514 
the gardening world 
April 6, 1901. 
ticularly, several conditions, dependent upon cir¬ 
cumstances, under which the gardener is called upon 
to grow Water Cress. If you had stated what were 
your facilities, or under what conditions you had to 
grow the Cress, we could have given you directions 
in relatively few words. In general terms it may be 
stated that the cultivator should imitate natural 
conditions as near as possible under the conditions 
prevailing in his own particular garden. Some of 
the best natural conditions are a runDiog broob, 
stream or ditch of clear spring water and a clean 
gravelly bottom. Water Cresses thrive remarkably 
well under these conditions not always available, 
however. The water should not be very deep, a 
broad shallow stretch of water being best, and if not 
spring water it should at least be clean, and clear if 
possible. If you can command these conditions you 
are well off. On a small scale you can imitate these 
conditions by digging out a bed of a size sufficient 
for your requirements. Puddle the bottom of this 
with clay if necessary; put on a layer of good soil, 
treading it down firmly ; and after making the sur¬ 
face even, cover it with a layer of clean shingle or 
gravel. You can now introduce a sufficient force of 
water, from a company's main it may be, to trickle 
over the surface and keep the Cresses growing. You 
can easily in crease the water in the bed to a depth of 
3 in. by damming up the lower end of the bed till it 
rises to that depth when an overflow pipe may be 
made ta conduct the superfluous water away so as to 
•maintain a gentle movement of the water which will 
prove very beneficial to the Cresses, as well as keep 
the water clean. For another method see under 
" Correspondence” on p. 508. 
Communication without Name —Would the cor¬ 
respondent, who sends a communication above the 
signature “ J. M ”, with the postmarks Blantyre and 
Glasgow, kindly send us his name and address, not 
necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of 
bona-fides. - 
How to Measure a Lean-to Conservatory for 
Fumigating Purposes. — W. Forgan : This is very 
easily dcre by oDserving a few simple rules. First 
of all measure the cubic contents of the lower portion 
of the house from the ground level up to the eaves 
of the house. Find the leogth of the interior of the 
house, and then the width of it in feet. Multiply 
the former by the latter ; and multiply the product 
by the height of the house up to the eaves. This sum 
will be the contents of the lower portion of the 
house in cubic feet. To find the contents of the 
upper portion with the sloping roof on one side, 
multiply the length by the width as before ; and 
then find the height from the eaves up to the ridge 
(not along the sloping s : de but up the back wall of 
the house. Take half this ascertained height and 
multiply the product of the length and width, with it. 
Then add the cubic contents of the bottom portion 
of the house to those of the upper and the sum will 
be the cubic contents of the whole house in cubic 
feet. If you have any doubt about it take all the 
measurements over again and proceed as before to 
see if you get the same results. A little prac ice will 
soon give you confidence in making these and 
similar calculations for other houses. 
Successful Culture of Tomatos.— Tomaios: We 
understand that you are going to plant out the 
Tomatos or else grow them in boxes, these being 
both good methods for securing heavy crops. When 
grown to single stems about 15 in. is quite close 
enough, and 18 in. would do no harm, as it would let 
light and air amongst the plants. The house should 
not be kept too close after the plants are beginning 
to make rapid growth. Your object should be to 
grow them as sturdily as possible, to make them 
short-jointed. There is really no necessity to ferti¬ 
lise Tomatos with a camel’s hair brush, if the con¬ 
ditions are suitable to their welfare. Whenever the 
first truss comes into bloom keep the atmosphere of 
the house bouyant and airy to help to disperse the 
pollen By tapping or slightly shaking the plants 
now and again during the middle of the day, you will 
be aiding the scattering of the pollen, and thereby 
making the setting of the fruits more certain. You 
may safely plant the Tomatos inside the unheated 
house in a week or two if the weather gives promise 
of settling down to be fairly fine. We cannot expect 
very severe frost after this, so that the glass will 
keep it all out. You want sunshine, however, to 
make the plants grow, otherwise they cannot make 
good progress for a time. Let them get fairly strong 
before planting out if the weather remains cold. Any 
of the all-round artificial manures will answer 
admirably to mix with the soil at planting time and 
also for topdressing up to the middle cf July, but 
not later. If you desire to mix your own manure 
then get some nitrate cf soda, muriate of potash, or 
kainit if you prefer it and superphosphate. To a 
cubic yard of soil add half a pound of superphos¬ 
phate and a similar amount of muriate of potash, 
mixing the whole thoroughly. When the plants 
have set a bunch of fruit you can scatter nitrate cf 
soda over the surface at the rate of J oz. to the 
square yard, repeating this at intervals of three 
weeks, making in all three applications. 
Shutting up a Tomato House to Economise Sun 
Heat — Tomatos : What you suggest is certainly a 
good method of proceeding to work in promoting the 
growth of the plants ; but this is more advisable in 
the early stages than later on when the heat is 
sufficiently strong, although a little air might prove 
serviceable even all night. In the meantime when 
you plant out the Tomatos you may shut up the 
house early to bottle sunshine. The precise hour 
depends upon the heat of the day or the strength and 
duration of the sunshine. It is a matter on which 
you will have to exercise your judgment. With 
the present amount of sunshine you might safelj 
shut up the house at 3 p.m. or earlier if the sun is 
feeble. Later on as it gains in strength you may 
shut the house at a later hour. You can tell by the 
inside heat of the house when you can close it. 
Tomatos will stand a good deal of heat in their early 
stages. 
Tomatos turning Black.— A. M. D. \ You do not 
send us any specimens so that we cannot be abso¬ 
lutely certain as to the cause of your plants turning 
black. We think, however, that it is due to some 
fault in cultural treatment, judging from specimens 
we have seen in a similar condition. Neither 
insects nor any fungus, so far as we could see, had 
brought about the malady, which we believed to be 
due to a high temperature, and the keeping of the 
house too close in the early part of the year when 
light is very feeble. The plants to which we refer 
recovered when more rational treatment was 
accorded them and the light improved. The varieties 
you mention are not responsible for the malady. We 
consider you are giving them too high a temper¬ 
ature and keeping them too close and moist 
during the present sunless period or that which has 
till recently prevailed ; and the constitution of the 
plants has been thereby greatly weakened. When 
planting out use good fibrous loam, with sufficient 
sand to make it porous. If it is poor in character use 
some well made stable manure to mix with it; and 
feed with liquid or artificial manure after the first 
bunch is set. You need not continue this beyond 
the middle of July. Your other questions will be 
answered next week. 
Names of Plants— A. C. : 1, Eupatorium ianthi- 
num ; 2, Salvia Heerii; 3, Cyrtanthus Mackenii; 4, 
Othonna crassifolfa.— D. M.: 1, Iris reticulata; 2, 
Iberis gibraltarica; 3, Hacquetia Epipactis.— E.L.: 
1, Dendrobium densiflorum ; 2, Dendrobium crassi- 
node ; '3, Laelia jongheana ; 4, Oncidium sarcodes. 
— IV. K.: 1, Vinca major variegata; 2, Negundo 
aceroides variegata; 3, Forsythia suspensa; 4, 
Ornithogalum arabicum ; 5, Allium neapolitanum ; 
6. Primula denticulata alba.— A. H. D. : 1, Adian- 
tum formosum ; 2, Asplenium furcatum; 3, 
Asplenium bulbiferum fabianum ; 4, Polypodium 
p'esiosorum ; 5, Polypodium Lingua ; 6, Polypodium 
Billardieri.— A. M .: 1, Begonia, a garden hybrid ; 
2, Begonia fuchsioides; 3, Begonia Dregii; 4, 
Oxalis Ortgiesii; 5, Tibouchina macrantha; 6, 
Ruellia Portellae. 
Communications Received. — F. J. C.—G. Dick¬ 
son.—Hans Reich. —G. M.—A. L.—S. C.—A. J. B. 
—E. F.—H. W. W.—R. F.—T. H. D. 
'■I* 
TRADE CATALOGUE RECEIVED. 
F. R. Pierson Co., Tarrytown-on-Hudson, New 
York.—Choice Seeds, Bulbs, and Plants. 
FIXTURES FOR 1901. 
(Secretaries of shows will oblige tis by sending early notice 
of their fix lures.) 
April. 
9.—R H.S. _ Committees; Durham, Northumber¬ 
land, and Newcastle Botanical and Horticul¬ 
tural Society Spring Show (2 days). 
10.—Shropshire Horticultural Society Show at 
Shrewsbury ; East Anglian Daffodil Show, 
Corn Exchange, Ipswich. 
18.—Royal Botanical and Horticultural Society of 
Manchester Spring Show (3 days). 
22. —Chesterfield Spring Show. 
23. —R.H.S Committees. 
24. —R.H.S. Examination in Horticulture. 
25 - Norfolk and Norwich Horticultural Society 
Exhibition. 
May. 
2.—Linnean Society Meeting. 
4—Royal Botanical Society Meeting; Societie 
Francaise d’Horticulture de Londres Meeting 
7.—R.H.S Committees ; Royal Gardeners’ Orphan 
Fund (Annual Dinner at Hotel Cecil). 
13.—United Horticultural Benevolent and Provi¬ 
dential Society Committees' Meeting. 
16.—Royal Botanical Society Meeting. 
21. —Kew Guild Dinner at Holborn Restaurant. 
22. —R H S Great Temple Show (3 days); Gar¬ 
deners' Royal Benevolent Institution Annual 
Dinner at Hotel Metropole ; Bath and W. and 
S. Counties Society and Somerset County 
Agricultural Association at Croydon (5 days). 
25. —Royal Botanical and Horticultural Society ot 
Manchester, Whitsuntide Exhibition (25th to 
30th). 
J ONE. 
1. — Royal Botanical Society Meeting; Societie 
Francaise d’Horticulture de Londres. 
2. —Ghent Show. 
4.—RH.S. Committees; Devon County Agricul¬ 
tural at TorqDay (3 days). 
6 .—Linnean Society Meeting. 
10—United Horticultural Benevolent and Provi¬ 
dential Society Committees' Meeting. 
12. —Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association at 
Bodmin (2 days) ; Yorkshire Gala and Horti¬ 
cultural Exhibition at York (3 days). 
18. —R.H.S. Cor mittees. 
15. —Oxfordshire Horticultural Exhibition. 
20. —Linnean Society Meeting ; Royal Botanical 
Society Meeting. 
26. —N.R.S., Richmond. 
27. —Colchester Rose and Hort. Society Show. 
29. —Windsor and Eaton Rose Show ip Eaton Col¬ 
lege Grounds. 
July. 
2 —R H.S. Committees (Roses); Southampton Ex¬ 
hibition (2 days). 
3. —Hanley Horticultural Fete (2 days); Croydon 
Horticultural Society Show ; Farningham 
Rose and Horticultural Society Show. 
4. —Norwich Rose Show. 
6.—N.R.S , Metropolitan ; Royal Botanical Society 
Meeting ; Societie Francaise d'Horticulture 
de Londres Meeting. 
8. —United Horticultural Benevolent and Provi¬ 
dential Society Committees' Meeting 
9. —Wolverhampton Floral Fete (3 days). 
11. —Bath Floral Fete and Rose Show. 
13. —Royal Botanical and Horticultural Society of 
Manchester Rose Exhibition. 
16. —Royal Horticultural Society Exhibition, and 
Conference on Lilies at Chiswick (2 days). 
17. —N.R.S ,Ulverston(North Lonsdale Rose Show); 
Cardiff and County Horticultural Show (2 
days). 
18 — Hoddesdon Exhibition ; Royal Botanical Society 
Meeting. 
19. —National Carnation and Picotee Society (pro¬ 
visional). 
23. —Durham, Northumberland, and Newcastle 
Botanical and Horticultural Society Exhi¬ 
bition at Newcastle (2 days). 
24. —Strabane Horticultural Exhibition (2 days); 
Southern Counties Carnation Society Show. 
25. —Prescot Exhibition ; Selby Exhibition. 
30. —Buckingham Exhibition; R.H S. Committees. 
31. —Wilts. Exhibition. 
August. 
r.—Isle of Wight Horticultural Association Exhi¬ 
bition. 
2. —Devon and Exeter Horticultural Society; Sum¬ 
mer Flower Show. 
3. —Auldearn Horticultural Society. 
5. —Atherstone Exhibition ; Castleford Exhibition 
(2 days); Eynsford Exhibition. 
6. —Abbey Park, Leicester, Flower Show (2 days). 
8.—North Oxford Exhibition. 
10.—Keighley Horticultural Society. 
13. —R.H S. Committees. 
14. —Clevedon Exhibition ; Sevenoaks Exhibition. 
17.—Bankfoot (Perth) Horticultural Society. 
20. —Grandpont Horticultural Society. 
21. —Banffshire Exhibition; Eastbourne Exhibition; 
Hastings Flower Show. 
27. —R.H S. Committees. 
28. —Henley-on-Thames Exhibition ; Hinckley Ex¬ 
hibition. 
29. —Dundee Exhibition ; Thame Exhibition, 
September. 
3. —Bicester Horticultural Society. 
4. —Milton and Sittingbourne (2 days). 
6.—National Dahlia Society (2 days). 
10.—R H.S. Committees; Durham Flower Show (2 
day s). 
ti.—Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society (2 
days). 
17. —Dahlia Show, Royal Aquarium, Westminster 
(3 days). 
18. —Botley Show. 
24.—R.H.S. Committees. 
October. 
8.—N.C.S. Exhibition (3 days). 
10.—Fruit Exhibition, Crystal Palace (3 days). 
15. —R.H S. Committees. 
29. —Croydon Exhibition (2 days). 
30. —Exmouth Exhibition (2 days). 
November. 
1.—Newport (Isle of Wight) 2 days ; Cowes (2 days). 
5. —N.C.S. Exhibition (3 days). 
5 .—Cardiff Exhibition (2 days). 
7—Doncaster Exhibition (2 days). 
8.—Walthamstow Exhibition (2 days). 
12. —R.H.S. Committees ; Birmingham Chrysanth¬ 
emum Show (3 days). 
13. —Hull Exhibition (2 days) ; York Chrysanth¬ 
emum Show (3 days). 
14. —Barnsley (2 days); Devon and Exeter Fruit and 
Chrysanthemum (2 days); Royal Botanical 
and Horticultural'. Society of Manchester, 
Chrysanthemum Show (3 days). 
15. —Broughton-in-Furness Exhibition. 
19. —Leeds Paxton Society Chrysanthemum Show 
(2 days). 
21. —Norwich Exhibition (3 days) ; Launceston Ex¬ 
hibition. 
a 5 . —R.H.S. Committees. 
December. 
3.—N.C.S. Exhibition (3 days). 
17.—R H.S. Committees. 
