358 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 2, 190l. 
The Temple Show will be held on May 22nd, 
23rd, and 24th (provisionally). 
Recent Fires -Under this heading an American 
contemporary reports the destruction of glasshouses 
b 1 nging to eight firms. These fires are frequent in 
America owing to their heating systems. 
Peach trees for South Africa.—We learn that a 
shipment of 100.000 young Peach trees from Georgia 
(U.S.A.) nurseries, bound for Cape Colony and 
Natal, has just been shipped. The British Colonial 
Secretary furnished directions to have the trees 
inspected by the Georgian State Entomologist, who 
has reported their condition to the British authori¬ 
ties. A shipment of trees from the same State was 
made last year, but the trees were held at Lady¬ 
smith because of the war. 
New Year Greenhouse Flowering Plants.—In 
the greenhouse at Kew the visitor can generally see a 
greater variety of plants in bloom at the different 
seasons, than he will find in almost any other green¬ 
house throughout the land. Mr. Garret, the fore¬ 
man of this department, has great experience with 
decorative subjects and always manages to supply 
an uncommonly fine display. The following is a list 
of the plants in flower at the advent of the New 
Year:—Begonia Gloire de Lorraine, B. semper- 
florens rosea, Reinwardtia trigyna, Justicia carnea, 
paper white Narcissus, Cytisus racemosus, Salvia 
Heerii, S. splendens grandiflora, Callas, Senecio 
magnificus, and Coleus thyrsoides, the latter just 
opening. There were also a few Chrysanthemums ; 
many varieties of well flowered Chinese Primulas, 
including a beautfful violet-lavender one which we 
have only seen at Kew. The Red Currant Tomato 
was attractive with its long strings of crimson fruits; 
and so with Solanum integrifolium and the Sweet 
Orange, Citrus Auranteum. Cyclamens were good ; 
Jasminum nudiflorum was flowering in 5-in. and 
6-in. pots; while Primula floribunda, P. obconica 
(lilac variety); Freesias, Roman Hyacinths, Zonals, 
Marguerites, Star Cinerarias, Azaleas, Tecoma 
Smithii, and Abutilon Vesuvius were among other of 
tbe pot subjects. Abutilon Golden Fleece still con¬ 
tinues to flower from the roof; and so with 
Tibouchina (Pleroma) macrantha, Hlbbertia dentata, 
and Passifloras. Calceolaria Burbidgei afforded 
beautiful yellow flowers ; Bouvardias were in many 
colours; the deep mauve flowers of Peristrophe 
speciosa were very effective, and blue was added by 
Browallla speciosa. Polygala oppositifolla is one of 
the best of the hard wooded plants, while the Cape 
aid New Holland Heaths, but more particularly 
the latter, that is, the Epacris, were shown in pro¬ 
fusion. The best varieties of Epacris were E. im- 
pressa, E. i. alba, E. Model, E. ardentissima, E. 
rubra superba, and E. Exquisite. It should be 
borne in mind that everything is grown in large 
batches which are staged in the mass, not mixedly. 
' -■ 
“VICTORIA.” 
Requiescat in pace. January 22nd, 1901. 
Sorrow o’ershadows every home 
Where thy loyal people dwell; 
And hearts are filled with sore dismay ; 
And grief no words can tell ; 
And bitter tear drops mingle with 
Our sad and last farewell. 
" A noble Queen and woman,” 
With one voice the nation saith; 
By land and sea, we mourn thy loss, 
And speak with bated breath 
Of thy fearless truth and tender heart, 
Thy blameless life, and death 
No more shall wars and tumults grieve r 
Or cares thy spiiit bow ; 
Thy long and peaceful reign has closed ? 
Life's sands are running low ; 
Thou hast obeyed the Master’s call; 
11 His Name " is on thy brow. 
Mary A. Gamble, Wells , 
FRENCH BEANS. 
We are required to keep up ^supply of this 
vegetable all the year round, so we have found 
Sutton’s Tender and True Climbing French Bean to 
be very useful. When we cleared out our last batch 
of Melons on the 7th of September, instead of 
clearing out the border we sowed the seeds of this 
Bean 6 in. apart. After they came up to the first 
wire they were run up on strings till they reached the 
top of the house, then they were pinched to induce 
them to break. They have kept up a regular supply 
ever since the middle of October, and keep fruiting 
away yet. For pot culture we find Sutton's Ne Plus 
Ultra to be the best. The most of places grow them 
in 8-in. pots, half filling the pots with soil, and top¬ 
dressing as they grow up ; but here we have pans 
8 in. in diameter, and 6 in. deep. We fill the pans 
to within an inch of the rim, and the seeds an inch 
deep, pressing them moderately firm. When they 
are ready for staking we stake them with old birch 
brooms broken up, which answer the purpose very 
well. Nine seeds to a pan will be sufficient. Keep 
up a moist atmosphere with a temperature ranging 
from 60° to 65°. Attention must be paid to water¬ 
ing, damping the floors and syringing overhead to 
keep them clean and healthy .—John C. Coutts, 
Danesfield Gardens, Great Marlow, Bucks. 
FORCED MINT. 
Perhaps the following remarks on the treatment of 
Mint for forcing may be of interest to some readers 
of The Gardening World. Whilst preparing a 
quantity of roots for forcing some weeks back I was 
impressed with the idea that it would be better if 
made into cuttings instead of being laid in under the 
surface of the soil, as is often done. My experience 
is that dormant Mint is easily killed, and that, too, 
when it is wanted to grow. Accordingly the roots, or, 
to be more correct, underground stems, were cut into 
lengths of about 5 in., and dibbled thickly into 9 m. 
pots of soil, taking care to make the cuttings firm, • 
and leaving them with an inch or so of stem ex¬ 
posed. The pots were placed in a Peach house at 
rest, and now all the Mint cuttings are bristling with 
growth, and promise a good supply of green Mint in 
advance of that obtained from the open ground.— 
Cor. 
*» «— - 
TULIPS. 
Tulips for decorative purposes are best grown in 
shallow boxes in a rich compost about 2 in. 
apart, with one variety in a box so that they bloom 
simultaneously with precisely the same treatment as 
that of pot bulbs, by placing them in a cold frame 
and covering with sifted ashes, and when well filled 
with roots brought to the forcing department as 
required. When fully expanded they may be lifted, 
bulb and all, and a little damp moss tied around the 
bulb where they can be placed, several together, in 
shallow tins or any other receptacle, and dropped 
into silver decanter stands or any other ornaments 
either for room or table decoration, or used independ¬ 
ently for filling baskets, &c. This will be found a 
much more convenient method than growing in pots 
for room or table work, as in this way the lasting 
qualities are not materially injured and they can be 
arranged much more conveniently and effectively 
than when five or six bu.bs are crowded together in 
a 32 or 48-sizs pot, and last much longer than when 
cut, and if kept moist last quite as long as a pot of 
bulbs. Roman Hyacinths and Lily of the Valley 
will be found equally accommodating if treated in the 
same manner.—C. J. Ellis. 
-- X— - 
CACTUS DAHLIAS 
Have undergone great improvement during the last 
few years. The colours are better with more 
numerous and improved shades; while generally 
speaking the habit of the plants is dwarfer, and the 
flowers are thrown out of the foliage on long stout 
foot stalks. Hitheito many good flowers were all 
but stalkless, and bidden deep among dense foliage. 
Yet some old Dahlias of the Cactus and decorative 
sections are still retained, where large quantities of 
cut bloom are required, one of which is Fire King or 
Glare of the Garden. It grows about 2 ft. high, and 
produces little scarlet flowers in abundance. Cactus 
Dahlias grown to produce exhibition blooms during 
August are very serviceable after that period, as they 
may be allowed to grow and flower at their own 
will, thus providing large quantities of good decora¬ 
tive stuff in the shape of flowers, buds, and foliage, 
until severe frost cuts them down. After this their 
tops should be cut down, 8 in. to 12 in. above the 
ground ; the label of each should now be securely 
attached to a main stem with strong twine, after 
which they should be carefully lifted, cleaned out 
with a blunt s'.ick, placed indoors to half dry gradu¬ 
ally, then stored away in a cold, frost-proof house. 
Dahlias like a heavy rich soil, and may be propaga- 
gated by division or cuttings. The latter method 
gives much the better flowers, and are obtained from 
tubers placed in heat during January or February. 
Here they soon produce young shoots, which are 
removed. When. 3 in. to 4 in. long these are cut 
sloping at base, and inserted in pots of sandy soil in 
which leaf mould predominates, placed in a propaga¬ 
ting pit, with a temperature of about 6o° F., and 
kept closed for a few days, after which they are 
gradually hardened off in single pots and finally 
planted in their flowering quarters in June .—Henry 
H. Gibson, The Gardens, Glencairn, Belfast. 
—-- 
JOURNEYMEN. 
I have been a journeyman for about fourteen 
years and have been in one of the largest places (in 
Scotland, at least). During the time I was there, to 
say that I learned more in six months than I did in 
the smaller places in a year is, to my mind, utter 
nonsense. In this big place I had the working of 
the Pine stoves, plant stoves, Melon pits, and a good 
many hot and cold frames. Now I was never inside 
the kitchen garden from one week's end to the other, 
unless a walk through on a Sunday morning. How 
does Mr. Dick think that I was to learn more there 
in six months than in the smaller places, as general 
foreman, where I had a hand at everything that was 
done during the year. Would Mr. Dick please say 
what is the great lot that could be done by the head 
gardeners to benefit their willing assistants ? As for 
journeymen gardeners keeping a diary, they that do 
are the exception rather than the rule. They can 
tell you all about the latest football results ; but, if 
you ask them if they read the article on planting 
Curly Kale in The Gardening World— Oh! they 
never noticed that.— F. Ross, Strathtyrum Gardens, St. 
Andrew's, N.B. 
The letter of last week’s paper on the above subject 
reckons the small place inferior to the large estab¬ 
lishment for knowledge and practical work. That 
is hardly feasible. The journeyman or apprentice 
in the small place (that is, where one or two are 
kept) has more Of the gardening proper to do than 
the one in the large establishment. It is not lords 
and dukes that make skilled gardeners, although 
influence goes a loDg way in procuring a good situa¬ 
tion, which we see in every day of life. In the small 
pla£e we learn the elements of gardening, the pre¬ 
paration of seed beds, sowing of seeds, various 
methods of digging, pruning of outdoor fruit trees 
and bushes, potting, disbudding, staking, and a host 
of other practical jobs. The gardener has more 
time to instruct us in these important matters than 
one who has the constant worry and responsibility 
in a large place. With the gardener in such a place, 
at least 80 per cent, of them, I am afraid it is 
economy in labour with their work, both inside and 
out. Being undermanned everything is done in a 
haphazard manner. The under journeyman and 
apprentices in such places are nest to slaves. Rough 
and ready is their motto, your work being sheared 
down by the knife for market. There is a private 
place, for instance, near Edinburgh, where the 
apprentice neither learns one thing nor another ; his 
chief work is cleaning the refuse up behind his 
superiors. The encouragement he receives is past 
all humanity. That is one of the youDg gardeners' 
grievances. A little more encouragement and we 
will succeed. As for a diary Mr. T. S. Dick speaks 
about, it is not of much account, unless for the said 
place or district it was jotted down in. There are 
scarcely two shires alike for climate and soil. Every 
gardener has his own pet theories. We must bear 
in mind that an ounce of practice is worth a pound 
of theory. There are exceptions on both sides. 
Good and bad places, whether it be ” duke’s sons, 
cook's sons, or sons of a millionaire.” Mr. Blair’s 
estimation of young men deserves thanks for. To 
look for high attainments is not to be got from 
three-fourths of gardeners. The small place finds 
the majority of our best gardeners, and some cannot 
even attain that privilege.—zf. V. M., journeyman, 
Coltness Gardens. 
Apropos to what is being written anent “Journey¬ 
men " in these pages, although the following extract 
from the Journal of Horticulture does not bear directly 
on the arguments being expressed, it is at the same 
