44 4 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 9, 1901. 
constitute all the compost they need ; and 4-in. to 
6-in. pots suit their requirements in that respect. 
Successional supplies are kept up by introducing 
batches, of a size proportionate to requirements, into 
a temperature of 50°. This affords flowers from 
Christmas to March, or longer if the lateness of the 
season necessitates. The flowers are cut with as 
long stalks as possible, tied in bunches and packed 
in ordinary market flower boxes. 
Besides Victoria there are erect habited varieties 
with blue and white flowers; but they are of taller 
growth, and whether they will ever become really 
popular remains to be seen. Several of them have 
already been tried on this side of the silver streak, 
and time will settle the claims they are likely to 
make on the public. 
I have witnessed M. arvensis palmed off on the 
amateur gardener as a substitute for M. sylvatica so 
much used in spring bedding ; but its small flowers 
are against its ever becoming popular. It makes the 
finest display when grown in slight shade in open 
woods and copses, or in gardens when similarly 
shaded, but even under such conditions it bas no 
claim to garden value compared with any of the 
above mentioned. 
The question might well be put. Why is not M- 
palustris (the true Forget-me-not) not more generally 
popular, considering the size and rich blue colour of 
its flowers ? The answer is that it is not so amenable 
to culture for market purposes, and flowers late, so 
that it is useless for spring bedding, and comes at a 
time when hardy flowers are plentiful, thus reducing 
its market value. It is perennial, and, although 
useful in private gardens, does not commend itself to 
so extensive culture as biennials. A moister soil is 
also necessary for its perfect success, to yield flowers 
of equal quality to those that grow naturally on the 
margins of streams and rivers. Not every garden 
possesses a piece of ground that will meet its require¬ 
ments in this respect. More than likely it would 
prove a miserable failure if planted in open ground 
or market gardens in droughty seasons such as 
those experienced in recent years. This statement 
applies more particularly to the drier and more 
southern districts of England, as in the average of 
seasons it may be grown with tolerable success in 
the open border in Scotland, the north of England, 
and probably other cool and moist localites.— J. 
Mad. 
“UNION IS STRENGTH.” 
The letter signed " Je vis en espoir" is one which 
should command and interest your readers, and not 
only so but arouse the gardeners to action, for the 
question of wages and locus standi of gardeners 
generally at the present time is anything but what 
it should be considering the knowledge he has or 
should possess to attain a position, unless he is par¬ 
ticularly fortunate or has influential friends ; and I 
have in my mind instances where good positions are 
held by men through the latter, a most unfair 
method being used in their favour by those who have 
the power to enhance the position of a favourite 
having in reality no genuine merit, but who having 
obtained the appointment has solely to rely on sub¬ 
ordinates for the successful result and account of his 
stewardship. Of course, this sort of thing cannot 
be eradicated, however well fought against; yet it 
may be obviated largely by legitimate combination 
having right principles and by those solely possessing 
the right to call themselves gardeners, and not 
merely by those with a diploma, the casual result of 
having been given work (perhaps out of charity) in 
some garden, and who, having picked up the most ele¬ 
mentary routine of the duties, sallies forth (may be 
backed by a reference from the head gardener or his 
employer) a full fledged gardener (?). 
This undesirable state of things is well known by 
most prople in the profession, yet instead of battling 
against it, talk about it, &c., and we quietly submit. 
This is one cau e of insufficient wages, others are 
almost too ignominous to recount and of which I 
shall neither enter into nor correspond concerning. 
Sufficient it is to say that it is high time that pro¬ 
fessional gardeners banded together and made them¬ 
selves felt as a power by those who are in the happy 
position of affording the luxury of a well-kept garden, 
and to demand from all employers of gardeners a 
sufficient and fair salary (and one not dependent on 
commission as a supplement) and occupation in ac¬ 
cordance with ability and acquirements. 
I had the pleasure of joining in a conversation 
quite recently with several known men of good 
standing in the horticultural world on exactly this 
subject. The line of debate and principles men¬ 
tioned, seemed to my mind in the aggregate, such as 
should meet the case if faithfully carried out, and if 
“ Je vis en espoir ” and others interested, whether old 
or young gardeners, would care to communicate with 
me through you, sir, I should interview one gentle¬ 
man of the party mentioned above and, if possible, 
get him to express his views publicly ; and I am sure 
that when his name is known (if ever it is in such a 
cause) and his ideas expounded, he would be voted 
one of the best of organisers (and of this I speak 
provisionally) known to the profession. 
Whenever the matter is tackled, and it will be 
sooner or later, it will take time, energy, and some 
small outlay. Yet are there not sufficient gardeners 
and horticulturists generally who will combine to 
inaugurate a system of a better slate of things tUan 
at present ? 
I may add (one reason) that employees generally 
would welcome the introduction of a reliable source 
where they could obtain the services of practical 
men, which would do away with to a great extent 
the continual changing through incompetency of the 
so-called gardener, who can write a very fluent 
application and talk glibly of what the gardener 
should be able as a gardener to do, but in reality 
cannot grow a Cabbage successfully. In conclusion, 
I add Haud igaora mali, miseris succurrere disco.—Facta 
non verba. 
Under the above title in the last issue of The Gar¬ 
dening World, I see a correspondent asks for 
opinions as to the forming of a *' Gardeners’ Union.” 
In theory I am entirely in sympathy with such a 
union, but through the scattered condition of the 
profession am rather sceptical of our being able to 
start a really practical society. If your correspon¬ 
dent (I wish he had chosen a shorter "handle ”) or 
any other will produce a workable scheme I will be 
very glad to support it. I think the great difficulty 
would be with the employers. If they could not get 
a union man for the wage they usually pay, they 
would quickly serve themselves with a neighbouring 
labourer or "cowman," as unfortunately they too 
often do at present, and thus "dish” the union. If 
a union can be started and gets anything like fair 
support, one of the benefits would be the taking of 
the registries out of the hands of the nurserymen. 
This, I think, would be a good thing of itself, for it 
can hardly be denied that some of the "trade " use 
their power in a very arbitrary manner. I know, of 
course, that many of the more respectable firms 
would be glad to have done with it for good. In 
conclusion, I would like a little more light on the 
subject, and even if no union can be started I hope 
the discussion on "Gardeners’ Grievances” may 
still be carried on, and see if we cannot do some 
little to better our condition .—Black Watch. 
PLANTING NARCISSUS IN JANUARY. 
At this, the very fag end of the season for selling 
bulbs, there are yet some thousands to be obtained 
at a very cheap rate indeed, for immediate planting 
in grass lands. Of course a great many of the villa 
gardeners wait till everybody else has been served, 
then when the " great clearing sale for cash,” comes 
to be announced, this is their time, and they take 
their opportunity. Where these clearing sales are 
established the business houses do a brisk trade even 
at this late period. The tunic of the Narcissus or of 
any other bulb has become hard and dry by now, so 
that the bulbs will be slow to start after they are 
planted. Perhaps a good soaking in tepid water 
might effect a favourable change. I have tried this with 
very dry Crocuses but I could not swear that very 
much good came of it. One thing I have found out, 
that to peel off the scaly tunic from Crocuses, even 
when it has become dry and brittle, results in harm 
to the corm as evidenced in degenerate growth. It 
is better to leave all the bulbs or corms just as they 
are and to plant rather deep. Four inches deep in 
well worked, good soil, ought to be accorded to these 
late-bought bulbs. Such samples are indeed com¬ 
mendable where sylvan scenes have to be adorned 
with these golden flowers of the early year. The 
bulbs are usually good enough, better indeed, at the 
price than others that are offered for woodland 
planting earlier in the selling season. The better 
varieties can also be obtained in place of so many of 
such as N. Princeps, or the common double and the 
wild Narcissus. Some pains should be taken to 
give the bulbs a favourable area in which to make 
their first start. In the bulbs that one gets to buy 
at the present time there is usually a fairly good 
central bulb, with two smaller offsets at either side. 
These should be planted as they are, in one hole. 
By planting the bulbs in two’s and three’s in this 
manner and by allowing a space of 1 ft. or more 
between each little grouplet, you will succeed in 
forming an effective plantation. Daffodil study is a 
very pleasant phase of gardening, and the further 
one goes into it—as with everything else—the more 
one likes it. The raising of seedlings is perhaps 
more than everybody need try to do, but this sort of 
work contains pleasant rewards. Amongst the 
lesser grown varieties that are not usually grown in 
grass lands, but whose excellence is everywhere 
admitted, may be included W. Goldring, Mr. C. W. 
Cowan, F. W. Burbidge, Horsfieldii, cernuus in 
several varieties, albicans and tortuosus.— H. 
DO SOILS AFFECT THE FLAVOUR IN 
FRUIT, &c.? 
This is a subject on which there are diverse 
opinions. According to my own observations it 
deserves more attention than it often receives at the 
hands of cultivators. 
No doubt most people who use artificial manure 
have noticed on many of the circulars sent with 
them, wherein is set forth how it should be applied, 
that frequently the statement is made that the 
flavour is improved by its use. If this is so, then 
arises the question how this takes place. It must be 
to a large degree by the food the plant takes up. 
If this is so, the same holds good by using other 
solid materials containing plant food. Undoubtedly 
growth is promoted to a large degree by the soil in 
which the plant is growing; and when it contains an 
abundance of the right kind of food, according to the 
requirements of each kind oi plant, then growth is 
more rapid and the quality higher. 
Hence a practical knowledge of chemistry, 
sufficient to enable cultivators to know the properties 
of the various soils, manures, &c., is more helpful, 
and I would advise all young men not to lose the 
opportunity of obtaining informat'on on this impor¬ 
tant subject in their youth. 
For years I have been observing fruit grown on 
different soils, and I have cause to believe that when 
grown on the Red Sandstone the colour is high as 
compared against that grown on a heavy clay. In 
such soil I have seen growing some of the finest 
Apples and Pears I ever saw. 
Recently, I noticed, in a contemporary, an able 
correspondent (when writing about a fine crop of 
fruit he had seen) stated that the grower's custom was 
to dress his trees on the surface with a coating of 
wood ashes, &c., from a smother-fire every jear, and 
to this he attributed a good portion of his success. 
At the time, I thought, had the nature of the natural 
so 1 been given, much more light would have been 
afforded. 
Nevertheless, I am convinced that there is much 
virtue in wood ashes, charcoal, and burnt earth, &c., 
for fruit trees of any description, and this the more 
so if the cultivator is situated in a low damp position 
where the soil is of an alluvial nature. This is my 
position, and I am conversant with many disadvan¬ 
tages arising therefrom. During the twelve years I 
have had to deal with such soil and situation, I have 
found much benefit from a liberal use of these. 
Having large pleasure grounds, in which are grow¬ 
ing enormous quantities of common Laurels, &c., 
necessitating much cutting back, these prunings are 
all consumed by a big fire, which is kept going for 
weeks, and to assist we dispose of many cartloads of 
sawdust, &c., from the saw mill. In this way we 
obtain many cartloads with the burnt earth. 
Every season a good portion is used with olher 
things, such as poultry dung, a little fresh loam, and 
sometimes old mortar rubbish to surface dress our 
Peach house borders, Vine borders, Apricots, and, 
in fact, any kind of fruit trees, as far as it will go. 
By so doing we have improved our crops, and I con¬ 
sider the flavour as well. 
When making Peach borders or renewing old 
ones this material is most helpful (when the dusty 
portion is removed by a sieve) for mixing with the 
soil, as a liberal use of charcoal Is most beneficial, 
