November 20, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
183 
upon in Somersetshire, we may say of the Bishop’s 
influence what Portia said to Nerissa of the distant 
candle twinkling in the dark, “So shines a good deed 
in a naughty world.” 
It seems that to some extent the subject of allot¬ 
ments, like the culture of tobacco, had been allowed to 
lapse. During many years it was frequently discussed 
both within and without the walls of Parliament. In 
1843 Lord Shaftesbury, then Lord Ashley, introduced 
a Bill not very different from that of Mr. Cowper In 
1845. No compulsory taking of land was proposed ; 
the rent was to be secured on the rates, and unpaid 
parochial officers or field wardens were to be appointed 
to act as intermediaries between the tenants and land- 
owners. The feeling of leading politicians is discovered 
by the fact that Mr. Robert Peel, Sir James Graham, 
and Lord John Manners supported Lord Shaftesbury’s 
Bill. So as there were Greeks before Agamemnon, 
there were farm labourers’ friends before Mr. Jesse 
Collings. 
Before concluding this short history, I might, perhaps, 
mention the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1819, which 
empowers the churchwardens and overseers, with con¬ 
sent of the vestry, to take in hand parish land, or to 
purchase or hire other land not exceeding 20 acres, 
and to set the poor to work on it as a parish farm, or 
to let a portion as an allotment to any poor and in¬ 
dustrious inhabitant of the parish. As the powers 
which were given for raising money out of the rates or 
by loans charged on future rates, were repealed by the 
Statute Law Revision Act of 1873, this Act of 1819, 
commonly called “Sturge’s Bournes Act,” is no longer 
available for the purpose of parochial agriculture, or 
for the provision of allotments ; and experience shows 
that the intervention of the parochial authorities has 
not usually proved successful in extending allotments. 
On this point the Poor Law Commissioners pronounced 
very strongly in 1834, in their report for that year 
(February 21st.) After stating that “the immediate 
advantage of allotments is so great, that if there were 
no other mode of supplying them, we think it would be 
worth while, as a temporary measure to propose some 
general plan for providing them ” ; they add, in re¬ 
ference to the use of local machinery for the purpose, 
“ where the system is carried on by individuals it has 
been generally beneficial, but when managed by parish 
officers it has seldom succeeded,” In point of fact, the 
experiment of setting out allotments under the Act 
was tried in a number of parishes, especially in the 
south-western counties, and was soon abandoned as a 
failure. , . 3 -.- ,_ 
FLOWERS AT FUNERALS. 
Mine being essentially a grave avocation, per¬ 
haps no one could .approach this subject, from an 
horticultural point of view, with greater aptitude, 
having for many years had ample experience with 
reference to this all-prevailing custom. I may say 
that I have seen many hundreds of pounds’ worth of the 
choicest flowers placed on the last resting-place of 
departed friends, and have had occasion to listen to 
various expressed opinions upon this particular matter; 
and although the flowers are, as a rule, very much ad¬ 
mired, it is considered by most people a great waste of 
money, with no positive good accruing therefrom. The 
flowers being mostly of a tropical character, when exposed 
to inclement weather so soon perish and become useless, 
that it is considered by the less sentient as so much 
value absolutely thrown away. But although there is 
in an abstract point of view some semblance of truth in 
this, when a broader gauge is brought into force, 
another light is thrown upon the whole matter, and to 
the unprejudiced mind a great good is seen, benefiting 
numerous classes of many professions. When the 
subject has been under discussion, as it frequently 
has been, I always, in the first instance, introduce my 
friends to the iron and other mines. The iron has to 
be obtained before hot-water pipes and boilers can be 
manufactured ; timber has to be hewn and prepared for 
the plant house builder ; clay must be dug and prepared 
before bricks can be made ; then follows the engineer, 
the carpenter, bricklayer, painter and glazier, which 
latter reminds us of the enormous trade that is trans¬ 
acted both at home and abroad in this manufactured 
article for even horticultural structures, exclusive of all 
other uses where it is employed. Then I may perti¬ 
nently observe, to grow and bring these charming 
and rare flowers to perfection for market purposes, how 
many hundreds, aye, thousands of gardeners are 
employed, to say nothing of those that are engaged in 
the more artistic department in arranging the flowers 
into crosses and wreaths ; and I am convinced that when 
the whole matter is well and rightly considered, it must 
be seen, apart from the more sentimental and sacred 
considerations, that the custom of decorating on these 
sad and special occasions is very desirable in the 
good arising therefrom. It would be a sorry age that 
repudiated the use of flowers on these solemn occasions, 
for as one of the leading growers for Covent Garden 
once said to me there is a far greater quantity of 
flowers used at funerals than at weddings. The pre¬ 
vailing custom may be deemed one of weakness in the 
minds of some individuals, but for my part I envy 
them not ; the fullest fruition of a happy mind is to 
regard our friends with the highest esteem, and revere 
their memory so long as we are permitted to sojourn 
here, should they journey on before us, and to place 
emblems of attachment and respect on the resting-place 
of such, generating in our hearts and minds feelings of 
the most refined and sacred character .—Man of Kent. 
- ->X<- - 
Hardening Hotes from 
|) GOTLAND. 
The Chrysanthemums at Carbert Castle, 
Broughty Ferry, and at Clement Park, 
Dundee. —On Monday last, a party of Edinburgh 
horticulturists paid a visit to Dundee, in order to inspect 
the collections above named, and for the following 
notes on the trip we are indebted to a member of the 
party:—Leaving Edinburgh by the 9.30 a.m. train, we 
had a pleasant run through Fife. It may be remarked, 
in passing, that Fifeshire farmers have been among the 
most unfortunate, the harvest being very protracted, 
and the grain secured in bad condition. We noticed a 
considerable acreage of Beans still standing out. On 
arrival at Broughty Pier, we walked to Carbert Castle, 
and were most hospitably received by Mr. S. Fullin, 
the head gardener, and a few other noted horticulturists. 
Carbert Castle, the residence of Joseph Grimond, Esq., 
occupies a commanding site with a fine view up and down 
the Firth of Tay. Mr. Grimond has long been an 
ardent lover of horticulture, and some years ago the 
leading honours at many exhibitions always fell to his 
lot. 
The glass erections are very extensive, and complete 
in every detail. Taking them in order, we came first 
to the span-roofed greenhouse, 95 ft. by 14 ft., with 
division in centre, and containing a useful collection of 
hard and soft-wooded plants, growing on for conser¬ 
vatory decoration. Alongside is another house of the 
same length, but 20 ft. wide, filled with Chrysan¬ 
themums, particulars of which we will give farther on ; 
a flight of ornamental steps lead to the stove, a 
handsome span-roofed house well filled with a choice 
collection of all that is newest and best; it was gener¬ 
ally remarked that all were in a high state of cultivation. 
There are two ranges of fruit houses, each 120 ft. in 
length ; one is divided into three Vineries and a Peach 
house, the other is entirely given up to Peaches and 
Nectarines, and is in three divisions. Mr. Dunn, of 
Dalkeith Palace, who was one of the party, remarked 
that he had the pleasure of seeing them in fruit last 
summer, and finer or larger fruit he had not seen for 
many a day in any gentleman’s establishment. 
We next came to a range of useful span-roofed forcing 
houses, five in number, all fulfilling well the mission 
required of them ; the other houses consist of two 
spans devoted wholly to Roses, an exotic Fernery and 
a house where Heaths and other hard-wooded plants are 
grown ; a class of plants that too little attention is 
being given to now-a-days. Adjoining the Castle there 
is an ornamental conservatory in four divisions, with a 
cool Fernery at the north end, surmounted by a hand¬ 
some dome, and which has a really commanding 
appearance. 
The main object of our visit being to see the 
Chrysanthemums, I will now confine my remarks to the 
house devoted for the time being to them. Mr. Fullin 
confines himself to about 150 sorts—and plenty we 
venture to think ; all his plants are trained down to 
about 1 £ ft. from the pot, and tastefully arranged as 
they were in the centre and at the sides of the house, 
the sight was, indeed, one rarely if ever to be seen in 
Scotland ; the incurved varieties were just at their best, 
but some of the Japanese would require another ten 
days’ time to fully develop themselves. I will send you 
a list for your next number ; in the meantime we must 
record our thanks to Mr. Grimond for having given us 
an opportunity to inspect such a noteworthy collection. 
Clement Park is about two miles out from Dundee, 
and easily reached by steam tramcar. It was the 
residence of the late James Cox, Esq., a gentleman whose 
name is inseparably associated with the great jute 
industry. Time being limited, our visit was rathe 
hurried, but Mr. Moir made the most of it in showing 
us round the well-appointed establishment which he so 
ably manages. The kitchen garden is a small, but 
compact square, and the south -wall is covered from end 
to end with glass ; six vineries, two Peach houses and 
a large span-roofed plant-house at either end. One is 
used as a stove, and contains an extremely clean and 
healthy collection, Crotons being especially well 
coloured ; the other, a cool greenhouse, with fine 
specimen Camellias planted out in the centre, and the 
roof covered with a well-assorted variety of climbers. 
A particularly fine plant of Lapageria rosea is trained 
immediately over the Camellias, forming a natural and 
graceful canopy. 
Behind the kitchen garden, we found quite a number 
of useful plant houses, two of them entirely devoted to 
Orchids—a fine healthy collection, containing many 
choice varieties, which time did not permit us to 
examine as carefully as we would have liked. Perhaps 
on another occasion a few notes may be given. 
We must not omit to mention the Chrysanthemum- 
house specially constructed about two' years ago—a 
span, 70 ft. by 30 ft., and containing over 400 well- 
grown plants, trained down to the pots, and full of 
flower. The varieties, with one or two exceptions, were 
the same as at Carbert Castle, so we need not give 
further details.— D. P. 
-- 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 
Potatos that have been stored for some time in sheds 
will now require turning over and examining, for if a 
few decayed or diseased tubers are allowed to remain 
amongst them, they will quickly affect the others, and 
a good stock may be seriously damaged for want of this 
precaution. Clear off the out-door crops, and dig the 
ground roughly when it is moderately dry ; see that 
Celery is sufficiently earthed up ; clean and mulch the 
Asparagus beds ; protect Globe Artichokes with some 
light material on each side of the roots but not over 
the crown, cutting the old leaves close in. 
The present is a good time to consider the respective 
successes, or otherwise, of the various crops, and also to 
decide upon new plans or trials for another season ; a 
careful record should always be kept of each variety 
grown, the time of sowing and when it comes into use, 
and then, the most important of all, its quality when 
cooked or prepared for the table. A good deal may be 
learned by observations in this way, and it will soon be 
found that there are particular varieties which thrive 
in one garden, while, perhaps, entirely owing to some 
peculiarity of soil or situation, the same varieties, in 
other gardens a short distance away, may prove very 
unsatisfactory ; these are matters that can only be 
learned by experience and close attention to their 
requirements, but an ample reward will be secured in 
having better crops of good quality. Vegetables differ 
considerably in their respective merits, and cultivators of 
all kinds act wisely in relying mainly upon those they 
have proved, confining experiments with novelties or 
varieties that have not been previously tried, to 
moderate limits at first. At the same time the additions 
sent out by respectable firms are well worth attention, 
and if the plants receive fair culture, it will be generally 
found that they possess some distinguishing character 
of more or less importance. Avoid prejudice in such 
trials, and if a variety be found with good qualities, 
endeavour to develop them by better treatment. 
It is an excellent system where the kitchen garden is 
of moderate size, say an acre or more, to prepare a plan 
of the ground, and mark out upon the several quarters 
the crops that are to occupy them, and the succession 
in each ease for the season. This can be readily done 
as regards all the larger crops, the less important, such 
as salading and similar plants, not needing to be 
included, as they are generally useful for filling up odd 
spaces, or for placing between other crops. A plan 
prepared in this way will be found to facilitate work 
greatly, and, besides, is instructive, as the respective 
success of each crop can be recorded on it, the times of 
sowing and cutting, and many other facts that may be 
found very serviceable in arranging for another season. 
— Scolytus. 
