July  22,  18&?. 
JOtrni^AL  OP  BORTWULTUnE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
67 
even  gome  feet  below  the  roof  of  the  house ;  and  their  distance 
from  it,  in  bringing  the  Grapes  nearer,  lends  enchantment  to  the 
scene. 
Pagsing  from  the  Grapes  in  the  course  of  inspection  the 
substantial  growth  of  Tomatoes  in  pots  could  not  fail  to  be 
noticed  —  not  sappy,  flabby, '  luxuriant  growth,  but  hard  stems, 
with  a  minimum  amount  of  pith  in  them,  and  leaves  like  card¬ 
board.  Why  are  Tomatoes,  no  matter  what  the  varieties,  nor 
whence  the  seeds  come,  invariably  free  from  the  “  drooping  ”  or 
other  mysterious  disease  at  Chiswick  ?  Mainly  because  no  mistakes 
are  made  in  the  treatment  of  the  plants,  though  fungologists  will 
scarcely  be  able  to  accept  that  reason.  We  have  often  wished 
that  Mr.  Barron  had  in  his  time  purposely  blundered,  if  he 
could,  with  some  plants  for  “bringing  on”  the  disease,  as  we 
have  not  the  slightest  doubt  it  has  been  brought  on  in  hundreds  of 
cases,  though  not  in  all,  by  errors  in  management  ;  equally  we 
should  like  to  see  Mr.  S.  T.  Wright  blunder  also,  with  the  same 
object,  if  he  is  capable  of  the  task. 
Dr.  Masters,  in  his  interesting  address,  which  will  be  subsequently 
referred  to,  laid  stress  on  the  American  practice  of  spraying  for 
the  prevention  of  fungoid  attacks,  and  thought  it  might  be  tried 
at  Chiswick.  Dr.  Plowright  in  response  jocularly  observed  that 
after  a  search  all  through  the  gardens  he  “  regretted  ”  his  inability 
to  find  any  fungus  to  gpray  against.  But  if  the  resting  spores  of 
the  “  drooping  disease  ”  fungus  lurk  in  the  seed?,  as  seems  to  be  the 
case,  quicken  and  take  possession  of  the  plant  germ,  growing  with 
the  growth  of  the  plant  until  this  is  overwhelmed,  how  is  it  that 
these  fungus-bearing  seeds  fail  to  find  their  way  to  Chiswick  ? 
Seeds  have  come  from  nearly  everywhere,  but  yet  the  plants  are 
“  clean.”  If  Chiswick  could  “  invite  ”  the  fungoid  disease  by  ill- 
conditioned  plants,  and  get  the  invitation  accepted,  it  might  teach 
a  lesson  of  incalculable  value. 
A  curious  circumstance  may  be  here  related  as  bearing  on  the 
subject  under  notice.  It  may  perhaps  even  be  regarded  as  a  “  nut 
to  crack  ”  by  some  of  our  fungological  friends.  A  small  packet 
of  Tomato  seed  was  divided  between  Chiswick  and  a  Tomato 
connoisseur.  The  Chiswick  portion  gave  plants  as  healthy  as 
plants  could  be.  Every  one  of  the  gentleman’s  plants  collapsed. 
They  “  looked  queer  from  the  first,”  his  gardener  said.  Some  of 
the  miserables  were  examined  by  an  “  authority,”  whose  verdict  was 
“  dirty  seeds,  fungus  spores  in  them,  bound  to  fail.”  The  owner 
of  the  plants  was  of  a  different  opinion.  He  saw  all  the  seeds 
sown,  as  he  thought  much  too  thickly,  and  there  was  none  to  be 
examined.  He  found  the  young  plants,  after  they  had  fairly 
started  and  looking  well,  one  day  quite  sodde  ned  by,  as  he  said 
an  accident.  They  ceased  growing,  turned  first  a  dark  colour, 
then  became  mottled,  and  though  the  beat  was  done  to  save  them, 
they  drooped  and  died.  We  wonder  if  such  accidents  ever  happen 
at  Chiswick.  If  they  do,  they  should  not  be  passed  by  in  silence. 
The  bad  as  well  as  the  good  should  be  noted  there,  and  it  would 
add  to  the  instruction  of  the  students  and  the  public  if  there  were 
something  of  both  to  note. 
The  desire  to  do  ail  things  well  is  a  worthy  aspiration,  but  a 
few  blunders,  and  their  results,  such  as  in  pruning  for  the  pro¬ 
duction  of  wood  and  the  prevention  of  fruit ;  in  the  non-thinning 
of  fruit  on  an  overladen  tree  or  Vine,  and  in  various  other  items  of 
routine  work  in  the  several  departments  would  afford  object  lessons 
which  could  not  be  ignored.  Then  what  instructive  themes  would 
be  afforded  for  lectures — svhich  we  think  the  Chiswick  students 
should  h'ave  from  time  to  time — by  scientific  men  ;  they  can  learn 
good  practice  from  the  superintendent.  But  it  is  feared  that  if  the 
controlling  power  should  decide  to  wait  for  the  realisation  of  Dr. 
Masters’  great  conceptions  before  moving  in  the  matter,  it  will  only 
be  the  students  of  the  distant  future  who  will  benefit  by  the  teaching 
that  he  so  laudably  desires. 
One  other  want  of  Chiswick — a  very  homely  one,  it  is  true,  but 
if  supplied  would  do  more  to  improve  the  Gardens  than  anything 
else — is  an  extra  generous  supply  of  the  bast  procurable  manure, 
with  as  much  good  “  holding  ”  loam  as  could  be  obtained.  The 
land  has  been  overworked  and  underfed  for  years,  and  is  getting 
poor  and  stale,  especially  the  open  vegetable  and  fiower  quarters. 
For  fruit  and  Potatoes  it  may  be  rich  enough,  but  for  most  other 
crops  it  is  deficient  in  humus,  and  generally  in  a  state  that  would 
drive  a  market  gardener  into  the  bankruptcy  court.  This  is  seen 
plainly  enough  in  the  Pea  trials,  where  the  land  was  well  trenched. 
Mr.  Veitch  thinks  Chiswick  is  becoming  too  much  of  a  town 
garden,  and  seems  to  favour  emigration.  True,  it  is  the  centre  of 
a  large  population  ;  but  still,  there  does  not  seem  to  be  much  the 
matter  with  the  forest  trees  around  and  the  fruit  trees  in  the 
garden,  while  it  does  not  yet  seem  to  be  a  struggle  for  life  with  the 
Roses.  It  is  always  well  to  look  ahead  and  provide  for  the  future  ; 
but  as  Chiswick  in  its  structures  has  not  been  so  well  furnished 
before,  and  as  the  fertility  of  the  soil  can  be  increased,  we  suspect 
the  cherished  old  garden  will,  under  fair  treatment,  be  capable  of 
showing  good  results  for  several  years  to  come. 
Having  entered  somewhat  fully,  but  by  no  means  exhaustively, 
into  the  work,  wants,  and  possibilities  of  Chiswick,  as  suggested  by 
the  first  item  in  the  programme,  the  other  features  may  be  dismissed 
more  briefly. 
The  Luncheon. 
Provided  in  a  large  marquee  on  the  lawn  the  repast  was  all  that 
could  be  desired.  We  understood  that  150  invitations  were  issued, 
and  most  of  these  must  have  been  accepted.  Sir  Trevor  Lawrence, 
Bart.,  presided,  supported  by  Sir  J.  D.  Hooker,  F.R  S.,  and  members 
of  Council.  Only  one  toast  was  proposed,  “  the  Queen,”  and,  as 
may  be  expected,  it  was  accepted  with  unanimity. 
The  President  then  rose  and  gave  to  all  a  hearty  welcome, 
expressing  his  pleasure  that  so  many  had  been  able  to  attend  on  the 
occasion.  He  desired  to  convey  the  Council's  appreciation  of  the 
services  of  the  different  Committees,  the  members  of  which  so 
willingly  attended  the  several  meetings  for  the  sole  object  of 
aiding  the  Society  to  do  all  that  could  be  done  in  the  interests  of 
horticulture.  The  Scientific,  Plant,  Orchid,  and  Fruit  and  Vegetable 
Committees  did  each  in  their  sections  work  that  could  not  be  other¬ 
wise  done  so  well,  as  the  members  possessed  special  qualifica¬ 
tions,  and  some  of  them  travelled  long  distances  to  discharge  their 
duties  without  fear  or  favour.  They  gave  their  time  freely,  and 
not  without  cost  to  themselves,  solely  to  advance  the  art  in  which 
all  were  interested,  and  in  a  spirit  of  good-will  to  the  Royal  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society.  The  President’s  address  and  graceful  references 
were  accepted  by  the  assembly  in  the  same  spirit  that  they  were 
tendered,  and  this  was  of  the  best. 
The  Discussion. 
“  Dr.  Masters,  F.R.  8  ,  will  open  a  discussion  on  Practical  Sug¬ 
gestions  for  the  Better  Utilisation  of  Chiswick  Gardens”  was  tbe 
announcement,  and  it  brought  together  a  large  audience — at  least, 
