200 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
^Fareh  6,  1902. 
to  as  great  an  extent  show  his  individuality  in  his  work — or 
in  playing  his  serious  game.  With  the  return  of  spring  the 
true  gardener  is  ever  making  fresh  resolutions  to  improve 
on  the  efforts  of  former  years ;  no  stone  is  to  be  left 
unturned  to  show  a  distinct  improvement  in  some  depart¬ 
ments,  and  a  general  upward  tendency  throughout.  High 
ideals  are  necessary,  and,  although  they  may  not  be  all 
achieved,  it  is  only  by  aiming  high  that  continued  improve¬ 
ment  can  be  effected.  Most  of  us  know  the  wonderful  value 
of  "  foresight,”  it  is  a  quality  to  be  cultivated  with  all  the 
skill  at  command,  and  when  fully  exercised  at  the  beginning 
of  the  season  will  help  gardeners  to  avoid  hosts  of  pitfalls 
which  beset  their  path.  The  evening  hours  are  times  when 
such  matters  are  usuallv  thought  over,  and  I  fancy  that  often 
many  valuable  thoughts  enter  the  mind,  to  be  in  turn  driven 
out  by  others,  and  thus  their  value  is  lost  as  far  as  practical 
application  is  concerned.  In  such  cases  a  regular  habit  of 
making  notes  has  proved  of  great  value  to  men  in  every 
walk  of  life.  Any  idea  bearing  on  our  business  of  life  which 
seems  to  be  particularly  valuable  should  be  noted  down, 
and  if  such  notes  are  scanned  from  time  to  time  they  get 
impressed  upon  the  memory  in  readiness  when  the  time  for 
action  comes.  I  have  proved  the  value  of  such  a  practice 
over  and  over  again. 
Just  now  the  order  of  the  day  is  to  get  the  numerous 
little  improvements  taken  in  hand  in  wdnter  completed  ;  as 
well  as  the  overhauling  of  tools  and  sheds,  and  the  sorting, 
sprouting  and  disbudding  of  Potatoes,  so  that  when  the  soil 
is  in  a  suitable  condition  sowing  and  planting  may  be  pushed 
on  with  the  necessary  speed.  In  many  cases  the  soil  is  as 
yet  undug,  as  the  weather  since  Christmas  has  not  been 
favourable  for  such  work,  and  there  must  necessarily  be  a 
certain  amount  of  rush  ere  long  ;  but  the  man  who  has 
“  looked  ahead  ”  and  has  been  gradually  preparing  for  such 
a  contingency  can  generally  out-general  another  who  leaves 
everything  till  the  last  moment.  The  recent  frosty  weather 
has  provided  an  excellent  opportunity  for  carting  gravel 
to  points  where  walks  need  repairing,  and  when  the  thaw 
is  complete,  the  gravel,  if  laid  on  while  the  walks  are 
pliable,  can  quickly  be  rolled  into  a  fine  solid  surface. 
Peas  which  were  sown  in  pots  in  January  should  now  be 
thoroughly  hardened,  ready  for  planting  as  soon  as  the  soil 
is  dry  enough  to  allow  that  operation  to  be  performed. 
Then  by  giving  a  slight  protection  with  spruce  branches, 
crops  can  always  be  secured  earlier  than  by  sowing  in  the 
open  air.  The  majority  of  gardeners  have  doubtless  long 
ago  made  up  their  minds  that  plenty  of  everything  in  season 
will  be  required  during  the  latter  part  of  June  next,  and 
throughout  the  early  weeks  of  July,  on  account  of  the  many 
festivities  rvhich  will  cluster  around  the  great  national  cere¬ 
mony.  Those  who  have  made,  and  continue  to  make,  the 
greatest  efforts  to  provide  for  the  demand  will  doubtless 
experience  more  pleasant  times  than  those  who  have 
exercised  no  such  foresight. 
Roses  will,  of  course,  be  wanted  in  huge  quantities,  and 
if  they  are  of  high  quality  as  well  they  will  be  all  the 
more  admired.  When,  therefore,  the  beds  are  forked  up,  a 
dressing  of  some  approved  artificial  manure,  in  addition  to 
the  usual  quota  of  animal  manure,  will  show  improved 
results  in  due  time.  A  dressing  of  soot  during  showery 
weather  when  growth  has  started  always  seems  to  have  a 
magical  effect  on  Roses,  whether  grown  in  pots  or  in  the 
open  air.  The  question  of  pruning  is  one  which  will  this 
year  need  a  little  careful  thought,  as  in  warmer  districts 
where  H.P.’s  are  planted  about  the  beginning  or  middle  of 
March  the  first  rush  of  flowers  is  sometimes  over  by  the  end 
of  June.  It  may,  therefore,  be  wise  to  prune  somewhat 
later  this  season.  In  the  case  of  Teas  growing  on  walls  in 
warm  situations,  a  good  deal  may  be  done  to  regulate  the 
time  of  flowering  by  disbudding.  With  some  varieties  the 
early  blooms  will  come  in  May,  and  if  the  shoots  are 
removed  directly  the  flowers  fade  a  succession  of  flowers 
may  be  obtained  by  the  end  of  June. 
Sweet  Peas  will  also  without  doubt  be  highly  appreciated 
during  the  great  time  of  rejoicing,  and  those  who  have 
plants  already  established  in  pots  will,  if  good  attention  be 
given,  find  no  difficulty  in  getting  plenty  of  flowers  by  the 
end  of  June.  If  seeds  are  sown  at  once  under  glass,  and 
planted  out  in  April,  if  the  season  is  a  fairly  favourable  one 
they  should  flower  by  the  end  of  June.  The  practice  of 
cutting  lawns  closely  year  after  year,  and  making  no  serious 
attempt  to  feed  the  turf,  results  during  hot  summers  in 
brown  parched  patches.  If  a  good  dressing  of  thoroughly 
decayed  manure  and  soot  could  be  applied  in  autumn  01“ 
winter  their  condition  could  be  greatly  improved;  but  Ihe- 
appearance  of  the  dressing  is  generally  objectionable.  A 
dressing  of  artificial  manure  in  March  has,  however,  no  such  , 
objection,  and  will  often  have  a  wonderful  effect  upon  the 
condition  of  the  turf  during  the  following  summer.  This, 
then,  is  an  important  point  to  remember,  and  act  upon  now. 
There  are  many  good  lawn  manures  on  the  market,  or  one 
may  be  formed  by  mixing  two  parts  superphosphate,  one 
part  sulphate  of  potash,  and  1  part  sulphate  of  ainmonia, 
applied  at  the  rate  of  4ozs  per  square  yard  during  shdwery 
weather.  There  are  hosts  of  other  matters  connected  with 
gardening  in  which  the  exercise  of  a  little  “  foresight  ”  at  the 
present  will  help  to  prevent  or  modify  difficulties  which 
might  occur  later  on  ;  but  these  notes  are  not  intended  to 
deal  with  all  such  matters,  but  simply  to  cause  readers  to  ■ 
“  think  ”  and  stir  up  their  imagination  to  provide  for 
possible  contingencies. — Onward. 
The  Horticultural  Hall. 
Up  to  the  present  date,  the  apparent  interest  in  the  Hall  • 
question  is  exceedingly  mild.  We  presume,  of  course,  that  none 
of  the  “  Journal  ”  readers  need  any  lengthened  explanations  as  - 
to  what  is  intended  when  we  refer  to  the  “  Hall  question.”  It  is 
well  understood  that  a  site  is  being  considered  by  a  special  com¬ 
mittee  of  Fellows  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  the  said 
site  being  intended  for  an  Horticultural  Hall  in  which  the  grow¬ 
ing  exhibitions  of  the  Society  may  be  conveniently  held,  and 
where  also  the  shows  of  the  other  distinctive  but  minor  London 
floricultural  societies  may  likewise  be  centred. 
We  have  said  that  the  interest  in  the  matter  is  apparently 
mild — we  do  not  say  apathetical,  for  that  would  be  far  from  the 
truth,  and  there  is  substantial  reason  why  opinion  should  be, 
in  the  main,  reserved.  Discussion  of  the  question  so  very 
materiall.v  depends  on  the  conditions  of  the  committee’s  agree¬ 
ment  with  the  party  or  parties  to  whom  the  site  they  are  at. 
present  considering  belongs  to.  But  it  is  not  our  desire  to  focus 
attention  on  the  site  at  all.  One  thing  we  are  confident  of  is  that 
the  position  and  environs  of  it  are  such  as  are  likely  to  be  com¬ 
pletely  satisfactory  to  the  bulk  of  the  Fellows  of  the  Society. 
Whether  the  conditions  governing  its  acceptance  are  likely  to  be 
so  agreeable  will  not  be  known  till  a  special  general  meeting  to 
examine  the  offer  takes  place. 
What  at  present  would  seem  to  be  most  desirable  for  Fellows 
to  be  at  unanimity  upon  is,  firstly,  the  possible  size  of  the  pro¬ 
posed  Hall ;  secondly,  its  pretensions  as  regards  appearance,  and  -■ 
of  what  it  will  be  constructed ;  and,  thirdly,  to  what  extent  the  • 
entire  scheme  will  be  supported  (a)  by  horticulturists  throughout 
the  land,  and  (b)  by  extraneous  contributors  or  contributing 
bodies?  We  have  already  directed  some  attention  to  the  mone¬ 
tary  phase  of  the  question,  and  may  return  to  it  on  another 
occasion.  When  an  appeal  comes  to  be  ultimately  made,  our 
hopes  are  strong  that  good  support  may  be  expected  from  far 
beyond  London.  On  the  second  point  the  voice  of  the  majority 
will  unite  in  a  demand  for,  not  a  palace,  but  a  Hall  that  will  yet 
be  a  thing  of  beauty,  and  whose  obtrusion  to  the  view  will 
pleasantly  excite  the  multitude’s  imagination,  and  be,  in  fact,  an 
edifice  in  every  way  worthy  of  English  horticulture  in  this,  the- 
Twentieth  Century.  As  a  floral  exhibition  hall,  the  greater 
part  of  it  will  have  to  be  light  and  elegant — a  miniature  Crystal 
Palace.  Glass,  iron,  and  stone;  what  proportion  of  each?  Placed 
in  the  hands  of  the  horticultural  builders  (as  it  might  well  be)  a 
graceful,  practicable,  and  superior  Hall,  with  the  qualities  also 
of  durability,  should  be  erected  without  either  exorbitant  expense 
or  other  difficulty.  It  should  also  be  quite  within  the  range  of 
possibility  to  throw  the  ordinary  lecture  rooms,  offices,  library, 
and  council  chambers,  corridors,  laboratories,  museums,  and  other 
likely  appointments  behind  the  more  apparent  exhibition  hall 
area,  and  by  careful  arrangement  the  spaciousness  for  these  may 
be  ample  without  being  greatly  extensive.  Even  in  London 
there  are  beautiful  churches,  and  of  considerable  size,  constructed 
at  no  greater  cost  than  from  £6,000  to  £10,000.  Assuming  the 
higher  sum  to  be  the  possible  cost  of  the  building,  forty,  fifty,  or 
sixty  thousand  pounds  would  surely  buy  ground  sufficient  for  it. 
Previously  we  stated  that  very  much  larger  sums  had  been  esti¬ 
mated  by  various  parties,  and  we  are  probably  optimistic  in  saying 
that  from  £40,000  to  £50,000  will  suffice  to  cover  the  expenses 
incumbent  in  the  erection  of  a  perfectly  suitable  Hall.  As  we 
said  before,  however,  it  W'ould  give  us  great  pleasure  to  have 
opinions  from  those  who  are  most  interested  in  a  momentous, 
question,  on  a  unique  occasion. 
