492 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  7,  1899. 
conditions  as  would  be  set  forth.  Say  that  a  grower  in  England  was 
the  first  winner,  the  next  contest  would  be  on  his  part  a  defending  of 
the  cup  or  trophy,  which  would  remain  in  England  until  it  was  won 
elsewhere.  In  the  event  of  it  staying  for  a  number  of  years  in  the 
same  country  it  might  be  advisable  to  change  yearly  the  place  of 
contest. 
If  carried  out  on  something  after  the  above  lines  I  am  confident 
the  project  would  be  a  success.  Those  observations  meet  many  of  the 
objections  raised  by  correspondents — such  as  leaving  Ireland  out — 
and  also  embody  most  of  the  suggestions  already  made  public.  The 
proposal  to  have  the  trophy  won  outright,  say  on  the  same  competitor 
winning  it  three  times,  would,  in  my  opinion,  if  adopted,  be  the  death 
of  the  competition  on  the  first  cup  being  lost.  I  agree  with  “A.  D.” 
that  to  attempt  to  raise  £100  every  few  years  must  not  only  be 
difficult  but  would  entirely  destroy  the  value  and  honour  attached  to  a 
permanent  trophy.  In  the  case  of  the  “America  Cup”  it  is  notits 
value  as  a  cup  which  creates  such  world-wide  interest  and  rivalry  to 
obtain  its  possession,  but  its  association,  and  the  longer  it  remains  in 
America  the  keener  and  more  determined  will  be  the  efforts  made  to 
bring  it  to  Britain  and  the  greater  honour  to  the  grower  who  succeeds. 
There  is  certainly  something  in  what  Mr.  Mclndoe  says  about  the 
serious  drawbacks  he  sees  in  the  two  Royal  Societies  having  to  do 
with  this  trophy.  In  the  London  case  it  is  a  case  of  starvation  among 
plenty,  a  difficulty  in  raising  £100  in  the  richest  and  largest  city  in 
the  world,  as  is  apparent  by  the  efforts  in  connection  with  the  fruit 
shows  at  the  Crystal  Palace.  This  may  be  overcome ;  I  am  not  so 
sure  about  the  other  drawback,  viz.,  to  alter  their  rules  to  those  of 
Shrewsbury  and  Edinburgh  in  making  a  big  prize  open  to  all. 
I  know  nothing  about  Mr.  Mclndoe’s  quarrel  with  the  Royal 
Caledonian  Society,  but  this  should  not  in  anyway  interfere  with  that 
society  taking  the  matter  up.  His  position  as  an  exhibitor  for  the 
trophy  would  no  doubt  be  exactly  on  the  same  footing  as  others.  I 
may  inform  him,  however,  that  things  are  differently  managed  there 
now.— D.  Buchanan,  Forth  Vineyard,  Kippen. 
[Having  published  some  thirty  letters  on  the  subject  under 
discussion  it  will,  perhaps,  be  admitted  that  sufficient  material  is  forth¬ 
coming  to  form  a  basis  of  action,  having  for  its  object  the  realisation 
of  the  desire  so  clearly  expressed.  The  whole  matter  shall  be 
considered,  and  some  practical  proposition  formulated  in  a  future 
issue  of  the  J ournal  of  Horticulture .3 
PREPARING  SOIL  FOR  VEGETABLES. 
Tap-rooted  Vegetables. 
The  best  results  can  only  be  attained  in  the  cultivation  of  tap- 
rooted  vegetables  by  deep  cultivation  of  the  soil.  This  enables  the 
long  principal  tap  root  of  Beets,  Carrots,  Parsnips,  Salsafy,  Scorzonera, 
and  Horseradish  to  descend  into  the  subsoil,  which,  if  this  is  loose 
and  rich,  it  can  readily  do,  and  there  gather  food  and  moisture  which 
will  eventually  be  stored  in  the  principal  root.  No  amount  of  manure 
will  compensate  these  vegetables  for  the  loss  of  a  deep  root  run. 
However  rich  and  good  the  soil  may  be  near  the  surface,  it  can  only 
produce  a  stunted  growth  in  comparison  with  comparatively  poor  but 
deeply  worked  soil  in  which  the  roots  can  penetrate. 
This  is  the  best  season  to  prepare  the  soil,  and  the  method  of  doing 
so  is  to  trench  3  feet  deep  if  possible,  adding  a  good  layer  of  thoroughly 
decayed  farmyard  manure  on  the  top  of  the  lowest  spit,  which  may  be 
well  broken  up  but  left  where  it  is.  Practically  no  manure  need  be 
added  to  the  top  spit,  as  in  ordinary  rich  soil  it  will  be  in  fine  con¬ 
dition  after  digging  and  pulverisation,  following  on  the  winter’s 
exposure. 
It  it  usual  to  cultivate  all  tap-rooted  vegetables  on  ground  that  has 
been  previously  freely  manured  for  another  crop.  One  of  these  tap- 
rooted  crops  may  follow  Celery,  as  this  is  invariably  heavily 
manured,  and  in  the  course  of  its  cultivation  the  soil  is  worked  to  an 
extra  depth.  A  rich  but  shallow  worked  soil  causes  tap-rooted  vege¬ 
tables  to  become  forked.  There  is  every  inducement  for  the  roots 
when  young  to  branch  in  several  directions  if  encouraged  by  manure, 
upon  which  the  young  roots  lay  hold.  Hence  it  is  very  important 
that  they  should  not  reach  it  during  the  early  stages  of  the  plant’s 
growth.  Placed  in  the  lower  strata  of  soil  it  is  handy  for  the  tap¬ 
root  when  it  has  descended.  The  comparative  poorness  of  the  top 
soil  causes  the  root  to  descend  for  food  and  moisture.  Whether  they 
do  reach  the  manure  or  not  matters  little,  as  it  is  certain  the  loose  and 
friable  medium  in  which  they  can  ramify  acts  beneficially  in 
strengthening  and  lengthening  the  main  root. 
Complete  trenching,  that  is,  reversing  the  layers  of  soil,  ought  not 
to  be  carried  out  unless *the  soil  is  in  good  heart  throughout,  for  a 
poor  inert  subsoil  is  not  suitable  for  the  growth  of  the  seedlings  in 
their  early  stages.  The  safer  method  is  to  stir  as  deeply  as  possible, 
but  keep  the  layers  of  soil  in  the  same  relative  position  as  previously. 
— E.  Barrow. 
CULTURE  OF  DWARFED  (JAPANESE)  TREES. 
Japanese  work  in  its  varied  forms — and  much  of  it  is  excellent 
and  interesting — meets  with  far  greater  attention  in  this  country 
than  was  customary  a  generation  ago.  Not  the  least  interesting  to 
many  persons  are  the  curios  of  the  ingenious  and  industrious  little 
people,  and  among  their  peculiarities  the  remarkable  pigmy  trees 
receive  a  share  of  attention — a  growing  share  it  is  said.  They  are 
liked  for  balconies  and  other  positions,  and  would  be  liked  better  if 
they  could  be  kept  in  health.  It  has  been  supposed  that  they  were 
produced,  and  some  of  them  kept  in  health  for  centuries,  by  “secret” 
methods  of  procedure,  but  if  what  we  find  in  a  circular  issued  by  the 
Yokohama  Nursery  Company  is  correct  the  so-called  secrecy  may  be 
described  as  condensed  common  sense.  We  should  not  be  much 
surprised  if  the  routine  has  been  rendered  in  English  by  Mr.  Peter  Barr, 
who  has  been  among  the  pigmies  (trees)  in  their  native  country,  and 
looking  down  on  a  few  centenarians  among  them  from  an  altitude  of 
about  5  feet  9  inches.  Be  that  as  it  may,  we  republish  the  following 
narrative  of  their  management. 
During  spring  and  summer  by  preference  keep  Thuia  obtusa  in  a 
sunny  airy  situation,  where  the  wind  will  pass  freely  through  the 
branches ;  water  once  a  day,  giving  just  enough  to  make  the  soil  moist. 
In  hot  dry  weather  it  may  be  necessary  to  give  water  twice  a  day, 
care,  however,  should  be  taken  not  to  have  the  soil  wet,  and  never 
water  unless  the  plant  needs  it.  Sprinkling  the  branches  in  dry 
weather  is  bad,  but  rain  is  always  beneficial.  During  winter  keep 
the  tree  in  a  cold  greenhouse  partially  shaded,  or  in  an  unheated 
orangery,  giving  water  about  once  in  ten  days  ;  the  soil,  however, 
must  never  be  allowed  to  get  dry.  The  science  of  successful  culture 
of  all  plants  in  pots  consists  in  judicious  watering,  giving  too  much  or 
too  little  is  equally  bad. 
Treated  as  above  this  plant  is  very  ornamental  on  balconies  and 
terraces.  If  this  plant  is  kept  indoors  it  should  always  be  placed 
out  ot  doors  at  night,  and  as  often  as  it  is  not  wanted  for  decoration. 
Indoors  it  should  never  be  exposed  to  the  dry  heat  from  a  stove  or 
open  fireplace,  otherwise  the  leaves  will  fall  and  the  plant  perish. 
Pinus  pentaphylla,  and  Pine  trees  in  general,  growing  in  jardiniers, 
require  the  same  attention  in  watering  and  general  treatment  as 
Thuia  obtusa,  but  are  not  so  much  influenced  by  atmospheric  condi¬ 
tions  ;  nevertheless,  sun  and  air  are  necessary  to  maintain  health, 
therefore  keep  the  plants  out  of  doors  as  much  as  possible. 
Maples  and  other  deciduous  trees  take  the  same  treatment  as 
Thuia  obtusa  as  regards  watering,  but  are  much  more  accommodating 
than  evergreens.  In  fairly  mild  climates  the  Maples  may  remain  out 
of  doors  all  winter,  but  where  the  frost  is  very  severe  they  should  be 
kept  in  a  cool  cellar  after  the  leaves  have  fallen  in  autumn  ;  the  soil 
must  always  be  kept  moist,  but  not  wet ;  early  in  spring  put  the 
plants  out  of  doors  and  fully  exposed  to  all  weathers,  and  when  in  full 
leaf  use  for  decoration  indoors  as  needed. 
When  the  trees  commence  growing  in  spring  we  give  manure  twice 
a  month,  say  in  March,  April,  May  and  June,  again  in  September 
and  October;  in  the  hot  days  of  July  and  August  we  give  no  manure, 
and  the  same  in  winter  and  early  spring,  the  plants  then  being  at 
rest.  The  best  manure  is  finely  powdered  oil  cake  or  bonemeal.  To 
a  jardinier  1  foot  in  diameter  we  give  three  or  four  large  teaspoonfuls, 
not  heaped,  of  this  dry  manure  spread  evenly  round  the  edge  of  the 
jardinier ;  a  larger  or  smaller  jardinier  will  require  more  or  less,  a 
small  jardinier,  say  3  inches  by  6  inches,  half  a  teaspoonful  will  be 
ample  each  time. 
Repotting  is  done  by  us  once  in  two  or  three  years,  as  follows : — 
Lift  the  plant  out  of  the  jardinier,  and  with  a  sharp-pointed  stick 
remove  about  one-third  of  the  old  soil  round  the  edges  and  bottom, 
cutting  away  a  portion  of  the  old  fine  roots  but  none  of  the  strong 
ones ;  then  replace  the  plant  in  the  same  jardinier,  first  looking  to 
the  drainage.  For  a  small  shallow  jardinier  we  use  a  flat  piece  of  tin 
or  a  flat  crock  over  each  hole,  above  this  spread  some  rich  fresh  soil, 
neatly  balance  the  plant,  and  fill  up  with  the  same  rich  fresh  soil  to 
within  half  an  inch  of  the  rims;  this  holds  the  water,  and  prevents 
the  manure  being  washed  over  the  sides  of  the  jardinier. 
The  soil  should  be  made  sufficiently  tight  round  the  edges  of  the 
jardinier  to  prevent  the  escape  of  water,  it  being  of  the  first  importance 
that  the  entire  ball  of  soil  round  the  plant  be  moistened  at  each 
watering.  Should  the  watering  of  the  plant  at  any  time  be  neglected, 
and  the  soil  has  become  quite  dry,  put  the  jardinier  in  a  tub  of  water 
for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  not  longer,  and  if  the  injury  is  not  too 
serious  the  plant  will  recover.  In  the  case  of  large  plants  we  use 
hollow  crocks  for  drainage,  the  same  as  is  used  by  growers  of  specimen 
plants.  After  several  repottings,  the  plant  having  increased  in  size, 
shift  into  a  larger  pot,  but  as  dwarfness  is  the  thing  aimed  at  the 
smaller  the  shift  the  better.  Repotting  should  be  done  February  or 
March,  just  before  spring  growth  commences. 
We  advise,  when  it  is  possible,  to  get  the  above  work  done  by  a 
