152 
JOURNAL 
HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August S3, 18S9. 
CJ 
single blooms only, and the varieties in cultivation being no doubt 
somewhat limited in number, but few flowers were staged for com¬ 
petition. Coming down twenty-five years later, the “ Midland 
Florist ” for 1847 gives a report of a Carnation Show held at Derby, 
and the leading class was for eleven blooms, consisting of Carnations 
and Picotees both, the veteran grower Mr. E. S. Dodwell having 
been placed first. The scarlet bizarre shown in this stand was 
Easom’s Admiral Curzon. This remarkably fine variety, still 
almost unsurpassed for brilliancy of colour when seen in its best 
form, was rightly regarded at the time as “ one of those large leaps 
in advance which seem to defy all efforts to surpass.” That this 
particular variety should be cultivated for forty-five years after 
being sent out, is one of the highest testimonies which can be borne 
to its excellence. It was shown in fine condition at Oxford, and 
will be grown for years to come, though such modern flowers as 
Arthur Medhurst, Fred, George, Robert Lord, and Robert Houl- 
grave have become formidable rivals to it. The latter is regarded 
as surpassing it in brilliancy of colour, and it is probably a seedling 
from it. 
Some other old flowers that still find a place in collections and 
occasionally on the exhibition table are S.B. Ely’s Sir Joseph 
Paxton, sent out in 1851, one of the latest productions of a success¬ 
ful raiser ; C.B. Hine’s Black Diamond, which first bloomed in 
1848 ; C.B. Ely’s Lord Milton, sent out iu 1836, and though 
grown for over half a century is yet termed a good grower ; 
P.P.B. Sarah Payne (Ward), sent out in 1847, and respecting 
which Mr. Dodwell states that “ in its way it will never be 
surpassed,” this was very finely shown at Oxford ; P. F. Mayor of 
Nottingham (Taylor), was also shown in good character of Oxford, 
has been in cultivation thirty years ; P.F. Premier is now but 
little grown, but it was raised at Derby by Mr. Dodwell’s old 
gardener Will Wood in 1837, and is still to be found in collections. 
Another very old P.F. is Squire Meynell (Brabbin), which first 
bloomed in the neighbourhood of Burton-on-Trent in 1831 or 
1832 ; in its best days it was indeed a grand variety, and even yet 
will reward the patient cultivator with glorious flowers ; S.F. 
Sportsman (Hedderley) originated as far back as 1855 as a sport 
from S.B. Admiral Curzon, and maintaining its character is still 
exhibited in very fine condition. Among the rose flakes shown at 
Oxford was Sybil (Holmes) a very charming Carnation, sent out 
in 1873, and like most of the R.F.’s early in blooming. 
Now, seeing that Mr. Dodwell puts the ordinary life of a Car¬ 
nation at from twelve to fifteen years at most, it is remarkable that 
the foregoing flowers should have remained in cultivation so long, 
like some Auriculas that yet hold their own after being leading 
varieties for years, and the fact that they are still grown serves to 
show that tbe cultivation of named varieties of Carnations by 
florists does not impair their constitutional vigour as is sometimes 
assumed. The cultivated Carnations are among the hardiest of 
plants, and will bear a great deal of exposure during the winter. 
I think if anyone has doubts upon this point, and upon the 
wisdom of coddling the Carnation, as it is sometimes inaccurately 
termed, and will go among the florists and study their ways and 
methods of working, they will come to heartily sympathise with 
them. The leading spirits of the Carnation and Picotee Union 
repudiate with emphasis what once were undoubtedly the hard and 
fast lines of an older generation of florists. The late Rev. George 
Jeans forty years ago pulverised once and for all future time pre¬ 
vious ignorant dogmas, though he did not, and probably no mortal 
ever will, abolish a succession of ignorant men. 
Our newer exhibitions—those in London, Oxford, and Man¬ 
chester are doing much in the direction of giving impetus to 
Carnation culture ; but in the country the culture of this flower 
for exhibition purposes appears to be fast dying out. I have seen 
several shows of late where prizes are offered for Carnations and 
Picotees, only to find the most sorry flowers staged, and with a view 
of giving encouragement to their culture judges are sometimes 
constrained to give prizes to flowers of inferior quality. It is not 
that they lack the assistance of the dresser, but the blooms are 
small, the grounds impure, the beading to the Picotees irregular 
and ragged, and the petals of the Carnations blurred and partly 
run. e hear so much in the present day as to the popularity of 
the Carnation and the extent to which it is grown, that it is matter 
for wonder better flowers—blooms more worthy of the name of 
Carnations—are not seen at country shows.—R. Dean. 
TREATMENT OF SOILS AND MANURES. 
To find a subject that is not thrashed out by the numerous 
correspondents to your valuable Journal is no easy task, but I think 
I see an opening for a few remarks on the treatment of soils and 
manures a twin question of considerable importance. I do not 
feel equal to the work of giving instructions to the scientific, yet 
there are many gardeners who are not scientific to whom what I 
may be able to communicate may not be unacceptable. 
I will first ask why it is that as good vegetables are not grown 
so well in gardens generally as by the few who pride themselves in 
carrying off the chief prizes at the various shows ? There are- 
many difficulties that beset the efforts of the gardeners. One is a~ 
lack of the necessary assistance to work the ground properly and to 
give the requisite time to the vegetables ; other details are insufficient 
manure and gardens overgrown with trees. Unless a head gardener- 
has sufficient experienced helpers to carry out his instructions; 
everything cannot be made a speciality of. I do not care how 
experienced he is, some things will go wrong then ; yet everything- 
to which he is able to personally attend shows the touch of the 
master hand. Some men concentrate their energies in growing good 
vegetables, some good Grapes, others good Chrysanthemums, and 
could the all-round gardener take the lead in every operation every¬ 
thing would be satisfactory, uncontrollable obstacles permitting, 
except where the cook comes in. 
I shall prescribe two courses of procedure, and recommend the 
adoption of both where practicable, the latter where help is short- 
The ground that is cleared of Potatoes and other crops should be 
manured well and dug at once. The advantage of this is it clears 
the earth of weeds and clears the yard of manure. Oxidised soil is- 
turned in, the unoxidised is exposed to the action of the air, ami- 
while other work is being done this dry ground is helping the 
gardener ; all the more important constituents are stored up, the 
heavier ones are washed down into the soil below, and the volatile 
either remain where placed or evaporate into the soil above, and all 
to unite with any of elements present for which they bave the 
greatest affinity, or practically the manufactory of vegetable food!, 
is taking place naturally. 
As the opportunity offered itself I would take each piece of 
ground in rotation, judging by the condition of the subsoil whether- 
I would trench it or only bastard trench. In the former case I 
should spread the manure on the top spit turned in, and in the latter- 
dig the manure into the bottom of the trench, as required for deep- 
rooting plants ; but I think all ground ought to be trenched everjr 
year. When applying manure in the first case it should only be 
used when well decayed and in a semi-dry state. There is ten 
times more nitrogen in manure that has been properly prepared! 
than when neglected, and when decayed it is better distributed in 
the soil, and not left in large lumps, which are of small benefit,, 
and in the way when the second digging is being done. The early 
clearing of the yard of manure is important, for if left long exposed- 
most of the more valuable elements escape, and removing such- 
manure to the land is like taking your purse to the bank with no¬ 
money in it. How many think of this ? The hard work of wheel¬ 
ing manure is performed without a thought of its contents. The 
only practical advantage artificial manure has over natural is that 
nitrogen is retained in the former. The nitric acid formed from 
artificial manure unites with the bases in the soil and forms nitrates- 
of soda, magnesia, potash, &c.; therefore why not prepare or preserve 
our own carbonic acid and nitric acids, letting Nature manufacture* 
our carbonates, chlorates, nitrates, sulphates, and phosphates ? 
Carbonic acid is abundant in all manures from stables and cow¬ 
sheds, and is also deposited on the surface of the soil as carbonic- 
dioxide, which is taken in direct by the plant ; thus we may have- 
plenty of nitrogen and carbon present in our manures. Now we want 
sulphur. Sulphuric acid abounds in most soils, is found in plants,, 
and calcic sulphate (gypsum) is only sulphuric acid in combination 
with chalk. Phosphorus is plentiful in farm or stable manures,, 
bones, blood, and in the ashes of plants, and more or less in all soils,, 
therefore we have plenty of phosphoric acid to unite with the oxides- 
of calcium (lime) to form phosphates. Calcium can be applied in 
the form of a good dressing of chalk or lime. If chalk is applied 
it also gives oxygen and carbon. If lime is applied calcium and 
oxygen is the result. Two more important organic elements are 
oxygen and hydrogen. Oxygen enters more or less into every one- 
of the above compounds—is supplied by water and from the 
atmosphere, therefore we have an unlimited supply. The same 
with hydrogen. A source of hydrogen is water, of which it 
forms an important part; it is in combination with all the acids r 
ammonia, &c. 
There are four principal elements essential to plant life—viz., 
potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron, and some of these in 
very small quantities, as is evident by the contents of the ash left- 
after a plant is reduced by fire. Potassium is present in all culti¬ 
vated soil, and where it is believed to be scarce the best way to 
procure it is to burn the old refuse heaps and apply the ash. The 
only means of applying calcium is by dressing the ground with 
lime or chalk. Magnesium is present in most soils in sufficient- 
quantities for practical purposes. It is the same with iron. 
The soil, I may say, consists of three different forms of con¬ 
stituents—tbe active, tbe dormant, and tbe inactive. The active 
