June  21,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  JIORTTGULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
The  Royal  Horticultural  Society. 
TrtK  cenRua  of  opinion  proposed  to  be  obtained  from  the  Fellows  of 
the  society  by  your  correspoTnb'nt,  “  Hear  both  Sides,”  may  be  useful 
in  enabling  every  Fellow  in  the  society  to  express  his  or  her  opinion, 
but  70  per  cent,  of  them  at  least  know  absolutely  nothing  or  care 
nothing  about  the  matter  under  discussion.  Certainly  the  council  can 
furnish  to  every  Fellow  such  information  in  print  before  inviting  a 
census,  as  shall  fully  netail  all  the  pros  and  cons  of  the  subject,  and 
especially  in  relation,  hrst  to  the  horticultural  uses  or  value  of  a  show 
or  meeting  hall  on  the  one  hand,  and  of  a  larger  and  better  placed 
garden  on  the  other,  with  full  information  as  to  site  and  cost. 
To  invite  any  opinion  on  the  matter  referred  to  would  now  bo 
useless,  simply  from  lack  of  information.  I  have  great  confidence,  in 
the  intentions,  business  capacities,  and  horticultural  earnestness  of  each 
of  the  members  of  the  council.  Hut  all  the  same  they  seem  now  in 
danger  of  allowing  a  policy  of  drift  to  prevail,  which  may  in  the  end 
result  less  in  wrecking  any  one  proposal  than  in  wrecking  the  society. 
What  everyone  so  much  wishes  is  that  the  council  should  take  the 
Fellows  entirely  and  absolutely  into  its  confidence,  and  that  speedily. 
The  important  matter  under  consideration  should  be  settled  before 
the  holiday  season  commences.  At  present  nearly  all  discussion  is 
taking  place  in  the  dark.  How  much  that  fact  is  evidenced  is  shown 
in  your  last  week’s  correspondent’s  reference  to  the  annual  cost  of  a 
garden  at  bimpsfield  as  JJ3000.  When  he  says  “  estimated  cost,”  I 
must  ask.  Whose  estimate  ?  Is  it  that  of  some  one  who  knows,  or  of 
someone  who  does  not  know  ?  Will  not  the  council  take  a  very  early 
opportunity  to  enlighten  the  Fellows  as  to  all  the  facts,  then  some 
practical  decision  may  be  arrived  at  that  should  settle  the  matter 
finally  ? — A  Fellow. 
Tl|e  Small  Apple  Election. 
I  MUST  say  I  am  deeply  grieved  .to  find  that  the  interests  of  science 
should  have  suffered  for  the  sake  of  a  penny  stamp.  Alas  !  it  is  worse 
than  the  old  story  of  spoiling  the  ship  for  a  halfpenny  worth  of 
tar;  but  I  am  even  sorrier  to  learn  that  “A.  D.”  should  think  me 
discourteous.  I  can  now  only  apologise  for  my  neglect,  and  promise 
that  if  ever  in  the  future  I  do  venture  to  ask  his  valued  opinion  upon 
any  subject  I  will  not  omit  the  postage  stamp.  May  I  ask  that  you  will 
kindly  allow  me  to  make  an  apology  to  the  rest  of  my  correspondents 
before  dismissing  this  weighty  matter? 
In  reply  to  the  remainder  of  “A.  D.’s”  remarks,  I  must  say  that  I 
rather  fail  to  catch  the  point.  I  think  that  the  opinion  of,  say,  fifty 
selected  men,  who  live  all  over  the  country,  and  who  most  of  them  get 
their  living  by  selling  either  fruit  or  trees  (some  both),  is  as  valuable, 
and  possibly  more  valuable  than  the  opinion  of  200.  Again,  although  1 
admit  the  power  of  the  Press,  I  am  not  sure  that  a  larger  proportion  of 
the  persons  whose  opinion  1  iiivited  would  have  given  themselves  the 
trouble  to  make  copy  for  a  gardening  paper,  than  those  thirty. two  who 
kindly  replied  to  my  inquiries.  I  can  at  any  rate  assure  jour  readers 
that  the  signatures  appended  to  the  answers  sent  in  are  such  as  would 
carry  weiglit  with  them  were  they  jiublished.  I  may  add  that  several 
of  the  twenty-four  referred  to  have  since  written,  saying  that  they  were 
jjrevented  from  one  cause  or  another  from  writing. 
Now,  l\Ir.  “  A.  D.,”  I  have  at  any  rate  set  the  ball  rolling,  and  the 
field  is  open  for  you  to  enter  and  show  how  the  work  can  be  done 
better.  1  am  only  a  beginner,  and  mistakes  are  excusable  with  tyros, 
but  I  hope  to  see  you  do  something  far  superior.  If  you  return  the 
compliment  of  asking  my  opinion  I  can  assure  you  that  you  shall  have 
it  if  I  am  in  the  land  of  the  living  ;  it  is  not  contained  in  the  last 
election. 
If  this  little  election  has  done  no  other  good,  it  may  help  to  show 
that  there  are  two  sides  to  the  question  of  planting  all  early  Apples 
to  clear  off  ”  before  the  Americans  come  in  I  know  the  salesmen 
advocate  this  course  because  they  like  to  bo  “off  with  the  old  love 
before  they  are  on  with  the  new,”  and  I  also  know  that  many  growers 
in  the  south  share  in  the  opinion  that  to  plant  all  early  Apples  pays 
best;  but  do  not  run  away  with  the  idea  that  everyone  thinks  so,  Mr. 
“  Gleaner,”  the  answers  of  my  correspomlents  clearly  show  this,  and  my 
own  experience  would  endorse  their  opinion.  May  I  sav  that  for  twenty 
years  I  managed,  and  sold  the  produce  from,  100  acres  of  Af)ple 
orchards,  so  1  have  been  through  the  mill,  and  my  experience  was 
that,  taking  an  average  of  seasons,  the  very  early  and  very  late  Apples 
paid  best.  I  fear  1  have  only  replied  very  briefly  to  “Gleanei’s” 
kindly  criticisms,  but  1  am  just  off  for  my  holidays,  and  when  I 
return,  reinvigorated  as  I  ho[)e,  I  trust  I  may  find  that  abler  pens  have 
taken  this  subject  in  hand. — A.  II.  Fkauson,  Lowhuni,  Notts. 
Trojjaeolum  speciosudi. 
I  NOTICE  on  page  500  of  the  Journal  that  “  Ret  Raill  ”  mentions 
Tropa^oluin  speciosum  as  a  South  American  plant.  Now  South 
America  has  three  Tropaaolums  of  its  own — the  tricolor,  commonly 
called  the  soldier;  the  pale  blue,  the  shade  of  a  wild  Violet ;  and  a 
yellow  something,  the  same,  but  not  exactly,  as  canariensis.  This 
“  speciosum  ”  came — I  was  told  years  ago — from  the  Himalayas,  brought 
thence  by  a  member  of  the  Hamilton  family  to  the  Isle  of  Arran, 
where  it  flourished  so  wonderfully,  receiving  the  moisture  to  which  it 
was  accustomed  in  its  mountain  home.  Then  it  was  introduced  to  the 
mainland  of  Scotland,  and  was  gradually  brought  south.  Mrs.  Earle 
writes  of  it  also  as  from  South  America,  which  I  am  convinced  it  never 
saw.  I  grow  mine  on  a  south  wall,  also  in  other  aspects  in  Cheshire, 
and  cannot  eradicate  it.  I  also  know  of  gardens  near  where  it  is  a 
weed  rising  in  most  unexpected  places,  but  then  it  gets  moisture  at  the 
roots.  It  must  be  shaded  by  “Geraniums”  or  anything  else  being 
planted  over  it,  sp  as  to  keep  the  roots  cool  and  moist.  This  is  the 
one  thing  necessary,  as  in  watering  the  “  Geraniums  ”  the  Tropseolums 
also  get  watered. — Mrs.  H.  F.  F. 
Are  Yoniig  Potatoes  Dangerous  Food  ? 
Mv  attention  was  drawn  to  this  matter  recently  by  hearing  of  a 
gardener’s  family  suffering  serious  stomachic  derangements  and 
poisoning  symptoms,  with  considerable  irritation,  that  could  not  be 
attributed  to  any  cause  except  from  using  prenlaturely  youug  or  “  new” 
Potatoes.  It  would  be  of  the  greatest  interest  if  you,  or  some  of  your 
correspondents  who  have  fully  considered  the  matter,  would  say  at 
what  stage  are  new  Potatoes  safe  dinner  food.  I  am  aware  the  seasons 
affect  the  result.  Probably  all  outdoor  crops,  including  fruit,  are  at 
least  a  fortnight  late  this  year.  There  will  possibly  be  a  20  per  cent, 
absence  of  sunshine  at  the  end  of  June  for  that  month  alone,  and  this 
materially  affects  the  ripening  and  maturity  of  early  Potatoes,  and 
hence  their  quality  as  food  products.  Do  Potatoes  and  all  solanaceous 
plants  contain  poisonous  ingredients,  and  is  this  greater  or  less  in  their 
earlier  stages  ?  Do  they  become  eliminated  with  age,  or  ripening,  or 
in  boiling  or  steaming  ?  I  need  hardly  point  out  of  what  world-wide 
interest  this  subject  is,  and  how  very  deserving  of  serious  study,  more 
especially  in  a  season  like  the  present,  when  the  Potato  crop  is  likely 
to  be  used  before  being  fully  ripened  or  matured — not  merely  as  a 
farm  crop,  bub  in  the  garden  as  well.  In  the  south  of  Ireland  this 
is  an  unusually  moist  and  humid  month  of  June  so  far. — W.  J.  Morphy, 
Clonmel. 
A  Deartl]  of  Peacljes. 
To  many  readers  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture,  no  doubt,  such  a 
title  as  that  chosen  by  ‘‘  H.  D.”  (page  470)  would  scarcely  be 
understood,  at  any  rate  among  private  gardeners.  There  are  those 
whose  business  it  is  to  dispose  of  surplus  Peaches  in  the  season  of 
plenty  to  wh  im  the  notes  in  question  might  appear  strange  reading. 
“  H.  D.,”  however,  mentions  that  more  particularly  is  this  dearth  felt  in 
the  North  and  Midlands.  I  do  not  think  the  West  of  England  knows  of 
such  straits  in  the  Peach  season,  and  prices  such  as  are  noted  would  be 
gladly  welcomed.  Covent  Garden  salesmen  monopolise  a  considerable 
quantity  of  Bnglish-grown  Peaches,  and  those  who  produce  fine  fruit 
in  sullioient  quantities  to  make  a  connection  with  a  good  house  obtain 
satisfactory  prices.  It  is  the  small  growers  who  dispose  of  their 
produce  locally  who  suffer  in  the  prices  obtained,  while  the  market 
growers,  from  the  fact  of  their  supply  being  greater  and  longer  lasting, 
obtain  better  value. 
At  least  one,  if  not  more,  of  the  leading  London  salesmen  adopt  a 
course  which  is  commendable,  and  that  is  to  send  orders  to  the 
producer  for  fruit  to  be  transmitted  direct  to  the  consumer.  This,  when 
the  packing  can  be  depended  on,  is  much  more  satisfactory  for  both, 
because  the  fruit  in  its  direct  despatch  can  be  saved  miles  of  railway 
journeying.  There  must,  of  course,  bs  confidence  assured  between 
salesman  and  grower  to  allow  of  this  course  working  satisfactorily. 
Prom  outdoors  in  the  south  there  will  be  qumtiiies  of  Peaches  fram 
open  walls,  the  prospects  generally  being  very  promising.  Salesmen 
in  the  North  having  a  difficulty  in  securing  satisfactory  supplies  ought 
to  communicate  early  in  the  season  with  growers  in  the  South  and 
West,  when  their  troubles  would  probably  cease. 
With  suitable  houses  and  careful  cultivaMon  pot  trees  are  no  doubt, 
as  “  H.  D.”  says,  the  most  economical,  and  it  is  really  marvellous  the 
crop  that  can  be  obtained  from  them.  For  this  phase  of  Peach  culture 
there  must  be  an  adequate  supply  of  water  and  labour,  for  they  need 
frequent  attention  in  bright  weather.  Under  such  conditions  the  earlier, 
as  well  as  a  portion  of  the  main  crop,  can  be  grown  in  pots,  but  without 
doubt  the  grower  whose  aim  is  to  secure  fancy  prices  for  his  fruit  must 
resort  to  permanently  planted  trees,  as  from  these  only  can  extra  sized 
Peaches  be  gathered. 
It  is  surprising  to  see  how  Peach  crops  vary  in  different  gardens 
even  when  all  receive  the  best  attention.  There  is  no  denying  that 
outdoor-grown  Peaches  possess  very  high  quality,  and  in  soil  suited  to 
them  they  are  not  of  much  trouble  as  regards  their  roots.  There  are 
