220 
.lOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENEIL 
;March  13,  1902. 
result.  Some  of  our  readers  may  also  have  ohst-rved  a  recent 
paragraph  (page  184)  in  the  Journal  which  intimated  that  the 
Orient  Pacific  Company  are  offering  advantages  to  European 
growers  to  ship  consigninf-nts  of  fruit  and  vegetables  to 
Australia.  It  is  quite  likely  that  this  is  to  be  the  beginning 
of  an  inqDortant  trade  with  the  colonies,  as,  though  Australia 
produces  a  larger  amount  of  fruit  than  is  there  consumed,  the 
seasons  here  and  there  are  opposite,  and  Italian  arid  English 
fruit  will  come  in  when  their  trees  are  not  in  bearing.  Cold 
storage  comp-inies,  too,  have  recently  been  formed,  and  they 
will  materially  assist  the  fruit  salesmen.  By  their  aid  the 
latter  section  “of  workers  in  the  fruit  trade  industry  will  be 
nicely  enabled  to  regulate  the  supply  of  soft-skinned  fruits 
(both  English  and  foreign)  according  to  the  demand.  And  it 
would  seem  from  a  recent  advocacy  that  each  country  house 
might  have  its  own  cold  storage  rooms  without  very  great 
expense. 
Planters  have  been  busy  ever  since  October  last — and  they 
still  are.  The  present  shortage  of  English  fruit  has  been 
marked  by  the  extensive  iilantings  of  Apple  and  Pear  trees 
that  have  taken  place  in  certain  districts.  One  can  only  hope 
that,  while  planting  largely,  growers  will  also  apply  every 
rule  in  the  up-to-date  cultural  and  marketing  code,  whence 
a  fair  measure  of  success  will  of  a  surety  follow  their  efforts.  _ 
Another  most  important  event  which  comes  directly  within 
the  present  quarter  was  the  conference  on  school  gardens 
arranged  lately  by  the  Berkshire  Technical  Education  Com¬ 
mittee.  It  is  being  slowly  recognised  by  the  educational 
authorities  in  this  country  that  it  is  better  to  learn  by  seeing 
and  doing  than  by  merely  reading  books.  If  gardening  is  to 
be  usefully  taught  in  rural  districts  there  must  necessarily 
be  a  school  garden  attached  ;  and  it  is  pleasing  therefore  to 
see  that  they  are  appreciated  by  the  Government.  The 
Middlesex  County  Council  have  recently  founded  a  school 
garden.  In  Germany,  especially,  school  gardens  have  existed 
for  many  years.  These  school  gardens  are  not  intended  to 
make  professional  gardeners  of  each  scholar,  but  rather  to 
imbue  them  with  a  love  for  gardens,  and  to  the  commercial, 
more  than  to  the  professional  horticulturist  the  ultimate 
advantages  of  such  tuition  should  be.  markedly  apparent. 
The  issue  of  what  is  at  present  a  very  small  monthly  publica¬ 
tion  entitled  “The  Nature-Study  Journal,”  from  Wye  College, 
Kent,  predicts  an  advance  towards  that  fuller  knowledge  of 
Nature  which  ought  to  exist  more  widely,  but  which  unfor¬ 
tunately  does  not. 
— - - 
Some  Things  Unusual. 
Last  season,  in  a  gardening  periodical,  a  writer  gave  what  to 
me  seemed  a  useful  hint  in  the  acquirement  of  a  popular, 
though  unusual  Christmas  dish,  namely,  new  Potatoes,  without 
forcing.  At  the  present  time,  with  the  vast  and  varied  imports 
from  other  countries,  one  meets  with  things  in  the  markets  quite 
out  of  the  common  both  in  winter  and  summer,  but  to  have  some 
new  Potatoes  from  one’s  own  garden  there  seemed  to  me  a  spice  of 
independence  placed  so  easily  within  reach.  The  mode  of  acquisi¬ 
tion  was  simplicity  in  the  extreme.  Procure  a  clean,  square, 
ordinary  grocer’s  biscuit  tin,  dig  up  some  Potatoes  in  the  garden 
while  they  are  still  young  and  tender-skinned,  fill  the  tin,  close 
down  the  cover,  and  bury  it  in  the  garden,  and  there  is  found  the 
source  of  so  much  anticipated  novelty  in  the  coming  Christmas 
fare.  It  was  said  by  the  author  of  this  “  wrinkle  ”  that  they 
would,  when  unearthed,  come  out  of  the  box  with  all  the  fresh¬ 
ness  of  the  summer  tuber.  My  attempt,  however,  did  not  reward 
me  with  just  this  desirable  element  to  the  extent  I  had  looked 
for,  notwithstanding,  there  was  a  suspicion  of  the  summer  flavour, 
particularly  when  eaten  without  the  aid  of  foreign  “  spices,”  such 
as  is  so  common  and  customary  at  Christmas  time.  Let  me 
advise,  then,  those  who  yearn  for  novelty  in  the  dull  season  of 
winter  (not  necessarily  at  Christmas,  because  then  there  is  usually 
such  a  wealthy  store  of  freshness  to  change  the  monotony  of  the 
winter  season),  to  try  this  simple  expedient  for  their  own  pleasure 
and  that  of  friends.  There  would  be  all  the  more,  because  un¬ 
expected,  pleasure,  if  this  be  done  secretly,  and  in  due  time  the 
treasure  unearthed  and  presented  without  announcement  from 
the  “  crier.” 
Rambler  Roses. 
This  section  of  Roses  is  greatly  in  fashion  at  the  present  day, 
arches  and  pergolas  being  erections  fast  becoming  additional 
garden  features.  It  is  not  my  intention  to  speak  of  the  claims 
these  Roses  have  for  these  purposes,  but  rather  the  feature  such 
flowers  make  when  rising  from  growths  pegged  down  horizontally 
to  the  ground.  Last  summer  I  saw  a  border  of  tliese  Crimson 
Ramblers  in  great  splendour  treated  in  this  way.  The  growths, 
as  they  advanced,  were  brouglit  down  and  secured  in  horizontal 
position,  which  caused  lateral  shoots  to  rise  and  flower  from 
almost  every  joint,  or,  at  any  rate,  to  flower  with  that  freedom 
that  a  veritable  hedge  or  carpet  of  crimson  is  formed.  At  inter¬ 
vals  of  a  few  feet  were  standard  Roses  rising  out  of  this  carpet 
of  pegged-down  shoots,  and  for  the  time  it  presented  a  charming 
living  picture.  It  may  be  said  there  is  nothing  unusual  in  this, 
or  nothing  out  of  the  common,  but  there  are  a  good  many  gardens 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land  wherein  such 
instances  of  Rose  culture  are  absent,  and  which  would  not  long 
remain  so  if  examples  such  as  I  have  instanced  were  actually  seen 
by  gardeners  and  owner's  of  gardens. 
Tropaeolums*  (Nasturtiums)  at  Midwinter. 
There  may  not  be  any  or  but  little  novelty  in  these  growing 
and  flowering  at,  midwinter,  but,  in  the  words  of  the  Canadian 
lady,  it  might  be  said,  “  I  have  not  seen  them  in  England.”  What 
are  referred  to  here  are  the  ordinary  so-called  Nasturtiums  of 
gardens.  The  Tropseolums  are  great  favourites  with  some  for  the 
outdoor  borders  in  summer,  and  especially  those  which  are  poor 
in  soil,  unsuited  to  the  more  delicately  constituted  annuals. 
The  dwarf  Chameleon  variety  was  that  selected  for  this  winter 
di.splay,  and  I  am  sure  Avere  those  having  conservatories  tO'  main¬ 
tain  in  a  gay  state  during  winter  to' give  these  a  trial,  they  would 
be  well  pleased  with  the  change  of  aspect  afforded  by  them. 
Sown  three  seeds  in  a  48-pot,  stood  in  a  frame  to  ensure  more 
even  germination,  and  then,  when  up.  placed  outdoors  to  advance 
sturdily,  they  developed  into  bushes  that,  when  removed  to 
shelves  near  the  glass  indoors,  became  literally  a  blaze  of  colour, 
which,  needless  to  say,  were  much  admired  and  commented  upon 
as  being  out  of  the  common,  though  of  themselves  common 
enough.  They  have  at  least  the  merit  of  being  easily  grown, 
and  are  cheap,  and  I  venture  to  say  that  many  exotics  are  grown 
in  pots  that  produce  less  favourable  “  first-sight  ”  impressions 
than  a  batch  of  these  humble  Nasturtiums.  Thus  treated,  their 
first  flush  of  beauty  came  in  November,  but  they  continued  to 
flower,  and  gave  material  for  cutting  until  after  Christmas. 
The  Hubbard  Squash. 
In  these  times  when  economy  and  pleasure  evolved  out  of 
gardening  is  so  pronounced  a  feature,  it  may  not  be  out  of  place 
to  name  a  vegetable  derived  from  the  Marrow  or  Squash  family, 
which  can  be  turned  to  useful  account  in  winter.  Though  at  that 
season,  when  there  is  a  very  good  representative  selection  for 
everydav  use,  culled  from  the  garden,  the  desire  is  none  the  less 
strong  for  a  change.  It  ma,y  not  be  so  marked  where  conveniences 
exist  for  the  forcing  of  Asparagus,  Beans  and  Seakale  for  the 
everyday  meals ;  but  it  is  the  case,  we  know  only  too  well  from 
experience,  that  in  the  dining-room  there  is  a  yearning  for  spring 
vegetables  after  a  repetition  of  winter  ones  for  weeks  past.  In 
many  a  large  household  the  Avhole  resources  of  the  garden  are 
drawn  upon  every  day,  though  that  resource  may  number  a 
goodly  aray  of  variety,  and  it  is  this  knowledge  that  leads  to  a 
state  of  existing  monoteny.  Seeds  of  the  Hubbard  Squash 
reached  me  from  a  lady  once  resident  in  Canada,  where  it  was 
much  in  request,  and  evidently  appreciated.  It  is  the  size  of, 
and  has  the  appearance  of  a  small-sized  Vegetable  Marrow  of  the 
Moore’s  Cream  type,  and  Avhen  ripe  and  stored,  becomes  so  hard 
skinned  as  to  require  some  considerable  effort  to  cut  them  into 
^ctions.  My  lady  benefactress  says  it  will  be  found  as  delicate 
in  flavour,  properly  cooked,  as  a  very  young  MarroAv,  which  is 
true,  and  therei  is  certainly  a  flavour  surpassing  the  summer 
Marrow,  judged  from  my  own  palate.  She  says  “  it  Avill  keep  for 
as  many  months  as  you  like,”  a  most  convenient  attribute  of  a 
winter  vegetable.  Squashes  are  now  grown  much  as  affording 
an  aspect  of  ornament  both  for  summer  and  winter ;  this  may 
take  a  place  among  them,  and  be  really  of  greater  value,  because 
of  its  edible  qualities. 
In  cooking,  very  little  water  is  necessary,  and  if  the  outer 
shell  is  first  cleaned,  it  is  found  better  to  cook  them  in  sections, 
rind  and  all,  and  then,  when  ready,  to  dish  up  the  pulp  removed 
with  a  spoon,  and  serve  much  as  is  done  with  Marrows.  Vege¬ 
table  Marrows  ripened  and  stored  for  winter  use  are  common 
enough ;  but  this  Hubbard  Squash,  my  lady  correspondent  says 
she  has  never  seen  grown  in  England,  nor  have  I  until  this  last 
summer,  when  I  planted  some  myself.  In  this,  then,  there  may 
be  fairly  claimed  to  be  “  something  unusual.” — W.  Strugnell. 
*  The  so-called  Nasturtiums  of  gardens  are  botanically  Tropaeolums,  belonging 
to  an  entirely  different  natural  order  to  that  of  the  proper  Nasturtiums.  Our  best 
known  Nasturtium  is  the  Watercress,  named  N.  officinale.  There  are,  however, 
many  other  Nasturtiums,  though  few  are  worthy  of  being  cultivated.  The  genus 
Nasturtium  belongs  to  the  CruciferBe,  as  do  all  the  Brassicas,  Wallflowers,  and 
Stocks.  The  genus  Tropaeolum  comes  under  the  same  natural  order  as  do  the 
Pelargoniums  and  Geranium-s— namely,  Geraniacese,  of  Bentham  and  Hooker. 
The  order  has  been  repeatedly  changed,  however.  The  summer-flowering  annuals 
to  which  Mr.  Strugnell  refers  are  mere  varieties  of  Tropseolum  majus  (the  dlimbing 
sorts)  and  T.  minus,  or  Tom  Thumb  section.  In  nurserymen’s  catalogues  they  are 
usually  wrongly  named  Nasturtiums.  The  genus  Tropmolura  includes  a  number 
of  perennial  herbaceous  species,  the  best  known  being  'T.  speciosum  or  Flame 
Flower. — Ed. 
