56 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Sept. 27th, 1884. 
The Amateur’s Garden—Does it Pay ?—Of the 
pleasures of gardening, on which a writer discoursed 
so pleasantly and suggestively in last week’s number 
of The Gardening World, one might cite still further 
advantages. The cultivation of a garden by those 
who bring to its practice patient and intelligent obser¬ 
vation, is not only a healthful and delightful recreation, 
but, carried out persistently and thoroughly, it is one 
of the very few hobbies which really can be made to 
pay. No one at all experienced in the matter will 
venture to deny the humanizing and refining in¬ 
fluences, the ever fresh interest and delight attaching 
to its ordinary pursuits. But an opinion very generally 
prevails among Those who, from lack of experience 
and knowledge, cannot understand the case, that 
gardening is an expensive hobby. No doubt it is 
made, by some of the fortunate mortals whose earliest 
efforts at suction were aided by the inevitable silver 
spoon, a very expensive hobby; a hundred guineas 
for a small bulb of some rare and beautiful Orchid is 
no uncommon price. But, on the other hand, it is by 
no means difficult, with the aid of a shilling packet of 
annuals, to cpver a garden plot of a thousand square 
feet in area with a surprising wealth of beauty of 
form and colour and fragrance. 
Let us not be misunderstood, however, we do not 
mean by paying that the amateur may dispense 
altogether with the services of the greengrocer, much 
less do we wish the enthusiast to believe that he may 
cultivate and dispose of “ surplus ” crops as a market 
gardener. If he embarks in business he must be 
prepared to accept the risks incident thereto. Nor 
do we for a moment suggest that the clerk or ware¬ 
houseman who lives in the country can employ his 
time in the garden so profitably, as far as mere money¬ 
making is concerned, as he can in his office or shop. 
But nevertheless, gardening “ pays,” and we will 
briefly point out in what respects. It pays in health. 
Exercise in the fresh air is healthful, and, as a 
natural consequence, it pays in the saving of doctors’ 
bills. It is a savings bank for moments of leisure 
time. It is or should be a little store-house for fresh 
delicious and wholesome food; and, if the amateur 
be a father, it is a veritable “ garden of sweets,” for 
his children of a special and abiding interest. As a 
means of education, it is invaluable in providing 
materials for the kind of training most fitted to 
develop the faculty of intelligent observation, and 
awaken in the young mind an interest in the natural 
objects, not alone flowers and fruits, but bird and insect 
life may be studied within the limits of even a small 
country garden. And by promoting and encouraging 
attention to such objects we are doing the best to lay 
the foundation of an active, healthy, intelligent, and 
useful life. There is an amateur gardener in our 
immediate neighbourhood whose occupation is that 
of a London clerk, and who, until a few years ago, 
knew absolutely nothing of the gardener’s art. His 
garden now vies in interest and productiveness -with 
some who employ a regular gardener. What splendid 
vegetables he grows ! What fruit and flowers ! With 
what pardonable pride he shows us round, and 
expatiates on the history and treatment of his pets. 
With what an air of confidence he sallies out in the 
early spring and summer mornings, in blouse and 
broad-brimmed hat, with knife and basket in hand, to 
cut the crisp spring cabbage all pounced with sparkling 
gems of purest water! How daintily he picks the 
glowing fruit I With what a critical eye he chooses 
an opening bud of Marechal Niel or Niphetos of Gloire 
de Dijon, or sweet old General Jacqueminot, for a 
morning button-hole, or packs a dainty punnet of 
strawberries and basket of roses for a “ Friend in 
Town ” ! 
Does it pay ? Answer ye who enjoy one of the few 
delights that ne’er grow old. From the early dawn of 
life, when the outstretched chubby fist first grasps the 
golden buttercup; from boyhood, when shady bank 
and woodland are despoiled of their primroses; 
from youth, when lads’ love and roses are proffered 
■with beating heart to the blushing maiden; from 
manhood to old age, when we surround our homes 
with fragrance and graceful forms and gorgeous 
colours, it always pays—morally, intellectually, and 
physically; in health of body, rigour of mind, and 
serenity of soul. Gardening is one of the most 
inexpensive, delightful, and profitable of hobbies. 
We will describe, Mr. Editor, if you will allow us in 
your next number, some amateurs’ gardens, with 
a view of showing “How it pays.” [With pleasure. 
—Ed.~] —Lake Ellis. 
What is an Amateur in relation to Gardening 
Matters ?—It is a term difficult to define with any¬ 
thing like accuracy. In sporting and athletic circles 
discussion often arises in reference to this designa¬ 
tion, and the fact that debate is of annual origin goes 
to show how unsatisfactory are the definitions usually 
employed. From the gardening point of view, an 
amateur is one who engages in gardening for the love 
of the thing, and not from a desire of making a liveli¬ 
hood wholly or in part. Then the term amateur is of 
wide application, and is made to embrace all that are 
not nurserymen, seedsmen, and florists or jobbing 
gardeners. But seeing that now-a-days very many 
gentlemen’s gardeners are little better than market 
gardeners in the interests of their employers, it is 
obvious that the term “ amateur ” does not bear this 
wide interpretation. Then there are hundreds of 
persons who style themselves amateurs who trade in 
plants, flowers, and seeds, by selling them for money 
or bartering them for some other consideration. Who 
shall accurately define what an amateur is, or should 
be ? In some country shows it is found necessary to 
separate gardeners from amateurs pure and simple, 
having a special division for the last named; and in 
order that there should be something like a definite 
and understood distinction made, an amateur is made 
out to be one who does not employ constantly a regular 
gardener. But such an one may sell freely if he has 
the wherewithal—what he would perhaps call “ surplus 
stock”—to dispose of. We wait for an intelligible 
definition of an amateur. Will our readers assist us to 
settle this knotty matter on some understood basis ? 
A few good bedding Zonal Geraniums.— 
I call them Geraniums because it is a popular name by 
which they will be better understood by your readers. 
Here, then, is my selection Erckmann Chartrain, 
vivid crimson, a sort of half nosegay variety, with large 
symmetrical trusses, and good close habit of growth ; 
Charles Schwind, deep bright crimson, large trusses, 
good habit, very fine and effective ; Dr. Orton, very 
deep crimson, large flowers, very fine pip and truss, 
remarkably free and effective; J. C. Musters, bright 
rosy crimson, good habit of growth, and very free ; 
Mrs. Miller, deep pink, very fine pip and truss, very 
free ; Lizzie Brooks, pale scarlet, flushed with purple, 
large bold pip, fine truss, excellent habit; Beauty of 
Surrey, bright scarlet, flushed with purple, very like 
Lizzie Brooks, but yet appearing to be distinct as a 
variety; Lord Zetland, orange scarlet, very dwarf 
habit, large flowers and trusses ; and Climax, pink, 
large, strong trusses, close compact habit of growth. 
The foregoing descriptions can be depended upon, for 
they were seen growing in the open-air. By their side 
was one of the Gold and Bronze or bi-colour section, 
named Gilt with Gold. This has lively and even 
striking foliage, produces rich scarlet flowers, and has 
a dwarf and compact habit of growth.— R. D. 
Charity Lands.-— We have known many en¬ 
thusiastic amateur gardeners among village school¬ 
masters. They have as a class special opportunities 
for promoting and encouraging a love of gardening, 
not only among their pupils, but among the parents 
of pupils. Several flourishing Horticultural and 
Cottage Garden Societies now in existence have been 
founded and supported chiefly by their exertions. 
Allow us to remind those of them who may read 
The Gardening World that they may do the village 
communities in which they live a lasting benefit by 
explaining to them the action of the Allotments’ 
Extension Act which was passed in the session of 
1882. There are, no doubt, numbers of villages in 
which the provisions of the Act are applicable. 
Trustees in whom charity lands are vested for the 
benefit of the poor “ shall in the month of June give 
notice on the church door of the lands they have to 
let, and announce when and where applications to 
rent the same may be made.” And by the eighth 
clause trustees are compelled to let in allotment, 
when applied for, such lands as are devoted to the 
poor. The rent to be charged is to be the same 
as the ordinary rent of similar land in the parish. 
We would advise those who are interested in this 
important question to purchase the Allotment Exten¬ 
sion Act of 1882. Charity lands could not be devoted 
to a more useful and profitable purpose than then- 
cultivation as allotments. The Gardening World 
would be only too glad to assist in so laudable an 
object. Meanwhile, we hope village schoolmasters 
will take the matter up by explaining to then neigh¬ 
bours the meaning and provisions of the Act. 
The Periwinkle. —Vinca major and its variegated 
variety may be included among the best plants for per¬ 
manent window-box decoration. They are very elegant 
hanging over the fronts of the boxes, as mine do, to a 
length of from 6 to 8 ft. from the upper windows, and 
their beautiful evergreen foliage is further assisted in 
summer by the production of a profusion of blue 
flowers. If planted permanently in the front of the 
box, the back can be filled with Geraniums, &c., in 
summer, and Euonymus in winter without disturbing 
them or interfering with their beauty.— J. 
DWARFED APPLE TREES. 
The term Dwarfed, as applied to Apple trees, may to 
some minds convey the idea that it refers to stunted 
trees, but the designation does not necessarily possess 
any such meaning. By using the term “dwarfed” 
we mean that by certain means trees are prevented 
from attaining to the usual height and size seen in 
similar kinds growing under ordinary conditions, and 
yet are still productive and healthful. It is not clearly 
proved yet, for excellent reasons, whether the term of 
life of a dwarfed tree is equal to one growing under 
the usual conditions of free growth, though probably 
it is not so ; but that is of little moment, as the object 
in view in producing these miniature trees is to enable 
Apples to be grown well, and to be induced to fruit 
freely and early in gardens where big trees could not 
be permitted to exist. Beally we may well designate 
these dwarfed trees as amateurs’ trees, for they are 
just the things for anyone not well versed in gardening 
and having a small garden to cultivate. 
The great advantages incidental to these dwarfs 
are, first, they may be grown in number in a small 
space, and never become overpowering to other things ; 
secondly, they are always within reach and easy to 
operate upon, whether to prune or to gather the 
fruits ; thirdly, they are always very fruitful, and begin 
to produce fine fruit even when but two years worked ; 
and last yet not least, they admit of many kinds being 
grown in a fairly moderate expanse of ground. These 
are considerations which may well weigh strongly 
with all those persons who may now be purposing to 
plant Apple trees in a small garden. Our illustration 
is that of a well-known market kind, the Cellini 
Pippin, one of the most productive of Apples, and a 
kind specially suited for growth in small gardens. It 
is a faithful representation of one of many similar trees 
growing in the Boyal Horticultural Society’s Gardens 
at Chiswick, where as a rule not only this sort, but 
some other excellent kinds, produce crops of which 
it is not at all exaggeration to describe the fruit as 
hanging like ropes of Onions, though, unfortunately 
this season, as at many other places in the Thames 
Valley, there are no Apples at all. We have seen in 
the fruit nurseries where trees of this and other kinds 
are produced literally in many thousands every year, 
such crops on trees three and four years old that 
would astonish those only conversant with large or 
free-growing trees, and such fruit too ! At exhibitions 
of Apples and Pears now, all the finest and richest 
coloured fruits are from dwarfed trees, for it should 
be known that Pears are treated in the same way as 
Apples, and with the most satisfactory results. 
The amateur or unlearned gardener will naturally 
ask how is this dwarfing and early fruitfulness pro¬ 
duced. The reply is simply by employing what are 
called dwarfing stocks for the trees rather than free- 
growing ones. Ordinarily, we have worked Apples 
and Pears, the former on the common Crab or Seed¬ 
ling Apple stock, and the Pear on the Seedling or 
