August 10, 1907 THE GARDENING WORLD. 
537 
! another class for a dish of culinary 
eas competition was exceedingly keen, 
id the judges had some difficulty in 
varding the prizes to the most deserv- 
.g. The various exhibits of Potatos, 
eans, Carrots, Turnips and Beet were 
[50 praiseworthy, and if in future the 
-nployees take the trouble to select their 
becimens of Potatos and other products 
: equal size they can improve greatly on 
ieir first endeavour on the exhibition 
tble. 
Evidently a large number of them had 
ot previously entered an exhibition, and 
le specimens had simply been dug up 
id shown, big and little together, whereas 
judicious selection of the best tubers 
ould have made all the difference on 
le exhibition table, but, no doubt, these 
ten will follow the lead of the best ex- 
mples in future. Scarlet Runners were 
:anty, but they are exceedingly late this 
ear. and their absence caused no sur- 
rise to those who have been observing 
le effects of the late season. 
Sweet Peas gave ample evidence that 
ley were the most popular annual in the 
arden, for one table running along the 
hole length of the hall was entirely oc- 
upied by them. Many of the exhibits 
rowed splendid quality, and if the ex- 
ibitors had only cut the Peas with the 
mgest stalks possible and arranged 
lem gracefully there would have been 
;ss crowding, and the large blooms would 
ave had a much finer effect. In the way 
f fruits, Gooseberries, Currants, Rasp- 
erries, and Strawberries were shown, but 
ae Gooseberries led the way both for 
uantity and quality, though Black Cur- 
ants were also excellent as far as size 
as concerned. The hall -was crowded so 
bat we think the society is already as- 
ured of the men and material of which 
i make an excellent show in future 
ears. 
-- 
fothesay Horticultural Society. 
The summer flower, fruit and vegetable 
how, promoted by the Rothesay H.S., 
.’ill be held this year in the public hall, 
lothesay, on August 20th. Mr. A. Myles, 
he secretary, directs special attention to 
he fact that 70 classes are open to the 
fnited Kingdom, and a handsome solid 
ilver cup, value ^10, is this year to be 
ompeted for. The Lady Margaret 
ituart, sister of the Marquis of Bute, has 
onsented to open the show. It is interest- 
rig to note that this flourishing Rothesay 
ociety owes its existence largely to the 
■fforts of the late James Dobbie, founder 
>f the firm of Dobbie and Co. By the 
vav, when it started it was known by the 
imbitious title of The Bute National 
lose and Horticultural Society! 
‘ The Book of the Open Air.” 
Part II. of this work contains chapters 
an "The Life Story of a Badger,” “Some 
May Flowers,” “The Bee Mind,” “'Bird 
M atching in a Breydon Punt,” “ The 
Nightingale and its Haunts,” “Some 
Moorland Birds,” and f The Story of 
some Pebble Hills.” All of these sub¬ 
jects are extremely interesting to some 
class of reader or other who delights in 
the open air, and there is a coloured 
plate in connection with most of them. 
The book is printed in large type, and 
is obtainable from Messrs. Hodder and 
Stoughton, Warwick Square, London, at 
is. each part. 
HINTS ON - - 
# MULCHING. 
Mulching consists of covering the sur¬ 
face of the ground about the roots of 
trees, plants and crops with some non¬ 
absorbent material, the object during the 
summer time being to conserve the mois¬ 
ture in the ground, and in some cases to 
provide the subjects treated with nourish¬ 
ment. When judiciously carried out, 
mulching is highly beneficial to plant 
life, but at the same time it can be both 
overdone and misapplied. In the sum¬ 
mer, during times of drought, when the 
heat from the sun is very great, the mois¬ 
ture in the ground evaporates very 
rapidly, and unless water is applied in 
large quantities at frequent intervals, 
vegetation suffers and growth is checked, 
small quantities of water given during 
these periods being practically useless, 
as the liquid is absorbed by the parched 
soil before it reaches the roots of the 
plants. 
It is during drought and heat that 
mulchings are beneficial and are the 
means of saving considerable heavy 
labour in carrying water, but in dealing 
with retentive and naturally wet soils 
mulching materials must not be laid on 
too freelv or thickly. Half decayed 
manure is no doubt the best material for 
mulching purposes, but grass cuttings, 
cocoa-nut fibre refuse, peat moss, road 
scrapings, all being of a non-absorbent 
character, are suitable, but in addition to 
conserving the moisture in the ground, 
manure also provides a considerable 
amount of nourishment for the plants and 
trees round which it is placed as rain and 
waterings wash out its beneficial quali¬ 
ties and carry them down to the roots, 
and in cases where extra nourishment is 
likely to be of assistance in producing 
better crops it is the wisest plan to employ 
manure for the purpose in question. The 
surface of the ground about the plants 
and trees to be treated should first be 
well stirred, and if the ground is dry it 
should be well soaked with water. 
Manure for mulching should be well 
knocked about and broken up before 
being spread over the ground, and if the 
position or situation of the crop or trees 
is such that the manure is likely to give 
the place an unsightly or untidy appear¬ 
ance it may be covered over with a few 
inches of fine soil. The value of a mulch 
over the roots of such crops as Peas and 
Beans cannot be over-rated, as unless the 
Mulching : 1, shows the manure spread as far as the roots extend; a, shows a wrong 
Way to mulch. 
