126 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 7, 1903. 
WITHOUT PREJUDICE. 
Quizzings by “Cal.” 
It is an admitted fact that the majority of seed sowers lay in 
about 80 per cent, more seed than is necessary. 
* TV TV 
Fully 90 per cent., if the strain is from a reliable source, will 
germinate ; consequently the overcrowded seedlings damp off, or 
Become- spindly and weak. 
* * 
Despite this, several seedsmen are advising thicker sowing this 
season owing to the weaker vitality, due to the season of 1902. 
It is Sxtremely unlikely that the non-germinating seed will reach 
50 per cent. Therefore if sowers plant their seed in the usual 
manner they will still have sown too thickly. 
* * * 
The question as to whether music lias any influence upon plant 
growth has more than once cropped up. 
* * * 
The Japanese, 'tis stated, proved the theory, as various green¬ 
house plants exhibited unmistakable 1 evidence that they heard or 
telt certain musical sounds by tremulating their leaves. 
* * * 
There is a story about- a man who-, reading that music en¬ 
couraged plants to- grow, invested in a bassoon, and from morn¬ 
ing till night this son of “ Job ” serenaded his backward beans. 
* * * 
How the beans benefited history does not state ; but the second 
day was sufficient to make the neighbours furious, and around 
that musician’s devoted head there descended showers. 
*■ * * 
Showers! I say, but not quite raindrops. Imprecations, 
backed by more solid substances, such as brickbats, dead pussies, 
old boots, etc. Personally I have had no experience as to the 
musical effect on plants, save when, after -spending some little 
labour on a seed bed on one occasion, I was treated to- a rehearsal 
of the cat choir. The following morning I found my seeds were 
all up. 
* * * 
Yes, vei-y much up. I was inexplicably pleased, so- much so 
that I wrote my seedsman and informed him that the seed had 
come up in one night. 
* * * 
He never made use of the advertisement. Foolish man ! 
* * * 
I once knew a queer old fellow whose whole time was- divided 
between flower growing and music. 
* * * 
There was no gainsaying that fact, that he was exceedingly 
clever in both branches. His garden was a picture, and with 
respect to music, there was not- an instrument that he could not 
manipulate. 
* * * 
He had queer ideas, too! His flower beds were -shaped like 
various instruments, and climbing plants trained harp fashion, 
etc. With every breeze there came a soft moaning sound 
caused by what might well be called “ windephones ” in various 
parts of the ground. 
* * * 
To him every sound was music. Birds found a warm welcome, 
yet I never heard of him speak of losses among his fruits. 
* * -it- 
The distant strains of an organ would cause him ecstasies, 
while the sound of child laughter would cause him to chuckle 
greatly. The soft fall of an ' ’e would prompt him to shake 
his head sadly and remark, “ There’s music.” 
* * * 
As he wielded his snade'he would croak some curious dirge, 
which ran : “ The spade, the spade, for what was it made ? Why, 
for turning a wilderness into a glade ! ” The click of the secateurs 
caused him to chant: “ There’s many a slio ’twixt cup and lip ; 
but never a slip when I snip, snip, snip ! ” The hoe was ever 
constant in his head, accompanied by more cro-o-ning : 
“ Sing hay, sing hoe, here we go, 
Chopping the weeds up, just like so,” 
suiting his action to the words. 
* * * 
On one occasion T saw him stagger forth from a volume ot 
smoke, which emanated from a slow fire, with a handkerchief to 
his eyes. 
“ Smoke is tiresome to one’s eyes,” I ventured, whereat he ex¬ 
claimed, “ Bless you, my boy, it’s not that, but the music of that 
crackling fire is full of pathos, and it makes me weep ! ” 
* * * 
Poor old fellow, he is where no earthly refrains can reach him. 
-Jfr -Jr 
Four hundred pounds ($2,000) is the figure that- the newly- 
appointed landscape gardener is to receive at the Fairmount 
Park, Philadelphia. 
* •* * 
Weather again ! Weather on the brain. To enjoy the weather 
one must be a cyclist-. 
* * * 
Last week over the frozen snow it resembled riding in a spring¬ 
less military waggon. 
■* * * 
This week it is more like riding through the Slough of Despond. 
with an extra thickness of slough. 
* * * 
“ Never mind,” old chap, “ said an. acquaintance, “ save the mul 
from your machine, and use it when dry for potting. Makes 
splendid loamy soil.” 
* * * 
That man, might well be termed an economist ! 
* * * 
Andrew Scott touches a good point in dealing with watering. 
His remarks about nursery watering are extremely cutting, yet 
I fear he speaks truly, especially when pot plants are dealt with. 
* * * 
This slipshod watering is generally the work of the novices, 
whose sole idea is thinking of knocking off time. 
Frequently the plants get little or no water, simply because 
the waterpot is held so high that the liquid shoots over the edges 
of the pots. 
* * * 
J. C.’s hints on propagation cause me to ponder, as I have 
often before, why the word “ strike ” is used in connection with 
cuttings. 
■* * ■* 
To strike means to hit, but cuttings do not accomplish this. 
In another sense, to strike means to throw up work for an in¬ 
definite period ; but cuttings do the reverse in striking. Again, 
a gardener who told his employer that he was going to strike 
would be in error, because he would mean he intended to work. 
* * * 
It strikes me that to strike cuttings is am inhuman proceeding ; 
therefore when I hear of a man striking cuttings I am not sur¬ 
prised to learn that the cuttings have retaliated ; that is, struck. 
* * * 
Either my caligraphy is becoming undecipherable or Mr. 
Compositor uses reversible spectacles. 
* * * 
Sweet Pea Mrs. Wright, page 77, should read Mrs. W. 
Wright, not Mrs. M. W. 
* * * 
Say, Mr. Editor, do you think the street urchin would refrain 
from breaking side walk trees if they happened to be fruits ? 
* * * 
Some parts of Germany are- so planted, and an Isle of Wight 
lady a while ago planted Roses by the roadway. I rather think 
there are no little boys in those parts, or else they are chained 
and muzzled. 
* * -si- 
Novelties- i,n seeds are by no means rare, but novelties in seed 
lists are few. The P.P. catalogue of Ryder and Sons, St. 
Albans, might well be termed s-uch, for e-very variety, with the 
exception of Beans and Peas, is offered in penny packets. 
* * * 
Moreover, this list embraces the greatest number of species 
that I have -ever seen, many of the things beiny rare and prac- 
ticallv unknown. Something like 4,000 varieties and species 
are offered, and anyone desirous of working up a collection of 
herbaceous plants could do so at small cost. 
* * * 
Annuals, both greenhouse and outdoor, are to be had in endless 
variety, among the latter being no less than 140 sorts of Sweet 
Peas. ' I had my attention drawn to this firm some years ago, 
and can personally speak for the fine quality of the various 
strains. 
