March  31,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
281 
-  Bees  and  Hepatic  as. — Your  note  to  my  observation  regarding 
Hepatica  angulosa  major  leads  me  to  say  that  I  have  not  observed  be'es 
frequenting  the  Hepaticas.  At  this  season  their  attention  is  greatly  given 
to  the  Scillas,  Chionodoras,  Crocuses  and  Daffodils,  with  the  white  Arabis 
and  purple  Aubrietias,— A.  Hakdiman. 
-  Jersey  Gardeners. — The  tone  of  the  annual  report  of  the 
Society  of  Jersey  Gardeners  is  most  pleasing.  The  three  shows  that 
were  held  in  1897  were  very  successful,  while  the  list  of  members 
increased  materially.  The  balance-sheet  shows  a  satisfactory  condition 
of  affairs.  Three  shows  were  arranged  for  this  year,  one  of  which 
was  held  on  the  24th  inst.  The  summer  exhibition  will  be  held  on 
July  27th  and  28th,  the  Chrysanthemum  one  on  November  9th  and 
10th.  The  Hon.  Secretary  is  Mr.  .J.  M.  Gibbs,  Spring  Bank,  Valley 
des  Vaux,  Jersey. 
-  Sweet  Peas. — A  row,  whether  long  or  short,  of  Sweet  Peas 
is  desirable  in  most  gardens.  Failing  rows,  several  patches  in  a  flower 
border  will  provide  excellent  material  for  cutting.  Sweet  Peas  remain 
in  a  flowering  condition  for  a  long  period  providing  they  have  good  soil  to 
grow  in  and  have  copious  supplies  of  water  at  the  roots  in  dry  weather.  A 
further  aid  to  continued  flowering  is  to  pick  off  all  the  seed  pods  as  soon 
as  seen  if  the  flowers  are  not  closely  cut.  Named  varieties  in  special 
colours  are  numerous,  but  a  sowing  of  mixed  varieties  is  serviceable  for 
general  purposes. — S. 
-  Mint. — In  response  to  “  H.  S.’s  ’  inquiry  (page  239),  respecting 
the  manuring  of  Mint,  I  would  remark  that  I  experienced  a  similar  result 
some  two  years  ago.  I  applied  a  thick  coating  of  manure,  composed 
chiefly  of  vegetable  refuse  mixed  with  coal  ashes  in  a  fairly  decayed 
condition,  when,  to  my  surprise,  in  the  following  summer  the  whole  of 
the  long  established  bed  was  destroyed,  excepting  round  the  edge  where 
the  manure  was  very  thinly  spread  or  not  applied.  I  had  never  known 
or  heard  of  a  similar  occurrence  before,  and  I  thought  it  possible  that  the 
dressing  was  not  suflSciently  decomposed. — W.  G.,  Birmingham, 
-  Early  Cauliflowebs. — Early  Cauliflowers  are  much  prized, 
hence  most  kitchen  gardeners  make  an  early  sowing  in  pans  or  boxes 
under  glass  in  February  or  early  March,  following  with  another  sowing 
about  the  present  time.  The  young  seedlings,  properly  hardened  and 
kept  sturdy,  should  be  pricked  out  in  a  frame  on  a  slight  hotbed,  but 
they  will  do  very  well  without  bottom  heat  if  placed  in  good  soil  with  a 
layer  of  rotted  manure  beneath  them.  This  assists  them  to  make  rapid 
growth,  and  provides  something  which  the  roots  will  tenaciously  hold, 
which  is  most  desirable  when  planting  out  Anally.  Good  heads  may  be 
obtained  in  July  from  the  latter  sowing,  Sutton’s  First  Crop  is  a  good 
variety.— E.  D.  S. 
-  Wood  Pulp  for  Paper, — The  requirements  of  the  paper 
trade,  according  to  a  paper  read  recently  before  the  Society  of  ArtI,  are 
likely  to  become  a  great  drain  upon  the  forests  of  Scandinavia,  the  United 
States,  and  Canada.  Judging,  says  a  contemporary,  from  the  present 
rate  of  increase,  the  quantity  of  wood  required  will,  before  long,  assume 
enormous  proportions.  It  was  estimated  a  few  years  ago  that  in  the 
United  States  of  America  alone  .500,000,000  cubic  feet  of  timber  were 
consumed  annually,  representing  the  destruction  of  100,000  acres  of  forest. 
It  was  also  estimated  that  each  day  the  “New  York  World”  consumed 
timber  equal  to  7  acres  of  an  average  forest.  The  world’s  timber  suitable 
for  paper-making  is  not  inexhaustible,  and  we  may  some  day  be  in  a 
position  in  regard  to  wood  as  this  country  was  at  the  end  of  the  last 
century  in  regard  to  the  supplies  of  rags. 
-  Sweet  Violets. — As  Violets  are  much  in  evidence  along  the 
London  thoroughfares,  writes  a  correspondent,  the  following  incident  may 
be  of  interest.  I  was  in  a  chemist’s  shop  when  a  coster  girl  entered  with 
a  large  basket  of  Violets  and  set  it  on  the  floor.  I  bought  a  bunch,  and 
then  noticed  the  chemist’s  assistant  pass  a  small  glass  phial  to  the  girl, 
the  contents  of  which  she  emptied  into  the  basket.  “Tricks  of  trade,” 
said  the  chemist  with  a  smile,  while  the  merchant  gave  him  a  look  of 
sly  humour  from  under  her  hat.  “What  was  that  she  bought?”  I 
asked.  “  A  penn’orth  of  wood  violet,”  he  replied.  “  Those  French 
Violets  don’t  smell.  They  rest  on  moist  moss  in  the  basket,  and  the 
moist  moss  absorbs  the  perfume.  That  penn’orth  will  sell  the  basket.” 
Then  he  told  me  that  a  “penn’orth”  of  musk  perfume  was  used  to 
improve  the  selling  qualitj  of  pots  of  Musk,  and  that  he  had  had  a 
hawker  similarly  ask  ;  “  A  penn’orth  of  white  rose,  guv’nor.”  As  I 
went  away  I  figured  to  my  mind  an  old  lady  bending  over  that  basket 
in  response  to  the  merchant’s  observation  :  “Fresh,  ma’am  ?  Just  smell 
for  yourself.” 
CHARACTER  UNDER  CANVAS. 
Philosophers  and  - . 
There  must  be  something  soothing  in  the  word  “  philosophy,” 
judging  by  the  way  it  is  hugged  and  fondled.  It  presents  itself  as  a 
sort  of  infant  phenomenon,  prepared  at  a  momeni,’s  notice  to  be  cast 
for  any  part,  to  the  joy  and  pride  of  its  affectionate  parent.  But  as 
in  the  talented  company  of  Mr.  Vincent  Crummies,  the  unhappy  player 
whom  fate  always  flung  into  the  same  piece  as  the  phenomenon  grew 
deadly  tired  of  the  association,  so  possibly  in  the  band  of  players  who 
appear  before  the  delectable  audiences  at  the  Horticultural  Theatre  there 
may  be  one  or  two  who  are  weary  of  so  much  “  philosophy,”  and  pine 
for  plain  common  sense. 
The  worst  of  philosophy  is  its  irresistible  attraction  for  many  excel¬ 
lent  and  worthy  persons,  who  like  plain  work  but  cannot  bring  themselves 
to  call  it  by  a  plain  name.  Thus,  when  I  start  out  to  tilt  at  “  philosophy” 
I  may  be  unjustly  suspected  of  tilting  at  men  for  whom  I  have  nothing 
but  admiration  and  respect.  The  philosopher  who  at  the  core  is  a  true, 
sensible,  honest  soul  gets  mixed  up  with  the  large  and  increasing  number 
aping  the  same  name,  whose  voices  are  getting  noisier  in  the  world  every 
day,  yet  whose  heads  are  either  empty  or  inflated.  The  sooner  we  make 
up  our  minds  to  call  plain  things  plain  names — when  we  learn  to  modify 
art  and  content  ourselves  with  craft,  to  let  common  sense  be  our  guide 
instead  of  philosophy — the  sooner  we  shall  be  in  a  position  to  say  that 
we  are  sure  of  our  company.  A  good  craftsman  is  better  than  a  bad 
artist ;  a  sound  gardener  can  give  useful  lessons  to  any  philosopher. 
Passing  to  character  under  canvas  at  gardening  exhibitions.  The 
man  who,  in  the  disappointment  of  a  defeat,  hurls  a  torrent  of  abuse  at 
the  judges,  represents  human  nature  let  loose  that  is  a  little  unreasonable 
and  a  little  vulgar,  but  still  something  that  can  be  reckoned  with  and, 
with  tact,  controlled.  On  the  whole,  I  respect  the  much-maligned  “  bad 
loser  ”  rather  more  than  the  good  one.  It  will  be  a  bad  thing  for 
Britain  when  her  sons  all  learn  to  take  a  thrashing  “philosophically.” 
Parliamentary  proceedings  have  been  enlivened  of  late  by  a 
discussion  —  and  this  is  where  the  dash  comes  in  —  on  “  scallywags,” 
and  it  has  been  elicited  that  the  species  known  under  this  interest¬ 
ing  name  is  usually  the  best  fighter.  He  breaks  bounds,  derides 
discipline,  and  goes  on  generally  in  a  way  not  approved  in  polite  military 
circles  ;  but  when  a  bit  of  hot  work  crops  up  there  he  is  in  the  van,  laying 
about  him  with  gusto.  So  the  Army  loves  its  scallywags,  although  it 
chastens  them.  In  the  same  waj’,  perhaps,  the  broad-minded  horticul¬ 
tural  judge  has  a  sneaking  respect  for  the  noisy  exhibitor  whom  defeat  in 
the  Grape  class  excites  to  angry  reflections  on  the  practical  knowledge  of 
the  gentlemen  who  have  “  plucked  ”  him. 
But  the  philosopher  in  the  tent  is  a  different  animal.  He  is  not 
exactly  human  nature,  and  the  less  human  nature  there  is  in  a  man  the 
more  difficult  it  is  to  know  how  to  manage  him.  Occasionally  he  is 
genuine.  When  he  expresses  open  satisfaction  with  the  judging  and 
resignation  to  his  defeat  he  means  it ;  but  far  more  often  the  philosophic 
outpourings  are  a  cloak  to  something  else.  He  is  one  of  those  who  hold 
with  the  cynic  that  language  is  given  to  conceal  thoughts  ;  to  bottle  up 
for  the  time  being,  and  uncork  when  the  judge  is  safely  departed  and 
unable  to  defend  himself  against  the  insinuated  charges  of  incompetence 
and  favouritism.  This  philosopher  of  the  tented  field  knows  how  and 
when  to  strike  ;  he  chooses  his  time  with  patience,  but  when  an  open 
fight  comes  he  gets  behind  the  scallywag. 
There  is  another  philosopher  to  be  fought  shy  of,  and  that  is  the 
exhibitor  who  gives  disinterested  advice  and  assistance  to  rivals.  He, 
too,  is  geniiine  at  times,  and  nothing  is  finer  than  to  see  good  sportsman¬ 
ship  holding  sway  ;  would  there  were  more  of  it.  But  not  infrequently  the 
kind  adviser  has  a  thought  for  himself.  There  is  a  true  story,  known 
only  to  a  select  few,  of  two  neighbouring  gardeners  who  were  competing 
with  others  in  a  class  for  a  collection  of  vegetables  very  early  in  the 
season.  Just  on  the  verge  of  setting  up,  one  of  the  two  discovered  that 
he  had  a  dish  too  many.  What  was  to  be  left  out?  He  had  to  decide 
on  the  spur  of  the  moment,  and  he  was  not  strong  enough  to  rise  to  the 
occasion.  Happily  he  had  his  friend  beside  him,  and  that  noble  indi¬ 
vidual,  with  a  self-abnegation  worthy  of  the  highest  admiration, 
philosophically  consented  to  give  a  piece  of  impartial  advice.  Critically 
Buxweying  the  collection,  he  pounced  on  a  dish  of  French  Beans.  Not 
know  what  to  take  out !  Look  at  those  wretched  Beans,  and  think  again  ! 
The  unhappy  exhibitor  fell  into  the  snare  and  threw  out  the  dish.  He 
would  have  thrown  the  philosopher  somewhere  if  he  had  caught  him  after 
the  award  was  made,  for  the  kind  adviser  was  first,  and  proudly  boasted 
of  the  ingenious  way  in  which  he  had  induced  his  most  dangerous 
rival  to  get  rid  of  his  strongest  dish. 
There  is  a  gay  and  humorous  philosopher  in  a  certain  district  who  is 
noted  for  his  smiling  cheerfulness  under  all  variations  of  the  judicial 
barometer.  When  it  is  at  set  fair  he  smiles,  when  it  is  at  unsettled  he 
smiles,  when  it  is  at  stormy  he  smiles.  He  is  popular  with  judges 
because  he  never  abuses  them,  but  on  the  contrary  always  expresses  his 
perfect  confidence  in  them.  Like  the  heathen  Chinee  he  is  ever  child¬ 
like  and  bland.  He  thinks  confidence  begets  confidence.  He  uses  very 
large  name  cards  for  all  his  exhibits,  and  he  consistently  attaches  them^  to 
the  worst  specimens  in  the  various  dishes.  Extract  the  huge  pin  which 
secures  the  card,  remove  the  latter,  and  a  disease  patch  or  other  blemish 
is  laid  bare.  But  the  philosopher  still  smiles.  He  is  caught  for  once, 
but  he  hopes  for  better  luck  next  time— and  another  judge.  As  for  the 
judge  himself,  he  sighs  for  the  scallywag. — W .  Fea. 
