JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Tec  .'ruber  22,  IE  93. 
REPORTS  AND  ANALYSES. 
On  page  455  I  ref  r red  to  Mr.  Brotherston's  article  as  a  cor.cn  to 
case  trought  before  rue  with  insufficient  details,  hence  my  wish  that  it 
should  be  supplemented.  Whenever  1  am  able  from  my  observation  to 
substantiate  any  instructive  results,  I  shall  be  pleased  to  try  and  realise 
our  Editor’s  expectations.  A  small  experience  may  here  be  ventured 
upon,  if  he  thinks  it  worth  while,  in  reference  to  slope  and  shelter,  which 
I  referred  to  under  No.  3  of  ‘  my  charter,”  just  to  show  what  it  may 
mean  when  reports  of  crops  are  in  question. 
When  ubout  24th  September,  1897,  a  rather  sharp  early  frost  occurred, 
it  utterly  destroyed  a  dozen  or  more  Dahlias  in  full  bloom.  They  were 
growing  near  the  bottom  of  a  garden  gently  sloping  south,  next  to  an 
adjacent  meadow,  opening  up  the  view  of  tho  country  due  south. 
Plants  in  a  front  garden  (in  a  finished  street,  with  detached  villas  on 
both  sides),  and  also  flourishing,  escaped  without  any  harm,  a  north 
wind  blowing  during  the  night,  and  they  continued  to  flower  for  weeks. 
The  damp  arising  in  the  meadow  had  resulted  in  covering  tho  Dahlias  in 
tho  garden  with  hoar  frost,  while  the  drier  air  in  the  street  saved  the 
plants  in  its  immediate  vicinity.  A  similar  contrast  would  arPe  in  the 
case  of  fruit  trees  in  bloom  in  tho  spring,  and  tho  lesson  cited  may  thus 
be  useful.  Tho  crops  of  Pears  and  Apples,  although  the  trees  blossomed 
liberally,  were  mostly  destroyed  by  the  cold  weather  in  May  and  June, 
particularly  the  Pears,  wall  fruit  escaping. 
The  soil  in  this  case  is  clayey  loam,  elevation  120  loot  above  sea  level, 
whereas,  were  I  at  a  level  of  300  feet  above  the  sea,  my  crops  would  not 
have  been  exposed  to  frost  which  prevailed  in  the  lowlands  mostly. 
As  to  the  “charter,”  I  can  supply  a  fuller  one  concerning  truit  and 
vegetables  which  should,  where  possible,  be  supplied  in  reports  in  question  : 
1,  County  and  locality  of  reporters,  evidence  and  even  date  useful. 
2,  Site  of  property,  its  slope  (if  any),  its  aspect,  shelter  (if  any)  from 
cold  and  from  rough  quarters,  with  descripti  >n  of  soil,  be  it  as  p  r 
analysis. 
3,  Elevation  above  sea  level. 
4,  Soil,  subsoil  to  2  feet  depth. 
5,  Irrigation  or  watering. 
6,  Manuring. 
If  fruit  trees  are  in  question,  the  following  should  be  added  : 
7,  Form  of  trees,  whether  standards  in  gra-.s  orchards,  or  regular 
modern  fruit  plantation  in  bush  or  pyramid  form 
8,  Approximate  age  from  graft. 
9,  Stock  on  which  grafted. 
10,  System  of  pruning. 
11,  Any  furtlur  mi  ter  of  influence  on  results  su:h  a>  sp-aying,  inter¬ 
cropping,  wall  trees,  and  other  appropriate  points. 
In  reference  to  the  value  of  analysis  of  tho  soil  Mr.  John  Hughes, 
F. I.C.,  district  agricultural  analyst  for  Here'ordshire,  mentione  1  in  the 
“Standard  ”  of  the  5th  inst.  that  so  far  field  experiments  were  only  of  very 
local  advantage,  because  soil  analyses  are  withheld  from  tho  published 
results,  and  th  it  these  are  not  only  necessary  as  an  ai  1  to  profitable  an  1 
economic  manuring,  but  are  found  to  be  of  practical  valiix  In  the 
“  Standard’s ”  next  issue  Mr.  Wrr.  Newton,  Ph.D.,  F.I.C.,  confirmed  the 
foregoing  with  additions.  It  is  useful  to  state  this  in  connection  with  my 
previous  pointed  reference  to  analysis.— H.  II.  Rv  Forest  Hill. 
To  one  or  two  matters  in  “II.  H.  R.’a”  contribution  on  page  453  I 
desire  to  direct  attention  for  the  purpose  indicated  by  the  above  title,  and 
I  should  like  to  preface  my  remarks  by  stating  that  I  do  not  write  them 
in  a  carping  or  cavilling  spirit,  but  simply  to  obtain  correct  information 
on  the  questions  herein  referred  to.  In  the  first  place,  “  H.  II.  I?.” 
advises  every  enterprising  gardener  to  procure  an  analysis  of  the  soil, 
and  then  distinctly  and  unreservedly  states  that  “from  the  composition” 
of  the  soil  “being  correctly  judged  will  depend  the  style  of  manuring,  if 
to  be  done  in  the  most  efficient  way.” 
What  is  hero  meant  by  “  correctly  judged  ?  ”  Did  your  correspon¬ 
dent  admit  that  it  is  possible  for  a  plant  to  be  starved  whilst  it  is  in 
the  midst  of  an  abundance  of  plant  food  ?  I  do  not  in  the  least  wish  to 
depreciate  tho  vnlue  of  soil  analysis,  but  hold  the  opinion  that  such 
analyses  as  suggested  by  “  H.  It.  H.”  is  of  little  or  no  value  to  the  tiller 
of  the  soil.  To  make  analyses  useful  as  a  means  to  economise  valuable 
plant  food  it  would  be  necessary'  to  show  what  food  is  available  for  the 
immediate  use  of  tho  crop  ;  and,  further,  the  cultivator  will  require  to 
know  the  particular  kind  of  food  that  is  most  largely'  drawn  upon  by  the 
various  kinds  of  plants  or  crop3. 
Again,  I  would  ask,  is  your  correspondent  correct  in  stating  that 
“  plant  life  takes  only  5  per  cent,  of  its  total  from  the  soil  and  95  per 
cent,  from  the  air  l”  I  believe  that  all  recognised  authorities  are  unani¬ 
mous  in  agreeing  that  plants  are  largely  composed  of  water,  which  is 
absorbed  by  the  root’. 
Mr.  Cousins,  in  his  primer,  “The  Chemistry  of  the  Garden,”  to  which 
your  correspondent  refers,  states  on  page  8  that  about  “  80  per  cont.  of 
the  total  weight  of  plants  is  composed  of  water  absorbed  by  the  roots.” 
Probably  “  H.  H.  R.”  intended  to  say  that  only  about  5  per  cent,  of 
tho  dried  substance  of  plants  was  absorbed  from  the  soil,  but  he  should 
recollect  that  the  mineral  food  is  taken  up  in  solution,  and,  consequently, 
the  large  amount  of  water  found  in  plants  is  imbibed  a'most,  if  not  wholly', 
by  the  roots. — W.  Neild,  Cheshire. 
Soil  analysis  appears  to  bo  a  tempting  subject  to  theorists.  I  have  had 
a  little  to  do  with  it,  or  rather  with  soil  that  has  bet  n  subjected  to  tho 
481 
process,  not  without  cost.  The  results  obtained  differed  in  tea  instances, 
and  we  were  advised  to  give  as  many  different  manure  mixtures  as  were- 
considered  appropriate  to  each  case  ;  yet  all  the  soils  came  from  the  same 
field,  and  that  not  a  large  one.  Scientifically  we  should  be  told  to  mix  all- 
the  soils,  take  an  average  of  the  constituents,  and  then  it  w'ould  follow  to 
mix  all  the  manures,  but  surely  this  mixing  could  be  done  without  the 
analysis.  When  I  see  writers  clamouring  for  analyses  to  guide  them,  I 
always  think,  but  of  course  may  be  sometimes  wrong,  that  they  are  not 
experienced  cultivators  but  faddists.  It  should,  perhaps,  be  added  that  as- 
to  altitude,  some  of  the  land  is  300  feet  above  sea  level,  some  less  than 
200  feet  ;  staple — clay,  sand,  gravel,  with  a  change  to  a  peaty  medium,, 
over  an  area  of  thirty  acres. —  Gardener,  England. 
WONDERINGS. 
A  GOOD  deal  of  matter  ha3  been  published  in  the  Journal  of  Horti¬ 
culture  from  time  to  time  on  wanderings  here  and  there.  That  it  has 
been  interesting,  suggestive,  and  instructive  is  freely  admitted,  but  only  a 
few  can  indu’ge  in  such  journeyings.  Most  gardeners  are  fixed  by  the 
chain  of  duty  ;  but  if  wo  cannot  wander  we  can  wonder,  and  we  do.  I 
have  been  engaged  in  that  easy  mental  process  of  late  on  the  following 
few  subjects  and  their  treatment. 
On  Apples  and  Men. 
Much  has  been  written  on  this  subject  during  the  past  w’eek  or  two. 
Mr.  Raillem’s  crisp  remarks  may  fit  his  own  ease  happily  enough,  but 
many  gardeners  have  little  or  no  option  about  the  varieties  of  Apples- 
found  in  gardens.  I  believe  I  am  right  in  saying  that  in  cases  without 
number  fruit  trees  are  ordered  from  the  grower  in  collections,  and  tho 
gardener  has  to  make  the  best  of  them.  This,  however,  is  almost  beside 
the  mark.  What  I  think  about  the  discussion  is,  that  as  far  as  possible 
in  sending  reports,  favourable  or  otherwise,  as  to  the  behaviour  of  different 
varieties,  the  locality  from  whenco  they  hail  should  be  indicated — east, 
west,  north  or  south,  high  or  low,  wet  or  dry — for  all  have  their  influence?.. 
I  enjoy  the  remarks  of  tho  various  writers,  although  they  often  leave  me 
a  good  deal  to  wonder  about,  Perhaps  the  vagueness  is  intended  to 
sharpen  one’s  mental  faculties.  I  wonder  if  it  is  so. 
On  Manuees. 
Truly  last  week’s  issue,  in  its  wealth  of  controversv,  carried  me  bock 
to  old  times.  Manures  artificial  and  natural,  lime  and  sulphur,  sulphate 
of  ammonia  and  nitrate,  of  potash,  pervaded  the  pag  s.  Even  the  “  F urmer  ” 
caught  the  infection.  Will  it  lead  to  greater  light  on  a  perplexing 
subject?  Some  of  the  most  bea  itiful  forms  of  lite  in  fruit  and  flowers 
derive  assistance  from  what,  to  many  peop’e,  is  the  reverse  of  attrac¬ 
tive  matter,  but  t  >  the  gardener  most  interes  ing.  I  fear,  however,  that 
the  day  is  far  distant  when  by  soil  analysis  and  so-called  scientific 
reparations  wo  may  be  able  to  feed  our  crops  to  within  an  ounce  of  their 
requirements  without  waste  of  any  kind.  Meanwhile,  until  tho  light 
shines,  I  must  needs  be  old-fashioned  and  stick  to  good  animal  manure 
as  a  st  nd-by,  relying  upon  such  things  as  nitrate  of  sola,  very  much  as- 
our  c.  a  dim  in  a  Ids  tho  flick  of  tho  wh  p  to  tho  force  of  the  minger. 
On  Floral  Decorations. 
With  much  that  Mr.  Street  has  written  under  this  heading  I  am  in- 
accord,  but  am  compelled  to  wonder  why  he  pens  such  a  remark  as  this  c 
“  Surely  no  decorator  wool  1  bo  so  extravagant  as  to  use  such  expendvo 
flowers  (Calanthes)  for  laying  on  the  cloth  — or  words  to  that  effect. 
As  an  old  decotatorl  have  not  only  seen  this  done,  but  have  had  it  to  do. 
The  spikes  were  picked  up  immediately  d  nner  was  ended,  placed  in  water 
in  a  cool  place  and  cared  for,  the  next  evening  but  one  used  again  for  thc- 
dinner  table,  after  which  they  have  done  service  in  the  rooms  for  a  week 
or  ten  days.  Whore  is  the  extravagance  ?  As  to  its  being  a  depraved 
taste  to  use  foreign  foliage  with  flowers,  I  fail  to  see  why.  Good 
artists  have  done  this  in  their  pictures  over  and  over  again,  and  one  does 
not  hear  of  its  be  ng  an  infringement  of  tho  rules  of  “high  art;”  why 
should  it  be  so  in  floral  decorations  ? 
On  Advertisements. 
My  first  connection  with  those  dates  back  some  considerable  time,, 
when  it  was  partot  my  lot  to  sort  ani  file  tho  hundreds  of  “  ads  sent 
in  to  one  of  our  great  “dailies.”  A  queer  beginning  for  a  gardener  !  but 
I  have  ha  l  a  worse  experience  since,  and  tho  columns  of  “  Situations 
Wanted”  have  to  mo  a  melancholy  interest,  for  well  do  I  know  what  tho 
weary  waiting  means.  It  seems  pitiable  to  sec  good  men  (hoping  for 
what  in  some  cases  never  comes),  capable  of  maintaining  their  early 
training  in  first-rate  gardens,  but  who  from  necessity  have  in  many 
instances  to  hoco.no  “submerged”  in  same  obscure  situation  ;  but  so  long 
as  competition  is  so  fierce  there  is,  I  suppose,  no  help  for  the  state  ot 
affairs  ;  still,  I  often  wonder  with  sad  thoughts  what  becomes  of  all  these 
men. 
On  Old  Writers. 
From  the  subject  of  last  week’s  leader  to  “Diseased  Potatoes”  is  a 
far  erv,  from  tho  sound,  practical  alvice  contained  in  the  former,  to  tho 
learning  brought  out  so  clearly  in  the  latter  on  parasitic  life.  Dong  may 
the  veteran  flourish.  The  instructive  piper  headed  “  Bulbs  an  1  Their 
Culture”  I  see  is  ende  1.  So  long  as  the  Journal  owns  such  wielders  of 
the  pen  as  these,  so  entertaining  and  so  facile,  beside^  numerous  other 
writers,  1  fear  the  time  will  be  long  ere  there  is  much  spice  to  dispose  of 
for  those  who  hope  to  follow  in  their  wake.  -  Submerged. 
[It  depends  on  the  “  followers  their  capacity  as  gardeners,  uml 
their  ju  lgment,  apti'u  te,  and  methods  i:i  wiel  liog  tho  pen.  N  Jibing  more.} 
