440 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AXD  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
May  21,  1903. 
Evil  Onp,  were  laying  the  foundations  on  which  are  built 
the  Avonclerfiil  scientific  developments  of  later  ages.  It  has 
been  proved  that  they  were  not  always  on  the  right  track, 
and  many  of  their  theories  have  been  exploded  as  fallacies  ; 
but  Ave  must  neA*er  forget  that  they  Avere  experimentalists, 
dabblers  in  the  dark,  yet  seekers  after  light,  and  experience 
has  proved  them  to  be  right  or  wrong,  as  the  event  has 
proved.  Failures  and  small  events  have  led  to  some  of  the 
greatest  of  the  Avorld's  developments,  and  just  as  Columbus 
found  a  neAv  continent  Avhen  he  Avas  looking  for  a  knoAvn 
land  bj'  sailing  AvestAvard,  so  Edison  got  the  idea  of  his 
talking  machine  in  an  accidental  manner. 
Horticulture,  unfortunately,  does  not  keep  minute 
i-ecords  of  its  finds  and  developments  ;  but  a  peep  at  the 
cjuaintly  Avorded  Avritings  of  Gerarde,  and  others  Avho  AATote 
of  gardening  Avhen  gardening  Avas  in  its  infancy,  reveals 
the  fact  that  those  men  Avere  experimentalists  of  no  mean 
order.  And  Avhen  you  come  to  look  at  it,  gardening  has 
advanced  at  even  pace  Avith  chemical  science  since  Gerarde 
laboured  in  his  Holborn  garden,  and  the  apothecary  tried 
experiments  in  his  garret  close  by..  Does  this  age  benefit 
by  the  Avork,  the  mistakes,  the  successes,  and  failures  of 
generations  of  gardeners  Avho  have  passed  into  the  great 
unseen  ?  Most  assuredly  it  does,  for  Ave  have  the  experi¬ 
ence  of  those  men  to  guide  us.  We  develop  Avhat  they 
onginated,  and  though  many  of  their  methods  are  noAv  out 
of  date,  they  acted  as  a  means  by  Avhich  Ave  acquired  those 
which  we  noAv  utilise.  You  may  look  at  the  first  heaAily 
erected  glass  house  and  its  primitive  flue,  and  compare  them 
to  the  elegant  structures  and  the  modern  heating  apparatus 
of  to-day ;  but  don’t  give  the  present  horticultural  builder 
all  the  credit,  because  he  has  only  irnproA'e^  Avhat  someone 
else  begun,  just  as  the  flying  motor-car  is  the  offspring  of 
the  old  bone-shaker. 
And  in  his  OAvn  day,  Avhether  it  be  past  or  present,  the 
gardener  is,  and  ahvays  has  been,  a  stickler  for  expei'ience. 
You  may  lay  before  him  an  elaborate  theory,  Avhich  seems 
so  complete  as  to  offer  no  possible  loophole  for  mistake  ; 
but  the  gardener  must  try  and  prove  it  for  himself  before 
you  can  enlist  his  faith.  You  may  shoAv  him  a  splendid 
fruit  crop  or  a  grand  display  of  floAvers,  and  tell  him  your 
method  of  culture  ;  but  even  AA'ith  the  living  results  before 
him  he  AAdll  not  put  absolute  faith  in  the  coiTectness  of  the 
method  until  he  has  proved  it  for  himself.  We  are  fre¬ 
quently  being  reminded  of  the  antagonism  that  exists 
between  Avhat  is  knoAA'n  as  scientific  and  practical  horti¬ 
culture  (though  I  haA’e  never  met  anyone  yet  Avho  could 
clearly  clefine  the  difference,  because,  after  all,  there  can 
be  only  one  principle),  and  I  cannot  help  thinking  that  it  is 
brought  about  by  the  theories  of  the  scientist  alone  failing 
Avhen  they  are  put  to  the  test  by  the  severely  practical 
man. 
Yet,  with  all  his  experience  and  his  experiments,  there 
is  a  tendency  on  the  part  of  the  gardener  toAvards  being  a 
self-satisfied  individual.  I  do  not  say  this  disparagingly  ; 
but,  having  proved  to  himself  that  a  certain  thing  is  good, 
he  is  often  sIoav  to  admit  that  any  other  method  is  better, 
or  even  as  good.  Even  in  these  daj^s  there  are  scores  of 
gardeners  who,  having  proved  that  animal  manure  supplies 
all  their  needs  in  the  AA'ay  of  a  fertiliser,  Avill  not  admit  that 
artificial  manures  are  of  any  value  Avhatever,  and  shun  them 
as  they  would  a  plague.  This  I  take  to  be  nothing  but  a 
display  of  the  bump  of  obstinacy,  Avhich  is  displayed  more 
or  less  throughout  the  gardening  fraternity.  The  bump, 
by  the  way,  often  comes  into  prominence  Avhen  a  man  sets 
out  to  be  a  teacher  of  gardening,  as  Avell  as  a  practitioner. 
Like  the  ugly  duckling  in  the  farmyard,  professional 
members  of  his  OAvn  craft  eye  him  AA’ith  suspicion,  and 
though  they  knoAv  nothing  at  all  against  his  ability  and 
practical  experience,  it  takes  a  great  aimount  of  pressure 
to  induce  them  to  believe  in  him.  The  members  of  a 
gardening  association  get  a  man  to  read  a  paper  on  a 
certain  subject,  and  though  they  accord  him  a  vote  of 
thanks  at  the  end  of  it,  unless  the  essayist’s  methods  happen 
to  coincide  Avith  their  OAvn,  they  have  no  faith  in  him, 
though,  of  course,  they  do  not  hurt  the  poor  felloAv’s  feel¬ 
ings  by  telling  him  so. 
Still,  the  severely  practical  Avork-a-day  gardener,  in  spite 
of  his  little  shortcomings,  which  are  often  the  result  of  his 
method  of  training,  is  in  a  quiet  Avay  sonfething  of  an  ex¬ 
perimentalist.  Unknown  to  the  Avorld  outside,  he  is  trying 
little  things  continually  and  noting  the  results.  Sometimes 
he  speaks  of  them,  and  Avill  tell  you  how  at  one  place  he 
was  at  he  did  such  and  such  a  thing  in  a,  certain  Avay,  and  it 
ansAvered  so  Avell  that  he  has  folloAved  the  plan  ever  since. 
If  anyone  had  told  him  that  the  method  Avould  ansAver,  the 
chances  are  he  Avould  have  taken  no  notice  of  them  ;  but  he 
found  it  out  for  himself,  perhaps  accidentally,  but  by  his 
OAvn  experiment,  and  hence  his  faith. 
We  look  round  and  see  the  mystical  arrav  of  varieties  of 
plants  on  every  hand,  old  subjects  improved  almost  out  of 
recognition,  and  neAv  creations  that  are  the  result  of  the 
raiser's  skill.  To  Avhat  do  Ave  OAve  these  remarkable  intro¬ 
ductions'?  Echo  ansAvers  back,  “Experiment!”  and  it  is- 
true.  Hybridists  set  out  by  making  certain  crosses  to^ 
obtain  certain  results,  but  they  have  no  guarantee  that  they 
Avill  do  it,  though  they  have  certain  principles  to  guide 
them.  They  are  pla.ying  a  game  Avith  Nature,  so  to  speak, 
and,  being  in  her  hands,  they  have  to  be  content  AA’ith  Avhat 
she  gives.  Truly,  she  is  generous,  and  the  ready  Avay  in 
AA’hich  she  lends  herself  to  the  arts  of  the  gardener  is  illus¬ 
trated  by  results  ;  but  the  game  is  a  lottery,  nevertheless,, 
and  the  hybridiser  is  only  an  experimentalist. 
Finally,  in  experimenting,  Ave  have  one  of  the  great 
fascinations  of  gardening.  It  has  its  disappointments  and 
its  failures,  but  it  holds  out  great  possibilities,  and  in 
making  experiments  the  spirit  <f  gambling,  Avhich  has  such  a 
hold  on  the  human  race,  comes  over  a  man.  You  effect  a 
certain  experiment  to  proA’e  something  or  to  obtain  a  certain 
result ;  but  you  don’t  knoAv  that  you  Avill  do  it.  The 
chances  may  be  that  you  will  not ;  but  then  there  is  the 
possibility  that  you  Avill,  and  in  the  glorious  uncertainty 
comes  the  fascination  that  leads  the  gardener  on.  What  he 
has  done  by  his  experimenting  Ave  can  see.  What  he  Avill  dO' 
no  one  knoAvs  ;  but  there  is  one  thing  certain,  he  will  never 
give  it  up,  and  though  the  first  gardener,  Adam,  might  have 
been  content  Avith  things  as  they  Avere  in  the  garden  of 
Eden,  I  dare  undertake  to  say  that  he  became  an  experi¬ 
mentalist  AA’hen  he  found  himself  outside,  and  perhaps, 
profited  by  his  experience. — G.  H.  H. 
The  Development  of  Rural  Industries. 
The  remarkable  development  of  the  wild  fruit  and  A-egetable 
trade  in,  Ireland  of  recent  years,  through  the  exertions  of  a 
number  of  entt'rprising  people  interested  in  the  cross-Channel 
business,  shoAvs  Avhat  a  Avide  field  is  open  tO'  Ireland  for  well- 
directed  enterprise  in  this  direction.  Tons  upon  tons  of 
“  crabs,”  or  Avild  Apples,  have  been  purchased  at  paying  prices, 
and  despatched  to  the  English  preseiwe  manufacturers ;  Avild 
berries  Avere  in  great  demand,  too,  and  large  quantities  of 
Mushrooms  and  Watercress  Averc  also  .shipped.  Up  to  a.  few 
years  ago  these  Avild  products  Avers  neglected,  and  Avent  to 
Avaste  in  our  fields  and  hedges;  but  noAV  that  their  value  is 
found,  and  a  good  trade  fairly  started  in  them,  we  aaouIcI  like 
to  see  some  more  attention  paid  locally  to  the.  systematic 
development  of  Avhat  should  prove  to  be  a  veritable  gold  mine, 
namely,  regular  fruit  growing.  The  valley  of  the  Suir,  Co. 
Tipperary,  is  .said  to  be  capable  of  growing  the  best  Apples  and 
other  fruit  in  the  Avorld.  Last  year  Ave  hacl  pleasure  in  drawing 
attention  to  the  magnificent  Apples  groAvn  in  an  up-to-date  fruit 
farm  near  Cashel.  The  enterprising  grower  found  a  ready  sale 
for  her  produce,  and  at  fancy  prices,  too.  There  is  really  a 
splendid  opening  for  those  Avho  go  in  seriously  for  fruit  culture, 
as  an  unlimited  demand  exi.sts  for  fruit  of  all  kinds  in  .the 
English  and  other  markets  within  easy  reach  of  this  district, 
and  those  avIio  are  already  engaged  in  the  business,  though  few 
in  number,  are  doing  Avell.  Both  soil  and  climate  are  favour¬ 
able.  and,  Avith  liberal  and  judicious  planting  of  the  best  kinds 
of  trees  Tipperary  should  .soon  be  in  a  position  to  secure  a  large 
share  in  a  most  extensive  and  lucrative  trade,  Avhich  is  at  present 
largely  in  the  hands  of  the  progressive  Continental  and  Ameri¬ 
can  farmers.  ;;*'- 
There  are  many  fine  old  orchards  throughout  the  County 
Tipperary,  neglected  for  the  most  part  at  present,  but  which,' 
if  properly  attended  to  and  extended,  might  prove  very  valu¬ 
able  assets.  The  vegetable  and  flower  trade  affords  another 
fiela  of  profitable  speculation,  and  under  proper ,  condition, s 
Ireland  could  supph"  the  English  markets  Avith  these'  products 
more  quickly  than  the  farmers  of  the  Channel  Islands,  Belgium, 
and  France.'  The  early  Potato  farms  in  South  Cork,  the  great 
bulb  farm  at  Lusk,  and  the  Yiolet  farm  at  Ennis,  give  an  idea 
of  Avhat  can  be  done  in  Ireland  in  this  direction.  Now  that 
peasant  proprietorship  for  Ireland  is  so  near  realisation,  no 
opportunity  must  be  neglected  of  forwarding  the  industrial 
deA’elopment  of  the  country.  The  sooner  a  .start  is  made  the 
better,  for  the  people  are  eanigrating  in  thousands.  The  rail- 
Avay  companies  should  move  Avith  the  times  too,  and  by  giving 
uprto-date  transit  facilities  at  reasonable  rates  help  forward 
Ireland’s  industrial  regeneration. — (“The  Nationalist.”) 
