592 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  26, 1896. 
surprise  us  in  gardening  achievements — on  seeing  what  had  been 
accomplished  in  about  a  dozen  years  by  two  gardeners — men  with 
brains,  and  who  have  known  how  to  use  them,  undoubtedly. 
Met  with  a  carriage  and  pair,  we  were  first  driven  to  about 
25  acres  of  glass,  next  to  20  acres,  then,  as  a  climax,  to  nearly 
40  acres  more.  Astounding  !  Yes,  that  is  the  word,  and  scarcely 
to  be  believed  without  inspection.  Yet  it  is  a  fact.  And  what 
did  we  see  grown  in  these  crystal-roofed  fields  ?  In  comestibles 
more  than  100  tons  of  Grapes,  200  tons  of  Tomatoes,  and  as  many 
of  Cucumbers,  and  splendidly  grown,  too.  Second-rate  culture 
would  not  do.  Value  the  products  at  average  market  prices,  and 
note  the  amount  for  one  season,  then  there  will  be  no  reason  to 
wonder  at  the  gardeners’  carriage  and  pair,  nor  of  the  excellent 
and  elegant  repast  charmingly  presided  over  by  the  angel  of  the 
house — a  delightful  home  ! 
Pass  into  the  plant  and  flower  section.  See  millions,  actually 
millions,  of  Palms  in  magnificent  condition,  and  of  all  heights, 
from  3  inches  to  10  feet,  not  a  higgledy-piggledy  jungle,  but  an 
orderly  tasteful  arrangement  of  popular  kinds — a  picturesque 
forest,  and  once  seen  not  to  be  forgotten.  In  contrast,  see 
thousands  upon  thousands  of  Aspidistras,  glossy  and  clean  ;  golden 
Crotons,  crimson  Drac^nas,  and  innumerable  Ferns.  Find  an 
unhealthy  plant,  a  dirty  plant — an  insect-smitten  plant,  if  you  can. 
You  cannot.  Such  plants  are  not  there  because  they  do  not  pay. 
Then  look  into  the  “forcing  department.”  Forcing!  That  is 
not  the  word.  We  want  a  new  term.  It  is  a  waking  up  of  plants 
and  natural  growth  at  an  unnatural  season.  The  whole  business 
is  topsy-turvied.  Extra  cold  is  the  active  agent,  and  not  extra 
heat,  in  the  attainment  of  something  akin  to  startling  results. 
Let  us  take  a  typical  example — Lily  of  the  Valley — sleeping, 
waking,  and  flowering  all  in  the  same  house.  We  are  speaking 
of  September,  and  it  is  no  doubt  the  same  now.  But  seeing 
large  breadths  of  the  sweet  May  flower  in  September  is  enough 
as  a  sample — crowns  closely  packed,  with  foliage  as  robust,  and 
a  sea  of  spikes  rising  from  it  as  large,  pure,  and  sweet  as  ever 
were  seen  at  any  season,  either  under  glass  or  the  open  air.  This 
is  no  dream,  no  exaggeration,  but  a  plain  truth  about  a  striking 
fact — but  not  the  whole  truth. 
How  is  it  done  ?  Go  to  the  end  of  this  long  house,  and 
the  secret  is  revealed.  But  it  is  no  secret  to  many.  It  has  been 
proclaimed  through  the  Times,  and  seen,  of  course,  by  hundreds 
of  workers  and  not  a  few  privileged  visitors,  but  is  not  known 
by  the  majority  of  gardeners  and  has  not  been  described  in  the 
Journal  of  Horticulture.  The  process  is  delightful  in  its  sweet 
simplicity.  Nothing  grows  when  it  is  frozen,  no  matter  how 
long  the  winter.  Very  well  ;  millions  of  Lily  crowns  are  kept 
frozen,  with  many  “  forcing  ”  plants  and  shrubs  besides,  in  a 
gigantic  refrigerator  built  for  the  purpose,  in  which  the  tempera¬ 
ture  is  kept  below  freezing  point  by  the  aid  of  a  steam  engine. 
It  is  just  a  winter  of  frost  and  snow  prolonged  throughout  the 
summer — crowns,  bulbs,  plants,  and  shrubs  kept  sleeping,  and 
awakened  just  when  they  are  required  to  grow. 
First  see  huge,  hard,  sparkling  blocks  of  Lily  of  the  Valley 
crowns  brought  into  the  house  to  thaw  ;  see  others  thawed,  and 
the  crowns  in  process  of  division  and  planting  ;  see  another  bed  a 
few  days  planted  just  starting  in  the  then-deferred  spring  ; 
another  pushing  leaves  and  spikes  ;  a  third  with  the  buds  just 
whitening  ;  a  fourth  in  full  bloom ;  a  fifth  gathered  and  cleared 
out,  and  the  whole  routine  will  be  comprehended,  including  men 
gathering  spikes  for  the  packing-room,  and  others  making  up  huge 
bunches  with  broad,  bold  fringes  of  leaves,  as  if  all  were  being 
done  in  the  “  Lily  woods  ”  in  May.  This  is  commercial  floriculture 
in  1895. 
What  care  such  masters  in  production  about  foreign  com¬ 
petition  ?  Nothing.  It  is  to  them  a  name,  and  nothing  more. 
What  care  they  for  any  competition  ?  Nothing.  Who  are  they  ; 
and  where  is  this  wonderful  work  going  on  ?  There  is  one  reason, 
and  one  only,  why  this  cannot  be  told  here— a  good,  sound,  and 
valid  reason.  Let  one  of  the  masters  state  it.  “If  you  see 
anything  worth  note  or  mention  you  are  welcome  to  note  and 
mention  it ;  but  not  our  names.  With  hundreds  of  men  we  must 
have  a  system — they  must  work  like  a  piece  of  machinery.  The 
derangement  of  one  part  would  affect  many,  or  the  whole  ;  and  any 
thing  like  an  invasion  is  out  of  the  question.  Anyone  is  free  to  do 
as  we  do.  Our  own  men  who  rise  by  merit  to  responsible  positions 
we  like  to  see  start  for  themselves,  and  we  would  help  rather  than 
hinder  them,  and  we  wish  them  well  ;  but  we  cannot  have  streams 
of  visitors,  nor  letters  of  application  to  ‘  view,’  which  either  could 
not  be  answered,  or  the  answers  would  be  disappointing.”  Not 
another  word  is  necessary.  The  scene  may  be  in  Jersey  or  Guernsey ; 
in  Derbyshire  or  at  W orthing,  or  somewhere  else .  It  does  not  in  the 
least  matter.  The  object  is  to  show  that  the  horticultural  spirit  is 
abroad,  that  England  is  up-to-date,  and  can,  by  the  best  work 
of  competent  men,  hold  its  own  commercially. 
A  word  of  evidence  on  the  amateur  aspect  of  gardening.  It  is 
alive  and  healthy — growing,  and  will  grow,  faster  and  faster,  as  time 
goes  on.  To  catch  the  spirit  of  it  and  feel  its  influence  it  sufficed 
to  be  at  the  annual  dinner  of  the  National  Amateur  Gardeners’ 
Association  on  the  evening  of  the  18th  inst.  in  the  historic  Guildhall 
Tavern,  Gresham  Street,  a  gathering  of  nearly  a  hundred  ladies  and 
gentlemen  who  indulge  in  the  delightful  pursuit  for  love,  and  not 
for  gain.  Note  the  ovation,  almost  overwhelming,  that  was  given 
to  the  President  (Mr.  T.  W.  Sanders)  in  recognition  of  his  services  ; 
see  the  smiling  cultivators  receive,  amidst  the  plaudits  of  the 
assemblage,  the  honours  they  had  won — Messrs.  Dipper,  Needs, 
Crane,  Brown,  Rowberry,  Neal,  and  others — certificates,  medals, 
cups  (no  money),  it  would  have  gladdened  the  heart  of  that 
Puritanical  “  Scottish  Gardener  ”  who  sounded  his  alarm  last  week  ; 
listen  to  the  rousing  speeches,  feel  the  enthusiasm  that  pervaded 
the  meeting,  and  then  be  satisfied  that  there  is  nothing  to  fear  for 
the  future  of  gardening  in  this  country.  "We  mean  to  do  all  we  caUi 
with  such  help  as  may  be  given  us,  to  keep  the  spirit  active 
throughout  1896. 
THE  EOYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 
Provincial  Opinion. 
As  is  indicated  in  the  following  communications  a  considerable 
amount  of  interest  is  manifested  in  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  in  the  provinces,  and  that  a  desire  exists  to  see  the  Society 
extend  the  scope  of  its  operations  in  some  practical  and  tangible 
way.  This  desire  is  in  itself  commendable,  and  the  real  question 
is  to  find  a  way  that  is  workable  of  meeting  the  wishes  of  earnest 
horticulturists  in  various  parts  of  the  country.  We  publish 
what  we  have  received  without  comment  on  any  of  the  suggestions 
at  present,  and  in  the  assurance  that  they  will  receive  the  best 
attention  of  the  authorities  in  Westminster. 
The  even-handed  fairness  with  which  the  Journal  of  Horticulture 
has  dealt  with  both  sides  in  the  impending  change  at  Chiswick 
makes  it  particularly  fitting  that  it  should  take  up  the  larger 
question  of  general  policy  which  a  great  many  provincial  h  rticultur ists 
and  well-wishers  of  the  Society  think  the  Council  should  pursue. 
And  to  this  end  many  will  welcome  the  leader  (page  543, 
December  12th)  as  giving  articulation  to  the  strong  feelings  and 
desire  which  do  undoubtedly  exist  to  see  the  R.H  S.  take  up  a 
position  more  trusty,  national,  and  worthy  of  itself  as  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  of  Great  Britain  than  can  be  claimed  for  it 
at  present.  These  feelings  are  not  born  of  jealousy  or  antipathy 
to  the  R.H.S.,  but  of  a  sincere  desire  to  see  its  influence  extend 
and  become  a  real  live  force  in 'provincial  horticulture  ;  yet  it  is 
felt  before  this  can  take  place  and  the  R.H  S.  hold  its  rightful 
position  in  the  respect  and  confidence  of  many  horticulturists  there 
must  be  a  decided  change  in  the  mode  of  electing  the  various 
Committees  which  now  sit  in  London. 
All  praise  may  be  and  is  readily  granted  to  a  number  of  the 
gentlemen  who  now  sit  on  those  Committees  for  the  regularity  of 
their  attendance  year  in  and  year  out,  in  some  cases  at  pecuniary 
loss  to  themselves  no  doubt.  The  feeling,  however,  among 
provincial  horticulturists  is  that  in  the  composition  of  those 
Committees  the  metropolitan  trade  and  horticultural  interests  are 
excessively  represented  for  a  Society  whose  aim  and  scope  should 
'  be  national,  and  there  is  a  strong  desire  to  see  the  various  Com- 
