May 23rd, 1883. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
“ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man.”—B acon. 
t\t tokening ffilorli). 
SATURDAY, MAY 23 sd, 1885. 
Oue Woods and Forests.— The appointment 
of a Committee of tlie House of Commons on the 
motion of that able and intelligent member, Sir 
John Lubbock, with a view to a searching inquiry 
into the present condition of our forests and 
woodlands, and the possibility of rendering them 
more remunerative, is an event that calls for 
notice. We are not of that school of political 
economists who are eternally demanding Govern¬ 
ment patronage and supervision for everything. 
There are myriads of industries in this kingdom 
which need neither Government inquiry nor 
control, whilst there may he some few which now 
and then need such form of attention. Our coal 
deposits, for instance, are of such vast importance 
to the nation, that under no circumstances should 
they be left to haphazard proceedings, which 
may exhaust as much through waste and neglect 
as through actual consumption. The coal-fields, 
iron deposits, and indeed all our subterranean 
wealth should have belonged to the State, and 
have been held in trust for the benefit of the 
nation. Such, however, is not the case, and we 
are but just now realizing that our present 
system of land-ownership has given rights to 
individuals that practically belonged to the 
kingdom. 
With respect to the products of the surface of 
the earth private ownership naturally stands to 
the nation in diverse relations, because the skill, 
labour, and capital of man employed on the earth’s 
surface should return to him who expends it fair 
and profitable remuneration. But even in this 
respect there seems to be some possible limit, and 
that may be found in the forests and woodlands 
of the kingdom, because these are not only of a 
permanent and enduring kind less affected by 
ordinary capital and labour than are ordinary 
landcrops, but they are in a score of ways of the 
very first importance to the health, wealth, and 
general good of the nation at large. 
Knowing what we do of the vast importance 
of large trees to us, whether individually or in 
masses, we may well consider what would be the 
distressed condition of the country at any time 
should folly in any one or two generations of the 
human family proceed so far as to absolutely 
ignore planting of permanent or enduring trees. 
It is a far cry to some 100 or 200 years hence, but 
the generation which at any time omitted to 
discharge its duty to posterity would be guilty 
of a national crime. It may not be that Sir John 
Lubbock, or those who favour his proposed com¬ 
mittee of inquiry, feel the force of this reasoning 
or even at present see cause for it. They may, 
however, hold diverse views after their proposed 
inquiry has been instituted, and then, perhaps 
late, though it may be hoped not too late, realize 
that planting for posterity has been too much 
neglected from selfish motives, and that our 
energies have been bent only upon present gain. 
It is in relation to this peculiar fact, that plenty 
of trees can hardly be productive of gain to the 
planter, that we find our woods and forests 
standing in relation to Govermental control so 
diversely from the planting and cropping of 
agricultural and garden land, which gives back 
to the cultivator at once increase and wealth for 
his labour and his outlay. That State control 
which it is absolutely essential should exist over 
our sources of mineral wealth, it is as absolutely 
essential should exist in connection with our 
timber supplies, for a permanent store of wood 
for all purposes and uses is as essential to the 
future welfare and prosperity of the nation. 
We have a department in the Government 
which holds control over those woods and forests 
which legally belong to the State. It is in no 
sense a school of . forestry, and its forests are 
in the hands of foresters certainly not more 
capable than are those of private persons. Even 
the State itself, with all its legal responsibilities 
to the State forests, has never, as far as this 
country is concerned, made forestry a speciality, 
or held it in high esteem. As far as our great 
dependency of India is concerned, happily, such 
neglect has not been permitted, and the School of 
Forestry associated with the Indian management 
is of the greatest value and importance. Mr. 
Gladstone, whose knowledge of and interest in 
woods and forests is second to that of no man, 
holds that the Indian Forestal School might even 
now be to some extent utilized for home forestal 
purposes, and perhaps out of the committee’s 
report may come some proposition that the 
present colonial school may become transformed 
into one in which students may acquire knowledge 
of forestry as applicable to home, India, the rest 
of the colonies, and indeed to all timber-producing 
countries. 
To no one has more obloquy been given than 
to Mr. Gladstone because of his noted fondness 
for tree-felling, and it was but natural that the 
right honourable gentleman should take advan¬ 
tage of the discussion which followed Sir John 
Lubbock’s motion in the House of Commons to 
show that more trees were spoiled for want of 
proper thinning than were wasted in the felling. 
As to that there can be little doubt, and much 
as landowners may pride themselves upon their 
ancient specimens and aged tree landmarks, yet 
it is certain that big trees which stand simply 
to decay give no profit to the nation, and displace 
or perhaps ruin others that in time might make 
valuable timber. Of course, in the matter of 
forestry, all is not to be made subservient to 
utility, but the plea advanced in enforcing the 
need of the proposed committee of inquiry is 
that woods and forests now are too materially 
made subservient to sport and pleasure and not 
sufficiently to use and profit. 
Without doubt, any national school of forestry 
must have utility for its main object, whilst 
picturesqueness and beauty would not be dis¬ 
regarded. Indeed, the very essence of the 
establishment of such an institution must be the 
good which it might create for the nation. We 
have thousands of acres of land lying waste 
that draining and some simple cultivation might 
convert into profitable woodlands, giving in time 
good pecuniary returns, and also much valuable 
labour. We do not want to see the surface of 
the kingdom all arable and pasture, woodland is 
essential to profit, to health, and to beauty, and if 
Sir John Lubbock’s committee should end in the 
popularizing of forestry, the result will be national 
gain. 
-- 
Exhibiting —The desire to excel in the culti¬ 
vation of certain objects, and an honest and 
generous rivalry in so doing, are laudable reasons 
why a man should desire to be a successful com¬ 
petitor at horticultural exhibitions. A pure 
love for gardening, and a desire to honestly 
exhibit, should always be the standing ground 
which an exhibitor should hold. The numerous 
and widely-spread floral exhibitions throughout 
the country, especially in the Midland and 
59 5 
Northern Counties, are perfectly marvellous in 
their number, and the influence they exercise. 
Not only do we find horticultural societies in 
the towns, some of which put out schedules 
ranging from £50 to £200, and occasionally 
more, but a very large number of villages also 
have good exhibitions, which would surprise 
many unacquainted with their doings. It is 
impossible to get any reliable information re¬ 
garding the amount of money annually dis¬ 
tributed in prizes at flower shows in Great 
Britain, but we think it would certainly exceed 
£50,000. 
There is, however, one feature connected with 
exhibiting which cannot be too strongly con¬ 
demned—dishonest showing. It is a practice with 
many to beg, borrow, or steal for the occasion. 
It is, we fear, a common practice with some to 
do so, and with such not a love for gardening and 
a desire to show honestly exists, but a foul and 
greedy desire to win money. It is of no use for 
such men to say they show merely for honour, 
for they do not possess it, and do not know 
its value. Committees should do their utmost 
to stay so pernicious a practice; still, with the 
exhibitors themselves the remedy rests to a very 
great extent. We have known members of com¬ 
mittees not nearly so honourable as they might 
have been; and when this happens the results 
are lamentable. The rules of most societies 
state a certain period, ranging from one or two 
weeks to two months’ possession, to constitute 
ownership; and so far as plants are concerned, 
the rule cannot be so easily evaded as with cut- 
flowers. Here lies the great difficulty, for flowers 
are easily obtained, and it is difficult to prove 
that a fraudulent exhibitor has not grown them. 
We repeat the remedy to a great extent rests 
with the exhibitors, for if a stand is suspected 
with good reason, a written protest should be 
handed to the committee before the judges make 
their awards, and the complaint should at once 
be inquired ito. 
The fact that these malpractioes do exist has 
a deterrent effect on honest exhibitors, and they 
refrain altogether from exhibiting. We are 
thankful to say that many societies do all they 
can to purge themselves of this plague, and we 
are glad to know the evil is not so great as it was. 
We believe a higher order of morality is taking 
the place of a lower one. If only committees, 
and especially the leading exhibitors, will set 
themselves against the practice, a great deal can 
be done in the way of restricting its operations. 
The Season’s Variations. —English weather 
aspects are peculiarly versatile. To-day it is 
bitterly cold, to-morrow delightfully warm; the 
next day raining in torrents, and perhaps followed 
by a variation to frost. Thus it comes about 
that, because of this uncertainty and comparative 
novelty of action, the weather ever must be a 
favourite topic of conversation. Were our seasons 
of ordinary accuracy in character, long spells of 
heat and drought alternating with other spells 
of rain or of frost, the ordinary references to 
the weather made from day to day would soon 
become monotonous and absurd. As it is, the 
singular uncertainty which in our clime pertains 
to all that is meteorological, is a characteristic 
which very probably to no inconsiderable extent 
impresses itself upon our national character, and 
renders us ever alive to eventualities and ready 
to act under varying conditions. But recently 
we found it pleasant to congratulate our readers 
upon our escape from that too commonly dan¬ 
gerous season for the early fruit-bloom—Black¬ 
thorn winter. This week we can as readily and 
as sincerely congratulate gardeners upon the 
grand rains which have fallen, and have proved 
so valuable to the country. It is true some of 
the showers, or perhaps storms, were cold. In 
