153 
November 3, i9oo. THE GARDENING WORLD. 
" " ' _ - a - r . . . -- . — ' ■ 
likewise folded may be set upon the surface soil of 
the pots. In these the earwigs congregate and can 
be caught. The maggots which are infesting the 
leaves can only be overcome by squeezing them 
between the fmgers. This may damage the leaves, 
but it will do less harm than the maggots would. 
You cannot help the plants which have rooted into 
the ash bed ; sever the roots and shade them for a 
few days, gently feeding the while. 
Zephyranthes Hardy?— Xmas: Yes, some of 
them are hardy nearly everywhere. Z. Candida is 
much employed for edging walks and small borders. 
It grows neatly and close. Plant the bulbs now if you 
choose, selecting good land which should be freely 
drained and well worked. 
■ » » — 
AN ALLOTMENT HOLDER’S EXHIBIT. 
A spirited contest is kept up annually by the 
Harrow and Roxeth Allotment Society, the last 
show being recorded by us on October 6th. On 
this occasion we wish to refer to the fine exhibit 
made by Mr. James Smith, the hon. secretary, 
3, Alma Road, Roxeth, Harrow-on-the-Hill. He 
had four dozen dishes on his stand, including 
fourteen dishes of Potatos, three each of Carrots 
and Pumpkins, two each of Kale (in two varieties), 
Onions, Marrows (green and white), Turnips, Cresses 
and Scarlet Runners. He also had a dish each of 
Beet, Cauliflower, Tomatos, Cucumbers, Shallots, 
Brussels Sprouts, Red Cabbage, White Cabbage, 
Savoys, Celery, Leeks, Radish, Lettuce, Endive, 
and Parsnips. The above is a good record for an 
allotment holder, and shows what can be done by a 
diligent and industrious worker, even after having 
concluded his duties for the day. 
Mr. Smith cultivates his own 15-pole plot in the 
evening and other spare time, after ten hours in a 
workshop. He has no idea of his work being 
laborious; indeed, he calls it very fine recreation, 
especially the spade exercise which is coming on 
very shortly. The accompanying illustration shows 
some of the results of this form of recreation. The 
finely curled Kales, Cabbages, etc., form a fine back 
ground to shapely Potatos, Onions, Carrots, 
Parsnips, Celery, Leeks, and other things of that 
sort. The two framed certificates shown in the 
photograph were gained by Mr. Smith on previous 
occasions for collections of vegetables, and com¬ 
mented upon by us some years ago. 
MISTAKES IN ORCHARD MANAGE¬ 
MENT. 
At the Drill Hall, on Tuesday, October 23rd, Mr. J. 
Ettle, lecturer on horticulture to the Somerset 
County Council, delivered an address under the 
above title. The lecture was illustrated by lime¬ 
light views. The alpha and omega of the lecture 
was to show up mistakes that are frequently made 
in orchard management. He had gathered together 
a fine series for his purpose, and having had them 
presented all within an hour the audience may not 
have been impressed with the west country system 
of cultivation. The chairman’s hope that Mr. Ettle 
had to go far and near to find his subjects, 
found response in each listener. He first 
showed a tree badly infested by American Bilight, 
which had been introduced beneath the grafting 
wax on a young tree brought from a nursery. This 
was a serious fault on the nurseryman’s part, and 
such cases were generally to be found in understaffed 
nurseries. 
As a dressing to overcome American Blight, the 
following solutions were recommended :—2 ozs. of 
shag tobacco to a gallon of water; petroleum at 
the rate of one or two wine glassfuls, and 2 ozs. to 
3 o2s. of soft soap per gallon of water ; and Cishurst 
Compound. These when prepared should be either 
brushed hard in, or forcibly directed on the infested 
parts by means of a syringe. The latter method was 
strongly advised. Speaking of the attitudes of 
certain landlords to their tenants, and vice-versa, the 
landlords are known to say that they will not buy 
any more trees for farmer So-and-So because of the 
latter’s careless method of cultivation. The landlord 
blames his farmer tenant for not maintaining the 
fences in good condition, and for taking insufficient 
pains to stake, prune or manure the trees. The 
farmer on his side asserts that wood for fencing or 
staking is often too high priced, and altogether he 
fmds things too dear. That is the case as it stands. 
No doubt there are some failings on both sides, but 
it is very evident that the farmers (who are the fruit 
growers), and perhaps the landlords too, do not 
make proper use of the means at their hand. There 
seems a deadly lack of initiative, broad-mindedness 
and energy. The tenant wants to feel himself more 
secure before he will expend money on the returns 
from which he cannot have a guarantee. 
Coming to practice, however, the second pro¬ 
nounced mistake which seems peculiar among 
western cultivators, is their custom of “ thorning " 
the trees. Young orchard fruit trees are supported, 
and supposed to be at the same time protected, from 
horned stock and vermin, by placing thorn branches 
close around their young stems. The practice, to 
say the least, is absurd. The thorns do not suffi- 
cently support the trees, and by their chafing and 
friction, they give rise to dozens of wounds which 
are just the sort of places in which the dreaded 
Blight" harbours. 
In Somerset and along the West, a custom pre¬ 
vails of growing trees for half-a-dozen years, only to 
take off the head it may have formed, and insert 
grafts of a different variety in place thereof. It is 
estimated that in one way and another from ten to a 
dozen years pass before a crop is gathered. Other 
common mistakes in orchard management was shown 
in the cramping methods of planting ; the lack of 
mulching or even of keeping the surface soil clean 
and free from weeds ; the pronounced negligence in 
the matter of staking young trees, and in pruning 
them. All the various faults in these features of 
culture were emphasised by means of Mr. Ettle’s 
lime-light views from negatives taken by himself at 
different places. One or two tables of the cost of 
trees, cost of making holes, staking etc., were given. 
The trees usually cost about 3s. each, digging the 
holes, yd.; stake, 8d. ; wire, 3^d. ; staples and labels 
just over a penny each. By the use of railway 
sleepers and old barrel staves, a cheap means of 
fencing is found. 
The lecture was most satisfactory. It is to be 
hoped that Mr. Ettle will be the means of bringing 
about many improvements in western orchard 
management. 
A Coming Country.—When we say that Queens¬ 
land, Australia, is “ a coming country” some may 
be tempted to say *' it has come ! ” But in its fruit- 
productive capacities the country has yet greatly to 
develop. It has an immense capacity for fruit pro¬ 
duction. The Fruit Grower shows the year's out-put 
in Bananas, which comprise 435,620,820 (bunches or 
fingers ?); 4 820,316 Pineapples ; 17,045,268 Oranges, 
and 2,292,888 Mangoes. In addition there were 
80,000 bushels of Cape Gooseberries ; 57,432 Cocoa- 
nuts ; 331,800 Lemons, and 17,156 lbs. of Peanuts. 
In various parts of the colony Strawberries, Pears, 
Peaches, Guaves, Limes, Persimmons and edible 
An Allotment Holder's Exhibit. 
