September  8,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
185 
extensive  establishment,  and  well  worth  a  visit  from  anyone  interested 
m  gardening. 
After  taking  leave  of  the  senior  partner  of  this  firm  I  wended  my 
way  via  Hextable  to  Swanley  College.  Since  the  commencement  of  this 
College  I  have  had  a  great  interest  in  its  welfare,  as  I  contend  if  properly 
managed  it  will  be  of  great  benefit  to  those  who  are  fortunate  enough  to 
gain  admission.  The  horticultural  department  is  under  the  management 
of  Mr.  L.  Budworth,  who  kindly  showed  me  over  the  College  buildings, 
the  60  acres  of  land,  and  over  twenty  greenhouses.  The  surplus  crops 
are  marketed,  and  at  the  time  of  my  visit  there  were  several  houses  of 
Tomato  plants  which  were  yielding  heavy  crops  of  fruit.  The  principal 
varieties  were  Sutton’s  Perfection,  Golden  Queen,  and  Up  to  Date.  Mr. 
Budworth’s  principal  Cucumber  is  one  of  his  own  raising,  a  cross 
between  Rochford  Market  and  Magnum  Bonum.  The  Peach  crops  have 
been  excellent  ;  but  the  trees,  being  planted  on  the  chalk,  are  making 
little  wood.  Since  the  lifting  and  replanting  of  the  Vices  they  are  grow¬ 
ing  more  freely,  and  should  in  time  yield  large  crops  of  first-class 
Grapes.  A  speciality  is  here  made  of  the  new  and  best  sorts  of  Chrys¬ 
anthemums. 
Pruit  trees  under  various  systems  of  training  are  grown  in  quantity 
for  teaching  purposes.  The  houses  are  heated  with  the  “  Champion  ” 
boiler  of  the  Thames  Bank  Iron  Company,  which  I  found  gave  entire 
satisfaction.  There  is  a  formidable  list  of  subjects  taught,  including  horti¬ 
culture,  dairy  farming,  apiculture,  botany,  forestry,  chemistry,  book¬ 
keeping,  drawing,  geology,  meteorology,  entomology,  jam  making,  and 
others,  all  of  which  are  important.  If  the  students  combine  with  this 
scientific  education  a  thoroughly  practical  training,  England  should 
eventually  be  better  for  the  existence  of  Swanley  and  similar  colleges. 
Before  closing  my  remarks  on  my  visit  to  Kent  I  should  like  to  add  a 
few  words  of  reference  to  the  educational  work  of  Mr.  W.  P.  Wright,  the 
Chief  Horticultural  Instructor  for  the  Kent  County  Council.  There  is 
undoubtedly  a  need  for  technical  instruction  in  all  counties  ;  but  were  we 
all  in  a  position  to  claim  the  good  results  which  have  followed 
Mr.  Wright  in  his  labours  we  should  feel  more  than  satisfied. 
The  report  of  the  work  for  1897  is  very  gratifying  indeed.  There 
were  fifty-four  centres  of  allotments  and  cottage  gardens,  with  542 
individual  competitors  of  adults,  in  addition  to  eighteen  centres  for 
boys,  with  a  total  ot  259  students.  With  a  list  of  thirty -three  crops,  it  is 
possible  to  obtain  181  marks  or  points  at  each  inspection,  the  plots  being 
visited  twice.  The  most  successful  competitor  for  1897  was  Mr.  Harmer 
of  Willesborough,  who  secured  at  the  two  inspections  197  points  out  of  a 
possible  362,  and  received  at  the  penny  per  point  system  of  awarding 
prizes,  which  Mr.  Wright  has  introduced,  the  sum  of  16s.  5d.  Those 
interested  in  County  Council  work  should  secure  Mr.  Wright’s  notes  upon 
the  work  of  1897  in  the  county  of  Kent. — S.  H. 
(To  be  continued.) 
COTTAGE  GARDEN  AND  ALLOTMENT  CROPS 
IN  SURREY. 
A  COUNTY  Council  Inspector  writes  on  this  subject  as  follows  : — 
Generally  the  season  has  been  late,  and  in  that  respect  detrimental  to 
some  of  the  tenderer  vegetables,  especially  in'  the  early  summer. 
Thus  Runner  and  Dwarf  Kidney  Beans,  though  eventually  very  good, 
were  fully  a  fortnight  later  than  usual  in  cropping,  and  the  latter  in  some 
localities  came  indifferently.  Vegetable  Marrows  and  Tomatoes  also 
were  very  late.  Only  in  either  case  where  a  garden  was  well  sheltered 
or  special  protection  had  been  furnished  were  these  plants  at  all  forward. 
Potatoes  were  fairly  good,  but  generally  irregular  in  growth.  This 
feature  has  been  unusually  marked  this  year,  and  was  doubtless  due  to 
premature  growth  being  forced  in  the  seed  tubers  last  winter  because 
that  season  was  so  open  and  mild.  Early  planted  breadths  ripened  off 
very  early  owing  to  the  great  heat  and  drought  prevalent  during  July. 
On  the  whole  the  crop,  though  not  at  all  a  heavy  one,  has  been  fairly 
sound  and  of  good  character.  Peas  and  Broad  Beans,  where  the  soil 
was  deeply  worked,  were  very  good,  but  in  some  rural  districts  finer 
varieties  of  Peas  should  be  grown.  The  country  seedsmen  adhere  still 
to  varieties  that  were  popular  twenty  years  ago,  but  are  now  excelled. 
Onions,  both  autumn  sown  and  spring  sown,  have  been  very  good.  The 
former,  consisting  chiefly  of  Tripolis,  have  been  fine  ;  still,  as  these  so  soon 
decay  when  ripe,  it  would  be  so  much  better  did  growers  sow  such  hard 
varieties  as  are  usually  sown  in  the  summer. 
Very  little  trace  of  maggot  or  mildew  has  been  seen  amongst  the 
spring  Onions.  Parsnips,  too,  have  been  good,  and  generally  clean. 
A  severe  attack  of  the  leaf-mining  maggot  seen  at  Richmond  was  not 
noticed  elsewhere,  and  even  there  the  plants  grew  out  of  it.  Beets 
generally  very  good,  yet  have  frequently  been  found  of  uneven  or  coarse 
stocks,  a  long  way  inferior  to  the  fine  strains  growing  on  the  C.C.  trial 
plot  at  Richmond.  Evidently  these  inferior  stocks  are  too  common. 
The  worst  crop  of  the  season  has  been  the  Carrot  ;  very  rarely  indeed 
was  a  breadth  found  that  was  healthy.  The  plants  came  well  from  seed, 
but  the  tops  seem  to  have  been  stunted  by  the  spring  cold  and  then 
became  a  prey  to  aphis,  which  in  many  cases  literally  eat  the  tops  up. 
This  trouble,  it  is  hoped,  may  have  been  but  temporary.  Those  few  who 
made  a  sowing  of  Carrot  seed  in  July  for  winter  pulling  escaped  such 
trouble.  Cabbages,  both  white  and  red,  "have  been  beautiful,  but  too  coarse. 
Better  stocks  are  desirable.  White  Turnips  have  been  generally  good,  and 
other  crops,  on  the  whole,  have  been  fair  and  profitable.  Bush  fruits  and 
Strawberries  have  been  excellent  crops. 
Weather  in  London. — The  weather  in  the  metropolis  continues 
oppressively  hot.  Until  the  time  of  going  to  press  to-day  (Wednesday), 
from  the  publication  of  our  last  issue,  there  has  not  been  a  dull  day,  and 
generally  the  sun  has  been  exceptionally  powerful.  On  Wednesday, 
however,  it  was  hazy,  and  at  midday  the  sun  had  not  pierced  the  clouds. 
-  Russian  Imperial  Horticultural  Society.— Mr.  James 
II.  Veitch  has  been  appointed  Commissioner  for  Great  Britain  and  Ireland 
for  the  third  International  Exhibition  of  Horticulture  organised  by  the 
Russian  Imperial  Horticultural  Society  on  the  occasion  of  the  fortieth 
anniversary,  to  be  held  at  St.  Petersburg  in  May,  1899.  Schedules  may 
be  obtained  from  him  on  application  at  the  Royal  Exotic  Nursery, 
Chelsea. 
-  Aldermaston  Roses. — As  a  neighbour  of  Mr.  Strange  I  can 
more  than  corroborate  his  description  of  Nadaillac  as  she  is  grown  at 
Aldermaston.  Although  Aldermaston  Warf  is  almost  on  the  level  of  the 
Kennet  Canal,  and  he  gets  extra  sharp  frosts,  the  good  old  plants  come 
up  smiling  again  every  summer.  The  majority  are  on  stout  standard 
stocks  (unequalled  when  they  may  be  had).  Perhaps  high  feeding  and 
good  strong  drink  has  something  to  do  with  it  Mr.  Strange,  sen.,  some 
two  miles  off,  has  also  some  marvellous  Roses,  especially  a  Marie  Van 
Houtte,  which  seems  to  have  mistaken  itself  for  a  Marechal  Niel  — 
A.  C. 
-  Fruit  Prospects  about  Lancaster.  —  At  Porton  and 
Cockerham,  where  a  large  quantity  of  preserve  fruit  is  grown,  the  yield 
is  scanty  with  the  exception  of  Pears  and  late  Apples.  The  Plum  trees, 
excluding  Victorias,  are  practically  bare,  except  in  very  sheltered  parts. 
The  crop  of  Victorias  is  only  about  a  fifth  of  last  year’s.  Damsons  are 
extremely  light.  At  Scotforth  the  country  is  more  open,  and  the  earlv 
night  frosts  blighted  what  was  an  excellent  prospect.  Insects  have 
done  great  havoc.  Winter  Apples  have  been  more  fortunate,  and  in  the 
Lune  Valley  the  Damson  crops  are  not  so  light.  Pears  seem  to  have 
done  well  generally.  Several  old  established  horticultural  shows  in  the 
Lancaster  district  are  not  being  held  this  year,  notably  those  with  which 
the  public  have  been  familiar  at  Lancaster,  Caton,  and  Galgate.  Conder 
Green  Show  still  retains  its  old  time  popularity. 
-  The  Scarcity  op  Peas.— Gardeners  in  many  places  who 
earlier  in  the  season  were  gloating  over  their  fine  rows  of  early  Peas 
have  now  a  different  talo  to  tell.  The  crop  went  off  remarkably  quick, 
and  now  at  the  end  of  the  summer,  when  tall-growing  late  Peas  should 
be  picked  in  quantity,  good  supplies  are  the  exception  rather  than  the 
rule.  In  keeping  up  a  supply  this  summer  deep  cultivation  has  told  its 
tale,  and  Peas  are  best  where  watering  and  mulching  have  been 
practicable.  In  many  instances  I  have  noticed  that  the  haulm  has 
commenced  withering  before  pods  have  had  time  to  form,  and  in  conse¬ 
quence  the  latter  have  been  small  and  malformed.  Thrips  have  done  a 
good  share  in  making  matters  worse,  and  the  Peas  when  gathered  have 
been  found  to  be  badly  grub-eaten.  Tropical  sunshine  and  few  showers 
have  upset  a  good  many  hopes  respecting  the  Pea  crop. — H. 
-  The  Hop  Crop. — Messrs.  W.  H.  &  H.  Le  May,  in  their  annual 
report  of  the  Hop  crops  of  the  world,  state  that  never  in  the  memory  of 
the  oldest  Hop  grower  has  there  been  such  a  persistent  and  prolonged 
attack  of  aphis  blight  in  the  Hop  gardens  of  England,  which  commenced 
early  in  May  and  was  only  finally  conquered  about  three  weeks  since, 
when  the  hot  weather  set  in  to  help  the  efforts  of  the  washing  machine. 
There  has  never  been  a  crop  of  Hops  raised  at  so  great  an  expense  to 
the  farmer  as  has  been  the  case  this  year.  Taking  the  English  growth 
in  the  aggregate  they  believe  that  it  will  fall  short  of  that  of  last  year  by 
20  per  cent.  The  decrease  of  acreage  by  1128  acres  accentuates  the 
position,  and  puts  the  shortage  beyond  question.  With  an  ever-increasing 
consumption  of  beer  there  will  be  the  greatest  shortage  of  Hops  the 
world  has  ever  seen,  for  although  America  will  produce  as  many  Hops 
as  last  year,  the  continent  will  fall  far  short.  With  regard  to  the  prices 
likely  to  be  realised  for  the  English  crop,  it  is  their  opinion  that  there 
will  be  no  difficulty  in  making  £7  to  £8  per  cwt.  for  the  choice  Golding 
Hops  grown  in  Mid  and  East  Kent  respectively,  and  that  all  good  sound 
Hops  suitable  for  copper  use  will  sell  freely  at  £5  to  £6  6s.  per  ewt. 
