196 
.roun:<^AL  of  horticulture  and  cottage  gardener. 
March  3,  1898. 
many  other  things  have  kept  them  poor,  but  probably  they  have  used 
their  influence  with  others,  and  been  the  means  of  obtaining  donations 
from  them,  directly  or  indirectly  to  the  charity.  I  consider  such  men 
more  worthy  of  support  than  the  man  who  says,  “I  have  given  £5  and 
expect  the  pension  of  £20  for  it  to  the  exclusion  of  those  who  have  never 
been  able  to  subscribe,  "  because  the  “benevolence”  of  the  man  nho  gives 
£5  in  the  full  hope  and  expectation  of  having  it  returned  a  thousandfold 
is  pure  selflshness.  This  strictly  applies  to  those  over  sixty  j-ears  of  age. 
How  long  could  an  institution  exist  if  it  were  dependant  on  such  sub¬ 
scribers  I  I  do  not  say  this  out  of  any  selfish  motive,  as  I  have  long  ago 
passed  that  harbour  of  refuge,  “  The  Gardeners’  Koyal  Benevolent 
Institution,”  and  sailed  into  a  safer  port,  and  am  writing  purely  in  the 
interests  of  gardeners  and  their  institution. 
I  must  say  “A.  D.”  has  so  far  failed  to  justify  his  words  “  a  sham,” 
or  to  suggest  any  practical  improvement  on  the  present  method  of 
election.  His  “  stamp  and  number  in  red  ink  "’  would  give  extra  work, 
and  the  book  he  speaks  of  must  reveal  the  names,  therefore  what  benefit 
would  it  be  .''  As  to  his  remark  on  page  146,  “to  be  used  in  bundles 
for  making  certain  candidates  safe,”  it  is  not  worthy  of  comment.  I  have 
looked  in  vain  through  the  last  two  or  three  years'  lists  of  subscribers  to 
find  out  how'  long  your  critical  correspondent  has  been  a  subscriber,  and 
how  many  annual  meetings  he  could  have  attended,  so  as  to  justify  him 
in  calling  them  sham  ones.  Will  he  inform  us  ?  I  have  for  some  years 
contributed  to  and  been  a  supporter  of  several  institutions^ — one  in 
particular,  that  gives  away  more  money  in  one  year  than  the  Gardeners’ 
Benevolent  is  possessed  of.  The  voting  is  conducted  in  precisely  the  same 
way,  with  the  usual  signature  as  a  guarantee  of  its  genuineness,  but  we 
enjoy  the  privileges  of  exchanging  votes— men’s  for  women's,  boys'  for 
girls',  or  aged  for  juveniles,  and  vice-versa,  and  never  have  the  slightest 
complaint ;  and  this  has  been  practised  in  the  Institution  perhaps  long 
before  “  A.  D.”  was  born.  I  consider  those  who  complain  of  this  system 
do  it  either  because  they  have  had  little  experience  in  the  management  of 
charities,  or  for  the  sake  of  a  form  of  mental  exercise  which  is  not 
calculated  to  assist  the  Institution  in  any  way. — J.  Olleehead. 
MINT. 
Speakmint,  Peppermint,  and  Pennyroyal  are  species  of  Mentha, 
belonging  to  the  natural  order  Labiate.  They  are  hardy  perennials, 
and  all  natives  of  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa,  but  are  chiefly  grown  in 
this  country,  their  aromatic  leaves  being  of  great  service.  The  Spear¬ 
mint  or  garden  Mint  is  tvell  known  and  appreciated  during  early  spring 
and  summer  for  its  cirlinary  uses.  There  is  in  most  establishments  a 
regular  daily  demand  for  fre.sh  Mint,  especially  w’hen  early  Potatoes  and 
green  Peas  are  to  be  obtained. 
Peppermint  is  cultivated  for  medicinal  purposes.  The  leaves  or  young 
stems  may  be  gathered  and  tea  made  of  them  with  boiling  water,  but  the 
chief  use  of  Peppermint  is  to  form  a  strong  liquid,  which  is  obtained  by 
distillation.  The  stems  are  gathered  when  in  flower  for  this  purpose. 
Pennyroyal  is  gathered  and  dried,  then  stored  away  for  use  in  bottles 
or  paper  bags.  One  variety  of  Pennyroyal  named  Mentha  pnlegium 
gibraltaricum  was  formerly  used  frequently  in  carpet  bedding,  proving 
very  useful  for  forming  edgings  of  green,  compact  growth  and  foliage, 
dividing  lines  and  groundwork,  but  a  similar  plant  in  growth,  and  hardier, 
has  taken  its  place — namely,  Herniaria  glabra. 
Spear  or  garden  Mint  requires  a  little  systematic  cultivation  in  ordinary 
moist  soil.  In  dry  soils  and  positions  the  roots  dwindle  away.  It  forms 
underground  rhizomes,  which  are  constantly  extending  from  their  original 
position,  so  that  a  bed  of  Mint  requires  replanting  after  a  lapse  of  several 
years.  When  the  soil  is  fairly  rich  and  moist  Mint  will  succeed  in  a 
position  either  partially  shady  or  sunny.  The  present  time  is  a  suitable 
period  to  break  up  an  exhausted  bed.  Select  young  rhizomes  found 
on  the  outside,  and  plant  them  2  inches  deep  in  rows  8  to  10  inches 
apart. 
After  planting,  a  slight  mulch  of  decayed  manure  will  be  beneficial 
in  preventing  rapid  drying  of  the  soil  ;  but  should  the  weather  prove  to 
be  very  dry  in  the  early  part  of  the  summer,  applications  of  water  will  be 
necessary.  Another  method  of  establishing  a  bed  of  Mint  is  to  cut  young 
shoots  when  about  4  inches  long,  including  a  portion  of  the  stem  below 
the  soil.  Plant  at  once  in  rows  8  to  10  inches  apart,  the  cuttings  or 
offsets  being  inserted  about  6  inches  asunder.  These  duly  watered  and 
kept  fresh  will  soon  become  established  April  or  early  in  May  is  a 
suitable  time  to  carry  out  this.  Keep  the  bed  clear  of  weeds  in  summer. 
In  September  growth  will  be  completed,  when  the  stems  may  be  cut  off 
close  to  the  soil. 
Tor  drying  purposes  the  stems  should  be  cut  when  the  flowers  first 
appear.  After  the  stems  have  been  cleared  off  in  autumn  it  is  a  good 
plan  to  dress  or  mulch  the  bed  with  a  layer  of  manure,  which  will  not 
only  afford  nutriment  to  the  roots,  but  give  a  tidy  appearance.  Mint  is 
easily  forced  by  lifting  clumps  of  roots,  placing  in  a  box,  and  covering 
wuth  soil,  which  must  be  kept  moist.  A  temperature  of  50“  to  G0“  will 
bring  it  on.  The  culture  of  Peppermint  is  practically  the  same. 
Pennyroyal  is  a  close  growing  low  herb.  It  is  propagated  by  division, 
which  is  best  carried  out  in  March  or  April.  Plant  the  divisions  4  to 
6  inches  apart  in  rows  10  inches  asunder.  In  a  short  time  the  bed  will 
be  a  compact  mass  of  growth.  The  carpet  bedding  variety  should  be 
planted  closer,  so  as  to  fill  up  the  spaces  between  as  soon  as  ])ossible.  In 
situations  where  the  plants  are  subject  to  damp  in  winter  it  is  advisable 
to  establish  a  few  vigorous  roots  in  a  cold  frame,  dividing  and  replanting 
these  in  April. — E.  D.  S. 
AFTER  FORCING. 
How  to  force,  when  to  force,  and  what  to  force  are  subjects  frequently 
dealt  with,  and  generally  this  is  the  end  of  the  matter  as  far  as  the  scribe 
is  concerned.  Once  the  plant  is  in  flower  his  end  is  accomplished,  and 
having  detailed  the  routine  of  treatment  up  to  this  important  point, 
reminders  as  to  the  after  care  are  invariably  omitted.  It  must  not  be  so, 
however,  with  the  gardener  who  has  to  produce  an  annual  supply  of  cut 
flowers  during  the  early  months  of  the  year,  and  in  many  cases  without 
being  able  to  give  large  orders  to  fill  the  demand.  A  gardener  so  situated, 
and  there  are  many  of  them,  must  think  of  the  future,  and  so  tend  his 
early  spring  flowering  plants  that  he  can  rely  on  them  for  the  next  season. 
It  would,  perhaps,  be  wrong  to  make  a  charge  of  waste  against  the 
fraternity  in  this  respect,  but  undoubtedly  a  want  of  care  exists  in  many 
cases,  and  forced  plants,  after  flowering,  are  frequently  draited  from  a 
heated  house  to  the  contrasting  conditions  of  outdoor  temperature,  and 
the  result  is  disastrous. 
So  energetic  are  our  continental  neighbours  in  providing  for  our  horti¬ 
cultural  wants  that  the  quantity  of  Azaleas,  Khododendrons,  Deutzias, 
and  other  hardwooded  flowering  plants  annually  sent  to  this  country  for 
forcing  purposes  is  simply  amazing,  and  the  question  asked  is,  "What 
becomes  of  them  all  !  These  plants  for  the  most  part  are  healthy  specimens, 
well  furnished  with  buds  and,  having  bloomed,  are  in  a  condition  to  make 
healthy  growth,  which,  if  properly  cared  for,  means  flowers  for  the  future. 
Do  they  always  get  this  care  t  Perhaps  so  in  many  instances,  but  in 
others  they  do  not,  and,  having  been  forced  once,  they  sink  into  insignifi¬ 
cance,  and  if  considered  worthy  of  so  much  attention  they  may  probably 
be  seen  a  few  seasons  afterw'ards  attempting  to  expand  a  few  solitary 
blossoms  on  the  outskirts  of  a  shrubbery.  It  is  not  always  policy  to  be 
anxious  about  peeping  behind  the  scenes,  particularly  in  a  garden ;  but 
when  such  is  the  case,  and  you  see  in  the  out-of-the-way  depository  for 
such  things  groups  of  recently^  forced  plants  with  their  tender  unmatured 
growths  bowing  to  the  frost  or  ruthless  wind,  their  pitiable  appearance 
strikes  you,  and  there  lies  the  solution  of  the  query  as  to  what  becomes 
of  so  many  of  the  imported  plants. 
There  is  another  side  to  the  question,  of  course,  and  a  more  pleasing 
one.  It  is  to  be  found  in  establishments  where  plants  are  forced  largely 
or  otherwise,  but  with  a  thought  to  their  future  utility.  Bloom  is  the 
main  point,  and  that  over  groAvth  takes  precedence,  for  it  is  on  this  that 
future  usefulness  depends.  There  is  no  instant  banishment  -  to  the 
depository  outdoors,  there  to  live  or  die  as  the  case  may  be,  but  a  fosterjng 
of  the  plants  to  produce  young  shoots,  followed  by  the  hardening  process, 
and  then  a  place  in  the  nursery  plot  or  elsewhere  until  their  turn  comes 
round  again.  Rhododendrons,  Azalea  mollis,  Spir^as,  Staphyleas,  Lilacs, 
and  a  host  of  others,  will  amply  repay  for  the  care  bestowed  upon  them. 
There  is  no  plant  more  readily  forced,  or  more  pleasing  in  that  condi¬ 
tion,  than  the  old  Deutzia  gracilis,  first  when  its  long  branches,  covered 
with  snowy  unopened  buds,  strongly  resemble  the  half-developed  bells  of 
Lily  of  the  Valley,  and  then  afterwards  when  the  buds  open  wide  and  the 
plant  presents  a  mass  of  white  purity.  Many  establishments  possess 
stock  specimens  of  Deutzia,  which  season  after  season  are  forced,  and 
never  fail  to  produce  long  flower-covered  branches  ;  and  on  the  other 
hand  plants  of  stunted  growth  are  often  seen  only  producing  a  tithe  of  the 
flowers.  The  contrast  is  caused  by  the  difference  of  treatment  after  the 
blooming  period,  for  it  is  then  that  care  is  necessary.  The  forcing  for 
flowers  also  forces  growth,  and  that  growth  must  be  cared  for.  From  the 
base  of  the  plants  long  green  branches  spring  up,  and  after  blooming  the 
old  wood  should  be  cut  away  to  make  room  for  the  new,  applying  liquid 
manure  to  feed  them,  and  keeping  the  plants  in  a  warm  humid  tempera¬ 
ture  to  encourage  their  extension.  After  that,  removal  to  a  cooler 
structure  in  order  to  harden  them,  and  later  on  a  position  outdoors  in  the 
summer  sunshine  to  effectually  ripen  them.  There  is  not  much  in  it  after 
all.  It  is  only  the  attention  that  is  due  to  the  plants,  but  if  given  at  the 
proper  time,  and  with  care  in  potting  and  watering,  the  Deutzias  of  this 
season  will  bloom  as  well  next  and  for  many  years  to  come  until  they  will 
become  to  be  as  they  veritably  are  in  some  gardens — old  friends.  Every 
gardener  who  is  expected  to  supply  cut  flowers  early  in  the  year  will 
testify  to  the  usefulness  of  a  number  of  well-grown  Deutzias  that  can  be 
relied  on,  and  it  is  apparent  that  the  failure,  which  is  by  no  means 
uncommon,  to  obtain  an  annual  supply  of  bloom  from  the  same  plants  is 
due  to  want  of  care  after  forcing. 
Spirsea  japonica  is  another  plant  of  the  common  order,  yet  rve  cannot 
dispense  with  it  for  forcing  purposes,  nor  would  we  do  so,  as  there  is 
nothing  to  take  its  place.  Any  plant  of  hardy  and  accommodating 
nature  is  sure  to  be  abused,  and  Spirma  japonica  is  a  case  in  point,  as 
frequently  it  is  either  forced  to  death  or  after  blooming  the  first  time 
it  is  bundled  outside  to  make  room  for  something  else,  without  a  care  for 
its  future  welfare.  The  one  extreme  is  as  bad  as  the  other.  There  are 
establishments  where  the  forcing  order  is  a  regular  thing  to  be  given 
every  autumn,  and  in  some  such  gardens  the  question  of  after  care  is 
only  of  minor  importance.  In  other  gardens  the  same  plants  must  do 
duty  again,  and  the  Spiraeas  have  to  be  so  arranged  that  the  roots 
forced  this  year  shall  be  divided  and  rested  next  to  come  in  for  active 
service  the  season  following.  A  Spiraea  when  in  bloom  in  a  pot  is  a 
handsome  specimen,  and  as  such  is  admired.  Surely,  then,  it  is  worth 
the  after  care  it  demands.  It  is  not  much,  only  a  few  weeks  in  a  warm 
house,  with  plenty  ot  water,  then  a  gradual  hardening,  and  finally 
dividing,  if  necessary,  and  planting  in  the  nursery  quarter.  This,  with  a 
little  management  so  that  the  same  clumps  are  not  forced  in  successive 
seasons,  and  Spiraea  japonica  becomes  a  useful  and  permanent  part  of  the 
forcing  stock  in  trade. 
