February 10, 1900. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
381 
STARVATION. 
I was staying again with my friend in the country, 
and as before was up and out quite early. It was 
a lovely morning in September, and although the 
country still looked beautiful, I could not help con¬ 
trasting it with the last time I saw it, when it was 
clothed in all its tender May green. 
“I hope you have not heard any grumblings and 
complainings this time,” said my host,as we sat down 
to breakfast. 
"Yes, a great many,” I replied, watching with 
amusement my friend’s astonished face. 
" The dickens you have ! ” he exclaimed, " well! I 
never knew such a fellow ; but which were grumbling 
this morning, plants or insects ? ’’ 
" Neither,” I answered, "it was the land this 
time.” 
" The land,” he exclaimed. " Why you don't 
mean to tell me that you understand what the land 
says ? " 
" Yes, 1 do, and I will tell you all I have heard if 
you care to listen, only first answer me one question, 
Do you believe in the rotation of crops ? ” 
" Certainly not,” was the emphatic reply. 
“ So I presumed,” I answered. " But to proceed. 
The first remark I heard as I entered the kitchen 
garden was ‘giveit up, give it up.’ I listened 
attentively to hear what was speaking and soon found 
it was the land on which the French Beans were 
growing, calling across to the Cabbage land. 
' Give what up ? ’ was the reply. 
“' Why, trying to grow a good crop. I have loDg 
ago. When I tell you this is the fourth year in 
succession in which I have been expected to grow 
Beans, you will not be surprised at my not trying 
any longer.' 
" * Have you had any manure? ’ asked the Cabbage 
land. 
" • Some farm-yard the first year,and nothing since 
but a little nitrate of soda, and that of course the 
Beans don’t make any use of.’ 
“ • Why not ? I only wish my poor Brassicacrop 
could have the chance of some nitrogen.' 
" 1 Well you see it’s in this way. Beans belong to 
the Natural Order Leguminosae, and all plants 
belonging to this order are fortunate enough to be 
able to absorb enough nitrogen from the air, by 
means of nodules on their roots ; therefore it is pure 
waste to give nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, 
or any nitrogenous manure to land on which Peas, 
Beans, &c., are growing. But now tell me what is 
your chief complaint ? I only heard a little of what 
you were saying to your neighbour, the Cauliflower 
land.' 
“ ‘ We are both in the same predicament. Last 
year we grew Cabbages and Cauliflowers, which 
were badly attacked with Plasmodiophora Brassicae, 
commonly known as club-root, finger-and-toe, or 
anbury. Well, instead of the master taking 
up the plants, burning them, and then 
gas-liming the land, he had them all dug in last 
winter, and the consequence was as soon as ever the 
Brassica crop was planted again, the spores which 
we now contain in myriads of this slimy fungus 
attacked them again, and I don't believe a dozen 
Cabbages have been cut, and not as many Cauli¬ 
flowers.’ 
" * The master ought to be ashamed of himself to 
treat any ground so badly,’ replied the Bean land. 
‘ But I daresay it is the sar e tale of neglect all over 
the garden. Out of curiosity I will first ask a few 
questions and see.' 
“ ' I say, Asparagus beds, what kind of a crop did 
you have this year ? ’ 
" * Poor, very ! ’ was the reply, ‘ and as no liquid 
manure nor salt has been given us the whole summer, 
we shall produce worse next year.' 
" ‘ Turnip land, have you any Turnips fit for boiling 
with mutton and beef? 1 
“' None larger than a bantam’s egg, but I 
have had no sulphate of lime nor superphosphate for 
two years, so how can I be expected to grow good 
Turnips ? ' 
“ Potato land, when your crop was lifted were you 
satisfied with what you had grown ? ' 
" • Not at all, but it was not my fault I was short 
of potash, therefore could not have produced large 
tubers, even if the crop had not been attacked with 
Phytophthora infestans, or the potato disease.’ 
" ‘ Leek land, what are you doing ?' 
" * Growing the worst lot of Leeks I have ever 
grown. They are hungry feeders, and I am short of 
nearly everything they want, such as humus, potash, 
iron, phosphorus, magnesia, lime, soda, and chlorine.' 
“ • Well, Cabbage land, I do not think I need ask 
any more questions,’ called out the Bean land, ' for 
it seems to me that every plot of ground in the 
garden is in the same state as ourselves, starved.' 
" ‘Yes,’ replied the Cabbage land, 1 and until the 
master makes up his mind to feed us properly, and 
go in for the rotation of crops, he must be prepared in 
the near future to have no vegetables at all.’ ” 
My friend’s face at this concluding remark was a 
picture.— Solanaceae. 
-» I > 
Gardening Miscellany, 
WOODSIA ALPINA. 
Among the Woodsias we possess some of the pret¬ 
tiest Ferns which adorn our hardy gardens or cool 
conservatories. W. alpina or W. hyperborea, the 
former said to be the garden name of the latter, is a 
British species, though it is not confined to our 
Islands. In the present (January) issue of The Fern 
Bulletin, Mr Willard W. Eggleston refers to it. In 
1876 it was discovered in the United States by C. 
G. Pringle, author of " Botanical Rambles in 
Vermont,” and is still very rare in Vermont State. 
In this southern State it is necessarily found at great 
elevations, being 2,500 ft. above sea-level at 
Willoughby, Vermont. W. alpina is said to be much 
confused with W. glabella. This latter, however, is 
comparatively common while, as we say, W. alpina 
is very rare. It is found dispersed over Arctic Europe, 
the name hyperborea meaning in this case, 
“ extreme-northern." The fronds only measure 
from 3 in. to 6 in. in length, and the root stock 
though short, is very stout. It is an interesting 
subject for the lover of hardy Ferns. 
HELICHRYSUMS. 
Everlasting flowers have a fascination for many 
people, and really when one comes to reflect upon 
the dry, chaffy leaves or bracts surrounding the 
heads they really are objects of deep interest. They 
are an economical class of flowering plants, too, for 
the amateur who may only have a rood of land 
can yet grow a sufficient stock of pretty flowers to 
give him decorations during all the dreary winter. 
It is to be regretted that they are somewhat stiff 
flowers ; more grace would greatly improve them. 
They can be raised from a yearly sowing of seeds. 
These should be sown in boxes in March, pricked off 
when they are strong enough, and planted out when¬ 
ever it is safe enough to do so. The flowers for dry¬ 
ing should be gathered before they are quite matured. 
Hang them up in a cool, airy room for some time to 
dry, and they will retain their particular colours for 
an indefinite period. 
TOMATO PRIDE OF ITALIE, 
During the past autumn I was calling at Newcomb’s, 
at Crediton, near Exeter. Among other interesting 
things 1 saw was a Tomato under this name growing 
on low walls in front of the fruit houses. The 
trusses of fruit were enormous. Mr. Lock told me 
some had over 100 fruit on a truss, and I can quite 
think it was so by the size of the trusses. The fruits 
were oblong in the way of cluster, very bright-red, 
and, as far as I could see, fairly good. I noted this 
was exhibited at one of the meetings at the Drill 
Hall in the autumn. It is evidently a good grower. 
-— J. C., F., Chard. 
HEDYCHIUMS. 
For the Water Lily house indoors the Hedychiums, 
or Indian Garland Flowers, are among the list of 
plants most adaptable and frequently used. All the 
species are natives of tropical Asia, though H. gard- 
nerianum is a species quite suitable for the green¬ 
house, or, better still, an intermediate house. A 
fault, if fault it may be termed, is that under favour¬ 
able conditions the plants grow very tall. They 
have also to be raised on pots, &c , when placed in 
the warm-water tanks, so that they stand only 2 in. 
or so in the water. The plants can generally be seen 
to at this time of year, and large rhizomes can be 
divided and repotted into large sized pots, using a 
rich compost. Saviog for a time at first, when the 
plants are becoming established and are developing 
foliage, they may be kept plunged 2 in., as mentioned, 
in water. During this active growing season they 
require a great deal of water. A warm house, say 
with a temperature of 75 0 to 8o° is required all 
summer. The plants may be cut down in late 
autumn, rested, and restarted the following spring. 
POTATO DUKE OF YORK. 
I find this a very good second early kind. It is 
an abundant cropper. The tubers are of good even 
size and very clean. It comes off the ground in 
time enough to plant green crops. The flesh is 
yellow, to me this is an advantage, as I consider this 
is an indication of good quality. I saw this magni¬ 
ficent Potato in a garden near Minehead some two 
years ago.— J. C., F., Chard. 
FESCUE GRASS. 
While collections of florists’flowers are frequently 
to be seen in gardens, and collections of hardy 
flowering plants, Ferns, Roses, or Shrubs are often 
conspicuous features of other very pleasant gardens ; 
yet in these days when we are all striving to be 
original, and somewhat beyond our neighbours, why 
does not some man of genius introduce new ideas in 
the arranging and growing of a liberal collection of 
beautiful Grasses ? I mean, grow them in the open, 
out next to the shrubberies or in breadths on suita¬ 
ble slopes. Grassy paths could be led between the 
irregular breadths of the Grasses. No finer orna¬ 
mental Grass for the border, &c., exists than Festuca 
glauca, or another well-known one, F. nigrescens. A 
list of ornamental grasses should be added to the seed 
order. 
FITTONIA GIGANTEA. 
Few, if any, of our dwarfer stove plants have more 
attractiveness than the F. gigantea, and F. argyrea. 
Both represent the acme of simplicity in cultivation, 
being specially easy to raise as cuttings, and after 
they are taken from the propagating cases to be 
potted on for their places in the ordinary plant 
stoves, no more trouble is needed. The veins are 
lovely. A goodly stock should be propagated at the 
present time. 
METHOD OF PROPAGATING ASPLENIUM 
BULBIFERUM. 
While passing through the temperate Fern-house at 
Kew, I was struck by the remarkably novel manner 
they have there adopted with this Fern. A number 
of plants are growing in hanging baskets, the lower¬ 
most fronds of which have been pegged into the 
soil in the basket. This allows the young bulbils or 
Fernlets to throw out roots and establish themselves, 
so that in a very short while the baskets, which are 
of a goodly size, should present a very refreshing 
sight. This Fern throws out the bulbils freely on its 
matured fronds.— Argus. 
READ THIS. 
A weekly award of 5s. will be made by the pro¬ 
prietors of The Gardening World, to the person 
who sends the most interesting or valuable item of 
news upon passing events likely to interest horticult¬ 
urists at large ; hints containing suggestive facts of 
practical interest to gardeners or growers of plants, 
fruits, or flowers ; successful methods of propagating 
plants usually considered difficult ; or any other 
topic coming within the sphere of gardening proper. 
The articles in question should not exceed 250 words, 
and should be marked " Competition.” The address 
of the winner will be published. The Editor’s 
judgment must be considered final. The communi¬ 
cations for each week should be posted not later 
than Monday night. 
The prize last week was awarded to Mr.A.Thatcher, 
Aldenham, Herts., for his article on Hardy 
Nymphaeas. 
A Competitor writes : " The Hardy Nymphaeas 
deserve the award this week, there is not the least 
doubt, though I think the depth of water he advo¬ 
cates, 3 ft., rather much for the smaller kinds. I 
consider 15 in. to 18 in. from the surface of the water 
quite deep enough for most, in fact all, of the hybrid 
varieties ; but the matter is not worth contesting, 
for no doubt he finds they thrive at the depth he 
gives." 
An Appreciation.—A correspondent from Edin¬ 
burgh refers, as have several others, in a pleasing 
strain, to the above competition. She says: "I 
really think the short papers an improvement. 
There has been a lot of reading in your paper 
lately.”— M. R., Rosehall, Midlothian. 
