December 27,1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
577 
Gaunt, gi ey, and grim, with lagging limb, 
December crawls along; 
A haggard dame, with, skinny frame, 
She drones a dismal song ; 
On, on, she goes, through falling snows, 
With sighs, and sobs, and tears. 
Until her fak’ring footsteps reach 
The graveyard of the years. 
^ 9(i -i/t 
And now we see her weak and old, 
Neglected in the storm 
That b jats with fury stern and cold 
Around her withered form ; 
And when at last she drops and dies. 
The joy bells loud will ring, 
For from her bier the glad New Year 
Will give us back the spring, 
S OMBRE, yet cheering, are those lines of Mr. Horace Leonard 
which appeared in the excellent London evening paper, the 
Echo, the other day. December is indeed crawling along with 
tottering feet to the “ graveyard of the years.” Let us hope that 
all will be buried with it that has tended to make more rugged 
the path of the past—all that has marred the moments which 
should have been gladsome ; all that has joined in the harmony of 
association which makes the wheels of life roll pleasantly along. 
And when she is gone, the “ haggard old dame,” with her creaks 
and cranks, let us not dwell on these with a morbid delight, but 
look onward with thoughts of buoyant hope to the cheerful spring ; 
and when it comes, with its smiling flowers, make the best of it, 
each in his own way, and thus strive to mould the future, that it 
may be better than the past has been. Towards the attainment of 
this object gardening plays its part—a most important part, for in 
its highest aspects and worthiest examples it points the way, the 
only safe and sure way, to the prosperity of owners and tillers of 
the land in this country—higher culture ; a more bountiful return 
of food ; a greater development of beauty for the sustenance and 
delight of the whole community. The world is what we make it; 
let us make it as good, as happy a place to live in, as we can. 
These are our last words through the Journal of Horticulture, in 
reference to the old year, and in which are embodied our best 
wishes for the new. 
THE PASSING YEAR—A REVIEW, 
Farewell, Old Year ! Mediocrity is written on thy record. 
Looking back o’er thy span, even through an optimist’s spectacles, 
we can accord thee but the negative praise that matters might have 
been worse. A cursory glance over the garden at the present time 
yields an unsatisfactory feeling. Soft, sappy, immature growth is 
much in evidence. There appears to be a halting opinion with 
many things between growing and resting. It is a question 
whether a spell of frost—not yet forthcoming—is most to be 
dreaded or desired. I fear that at least with some denizens of the 
borders such a peremptory command to rest as frost would give 
might mean the sleep which knows no awakening. 
Happy should be the gardener whose cares are confined to his 
own department. He may not think so, but I did when piping all 
hands to our haymaking. It was toil and moil to save it from the 
midden instead of for the rick. Meadows were late, and few 
persons thought of cutting till Sol should favour us. Summer may 
be said to have commenced in the last days of June, and also to 
No. 757.—VoL. XXIX., Third Series. 
have ended in a tropical burst on Sunday, July 1st. This day 
gave the maximum reading of 82° (in the shade) for the year. 
From thence to the end of the month we had twenty wet days, or 
what was so to all intents and purposes of haymaking. Truly we 
had some fine days, but they were invariably sandwiched between 
two wet ones. Over this part of the passing year it may be meet 
to draw a veil. 
There was some cau.se for thankfulness in being quit of harvest 
operations which followed haymaking in County Dublin under the 
same unfavourable conditions. Oats form the staple of harvest in 
this neighbourhood. Wheat is but little grown, but the day has 
gone past when home growth affected the price of the loaf. It may 
be of interest to note that the best bread is at present 4^d. the 4 lb. 
loaf ; the quality is seldom equalled, and, I venture to add, not 
excelled on your side of the channel, and the leading limited 
company supplying us pay a handsome dividend. The intro¬ 
duction of so crusty a subject may be excused in consideration of 
its importance in the economy of a country’s food supply. 
Small fruits were fairly good, but quickly over. Strawberries 
on a north-east border escaped the frost by being late, whereas 
most of those in the open were annihilated—the dual aspect gave 
two strings to one’s bow. Pears on the walls in the best position 
were passing fair ; Apples few and decidedly bad. Taking a bird’s 
eye view. Hollies may be mentioned amongst the fruit, being 
profusely berried, and the birds are busy at them. 
The dreaded Potato blight has been much in evidence over the 
country. Spraying with sulphate of copper appears to have been 
sufficiently tested in various localities to demonstrate the efficacy 
of it as a remedy. Having passed the experimental stage, results 
tend to show that it is a means whereby the blight, if not totally 
eradicated, may be divested of its terrors. But it will require the 
spirit of philanthropy to carry its benefits to the humbler classes 
through the length and breadth of the land. Unless this is the 
oase, it will obviously be least known and last used where it is 
most required. Would that every parish in Ireland was supplied 
with a sprayer for free use among small holders, and that the 
necessity of using it, with the way of using it, could be demon¬ 
strated by practical lessons from competent teachers. I doubt 
not that sooner or later a matter of such vital importance will 
receive the attention it deserves. The sooner the better, for the 
spectre of famine is invariably waiting on the failure of the 
Potato crop. It is not long since we read of gaunt want being 
combated by one of H.M. gunboats laden with Indian meal. In 
the near future let us hope to read that “ The line of battle ship 
‘Prevention’ is under orders for the West Coast of Ireland, 
charged with sulphate of copper.” The highest quotation for 
Champions in the Dublin markets is now 4s. per cwt., but as home 
demand creates a foreign supply, these prices afford no criterion 
of matters prevailing over the principal area of the country. On 
the importance of suitable varieties, methods of culture, and 
quality of the seed, a special article would be required. 
Looking back on a more agreeable, if less important subject, 
not any more practical illustration of the effects of a sunless 
summer has been afforded than by the Chrysanthemums. I am 
recording my own experience only. Plants were unusually well 
rooted, and the foliage to a “’mum” grower’s eye was glorious. 
After taking what buds were ready early in August, a spell of 
gloomy weather prevailed to the end of the month, tops went up 
with a rush, bud formation stopped, and so far as timing went was 
thrown out of gear. During this weather buds previously taken 
swelled rapidly and gave every promise of grand blooms, which 
indeed they partly developed into ; but the fatal damp—my first 
experience of it in its worst form—set in, and damped the 
prospects amongst some of the finest of the Japanese section. One 
redeeming feature obtained in the incurved varieties, the Princess 
family gave the finest blooms I ever had, or in fact, have ever seen, 
although it is but right to say that it is many years since I saw 
No. 2413 .—VoL, XCL, Old Series. 
