January 13, 1900 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
309 
Brier and Manetti Rose cuttings may be inserted 
now. They will serve as stocks for budding next 
August. 
Marl as a Fertiliser—Seven samples of marl upon 
analysis gave the following :—Potash, 0 24 per cent. ; 
Phosphoric acid, 105 per cent.; Lime, 40 5 per 
cent. Marl is a splendid thing for sour soils. 
The Quality and Vitality of Seeds.—The President 
of the Board of Agriculture (Mr. Walter Long) is 
arranging for the appointment of a departmental 
committee to consider the question of establishing 
machinery for testing the quality and vitality cf 
seeds. 
An American Rose Society.—A Rose society has 
just been formed in America, with Paul M. Pierson 
at its head. The officials are in communication with 
those at the head of our own English Rose Society 
the latter having promised to give them guidance 
from their experience. Two shows are proposed to 
be held. The aims of the society are precisely 
similar to those of the National Rose Society here. 
Long Island Seed Crop.—Now-a-days when the 
nations are so inter-dependent what affects the pulse 
of trade in one land, has its effect likewise chronicled 
in the trade records of other lands. No one of 
course would say that this would be to any extent 
appreciable in failures of confined seed-producing 
areas, yet one likes to know what the prospects of 
districts or lands are. Long Island, America, is a 
great seed area and from a number of causes the 
yield this year is almost entirely a failure. The 
Tomato seed crop of Michigan is likewise behind in 
bulk. 
National Dahlia Society.—The annual meeting of 
the National Dahlia Society will be held, by kind 
permission of the Horticultural Club, at the Hole 
Windsor, Victoria Street, S.W., on Tuesday, January 
16 b, at c p.m. Agenda:—Report of Committee for 
1S99; election of officers for 1900; schedule for 
1900; bye-laws, and other business. Notice has 
been given that the following new rule will be pro¬ 
posed " No new Dahlia shall be exhibited in com¬ 
petition in any class except:—(1) Varieties which 
are already in commerce or are already advertised 
for distribution in the following spring. (2) Varieties 
which are exhibited with a distinctive name, together 
with the name of the introducer or raiser, the names 
of such varieties to be retained as their future dis¬ 
tinctive appellation. 
*' My Garden Diary for 1900 .”—It is universally 
acknowledged that Messrs Suttons' publications, be 
they books, catalogues, or pamphlets, are beautifully 
got up, The outside covers which give first impres¬ 
sion are always becoming, and always pretty. With¬ 
in them the paper is of the first quality, the illustra¬ 
tions are both numerous and good, and the text clear 
to read, and what is better, reliable. The " Diary ” 
they annually publish furnishes a very welcome pre¬ 
sent to all garden workers, whether garden appren¬ 
tices or garden chiefs. The former learn speedily 
from such a diary how to summarise the work and 
cultural memoranda of the seasons, and the latter 
have a reference from which important reminders 
can be gained. The date calendar and the space for 
passing notes, &c., are neatly arranged, and will 
prove very useful and handy to gardeners. 
Preston Horticultural Society.—At a meeting of 
members of the above society, held on the 6th inst., 
Mr. R. G. Waterman, secretary of the Woolton 
Society, read a paper on " Exhibition Roses.” A 
brief history of the Queen of Flowers was given, and 
some information as to the raisers, especially those 
of British seedlings. The cultural details included 
the preparation of the ground as to site, drainage, 
and the most approved soils. Manuring in its 
various forms was considered with mulching. 
Pruning was recommended for H.P.’s from March 
20th to March 30th, and for Teas some fourteen 
days later. Insect pests with the most approved 
measures for their prevention and destruction, and 
some hints as to the method of staging were sub¬ 
mitted, the best material being moss with sufficient 
stem so that the foliage could be included. A dis¬ 
cussion followed, in which several members took 
part, who were replied to by the lecturer. A vote of 
thanks to the chairman and Mr. R. G. Waterman 
Concluded the proceedings. 
Nitrate of Soda and Sulphate of Ammonia differ 
from each other in this respect, that the former has 
effect on growth much quicker than has the sulphate. 
The nitrates are freed after very short contact with 
solvents, but the sulphate does not act so readily. 
The Seedsmen and others in America cry out 
against their Government anent this latter body’s 
free distribution of seeds. These are transported 
all over the United States. We can fancy how our 
English seedsmen would accept such an action. 
This year’s seeds distribution in America is recorded 
at 13 000,000 packets of vegetable seeds, and 
1,560,000 packets of flower seeds, besides field and 
lawn grasses. The why and wherefore of all this 
we should like to know. 
The Conservatories at White House.—The Washing¬ 
ton Post lately bad a long article upon the conserva¬ 
tories which adjoin the White House, Washington. 
It states that each mistress of White House has had 
a favourite flower, a precedent not, however, 
followed by Mrs. McKinley, wife of the present 
President. She has an aversion to yellow flowers, 
but is partial to blue ones. The conservatories cover 
a large amount of space, and contain a rich collection 
of both flowering and foliage plants. President 
McKinley does not find much time to visit these 
luxurious places, but the manner in which they were 
attended in President Cleveland’s time, and in that 
of Hayes, HarrisoD, and others, is well remembered 
by the head gardener at White House. 
Cold versus Warm Water. —The Iowa Agricultural 
College, with Prof. John Craig at its head, made ex¬ 
periments last year in the watering of plants, the 
following being a summary of the results:—(1) 
" There is practically no difference in the results 
secured by water between 45° and 75 0 . (2) Water 
at temperatures between 32 0 and 34° had a distinct 
dwarfing effect upon all plants treated. (3) Water 
at temperatures between 75 0 and ioo° caused 
a weak and somewhat spindling growth. (4) Hardy 
plants like Geraniums were less influenced by cold 
water than tender plants like Coleus. (5) The best 
Geranium plants were grown by the use of water 
near the freezing point, while the poorest Coleus 
were produced by the same temperature. I am not 
prepared to say that there is * nothing in this 
watering business.” 
Horticultural.—The publication of their Garden 
Seed Guide for igoo by Messrs. Toogood and Sons, 
the Royal Seedsmen for half-a-century, South¬ 
ampton, will be welcomed by all gardeners, 
amateur and professional The imposing Guide, 
which contains hundreds of accurate wood-engrav¬ 
ings of flowers and vegetables, appears in a strong 
royal purple cover, decorated with gold and with a 
scarlet wax seal; and it is evident that neither ex¬ 
pense r.or personal labour has been spared to make 
the work as artistic and useful as possible and in all 
respects worthy the hundred years’ prestige of the 
house. In a prefatory letter attention is directed to 
the fact that the firm still continues to sell only the 
very best produce, new seeds of guaranteed power of 
germination at the lowest possible prices; and 
customers are assured that no order is too small or 
too large to have prompt and personal care. 
Amongst the numerous reproductions of photographs 
of Toogood's various premises is one of a new and 
additional seed warehouse, believed to be the largest 
seed-store in the world. Some hundreds of recent 
letters from customers are published; and special 
attention is drawn to the Toogood series of garden¬ 
ing manuals, which are supplied at cost, and of 
which tens of thousands are annually sold only on 
the recommendation of buyers. No less than eight 
pages are devoted to the novelties in flower and 
vegetable seeds introduced for igoo by this eminent 
house. Amongst so many it is almcst invidious to 
select any for mention, but special notice should be 
given to Toogood’s Empress Elizabeth Winter Stock, 
the delightful flowers of which are of the brightest 
imaginable shade of carmine-rose, the Toogood 
Mignonette, each plant of which striking novelty 
forms a globular bush about 24 inches in diameter, 
and often consisting of more than 400 flower- 
spikes, and Toogood’s Masterpiece Pansy, with 
charmingly fringed petals. We should advise every 
reader interested in horticulture to obtain a copy of 
this large Garden Guide, which will, we under¬ 
stand, be posted freely to intending purchasers. 
Greenhouse Acreage.—It is estimated that there are 
i.ico acres under market glasshouses in England, 
but of this only about 350 acres are devoted to 
flower culture, the rest to fruit and vegetable produc¬ 
tion, chiefly fruit. 
Maidenhead and District Gardeners' Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Society —At the bi-monthly meeting of this 
society, on the gth inst , the chair was taken by Mr. 
D. Ingamells, the vice-chairman, when Mr. J. 
Fraser, F.L.S , of The Gardening World, gave an 
address on "The Cabbage Tribe,” describing the 
various cultivated forms of the Wild Cabbage which 
have been evolved by the industry of man during 
many bygone centuries. He classified the many 
forms under four leading or principal types, such as 
Coleworts or open-headed Cabbages, Savoy or 
blistered Cabbage (including Brussels Sprouts), 
close-headed or heartiDg Cabbages, Cauliflowers, 
and Broccoli At the same meeting Mr. E. G. 
Batten, gardener to Mrs. E. A. Beckett, Boyn Bank, 
Maidenhead, exhibited a well-grown plaDt of the 
beautiful but by no means common Billbergia morel- 
iana, with leaves 2 ft. to 3 ft. long, and having blue 
flowers, with rich rose bracts of a showy character. 
He was awarded five out of a possible six marks for 
his exhibit. 
Roof Gardens —Roof gardens are permanent insti¬ 
tutions in Paris. In New York they also have a 
goodly hold. Our own old cities are alone behind. 
A lady writer, in an American paper, describes all 
about some of those at New York. "While every¬ 
body around you," she says, " has left on holidays, 
and while the mercury crawls steadily upward, one’s 
intellectual level falls to the consideration of music 
halls and roof gardens. You go into a place 
that looks like a theatre, only it isn't. Very soon 
the elevators, upon which you step, take one up, up, 
till at last the roof is reached. But it dees not look 
like a roof. You cannot see the sides, and there is 
no view of the distant city. The walls are banked 
up with high foliage ; the only openings being ihe 
fire-escapes. There are chairs and a stage, and men 
and women talking and drinking ; and what with 
boxes screened off with Palms and Magnolias, &c., 
the whole place looks just like a ccol music ball. It 
is only by staring overhead to observe the stars that 
you realise it to be a roof garden.”— Jhe Sun. 
The Food of Plants —An instructive and entertain¬ 
ing glimpse of the mysterious processes by means of 
which plants secure their food is given by Mr. H.H. 
W. Pearson in the current number of Knowledge. He 
says—“It is more than 2000 years since philosophers 
began to speculate about the food of plants and what 
we may term their ‘ digestive ’ processes, but it is only 
during the latter half of this century that really 
clear and definite notions concerning the food 
supplies of the vegetable world have been generally 
accepted by scientific men.... As far as is known, 
the first botanical experiment ever performed was 
conducted by Van Helmont. He placed in a pot 
200 lbs. of dried earth, and in it he planted a Willow 
branch which weighed 5 lbs. He kept the whole 
covered up and daily watered the earth with rain¬ 
water. After five years’ growth, the Willow was 
taken up and again weighed, and was found to have 
gained 164 lbs.; the earth in the pot was dried and 
weighed and had only lost two ounces. Knowledge 
was not yet sufficiently advanced to enable Van 
Helmont to interpret these striking results correctly, 
and he came to the erroneous conclusion that the 
increased weight of the plant was due to the water 
which had been supplied to the roots. He therefore 
looked upon this experiment as supporting the 
theory which he had advanced, viz , that plants re¬ 
quired no foe d but water ” Stephen Hales advanced 
the subject a great step by indicating that much of 
the increase in weight of plants was derived from 
carbon dioxide in the air. Vegetable cells contain a 
liquid known as "cell-sap," which is water holding 
in solution various materials which have been taken 
up from without by the roots and leaves. “ These 
materials are thus brought in contact with the pro¬ 
toplasm, which causes them to undergo changes in 
composition which prepare them to be added to the 
substance of the plant. Thus it is in the protoplasm 
of the living cells of the plant that those ' digestive ’ 
processes are carried on which Aristo le believed to 
occur in the soil. We see then that the living cells 
are microscopic laboratories in which the digestion 
of the food of the plant is carried on." 
