63  G 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  21,  1899. 
aspects  ;  but  beyond  the  work  of  its  great  domain  there  is  much  that 
needs  to  be  done  that  cannot  be  done  there,  for  its  natural  resources 
forbid,  yet  which  ought  to  be  done  for  the  benefit  of  our  ever-growiDg 
population — we  mean,  of  course,  in  practical  horticulture. 
England  should  become  more  and  more,  of  necessity  by  degrees,  a 
great  productive  garden.  The  resources  of  its  soil  should  be  developed 
and  made  to  yield  to  the  fullest  possible  extent  those  requirements  of 
life  that  are  outside  the  region  of  agriculture,  in  the  form  of  whole¬ 
some  food  and  of  all  that  ministers  to  home  enjoyment,  be  those  homes 
large  or  small.  We  have  no  nationally  supported  centre  of  light  or 
seat  of  learning  in  horticulture  ;  no  field  of  experiments  and  practical 
demonstrations  conducted  on  exact  lines,  and  of  adequate  scope,  to 
meet  the  great  desideratum.  Yet  we  boast  of  being  the  richest  nation 
in  the  world,  and  perhaps  we  are,  broadly  speaking,  though  in  some 
respects  we  rank  among  the  poorest — namely,  in  sound  instructional 
methods  by  which  the  nation  might  and  should  be  enriched,  and  the 
condition  of  its  inhabitants  improved  by  the  garden  cultivation  of  the 
soil. 
Y  e  have  what  may  te  described  as  local  teaching  here  and  there, 
and  great  good  has  been  done  and  will  be  done  for  those  for  whom 
such  teaching  is  provided.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  results  obtained 
are  so  striking  that  they  prove  to  demonstration  how  great  and  wide 
are  future  possibilities,  and  how  absolutely  certain  are  good  results  to 
flow  from  sound  methods.  This  local  teaching  is  for  the  benefit  of 
the  young,  as  well  as  of  adult  manual  workers,  and  could  only  be 
satisfactorily  conducted  under  the  auspices  of  local  authorities.  Still 
it  shows  the  more  clearly  a  great  national  want — an  authoritative, 
well-equipped,  and  adequately  supported  station  of  scientific  horti¬ 
culture  in  its  widest  scope  and  most  varied  aspects. 
We  have  had  a  sort  of  apology  for  this  at  Chiswick,  but  only  an 
apology  of  late,  in  comparison  with  what  a  national  establishment 
should  be.  These  remarks,  it  may  be  needless  to  say,  are  not  intended 
to  be,  and  cannot  be  regarded  as  any  sort  of  reproach  to  the  controllers 
of  Chiswick ;  all  has  been  done  that  could  be  done  there  of  late  years, 
and  less  rather  than  more  will  be  done  in  the  future.  Buildings  have 
been  creeping  onwards  toward  the  garden  for  years,  till  it  is  hemmed  in 
on  all  sides.  The  necessary  deep  drainage  system  has  dried  itjout.  It 
is  nothing  more  than  a  town  garden  now,  and  very  often  is  more 
suggestive  of  a  smoke  and  fog  trap  than  anything  eke.  Though  we 
say  it  with  a  feeling  of  regret,  having  regard  to  old  associations,  we 
are  bound  to  recognise  the  obdurate  fact  that  Chiswick  as  a  useful 
experimental  garden  is  worn  out. 
With  an  open  country  field  of  20  or  30  acres  of  substantial  soil 
in  the  country  far  more  substantial  good  might  be  done,  even  without 
any  glass,  than  can  now  be  done  at  Chiswick  with  all  its  scattered 
and  mostly  out  of  date  structures,  and  it  is  certain  the  R.H.S.  will 
have  to  leave  the  old  garden  to  its  fate  before  many  years  are  over. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  there  may  be  no  choice,  as  it  is  extremely 
unlikely  that  a  renewal  of  the  rapidly  expiring  lease  would  be 
granted  even  if  it  were  required — a  very  unlikely  contingency. 
rl  he  Royal  Horticultural  Society  can,  no  doubt,  if  it  so  determine, 
establish  anew  garden  elsewhere,  equip  it  fairly  well,  and  conduct  it  for 
its  own  purposes.  While  those  purposes  have  for  their  object  the 
advancement  of  horticulture,  it  seems  to  us  that  this  cannot  be  done 
in  anything  like  the  complete  manner  that  is  desirable  with  its  own 
resources  alone.  Horticulture  is  a  great  and  growing  industry,  and 
its  successful  prosecution  is  a  matter  of  the  utmost  national  importance. 
The  value  of  the  land  in  rural  districts  can  only  be  maintained  and 
increased  by  superior  cultivation,  and  it  is  impossible  to  place  too 
much  sou  d  information  at  the  disposal  of  all  who  are  identified 
with  it. 
If  special  Government  aid  is  requisite  in  comparatively  new 
countries  can  it  be  less  so  in  the  old  where  land  values  are  decreasing 
and  the  population  ever  increasing  ?  Our  Agricultural  Department 
appears  to  recognise  the  desirability  of  grants  in  aid  for  educational 
purposes,  and  makes  them  in  a  gingerly  sort  of  way,  even,  it  is  said, 
to  an  establishment  of  a  speculative  character.  Why  cannot  a 
substantial  grant  be  made  to  a  great  central  authority  for  the 
establishment  of  a  complete  horticultural  experimental  station  for  the 
benefit  of  the  whole  community  ? 
We  are  living  in  utilitarian  days,  and  substantial  results  arising 
from  the  art  of  cultivation  will  be  more  and  more  expected.  Not  a 
comparatively  few,  as  is  the  case  now,  but  the  greatest  possible  number 
of  owners,  directors,  and  workers  of  the  land  require  sound  information 
that  can  only  be  obtained  from  experiments  conducted  on  a  scientific 
basis.  With  the  means  afforded  a  station  could  be  established  not  of 
less  value  than  Kew  is,  but  in  a  different  and  equally  important,  and, 
to  thousands,  more  important  direction. 
The  knowledge,  moreover,  acquired  at  such  a  station  should  be  free 
to  all  who  need  it,  just  as  is  the  case  in  America  and  some  of  our  large 
Colonies.  So  free  is  this  collated  information  that  all  the  horticultural 
journals  in  the  world  are  at  liberty  to  reproduce  it,  illustrations  and  all, 
if  they  like.  We  may,  perhaps,  give  a  sample  or  two  one  of  these 
days.  This  free  distribution  of  specific  information  cannot  be  done 
by  a  corporate  society  alone,  however  stroDg.  It  can  only  produce  its 
Journal  for  its  own  Fellows,  and  this  by  making  it  a  trade  medium, 
which  is  not  quite  an  ennobling  position  for  any  Royal  Society. 
Happily  Kew  is  under  no  such  necessity,  and  hence  its  commanding 
authority. 
With  Government  co-operation  there  would  be  ample  matter  for  a 
Journal  of  Transactions  for  the  Fellows,  plus  reports  and  deductions 
for  public  use.  If  it  be  urged  the  public  have  this  now  in  the  form  of 
“  It  aflets,”  prepared  necessarily  at  considerable  cost,  it  can  be  said> 
because  felt,  that  these  carry  with  them  small  authority,  because 
those  into  whose  hands  they  fall  know  not  by  whom  and  from  whence 
the  matter  has  been  gleaned.  A  strong,  recognised,  and  trusted 
authority  with  a  substantial  material  base  of  operations  is  the  great 
want  cf  the  times,  and  this  provided  both  agriculture  and  horticulture 
would  be  continuously  benefited.  In  educational  matters  of  the 
important  nature  indicated,  we,  as  a  nation,  have  been  too  long 
lagging  behind. 
THE  CINERARIA, 
At  the  last  fortnightly  meeting  of  the  Kingston  and  District  Gar¬ 
deners’  Mutual  Improvement  Society,  Mr.  Nield  read  a  paper  on  the 
“  Cineraria,”  dealing  fully  with  the  florists’  varieties  developed  from 
the  species  cruenta.  These  plants  require  care  and  attention  to  insure 
success.  The  chief  points  in  the  paper  were  as  follows: — Sow  seeds 
according  to  requirements  from  April  till  July  to  produce  flowers  in 
November  and  December,  and  again  the  following  March  and  April. 
The  temperature  for  the  early  sowing  should  be  about  60’,  but  later 
sowings  will  not  require  artificial  aid  beyond  the  cool  greenhouse  or 
a  frame. 
The  seeds  should  be  sown  in  pans  filled  with  a  mixture  of  loam, 
leaf  soil,  and  sand,  covering  them  with  sand;  place  a  sheet  of  glass 
over  the  pan  and  shade  with  paper.  Put  the  seedlings  when  large 
enough  in  thumb  pots  or  60's,  and  shade  carefully.  Place  these  in 
cold  frames  as  soon  as  weather  permits,  giving  air  plentifully,  but 
avoiding  draughts.  During  most  of  the  growing  season  the  best 
position  for  the  plants  is  the  north  side  of  a  wall but  in  any  case 
allow  the  pots  to  stand  on  a  moist  base  screened  from  too  much  sun. 
Pot  the  plants  as  necessary  till  they  reach  the  6-inch  size.  Large 
specimens  may  be  grown  in  8-inch  pots  ;  but  the  former  is  a  useful  size, 
while  capital  plants  may  also  be  produced  in  4|-inch  pots.  Remove 
all  side  shoots  if  fine  blooms  are  required,  although  secondary  growths 
will  produce  an  additional  supply  of  small  trusses  of  bloom  for 
cutting  purposes.  For  the  final  potting  uge  a  compost  of  three  parts 
loam  to  one  of  leaf  soil,  with  sand  or  rubble,  and  add  half  a  pint  of 
superphosphate  of  lime  to  each  bushel  of  soil. 
The  plants  should  be  fully  exposed  during  August  and  September. 
House  the  earliest  in  October,  but  kave  the  late  ones  in  the  cold  frame 
until  frost  sets  in,  when  they  should  be  placed  on  a  greenhouse  shelf  or 
a  moist  stage  as  close  to  the  glass  as  possible.  Manuring  is  not 
necessary  until  the  flower  spikes  appear,  when  soot  water  may  be 
given,  this  was  found  to  be  the  safest  and  best  manure  the  lecturer 
had  tried. 
A  remedy  for  most  of  the  evils  to  which  the  plant  is  subject  to  is 
found  in  sulphide  of  potassium  used  at  the  rate  of  £  oz.  to  14  gallon  of 
water.  If  the  plants  are  sprayed  with  this,  trouble  with  the  Daf- 
miner  grub  and  red  spider  will  be  prevented  ;  it  is  sudden  death  to 
green  fly,  and  almost  as  bad  for  the  d  sease  appearing  as  red  rust  which) 
troubles  many  growers. — J.  3'.  Blencowe. 
