578 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENED, 
Jllne  25,  1896. 
Jubilee  year  has  this  question  forced  itself  so  prominently  upon 
my  notice,,  but  more  than  once  has  considerable  worry  and  anxiety 
ensued  from  it. 
In  that  year  (1887)  of  rejoicing,  of  sunshine,  and  of  suffering 
through  burnt-up  England  my  work  commenced  anew  on  a  small 
estate  fed  by  two  hill-born  streams.  Much  expensive  work  had  to 
be  carried  ont  in  hydraulic  machinery,  yielding  a  good  supply 
whilst  water  ran  ;  but  as  during  a  spell  of  drought  one  stream 
invariably  went  dry,  and  when  more  protracted  the  other  all  bnt 
failed,  we  suffered  as  many  more  in  that  neighbourhood  did  ; 
indeed,  we  were  not  the  worst  off,  for  on  the  higher  ground  cattle 
died.  It  is,  of  course,  admitted  that  much  of  this  suffering  was 
not  remediable,  but  so  far  as  we  on  the  estate  were  concerned  we 
could,  I  believe,  have  stored  up  a  powerful  auxiliary  supply  from 
one  stream  by  building  a  tank  or  reservoir,  and,  to  me  at  least,  such 
appeared  perfectly  practicable.  For  some  few  days  during  the 
most  critical  period  we  were  dependent  on  a  well.  A  well  is  a 
very  good  thing,  but  a  moral  springs  from  many  of  them  during  a 
spell  of  drought,  as  it  did  from  ours — viz.,  “You’ll  never  miss  the 
water  till  the  well  runs  dry.” 
Now,  when  I  see  how  much  has  been  done  in  some  places,  and 
could  be  done  in  others,  with  bricks  and  cement,  then  it  appears 
something  like  culpable  negligence  not  to  use  this  means  to  an  end 
when  other  means  fail.  Yet  have  I  been  better  able  to  see  than 
to  act,  and  many  place  their  dependence  on  normal  seasons,  in 
spite  of  the  lessons  taught  by  abnormal  ones.  Experience  taught 
but  wisdom  failed  to  endorse  it.  The  value  of  theory  is,  of  course, 
tested  by  practice.  I  will  merely  add  that  in  a  parallel  case  in  a 
hill  country  such  a  system  as  advocated  had  been  carried  out  with 
entire  success,  although  in  this  case  it  was  rather  an  example  of 
skilful  engineering,  for  our  reservoir  was  on  a  neighbouring  hill  a 
mile  distant,  but  there  I  know  during  protracted  drought  we  were 
not  forbidden  to  wash  out  the  floors  of  our  glass  houses,  whereas  in 
more  than  one  abnormal  season  of  later  and  less  happy  experience 
it  was  a  luxury  not  to  be  entertained. 
We  of  tbe  Western  Isles  cannot  well  realise  the  value  of 
“  a  well  of  water,”  as  depicted  in  the  patriarchal  narratives  of 
Oriental  scenes  ;  for  so  far  as  our  own  country  is  concerned,  there 
appears  to  be  no  scarcity  of  the  pure  and  precious  liquid,  if  we 
knew  just  where  to  dig  for  it— to  tap  the  subterranean  springs. 
The  practice  of  finding  water  by  aid  of  the  divining  rod  is, 
1  think,  more  worthy  of  attention  and  credence  than  it  generally 
obtains.  It  is  a  practice,  not  a  theory  only  (indeed  I  do  not  know 
that  we  can  attach  any  theory  to  the  inexplicable),  of  which  I  am 
somewhat  diffident  of  introducing  here,  for  it  is  one  in  which  a  good 
deal  of  scepticism  must  prevail.  We  like  our  practice  to  be  based 
upon  sound  theory,  as  much  as  we  like  our  theory  to  be  exemplified 
by  practice.  Why  that  a  simple  forked  rod  of  Hazel,  or  other 
wood,  or  even  metal,  should  twist  and  twirl  in  the  hands  of  a 
medium  when  over  the  subterranean  spring,  is  not,  that  I  am  aware, 
explainable  ;  but  I  have,'  without  witnessing  the  operation,  seen 
and  heard  of  such  results,  especially  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Bristol,  as  to  leave  no  doubts  on  my  mind  of  its  efficiency. 
Some  interesting  data  of  fruitful  experiments  are  to  be  found 
in  the  “Quiver”  for  1887  (page  565).  Without  quoting  facts 
there  related,  which  appear  to  be  both  indisputable  and  convincing, 
the  brief  summing  up  of  that  article  (by  C.  F.  Gordon-Cumaaing) 
may  be  given.  It  is  this — “  Doubtless  ere  long  this  seemingly 
mysterious  power  will  be  scientifically  explained.  For  the  present, 
however,  it  remains  among  the  number  of  unfathomed  mysteries, 
of  which  a  few  still  remain  to  puzzle  our  wisest  men,  and  to 
provoke  the  contemptuous  sneers  of  those  who  (...)  believe 
that  whatever  is  beyond  their  own  powers  of  understanding  must 
necessarily  be  foolishness.”  Probably  this  power  of  water-finding 
has  been  invested  with  some  amount  of  superstition  not  con¬ 
ducive  to  a  diffusion  of  knowledge  of  the  subject,  hence  the  con¬ 
fining  of  this  work  to  limited  areas. 
Whilst  we  have  so  much  evidence  of  the  suffering  entailed  by 
a  season  of  drought,  when  each  day  sees  the  sun  rise  and  set  in 
tropical  splendour,  and  whether  or  not  we  use  all  the  means 
available  to  cope  with  it,  such  a  measure  of  uninterrupted  bright 
sunshine  has  possibly  beneficial  influences  beyond  the  range  of  our 
computation.  It  is,  I  believe,  now  recognised  by  modern  science 
that  many  of  the  multitude  of  malignant  microscopic  organisms 
are  annihilated  by  the  solar  rays.  Visible  life  in  the  way  of  insect 
pests  thrive,  we  unfortunately  know,  to  the  detriment  of  vege¬ 
tation.  Yet  out  of  evil  may  come  good.  There  is  a  good  deal  yet 
of  the  more  practical  side  of  the  question  in  our  own  hands — that 
is,  the  water  question,  which  has  undoubtedly  of  late  been  to 
many  one  of  anxiety.  Spells  of  drought  are,  of  course,  in  our 
island  home  abnormal  ;  hence  we  trust  in  Providence,  and  in  some 
cases  tempt  it  too.— Invicta. 
Orchids  at  Erstead.,. 
At  the  charming  Surrey  home  of  0.  L.  N.  Ingram,  Esq,* 
universally  known  as  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  “Illustrated 
London  News,”  Orchids  are  the  speciality,  and  though  other  things 
are  grown  under  glass,  they  are  in  complete  subservience  to  the 
aristocrats  of  the  floral  kingdom.  Almost  all  the  way  from  London 
to  Godaiming  there  are  glimpses  of  the  picturesque  in  Nature, 
culminating,  by  the  aid  of  man,  in  the  “  new  ”  station  of  the 
latter  town.  Here  the  station  master  is  the  head  gardener,  and 
ably  does  he  carry  out  his  self-imposed  duties.  Handsome  ever¬ 
greens  line  the  station  on  each  side,  while  further  embellishment 
is  sought  and  found  by  the  aid  of  plants  in  pots,  hardy  flowers, 
trim  kept  lawns,  miniature  terraces,  and  the  tidy  greenhouse,  gay 
with  the  season’s  flowers.  This  station — one  of  the  prettiest  that 
has  been  seen  in  fairly  extensive  wanderings — is  a  credit  alike 
to  its  master  and  to  the  London  and  South-Western  Railway 
Company  to  whom  it  belongs,  and  it  is  one  that  might  be  taken  as 
a  model  for  others  quite  as  well  adapted,  but  neglected  through 
the  ruling  of  an  unhorticultural  chief.  This  is  a  digression,  but  it 
will  be  pardoned,  as  it  is  one  of  the  tenets  of  the  gardening 
fraternity  to  give  honour  to  whom  honour  is  due,  and  surely  it 
is  due  when  the  weary  traveller  is  refreshed  by  the  sight  of 
charming  plants  and  flowers  ? 
To  reach  the  collection  of  Orchids  we  have  come  to  see  there  is 
a  road  journey  of  five  miles  after  the  one  by  rail,  and  this  is  over¬ 
come  by  the  aid  of  a  pony  and  trap.  As  progression  is  made 
remarkable  evidences  of  the  drought  and  cold  winds,  that  prevailed 
for  a  considerable  period  until  but  a  short  time  ago,  are  seen  in  the 
hundreds  of  Oak  trees,  from  many  of  which  the  leafage  had  been 
completely  shorn.  Some  had  escaped,  but  the  majority  were 
absolutely  leafless,  and  this  after  having  worn  their  beautiful 
spring  garb.  Occasionally  signs  of  fresh  growth  were  perceptible, 
but  it  can  scarcely  be  hoped  that  they  will  this  year  recover  from 
such  a  severe  check.  We  are  just  entering  Elstead  when  our 
destination  is  seen  on  the  right,  and  as  we  reach  the  entrance  Mr. 
T.  W.  Bond  comes  forth  with  a  true  gardener’s  greeting.  Soon 
we  are  in  his  house,  but  not  for  long,  as  the  grower  is  too  anxious 
to  get  among  his  pets  to  allow  of  much  leisure. 
It  is  difficult  to  say,  even  after  making  a  very  close  inspection, 
which  section  of  the  great  Orchid  family  is  best  represented,  for 
the  simple  reason  that  Cattleyas,  Lselias,  Cypripediums,  and 
Dandrobiums  are  all  so  fine  and  so  numerous.  Perhaps,  however, 
the  majority  of  visitors  would  accord  the  position  of  honour  to 
the  Cattleyas  and  Lselias  in  combination,  and  in  so  doing  they 
would  not  err  very  greatly.  For  their  accommodation  a  new  span- 
roofed  structure  was  erected  at  a  comparatively  recent  date,  and 
this  is  now  completely  full.  There  is  a  central  path  with  stages 
on  each  side  in  the  body  of  the  houses  and  side  ones  in  addition, 
so  that  space  is  readily  found  for  a  large  number  (there  were  2000 
in  at  the  time  of  this  visit)  of  plants.  There  is  no  crowding,  each 
plant  has  as  much  room  as  it  requires  for  development,  and  many 
of  them  are  placed  on  deep  pots  on  the  open  staging.  In  length 
the  Cattleya  house,  as  it  is  justly  termed,  is  65  feet,  while  it  has  a 
breadth  of  25  feet.  It  is  lightly  yet  strongly  constructed,  and 
looks  as  though  it  will  stand  for  a  considerable  space  of  time. 
