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THE GARDENING WORLD 
November 16, 1907. 
The Treatment, 
-- of - 
Vacant Ground. 
There is a difference of opinion as to 
whether it is best to manure and dig this 
in autumn or early in the new year. 
Much depends upon the nature of the soil 
one has to deal with ; those that are cold 
and stiff are certainly the better if thrown 
up in ridges and exposed to the elements 
in November, while January and Febru¬ 
ary are the best months to deal with lignt 
sandy soils, unless there is labour 
enough to give it a second digging, in 
which case the manure should not be 
added until then, or much of its nature 
would be washed down to the subsoil be¬ 
fore .cropping time from early March on¬ 
wards. Farmers usually plough up their 
vacant fields in early autumn, whether 
light or heavy, but do not,-as a rule, put 
the manure in until spring. 
Where lime is used as an alternative to 
farmyard manure, it should not be put on 
the ground until early spring. Light, 
sandy soils can be worked almost at any 
time, but not so with that inclined to be 
clayey; this must be taken in hand at 
the nick of time, as it cannot be touched 
while wet, and on the other hand, when it 
is very dry it is useless to attempt to dig 
it. So it will be seen that autumn dig¬ 
ging is right for some soils while others 
are best left fallow until early spring, un¬ 
less labour it plentiful enough to give a 
' second turn. Again, a difference of 
opinion exists as regards deep trenching; 
some contend that, however poor the sub¬ 
soil, it should be brought to the surface 
and made fertile by thoroughly manuring 
and mixing together with the top spit, 
doing a piece each year. This may be 
practicable in some gardens, but person¬ 
ally I would prefer to let it remain at the 
bottom, providing there are fifteen to 
eighteen inches of good soil for cultiva¬ 
tion. By all means dig deep, but manure 
the bottom strata and let it remain ; the 
roots will find their way down if they find 
it acceptable. 
Devonian. 
- 
Seed from New Zealand. 
To the Editor. 
May I suggest that the seeds referred 
to by your correspondent “J. T., Ayr¬ 
shire,” under the name of Toi Toi may be 
those of Phyllocladus trichomanoides, 
which is known in New Zealand as To a 
Toa. Toe Toe is a New Zealand name 
for Arundo conspicua, and Toi is also 
New Zealand ' for Barbarea vulgaris. 
Perhaps your correspondent will be able 
to match his seeds with one of these 
plants. May not the Flax seeds be those 
of the New Zealand Flax or Hemp, Phor- 
niium tenax ? 
John R. Jackson. 
Claremont, 
Lympstone, 
Devon. 
A Nonogenarian Gardener. 
At the age of ninety-one Mr. Joseph 
Wareham, of Parkstone, Dorset, is still 
following his occupation as a gardener. 
Electricity for Plants. 
In France recently by setting up a sort 
of lightning conductor in the centre of a 
field and connecting it with a network of 
wires running through the soil of the 
field, an increase of 50 per cent, was se¬ 
cured in a Potato crop. The electricity 
was drawn from the atmosphere. 
Japanese Lily Exportations. 
From Japanese sources comes the fol¬ 
lowing table showing the number of Lily 
bulbs exported during August for three 
years: — 
Countries. 
Aug., ’07. 
Aug., ’06. 
Aug., ’05. 
Australia . 
4,000 
5,000 
Canada . 
28.450 
45 , 9 °° 
32,100 
Germany . 
147 - 75 ° 
193.53° 
8,355 
Great Britain . 
.... VI 59-445 
1,210,11.5 
333,120 
Holland. 
48 . 75 ° 
40,200 
15,000 
Denmark. 
22.950 
19,100 
16,700 
Italy . 
18.950 
3,200 
U.S. 
... 1,746,223 
1,433,87° 
1,236^50 
France . 
2,000 
22,700 
Belgium . 
2.000 
Total. 
2,984,365 
1,649,625 
—- G. W. -- 
Prize Competitions. 
GENERAL CONDITIONS.—Competitors must 
write on one side of the paper only. Regular 
paid contributors to THE GARDENING 
WORLD or other gardening journals are de¬ 
barred from entering, but occasional con¬ 
tributors may compete. The name and ad¬ 
dress of the competitor must appear on each 
article sent for competition. The Editor’s 
decision is final, and he reserves the right 
to reproduce, in any wayj any article or photo¬ 
graph sent for competition. The conditions 
applying to each competition should be care¬ 
fully read. 
WEEKLY 
PRIZES. 
A PRIZE OFTEN SHILLINGS will be given 
for the best paragraph or short article on any 
gardening subject, such as hints of practical 
interest to gardeners, notes on the propaga¬ 
tion or cultivation of flowers, fruits or vege¬ 
tables, eradication of pests, etc. The para¬ 
graph or article must not exceed a column, but 
value rather than length will be considered in 
making *]je award. Mark envelopes “ Com¬ 
petition,” and post not later than the Monday 
folk,wing date of issue. Entries received later 
than Tuesday (first post) will be left overuntil 
the following week. 
Two prizes of 2 s. 6d. will be awarded each 
week for the two best letters, not exceeding 
150 words, on any interesting gardening sub¬ 
ject. 
RESULTS OF 
LAST WEEK’S 
COMPETITIONS. 
Some of the best papers in this competition 
are too long, and we desire readers to keep 
within a column. 
The prize in the Readers’ Competition was 
awarded to ■“ Albert R. Gould” for the article 
on “ Some Sensitive Plants,” page 715 . 
In the Prize Letter Competition a prize 
was awarded to “ Albert A. Kerridge ” for 
the article on “ Some Useful Hardy Bulbs ” ; 
and “another to “ Geo. A. Fisher ” for the 
article on “Lilium candidum,” page 716 . 
. . NOTES ON EARLY . . 
Chrysanthemums. 
One is apt to put off the choosing o 
varieties until propagating time in spring 
but I think it .is much more profitable 
to take notes during the time the plant 
are in flower. It is then we are able t< j 
decide which varieties are best suited til 
our various needs. A look through ; 
good collection while in bloom is mud 
better than reading descriptions in th 
trade catalogues, and if a note is takei 
of the more pleasing sorts the orderin; 
of these in spring is a very simple mattei 
This district seems well suited to pro 1 
duce fine early Chrysanthemum blooms 
and a few remarks on the best varietie 
grown here may help some reader wh ! 
has no means of inspecting a good collec • 
tion. 
I may say that the district is so lat 
that I have discarded a good many real!' 
fine sorts that would succeed "furtke 
south, but which do not bloom here, ex 
cept in an extra fine season. 
The bulk of my varieties belong to th 
Japanese section, as these are much mor 
suitable for cutting than the Pompons, 
still, however, groiv Little Bob, becaus I 
of its usefulness as a bedder. Its dee 1 
crimson colour is very telling in a sunn 
season, and it is the earliest to bloom. 
Craigmillar Park is a large Pompo 
deep yellow in colour, and a very goo 
bedder. It grows but 15 inches higl , 
branches freely, and flowers profuse!} 
This variety must have the protection c J 
a frame during winter. 
Probably the most useful of all earl 
’Mums is Polly, the lovely bronzy yellow 
It flowers early and every bloom seem 
to come good. No disbudding is evel 
done here, and yet the blooms, althoug 
produced in great abundance, are i 
many cases five inches across. 
The flowers are on long stalks and th 
sprays admirable for cutting. Few varie 
ties are more suitable for table decoratioi 
in vases. 
Rosie is a lovely shade of terra-cotta ' 
and being of stiff branching habit, i 
makes a beautiful bed, and requires ver 
little staking. 
Nina Blick is somewhat similar to th 
above, but with rather more crimson am 
yellow in its composition. Of.fine sturd 
habit, it produces its blooms in Compaq 
trusses. 
Market White here is superior t> 
Champ de Neige, and this season it haj 
produced flowers of a large size aw 
beautiful shape. Mytchett White is goo 
on a north border, and this is the onl 
position in which it gives satisfaction. 
Lily, a beautiful shade of punk, ha 
very handsome large flowers, the habi 
being dwarf and sturdy. Champ d’O 
is a beautiful lemon yellow, with slightl 
incurved blooms. Habit sturdy am 
branching. 
Ruby King, a very fine crimson, is quit 
distinct from Goacher’s Crimson, aw 
rather resembles the old Crimson Quee:, 
in shade, but it is a very decided improve! 1 
ment on that variety. The plant is dwaij 
and sturdy and makes a fine bedder. 
