JOURNAL  OP  HORTICULTURE  ABB  COTTAGE  G ARUP HER, 
January  14,  189?. 
n 
. .  -  —  .  - — _ — _ x 
than  that  Field  of  the  Cloth  of  Gold  of  which  history  tells  us. 
Beautiful,  charming,  delightful  as  these  Isles  of  Scilly  are,  the 
landsman,  not  without  misgiving,  turns  his  eyes  eastward,  and  sighs 
as  he  thinks  of  that  thirty  miles  of  stormy  seas  and  the  mol 
de  mer. 
And  why,  someone  asks,  need  the  Londoner  dream  of  gardens  ? 
In  spring  and  summer  he  has  the  parks,  each  now  with  its  delightful 
parterre.  Then  he  can  ramble  at  will  through  those  unique 
gardens  of  Royal  Kew,  enjoy  the  rainbow  hues  and  sweet  odours 
of  the  plant  houses,  sit  beneath  the  Tree  Ferns  and  Acacias  of  the 
temperate  house,  or  linger  among  the  tropical  foliage  in  the  Palm 
house. — T.  W.  H. 
THOUGHTS  ABOUT  FRUIT  GROWING. 
( Concluded  from,  page  7.) 
Look  round  any  of  the  agricultural  shows  held  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Royal,  or  any  of  the  county  societies,  you  find 
cattle,  implements,  roots,  and  so  forth,  but  rarely  any  fruit,  except 
it  be  a  nurseryman’s  honorary  exhibit  by  way  of  advertisement, 
and  yet  no  one  will  deny  that  fruit  is  in  every  respect  a  farm  crop. 
The  promoters  of  the  shows  themselves  are  ready  to  admit  the 
importance  of  a  better  system  of  fruit  culture,  yet  nothing  is  done 
at  the  exhibitions  to  encourage  it.  There  appears  to  be  an  idea 
that  fruit  exhibiting  belongs  entirely  to  flower  shows — institutions 
for  which  the  average  farmer  shows  some  contempt.  How  few 
there  are  amongst  the  agricultural  class  consider  the  importance 
of  fruit  culture.  In  its  highest  sense  the  occupation  belongs  to 
the  gardener,  and  with  the  gardener  they  are  content  to  let  it 
remain. 
To  deny  that  strides  have  not  been  taken  would  be  absurd,  and 
the  sight  of  many  acres  of  young  trees  taking  the  place  of  old  and 
worn  out  orchards  is  gratifying  to  the  enthusiast.  In  strictly  fruit 
growing  districts  one  is  apt  to  get  confounded  by  contrasts.  In 
Kent,  the  favoured  fruit  growing  county,  this  is  very  apparent, 
for  here  can  be  seen  both  bad,  good,  and  indifferent.  One  is 
surprised  at  the  condition  of  some  of  the  orchards.  The  trees  are 
old  and  cankered,  and  completely  covered  with  moss  and  lichen 
growths,  all  so  detrimental  to  the  welfare  of  the  trees.  Insect 
pesti  abound,  and  no  steps  are  taken  to  combat  them.  Can 
trees  pay  under  such  conditions  ?  No,  of  course  not ;  they  have 
no  chance,  and  the  farmer  sighs  and  complains  of  bad  times.  Here, 
surely,  there  is  a  want  of  knowledge  coupled  with  a  lack  of  energy, 
and  it  seems  a  shame  to  cumber  the  ground  with  such  profitless 
trees,  rendered  so  by  long  neglect  and  want  of  system. 
Fortunately  this  cannot  be  termed  general,  and  it  is  a  pleasure 
to  see  some  of  the  orchards.  The  trunks  all  white  with  appli¬ 
cations  of  lime  to  prevent  and  destroy  the  pests  that  are  harboured 
in  the  next  orchards.  Trees  are  being  examined,  and  saw  and 
pruning  knife  are  brought  into  requisition  for  the  removal  of  dead 
and  c  inkered  branches.  Then,  again,  youDg  and  vigorous  planta¬ 
tions  are  springing  up  in  many  localities,  and  bid  fair  to  give  good 
returns  in  due  time.  Such  steps  in  the  right  direction  are  by  no 
means  uncommon,  and  many  cultivators  are  realising  the  import¬ 
ance  of  the  tiut'i — that  if  fruit  is  worth  growing  at  all  it  is  worth 
growing  well.  Yet  the  disadvantages  are  likewise  great.  Here  is 
a  man  who  takes  a  pride  in  his  fruit  trees  ;  he  tries  to  grow  them 
well,  keeps  them  clean,  and  endeavours  to  keep  in  check  the  attacks 
of  insect  foes.  Such  a  man  deserves  encouragement,  for  it  is  such 
as  he  that  reap  profit  out  of  the  occupation.  In  the  next  holding, 
however,  may  be  found  a  farmer  of  a  different  school.  Look  at 
his  trees,  and  note  the  lack  of  care  and  labour.  They  are  infested 
with  insects,  and  no  wonder.  But  this  is  not  the  worst,  for  if  he 
alone  suffered  he  would  only  be  reaping  the  harvest  of  dilatoriness. 
His  neighbour,  the  energetic  man,  suffers  also  through  the  neglect, 
as  the  trees  which  he  is  endeavouring  to  keep  clean  become  infested 
with  the  insect  pests  which  migrate  from  the  adjoining  orchard. 
This  seems  hardly  fair,  and  I  think  I  am  correct  in  saying  that  in 
Tasmania  there  is  a  law  which  enforces  all  fruit  growers  to  keep 
their  trees  free  from  insect  pests.  This  is  a  means  of  protecting 
the  industrious  grower,  and  perhaps  some  such  power  could  be 
vested  in  the  local  authorities  at  home.  The  matter  has  already 
been  suggested,  and  was  spoken  of  at  the  Conference  at  the  late 
Crystal  Palace  Show. 
The  importance  of  the  fruit-growing  question,  and  attention  to 
even  the  smallest  details,  are  points  which  many  growers  overlook. 
As  an  instance  a  Midland  farmer  wondered  why  his  neighbour 
could  always  get  larger  and  finer  Damsons  than  himself,  therefore 
obtaining  a  better  price,  though  soil  and  aspect  were  the  same.  He 
did  not  even  consider  tbe  fact  that  while  the  liquid  which  drained 
from  his  manure  heap  ran  away,  probably  to  waste,  that  of  his 
neighbour  was  carried  into  the  orchard,  and  applied  to  the  roots— 
there  lay  the  secret,  if  Buch  it  can  be  called .  Much  certainly  has 
been  done  to  propagate  a  better  system  of  fruit  culture,  but  it  is 
questionable  whether  the  farming  class  generally  have  yet  realised 
the  importance  of  it.  Horticultural  authorities  have  done  and  are 
doing  much  to  assist  the  industry,  but  their  efforts  do  not  appear 
to  appeal  to  the  farmer  to  any  appreciable  extent.  Establish  a 
coalition  with  agriculture  proper  ;  let  the  two  go  hand  in  hand, 
with  one  object  in  view,  realising  that  their  interests  in  this  respect 
are  mutual,  then  may  be  anticipated  a  better  condition  of  affairs 
on  the  part  of  a  class  who  seem  slow  and  reluctant  to  give  up  what 
they  know  to  be  unsatisfactory. — G.  H.  H. 
THE  R,H.S.  EXAMINATIONS. 
I  have  no  doubt  very  many  young  readers  of  the  Journal  of 
Horticulture  feel  very  greatly  obliged  to  “A  Student”  for  the 
answers  he  is  publishing  to  select  questions  set  at  the  last  May 
examination.  Of  the  four,  which  are  so  excellently  answered,  three 
do  not  properly  come  within  the  scope  of  practical  gardening. 
The  one  marked  No.  1  certainly  does,  because  it  relates  to  the  soil 
and  its  preparation  by  digging  for  the  reception  of  crops.  That 
was  a  matter  well  worth  greater  elaboration  ;  but  the.  other  three 
questions  and  answers  are  essentially  scientific,  and  whilst  I  am 
very  far  from  deprecating  the  possession  of  such  knowledge  by 
gardeners,  yet  I  do  most  certainly  think  that  so  long  as  it  is  felt 
desirable  to  test  what  may  be  called  “  practical  ”  knowledge  as  well 
as  11  study  ”  knowledge,  that  the  two  things  should  be  kept  separate, 
and  that  practical  gardening  should  not  be  confounded  with 
theoretical  knowledge. 
At  present  the  questions,  in  spite  of  their  divisions  into  grades, 
are  a  good  deal  mixed.  The  grades,  if  the  term  is  to  be  used, 
should  be  for  theory  and  for  practice.  Many  students  would  no 
doubt  like  to  sit  for  an  examination  in  the  latter,  but  fear  to  face 
the  former,  because  they  are  not  scientific  students.  I  could 
heartily  wish  they  were  ;  but  as  they  are  not,  and  yet  have  excellent 
practical  knowledge,  why  not  let  their  practical  knowledge  have 
full  play  in  the  purely  practical  grade,  and  not  seek  to  handicap  it 
in  scientific  directions?  No  doubt  there  are  many  young  men  who, 
having  satisfactorily  got  through  the  practical  grade,  would  be 
induced  another  year  to  have  a  turn  at  the  theory,  inspired  thereto 
by  their  success  in  the  other  department.  But  it  would  not  do  to 
term  these  grades  upper  and  lower.  There  is  no  need  whatever  to 
classify  them.  Let  each  one  have  in  its  marks  an  equal  value. 
What  we  have  to  remember  is  that  in  the  making  of  young 
gardeners  the  first  consideration  must  be  given  to  practical  know¬ 
ledge  and  experience  ;  which  no  gardener  can  dispense  with  or  be  able 
to  do  without.  For  all  ordinary  purposes  without  doubt  the 
purely  practical  youth  is  of  more  value  in  a  garden  than  is  one 
who  is  purely  scientific,  and  that  would,  so  regarded,  place  the 
practical  work  higher  than  the  theoretical.  But  I  do  not  wish  to 
see  any  such  classification.  What  we  ne(d  is  that  the  immense 
value  of  all  knowledge  relating  to  gardening,  whether  it  be  of 
practice  or  theory,  shall  be  fully  realised,  and  that  every  encourage¬ 
ment  shall  be  given  to  all  young  men  training  to  be  gardeners  to 
acquire  all  such  knowledge  they  very  well  can.  Apart  from  the 
usefulness  of  elementary  scientific  knowledge  there  can  be  no 
doubt  farther  that  its  possession  adds  greatly  increased  charm  to 
gardening.  But  the  range  of  knowledge  in  gardening  ia  illimitable. 
It  is  hardly  the  young  man  who  realises  that ;  the  old  ones  can  and 
do.  The  youth  who  is  twenty-five  years  of  age  no  doubt  thinks  he 
knows  a  great  deal,  but  he  will  only  realise  fully  how  little  then  he 
knows  when  he  reaches  the  age  of  sixty-five. 
Gardening  is,  perhapa,  the  most  varying  and  progressive  of 
occupations.  Not  but  that  certain  great  principles  which  underlie 
all  work  remain  permanent,  but  it  is  in  the  attributes  of  gardening 
that  change  is  so  greatly  found.  Thus  the  life  of  the  gardening 
student  is  not  restricted  to  a  few  years  of  youth.  It  is  constant, 
and  indeed  ends  with  life  only.  Yet  the  man  who  has  in  youth 
studied  diligently,  and  is  armed  with  good  theoretical  knowledge, 
will  always  find  himself  in  his  later  life’s  study  well  ahead  of  his 
fellows. 
The  worst  thing  that  can  happen  to  any  youth  in  his  practice,  if 
he  purposes  to  become  a  head  gardener,  is  to  find  his  work  centred 
too  much  in  one  groove.  That  sort  of  thing  may  be  tempting,  but 
it  should  be  resisted.  To  be  constantly  amongst  Orchids  may  be 
pleasant,  but  it  is  equally  needful  to  understand  all  about  plant  and 
flower  culture  and  decoration,  to  have  full  knowledge  of  fruit 
culture  indoors  and  outside,  to  be  equally  familiar  with  vegetable 
culture  in  all  its  varied  aspects,  to  understand  soils  and  their  require¬ 
ments,  the  planting  of  trees  and  shrubs,  the  laying  out  of  all  sorts 
of  gardens,  indeed  a  knowledge  of  things  innumerable.  After  all 
knowledge  is  far  from  being  a  bad  pecuniary  investment  in  relation 
to  gardening,  and  that  is  an  aspect  worthy  of  consideration.— A.  D. 
