in an 
acceptable form on the one hand, and on the other from the 
want of_ roots to make use of the manure—though these points 
are reciprocal—the greater portion of bought manures have 
been practically lost. One of the most alluring inducements 
for farmers to use these has been the promise that, given a 
certain amount of plant food in the autumn or spring in the 
shape of these manures, and you are certain to recover their 
value with increase in the coming crop. The same inducement 
has been present to gardeners who employ them. The only 
danger is when farmyard manure is excluded to the reception of 
these. As I have just said, in a season like the present artificial 
manures are practically valueless unless water is artificially 
applied. On the other hand, farmyard manure, especially the 
more solid portions of it, are of a very great value. Wherever 
ground has been highly manured for a series of years, that 
ground has received an addition to its normal constituents, 
which in addition to other benefits confers the all-important one 
of retaining moisture in continued drought. And this part, 
which is played alike by fresh manure and the remaining portion 
of manure which has in the course of many years been applied 
to soils, is a fact which strikes at another modern idea, which 
with a good deal to commend it does not at the same time convey 
the whole truth in the matter. I refer to the advice often given 
not to waste manure by placing it out of reach of surface roots. 
For my own part I would freely advise people who do not trench 
their ground not only not to bury their manure deeply, but to go 
so far as to employ the most of it in the form of a mulching to 
be afterwards dug in; but where a system of trenching is carried 
out the whole of the operation becomes changed. We are not 
obliged to confine the roots of vegetables to a few inches of 
surface soil, susceptible to changes of season, but rather we have 
provided for them a vast resource out of reach of disturbing 
elements.—B. 
ESTIMATES OF VEGETABLES'. 
VEGETABLE MARROWS. 
In forming an estimate of the different vegetables I think it 
can only be arrived at by growing them under identical circum¬ 
stances, and by taking an estimate of their relative value from 
some clearly defined standpoint. The conditions most valued in 
vegetables are quality and quantity of crop, the supply being 
early and prolonged—a certainty of crop of marketable produce. 
Someone may remark, “But some kinds of vegetables grown in 
gardens are valued for quality irrespective of crop.” I admit 
taste in private gardens is very often fastidious, capricious, and 
arbitrary, and has little bearing on the value of crops from a 
commercial point of view. I think if the latter were to obtain 
in the values of vegetables prior to their introduction we should 
have fewer varieties—shorter lists—admitting of easier selection 
and manifest advantage in cultivation. 
I have a piece of ground on which I decided to make a trial 
of Marrows, testing their values from the prices secured in the 
market, and although the season is young the results are so 
pronounced as to render an exposition not unwarrantable. The 
varieties were sown at one time and in every respect treated 
alike, with the result, that Long White (short jointed) is a long 
way ahead, and certainly is the best for market and general use. 
Next to this comes Moore’s Vegetable Cream, the race being 
close, if, indeed, we ought not to pronounce a dead heat between 
that variety and Muir’s Prolific Hybrid. Neither can compare 
with Long White, as they have not the taking size, and the 
number does not compensate for the discrepancy. Beyond 
Prince Albert, a green variety, thei'e is nothing further worth to 
note in what may be styled the long or oval varieties; and to sum 
up these, Long White is very much the best, first through hardi¬ 
ness, second early and continued successional free cropping, and, 
third, size, quality, and marketable value, in comparison with 
which the others are nowhere; but from its being large and 
common is not so much grown in private gardens as its merits 
demand. 
Novelty is something, often everything for the private gr’ower. 
Because some new variety is different in shape and of small size 
it is thought to be “tender and delicious,” very different to the 
long “ big things ” the gardener has grown for years and still 
persists in growing simply because reliable. Well, novelty is a 
very good thing in its way, but wnen it is had at the expense of 
something else that answers much better, then I question the 
propriety of lauding things which, putting novelty aside, have 
little to recommend them, indeed are indifferent croppers and of 
so little commercial value as not to be worth growing. What, 
not Custard? No. Nor yet Pen-y-byd ? Then it belies its 
name—the Best in the World. Of course I shall be set down as 
prejudiced against everything but what is big and coarse—a lot 
for little money. This is not the way the grower nor yet the 
consumer looks at things. They have an identity of purpose— 
viz., to obtain the most satisfaction to themselves. The grower 
seeks a crop that will afford the highest market value with cer¬ 
tainty, or the least possible risk of failure through adverse 
climatic conditions ; and the consumer is satisfied only with that 
combining the most for the money along with quality, for there 
is no more mistaken idea than that anything will take in the 
market. I have come to the conclusion that consumers are the 
best judges, setting values upon produce much in the same 
manner as is done at exhibitions—viz., the finest specimens pos¬ 
sessing the highest quality carry off the prizes, and these bring 
the highest prices in the market. Estimate the Custard, 
Hibberd’s Prolific, Cluster, Bush or Chusan, and Pen-y-byd by 
the monetary returns, and it will only take a sending or two to 
convince the most sceptical of the erroneous estimate formed of 
the value of many things in private gardens from a consumer’s 
point of view, and of no marketable value. 
I make no comparison from the other point of view. Those 
growing for home use may be satisfied with a Lady Apple better 
than with a Normanton Wonder, with a Golden Harvey as with 
a Ribston Pippin; but 1 hardly see the parallel of the comparison, 
for if we get a dozen small Apples where we get the big one we 
have a dozen cores and skins to one of the other, decreasing the 
value of the first relatively to its circumference, whilst the other 
is increased proportionately in utility. 
I ought to say that I put out the Marrow plants in early May 
under kandlights and in the open early in June of all the varieties 
enumerated, except Custard, and July’s returns are taken as the 
estimate, and so conclusive is it that I could not forbear making 
it known. What a difference there is between growing for 
market and for private use— i.c., between growing to pay and to 
please. Only fancy getting 3s. 6d. per dozen for Long White 
and Is. for Pen-y-byd, and more of the former in number than 
of the latter; and what is most remarkable of all is the Long 
White so long despised is now considered the best for table use. 
Is this a forecast that we are going to cast prejudices to the 
winds and have a thorough weeding out of many things that 
only perplex in name or number and cumber ground in gardens? 
Anyway, I am a thorough convert to utilitarianism in gardens, 
and hope to give you an estimate of other things from a like 
point of view, contingent, of course, on your finding a place for 
this first attempt of— Utilitarian. 
MR. JAMES CUTBUSII. 
I am sure the severe shock I received on reading of the sudden 
death of my valued friend, Mr. Cutbush, will be shared by all who knew 
him, and that will be by a very large circle indeed, for no man was more 
widely known. For myself, I can truly say that among the many friends 
whom it is my privilege to count amongst professional horticulturists 
there is no one whom I have more learned to value and esteem, and no 
one whom I shall more sorely miss. I have had the pleasure of his 
friendship for a great many years. We have been associated together 
in many things, and the feeling that I shall never again be able to return 
his ever cheery greeting is to me a very painful one. 
For a long number of years he has been associated with the successful 
culture of the Hyacinth, and in years gone by his name almost always 
headed the list of prizeholders, and he was, I believe, the originator of 
what has become a very common practice now—having exhibitions at his 
own nursery when his bul s were in full bloom ; but although these were 
the most noted portions of bis culture, his nurseries were always up to 
the mark and all his plants well cared for. 
In his private life no one was more thoroughly esteemed. A staunch 
member of the Church of England, and with a kindly feeling towards 
Christians of all denominations, he was ever ready for any good work 
which had for its object the welfare of those around him. A warm friend 
and a cheery companion, he always brightened any company into which 
he was cast ; and although of late years delicacy of health, anxiety about 
business, and the increasing infirmity of deafness tended to chasten his 
exuberant spirits, yet they did not rob him of his pleasant and genial 
ways. 
He was a loving husband and affectionate father, and his death must 
have been a heavy blow to his family, but for himself what more happy one 
could there be ? He was engaged in one of those works of kindness in 
which he always took delight. He had frequently expressed to me his 
opinion that his life was very precarious, and I do not think it would have 
been a surprise to him that death was at hand. 'This year has been fatal 
to horticulture ; George Baker, Charles Turner, and James Cutbush are 
