February  25,  1904.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AED  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
167 
season’s  moisture,  have  made  vigorous  growth,  and  look  better 
in  health  than  they  have  ever  done  before.  In  other  words,  those 
trees  have  collected  and  stored  natural  forces  that  must  be  of 
assistance  to  them  in  the  future,  and  what  has  happened  under 
my  own  personal  notice  must  be  general  throughout  the  country. 
Re.st ;  yes  it  refreshes  and  invigorates  us  all,  and  because  one 
sleeps  well  every  night  that  is  no  reason  why  we  should  not 
occasionally  take  it  easy  in  the  daytime. — G. 
Notes  from  Khartoum. 
The  following  letter  was  written  on  February  2  :  “  This  place 
suits  me  well,  and  now  it  is  very  cold,  though  the  thermometer 
only  goes  down  to  55deg  F.  During  the  last  three  days  there 
has  been  a  gale  of  north  wind  with  plenty  of  dust,  which  makes 
it  cold,  and  owing  to  its  being  so  clear  and  keen,  one  wakes  up 
and  expects  to  see  a  frost.  The  moon  is  full,  and  the  night 
seems  like  day.  We  all  have  slight  colds  now,  and  hope  for 
warm  days.  The  poor  Sudanese  get  thawed  about  9  a.m.  Poor 
beggars!  they  do  feel  it,  and  no  mistake.  .  .  .  On  Friday 
next  Princess  Henry  of  Battenberg  arrives  for  four  days,  when 
there  is  to  be  a  flower  show,  gymkhana,  regatta,  and  the  laying 
of  the  foundation  stone  of  the  new  church. 
“  Peter  Barr  has  been  here,  and,  I  think,  enjoyed  himself. 
He  was  a  proper  tourist,  and  was  soon  known.  I  spent  several 
evenings  at  the  hotel  with  him,  and  of  course  showed  him  round 
the  gardens  here  and  went  to  Kerreri  with  him.  No  doubt 
he  will  be  telling  you  what  a  sandy  desert  this  is.  The  Nile 
is  at  its  lowest  now,  and  full  of  sandbanks,  that  make  it  difficult 
for  navigation  and  getting  water.  It  is  over  26ft  loAver  than 
in  September. 
“  I  have  a  fine  .show  of  vegetables  from  Veitch’s  seeds, 
especially  Tomatoes  and  Beetroot.  We  have  all  the  English 
vegetables  ready  now,  though  after  March  we'  shall  not  be  able 
to  grow  them  owing  to  the  heat.  Potatoes  have  done  well,  and 
I  dug  the  first  on  Christmas  Day.  Bougainvilleas,  Antigonon 
leptopus,  and  Brugmansia  grandiflora  are  fine  now.  I  have  sent 
for  one  pound’s  worth  of  the  best  Cannas,  as  a  big  show  is 
wanted  next  year.  Helianthus  argyrophyllus  and  Asclepias 
curassavica  are  the  best  things  I  have  for  general  use 
here.  .  .  .” 
Stoke-hole  Terrors. 
There  is  no  need  to  recount  all  that  goes  to  form  the  several 
disagreeable  features  of  stoking  ;  they  are  too  well  learned  from 
day  to  day.  A  recent  visit  to  a  gardening  neighbour  provided  an 
instance  derived  from  the  stoke-hole  such  as  I  have  not  previously 
seen  or  heard  of,  neither  had  my  neighbour.  Anthracite  coal 
afford.s  the  subject.  Among  the  fuel  supplied  by  a  local  coal 
merchant  were  lumps  which  by  weight  suggested  iron  ore  rather 
than  anthracite,  and  the  user,  unsuspecting  the  nature  and 
quality  of  the  fuel,  allowed  these  presumed  ore  lumps  to  pass 
unceremoniously  into  the  fire  chamber.  The  trouble  began  almost 
simultaneously  with  its  use,  and  was  found  in  the  difficulty  in 
removing  the  daily  formed  “  clinker.”  This  grew  from  day  to 
day,  until  further  aid  and  advice  became  a  necessary  and  a 
serious  matter.  The  boiler,  a  very  large  “  Climax,”  provided 
with  massive  solid  firebars,  has  a  large  extent  of  heating  to 
effect,  and  consequently  the  requisite  amount  of  fire  employed 
sets  up  a  heat  sufficient' to  change  this  new  type  of  coal  into  that 
of  molten  iron  residue.  In  this  state  it  welded  the  bars  together 
into  an  almost  solid  mass,  absolutely  beyond  the  power  of  the 
.stoker  and  his  tools  to  remove.  The  only  course  open  was  to 
call  in  the  aid  of  the  nearest  blacksmith,  and  with  bars  and 
chisels  remove  the  whole  of  the  firebar  base  and  replace  with  an 
entirely  new  set. 
It  cannot  be  denied  that  experiences  of  this  sort  inflict  much 
unnecessary  exiDense,  worry,  and  loss  of  time,  and  the  prosjject 
of  a  similar  recurrence  is  anything  but  peaceful  for  those  in, 
charge.  The  nature  of  the  molten  mass  gathered  on  the  bars 
necessarily  caused  an  investigation  into  the  cause,  and  this  was 
found  in  unsuspecting  lumps  mingled  with  the  fuel.  Had  fate 
decreed  that  in  this  instance  the  firebars  had  been  water  tubes 
instead  of  being  solid  the  trouble  would  not  have  been  so  expedi¬ 
tiously  disposed  of,  and  the  nature  of  this  ore  deposit  Js  such 
that  no  hammer,  bar,  or  chisel  can  affect  it.  In  its  liquid  .state 
it  passed  through  the  interstices  or  air  spaces,  and,  in  the  process 
of  cooling,  closed  these  up,  thus  effectually  and  absolutely  defeat¬ 
ing  the  duty  of  both  fire  and  workman.  Needless  to  say,  a  close 
watch  was  made  for  any  further  offending  lumps,  and  fortunately 
the  stock  was  but  a  limited  one  of  so  inferior  a  brand. 
If  the  same  .seam  of  coal  has  passed  into  other  gardens  pro¬ 
bably  others  may  have  had  a  similar  experience;  but  in  this 
instance  future  orders  will  not  be  entrusted  to  a  coal  merchant 
who.  innocently  enough,  perhaps,  Avas  responsible  for  .so  much 
inconvenience  and  loss.  It  would  be  interesting  to  learn  whether 
any  other  Journal  readers  have  gained  similar  experience. 
Duplicate  boilers  are  held  to  be  a  source  of  safety  in  cases  of 
emergency.  They  would  certainly  have  afforded  no  help  in  such 
a  case  as  this,  for  both  Avould  have  suffered  similarly,  and  both 
ha\'e  been  put  out  of  use  together,  assuming  tney  were  both  at 
work.  The  seriousness  of  a  breakdown  in  Avinter  due  to  collapse 
of  heating  plant  is  all-sufficient,  but  AA’hen  there  is  added  to  this 
the  risk  of  casualty  due  to  the  fuel  employed  the  AA’orry  is 
markedly  greater. — W.  S. 
“Collard”  Cabbage. 
Regarding  the  term  “Collard”  in  connection  Avith  Cabbage, 
in  answer  to  "  H.  A.,”  February  18,  it  may  be  additionally  in¬ 
teresting  to  your  inquirer  to  knoAV  that  “  C'ollard”  is  a  corruption 
of  the  French  word  C'olewort,  also  called  “  Collets.”  The  genuine 
ColeAA'ort  or  Dorsetshire  Kale  being  nearly  extinct  half  a  century 
ago,  as  far  as  I  am  cognisant,  C'oleAvort  Avas  the  general  term.  A 
special  variety  of  dwarf  and  early  Cabbage  Avas  utilised  for  the 
purpose,  and  no  other  kind  of  A’egetable  Avas  more  useful  or 
appreciated  at  the  table  of  the  rich  man  than  the  quickly  formed 
and  tender  heart  of  the  C'olewort,  more  especially,  too,  after  the 
Pea  and  Bean  season  ended.  The  Rosette  ColeAvort,  since  the 
period  alluded  to,  has  come  into  prominence,  and  Early  Market 
— OAving  to  its  compact  habit  and  turning  in  quickly — is  also 
excellent  for  the  purpose.  A  good  brake  of  C'oleAvorts  Avas  con¬ 
sidered  nearly  as  invaluable  as  one  of  early  spring  Cabbage.s.  I 
am  under  the  impression  that  the  ColeAvort  is  not  so  much  in 
vogue  nowadays  as  formerly.  Perhaps  the  introduction  of 
Veitch’s  Autumn  Giant  Cauliflower  may  be  chiefly  responsible 
for  this. — G. 
Manures,  Natural  and  Concentrated. 
The  facts  and  figures  supplied  by  Mr.  TVillis  on  page  112  I 
thought  vei’v  interesting,  and  I  think  many  l)eside  myself  Avill 
be  surprised  to  find  so  gi’eat  an  exiAert  admitting  the  Amine  of 
animal  over  and  above  that  of  artificials  in  supplying  the 
necessary  constituents  that  are  required  to  grow  good  Plums. 
There  is  scarcely  a  doubt  that  of  all  manures  none  can  approach, 
certainly  none  excel,  the  farmyard  store  Avhen  this  can  be  had 
in  sufficient  quantity  and  of  a  good  quality.  There  never  Avas 
a  time  Avhen  artificial  manufacture  had  so  large  a  sale  as  at 
the  present  time,  but  I  look  upon  theii’  Amine  as  being  far 
gi'eater  used  in  conjunction  Avith  animal  solids  than  alone. 
Land  that  is  stinted  of  good  animal  manure  cannot  bo  maixi- 
tained  under  any  system  of  chemical  concentration,  no  matter 
Avhat  the  nature  of  the  soil  may  be.  Heavy  ground  is  rendered 
still  more  heavy  because  nothing  is  introduced  to  break  up  its 
density,  and  open  the  pores,  as  it  Avere,  for  roots  to  ramify  and 
Avater  to  percolate  through  them.  Light  soils,  -on  the  other 
hand,  because  of  their  porositjq  carry  manurial  constituents 
through  them  easily  Avhen,  as  in  last  year,  there  is  much  raixi, 
and  thus  it  becomes^  in  familiar  language,  hungry. 
In  droughty  Avoather,  too,  there  is  no  readily  soluble  matter 
derhmble  from  artificials,  all  authorities  agreeing  that  moisture 
is  the  all-important  necessity  to  give  useful  effect  to  the  varioirs 
diy  manures,  concentrated  or  simple.  Many  experiments  liaAm 
been  conducted  bearing  on  the  use  of  manures  and  their  rela¬ 
tion  to  crops,  but  the  majority  still  agree  that  nothing  acts 
so  magically,  or  proves  so  lasting  in  the  soil,  as  good  animal 
manure.  Those  Avho  are  limited  iiA  their  supply  of  stable 
manure  are  by  stress  of  circumstances  di’iven  to  the  use  of 
artificials  as  a  necessity;  but,  as  I  have  already  said,  the 
universal  laAA's  ai'e  Nature  first,  compound  after,  and  the  extent 
of  the  latter’s  use  is  gauged  by  the  available  supply  of  the 
other.  Under-glass  culture  is  that  Avhich  affords  the  better 
means  of  getting  the  best  return  from  these  concentrated 
manures,  because  here  there  is  alAAays  the  needful  state  of 
moisture  present  to  provide  soluble  matter. 
In  glass  culture,  too,  they  form  so  easy  a  means  of  .stimulat¬ 
ing  rencAved  and  maintaining  normal  groAvth  in  the  case  of 
restricted  root  areas— either  in  pots,  boxes,  or  borders.  Their 
use  and  purpose  is  often  that  of  encouraging  surface  root  action, 
and  Avhen  furnished,  to  support  it.  In  the  matter  of  Vines,  for 
instance,  there  is  a  great  value  in  enticing  roots  to  the  surface  ; 
they  seem  then  more  contented,  and  less  prone  to  emigrate  into 
nnknoAvn  and  uncongenial  areas,  and  the  laAv  of  roots  seem  to 
be  that  of  hunting  tor  Avhat  they  have  not  easily  available  and 
close  at  home. 
It  is  difficult  to  over-estimate  the  value  of  humus  in  the 
soil  derivable  from  anything  Nature  proAudes,  and  the  tone  of 
lilr.  Willis’s  latest  contribution  lays  most  important  stress  on 
this  and  coming  as  it  does  from  one  so  Avholly  conversant  Avith 
tlie  all  and  everything  connected  Avith  soil  feeding  is  bound  to 
enlist  the  sympathies  of  the  many  Avho  have  Avayered  betAA'oen 
the  one  and  the  other,  natural  versus  chemical.  No  one  is  likely 
to  disparage  the  use  of  dry  manures  because  the  balance  ot 
favour  goi^s  to  the  animal  .solids;  rather  its  use  miglit  l>e 
strengthened,  because  in  conjunction  there  appears  a  probable 
accentuation  of  constituent,  from  Avhich  the  crop,  present  and 
snccessiA'e,  must  benefit. — Wilts. 
