620 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
August 5, 1905. 
“Were you studying at the Botanic Gar¬ 
dens 1 ” I asked. 
“ Yes; 1 was there for three years, and 
passed through the whole curriculum provided 
in the practical gardening school of that 
society.” . 
“ I think you should state, dear, observed 
Mrs. V err all, “ that previously to this you 
had studied at the Kegent. Street Arts and 
Crafts Society.” 
“ Oh, of course. I had forgotten that. 
Then 1 secured a certificate, given by the 
Technical Educational Board of the London 
County Council, and was nominated for a 
course of instruction at the gardens of the 
Royal Botanic Society of London. 
“ How did you like it there ? ” 
“ Very much indeed. It is not a big school, 
but the instruction is thoroughly practical. 
Besides class instruction, we were taught all 
the practical work of the kitchen and flower 
gardens ; we had under our charge green¬ 
houses in which Grapes, Peaches, Nectarines, 
Tomatos, and other forced fruits are success¬ 
fully grown. We were employed regularly 
in bedding out, lawn laying, potting, and 
other routine garden work, under the direc¬ 
tion of practical gardeners, so that we get a 
thorough knowledge of gardening in all its 
branches.” 
“And the examinations?” 
“ These are pretty stiff,” admitted Miss 
Verrall with a laugh. “ We were examined on 
practical work in specified subjects, also theo¬ 
retical work in class, special papers on form¬ 
ing flower-beds, on the use of manures, and 
the nature and effect of various soils, on the 
heating of greenhouses, and a great deal 
more.” 
“ You must feel quite learned on horticul¬ 
tural matters, Miss Verrall?” 
“ Oh, not at all,” she replied with a little 
sigh, and in a tone that precluded the sus¬ 
picion of mock modesty. “ The more one 
learns, the more one recognises there is to 
learn.” 
Just then a little girl entered the room. 
“ This is my daughter Elsie,” said Mrs. 
Verrall. “ She has considerable musical 
talent.” 
“ Any more clever children ? ” I asked. 
“ My brother is on the Press,” volunteered 
M iss Verrall. “ He is on one of the great 
London dailies.” 
“ A family of geniuses,” I exclaimed. 
The soft impeachment Mrs. Verrall dis¬ 
claimed with a deprecatory smile. 
“ We had splendid lectures on botany and 
chemistry at the Botanic Gardens,” said Miss 
Verrall reminiscently. “ These were delivered 
by Mr. Schwartz, of King’s College, and I 
think they helped me as much as anything to 
get my certificate.” 
“And what about the R.H.S. medal?” I 
inquired. 
Mrs. Verrall, taking up the narrative, told 
how her daughter, while at the Botanic Gar¬ 
dens, and by dint of reading up in the even¬ 
ings and profiting by her excellent training 
at the Regent’s Park School, prepared herself 
for the severe examination through which she 
so successfully passed, capturing the Silver 
Gilt Floral Medal last year in face of very keen 
competition. The number of candidates who 
entered was less than in the previous year, as 
a consequence of making the papers stiffer 
than in early days, when there were no 
students from horticultural colleges to com¬ 
pete. Probably fear of the theoretic work 
deterred many from entering. Miss F. M. 
Verrall headed the list of candidates with a 
total of 289 marks out of a possible 300, her 
nearest opponents, five in number, gaining 
275 marks each. This was indeed a triumph 
for the sex, as the competitors were not all 
women. 
“ Since then,” said Miss Verrall in reply to 
a question of mine, “ I have won the first cer¬ 
tificate in the first class at the South Kensing¬ 
ton Science and Art School. This qualifies 
me to teach gardening.” 
“ And have you done any teaching ? ” 
“ Yes. I have had charge of Lady Wolse- 
ley’s School of Gardening at Glynde, near 
Lewes. One of my pupils,” she added with 
allowable pride, “ took a first-class certifi¬ 
cate.” 
“ I understand you have resigned the posi¬ 
tion. Didn’t you like teaching?” 
“ It was not that I did not like it,” said 
Miss Verrall. “ I am very fond of the work. 
But I want to gain more practical experience, 
and sc I have accepted an appointment to 
superintend the gardens and houses of a pri¬ 
vate establishment near Liverpool. I shall 
take up teaching again some day, but there is 
plenty of time yet.” 
I should think so. I had not the temerity 
to ask Miss Verrall her age, but I gathered, 
m the course of conversation, that she was 
born in 1882, and from that I concluded she 
was very young to' have earned the distinctions 
set forth in certificates and the much-envied 
gold medal of the R.H.S. 
Miss Verrall’s infinite capacity for taking 
pains, which is the sign-manual of genius, to 
say nothing of her inherent abilities, would 
doubtless have enabled her to make her mark 
in any other profession than horticulture. 
But the influencing cause which led her to 
turn her attention to gardening was the deli¬ 
cate state of her health. 
“ I was very delicate as a child,” said Miss 
Verrall. 
“ She always studied too' much,” protested 
Mrs. Verrall. 
“ But I feel ever so much better since I 
took to gardening,” laughed the lady gar¬ 
dener. 
In the drawing-room I was shown some 
framed portrait drawings executed by Miss 
Verrall several years ago, which exhibit a 
very distinct talent. This clever young lady 
has also lectured at Glynde on horticulture, 
and, when she can find time, she writes for 
the horticultural Press. A number of con¬ 
tributions from her pen have appeared in The 
Gardening World. 
“ Wlvat is your favourite flower, Miss Ver¬ 
rall ? ” 
“Oh, the Rose, I think, especially the new 
T’s, but I love all flowers. I’m fond of hardy 
bush fruit and like pruning and grafting. 
But all gardening operations are delightful to 
me, and I really have my heart and soul in 
the work which I have taken up.” 
I thought, if everybody could say as much, 
there would be more contented and happy 
people in the world. 
“ And what do you think of the future of 
gardening for women?” I said, as a final 
query. 
“ I feel sure it is very suitable work for 
women. I think women in increasing num¬ 
bers will enter the profession. It is a healthy 
occupation, and, to my mind, a fascinating 
one.” 
How long, I wonder, will it be before men 
gardeners will have become obsolete and 
superseded by their fair usurpers. 
Peter Penn. 
Mr. C. W. Brown, an amateur gardener of 
Coalville, near Leicester, possesses a Rose 
tree which is producing green blooms in 
abundance, 
Layering . . . 
CARNATIONS. 
Pot Carnations should be layered as soon 
as possible after the plants have done bloom¬ 
ing and they have shoots from 6 in. to 8 in. 
in length. 
An old hot-bed frame with a layer of about 
12 in. of soil is very suitable for laying in, 
the soil probably only needing the addition of 
a good portion of road sand to make it fit 
for the layers. I practise having the sandy 
portion of the gravel path sweepings placed in 
a lump, and so reserved for Carnation layering. 
I find them root exceedingly well in common 
soil where a good portion of this is added. 
Plants to be layered should be turned out of 
their pots and planted deep enough to allow 
the side shoots to rest easily in the surround¬ 
ing soil, about 1^ in. below the surface. It 
is best to layer each plant as it is put into 
position in the frame, beginning at the back 
and working forward. Pegs should have been 
previously prepared, and I prefer those made 
from old Per boughs or old Birch brooms, 
allowing 6 in. or 8 in. shank, and arranging 
for a couple of inches above the hook of each 
peg. Pegs, made in this way have a good 
handle for “ gripping ” when pressing “ home ” 
and when removing them at the time of pot¬ 
ting off. This also prevents, the loosening 
of the “ collar ” of the young plants when 
search has to be made for the top of the pegs 
when lifting the plants, the top being above 
ground, and consequently the position of each 
peg in relation to the plants is clearly known. 
All the lovyer leaves on the, shoots should be 
removed, allowing a length of 5 in. or 6 in. 
to form the young plant. A very sharp knife 
should be used, making a clean cut into the 
stem at right angles with it, and just behind 
a joint, cutting about two-thirds of the way 
through the stem, and then turning the edge 
of the knife upwards towards-the end of the 
shoot, running up about an inch, and dividing 
the stem so that two-thirds of its thickness be 
on one side and one-third or a, little less on 
the other. This thin portion forms a hinge, 
by which the layer is connected to the parent 
plant, and through which it obtains its sup¬ 
port till it has its own roots. The thick 
tongue which is formed on the opposite side 
is then pressed into the soil about 2 in. below 
the surface, and made secure by peg and soil. 
Care should be taken to see that good sandy 
material is pressed close to the cut portions 
and well up in the fork between tongue and 
hinge. 
After thus layering a good watering should 
be given through a fine rose, and a shaded 
light placed over the frame, syringed or 
sprinkled daily, and kept close for twelve or 
fourteen days, when a. little air may probably 
be given, but kept shaded from hot sun. 
According as root power increases, more air 
should be given, and nice plants for potting 
off should be formed in eight or ten weeks. 
Herisert Morris. 
A Strawberry Seal.— Strawberries appear 
in the official seal of the Borough of Holborn. 
The centre is occupied by a figure of St. 
George. The upper portion bears a represen¬ 
tation of the old houses at Holborn Bars ; and 
in the lower the Holbourne is shown flowing 
between banks on which flowers and Straw¬ 
berries are growing—the latter in allusion to 
Gloucester’s words in Shakespeare’s “ Richard 
HI. ” : — 
“ My Lord of Ely, when I was last in Holborn, 
I saw good Strawberries in your garden 
there,” 
