854 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
November 4, 1905. 
of study and practice. In so many cases, as 
Mr. Hemsley is aware, and as I know in a 
lesser degree, the professional gardener is not 
disposed to part with information so hardly 
earned. This is one reason why in certain dis¬ 
tricts it is difficult, or impossible, to establish 
a horticultural mutual improvement society. 
Happily, however, this narrow attitude is 
rapidly giving way to more enlightened views, 
and indeed is now largely confined to gardeners 
of what may be called the old conservative 
school of thought. The later generation of 
professional gardeners wisely fail to see that 
it will injure themselves by telling others 
what they know; by comparing notes and 
talking over moot points they insensibly im¬ 
prove their own minds, their vocation acquires 
a broader and intenser interest, while at the 
same time they are assisting to spread a 
greater love of horticulture among all classes 
and to raise the status of the profession to a 
higher plane. The gardener who fails to re¬ 
cognise this lacks discernment. 
“ What,” I asked “ is the yearly programme 
of your society ? ” 
“We hold meetings only during six months 
of the year—that is from October to March— 
fortnightly meetings and an annual exhibi¬ 
tion. In the summer time we have outings 
to the gardens of gentlemen resident in the 
neighbourhood. Last winter session was 
opened by the late Mr. Richard Dean, who 
gave a delightful address on the florists and 
the progress of floriculture during the past 
fifty years. There seemed to me to be a 
pathetic note in Mr. Dean’s discourse,” said 
Mr. Hemsley, thoughtfully ; “ feeling, as he 
did, I suppose, that his life’s work was nearly 
ended. I believe this was the last lecture 
given by him before' a mutual improvement 
association.” 
“ And your shows ? ” 
“ We have held two, and the exhibits at the 
last were certainly a marked advance on our 
first effort, which goes to prove, I think, the 
good done even at this early period of our 
existence in educating the members in horti- 
eultural matters. Speaking from a practical 
knowledge of the numerous shows I have had 
to attend up and down the country, our 
Crawley exhibitors would be able to compete 
at any of them, and make, I am sure, a very 
favourable impression with the judges.” 
The society offer no money prizes, though in 
some districts this healthy policy would, not 
he favoured. 
“ We wish to foster a love of exhibiting for 
horticulture’s sake; for the manly desire to 
excel only, and not with the ulterior motive 
of money-getting,” said Mr. Hemsley, a senti¬ 
ment which was not unpleasant to hear. 
" But we award prizes in the shape of gold, 
silver-gilt-, silver and bronze medals, also ute 
certificates of merit of theR.H.S. (with which 
society we are affiliated), and the certificate 
of merit of our own society. These are given 
for exhibits at our shows for the four best- 
kept gardens, and for the best effort in our 
essay competitions.” 
“ What do you do with all your money, 
then ? ” 
“ Well, we haven’t a large sum to deal 
with,” replied Mr. Hemsley. “ The subscrip¬ 
tion to members is only 2s. a year, and if 
it were not for the generosity of our patrons 
we shordd have a struggle to survive.” 
Mr. Hemsley then went into a lengthy 
statement of facts concerning the finances of 
the society, from which it appeared that the 
first annual show yielded £7 19s., and the 
second £9 14s. 9d. £10 10s. of the 
£17 13s. 9d. was handed over to the Crawley 
Cottage Hospital. 
“This,” as Mr. Hemsley observed, “is very 
gratifying for so young a society, and our 
members are delighted to be able to help so 
useful an institution.” 
The fact, it must be admitted, is very 
creditable to the Crawley gardeners, and pro¬ 
vides an example which might be oftener fol¬ 
lowed by more well-to-do associations of the 
kind. 
The Crawley Society are fortunate in hav¬ 
ing many influential friends in the district. 
“ Over fifty gold and silver medals have 
been placed at our disposal,” said the secre¬ 
tary, “ through the munificence of Mr. and 
Airs. Hobson Finch, of Goff’s Hill, Crawley, 
for the purpose of making awards. These are 
engraved at the expense of the donors, and 
there is a very keen desire among our mem¬ 
bers to become possessed of one. Another 
great friend to us is Air. John A. Nix, C.C., 
of Tilgate House, Crawley, an ardent 
botanist, and who is our president. Then 
there is Mr. Jos. Cheal, of Lowfield Heath, 
our chairman of committee, who has done a 
great deal to assure the success of the society, 
including the giving of two splendid lantern 
lectures.” 
In the spirit of genuine gratitude, Air. 
Hemsley had something appreciative to say 
of almost every patron and committeeman of 
the society, which space precludes my repeat¬ 
ing here. He was loud in praise of the com¬ 
mittee as a body “ who seem,” as he said, “ to 
work not for themselves but for the good of 
their fellow-members.” 
How very refreshing it is to hear of such 
agreement as this, such singleness of purpose 
and unselfishness of aim amongst the execu¬ 
tive. So long as the Crawley and District 
Gardeners’ M.I. Association maintain this 
excellent character and pursue their way with 
the same ardour and devotion to the grand 
and elevating study of horticulture as now, 
there need be no fear for its future prosperity, 
nor any doubt that the work it is carrying 
on will prove of permanent and very real 
benefit to its members. Petek Penn. 
[By Rosecomb ] 
Poultry Farming. 
Poultry farming pure and simple cannot be 
made a success, but poultry as the chief factor 
on a farm may lead to success. Fruit farm¬ 
ing and poultry farming go well together. The 
manure of fowls is very rich, and this is 
beneficial for fruit growing. I know a fruit 
farmer in Cornwall who is a successful breeder 
of poultry, whilst his farm yields far more 
fruit than other farms in the neighbourhood. 
Fruit farming is the industry by which he 
obtains his living, and his neighbours, and 
even he himself, had never arrived at the true 
solution of what to them was a vexed ques¬ 
tion why his land yielded better crops than 
any land in the neighbourhood. One day he 
was talking with me about the remarkable 
crops his farm produced, and I at once said 
to him, “ Your fowls are the cause. They are 
always walking about- the land clearing it of 
insect life, and at the same time enriching it 
by their manure.” Curiously, he had never 
thought of this. His farm did well because of 
the poultry, and the poultry did well because 
of the shade which the trees gave them from 
the sun and the insect life which they found. 
Our Egg Budget. 
England paid last year over £7.000.000 for 
eggs produced in foreign lands. Now, I am 
not going to be so idiotic as some writers to 
say that all this large total should have been 
kept at home, that England should produce 
her own egg supply. It cannot be done. Had 
we a large number of small farmers and 
peasant proprietors in our rural districts it 
might, but under the conditions which govern 
the ownership and the farming of land in 
England it is quite impossible. On the Con¬ 
tinent one finds small holdings in far greater 
profusion than in England, and by their 
proximity to each other arises the opportunity 
of the higgler or collector of eggs. He does 
not have to cover a lot of useless ground. 
Again, the cost of living in England is greater 
than on the Continent, and our people having 
to pay higher rents, more for food, both for 
themselves and their stock, they cannot pro¬ 
duce eggs so cheaply as the Continental 
poultry breeders. 
Keeping Money at Home. 
Still, although we cannot keep all the 
£7,000,000 at home, we might prevent a por¬ 
tion of it from leaving our shores, did our 
people who have land devote more of it to 
poultry rearing and egg raising. Nowadays 
we know far better how to keep large numbers 
of fowls economically than we used to do a few 
years ago. Our county councils have done 
much, and the National Poultry Organisation 
Society even more, in the way of instructing 
people how to keep such fowls, how to produce 
eggs, and how to get them to the markets. 
This latter is a great- factor. That there is a 
market for new-laid English eggs no one with 
experience will deny. A Somerset friend of 
mine who keeps a large number of fowls him¬ 
self, and who lives in a district where there 
are a fair number of small farms, has a con¬ 
tract to supply a London dairy with 100 dozen 
of eggs every week all the year round at Is. 
per dozen. During the winter he loses on hi? 
contract, but during the summer he makes big 
profits. He has been the means of inducing 
many cottagers to keep a few fowls, and thus 
add to their income. Knowing also that they 
had a sure market at their own door, many 
of the farmers in the district, or rather tlieii 
wives and daughters, have paid more attention 
to their poultry, with the result that they 
now hatch the chickens with a view to the 
production of eggs at that time of the yeai 
when eggs are eggs and something more. ' ■ 
Answers to Correspondents. 
Selling Eggs ( J. W., Reading). — Eggs 
ought to easily bring Is. 6d. a dozen at this 
time of the year. If you let it be known in 
the neighbourhood that you have eggs, there 
should be little difficulty in getting customers. 
There is nothing surprising about- the fact 
that your Leghorns hatched the end of Alarch 
are now laying. I have known Leghorns to 
lay T at sixteen weeks; this, of course, is rather 
unusual, but it is not at all unusual for them 
to lay 7 at five months. If y T ou feed them well, 
and keep them dry and warm, especially at 
night, you will be well repaid fortyour trouble. 
I do not mean pamper them in any way, but 
keep the rain from their runs and the cold 
rain and wind out of their houses. Give them 
plenty of fresh air by means of proper venti¬ 
lators, but avoid draughts at all cost. 
Bantams foe Suburban Garden (T. P. 
Ealing).-—It is quite a matter of taste. Still, 
in a confined run one of the clean - legged 
varieties would do best, such as rosecombs oi 
Sebrights. The feather-legged breeds look 
very miserable and unhappy in unsuitable- 
situations, and most certainly do not charm 
the eye when the plumage is broken anc 
damaged. 
