THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 16, 1904. 
50 
guide, but be will soon, find out that he must be largely guided 
by the preferences! or dislikes of his employer s family. Some 
families do, not! like Sprouts, others hate Parsnips, others again 
could almost live on Peas when in season ; whilst other's again 
are passionately fond of Salsafy, a vegetable never to be seen 
in many gardens. 
In ordering flower-seedsi still greater care and forethoiugnt 
are necessary ; one reason for this is that they represent more 
money, and another is that there is SO' much greater vanety. 
One should have some general plan of operations for the 
ensuing season in the mind’s eye when ordering; one should 
also keep in mind that quality is the first desideratum, and 
this applies to a collection of hardy annuals as much as to the 
choicest stove or greenhouse flowers. . Here again the em¬ 
ployer’s tastes, aye, and his idiosyncrasies, must be consulted, 
and, as. far as practicable, given effect to. By the display of 
tact and good taste an employer’s tastes' can be modified, and, 
where it is felt necessary, a gardener should feel it his place 
and privilege to at least attempt this. Argument may occa¬ 
sionally succeed, but a more excellent way is to give a small 
practical demonstration on the quiet, and more than likely 
your plan will either get some meed of praise, or at least be 
tolerated at first and fully appreciated ultimately. 
One should avoid niggardliness, but. extravagance should 
also be guarded against, as it usually means trouble for the 
gardener some day, and occasionally it means trouble also for 
the innocent seedsman. A duplicate of the order should be 
written out in full and carefully kept, first to check the order 
when it comes to hand, then for reference at any time during 
the season, and finally as data to go by when making out the 
following season’s.order. 
My last, hint is, if failures occur—vs most likely they will 
do not be too ready to blame either the seeds or the seedsman. 
There are many possible reasons for seeds failing either wholly 
or partially. _ *-'■ 
The Horticultural Club. 
Experimental Gardens of the Future 
Subsequent to the usual monthly dinner of the above club, 
held on Tuesday, the 5th inst-., at the Hotel Windsor, under 
the chairmanship 1 of Mr. Harry J. Veitcli, Mr. George Gordon, 
V.M.H., in a very interesting paper, gave expression to. hik 
views as to the lines upon which experimental gardens 'should 
be conducted. Th© large majority of horticultural societies, 
out.side the Royal, took, lie considered, far too. narrow views of 
their functions, confining themselves almost entirely to ex¬ 
hibitions, and doing little or nothing to contribute to. experi¬ 
mental knowledge. Mr. Gordon considered that a. minimum 
area of about 30 acres should be devoted, in various parts of 
the country, to the cultivation, of fruits and vegetables, in 
conjunction with standard types of recognised superiority, 
without which little is to be learnt. A garden on these lines 
would then form an educative centre for attendant students. 
The cultivation of inferior forms was strongly deprecated, 
but in the subsequent, discussion, in which Messrs. G. Bunyard, 
Munro, Wright, Bilney, H. Veitch, and Molyneux took part, it 
was pointed out that in this latter respect the public were 
largely to blame', since they would not accept the experts.’ 
assurance of superiority of certain varieties, but. insisted on, 
receiving old-fashioned and inferior ones, which consequently 
had to be grown to. meet, the demands. The importance of 
making all comparative trials on the same kind of soil was in¬ 
sisted upon,, as very misleading results were attained when, the 
soil factor was ignored, and the inevitable difference, not taken 
into account, which was caused by previous; cultivation on, the 
same area, on different lines, exhaustive or the opposite. 
Mr. Gordon also advised care in, sowing seeds, say, of suc¬ 
cession,al Peas at different times, hut Mr. Bunyard stated that 
in his experience seed of early medium and late Peas, all 
sown at the same time in, February, asserted their periodicity 
all the same. The various forms of training should also be 
shown on up-to-date lines for educational proposes, and new 
things should be tested side by side with old ones, and under 
same conditions, to secure fair comparison of merits. Mr. 
Bunyard and Mr. S. T. Wright remarked that the experiments 
at Chiswick had been conducted for some time precisely on the 
lines indicated; at the same time, they and others cordially 
appreciated the necessity pointed out by Mr. Gordon that 
students who really mean to adopt horticulture a.s a profession 
must begin at the bottom and be prepared to work hard, to 
keep early hours, not in the latter part of the day, but in the 
morning, when so much of the gardening work can he most 
advantageously done. Too> great a tendency was pointed out, 
in the students to, treat the business in a, dilettante fashion, 
which would never result in horticultural laurels, at any rate 
of the honourable type. To a very large extent, indeed, the 
moral of the paper was the need of thoroughness, first of all, in 
arranging the proper basis of the experiments themselves; 
next, in carrying them out and making systematic records of 
results ; and lastly, but not leastly, of earnest work and con¬ 
scientious study on -the part of the young men whom it is 
desired to educate as the gardeners of the future. 
The Cranberry Crop. 
The Cranberry crop of nineteen States in which bogs are 
cultivated is estimated at about 850,000 bushels. Last year 
the output was approximately 1,000,000 bushels. Puget Sound 
growers received a.s much as; 12 dols. per barrel last year. They 
expect 15 dols. this season. An ordinary barrel holds 100 
quarts. After paying freight and dealer’s profits, the con- 
summers of the country east of the mountains will not, get their 
thanksgiving sauce for less than 30 cents per quart. But, few 
shipments have yet, been made into the interior markets. 
Western Washington is the ideal Cranberry district of the 
world (says the Seattle “ Post-Intelligencer ”). It lias the lands 
and climate for making this crop onei of the most valuable ex¬ 
porting fruits in the State. The Vines grow wild in many 
places from the Grays Harbour district on the south to the 
British Columbia bolder on the north. The 1 logged-off lands: of 
the river and creek bottom will some day be returning large 
annual incomes from the cultivation of Cranberries. At pre¬ 
sent the fields, are limited, but they return from 200 dols. to 
400 dols. an. acre to, the careful growers. 
Cranberry culture occupies, about 20,000 acres of lands in 
the L T nited States. The chief districts are located in Massachu¬ 
setts, New Jersey, and Wisconsin. But, the north-west coast 
line of Oregon, and Washington promises to become one of 
the greatest Cranberry fields of the country. Last year the 
Pacific coast, berries, returned 119 bushels from an acre. This 
was the greatest yield ever reported. The only State produc¬ 
ing over 100 bushels to the acrei was, Massachusetts,. There the 
crop ha,si been, grown for almost a century, and the farmers 
have perfected the methods o,f cultivation and marketing the 
fruits. ° 
Cranberries are harvested by women and children. They 
pick the ripe and green berries in six-quart tin pans. These 
are known, as measures, and the pickers are paid by the 
measure. Some experts get seventy-five measures in a day, 
while others pick forty-five or fifty. For the quick pickers 
there is a wooden comb that come® in handy. This was first 
used m Massachusetts, fifty years ago. It strips off the fruits 
and leaves, and cleans the Vines of everything. Then the 
leave® and broken sticks are cleared from the berries, and the 
Iruit 1S ' ready for market.—“ American Gardening” 
n n,„lln l PtuiCHASE.— For selling plants without havino 
fS r Pvln! ?i ^/ W0 were fined is- each at Mortlake 
Smej) on the 5th inst. Four pots of Tulips beiim brought 
inqU11 ' y was j made as t0 their price. “ A shilling 
a pot was the answer, whereupon the Chairman said that the 
Ikneh would purchase two to enable the men to par the fine 
Hus was done, and the defendants left the court radiant 
Readers’ Competition.— Particulars of Weekly Prize see 
centre page. J 
