106 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  31,  1902. 
Dishes  and  Baskets  for  Sfaging. 
I  want  to  make  some  changes  in  the  way  of  setting  up  fruit 
and  vegetables  at  our  show.  Could  you,  or  any  of  the  readers  of 
the  Journal,  give  me  an  idea  which  are  the  best  sorts  of  dishes  or 
baskets  to  use  for  setting  up,  say,  six  Potatoes  or  six  Apples,  and 
where  they  are  to  be  had  ?  An  answer  through  the  Journal  would 
greatly  oblige. — J.  M.  W. 
The  Crimson  Rambler  Rose. 
I  sometimes  hear  criticisms  passed  on  this  much-grown  climber 
to  the  effect  that  the  panicles  of  flowers  are  small,  and  that  it  is 
often  not  very  showy.  W-hen  such  is  the  case  it  is  invariably 
caused  by  unsuitable  treatment.  Plants  grow  so  rapidly  that  they 
quickly  cover  their  allotted  space,  and  form  a  dense  mass  of 
shoots — if  these  are  not  kept  regularly  thinned.  The  result  is 
that  the  panicles  of  flowers  are  very  much  smaller  than  they 
should  be.  To  grow  Crimson  Rambler  to  perfection  it  requires 
good  soil  and  an  open  situation.  The  shoots  produced  are  then 
very. strong.  These  should  be  thinned  to  1ft  or  9in  apart.  -  Under 
such  treatment  panicles  of  flowers  from  9in  to  12in  are  produced 
of  a  vivid  crimson  colour,  and  one  such  panicle  is  far  more  showy 
than  a  dozen  small  ones,  and  at  flowering  time  no  Rose  grown 
produces  a  more  showy  effect.  Those  who  have  trees  which  have 
become  a  thicket  of  growth  should  thin  the  shoots  severely  at 
once,  cutting  away  the  older  wood,  and  leaving  the  strongest 
young  shoots.  Then  with  plenty  of  feeding  splendid  results  may 
be  looked  for  next  season.— H.  D. 
- <•#•> - 
Gardeners’  Bothies. 
It  is  comforting  to  all  ye  inmates  of,  and  aspirants  to,  the 
chequered  life  incidental  to  the  bothy,  to  know  that  yet 
another  fairly  comfortable  domicile  for  young  men  stands  some¬ 
where  in  the  precincts  of  the  celebrated  gardens  of  Nostell 
Priory.  So  far  as  I  can  infer  from  the  photo,  the  whole  out¬ 
ward  features  are  in  the  highest  degree  poetic  and  provocative 
of  no  small  amount  of  sentiment,  and  that,  is  as  it  ought  to  be. 
But  why  accuse  some,  Mr.  Easter,  for  being  a  trifle  sentimental 
on  a  question  that  really  never  contained  but  scant  measure 
of  that  necessary  attribute  in  its  composition?  I  am  digress¬ 
ing  ;  let  us  to  the  bothy.  It.  looks  suspiciously  like  the  con¬ 
ventional  back-of-the-wall  lean-to-something  so  often  initiating 
the  long  line  of  necessary  offices  attaching  the  ordinary  garden, 
It  may  not  be  so,  but  it  is  sometimes  difficult,  to  overcome  a 
first,  impression,  and  I  do  not  admire  those  dreadful  prison¬ 
like  spear  pointed  railings  which  circumvallate  the.  bothy  and 
make  it  dangerous,  indeed  impossible  for  the  innocents  to 
break  in  or  out,  if  circumstances  should  so  ordain  matters. 
Then  there  seems  not  place  sufficiently  spacious  between  the  Ivy 
clad  walls  and  the  ponderous  ferric  palisades,  whereon  the  young 
men  can  play  a  cast  at  pitch  and  toss,  nor  posit,  a  chair  to  scan 
the  evening  news,  and  fill  his  lungs  of  the  needful  commodity — 
oxygen — after  his  ten  hours’  contact  with  the  depressing  influ¬ 
ence  of  carbon  dioxide.  It  also  appears  to  open  into  the  street. 
This  is  highly  objectionable,  if  it  is  so.  On  the  ivliole  it 
certainly  is  a  passable  bothy,  if  all  the  up-to-date  sanitary 
arrangements  are  adequately  represented  within.  The  Ivy 
ought  to  be  cleared,  however,  from  the  windows  to  admit  as 
much  air  as  possible,  as  I  fancy  there  is  not  all  through  circula¬ 
tion  of  air,  if  the  vallum  hortensis  forms  the  opposite  wall  of 
the  building.  As  to  this  indispensability  of  the  bothy  attaching 
to  pretentious  gardens,  I  think,  the  case  of  Edinburgh  Botanical 
Gardens  is  sufficient  to  show  that  the  contrary  is  equally  satis¬ 
factory.  Here  some  years  ago  the  bothy  system  was  dethroned, 
and  as  far  as  I  am  aware,  the  result  was  most  desirable. — C.H.S. 
[We  can  assure  our  correspondent  from  personal  experience 
of  Nostell  Priory  bothy,  that  it  is  exemplary  both  in  outside 
appearance  and  internally  in  its  arrangements.  It  is  situated 
on  the  east  side  overlooking  the  fine  garden,  the  fruit  and  plant 
ranges  being  within  a  very  few  yards  of  it.  One  side  is  covered 
with  Ivy,  the  other  side  with  fruit  trees.  There  is  no  “  street  ” 
near  it,  but  there  is  a  handsome  and  typical  English  park 
almost  adjoining,  in  which  “pitch  and  toss”  could  be  indulged 
in ;  even  if  not,  the  slightly  superior  game  of  cricket  can  be 
enjoyed  almost  any  evening  on  a  beautiful  pitch  in  the  neigh¬ 
bouring  village  of  Wragby.  The  bothy  is  a  good  one  in  every 
respect. — Ed.] 
Asparagus  Beds  and  Produce, 
I  must  thank  you  for  your  most  valuable  and  kindly  help 
when  making  my  Asparagus  beds  from  old  Mushroom  beds.  The 
produce  is  quite  splendid  this  season,  but  being  first  season  for 
cutting  I  have  taken  your  advice  and  cut  very  sparingly,  possibly 
too  much  so.  I  stripped  off  all  the  berries  last  year,  but  this  year 
it  seems  to  be  too  thick  and  heavy  to  get  about.  Is  it  necessary 
to  do  this  every  year  ?  [Certainly  best.]  My  Asparagus  realised 
as  much  as  4s.  6d.  per  120  shoots,  and  never  less  than  2s.  6d.,  in 
Manchester,  which  pleased  me.  I  am  hoping  to  put  down  another 
acre  this  year. — Cambridge. 
Decayed  Melons. 
I  have  a  large  greenhouse  full  of  Melons  in  full  bearing.  A 
number  of  the,  plants  have  borne  really  very  fine  fruits,  and  quite 
a  number  have  swelled  to  about  21b  weight.  These  are  partly 
netted,  but  have  turned  yellow  and  have  rotted  at  the  bottom 
and  top  of  the  fruit,  and  others  have  a  small,  hard,  green  spot, 
which  forms  when  the  Melon  “  nets,”  and  when  the  fruit  ripens 
it  rots  in  these  spots ;  otherwise  the  Melons  are  perfect,  both  in 
netting,  colour,  &c.  Could  you  or  your  readers  kindly  tell  me, 
through  the  Journal,  what  is  the.  cause  of  these  defects,  and  is 
there  any  cure  for  them?  I  might  add  that  1  bought  the 
plants. — “  Raspail.”  [See  answers  to  correspondents. — Ed.] 
Sweet  Pea,  Dorothy  Eckford. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  committee  of  the  National  Sweet  Pea 
Society  held  on  July  15,  no  less  than  five  pure  white  Sweet  Peas 
were  shown.  These  were  named  White  Queen,  White  Wings, 
Lily,  Purity,  and  Dorothy  Eckford,  and  all  were  identical.  Each 
had  come  with  Miss  Willmott,  and  some  discussion  took  place  as 
to  which  name  should  be  recognised.  It  was  eventually  decided 
that  if  Mr.  Eckford  could  prove  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  com¬ 
mittee  that  the  seeds  of  the  white  variety  were  accidentally  mixed 
with  those  of  Miss  Wilmott,  the  Certificate  of  Merit  should  go 
to  him  as  raiser.  This  Mr.  Eckford  lias  done,  and  the  accepted 
name  is  Dorothy  Eckford.  The  exhibitors — Messrs.  Dobbie  and 
Co.,  Hobbies  (Ltd.),  I.  House  and  Son,  and  Jones  and  Sons — 
will,  it  is  hoped,  recognise  this  name,  so  as  to  prevent  needless 
multiplication  of  names. — H.  J.  Wright,  Hon.  Sec. 
Gardeners’  Education. 
The  discussion  on  the  gardener’s  education  seems  to  have  lulled 
a  little  lately,  and  I  am  rather  surprised  that  no  champion  of 
learning  has  attempted  to  refute  the  arguments  put  forward 
in  the  interesting  letter  from  the  pen  of  “  Domestic  Working 
Gardener,”  on  May  22.  I  read  it  over  several  times,  and  could 
come  to  no  other  conclusion  but  true  !  alas  too  true  !  “  Domestic 
Working  Gardener”  admits  that  he  is  not  educated.  Perhaps 
not,  but  he  possesses  the  capacity  of  being  able  to  state  plain 
facts  in  plain  words.  I  was  also  struck  with  the  sensible 
remarks  in  the  contribution  from  a  “Northern  Gardener”  on 
June  5,  and  agree  with  him  that  the  pictures  of  a  gardener’s 
life  are  frequently  too  much  overdrawn.  To  encourage  young 
gardeners  to  improve  themselves  educationally  is  very  commend¬ 
able,  but  let  them  understand  the*  true  facts  of  the  case.  Place 
before  them  the  uncertainties  and  drawbacks  of  a  private 
gardener’s  career,  as  wrell  as  the  possibilities.  I  agree  with 
“Domestic  Working  Gardener”  that  it  is  wrong  to  buoy  up 
the  youth  of  gardening  that  if  they  dabble  in  half  a  dozen 
sciences  they  are  ensuring  for  themselves  a  good  position.  Let 
them  learn  the  sciences  by  all  means,  but  be  honest  about  the 
chances  a  gardener’s  career  holds  out. 
I  daresay  other  readers  of  the  Journal  besides  myself 
ruminate  sometimes  on  the  way  gardeners  are  made  in  these 
days.  In  many  cases  it  is  merely  a  process  of  drift.  Few 
people  of  even  the  lower  middle  class,  who  are  not  engaged  in 
horticulture,  bring  up  their  sons  as  gardeners ;  the  chances  are 
not  good  enough.  From  what  ranks,  then,  are  gardeners  drawn? 
It  often  happens  in  this  way.  A  gardener  in  an  establishment 
in  the  country  is  limited  with  respect  to  means  and  facilities, 
and  he  has  little  choice  in  the  way  of  occupation  for  his  sons. 
The  garden  provides  a  ready,  and  sometimes  the  only  opening, 
and  so  they  get  started  on  their  way  to  take  their  chances  with 
the  hundreds  who  are  clamouring  for  the  few  plums  of  the 
calling.  Others  have  no  direct  intention  of  being  gardeners  at 
all.  When  old  enough  to  work  they  obtain  employment  in  a. 
private  garden,  just  as  they  might  in  a  factory  or  elsewhere, 
and  then  drift  along.  There  comes  the  vacancy  in  the  bothy 
first,  then  two  or  three  moves  to  gain  experience,  and  after  that 
a  foremanship.  It  is  when  the  young  man  reaches  the  latter 
status  that  he  realises  the.  uncertainty  of  his  prospects.  He 
may  be  capable,  hard-working,  and  educated.  These  qualities 
will  help  him,  and  so  also  will  influence  if  he  is  fortunate 
enough  to  command  it. — G.  Ash. 
