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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
August  8,  1901. 
of  horticulture,  and  the  wealth  of  useful  and  beautiful  objects  in 
cultivation,  sufficiently  testify. 
The  hybridist  stands  forth  as  one  of  the  greatest  experimentalists 
In  matters  dealing  with  gardening,  and  his  developments  are  remark¬ 
able.  Without  his  efforts  the  horticultural  world  would  be  destitute  of 
many  beautiful,  interesting,  and  useful  plants,  and  the  knowledge  of 
what  has  been  done,  coupled  with  the  possibilities  that  the  future 
holds  out,  urges  him  on  in  the  fascinating  work  of  introduction.  In 
the  past  he  has  had  certain  rules  to  guide  him,  and  to  some  of  these 
he  still  adheres  ;  but  the  principles  were  not  infallible.  We  are  told 
that  the  hybridist  has  upset  some  of  the  theories  of  the  botanist,  and 
has,  as  a  result  of  experiment,  thrown  many  new  lights  on  the 
possibilities  held  out  by  different  families  of  plants  for  development. 
When,  however,  one  fakes  the  trouble  to  get  behind  the  scenes  of  the 
hybridist’s  work  it  is  found  that,  from  beginning  to  end,  it  is  pos¬ 
sessed  of  a  large  element  of  uncertainty.  Perhaps  this  is  where 
the  great  charm  of  the  work  lies,  and  you  can  realise  it  to  some 
extent  by  placing  yourself  in  the  position  of  the  hybridist.  Two 
plants  possess  certain  features  which  lead  you  to  think  that,  by  crossing 
them,  may  be  jointly  imparted  to  their  progeny.  There  is  a 
possibility  of  it,  but  not  a  certainty,  and  in  order  to  arrive  at  any 
proofs  you  must  experiment.  And  it  may  all  end  in  nothing — your 
trouble,  labour,  and  care  be  thrown  away  so  to  speak,  for  Nature, 
though  lending  herself  readily  to  the  arts  of  man,  will  not  be  dictated 
to,  and  how  carefully  the  progeny  of  the  two  parent  plants  is  watched 
until  the  long-looked-for  flower  or  fruit  appears,  and  you  learn  the 
resnlt  of  the  experiment.  This  is  the  common  lot  of  all  hybridists, 
no  matter  on  what  plants  they  work — and  even  the  most  successful 
admit  that  the  percentage  of  failures  is  far  in  excess  of  the  successes  ; 
but  the  possibility  exists,  and  when  the  cross  is  effected  and  fixed, 
and  a  new  plant  makes  its  advent  into  the  horticultural  world,  all 
the  doubts,  disappointments,  and  failures  are  forgotten  in  the 
exultation  of  success. 
Amongst  those  who  have  experimented  in  this  direction  there  are 
names  of  hybridists  who  stand  head  and  shoulders  above  their  fellows, 
and  garo'eners  are  greatly  indebted  to  them;  but  at  the  same  time 
it  should  be  remembered  that  men  in  humble  spheres  have 
experimented  with  lasting  results,  and  many  of  those  who  enjoy  the 
fruits  of  their  efforts  do  not  even  know  to  whom  they  are  indebted. 
Like  some  wonderful  inventors  who  have  died  in  obscurity  and 
unrewarded,  the  introducers  of  several  of  our  most  valuable  plants 
never  received  fame  or  financial  return  parallel  to  the  value  of  their 
work.  For  instance,  Samuel  Bradley,  gardener  at  Elton  Manor, 
Nottinghamshire,  introduced  that  valuable  Strawberry  Sir  Joseph 
Paxton,  and,  after  all,  I  am  not  sure  whether  he  did  not  do  as  much 
for  the  horticultural  community,  by  so  doing,  as  the  great  gardener 
after  whom  it  was  named,  though  the  latter  got  a  knighthood. 
Again,  everybody  knows  Cox’s  Orange  Pippin  Apple,  but  comparatively 
few  have  heard  anything  of  Mr.  Cox,  the  amateur  experimentalist 
who,  as  a  result  of  his  dabblings,  presented  us  with  what  is  perhaps 
the  finest  dessert  Apple  in  existence. 
Even  amongst  the  uneducated,  rough-handed  tillers  of  the  soil 
experimentalists  are  to  be  met  with,  and  occasionally  they  effect 
something,  though  possessing  only  a  rude  knowledge  of  the  principles 
of  hybridisation.  Some  time  ago  a  ploughman  called  my  attention 
to  his  collection  of  seedling  Potatoes  that  he  had  obtained  by  cross- 
fertilising  the  flowers,  and  raising  plants  from  the  seeds.  They  were  a 
mixed  medley  lot  when  I  saw  them,  no  bigger  than  marbles,  and 
varying  in  shape  and  colour.  But  the  ploughman  was  proud  of  them, 
for  they  were  the  result  of  his  own  experiment,  nor  do  I  think  he  has 
been  altogether  disappointed,  for  since  then  I  have  received  a  photograph 
of  a  fine-looking  basket  of  tubers,  obtained  from  one  of  the  seedlings 
in  question. 
Since  the  introduction  of  so  many  forms  of  concentrated  manures 
a  great  field  has  been  opened  out  for  experiment.  The  school  of 
gardeners  who  clung  tenaciously  to  the  well-tried  dung,  and  would  see 
nothing  beneficial  in  concentrated  manure,  has  nearly  died  out,  and 
there  are  few  who  do  not  recognise  the  value  of  fertilisers  in  this  form, 
when  of  a  suitable  character  and  properly  applied.  But  how  are  they 
to  find  out  their  suitability  ?  Experiment  is  one  of  the  best  means. 
A  knowledge  of  the  chemistry  of  the  soil  and  the  food  requirements 
of  the  crops  grown  are  helpful,  but  it  appears  that  only  actual 
application  can  supply  conclusive  evidence.  Over  and  over  again  the 
results  of  experiments  with  artificial  manure  have  been  given  in  the* 
Press,  but  they  are  so  conflicting  that  there  is  not  much  to  be  learnt 
from  them.  Season,  character  of  soil,  situation,  and  class  of  crop,  all 
make  differences,  and,  after  comparing  the  results  of  different  experi¬ 
ments,  the  man  who  would  benefit  by  them  finds  that  he  has  got  to 
make  another  of  his  own  in  order  to  satisfy  himself.  I  think  more  of 
this  might  be  done  with  advantage.  The  guiding  principles  are  not 
hard  to  master,  and  artificials  now  play  such  an  important  part  in  the 
economic  manuring  of  both  garden  and  farm,  that  every  grower  may 
be  an  experimentalist  in  a  small  way,  and  the  work  is  both  interesting 
and  instructive.  In  most  cases  the  men  who  abuse  artificial  manure 
are  either  those  who  have  never  tried  it  at  all,  or  else  in  their  ignorance 
they  have  applied  it  wrongly  or  entirely  out  of  proportion.  Those  who 
are  guided  by  the  principles  of  science,  and  apply  them  in  practice  by 
experiment,  are  to  be  commended,  and  should  be  encouraged.  I  have 
watched  the  proud  gleam  in  the  eye  of  a  cottager-gardener  as  he  has 
surveyed  his  full  crop  of  a  certain  vegetable,  before  going  on  to  say 
that  he  owed  his  success  to  the  result  of  a  little  experiment,  tried  in  a 
small  way  years  ago,  by  which  he  determined  the  best  line  of 
treatment. 
In  most  gardening  operations  we  are  obliged  to  experiment  to- 
some  extent,  particularly  in  the  selection  of  varieties.  In  a  recent 
article  on  the  culture  of  early  Potatoes,  your  able  correspondent, 
“  N.  H.  P.,”  tells  of  his  unfortunate  experience  through  trusting  to  a 
novelty  in  the  way  of  varieties.  By  his  own  admission,  however,  it 
taught  him  a  lesson,  and  the  wisdom  of  experimenting.  Now  he 
tries  a  few  new  sorts  every  season,  but  only  in  a  small  way,  to  be 
increased  or  discarded  according  to  the  manner  in  which  they  acquit 
themselves.  “  N.  H.  P.”  advised  others  to  do  the  same,  and  the 
practice  is  a  good  one.  So  peculiar  is  the  Potato  in  its  likes  and 
dislikes,  that  a  variety  which  turns  out  well  in  one  district  may 
be  an  entire  failure  in  another,  hence  the  necessity  for  every 
grower  to  experiment  for  himself  before  planting  a  fresh  sort  on  a 
large  scale. 
“  This  is  a  little  experiment  of  my  own.”  How  often  one  hears 
this  remark  when  walking  round  the  garden  under  the  charge  of  a 
fellow  practitioner,  and  it  is  indicative  of  a  real  interest,  an  anxiety 
to  probe  into  things,  and  to  put  material  to  the  best  advantage.  Like 
every  other  hobby  it  may  be  ridden  to  death,  and  the  man  who 
experiments  with  everything,  but  accomplishes  nothing,  is  never  a 
success  as  a  gardener.  The  best  results  in  horticulture  are  not 
obtained  by  perpetual  dabblings ;  experiment  therefore  to  learn,  and 
having  acquired  the  knowledge,  let  it  bear  its  fruits  by  sound  practical 
application. — G.  H.  H. 
- <•».> - 
Jottings. on  Pines. 
Cleansing  the  Houses  and  Beds. 
Cleanliness  is  of  the  highest  importance  as  essential  to  health 
and  high  class  produce.  Bottom  heat  promotes  certain  and  speedy 
work  in  Pine  culture,  hence  the  first  thing  seen  to  is  the  bed.  If  the 
bottom  heat  be  afforded  by  hot-water  pipes,  the  material  forming  the 
bed,  whether  of  tan  or  leaves,  should  be  removed  at  least  once  a 
year,  or  insects,  particularly  woodlice,  rapidly  increase  ;  the  material 
also  harbours  other  predatory  vermin.  Ail  brickwork  must  be  scalded 
and  brushed  with  hot  limewash,  the  woodwork  and  wirework  thoroughly 
cleansed  with  soap  and  water,  using  a  brush,  keeping  the  scapy  water 
as  much  as  possible  from  the  glass,  which  should  be  cleaned  inside  and 
outside  with  water  only.  If  necessary,  the  wood  and  wirework  may 
be  painted,  and  the  roof  made  as  watertight  as  possible.  Beds  that 
are  chambered,  having  hot-water  pipes  covered  with  slate  or  other 
material,  are  much  in  advance  of  those  surrounded  or  passing  through 
beds  of  rubble.  Those  composed  of  the  latter  should  be  turned  over, 
and  any  dirt  or  small  parts  removed  to  allow  the  heat  given  off  by 
the  hot-water  pipes  to  penetrate  evenly  through  the  whole  of  the  bed. 
Provide  fresh  tan  in  other  cases,  and  if  wet  turn  it  occasionally  on  fine, 
sunny  days.  With  hot-water  pipes  beneath,  about  3  feet  depth  of  tan 
is  ample  ;  more  will  be  needed  where  such  aid  is  not  obtained. 
Potting. 
Suckers  started  in  June  will  soon  have  filled  their  pots  with  roots,, 
and  must  be  shifted  into  larger  size  before  the  roots  become  closely 
matted  together.  Queens  should  have  9  to  10-inch  pots,  and  those 
of  stronger  growth  11-inch  pots.  Water  the  plants  immediately 
after  potting,  and  plunge  them  in  a  bed  having  a  temperature  of  90c 
to  95°.  There  is  no  greater  mistake  in  growing  Pines  than  crowding 
young  plants,  as  they  become  drawn  and  weakly  instead  of  having  a 
sturdy  base.  Attend  to  the  bottom  heat  of  beds  that  have  recently 
been  disturbed  or  upset  by  the  removal  or  replacing  of  plants,  not 
allowing  the  heat  to  exceed  90°  at  the  base  of  the  pots  without 
immediately  raising  them,  as  too  much  heat  will  disastrously  affect 
Pines  in  fruit  or  those  having  the  pots  filled  with  roots. 
Examine  the  plants  for  watering  about  twice  a  week,  and  maintain 
a  moist,  genial,  well-ventilated  atmosphere.  The  climatic  conditions 
are  now  so  favourable  that  Pine  plants  grow  vigorously,  therefore 
discontinue  shading,  admitting  air  plentifully  when  the  temperature 
ranges  from  85°  to  95°,  affording  fruiting  plants  a  night  temperature 
of  70°  to  75°,  and  to  succession  65°  to  70°  at  night.  Reserve,  if 
possible,  more  suckers  for  starting  at  the  commencement  of. 
September. — Practice. 
