94 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 30,1800, 
home and move into a cottage or apartments, as the case may be, and 
even when he gets suited he may have several hundreds of miles to go. 
All this packing and unpacking, loading, carting, and unloading of his 
furniture is a loss that cannot very well be estimated. 
Independent altogether of finding a situation, why cannot gar¬ 
deners who are in situations assist those who are out, no matter 
whether in the nursery or not ? Surely there are always as many in 
places that the subscriptions would allow of, say, 10s. per week being 
given to those who are out. If more so much the better. Something 
of this sort would do good in two ways, first by staving oS starvation, 
and secondly by making a man feel that he had friends working for 
him with a view to his being soon re-established. What is wanted is 
a central point or committee to start the thing, and I have no doubt 
the subscriptions will come in rapidly. I, for one, am ready when it is 
started.—H. B. W. 
The National Chrysanthemum Society. 
A General Committee meeting of the above Society was held in Ander- 
ton’s Hotel Fleet St., on Monday, Jan. 27th. R. Ballantine, Esq., presided. 
The principal business was to consider the annual report and financial 
statement for the year 1889, and after some discussion it was resolved 
to recommend them to the annual meeting for adoption. The annual 
meeting was held at 7 P.M., E. Sanderson, Esq., in the chair, when the 
report and statement were formally submitted and adopted. The report 
reviewed the leading events of the year in connection with the Society, 
and referred to the preparations for the Centenary Festival of 1890, 
programmes and schedules of which will be issued as speedily as possible. 
The financial statement was very satisfactory, the receipts amounting to 
a total of £871 10s. 8d., the expenditure being £852 9s. lid., leaving 
a balance in favour of the Society of £19 Os. 9d. It was subsequently 
stated that the reserve fund amounts to £100 193. 9J., and the Cen¬ 
tenary fund to £159 10s. The officers of last year were re-appointed, 
with Messrs. Crane and R. Cannell as auditors, and twelve members of 
the General Committee were elected in accordance with the rules. 
Several members having been elected and societies affiliated, the 
meeting terminated with a vote of thanks to the Chairman. 
Birmingham Gardeners’ Association. 
At the fortnightly meeting, January 21st, Mr. R. Parker, Impney 
Gardens, Droitwich, had engaged to read a paper on the Chrysanthe¬ 
mum, but a severe illness prevented his attendance and the completion 
of his paper. What he had written was sent on to the Secretary and 
read, and a discussion followed in which several of the members took 
part, and it was a source of general regret that Mr. Parker was not 
present and his paper completed. Mr. Parker stated that he did not 
regard early propagation as absolutely necessary, some of his finest 
blooms being cut from plants struck in March, and this was done from 
old plants shaken out, planted under a south wall, and strong cuttings 
taken from these in March. Good turfy loam, with a sprinkling of bone- 
meal, and firm potting were recommended, avoiding heavily manured 
soil, providing copious waterings, and syringing in hot weather. 
Damping and its causes were freely discussed. A general feeling 
prevailed that the damp mild weather had much to do with it, and 
that abundant bottom ventilation, with a little fire heat, was the best 
remedy for removing damp. Over-feeding was also regarded as another 
cause, and Mr. Parker evidently wishes it to be understood that he 
condemns such a practice. Cutting back plants and taking late cuttings 
with a view to obtaining smaller sized decorative plants were dis¬ 
cussed, and Mr. Hughes, the Secretary, has adopted this plan with 
very great success, and stated that his plants were cut dov/n in 
June, and he has had a fine display from the middle of November 
to the present time, but fortunately the early season favoured general 
success. For the future he intends cutting back all the plants the 
second week in klay, as he does not want all the blooms at once, as 
he does not exhibit.—D. S. H. 
VEGETABLE WHITEBAIT. 
No doubt the readers of the Journal of Horticulture wonder what is 
meant by the above incongruous and somewhat “ fishy ” title. It is, I 
believe, quite new, but permissible, inasmuch as it is in accordance with 
precedent. Is not the “ vegetable oyster ” a recognised popular name 
as applied to a root grown in our gardens—Salsafy ? And if vegetab'e 
oyster why not vegetable whitebait? But what is it—why all this 
preamble? Be patient—preambles are in accordance with precedent 
too. Was ever anything new introduced to the world without a 
preamble ? Nothing. 
Preambles are indulged in for creating a favourable impression, and 
so long as there is anything substantial at the end of them, are excusable. 
I fear, however, there is nothing very substantial at the end of this— 
but for the matter of that there is nothing very substantial in the real 
AVhitebait, yet the little mites of fishes are all the same enjoyable ; so 
are the diminutive corkscrew-like tubers that were invested with the 
funny appellation at a family dinner the other day. “ Oh, yes, we see 
what the prosy scribbler means, he is trying to say Stachys—Stachys 
tuberifera, but couldn’t get it out without all this preamble.” 
Exactly ; the name is a bad table name, and people who hear it for the 
first time cannot get hold of it—cannot pronounce it, and when they do 
accomplish the feat there is no certainty they will not fail at the next 
attempt. Then they smile at the queer-looking things in the dish ; sniff 
at them, fancy they are not good, perhaps have a suspicion they are not 
quite safe, and so a feeling of prejudice is raised against them. All this 
is true, there is not the least romance about it, 
A short time ago a very good friend gave me a very good dish of 
tubers of this comparatively new vegetable. “ Wash them well,” he 
said, “ boil them like Potatoes, then fry them in gravy or fat till a little 
brown, serve with melted butter or gravy according to taste, and you 
will find them good.” And we did, but there was a little trouble over 
them. “Nasty lookin’ furrin’ things,” the girl said, “ they’re like tight- 
laced maggots, an’ I shall nivver get ’em clean, nivver.” But she did, 
and they were cooked and served. “ What do you call the funny little 
things ?” asked the mater. “Stachys.” “ What? say it again—spell it.’' 
It was now the pater’s turn to be bothered ; however, after a little 
mumbling he got it right. “Oh, very well, let me taste this Stacky, 
just one,” said a saucy minx. “It isn’t stakky,” snapped another, 
“ its stachis.” “ No it isn’t,” chopped in a third, “ its tubbiffera.” And 
all kept tasting and tasting, a little at a time, till at last the mater 
sententiously remarked, “You can call it w’hat you like, I shall call it 
Vegetable Whitebait, and I think it’s very nice 1” Lucky hit. “ Yes,” 
struck up the chorus, “ so it is, and it is like whitebait, do give me a 
good spoonful.” “ And me, and me,” broke in the other youngsters, as- 
if in fear there would not be enough to go round, but there was a piled 
dishful, plenty for all, and a little to spare. 
At night, when supper was being spread, for we dine at midday on 
Sundays, a musical voice was heard, “ Mary, bring in the cold White- 
bait, please.” It was brought in, eaten up with relish, pronounced as- 
good cold as hot, and a hope was expressed that “ the good man would 
send some more,” 
The name did it. As Stachys it would have been toyed with, and 
half of it left ; as Artichoke it would have been thought common, and 
perhaps good enough to use in soups, but as Whitebait the brownish 
backed tubers were thoroughly enjoyed. 
It is not a vegetable for the million, the yield is not heavy enough, 
and.the digging and picking a little tedious ; but if I had a good vegetable 
garden I should expect my man to plant some Stachys tubers at the 
same time and much in the same way as planting Potatoes, and next 
winter have a good supply of “ Vegetable Whitebait.”—A City Man. 
WOKKING AND NOTING RESULTS. 
Gardeners generally have commenced once more a long and busy 
season with, it is hoped, the brightest prospects in view, and we trust 
successful results in store to crown their labours and anxieties. I say 
anxieties, because few gardeners escape these, however comfortable may 
be their position and circumstances, unless, indeed, they are indifferent 
to consequences; but those who are anxious to succeed do not take 
matters so easily, and to excel in their calling means one continual study 
and care, not only of matters under immediate notice, but also to be 
prepared for emergencies, which, as many truly know, often come upon 
them at dates and seasons most difficult to meet and carry out. Old 
practitioners can meet and readily overcome many difficulties, but not so 
the young beginner, and it is to such that these remarks are penned, 
and which, I trust, may assist many to cope favourably with some of the 
many dilemmas a young gardener often finds himself in. 
The value of the working and carefully noting results can only be 
understood and appreciated by those who have adopted this useful and 
interesting practice, which when once earnestly taken up becomes a 
habit, and what a store of useful information is thus laid up for future 
reference and guidance. If young men would only note matters of 
interest during their journeyman and foreman days they would be 
laying up a harvest to draw from when placed in a more responsible 
position. 
One of the greatest helps to a gardener is knowing how to time his 
crops. It is very annoying to find that on the eve of a large party, 
when he is expected to give a good display of his abilities, to find that 
a crop is past and the succeeding one not “ in.” Such things have 
occurred and do occur very often, but when notes have been taken for 
several years, and “timing” the different crops in their different stages, 
a sure guide is formed whereby one is able to turn and work accordingly 
to produce his crops to suit any occasion, presuming due notice has 
already been given. Thus it will be seen, that supposing a grand dis¬ 
play of forced plants and cut flowers is required for a certain date, a 
properly kept note book ought to tell the grower how long say it would 
take Lily of the Valley or any other plants to fully develop after being 
placed in a certain temperature. 
