April  4,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
277 
-the  soil.  The  sun’s  rays  quickly  warm  the  air,  and  the  air  is 
constantly  forced  into  the  soil  through  a  “loosened  surface.”  Under 
such  quickening  influences  roots  gain  vigour  and  activity,  and  top 
growth  advances  by  “  leaps  and  bounds.”  Every  man  who  plies  the 
hoe  industriously  “  when  the  sun  shines  ”  is  adding  to  the  wealth  of 
the  nation,  by  providing  conditions  under  which  fresh  air — oxygen — 
can  easily  reach  the  roots  of  crops.  It  is  of  vital  importance  to  their 
successful  progress,  the  supply  is  free  to  all. 
By  taking  advantage  of  the  above  facts,  some  private  gardeners  are 
able  to  grow  better 
and  earlier  crops  than 
their  neighbours, and 
some  market  gar¬ 
deners  for  a  time  con¬ 
trol  the  markets  with 
their  early  crops. 
One  other  point  is 
also  of  great  import¬ 
ance  in  the  produc¬ 
tion  of  such  early 
crops  as  Cabbage 
and  Lettuce — viz., 
abundant  manuring. 
The  richer  the  soil 
the  more  quickly 
will  crops  grow, 
“  when  the  sun 
shines,”  because  dur¬ 
ing  warm  weather 
when  the  soil  is 
moist  growth  is  prac¬ 
tically  regulated  by 
the  amount  of  soluble 
food  within  the  reach 
of  roots.  A  mode¬ 
rate  dressing  of 
manure  may  per¬ 
haps  contain  enough 
plant  food  to  pro¬ 
duce  a  heavy  crop, 
provided  growth  was 
regular  from  day  to 
day. 
But  how  seldom 
is  it  so.  Sometimes 
moisture  is  lacking, 
at  other  times  sun¬ 
shine,  then  rain 
comes,  and  the  sun 
shines  and  crops 
“  rush  ”  into  growth 
as  long  as  such 
favourable  condi¬ 
tions  continue,  and 
there  is  also  plenty 
of  “  manufactured  ” 
food  to  draw  upon, 
but  when  the  supply 
gets  scanty  growth 
becomes  slow,  even 
when  climatic  con¬ 
ditions  are  favour¬ 
able.  There  is  usually 
a  reserve  of  potash 
and  phosphates  in 
well  cultivated  soil, 
but  no  similar  re¬ 
serve  of  soluble  ni¬ 
trogen;  a  little  nitrate 
of  soda,  scattered 
between  young  crops 
then  supplies  the 
“  missing  link,”  and 
the  crops  grow  freely  because  supplied  with  all  the  constituents 
necessary. 
In  other  ways,  too,  the  sun  is  a  mighty  force  in  building  up 
the  growth  of  plants  and  crops,  for  without  its  aid  the  decomposition  of 
carbonic  acid  gas  and  the  elaboration  of  carbon,  for  the  production  of 
more  tissue,  pith,  and  starch,  could  not  be  brought  about.  Truly  the 
sun,  by  working  in  unison  with  other  forces  of  Nature,  is  the  main¬ 
spring  which  sets  the  whole  world  in  motion,  and  the  more  we  know  of 
its  wonderful  power,  the  better  opportunities  we  have  of  turning  to  the 
best  account  the  wonderful  power  which  is  always  at  our  command 
when  the  sun  shines.” — Onward. 
Easter 
Is  upon  us,  and  we  are,  a  good  many  of  us,  full  of  nothing  but  the 
thought  of  decorations  appropriate  to  the  season.  Our  parish  church 
calls,  and  we  respond,  inly  wondering  if  we  can  arrange  some  new 
scheme  of  decoration,  something  striking  and  bright.  There  is  one 
thing  about  East6r  (being  a  movable  feast) — we  have  not  always  the 
same  flowers  to  deal  with,  that  is,  outside  our  hothouses.  Some 
villages  do  not  boast  much  in  the  way  of  glass,  and  must  depend  for 
supplies  on  the  woods 
and  lanes.  I  am 
generally  vexed  by 
the  way  the  pretty 
Primrose  is  treated  ; 
bunched  together  in 
little  stiff  posies, 
without  a  vestige  of 
green.  Now  it  does 
rot  grow  in  that 
form,  and  if  the  de¬ 
corators  cannot  equal 
or  improve  upon 
Nature  they  had  bet¬ 
ter  give  up  their 
work  altogether. 
Now  I  saw  in  a 
church  not  long  since 
a  happy  idea.  Do 
not  call  it  extrava¬ 
gant,  for  it  really  is 
not.  The  base  of  the 
pulpit,  the  ledges 
and  other  parts  of 
the  church,  had  set 
in  moss  whole  roots 
of  Primroses.  Not 
put  too  close,  just 
arranged  as  they 
might  be  in  the 
woods,  the  effect  was 
beautiful.  Of  course 
there  was  some  hid¬ 
den  receptacle  for 
water  ;  a  very  shal¬ 
low  dish  would  be 
enough,  but  every 
leaf  and  flower  just 
stood  up  in  its  own 
natural  way.  Marsh 
Marigolds  are  fine  ; 
there  is  a  brilliancy 
about  them,  and  in 
water  they  last  so 
long.  You  will  often 
see  crosses  and 
wreaths  made  of 
Daffodils  closely 
massed  as  though 
the  maker  were  try¬ 
ing  to  put  the 
greatest  possible 
number  of  flowers  in 
the  least  possible 
space.  Every  variety 
of  the  Narcissus 
family  wantstostand 
out  alone,  and  hap¬ 
pily  they  are  flowers 
that  are  always  cut 
with  long  stalks.  A 
strong  band  of  dark 
green  calico  with 
loops  at  intervals 
will  be  found  most  useful  to  hold  small-vases,  or  failing  these  the 
common  jelly  glass  or  custard  cup.  It  grieves  me  always  to  see 
flowers  fading  prematurely  for  want  of  a  dish  of  water. — The  Missus. 
Moorea  IrroKATA.  (See  page  275.) 
Thinning'  Leaves  of  Fruit-bearing  Plant*. — Sunlight  largely 
adds  to  the  sweet  and  general  good  character  of  the  fruit,  but  it,  alone, 
does  not  wholly  ripen  the  fruit.  Ripening  is  a  vital  process  in  which 
an  abundance  of  good,  healthy  foliage  is  the  prominent  agent  in  the 
work. 
