October 12, 1895. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
87 
WEBBS’ 
Finest Selected 
Roots. 
BULBS 
WEBBS’ 21/- BOX 
FOR 
GREENHOUSE DECORATION, 
&c,. 
i Amaryllis Formosissima. 
ioo Crocus, five choice varie¬ 
ties. 
i Cyclamen Persicum. 
12 Hyacinths, choicenamed 
varieties. 
9 Jonquils, sweet-scented, 
i Lilium Lancifolium. 
6 Narcissus Bulbocodium. 
g Polyanthus Narcissus. 
25 Scilla Siberica. 
100 SnowdroDS. 
6 Tulips, Due Van Thol, 
scarlet. 
18 Tulips, early single, six 
varieties. 
6 Tulips, Rex Rubrorum, 
double. 
6 Tulips, Tournesol, dble. 
OTHER BOXES from 5s. to 105s each. 
WEBBS’ BULB CATALOGUE, 
Beautifully Illustrated, and containing complete cultural 
instructions, Post Free, 6d. Gratis to customers. 
Seedsmen by Royal Warrants to H.M. ihe Queen and 
H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. 
WORDSLEY, STOURBRIDGE. 
THE KING OF DENDROBES. 
Dendrobium Phalaenopsis Schroderiana. 
2,000 blooms now open. 
Inspection cordially invited. 
RARE DENDROBIUMS A SPECIALITY. 
JAMES CYPHER, Cheltenham. 
HORNE’S FRUIT TREE DRESSING, 
For Capturing the Winter 
Moths. Invaluable where 
trees are troubled with the 
caterpillar pest This is the 
best month in the year for 
the purpose. Write at once 
for particulars and price. 
CATALOGUES are now 
ready of the NINTH 
ANNUAL GREAT 
FRUIT TREE SALE, 
ioo.ooo Trees, 25,000 New 
a, Male; b, Female. Strawberry, Royal 
Sovereign, 2,500 of the new Plum, Monarch, are in¬ 
cluded. On the Premises, Oct. 23, 1895. Absolutely 
without reserve. 
W. HORNE, Cliffe, Rochester, Kent. 
B. 
FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT 
il SMS 1 Sfe, NOTHING SO PROFITABLE 
jimml AND EASY TO GROW. 
'•" £ 80 Acres of Saleable Trees 
THE BEST PROCURABLE. 
Joists frree. 
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS. 
Bushes in variety. Packing and 
Carriage Free, for cash with order, 
perdoz., GOS* per 100. 
A U oilier Nursery Stoefe. 
carriage forward* 
n POTS From 15 /" a doz. 
Ornamental Trees, 91 Acres. 
Four Acres of Glass. 
Clematis (80,000) from ig/» 
per doz. 
iV.B ,— Singh Plants are sold at 
slightly increased prices. 
GENERAL CATALOGUE 
(Over 170 pages) of Nursery Stock, 
artistically produced, containing 
some hundreds of illustrations, 
and full of valuable information, 
free on receipt of 3d. for postage 
RICHARD SMITH&C? Worcester] 
CARTERS SEEDSMEN CARTERS 
We have just received an exceptionally tine consign¬ 
ment of the popular 
BERMUDA EASTER LILY (L. Harrissi), 
and can offer, so long as the supply lasts, Magnificent 
Bulbs, price 18s. per dozen, 2s. each; Fine Bulbs, 
10s. 6d. per dozen, Is. each; Smaller Bulbs, as 
usually advertised, price 5s. per dozen. 
CHINESE SACRED NARCISSUS. 
The Bulbs of this variety are largely grown by the 
Chinese in fancy bowls, and its presence in the house 
is considered an emblem of good luck. For invalids and 
others interested in watching the growth of a plant 
from day to day, we know of nothing that affords such 
a great amount of pleasure. Fine Bulbs price 6d. 
each, 5s. per dozen. Japanese Bowls, for one bulb, 
Is.; two bulbs. Is. 6d.; three bulbs, 2s.; four bulbs, 
2s. 9d. All Parcels Carriage Free. 
CARTERS SEEDSMEN. CARTERS 
237, 238. & 97, HIGH HOLBORN, LONDON. 
New GoIden-YeUow Tropaeolum, 
“ COOLGARDIE.” 
One ot the finest novelties of the season. Either for pots, 
window-boxes, or beds, it is unsurpassed in richness of colour, 
the deep golden-yellow flowers being produced in great pro¬ 
fusion. 
First-Class Certificates from Royal Botanic and Royal 
Horticultural Societies. 
Price, 2.6 each. Trade price on application. 
H. B. MAY, Dyson’s Lane Nurseries, 
UPPER EDMONTON. 
For Index to Contents see page 98 . 
11 Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man."— Bacon. 
fiHtdwna iptii 
Edited by J. FRASER F.L.S. 
SATURDAY , OCT. 12 th, 1895 . 
NEXT WEEK’S ENGAGEMENTS. 
Monday, October 14th.—Sales of Dutch Bulbs by Messrs. 
Protheroe and Morris and Mr. J. C. Stevens. 
Tuesday, October 15th.—Royal Horticultural Society; Meeting 
of Committees at 12 o’clock. 
Sales of Dutch Bulbs by Messrs. Protheroe and Morris 
and Mr. J. C. Stevens. 
Wednesday, October 16th.—Sales of Dutch Bulbs by 
Messrs. Protheroe and Morris and Mr. J. C. Stevens. 
Thursday, October 17th.—Sales ot Dutch Bulbs by Messrs. 
Protheroe and Morris and Mr. J. C. Stevens. 
Annual Dinner, at the Cannon Street Hotel, of the United 
Horticultural Benefit and Provident Society, Jas. H. 
Veitch, Esq., in the chair. 
Friday, October 18th.—Sales o. Dutch Bulbs by Messrs. 
Protheroe and Morris and Mr. J. C. Stevens. 
Special Sale of Orchids at Messrs. Protheroe and Morris’ 
Rooms. 
JvTatkr in Relation to Plant Growth.— 
The four factors on which the growth 
of plants depends, and which are absolutely 
necessary to their welfare, are light, heat, 
water, and food. The value of water was 
too apparent last summer, as well as in 
1893 and 1887, to necessitate any demon¬ 
stration here. In the neighbourhood of 
London the mean annual rainfall is only 
twenty-four inches, while in some other of 
the southern districts of England it is even 
lower, so that practically in any year except 
a decidedly wet one, the amount is inade¬ 
quate to the proper development of crops 
of various kinds. Moreover, the rainfall, if 
evenly distributed during the more active 
periods of growth, would be perfectly 
adequate to the needs. The rainfall in 
Florida is fifty-five inches annually, yet 
thousands of dollars are spent every year 
on the development of systems of artificial 
irrigation in order to get the weight of 
crop the fertile soil is capable of support¬ 
ing. 
The subject has been engaging the atten¬ 
tion of Mr. P>. T. Galloway and Mr. Albert 
F. Woods of the Division of Vegetable 
Physiology and Pathology, in the Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture, U. S. America. 
Much of what they state is, of course, well- 
known to physiologists on this side of the 
Atlantic, but their earnest endeavour to 
apply that knowledge to practical purposes 
is worthy of all commendation. The 
physiologists in this country might well 
follow the example with the view of placing 
the scientific facts before the practical 
horticulturist in a form that may be appro¬ 
priated by him to the general advantage. 
It does not follow, however, that the latter 
will readily appropriate such information 
and utilise it; but example would bear 
fruit in course of time. Science has proved 
that a soil about half saturated with mois¬ 
ture is most favourable to the growth of 
plants ; but under natural conditions, or 
artificial for the matter of that, we know 
that a large proportion of the moisture that 
falls or is applied, runs away in the drainage 
or is given off by evaporation, and there¬ 
fore lost. One proposition, then, is to con¬ 
serve and economise both the natural rain¬ 
fall and the water applied, including irriga¬ 
tion where that is necessary. 
A German investigator has proved by 
experiments that the proper development 
and distribution of the root system of 
plants may be favoured by a regular and 
even distribution of the manures and 
artificial fertilisers in the soil. If the 
manures are heaped up in particular 
places the roots will be abundant there, 
and sparingly produced elsewhere. The 
available sources of supply of moisture must 
therefore be limited by such bid practice. 
Mulching is another means of conserving 
the moisture by checking undue surface 
evaporation. It must not be supposed 
that bad drainage would be a profitable 
method of regulating the moisture, for the 
latter must not exceed 40 to 60 per cent, 
of the water-holding capacity of the soil. 
Another important point brought out in 
this investigation is that means should be 
devised for decreasing or controlling the 
evaporation from plants. Under glass this 
can easily be effected by syringing and 
maintaining a moist atmosphere, within 
limits, according to the class of plants 
cultivated. 
To a considerable extent evaporation is 
a necessary evil, inasmuch as the super¬ 
fluous amount of water needed to carry in 
the food supply has to be got rid of. But 
it has been amply demonstrated times with¬ 
out number that the evaporation or trans¬ 
piration effected by the leaves is in excess 
of the total quantity absorbed by the roots. 
Flagging is the result, and growth im¬ 
possible under the conditions. Another 
object in controlling the evaporation is that 
the total quantity of water given off by the 
leaves is by no means an indication of the 
amount of dry substance stored in the 
plant and the vigour of the same. Evapora¬ 
tion in greenhouses may be regulated to 
some extent by the amount of ventilation 
given, and that, again, will depend upon the 
state of the outside air, as to moisture and 
whether windy or otherwise. When 
strong and dry winds prevail less ventila¬ 
tion should be given, and the temperature 
kept down by judicious shading where 
necessary and when practicable. In the 
open ground excessive evaporation may be 
checked to some extent by the use of belts 
of trees at intervals to break the force of 
drying winds. In this country east winds 
of any duration are very deleterious to 
plant life by their drying influence. 
-, i. - 
Would you keep the land out of mischief, keep it 
busy. The idle soil breeds weeds. 
In Great Britain, some 88,210 acres of land are 
devoted to market gardening. 
