308 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 12, 1901. 
any given crop would affect the following 
one, so that very few trials could be made 
on any field of limited extent. 
The Royal Agricultural Society of 
England has the credit of being the first to 
establish a regular pot-culture station in 
this country ; and a record of the experi¬ 
ments already carried out has been given 
in the Journal of that body, Vol. XI., p. 553, 
i by Mr. J. Augustus Voelcker, M.A., B.Sc., 
Ph.D. For convenience .this station has 
been established in connection with the 
Woburn Experimental Farm, which owed 
its inception and support to the liberality of 
successive Dukes of Bedford, who are also 
and have been noted for the cultivation of 
various garden crops, grasses, ornamental 
trees, fruit culture, &c. The inauguration 
of the Pot-Culture Station was largely due 
to the bequest by the late Mr. E. H. Hills, 
of Deptford, to the Royal Agricultural 
Society for the purpose of experimenting 
with the rarer forms of Ash,” which were 
believed to be of more value for the cultiva¬ 
tion of certain crops than was generally 
believed. The Woburn Experimental 
Farm was established in 1877, while the 
Pot-Culture Station was started in 1897 
and the buildings ready for occupation by 
.the beginning of 1898, that is, three years 
ago. The station consists of a laboratory, 
store room, office, glasshouse, and a large 
erection covered with wire sufficiently close 
in the mesh to exclude birds. In this 
structure are several lines of rails on which 
trucks are placed capable of carrying four¬ 
teen to sixteen of the large pots used. 
There is also a photographic room, for the 
various cultures or experiments are photo¬ 
graphed at different stages for future refer¬ 
ence. The rails are continued into the con¬ 
servatory so that the trucks may be run in 
there when necessary owing to exigencies 
of weather; while on the other hand they 
extend to the soil yard so as to facilitate 
emptying or refilling. , 
The pots used are of peculiar pattern 
and specially made for the purpose, after 
Wagner’s most recent model. One set 
consists of zinc pots, circular in surficial 
area, of equal width to the bottom, and 
10 in. in diameter. The inside of these 
pots has been coated with pitch, but for 
what purpose is not explained. At the base 
is a false bottom of perforated zinc, and 
two tubes are carried down the inside for 
- the purpose of conveying tne water applied 
beneath the false bottom, which is meant 
to allow of the passage of water and air 
upward. The other pots consist of earthen¬ 
ware, thoroughly glazed inside and out, 
and 11 in. in diameter. Here again the 
scientific man seems thoroughly at variance 
with the bulk of practical and, in many 
cases, eminent horticulturists. A layer of 
sifted gravel is put in the bottom, 1J in. 
deep, and over this successive layers of soil 
are placed, each layer being allowed to 
settle down before another is put in. Here 
again gardeners will be asking the reasons 
for such delay in accomplishing the work 
of filling the pots with the greatest ex¬ 
pediency by pressing the soil down and 
forthwith setting about sowing or planting 
as the case may be. There is no false 
bottom to the earthenware pots, but a 
slightly elevated spout is placed on one side 
for the escape of superfluous water, and the 
passage of air, though it would seem that 
certain quantities of water are given and no 
waste is desired. The soil in the earthen¬ 
ware pots is watered over the top. Each 
pot has a given weight of distilled water at 
starting, this being recorded, and more is 
added as the plants seem to require it, till 
the original weight is restored. 
Most of the crops under experiment are 
agricultural, and one thing that may be 
noted is that Clover requires much more 
water than either Wheat or Barley, its broad 
leaves transpiring water or carrying it off 
into the air at a more rapid rate than the 
cereals. In the experiments suggested by 
the late Mr. Hill, Wheat, Barley, Clover, 
Mustard, Peas, and Mangels, were grown 
with given quantities of the chemical in¬ 
gredients which he suggested ; but many 
of these proved failures either through too 
great quantities being given, or owing to 
their actually proving injurious to the plants 
at certain stages of growth. Some of the 
Peas never even germinated, so that the 
experiments had to be repeated with smaller 
percentages of manures, or to be abandoned. 
One set of experiments is deserving of 
notice, namely thick v. thin sowing of wheat. 
In the case of thin seeding, the length of the 
stem and ear of corn was nearly twice as 
great as that of the thickly sown sets. 
Another significant point was the respective 
weights of the produce in four trials. Five 
seeds per pot, equal to 2-7 pecks per acre, 
gave 5-6 grammes of corn ; ten seeds, or 
5-5 pecks per acre, gave 5-9 grammes; 
fifteen seeds, or 8-3 pecks per acre, gave 
4-9 grammes ; and twenty seeds, or twelve 
pecks per acre, gave q - 8 grammes. Here 
it is evident that ten seeds per pot gave the 
best weights both in corn and straw, so that 
in the seeding of a field at the rate of twelve 
pecks per acre, six and a half pecks of seed 
or more than half is simply wasted. Of 
course, if the straw of Oats was given to 
cattle the quality of it would have to be con¬ 
sidered, as strong or coarse straw does not 
make good fodder. 
A summary of the system of pot culture 
shows that it has many disadvantages, 
while it cannot supersede field culture but 
only prove an adjunct to the same for the 
sake of the various expediencies it affords 
as above indicated. Here we may state 
that after the experience of two years, the 
results have been decidedly in favour of 
earthenware pots, notwithstanding their 
peculiar design and their glazed surfaces. 
Their soil contents are greater and they are 
not liable to the same excessive fluctuations 
of temperature as in the case of the zinc 
pots. The method of watering is simpler, 
the aeration of the soil more satisfactory, 
they are handier and less liable to leak, 
while the crops apparently grow better in 
them. It seems to us that the pitch with 
which the interior of the zinc pots is daubed 
must be injurious to the roots of plants 
grown in'fhem. With regard to the system 
generally it can only afford comparative 
data with regard to plant culture, because 
to a great extent it is an unnatural system 
of cultivation. In practical field experi¬ 
ments the physical and mechanical con¬ 
ditions of the soil are altogether different ; 
the soil is much less liable to fluctuations of 
temperature, and less or more water, as the 
case may be, would fall upon the field 
according to the nature of the season ; and 
the exposure to light and air is altogether 
different, so that the two systems of culti¬ 
vation cannot fairly be compared. A field of 
soil would also lose less moisture over a 
given area than would pots which are ex¬ 
posed on all sides to the influence of sun 
and wind. The roots of plants in a field 
would probably get less moisture than those 
in pots, yet not be in want. Moreover, in 
pot culture the roots get matted round the 
sides and bottom of the pots, whereas in 
field culture they are more evenly distributed 
over and through the soil, and enjoy a 
greater equality of heat and moisture. Pot 
culture should prove serviceable, however, 
where a great number of trials with different 
soils and manures or chemical ingredients 
have to be carried out within a given period 
for the purpose of determining the more 
useless or impossible cultures, and selecting 
those which promise to be more serviceable 
and deserving of further experiment on the 
same or different lines. 
Mistleto.—More than 100 tons of Mistleto were 
dispatched from Rouen to British markets during the 
week preceding December 24th, 
Salt and Snow.—Tons of salt were used in Lon¬ 
don on the principal thoroughfares after the snow 
had fallen on Monday and Tuesday. 
Weather in London.—The past six days have 
been changeable, disagreeable, and uncertain. On 
Friday a dense black fog settled over London, and 
at 1 o'clock the streets were darker than they are at 
midnight; for though the shops were fully lighted, 
the street lamps were not. Saturday was brighter 
and frosty, with a cold wind blowing. Sunday was 
wretchedly cold, and some snow blew out of the 
wind. Monday morning presented a very white survey, 
and again on Tuesday snow fell, the weather being 
then agreeably cold. Wednesday, as we went to 
press, was much milder, though still dull and un¬ 
assuring, the snow in the suburbs being about 3 in. 
deep. 
Scottish Horticultural Association.—The annual 
general meeting of the above-named society was 
held in the Society's Rooms, St. Andrew Square, 
Edinburgh, on Tuesday evening, January 8tb, Mr. 
D. P. Laird. Vice-President, in the chair. The 
meeting was large and enthusiastic, hearty proof of 
the whole-hearted interest the members have in the 
welfare of the society. The treasurer's report was 
presented, showing for the Chrysanthemum show 
held in November last a total income of £1,075, ex- 
penditure, £1,053 I2S - 5d., leaving a balance of £21 
7s. yd. The association’s annual income from its 
813 ordinary members and six new life members, 
with interest, &c., amounted to £148, expenditure, 
£97 5s. iod. The total accumulated funds amount 
to the respectable sum of £840 16s. od., being an 
increase on the previous year of £63. The amount 
paid in prize money during the year just closed was 
£394 3 s - od- The meeting expressed much regret at 
the retiral from the honorary office of secretary of 
Mr. Robert Laird, who has held the post and ful¬ 
filled his duties so ably, as the condition of the 
society shows, during the last ten years. Mr. 
Charles Comfort, Vice-President, gardener at 
Broomfield House, Edinburgh, was appointed to the 
office of secretary in place of Mr. Laird. The other 
officers were re-elected. 
Beckenham Horticultural Society.—At their 
meeting on Friday, January 4th, Mr. Wm. Taylor, 
gardener to C. Bayer, Esq., Tewkesbury Lodge Gar¬ 
dens, gave a paper, " A Year's Work in a Vinery." 
There was a good audience of gardeners and 
amateurs interested in Grape growing. In planting 
Vines they should be 4 ft. 6 in. apart. The border 
should be wholly inside, 6 in. of rubble for drainage 
and 2 ft. 6 in. of soil on the top. Top-dress every 
year with good soil, using some artificial manure, 
such as mineral superphosphate, nitrate of potash, 
with gypsum. When Vines are in full growth, a 
good top-dressing is very beneficial. A good water¬ 
ing is required often, and when watering do it 
thoroughly. When cleaning Vines he laid great 
stress upon the usual way you often see Vines rubbed 
and scraped, denuding them of all their bark. He 
spoke strongly against the practice. You should only 
thoroughly scrub with warm water to which had 
been added about 2 oz. of soft soap and 4 oz. of 
sulphur ; do with that twice or three times, and then 
add some clay to make the dressing a little thicker. 
As the Vines progress give air very carefully, avoid 
front air till late in season. Vines like plenty of moisture 
in houses. Syringing is done twice and three times 
daily, till the Grapes show colour. In keeping 
Grapes after being cut, place them in a dark room at 
a temperature of 45 0 to 50°. Mr. Taylor, who is a 
well known exhibitor of Grapes, answered the ques¬ 
tions, of which there were plenty, with thoroughness, 
as a gardener who perfectly understood his work. 
Mr. Price, who was chairman for the evening, gave 
a vote of thanks for the paper which was thoroughly 
appreciated by all present. Mr. Taylor exhibited 
two fine bunches of Grapes. The next paper would 
be read on January 25th, by Mr. H. J. Chapman, 
on " Cypripediums." 
