March 7, 1891. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
429 
without it. Let no young gardener, therefore, who reads 
this imagine that he may not become eminent in any of 
the pursuits of life or departments of knowledge, much 
less in that of his profession. Let him never lose sight 
of this principle, that to desire and apply is to attain, 
and that the attainment will be in proportion to the 
application.” Does not this “grand drawback,” Mr. 
Editor, still exist ? Will it not necessarily always 
exist ? All men are human ; the gardener is a man, 
therefore the gardener is human. Moral: Do not 
expect too much from him. 
With reference to Mr. Wright’s twelve best books I 
have nothing to urge, except that I would place 
Nicholson’s Dictionary of Gardening first. As far as 
my reading goes I have found this the most generally 
useful; and I may add, for the information of young 
men, that I acquired mine in monthly parts, price, 1*., 
and which extended over four years. Mr. Wright has 
undoubtedly given us the cream of practical gardening 
works, and I have no doubt found considerable difficulty 
in arriving at this conclusion. But at the risk of 
“rushing in where aDgels fear to tread,” I would 
supplement that list by a few more. Of practical 
books of an inexpensive character I would recommend 
Sutherland’s Hardy Herbaceous and Alpine Plants, 
J. Wright’s Esscfy on Fruit Culture, Mrs. Loudon’s 
Amateur Gardener's Calendar, D. Thompson’s Flower 
Garden, Cassell’s Popular Gardening, and Moore & 
Masters’ Epitome of Gardening. Of philosophical or 
allied treatises germane to the subject, to be perused 
alternately with the prosy matter, I would append 
Darwin’s Journal of Researches, containing a fund of 
information relative to other countries, and published 
by Ward, Lock & Co., at 2s.; Cassell’s Gilbert White’s 
Natural History of Selborne, price 6 d. ; Rev. J. G. 
Wood’s Garden Friends and Foes, Cassell’s Shirley 
Hibberd’s Familiar Garden Flowers, Burbidge’s Gardens 
of the Sun, and Lindley’s Vegetable Kingdom. 
That a spirited controversy may rage round the best 
books, and the respective merits of each be brought 
out is the wish of C. B. G., Acton, IV. 
-->3c<-- 
CRYSTAL PALACE EXHIBITION. 
The display of gardening sundries and necessities 
opened in the two great naves at Sydenham on Tuesday, 
though full of interest to all actively engaged in 
horticultural pursuits, hardly realised our expectations 
as to its completeness as a representative show, but 
what may have been missing on the opening day may 
be forthcoming ere these lines are published, and we 
must not be too critically disposed towards a first effort. 
Garden seeds are represented by one of those taste¬ 
fully arranged and perfectly appointed little museums 
from Reading, which the Messrs. Sutton know so well 
how to turn out. The variety of seeds and the col¬ 
lection of models of the various types of vegetables in 
this stand is worthy of careful inspection. Mr. C. W. 
Cousins, of High Street, Wood Green, has also a very 
neat display of seeds, vegetables and sundries. 
Of horticultural buildings the most extensive display 
is made by Mr. W. Cooper, 747 to 751, Old Kent Road, 
S. E. , who has a considerable variety of houses and frames 
of various kinds,ranging from the good-sized span-roofed 
structure to the small greenhouse for amateurs, one of 
which,' a lean-to, 7 ft. by 5 ft., with glass front and 
ends, and “Amateur’s Assistant Heating Apparatus,” 
all complete for 48s., must be noted as a marvel of 
cheapness. The ‘ ‘ Rapid ” Propagator and the Hygienic 
Heater will also claim the notice of amateurs of small 
means. The Messrs. Wrinch & Sons, of Ipswich, have 
also a large display of their well-known type of houses, 
and such luxurious garden appointments as lawn tents, 
seats, &c. Messrs. Newton & Co., of Hitchin, show 
their well-known and admirable system of glazing. 
Mr. W. Clark, Station Road, Reading, shows also 
his capital patent system of glazing without putty; and 
Mr. T. Pratt, Sydenham, S.E., has a system of glazing 
without putty on view, which appears to be very 
easily manipulated. 
Prom greenhouses to the means of heating them is 
an easy stage of transition, and of heating apparatuses 
the Thames Bank Iron Company have a thoroughly 
good and representative display. On this stand the 
Champion Horizontal Tubular Boiler, which is finding 
so much favour with nurserymen and the large trade 
growers, claims first notice. It has the great merit of 
being powerful and quick in action, and in case cf 
fracture any pipe can be quickly replaced without 
touching the brickwork. Alongside are the various 
types of “ saddles,” and independent boilers of different 
shapes and heating capacities, as well as radiators, 
ventilating gear, valves, &e., all of special interest to 
the practical man. Heating coils and radiators are 
also shown by Messrs. Rosser & Russell,of Charing Cross. 
Horticultural sundries, such as insecticides, 
manures, &c., are well to the front. Messrs. Corry, 
Soper, Fowler and Co., 16, Finsbury Street, E.C., 
have an extensive display of their own manufactures, 
such as various preparations from tobacco, made in bond, 
and including the Lethorion Cones and their new 
Nicotine fumigating sheets—a specially-made thick 
paper resembling soft felt, and containing three per 
cent, of Nicotine ; a good article that can either be 
torn up and used like tobacco-paper, or used in sheets. 
Watson’s Lawn Sand, which kills the weeds and 
makes the grass grow, such a puzzling combination of 
virtues to the uninitiated ; and Standen’s Manure, the 
well-tried and trusty gardeners’ friend of thirty years 
standing, also call for a word of recognition. A great 
variety of insecticides, fumigating materials, manures, 
square chip punnets—capital things for packing fruit, 
&c.—dried Grasses, dried Brazilian Fern fronds, long 
Bamboo canes—quite a modern introduction into the 
trade ; garden cutlery, and some prettily designed 
flower baskets made of Roffii Grass, and quite new, 
claim attention on the large stand of Messrs. Osman & 
Co., 132, Commercial Road, E. Mr. J. George, of 
Putney, besides numerous other articles of general 
utility, makes a feature of Thomson’s Vine and Chry¬ 
santhemum Manures, and the new Nicotina Fumigator, 
which has lately been so strongly recommended in our 
columns. 
The Agri-Horticultural Chemical Co., Tunbridge 
Kent, show their “ Acme ” weed and worm killers 
a mildew-destroying composition ; “Kentish ” manures, 
and other useful articles; while “London purple” 
and “ Paris green ’’ compositions are exhibited by 
Hemingway’s “London Purple” Co., 60, Mark 
Lane, E.C. 
Of insecticide distributors there are several on view 
of more or less ingenuity and merit, but the principal 
are The “ Stott ” Fertiliser and Insecticide Distributor 
Company’s (Barton House, Deansgate, Manchester) 
patent, and the “ Strawsoniser,” exhibited by Messrs. 
R. Hornsby & Son, of Grantham. The “Stott ” patent 
we have before described, and need only for the 
moment say that it maintains its high reputation as a 
powerful and effective sprayer. A new form of it on 
the same stand is a two-celled machine for the dis¬ 
tribution of Paris green, prepared in the form of an 
emulsion. The form of “ Strawsoniser ” exhibited is a 
hand-power machine for use in gardens, dressing fruit 
trees, Hops, &c., and in Tea and Coffee plantations 
where a horse machine cannot be employed. 
Garden pottery ware is splendidly represented by the 
manufactures of Mr. Conway G. Ware, of Weston- 
super-Mare, which for variety and usefulness, 
excellency of finish and brightness of colour, are all 
that could be desired. Messrs. W. J. lies & Co., 
Warner Road, Camberwell Park, S.E , also have a 
capital stand of plain and ornamental pottery, &c. 
Of lawn mowers, the Messrs. Ransomes, Sims & 
Jefferies, of Ipswich, have a number, large and small, 
of their special make, driven by chain and ordinary 
gearing. Messrs. Barford & Perkins, Peterborough, 
show their “ Godiva ” and “Beatrice” mowers, the 
former being the excellent machine which came so well 
out of the Liverpool trials in 1886. 
Benjamin Edgington (Limited), 2, Duke Street, S.E., 
show lawn tents and lawn tennis furniture of the best 
make ; M. Y. Vermorel, Villefranche (Rhone), France, 
his knapsack spraying pump, L’Eclair, and other 
apparatuses of a like character ; Messrs. G. Neighbour 
& Sons, 127, High Holborn, W.C., Bee furniture ; the 
Standard Manufacturing Co., Derby, their excellent 
tree and shrub pruners, and exceedingly useful attach¬ 
ments for holding umbrellas and sunshades on garden 
seats, &c. _ 
HERBACEOUS GRAFTING. 
My attention has been called a number of times to the 
unsatisfactory records and directions concerning the 
grafting of herbaceous plants. There appears to have 
been very little attention given to the subject, and the 
scant discussions of it are mostly copied from one 
author to another. A few years ago I made some 
attempts at herbaceous grafting, but it was not until 
last winter that experiments were seriously undertaken. 
The experiments were undertaken primarily for the 
purpose of learning the best methods of grafting herbs, 
but a secondary and more important object was the 
study of the reciprocal influences of stock and scion, 
particularly in relation to variegation and colouration. 
The second feature of the work is still under way, in 
one form or another, and we hope for definite results 
in a few years. As a matter of immediate advantage, 
however, herbaceous grafting has its uses, particularly 
in securing different kinds of foliage and flowers upon 
the same plant. There is no difficulty in growing a 
half-dozen kinds or colours on Pelargoniums, Chry¬ 
santhemums, or other plants from one stock of the 
respective species. 
Six hundred grafts were made in our trials last 
winter. It was found that the wood must be some¬ 
what hardened to secure the best results. The very 
soft and flabby shoots are likely to be injured in the 
operation of grafting, and union does not take readily. 
Vigorous Coleus stocks, three months old, gave best 
results if cut to within 2 ins. or 3 ins. of the pot, and 
all or nearly all the leaves removed from the stump. 
Pelargoniums, being harder in wood, made good 
unions at almost any place except on the soft growing 
points. The stock must not have ceased growth, 
however. Most of the leaves should be kept down on 
the stock. Scions 1 in. or 2 ins. long were usually 
taken from firm-growing tips, in essentially the same 
manner as in the making of cuttings. Sometimes an 
eye of the old wood was used, and in most cases union 
took place, and a new shoot arose from the bud. The 
leaves were usually partly removed from the scion. 
Various styles of grafting were employed, of which 
the common cleft and the veneer or side graft were 
perhaps the most satisfactory. In most instances it 
was only necessary to bind the parts together snugly 
with bass or raffia. In some soft-wooded plants, like 
Coleus, a covering of common grafting wax over the 
bandage was an advantage, probably because it prevented 
the drying out of the parts. In some cases, however, 
wax injured the tissues where it overreached the 
bandage. Sphagnum moss was used in many cases, 
tied in a small mass about the union, but unless the 
parts were well bandaged the scion sent roots into 
the moss and did not unite; and in no case did 
moss appear to possess decided advantages. Best 
results were obtained by placing the plants at once in a 
propagating frame, where a damp and confined atmos¬ 
phere could be maintained. In some plants, successful 
unions were made in the open greenhouse, but they 
were placed iu shade and kept sprinkled for a day after 
the grafts were made. The operation should always be 
performed quickly, to prevent flagging of the scions. 
Or, if the scions cannot be used at once, they may be 
thrust into sand or moss in the same manner as 
cuttings, and kept for several days. In one series. 
Tomato and Potato cuttings, which had flagged in the 
cutting bed, revived when grafted. And cuttings 
which had been transported in the mail for three days 
grew readily, but they were in good condition when 
received. The mealy-bugs were particularly trouble¬ 
some upon these grafted plants, for they delighted to 
crawl under the bandages and suck the juices from 
the wounded surfaces. 
Although it is foreign to the purposes of this note, 
it may be worth while to mention a few of the plants 
upon which the experiments were made. Sections 
were taken of many of the grafts, and microscopic 
examinations made to determine the extent of cell 
union. Coleuses of many kinds were used with 
uniform success, and the scions of some of them were 
vigorous a year after being set. Even Iresine (better 
known as Achyranthes Verschaffeltii) united with 
Coleus and grew for a time. Zonal Pelargoniums 
bloomed upon the common rose Geranium. Tomatos 
upon Potatos and Potatos upon Tomatos grew well, and 
were transplanted to the open ground, where some of 
them grew, flowered and fruited until killed by frost. 
The Tomato-on-Potato plants bore good Tomatos above 
and good Potatos beneath, even though no sprouts 
from the Potato stock were allowed to grow. Peppers 
united with Tomatos and Tomatos united with Peppers. 
Egg Plants, Tomatos, and Peppers grew upon the 
European Husk Tomato or Alkekengi (Physalis Alke- 
kengi). Peppers and Egg Plants united with each 
other reciprocally. A Coleus scion was placed upon a 
Tomato plant and was simply bound with raffia. The 
scion remained green and healthy, and at the end of 
forty-eight days the bandage was removed, but it was 
found that no union had taken place. Ageratums 
united upon each other with difficulty. Chrysan¬ 
themums united readily. A Bean plant, bearing two 
partially grown Beans, chanced to grow in a Chrysan¬ 
themum pot. The stem bearing the pods was inarched 
into the Chrysanthemum. Union took place readily, 
but the Beans turned yellow and died. Pumpkin 
Vines united with Squash Vines, Cucumbers with 
