402 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
November 1, 1894. 
all, I hope we may pass to his quasi-scientific disquisition upon the 
ripening of wood. Again, however, it is difficult to follow his 
meaning owing to the before-mentioned propensity of using long 
or little known words in a very questionable sense ; but the pith 
of his remarks appears to be that the luminous envelope of the 
sun—the sun himself having no such power—produces the upward 
flow of sap, and also induce* the chlorophyll of the leaves to distil 
off oxygen from a compound gas commonly known as carbonic 
anhydride or dioxide. There is nothing very new or recondite in 
such a theory, but “ Azoto ” adduces Sach’s experiment in support 
of it, thereby acknowledging that his scientific opinions are “ made 
in Germany.” Of course in that respect he is no greater a sinner 
than many another scientific writer and lecturer, many of whom 
are prone to fork out foreign experimenters’ dictams— 
Got by rote, 
With just enough of learning to misquote.” 
For myself I have always felt grave doubts as to the capacity of 
this theory to explain all the problems of vegetable physiology, and 
should not be surprised to find it exploded before long. I have 
yet to be satisfied that this process of distillation is directly effected 
by bright sunlight, as has been so often alleged upon what I con¬ 
sider very insufficient evidence. But to adequately discuss so 
fundamental a question would take not one but a series of articles. 
Neither is this the place for such discussion. I shall, therefore, in 
the future, as in the past, endeavour to keep resolutely to the 
practical aspect of this ripe wood question. 
Your correspondent, towards the close of his letter, patronisingly 
informs me that he will have “ much pleasure in joining issue” on 
three points indicated, if I “will explicitly state ” a case. I am, 
however, under no obligation whatever to do so. The Welsh 
Grape-growing muddle* was his creation, not mine ; ani there is 
no call upon me to get him out of the difficulty. “ Azoto,” when 
rushing into print on 20th September, and adducing that remark¬ 
able example of horticultural argument as clinching, evidently 
thought any stick good enough to beat a dog—your humble servant 
—with. But I proved a month ago that the said stick was utterly 
rotten. He has never since seriously attempted to controvert the 
conclusions at which I then arrived, or the meteorological facts I 
then put forward. Nor has he even ventured to deny that fruit is 
in many cases extraordinarily well finished this year. Consequently, 
instead of my being required to state a case, “ Azoto ” has simply 
allowed judgment to go by default. 
It has always been a puzzle to me why “ Azoto ” is so indignant 
about my scepticism, but in the penultimate paragraph of his last 
effusion he is good enough to let the cat out of the bag. He there 
acknowledges an alarm lest my “ pernicious teaching may have a 
mischievous effect on the unformed opinions of young gardeners, 
and the employers of gardeners generally.” I think, therefore, 1 
may fitly conclude my reply by an amusing story, distinctly 
germane to our subject and to “ Azoto’s ” remarks quoted above. 
The noble owner of a great place in the midlands was showing a 
party of friends over his gardens, where I believe I am right in 
saying forty gardeners are kept. With much pride he ushered 
them into a splendid range of vineries, which elicited a chorus of 
admiration from the guests. One near-sighted but inquiring- 
minded young lady, however, asked, “ What, Lord So-and-so, have 
you been dressing your Vines with ? ” His Lordship could not 
imagine, had given no orders, did not fancy the Vines had been 
dressed. “ Why, then, are they covered with that white stuff ? ” 
rejoined his pertinacious interrogator. He was completely floored, 
and sent for the head gardener—a pompous individual, whose 
belief in ripened wood was only exceeded by belief in his own 
importance. A brief cross-examination elicited the disgraceful 
admission that the white stuff noticed was owing to these canes 
being covered with mealy bug, due, in this worthy’s opinion, to 
the wood not having been sufficiently ripened! I know not 
whether so transparent an excuse served its purpose, and saved 
this brilliant example of British gardening talent from getting 
what he richly deserved. But my tale shows how careful employers 
should be to see they are not imposed upon, and this ripe wood 
nonsense used as a cloak for shortcomings by unsuccessful 
employes.—A Sceptic, _ 
Though I am a believer in the “ ripe wood nonsense,” I am 
rather fearful lest unscientific mortals like myself should become 
confused in our ideas as to what ripened wood is. That there is 
danger can easily be seen in the learned explanations given by 
your able correspondents in last week’s Journal. I am always 
satisfied with the wood of my Peach trees when, towards autumn, 
* Though the Grape-growing experience at Castle Coch was cited by‘‘Azoto ” as 
supporting his views, we are bound to say that it was not he who characterised it as a 
“ muddle," nor, we venture to assert, could anyone with knowledge on the subject do so 
niter an inspect on of the excellent work. 
I see it changing from green to something approaching red, and 
with my Pear trees when I see the leaves turning yellow. Of 
course that is my plain and unscientific way of putting it. I think 
“ Sceptic’s ” contention is that this process or change is not 
necessary in order to produce a crop of fruit the following season ; 
in fact, he says in effect, “ Do not bother your head about the 
ripening of the wood, it’s not essential.” 
If that is so it is a new departure, and entirely in opposition to 
the present belief ; therefore “ Sceptic ” ought to have full play to 
establish and defend his principle, and as he is, as “ Azoto ” says, 
the “ aggressive party,” he must expect no quarter until he estab¬ 
lishes his new doctrine on practical grounds. In the meantime, 
however, he can easily afford to chuckle at those who use no 
stronger arguments than quotations from past and present writers. 
“ Sceptic,” like many more, not in the garden line alone, but in 
many lines of life, no sooner gets hold of a new idea than the old 
is denounced in anything but complimentary terms. Has not 
“ Sceptic ” himself been a believer in ripe wood at one time ? and 
if that is so, is it not too bad that a system which has satisfied his 
mind for so long (for I do not think he is a youth) should be so 
disrespectfully pounced upon and termed “ nonsense ? ”—D. I. 
If your correspondent, “ Sceptic,” wishes to convert others to 
what he believes to be the truth he must go to work in a different 
way to what he has been doing lately in these pages. There is no 
convincing power in anything he has written on the subject of 
ripened wood. It may appear to him very grand to be able to 
characterise other people’s tenets as “ nonsense,” “ fudge,” and 
such like, but that is not the way to convert a man from one 
opinion to another, let the subject be what it may ; it only tends 
to raise opposition. I would suggest that “ Sceptic ” should try 
another method—viz., that he will be good enough to tell us what 
is the truth ; or, in other words, that he will give us better know¬ 
ledge than we already possess. This is just what “Sceptic” has 
not done. He will find numbers of us ready to let the old theory 
drop, and he may then begin to ridicule the doctrine of ripened 
wood. We shall acknowledge him as a leader amongst us, and be 
amazed at our own ignorance and stupidity.—T. S., Henhury Hill, 
A PLEA FOR HARDY PLANTS. 
It was with very great pleasure that I read the admirable 
leading article on the above on page 355. I hope “ C.” may at 
some future time follow it up wi'h some further observations 
equally suggestive and judicious. Many gardeners who would like 
to introduce hardy perennials into the gardens under their charge 
have serious difficulties to contend with. In some cases the manner 
in which the garden is laid out prevents these flowers being 
grown in an effective manner, and disappointment is certain to 
result. There are, however, few gardens in which a border cannot 
be devoted to them, and, if furnished with a good collection, will 
not fail to please. 
Many flowers are also admirably suited for planting in beds 
by themselves, and one might occupy considerable space in speaking 
of these. Anemone japonica and its white variety in particular 
will be found of fine effect grown in this way. Helianthus 
rigidus, syn. Harpalium rigidum, should also be grown in a bed 
by itself, its running habit making it very troublesome in the 
ordinary herbaceous border. The circular bed spoken of by “ C.” 
is a good example of a most attractive method of planting so as to 
make the bed interesting over a long period. For a short time before 
the blooming of the Michaelmas Daisies there is frequently a little 
dulness, and a few of the hardy annuals may be advantageously 
employed. 
The arrangement of the plants to produce an harmonious effect 
is, as your contributor says, no easy matter, and must be largely the 
result of experience and also of experiment. The old method of 
arranging the plants according to their heights is not always the 
best, as in most cases this gives a want of balance of colour at 
some seasons. In the spring and autumn this is especially notice¬ 
able, as in the former season nearly all the colour will be in the 
front of the border, while in autumn this will be reversed. In the 
spring some of the bulbs should flower well back in the border, 
and the difficulty in autumn may be greatly modified by the use of 
some of the Colchicums and autumn-flowering Crocuses. 
I was much pleased to see your correspondent’s appreciative 
remarks upon the use of Sedums and Saxifragas as edgings to the 
beds. Many of these attractive plants are admirably adapted for 
this purpose. They do not, however, do well with Box, and are 
best adapted for permanent edgings, especially when they are grown 
over stones. In my own garden the edgings of the short walk 
from my front gate to the door of the house are composed of these 
and other dwarf plants. Most of these hsvo been planted for at 
