March  10,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
223 
is  left  to  the  inexperienced  hands  of  the  journeyman,  whose  duty  it  is  to 
grow  the  Chrysanthemums  from  beginning  t<)  end.  Nowadays  th^e  are 
exhibitors  who  expect  to  engage  a  youth  capable  of  cultivating  Chrys¬ 
anthemums  up  to  the  best  exhibition  form.  Need  we  wonder,  then,  if 
there  is  decline  in  some  of  the  sections,  especially  in  that  which  is  by  all 
admitted  to  be  the  more  difficult  to  produce  ? 
When  summing  up  the  causes  of  the  decline  of  this  once  popular 
flower  it  is  well  to  look  all  the  points  sternly  in  the  face  with  a  view  to 
remedy.  The  introduction  of  new  varieties  of  doubtful  character  is  all  in 
favour  of  a  decline  in  interest  in  the  section.  At  least  a  dozen  leading 
sorts  might  be  named  to  which  exception  can  easily  be  token.  There  is 
too  much  inconsistency  in  some  varieties  ever  to  make  them  sufficiently 
reliable  as  a  means  of  improving  those  whose  position  they  now  occupy. 
Many  growers  rely  so  much  on  mere  size  instead  of  recognising  quality 
as  a  first  step  towards  perfection.  It  does  not  require  a  wide  stretch  of 
imagination  to  compare  some  of  the  present  day  blossoms  wim  old 
Fingal,  for  instance,  which  1  regarded  little,  better  than  a  hedgehog  in 
appearance.  ,  ,  v  r  .i. 
I  now  come  to  the  cause  of  what  I  term  the  general  decline  of  the 
section  as  exhibition  flowers  for  decorative  purposes  and  as  a  type  of  the 
autumn  queen.  The  many  attractions  offered  by  the  more  recently 
introduced  Japanese  section  have  done  much  to  elbow  their  mo^  for¬ 
ward  rivals  out  of  public  favour.  I  am  not  surprised  at  this  change. 
What  an  immense  advantage  is  found  in  the  use  of  Japanese  Chrys¬ 
anthemums  for  purely  decorative  purposes  as  compared  to  other  sections 
generally,  but  especially  to  the  incurved  class.  The^  points  so  over¬ 
whelming  in  Japanese  are  so  well  known  that  there  is  little  need  to 
rename  them.  The  loose  feathery  appearance  of  the  blooms,  coupled 
with  such  infinite  variety  of  colour,  at  once  places  them  a  long 
ahead  of  their  opponents.  Worthy  of  emphasis,  too,  is  the  strength  of 
the  peduncle  of  nearly  all  Japanese  as  compared  with  many  incurved 
sorts.  Never  was  there  a  better  opportunity  of  comparing  the  value  of 
the  two  sections  as  decorative  objects  than  that  afforded  by  the  competition 
for  the  valuable  prizes  offered  at  the  last  autumn  exhibition  in  Edinburgh 
in  the  class  for  a  certain  number  of  blooms  on  long  stems  staged  in  vases. 
One  exhibitor  staged  a  mixture  of  incurved  and  J apanese.  The  former 
looked  too  “  lumpy  ”  to  be  pleasing,  while  representative  specimens  of  the 
latter  provided  many  enviable  features. 
If  we  compare  a  stated  number  of  plants  grown  on  what  is  known  as 
the  decorative  system — viz ,  plants  to  produce  blooms  in  quantity  then 
the  effect  is  still  worse,  as  the  peduncles  are  more  weakened  in  some 
varieties,  while  the  colour  diminishes  perceptibly  in  certain  sorts.  To 
sum  up  the  whole  case  in  as  short  a  sentence  as  possible,  the  incurved 
Chrysanthemum  is  irretrievably  on  the  decline. — E.  Molyneux. 
“THE  CHEMISTRY  OF  THE  GARDEN.”  * 
This  is  one  of  those  neat  little  pocket  primers  which  the  pubhshing 
firm  of  Macmillan  &  Co.  have  of  late  given  to  the  world  with  such 
good  results.  Like  its  red-covered  predecessors,  its  cost  is  the  ordinary 
shilling,  and  again  like  to  those  it  is  exceedingly  clear,  and,  ^  it  ought 
to  be,  almost  elementary  in  its  teachings.  The  author,  Mr.  H.  H.  Cousins, 
who  is  one  of  the  professors  of  the  South-Eastern  Agricultural  College, 
Wye,  Kent,  where  horticulture  is  also  keenly  studied,  seems  to  have  been 
touched  by  a  complaint  recently  made  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture,  that 
no  such  little  cheap  elementary  book  as  he  has  now  furnished  was  in 
publication.  Certainly  he  seems  to  have  filled  the  void  with  remarkable 
SUCCESS 
Naturally  the  primary  text  of  the  book  is  manuring,  or  plant  feeding  ; 
but  the  author  has  wisely,  though  briefly,  opened  with  a  chapter  on 
“  Plants  :  Their  Composition,  and  How  They  Grow  ;  ”  because  it  is  indis¬ 
pensable  that  the  student  reader,  be  he  professional  gardener  or  amateur, 
should  fully  understand  a  plant’s  requirements  ere  he  sets  about  feeding 
it.  This  little  excursion  into  plant  physiology  is  accompanied  with 
language  of  the  most  easily  understood  character,  being  devoid  of 
scientific  technicalities.  It  is  a  short  excursion,  which  should  whet  the 
minds  of  all  readers  for  a  much  longer  one,  into  a  theme  that  should  be 
for  all  gardeners  entrancing.  . 
Next  we  find  the  air,  and  the  part  it  plays  in  plant  production,  dealt 
with,  and  there  again  valuable  information  afforded,  because  many  culti¬ 
vators  ignoring  the  exceeding  importance  of  ainple  light  and  air  to  plants, 
neglect  the  furnishing  of  these  elements,  whilst  they  squander  money 
liberally  in  purchasing  good  or  bad  root  foods.  Mr.  Cousins  briefly  refers 
to  the  recognised  capacity  of  leguminous  plants  to  gather  nitrogen  from 
the  atmosphere  through  the  agency  of  root  nodules — a  matter  of  exceeding 
interest  to  know  ;  but  the  cultivator  also  recognises  the  fact  that  such 
faculty  is  greatly  helped  when  nitrogen,  associated  with  other  foods,  is 
applied  to  the  soil,  and  the  plants,  not  crowded,  have  ample  light  and  air. 
Ammonia,  so  often  found  floating  in  the  air  in  association  with  manure 
heaps,  is  so  much  waste  to  the  owner,  because  it  should  be  buried  in  the 
soil.  *Not  infrequently  falling  rains  wash  it  into  the  soils  of  others.  Still 
olfactory  evidence  of  its  presence  should  warn  all  concerned  that  waste  is 
^^^A^chapter  is  well  devoted  to  soils,  the  diverse  characters  of  which  are 
admirably  described.  Naturally  it  is  important  that  the  composition  of 
these  should  be  generally  understood  by  the  gardener,  if  only  in  an 
elementary  way.  The  author  regards  the  presence  of  chalk  in  the  soil 
as  a  most  vamable  ingredient,  but  he  goes  rather  far  when  he  asserts  that 
*  Macmillan  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  St.  Martin’s  Street,  London,  W.C. 
it  is  an  absolute  essential  to  fertility,  as  the  alluvial  deposits  of  the 
Thames  valley,  for  instance,  are  very  innocent  of  chalk,  yet  are  exceed¬ 
ingly  fertile.  All  the  same,  an  occasional  dressing  of  chalk  is  good,  but  in 
many  localities  the  material  has  to  be  furnished  by  means  of  occasional 
lime  dressings. 
Very  important  ipdeed  are  the  remarks  as  to  drainage  and  its  bearing 
on  soil  temperature.  This  is  a  simple  matter,  but  all  the  same  too  little 
understood  or  regarded.  The  presence  of  water  choking  air  passages 
signifies  cold,  because  it  is  so  long  before  the  moisture  can  be  evaporated 
and  warm  air  find  access.  Gardeners  ot  all  classes  so  fond  of  dabbing 
heavy  mulchings  of  manure  in  the  winter  over  the  roots  of  fruit  trees, 
Roses,  or  myriads  of  other  things  to  protect  from  frost — a  problematical 
benefit  if  the  manure  be  gross  and  wet— should  always  remove  these 
dressings  in  the  spring  that  the  sun  may  as  early  as  possible  warm  the 
soil,  and  thus  give  the  roots  active  and  healthy  stimulus.  Summer 
mulchings  applied  in  May  or  June  after  the  soil  has  become  well  warmed 
are  then  most  valuable. 
In  a  succeeding  chapter  the  author  asks  the  pertinent  question  as  to 
soils — “  What  is  fertility  ?  ”  and  proceeds  to  describe  it,  and  how  esti¬ 
mated  and  created.  He  is  here  a  little  hard  upon  some  of  the  nostrums 
put  into  commerce  with  such  glib  recommendations  by  well  paid  or 
interested  persons,  and  to  which  special  reference  is  not  here  needed. 
The  value  of  experimenting  with  various  manures,  true  and  false,  is 
urged ;  and,  indeed,  whilst  in  a  sense  few  may  find  the  product 
pecuniarily  profitable,  yet  very  much  valuable  experience  would  result. 
It  is  obvious,  however,  that  let  these  experiments  be  conducted  by  the 
most  learned  of  scientists,  or  otherwise,  they  have  no  value  whatever 
if  tainted  by  self-interest.  From  that  element  we  are  sure  the  Agricul¬ 
tural  College  at  Wye  is  entirely  free. 
Mr.  Cousins  evidently  regards  the  ash  or  burnt  produce  of  plants 
theory,  as  bearing  on  their  food  needs,  as  fallacious.  It  is  rather  hard  to 
have  comfortable  theories  of  this  nature  so  roughly  knocked  on  the  head, 
because  the  student  naturally  feels  that  for  his  belief  in  these  matters  it 
is  difficult  to  find  a  resting  place.  All  the  same,  it  is  the  dutv,  and  should 
be  the  mission  of  scientists  as  they  become  through  experience  wiser,  to 
knock  down  old  and  firmly  cherished  beliefs  of  still  older  scientists  without 
compunction  so  soon  as  found  to  be  fallacious.  Eventually  the  chapter  in 
our  little  primer  on  garden  chemistry  leads  up  to  the  heart  of  the  matter — 
manuring  ;  and  here  is  opened  a  subject  wide  enough  indeed,  and  abound¬ 
ing  with  interest,  but  yet  treated  in  so  simple  and  practical  a  way  that  he 
who  runs  almost  may  read  and  understand.  Animal,  green,  and  artificial 
manures,  their  compositions  and  adaptabilities,  are  very  fully  dealt 
with  ;  and  as  if  not  satisfied  with  conquering  that  matter,  Mr.  Cousins 
adds  a  few  chapters  on  garden  enemies,  and  the  way  in  which,  with  the 
aid  of  chemical  solutions  or  compounds,  these  may  be  kept  in  check  or 
exterminated. 
All  these  things  are,  however,  for  the  reader,  and  that  should  be 
every  gardener,  young  or  old,  professional  or  amateur,  in  the  kingdom. 
To  young  gardeners  especially  the  book  will  be  of  exceeding  value, 
because  it  will  furnish  them  with  abundant  matter  for  thought  as  well  as 
most  important  information.  Candidates  for  the  Royal  Horticultural 
examinations  will  find  it  a  copital  text  book,  and  it  is  in  some  respects 
more  clear  and  up  to  date  than  are  the  rather  costly  books  by  assumed 
superior  authorities  so  often  recommended.  I  notice  with  special  pleasure 
that  the  author  in  relation  to  spraying  fruit  trees  and  Potatoes  recom¬ 
mends  parish  councils  to  obtain  spraying  outfits  for  local  use.  I  have 
often  advised  this,  and  gone  farther  and  urged  that  local  authorities  should 
have  compulsory  powers  to  use  these  in  any  place  so  soon  as  evidence  of 
need  for  their  employment  was  furnished. 
This  instructive  and  essentially  useful  primer  has  been  edited  by  Mr. 
.1.  Wright,  whose  aid  the  author  generously  acknowledges,  and  an  equal 
blending  of  science  with  practice  in  gardening  is  not,  so  far  as  I  know, 
elsewhere  to  be  found  at  the  price. — A.  D. 
Kew  Bulletin. — The  November  issue  of  this  publication,  which 
has  just  come  to  band,  is  almost  wholly  devoted  to  a  report  of  the 
proceedings  of  the  West  Indian  Royal  Commission.  The  inquiry  has 
apparently  been  an  exhaustive  one,  and  has  evidently  been  conducted 
with  care.  The  Commissioners  were  Sir  H.  W.  Norman,  Sir  Edward 
Grey,  Bart.,  and  Sir  David  Barbour,  K.C.S.I.,  who  were  accompanied 
by  D.  Morris,  Esq..  D.Sc.,  C.M.G.,  Assistant  Director  of  Kew  Gardens 
as  botanical  adviser.  The  concluding  observations  of  the  Commissioners 
are: — “We  cannot  close  our  report  without  expressing  our  strong 
sympathy  with  the  planters,  who  have  struggled  against  very  adverse 
circumstances  to  maintain  the  sugar  industry,  and  with  the  very  numerous 
persons  who  depend  directly  or  indirectly  upon  that  industry,  and 
have  severely  suffered  from  its  decay.  Among  the  latter  we  would  include 
not  only  the  labourers,  but  many  of  different  races  and  a  higher  social 
class,  who,  as  clerks,  overseers,  artisans,  tradesmen,  or  in  professional 
vocations,  have  been  impoverished  by  the  depression  in  sugar.  Our  own 
task  has  been  of  a  discouraging  nature.  Our  duty  has  been  to  inquire 
into  the  condition  of  a  depressed  and  failing  industry,  and  to  consider 
if  any  means  are  possible  for  restoring  and  maintaining  the  prosperity 
of  those  colonies  that  depend  upon  it,  and,  in  any  case,  to  suggest  the 
establishment  of  other  industries  which  might  supplement  the  cultivation 
of  sugar  cane,  and,  in  case  of  need,  provide  means  of  subsistence  for  the 
people.  Our  conclusions  will,  no  doubt,  disappoint  many  who  have  looked 
for  some  immediate  and  substantial  relief,  but,  with  the  most  sincere 
wish  to  do  all  in  our  power  to  help  the  West  Indian  community,  we 
have  not  felt  ourselves  able  to  make  other  recommendations  than  those 
which  we  now  humbly  submit  for  your  Majesty’s  gracious  consideration.” 
