96 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  2,  1900. 
The  book  is  compiled  from  others,  the  products  of  other  climates,  but 
it  appears  to  have  attracted  much  attention,  and  to  have  certainly 
paved  the  way  for  an  indigenous  work  absolutely  native  to  the  soil — 
“  The  New  Orchard,”  and  of  course  there  were  not  a  few  fairly  good 
translations  from  the  French  and  Dutch — e.g.,  “The  Countree  Farme” 
and  “  The  English  Husbandman.”  Then  we  pass  on  to  the  almost 
solitary  “Paradisus”  of  Parkinson,  with  here  and  there  a  translation 
or  a  small  contribution  relating  to  national  gardening,  till  the  great 
outburst  in  the  earlier  years  of  last  century,  when  after  Evelyn  had 
gone,  Lawrence,  Switzer,  Fairchild,  Bradley,  and  others  raised  a 
superstructure  which  is  still  sound,  much  of  it  indeed  more  so  than 
some  of  the  material  that  passes  into  print  to-day.  It  was  at  this 
period  also  that  the  monthly  papers  published  by  Bradley  formed  the 
earliest  periodical  literature  of  gardening,  and  shortly  after  high-class 
coloured  illustrations  were  introduced,  which  culminated  in  the 
splendid  work  of  Edwards  and  others  seventy  years  later. 
The  Victorian  period  has  been  one  unbroken  stretch  of  expansion. 
Its  beginning  saw  already  established  that  class  of  literature  which 
at  first  was  mainly  composed  of  somewhat  dull  technical  articles 
appearing  at  monthly  intervals,  among  which  we  find  the  still 
vigorous  higher  priced  weekly  horticultural  papers  (including  the 
Cottage  Gardener,  now  “  Our  Journal”),  which  squeezed  the  life  out 
of  the  expensively  illustrated  periodicals  that  were  so  common  when 
the  Queen  ascended  the  throne.  Then  the  cheaper  monthlies,  after  a 
struggle,  succumbed.  And  now  we  have  over  two  dozen  weeklies 
devoted  to  the  advancement  of  horticulture  in  some  one  or  other  of 
its  phases  or  sections. 
In  addition  to  literature  of  an  evanescent  character,  there  has  also 
lately  been  poured  out  upon  us  an  overwhelming  mass  of  book 
matter,  which  few,  if  any,  will  care  to  gather  indiscriminately  into 
their  bookshelves.  Not  so  long  ago  one  could  conscientiously  keep 
abreast  of  the  press,  without  hurting  one’s  purse  in  purchasing,  or 
damaging  one’s  pia  mater  in  the  process  of  assimilation.  Moreover, 
we  used  to  get  digestible  feeding  if  the  food  was  plain.  Now,  with 
due  apologies  to  reviewers,  it  requires  an  education  to  distinguish  the 
good  from  the  worthless,  and  not  a  little  trouble  to  verify  assertions 
that  are  doubtful,  and  which  occasionally  cannot  be  squared  with 
facts.  We  have  also  a  greater  outpour  than  formerly  of  books  devoted 
exclusively  to  the  use  of  owners  of  gardens,  and  which  range  from  the 
almost  purely  literary  contributions,  so  delightful  to  read,  but  other¬ 
wise  of  no  great  value,  to  the  highly  technical,  partly  architectural, 
partly  landscape  gardening  literature,  which  appeals  to  people  with 
plenty  of  money  and  a  taste  lor  distributing  it  on  rural  adornment. 
Another  curious  phase  of  this  question  is  the  rapidity  with  which 
new  books  become  stale.  Can  it  be  because  they  are  also  unprofitable  ? 
Many  of  the  old  works  were  read  for  generations ;  and  sometimes 
they  were  disguised  under  new  titles,  as  in  the  case  of  Mascal’s  work 
on  fruit  trees,  which  appears  later,  with  others,  as  “  The  Countreman’s 
Recreation,”  or  Lawson’s,  which  was  popular  for  a  century,  and 
reached  at  least  twenty  editions.  Equally  remarkable  was  the 
kalendarial  book^of  Abercrombie’s,  “  Every  Man  His  own  Gardener,” 
of  which  he  was  so  dubious  of  succeeding  that  he  paid  another 
gardener  for  the  use  of  his  name  on  the  title  page.  Yet  in  his  own 
lifetime  sixteen  editions  were  printed,  the  last  exactly  100  years  ag  >, 
and  after  his  death  others  followed  till  as  late  as  1839.  I  am  not 
aware  that  any  book  of  later  times  has  attained  the  popularity  of  these. 
The  change  in  the  social  status  of  authors  is  another  element 
worthy  of  note.  Thomas  Hill  is  supposed  to  have  written  for  a 
livelihood,  but  he  must  have  been  a  man  of  superior  education ;  and 
Markham,  to  whom  nothing  seemed  to  come  amiss  connected  with  a 
life  in  the  country,  or  whether  the  material  was  his  own  or  belonge  1 
to  others,  was  also  an  educated  man.  Thereafter,  for  a  long  time,  all 
gardening  writers  were  gentlemen,  and  Evelyn  seems  to  have  been 
the  first  to  have  enlisted  the  services  of  gardeners,  as  he  did  in  the 
preparation  of  his  “  Gardeners’  Kalender,”  while  Rose,  gardener  to 
Charles  II.,  was  first  in  the  field  in  a  little  work  on  the  vineyard  as  a 
departmental  writer.  To  Scotland  belongs  the  honour  of  producing 
the  first  book  on  gardening  iii  all  its  sections.  This  appeared  in  1683 
as  “  The  Scots  Gardener.” 
During  the  eighteenth  century  professionals  contributedjlargely'to- 
the  literature  of  gardening,  and  have  continued  doing  so  till  the 
present  day;  but  there  are  not  wanting  signs  that,  partly  from  a 
better  educated  class  entering  the  field,  and  ^partly  because  the 
younger  race  of  gardeners  have  become  neglectful  of  study,  the  day 
of  gardener-writers  is  declining.  One  of  the  features  of  modern 
gardening  literature  is  the  part  women  are  taking,  but  they  also  have 
been  represented  for  a  long  period  bypast.  A  Mrs.  Alexander 
Blackwell,  with  the  help  of  her  husband,  published  in  1737-9  a 
beautifully  illustrated  work  called  “A  Curious  Herbal,”  the  drawings 
and  engravings,  as  well  as  the  colouring  of  the  plates,  having  been 
undertaken  by  herself.  “The  Florist  Manual,”  by  Miss  Jackson,  was 
a  very  popular  book  seventy  years  ago,  and  Mrs.  Loudon’s  works  on 
gardening  are  still  highly  esteemed. 
The  clergy  also  have  borne  a  high  position,  though  after  the 
Reformation  till  about  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century,  when 
Cole’s  “  Adam  in  Eden”  appeared,  they  seem  to  have  done  nothing. 
Lawrence,  however,  began  the  next  century  with  a  series  of  very 
popular  treatises,  and  from  then,  and  more  particularly  at  the  present 
time,  they  have  done  much  to  elevate  •  the  tone,  and  to  infuse- 
brightness  and  grace  into  horticultural  writing. — B. 
Mulclimg. 
{Concluded  from  page  b\2,last  vol.) 
The  process  of  artificial  mulching  dates  from  tbe  remotest  antiquity^ 
being  practised  as  a  top-dressing,  so  that  its  nutritive  properties  may 
be  washed  down  by  rain,  as  well  as  to  preserve  a  uniform  degree  of 
heat  and  moisture  in  the  soil.  Top-dressing  is  usually  practised  in 
the  autumn,  winter,  or  early  spring,  and  may  be  passed  as  different 
from  mulching  proper,  inasmuch  as  the  material  is  usually  applied  in 
moderate  amount,  and  in  a  somewhat  more  highly  decomposed  state. 
In  comparatively  recent  times  it  was  a  common  practice  to  cover 
all  outside  fruit  borders  with  littery  manure  and  remove  the  strawy 
yjortions  in  the  spring.  This  practice,  according  to  recent  ideas,  is 
wrong,  though  personally  I  fail  to  see  in  what  direction.  Surely  the 
autumn  and  winter  rains  would  wash  some  of  the  nutritive  elements 
into  the  soil?  The  objection  may  be  legitimate  in  respect  of  a  heavy 
coating  of  manure  allowed  to  remain  in  a  soapy  state  over  tbe  soil 
after  the  sun  has  pas.sed  the  vernal  equinox,  but  what  barm  it  can 
possibly  do  between  the  autumn  and  the  spring  I  cannot  conceive. 
Of  spring  mulching,  except  in  the  case  of  recently  transplanted 
trees  and  shrubs,  more  eipecially  fruit  trees,  I  have  no  experience,  and 
for  these  I  know  that  a  light  mulching  of  half-decayed  manure  or 
even  partially  decomposed  leaves  greatly  assists  re-establishment.  Its 
presence  means  warmth  and  moisture,  neutralisation  of  cold  and  heat 
extremes.  For  established  plants  spring  mulching  may  be  regarded  as 
a  late  manuring,  keeping  the  sun  and  air  out  of  the  soil,  and  in  these 
respects  retarding  growth  as  well  as  not  supplying  nutriment  for  some 
time.  It  is,  however,  only  the  close,  heavy  mulch  that  excludes  the 
spring  sunshine,  for  sweetened  horse  droppings  never  fail  to  tell  a  tale 
in  favour  of  the  cultivator,  and  even  such  close  material  as  cow  manure 
is  beneficial  on  an  open,  hot  soil. 
Circum-tanceS  alter  cases,  so  that  no  hard  and  fast  lines  can  be 
drawn  as  applicable  in  all  instances.  It  may,  however,  be  safely 
stated  that  a  mulch  to  be  of  the  greatest  value  must  be  applied  before 
the  soil  becomes  hot  and  dry,  and  never  later  than  the  flowering  of 
the  plants.  It  is  then  highly  beneficial  to  flowers,  fruits,  and 
vegetables  if  the  weather  afterwards  prove  hot  and  dry.  If  wet 
weather  ensue  the  light  mulching  seldom  does  harm,  there  being  little 
danger  of  its  becoming  close,  excluding  air,  and  keeping  the  surface  soil 
sodden.  For  plants  or  trees  requiring  help  in  summer  to  perfect  their 
flowers  or  fruits,  a  mulching  of  rather  fresh  cow  manure  for  light  soils^ 
and  of  sweetened  horse  droppings,  or  failing  these  good  decayed  manure, 
proves  of  immense  permanent  benefit,  inasmuch  as  the  present  crop 
is  not  only  profited,  but  the  land  is  put  into  better  heart  for  a 
succeeding  one. 
Mulching  also  embraces  the  mere  placing  of  non-enriching 
materials  on  the  soil  in  advance  of  hot,  dry  weather.  The  object  ia 
such  case  is  to  prevent  the  evaporation  of  soil  moisture.  For  this 
purpose  straw,  straw  chaff,  short  litter,  lawn  mowings,  and  similar 
material  are  used,  they  being  non-conductors  of  the  heat  from  above, 
and  of  the  moisture  and  warmth  from  below.  Thus  the  material 
checks  free  evaporation,  preserves  a  uniform  degree  of  heat  and 
moisture,  and  encourages  the  formation  of  surface  feeding  roots,  and, 
for  those  reasons  mulching  is  an  excellent  practice. — G.  Abbey. 
