-December  12,  1901.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER ■, 
529 
as  every  garden  which  comes  under  such  control  adds  one 
more  to  the  list  of  those  in  which  “  decadence  ”  is  a  notable 
feature.  I,  too,  say,  the  bishop  to  his  preaching,  the  broom- 
maker  to  his  brooms,  the  agent  to  his  estate  business,  and 
above  all  the  gardener  to  the  management  of  the  garden. 
Lack  of  space  forbids  me  to  offer  but  the  briefest  com¬ 
ment  on  the  excellent  remarks  of  “  S.  It.  A.”  on  page  438  ; 
he  has  shown  in  detail  many  of  the  “  little  points  ”  in  which 
judgment  and  tact  on  either  side  will  help  to  smooth  matters 
over,  the  only  points  on  which  I  counsel  “  fight  ”  are  those 
which  arise  when  interference  takes  place  without  the  right 
to  do  so. 
“  Scottish  Reader,”  page  492,  argues  well  with  the  level¬ 
headedness  and  caution  of  his  race.  He  advances  many 
sensible  remarks  about  duty  to  each  other,  and  the  need  of 
charitableness  to  all.  No  one  will  find  fault  with  him  for 
that ;  but  it  is  easy  to  see  that  he  is  attempting  to  pour 
oil  on  troubled  waters.  We  may,  I  think,  read  much 
“  between  the  lines  ”  of  his  communication.  The  gist  of  it 
in  other  words  seems  to  be  :  “  Yes,  yes,  there  is  a  good  deal 
in  what  ‘  Onward  ’  says  ;  but  really  is  it  wise — or  safe— to 
say  much  about  it?” — Onward. 
- - - - 
Pruning. 
The  giants  of  “  Mumdom  ”  would  do  well  to  consider  Mr. 
R.  Dean’s  seasonable  lea  ler  on  page  457,  and  they  might 
pause  over  the  particular  phrase,  “  Exhibition  blooms  must 
increase  in  size,  and  are  increasing  in  size,  and  we  can  only 
imagine  the  dimensions  to  which  they  may  have  attained 
ten  years  hence.”  “Ten  years  hence?”  Imagine  blooms, 
say,  2ft  over  and  1ft  deep,  with  the  possibilities  of  the 
Chrysanthemum  still  unexhausted.  How  fearful  to  contem¬ 
plate  !  Absurd  ?  That  i  -s  so  ;  for,  after  all,  imagination  is  a 
vain  thing,  yet  the  crazr  for  size  continues,  and  where  shall 
one  seek  finality  when  that  is  the  objective?  Year  by  year 
the  brightest,  the  best,  the  most  refined,  are  sacrificed  to 
size,  yet  “  exhibition  blooms  must  increase.”  Must,  and 
will,  undoubtedly,  unless  the  National  Chrysanthemum 
Society  introduces  some  protective  clause  in  the  articles  of 
their  faith.  Alas !  that  we  can  only  imagine  its  doing  so, 
and  kindred  societies  following  suit !  What  a  distinct  gain 
would  accrue  if  the  powers  that  be  would,  in  framing  their 
schedules,  make  one  prominent  class,  say,  for  forty-eight 
blooms  not  to  exceed  Gin  across,  distinctness,  bright  colours, 
and  refinement  being  regarded  as  the  desideratum.  That, 
of  course,  is  too' Utopian  to  expect,  but  Heaven  defend  us 
from  the  big  blooms  of  ten  years  hence. 
“  Forcing  Bulbs,”  page  458.  "Early  forced  Tulips,  how¬ 
ever,  often  come  too  short  in  the  stem.”  Exactly  so  ;  hence 
one  agrees  to  differ  with  the  writer’s  continuation,  “  the 
scarlet  and  rose  varieties  of  the  Due  Van  Thol  Tulips  are  the 
best  for  providing  flowers  at  Christmas.”  In  some  phases 
of  decoration  they  are  certainly  useful,  and  cheapness  may 
commend  them  to  growers  ;  but  when  one  finds  employers 
condemning  their  Due  Van  Thols  and  running  to  the  neigh¬ 
bouring  nurseryman  for  Pottebakkers  in  variety,  La  Reine, 
and  Yellow  Prince,  with  other  long-stemmed  kinds,  which 
he  is  able  to  have  in  thousands  by  Christmas,  whilst  the 
Dues  “go  a-begging,”  then — well,  it  goes  without  saying 
that  they  are  not  the  best  for  Christmas. 
Hymenael  rmtes  are  not  too  common  in  the  Journal  of 
Horticulture,  therefore,  to  those  concerned,  good  wishes 
galore.  It  was  a  happy  thought  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  of  Ireland’s  Council  to  take  counsel  together  and 
present  F.  W.  Moore,  Esq.,  with  a  token  of  goodwill  “on 
the  occasion  of  his  approaching  marriage,”  all  of  which  is 
duly  recorded  on  page  460.  “  Do  I  look  like  a  tied  up  man  ?” 
said  the  amiable  curator  of  the  Irish  Kew  when  asked  at  a 
certain  show  if  congratulations  were  premature.  No.  The 
fates  forbid !  even  now  when  the  tying  up  has  become  a 
matter  of  fact,  and  all  who  know  him  heartily  join  the 
pruner  in  saying  Moore  power. 
Blinds  for  glass  houses  are  an  evil,  if  a  necessary  one  ;  all 
shading  is,  indeed,  and  when  they  take  the  form  of  the 
Venetian  blind  principle  are  often  an  unmitigated  nuisance. 
In  most  cases,  however,  this  shading  is  too  costly  to  com¬ 
mend  itself  to  gardeners.  On  the  whole-,  plant  houses  are 
not  seldom  more  heavily  shaded  than  the  exigencies  of  cases 
demand.  If  plants  can  be  inured  to  bear  all  the  sunlight 
our  all  too  short  summers  afford,  with  the  slight  intervention 
of  a  little  “  muffing  ”  to  break  the  direct  rays,  then  few  would 
be  bothered  with  the  trouble  and  expense  of  blinds.  We 
have  long  since  given  up  all  sorts,  and  any  sorts,  and  con¬ 
ditions  of  blinds  for  plant  houses.  Muffing  only  is  now  re¬ 
sorted  to,  and. with  results  no  fault  is  to  be  found,  whilst 
endless  trouble  is  avoided.  Hitherto  a  wash  made  of  white 
lead  and  turps  was  used,  but  this  season  a  trial  was  given  of 
Duresco,  a  washable  water  paint,  mixed  with  water  only ; 
it  won’t  mix  with  anything  else,  in  fact.  The  colour  em¬ 
ployed  was  sage  green,  and  rather  “  nice  ”  in  appearance 
than  otherwise,  owing  to  the  thinness  of  the  wash  laid  on. 
It  stood  the  season  through,  in  spite  of  heavy  rains,  but 
with  a  light  rubbing  is  easily  removed  at  any  time  from 
glass ;  on  wood  or  brickwork  it  sticketh  closer  than  a 
brother.  There  are,  of  course,  other  good  washes,  some  of 
which  wash  off  when  wanted,  others  when  not  wanted,  and 
some  that  won’t  wash  off  at  all.  Duresco  is  the  best  thing 
used  yet. 
“Styles  of  Gardening,”  by  “  F.  C.,”  page  479,  covers  a 
wide  field  of  thought,  and  embraces  much  variety  of  opinion. 
In  some  respects  comparisons  between  the  old  and  the  new 
are  invidious.  Under  the  high  pressure  of  a  restless  age  in 
which  we  live,  nothing  is  more  restful  than  to  enter  some 
old-world  garden  with  all  its  “  constant  nameless  grace.” 
Such  are  rare,  but  still  to  be  met  with  far  from  the  madding 
crowd.  Like  old  china,  they  should  be  kept,  not  copied. 
“  F.  C.,”  under  analysis,  seems  to  show  marked  preference 
for  the  bedding  “  blaze  ”  which  of  recent  years  extremists 
have  tried  to  relegate  to  the  limbo  of  lost  arts.  The  gay 
Geranium,  or  sprightly  Begonia,  however,  are  not  likely  to 
be  thus  thrust  into  oblivion,  and  the  formal  style  harmonises 
with  classic  formality  of  architecture  that  no  other  style  can 
ever  do  ;  whilst  the  variety,  freedom,  and  interest  pertaining 
to  mixed  borders  of  hardy  plants,  or  what  not,  is  a  stvle 
which  holds  its  own,  apart  from  formality.  There  is  gene¬ 
rally  room  for  all  styles  in  places  of  even  moderate  dimen¬ 
sions.  Each  is  fitted  to  its  own  place  and  purpose,  and  with¬ 
out  sharply  dividing  lines  the  blending  of  all  is,  perhaps, 
most  pleasing,  provided  a  happy  forethought  prevents  con¬ 
fused  ideas  to  the  eye,  or  incongruous  arrangement  which, 
“  Like  sick  men’s  dreams, 
Varies  all  shapes  and  mixes  all  extremes.” 
On  page  491  “  E.  D.”  supplies  useful  hints  on  grouping 
Chrysanthemums.  He  possiblv  thought,  but  did  not  speak, 
of  those  cases  where  other  plants  are  excluded.  Apart  from 
the  desirability  of  Chrysanthemum  plants  being  furnished 
with  their  own  foliage  to  the  bottom,  something  to  cover  the 
nakedness  of  the  pots  in  a  group  is  often  the  one  thing  want¬ 
ing  where  small  foliage  plants  are  not  permitted.  Some 
exhibitors  tastefully  clothe  the  naked  pots  with  small 
branches  of  bush  Ivy  mantling  the  base,  and  on  one  occasion 
a  happy  effect  was  seen  with  Oak  twigs  still  bearing  their 
russet-brown  foliage. 
Apropos  of  this  year’s  Chrysanthemum  shows,  aquatic 
sports  as  an  addenda  is  something  fresh.  To  societies  caring 
to  introduce  this  novelty,  the  thing  is  fairly  simple.  Just 
flood  your  hall  from  1ft  to  2ft  in  depth,  as  the  floodgates  of 
heaven  permit  or  prevail,  then  charter  a  coal  dray  for  the 
convenience  and  conveyance  of  passengers,  the  said  dray  to 
be  backed  up  across  the  footpath  for  loading  off  the  quays 
— no,  steps.  Brother  gardeners,  when  boarding,  for  want 
of  anything  to  cling  to,  will  cling  to  each  other,  rendered 
necessary  by  the  peculiarity  of  the  craft,  an  Irish  coal  dray, 
which  is  all  deck,  and  no  bulwarks.  All  aboard !  Ri  fit 
away,  across  the  pavement  and  into  the  gutter,  all  hidden 
in  a  swirling  flood,  where  she  bumps  and  rends  her  rigging 
— girths  ;  up  on  her  beam  ends  ;  passengers  shot  in  a  squirm¬ 
ing  heap,  from  which  they  wriggle  back  into  the  hall,  to  be 
wrung  out  and  receive  the  congratulations  of  their  friends. 
Such  happened  not  a  hundred  miles  from  Belfast,  and  was 
graphically  narrated  by  an  eye-witness  to — Saynob. 
