668 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 17, 1908. 
you use no other kind of manure than that 
which would go chiefly to the formation of 
wood and leaves. You could supply it in 
two dressings, one at the end of March and 
one at the end of April, using it at the 
rate of 56 lbs. per acre or 5^ ozs. per rod 
of ground—that is, 55 ozs. to 305 square 
yards of ground. It would be necessary, 
however, to give a good dressing of wood 
ashes during February or March and have 
these lightly dug into the ground. If you 
cannot get wood ashes in sufficient quantity, 
you could possibly get kainit and super¬ 
phosphate. These two latter could be mixed 
and spread over the ground in February at 
the rate of 2 lbs. or 3 lbs. per square rod. 
These should be lightly forked into the 
ground in the same way as wood ashes. 
Then, in conjunction with the kainit and 
superphosphate, the sulphate would be of 
much more benefit to the trees than sulphate 
of ammonia alone. The latter should, how¬ 
ever, be used at the times we state, as it is 
very soluble and readily gets washed away 
in the drainage in wet seasons. 
3308. Best Country for Fruit. 
Will you kindly give me the following 
information through the medium of your 
“Enquire Within” column? I have an 
argument and a wager which your esteemed 
reply is to decide, and shall be very grate¬ 
ful for the information in question. Which 
country—England or France— produces the 
best fruit and vegetables—that is, the best, 
not the largest quantity, and exclusive of 
hqthouse productions ? It should be only 
naturally-grown produce. (Disputant, Mid¬ 
dlesex.) 
We do not consider it a question of yea 
or nay as to which of the two countries pro¬ 
duces the best fruit and vegetables. The 
climate is largely a determining factor, and 
in some cases England has the best of it, 
while France has the best of it in connection 
with other fruits or vegetables. For in¬ 
stance, England can easily hold her own 
with Apples, Tomatos, Plums, Cherries, 
Apricots, Strawberries, Gooseberries, Black; 
Currants, Red Currants and Raspberries. In 
limited quantity we can grow good Pears in 
several of the southern counties where the 
climate and soil stand us in good stead. 
Speaking generally, however, France has 
rather the best of it in the cultivation of 
Pears, outside Grapes, Peaches, Nectarines 
and Melons. In limited quantity we can, 
of course, grow as good Pears as in France. 
In the case of outside Grapes, Peaches, Nec¬ 
tarines and Melons, we could hardly expect 
to equal France. The honours are, there¬ 
fore, somewhat divided. England, gener¬ 
ally, would have the advantage of it in the 
production of good vegetables. According to 
the above calculation quality alone in the 
case of most fruits and the common vege¬ 
tables would decide the matter in favour of 
England. 
SOILS AND MANURES . 
3309. Coarse and Fine Charcoal. 
I enclose two samples of charcoal—fine 
and coarse—one of which I obtained from 
an ordinary chemical works. Are the two 
samples composed of exactly the same con¬ 
stituents and are they equally suitable and 
valuable for horticultural purposes? If 
one is more valuable or suitable, please say 
which and greatly oblige-. (Edna, Cheshire.) 
Both- samples of charcoal consist of 
charred wood, the remains being mostly car¬ 
bon as to bulk and weight. Both would sup¬ 
ply a certain amount of potash according 
to the age of the wood burned. If the wood 
was young it would contain more potash 
than the wood of an old tree. The coarse 
charcoal is more useful for horticultural 
purposes because it has a mechanical as 
well as a chemical effect upon the soil. It 
serves to make the soil more porous and 
therefore is the better of the two for pot¬ 
ting plants or for mixing with heavy soils 
out of doors. 
3310. Lime and Basic Slag. 
In the October 3rd issue of your valuable 
paper of. which I am a constant reader, under 
the initials “A. D. T.” and the heading 
“ The Culture of Sweet Peas,” mention is 
made of digging in quicklime and basic 
slag to prepare the ground for sowing Peas 
now and again in spring. Can you give 
me any particulars as to the quantity of 
lime and slag required per square yard? 
(B. B. Hagen, Hants.) 
The lime may be used at the rate of 8 ozs. 
to 16 ozs. per square yard, but this should 
not be applied more than once in six years, 
unless your soil is very heavy and rich. It 
supplies plant food, but it has the effect of 
causing the Vegetable matter in the soil to 
decay too rapidly if that soil is a gravelly 
or sandy one. You will, therefore, have to 
use it with discretion. Basic slag* may be 
used at the rate of 2 ozs. to the square yard. 
It supplies phosphoric acid to the soil and, 
of course, a certain amount of lime. 
NAIVUES OF FRUITS. 
(G. E. W. I 5 .) 1, Apple Golden Noble; 2, 
Frogmore Prolific. 
NAMES OF PLANTS . 
(TV. A. P.) Ornithogalum longibracteatum 
apparently, but you should have sent a leaf 
as well to make sure. 
(G. D.) 1, Aster Novi-Belgii; 2, Aster 
Amellus; 3, Solidago canadensis; 4, Helian- 
thus decapetalus; 5, Sedum spectabile. 
mu SPECIAL ( £ 
OIL 
10-ft. flow and return, 18/- ; 
12-ft., 22/-. 3-in. pipes, complete, 
pipts parallel. No smell. 
Sen d for Free Catalogue B. 
C. TOOPE, F.R.H.8., & 80N, 
High St., Stepney, London, E. 
ANTHRACITE. 
Direct from Colliery. 
APPLY PROPRIETOR, 
ESSERY, SWANSEA. 
ESTABLISHED 1848. 
Orchids Orchids. 
QUANTITY IMMENSE. 
To mTSeoty '"section of our Range of Houooe 
the King 18 cordially Invited by 
HUGH LOW & 00., 8U8 J1d h o i l l e l s p e a x rk - 
CHEAPEST ROSES 
IN THE WORLD. 
Complete Catalogue post Free, including 
Ornamental Trees, Shrubs, Alpines, perennials. 
BEES, Ltd., 181 H, Mill Street, LIVERPOOL. 
CHEAPEST BULBS in the WORLD. 
500 bulbs for 3/6, carriage paid. 
50 each -Snowdrops, Crocus, Fne.-iaa, Iris, Ixias, Squills, 
Ranunculus, Sparaxis, 12 each Hyacinths, Daffodils, Jon¬ 
quils, Narcissus, Tulips, Anemones, Gladiolus, Saxifrage. 
Full cultural instructions included with each parcel. 
BEES, Ltd., 181II, Mill Street, LIVERPOOL. ' 
(VV. Ward) i 3 Euonymus europaeus; 2, 
Berberis vulgaris; 3, Clematis Vitalba; 4, 
bymphoricarpus racemosus. 
(A. M. T.) 1, Thymus Chamaedrys; 2, 
Origanum vulgare; 3, Scabiosa arvensis; 4, 
Chlora perfoliata; 5, Senecio erucifoMus; 6, 
Erythraea Centaurium. 
(C. W. M.) 1, Zinnia elegans flore pleno; 
2, Lavatera trimestris; 3, Coreopsis tinc- 
tori.a; 4, Phacelia tanacetHolia; 5, Alys- 
sum maritimum. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Otto Katzenstein and Co., 35-43, W. 
Alabama Street, Atlanta, Ga., U.S.A.—Trade 
Price List of Tree and Shrub Seeds, Roots 
and Bulbs. 
F. C. Heinemann, Erfurt, Germany.—Spe¬ 
cial Trade Offer of Novelties for 1909. 
-- 
Croydon Gardeners. 
Tile Croydon and District Horticultural 
Mutual Improvement Society resumed 
its meetings on September 1st, at the 
Sunflower Temperance Hotel, and appro 
priate to the first meeting a paper was 
read on “ The Benefits of Gardeners’ 
Mutual Improvement Societies to garden¬ 
ers and their employers.” The Hon. 
Secretary (Mr. Harry Boshier) was the 
reader of the paper, and in his opening 
remarks alluded to the fact of the great 
improvement socially amongst the gar¬ 
dening profession, and what is bound to 
follow — • greater strides in horticulture 
generally. Mr. Boshier eulogised the 
benefits the gardener obtains and pointed 
out how much the employer is benefited 
by such societies as these, for naturally, 
having gardeners who attend these meet¬ 
ings, the practice advocated by the lec¬ 
turer can be adopted in his own garden, 
and the gardener, knowing the good re¬ 
sults that will follow by such treatment, 
enters into his work with much more 
confidence and interest than he would do 
otherwise. From an economic point of 
view also these societies are beneficial 
to the employer, for if advice is wanted 
by his gardener he has only to ask his 
fellow men and that advice is generously 
given. Employers, as a rule, keep their 
garden as a hobby and source of recre¬ 
ation. Therefore support given to a 
society of this character is a good in- ( 
vestment, and Mr. Boshier appealed to 
all employers to support this institution 
by becoming members and persuading 
their gardeners to join also. A hearty 
vote of thanks to Mr. Boshier concluded 
a pleasant evening. 
Cactus Dahlia Fairy Queen. 
The large blooms are made up of 
very slender, incurved and often twisted 
florets. First-class certificate by the 
London Dahlia Union, on September 
10th, when shown by Mr. H. Shoesmith, 
Woking. 
Pompon Dahlia Lufra. 
The blooms of this Dahlia are very- 
small, neat and of a dark crimson-red. 
First-class certificate ^by the London 
Dahlia Union, on September 10th, when 
shown by Mr. C. Turner, Slough. 
CHEAP FREEHOLD LAND. —The Gar.l■ 11 Villus;' 
Estate, '■'ickforii. Es.-ex. London 29 miles, Soullicn on feev 
12. l'lobs30 feet by 120 from L-S. Larger lots mid ;-erc. 
from £‘50 Fine selection, splendid soil, all near.stat ion am- 
village. Small deposit. Immediate possession. Bdlane 
by instalments if d« sire d. Free Deeds. No law co.-ts. 
troublesome restrictions. Free tickets to view, apply H" 
Land Company, 68, Clieapside, E.O. _ _ _ 
