April  7,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
311 
Esq.  For  six  clumps  of  Lily  of  the  Valley  Mr.  Carling  was  invincible 
in  a  strong  competition.  Mr.  Finch  won  with  Mignonette  and  table 
plants.  Mr.  Harrison,  gardener  to  Mrs.  W.  G.  Bateson,  Allerton,  had 
four  floriferous  Azalea  mollis,  and  H.  H.  Hammond,  Esq.,  one.  Bouquets 
were  well  done,  Mr.  J.  Williams  winning.  ^Mr.  Field  won  the  last  of  the 
list  with  six  Freesias.  The  Chairman, ^r.  Foster  ;  Vice-Chairman,  Mr, 
Mercer  ;  Secretaries,  Messrs.  Dickson  and  Sadler,  and  the  Committee 
(staging)  were  prompt  and  courteous  in  their  duties,  whilst  the  music 
supplied  by  Mr.  C.  A.  Black’s  orchestra  was  of  the  highest  class. 
THE  YOUNG  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
An  Appeal. 
Thank  you,  “  Old  Boy,”  for  your  vigilance  over  us  youngsters,  and 
for  your  reminder  of  our  apathy.  I  have  read  your  article  on  page  226 
several  times,  and  the  more  I  think  it  over  the  more  is  its  depth  of 
meaning  impressed  on  me.  Wake  up  young  gardeners  of  Britain,  let 
us  not  be  threatened  with  the  “  veto  ”  on  our  “  Domain.”  Do  we  know, 
can  we  foresee,  what  being  contributors  to  the  Journal  may  mean  for  us 
in  the  long  run  ?  I  think  not,  or  we  should  be  more  energetic  in  our 
endeavours,  not  only  at  self-improvement,  but  by  taking  the  opportunity 
here  offered  us. 
Speaking  of  self-improvement,  I  often  envy  the  lot  of  the  young 
gardener  who  may  be  near  a  town,  or  where  he  may  have  the  chance  of 
attending  a  series  of  lectures  on  horticulture.  I  think  they  have  an 
advantage  over  those  who  are  far  away  in  the  country,  as  myself,  where 
there  is  no  opportunity  offered  for  such,  and  the  wish  is  never  gratified. 
In  this  case  we  should  study  our  garden  papers  and  literature  pertaining 
to  horticulture  more  assiduously,  so  that  we  may  compete  with  our  more 
favoured  compeers  ;  study  the  writings  of  other  men,  and  take  the  leaf 
from  their  book.  I  often  notice  shorthand  mentioned  as  being  necessary 
for  a  young  gardener,  but  for  myself  I  cannot  yet  see  its  utility.  There 
are  other  subjects  we  could  study  with  greater  advantage  to  ourselves. 
Alas  !  how  many  young  gardeners  of  to-day  are  barely  acquainted  with 
the  primary  subjects  of  elementary  education?  Through  perhaps  no 
fault  of  theirs,  they  were  not  fortunate  enough  to  receive  much  schooling. 
But  there  is  a  course  open.  Take  the  opportunity  of  attending  a  con¬ 
tinuation  school,  and  in  what  place,  however  remote,  is  there  not  one  of 
these  carried  on  ?  You  who  are  unluckily  so  placed  take  the  chance, 
never  mind  what  the  world  says  ;  fear  not  in  showing  your  shortcomings, 
you  will  overcome  them  by  persevering  study,  and  may  come  out  victors 
at  the  last.  There  is  nothing  to  lose,  and  much  to  gain.  Our  faults 
are  leniently  dealt  with.  Our  Editor  must  be  very  patient  with  us,  or 
he  would  not  forbear  as  he  does.  We  need  fear  no  harsh  criticism, 
and  as  for  fearing  jokes  from  our  bothy  associates,  that  can  easily 
be  avoided  by  a  nom  de  plume. 
Let  us  hope  the  next  time  ‘‘  Old  Boy  ”  occupies  our  “  Domain  ”  it  may 
be  with  praises  to  us.  We  should  be  ashamed  of  ourselves  to  have  come 
to  this.  As  for  those  half  dozen  bright  pens,  whoever  they  may  be,  let 
them  strive  on,  work  on,  make  it  their  object,  as  I  intend  making  it  mine, 
to  be  invited  to  leave  “  The  Domain  ”  and  enter  the  arena,  where  they 
may  cope  with  any  friendly  antagonist,  and  not  come  off  second  best. 
Then,  as  “  Old  Boy  ”  sees  our  names  taken  from  the  page,  may  he  indeed 
know  that  his  seeds  have  fallen  on  good  ground,  grown,  borne  fruit,  and 
will  continue  so  to  the  end. — Sempee. 
A  SCKIBBLE  ON  SCIENCE  AND  PeACTICE. 
My  conscience  has  been  stirred  by  the  comments  of  “  A  Ypung  Scot  ” 
and  others,  so  I  venture  a  scribble.  The  gardener  with  the  above 
synonym  brought  to  my  mind  by  his  energetic  epistle  (page  247),  a 
subject  which  I  have  often  thought  about.  We  may  have  noticed  that 
there  are  different  kinds  of  gardeners — I  mean  as  regards  their  energy  and 
aims. 
I  was,  at  one  time,  deeply  impressed  by  the  scarcity  of  the  thoughtful 
and  (may  I  venture  it)  scientific  class  of  gardeners,  and  although  I  am 
still  sensible  of  the  scarcity  of  that  class,  I  am  more  aware  of  its  growth. 
Indeed,  in  some  circles,  I  find  that  the  scientific  side  of  gardening  is 
sometimes  pursued  to  an  unsafe  extremity. 
It  is  surely  better  for  a  gardener  to  know  the  proper  rotation  of  crops 
and  to  be  expert  with  the  spade  and  hoe,  than  to  know  that  the  Turnip 
belongs  to  the  natural  order  Cruciferse  as  well  as  the  Candytuft,  or  that 
the  Carrot  is  in  Umbelliferas  with  the  Parsley.  The  latter  information 
is  undoubtedly  good  if  it  accompanies  the  former,  but  if  it  is  to  be  a  choice 
between  the  two  let  us  have  the  practice  minus  the  science  rather  than  the 
science  minus  the  practice. 
But  a  harmonious  blending  of  the  two  is  quite  attainable — indeed,  it 
is  almost  essential  for  a  good  up-to-date  gardener.  The  perfect  harmony 
of  practice  and  science  seems  to  me  the  acme  of  gardening,  and  it  is  a 
state  of  things  perhaps  too  seldom  met  with.  To  finish  with  a 
demonstration  I  will  try  to  describe  an  incident  I  noticed  a  few  weeks  ago. 
Two  gardeners,  A  and  B,  were  about  to  water  some  plants  in  a  sub¬ 
tropical  house.  They  had  to  take  water  from  a  tank  which  had  hot  pipes 
along  the  top  on  one  side  to  warm  the  water.  A  drew  B’s  attention  to 
the  vapour  rising  from  the  water  at  the  hole  where  they  had  to  dip  in  their 
cans.  When  A  put  his  hand  in  the  water  at  that  part,  he  proclaimed  that 
it  was  too  hot  for  watering  plants  with,  and  was  at  a  loss  for  a  remedy. 
They  could  not  run  in  any  cold  water,  because  the  tank  was  replenished 
by  the  rain. 
At  last  B,  thanks  to  his  knowledge  of  physics,  suggested  that  the 
warm  wafer  was  only  at  the  surface  near  the  pipes,  and  that  the  water  at 
the  bottom  was  cold.  He  proved  it  by  vigorously  stirring  the  water  with 
his  can,  when  it  was  found  that  the  water  had  been  made  quite  cool.  This 
is  one  of  many  instances  I  have  seen,  and  it  serves  simply  to  show  that 
the  practical  application  of  elementary  science  is  a  thing  to  be  aimed  at  by 
gardeners  who  would  rise  in  their  calling  and  take  as  their  motto — 
ExCELSIOE.  j 
[This  is  Excelsior  No.  2.  He  is  a  good  penman,  and  may  “  scribble  ” 
again.] 
WiNTEE  Salads. 
I  PEOPOSE  giving  short  cultural  notes  on  the  different  vegetables  used 
for  the  above  purpose,  and  which  have  been  under  my  notice  during  the 
past  season.  For  Mustard  and  Cress  we  fill  shallow  boxes  with  fine  soil, 
and  sow  the  seeds  on  the  surface.  The  boxes  are  placed  in  heat,  watered 
with  a  fine-rose  can  and  shaded  with  a  board  or  thick  paper.  Sow  the 
Cress  three  days  previous  to  the  Mustard,  as  the  former  takes  longer  to 
germinate,  and  they  can  then  be  used  together.  When  an  inch  high 
remove  to  a  cool  house. 
Several  varieties  of  Endive  are  grown,  and  I  have  found  the  Green 
Batavian  the  most  highly  appreciated.  It  is  exceptionally  hardy,  and 
survives  severe  weather  better  than  any  other  I  have  seen.  Sow  seeds 
early  in  August,  in  good  rich  soil,  on  a  south  border,  transplant  in  rows 
a  foot  apart  eacb  way.  Water  must  be  given  when  necessary,  and  hoeing 
is  beneficial  to  the  plants.  These  are  lifted  before  severe  weather  sets  in, 
and  planted  the  same  distance  apart  along  the  front  of  an  unheated  Peach 
case.  Abundance  of  air  is  given  on  all  favourable  occasions.  In  November 
enough  are  lifted  to  fill  a  seed  box  when  packed  closely  together.  The 
soil  used  about  the  roots  must  be  very  moist  to  avoid  watering  after 
planting,  as  they  are  apt  to  damp.  Place  the  box  in  the  Mushroom 
house,  and  in  a  few  days  the  plants  will  be  bleached  ready  for  use.  This 
can  be  done  as  often  as  is  necessary  to  maintain  the  supply,  but  the 
number  of  plants  prepared  must  be  regulated  by  the  demand. 
Chicory  deserves  to  be  better  known,  the  joung  growths  being  very 
useful  as  a  salad.  It  should  be  treated  precisely  the  same  as  main-crop 
Carrots.  When  lifted  in  autumn  the  roots  must  be  stored  in  sand.  A 
number  can  be  placed  in  the  Mushroom  house  in  the  same  manner  as 
Seakale,  and  used  when  2  or  3  inches  long. 
Of  Lettuce  sow  seeds  in  August,  and  again  in  mid-September,  on  a 
warm  rich  border,  and  as  soon  as  large  enough  prick  out  into  cold  frames, 
the  nearer  the  glass  the  better.  Protect  them  from  frost  and  give  them 
plenty  of  air  when  not  raining  or  freezing.  Beware  of  slugs,  and  pick 
off  all  decayed  leaves.  All  the  Year  Round  is  a  suitable  variety  and 
quite  hardy. 
Seeds  of  Celery  may  be  sown  in  boxes  of  rich  soil  in  a  warm  house 
about  the  middle  of  March  and  again  a  month  later.  Place  3  inches  of 
stable  manure  in  a  cold  frame,  tread  it  firmly,  and  surface  it  with  3  inches 
of  rich  soil.  As  soon  as  the  seedlings  are  large  enough  prick  them  out 
3  inches  apart.  Keep  the  plants  close  and  shaded  for  a  few  days,  and 
when  growing  freely  afford  abundance  of  air  and  moisture  at  the  roots. 
Never  allow  the  plants  to  receive  a  check,  and  when  they  are  6  inches 
high  plant  in  well  manured  trenches.  Subsequent  treatment  will  consist 
of  copious  waterings  with  liquid  manure,  also  taking  off  side  shoots  and 
earthing  up  for  bleaching. — Nil  Despeeandum. 
Bananas  at  Home  and  in  Jamaica. 
In  answer  to  the  appeal  of  “  Nil  Desperandum  ”  (page  268),  for 
information  on  this  excellent  fruit,  I  will  describe  how  plants  of  Musa 
Cavendish!  were  treated  during  1897  and  1898.  They  were  growing  in 
12-inch  pots  in  a  large  stove,  and  in  February  were  placed  in  large, 
well-drained  tubs,  using  a  very  lumpy  and  fairly  rich  loam.  The  tubs 
were  made  by  cutting  asunder  an  empty  paraffin  cask,  painting  the 
woodwork  green  and  the  hoops  black,  affixing  thereon  two  strong  iron 
handles,  and  a  better  tub  for  our  present  purpose  cannot  be  wished  for. 
The  temperature  of  the  house  averaged  60°  at  night,  and  was  allowed 
to  rise  to  80°,  or  even  85°,  by  day,  little  air  being  given.  The  plants 
grew  very  fast,  and  were  assisted  with  copious  supplies  of  liquid  manure. 
On  the  16th  of  September  I  observed  the  fruit  spike  in  the  centre  of  one 
of  the  plants,  while  the  other  was  a  fortnight  later  in  making  its  appear¬ 
ance.  Liquid  manure  was  given  until  the  fruits  had  about  three  parts 
grown,  and  then  discontinued,  on  the  advice  of  a  friend  (about  whom  a 
little  will  be  said  later  on),  his  theory  being  that  sufficient  nourishment 
was  now  contained  in  the  fleshy  trunk  to  supply  the  needs  of  the  fruits 
then  hanging. 
About  this  time  the  stalk  extension  beyond  the  fruit  was  removed. 
The  temperature  of  the  stove  being  likely  to  fall  too  low,  the  plants  were 
removed  to  an  early  vinery  in  January  of  this  year,  in  a  temperature  of 
55°  at  night.  Here  they  have  remained  until  the  present  time,  the  heat 
of  the  vinery  being  regulated  to  suit  the  Vines.  The  Banana  fruits  may 
be  observed  to  change  colour  almost  daily.  For  the  last  eight  or  ten 
weeks  the  plants  have  received  little  water  ;  it  has  not  been  withheld 
altogether,  on  the  contrary  enough  has  been  supplied  to  keep  the  roots 
in  a  healthy  condition. 
The  fruits  will  probably  be  allowed  to  ripen  on  the  plants.  They  may, 
however,  be  cut  at  any  time  now,  and  hung  in  a  light  dry  place,  when 
they  will  be  fit  for  table  in  ten  days  or  a  fortnight.  The  flavour  of  these 
artificially  ripened  fruits  will  not  be  so  good  as  of  those  ripened  naturally, 
provided  a  dryish  atmosphere  be  maintained  in  the  house.  The  time  of 
fruiting  depends  upon  the  time  the  suckers  are  potted,  and  in  what 
temperature  the  plants  are  afterwards  grown.  Obviously  it  takes  from 
