THE GARDENING WORLD 
Hi 
March 25, 1899. 
Flax Culture on the Continent.—A movement to In¬ 
duce farmers in the north of Ireland to take up the 
extensive cultivation of Flax has been set on foot, 
and as if in imitation of this French agriculturists 
are being given greater encouragement to cultivate 
both Flax and Hemp. Germany, too, is not idle, as 
was evidenced by the recent agricultural show at 
Dresden. At one time Flax used to be both a com¬ 
mon and a very remunerative crop. Several factors 
have combined to produce this result. Twenty or 
thirty years ago German farmers used to grow enough 
Flax to supply their own needs, for the fibre was 
dressed at home, spun, and woven into cloth. Now 
the spinning-wheel has disappeared, likewise also the 
home manufacture of domestic linen. Russia not 
only grows the Flax more cheaply, but the mills 
work it up at a lower cost. The introduction of pet¬ 
roleum has also contributed to the decadence in tbe 
cultivation of plants from which textile fabrics are 
made, and from whose seed oil was extracted. The 
working up and dressing of the fibre are now accom¬ 
plished with more facility and at less cost, so that a 
number of issues has been concerned. Whether 
extensive Flax culture can be made to pay nowadays 
in the United Kingdom and on the Continent is an 
industrial problem that the movement referred to 
should go a great way to solve. 
Turf and its products —Dr. R. Johnson, the keeper 
of the Botanical Division of the Dublin Science 
and Art Museum, lately gave a most interesting 
lecture upon "Turf and its Products," the lecture 
being illustrated by means of specimens and dia¬ 
grams. It was explained that the raw or surface 
peat, or turf, consisted mainly of sphagnum,of which 
some twelve species and many varieties are to be 
found in the extensive bog areas of Ireland. The 
lecturer described the structure of bog moss, calling 
particular attention to the power that the moss had 
of absorbing nine times its own weight of water. He 
showed specimens of peat used for surgical dressings, 
the antiseptic and absorbing qualities of the peat fit¬ 
ting it for this purpose. It was mentioned that peat 
powder was used for sanitary purposes, and that in 
Germany, when mixed with molasses, it was em¬ 
ployed as fodder. Reference was made to the 
recently started Irish Peat Products Company, 
which is now turning out compressed peat by a new 
and simple process. Air-dried peat, continued the 
lecturer, had about half the heating power of coal. 
The drawbacks to peat as a fuel are its bulk, pro¬ 
portion of water, and of ash. Fresh peat contained 
as much as go per cent, of water, but when air-dried 
only 20 per cent; again, while i lb. of coal was re¬ 
quired to convert 8 lbs. of water into steam, 2 lbs. of 
air-died peat was necessary. Dr. Johnson further 
said that in the Netherlands 280,000 tons of black 
turf were used each year in the manufacture of 
bricks, and that in Sweden 25,000 tons were used in 
smelting A number of products of the distillation of 
peat was shown, amongst which were some Sphagnol 
soap, which is described as being as good for skin 
diseases as Ichthyol, with the additional merit of 
being much cheaper. Specimens of peat cloth were 
also shown, and it was stated that peat cloth to the 
value of £ 12,000 had been recently imported. The 
moss itself had no true fibre, but its stem had a 
hollow, more or less woody,fibre-like cylinder inclos¬ 
ing the pith, and this had been turned to account. 
THE IVY CONTROVERSY. 
Ivy roots are the small brown tendrils or tentacles 
put forth from the stem of clinging Ivy ; really roots. 
I am tempted to ask so much because I have no know¬ 
ledge of ever seeing Ivies that have had their main 
stems clean severed that have not died absolutely 
very quickly. How often has this treatment been meted 
out to handsome Ivy covering bare tree stems and 
always death has soon followed. Does not this 
prove that the dingers or tendrils of Ivy serve only 
to sustain or attach the growths on trees or walls, 
and none other. I want very much more proof than 
is at present offered to lead me to believe that such 
things can sustain Ivies on walls old or new after the 
main stems had been severed. We see in the beauti¬ 
ful and intensely close clinging climber Ampelopsis 
Veitchii what seem to be rootlets in great abundance 
on the long branches, but not one is a root. All 
are wall tendrils or dingers. With respect to the 
point how far Ivy tends to keep walls dry, very 
much depends on the aspect of the walls, as many 
absorb very little moisture; and what they do, on a 
dry day is soon parted with But on walls that are 
both much exposed to rough weather and subjected 
to heavy beating rains there can be no question but 
that the coating of leafage does tend tc throw off the 
moisture and greatly helps to keep the wall dry. 
Many of our best preserved ruins are those which 
are Ivy-clad, simply because thus protected from 
the ravages incidental to exposure to the elements.— 
A. D. 
Mr. James Mayne, 
PEOPLE WE HAVE MET. 
Mr. James Mayne. 
The subject of this sketch is gardener to the Hon. 
Mark Rolle, Bicton, Budleigh Saltertjn, Devon, and 
we have much pleasure in adding his portrait to the 
list which has already appeared in The Gardening 
World. 
Mr. Mayne is a Devonian by birth, and being the 
son of a nursery foreman he soon formed a liking for 
gardening. At an early age he entered the well- 
known nurseries of Messrs. Lucombe, Pince & Co., 
Exeter. Mr. Robert Pince was then at the head of 
affairs, and being a great landscape gardener, he 
could hardly fail to influence his undergraduates in 
this respect. The nursery was at that time renowned 
for its collections of ornamental and other trees, and 
Mr. Mayne, as apprentice, applied himself, for a time 
to the art of budding and grafting, and other outdoor 
work. After a time he went into the glass depart¬ 
ment, in which he served under Mr. George Cole, 
who had charge of the extensive ranges of glass, and 
was well known as a successful plantsman and 
exhibitor. 
After a few years at the Exeter Nursery, he went 
as under-gardener to Membland, near Plymouth, 
the country seat of Lord Revelstoke. The gardens 
and grounds of the establishment were at that time 
being entirely renovated, and new glasshouses 
erected, so that Mr. Mayne gained a considerable 
amount of experience in the art of laying out a garden, 
and which has served him in good stead ever since. 
Being a careful observer and a diligent student he 
availed himself to the full of the knowledge that was 
to be gained at Membland, during his stay of two 
and half years there. He next moved to Garnstone 
Castle, Herefordshire, as journeyman in the fruit 
department, a post which he filled so well that he 
was promoted foreman after having served for eigh¬ 
teen months. 
He stayed at Garnstone Castle for three years, 
and desiring a change accepted the appointment as 
foreman to Mr. Thirlby, Broadlands, Romsey, 
Hampshire. Fruit was then, and is now, well grown 
there, the gardener being an excellent Peach grower 
both under glass as well as outside. After two and 
half years' service at Broadlands, he was appointed 
head gardener to Col. A. CorytOD, Pentillie Castle, 
St. Merion, East Cornwall; but things not working 
as smoothly as he could wish he exchanged places 
with the then gardener at Stowford Lodge, Ivy 
Bridge, the residence of Edward Allen, Esq., J.P.,with 
whom he stayed tor five and a half years. 
In the spring of 1891 he resigned his position at 
Stowford Lodge, and being an applicant for the 
vacancy at Bicton, he was (ortunate in securing the 
appointment, which he has now held since the 
1st of April 1891, two days after leaving Stowford 
Lodge. 
Bicton is the largest estate in Devon, and the 
duties that fall to the gardener’s share are quite 
sufficient for any man to attend to. The plant 
houses are kept active all the year round ; the fruit 
under glass demands a great amount of attention ; 
and a considerable amount of forcing is done in all 
departments. There is also a large kitchen garden 
with well trained and kept fruit trees on both sides 
of the high brick walls. The flower garden and a 
great extent of shrubbery also come under Mr. 
Mayne’s care and supervision, so that his responsi¬ 
bility is great. No exhibiting is done from Bicton 
except to help one or two local societies. On the 
other hand, the public has the advantage of inspect¬ 
ing the gardens and grounds on Tuesdays and 
Fridays from April to October, the admission being 
by ticket. This adds considerably to Mr. Mayne’s 
work, seeing that he has personally to conduct the 
visitors round the place, or send some of his men 
when parties are numerous. 
These extras, being of an indefinite order, are 
sufficient to try the temper of any man, and the 
questions asked by the public would puzzle a genius, 
as we are in a position to know from one who has 
frequently visited the place. Mr. Mayne can rise 
superior to all these inconveniences, for he is 
possessed of fortitude and equanimity that would 
serve any gardener in good stead. He io also 
courteous and affable even to strangers, and ready to 
impart of his large store of information on all gar¬ 
dening matters, for he has no secrets to keep. For 
a man of his age his experience is wide; and notwith¬ 
standing his distance from the metropolis he is well 
supplied with all the latest information, taking a 
wide and keen interest in the domain of horticulture. 
He is only in his forty-first year, so that if health is 
given him we can expect a vast amount of work out 
of him yet. His employer is well served, and there 
are still great possibilities in a servant who is eager 
to learn and keep everything abreast of the times. 
MELONS. 
Many proprietors of gardens put little value on 
Melons further than for assisting in tbe ornamenta¬ 
tion of the dinner-table and for adding to the variety 
of the dessert. 
There are a great many new Melons which have 
been raised of late years, and have been well lauded, 
but after a season or two they have disappeared 
altogether. Many of the good old sorts still find 
favour, and many growers of our acquaintance still 
hold tenaciously to their old favourites; but the 
difficulty is the keeping of them pure. Sometimes 
we purchase sorts aod find them, when grown and 
cut for use, of different colour from what was 
expected. A green flesh Melon supplied as a scarlet 
one is not uncommon. That happens easily ; and 
often by careful saving we get them mixed. One of 
the best we ever had was between a scarlet sort 
named Lord Palmerston and Victory of Bath. The 
outer half was green fleshed and the remainder was 
scarlet. This was a capital late sort. One season 
we had a quantity fully swelled in December ; they 
were cut and placed in a dry and warm room, and 
kept up a supply all through the winter. The 
flavour was not great, but really passable. For some 
years past we have been trying to get the old Beech- 
wood true (or nearly so), and have succeeded, as it is 
a capital early Melon, and excellent for late supply. 
We cut up a fruit lately of very fair quality, and 
extracted the seed, which is much superior to some 
which was saved in September. One fruit remains 
(February 13th) which smells pleasantly, and may be 
eatable. Smell does not help one much when judg¬ 
ing, neither does appearance.— M. T.,Carron, N.B. 
The Island of Madagascar has a particular import¬ 
ance to horticulturists in that it supplies most of the 
raffia of commerce. 
