210 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 5, 1891. 
of plants in a pit, the heat of which never exceeded 
45 degrees. 
Many people are unsuccessful with them because 
they look upon them as subjects which require 
“ coddling,” instead of treating them to a cool atmo¬ 
sphere. For winter and early spring blooming few 
plants excel the Cineraria, and to those who have not 
hitherto cultivated them I would recommend a trial, 
as they brighten up a conservatory or greenhouse 
considerably at this season of the year.— Vesutrus. 
- 
THE LATE LORD LYTTON 
ON FUNERAL-FLOWERS. 
When we remember the wealth of flowers grown at 
Knebworth, under the generous care of Mr. Kipling, 
it is a matter for surprise that the late Lord Lytton 
should just prior to his death have so strongly depre¬ 
cated the employment of flowers at his funeral. The 
words imputed to him, on excellent authority, are : 
" There is one favour I wish to ask of you. It is 
that you may not send the tiniest Violet or the smal¬ 
lest Rosebud to be placed on my coffin. What in 
heaven’s name have poor flowers done, to be con¬ 
demned to such a horrid purpose as being consigned 
to vaults and graves. I like a sad-looking funeral, 
I detest one tawdry with flowers. Besides, the flower 
craze throws upon the friends of the defunct the 
cost of giving him a showy funeral.” 
Doubtless the Funeral Reform Association would so 
far as relates to the costly floral wreaths, crosses, 
&c., at funerals, fully agree with the deceased noble¬ 
man, whilst they would demur to the suggestion 
that funerals should be dull. Probably Lord Lytton 
thought that anything in the nature of display, even 
of flowers, did not harmonise with those feelings of 
sorrow and grief which are assumed to be contingent 
on death. Doubtless he was right, much as those 
who have display and funeral pomp may differ. It 
is probably the case that wreath and other funeral 
emblem makers have derived much profit from this 
form of floral trade, but all the same it is not possible 
for any true lover of flowers to withhold some 
sympathy with the pity shown for beautiful flowers 
when so employed. 
Why should they be made the associates of death 
and decay, when they rather typify all that is beauti¬ 
ful, joyous and healthful. We do not suppose that 
Lord Lytton's death bed appeal on behalf of 
flowers will materially affect the general public, but 
it may the class to which he belonged, and which on 
the whole care little in death for pomp and dis¬ 
play.— X. 
SOILS, POTTING, AND 
WATERING.* 
Soils perform at least three functions in reference to 
vegetation : they serve as a basis in which plants may 
fix their roots and sustain themselves in their erect 
position; they supply food to vegetables at every 
period of their growth ; and they are the medium in 
which many chemical changes take place that are 
essential to a right preparation of the various kinds 
of food which the soil is destined to yield to the 
growing plant. The study of the ash cf plants shows 
us that a fertile soil, besides its organic matter, must 
of necessity contain an appreciable quantity of twelve 
or fourteen different mineral substances, which, in 
most cases, exist in greater or less relative abundance 
in the ash both of wild and of cultivated plants. 
Actual chemical analysis shows that, in moist soils, 
the presence of all the constituents of the ash 
of plants may be detected, though in very 
variable and sometimes in very minute proportions ; 
and following up investigations in regard to the effect 
of the difference in their proportions, it establishes cer¬ 
tain other points, of the greatest possible importance 
to agricultural and horticultural practice. I will not, 
however, trespass longer on your valuable time with 
this difficult art, as it does not bear directly on my 
subject. I would simply recommend all who wish to 
improve themselves in this particular art, to procure 
a copy of Johnston's "Elements of Agricultural 
Chemistry and Geology,” a book that ought to be 
the property of every gardener. 
When giving the heading .of my paper I spoke of 
soils; a more suitable word would be composts. 
This subject deserves careful consideration, and par¬ 
*A paper read by Mr. William Craig, plant foreman at the 
Tweed Vineyard, Clovenfords, at the last meeting ofthe Howick 
Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Association. 
ticularly on the part of young gardeners and 
amateurs who are desirous of becoming success¬ 
ful plant growers, and make their mark 
in the horticultural world in this particular 
branch of gardening. In the first place, let 
us glance at some of the materials or ingredients 
which are commonly used in the formation of these 
composts. These are loams taken from the surface 
of pasture-fields, and are of various textures in accor¬ 
dance with the site from which they are taken ; thus 
we have strong, heavy loam, and pliable sandy loam, 
with the intermediate gradations of texture in accor¬ 
dance with the amounts of sand present in them. 
Peat or heath soil, silver or river sand, half-inch 
bones and bone-meal, decomposed manure and leaf- 
soil, charcoal and charred earth, are a few other in¬ 
gredients, the presence of which in the composts may 
be useful and requisite in the case of particular kinds 
of plants ; but those mentioned may be looked upon 
as all that are necessary for the growth of pot plants 
in general. At the present time, all gopd plant 
growers when preparing a compost for the growth of 
any particular class of plants, confine them¬ 
selves to fewer ingredients than was formerly the 
practice. Turfy loam of sound and enduring texture 
is the material chosen by the majority of plant 
growers of the present day to form the staple of 
nearly all composts used in the growth of pot plants. 
The object in doing so is to secure for the plants a 
root medium of a lasting nature, and capable of with¬ 
standing, without becoming sour, the repeated 
waterings to which all plants in pots are necessarily 
subjected. 
Fibrous loam of good texture, with sufficient 
coarse sand for the purpose of giving the degree of 
porosity required by the character of the roots of the 
plants to which it is about to be applied, forms the 
best compost in which to grow the greater number of 
pot plants in general cultivation. Heaths and plants 
having similar roots are, of course, excepted, and 
instead of the loam they require a good fibrous peat. 
In the early gardening days, decomposed manure and 
leaf mould entered into, if they did not actually form 
the staple of, the compost in which the majority of 
both stove and greenhouse plants were growm. These 
two materials were then by most gardeners con¬ 
sidered essential to the successful growth of nearly 
all plants cultivated in pots; and to have potted a 
plant without having added the due amouut of both 
to the compost, was considered an evidence, at least 
as regards the proper root medium, of how little the 
operators knew of the requirements of plants in 
general. I admit that leaf mould and well decom¬ 
posed manure are useful in the earlier stages of the 
growth of most plants ; and in case of those annuals 
which are considered worthy of pot culture, and re¬ 
quire the protection of glass to bring them to per¬ 
fection, both materials are of much service in pro¬ 
moting their healthy and early development; but I 
have a'decided objection to either leaf mould or rotten 
manure being employed, in however small quantities, 
as part of the compost intended for the growth of 
plants the balls of which are not to be disturbed, it 
may be, for years. For all such plants a compost of 
more durable materials is necessary, and should be 
supplied, if possible, in preference to those of less 
lasting qualities ; although the latter may for a short 
time produce a quicker growth in the plant, their 
power of sustaining it is limited in comparison with 
that possessed by good fibrous loam. 
In reference to large plants, I would recommend 
broken potsherds or crocks equal to half-inch bones 
being mixed with the compost to ensure a good 
drainage ; and as to manures, I prefer an artificial 
one such as we have in Thomson’s Vine, Plant and 
Vegetable Manure. The condition as regards mois¬ 
ture in which loam has been kept from the time it 
was brought from its original site, and the length of 
time it has been in a heap previous to being used in 
the act of potting, arc important considerations, 
having regard to its value as a material for plant 
growing. In reference to moisture, it is agreed by 
all who understand the matter that all potting 
materials should be kept under cover, either in open 
sheds or beneath some material capable of protect¬ 
ing them from drenching rains. It is also agreed 
that at the time of using they should incline to over¬ 
dryness rather than to the reverse. This is a good 
practice, and for this reason, that when a little over 
dry they may be made as firm in the pots as 
possible, without fear of undesirable consequences 
following therefrom. 
There is a difference of opinion as regards the 
length of time turf should remain in a heap before it 
is fit to use on the potting bench. Some hold it is 
not in a fit condition to apply to plants until it has 
lain twelve months, and been repeatedly turned 
and chopped during that time. My own opinion 
is that three or four months is quite long enough 
for it to do so. If left much longer, the fibrous or 
organic portions of it will have become considerably 
decomposed, and these while undergoing decomposi¬ 
tion contribute much to the health and vigour of 
the plants, the roots of which are in contact there¬ 
with. I therefore consider it a waste of the most 
valuable parts of the material to allow it to remain 
in a heap for twelve months before applying it to 
the plants. When stacking turf intended to be 
used as potting materials the heap should not be 
made more than 3 ft. or 4 ft. wide. If made of 
greater breadth, the air cannot act so freely on all 
parts of the mass, and consequently it is more likely to 
become sour, an occurrence that should be guarded 
against in all composts intended for the growth of pot 
plants. I cannot see the good arising from the practice 
of turning and chopping the turf heap months before 
it is wanted on the potting bench. The process has 
only the effect of reducing the organic portion of it 
sooner than if left undisturbed, as on each occasion 
of turning fermentation is renewed, and consequently 
a more rapid decomposition of the fibrous parts is 
the result. As a rule this part of all composts dis¬ 
appears fast enough without any assistance being 
rendered in the process. I therefore hold that a 
week or so previous to being wanted is long enough 
beforehand to subject turfy materials to the prepara¬ 
tory process of chopping and turning and mixing 
therewith the other ingredients which may be 
thought desirable or necessary to the welfare of the 
particular kind of plants for which the compost is 
in preparation. The same remarks apply to peat 
or heath soil also, with this difference, that the fibre 
contained in good heath soil is of a more lasting 
nature than that contained in loam, and therefore, 
the circumstances being equal, decomposition does 
not proceed so rapidly in the one as in the other. 
But for all plants requiring peat soil to grow in, I 
am in favour of it being as fresh as possible. Before 
leaving this subject I would remark that all soils in¬ 
tended to enter into composts for potting purposes 
should be collected in dry or frosty weather. This 
will secure them in proper condition, and if room 
cannot be found for them under cover, they are not 
so likely to get sodden afterwards when stacked out 
of doors as if got together in wet weather. 
(To be continued.) 
’— -— 
UP THE NIGER WITH 
THE ROYAL NIGER COMPANY. 
We have been favoured by Mr. J. A. Ivilburn, a 
former employe at Kew, with copies of two letters 
dated November 3rd, 1S89, and March 16th, 1890, 
and written by the late Mr. H. E. Bartlett, whose 
sad death from fever a few days later adds a melan¬ 
choly interest to the communications to his former 
comrade. The following extracts are from the letter 
of November 3rd :— 
" I went ashore at Sierra Leone and found, much 
to my surprise, a very different place to what I 
imagined. A hundred years and more of English 
rule has had its effect, and as a consequence the 
place boasts of many of the refinements of civiliza¬ 
tion. Artisans and mechanics of all kinds ply their 
respective trades, and in the stores and shops nearly 
everything is obtainable, and not at such exorbitant 
prices as one could imagine, although I must admit 
that qd. for a bottle of lemonade was rather stiff. I 
visited what is by courtes}' termed the Botanical 
Garden, which is situated some distance from the 
town, and is the most abject, forlorn, and neglected 
looking place it is possible to concei-ve. It is a barren 
wilderness — unproductive, uninviting. The rains here 
are very heavy, a fact sufficiently indicated by the 
deep gullies and watercourses, which are everywhere 
to be seen. I had some personal experience of their 
character, for, it being yet the rainy season, I en¬ 
countered a tremendous driving storm of rain on 
going back to the ship. 
“After leaving Sierra Leone we kept the coast 
continually in sight, and many times I thought of 
Monteiro’s description of it in his " Angola and the 
River Congo.” The coast line is low, flat, depress- 
