96 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  1.  1901. 
which  I  have  compared  old  conditions  of  life  with  new  ones.  Let  me 
carry  my  musing  somewhat  farther,  and  compare  modern  methods 
and  knowledge  with  the  results  achieved  in  the  days  of  yore.  We 
have  reason  to  be  proud  to-day  of  the  achievements  of  science  in 
connection  with  rapidity  of  communication  by  land  and  sea,  of  the 
wonderful  labour  saving  appliances  which  inventors  have  given  us, 
and  of  hosts  of  other  wonders,  as  well  as  in  the  spread  of  education 
generally.  With  all  such  advantages,  however,  there  are  many 
things  which  the  ancients  could  accomplish  which  are  lost  arts  to-day. 
That  wonderful  process  by  which  the  ancients  made  copper  as  bard 
as  steel,  is  to-day  unknown,  and  the  man  who  can  re-discover  it  would 
soon  move  among  the  great  ones  of  the  earth.  The  ancients  made 
malleable  glass,  which  could  be  moulded  like  putty  :  no  one  can  do  so 
now,  although  there  are  uses  innumerable  to  which  it  could  be  put. 
Does  not  this  also  show  that,  although  human  knowledge  increases  in 
some  directions,  it  has  diminished  in  others  ? 
Let  me  now  turn  particularly  to  gardening  and  gardeners ;  here 
surely  many  will  say,  with  a  shout  of  triumph,  mighty  strides  have 
been  made.  I  admit  it  seems  so  on  the  surface,  but  let  us  look  a 
little  deeper.  The  age  of  cheap  glass  and  heating  by  means  of  hot 
water  has  had  the  effect  of  multiplying  glass  structures  to  an  enormous 
extent,  and  the  volume  of  gardening  under  glass  has  therefore  increased 
by  leaps  and  bounds ;  but  that  is  no  true  test  of  real  advance,  the  real 
test  lies  in  the  answer  to  this  question — viz  ,  “  Do  we  grow  the 
majority  of  crops  and  plants  in  our  gardens  better  than  formerly  ?  ”  I 
think  not.  The  grand  Grapes  of  thirty  years  ago  are  not  surpassed 
by  those  of  to-day.  The  Ericas  of  olden  times,  where  can  they  be 
equalled  to-day  ?  and  although  great  improvements  have  been  made 
in  raising  new  varieties  of  flowers,  fruits,  and  vegetables,  many  old 
standard  kinds  are  still  unsurpassed,  and  few  would  be  bold  enough  to 
affirm  that  we  grow  them  better  than  of  yore.  The  culture  of  the 
Pine  Apple — once  esteemed  as  the  king  of  fruits — is  not  yet  quite  a 
lost  art,  but  it  certainly  seems  likely  to  become  so.  No  ;  the  great 
increase  of  glass  s' ructures  has  not  led  to  proportionate  improvement 
in  methods  of  culture,  but  it  has  undoubtedly  brought  the  products 
grown  in  them  within  the  reach  of  a  far  larger  class  of  consumers. 
The  grand  old  private  gardens,  in  which  gardening  in  every  branch 
was  splendidly  carried  out,  are  rapidly  going  to  decay.  In  such 
gardens  it  was  the  duty  of  the  chief  to  maintain  a  plentiful  supply  of 
flowers,  fruits,  and  vegetables  throughout  the  year  ;  and  in  addition 
to  keep  everything  trim,  orderly,  and  attractive.  To-day  we  have 
hosts  of  establishments  in  which  some  branches  of  gardening  are 
splendidly  carried  out,  but  how  few  are  first-rate  in  every  department. 
Add  to  this  the  fact  that  all  experienced  gardeners  know  well  how 
vast  an  amount  of  skill,  judgment,  energy,  and  observation  is 
necessary  to  manage  an  all-round  establishment  well,  compared  with 
the  ease  in  which  a  few  prominent  features  may  be  well  carried  out ; 
and  the  verdict  must,  I  think,  be  that  the  men  who  accomplished  the 
former  task  were  giants  rmong  their  fellows.  The  older  order  has 
indeed  changed  ;  the  necessary  funds  to  keep  up  such  princely 
establishments  not  being  forthcoming  they  have  fallen  from  their  high 
estate,  and  gardeners  are  the  poorer  in  the  matter  of  establishments  m 
which  they  can  obtain  a  thorough  all-round  knowledse  oitheir  craft. 
One  result  of  the  gradual  decay  of  our  best  gardens  is,  that  at  the 
present  time  there  is  a  dearth  of  thoroughly  trained  young  men  vrho 
have  gained  sound  knowledge  in  the  various  departments  of  a  good 
garden,  although  there  is  a  fair  supply  of  specialists,  and  a  still  better 
supply  of  those  who  know  more  about  the  theory  than  the  practice  of 
gardening,  men  who  know  how  and  when  a  thing  should’be  done, 
but  who  in  putting  such  knowledge  into  practice  cannot  be  considered 
pronounced  successes.  I  am  no  pessimist,  and  do  not  telieve  that  this 
state  of  affairs  will  long  continue,  because  the  groat  training  schools 
for  gardeners  which  have  recently  sprung  up  will  do  much  toward 
giving  young  men  a  correct  idea  of  the  principles  of  horticulture, 
i hough  they  do  not  supply  such  sound  all-round  training,  or  so 
strongly  impress  upon  the  student  the  importance  of  constant 
endeavour  as  the  all-round  gardens  of  old  did. 
It  is  a  fact  that  the  men  who  s' and  very  high  in  the  calling,  on 
paper,  are  by  no  means  the  most  successful  in  practice.  A  man’s  intel¬ 
lect  is  only  capable  of  retaining  and  applying  a  limited  amount  of 
knowledge,  and  if  too  much  force  is  spent  in  pondering  on  theoretic 
problems  of  gardening,  there  is  too  little  energy  left  to  practise  garden¬ 
ing  unceasingly,  and,  while  doing  so,  exercise  that  keen  spirit  of  obser¬ 
vation  without  which  great  cultural  achievements  can  never  be  obtained. 
If  horticulture  is  to  still  press  onward,  it  is  necessary  for  us  to  have 
tome  theorists,  who  are  capable  of  giving  the  res:  It  of  their  researches 
n  simple  form  to  the  great  bedy  of  practical  workers,  for  I  am  firmly 
convinced  that  to  hamper  the  latter  with  an  unnecessary  amount  of 
theory  is  to  lessen  their  capacity  for  continuous  practical  work.  It  is  not 
necessary  that  a  cultivator  should  have  at  his  finger  ends  the  botanical 
name  of  every  p'ant  or  crop  he  cultivates,  or  the  life  history  of  every 
injurious  insect,  but  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  he  should,  make  the 
best  possible  use  of  the  resourc<s  at  command,  and  cause  the  garden 
under  his  charge  to  smile  with  beauty  and  plenty. — Onward. 
Strawberries:  Tried  Sorts. 
Now  that  tl  e  present  season  for  Strawberries  is  quickly  drawing 
to  a  close,  it  behoves  those  who  wish  to  beep  up  to  date,  and  are 
anxious  to  maintain  a  rotation  of  the  best  varieties,  at  once  to 
commence  their  preparations  for  r-nother  season.  Layers  from  these 
varieties,  which  have  by  experience  been  proved  to  suit  ore’s  require¬ 
ments  and  the  locality  in  which  they  reside,  should  be  taken.  As  the 
majority  of  experienced  gardeners  have  proved  to  their  satisfaction, 
one  of  the  great  secrets  of  success  with  this  important  crop  is  early 
propagation,  for  which  a  reserve  bed  should  alway  s  be  planted  to  supply 
runners  only.  Any  that  are  “  blind  ”  should  be  discarded  ;  one  is  then 
sure  of  obtaining  the  future  stock  from  plants  of  a  fruitful  habit. 
For  layering,  I  prefer  small  turves  cut  some  3  or  4  inches  square, 
laying  a  stone  close  up  to  the  neck  of  the  runner;  this  helps  to  save 
so  much  labour  in  watering,  and,  of  course  kfeeps  it  in  position. 
The  quarters  for  their  reception  must  always  be  thoroughly  well 
prepared  in  the  winter  previous.  If  the  soil  is  of  a  light,  sandy  nature, 
such  as  I  have  to  deal  with  in  this  neighbourhood,  I  find  nothing 
better  than  good  fat  manure,  the  ground  being  bastard  trenched.  If 
wood  ashes  are  obtainable  these  will  Bupply  the  necessary  potash, 
though  these  last  two  seasons  I  have  been  very  successful  in  obtaining 
good  crops  by  supplying  potash  in  the  form  of  kainit  in  conjunction 
with  basic  slag  and  phosphate,  using  4  czs.  of  the  former,  and  8  ozs. 
of  the  latter  to  the  square  yard.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  in  the  use 
of  kainit  that  it  is  a  salt  containing  several  impurities.  It  is,  therefore, 
advisable  to  trench  the  ground  early  in  winter,  in  order  to  allow 
these  impurities  to  be  filtered  away.  My  practice  is  to  take  a 
supernumerary  crop,  such  as  Onions,  drawing  the  drills  sufficiently 
wide  apart  to  allow  the  runners  being  planted  so  soon  as  they  are 
ready,  between  every  other  row. 
Idonotlhink  the  majority  of  gardeners  have  fully  realised  the 
splendid  properties  of  basic  slag  for  fruit  culture.  It  is  not  a  complete 
manure,  its  chief  constituents  being  lime  and  phosphoric  acid.  This 
must  also  be  used  in  early  winter  to  allow  its  full  benefits  being 
obtained  the  succeeding  season.  Early  in  the  spring  it  is  commendable 
to  follow  with  a  surface  dressing  of  superphosphate  and  lime,  using 
four  ounces  to  the  square  yard,  while  to  finish  the  swelling  crop  I  use- 
one  ounce  per  yard  of  nitrate  of  soda. 
Now  as  regards  varieties.  I  grow  what  I  find  answers  my 
requirements.  First  in  order  of  ripening  comes  the  old  Vicomtesse 
Hericart  de  Thury,  and  though  it  is  rather  small,  yet  it  is  of  good 
quality  and  colour.  A  few  early  dishes  are  taken,  and  the  remainder 
come  in  for  preserving.  Royal  Sovereign  follows  rather  closely,  and 
still  maintains  its  reputation,  though  I  must  admit  it  likes  a  heavier 
soil  than  mine.  Sir  Joseph  Paxton  is  still  hard  to  beat,  and  for 
colour,  shape,  and  flavour,  worthily  holds  its  own.  Now  comes 
Competitor,  of  which,  more  than  for  its  heavy  cropping  capabilities, 
the  less  said  the  better.  But  do  not  discard  it,  for  in  a  severe  drought 
it  is  a  sure  and  heavy  cropper.  Then  we  have  Laxton’s  Commander, 
a  beautifully  flavoured  fruit,  which  travels  well,  is  a  fair  cropper,  and 
will  succeed  where  British  Queen  fails. 
Now  I  come  to  my  favourite,  and  that  is  Laxton’s  Latest  of  Allr 
though  the  name  is  not  justified,  it  being  more  of  a  midseason  variety  ; 
but  in  order  to  obtain  the  best  results  it  should  be  grown  on  a  north 
border.  Layer  the  runners  as  early  as  possible,  and  plant  them  early- 
Crop  it  the  first  season,  whence  fine  fruit  will  be  produced.  Let  the 
plants  remain  a  second  year  and  it  will  be  seen  at  its  best  ;  after  then 
it  is  not  worth  keeping.  Under  this  treatment  it  gives  excellent 
results,  and  is  a  variety  which  should  be  included  in  every  collection^ 
Frogmore  Late  Pine  I  treat  in  a  similar  manner,  also  Loxford  Hall 
Seedling.  The  former  is  a  fair  cropper,  and  possesses  excellent  flavour  ; 
the  latter  is  also  good,  but  not  a  heavy  cropper. 
Of  the  newer  varieties  I  have  this  season  given  a  trial  to  Laxton’s 
Fillbasket.  It  seems  likely  to  prove  itself  entitled  to  its  name,  as  it 
is  an  enormous  cropper;  colour  blight  scarlet;  flesh  firm,  therefore  a 
good  traveller,  and  a  midseason  variety.  [We  can  endorse  Mr.  Hagon’s 
remarfis. — Ed.]  I  shall  try  it  for  forcing  next  season.  Trafalgar, 
sent  out  by  the  same  firm,  will  also  prove  itself  to  be  an  acquisition 
as  a  late  variety.  From  its  parentage  it  ought  to  succeed  best  if 
given  the  same  treatment,  and  on  a  north  border.  Of  the  perpetual 
bearing  varieties  I  grow  St.  Joseph.  I  cannot  say  much  tor  its 
flavour  as  a  dessert  kind,  but  for  fruit  salads,  compSte,  &c.,  it 
ought  to  be  grown,  and  should  be  included  in  every  collection,  if 
only  for  that  purpose. — Geo.  Hagon,  Fowley ,  Hants. 
[We  would  heartily  recommend  our  correspondent  and  all  Straw¬ 
berry  growers  to  secure  The  Laxton.  We  have  given  our  opinion 
of  it  already,  and  are  thoroughly  confident  that  in  it,  gardeners  will 
find  the  variety  of  the  future.  We  should  be  pleased  to  have 
short  notes  from  other  correspondents  on  their  opinion  of  varieties,, 
and  how  they  have  behaved  this  year. — Ed.] 
