132 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 18, 1886. 
A POSSIBLE danger of using lime excessively is pointed out by 
“ A. L. G.” on page 62 ; and he quotes a passage from a work on 
chemistry in opposition to the teaching of Mr. Bardney’s Cabbage bed. 
The evidence afforded by that practice is in my opinion valuable. As the 
late “ Single-handed ” often pointed out, the soil immediately in question 
is the best laboratory, and when the results of careful practice are in con¬ 
flict with the teaching of books the books are the least reliable, because 
authors cannot possibly have regard to special local governing influences, 
their reasoning being necessarily founded on general principles. I have 
applied lime at the rate of 700 bushels an acre with the most marked 
benefit to the crops ; and if I found a Vine border made of limeless loam, 
and also rich in humus by continuous top-dressings of manure, I should 
quickly apply lime in still greater quantity. 
We have also to consider what Mr. Bardney suggests, the readiness 
with which lime is washed out of the soil. Lampadius’ experiment is 
conclusive on this point. He added lime to a plot of ground in propor¬ 
tion to 119 per cent, of the whole, and by the action of the rains alone it 
diminished in one year to 0'89, the next 0\52, and the third 0‘24. Well- 
drained Vine borders often get five times the quantity of water that falls 
from the clouds in the same area in the district, and the lime is more 
rapidly removed ; nor is this all, for in soils rich in animal and vegetable 
matter combinations occur that accelerate the removal of lime by filtra¬ 
tion. Acids, the result of oxidation, in rich soil combine with carbonate 
of lime and release carbonic acid for plants, and a portion perhaps to be 
wasted. This, however, is of trifling importance in comparison with the 
action of lime on nitrogenous matter in yielding ammonia, and this 
does not escape in any material quantity, but is stored in the soil for 
use. This is what science teaches and practice confirms. 
I once took charge of a garden that had been heavily manured for 
say a century ; it was a mass of humus, yet unproductive. For the first 
two years not a particle of manure was dug into the quarters, but lime 
was supplied instead, and for seven years no manure was given to the 
bush fruit quarters. The change to fertility was marvellous, and the 
garden is now as productive as anyone can desire. There is a vast 
amount of plant food locked up in the land of overrich gardens which 
lime can liberate for appropriation by crops. Poor land, including Vine 
borders (which ought not to be poor) may be injured by the too free use of 
lime, but rich land is improved by liberal applications if it is practically 
limeless. It is difficult to deal with a great subject like this in a few 
short paragraphs, which only represent passing thoughts, not exhaustive 
essays. 
Mr. Taylor will, I hope, excuse me saying that I fail to see any¬ 
thing in his note that satisfactorily answers my proposition of the Gros 
Colman Vine being so constituted as to require more water for the sus¬ 
tenance of its foliage than most other varieties do. I readily admit the 
excellence of his Grapes, also his competency im judging as to when Vines 
in pots need water. All his writings indicate him to be most careful in 
what many persons call “ small details,” but watering and ventilation are 
“ great factors ” in contributing to success. Putting aside the premature 
discolouration of the foliage of liis Gros Colman, I should require to know 
the relative size of the Vines before attaching weight to what he says on 
page 67. I can very well understand a large Vine of Muscat of Alex¬ 
andria requiring more water than a smaller one of Gros Colman ; but I 
cannot understand that as much moisture evaporates from a small as from 
a large leaf, both being grown under the same conditions. I say that 
when Vine leaves turn brown and shrivel at the edges, it is in nine case3 
out of ten the result of moisture escaping from the leaves faster than it 
is supplied to them from the soil by imbibition of the roots. Moisture 
in the atmosphere will arrest evaporation, so will shade from the sun ; 
and I cannot help thinking it better to adopt either one or other of the 
methods than to permit the foliage to fail at a critical time. I do not 
base my proposition on theory alone, but on actual results on a rather 
large scale. I repeat that strong free-growing Vines of Gros Colman re¬ 
quire more water than most other Vines do, and this afforded (or failing 
it, light shade applied), the leaves will remain fresh the longer. No doubt 
if something good is mixed with the water it is better for the Vines ; but 
I doubt very much if it was a lack of potash that caused the leafstalks of 
Mr. Taylor’s Gros Colman to droop while the leaves remained rigid. It 
was primarily the loss of moisture, and though the effects may not have 
been immediately visible on the leaves they would be disclosed in a 
few days. The leaves and young growths of Vines contain only a mere 
trace of potash, carbonate of lime being by far the greater mineral agent 
there, amounting to 4'8300 against 1T700, out of a total of 7'5014. How¬ 
ever misleading may be the appearance of a man’s hand as indicative 
of health, I do not think the above figures are very seriously misleading, 
an! they are submitted for what they are worth. 
I read with pleasure Mr. S. Castle’s notes on Vines, he appears so 
earnest and so honest, being apparently as ready to admit a failure as 
ree rd a success. I always think of him as a man who will succeed if 
success can be attained by strenuous effort. Not that he stands alone in 
this. There are others as earnest as he is, but not many so ready to 
admit they have something to learn. In his last communication (page 90) 
Mr. Castle expressed a fear to apply potash to Vines lest it should 
impede the ripening of the wood. I believe it will not have that effect. 
It is an element in solidification, nitrogenous manures contributing to 
extension, and thus having a tendency, if applied late, to retard maturation. 
For instance : Sulphate of ammonia or nitrate of soda are excellent applied 
after Grapes are stoned, for feeding the fruit, but not after colouring. 
The heaviest crops of Grapes I have ever seen were supported with these 
fertilisers. The last named is slightly the quicker in action, the former 
more lasting in effect. But neither should be used in the absence of a 
due proportion of carbonate and phosphate of lime, also potash, in the 
soil, or the border will not long remain satisfactorily fertile. 
As I cannot always be praising, but must have a victim by way of a 
change, “ J. M.” must be the doomed individual, or rather one of the 
plants he praises so highly must be taken down a degree or two, as I think 
it is overrated. In his notes on choice and useful Palms, on page 40, 
your correspondent says, “ Seaforthia elegans grows in a semi-dark place, 
and bears confinement in entrance halls better than any plant I can 
name; ” and further goes on to say, the Palm “ above all others 
that deserves to be grown in quantity is Seaforthia elegans.” This 
double-barrelled recommendation is also rather too strong in my opinion. 
I do not attach any particular importance to a handsome specimen of 
Phoenix reclinata that has been in a room for seven years and remains as 
handsome as ever ; but I do think a little weight must be given to the 
experience of one of the best and most extensive growers of Palms in the 
kingdom, and who would gladly grow Seaforthias but for the fact that, as 
he said, “ Kentias were driving them out of the market, and except as 
regards a few that may oe wanted as tall specimens, will drive them out 
of the kingdom.” He had at least a thousand Kentias to a dozen Sea¬ 
forthias, the former of a rich deep green hue, the latter washy in com¬ 
parison, and somewhat of a “ thripy ” appearance. For richness of 
colour and elegance combined with a certain massiveness, Kentias far 
outdistance Seaforthias. If “ J. M.” will try them fairly I feel certain, if 
he gives me a sound castigation next week for this tender allusion, that he 
will repent of his severity before he is five years older. I await results. 
Mr. Pettigrew conveys a really useful hint on page 39 on covering 
the back walls of vineries attractively and usefully. If anyone had asked 
me what to plant in such shaded positions my reply would have been 
white Camellias. I know a range of Peach houses in which the fruit is 
grown for sale, and grown well, but the white Camellia blooms produced 
by plants covering the back wall exceed the Peaches in value. These are 
forced to be ready in June, and the treatment brings the Camellias in 
plentifully for Christmas ; but these plants are of rather slow growth, 
Lemons being far quicker. I remember seeing the back wall of a lofty 
vinery covered with handsome Lemons years ago—so long since that I 
had forgotten the circumstance till reminded of it by the interesting letter 
on the page quoted. 
The Reading Hero Potato has been under discussion and has come out 
of it bravely. I am able to confirm what is said of its excellence. 
Grown on a medium soil, the crop was good and the quality of the tubers 
of the first order. The same I can with equal accuracy say of the Ashtop 
Fluke in reply to Mr. Murphy (page 62). The Hero may be described as 
a full, the others as a delicately flavoured tuber. But can your correspon¬ 
dent point out in what respect it differs from the old Lapstone Kidney ? 
With me this pair are as like as two peas. Not a few old-fashioned 
Potato connoisseurs regard the Lapstone as unsurpassed in quality, but 
liable to disease. 1 am not positive that my Lapstones were obtained 
true, but I know they are good, and the Ashtop Fluke is just like them. 
A Slough correspondent asks if either I or anyone else can suggest 
a remedy for the clubbing of Broccoli plants. The absence of chalk in 
the soil is a primary cause of the clubbing of the roots of plants. The 
quantity of lime mentioned—namely, one bushel to a perch—is of little 
or no use in arresting the evil. Let four times the quantity be applied 
to a plot of ground. Puddling the roots of plants in clay alone is of 
small service, but a mixture of equal parts of clay, soot, and lime, dis¬ 
solving a wineglassfnl of petroleum in a gallon of the puddle, will be 
found more effectual. The addition of ashes might aggravate the evil 
by rendering the gravelly soil more porous and drier. Lime has an 
opening effect on heavy land, but an opposite effect on some light soils, 
rendering them closer and more retentive of moisture. This is my 
thought on the su ject. I shall be glad to hear what others may have to 
say on the clubbing of plants. 
I AM glad rather than otherwise if I did not put the exact construc¬ 
tion “ J. T. S.” intended in his article on the influence of the “virgin 
lands ” of the far west threatening the ruin of British agriculture, 
because of the thoughtful yet spirited reply on page 87. I did not intend 
to suggest that your correspondent was frightened by foreign competi¬ 
tion ; but that many persons are in such a state of alarm that paralyses 
effort is beyond a doubt. Sad it is to see this giving up and adopting a 
policy of despair. It is clear that “ J. T. S.,” whoever he is, and what¬ 
ever he is engaged in, does not intend to fail, and 1 venture to say he will 
not fail if he is vouchsafed the blessing of health. 
ADDENDA. 
The above paragraphs were written long before the last issue of the 
Journal was published, the comments on the following extract being 
penned since. 
“ I HAVE for somo years been accustomed to review at the commence’ 
ment of each year the principal points in connection with our favourite 
pursuit which have struck me during the past year; and although the 
same course has been adopted by your correspondent who s : gns himself 
