740 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
July 25th, 1885. 
HOW TO MAKE THE LAND 
PAY.* 
Under the above instructive and comprehensive 
title, the Eev. H. P. Dunster, M A., a Norfolk vicar, 
and without doubt a very earnest, warm-hearted, and 
thoughtful clergyman, has written a book which all 
should read who desire to realize the bearings fully 
of the Land Question in all its relationships to 
production and consumption. It is possible, nay 
certain, that in some portions of his interesting book 
Mr. Dunster has drawn somewhat upon the sanguine 
nature of his temperament. Still he errs in that 
respect in good company, for he gives to his readers 
quotations from numerous authorities on the respec¬ 
tive subjects treated of that merit attention, even 
though they may appear to matter-of-fact people to 
be more optimist than experience justifies. But not 
for the world would we seem, even in the most infini¬ 
tesimal degree, to fling a wet blanket over efforts so 
admirably intentioned and overflowing with so much 
that is earnest and loveable. 
The author is evidently a man who realizes to the 
utmost the difficulties which now surround agriculture 
in this kingdom ; he sees its many weaknesses, and, 
with a desire to bring back once more to his native 
land that comparative prosperity in native labour and 
produce she once enjoyed, has set himself to elucidate 
the various questions which, in relation to the land 
and its productions, thrust themselves with exceeding 
force upon the public mind. 
Whether in the task he has undertaken he has fully 
succeeded must be left to the reader’s decision rather 
than to ours. No doubt he has issued his book to the 
world as much to create discussion upon these topics 
as to press his own views, and it is to be desired that, 
whatsoever may result, the book will have a large sale 
and be widely read. One thing we would here add. 
It is that noble views and broad-minded conceptions 
such as animate the bosom of our clerical author are 
far too rarely found amongst his class. Would that 
the clergy generally gave their time and energies to 
the consideration of these and similar subjects, with 
which their peculiar position in rural life gives them 
special opportunities for observation and judgment. 
Unhappily, the clergy have ignored questions of social 
and political economy, and the effort of Mr. DuDster 
to remove from his class the onus of long neglect 
seems but to make that neglect all the more promi¬ 
nent. 
That the reverend author is something more than 
a mere rural doctrinaire is evident, as the following 
bold passage in his introductory chapter shows 
“It would be well for those interested in land if, 
instead of clamouring hopelessly for protection, and 
waiting for Government relief, they would set them¬ 
selves to try the remedies which their own intelligence 
and industry and capital place within their reach; 
and if the present system of farming does not pay, 
let them, at any rate, make trial of some other.” 
These are brave words, especially as coming from a 
clergyman, and addressed to that stolid individual, 
the British farmer. Let us hope the farmer will read 
them, and profit by the teachings of the book in 
which they are found. Practically, Mr. Dunster looks 
for a remedy for the present depressed state of agri¬ 
culture to the introduction largely of farm gardening, 
the general production in suitable soils and localities 
of fruit, vegetables, and flowers, for all of which there 
is considerable demand, and the production of which 
at home should not only give ample employment to 
much of our teeming population, but should also, in 
saving large outgoings to other countries, give us 
more wealth to expend at home. But whilst primarily 
we have to comment upon those portions of the book 
which deal with market gardening, there is consider¬ 
able interest attaching to the proposals made to 
extend the production of milk, an article of the very 
first importance and value to the people, and of which 
we could do with double our present yield. Not only 
do we want more milk, but we want its component 
parts in the form of cheese and butter. 
To dairy farming and the production of the articles 
just mentioned, Mr. Dunster devotes two very in¬ 
structive chapters, and follows with another on the 
* How to Make the Land Pat. —By the Kev. H. P. 
Dunster, M.A. Longmans. 
production of pig meat, which seems to be indissolubly 
allied to small farming, and especially to gardening, 
because of the enormous amount of garden refuse 
which may be profitably applied as pig food, and 
returned to the land as nutritive manure. Then we 
get chapters on the production of poultry and eggs, 
and also on rabbits, for all which articles we are 
deplorably dependent upon foreign countries, and 
when the query is put, “ Why not raise them at 
home ? ” we are strangely told," It won’t pay.” That 
is a query which may well be put to the recently 
appointed Commission on the Depression of Trade, and 
we should like to read its reply. But great stress is 
laid upon fruit farming, or the production of fruit 
on considerable areas of ground. In connection with 
this topic, which is largely treated upon, Mr. Dunster 
quotes not a few authorities and opinions, all worthy 
of the highest consideration, and gives information 
as to situation, planting, soils, and other matter, 
which can be read only with interest and profit. 
The two chief difficulties which surround profitable 
fruit culture in this country are :—the finding of a 
profitable market, and ungenerous seasons. For the 
former it may well be thought that the consumption 
of fruit by the vast population of this country would 
be illimitable, but even now, given a good fruit season, 
the depths of that consuming power seems to be too 
often sounded. A change of habit of living on the 
part of our people, combined with education and 
nobler longings, may yet render fruit consumption 
here unfathomable. Still there remains the difficulty 
that with all our present fruit productive resources, 
we seldom get a fair crop of many things, because 
seasons fail to favour. That difficulty no amount of 
planting and expansion of fruit farming can over¬ 
come, except that we also plant shelter-trees and belts, 
and thus do something practical towards creating 
those climatal conditions without which crops too 
often fail to mature. Orchard fruits, bush fruits, 
Strawberries, and even small nuts are generously 
dealt with, and in a spirit of remarkable hopefulness 
and faith. . 
In dealing with bulb culture as an adjunct to pro¬ 
fitable culture of the land, Mr. Dunster gets into 
debatable ground, although it is not easy to under¬ 
stand why we cannot utilize our fen lands and riverside 
alluvial soils profitably for this purpose. Of course 
the Hollanders are miles ahead of us in knowledge 
with respect to bulb culture, and also in persistent 
industry. Probably indolence has had much to do 
with our neglect of bulb culture at home, and the 
assured certainty that we could always purchase 
cheaply abroad. The chapter on bulb growing con¬ 
tains much useful information respecting Dutch 
methods of propagation and culture, which merits 
attention for the sake of the knowledge thus expressed, 
if for no other cause. Why the Dutch can command 
the bulb markets of the world, is one of the questions 
to be asked and answered, and why we cannot grow 
bulbs as well at home and as cheaply, is another to 
which an answer is needed. 
Flower gardening for the production of cut-bloom 
for market is liberally treated upon, and here we 
think the author has made selections of flowers 
which will not in many cases commend themselves 
to practical men. What is a fact, however, is that 
flower culture for market is already at home an 
immense trade, and that still we import enormous 
quantities which may be grown at home, or others 
more adapted for our sterner climate. The chapter 
which treats of medicinal herbs is very interesting, 
although here we find that profit and popularity is 
very contingent upon the varying changes in the 
British Pharmacopoeia, for some foreign drugs, and 
especially vegetable ones, have largely superseded our 
old-fashioned herbs. 
Vegetable farming naturally gets considerable atten¬ 
tion in the book, although there is much open to 
question in the list of desirable things to grow ; that is, 
however, an error of small moment and easily rectified. 
It would be well ere another edition is issued, were 
some practical advice on that head taken by the author. 
We find Bee-keeping, Mushroom, Sugar, Beet, and 
Watercress culture as subjects allied to gardening 
freely treated of, and many more topics that merit 
attention. We prefer to invite readers for the book 
rather than giving extracts, which, however helpful in 
a review of a book, may not always be selected with 
propriety and judgment. 
THE COMMON PASSION 
FLOWER. 
How grandly the fine old Passion Flower is bloom¬ 
ing this season in the suburbs of London. The severe 
winter of January, 1881, played sad havoc with many 
of the plants that had established themselves for years 
past, and cut them down completely to the ground, if 
it did not destroy them outright. A few threw up 
a second growth, some were planted afresh, and now, 
after the recurrence of two or three mild winters and 
favourable summer seasons, the -plants are once more 
in a fine state of development, and blooming freely. 
It appears to do best when planted in a good bed of 
loam on the gravel. As it is the custom to plant 
it on the front of a villa residence facing the south, 
south-west, or west (either position being favourable 
to its well-being), it is obvious that in hot drying 
weather a good deal of moisture is required, and it 
should be given abundantly during the hot summer 
months. And not only does the plant flower freely 
and continuously, but the flowers are followed by 
gaily-coloured fruits, that are both conspicuous and 
attractive during the autumn and early winter 
months. 
The Passion Flower first introduced into this 
country was the incarnata of Linnaeus, a native of 
Virginia, and figured by Parkinson in his Paradisus 
Terrestris, who there styles it the surpassing delight 
of all flowers. The species now so commonly grown 
is not only of great beauty, but superior hardiness, 
is of more modern introduction, and though a native 
of the Brazils, only suffers from the effects of our 
climate when the weather is exceptionally severe. 
The common Passion Flower is a wild denizen 
of the South American forests, and it is said that the 
Spaniards, when they first saw the lovely blooms 
of this plant, as it hung in rich festoons from the 
branches of the forest trees, regarded the magnificent 
blossoms as a token that the Indians should be con¬ 
verted to Christianity, as they saw in its several parts 
the emblems of the passion of our Lord. In this way 
there has been originated representations of what we 
must regard as purely legendary flowers, especially 
the Jesuits’ figure of the Maradoc, which Dr. Masters 
regards as a “ make up.” But the Doctor is of 
opinion that the species called Passiflora ineamata 
“ is the one in which the semblance of the parts of 
the flower to the instrument of our Lord’s passion 
was first observed. The cross, the scourge, the 
hammer, the nails, the crown of thorns, even ten 
of the Apostles—Judas, who betrayed, and Peter, 
who denied, being absent—all may be seen by the 
imaginative in these flowers.” 
It must not be supposed that this plant is hardy 
in all parts of the country. It may not be safe to 
plant it out in the open air north of a line drawn, say, 
from Cambridge right across the country from east 
to west. But those who reside ih favourable localities 
should make the common Passion Flower one of their 
chief hardy climbers. 
CARNATIONS AND PICOTEES. 
The value of these old-fashioned, showy, and deli¬ 
ciously fragrant flowers as subjects for cultivation in 
town gardens is well illustrated in the case of the 
large collection now in full bloom in the nursery of 
Messrs. James Veitch & Sons at Chelsea. The Messrs. 
Veitch have for several years now grown a large 
number of varieties, and by annually weeding out 
inferior sorts, and adding seedlings of approved form 
combined with a more vigorous habit of growth than 
is possessed by some of the old varieties, they have 
acquired a collection of these plants second to none, 
and which as regards the number grown and the 
quality of the flowers now open are of a superior class 
to those of any previous year’s display. That the 
Carnation and Picotee does not object to smoke if 
otherwise well tended too, the Chelsea plants abun¬ 
dantly prove, for they are strong, clean, and healthy, 
and yield stout robust “grass” for layering purposes 
ere long. 
Their cultivation is a simple matter as practised 
here. As soon as the bloom is over, the plants are 
layered in the usual way, and in due time the rooted 
layers are potted up into 60’s, and wintered in cold 
frames. In this position they are guarded as much as 
possible from the injurious effects of damp and insects, 
