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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  19,  1900. 
after  years  sit  as  a  member  of  the  fruit  committee  in  the  room  of  the 
pavilion  devoted  solely  to  that  purpose — a  position  gained  after  years 
of  self-searching  toil,  and  a  portfolio  of  first-class  certificates  and 
other  awards.  “  Passing  rich  on  fifty  pounds  a  year,”  I  managed  to 
keep  myself  in  evidence  with  the  R.H.S.,  not  excepting  the  anxious 
troublous  times  at  South  Kensington  with  the  Commissioners  of  the 
1851  Exhibition,  and  the  “  inevitable  Dilke.”  I  exhibited,  too,  a  great 
deal  in  those  years,  though  I  seldom  did  so  for  competition  prizes. 
After  the  aforesaid  fete  in  the  Chiswick  Gardens,  in  1835,  I  believe 
the  next  day,  we  left.  The  old  stage  coach  started  in  the  morning 
from  the  Green-Man-and-Still,  Oxford  Street,  for  Reading,  where  it 
arrived  in  the  afternoon,  allowing  me  plenty  of  time  to  look  about  and 
to  procure  seeds  at  the  Brothers  Sutton.  I  have  dealt  with  them  ever 
since,  and  for  the  last  three  decades  done  business  with  the  firm,  but 
0  temporal  0  mores!  How  many  wonderful  changes  have 
happened  in  Reading  since  those  days  !  Leaving  by  coach  early 
next  morning,  we  wended  our  way  to  Oxford,  and  after  looking  over 
the  Botanic  Gardens,  stayed  to  sleep  at  the  Mitre.  Starting  again 
at  an  unrighteous  hour  on  the  following  day  for  Worcester,  we 
prassed  through  Woodstock,  over  those  Chipping  Norton  Hills  when  it 
snowed.  After  that  the  early  breakfast  at  the  Moreton-in-the-Marsh 
Inn  afterwards  was  something  to  be  remembered.  Thence  we  made 
for  Worcester,  where  the  cathedral  served  to  rivet  one’s  attention  for 
the  rest  of  the  day,  and  rising  with  the  lark,  were  off  again  next 
morning,  through  a  lovely  country  to  Ludlow,  where  we  arrived 
about  midday,  posting  by  chaise  from  the  Crown  to  our  destination  at 
Stanton  Lacey. 
To  all  my  gardening  friends  at  Ludlow  and  around  I  meted  out 
my  impressions  obtained  at  Chiswick.  Having  become  tinctured 
with  flower-show  I  began  to  preach  flower-show,  but  I  soon  found 
out  that  agitating  for  a  Iccal  show  was  to  be  a  long  task.  The 
majority  of  the  gentry  did  not  then  favour  shows,  being  under 
the  impression  that  their  best  products  would  disappear  for  the 
advantage  and  glorification  of  the  gardeners.  However,  I  did  not 
despair,  but  waited  for  a  friend  at  court.  After  long  wailing  it  came 
to  pass  in  this  way.  My  flirtations  with  the  Cinderella  of  Nature, 
the  Potato,  began  to  be  “talked  about,”  and  reached  the  ears  of 
Mr.  Knight,  who  was  himself  inclined  that  way.  Through  him  I 
procured  the  attention  of  the  Hon.  Robt.  Clive,  M.P.,  of  Oakley 
Park,  Bromfield,  who  took  a  great  interest  in  the  culture  of  that 
esculent. 
I  often  walked  over  to  Downton  Castle,  and  in  course  of  time 
became  on  speaking  terms  with  Mr.  Knight  anent  many  things,  the 
Cinderellas  in  particular.  He  was  a  tall,  kind,  sociable  gentleman, 
and  would  converse  with  both  young  and  old.  I  have  descendants 
of  his  Elton  Pine  Strawberry,  which  he  gave  me  about  this  time  of 
year  sixty  years  ago,  and  there  are  very  few  late  sorts  that  can  equal 
it.  Mr.  Knight  was  his  own  head  gardener,  the  foremen  being  old 
retainers  about  him  who  carried  out  his  multifarious  instructions.  His 
visitors  sometimes  had  to  look  out  in  order  to  dodge  the  rotten  Apples 
and  Pears  which  would  come  flying  out  of  his  fruit  room  window  upon 
the  lawn.  Well,  for  a  long  time,  as  I  mentioned  above,  I  had  been 
waiting  for  an  opportunity  to  speak  with  Mr.  Knight  on  my  pent-up 
subject.  One  day  Mr.  Knight  happened  to  be  in  one  of  his  glass  houses 
when  I  was  passing;  I  paused,  he  invited  me  to  enter,  and  pointed  out 
what  I  thought  to  be  some  extraordinary  experiments  he  had 
proceeding  there.  They  related  to  the  growth  of  certain  plants  which 
were  fixed  upon  the  tires  of  small  wheels  kept  perpendicularly  slowly 
whirling  round  upon  their  axles  by  clockwork  movements,  in  some 
way  like  a  roasting-jack,  against  the  tun,  the  roots  growing  in  pots 
being  now  up,  and  then  the  foliage  and  branches.  It  was  altogether 
very  funny,  and  past  my  understanding.  I  know  I  found  it  difficult 
to  start  unfolding  what  I  had  on  my  mind,  but  then  was  the  time. 
Chiswick,  however,  came  to  the  rescue.  A  chat  about  the  shows  there 
gave  me  an  opening  to  hint  what  a  capital  place  the  greensward  within 
the  vallslof  Ludlow  Castle  would  make  for  a  local  flower  and  fruit 
show.  Mr.  Knight  said  my  propositions  were  right,  but  the  difficulties 
to  arise  were  too  great,  unless  I  had  sufficient  powtr  and  guarantee  at 
my  elbow  to  assist  to  carry  them  out,  which  of  course  in  my  position 
I  had  not.  Hence  my  enterprise  lapsed. 
I  then  determined  to  rest  upon  my  oars,  as  I  felt  I  was  twenty  years 
before  my  time.  Do  you  remember  the  meeting  of  the  Royal  Agricul¬ 
tural  Society  of  England  at  Shrewsbury  in  1845  ?  I  was  staging  at  that 
fine  old  mansion,  Condover  Hall  (Mr.  Smith  Owen’s),  for  that  occasion. 
The  gardens  at  “Condor”  were  noted  and  beautiful,  and  as  a  matter 
of  course  I  foregathered  with  the  gardener  and  made  acquaintance 
with  other  local  sons  of  the  spade,  with  whom  I  never  lost  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  of  pressing  my  favourite  topic.  I  suggested,  as  there  was  not 
then  a  horticultural  show  in  the  county,  that  Shrewsbury  being  the 
county  town  would  do  well  to  take  a  load  in  that  way.  The  subject 
became  talked  about,  but  though  that  was  in  some  sense  the  sowing 
of  the  seed,  years  had  to  pass  before  I  saw  my  dreams  become  a 
leality.  My  views  had  to  await  the  growth  of  the  railways,  and  with 
them  the  spread  of  broader  notions  of  business  and  gardening.  But  I 
have  been  luckier  than  many  reformers.  I  have  survived  the  day 
of  struggle,  and  now,  in  the  eventide  of  a  long  life,  I  see  every 
village  celebrating  its  annual  flower-show,  and  the  bortioultural 
festival  of  the  West  of  England  the  event  of  the  year. — Robert  Fenx, 
- <«♦»> - 
Tlie  Value  of  Tree  Shelter. 
The  value  of  trees  planted  near  gardens  as  wind-breaks  from  the 
north,  west,  and  east  has  frequently  been  remarked  upon.  It  is  a 
matter,  however,  that  has  not  always  been  sufficiently  considered  when 
the  sites  have  been  chosen.  Garden  walls,  even  when  lofty,  or  say 
14  feet  in  height,  do  not  give  anything  like  a  proportionate  shelter,  in 
winter  and  spring,  to  the  garden  that  trees  do  in  suitable  proximity. 
In  a  large  garden  cold  east  or  north  winds  will  pass  over  a  garden 
wall,  and  at  some  yards  distance  from  it  the  sheltering  influence  is 
scarcely  felt,  when  there  is  open  country  outside  it,  and  few  deciduous 
or  evergreen  trees  to  filter  it.  Such  gardens  afford  object  lessons  at  the 
present  time  in  the  dearth  of  outdoor  green  vegetables,  especially  when 
compared  with  others  suitably  protected, 
I  had  an  instance  quite  recently  clearly  exemplifying  the  value  of 
tree  shelter  in  a  good  sized  kitchen  garden,  this  being  bounded  at 
a  short  distance  away  with  evergreen  trees.  Here  was  much  the 
best  plantation  of  Broccoli  I  have  seen  anywhere,  mostly  of  Late 
Queen,  Model,  and  Veitch’s  Maincrop.  Winter  greens,  too,  were 
abundant,  and  had  been  all  the  winter.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  such 
a  satisfactory  vegetable  supply  has  been  most  enviously  viewed  by 
gardeners  less  fortunately  situated.  This  garden  had  no  walls,  but 
instead,  hedges  and  tree  belts,  which  in  severe  winters  are  most 
effective. 
Walls  are  a  necessity  for  the  growjh  and  protection  of  choice  and 
tender  fruits,  and  also  for  security  against  the  raids  of  persons 
mischievously  inclined,  but  their  presence,  apart  from  outside  aid, 
does  not  afford  so  much  shelter  as  is  commonly  supposed.  They 
would  be  more  effective  if  the  enclosed  space  were  intersected  by 
dividing  walls — that  is,  in  the  case  of  a  large  garden.  It  is  curious 
how  the  force  of  westerly  gales  creeps  into  enclosures  even  when 
ample  provision  has  been  made  to  keep  it  out ;  tall  plants  and  pit 
"■*' lights,  for  instance,  can  in  few  cases  be  left  without  concern  during 
the  autumn. 
The  nature  of  the  soil  has  much  to  do  with  the  condition  of  spring 
crops,  apart  from  shelter,  as  also  does  the  aspect.  Soil  overlying 
gravel  or  sand  is  much  warmer  than  that  of  an  opposite  character — 
clay ;  and  a  garden  having  a  southern  slope  possesses  advantages  over 
another  which  laces  east  or  north,  or,  indeed,  a  perfectly  level  one;, 
while  in  other  respects  the  latter  claim  some  particular  advantages 
Irom  a  labour  point  of  view  over  gradients  more  or  less  pronounced. 
It,  however,  matters  not  v'hat  the  aspect  or  soil  may  be,  there  is 
the  same  value  in  tree  shelter  both  for  the  growth  of  fruits  and 
vegetables. — W.  S. 
