LAND AND .WATER. 
March 13, 1915. 
chosen for liira lo waste them, not selected by liim of bis own 
volition. 
Though Napoleon generally succeeded, in his latter cam- 
paigns, iu HO completely dominating his enemy's will as to 
realise this ideal, ha never established such a degree of 
ascendency as this quotation from the Frencli report confirms. 
Indeed, it was an inconceivable proposition for any leader 
to arrive at untU the eoniing of the aeroplane, as handled 
by the Allied airmen, created the possibility. And the asser- 
tion of this power in a communication meant to bo circulated 
to the enemy has been made intentionally to establish a moral 
superiority over the enemy commanders. Moreover, it shows a 
veiy nice appreciation of the psychology of the German nation. 
For how is any staff to maintain confidence in its own 
capacity to handle its day-to-day problems when, as in a 
game of chess, the other player cries constantly " Check I "? 
One may try ono move after another, analogous to the 
bringing up of reinforcements, but the word follows each 
effort, until it dawns upon the beaten player that he is in 
truth cornered, and the next announcement wiU be 
"Mate I" 
Nothing could better illustrate the confidence which ia 
felt by the French General Staff in their power to deal witU 
the present situation. The same remark applies, of course, 
to our own people, and this extraordinary position of 
superiority (one never yet obtained by any army in war) wa 
owe entirely to the extraordinary aptitude for air-servica 
developed by the flying men of both nations. 
If we compel our enemies to continue attacking us under, 
for them, the most unfavourable circumstances possible to 
produce, we can continue the process until the numbers at hia 
command are no longer adequate to hold the present extent 
of front. Then, and then only, need the Allies send forward 
their own troops to hasten his retreat. 
The German line is already wearing very thin in places< 
Events in Austria and Poland make it exceedingly improbabla 
that their men can again be transferred from East to West J 
and as for reinforcements stiU to be found within the Germaa 
Empire, I am in entire accord with the estimate given lasl 
week by Mr. Hilaire Belloc, with the exception that I thinW 
it is the very outside limit of German endurance, and that tha 
end may come some weeks sooner than he anticipates. 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
GARDENING IN SCHOOL AND HOMB. 
To the Editor of Laxd and Watek. 
Dear Sir, — ^Tho true amateur gardener is an enthusiast 
irho welcomes every opportunity of increasing his (or her) 
knowledge and skill. Good gardening books are not wanting, 
but what is badly needed is a practical demonstrator in th« 
arts of trenching, digging, raking, hoeing, seed-sowing, plant- 
ing, and so on, accompanying the work with short explana- 
tory lectures of an informal character on the principles under- 
lying it. 
Teachers of gardening and Nature-study in and around 
London will particularly welcome such an opportunity. In 
the schools of the London County Council alone gardening 
is taught in three hundred departments, and the wide educa- 
tional value of gardening in its relation to Nature-study and 
other subjects is now beginning to be recognised in private 
schools. 
With a view to helping teachers and amateur gardeners 
alike I have arranged to give a course of ten lecture- 
demonstrations in gardening in the beautiful gardens of the 
Royal Botanio Society (Inner Circle, Regent's Park, near 
Baker Street Station) on Saturday mornings, beginning 
March 6, at 11 a.m. 
All interested are cordially invited to be present at the 
first lecture-demonstration, which will be free. Tickets for 
the course (lOs. 6d.) may be obtained from me at 9, Temple 
Fortune Lane, Hampstead Garden Suburb, N.W. (telephone 
Finchley 1262).— Yours, Ac, 
Helen Colt. 
LAND TRAINING. 
To the Editor of Land and Water. 
Dear Sir, — Kitchener's Army is magnificent. I am 
second to none in my admiration for men, officers, and what 
both have achieved. I, who have watched my husband's 
battalion grow from three to 1,320 men, know what I am 
talking about; but out of our thirty-three officers I do not 
think one, except my husband (the CO.), has ever heard 
a shot fired in anger. Perhaps one or two were in the Boer 
war. Anyhow, with the utmost keenness they cannot help 
lacking in one thing — i.e., experience of war under modern 
conditions. In all the letters I get from the front from 
brothers, cousins, and friends, the cry is, " Come and learn." 
One week of personal experience in the trenches is worth three 
months of driU book and listening to others' experiences. 
Would it not bo possible to send relays of officers from 
Kitchener's battalions, two at a time, for a fortnight each, to 
rejslace two at the front in each regiment ? It is well known 
that some of those who have been right through the war are 
deadly stale. A fortnight away would bring them new life, 
especially with the interest of imparting what they know and 
seeing some of the stuff preparing which is going to come to 
their help. On the other hand, our young officers here are 
deadly keen to learn, and two of them could easily be spared 
at a time for that purpose. I do not, of course, venture to 
settle details and I am not blind to the possibility of casual- 
ties occurring among the new officers, but it would not lead 
to any mart casualties, as there would bo two instead (who 
have borne the burden and heat of the day) safe at home 
resting, and I believe it would save a great many mistakes 
and therefore casualties when the time comes for our ardenf, 
but inexperienced, young officers to take their regimenta 
abroad. It would, of course, cost Government something, but 
such a trifle, compared with the advantages I believe would 
be gained, does not count. 
If, Sir, you think there is something to be said for this 
idea I should be grateful if it could be forwarded to tha 
proper quarter. 
C.O.'s WiFB. 
AN APPRECIATION. 
To the Editor of Land and Watiir. 
Sir, — I beg to inform you that I regularly receive tha 
copy of Land and Water which you so kindly send me ever/ 
week. 
I very much appreciate your paper, which is much' 
valuable to me. As you may have noticed, I have already 
quoted several times in the Temps Mr. Hilaire Belloc's very 
remarkable articles. — Thanking you again, I am, yours ver/ 
truly, 
BOISSONNET 
{Lieut. -Colonel), 
21, Boulevard de La-Tour, Maubourg. 
GRATITUDE. 
To the Editor of Land and Water. 
Dear Sir, — Owing to your courtesy in publishing my 
letter appealing for gloves and mittens for the 12th 'Wes* 
Yorks, I have had enough sent to supply nearly every man ia 
the regiment with a pair. I tried to write and acknowledge 
every parcel, but some were sent anonymously. In the nama 
of tha men of the 12th West Yorks I desire to thauK 
most heartily all those who so generously responded to m* 
appeal. — I am, Sir, yours very truly, 
Babetth Jaques. 
Ashlyn, Grove Road, Leighton Buzzard. 
HARDENING HORSES. 
To tha Editor of Land and Water. 
Sir, — I have now had some experience, ever since Ias| 
November, in conditioning horses from Canada for remounts* 
Most have come in poor, some very poor, several far from 
well, end so far all have gone out in very good case. 
I have tried keeping them on hard water and on mixed 
water, and on quite soft rain water out of a big tank. No 
doubt all horses do better on soft water, but in all my experi- 
ence of horses, in not a few countries, I never found any so 
susceptible as the Canadians to the difference of water. Tha 
advantage of the all-soft is most marked. The general 
thriving has been remarkable, and tho beneficial effects on 
coats and skins wonderful. Many of these horses have very 
bad coats and very bad skins, but with the soft water all goes 
well. We also not infrequently dress the bad ones all ovcB 
with sulphur and train oil, worked into a stiff paste and well 
brushed in, against the lie of the hair, with an old wate? 
brush. Tho effect is magical. I have done this with bad-" 
coated horses for years. Many tails have arrived badly 
rubbed, some rubbed to soreness. For this zinc and carbolia 
lotion or ointment is hard to beat. If a horse rubs tha 
stump of his tail against whitewash ho gets it itchy, and wiU 
14* 
