354 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
April  21,  1898 
The  .lOUlJNAL  or  the  ROYAL  HORTK ^ULTURAL 
SOCIETY 
A  Few  PiCKiNG^i. 
Part  3,  vol.  xxi,  the  April  issue  of  the  official  record  of  the 
Society’s  work  appears  to  be  of  unusual  size,  and  is  certainly  of  great 
diversity,  while  it  is  undoubtedly  of  marked  excellence.  The  papers  on  the 
progress  in  “Fruit  Culture,”  in  “Vegetable  Culture,”  and  in  “Market 
Gardening,”  from  1837  to  1897,  by  Messrs,  G.  Bunyard,  A.  W.  Sutton, 
and  J.  Assbee  respectively,  are  worthy  of  preservation  by  all  who  are 
interested  in  the  important  subjects  which  are  treated  so  thoroughly. 
As  citations  were  given  from  these  papers  when  they  were  read  in  the 
autumn,  we  pass  to  take  a  few  very  brief  samples  from  others. 
"  The  House  Sparrow. 
A  fuller,  fairer,  and  more  exhaustive  examination  into  the  value  or 
otherwise  to  cultivators  of  this  ubiquitous  bird  has  seldom  been  seen  than 
that  of  Miss  Eleanor  A.  Ormcrod  and  Mr.  W.  B.  Tegetmeier.  They  have 
evidently  sought  assiduously  to  elicit  the  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth. 
After  examination  of  several  witnesses,  the  sparrow  is  not  pronounced  a 
friend,  but  an  enemy  to  the  farmer  and  ^gardener,  and  ought  to  be 
decimated.  Here  is  the  summary  : — 
In  the  present  space  it  is  impossible  to  enter  fully  on  this  important 
national  matter,  but  still  we  find,  in  addition  to  what  all  concerned  know  too  well 
already  of  the  direct  and  obvious  losses  fiom  sparrow  marauding,  that  there  is 
evidence  of  the  injurious  extent  to  which  they  drive  off  other  birds,  as  the 
swallows  and  martins,  which  are  much  more  helpful  on  account  of  their  being 
wholly  insectivorous  ;  also  that,  so  far  from  the  sparrow’s  food  being  wholly  of 
insects  at  any  time  of  the  year,  even  in  the  young  sparrows  only  half  has  been 
found  to  be  composed  of  insects;  and  of  the  food  of  the  adults,  it  was  found 
from  examination  that  in  a  large  proportion  of  instances  no  insects  at  all  were 
present,  and  of  these  many  were  of  kinds  that  are  helpful  to  us  or  harmless. 
Also  it  is  well  on  record  that  there  are  many  kinds  of  birds  which  help  us 
greatly  by  devouring  insects,  and  that  where  sparrows  have  systematically  been 
destroyed  for  a  long  course  of  years  all  have  fared  better  for  their  absence ;  and 
also  attention  should  be  drawn  to  the  enormous  powers  of  increase  of  this  bird, 
which  under  not  only  protection,  but  to  some  extent  absolute  fostering,  raises 
its  numbers  so  disproportionately  as  to  destroy  the  natural  balance. 
Here  as  yet  we  have  no  movement  beyond  our  own  attempts  to  preserve 
ourselves,  so  far  as  we  legally  may,  from  sparrow  devastations;  but  in  the 
United  States  of  America  (on  the  evidence  of  which  we  have  given  a  part)  the 
Association  of  the  American  Ornithologists  gave  their  collective  recommendation 
that  all  existing  laws  protecting  the  sparrow  should  be  repealed,  and  bounties 
offered  for  its  destruction ;  and  the  law  protecting  the  sparrow  has  been 
repealed  in  Massachusetts  and  Michigan.  Dr.  Hart  Merriara,  the  Ornithologist 
of  the  U.S.  Board  of  Agriculture,  also  officially  recommended  immediate 
repeal  of  all  laws  affording  protection  to  the  English  sparrow,  and  enactment 
of  laws  making  it  penal  to  shelter  or  harbour  it ;  and  Professor  C.  V.  Eiley, 
Entomologist  to  the  Department,  similarly  conveyed  his  views  officially  as  to  it 
being  a  destructive  bird,  worthless  as  an  insect  killer. 
In  Canada,  on  October  6th,  1888,  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Entomo¬ 
logical  Society  of  Ontario,  Mr.  J.  Fletcher,  Entomologist  of  the  Experimental 
Farms  of  the  Department,  strongly  advocated  the  destruction  of  the  sparrow  ; 
and,  in  reply  to  the  Hon.  C.  W.  Drury,  Minister  of  Agriculture  (who  attended 
the  meeting  as  head  of  the  Agricultural  Department  of  Ontario),  stated  “  that 
this  destructive  bird  was  no  longer  under  the  protection  of  the  Act  of  Parlia¬ 
ment  respecting  insectivorous  birds,  and  that  everyone  was  at  liberty  to  aid  in 
reducing  its  numbers.” 
Eeasoning  on  the  same  grounds  as  to  procedure  in  this  country,  we  believe 
that  similar  action  is,  without  any  reasonable  cause  for  doubt,  called  for  here. 
The  amount  of  the  national  loss,  by  reason  of  ravaged  crops  and  serviceable 
birds  driven  away,  may  be  estimated,  without  fear  of  exaggeration,  at  from 
one  to  two  millions  a  year. 
We  do  not  pretend  to  offer  suggestions  as  to  what  may  be  con.-idtred 
fitting  to  do  by  Government  authority,  but  much  of  their  own  protection  lies 
in  the  hands  of  farmers  and  gardeners  themselves ;  and  sparrow  clubs,  well 
worked,  and  always  bearing  in  mind  that  it  is  only  this  one  bird  that  is 
earnestly  recommended  to  their  attention,  would  probably  lessen  the  load  to  a 
bearable  amount ;  and  we  believe  that  subscriptions,  whether  local  or  from 
those  who  know  the  desirableness  of  aiding  in  the  work  of  endeavouring  to 
save  the  bread  of  the  people  from  these  feathered  robbers,  would  be  money 
wisely  and  worthily  spent. 
Experiments  with  Tomatoes. 
Air.  W.  Neild  records  a  series  of  experiments  with  various  artificial 
manures  on  Tomatoes,  and  gives  good  advice  on  packing  the  fruits.  Mr. 
Neild  seems  to  have  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  “  potassic  manure  is  of 
little  or  no  use  for  Tomatoes.”  Seeing  that  the  best  results  in  1896  were 
produced  by  the  aid  of  liquid  manure  from  stables  ;  and  in  1897  by,  in 
one  case,  a  mixture  of  nitrate  of  soda  and  nitrate  of  potash  ;  and  in  the 
other,  by  the  same  ingredients,  plus  superphosphate  of  lime,  we  scarcely 
think  he  has  proved  his  case.  Persons  who  are  interested  in  the  subject 
had,  however,  better  read  his  paper  and  judge  for  themselves. 
Hardy  Plant  Borders. 
A  combination  paper  by  Aliss  Gertrude  Jekyll  and  Mr.  H.  Selfe- 
Leonard  ought  to  be  both  interesting  and  useful  to  lovers  of  hardy  flowers. 
It  is  based  on  the  association  of  selected  plants,  as  shown  in  diagrammatic 
illustrations.  These  differ  from  any  we  have  seen  before,  and  are  decidedly 
suggestive.  As  might  be  expected,  the  plants  chosen  include  the  best,  and 
borders  furnished  as  indicated  must  have  an  imposing  effect.  The  paper  is 
proof  against  “picking;”  must  be  examined  to  be  understood,  and 
there  will  be  no  difficulty  in  comprehending  what  is  so  clearly  presented. 
Notes  on  Some  Curiosities  in  Orchid  Breeding. 
Air.  C.  C.  Hurst’s  paper  on  this  subject  is  voluminous  and  exhaustive. 
It  is  something  like  a  monument  of  investigation,  and  the  records  of  accom¬ 
plished  facts  are  eminently  worthy  of  the  pages  on  which  they  are  inscribed. 
We  can  extract  nothing  from  the  essay  to  fairly  represent  its  character, 
but  we  can  and  do  congratulate  the  author  on  the  excellence  of  his  work. 
The  Depth  in  the  Soil  at  which  Plants  Occur. 
There  is  much  more  in  this  thoughtful  paper  by  Professor  F.  W. 
Oliver  than  its  title  would  suggest  to  the  general  reader.  It  has  the  merit 
of  being  “  fresh,”  and  deals  with  a  subject  which  is  by  no  means  a  familiar 
one  to  cultivators  of  plants  generally — the  contractability  of  roots.  It  is 
explained  as  follows  : — 
The  special  feature  associated  with  root-contraction,  with  which  we  have 
more  particular  concern  here,  is  the  manner  in  which  it  leads  to  the  drawing 
of  the  whole  plant  down  into  the  soil.  As  a  root  develops  it  continually 
penetrates  deeper  into  the  soil  and  comes  into  intimate  contact  by  means  of  its 
root-hairs  with  the  particles  of  the  soil,  and  as  the  apical  development  continues 
it  becomes  in  time  very  firmly  fixed.  When,  now,  contraction  supervenes  in 
the  older  parts,  tensions  arise  which  lead,  in  the  case  of  roots  normally  fixed,  to 
a  gradual  pulling  down  of  the  whole  plant  into  the  soil.  So  considerable  is 
this  tension  that  if  the  root  be  cut,  a  space  2  or  3  millimetres  across  may  arise 
between  the  two  cut  surfaces.  Three  stages  in  the  sinking  of  a  young  plant  of 
Phsedranassa  chloracea  into  the  soil  from  this  cause  are  illustrated. 
The  illustration  referred  to  is  very  interesting,  and  not  less  so  is 
another  showing  the  dragging  down  of  the  tubers  of  Arum  maculatum  by 
the  contractability  of  some,  but  not  all  of  the  roots,  and  hence  the  position 
of  the  tubers  within  the  soil.  The  Professor  concludes  : — 
I  have  attempted  to  bring  together  the  main  facts  which  have  been 
ascertained — largely  by  Eimbach,  Stroever,  and  de  Vries — in  connection  with 
the  various  means  employed  by  plants  in  reaching  their  normal  level  in  the 
soil.  Owing  to  the  difficulties  attending  continuous  observations  upon  the 
subterranean  parts  of  plants  our  knowledge  is  still  much  at  fault,  whilst  the 
conditions  under  which  many  of  the  phenomena  are  exhibited  are  unknown. 
It  is  because  the  practical  horticulturist  has  such  unrivalled  opportunities  for 
studying  these  little-known  phenomena  in  numberless  instances  that  I  am 
glad  that  the  facts  set  forth  above  should  appear  in  the  Eoyal  Horticultural 
Society’s  Journal. 
Horticultural  Exhibitions  and  Schedules  with  the 
Principles  and  Practice  op  Judging. 
Very  different  from  the  foregoing  is  this  paper  by  Mr.  J.  Wright.  It 
is  based  on  experience,  and  covers  a  wide  field.  Many  familiar  subjects 
are  dealt  with,  and  some  that  are  not  familiar  to  all  cultivators  and  exhi¬ 
bitors.  For  instance,  the  working  of  what  is  termed  the  “Point  Value” 
system  of  judging  is  made  clear,  and  the  origin  and  history  of  groups 
arranged  for  effect  published  for  the  first  time.  As  is  stated,  the  essence 
of  the  “  point  value  ”  system  of  judging  is  based  on  the  principle  that  every 
point  or  mark  of  merit  accorded  is  of  equal  value  (as  it  is),  and  can  be 
represented  in  money.  The  precise  amount  is  easily  determined,  and 
shown.  The  amount  of  necessity  varies  according  to  the  total  sum 
allocated,  and  the  number  of  points  accorded  to  the  produce  in  competi¬ 
tion.  In  Kent,  a  “penny  a  point”  is  allowed  for  allotments,  and  has 
proved  so  satisfactory,  as  tested  in  upwards  of  200  instances,  that  the  new 
plan  is  now  called  the  “  fair  plan  ”  by  hundreds  of  men.  The  author  goes 
on  to  say  : — 
Having  given  an  example  of  the  working  of  the  “  point  value  ”  system  in 
which  the  prizes  were  very  numerous,  but  small  (as  in  the  Kentish  instances) 
it  seems  desirable  now  to  test  the  plan  where  the  prizes  are  high,  and  the 
classes  and  competitions  of  a  national  character.  An  opportunity  is  afforded 
for  doing  this  by  tabulating  the  prizes  that  were  awarded  in  the  orthodox  way, 
and  those  that  would  have  resulted  if  the  “point  value”  system  had  been  in 
operation  in  the  two  great  classes  at  Shrewsbury  last  year.  Here  is  an 
example  :  — 
Decorative  Dessert  Table  Class  (Shrewsbury,  1897). 
Societies’  Prizes  awarded. 
Points  recorded,  ascer¬ 
tained  value  Is.  lid.  each. 
Aggregate  “  PointValue,” 
excluding  decimals. 
£  s.  d. 
£  s.  d. 
1st  12  12  0 
105i 
10  2  21 
2nd  12  12  0 
104^ 
10  0  3J 
3rd  880 
99^ 
9  10  8i 
4th  5  5  0 
96j 
9  4  11§ 
£38  17  0 
406 
£38  18  2 
The  reason  of  the  money  value  of  the  Society’s  first  and  second  prizes 
being  equal  was  the  addition  of  .£5  with  the  Veitch  medal  to  the  first  prize. 
Taking  no  account  of  this,  but  regarding  the  addition  as  an  award  of  honour 
won  by  one  point,  advocates  of  the  “  point  value  ”  system  would  say  that  the 
1st  prizewinner  had  his  just  due  i!2  2s.  9M. 
2nd  ,,  ,,  above  „  ^2  11s.  8|d. 
3rd  ,,  ,,  below  ,,  £1  28.  8^d. 
4th  ,,  ,,  below  ,,  £3  98.  ll|d. 
If  the  total  amount  allocated  in  the  schedule  could  not  be  exceeded  by 
Is.  2d.,  it  would  only  be  necessary  to  deduct  3|d.  from  each  of  the  prizewinners 
to  insure  an  exact  division  of  the  £38  17s. 
Difficulties,  disqualifications,  and  incidents  in  judging  are  dealt  with 
in  the  paper. 
Chrysanthemum  Sports. 
The  comprehensive  essay  by  the  Rev.  Professor  G.  Henslow  will  be 
read  with  avidity  by  many  growers  of  the  Autumn  Queen.  The  nature  of 
sports  is  ably  discussed,  and  long  lists  of  examples  giyen.  The  subject  is 
