346 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  27,  1899. 
•experiments  which,  to  be  useful,  must  be  conducted  over  a  wide  area,  and 
consequently  under  divergent  conditions  ot  soil  and  climate.  To  bring 
the  e.^perimental  plots  belonging  to  C-Junty  Councils  into  union,  to 
formulate  the  experiments  to  be  conducted  on  them,  anti  to  collate  and 
■prepare  the  results  for  publication,  must  of  necessity  be  the  work  of  some 
central  body  ;  and  I  submit  that  it  is  work  in  which  the  Iloyal  Horticul¬ 
tural  Society  might  engage  with  alvantage  to  itself  and  to  the  whole 
horticultural  community.  The  Society  would,  I  believe,  be  perfectly 
willing  to  undertake  the  work  if  the  County  Councils  would  only  consent 
to  be  guided  thereby. 
1  have  long  been  impressed  with  the  importance  of  more  exict 
unformation  than  is  at  present  avail  ible  on  the  effect  of  manures  upon 
the  various  fruit  and  vegetable  crofs  under  the  widely  divergent 
•conditions  of  soil  and  climate  that  exist  in  the  United  Kingdom  ;  alsa 
information  on  the  suitability  of  the  several  kinds  and  varieties  for  the 
•different  districts  and  various  soils  in  thtm,  and  this  information  can 
■only  be  obtained  of  the  exactitude  I  have  in  view  by  exp.eriments 
formulated  by  a  central  body  and  conducted  under  its  auspice?  in  the 
various  authorities.  AVe  have  a  good  general  knowleilge  of  these 
matters,  as  proved  by  the  s])Iendid  results  that  are  annually  obtained 
in  the  gardens  of  all  clas.ses.  But  in  the  interest  of  the  ever-increasing 
number  of  ama'eurs  and  the  additions  that  arc  being  annually  made 
t)  the  ranks  of  professional  gardeners,  it  would  be  an  immense 
advantage  to  have  the  information  in  a  readily  accessible  form,  and 
thus  enable  the  cultivator  to  more  readily  adapt  Lis  ]  ractice  to  the 
conditions  which  obtain  in  distiicts  in  which  he  has  not  h.ad 
experience  than  is  now  possible.  This  of  course  is  one  branch  only  of 
the  comprehensive  subject  dealt  with  in  my  paper,  and  the  time  at 
my  disposal  did  not  permit  ire  entering  so  fully  into  details  as  I 
could  have  wished. — George  Gordon,  Kblv. 
^  [After  all,  our  “  misapprehension,”  it  such  it  be,  of  the  observa¬ 
tions  of  our  friend  in  his  excellent  paper,  was  not  of  a  very  serious 
nature.  Pie  said  that  “when  trials  of  manure  are  made  care  should 
be  taken  to  select  land  of  uniform  qudity,  for  where  experiments 
are  conducted  on  lands  that  were  cropped  and  manured  in  sevtr.il 
different  ways  in  the  previous  year  the  results  are,  if  not  entirely 
misleading,  of  no  practical  value.”  In  those  observations  we  appre- 
nend  Mr.  Gordon  stood  firm  on  the  bfd  rock  of  Science;  but  we  cannot 
be  p  thinking  he  stood  much  less  firmlj',  if  on  a  rock  at  ail,  when  he 
■sUoS^oted  that  the  results  of  exp  uimenU  on  County  Couno  1  ]dois 
Miomd  be  collated  by  the  Ro3’al  Hoitfoultural  S  cicty,  because  Le 
further  said,  “The  results  obtained  Irtm  land  that  differs  in  its 
area  as  much  as  does  that  of  a  group  of  alio  ments  cannot  give 
trustworthy  information.”  What,  then,  would  be  the  u?e  of  plac'ng 
^  '^Qfoustworthy  materials  before  the  R  II.S.  for  colladm? 
All  that  could  he  done  after  enormous  l.ibaur  wou'd  be  to  det  rmine 
the  average,  of  the  untrustfulness,  and  we  think  the  Society  can  do 
•more  useful  work  than  that.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  experiments  con¬ 
ducted  on  a  largo  group  of  allotments  are  of  great,  direct,  and 
immediate  service  to  the  workers  on  that  particular  Imd,  and  of  very 
little  use  elsewhere,  where  the  land  is  of  an  entirely  different 
character.  Such  experiments  cost  little  and  do  great  good  to  the 
paiticular  class  for  whom  they  are  intended,  and  they  do  not,  in  our 
the  scope  of  the  work  of  the  R.II.S.,  as  set 
lorth  by  Mr.  Gordon,  in  “  encouraging  the  advancement  of  the  higher 
branches  of  horticulture.” 
Experiments  may  be,  as  they  have  been,  of  great  general  value 
when  conducted^  over  a  series  of  years  on  a  strictly  scientific  basis, 
ut  is  there  not  just  a  danger  in  these  days  of  publicity  of  the  experi- 
Tnental  hobby-horse  being  ridden  too  hard  ?  We  have  too  much 
a  miration  for  Mr.  Gordon’s  ability  and  zeal  to  knowingly  misrepresent 
•  differ  from  him  in  opinion  on  (ho  one  point 
indicated  in  his  extremely  able  paper  in  the  R.H.S.  Journal.] 
Veltha  and  Tomato  Di.sease. — We  notice  that  in  you 
correspondence  columns  on  page  308  an  inquiry  from  '•  C.  A.”  as  to  thi 
method  of  treating  diseased  Tomato  plants.  We  ihmk  it  right  that  th. 
shou.d  be  tnade  aware  ot  the  fact  that  we  prepare  a  remedy  for  al 
in  s  of  fungoid  diseases,  and  have  had  most  encouraging  reports  fron 
omato  growers  of  the  success  of  this  remedy  in  cases  of  sleeping 
fungus,  and  kindred  troubles  of  Tomato  plums 
®t  a,  as  our  preparation  is  styled  in  advertisemtnts  in  you 
CO  umns,  IS  administered  as  a  top-dressing  to  the  soil  during  or  afte 
rain,  and  forms  the  simplest  and  cheapest  remedy  for  every  form  o 
ungoid  disease  that  has  ever  been  put  upon  the  market. — WiLLiAi 
OD  &  Son,  Ltd.  [  \Ve  shall  be  glad  if  “  C.  A.”  and  other  grower 
uny  kind  liable  to  infection  by  fungoid  enemies  will  giv 
-  ^  trial.  It  is  advertised  towards  the  end  of  o’jr  last  week’ 
issue.  We  shall  be  taking  a  decided  step  in  advance  if  extended  experi 
ments  snow  that  applications  to  the  roots  of  plants  prevent  the  spores  o 
lungi  which  fall  on  the  foliage  or  fruit  germinating  there,  and  takinj 
possess'on  of  the  tissues  ;  still,  if  the  resting  spores  can  be  killed,  tha 
would  be,  paradoxically  speaking,  yet  not  the  less  certainly,  going  to  th 
root  of  the  matter.]  & 
GARDENERS’  PROSPECTS  AND  “UNIONS.” 
Having  been  a  reader  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  fur  a  good 
number  of  years,  I  have  thoioughly  enjoyed  the  articles  written  Irom 
week  to  week,  and  certainly  was  delighted  with  the  number  of  a  few 
weeks  b.Tck,  and  its  portrait  gallery.  I  have  always  found  there  was 
something  one  coild  learn  from  the  opinions  of  others.  Therefore,  I 
feel  it  my  duly  to  advocate  the  reading  of  some  good  gardening  p.ipei' 
to  all  my  young  friends  who  are  thinking  of  making  gardening  their 
profession. 
But  when  asked  by  one  of  these  youths,  “  What  prospect  is  there 
before  me  if  I  follow  this  work  up  ?  ”  I  feel  the  question  a  difficult  cue 
to  answer,  because  it  is  certain  that  all  such  students  cannot  obtain 
good  positions  as  head  gardeners,  and  thcrelbre  those  who  do  not  must, 
be  co..t  nt  with  a  low  wage  in  comparison  with  what  may  be  earned 
by  other  classes  of  workmen  who  have  been  taught  a  good  trade. 
The  chairmau  of  an  institution  where  youths  are  taught  vaiioiis 
handicrafts  said  to  the  writer  a  few  we.ks  ago,  in  reference  to  teaching 
youths  professional  gardening,  “  the  game  was  not  worth  ”  the  candle, 
as  compared  to  that  of  teaching  .‘such  a  trade  as  carpentry.  Certainly, 
a  fact  that  has  to  be  faced  is  this,  What  is  the  outlook  for  many 
gardeners  who  as  they  get  older  and  have  families  around  them  ? 
Nothing  perhaps  but  toil,  and  toiling  all  their  days,  and  fnquently, 
when  “  turning  grey,”  but  still  strong,  having  to  be  suferseded  by 
younger  men. 
IIow  this  is  to  be  avoided  I  fail  to  see.  A  friend  asks,  “  Why  don't 
gardeners  unite,  and  cau.sse  wages  to  be  better?”  But  that  is  easier 
said  than  done.  ]\Iany  will,  no  doubt,  have  to  look  forward  to  the 
help  they  can  obtain  from  such  societies  as  the  Royal  Benevolent 
Fund,  and  the  old  age  fund  of  the  Horticultiual  Benefit  Societ}’. 
Well,  these  valuable  institutions  no  doubt  help  their  own  member.*, 
and  hence  the  necessity  of  every  gardener  who  has  no  certain  provision 
tor  the  future  belorging  to  one  or  other  of  these  excellent  societies,  if 
not  both.  Indeed,  I  should  like  to  see  a  larger  number  of  girdeuers 
who  arc  in  good  positions  suppMting  these  institutions  lor  helping  the 
less  favourably  circumstanced  but  worthy  fellow  men  ;  while  not  less 
should  I  like  to  see  the  time  arrive  when  gardeners  will  be  as  much 
sought  af:cr  and  as  well  recompensed  for  their  skill  and  labour  as 
carpenters  and  other  trade  workers  are  to-day. — A.  J.  B. 
[We  have  to  say  for  our  correspondent — 1,  That  he  practises  what 
he  preaches  regarding  the  valuable  institutions  mentioned;  2,  That 
as  a  teacher  of  gardening  to  youths  the  fact  is  forced  upon  him  that 
much  of  his  labour  may  be  in  va’n,  inasmuch  as  not  more  than  a 
smill  moiety  of  ihe  students  can  rely  on  future  positions  equal  to 
those  of  carpenters;  3,  Tnat  his  common  sense,  resulting  from  much 
thought  and  long  experience,  does  not  enable  him  to  see  anythiiig  else 
than  the  utter  futility  of  men  who  hone  to  be  gardeners  “uni  iug”  to 
“cause  wages  to  be  better.” 
Wo  are  in  substantial  agreement  with  our  corresj  ondent  on  all 
point.*.  The  institutions  mentioned  towards  the  close  of  his  article 
have  been  of  enormous  value  to  many  gardeners  (or  their  widows), 
and  will  be  to  more  who  through  their  safe  and  sound  agency  make 
provision  ag.ainst  unfoitunate  contingencies. 
While  It  is  cne  thing,  and  a  good  thing,  to  teach  yov.ths  the 
piinciplcs  and  practice  of  increasing  the  soil’s  prcductivcne  s,  and 
obtaining  from  it  the  greatest  amount  of  lood,  in  order  th.it  the 
knowledge  gained  may  be  serviceable  to  them  in  after  life',  whether 
they  became  carpenters  or  anything  else,  it  is  quite  another  thing,  and 
much  less  certain  to  bo  beneficial,  to  train  a  number  of  Luis  in  the 
fanciful,  as  well  as  other  routine  of  gardening,  with  the  objict  of 
making  them  professional  gardeners. 
We  have  frequently  said  that  the  natural  increase  of  gardeners, 
resulting  from  the  employment  of  youths  as  may  be  wanted,  will 
always  be  more  than  equal  to  the  demand  ;  and  the  more  that  are 
raised  by  special  means,  and  these  more  likely  than  not  inadequate, 
the  greater  the  number  of  men  called  gardeners  must  eventually  be 
who  are  unable  to  find  employment — even  at  a  lower  average  w^age 
rate  than  that  of  bricklayers’  labourers. 
As  to  gardeners  aping  mechanics  in  their  “  Unions  ”  for  increasing 
wages  and  reducing  hours  of  work,  the  _id^^  fatuous,  Rimui  era- 
tion  for  skilled  labaur  or  any  other  is  in  the  last  resort  governed  by 
supply  and  demand,  and  so  long  as  there  are  ten  men  for  one  vacancy 
money  spent  on  “  Unious,”  for  placing  the  odd  nine  in  comfortable 
pj.'itions,  would  be  worst  than  wasted.  This  “  L'nionist  ”  idea  for  the 
purpose  indicated  affords  a  fertile  theme  for  verdant  pens,  and  we  have 
thrown  as  much  rubbish  written  on  the  subject  into  the  waste  paper 
basket  as  would,  if  printed,  fill  several  numbers  of  the  Journal  of 
llorticuHure. 
Gardeneis’  mutual  improvement  associations  stand  on  an 
altogether  higher  plane,  and  the  officials  of  those  might,  advisably  and 
laudably,  endeavour  to  assist  those  of  their  members  of  high 
character  and  capacity  into  situations  which  they  would  creditably 
fill.  If  no  mistakes  in  judgment  were  made  in  such  recommenda 
lions,  those  associations  might  in  time  be  regarded  as  trusted  sources 
