500 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 10, 1886. 
To many of our readers, no doubt, the pro¬ 
posal to embark on a large, indeed, national 
scale in Tobacco cultivation as a field crop reads 
about as practical as would be one to raise fields 
of Balsams, Castor Oils, or similar tender plants. 
Even in gardens we have always found it 
needful to afford Tobacco plants high cultivation, 
warm corners, and sheltered spots, and even 
with all this care and protection the plants have 
been but fair, with no special effect to boast of. 
What would be the condition of a large expanse 
of Tobacco plants devoid of shelter and fully 
exposed to all the winds and storms of the 
season we can well imagine; and whilst in 
specially warm quiet summers the plants may 
not be materially prejudiced, yet it is certain 
that during cold stormy summers they would 
suffer very appreciably, and broken stalks and 
torn or damaged leaves would at once represent 
heavy loss. 
ISToav, in our habitual yet small way in rearing 
Tobacco plants, Are have soAvn under glass and 
usually in gentle AA r armth. The seed is ex¬ 
ceedingly small, and as the plant is of a truly 
tropical nature, it is obvious that seed soavii in 
any fashion, however carefully, in an open field 
must suffer, indeed, would in most cases, if so 
exposed, either perish or else germinate too late 
and too sloAvly ,to give a profitable plant. Of 
course it Avould not be possible to groAv the 
plants densely, hence it may not prove absolutely 
impracticable to raise many thousands of plants 
in frames in the spring, and then plant or 
dibble them from the frames to the open ground 
when the plants are strong and the weather 
favourable. Still, it is obvious that where 
several acres are grown an enormous quantity 
of plants would be required, and the labour of 
planting so many out Avould not be trifling. 
Then, unless groAvn thickly, and that can hardly 
be practicable, it is certain that each plant 
Avould need some form of support, and that 
would again add very materially to the cost of 
cultivation, both in the price of stakes and the 
additional labour required to utilise them. 
Still farther, all labour must be manual, and 
that would be costly, Avhilst the ground must 
have been deeply worked and heavily manured. 
Finally, assuming that a good plant is ob¬ 
tained, the cost of drying and of manufacturing 
the leaves Avould be great, even in the event— 
not by any means certain—that manufacturing 
processes, Avhich would produce an article, 
capable fairly of competing Avith foreign To¬ 
bacco, could be created. We could do many 
things in this country that just uoav is not 
possible, simply because our climate is not 
favourable. Were it favourable, so far from 
waiting upon providence to send us a deliverer 
from our troubles in the shape of Tobacco plants, 
we should long since have groAvn our own bulbs, 
grass and floAver seeds, Raisins and Currants, 
and myriads of things Avhich, if Ave Avill have 
them, Ave must perforce obtain from other 
climes. 
A ith the natural warmth and delightful 
climatic conditions enjoyed elsendiere engrafted 
upon our more rugged and changeable Aveather, 
Avhat Avould not be possible to the English people? 
Yet it Avould seem as if Avliat Avealth and 
prosperity the nation enjoys had groAvn up 
rather in spite of than Avith the aid of climate. 
In reverting again to this question of Tobacco 
culture, it is curious to find that AAdrilst gar¬ 
deners have been growing plants for years in 
gardens ostensibly for the production of leaves 
to be dried and used for fumigating purposes 
and really for decorative purposes, yet, in feAv 
cases is this home-groAvn Tobacco thus employed 
because the manufactured paper and rag sold 
so largely in the trade is found to be°much 
more efficacious j indeed, something stronger 
than mere Tobacco seems to be needed for the 
destruction of aphides, as, without doubt, 
other elements than nicotine enter into 
the manufacture of our chief fumigating pre¬ 
parations. Assuming, however, that it is 
desirable for this attempt to groAv our oavh 
Tobacco to be made, and, farther, that it can be 
conducted profitably, Ave find in it a crop that 
is exactly suited for small holdings and allot¬ 
ments, as in such case the groAvth of an acre or 
an half an acre, conducted by a small oAvner or 
tenant, personally supervised, and Avith the aid 
of some glass, Avould be just the thing to suit 
his needs and requirements. 
Tobacco is such a diverse crop from that of 
ordinary vegetables, that high cultivation and 
manuring to produce strong plants Avould be 
not less profitable for the succeeding vegetable 
crop, Avhether of Potatos, Peas, or Cabbages ; 
and thus the rotation, if the term is fairly 
applicable, Avould be favourable all round. 
Whilst the little cultivators aided by a green¬ 
house or a feAv frames could raise several 
thousands of plants under glass, and thus plant 
his acre of Tobacco, it would be the duty of some 
other person or body to .act the part of collector 
and manufacturer, thus relieving the groAver of 
all farther responsibility Avith regard to his 
Tobacco crop, and in that Avay, assuming, of 
course, the result all round Avas favourable, then 
it would be equally profitable. We cannot, 
hoAvever, look hopefully upon a proposition 
made in the amateurish atmosphere of the 
House of Lords, because wide knowledge of the 
difficulties Avhich surround the cultivation of 
semi-tropical plants here lead to conclusions 
anything but sanguine in character. The 
Government has promised a fair trial, and Ave 
shall Avatch the result Avith great interest. 
--- 
GARDENING MISCELLANY. 
Meetings for Next Week .—Monday evening 
at 7.30, the general committee of the National Chry¬ 
santhemum Society, at the “Old Four SAvans,” 
Bisliopsgate Street, E.C. — Tuesday, Eoyal Horti¬ 
cultural Society : fruit and floral committees at 11 a.m. 
Wedncsday, Eoyal Botanic Society’s Second Spring 
Show. — Wednesday evening, at eight o’clock, the 
Birmingham and Midland Counties Gardeners’ Mutual 
Improvement Society, subject: “A Fifty Years Eetro- 
spect of Horticulture.”—Sheffield and Hallamsliire 
Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society, at 7.30 p.m., 
Subject: “Cultivation of the Calceolaria.” 
Daffodils from Ireland.— Mr. W. Baylor 
Hartland, of Cork, has farmured us with some fine 
blooms of two forms of Narcissus ajax var. Princeps, 
the largest of which Mr. Hartland classes Avith the wide 
trumpet and petal section ; and the other Avith the 
Tuscan Bonnet Class. The latter is inseparable from 
the former, except in its perianth segments, which are 
of a deeper yellow colour ; a circumstance which may, 
however, he due to situation. The first-named is a 
handsome flower in the style of Horsfieldi, but both are 
good things. 
Pears from the Cape. —For tAA'o or three years 
past Messrs. Webber & Co., of Covent Garden, have 
been engaged in the laudable enterprise of encouraging 
the importation of Pears from the Cape to succeed the 
home supply, and have so far succeeded in teaching the 
Colonial groAvers how to pack the fruits, that they have 
this season received several veiyfine consignments, and 
iioav have on hand some handsome samples of Glou 
Morceau, as fresh and perfect as our oAvn fruits in 
November. The season commenced Avith Louise Bonne 
and Beurre Superfin. These AA'ere folloAved by Duehesse 
d Angouleme, and noAv by Glou Morceau, the best 
samples of which are realizing from 12s. to 15s. per 
dozen Avholesale, and seconds from 6s. to 8s. At first 
the system of packing adopted by the Cape exporters 
left much to be desired, but such is not the case uoav, 
the fruits after their long journey turning out as fresh 
and plump as they were when gathered. 
Todea Barbara. —In the Eoyal Horticultural 
Society s garden at ChisAvick, there is norv a remarkable 
display of this distinct and interesting Fern, and so 
large a number has probably never been seen in 
England before. It produces its large fronds from a 
short thick irregular stem 2 ft. to 3 ft. fiigh, an4 
much in diameter, but these dimensions are occasionally 
exceeded, and one extraordinary example has just been 
received at South Kensington, which is said to weigh 
upAvards of two tons. Specimens have been obtained 
before AA'eighing from half a ton to one ton, but as far 
as Ave know the Kensington stem is unique as regards 
weight. At ChisAvick, the old orchard house is 
appropriated to these and other tree Ferns, and quite 
a tropical scene is presented by the numerous handsome 
stems of Dicksonia and Cyathea, the majority of which 
are bearing fine croAAns of fronds, and others are 
developing freely. They are. intended for the Indian 
and Colonial Exhibition, as a portion of the illustrative 
vegetation to Avhich special houses will be then devoted. 
The National Chrysanthemum Society. 
—It has been suggested that the time has arrived when 
the valued services that Mr. William Holmes has 
rendered to the National Chrysanthemum Society in 
his capacity of hon. secretary should be acknowledged 
by presenting him with a testimonial worthy of the 
society ; and a committee has been formed, Avith Mr. 
N. Davis as honorary secretary, to carry out this object. 
The success of the society is in a great measure due to 
the unwearied efforts of Mr. Holmes and to the disin¬ 
terested zeal at all times evinced by him on its behalf. 
There is, therefore, strong justification for inviting all 
members, as Avell as others interested directly or in¬ 
directly in the Avork of the society, to subscribe to the 
fund, and Ave trust that the response will be a liberal 
one. 
Everlasting Peas. —We frequently hear persons 
complain that they experience difficulty in getting the 
seeds to germinate. This is by no means an individual 
experience. As a rule, the seeds should not be more 
than a year old, as they appear to lose their germi¬ 
nating poAver someAA'hat quickly. We have adopted 
AA'ith success the folloAving practice :—We soak the 
seeds in Avater for twelve hours—say from 9 a.m. to 
9 p.m., then they are taken out and laid on a piece 
of paper all night, and soaati tweh r e hours afterwards. 
They rarely fail to grow AA’hen so treated, provided they 
are not too old. The scarce and distinct Lathyms 
Drummondi can be raised in this Avay AA-ithout diffi¬ 
culty. 
Useful Late Potatos. —At a meeting of the 
Fruit and Vegetable Committee of the Eoyal Horti¬ 
cultural Society, held at ChisAvick on March 30th, Mr. 
George Bunyard in the chair—present Messrs. J. 
Burnett, W. Miller, S. Ford, G. T. Miles, and G. 
Norman—First Class Certificates were awarded to the 
folloAving varieties of Potatos, as especially useful for 
late Avork :—Chiswick Favourite (Veitch), white round, 
rough skin, heav r y cropper, white flesh of good flavour. 
Bennett’s Surprise (Bennett), white kidney, Avkite flesh, 
good cropper, and of fine quality. King of Kussets 
(Lye), large round, pink, Avith a somewhat deep eye, 
Avhite flesh, rough skin, good cropper, and good 
quality. 
-- 
ORNAMENTAL OASES OP 
PLANTS. 
Glass cases for the culture of plants in rooms are 
noAv coming into general favour, aud when AA-ell filled 
Avith a good selection of Ferns or other plants, they are 
extremely ornamental. Many of the Filmy Ferns 
succeed well in such cases, and Triehomanes radicans 
is an especial favourite for the purpose. Several of the 
Aspleniums are also Avell adapted for the same use, 
selecting the species according to the size ; the dwarf 
A. marinum and A. triehomanes being well suited for 
placing near the glass, the latter ones of the Auviparum 
type being only employed for the largest cases, or as a 
central plant. Adiantum Capillus-Veneris is also a 
good addition to the occupants, as a graceful Fern ; 
and A. reniforme, Avith its curious kidney-shaped 
leaves, is a pretty companion for the dwarf species. 
Pteris serrulata is a free-growing Fern, but should not 
be placed in a small case. 
Most of the Selaginellas, the Hymenophyllums, and 
the Lygodiums, but especially L. scandens are Avell Avorth 
groAviug in the same Avay. A feAv narrow-leaved Dra- 
cfenas may be introduced Avhen the case has a warm 
position ; the silver variegated Fittonia and Panicums, 
Avith anj^ similar plants having attractive foliage can 
be employed effectively during the summer months, 
but Avhen anything besides ferns are used, the occupants 
require renewal more frequently. Water should be 
