378 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  30,  1£03 
Birds  and  Gooseberry  Buds. 
In  answer  to  “Fruit  Grower’s”  inquiry  as  to  how  long  the 
dressing  of  caustic  soda  and  pearlash  will  last  on  the  buds,  I 
believe  that  if  the  trees  are  thoroughly  done  in  November  it  will 
stand  till  after  the  buds  are  expanded,  but  should  I  find  the  birds 
made  any  attempt  on  the  trees  later  on  I  should  at  once  give 
them  another  dressing.  I  have  never  yet  had  to  spray  twice. 
In  writing  my  experience  on  this  subject  I  unfortunately  gave 
my  address.  The  consequence  has  been  an  amount  of  correspond¬ 
ence  which,  if  it  were  not  amusing,  would  be  an  expensive  annoy¬ 
ance,  and  the  following  will  no  doubt  be  a  caution  to  other 
writers  giving  useful  information.  Not  a  single-  letter  enclosed 
stamp  for  reply  ;  more  than  half  simply  asked  over  again  for  the 
information  already  given,  they  had  evidently  not  even  troubled 
to  read  the  communication  to  the  end.  Others  “  requested  ”  the 
“  fullest  information  ”  on  the  subject,  and  if  all  had  been  replied 
to  it  would  have  been  a  question  of  several  days’  work,  and  a  very 
considerable  number  of  stamps.  I  was  caught  by  the  first  lot 
and  replied ;  but  never  received  in  return  any  acknowledgement 
or  a.  single  stamp.  The  most  charming  of  all  are  those  written 
always  on  post  cards  for  economy,  asking  for  the  loan  of  the 
threader  to  try  so  that  they  can  be  sure  (at  my  expense)  the  thing 
will  be  sa,tisfactoi’y,  and  as  a  rule  wanting  to  know,  if  they  find  it 
sati.sfactory,  where  or  how  they  can  get  one  “cheap;”  these  also 
in  some  cases  “  request  a  reply  by  return.”  Surely  the  writers  of 
these  extraordinary  communications  ought  to  have  more  courtesy 
and  common  sense  than  expect  anyone  to  go  to  the  expense  and 
trouble  they  seem  to  think  their  right,  as  some  even  write  again 
requesting  to  know  why  their  communication  has  not  been 
replied  to.  My  experience  with  this  is  quite  a  new  one,  and  to 
those  who  have  written  can  only  inform  them  that  no  more  replies 
will  be  sent  by  post,  even  in  the  improbable  event  of  a  stamp 
being  enclosed. — Thos.  Fletcher. 
[We  every  week  expressly  request  “that  no  one  will  write 
privately  to  any  of  our  oorrespondents,  seeking  information  on 
matters  discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to 
unjustifiable  trouble  and  expense.” — Ed.] 
The  “Anti-Trade”  Sweet  Pea  Society— Selection  of  Judges, 
Mr.  H.  J.  Wright’s  communication  on  page  338  calls  for  but 
very  few  remarks  from  me.  His  horror  of  the  proceedings  of  the 
executive  committee  being  made  public  is  amusing ;  if  he  read 
the  gardening  papers  he  would  know  it  is  a  common  practice 
with  special  lioricultural  societies.  Some  of  the  amateur  judges 
who  acted  in  1902  seemed  to  me,  Avho  was  in  close  touch  with 
them,  to  be  so  wanting  in  competency  that  I  determined  to  sub¬ 
mit  the  names  of  certain  persons  in  the  trade  w'hose  knowledge 
and  capacity  could  not  be  open  to  question.  The  committee 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  well  to  change  the  judges 
from  those  of  last  year,  and  in  order  to  put  beforei  the  meeting 
names  from  which  four  or  five — about  half  the  number  required — 
could  be  selected,  I  nominated  Mr.  John  Harrison,  Leicester; 
Mr.  J.  W.  Moss,  Feering;  and  Mr.  Arthur  Turner,  Slough;  as 
principals  of  seed  houses,  and  as  employes,  Mr.  Newby  (Messrs. 
Hurst  and  Son),  Mr.  Brewer  (Messrs.  Cooper,  Taber  and  Co.), 
and  Mr.  G.  Waugh  (Agricultural  and  Horticultural  Association). 
These  names  were  duly  received.  Then  came  the  demonstration 
against  the  trade  ;  the  passing  of  a  resolution  by  five  votes  out  of 
eight  that  no  member  of  the  trade  should  be  selected  as  a  judge, 
and  their  names  were  struck  out.  Mr.  Wright  has  a  very  defec¬ 
tive  memory.  I  urged  with  considerable  warmth  the  claims  of 
the  trade ;  Mr.  Whitpaine  Nutting  did  so  also ;  but  wuthout 
result.  I  want  to  knowq  and  the  trade  about  the  country  want 
to  know’,  and  especially  those  who  are  members  of  the  society, 
wdiy  the  representatives  of  the  trade  w’ere  rejected?  There 
should  be  a  reason  for  such  scurvy  treatment.  Was  it  becau.se 
tlie  judges  in  the  competitive  classes  are  paid  officials,  and  the 
appointments  wmre  coveted  for  friends  and  contributors  ?  “  The 
honour  and  experience  of  the  members  of  the  trade  ”  is  so  highly 
appreciated  by  those  who  voted  against  them  as  judges,  that  by 
an  act  of  gracious  condescension  on  the  part  of  the  handful  of 
journalists,  they  are  to  be  permitted  to  sit  on  the  Floral  Com¬ 
mittee!  Mighty  condescension  to  propriety!  They  may  give  as 
much  money  to  the  funds  of  the  society  as  they  please,  and  as 
they  do;  but  to  handle  a  judging  feei — perish  the  thought !  Well 
might  a  prominent  supporter  of  the  Society  exclaim  :  “  There  are 
too  many  mere  journalists  on  the  committee.” — Richard  Dean, 
Ealing,  W. 
Sprays  and  Sprayers  for  Fruit  Trees. 
I  have  pleasure  in  informing  your  correspondent,  “  Constant 
Subscriber,”  that  I  get  my  caustic  soda  and  pearlash  in  powder 
form  at  a  cost  of  £2  8s.  per  cwt.  for  pearlash,  and  £2  per  cwt. 
caustic  soda  ;  rubber  gloves  12s.  6d.  In  mixing  I  dissolve  51b  of 
pearlash  in  hot  water,  and  51b  of  caustic  soda  with  boiling  water. 
Great  care  is  required  in  dissolving  the  soda,  as  it  boils  over  if 
too  much  water  is  added  at  one  time.  With  this  I  make  50gal 
of  solution.  In  ordering  I  ask  for  “  Greenbank’s  ”  caustic  soda 
(98  per  cent.)  and  “  Burgoyne,  Burbridges,  and  Co.”  pearlash. 
Yes,  a  Vermorel  sprayer  can  be  had  from  any  good  seed  shop. 
— Jno.  Miles,  Southampton. 
Gardeners’  Commissions. 
The  secret  commission  appears  to  be  a  subject  that  is  causing 
a  deal  of  fluttering,  and  I,  for  one,  consider  that  it  is  a  matter 
that  requires  to  be  abolished.  Not  only  is  the-  practice  rife  among 
gardemers,  but  among  other  sections  of  private  servants.  Many 
butchers  are  wont  to  give-  cooks  various  sums  w’hen  bills  are  paid, 
which,  in  some  cases,  tends  to  encourage-  undue  waste.  If  any¬ 
one  is  entitled  to  discount,  it  assuredly  is  the  man  who-  pays  the 
bill !  As  regards  servants,  they  usually  are  recipients  of  an  annual 
present  at  Christmas  time  which,  if  given  freely  by  the  trades¬ 
man,  may  be  accepted  without  any  dishonourable  reflection.s. 
However,  when  we  hear  of  servants  demanding  20  per  cent,  dis¬ 
count,  simply  because  they  favour  a  firm  w’ith  their  custom,  whilst 
their  employer  pays  the  bill,  assuredly  it  is  time  to  cry  off. 
Personally,  in  all  the  dealings  I  have  had  w’ith  florists  and  seeds¬ 
men,  I  have  never  had  an  instance  of  such  underhanded  w’orking. 
The  greatest  favour  ever  bestowed  upon  me  is  some  new^  or  extra 
fine  seed  novelty,  and  I  can  conscientiously  say  that  these  little 
gifts  are  appreciated  in  a  manner  that  no-  monetary  gift  could 
afford.  Such  items  as  these  are  beneficial  to  all  concerned, 
because  they  afford  me  an  immense  amount  of  pleasure,  coupled 
with  know’le-dge,  whilst  eulogistic  notices  in  the  Press  or  other¬ 
wise,  if  worthy,  and  condemnatory  if  merited,  afford  both  readers 
an  vendors  a  true  and  honest  aspect  of  affairs. 
Speaking  on  the  subject  of  novelty  testing,  there  is  a  class 
that  I  look  upon  with  considerable  contempt..  These  are  the 
subsidised  personages  who,  for  stipulated  sums,  prepare  laudatory 
accounts  of  such  and  such  an  article,  whether  it  is  deserved  or 
not.  Such  methods,  and  I  am  assured  they  are  practised,  are 
unworthy,  as  such  men  are  naturally  biassed  in  all  they  state. 
These  actions  border  on  the  trust  system. — C. 
“  Provincial  ”  has  set  before  us  two  cases  wffiich  are,  to  say 
the  least  of  them,  quite  exceptional.  I  have  another,  quite  as 
rare,  in  the  follow’ing.  The  gardener  to  a  well-known,  w’ealthy 
baronet,  made  it  one  of  his  principles  never  to  accept  commis¬ 
sions,  not  because  he  w’as  obliged  to  do  so,  but  from  purely 
personal  motives.  This,  in  due  course,  reached  the  ears  of  his 
employer,  who  questioned  him  on  the  subject,  and  being  informed 
that  such  was  the  case,  said,  “  I  will  give  you  £20  more  a  year.” 
Would  there  were  more  such  cases,  and  I  may  add  this  is  not 
hearsay,  but  absolutely  true.  Now’,  as  to  the  first  of  the  two 
cases  mentioned  by  “Provincial,”  to  the  effect  that  a  certain 
gardener  ran  up  huge  bills  merely  for  the  sake  of  getting  the  dis¬ 
count,  this  is  a  solitary  instance,  and  for  my  ow’ii  part,  I  utterly 
repudiate  the  idea  that  a  man,  w’orthy  of  the  name,  w’ould  ever 
do  such  a  thing  or  even  think  of  doing  so;  and  in  very  many 
establishments  this  is  impossible,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the 
orders  have  to  pass  through  the  hand.s  of  the  over-aspiring  agent. 
The  expenditure,  too,  is  cut  dow’n  to  the  low’est  possible  limit, 
and  W’ith  it  the  gardener’s  salary  as  wmll.  As  for  the  second 
case,  surely  this  is  a  case  of  the  dog  biting  the  hand  that  fed  it, 
and  w’hoever  he  may  be,  he  is  not  w’orthy  to  be  called  a  man, 
much  less  of  the  noble  traditions  of  a  gardener. 
How’ever,  no  one  w’ould  convict  the  whole  profession  because 
these  tw’o  have  gone  w  rong.  The  policy  of  the  gardener  is  just 
the  reverse  of  this ;  he  doesn’t  cut  down  a  tree  because  a  small 
branch  is  rotten,  but  rather  brings  to  his  aid  the  arts  of  grafting 
and  budding.  If  employers  would  also  take  this  course  and  graft 
a  little  more  to  the  miserable  w’ages  which  are  so  often  paid  to 
their  gardeners,  there  w  ould  be  less  temptation  for  the  latter  to 
resort  to  the  commission  business,  and  that  grievance  w’ould,  in 
a  great  measure,  be  done  aw’ay  w’ith,  to  the  satisfaction  of  both 
parties.  Now,  let  us  look  at  another  side  of  the  question. 
Certain  gardeners  have  their  seeds  from  certain  firms,  and  for 
long  periods  have  paid  great  care  and  attention,  and  used  great 
skill  in  the  cultivation  of  those  seeds,  thereby  gaining  for  the 
firms,  to  a  great  extent,  the  positions  of  honour  w’hich  they  hold 
to-day.  The  nurseryman  recognises  this,  and  in  token  of  the 
gratitude  he  feels  for  honour  done  to  him,  he  puts  into  practical 
effect  by  giving  the  gardener  some  reward  for  his  years  of  toil. 
